Rivington Spaceport: Settings
"He had gotten the spaceport completely cleared of rubble and debris, and he had the woods cleared away from around it. . . . The locals called the city Rivvin; a few inscriptions found here and there . . . indicated that the original name had been Rivington."
— H. Beam Piper, Space Viking
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The Early Federation era stretches from the First Century, A.E., prior to the establishment of the "First" Federation, through, somewhat arbitrarily, the mid-Seventh Century, A.E., when the "Second" Federation begins to enter a period of stagnation. The Atomic Era begins with the first self-sustaining nuclear fission reaction, on "the First Day of the Year Zero [December 2, 1942, C.E.], when Enrico Fermi put the first [nuclear reactor] into operation. . . ."[WC] "The Edge of the Knife," the first yarn in this era, "about a history professor, who got his past and his future confused, and had a lot of trouble as a result," takes place on the eve of the Thirty Days' War — the Third World War — and of the establishment of the "First Federation," a confederation of nation-states — created after the dissolution of the United Nations — which was victorious over another alliance of nation-states, the Eastern Axis, in the War.
The Northern Hemisphere, where most of the combatant nations were located, suffered extensive nuclear devastation during the Thirty Days' War. Many refugees from the Northern Hemisphere fled to the Southern Hemisphere while the First Federation seized control of Antarctica and resettled many of its own people there. Eventually, as mentioned in the third yarn of this era "When in the Course —," efforts began to reclaim the devastated areas of the Northern Hemisphere and to aid — or pacify — Northern Hemisphere survivors who had reverted to barbarism.
Settlement of Luna, which had begun before the Thirty Days' War, expanded. Within two decades of the War, the First Federation sent an expedition to Mars. As recounted in the second yarn of this era, "Omnilingual," the Cyrano Expedition discovered an extinct, ancient Martian civilization, the first evidence of extraterrestrial sapience. Subsequent exploration led to settlements on Mars, Venus, in the Asteroid Belt and on the moons of Jupiter.
In the final years of this era, a joint Navy-Colonial Office expedtion seeking potential planets for colonization encounters the Svants of Svantovit in the yarn "Naudsonce."
Early Federation Worlds
The first worlds to be settled in the early Federation era were worlds within the Sol System itself which could be reached without faster-than-light travel.
Callisto | Luna | Mars | Mercury | Titan | Venus
Callisto: Likely one of the moons of Jupiter explored by the First Federation in the First Century, AE.[FH] A Pan-Federation Spacelines freighter was named for the world.[WC]
Mars:
With the advent of the faster-than-light Dillingham hyper-drive, the early Federation began to explore and settle worlds in other solar systems.
Agni | Freya | Fenris | Gimli | Svantovit | Uller | Volund | Yggdrasil
Agni: the homeworld of Zarathustra's Colonial Attorney General Mohammed Ali "Ham" O'Brien.[LF] Also see Viking Era entry.
Gimli: a planet with a native sapient race, near to Fenris and Zarathustra; site of a Federation navy base (named for an ancient legendary figure).[FDP, FS, FOP] Also see Viking era, Empire era and Land-Script entries.
Volund (also Völund): Some Ullerans are equipped with edged weapons, "trade-quality automatic pistols" and "standard-quality . . . arms" made "at the Terran-operated steel-works on Volund."[UU] Trade items "outbound from Terra" on Terra-Odin Spacelines are expected "to be coming," most recently from Völand, to Fenris.[FDP] The "first [Terra-Baldur-Marduk Spacelines] port of call en route [to Terra from Zarathustra] is New Birmingham, on Volund."[FOP]
Early Federation Era References (in Future Historical chronological order):
FH: "The Future History," originally published in Zenith, May 1964.
EK: "The Edge of the Knife," originally published in Amazing Stories, May 1957.
OL: "Omnilingual," originally published in Astounding, February 1957.
WC: "When in the Course —," originally published in Federation, Ace, 1981.
FDP: Four-Day Planet, originally published by Putnam, 1961.
uu: Uller Uprising, originally published in The Petrified Planet, Twayne, 1952.
NS: "Naudsonce," originally published in Analog, January 1962.
Illustration by Herb Mott |
The later Federation era begins, somewhat arbitrarily, in the mid-Seventh Century, A.E., when the "Second" Federation begins to enter a period of stagnation and ends with the Eleventh Century, A.E., when the Terran Federation has "completely vanished."[FH] The first yarns of this era are the trilogy of novels — Little Fuzzy, Fuzzy Sapiens and Fuzzies and Other People — which describe a series of conflicts on the frontier planet Zarathustra sparked by the discovery of the native — or maybe not — "Fuzzies," disputes over their status as sapient non-Humans and the political and economic implications of the resolution of that dispute (in favour of the Fuzzies).
The next story of this period, "Oomphel in the Sky," is about a conflict between the religious beliefs of the population of sapient non-Humans on the frontier planet Kwannon, the economic interests of the charted company which exploits the natural resources of the planet (using the labour of the native Kwanns) and the political interests of the local colonial government.
In both of these later Federation era yarns, the Federation is not exploring or settling new planets. Instead, the conflicts are those between various groups — including native, sapient non-Humans — on already-settled planets.
The final yarn of this era, begun in "Graveyard of Dreams" and expanded upon in Junkyard Planet, takes place on the Federation world Poictesme and the other worlds of the trinary Gartner Trisystem where Poictesme is located. Focused primarily on the search for a fabled super — or "cosmic" — computer, the story unfolds into an emerging conflict between Poictesme (and similar planets of the Federation periphery) and the Federation itself that ultimately presages the end of the Federation two centuries in the future — in the early period of the Space Viking Era.
Later Federation Worlds
The Federation was no longer exploring and settling new worlds in the later Federation era. The stories of this era are focused on conflicts on settled worlds, whether with Indigenous sapient non-Humans, among competing groups of settlers on a world, or even with the Federation itself.
Abigor | Aditya | Amaterasu | Ashmodai | Baldur | Kwannon | Marduk | Odin | Poictesme | Zarathustra
Abigor: World from which refugees fled with remnants of the System States Alliance navy to settle the first Sword-World, Excalibur.[SV]
Aditya: a planet colonized in the late Federation era (named for an ancient Hindu diety); fell into barbarism after the collapse of the Federation; conquered by Space Vikings from Morglay, abandoned when Morglay became embroiled in a Sword-Worlds dynastic war; reconquered by the first Galactic Empire.[SS] A member planet in the First Empire era.[MD] Also see Empire Era entry.
Amaterasu: a planet, named for an ancient Japanese diety, where a System States Alliance fleet was based and ultimately destroyed by Federation forces in the System States War.[JP] Also see Viking Era entry.
Ashmodai: a System States Alliance planet devastated by the Federation, including the major city Kindelburg, in the System States War; Klem Zareff's homeworld.[JP]
Later Federation Era References (in Future Historical chronological order):
LF: Little Fuzzy, Avon, 1962.
FS: Fuzzy Sapiens (as The Other Human Race), Avon, 1964.
FOP: Fuzzies and Other People, Ace 1984.
OS: "Oomphel in the Sky," Analog, November 1960.
GD: "Graveyard of Dreams," Galaxy, February 1958.
JP: Junkyard Planet, Putnam, 1963.
Badges & Flags
Illustration by John Schoenherr |
The Sword-Worlds are those twelve planets settled by the descendants of System States Alliance refugees who fled Terran Federation space with the remnants of the Alliance navy at the end of the System States War. The planets' "names were a roll-call of fabulous blades of Old Terran legend."[SS] Eventually, the Sword-Worlds gave rise to the Space Vikings who returned to raid the worlds of the Old Federation, the remnant of Terran Federation civilization which remained after a series of insurrections and conflicts known as the Interstellar Wars.
In Piper's novel Space Viking, the planet Excalibur is identified as the original Sword-World: "at the end of the Big War . . . [ten] thousand men and women on Abigor, refusing to surrender, had taken the remnant of the System States Alliance navy to space, seeking a world the Federation had never heard of and wouldn't find for a long time. That had been the world they had called Excalibur."
The grandchildren of those who had settled Excalibur went on to colonize the planets Joyeuse and Durendal and Flamberge. Additional Sword-Worlds were colonized in the next generation, including the planet Haulteclere, colonized from Joyeuse. Settlers from Haulteclere went on to colonize the planet Gram. Only four additional Sword-Worlds — Colada, Curtana, Morglay and Tizona — are mentioned by name in the novel. (An eleventh Sword-World, Quernbiter, is mentioned in Piper's novella "A Slave is a Slave," set in the time of the Galactic Empire which followed the Space Viking era. The name of the twelfth Sword-World remains unknown.) At the time of Space Viking, there are "three and a half billion [Sword-Worlders] spread out on twelve planets."
Illustration by Ed Valigursky |
In "A Slave is a Slave," the Sword-Worlds are remembered as having been "settled by refugee rebels from the System States planets. Mostly they had been soldiers and spacemen; there had been many women with them, and many were skilled technicians, engineers, scientists. They had managed to carry off considerable equipment with them, and for three centuries they had lived in isolation, spreading over a dozen hitherto undiscovered planets." In Piper's later Empire-era yarn "Ministry of Disturbance," the historical Sword-Worlders are remembered as having "lived in isolation, spreading over a dozen hitherto undiscovered planets."[MD]
The Sword-Worlders, venturing from Space Viking base-planets like Dagon, Hoth, Jagannath, Nergal, Xochitl and Tanith — established in Space Viking, are not the only interstellar wayfarers in the Old Federation. The Old Federation may have fallen largely into barbarism but there remain nearly "a dozen and a half planets . . . that still have hyperdrive [and] which had maintained the culture of the Terran Federation uninterruptedly." Among these "civlized planets" are Marduk (which figures prominently in Space Viking), Aton, Baldur, Ishtar, Isis, Odin and Osiris. At least two other planets, Gilgamesh (home of an obscure religious sect) and Ithavoll (a former colony of Marduk) have managed to recover from the barbarism which engulfed the Old Federation.
The Sword Worlds
The Sword-Worlds are a those twelve planets settled by the descendants of System States Alliance refugees who fled Terran Federation space with the remnants of the Alliance navy at the end of the System States War in 854 Atomic Era (AE). The Sword-Worlds gave rise to the Space Vikings who eventually returned to raid the worlds of the Old Federation after its collapse in the Interstellar Wars.
Colada | Curtana | Durendal | Excalibur | Flamberge | Gram | Haulteclere | Joyeuse | Morglay | Quernbiter | Tizona | Twelfth Sword-World
Colada: Very little is known about Colada. It was not among the first Sword-Worlds — Excalibur, Joyeuse, Durendal and Flamberge — to be settled nor was it among the most prominent Sword-Words — Excalibur, Tizona, Gram, Morglay, Durendal, Flamberge, Curtana, Quernbiter — in the Empire era. Colada was the home planet of Otto Harkaman, who hunted "marsh pigs" there as a youth.[SV]
Space Viking Base Planets
Space Vikings often conducted their raiding of Old Federation planets from the Sword-Worlds but some Space Vikings established bases on planets in the Old Federation itself. Besides providing respite and starship repairs for their own Space Vikings, these base planets often sold their services to other Space Vikings too.
Dagon | Hoth | Jagannath | Nergal | Tanith | Xochitl
Dagon: Dagon is "a Space Viking base planet, occupied by a character named Fedrig Barragon."[SV] "A number of ships operated from it, including a couple commanded by Barragon's half-breed sons."[SV] Otto Harkaman raided Dagon after Space Viking ships from Dagon raided Ganpat, a trade-planet of Tanith in the Old Federation. Named for an ancient Levantine and Mesopotamian diety, Dagon was likely originally settled sometime in the later Federation era.
Tanith's Allied Planets
After establishing his base on the Old Federation planet Tanith, Lucas Trask and his Space Vikings build alliances with Old Federation planets which they had previously raided.
Amaterasu: an Old Federation planet raided by Tanith which subsequently became a Tanith ally. Also see later Federation Era entry.
Tanith's Trade-Planets
Trask and his Space Vikings also develop relationships with several Old Federation planets where they enjoy preferential trading privileges in return for providing some degree of protection from raiding by other Space Vikings or Neobarbarians.
Ganpat | Indra | Khepera | Vitharr
Khepera: named for an ancient Egyptian diety, Khepera was likely settled sometime late in the early Federation era.
The "Civilized Planets"
There are less than "a dozen and a half planets in the Old Federation that still have hyperdrive" and have "maintained the culture of the Terran Federation uninterruptedly" since its collapse.[SV]
Aton | Baldur | Ishtar | Gilgamesh | Isis | Ithavoll | Marduk | Odin | Osiris
Aton: a "civilized planet," one of the less than "a dozen and a half planets in the Old Federation that still have hyperdrive" and one of the "worlds which had maintained the culture of the Terran Federation uninterruptedly." Named for an ancient Egyptian diety, Aton was likely originally settled sometime late in the early Federation era.
Marduk's Trade-Planets
Marduk's trade-planets — Old Federation planets on which Marduk enjoyed preferential trading privileges in return for providing some degree of protection from raiding — were Trask's inspiration for Tanith's trade-planets.
Agni | Audhumla | Chermosh | Gimli | Imhotep | Ithunn | lugaluru
Agni: an Old Federation planet and possibly a Marduk trade-planet.[SV] Also see early Federation Era entry.
Audhumla: Marduk trade-planet in the Old Federation (named for an ancient mythological creature).[SV]
Gimli: Marduk trade-planet in the Old Federation (named for an ancient legendary figure).[SV] Also see early Federation Era, Empire era and Land-Script entries.
Other Trade-Planets
There were other trade-planets in Old Federation planets besides those aligned with Marduk and Tanith.
Irminsul: a Gilgamesh ship brought trade goods to Tanith from Irminsul including "vegetable-amber and flame-bird plumes."[SV]
Viking Era References (in Future Historical chronological order):
SV: Space Viking, Analog, November 1962, December 1962, January 1963, and February 1963.
SS: "A Slave is a Slave," Analog, April 1962.
MD: "Ministry of Disturbance," Astounding, December 1958.
The timelines of the Second Level of Paratime "descend from the probability of one or more shiploads of colonists having come to Terra from Mars about seventy-five to a hundred thousand years ago, and then having been cut off from the home planet and forced to develop a civilization of their own here."[LE] (In later source, it is instead suggested that Second Level is one of the levels of Paratime which "had devolved from low-probability genetic accidents."[GG]) Second Level "been civilized almost as long as the First, but there had been long Dark-Age interludes."[GG] The civilizations of the Second Level are "equal [to those of First Level] in every respect but knowledge of paratemporal transposition."[TT] There is "one Second Level civilization which is approaching the discovery of an interstellar hyperspatial drive, something [First Level has] never even come close to."[TT] (In another source, it is suggested that there "are Second Level civilizations . . . that have over-light-speed drives for interstellar ships."[LKO])
Second Level is mentioned only briefly in "Police Operation," Piper's first story about the cross-time travelling Paratime Police. There are passing references to the Khiftan and Jak-Hakka civilizations with only minor details suggestion both groups of timelines are rather barbaric places.
Illustration by Walt Miller |
Piper's second Paratime Police yarn is set on the Second Level's Akor-Neb Sector. "The Akor-Neb civilization is of a fairly high culture-order . . . [with an] atomic-power, interplanetary culture; gravity-counteraction, direct conversion of nuclear energy to electrical power . . . ." The interplanetary culture extends from Terra to Venus and Mars.
First Level Paratime civilization buys "fine synthetic plastics and fabrics from [Akor-Neb timelines]" and sells "a lot of Venusian zerfa-leaf; [Akor-Neb people] smoke it, straight and mixed with tobacco."
"[Akor-Neb societies] have a single System-wide government, a single race, and a universal language. They're a dark-brown race, which evolved in its present form about fifty thousand years ago; the present civilization is about ten thousand years old, developed out of the wreckage of several earlier civilizations which decayed or fell through wars, exhaustion of resources, et cetera. They have legends, maybe historical records, of their extraterrestrial origin."
In the yarn, "Dr. Hadron Dalla transposed to the Second Level, to study alleged proof of reincarnation which the Akor-Neb people were reported to possess."
Second Level References (in order of publication):
PO: "Police Operation," Astounding, July 1948.
LE: "Last Enemy," Astounding, August 1950.
TC: "Time Crime," Astounding, February 1955 and March 1955.
TT: "Temple Trouble," Astounding, April 1962.
GG: "Gunpowder God," Analog, November 1964.
DS: "Down Styphon!," Analog, November 1965.
LKO: Lord Kalvan of Otherwhen, Ace, 1965.
HH: "Hos-Hostigos," The Paratime Police Chronicles, Volume II, Pequod Press, 2020.
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