[mentioned in passing] Nobel Prize laureate in field theory. He measured the speed of telepathy to demonstrate that it was not limited to the speed of light, nor did it obey the inverse-square law.
Afro-European Federation
Political union that fought a war with the Estados Unidos de Sud (United States of the South, presumably all or part of Central and South America).
Site on Constance where the Lewis & Clark was anchored; no doubt named after Dr. Babcock.
Bruce Bartlett
Tom and Pat Bartlett's father, a micromechanic and "student of almost everything…but especially of history". He was willing to pay a hefty penalty every year for having more than his quota of children, rather than admit the government's right to limit family size.
Pat Bartlett's second child. His wife refused to let her be tested for telepathy.
Molly Bartlett
a. Mother of Tom and Pat Bartlett.
b. Pat's oldest child, who developed telepathic talent and formed a "secondary team" with Tom, taking her father's place when he and Tom grew too far apart to communicate.
The higher twin of the pecking order, he was chosen to go in the Lewis & Clark when he and his brother were hired to serve as a telepathic communications team between interstellar ships and Earth. After he was paralyzed in a skiing accident, Tom went on the ship instead; surgery revealed that the paralysis was psychosomatic, and it was "cured". Pat married his childhood sweetheart and had two children. He operated a successful business in his and Tom's names.
He was assigned to the Lewis & Clark after Pat's accident, only a long while later admitting that neither twin had really wanted to go, and that he resented his brother's domination. He worked as a communicator through the entire trip, teaming with his niece Molly Bartlett after he lost contact with Pat, then with her daughter Vicky. Upon returning to Earth, he rejected Pat's plans for him to run "their" business, and married Vicky.
Vicky Bartlett
Great-niece of Pat Bartlett, who became his telepathic partner. Because of the relativistic time differences, they were close to the same age when he returned to Earth, and they were married soon after his return. He called her "Freckle Face."
Bartlett Brothers, Inc.
Corporation founded by Pat Bartlett; he also invested his twin brother's salary in it.
The first of Tau Ceti's planets to be discovered, named after Harry Gates' infant daughter. It was determined habitable in spite of an epidemic that killed a large part of the crew.
[mentioned in passing] Friend of the captain of the Lewis & Clark, to whom he had flowers sent after the ship's liftoff.
Dr. Devereaux (no first name)
Chief psychiatrist aboard the Lewis & Clark. Among many other responsibilities, he helped Tom Bartlett face his resentment towards his older twin, and accept his reluctance to be on the exploration journey. He died in a plague that overran the crew after the landing on Constance.
Planet in the Beta Ceti system. It was mostly water-covered, habitable by humans but also inhabited by intelligent, hostile, and very large amphibians. Many of the Lewis & Clark crew were killed in the natives' attacks.
emperor
Dom Pedro III was emperor of Brazil; he greeted the crew of Lewis & Clark on their return, on behalf of the United System.
[mentioned in passing] Political union that had fought a war with the Afro-European Federation. [Spanish, "United States of the South" or "Southern United States"]
fardie
[mentioned in passing] Item referred to by Kathleen in a message to Tom Bartlett; he had no idea what it was, and cited it as an example of how much society and language had changed.
Commander Frick (no first name)
Staff commander and communications officer aboard the Lewis & Clark; he supervised the telepaths. He died during the journey.
Alpha, Beta, and Gamma Furtney
Triplets involved in Project Lebensraum, old maids telepathic among themselves. They provided inter-ship communications.
Constance Gates
First child of Harry Gates and Barbara Kuiper, born aboard the Lewis & Clark the night the first of Tau Ceti's planets was discovered; Harry named the planet Constance in her honor.
Harry Gates
Chief planetologist in the Lewis & Clark. He married Barbara Kuiper. He was one of the few survivors of the attack by the Elysia's natives.
Harry Gates, Jr.
Son of Harry Gates and Barbara Kuiper, born aboard the Lewis & Clark.
The Earthside twin of one of the telepaths in the Lewis & Clark.
Howard (no first name)
Representative of the Long Range Foundation who recruited the Project Lebensraum twins for telepathic communications between starships and Earth. After Pat Bartlett was paralyzed, Howard persuaded their parents to let Pat's twin Tom go on the Lewis & Clark in his place.
Alfred McNeil's great-niece, and his telepathic partner, only a little girl when the Lewis & Clark's voyage began. Tom Bartlett learned to communicate with her.
Mei-Ling Jones
One of the telepaths aboard the Lewis & Clark (Chinese-Peruvian, she pronounced her surname "Hone-Ace"). She married Chet Travers; their baby died in the plague.
Kathleen (no last name)
Tom Bartlett's great-niece and telepathic partner; daughter of his twin brother's daughter Molly Bartlett.
Torchship involved in Project Lebensraum, to which Tom Bartlett and his uncle Steve Lucas were assigned. Several years ship's time after it began its journey, and several generations Earth time, it was intercepted by a faster-than-light ship and its crew returned to Earth; but it was their work, particularly the new physics developed from studies of telepathy, that made the faster-than-light technology possible. The crew called the ship "Elsie" (LC).
Head of Project Lebensraum, a world-famous scientist. She oversaw Tom and Pat Bartlett's ESP tests, projecting a disarming manner so that they only learned later how important she was.
Long Range Foundation
Research and investment nonprofit corporation dedicated to supporting expensive projects that had no hope of short-term payoffs: for example, space travel and weather control. It sponsored Project Lebensraum.
Stephen Lucas
Tom and Pat Bartlett's maternal uncle. He was a spacer promoted to a position in the Chief of Staff's office, then assigned to the Lewis & Clark with a rank of major as commander of the ship's security squad. He was killed in an attack by Elysia's natives.
Earthside twin and communications partner of one of the Lewis & Clark telepaths. She constantly interfered with her sister's attempts at romance with other crew members.
Prudence Mathews
One of the telepaths aboard the Lewis & Clark, dominated by her twin (see preceding entry). She died in the plague that struck after the Constance landing.
Elderly Black telepath aboard the Lewis & Clark. He insisted that the younger crew members call him "Uncle Alfred". His partner on Earth was his great-niece; they were the same age when reunited after the voyage.
Janet Meers
A relativist (astrogator) and lightning calculator in the Lewis & Clark.
Morris Garage
Brand name of the household robot owned by the Bartletts (or perhaps the place where it was purchased?).
Mother's Helper
Model of household robot owned by the Tom and Pat Bartlett's family. It was obsolete and frequently broke down.
Designer of a propulsion system that made space travel within the solar system fast, cheap,and easy. Ships carrying his system were called "torch ships".
a. (Mrs.) Usually called "Mama" O'Toole, the chief ecologist in the Lewis & Clark, married to one of the relativists (astrogators). She died in the plague. b. (Mr.) Relativist (astrogator) in the Lewis & Clark, married to "Mama" O'Toole. He was an assistant to Dr. Babcock.
Probably a successor to the United Nations. After a war between the Afro-European Federation and the Estados Unidos de Sud that occurred during the voyage of the Lewis & Clark, the constitution was rewritten and the name changed to United System. Planetary League Auxiliary Speech was the lingua franca on Earth.
Long Range Foundation program to send interstellar vehicles out at near-light speeds to find habitable planets. [German lebensraum, "habitat" or "living space"]
Regato (no first name)
First assistant engineer in the Lewis & Clark. Born in Buenos Aires, he was greatly distressed when that city was destroyed in a war.
Dusty was a telepath aboard the Lewis & Clark; he was obnoxious, but valued for his ability to communicate in pictures, not just words. He was killed in an attack by Elysian natives. Rusty was his Earthside twin.
Crew member assigned to communications in the Lewis & Clark. He married Mei-Ling Jones.
Tyrannosaurus Ceti
Scientific name given to a lizardlike predator found on Constance.
United System
Name of the former Planetary League after its constitution was rewritten.
Urquhart (no first name)
Reserve captain who took command of the Lewis & Clark after Captain Swenson was killed. Although at first he was determined to continue on the mission in spite of the drastically depleted crew, he was ordered to rendezvous with a faster-than-light ship to return home (or possibly he persuaded the Long Range Foundation to arrange this).
Bernard van Houten
One of the telepaths aboard the Lewis & Clark. His Earthside brother was killed in an accident during the journey.
