The character Dubbelosix is an obvious homage to Sean Connery, star of the early James Bond movies, reflecting the number of times Sean Connery portrayed the role of James Bond on screen, which at the time was six. The scene where the papyrus bearing instructions self-destructs after being read is a reference to Mission: Impossible. Several characters in the story comment on the uselessness and nastiness of petroleum, wondering why anybody would want it, a stark contrast to our over-dependence in the present.