In which Disian completes her schooling.
So. Not the Department, then. Instead, the Lyre Institute, clearly some relative of the Tanjalyre Institute of distant and unfond memory, Cantra’s birthplace. A reminder that even when our heroes succeed in squishing the Department once and for all, there will still be other things to make the wide universe interesting.
The Lyre Institute, we’re told, regards its people not as people but as useful objects, and gives them numbers instead of names. So where did Tolly get such an impressive name as “Tollance Berik-Jones”? Picked it up somewhere when he was out on his own, before they dragged him back in, I guess.
Tolly’s interactions with Disian suggest that he’s a good choice for the job he’d embarked on last time we saw him, of sorting out the hastily-woken and confused Admiral Bunter. Disian’s own existence is interesting, because it suggests that somebody has continued or revived the shipbuilding programme that produced Bechimo. (Though perhaps without some of Bechimo’s Old Tech-influenced special features, like the ghost drive and the bonding mechanism. And Bechimo has a Morality module instead of an Ethics module, though perhaps that’s only a difference of terminology.)
This story presumably takes place before Tolly’s appearance in Dragon in Exile (the alternative is that a future novel will feature his recapture by the Lyre Institute, which would be a bit of a downer), but it’s not yet clear how much before. Presumably there will be hints in future appearances.
When I read this story, it took me a while to decide it was probably set in Tolly’s past, before he came to Surebleak. I hope we’re both right about that.
Did you notice that the word Lyre is a shortened form of Tanja-lyre ? I always assumed they were the same organization, with the name shortened over time — maybe to disguise its origins.
Skip, I think your third sentence is why Paul wrote above the Lyre Institute, clearly some relative of the Tanjalyre Institute.
What I find interesting, is that the authors keep throwing in other “things” and people and whole ships that apparently succeeded in riding the same (we assume) wavefront of energies that Cantra did. We have Uncle as another one, and then the two Yxtrang who show up in Neogenesis. It seems as if the marauding Yxtrang in this Universe are simply the descendants of some other ship of troops? And if the Tanjalyre institute was the source of batchers in the Old Universe, are they producing more in this universe? Or just working with “leftovers”?
Right, Paul does say that.
Oodles of ships rode that wave with Cantra, including Uncle and Jela’s Troop ships. See quotes below:
Chapter 33, Crystal Dragon: The shuttle is “weaving a course through the mess and tangle, filling all of Solcintra’s air space. Everything that could hold air was up, and the sorts of pilots who might be sitting those boards didn’t bear thinking on . . .”
Crystal Dragon, chapter 34: Who’d have expected we’d be leading a parade?” Cantra thought.
And a bit later, same chapter, ship-to-ship radio chatter: ““Ain’t never seen so many holiday pilots in one place and if any of us get out of here without a hole in the hull . . .”
“Always an optimist, ain’t you, Bondy?”
“What’s that thing beside you, Rinder? Only got four beacons I can scan.”
“Uncle, that’s my guess.”
“Right. Well, Rinder, you’re safe on that side . . .” “But low on company . . .” Laughter from a bunch of ships on that, and the channels changed again. The chatter seemed to soothe the boy, and, truth told, it eased her, too, knowing they weren’t traveling alone toward who-knew-what.”
In chapter 33, Cantra asked Vachik to come aboard, but he said Jela’s Troop had been given a special distinction (to fly rear guard, we soon see). The Tree portrays them as black dragons: “Beyond the general chaos loomed a long, disciplined line of black dragons, wings steady, eyes baleful, teeth at ready—Wellik’s rear-guard, that would be.”
So…Jela’s troop would have made it through riding on Cantra’s wave. Nelirikk’s troop.
As for the Tanjalyre people:
Chapter 34, more and more ships suddenly enter Solcintra space, to join the big exodus: ”“Incoming!” Tor An shouted. “Captain—a dozen—more!” Her steadying hand was needed this time, not even something the size of Quick Passage could ignore the turbulence as Tor An’s dozen ships—and then a dozen more, filling in at the fringes first…”
— so one of those incoming ships could be carrying the Tanjalyre goons. Tanjalyre was based on an outer planet, like Solcintra. Not an inner world.
And it is not only the Space around Solcintra – the wave-front hits ships everywhere if they are going into Jump at the right moment.
Also there is no evidence that only ships and at least partly Tinsory Light got caught and transported into the new universe.
Hmmm. Planets maybe, ya think?
Now *that’s* a thought! We haven’t heard of any whole planets, but then, like Othin mentioned above, planets wouldn’t have been transitioning into jump at the right moment.
But about Tinsori Light . . . didn’t Uncle say he built it as an outpost of safety? I had thought this meant that it was built in the new universe but the space around it was unstable and so it was gradually drawn back into the old.
But, remind me: Somewhere does it say the Light was subverted by the Sheriekas?
It’s specifically stated in Neogenesis that the Light was built in the old universe as an outpost of safety in the war against the sheriekas, who then stole and subverted it.
I think I remember the authors hinting in an interview that there were planetary populations who somehow ended up transitioning into the new universe, but I don’t recall details, or even which interview it was.
Umm…Earth to Space Cadets:::
Where are you guys getting these ideas and info from? I have read most of the books more than once — especially the migration books, from which I quoted above — — yet I didn’t know these things. For example, what Othin said:
“And it is not only the Space around Solcintra – the wave-front hits ships everywhere if they are going into Jump at the right moment.”
And I was only kidding about planets but Paul seems to think it might have occurred: “And planets / whole populations”
–author interviews? Do they support it with any text at all? Somewhere? Just a few sentences??
Is there a book or short story that I’ve somehow overlooked? Or some text in Crystal Dragon that went right over my head?
–a real possibility, given the topic/context, so maybe I’m the space cadet!
The mechanics of the Great Migration are never explained very clearly in the stories, that I remember, so I’m leaning heavily on things the authors have said in interviews. As far as I recall, the planets/populations idea has only been in interviews so far. The bit about any ship that’s in Jump at the right moment being included in the Migration is stated more clearly in interviews, but there are hints in some places in the stories, like at the beginning of The Gathering Edge when Chernak and Stost’s ship (which is not anywhere near Solcintra) has to be in Jump at a particular time.
@migration
Chernak and Stost were definitely not in Solcintra Space when they got caught by the wave front.
Tinsory Light was near the planet Sandaret – but it moved there – so it might have jump capabilities.
Also there was at least one Gate that allowed people to be transported. – Who’s to know what might happen to a planet if the wave front hits an operating gate? Or one powering up?
Oy vey. But….Thanks for elucidating!
Just reread Wise Child again. I was so glad that Disian not only found but got to know her intended Captain. Did she take her as Captain? And how many of her intended crew? Or is this one of the things still left open?
You can have a wellness session in the autodoc!!! – Can I get one for free?
Also Disian seems to believe that it might be possible to travel beyond the expanding edge of the universe. The problem is survival not whether this is possible or not – right? One wonders what Aelliana or Uncles sister would say about that.
@Locations
What was/is so important about Hesium that a Lyre Director was to travel there? I think that side note was the only time this planet was mentioned?
Vanderbilt is another single mentioned space location. But it has at least a library.
Was Margate mentioned bevor? Any hints about this Carresens shipyard in Jethris time?
@Typo
Also my kindle has a sentence I don’t think is right. At least I think it is missing a word. “For, if he fell to them, his memories would theirs to destroy.” Shouldn’t it be “… his memories would be theirs to destroy.”? Or is this without be also correct? And did this “error” make it somewhere else or has it been taken care off? (Since the authors are proofreading those short stories now – I’m not sure if and where to I should sent this and other similar “typos”.)
@Degrading way of using gender pronouns and attitude.
The similar way in which Lyre Directors, DoI and some Liadens use language, especially gender pronouns to indicate their attitude toward those they believe or wish to be inferior, defenseless or just duly owned animals or things – is somewhat alarming. It also indicates that the authors find those groups to have something in common. And it leaves me wondering if the people on Eylot now also call those they term to be “alien” or “landed alien” also “it”. Come to think of it, what do those Terran Party people call Liadens?
On the other hand I’m not astonished that Director Vanessa sticks to call Tolly by his assigned number and Disian merely ship and it – this way she is legitimating her right to order them.
One thing that speaks against a stable alliance or “marriage” of DoI and Lyre is that they both believe themselves to be the only one ultimate authority. They certainly would use each other. But the Directors with their internal strife and rivalry will never allow anyone not of Lyre to tell them what to do. And while a Lyre Product (which Tolly believes all Directors to be) very well might look Liaden and even behave Liaden if he or she cared to – I don’t see them risking themselves to infiltrate DoI and become Commander. They would have no trouble risking one of their mere products, but not a Director. And they would never follow one that is only one of their graduates – and after the Commander download if not before they could never trust even their best graduate to be stable – that is still loyal to the Lyre institute.
@ Experiments with biologics in sturdy environments
One other thing that caught my attention this time through is Tolly mentioning pre-war (and pre logistic laws) experiments (in this universe) with trying to convert humans into AI’s “… transferring intelligences form biologic systems to good sturdy environments …” and how those biologic systems failed.
Is this how the DoI created their Commander?
Is Bechimo’s bonding one of the Uncles answers to those experiments?
And what would Tolly think if he knew about the Uncle and his people’s capabilities of uploading biologics – like those Lyre captives?
@ Bad old days and war
I have always assumed that this war was a purely Terran war. No Liadens participating – properly even very little and limited contact between Terrans and Liadens at that time – if they had contact with each other at all. But I’m not sure if that is just my impression or if there is some statement saying this.
@uneasy thoughts
Those ominous terms “unstable”, “reeducation”, “the joy of obedience” – remind me, especially if I consider the world wide shift to the right, that we on earth had not so long ago and still have concentration camps, gulags, Campo do Tarrafal, Guantanamo, or cults like Scientology and such. Not an easy knowledge how easy it is to develop /controlling behavior and take it to such extreme levels.
This is the only mention of Hesium and Vanderbilt, and one of only two times Margate is mentioned. (The second time is when Tolly meets her again in a later story, and she mentions that she’s based at Margate, which at least suggests she came to an arrangement with her intended Captain and crew, though she doesn’t say so explicitly because they have more urgent things to discuss at the time.)
I believe you are correct about the missing word.
Othin, lots of intriguing thoughts and ideas there. I really appreciate your posts!