Louis was cornered against the stone wall, trapped. He raised his hands in useless surrender, using his old lecturing voice. “Sirix, why are you doing this? We mean you no harm. We were just trying to help. We wanted to find the answers for you.”

“We did not want the answers,” Sirix said. Louis, leaning against the cold and all-too-solid stone wall, did not understand. “But you said you had lost all your memories, that you didn’t know what happened long ago.”

“We did not lose our memories,” Sirix said. The Klikiss robots fell upon the doomed archaeologist, their weapon-arms extended. “We lied.”

TIMELINE

TIMELINE

Ca.

1940s   Ildirans discover Klikiss robots on Hyrillka ice moons.

2100   Peary, Balboa, Marco Polo—first generation ships depart from Earth.

2103   Burton, Caillié depart.

2104   Amundsen departs.

2106   Clark, Vichy depart.

2109   Stroganov departs.

2110   Abel-Wexler departs.

2113   Kanaka departs, last generation ship.

2196   Kanaka leaves colony at Meyer rubble belt; becomes Rendezvous.

2221    King Ben crowned on Earth.

2230    Mage-Imperator Yura’h ascends.

2244    Ildirans encounter Caillié; Theroc established as colony.

2245    Ildirans come to Earth, search for other generation ships.

2247   Kanaka found, settlers taken to Iawa.

2249    Compy OX returns to Earth.

Thara Wen (fourteen years old) becomes first to take the green.

2250    Roamers begin skymining operations on Daym and elsewhere.

2254    Dobro experiments begin.

First Klikiss ruins (Llaro) reported by Madeleine Robinson.

Theroc officially declares its independence from the Hansa.

King Ben poisoned; King George crowned.

2274    King Christopher crowned.

2307    King Jack crowned.

2323    King Bartholomew crowned.

2337    Mage-Imperator Yura’h dies; Cyroc’h ascends.

2373    Uthair and Lia Theron become Father and Mother of Theroc.

2381    King Frederick crowned.

2390    Margaret and Louis Colicos married.

2397    Ross Tamblyn born.

2400    Idriss and Alexa married.

2402    Reynald Theron born.

Jess Tamblyn born.

2403    Beneto Theron born; Uthair and Lia Theron retire.

2406    Sarein Theron born.

2408    Nira Khali born.

2411    Tasia Tamblyn born.

2413    Raymond Aguerra born.

2415    Estarra Theron born.

2427    Oncier ignited with Klikiss Torch.

THE GREAT KINGS OF THE
TERRAN HANSEATIC LEAGUE

CHAIRMEN OF THE TERRAN HANSEATIC LEAGUE

Christian Geller (2200-2215)

Roseanna Burke (2215-2223)

William Danforth Pape (2223-2243)

Malcolm Stannis (2243-2253)

Francine Meyer (2253-2270)

Adam Cho (2270-2291)

Bertram Goswell (2291-2298)

Regan Chalmers (2298-2299)

Sandra Abel-Wexler (2299-2315)

Clare Faso (2315-2338)

Miguel Byron (2338-2347)

Tam Charles Wicinsky (2347-2359)

Robert Roberts II (2359-2367)

Kelly Kirk (2367-2380)

Maureen Fitzpatrick (2380-2389)

Ronald Palomar (2389-2406)

Basil Wenceslas (2406-)

GLOSSARY OF CHARACTERS AND TERMINOLOGY

GLOSSARY OF CHARACTERS
AND TERMINOLOGY

Abel-Wexler—one of the eleven generation ships from Earth, tenth to depart.

Adam, Prince—predecessor to Raymond Aguerra, considered an unacceptable candidate.

Adar—highest military rank in Ildiran Solar Navy.

Aguerra, Carlos—Raymond’s younger brother, nine years old.

Aguerra, Esteban—Raymond’s estranged father.

Aguerra, Michael—Raymond’s youngest brother, six years old.

Aguerra, Raymond—streetwise young man from Earth.

Aguerra, Rita—Raymond’s mother.

Aguerra, Rory—Raymond’s younger brother, ten years old.

Ahmani, Abdul Mohammed—name taken by Esteban Aguerra after his conversion to Islam.

Alexa, Mother—ruler of Theroc, wife of Father Idriss.

Alturas—Ildiran world.