20081231

Empress Mary Tattersall


b. 12 October 390
d. 6 July 419
Empress of the Terran Empire 401-419

Mary Tattersall was the result of a political marriage between Empress Denise Löwenger and Edward Tattersall. At the time, Idara Tattersall controlled a bloc of about 25 votes in the Imperial Council, votes which were desperately needed by the unraveling Carroll Coalition. The Tattersall allies, who generally steered a middle course between the Throne and its chief opponents, agreed to support Joseph Löwenger and, later, Denise, against the Elendan-led opposition which wished to make peace with the Patalanian Union.

In 390 the Imperial Council passed an Act of Succession which named Mary as Denise's Heir. The same Act also, as a matter of routine, named Edward Tattersall as Regent in case Mary was too young to take the Throne.

Denise had little interest in her daughter or her spouse; she left Mary to be raised by Edward under the vague supervision of other Carroll elders.

Idara Tattersall won their gamble in 401 when Denise died while Mary was only 11. Under the terms of the Act of Succession, Edward took on the mantle of Regent, while at the same time he moved Mary firmly away from the influence of the Carrolls. Edward's Regency lasted until 406, when Mary passed her adulthood tests and took on the Crown. (Edward remained Mary's most trusted advisor until his own premature death in 411.)

Edward's Regency was a time of quiet anticipation and political suspense, as Edward worked to balance the two factions -- Carroll and Opposition -- against one another. By skillfully adjusting appropriations, Edward was able to beef up the local Navy forces of Borshall, New Sardinia, Credix, and Geled -- the Provinces which adjoined the Patalanian Union, and the sites of the heaviest fighting. At the same time, he allowed the Provincial Dukes to increase their control over Navy forces in their Provinces, thus satisfying those of the Dukes who wanted more autonomy. Edward began a strategy of "defense only" -- under his rule (and, subsequently, for the rest of Mary's reign), the Empire ceased attacking Union worlds and did not intrude into Union space.

In TE 406, days before she turned 16, Mary took and passed her adulthood tests; she formally ascended to the Throne on her sixteenth birthday (although, thanks to her rigorous training and daily stints under the Memory Crown, she appeared to onlookers like a woman of thirty.)

Mary continued Edward's policy of political neutrality, balancing one party against the other while all the time trying to keep the Empire together and defend it against the Union.

In order to placate Opposition forces, who still formally called for peace with the Union, Mary agreed to an Act of Succession which named her cousin Charles Castiligoni as Imperial Heir. (The same Act, as a major concession to Carroll forces, named Thomas Carroll as Heir's Heir.)

In all her dealings, Mary tried to steer a middle course. Personally, she was a calm and diginified person, and after the juvenile excesses of Denise's reign, she brought a sense of style and decorum back to the Throne. During Mary's reign, a new restrained style of fashion and furniture swept the Empire; it is referred to by historians as Regency or Tattersall Style.

By force of personality and skillful politics, Mary Tattersall soothed the Imperial Council and the Dukes, and restrained the growing power of the Noble Families. Beginning in TE 412, she held an annual summit meeting between Galactic leaders -- she and Union President Pola Masilek were the chief attendees, but the summits also included the Archdukes of Elendan, Odonia, Sedante, and Teleskany. Largely as a result of these summits, hostilities between Union and Empire slowed down.

Mary's reign, which had begun in a hostile atmosphere with all sides waiting for the other shoe to drop, turned out to be a period of relative peace and quiet -- just what the Empire needed.

In 419, at the chronological age of 38 and the biological age of 100, Mary Tattersall passed the Crown to her Heir, Charles Castiligoni, then closed her eyes and died peacefully. She was mourned throughout the Galaxy; even in the Patalanian Union flags were lowered and the President declared a tenday of mourning.


copyright (c) 2008, Don Sakers
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20081217

Jamiar Heavitree


The other, a slender Amerind with chestnut eyes and wide lips visible through transparent polymer faceplate, pats Damien's shoulder before releasing him. "No disgrace, Nexus, if you can't handle it." The slightest hint of a French accent sounds more than a little accusative. "It's rough the first time you see something like this. Look away, and if you feel yourself going, leave. Just do not take your helmet off. Faint if you must. The evac team will pick you up."


Jamiar Heavitree is a doctor with Medecins sans Frontieres, the international medical assistance organization. When a deadly disease breaks out in the Navajo homeland in 2042, Dr. Heavitree brings a team to contain the epidemic. There, he makes the acquaintance of a young Nexus operative, Damien Nshogoza. And from that meeting, his life will never be the same....


copyright (c) 2008, Don Sakers

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20081210

The Curtain of the Hlutr

In order to contain the evil of Mertorthar, and to shield the developing races of the Scattered Worlds, the Scattered Worlds Hlutr created the Curtain of the Hlutr, a screen of thought and mental song which surrounds the Galactic Core to prevent accidentally entering the Gathered Worlds, as well as to prevent traffic out of the Core. This Curtain effectively isolated the Core until Mertorthar's war against the Empire of the Iaranor about 600 million BCE. By that time, the Gergathan had learned how to penetrate the Curtain.

Following the defeat of Iaranor, the Curtain remained and functioned as a one-way membrane, telepathically warning Scattered Worlds vessels away. The Curtain was lowered and raised again several times, most notably in the Core interregnums.


copyright (c) 2008, Don Sakers

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20081203

The Aetorian League

The planet Aetor, located about a kiloparsec from Earth, was colonized in 2098 CE. In 2153, Aetor was one of the founding worlds of the First Terran Empire.

After the fall of the First Empire, Aetor became a minor player in the region, but always remembered that its history predated the Empire's. In 4518 Aetor, with a few surrounding worlds, proclaimed the Aetorian League. In 4601 Aetor-Tethys-Zinnberg-Bosip signed the Aetorian Pact for mutual co-operation. This is the traditional date of founding for the Aetorian League.

At its greatest extent, the League included Tethys, Zinnberg, Bosip, and many of the surrounding worlds.


The League remained a minor player on the Galactic stage until 6697, when Lathyros declared war. Tethys, Zinnberg, and Bosip made individual settlements with Lathyros, withdrawing form the League. Although the Aetor-Lathyros War dragged on until 6712, when a treaty ceded most of the Aetor's's territory to Lathyros, historians date the end of the League at the start of the War, 6697.



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20081126

Miruvorane

Miruvorane, first of a long-promised new generation of "benign antivirals," was still pending FDA approval -- but Helen, like millions of other Americans, couldn't wait. Honduras and Nicaragua had both legalized the drug; as long as everyone had friends enough, there was no shortage in North America. Miruvorane immunized the body against a whole suite of viruses, Kabinda being the most notable, without toxic effects. The first few days, Helen had some minor headaches, but then she thought no more about it. One capsule every three days, with dinner, became a familiar routine.

Miruvorane proved to be a powerful mutagenic, affecting pregnancies by causing random and horrifying mutations. One product of such mutation was Penylle Norton, born with powerful clairvoyant and psychokinetic abilities, but with a potentially-fatal lack of a crucial hormone.



copyright (c) 2008, Don Sakers

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20081120

The Gergathan

The Gergathan is a great war-machine, constructed on Messilinia during the formation of the Pylistroph, about 2.4 billion years ago in the Galactic Core.

Composed of computer parts plus the living minds of those it has absorbed (including that of its creator, Dettalean Gankeh), the Gergathan is vastly intelligent, utterly implacable, and relentlessly ruthless. Its mission is the total eradication of life, everywhere in the multiverse.

The Gergathan is the monarch and incarnate god of the Gathered Worlds.

The primary servant of the Gargathan is Delger, a Talebba organism that could easily be considered a portion of the Gergathan itself.

The Gergathan's chief lieutenant is the Coruman Arivaan.

The Gergathan's weapons include the Gesen Vennetlira, a wand which destroys all life it touches.

In the Scattered Worlds, the Gergathan is also referred to as The Lord of Strife.



copyright (c) 2008, Don Sakers

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20081112

The Planet Escen


Habitable planet about 3 kiloparsecs from Terra, on the outer edge of the next galactic spiral arm inward. Escen is the first of five planets of an F-type star 1.66 times as luminous as Sol.

Distance from primary: 194.54 million kilometers
Revolutionary period: 0.9204 Terran years (366.17 Terran days/372.32 local days)
Rotation: 21.67 hours
Total irradiation (Terra = 1): 0.98
Diameter: 1.82 Terra (23,245 kilometers)
Mass: 4.22 Terra
Density: 0.70 Terra (3.83 g/cc)
Surface gravity: 1.27

Escen was founded in 2089 CE by Elaine & Samatha Churchill. Original population was drawn largely from Burma/Thailand/Indonesia. The original Buddhist religion later adapted to the KBM cult in Imperial times, then settled peacefully into a KBM/Buddhist flavored system early in the Interregnum. Escen was a peaceful world unfortunately balanced politically between the more warlike worlds of Geled and Dovan.

The Capital city is Nerang (originally "New Rangoon.") Other important cities include Moulmein, Arakan, Magwe, Silchar, and Tavoy.



copyright (c) 2008, Don Sakers

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20081105

Brin Lütken & Catherine Leonov

Catherine Leonov (TE 112-219) served on the Imperial Council from TE 147 to TE 219. Brin Lütken (TE 118-219) served from TE 153 to TE 219. They fell in love and became the perfect storybook couple, capturing the hearts of the Empire. In TE 158 they married.

By about TE 165, Mesayyid Brin and Catherine were the most powerful members of the Imperial Council, Emperor and Empress in all but name.

Behind their public smiles and benevolence, Brin and Catherine were power-hungry, devious, and corrupt. They had their fingers in every pie in the Galaxy, including organized crime and rebellion against the Empire. They engineered the destruction of the planet Cambolinee in TE 168.

In the latter part of their reign, Brin and Catherine waged bitter war against Empress Maj Thovold and the Imperialists. They were the driving force behind the Engelbach Rebellion of TE 197, and the Tarantula Incident of TE 219.



copyright (c) 2008, Don Sakers
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20081029

Mati & Babi

A teenager dashes past him, skin the shade of vellum and long black cape billowing like midnight clouds athwart the moon. The lad spins, shows fangs in a broad smile, and says, "Hi, Damien!" A banshee shriek cuts through the air, and a black-clad figure tackles the boy. Damien gets a glimpse of long blond hair, fingernails like claws, and whimsical cat-whiskers painted across paperwhite skin, then the couple tumbles away from him. The girl Babi, affecting her best feline mannerisms, looks up and shows her own fangs. "Hi, Damien."

Mateni Gerat and Babari Aparejo ("Mati & Babi") are two of the Maris Institute's resident vampires, victims of a 2032 gene-splicing porphyria virus whose perpetrators are still unidentified. While severe anemia and aversion to sunlight are the major symptoms, none of the vampires actually drink blood.



copyright (c) 2008, Don Sakers

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20081023

The Sebhra

The Sebhra were a Scattered Worlds race who called themselves "The Splendid People." The keynotes for the Sebhra are the two words "fat: and "lazy." Being Hchevidiire-derived, they are massive: each masses about a thousand kilos. They are hexapeds; the middle two limbs have migrated to center and lengthened, supplying seven-fingered "hands." They have a subsidiary ganglion in the center of these hands to help co-ordinate.

Sebhra can regenerate to a limited degree, and can reproduce either sexually or asexually, by budding.

The Sebhra evolved on a planet with a very slow rotational period and hardly any axial titlt. Being large and primarily herbirvorous, they did not develop any instinct for urgency or swift movement. Heavily armored except on the soft underbelly, it befitted the Sebhra to stay put and tuck in when attacked. Later social development, for agriculture and protection from the great predators, led to intelligence.

The most unfortunate trait of the Sebhra was their dietary dependence on the meat of a tiny furred mammaloid called the kelf. Kelf supplied the Sebhra with a vital trace amino acid -- only kelf and Sebhra remained of the thousand-or-so species that used this acid. Kelf manufactured it in their tissues; Sebhra ate kelf to get it. After the Sebhra became civilized, kelf-herding became a dominant activity. Before civilization, all Sebhra hunted kelf.

This dependence on kelf was very unfortunate, for kelf resemble the major Scattered Worlds race the Kreen -- and when Kreen first contacted the Sebhra, war could be the only result.

In the 270th century of Kreen civilization, Kreen galactic exploration parties made contach with the Sebhra. Sebhra ships tracked exploration parties, and the Empire of the Miethara was invaded. A period of war with the Sebhra commenced, and does not end until 700 Kreen years later, when a vast Kreen starfleet entered Sebhra space and defeated the Sebhra. The Kreen fleet withdrew with prisoners, depopulating Sebhra space. Sebhra prisoners became a slave caste in Kreen space.



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20081016

Unholy Three Concert for Timbuktu

Rolling Stone Online Edition, 2 August 2042 C.E.

Unholy Three
Concert for Timbuktu
143 minutes
Rating: *****
access: columbia/U3/live/20420801
reviewed by Asis Chakaipa, Rolling Stone Staff

In last night’s benefit concert for the survivors of Timbuktu, the Unholy Three once again showed why classic rock-n-roll will always be the king of music, and demonstrated that there are no rockers like Baby Boom rockers.

The band was joined onstage by the voices (and bodies) of actor Gail Danube (wife of keyboardist Mark Silver) and Tzu Emwalt, that foot-rubbin’ mamma whose multiculti vocal harmonies have won her three Grammys so far.

Lead singer Dominik Gruszpka was in perfect voice, dispelling any lingering doubt about the results of his radiation treatments this spring. His powerful, soulful melody on “Approaching Lavender,” coupled with guitarist Rij Kanaly’s oddly Cajun rhythms, brought a tear to the eye of more than one spectator. Halfway through the show, Silver and Kanaly engaged in an impromptu jam session on keyboard and twelve-string, harkening back to their old days with the Thirty Strings. It was a lively free-for-all with all the riveting intensity of a tight soccer match, that went on for an incredible fifteen minutes.

Emwalt and Gruszpka brought the house down with their spirited rendition of Gruszpka’s signature tune, “You Know the P is Silent.” Rumor has it that the two have started work on a joint album to be issued in December; more news as our ferrets dig it out.

Finally, no Unholy Three concert would be complete without the haunting “On the Road.” Danube and Emwalt lent a plaintive, piquant tone to this old favorite; it was a singular tribute to both the fallen and the survivors of Timbuktu.

This concert was among the best that the Unholy Three have ever given; it approaches their Andover Concert of 2026. Grab some friends, a jolt, and log onto this amazing experience tonight. I guarantee you won’t regret it.




copyright (c) 2008, Don Sakers

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20081008

The Hyperspace Jig


    "First you face to the left;
    Give a kick to the right;
    Clap your hands, jump and spin
    At the speed of light
    Then when you face yourself
    You will both flip your wig!
    Let's dance the Hyperspace Jig!
    Let's dance the Hyperspace Jig!"



Every Friday night at the Miranda Maris Institute for Wayward Artists, five hundred assorted artists and creative types kick off a weekend-long celebration by singing and dancing the Hyperspace Jig. Originally from a pre-Millennial musical show, the song now has over a hundred verses and takes an hour to finish. The complete version is done only once a year, in celebration of Miranda Maris' birthday.


copyright (c) 2008, Don Sakers
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20080820

The Imperial Diplomatic Corps

The Diplomatic Corps is the agency of the First Terran Empire charged with diplomacy and negotiation. During the Formation Period, the DiploCorps was very active and important in negotiations that created a viable Empire out of hundreds of squabbling planets.

In later periods of Imperial history, the Corps was no less important. It acted as lubrication between the various power blocs in the Empire: the Provinces, the Idara, the corporations, the other departments of the Imperial government.

Once the Patalanian Union seceded in TE 304, the DiploCorps again took up the responsibility for relations between the Empire and powerful outside interests.

DiploCorps uniforms are yellow, with various cryptic rank insigniae.


copyright (c) 2008, Don Sakers

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20080806

Grants Available from the Maris Institute

:ARTS & HUMANITIES:ARTS:ORGANIZATIONS:FOUNDATIONS
:GRANTS:CURRENT:MARIS INSTITUTE:

NOTE: The Maris Institute interprets the term “Artist” very broadly. If your work is creative and seeks to communicate with an audience, then you are probably eligible.

Artist-in-Residence (3): Two-year grant covers room & board plus full access to real & virtual facilities. Includes Net/VR account with 60 TB storage, individual mentor/counselor, and monthly stipend. Three grants available.

Artist-in-Virtual-Residence (6): Two-year grant covers Net/VR account with 60 TB storage, full access to virtual facilities, individual mentor/ counselor, and monthly stipend. Six grants available.

Satellite Artistic Residence (35): Two-year grant covers room & board at a satellite facility (35 worldwide) plus full access to real satellite facilities. Includes Net/VR account with 60 TB storage, full access to Institute virtual facilities, and individual mentor/counselor. Artist is required to contribute a token monthly sum. Thirty-five grants available. (No guarantee of assignment to any particular site.)

Artist Assistance (number varies): One-time grants to assist producing artists with ordinary bills and expenses such as rent, mortgage, utilities, equipment, supplies. Individuals are eligible for only one award in a five-year period. Number and amount of awards varies.

IMPORTANT: Artists must agree to assign to the Maris Institute a small percentage (usually 0.1 - 0.8%) of future royalties from all artistic works produced during the grant period.

TO APPLY: Visit the Maris Institute at and chat with our Grant Applications ’bot.




copyright (c) 2008, Don Sakers
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20080730

Nexus Interdict

Nominally, Monument Valley -- indeed, the whole Novajo Nation -- is under Nexus interdict...and will be, until Navajo raiding parties stop killing their Hopi neighbors. The terms of interdict, in theory, are unyielding: the offending nation can have no commerce or contact with the world community until they are ready to rejoin it. No trade, no tourists, no Net connections in or out. Only refugees are allowed to leave. For three weeks the interdict has held, Nexus volunteers working alongside U.N. peacekeepers and Mexamerican troops.

Today, those who defy the world community are put under interdict by the Nexus. Today, the nations of the world respect the interdict, and uneasily support the Nexus and the United Nations. For every nation knows that it is better to be sealed off from the rest of the planet for a time, than to be incinerated from off its face forever....


copyright (c) 2008, Don Sakers

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20080723

The Top Ten Virties of 2068

10. Point of Dreams (Quincunx, 24 Aug 2068): Return to the magical city of Astreiant as Rathe and Eslingen pursue the mystery of The Alphabet of Desire.

9. Spring Olympics Enhanced Broadjump Level Three Competition, interactive coverage (Umoja NewsScape, 8 April 2068)

8. W (Disney-Hohokus, 11 September 2068): Animated musical comedy based on the life of the worst American President in history.

7. Three in a Bush Director's Cut (Speed-of-C, 22 July 2068): Gail Danube's classic re-rendered and enhanced for a new generation.

6. Summer Olympics Warm-Water Curling Competition (EurosportsWeb, 12 August 2068)

5. The Asimov Code (Third Foundation, 2 January 2068): A murder inside the New York Public Library and clues in Asimov's books lead to the discovery of a religious mystery protected by a secret society for over six thousand years.

4. Miracle Worker Season 6 Finale (ChristNet, 17 May 2068): Penelope faces her greatest challenge when a freak magnetic storm sends her back in time to Old Salem - where her psychic powers are taken for witchcraft.

3. Winter Olympics Opening Ceremonies from Lauge Koch, Greenland (Hypertrace Channel Seven, 16 January 2068)

2. The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror LXXIX (Fox, 31 October 2068): Bart stumbles upon a millennia-old secret society; Homer becomes a kreptoid; a freak magnetic storm sends Lisa back in time to Old Salem.

1. All the Weyrs of Pern (New Line, 1 April 2068): The last chapter of the wildly successful Dragonriders of Pern series.


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20080716

The Rise of Culture in the First Human Galactic Interregnum

The Rise of Culture in the First Human Galactic Interregnum
by Maarten Travesh, Galactic Rider, published c. 26,500 H.E. from Nephestal

Successor to Mal Arin's The Fall of the First Terran Empire, written on Nephestal with the assistance of some of the same databases and AIs that aided Mal Arin, as well as the vast resources of the Trnas clan. The Rise of Culture, at 274.3 gigabytes, is the standard work on Human history.

The Rise of Culture completed Mal Arin's thesis by demonstrating how a set of non-Imperial states grew up during the Interregnum, states which were more efficient and culturally superior to the First Empire -- and how the development of these states without Terran influence led inevitably to the foundation of the mature Second Empire. Travesh was the first (Human) to point out that Spacer societies had selected for Humans who were able to control their native aggression, thus improving the breed.


copyright (c) 2008, Don Sakers

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20080709

The Bound Determinate

His homeroom dissolves in a swirl of primary colors, which just as quickly firms up into bleak, mountainous terrain. He stands before a towering wall, patterned somewhat after the Great Wall in China, but straight-edged and crisp in the fashion of pure computer graphics. The air is thin, cold, and clean; a brisk wind sings against the top of the wall and brings gooseflesh to Damien's arms.

According to the Treaty, agreed by Humans and Artificial Intelligences in 2021, the Bound Determinate is the ultimate edge of Human penetration into cyberspace. The AIs structure the region beyond to their own purposes; they do not permit ordinary fleshlings to venture into it. In fact, the Bound Determinate is self-enforcing: an unaided fleshling who tries to scale the wall finds the distance to the top ever-increasing, until like an erstwhile Sisyphus he must surrender and retreat.



copyright (c) 2008, Don Sakers

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20080702

The Watchers of the Stones

The Watchers of the Stones are a cadre of telepathic-sensitive volunteers who tend and watch the Singing Stones on Nephestal.

The Watchers are a close-knit group with a long tradition that predates the Scattered Worlds entirely. Before the Pyslistroph, the Coruman seer Taryhensh founded a Stone-watching priesthood on the planet Glebanac. Some form of Watching has gone on ever since. The great Daamin seers -- Crettim Bruv and her descendants -- used the Singing Stones in combination with the Forever Dreams.

In the time of the Empire of the Iaranor, many Iaranori grew interested in the Stones. The formal Watchers, however, did not begin until many million years after the Iaranori ruled. Aartak Mykal of Treplith Wat was the first to organize the Watchers, at about 300 million BCE; she was also the first non-Daamin since Taryhensh to have a say in the maintenance of the Stones.

At first the Watchers were a small band, closely allied with the Galactic Riders; their main work involved search-and-rescue operations in the increasingly-trafficked Scattered Worlds.

Sometime before 200 million BCE, the Watchers began to do scientific inquiry, and by 150 million BCE they had located nearly 200 new civilizations -- including three that had never discovered star travel.

The formal organization of the Watchers developed slowly, with most volunteers being drawn from the ranks of the Riders, the various schools of Nephestal, and not a few from the Secluded Realm. The community of Watchers usually numbers between thirty and one hundred, of which perhaps half are Daamin. The entire community elects a leader/co-ordinator, usually a lifetime position (or, at least, until voluntary retirement). This co-ordinator is called the High Enlightened, and is responsible for standing between the Watchers and the demands of the world. By tradition, the High Enlightened is seldom a Daamin.

The Daamin Watchers, as always, are formally referred to as "Elder" or "Wise One." Other Watchers have the title "Maestro." In conversation among themselves, the preferred terms are "cousin" (casual), "Maestro" (formal), or "Sagacity" (most formal.)

Although individual Watchers are free to persue any line of investigation they wish (and, indeed, are free to withdraw from the Community entirely), most will follow requests from the High Enlightened -- who in turn passes along questions originating with the Council of Free Peoples or the various Schools.

Watchers' etiquette is highly formalized. It is considered improper to eavesdrop on another's mental state, or to discuss another's investigations unless the other volunteers information or asks for help. It is highly improper to use the Stones for one's own gain, and most improper to spy upon one's fellow Watchers with the Stones.

A Watcher who has misused its ability may be judged -- by the whole Community -- and if the Community is decided against it, it may appeal to the Council of the Free Peoples. The penalty is swift and cruel: the Watcher is cut off from the Stones by a mental screen somewhat like the Curtain of the Hlutr. To one who has heard the song of the Stones, this is a penalty worse than death.

On rare occasions, a Watcher so interdicted will be able to regain contact despite the Community's curtain. In those cases, the Watcher may be forgiven . . . or summarily executed.

Apprentice Watchers come from all over the Scattered Worlds. Most folk are unable to read, even a little, the music of the Stones -- those who are perceptive enough to become apprentices must find a Watcher willing to sponsor them. Training is long and hard, with many dropouts -- a Watcher's discipline is unremitting and few can make the grade.



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20080625

Calmathis VI


Located about 11 kiloparsecs from Earth in the Transgeled sector of the galaxy, Calmathis VI is the largest and most important of eight settlements orbiting the bright A-type star Calmathis. The planetary system is unremarkable, consisting of three minor rocky planets and two asteroid belts. The other seven settlements are all mining settlements in one of the two asteroid belts; Calmathis VI is in the leading Trojan position of planet #2 (which, confusingly, is also called "Calmathis.")

The settlement was founded in 7528 CE. As the New Renaissance progressed, Calmathis VI enjoyed some popularity as a transfer point and trading base for ships traveling through the Transgeled.


copyright (c) 2008, Don Sakers

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20080617

Emperor Philip Lütken

Emperor of the Terran Empire 275-286

b. 24 December 234
d. 19 October 286

Philip Lütken was the only son of Empress Cathie Kuchta and Imperial Council member Karl Lütken. The last product of the Kuchta genetic enhancement program begun by his great-great-great-grandfather Sten Kuchta (123-237), Philip developed in vitro and was born when his mother was only 7. The boy Philip was raised by his great-grandmother, Mandike Kuchta (177-290), along with his mother, uncle David Kuchta, and aunt Judy Kuchta.

Philip was educated with the idea that he would eventually succeed to the Throne. He was brilliant but taciturn, and over the years hostility developed between Philip and the others, Cathie in particular. He was only 8 when David ascended to the Throne, and so played little part in his uncle's reign. He passed his adulthood tests in 250, at age 16, and for the next few years he was admitted to David's circle of advisors. In his role as Imperial Prince, Philip spoke little and smiled even less.

In 251, Philip met Mary Fodon at a state reception. The two were inseparable, and in 252 they were married at the Palace. A year later, Mary gave birth to Ellen Fodon.

When his mother ascended to the Throne in 254, Philip was 20. Although he maintained official apartments at the Palace, he was seldom on Earth, preferring Mary's family estates on Torbet. Their son Dirk Fodon was born in 260.

When Cathie died in 275, her sister Judy (Heir Apparent) refused the Throne, throwing the question of succession into the Imperial Council. After much deliberation, during which few other qualified applicants were proposed, the Council named Philip as Emperor. Philip ascended to the Throne at age 41.

Philip's reign was neither entirely successful nor happy. The succession crisis caused a collapse on the stock markets, and the Empire's economy went into a depression which lasted five years. Rebellions, which had been down considerably during his mother's reign, became more frequent and the Navy was deployed much more often. The resulting drain on the Imperial Treasury helped to prolong the economic decline.

During the depression, regional animosities were intensified and the power of the Idara increased.

In 277 the number of worlds in the Empire reached 5,000 -- one small bright spot in an otherwise-gloomy world.

In 278, Philip recognized the Kaal/Brandix/Meletia cult as the Empire's semi-official religion, and styled himself Kaal's incarnate son. The religion was useful; working alongside the Navy and Marines, religious ministers provided relief to economically-depressed areas.

By 280, the depression had begun to lift, although in some parts of the Galaxy -- notably the Province of Patala and the Transgeled -- effects of the depression lingered far longer.

The latter half of Philip's reign was undistinguished and relatively uneventful, as economic recovery continued to build slowly.

Philip's 50th birthday was celebrated throughout the Empire in the year 284 -- at a large celebration in New York he named his daughter Ellen Fodon as his successor. Subsequently, his health declined rapidly. On 19 October 286, at the age of 51, Philip Lütken died under the Memory Crown during the daily imprinting of the State of the Empire Report.

Philip was succeeded by his daughter, Ellen Fodon.


copyright (c) 2008, Don Sakers
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20080611

The Galaxy in 7000 CE



The 70th Century (6900-7000) is generally acknowledged by historians as the low point of Human civilization in the Galaxy. Most states were in decline, losing more and more planets to barbarism and chaos. The Credixian Imperium, while apparently stable, was mired in stagnant decadence. Only in the Metrinal Union was there vitality and growth.


copyright (c) 2008, Don Sakers

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20080604

The Credixian Imperium

The Credixian Imperium (2624 - 10,724 CE) was centered around the First Empire Province of Credix. Although its boundaries fluctuated during the millennia, the core systems in the same Spiral Arm as Credix were always part of the Imperium.

The Imperator sat on the throne and held near-absolute power, but the Reichstaag (legislature) controlled the succession.

The Credixian Imperium preserved First Empire culture. The Imperium was not stagnant, but it was very stable. Stability was valued over expansionism and innovation. As much as possible, the Imperium isolated itself from the Galaxy outside its borders.

Breeding, like inheritance, was controlled by primogeniture. The oldest child could breed (2 children); younger children could get breeding permits from the Imperator for a large number of reasons, but the availability of such permits depended on total Credixian population.

Since the religion of Credix involved ancestor worship, it was desirable for each Family to have children, in order to honor the ancestors through time.

At times during the Interregnum, breeding permits were granted for exploration, archaeological discoveries, works of art, etc.


copyright (c) 2008, Don Sakers

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20080528

The Christian Confedercy of American States


In 2027, taking advantage of the new Peaceful Secession clause, the broad swath of country from Lynchburg to Colorado Springs reorganized itself as the Christian States of America; soon after, sought California and the Southwest joined northern Mexico as Mexamerica, southern Florida entered the Caribbean Union, Utah became its own theocratic state, and several American Indian homelands declared themselves independe4nt. It was the worst year for mapmakers since 1990.

The Christian Confederacy of American States, also known as "The Christian States of America" and "God's Country," is a theocratic nation in which Christian values rule, abortion and sexual deviance are punishable by death, indecency is not tolerated, compulsory prayer opens every school day, and the Ten Commandments are posted in every classroom and public building.


copyright (c) 2008, Don Sakers

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20080522

Javal


The Imperial colony of Javal (founded TE 94) was a marginal world, its economy sustained largely by tourism and mineral production.

After the fall of the First Empire, society on Javal quickly regressed to a pre-industrial level.


In 3187 CE, a group of ideological outcasts from the Deletian Monarchy settled on Javal. Calling themselves "Klavvin," (a word of uncertain origin), they conducted a systematic absorption of the natives, which was complete by c. 3800 CE.

In 3524 CE, the Klavvin signed a trade treaty with the Tr#skan Trade Union, and by 3700 CE the island of Traskas was a Level One Tr#skan Trade Base, with a state-of-the-art spaceport in Teklenn Valley.

In 4635 CE, following the destruction of BDA Tr#ska, approximately 20,000 Tr#skan refugees landed on Javal and took up residence on Traskas Isle. Relations between the Tr#skans and the Klavvin became strained.

With the failure of Relay Delta (4723 CE), the Tr#skans became increasingly isolated from the rest of the Galaxy. Finally, in 4864 CE the Klavvin invaded Traskas and enslaved the Tr#skans. With a combination of drugs and hypnosis, the Tr#skans were reduced to a slave-labor caste.

This situation continued until 4951 CE, when a delegation of Knights Economic led an assault against Javal and succeeded in freeing the Tr#skan slaves.



copyright (c) 2008, Don Sakers

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20080514

InfoPol

Before they reach the tanks, a blue-shirted InfoPol officer marches smartly up to them, her dark hair maintaining a perfect coiff in spite of the humidity.She is flanked by two U.N. peacekeepers in khakis, with blue helmets gleaming and rifles held ready.

Damien holds out his hand. "Good evening, Officer. What can we do for you?" He makes sure to stand so that she can see the Starburst glowing yellow against his dark skin.

The woman flashes a badge, ignoring Damien's outstretched hand. "Officer Caparthy, InfoPol." She hands him a flatscreen. "I have a warrant for the arrest of one Miranda Maris."




The World Information Police (InfoPol), under the authority of the United Nations, is the agency responsible for investigating abuses of information and maintaining order within the Human preserves of cyberspace.




copyright (c) 2008, Don Sakers

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20080507

The Dareta h'Lamoth



Scattered Worlds race which flourished c. 400 million BCE. At their peak, the Dareta h'Lamoth commanded a union of approximately 300 worlds. Physically, the Dareta h'Lamoth were a flying race, resembling pteranadons. They preferred worlds with light gravity and dense atmospheres.

The Dareta h'Lamoth had unusually high precognitive sensitivity; to some degree, they could see the future. This ability usually followed genetic bloodlines, so that a particular Dareta h'Lamoth could dimly sense the future of her descendants, but not the future of another bloodline.

copyright (c) 2008, Don Sakers


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20080430

Imperial Stock Exchange Top Twenty TE 308

1. Schmidt Foundation
2. Dalanian Antigravitics
3. Bank of Luna
4. Interstellar Communications (aka Imperial Centcom)
5. Gigasoft Group
6. Rockwell Interstellar
7. Xerox
8. Hafen Starships
9. Mitsubishi
10. Borshallan Artificial Intelligences
11. Phuctra Manufacturing
12. Coca-Cola
13. Karphos Corporation
14. Wuorio Construction
15. Chase Manhattan Bank
16. General Electronics
17. Nippon Metals Interstellar
18. Bank of Elendan
19. Dovan Construction
20. RC Fashions, Inc.

copyright (c) 2008, Don Sakers


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20080423

The Reefs of Etile-viedel


Etile-viedel is one of the Scattered Worlds, located in the vicinity of the Human planet Karphos. The sapient inhabitants of Etile-viedel are an aquatic race with a two-stage life cycle: as youngsters, they are free-moving and resemble large jellyfish; as adults, they are sessile and live in enormous structures reminiscent of coral reefs. These reefs, laid down over the centuries by the sessile adults, record the memories and experiences of each individual, and can persist for hundreds of millennia.



copyright (c) 2008, Don Sakers

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20080416

The Three Cyberspaces

Cyberbia

Curving structures of translucent ivory and sparkling crystal ascend, studded with other balconies and pavilions and platforms like an enormous neo-Victorian treehouse -- all turning upon themselves, glittering in vanished sunlight, until lost in the violet distance. Below: the same, descending to the distant surface like a thin and graceful stalk of wheat rooted in fine, dark soil. Damien grasps the shape of the landscape beneath him, and whistles in appreciation of Penylle's joke. They are give dozen kilometers above the timeless Serengeti, perched upon a single strand of DNA that is, undoubtedly, rooted in the grasslands of Olduvai.

Cyberbia, one of the three major divisions of human cyberspace, is an endlessly malleable virtual landscape. Fantastic and implausible vistas are everywhere, and space itself bends and twists at the will of virtreal artists.


Virtua

The Virtual city is bright, clean, unblemished -- in direct contrast to the drab, fading reality of worn concrete and cracked macadam, weed-tangled parking lots, the gaping holes of empty windows. In Virtua, however, every house is a big top and every passerby a performer. Dragons and insectlike aliens brush elbows with medieval warriors, Japanese princesses, and werewolves. From the sidelines, animated commercials call for attention. Every passing car is a luxury limousine, a futuristic hover-car, or a twenty-meter yacht.

Virtua, second of the three major divisions of human cyberspace, consists of artistic enhancements to the real world. These enhancements, visible through data goggles such as RCSpex, range from simple directional signs to fantastic and extravagant virtual personae.


El Juego

El Juego, The Game, has been around in one form or another almost as long as the Net itself. Phosphoric green letters on a black screen became static 256-color images, became photorealistic full-screen streaming video, became total-immersion artificial reality -- yet The Game remained quintessentially itself, the product of imagination, not technology. Indeed, it is rumored that, somewhere in the labyrinthine contortions of El Juego's tunnels and corridors and twisting cobblestone streets, one can still find a place to sit down at a simulated antediluvian ADM-25 terminal and play "Adventure" the way Gosper and Greenblatt and the others did so many decades ago.

El Juego, third of the three major divisions of human cyberspace, is a vast, interactive role-playing game with millions of participants worldwide. El Juego offers thousands of planes of play, each satisfying a different taste for violence, politics, religion, and sex.




copyright (c) 2008, Don Sakers
Find out more in Dance for the Ivory Madonna

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20080409

The Karphos Corporation

Mining corporation, specializing in mining the solar wind of unstable stars, especially Mu Venarum, primary of the planet Karphos.

The Karphos Corporation was organized in TE 40 with the discovery of Karphos. By TE 80, the company had expanded operations to six stellar systems within 2 kpsc of Karphos. In addition to mining, the company entered the fields of tourism and starship rental/repair/replacement. By TE 100, the company had reached the upper levels of the Imperial Stock Exchange, and displaced Terran Foods in the #13 spot.

Entry into the Imperial Council cemented the company's position, and until TE 361 the Karphos Corporation remained powerful.

After the Battle of Karphos in TE 361, the company's fortunes declined, and although it remained rich and powerful, it lost its Imperial Council seat and its share in the Kaa Cartel.


copyright (c) 2008, Don Sakers
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20080402

Our Lady of the Nets

"The floor was white marble, reflections dancing in its polished surface. Bright, intricate stained-glass windows rose a hundred meters or more, supported by star-flecked granite columns carved in the shapes of Brobdingnagian elephants, turtles, crocodiles, and oxen. As she watched, Penylle realized that the patterns of stained glass were slowly moving, changing, one design imperceptibly morphing into another.

"Above all, seeming kilometers away at least, an obsidian dome was inlaid with gems, hundreds -- thousands -- of them, in every hue, forming a vast galactic whirlpool reaching from one end of the vaulted space to the other."

The Shangri-la of cyberspace, Our Lady of the Nets is the ultimate hacker hangout. Here, under the supervision of the legendary Sister Rheostat, information is traded, alliances are made, and everything...everything...can be had for the right price.



Sister Rheostat

Today, the good Sister manifests as a bearded, middle-aged Anglo man in a black leather habit and matching wimple. It is rumored that Sister Rheostat never appears in the same form twice.

"Bless you, my child," the Sister says, holding out a hairy-knuckled hand. On the third finger is a gold ring with a diamond the size of a golf ball. Penylle bends and kisses the ring. "May the good Lords keep and bless you. May Krishna smile upon you. May your bits be always true, may the Nets rise up to meet you, and may you be in Paradise a half hour before InfoPol knows you're online. What can I do for you, my little pretty?"

Sister Rheostat, the owner, architect, and Mother Superior of the hacker hideout Our Lady of the Nets, is the world's foremost information broker. There is little that Sister Rheostat does not know, and much that she is willing to tell...if you can meet her terms.




copyright (c) 2008, Don Sakers

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20080326

The Virgo Cultures


Based in the Virgo Cluster (pictured above, as seen from Earth), a supercluster of galaxies surrounding M87, 70 million lightyears from the Milky Way. The Virgans had a high and mighty culture, in many ways superior to culture in the Milky Way. About 22 million BCE, Garadhros met the expanding Virgo Cultures. A great war ensued, a war which resulted in the detonation of M-87's Core. Garadhros, however, was conquered and the Gergathan shut down. The Virgo warrior Jel Haran fought, and was seriously damaged, in this final war.

About 19 million BCE, Diebethar attacked and, ultimately, defeated the Virgo Cultures.

In 23,524 H.E, a Second Terran Empire vessel (the Virgo Mariner), carried a Scattered Worlds crew, under the command of Mal Arin, on a voyage of exploration to the Virgo Cluster.

Races, Features, and Planets:

Aurora's Children: Virgan race which eventually became the Twilight Dancers.

Metaneira: Planet of a small red sun in the Ring Galaxy of the Virgo Cluster; one of the current homes of the Twilight Dancers.

Ring Galaxy: A galaxy in the Virgo cluster approximately 70 million lightyears from the Milky Way (pictured right). Home galaxy of the Twilight Dancers.

Twilight Dancers: The ruling race of the Virgo Cluster.

Warriors of the Honorable Retribution: Corps of about 8,000 cyborg fighters who defeated the Gergathan c. 22 million BCE.

copyright (c) 2008, Don Sakers


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20080319

Emperor David Kuchta

Emperor of the Terran Empire TE 242-254

b. 29 May 224, Nagoya, Terra
d. 6 Feb 254, New York, Terra

David Kuchta was the first child of Empress Amy Kuchta and Robert Churchill. Developed in vitro and born when his mother was only 15, David was raised under the direction of his grandmother, Mandike Kuchta. David was a product of the Kuchta genetic enhancement program begun by his great-great grandfather Sten Kuchta (123-237). Although David showed mathematical and pattern-forming abilities rivaling those of his mother, he turned out to be a shy, uncertain child who grew up to be a hesitant, indecisive adult.

As a child, David was dominated by his sister Cathie, three years his junior. Cathie was smarter, more outgoing, and had a stronger personality than David, so it was perhaps natural that he should follow her advice and wishes. Once he was Emperor, Cathie was one of his chief advisors.

David Kuchta's reign was largely peaceful, and devoted to consolidation of the policies begun by Tsung Dao Wu and Amy Kuchta, including continued consolidation & integration of regional cultures and economies.

While Sten Kuchta's genetic enhancement program formally ended with his death in 237, some of the personnel involved allied themselves with researchers who had conducted similar programs in other Idara, in a clandestine breeding program later called the Kala Phenkae. In 252, under the sponsorship of Idara Kristeller, the Kala Phenkae found a permanent headquarters on the planet Obron.

Shortly after David took the Throne in 242, the number of worlds in the Empire passed the 4,000 mark. In TE 250, the Imperial Quarter-Millennial Celebration included the foundation of Cliodna, completing the settlement of all habitable worlds within 30 lightyears of Terra.

David Kuchta died in TE 254, at age 30, in a starship crash on Geled. Although foul play was suspected, no evidence was ever found. David was the first Emperor officially to die of a cause other than old age. (For reasons of security, Maj Thovold's death was officially recorded as old age.)

David was succeeded by his sister, Cathie Kuchta.

copyright (c) 2008, Don Sakers


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