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-Decision to write a story: Fall 1984. Novel concept: late 1989. Initial novel outline: Summer 1995. Start and full outline: Spring 1998. Full rewrite start: Early 2002. First version: September 2006. Edited version: Summer 2007.
-Abbreviated character list for the hard SF novel Infinite Thunder:
- Human characters (in some cases these are not the names assigned at birth):
Rick Parkland
:
(39) A UN inspector assigned to the Organizations Group. He claims to follow the trail wherever it leads, but has been excessively disruptive.
Tina Kinner:
(Mid forties) UN facilitator who assists Rick from her home office.
Mark Donitz:
Rick's acting supervisor. Regarded as amoral but highly efficient.
Lino Wen:
Director of the Applied Mathematics Center (Uzbekistan Special Economic Zone), a highly controlled AI research project.
Player-0:
Unknown individual identified by his online game habits, suspected of using unapproved brain modification technology.
Olga Kozlova:
Custodian of the Depot Zone.
Georgi Bezarin:
Depot Controller, investigated for suspected corruption.
Andrei Simansky:
Police commissioner of the Amur-TNZ district.
the Foreigner:
Secret identity of the Zondyne virus creator. Has formed an elaborately irrational but consistent belief system.
Roger Xyrghyz:
One of the world's leading hackers and network analysts, usually works for the UN. He wants to become immortal and always hides his physical location.
Sergey Rubek:
Headhunter for a post-violent crime syndicate.
The Master:
Leader of the Church of Ultimate Truth, a Scientology offshoot based in Vietnam. Accused of running a cult, he secretly cooperates with Millipol.
Zhu Chen:
Senior intelligence officer of the church.
unnamed Russian mercenary commander:
A licensed security consultant who helps his clients protect secrets in an age without intellectual property rights.
Yasuo Takashi:
A ruthless efficiency expert who became a collateral casualty in the Multiverse theme park attack.
Anonymous:
Reportedly a female supervillain, said to be the smartest human ever but believed to be a fictionalized persona.
Xiao:
Millipol agent under deep cover.
unnamed general:
Strategic mission commander with the Chinese airmobile force trained at situational analysis and rapid communication. In her mid thirties, she has more simulated combat experience than anyone alive.
unnamed major:
Mission adaptor with the Chinese airmobile force. Chosen for improvisation skills and certain neurotic personality traits. Insightful and meticulous, but always questioning orders.
unnamed Chinese officer:
Blue Shadows intelligence agent, assigned to track UN inspectors on Chinese territory.
Hang Feng:
Junior partner and futurologist in Qiyuan's arbitration firm. His life has been subtly controlled by Anonymous.
Damon Toruls:
Independent journalist and influential Resistance member with strong authoritarian streaks. He realizes most people don't know what they really want.
Demillia Palteri:
Special liaison with Millipol Bombay, responsible for Standards Compliance. Audits law enforcement agencies worldwide.
Ravi Jahan:
Director of Millipol's Subjective Intelligence Division. From time to time he has eliminated persons likely to cause violent conflicts.
the Mole:
Unknown Millipol employee who leaks embarrassing secrets to the media.
unnamed Minus Six duty officer:
Responsible for maintaining RedList.
Janice Murano:
Telepresence engineer at the Great Circle Spaceport.
Abu:
the Net Czar, a ceremonial but influential job.
Professor Tarek Golog:
Leading philosopher who believes intelligent minds should try to experience as many types of awareness as possible.
Knil Muran:
Nominal leader and enforcer of the Prophet Fam, with a reputation for unpredictable and frightening violence.
"Pike":
Resistance volunteer who has prepared many years for a great confrontation.
"Janet":
Resistance volunteer who has chosen to pursue the most interesting lifestyle attainable.
unnamed lawyer:
Handles high-level public relations for Millipol.
unnamed old man:
The oldest living human, a member of the Prophets.
- Non-human characters:
Zondyne virus:
Non-sentient attack program created by an illegal Depot mainframe using a molecular processor. Perfectly adapted for its mission, it is responsible for the largest Net attack and data theft ever.
DEEFx:
Illegal online data exchange used by Anonymous, the Foreigner, the Starters, and others. Provided data used to create the Zondyne virus. Non-sentient but highly intelligent.
Ortef:
AI #02311. A general data integration AI. Secretly works for the Minus-Six section of Millipol.
Ertorn:
AI #17520. A reconfigurable, hyper-specialized AI constantly erasing and updating portions of its mind. Working for the Starter Fam, it controls the Swarm and many other projects.
micron entity:
A highly sophisticated 'Peacekeeper' attack robot using micron technology. Theoretically, it could convert into an 'intelligent cloud' of attack microns which can recombine in various ways, but it only operates at a tiny fraction of its true potential.
- Groups, organizations, and facilities
:
the United Nations:
Has become responsible for identifying and controlling all dangerous technology. Also runs an increasing number of social and political welfare programs.
a Fam:
(Forced Affinity Matrix) A group of people who allow themselves to be manipulated into cooperating with each other. Requires sophisticated personality tests, feedback, and planning software.
Applied Mathematics Center:
Helps lead Central Asia regional development.
Tri-National Zone:
Area in Eastern Russia being developed mostly by China and Korea.
the Depot:
Vast worldwide storage zone for obsolete technology centered in the TNZ. With many recycling and repurposing efforts, it has become a center for 'gray research'.
Zondyne depot:
Part of the Depot core zone. Sealed storage facility containing millions of retired low-power-use CPUs from the mid-twenties considered too valuable to dispose of.
Multiverse theme park:
Currently the world's biggest tourist destination, simulates the experience of visiting parallel universes and other realities, sometimes with almost religious aspects.
Communist Alliance:
In the late Twenties, many nations abolished corporate property and adopted central planning, using new economic theories and software. When they formed a military alliance, a small world war erupted in which fewer than a million people were killed. Later analysis has shown that mankind never came closer to extinction than in 2029.
Qiyuan:
Highly planned and organized town in north-east China, controlling every aspect of its population's lives.
Qiyuan Interface:
Anonymous's home in Qiyuan, used for advanced social manipulation and illegal mind research.
the Resistance:
Ad-hoc emergent organization dedicated to fighting all forms of coercive power. Internal tradeoffs, contests, and compromises prevent excessive anarchy.
RedList:
A database containing all known information that could destroy humanity.
Space Station Centauri:
A large complex of unmanned space factories and laboratories in low Earth orbit.
the Swarm:
Thousands of tiny experimental satellites orbiting the L5 libration point more than 300,000 km. from Earth.
Millipol:
Voluntary world police association that forms links between law enforcement agencies and helps them fulfill their missions.
Minus Six:
Secret Millipol sub-section formed by a few dozen concerned law officers to anticipate and prevent future threats against mankind by any means necessary.
Luxor Epistemology Center:
UN-sponsored research center dedicated to improving cross-cultural communication.
Reality Lab at Heidelberg Polytechnic:
A for-profit research center that helps investors identify promising technology at an early stage.
Interface Nonline Mall:
Interactive store where you can buy anything that is for sale.
Yamaguchi Cosmopolis:
The Mall's largest tenant.
the Starters:
A Fam dedicated to accelerating the rate of technological progress. Its members hope to live forever.
Starter Leadership:
The Starters don't have a leadership.
the Prophets:
A Fam dedicated to controlling and improving its members through various forms of virtual reality, and developing and promoting the single best shared solution.
the Prophet Compound:
A luxurious resort-style community equipped with the most advanced Interface technology.
the Omni Universe:
A simulation where the Prophets spend much of their time. Secretly attempts to simulate the real world using sophisticated metaphors.
deep-space anomaly 1:
The first known intergalactic object, does not necessarily obey the known laws of physics.
Posthumanity:
Indistinguishable from static.
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