Agent of the Imperium
Table of Contents
THE WORLDS
THE IMPERIAL CALENDAR
IMPERIAL EDICT 97
THE RULES
AGENT OF THE
MAARUUR
THE RULES
ARCANUM
THE DAKHASERI
COREWARD OF THE IMPERIUM
EPIPHANY
THE JOURNEY TO CAPITAL
ANASHAKILA
CAPITAL
DEYIS
FIRST EMPIRE KNOWLEDGE
NOVA EVACUATION
ENNA PLANT LAGASH
SAKALIIN
ENNA PLANT LAGASH
STIKKY MADE BARON
TO SIMA
ENNA PLANT LAGASH
INTERLUDE
THE QUIX PATH
ENNA PLANT LAGASH
DATHSUTS
ARBELLATRA
RETURN TO DEYIS
MANY SHIPS JUMP
HOLIDAY’S EVE
TO ENCYCLOPEDIOPOLIS
ENNA PLANT LAGASH
ENNA PLANT LAGASH
ENNA PLANT LAGASH
ENNA PLANT LAGASH
APPRECIATION
END OF THE
TRILEEN
MARGARET’S PLAN
MARGARET I
MARGARET II
MARGARET III
EPILOGUE
TABLE OF RANK EQUIVALENCIES
TABLE OF WORLD REMARKS
GENERAL CHRONOLOGY
IDENTIFYING SHIPS
THE IMPERIUM
IMPORTANT TERMS AND CONCEPTS
THE ARCHIVES
SOPHONTS
THE MAJOR AND MINOR RACES
TRAVELLER5
EMPERORS AND EMPRESSES OF THE THIRD IMPERIUM
Acknowledgments
About the Author
AGENT OF THE
IMPERIUM
MARC MILLER
Baen
Agent of the Imperium
Marc Miller
TO SAVE THE GALAXY, A DEAD HERO MUST RISE AGAIN! NEWLY REVISED AND EXPANDED NOVEL SET IN THE TRAVELLER UNIVERSE FROM LEGENDARY GAME DESIGNER MARC MILLER
Jonathan Bland is a Decider, empowered by the Emperor himself to deal with the inevitable crises of an empire. In the service of the Empire, he has killed more people than anyone in the history of Humanity, to save a hundred times as many. He died centuries ago, but they reactivate his recorded personality whenever a new threat appears. When the crisis is over, they expect he will meekly return to oblivion.
He has other ideas.
The chronicle of Bland reveals secrets of the history of the star-spanning Third Imperium and spans 400 years from early Imperium (about year 300) through the mid-post Civil War period (about year 700) touching known and unknown events you may have encountered in your own reading of the Imperium: everyday events, political intrigue, deadly dangers, Arbellatra, Capital, Encyclopediopolis, the Karand's Palace, and a Tigress-class Dreadnought.
If you know the Traveller science-fiction role-playing game, then some of this is already familiar; if not, no matter—this story introduces the vast human-dominated interstellar empire of the far future in ways only the designer and chronicler of this particular universe can.
Agent of the Imperium
This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed
in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to real people or incidents is purely coincidental.
Copyright © 2015 by Marc Miller
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book
or portions thereof in any form.
A Baen Book
Baen Publishing Enterprises
P.O. Box 1403
Riverdale, NY 10471
www.baen.com
ISBN: 978-1-9821-2507-3
Cover art by Alan Pollack
First Baen printing, November 2020
Distributed by Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Miller, Marc W., author.
Title: Agent of the imperium / Marc Miller.
Description: Riverdale : Baen Books, 2020.
Identifiers: LCCN 2020036504 | ISBN 9781982125073 (trade paperback)
Subjects: GSAFD: Science fiction. | Fantasy fiction.
Classification: LCC PS3613.I54457 A74 2020 | DDC 813/.6—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020036504
Printed in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Electronic version by Baen Books
www.baen.com
To my mother, who was the first Enna.
THE WORLDS
OF THE IMPERIUM
The worlds of the Imperium (as well as those beyond its borders) are identified by location, name, and a brief recapitulation of their physical and social characteristics in the standard format:
Sect xxyy WorldName StSAHPGL-T Rem1 Rem2 Rem3
Core 2118 Capital A586A98-D Hi Cx
Sect is the four-letter sector name abbreviation, xxyy is the starchart locational co-ordinates, and WorldName is the common label applied to the MainWorld (the most significant world) in the stellar system at this location.
St is the Starport type, S is World Size, A is a code for Atmosphere, and H is the rough percentage (in tens) of surface covered with water (or perhaps fluids).
P is sophont population as a power of 10, G is the code for government type from a standard list, and L is the code for the local legal system on a permissive-oppressive spectrum.
T is a code for commonly available technology on a standard scale.
Rem1 and others are remarks identifying commonly encountered trade classifications and world characteristics. Ri is a Rich World; Ag is Agricultural; In is Industrial; Po is Poor; Cp, Cs, and Cx are Capitals. The thoroughness of the remarks listed varies.
High Population Worlds (billions or more) are traditionally named on charts in ALL CAPS.
Values greater than 9 are represented by hexadecimal numbers (A=10, B=11, through F=15). When required, correspondingly higher values use successive letters of the Anglic alphabet (but omit I or O to avoid confusion).
Decode:
Core 2118 Capital A586A98-D Hi Cx
Capital is a medium-sized planet (the 5) with a dense atmosphere of standard gas mixture, and seas covering 60% of its surface (the 6). It has a population in the tens of billions (the A, which represents 10, so population is 1010), governed by an impersonal bureaucracy with strict laws abridging personal freedoms in order to reduce conflicts. Available technology is among the best the Imperium has to offer (the D, which represents 13). The initial A is the starport; the best available. Remarks indicate the world is High Population, the Imperial Capital.
The chart locations of most (but not all) worlds can be referenced at the comprehensive online Traveller Map site.
The Imperial Calendar numbers the days of each year from 1 to 365 (matching both the Sylean and the Terran standard calendar years). Imperial holidays and important dates are marked; additional holidays may be added by local authorities.
THE IMPERIAL CALENDAR
The empire, variously called Ziru Sirkaa, the Re-Established Grand Empire of the Stars, the Third Imperium, the Imperium, the Empire, or simply the empire, was re-established as the interstellar community in this particular region emerged from the thousand-year Long Night.
The Imperial Calendar takes as its reference point the day and year in which the Imperium was declared: the first day of Year Zero. Dates are expressed as a three-digit day followed by a three-digit year: The Imperium was declared on 001-000. The day is often omitted in a year reference: Anguistus became eighth Emperor in 326.
Dates before the Year Zero are negatives: The First Imperium fell in –2204; Cleon Zhunastu was born in –57.
For finer detail, time on a 24-hour clock may be prefixed followed by a space. 0000 001-000 is beginning midnight of the first day of the calendar. 0800 045-123 is the eighth hour of a specific morning. 2000 045-123 is the twentieth hour of the same day. Subtract 12 to convert to traditional clock time. Local star- or sun-oriented times may vary.
IMPERIAL EDICT 97
This Executive Order is the enabling act for the activities of Imperial Agents and the use of Imperial Warrants. Unusually obscure for such a wide-ranging and powerful edict, it is nonetheless on file at all Imperial installations. The edict text runs to 34 pages plus encrypted appendices. Much of it is pure legalese; when distilled down, it is extremely direct—assist designated holders without reservation.
Imperial Edict 97 requires unlimited assistance to the holders of specific documents, written, oral, or electronic, without regard to rank, privilege, station, protocol, or security. Holders are the equivalent of the Emperor himself.
Holders may be designated Agents, or may be empowered through an imperially signed Warrant.
Imperial Star Marines are the designated implementers of the Edict: trained in its terms and instructed to obey a holder’s orders “even if it’s stupid, or suicidal, or without explanation.”
THE RULES
Agent Standing Orders (Executive Summary)
Rule 1. You speak with the voice of the Emperor. Brook no resistance.
Rule 2. Millions of lives depend on your actions; you may need to spend some of them in the process.
Rule 3. You act through your team; build it (quickly) by whatever means available.
Rule 4. Your team is your greatest asset: use them; depend on them.
Rule 5. You hold the ability to punish and reward; do both.
Rule 6. Right action requires intelligence.
AGENT OF THE
IMPERIUM
MAARUUR
It is important to establish dominance immediately upon awakening.
The first ten minutes are crucial.
—Quarantine Manual
109-350
Aboard BB Ikaniil Orbiting
Core 0707 Maaruur B694987-9 Hi In Sa Tu
I was awake, my eyes still closed, standing rather than reclining, and so I knew this must be the start of a new activation. The wave of disorientation passed, and I opened my eyes.
Before me was an expansive bridge, the transpex allowing me to see the curve of a world below. Twenty or so officers and spacers all stood at a respectful distance, waiting for me to begin, wondering what I was going to do.
“Who here is senior?”
“I am, Admiral Gonchan. We have . . .”
“Who is the senior marine?”
“Me. Sergeant-Major Joslin.”
“Come here.” Joslin took a few steps forward.
“I need a mirror.”
Joslin turned and directed, “Dinsha, run to your locker and bring us a mirror.” One of the marines dashed off.
“Show me your comm.”
The screen was unfamiliar to me. “Activate it.”
I now took it and selected a familiar double eye icon and felt it click. As this happened, I spoke to the group in general. “Who is the briefer?”
“I am, Commander Arlian Huffler, Sensops.”
“Please stay your briefing until I am ready. It will be a moment.”
I now examined the unfamiliar image: a young, reasonably handsome Naval officer. Brown eyes, brown hair. Tall. A strange line to his chin, perhaps Cassildan? No, not tall enough. No matter. The pips on his collar said I was a Naval sublieutenant.
I returned the comm to the Sergeant-Major. “Thank you.”
The admiral now spoke, his tone betraying his impatience. “We have activated you so that you may advise us on our current situation. Commander Huffler, you may begin.”
While he conveyed impatience, I suppressed my own feelings of annoyance.
As a realtime image of the world below appeared on the screen, the briefer began conveying information. “Maaruur, Core Sector oh seven oh seven. Maaruur is a cold, medium-sized far satellite on the outer fringe of the habitable zone, with a diameter of 9,880 kilometers and a circumference of 31,030 kilometers. It has a dense atmosphere with a tainted, exotic gas mixture and a pressure of 200 kilopascals at . . .”
I interrupted. “Skip the planetology and fast forward to the statement of danger.”
The screen changed to a display in a standard format as the briefer continued his narrative, essentially reading and elaborating on screen text. The headline was Danger-10. Someone, or some committee, or some computer, had evaluated this problem as potentially reaching the whole of the world below. There followed a less-than-brief statement of the problem: a mass of grey text in small type. The image confirmed what the briefer was saying in far too many words.
“Now show the statement of the threat.” The new screen was headlined Threat-6, perhaps a hundred thousand actors, apparently very determined, parasites of some sort. Codes said they were confined to the northern continent, with some reports of presence elsewhere.
There was an obscure code appended to the report: the parasite hijacked the host’s consciousness and intelligence. They were able to act in concert. Even one or two on a ship out of the system would be disastrous. How could anyone not see the depth of the danger?
“Show the Risk Assessment.” The screen changed again: three numbers 4, 4, and 0 adding to a larger 8. They were all subjective: how probable, how severe, how imminent the Danger was. The action point was usually 9 or 10.
Images changed and the briefer droned on about resources, activating protocols for containment, provisions for contingencies, anticipated exceptions, and a timeline for completion.
From the corner of my eye, I saw the marine appear at the entrance to the bridge, genuflect perfunctorily at the captain’s chair and step forward to the Sergeant Major with a mirror, who took it and passed it to me.
I motioned to the briefer. “Pause please.”
The reflection confirmed what I had seen on the comm, and I moved it around to see more detail at different angles.
“Why am I in this specific host?” I was curious why he—I—was a junior lieutenant.
The admiral spoke. “You overlay Sublieutenant Patel. Our report to sector generated an internal interim requirement to activate Quarantine.”
“How many volunteered?”
“Patel.”
“Anyone else?”
“I didn’t think we needed more than one volunteer.”
“Have you stopped traffic in and out of system? On and off world?”
“There isn’t a need yet. We’re monitoring traffic.”
“Admiral, is there some reason you have not yet shut this system down?”
“The threat is contained on the northern continent. You were activated as a precaution. We have the situation in hand.”
I unconsciously raised my hand in a pause gesture and turned my attention to Joslin.
“Sergeant-Major, do you know me? Personally?”
“Casually, sir.”
“Who am I?”
“Sir, you are Sublieutenant Patel. Supply officer. You’ve been here for about five months. Sir.”
“Am I any good?”
“Sir?”
“Your experience with Patel: is he any good?”
“Average. Good at PT and sports. A little slower than some at assertiveness.”
“I need a sidearm. Make that two, one non-lethal. Are these your men?”
“A couple are women, sir.”
“Yes. Arm them lethal-non-lethal as well. You are under my command. I also need a flight jacket. Make it say Agent on the back over the Imperial Seal.”
“Yes, sir.” The Sergeant-Major turned and gestured to several troopers.
“Agent, you will address your comments to me. And show some respect. I recognize that you may be momentarily disoriented, but I won’t warn you twice.”
“Admiral, have you read Imperial Edict 97?”
“I have.”
“Do you understand it?”
“Certainly.”
“Tell me, in a sentence, what it says.”
“You are impertinent. You are activated as a Quarantine Agent to advise us on our current Danger and Threat levels.”
“Sergeant-Major, have you read Imperial Edict 97?”
“Yes, sir.”
The Admiral interrupted. “Agent, you will stand silent.”
I ignored him.
“Sergeant-Major, do you understand it?”
“Certainly.”
“Tell me what it says.”
Joslin recited rote. “It requires assistance,” he hesitated and restated, “unlimited assistance, to the holders of specific documents, written, oral, or electronic, without regard to rank, privilege, station, protocol, or security. Holders are the equivalent of the Emperor himself.”
“Am I a holder under the edict?”
“Yes, sir you are.”