Norfolk
Grant Kavanagh Owner of Cricklade estate
Marjorie Kavanagh Grant’s wife
Genevieve Kavanagh Marjorie and Grant’s daughter
Luca Comar Grant Kavanagh’s possessor
Susannah Marjorie Kavanagh’s possessor
Mrs. Charlsworth Kavanagh sisters’ nanny
Mr. Butterworth Cricklade estate manager
Carmitha Romany
William Elphinstone Trainee farm manager, Cricklade
Fletcher Christian Possessor
Marcella Rye Possessor, Colsterworth council officer
Johan Mr. Butterworth’s possessor
Celina Hewson Louise’s aunt
Roberto Hewson Louise’s cousin
Bruce Spanton Marauder
Véronique Olive Fenchurch’s possessor
Kenneth Kavanagh Merchant
Lalonde
Powel Manani IVET supervisor
Lawrence Dillon IVET
Jackson Geal IVET
Ann IVET
Scott Williams IVET
Loren Skibbow Colonist
Marie Skibbow Colonist, Gerald’s daughter
Paula Kava Colonist, Gerald’s daughter
Ruth Hilton Colonist, didactic imprint specialist
Jay Hilton Colonist, Ruth’s daughter
Father Horst Elwes Colonist, priest
Colin Rexrew Governor
Terrance Smith Governor’s executive aide
Candace Elford Chief Sheriff
Lieutenant Commander Kelven Solanki Confederation Navy
Lori Edenist Intelligence agent
Darcy Edenist Intelligence agent
Maki Grutter Lalonde Development Company employee
Jenny Harris ESA lieutenant
Rai Molvi Colonist, Aberdale council leader
Rosemary Lambourne Captain of the Swithland
Karl Lambourne Rosemary’s son, crew-member of the Swithland
Len Buchannan Captain of the Coogan
Gail Buchannan Len’s wife
Laton Serpent, in exile on Lalonde
Camilla Laton’s daughter
Yuri Wilkin Deputy
Mansing Sheriff
Graeme Nicholson Rover reporter
Lieutenant Murphy Hewlett Confederation Navy Marine
Reza Malin Mercenary, team leader
Pat Halahan Mercenary
Sewell Mercenary
Jalal Mercenary
Theo Connal Mercenary, scout
Sal Young Mercenary
Ariadne Mercenary
Shaun Wallace Possessor
Chas Paske Mercenary
Atlantis
Eysk Fishing family chief
Mosul Eysk’s son
Ombey
Ralph Hiltch ESA Head of Station, Lalonde, and General of the Liberation army
Cathal Fitzgerald Ralph’s deputy
Dean Folan ESA G66 division
Will Danza ESA G66 division
Kirsten Saldana Princess of Ombey
Roche Skark ESA Director
Jannike Dermot ISA Director
Landon McCullock Police commissioner
Diana Tiernan Police Technology Division chief
Admiral Farquar Commander, Royal Navy, Ombey
Captain Nelson Akroid Armed Tactical Squad
Finnuala O’Meara Rover reporter, based in Exnall
Hugh Rosler DataAxis technician, Kiint observer
Tim Beard Rover reporter
Neville Latham Exnall’s chief inspector
Colonel Janne Palmer Royal Marine
Annette Ekelund Possessor, Mortonridge defender
Hoi Son Possessor, Mortonridge defender
Devlin Possessor, Mortonridge defender
Milne Possessor, Mortonridge defender
Sinon Liberation army sergeant
Choma Liberation army sergeant
Elena Duncan Liberation army mercenary, boosted
Dr. Riley Dobbs Royal Navy personality debrief psychology expert
Jansen Kovak Royal Navy Medical Institute nurse
Moyo Possessor
Stephanie Ash Possessor
Cochrane Possessor
Rana Possessor
Tina Sudol Possessor
McPhee Possessor
Franklin Possessor
Mixi Penrice Petty criminal
New California
Jezzibella Mood Fantasy artist Leroy OctaviusJezzibella’s manager
Libby Jezzibella’s dermal technology expert
Al Capone Brad Lovegrove’s possessor
Avram Harwood III Mayor of San Angeles
Emmet Mordden Organization lieutenant
Silvano Richmann Organization lieutenant
Mickey Pileggi Organization lieutenant
Patricia Mangano Organization lieutenant
Gus Remar Rover reporter
Lieutenant Commander Kingsley Pryor Confederation Navy
Webster Pryor Kingsley’s son, hostage
Luigi Balsamo Commander, Organization fleet
Cameron Leung Possessor of the blackhawk
Zahan Oscar Kearn Captain of the Organization frigate Urschel
Bernhard Allsop Possessor
Kulu
Alastair II The King
Simon Blake, Duke of Salion Chairman, Security Commission
Lord Kelman Mountjoy Foreign Office Minister
Lady Phillipa Oshin Prime Minister
Admiral Lavaquar Defense Chief
Prince Howard President of the Kulu Corporation
Prince Noton Ex-President of the Kulu Corporation
Nyvan
Gelai Possessor, Garissa genocide victim
Ngong Possessor, Garissa genocide victim
Omain Possessor, Garissa genocide victim
Richard Keaton Data security expert and Kiint observer
Baranovich Possessor, Organization sympathizer
Adrian Redway ESA Head of Station
Earth
Banneth Light Bringer in the sect of the High Magus of Edmonton
Andy Behoo Sellrat, Jude’s eworld, London
Ivanov Robson Private detective, London
Brent Roi Detective, Halo police
Courtney Edmonton sect acolyte
Billy-Joe Edmonton sect acolyte
Charles Filton-Asquith West Europe supervisor, B7
Others
The Confederation
Olton Haaker Assembly President
Jeeta Anwar Chief presidential aide
Mae Ortlieb Presidential science aide
Cayeaux Edenist Ambassador
Sir Maurice Hall Kulu Kingdom Ambassador
Rittagu-FHU Tyrathca Ambassador
The Kiint Home System
Tracy Dean Observer
The Edenists
Wing-Tsit Chong Edenism’s Founder
Athene Syrinx’s mother
Astor Ambassador to the Kulu Kingdom
Sinon Syrinx’s father
The Mosdva
Quantook-LOU Distributor of resources, dominion of Anthi-CL
The Tyrathca
Baulona-PWM Breeder, electronics regulator
Waboto-YAU Breeder, mediator for Coastuc-RT Seven
Seven: Timeline
2020 Clavius base established. Mining of Lunar subcrustal resources starts.
2037 Beginning of large-scale geneering on humans; improvement to immunology system, eradication of appendix, organ efficiency increased.
2041 First deuterium-fueled fusion stations built, inefficient and expensive.
2044 Christian reunification.
2047 First asteroid capture mission. Beginning of Earth’s O’Neill Halo.
2049 Quasi-sentient bitek animals employed as servitors.
2055 Jupiter mission.
2055 Lunar cities granted independence from founding companies.
2057 Ceres asteroid settlement founded.
2058 Affinity symbiont neurons developed by Wing-Tsit Chong, providing control over anim
als and bitek constructs.
2064 Multinational industrial consortium JSKP (Jovian Sky Power Corporation) begins mining Jupiter’s atmosphere for He3 using aerostat factories.
2064 Islamic secular unification.
2067 Fusion stations begin to use He3 as fuel.
2075 JSKP germinates Eden, a bitek habitat in orbit around Jupiter, with UN protectorate status.
2077 New Kong asteroid begins FTL stardrive research project.
2085 Eden opened for habitation.
2086 Habitat Pallas germinated in Jupiter orbit.
2090 Wing-Tsit Chong dies, and transfers his memories to Eden’s neural strata. Start of Edenist culture. Eden and Pallas declare independence from UN. Launch buy-out of JSKP shares. Pope Eleanor excommunicates all Christians with affinity gene. Exodus of affinity-capable humans to Eden. Effective end of bitek industry on Earth.
2091 Lunar referendum to terraform Mars.
2094 Edenists begin exowomb breeding program coupled with extensive geneering improvement to embryos, tripling their population over a decade.
2103 Earth’s national governments consolidate into Govcentral.
2103 Thoth base established on Mars.
2107 Govcentral jurisdiction extended to cover O’Neill Halo.
2115 First instantaneous translation by New Kong spaceship, Earth to Mars.
2118 Mission to Proxima Centauri.
2123 Terracompatible planet found at Ross 154.
2125 Ross 154 planet named Felicity, first multiethnic colonists arrive.
2125–2130 Four new terracompatible planets discovered. Multiethnic colonies founded.
2131 Edenists germinate Perseus in orbit around Ross 154 gas giant, begin He3 mining.
2131–2205 One hundred and thirty terracompatible planets discovered. Massive starship-building program initiated in O’Neill Halo. Govcentral begins large-scale enforced outshipment of surplus population, rising to 2,000,000 a week in 2160: Great Dispersal. Civil conflict on some early multiethnic colonies. Individual Govcentral states sponsor ethnic-streaming colonies. Edenists expand their He3 mining enterprise to every inhabited star system with a gas giant.
2139 Asteroid Braun impacts on Mars.
2180 First orbital tower built on Earth.
2205 Antimatter production station built in orbit around sun by Govcentral in an attempt to break the Edenist energy monopoly.
2208 First antimatter drive starships operational.
2210 Richard Saldana transports all of New Kong’s industrial facilities from the O’Neill Halo to an asteroid orbiting Kulu. He claims independence for the Kulu star system, founds Christian-only colony, and begins to mine He3 from the system’s gas giant.
2218 First voidhawk gestated, a bitek starship designed by Edenists.
2225 Establishment of one hundred voidhawk families. Habitats Romulus and Remus germinated in Saturn orbit to serve as voidhawk bases.
2232 Conflict at Jupiter’s trailing Trojan asteroid cluster between Belt Alliance ships and an O’Neill Halo company hydrocarbon refinery. Antimatter used as a weapon; 27,000 people killed.
2238 Treaty of Deimos, outlawing production and use of antimatter in the Sol system, signed by Govcentral, Lunar nation, asteroid alliance, and Edenists. Antimatter stations abandoned and dismantled.
2240 Coronation of Gerrald Saldana as King of Kulu. Foundation of Saldana dynasty.
2267–2270 Eight separate skirmishes involving use of antimatter among colony worlds. 13,000,000 killed.
2271 Avon summit between all planetary leaders. Treaty of Avon, banning the manufacture and use of antimatter throughout inhabited space. Formation of Human Confederation to police agreement. Construction of Confederation Navy begins.
2300 Confederation expanded to include Edenists.
2301 First Contact. Jiciro race discovered, a pre-technology civilization. System quarantined by Confederation to avoid cultural contamination.
2310 First ice asteroid impact on Mars.
2330 First blackhawks gestated at Valisk, independent habitat.
2350 War between Novska and Hilversum. Novska bombed with antimatter. Confederation Navy prevents retaliatory strike against Hilversum.
2356 Kiint homeworld discovered.
2357 Kiint join Confederation as “observers.”
2360 A voidhawk scout discovers Atlantis.
2371 Edenists colonize Atlantis.
2395 Tyrathca colony world discovered.
2402 Tyrathca join Confederation.
2420 Kulu scoutship discovers Ruin Ring.
2428 Bitek habitat Tranquillity germinated by Crown Prince Michael Saldana, orbiting above Ruin Ring.
2432 Prince Michael’s son, Maurice, geneered with affinity. Kulu abdication crisis. Coronation of Lukas Saldana. Prince Michael exiled.
2550 Mars declared habitable by Terraforming office.
2580 Dorado asteroids discovered around Tunja, claimed by both Garissa and Omuta.
2581 Omuta mercenary fleet drops twelve antimatter planet-busters on Garissa, planet rendered uninhabitable. Confederation imposes thirty-year sanction against Omuta, prohibiting any interstellar trade or transport. Blockage enforced by Confederation Navy.
2582 Colony established on Lalonde.
About the Author
PETER F. HAMILTON was born in Rutland, England, in 1960 and still lives near Rutland Water. He began writing in 1987 and has published short stories in a number of magazines and anthologies. His books include Fallen Dragon, the Greg Mandel novels: Mindstar Rising, A Quantum Murder, and The Nano Flower; A Second Chance at Eden (a collection of short stories set in the universe of The Reality Dysfunction) and the epic Night’s Dawn trilogy, which includes The Reality Dysfunction, The Neutronium Alchemist, and The Naked God. Hamilton is working on his next novel.
This ePub editon v1.0 by Dead^Man Nov, 2010.