“Unless a military farcaster were hurriedly constructed in the Hyperion system […] there would be no way to resist the Ouster invasion. Whatever secrets the Time Tombs might hold would go to the Hegemony’s enemy. If the fleet did construct a farcaster in time and the Hegemony committed the total resources of FORCE to defending […] Hyperion, the Worldweb ran the terrible risk of suffering an Ouster attack elsewhere on the perimeter, or—in a worst-case scenario—having the barbarians actually seizing the farcaster and penetrating the Web itself.”

Simmons establishes the stakes early on in the story, and provides a timetable. The Time Tombs, which various groups believe were sent from the far future by either AIs or humanity, are opening, which may provide a powerful weapon or some advantage to whoever gets there first. The Ouster invasion is imminent, and the pilgrims must leave before the airspace is entirely closed off.

“While many Templars believe that the Shrike is the Avatar of punishment for those who do not feed from the root, I must consider this a heresy not founded in the Covenant or the writings of Muir.”

Het Masteen explains some of the philosophy of the Templars and how they view the Shrike. This is the first linkage of the Shrike with punishment. Het Masteen also hints at the Templars’ beliefs about nature.

“[…] it would—at the very least—amuse us and give at least a glimpse of our fellow travelers’ souls before the Shrike or some other calamity distracts us. Beyond that, it might just give us enough insight to save all of our lives if we are intelligent enough to find the common thread of experience which binds all our fates to the whim of the Shrike.”

Sol Weintraub proposes that the pilgrims tell their tales. This sets up the frame story with embedded tales, like Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales. In addition, the premise creates intrigue, as the reader doesn’t yet know how the diverse stories are linked. Understanding one another better may give the pilgrims an advantage when facing the Shrike.