College-level course that Rod Walker took at the end of high school. It required students to know how to live through any adverse conditions as preparation to explore and settle alien planets. The final "exam" was to be left on an uninhabited planet with only the supplies one could carry, and still be alive at pickup time 2 to 10 days later.
Asian empire that occupied Australia after forcing the remnants of the former inhabitants onto New Zealand and creating an inland sea. They regularly conducted forced emigrations to other planets to relieve population pressures.
Bob Baxter
Classmate of Rod Walker. He teamed with Carmen Garcia for the Advanced Survival test. He and Carmen were Quakers who planned to become medical missionaries. They joined Cowpertown when the students were stranded on the test planet, married, and had at a child (named Hope Roberta Baxter) while there; but when the planet was recontacted they promptly returned to Earth for medical training.
[mentioned in passing] Denizen of Spica IV. Described briefly by Helen Walker as a predator that, not really having a central nervous system, is extremely hard to kill.
Teller University student elected "mayor" of the groups of students stranded during the Advanced Survival test, largely on his rhetorical skills. Although Rod Walker resented his "taking over" from Rod's ad hoc leadership, Rod worked as his assistant and generally supported his actions. Grant was killed during the animal migration stampede.
Cowpertown
Name given, after Grant Cowper's death, to the community organized by the students stranded during the Survival test.
Jacqueline Marie Daudet
Usually called Jackie. Student on her Advanced Survival test, whom Rod Walker encountered after having his gear stolen. They set up camp together, soon finding Rod's friend Jimmy Throxton, and eventually agreed to gather as many of the other students together as possible. Rod initially believed that she was a boy, "Jack" Daudet. She married Jimmy after the founding of Cowpertown.
Delta Gamma 113
Designation of the star that went supernova, causing the space-time distortion that stranded the Advanced Survival students when the Gate lost contact with the planet.
[mentioned in passing] Family that emigrated through the Gate to New Canaan. Their young daughter was temporarily separated from them in the crush at the Gate.
Gunner sergeant in Helen Walker's Amazon platoon, called "Tiny". She was the squadron's "white hope" for annual corps-wide competition for the best trooper.
"Emotional" writer, known throughout the System. She interviewed Rod Walker after the "rediscovery" of the Advanced Survival test planet, and wrote an entirely sensational version of his story.
Emigrants' Gap
Teleportation Gate used for transporting colonists to new planets. The original Gate stood on the Jersey Flats; the larger one currently in use was opened in '68.
[mentioned in passing] Communications/entertainment company.
Carmen Garcia
Student teamed with Bob Baxter for the Advanced Survival test. She planned to become a medical missionary with him. They married after being stranded on the Advanced Survival planet and joining Cowpertown. They had at a child (named Hope Roberta Baxter) while there; but when the planet was recontacted they promptly returned to Earth for medical training.
Gate
Teleportation device invented by Jesse Ramsbotham and used to travel to distant planets. The gate was originally invented as a time machine; its capability to transport objects in the present was discovered accidentally.
Instructor for the Advanced Survival course at Patrick Henry High School. He tried to discourage Rod Walker from taking the solo test. He married Rod's sister Helen Walker after Rod was lost; they emigrated to a colony planet shortly after his return. His students called him "Deacon", but not to his face.
Bruce McGowan
Teller University student who joined the group of stranded Advanced Survival students that Rod Walker and Jackie Daudet were gathering, but resisted Rod's authority, ultimately pulling a knife on him. He was exiled from the community, but eventually allowed to return. He refused to work or participate in the Cowpertown activities, but after a fight with Rod he reformed at least temporarily.
Jock McGowan
Teller University student who joined the group gathered by Rod Walker, but resisted his authority. He led the band that tried to take charge of the group; he was exiled after attacking Rod, and later reported dead. [An error for Bruce McGowan, or a relative?]
Theo McGowan
Bruce McGowan's wife on the Advanced Survival planet, as shiftless and slatternly as he.
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".
Book by Jasper on dangerous animals of all worlds.
The Principle
Mentioned but not described as part of Monist beliefs.
Agnes Pulvermacher
Resident of Cowpertown after the Advanced Survival students were stranded. She was married to Curt Pulvermacher.
Curt Pulvermacher
Resident of Cowpertown after the Advanced Survival students were stranded. He was married to Agnes Pulvermacher.
Rakitiac Computer
Remote successor to Univac. It was used by Jesse Ramsbotham in his attempts to develop a time machine.
Dr. Jesse Evelyn Ramsbotham
Inventor of the teleportation Gate. He was originally trying to invent a time machine; apparently the Gate can be used for travel between times as well as places.
Administrative Officer for Emigration Control Service. He oversaw "rescue" operations after the Gate was reopened to the Advanced Survival test planet.
Philip (Peewee) Schneider
Youngest member of the group stranded during their Advanced Survival test.
Solo
Final test for Advanced Survival courses. Students are sent to uninhabited planets, and any who are still alive at pickup two to ten days later pass the course. Only those items that the students can choose for themselves and carry with them are provided to help them stay alive.
By implication, it was destroyed in an atomic war. A replica stood near Emigrants' Gap.
stobor
Members of the Advanced Survival test group were warned against them in the instruction sheet. They didn't actually exist; they were invented by the instructors to keep students on guard.
Summerfield
[mentioned in passing] Model of gun that was available to Advanced Survival test participants.
University that offered an Advanced Survival course. One of its classes was stranded on their test planet when the tunnel connecting the planet with Earth collapsed.
Friend and classmate of Rod Walker who, took his Advanced Survival test at the same time as Rod. He was found injured by Jackie Daudet. After his recovery they and Rod made plans to gather the surviving students into a community. He married Jackie in Cowpertown.
The teleportation Gates in common use were originally invented as time machines; they were less commonly used for that purpose, and also as stasis fields to "freeze" time.
Rod Walker's father. He agreed only reluctantly to let Rod go on his Advanced Survival test. While Rod was "lost" on the test, Jerome spent three years in a stasis field waiting for a cure to be developed for his chronic illness. (Rod's mother also appears, but her name is not given.)
Rod Walker
High school student who took a Advanced Survival course and was stranded on the test planet. With Jimmy Throxton and Jackie Daudet, he gathered in as many other students as they could locate to form a community. The group was soon dominated by the college-age students, but after the death of the first "mayor" of the community Rod was re-established as the group's leader. After nearly three years, Earth regained contact with the planet and "rescued" the survivors. Rod was reluctant to leave the planet, but was persuaded by his sister to return home after all the other students had left. He eventually became a leader of emigrants to colony planets. His sister Helen called him "Buddy."
