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Page References
Rules and statistics in this book are specifically for the GURPS Basic Set, Third Edition. Any page reference that begins with a B refer to a page in the Basic Set — e.g., B102 means p. 102 of the Basic Set, ‘Third Edition.
Page references that begins with an S refer to a page in GURPS Space. Other references are MA for GURPS Martial Arts. MAA for GURPS Martial Arts Ad,’enturn and UT for GURPS Ultra-Tech.
Two thousand million or so years ago two galaxies were colliding: or, rather, were passing through each other.” So begins the Epic of Space: so begins the war for freedom. The story does not stop until the human race produces its ultimate development: minds of such maturity that they can think think with drive, scope and clarity — think so competently as to be able to visualize the
derails of the entire macrocosmic universe, from the instant of its creation to its ultimate end.
Two races are already ancient when the saga begins. Eddore seeks con-quest, and on the myriads of planets formed during the interpassage of galaxies
they find life enough to temporarily sate even their lust for dominion. Arisia opposes them, hut cannot stop them without help. That help is the Galactic Patrol, and its assemblage has taken several long Arisian lifetimes, two thousand million years.
The work is done in complete sccrccy, tbr if Eddore learns of the plan prematurely, its failure is certain. Even more. Civilization itself mast not learn of its ultimate purpose. for that knowledge would introduce an inferiority complex that would ruin it forevei. The Patrol believes ii is lighting a war on drugs and piracy. The true scope of the War, though. can only be fully comprehended by entities of the third level of development. It is nothing less than the War of Good and Evil.
This book describes that conflict’s final phase, the Boskonian War, from the invention of the Bergenholin inertialess drive by the Triplanetary League
through the annihilation of dread Hour.
The Ultimate War has begun. Many of you won’t come back. But Lensmen always go in.
@ ADDITIONAL MATERIAL
The GURRPS Basic Set is required to use this worldbook, GMs will fmd GURPS Space and GURPS Psionics useful as well. Though an interesting assortment of technology is dcscribcd in Chapter 5. sonic weapons and equipmeat froni GURPS tiltra-Tech may be used in Ut/RI’S L.ensrnan campaigns, Similarly, several alien races are described in Chapter 3. hut many rriore exisL throughout the galaxies, and a GM will find GURPS Aliens useful in describing them. The martial arts practiced by the various peoples of Civilization and
Boskonia are surveyed in Chapter 7, though a GM will need GURPS Martial Arts to make use of that information.
GMs should read the l.ensman series to understand the unique feel of this universe. (JURPS Lensman is based on those books. William B Ellem’s stories, and David Kyle’s trilogy about the nonhuman Second-Stage Lensmen. were used where they did not contradict the original series. Several other books are listed in the bibliography that arc not strictly compatible with the Lensman
series, such as .Sjitin’hounds of mc. hut which have similar tones and may enhance a Lensman campaign.
Thcrc exists a Japanese anime and comic hook series wiih the same name as this work. It has nothing whatsoever to do with Doc’s story, and is urn authorized.
Political Correctness
The Lensinan series was written years before World War 11 by a man who grew up in the 1910s. It IS sometimes accUsed of being sexist. Equal justice under the law for both sexes is a fundamental principle of Civilization, but Doc did not think men and women were equal (any more that he thought all men were equal; as Heinlein said, “he would as had equated oranges with apples”). The entire Lensman saga is preclicaLed on the fact that humans are extremely unequal.
GURPS Lensman describes Civilization the way Doc created it. “lIe” is the generic third-person singular pronoun, and it may or may not include females. Sex-specific occupational titles, such as steward and stewardess, will be used where appropriate.
Characters From Other Campaigns
Characters from other campaigns may encounter some difficulties fitting into a GURPS Lensman adventure. If they are from a high-tech background, they will find the Galactic Patrol’s equipuient incomprehensible, since they will be unfitiniliar with both the high power usage and the vacuum tube technology. (Even if the characters have a tube background, those of the Patrol will be far more sophisticated than anything they have ever secU.) If the new characters arc from a low-tech environment, they will be even more lost. The psionic powers of nearly every race in GURPS Lensma,i. augmented by the Lens, will render trivial eve.n many Super.r abilities. Magic simply doesn’t work. But most mportantly, the newcomers were probably not raised in a society that values the ability to flunk and requires a moral stature uncommon elsewhere.
@ THE FIRST HISTORIAN
The significance of the Lensman series cannot be overestimated. In 1966 it was nominated for a special Hugo Award as “Best All-Time Series.” It was the first multi-volume science fiction novel ever published — conceived from the beginning as a single story line. From our viewpoint here in the future, Doc’s courage is not obvious. We have seen many interminable series, designed never to end, Once parts of Doe’s story had appeared in the puips, though, lie could not expect them ever to be reprinted. But the First Historian of’ Civilization planned a story with the full scope and range of his imagination, and wrote it with the drive it deserved.
Edward Elmer Smith was horn in 1890. In 1915, he married Jeanne MacDougall and began collaborating on The Skylark of Space. In 1918, he earned his Ph.D. in chemistry and later became Chief Chemist for a company specializing in doughnut mixes. He had three children. Vcrna. Clarrissa ~ind Roderick. During World War H, he was head of the Inspection Division of an ordnance plant at a laboratory called “Outer Siberia,” hut was IiI?ed for refusing to pass substandard shells. Doe was a master of many professions including lumberjack and carpenter, cereal and explosives chemist, chemical and mechanical engineer. rrietallurgist. blacksmith and machinist, hardrock miner, photographer, and cook. In university, he captained a crack drill and rifle team, sang in Gilbert and Sullivan light operas, and was president dt the mandolin and guitar club. The remarkable skills of Doe’s characters are sometimes hard to believe. Doe made them as capable as he, and Doc was a starkly incredible man.
Doe was Guest of Honor at the Second World Science Fiction Convention, and was inducted into the First Fandom Hall of Fame at the 21st Worldcon. He was a true fan. At the second Worldcon. he attended the masquerade in his leather motorcycle garb with a homemade raygun as a C.L. Moore character, Northwest Smith. He contributed frequently to fan magazines.
On 31 August 1965, the. First Historian suddenly left this plane of exislcncc. his friend Robert Heinlein reported that he had “urgent business a long way off, no Lime to spare to tell us more stories.”
The Present Historian
Scan Barrett has been, in accord with the Guardians’ Visualization, readied to some extent for his present task; Galactic Patrol was the first science fiction book he read. However, since his introduction to the First Historian, his preparation has continued for only little more than two-and-a-half decades.
lie ha.s trained only as a short-order cook and an operator of the prodigious atomic engines of submarines, a tutor of mathematics and physics and a nudeonicist at the recovery from the hellish disaster of a melted atomic pilc, an actor or i stage and film and a journeyman programmer of electronic automatic computers. His only foreign language is Japanese. His unarmed combat skills are barely adequate, his swordplay unoriginal and his marksmanship unremarkable.
lie fully realizes that this brief and narrow training leaves him starkly unqualified to continue the monumental History. He has consulted several entities who were contemporaneous and familiar with the First Historian, and extends heartfelt thanks for their help. In particular. Kelly and Laura Frcas and Verna Smith ‘frestrail were utterly invaluable.
Even more vital was the help and true love of the Historian’s wife and First Reader, Susan Miller. This manual could not have been produced without her. nor without the three rcquisit.e L.ensc.ats.
Respec~fullv submitted,
Sean Barrett, Telius
HISTORY ARID SOCIETY
The
First Historian, writing shortly after the Boskonian War, concentrated on the technology and military history of Civilization. At. the time, there was great interest in the battles and campaigns of the War, and little in the details of popular culture. Two gc.ncrations later, however, interests have changed. Many of us have never seen a ration book or an issue ofthe Gaiacic Patrol Journal of Recognition. This chapter will summarize some of the salient characteristics of civilian Civilization during the War.CHAPTER
ONE.
J
Lexicon
l)ocs chaiacters, like their author, have vocabularies that arc not only large and precise, hut are also laced with technical jargon and esoteric slang.
actinic: Radiant and causing change. brunebiate: Divided into branches.
carapaceous: Having an armored coverlog.
comnilnute: To reduce to small particles. corpusde:\ small body or particle.
coruscate: To t’lash or blaze.
dernier cri: French. “the last cry” — the latest fashion.
estivatet To lapse into torpor because of heat, dryness or similar conditions.
fulgurate: To shoot out beams.
goniometer: A dcvice for measuring angles (not so—called because of its use in navigation sets to dctcrminc wbich way you’re goin’).
Jetc: Slang: capability, speed.
klystron: A type of vacuum tube in which the distinguishing features are the modulation or periodic variation of the longitudinal velocity of an electron stream without appreciable variathm of its convection current and the subsequent conversion of this velocity modulation into convrctluII—curletfl niodu— lation by the process o1 punching
Integument: Surface, skin. cuveritig. nascent: New-horn.
picaroon: A tool, similar to a boat-hook. used to moor lumber.
polydactile: Many -fingered.
QX: Slang: all right, okay, roger. refractory: Tough. resistant.
.celah: Hebrew. a Biblical expression signitying completion.
seven-sector cull-out: A situation commanding the attention of the military forces of seven sectors. Slang: a woman attractive enough to do the same,
scintillate: To sparkle.
steatopygous: Having large buttocks.
thyratron~ A hot—cathode, gas-discharge rube in which one or inurc electrodes arc employed to control electrostatically the starting of the unidirectional current flow.
zyrnolose: Disease-bearing
While the interpassage of the Milky Way and Lundmark’s Nebula was creating millions of millions of planets. two ancient races were already in genocidal conflict.
Arisia saw the myriads of planets as a chance to cultivate races into a Civilization of seekers after truth. The alien Eddorians, intruders from another space-time continuum, saw opportunity for conquest, Each Eddorian could be master of millions of worlds, with the All-Highest the future ruler of an entire universe.
The Elders of Arisia watched and studied. They realized that, at best, they could achieve only a stalemate unless their planned Civilization was protected and guided for untold ages. Most importantly of all. no entity, anywhere, must ever learn of the conflict raging over its very existence. Such knowledge’ would instantly shatter arty mentality not stable at the third level of stress and create a racial “inferiority complex” that would render that entire Civilization impotent. II secrecy could be maintained and Eddore held oil long enough, though, a handful of entities would grow strong enough to destroy Eddure indeed, they would be so powerful as to render Arisia itself obsolete. On four planets — Sol III (Tellus), Rigel IV, Vclantia III and Palain VII — special breeding programs were initiated. The fourply Arisian mentality known in fusion as Mentor protected and promoted selected bloodlines on each.
Arisia, Pleistocene Epoch, Uuaternary Period
“But she loss of I~ft! Surely there is a way.
-. Your thinking is loose and turgid, youth. Do not allow affection for the subjects to interfere with your reasoning. Continue the extrapolation. Yes’, the war would be pret’en:ed. What would then occur?”
“With the vast improvement in elecimnics, they would quickly develop
The Arisian child possesses no organs even remotely resembling eyes, but had he, they would grow wide as he pursues the thought. “In a single generation, they would abdicate control of every aspect of life, down to food preparation utensils, to the ubiquitous electronic data processors! They would rely on machines for precLse. detailed reasoning, for clarity of cogitation — hut the powers of the mind fleeessarv to Civilization cannot he simulated by electronics!”
“Yes,” the teacher replies dryly. “Some would even become so desperate as to implant electronics into their own bodies. Is the war not better than an entire race reduced by dependence on yhernelics to J)unks and menial cripples? Oe.~cribe a prevention of/ha/fate that has minimal side-effects.”
“t)hi’iou.sl~ the humans Bardeen, Brattain and Shocidey must no: invent this ‘transistor’ device. “ A menial silence falls as the student contemplates methods. Elegance governs. A human heart would have pulsed several tunes before the child again broadcasts his thoughts. “I suggest spatial translation rì,l this fastening device a short distance in near/v aizy direction, remm’ing ii from the path of this transportation ,nechanism.” He indicated in a purely menial fashion a precise point in space-lime.
“Yes,” replies the teache, “Many consider that the optimal course. Now consider.
The teacher reteris himnself’to hide the pride he feels. This is. in fact, the course Mentor thiemselt’es rejected. This youth, Eukonidor by symbol, has real promise.
® A BRIEF HISTORY OF CIVILIZATION
— Alabama, Tellus, 1932 CE
Dr Murray. driving late into the night, remains forever oblivious to the nail he nearly drove over Fighting to keep his eves open, he pulls off the road outside the
— tiny town of Athens, Alabama for forrv winks. Dawn finds him snoring, and he awakes with a vicious crick in his neck
At the exact moment he sees the girl climbing the tree, she is 143.213 feet from him (which the Arisian teacher accepts as being within the error constraints of the
student :ç visualization). As he rolls his hea4, trying to loosen his neck musclec. he
is in perfect position to see her lose her grip amid fall, striking a bough heavily
— befàre plummeting to the ground.
Dr Murray leaps from the car and reaches her in 23.17 seconds (which causes the teacher to remind the child that physical life frequently operates at less than
full capacity). The ground is soft, but the impact of the branch across her abdomen cracks several ribs and stops her breathing, Art jflc.*il respiration is successful, and Ruth recovers quickly and f1411v, though it is quite clear that she would have suffo
cated, had Dr Murray ~zot been present. -
• Boston, Teius, 1944 CE
Bill Shot’kiey sits in the corner of the party, dee’ in thought and wishing he had his slip—stick and a supply of scratch paper; or even a corner of the tablecloth to sketch on. An idea is itagging at him. hut r~fi4ses to completely ge/.
“Hello there.
Re looks up, and the idea flees before red-bronze-auburn hair and gold-
— flecked, tawny eves. He and Ruth Sommer know nothing of the rest of that party, though it is the most deligh~fitl of the many they attend. The.y spend the entire evening sifting in that corner; in rapt and exclusive conversation. She continues to
— monopolize all of his free time and thought, and much thought that should be devoted to his work at Bell lshs. Even were he reminded of that fascinating idea he had almost had, he would never regret its loss — his beautiful wife is considerably more than worth it.
Stockholm, Tdflus, 1955 CE
William Shockiet John Bardeen and Walter Rouser Brattain share the Nobel
— Prize in Phnics for their revolutionary “ultra-wave” vacuum tube design.
Stockholm, ToRus, 1858 CE
Pave! Aleksejevic Cherenkov, FAa Mickajloi’ic’ Frank and Fgor Evgenevic Thmm share the Nobel Prize in Pkvsics for their studies of the effects of the superlutninal speeds found in the Shockley ultra-wave tube (including the “Cherenkov effect”). Hundreds of years later; Dr Neis Bergenholm finds their work seminal in his resea,rh.
• Cuban Coastal Waters, ToRus, 1952 CE
During the Cuban Blockade, a dense f’og, an exhausted lookout and a fOiled thyratron in a radar set cause an American destroyer to rum and sink a Cuban
• “fishing” vesseL The Soviet Union proclaims the incident an act of war and retaliates. ‘Iëllus is ruined for many hundreds of years.
The Third or Atomic Phase of the World War was so devastating that the Eddorian second-in-command, Gharlanc, assumed that he could divert attention from troublesome Tellus In the othcr worlds. On returning to the solar system, however, he found space-travel, great scientific progress, and continental governments ruling Venus, Tcllus and Mars. Using the tiom de guerre of Gray Roger, he formed
the occult and esoteric Adepts of North Polar Jupiler and led them into direct war against the Inner Planets only to ~ee the conflict unite them into the Triplanetary League.
At the height of Gray Roger’s assaults, Mentor caused Nerado of Nevia to discover the solar systerri, where he found tremendous supplies of the iron his world
desperately needed. The three-way conflict was quickly resolved, in large part by
A Watchmaker Universe?
The theoretical limits to precise knowledge are confirmed and illustrated by the abilities of sufficiently advanced intellects. tn particular, two theorems and a field of study make it seem impossible to place any reliance on any but the most elementary visualizations. Yet, iL is the proper use of just these seeming barriers to prediction which guide and inform the Arisians’ Visualization. l-leisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle indeed indicates that even Mentor knows neither exactly nor completely the conditions pertaining at any given moment; his Visualization is complete and precise enouRh to predict gross details— e.g., the. sex of a given kitten two cat—gentiulions In,ni now with ease and reliahilily. l’topet application of chaos theory allows the Visualization of
- more chullenginy, clemails e.g.. the precise rilass, length and orientation of tens of thousands or hair clippings.
Godel ‘S llndccidability Theorem mdi cates that the trhth of some propositions cannot be determined by any level of intellect. In particular, it is impossible to predict the actions of an intellect wbo is of the same level of development as the predictor and is trying to be unpredictable. In accord with this principle, the ASians kept their existence a secret — as long as the Eddorians believed they were unchallenged, their actions could be forecast.
Three Views of Women
The Gentler Sex
In a repressive society, women are discritninatcd against, both by opinion and by law. Societies of this type will be common if Lenses are not made for women, since Arisia validates the opinion that women are not “meant” to serve in dangerous positions — or that they are less capable. If the Galactic Patrol takes this attitude, women may only serve in limited capacities, such as nurse-s and clerical positions. All females of such societies or the Patrol have Social Stigma: Second-Class Citizen, A very lèw, ‘,ery capable and very determined women can rise to medium levels of prominence — anti their Social Stigma is thai of Minority Group.
Not .Separate, Rut. - -
Not Quite Equal
Often, women are not discriminated against by law, but society at large dkcourages them from certain activities, and wiquen zittist constantly strive against subtle suppression. A “glass ceiling” exists at the middle-management level that only remarkable women can penetrate.
Even it’ Arisia gives Lenses to women, it could remain the official policy of the Galactic Patrol that women may not he Lensmen. Women would not he permitted to serve in combat roles (to have the Extremely Hazardous Duty disadvantage).
and L-ensmen would be legally defined to be always in combat roles. There would be no rationale for this policy — it merely reflects the “women and children first” attitudes that permeate human-dominated Civilization. This policy would never be waived, It could only be overridden, and only by those rare and puissant entities authorized to violate Patrol regulations with impunity, the Gray l.erismcn. Evcn they would consider it only in exireme and very special cases, and refer their need to one of the Second-Stage I .ensnien, who in turn consult directly with Arisia. The standards by which Msia might evalnate such a woman are unknowable - the cases in which a woman was given a I .ens would be far too rare to permit anything more that the vaguest generalities. Minimum criteria would certainly include a Gray Lensman Contact (or better), and sufficient Reputation to overcome the Social Stigma of being a woman.
the efforts of the Triplanetary Service and its chief, Virgil Samms. Gray Roger was apparently destroyed and the Triplanetario-Nevian Treaty of Peace made the newly formed Solarian League well aware of intelligent life outside the Solar system.
Eddore, blocked from direct conquest by Gharlane’s defeat, retrenehed itself as Boskone, a complex of pathologically multi-nested conspiracies of piracy, drugs and vice of every kind, dedicated to the subversion and overthrow of the Galactic Union and its Patrol. The invention of the Bergenhoim inertialess drive made faster-than-light travel trivially cheap and easy . . and simultaneously made law enforcement all but impossible.
i’hrough Nels Bergenholm — a Tellurian scientist occasionally energized by various Arisians — Samms was informed of the Lens, an instrumentality constructed by Mentor that served as an unimpeachable identifier, a perfect decoder of any intelligent communication and a telepath. Generations of Lensmen served Civilization as it grew throughout the First Galaxy for centuries.
When young Kimball Kinnison, the male penultimate in Mentor’s breeding program for humanity, graduated from the Patrol’s Academy on Tellus and reccited his Lens, Boskone’s piracy was a serious problem to the Galactic Patrol. The pirates’ technology was superior to the Patrol’s, and their organization and Ladies were much more militaristic than would he expected from a hand — however well-led — of criminals. Kinnison’s first assignment was to capture a Boskonian ship and analyze its power source, a method of tapping direetly into cosmic energy. He succeeded, and while eluding the pursuit coordinated by Itelinuth, Speaker for Boskone, discovered thc planet Velantia Ill — and Worsel, the malc penultimate of another of Arisia’s breeding lines. (Rigel, Palain and Tellus had long been active mettibers of the Galactic Union by this time.)
Worsel was the lirst entity, followed closely by Kinnison, to realize that Arisia could provide more training than the niinituum necessary to wear the Lens, and they became the first Second-Stage Lensmen. Worsel concentrated on freeing his home world from the domination of the Overlords of l)elgon, while Kinnison employed subterfuge and guile as well as all-out war, building in the minds of Boskone’s leadership the image of a super-Lensman, code-named Star A Star, who had thousands of agents working in unison against them. Beginning with Helmuth’s ultra-protected Grand Base, he destroyed his way up one of the Boskonian chains of command until he obliterated the Council of Boskone themselves and their home planet Jarnevon.
Later, Kinnison came to realize that the power structure of the conspiracy of Boskone was neither linear nor single-threaded, and that by annihilating Jarnevon, he had lost all connection with what lay behind the “Council of Boskone.” With the other Second-Stage Lensnicn and pcnultimates of their lines — Wonel of Velaritia ifi, Tregonsee of Rigel IV and Nadreck of Palain VII — Kinnison began a new search, this time through gem-smuggling and space piracy to the planets Lyrane II and Lonabar. Recognizing that males couldn’t work effectively with the matriarchal Lyranians, Kirinison gave Lensman trainil g to Clarrissa MacDougall and sent her — the penultimate of the human female line and only human female to ever wear a Lens — to Lyrane. She discovered a conncction, through a band of Overlords of Delgon on Lyranc H and an Eich base on Lyrane VIII to the Second Galaxy.
(.oniinued on nev page...
Kinnison and Nadreck undertook to overthrow the tremendous bipartite empire that ruled the Second Galaxy from Thrale and Onlo. Kinnison assassinated Alcoa, the Tyrant of Thrale and assutned the Tyrancy hititself, only to fmd that the power
behind the throne, Prime Minister Fossten, possessed powers equal to those of an Arisian.
Believing Fossten a mad, renegade Arisian behind all of Boskone, Kinnison engaged him in mental combat and slew him — never knowing that, with Mentor’s help, he had slain (iharhane of Eddore, second only to the All-Highest. Meanwhile, Nadredk reduced Onlo (report under Lensman’s Seal).
The surrender of the Thrale-Onlonian military to Port Admiral Haynes on “VB Day” marked the end of the Boskonian War and the beginning of the first peace
the Galactic Union had ever known. Kinnison married Clarrissa MacDougall, and became Coordinator of the Second Galaxy, headquartered on Klovia. Piracy, dnigs
— and other elements of Boskone’s conspiracy continued, but were reduced by the Patrol to ordinary criminal behavior. Other problems could now be addressed.
Since the first use of atomic energy, power plants had occasionally flared out of control and spawned the horribly destructive loose atomic vortices. Finally, in the comparative tranquility following the conquest of Thrale, nucleonicist Neal Cloud of the Patrol’s Vortex Control Laboratory discovered how to extinguish vortices, using his unique abilities of lightning calculation. His career as “The
Vortex Blaster” took him to many stellar systems. Incidental to blowing out vortices, he was in the right place at the right time to break up a thionite manufacturing ring and to prevent a warring pair of races from using vortices to destroy each other.
An odd crew signed on with him after he saved their lives — Vests thc Vegian, Nadine of Manarka, Tommie of Toniinga and the lovers Thlaskin and Maluleme of Chiekiadoria. With them and a team of cybernetieist.s trying to figure out how he
did it, “Storm” Cloud blasted vortices across the galaxies.
Dr. Joan Janowick was finally able to build an electronic automatic analogue computer that could reproduce Cloud’s lightning calculations. Now that Cloud was
no longer indispensable as “The Vortex Blaster,” Joan and Cloud set about investigating the cause of the vortices. Discussion with the Manarkan Masters of Thought led to the study of a whole domain of mental discipline distinct from the realms of
the Lens, and, in turn, to contact with the pure-energy beings of Cahuita, who created vortices as incubators for their young. The Cahuitans had not realized the existence of material beings; they quickly agreed to ignite vortices only on uninhabited worlds.
By the time Kimball Kinnison’s son Christopher graduated from the Patrol’s Academy, the crime levels had risen sharply across the galaxies. Individual planets believed it a loeal phenomenon. but the Galactic Coordinator was able to see a larg
— er pattern to the increasing rates of insanity, rioting and crime. Kimball called himself and the other Second-Stage Lensmen back into active service and placed them tinder the direction of young Christopher — one of the ultimate products of the Arisian breeding program and the first Tellurian inherently stable at the third level
— of stress.
Each of his four sisters became the guardian of one of the Second-Stage Lensmen. who set out to trace and eliminate the renewed activity. After much investigation, the outlines of the new conspiracy — the “Spawn of Boskonc” — became perceptible to the Second-Stage Lensmen — a renewal of piracy, drugs and every vice, new enclaves where Overlords tortured and led, the “Hell-Hole in
— Space” that drove mad all who neared it. Black Lensmen ... and all controlled from the dread planet Ploor.
‘[‘he Children of the Lens, however, realized that the power structure had yet another layer. Knowing that no one other than his sisters must ever suspect even the
existence of Eddore. Christopher conducted a lone strategic reconnaissance ol’ that heavily fortified, odious planet. He escaped with vital information — whereupon the Eddorians counter-attacked Arisia itself with vast weaponry. The Kinnison children directed both the defense of Arisia and the destruction of Eddore’s highest
proxy-race. the Ploorans.
Three Views of Women (Continued)
Human personalities, male and female, can always be divided fairly clearly into leaders and followers, but the distinction is clearest amid the women in this type of society. Many are disconcerted by the least departure from the ordinary. “Why. I went clear to Mars I And it gave rue the screaming meamies, no less — I thought I would collapse!” This sort of behavior is frequently encouraged by men who wish to avoid competition from women. Others, however, become strong in spite of their social disadvantage. The females or Mentor’s breeding lines are certainly of this type: true aces, tiring on all jets, ready to take on the difficult loads required of them. Not all competent, aggressive women are admirable, of course. See the Femrne Fatale character type, p. 20.
Equal
In some societies, gender is of no importance whatsoever. Women are permitted anything men arc, in fact as well as by law. It is highly unlikely that the Patrol will have this level of equality unless Mentor gives Lenses to women.
The “Little Lady”
In sexually oppressive societies. women often are trained from childhood into the 0-point Little Lady package: they have -l ITT (from habitual corseting). -I ST (from no exercise), hand-work skills at DX, and Empathy (“Women’s Intuition”).
This package does not include Social Stigma, which is also required.
unnaturaL Perverted Societies
Equality of the sexes is a fundamental principle of Civilization. However, many societies don’t share this ideal. In some, males ruthlessly dominate the women. Civilization and the Patrol officially disparage this practice but may tacitly condone it, depending on the level of sexism. as long as it is not too extreme. (The Kalonians’ enslavement of Lheir wuriien is noL tolerable. lot example.) In other societies women dominate the men (e.g.. Lyrane TI). If the Patrol is not sexist, such societies are viewed with the same distaste as women-oppressed societies, but that distaste is nothing compared to the revulcion a male-dominated Patrol would feel toward such an over(urnmg of the natural order of things.
Lenscriller?
When speaking English, female human lens-wearers are called Lensmen, following the lead of the Red Lcnsman. as are those of all other races. many of which are even more alien than human women. The equivalent term in alien languages, which can have radically different notions of gender. is usually translated into English as “Lensed One.’
A man who “Publicly Disparages Women” will mock “Lensgirls” — until he meets one. That experience may either instill a grudging respect, or transform him into a full-fledged “MisogynisL”
Some evidence exists that Melasnikov of Kalonia mocked Cleonie of 1.yrane during its training for a Black Lens by calling it a “Lenspei’cnn,” hut that consLruction so revolLed even its atrophied sensibilities that it insisted on “Lensnian” — much to Melasnikov’s glee.
Finally. Mentor of Arisia, who had never initiated contact with any Lensman of Civilization save only the Second-Stage Lensmen. broadcast to every wearer of the Lens an incredible request. The destruction of the Spawn of Boskone was insufficient; there remained “a residuum of non-material malignancy” that only the massed mental force of the entire Lensman Corps could remove from this plane of existence. With Mentor’s coordination and the Children’s guidance, that “evil effluvium” — all life on Fddore — was erased. -
Unknown to all but the Children of the Lens, the Arisians voluntarily passed on to the next plane of existence when their wqrk was completed, leaving the Third-Stage Lensmcn as the new Guardians of Civilization. Their role is unknown to Civilization at large, and the struggle continues as the Len.smen seek out and destroy the scattered but still pernicious fragments of Boskone.
@ WOMEN AND LENSES
Jill Samnms, thughter of the First L.ensman and ancestor of the Red Lensman, Clarrissa MacDougall, went to Arisia for a Lens. She returned— Lensless — and reported:
That A,’isian was a thousand times more of a woman than! ever swill hi’, and she didn’t wear a Lens — never l’uui worn 0,-fe. %¾men :~ minds and Lenses don ‘tfit. There s’ a se.t -based inrnnzpatibi lily Lenses are as masculine as whiskers — and a:
f/tat, on/v a ver’ few men ~ ever stear iher, either. Very special men, like you three and Dad and Pops Kiun icon. Men with tremendou.c force, drive and Scope. !-‘ure killer.c, all of you; each in his own ~s’ov, of course. No more to he stopped than a glacier~ and iwh’e us hard and ten times as cold. A woman simply can’t have that kind of a mind! The,’e is going U, be a woman L-ensman some day — just one — but itol for years and years and I wouldn’t be in her shoes for anything.
Arisians did not lie, but they “have at various times made ambiguous statements, to lead certain Lensmcn and others to arrive at erroneous conclusions.” This was one such time. Jill stated an implication as a fact, and thc founders of the Galactic Patrol jumped to precisely the conclusion Mentor intended,
Mentor was entirely capable of creating Lenses for women — Clarrissa was not that freakish, nor are human women much more alien than, say, Palainians. It is, nonetheless, impossible for human woirteri to be Lensnien for the simple reason that Mentor won’t allow it. Two — and only two — human women ever knowingly encountered an Arjsjan, Nor is it necessary for an inLdllect to be above precisionist grade to understand the Arisians’ reasoning.
Humans are unique among the other races of the galaxies for their sheer indomitable will. The most casual observer of the human race would note that the fullest expression of that unstoppable drive is evoked by that complex suite of emnoLions, love.
Human love, as analyzed by Mentor, includes but is not limited to individual affection. It incitities all the higher feelings of community that the gregarious plains apes evolved . . . it includes patriotism. Boskoman propaganda .sneered at patriotisni, and made it de rigueur for self-proclaimed ‘~inte-llectuals” to ridicule patriotism. However, little was needed to ensure that the majority of humanity remembered that patriotism is not sentimental nonsense. Those groups that succumbed to the pernicious idea died.
Even though no Arisian fully understood human love, Mentor realized its importance and carefully cultivated all its forms. ‘[he Boskonian propaganda was actually useful, since its inherent fallacy could be clearly and simply demonstrated again and again by allowing large portions of the human race to accept it, and teeter on the verge of extinction. The survivors would be both genetically stronger and at le~tsi temporarily less ready to forget that “women and children first” is a biological imperdlive.
It is a simple fact of human reproduction that a group can lose the vast majority of its males and still recover. It cannot survive the loss of any significant fraction of its female population. Never was the point so ruthlessly drivcn home as immediately after the Third, or Nuclear, Phase ~f time World War.
S
Both sexes are equally vulnerable to the immediate physical, somatic damage of radiation poisoning, and to the long-term, chronic effects such as leukemia and other cancers. However, women are much more vulnerable to genetic damage. Females are born with all the potential ova they will ever have. They are irreplaceable if damaged or destroyed. Males. though, constantly create more spermatozoa. Defective cells are re-absorbed and replaced. Thus, the implacable and politically incorrect forces of evolution mandate that men do the dangerous work. Human Civilization already strongly held that idea when Mentor expressly validated it:
only miles are expendable. “Lenses are as masculine as whiskers” exactly because the male is the lirst line of defense against physical danger. Tt may become necessary for a woman to be a hellcat in defense of what she holds dear, but if all goes well, she doesn’t have to.
This imperative could be and was tied to the uniquely human “drive.” Men fought and died to defend their t’aniilies — only in times of utmost disaster did women take arms in defense of their homes and children. Mentor used precisely this fact in the design of the Galactic Union. Men alone did the dangerous work, placing themselves between their loved ones and the war’s desolation, ufitil the final battle. Only then, in the utmost extremity. did a woman — the beloved Red Lensman — take to the front lines. Seeing her in danger. all human Lensmen, wherever situated, put forth their ultimate effort.
Meanwhile, In Another Universe
Doe Smith was not sexist it is clear from his writing and published conversations that he greatly admired stiong. capable women. He grew up before World War 1, however, and wrote the Lensman series during and immediately after World War H. He firmly believed that during war, women should work on the ~‘Home Front” while men fight the actual battles, and Mentor agreed with him, However, some GMs may prefer to contradict him and run a Galactic Patrol with more liberal policies.
Since the GM is striking out on his own in this area, any decisions are finally his, and rew guidelines can be offered. One that can be suggested is that women’s equality or lack thereof in the Universe of the Lens be considered in three separate elements: Mentor’s plan, the Galactic Patrol’s policies and societies’ attitudes at large. If Mentor will create Lenses for women, then the attitude of the Galactic Patrol roust he re-determined, and finally the various planets and societies of Civilization will have varying customs and laws.
The revisionist GM must first decide what Mentor’s Visualization dictates. If he chooses not to acknowledge humanity’s sexual nature at all, women can receive Lenses without restriction. A compromise possibility is that Mentor needed Clan-issa to be the fira woman Lcnsnrnn, but that after she was enLensed, others could follow. There are many other options.
The spectrum of human sexual equality can be divided into three ranges. The GM will have to decide how the Galactic Patrol and each human society in the
Officers’ Specialties —
Line and Staff Corps
The officers of the Galactic Patrol are divided into two separate corps — the Line and the Staff. Line officers are those Lrained to command. Their technical knowledge is broad, but not extremely detailed. Staff officers are trained in depth in a particular technicat speciatty. but only superficially outside that area. They may give orders to subordinates only in their particular area. such as a medical officer to his corpsmen. but can assume command only ip utIer catastrophes, when every line officer is killed. A hoc ensi~in will take command before a medical corninodore.
It is possible to transfer from the tine to staff. It is also possible, but much more difficult, to join the tine from the staff.
Line officers are identified by the Golden Meteor above their rank. Staff officers have difhixent symbols there — a eaduccus for Medical, a sundered atom for Engineering and so on. The Staff Corps of the Galactic Patrol comprises the Medical, Engineering, Supply, and Chaplain Corps among others.
The Marines also have specialties such as Infantry, Aviation, Military Police. Finance, etc. and their rank insignia bears an appropriate symbol, but no distinction is made between line and staff, Rather. positions are designated “line” or “staff,” and all officers serve in both during their careers. As platoon and company commanders, lieutenants and captains arc line officers. Senior captains then all become staff officers and remain such until they reach tieutenant colonel. At that point, an officer either permanenily remains on staff’, or is given command of a battalion and becomes a line officer again.
The order of succession in the Marines varies with each unit’s SOP, but usually prefers line officers. For example, in Mobile Infantry brigades. if the Brigade Commander becomes a casualty, the next to command falls on the Battalion Commander Not In Contact (or Battalion Commander of the Reserve Battalion). During the next lull in battle, the Senior Battalion Commander asswnes command. However, if a Battalion Commander is killed, his operations officer (a staff positiori) assumes command.
The Oath
“1. [broadcast your identifying symbol]
being legally competent to enter into contract and of my own free will. . -
do flaw enlist in the Galactic Patrol
for a tenn of not less than three Standard years...
and as much longer as may be required by the needs of the Patrol,
“I promise before the Omnipotent Witness...
to uphold and defend the Articles of GalactIc Unity against all enemies wherever situate...
to protect and defend the conferred liberties and privileges of all adherenLs.
to perform such duties of lawful nature as may he assigned to inc by lawful authority...
and to obey all lawful orders of the Commander-in-Chief of the Galactic Patrol...
and of all officers or delegated bethgs placed over me...
and to require such obedience from all members of the Patrol
or other beings Lawfully placed under my orders.”
Galactic Union handles inter-sexual relationships. Civilization is not monolithic
the attitudes of Valerians may be quite different from those of Alsakanites. En general, subsistence societies on a frontier can’t afford to arbitrarily discriminate by sex — there’s too much work to do. More profitable cultures have more leisure time to spare making up restrictions and can tolerate the loss of half their work force.
Note that regardless of the level of women’s liberty, no man would ever publicly humiliate or even be impolite to a woman. “Publicly Disparages Women” is a -5 point Odious Personal Habit anywhere in Civilization, and any man would be strongly tempted to take such a boor out back and teach him some manners. Out-and-out “Misogynist’S is a -10-point OPt 1/Intolerance. True men are benevolent dictators, putting women on pedestals. They will always open doors, carry packages, and so on. Thosc from the more oppressive societies will be amused by any capable woman’s “pluck” and “feistiness,” and may quite firmly block her efforts. They really are very (disgustingly patronizingly) concerned for her safety, though, and arc honestly doing it for what they think is her own good.
®THE ACADEMY
Nearly every society that makes up the Galactic Union has some form of armed force. ‘Eb weld those wildly disparate organizations into a functional whole would be starkly impossible. Accordingly, the Galactic Council authorized the formation of an inter-world military: the Galactic Patrol.
Each society has its own means of idcntifying, qualifying and &aining its officer candidates. Humanity, following Tellurian tradition, uses both Ollicer Candidate Schools and an Academy system.
A human cnlistcd man, depending on aptitude and chosen specialty, is trained on duty or at any of a vast number of schools. For an officer to be effective, however, he need~s a much broader base of knowledge and leadership skills, which are rarely taught in civilian life. Accordingly, each year, out of the millions of millions of humans who apply throughout the galaxies, one million men are chosen to attend the Tellurian Academy. Preference is given to enlisted men with proven service, but anyone considered competent to enter into a contract by his society will be considered.
The Academy is fantastically grueling, with a 95% attrition rate the first year and 98% the second. Those who fail become senior (Rank 2) NCOs. Completion of three years at Academy earns a commission as a third lieutenant in the Force or a midshipman in the Patrol for around nine hundred of the thousand remaining. Three months alter reporting to the first command, promotion is all but automatic to second lieutenant or ensign, and the officer’s career is underway.
About 150 special individuals are invited to Wentworth Hall after the three-year term. Those men receive another year of training. Few are dropped -— culling this elite would be a formidable task — but about a third of the class will not survive their fifth year. During that year, they go on a tour of active duty (as third lieutenant or midshipman) including significant contact with enemy forces and a trip to Arisia. (That some of the losses are men that do not return from Arisia is a highly-classified fact. They are officially recorded as lost in honorable action.) Those that survive receive their Lens at the end of that year and a commission as a first lieutenant or lieutenant, junior grade.
It should be noted that a I ~ens supersedes all time in grade. In other words, a lieutenant who was promoted a year ago usually outranks one just promoted a month ago. However, if the new lieutenant is a Lensman, he outranks any nonl.ensed lieutenants, regardless of seniority. A non-Lcnsed captain would still outrank the Lcnsman lieutenant, though.
@ SCALES OF MENTAL PROWESS
Mcntor’s criteria for Lensmanship include many aspects of mental strength. Other scales of intellectual power are also useful. The Galactic Library of’ Science uses a rating system on which the Second-Stage Lensmen rank around 800—exact
details are available from the Library. The Manarkan Masters of Thought rank mentalities on a hierarchy of telepathic ability, on which all natural telepaths are at least Type One, all Intuitive Mathematicians (p. 28) are at least Type Threes and no First-or Second-Stage Lensman is above a Five.
It must be emphasized that these scales are unrelated — they measure different qualities. Mentor’s criteria are the broadest, including ethical metrics as well as stability and drive. Since Ihe Library of Science’s scale was designed by humans,
some fairly strong biases are inherent in it. For a single example. it weighs drive more than stability, so “aggressive” races like humanity and Velantians score high-
— er than “thoughtful” races such as Palainians and Rigellians. ‘l’he Manarkans’ is one of the narrowest, being concerned only with mental ability — penetration,
• range. flexibility and scope.
®THE GALACTIC ONION
The President of the Galactic Council presides over a cabinet of councillors from the various stellar systems, each authorized to induct their citizens into the Galactic Patrol.
The President appoints the Port Admiral of thc Galactic Patrol. The Admirals of the various Galactic or Nebular Regions are assisted by Lieutenant-Admirals and report to their Galactic or Nebular Coordinators, who assist the Port Admiral. Under those Regional Commanders, the Marshals of each stellar system and Lieutenant-Marshals of each inhabited pLanet in turn command a General and a Lieutenant-General of each society’s military forces,
Predecessors
The Galactic Patrol is a direct descendant of scvcral previous organizations.
The Triplanetary League
The more forward-thinking individuals of Venus, Tellus and Mars were already working toward the formation of an Interplanetary League when the First Jovian
War broke out. The Jovian Wars (which totaled four) caused the three planets to band together in an alliance that eventuaLly became the Triplanetary League. The League was led by its Council, and the combined militaries of the three planets
made up the Triplanetary Patrol. Separate from the Patrol was the secret Triplanelary Service, headed by Virgil Sarnms,
Recognition
During the Boskone War, Galactic Patrol ships of space and aerospace craft are sometimes misidentified and Lost to friendly lire. To correct this problem the Patrol issues the monthly journal GP.
Journal of Recognition to all combat forces. Its purpose is to help the lighting men learn to distinguish enemy hardware from their own. Each issue is filled with photographs, including a “pin-up” of the month featuring a new spaceship, aerospace craft or armored fighting vehicle, and brief news stories focusing on dramatic accounts of fatal errors of identification.
Teardrop’shape with chisel prow.
Five antennas on the bow:
Charge the beams and let ‘em rip!
That’s a Boskone BATTLESHIP!!!
-Recognition Training Jingle
Mono exists to provide spaeemen with a source of oaths, and his multitude of body parts serves that function superbly.
Space prohibits a full discussion of Mono’s complex bodily aspect, but even a preliminary survey must note his brazen hooves, tendons and whiskers, diamond-tipped horns, tungsten teeth, golden gills and grin, gadolinium guts, iridium intestines, emerald-fl lied gizzard, and cursing carballoy claws.
Kiono’s Anatomy
The firsts
The first Tellurian Lensmen were Virgil
Samms. Roderick and Jack Kinnison,
Mason Northrop, Conway (ostigan.
Frederick Rodehush. Lyman Cleveland.
Nels Bergenholm, Alexander Clayton and
Admiral Sehweikert. Knobos was the first
Lencman of Maps, Dr. DaINaI ten of Venus,
Dn,nvire of Rigel IV, Rularion of North
Polar Jupiter, Coransler of Petrine and
Wursel of Velantia,
The first staffing of the Galactic Patrol was:
President of the Galactic Council: First Lensman Virgil Samms
Port Admiral: Admiral Roderick K. Kinni son
Admiral of the First Galactic Region:
Commodore Clayton
Lieutenant-Admiral. GALREGONE:
Commodore Schweikert
Planetary Generals:
Guindlos of Mars
Sesseffsen of Venus
Raymond of the Jovian Suh-Sv stem
Newman of Alphacent
Walters of Sirius
vanMeeter of Valeria
Adams of Procyon
Roberts of Altair
Barrtell of l’omalhaut
Armand of Vega
Coigne of Aldebaran
The Solarian League
After the Jovians were defeated and Jupiter brought under the governance of the Triplanetary Council, that body changed its name and charter, becoming the Soiarian Council. The Triplanetary Patrol and Service likewise grew into the Solarian Patrol and Service. Contact with Nevians, the Palainian colony on Pluto and Rigellians made it clear that the League and Patrol would soon be interstellar in provenance, and the name changed again, to the Galactic Patrol and Galactic Union. Thc Solarian Service broke the pattern, hecoming simply the Secret Service.
The Enemies
Before they became aware that a single evil plot was in action to destroy Civilization, the Galactic Patrol divided their enemies into categories. each with an Operation to oppose them. The Operations had otherwise-meaningless code names:
“Matcese” was corrupt politics, “Zwilnik” was drugs and vice, “Boskonc” s~’as pirates. and “Zabriska” was “some peculiar disturbances in the sub-ether.”
The subetheric disturbances turned out to be drug-runnet signals, and Operation 7.ahriska merged into Zwilnik. Operation Mateese officially ended with the indictments of Jim Towne, Senator Morgan and President Witherspoon, and all of its resources were assigned to Boskone. since that political machine turned out to be a puppet of the pirate forces. Zwilnik broadened so much as drugs permeated society that “zwilnik” became a common term of contempt for any drug-related criminal, anti Boskone became a general term for the enemy conspiracy.
Boskone’s Organization
Boskone believed in parallel structures. Although not always shown on this diagram, parallel observers monitored all critical positions in the Boskonian control structure. Not connected to the operational center in any way, they reported to higher levels if the primary position were knocked out.
It must he emphasized that this chart is far from complete or conclusive. The l3oskonian hierarchy emphasized multi-leveled complexity and redundant lines of cross-checking control. Merely three-dimensional minds find the power structures developed and maintained by the Ploorans, the Onlonians or the Eich — to say nothing of the Eddorians, alien to our very continuum •— incomprehensible. To attempt to fuLly map those networks in a two-dimensional medium is stark folly.
“The Home Front4’ is an accurate description 11w the civilians of the Galactic Union throughout most of its history. Since the earliest days of the ‘l’riplanetary League. Civilization has been locked in combat. For many generations, they did not comprehend the sheer immensity of the foe. They fought the Jovians, the heavily armed zwilniks, another small war against the Nevians and endless “police actions” against pirates until, after discovering lielniuth’s Grand Base, they began to grasp the true scope of Boskonc, and moved completely to a Full-scale war footing.
Societies
The societies that make up the Galactic Union are infinitely varied.
The most common form of human government comprises an elected planetary assembly or assemblies, with an cxccutive officer in the person of a president or prime minister. Local constabularies provide law enforcement, but the judiciary is often handled by the GaLactic Patrol assigned to the planet, as are all military mat-
There are several oligarchies, and some royal systems, though these are less common. Anarchy is non-existent in Civilization, as the Patrol enforces Civilization’s laws even if none previously existed on the planet. Likewise, very few planets do not have a planetary governing body. Internecine squabbles are distasteful, at best, to the local representatives of the Patrol, and these are quelled.
® THE HOME FRONT
ters.
quickly. The various communistic systems, such as Marxism, refuse to die out completely, but few humans take any of them seriously.
On a few TelLus-type planets, the reptilian evolutionary stage survived and developed intelligence. Those races tend to be less gregarious than mammalian ones, and Less likely to develop complex governments. Velantian government is vaguely technocratic, hut allows individuals to wilhdraw from the community to
various extents. The Velafflian military, though, is powerful and well organizcd. Their centuries of intra~system space flight have created a sophisticated Orbital Guard, and the dominion of the Overlords has instilled a racial obsession with
killing any enemy before such a thing can happen again.
The Rigellian race evolved from a herd animal, and that heritage is quite
• apparent in their society. They instinctively place society’s needs above theft own desires. Rigellian children are always born and raised as triplets, called “unit-cbsters.” If one child dies, the parents immediately (and rather frantically) search for a
replacement to adopt. II’ one is not quickly found, the two survivors arc split up and utTered for adoptions. Children not part of a unit-cluster are considered quite unnatural and perverse.
Palainians are unique in having evolved intelligence to evade predators. Their
• makeup orients strongly toward avoidance, misdirection and individual survival. They are completely egalitarian in a reverse sense — they have little concern for
• - anybody else, indiscriminately. ‘l’hey are pacifists in the sense that they will go to any lengths to avoid personal danger or trouble.
Patriotism
In limes of war, humans generally rally against the enemy. Only on those rare occasions when lhe war is seen as inunoral or illegal will the citizenry protest. The
war against Boskone is unparalleled in the history of Civilization in its uniting effect on its constituent peoples, and the prestige of the military is such that there is no need for human societies to conscript for soldiers. Volunteerism is sufficient to fill all billets.
Velantians do not ted “patriotism” the way humans do; they find love of absuactions like nations inexplicable. They do, however, fully appreciate the value of “peace through superior firepower,” and Velantians seem to have a (to humans,
almost childish) love of weaponry and combat. Their military is always well-manned.
A strong sense of patriotism is an inseparable part of the Rigellian communist nature. Those who are strong or aggressive or have a usefuL talent will volunteer as
soon as they become aware of the need.
Palainians have great difficulty understanding patriotism. Individual survival is much more imporlant to them than any higher good. In times of widespread danger, those who cannot flee immediately will team up to fight the hazard together. htit any one individual will only remain while he himself perceives no escape, or is coerced by an even greater threat.
Sex Roles
Unemployment is virtually unknown in Civilization, in the sense that all those seeking jobs will find one in a few weeks at most. The economies of the various
planets are stable, leading to strong job security. The population of workers is also fairly stable. The war with Boskone causes enough attrition that there is little pressure on the job market from entry-level employees seeking swift advancement.
Styles of work, on the other hand, vary with local planetary traditions, mores and preferences. though a more homogeneous working environment is developing as the war disperses beings across the galaxies. and space travel becomes universal-
ly available.
Equality of all sexes and races is a fundamental principle of the Galactic Union. That human women are prohibited from serving in combat positions in the military forces is the only exception to complete equality of opportunity under the law. In practice. however, marty sexual distinctions remain.
faxes arc quite low in Civilization.
With broad trade and skipping, and space travel relatively safe, inflation remains low and the standard ol living tii~li. The Galactic Coordinators, win, we ltnsnien and therefore incorruptible, oversee the running of the entire galaxy. Their buztaucrag is small and efficient.
The various planets may tax their population as well. The Patrol’s representative on the planet reviews the taxation and budgets proposed by the planetary government, and will turn down any usurious proposals.
Because Velantian society allows individuals to secede to nearly any extent they desire, taxes are impossible to collect. Rather, government projects arc either started on speculation and paid for by tolls during use (school, for example), or are financed by contributions (most military expenditures).
Taxes are nieaningtess when property is communally owned. Rigellian history includes the payment of tribute trout one herd to another, and Rigri ac a planel rays taxes to the Galactic t!niou, hut the concept of taxation is an esoteric OOC To Rigellians.
On occasion, agroupofFaltunians will te inporarily band together for some specific purpose, and ask fur othcrs~ support. Their request can tie more or less forreful, ranging from something analogous to a charity’s call for donations to something resembling outright extortion. A continuing tax is impractical, however, since every individual would ‘teed to be continually intimidated and restrained from sini ply leaving.
Taxes
Sexual Mores
Human sexual mores have changed little for many centuries. Despite legal equality, many societal double standards continue. Pre-or extra marital sex is both illegal and socially forbidden to both sexes, but a promiscuous man will face little sanction and may be somewhat envied, while a “loose” woman will he shamed and shunned forever.
While most human societies forhid sex outside marriage (the Aidebaranians being a notable exception), flirtation is a cornmon pastime. the teasing girl is constantly warned by her more cautious friends of the “danger” she is in, and the Patrolman with “a girl on every planet” is a common arehetype• Nonetheless, the only respectable relationships for humans are serially nionogamous.
Sex tlrw.s not play a signilicairt role iii daily Velantian life. Their mores concerli max iminng individual Ireethumis without interference. Feuds arc common in Vel;inii~in history, antI raLlier elaborate i-itmis have developed to avoid them.
Rigellian morality is easy to superficially define: the rteeds or the many outweigh the needs of the few or the one. This fascist ideal is revolting to many humans and most Vclantians, but its implications and complications make up most of Rigellian philosophy and literature. Rigellian take few actions without considering their effrets on larger society. They especially do not start any sexual involvement without diseussioti with their leaders
Seltishness, cowardice and slyness are the most admired qualities of Palainian society. Ignore and he ignored is the Prime Tenet. Those principles guide all interactions, including the emmfo7ial. If an individual can force another to he emmfozially faithful, he will. II’ one can he promiscuous, he will.
Distinctions between “blue collar” manual work and “white collar” jobs still exist. “Blue collar” workers typically learn their trade through apprenticeship, and associate with co-workers in unions and guilds. “White collar” professions are seldom learned “hands-on”: most such johs require education if not actual degrees. Within a career, advancement is sometimes controlled by formal professional associations, but more often by informal “old-boys networks.”
All human males work. The few exceptions are looked down upon; whether they are independently wealthy or hoboes, they are outsiders and somehow not men. Human women qften work but there is no requirement, implicit or otherwise, that they do so.
In lower economic brackets, a wife usually must work to make ends meet. She will usually wind up in a “blue-collar” job, often in the manufacturing sector — another “Rosie the Riveter,”
At the other extreme. the very rich and powerful have many options. If a woman from the upper classes wants to work, she does so, and any comments will pertain more to her success or failtire than her sex. No stigma is attached to a woman of this class who works. Gladys Fortester is a typical example — a woman with distinct advantages hut still quite successful in her own right. ir.markahle hut not astounding.
the women of the lower reaches of the middle class usually delay going to work until their children are in school, and then often work at that school as general a.ssistant.s and substitute teachers, taking, much of their pay in the form of reduced tuitions.
It is in the upper middle class that the stereotypical “housewife” is found. In these families, the husband’s pay is enough that the wife doesn’t need to work, Occasionally, if she has attended a prestigious woman’s college or a respected business school, she may take a “pink-collar” job as an executive secretary or other high-ranking assistant’s job.
Velantian females’ place in their society is as different as their biologies. They lay several clutches of eggs a year; if they have been fertilized and are protected, about a dozen infants will hatch a few months later.
The role of a Velantian female is based almost exclusively on whether she has bred. Until she has produced a viable clutch, her choices arc limited, and have been compared to a human woman’s in ancient England during Queen Victoria’s reign. After she has bred, her options are as unlimited as a male’s. Females make up about 40% of all Velantian armed forces, and over 60% of the Orbital Guard.
Rigellians chose their sex at puberty, becoming male, female or neuter. .Sociely places tremendous pressure on adolescent unit-clusters to choose a particular set of sexes — exactly which changes from time to time. l)uring the Boskonian War, the ideal unit-cluster became two males and one letnule.
Palainian society, such as it is, Lakes no notice of sex. Any of the sexes can be found in any occupation, allowing for a one’s immobility, of course.
It should be noted that the vast majority of humanoid races habitually go naked or nearly so.
Law Enforcement
The Galactic Union has very few
laws of its own; it instead adopts the non-conflicting laws of its constituents. It does enforce some regulations intended to Limit cross-cultural trouble. Any form ol’ deliberate interference in local affairs can be charged as a crime. For example, societies are rated in terms of Tech Stages, with zero
defined as humanity’s capabilities just after the Third Phase of the World War, and ten being the Union’s level at the end of the Boskonian War. Rcvealing’higher Stage technology to a lower Stage society is a Chjlacdc felony, punishable by an
extensive prison term and possibly mental adjustment.
i’he Velantian love of individual freedom has kept formal law enforcement to a minimum in their societies. The Velantian love of violence makes a crittijitul’s life quite exciting and usually fairly short.
The Rigellian herd-mentality has difficulty understanding “legality.” To them, an act is either beneficial to society. in which case it is rewarded of course, or it is
harmful, and that individual is either educated as to his mistake and makes restitution, or is insane and is eliminated. ‘l’hey have no need for an explicit mechanism to
- - do so. That the good of the many is of utmost important is genetically encoded itt Rigellians.
Palainians do not understand the idea of law any more than they do patriotism. To a human, their furtive and selfish natures make them all seem crirmiinal. They have concepts related to crime — a Palainian cotisiders any action that endangers himself to be offensive, hut the offended one will react on his own, either eliminating the oLiender or siniply leaving the situation. The idea of appealing to a higher
authority for redress is laughable. No Palainian would interfere unless he could profit from it, without danger.
Human law enforcement is much more complex. The actual enforcement process is similar to previous eras, though the judicial system is very different,
An ideal judicial system discovers the truth while protecting the rights of the accused until and unless his guilt is determined, l’hroughout history, this ideal was approachable, hut ultimately unattainable, until the instrumentality of the Lens
became available.
As it became clear that Lensmen were incomiptible. not to have a Lensman witness became a strong piece ol circumstantial evidence, After North America v.
Gilson, during which Lensman Captain Maynard contacted “Bobcat” Gilson’s mind and immediately shot him dead, the courts gave tip instructing juries that they could not consider the refusal of the defendant to be mind-read to be an udrmiission of’ guilt. Soon, the entire jury system withered away.
Now, an accused may be ahsolutcly innocent of the charges brought against him, but fourtd guilty of worse, previously undetected crimes. This situation has resulted in beings charged with traffic offenses being sentenced to the lethal churn-hers (the classic example being Solarian Union v. O.csman, where the accused was arrested for littering in a National Forest and executed for multiple counts of trafficking in controlled substances). This efficiency is only possible because of the
confidence placed in a Lensed judge.
It should also be noted that les.s than a thousand Lensed judges are required on Tellus at any one time. The reliable, swift, final and extreme penalties for serious crimes have reduced the number of cases to be tried to a infinitesimal fraction of the glut experienced hy the Triplanetary League.
- Dissent
While no world that ever voted to join the GalaetiO Union has ever seceded, dissent and protest movements are found everywherc. It is universally accepted that freedom for humans requires the privilege of sonic individual expression, and the Galactic Council prefers to err on the side of license. Hence, several organizations advocating the overthrow of Civilization itself remain active.
Civil disobedience is a highly acclaimed art in Velantian society. To agree with a large number of others is seen as a weakness. Intellectual debate is a popular sport, especially in ms aerial, full-contact forms.
To a Rigellian. the majority is always jibscilulaly tight. l)isccmtent is neurotic and active dbscnt is. by definition, insanity.
“Dissent” is meaningless in l’alainian society. One can try to persuade another to do his bidding, or one can lorcc anothcz (and to a Palainian, the latter is hut a mm
vigorous versiofi of the former), but the idea of an expected “duty” is all but incomprehensibLe. A Palainian who disagrees with the majority’s course of action simply ignores IL
Religion
Many Tellurian religions survived contact with alien cultures, and many alien religions found new converts from Telius. Valeria’s Noshabkeming and Corvina H’s Klono are popular among men of space (Klono more frequently as a joke than as a serious deity). Some Venerians worship Grolossen and Great Kalastho is invoked
by Chickladorians, while Vegians celebrate Zevz, Tlazz and Jadkptn.
An incredibly variety of divinity and transcendental philosophies have flourishetl in Velantian society. Every Velantian feels that he ought to develop and express his own ideas, but feels no requirement to accept anyone else’s — in fact, they seem to feel that they should attack everyone else’s.
Details vary, hut Rigellian concepts of divinity are akin to the human nirvana, a sort of blissful selfless melding with inlinitySotnethin~ akin to religion exists in
Palainian philosophic thought, but is even more inexplicable than human rites. Rcseaivh is ongoing, bitt concepts such as those Ientalively translated as “transcendental housework” and “technical poetry” are elusive of comprehension.
CHARACTERSCHARACTERS
@ CHARACTER POINTS
— The Universe of the Lens is a dangerous place. It is certainly not necessary to be a Lensman or even a Galactic Patrolman to encounter mind-numbing danger — but it helps.
— A lot. Lensrnen arc very competenL highly trained, and well-equipped characters, well above the standard GURI’S 100 points.
Not all characters riced be Lensmcn. NonLensed Galactic Patrolmen with the esoteric knowledge or skills necessary for a particular mission will be included in operations. Since they do not have to meet the rigid standards of a
Lensnian, they can be much quirkier and perhaps more interesting to play.
ilowever, it is certainly not the case that aH Lensmen are cut from the same Boy Scout stereotype. Granted, nearly all those mental disadvantages not required are forbidden, but that simply means that a Lensman will have to be detailed, rather
than painted with a broad brush. Rather being conceived in
terms of the high-value disadvantages (resulting in drug-addicted, pyromaniac, compulsive liars), Lcnsmen characters must rely on quirks to individualize them.
The standard limit of 40 points in disadvantages must be modified in the case of Lensmen to allow them to meet the stiff requirements of the Lens. A Lensman must have Code of Honor, Enemy (Boskonia), Duty, Honesty and Sense of Duty:
these do not count against the 40-point limit.
— 100 Points — “Citizen of the Galaxy”
Civilization is made up of ordinary people. While ordinary peoplc do not become Lensmen, they may well encounter great dangers. A war waged for the minds and souls of every sapient
being, in which entire planets are expendable, will all-too-frequently involve civilians. Everyone has a chance for epic adventure, There are no ~‘fronts” in an interstellar war.
— Characters previously uninvolved in the conflict may awake to find their planet captured by the enemy; they arc involved. willy-nilly. in partisan activities.
200 Points — “Galactic Patrolman”
The majority of the Galactic Patrol is not Lensed, but consists of duty military personnel like those of any previous time-period. Because they are much more likely to come into direct conflict with the forces itienacing Civilization, they are much better equipped and traiped than ordinary civilians.
400 Points — “Lieutenant Lensman”
A character meeting the requirements of the Lens is a valuable asset to Civilization, and need only enlist in the Galactic Patrol to soon find Mentor charging him with the honor and
interests of Civilization itself, -
1,000 Points — “Unattached”
The instrumentality of the Lens allawcd the creation of a military rank never before possible. An Unattached Lensman has demonstrated to the Galactic Patrol that his own Sense of Duty is stronger than the externally imposed Duty of the Patrol. and his Lens proves that his Code of Honor — his conscience - -symbolized by the Gray Seal will require him to work always for the good of Civilization. He has thdèfore been “Released” from the chain of command. He is no longer a part of the vast organization of the Galactic Patrol: he is the Galactic Patrol!
“Guardians of Civilization”
Only live intellects of the second level of development actaally received “second-stage” training, but complements for Tregonsce, Worsel and Nadreck were developed. These ten individuals were in constant, direct conflict with the most powerful of Civilization’s nemeses. Similarly, while only the first five Intellects of the Third Level of Development are described in the published history of Civilization, it is certain that others exist. The Guardian’s Message of Transmittal states that “you, the third-level intellect ... able to break the Seal and to read this tape . . . will do that for which you shall have been developed and are to be trained.” Understanding of that task is so mind-shattering as to immediately annihilate any intellect of lower stability. Therefore, it shall not be discussed further in this medium.
(* CHARACTER TYPES
Civilization is made up of a great many different races, some very different from humanity. The professions listed here arc common among human-like cultures; non-humans will have appropriately alien occupations.
Some races accentuate their sexual differences, forbidding some occupations to some sexes. Lyranians are all example of extreme differentiation; Velantians have almost none. In some races, some of these examples arc restricted to one or sonic sexes, but no general rule is possible. Anyone discussing these matters with a member of an unfamiliar race is cautioned against giving offense.
Ambassador or Diplomat
The heterogeneous nature of Civilization provides plenty of work for ambassadors and other diplomats who negotiate
alliances, trade agreements. and mutual defense treaties. As famous, influential and important members of their societies, they are targets to their enemies.
Advaniages: Charisma, Danger Sense, Empathy, Intuition, Language Talent, Reputation, Status 4÷ and Voice.
Disadvantages: Cowardice is easily hidden. Truthfulness is crippling.
Skills: Diplomacy, Acting, Bard, Detect Lies and any social skills for dealing with people. Heraldry, history, any Language (often several), Area Knowledge and Law will help in dealing with foreigners. Strategy, Holdout, Escape and combat skills are useful in case diplomatic negotiations become hostile.
Bureaucrat
As in many previous times, the civil service holds a lot of power behind the scenes. They know how the government real-lv runs, and accumulate wealth and power while the transitory politicians come and go.
Bureaucrats might occasionally leave their offices to conduct investigations. Former military men, for instance, would like to see things themselves. Some civil servant.c are charged with supervisng and policing government contractors, making sure that govern nient funds are not misappropriated or misspent. Lensmen are seldom available for the initial phases of an investigation, so a functionary and his staff are likely to be the first to discover a conspiracy within the very bastions of the military-industrial complex!
Advantages: Comfortable or higher Wealth and some Status is common. A Patron, usually someone higher in the service, is helpful.
Disadvantages: Addiction, Compulsive Behavior, Dependents. Duty (to the local government) and Miserliness. Cowardice and Greed would fit the stereotype.
Skills: Accounting. Administration, Detect Lies, Fact-Talk, History, Law, Mathematics. Politics, Research and Social skills are all useful.
Engineer
11 a scientist (p. 23) is a cloistered monk, rarely seen outside his ivory tower, an engineer is the lay preacher who spreads the word through the people. tie creates the practical application of new technology. Engineers are otien the golden boys of their organization, well fed and well paid both to pit-vent their defection elsewhere and quite simply as a reward for their productivity. Engineers specialize; some areas useful to players include physics (atomic, inertialess, hyper-space . . .
electronics, chemistry (explosives) and so on. Engineers should be inventive.
Advantages: Reasonable choices would be Mathematical Ability. Lightning Calculator and Eidctic Memory. Good engineers will also have a Reputation in their specialty.
Disadvantages: An engineer has no physical requirements, so a physical disadvantage will not restrict his part in the game. Some mental disadvantages that would disqualify him from military service are also appropriate.
SkilLc: Depending on the character’s specialty, possible skills include Integrating Calculator Operation, Electronics (various), Electronics Operation (various), Engineer (various), Mathematics. Mechanic (integrating Calculator), Metallurgy, and Physics (Atomic). (Uyperspace) or (Inertialess).
Entertainer
The media are a pervasive pan of Civilization. Actors, singers, dancers, pcrformcrs of all sorts are popular and frequently tour the galaxies with a show. Lensmen and other agents frequently use media figures as cover identities.
Advantages: A pleasant Appearance and Voice may help, although they are not necessary. Charisma is. Empathy and a Patron would help any performer. Absolute Timing and of course Musical Ability are good for musicians. Reputation, Status and Wealth follow success.
Disadvantages: Addictions or Alcoholism are occupational
hazards. Nearly all mental disadvantages can be found in successful stars.
Skills: Artistic skills, obviously. Carousing, Savoir-Faire and Sex Appeal are very helpful.
Famine Fable
“You could think of other places that would be more fivE” She got up and stared direct/v into his eves, her lip curling. “That is, if you were a ‘non instead of a sublimated Roy Scout.”
A favorite technique of the Boskonian intelligence agencies is that of the sexual “honey trap.” The exotic wiles of a promiscuous Aldebaranian beauty have ensnared more than one Galactic Patrolman. (Lensmen are made of stem enough stuff to resist, though they may be sorely tempted.)
The femme fri/ale is always adventurous and always enchantingly beautiful, an enemy agent who works by seduction. She represents the ultimate player in the game of emotional manipulation. Femmes fatale have been used in espionage since spying first became a profession.
She can serve as an effective spy in her own right, charming her way into forbidden places or inveigling secrets out of unwary men. Furthermore, she can create an endless number of new spies. Her more ardent lovers may willingly become her agents. Others find themselves vulnerable to blackmail. Her charm allows her to be the most brazen of spies. She may directly proposition enemy politicians or she ‘nay steal documents from beneath the very noses of their custodians. To an enemy entranced by her beauty, the femme latale’s boldness seems proof that she could not he a secret agent.
However, the true femme fatale is far more than simply another kind of spy. She is a woman of passion and mystery. Should times grow dull, she will risk anything to regain a life of intrigue. Indeed, it is pi~obably her thirst for romance that first led her into her shadowy career.
From a coldly practical point of view, the femine fatale is an unreliable agent. She takes risks. She allows her emotions to rule her. She is obvious. Her controllers cannot ignore the dimger of her being captured or turned, and as a matter of course make preparations to neutralize her. In typical Boskonian fashion. those steps are usually fatal or utterly destructive to her
mind.
As a final note, the femme fatale need not be a female. As women take positions of authority and power on the Home Front, masculine spies may find their services in demand. Furthermore, a seducer of powerful men’s wives could be a spy in the most chauvinistic times and places.
Advantages: Beautiful or better Appearance and Charisma are essential. Acute Hearing, Eidetie Memory, Empathy and Intuitiop arc useful. She may acquire Patrons, Wealth and a Reputation.
Disadvantages: Addictions, Alcohol i sni, Compulsive Lying, Cowardice. Greed and Jealousy are appropriate.
• Lecherousness is practically required. Enemies will accumulate.
Skills: Acting, Carousing, Detect Lies, Fast-Talk, Languages, Professional Skill: Erotic Arts, Savoir-Faire and Sex Appeal are certainties. Forgery, Gambling, Lip Reading, Performance and any Artistic skills will also be helpful.
Galactic Patrolman
Only exceptional people (both physically and mentally), screened according to strict standards and highly trained, can serve in the Patrol. They are at the peak of physical fitness, highly trained and self-disciplined, with a firm grasp of engineering and space flight. It is quite possible for a human woman
to be a Patrolman, although she is prohibited from serving in combat positions.
The Patrol has defended and expanded Civilii.ation for hundreds of years, and Patrolmen have much in common with
the members of any previous military. Most arehetypnl characters from war movies can be found in it — the naive country boy seeing new worlds, the tough, cynical sergeant, the idealistic officer .. or GMs and players could draw on the different experience of the Viet Nam war and explore the dark side of warfare. The Boskonian War has no equivalent of the Geneva
Conventions of ancient Tellus. It is a war of extermination and genocide. Both sides employ any means necessary to attain their goals, including outright torture.
Note, too, that not all soldiers or spacemen are part of the Galactic Union. Many societies have waged war against Boskonia alone. Those warriors may be just as competent and heroic as those of Civilization.
Advantages: Military Rank and Status go hand in hand with military service. Acceleration Tolerance, Acute Vision, Combat Reflexes, Peripheral Vision. Reputation and Strong
Will are possible.
Disadvantages: No Patrolman may have the disadvantages of Berserk, Severe Delusions or Pacifism. If he has any illegal Addiction or Alcoholism at -20, he must keep it a Secret, as
well. Such a Secret is worth -10 for Alcoholism, up to -30 for Addicted to Thionite. They must accept the disadvantage of Duty (quite often or more). The elite nature of the services may
lead to Bad Temper, Patrolman’s Code of Ilonor, Fanaticism, Impulsiveness~ Intolerance (of civilians or other services) or Oveitonfidence. A Sense of Duty to comrades, home world or
Civilization it-self is also appropTi ate. Young privates and space-men may be Honest and Gullible, while more hardened veterans may have Bad Temper, Bloodlust or Bully.
Skills: Military personnel must have certain minimum skills to graduate from training into active duty. Enlisted personnel go through basic training and specialty schools, Officer
Candidate School (OCS) prepares those with college degrees or enlisted experience for commissioning and the Academy provides both the engineering college degree and the military training for particularly able applicants. All of these paths produce characters with a wide range of significant skills.
Enlisted training tends to be more specialized than off. cers’. For example, within a ship’s Engineering Department, one enlisted division will maintain and operate the Bergenholm jrives, while another will be responsible for the ship’s internal electrical power system. Their training will overlap only at the most general level. Enlisted characters, therefore, should be quite experienced (skills of at least 15) in their fairly narrow chosen specialty. They are experts with their particutar weapons, with high levels of Beam Weapons, I3attlesuit, Space-Axe. Brawling and similar deadly skills and also in the theory, operation. maintenance and repair of their equipment AH have a basic level of skill (12 or so) in a broader set of basic skills, such as Free Fall, Vacc Suit and so on. The GM should review all character designs and insist on any miniThum abilities he feels that the military would require.
Civilians with college degrees and enlisted, tion-commissioned officers may apply for OCS. Those accepted are assumed to have the requisite technic& background already, and OCS provides only military training — leadership, tactics and so on. These characters will have the broadest leeway in design, since the applicability of the college degree is not considered — - a joumalism degree (and OCS) qualifies one to command an artillery company. The skills provided by the civilian degree can be any the GM will allow. OCS will ensure that the new officer is competent in all appropriate military skills (administration, strategy, tactics, various weapons and unarmed combat slcills, etc.). Officers are also be gentlemen, so they will be trained in Savoir-Faire (Military) and other social skills.
The Academy provides both technical knowledge and military training. Even three-year men who are not selected to become Lensmen are very competent military personnel. They have received not only all the military skills of an OCS graduate, but have also earned an well-respected engineering degree. They have studied astrogation, mathematics, atomic physics and many other academic courses in addition to the social and military skills required of an officer and a gentleman.
Gang Member
As youths all over the galaxies gain their freedom and independence, they begin to rebel against “the system.” Gangs and youth cults spring up and may interact with player characters. Whether the gangs provide atmospheric wallpaper or a real street corner menace, they will dress distinctively, act distinctively and distrust all outsiders. Some may dress tough hut only be interested in music, others live for the next gang nimble. Gang members may be petty criminals, thugs or thols of organized crime. Members are fiercely loyal to their comrades and will follow them into danger. Competitiveness is strong, gang mertibers may be rivals for leadership, for a girl or just for the hell of it.
Advantages: Alertness, Attractiveness, Strong Will and High Pain Threshold may prove useful. All combat-oriented advantages are appropriate. Danger Sense and Luck are helpful. Gang bosses or their powerful sponsors make appropriate Patrons.
Disadvantages: Gang members can suffer from the appropriately anti-social disadvantages of Addiction, Bloodlust, Greed, Illiteracy, Poverty, Code of Honor, Compulsive Behavior (causing trouble), Impulsiveness, Intolerance and Jealousy. Most gang members will have enemies, both other rival gangs and the policc.
Skills: Typically gangs are adept at enjoying themselves and fighting hand-to-hand. Common skills are Area Knowledge, Brawling, Carousing, Dancing, Fast-Talk, Gambling, Knife, Leadership. Stealth, Streetwise, an appropriate vehicle skill and any weapon skills. Running might come in handy to elude rivals or cops.
Guerrilla or Partisan
Any entity, wherever situate, could lint! himself in the position of resisting Boskonia from within. (it is even conceivable that a few irredeemable beings might resist Civilization after it had liberated them from Boskone!) Partisans are nothing but average citizens who lead a secret life of sabotage and terrorism against their oppressors.
Advantages: Any. Wish them Luck — they’ll need it.
Disadvantages: Any. Secret and Enemies, automatically.
Skills: Any. Thief skills wilt he acquired, if not known before the conquest. Combat skills should not be necessar . in theory. E)on’t count on it.
Law Enforcement Officer
Policemen exist throughout Civilization, ranging from sophisticated, highly capable urban forces to country constables with a jurisdiction that covers thousands of square miles in remote regions of distant worlds.
Police officers don’t expect to comc into contact with Boskonia’s military might, but they wage a never-ending war on the zwilniks that poison Civilization’s heart with their hellish drugs. Unfortunately, they are often the first to encounter heavily-armed opposition when they get too close to a zwilnik kingpin. They will then find themselves fighting a holding action, hoping that the Patrol shows up to reinforce them before they are overrun.
Advantages: Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Common Sense, Danger Sense. Intuition, Strong Will and Toughness are appropriate Advantages, Legal Enforcement Powers is almost mandatory, except for n-cups and unlicensed private eyes. Police department-s generally look out for their own, and cops stick together, so characters could easily have Allies to draw upon. A P1 might have a Pairon. Some cops get a Reputation, and some inherit one from their department.
Disadvantages: Virtually any will do, although Duty and
Impulsiveness, perhaps coupled with Sense of Duty or even
Code of Honor, arc highly applicable. Many have
Stubbornness, and some accumulate personal Enemies. In the
Civilization of the Letis, there arc more Honest cops than in any
previous period of history.
Skills: Law is required. Brawling ant! conibat skills aie necessary. Social skills, Acting, Area Knowledge, Criminology. Interrogation and Streetwise arc all useful for gathering evidence. Disguise will allow the officer to go undercover.
Lensman
The wearers of the Lens of Arisia comprise the elite officers of the Galactic Patrol. They are the finest examples of their race — although many races cannot produce Lensmen. They are the best.
Advantages: The Lensman advantage (p. 28) includes Legal Enforcement Powers. Telepathy is required. Strong Will (or bought-off levels ol Weak Will) is recommended. I .ensmen have the most demanding, hazardous duties ever to burden a sentient being: their abilities must equal that challenge. Acute Senses. Combat Rcftexcs. Common Sense, Danger Sense, Double-Jointed, hidetic Memory, High Pain Threshold, Immunity to Disease, Intuition. Luck (fl!), Rapid Healing, Toughness. - - a Lensman needs every advantage he can get.
Disadvantages: Code of Honor (Lensman ‘5 1 .-oad or Gray Seal), Enemy (Boskonia), Extremely Hazardous Duty, Honesty, arid Sense of Duty (Civilization) are requited. Many other disadvantages disqualify one from Lensmanship, hut Fanaticism, Bloodlust, some Compulsive behaviors, Gullibility, Lecherousness, Overconfidence, Stubbornness, Dependents. Intolerance and sonic Odious Personal Habits and Quirks are appropriate.
Skills: A Lensman is supremely able. lIe must represent Civilization at alt times. As well as all the broad base of technical knowledge and superb level of military training of a Galactic Patrol officer (p. 21), he is taught diplomacy, law, psychology and similar subjects. He will frequently operate alone, and so can maintain and repair all equipment on which he may have to rely. His combat skills are nonpareil. His telepathic skills are finely honed.
Professional Criminal
Civilization. like all previous cultures, has its share of those unwilling to abide by the rule of law. Cat burglars specialize in getting into well-protected offices or dwellings. They sometimes assist in espionage operations, or sabotage. Armed robbers take money or other goods away from people by threatening them with violence. Hijackers are armed robbers who concentrate tin vehicles. They are the most likely to work in teams. l-’etr thieves are found in nearly any had neighborhood; they’ll strip your ground-car, pick your pocket, snatch your purse or smash-and-grab anything in sight.
Advantages: Acute Senses, Alertness, Ambidexterity. Danger Sense, Double-Jointed, Luck, Night Vision.
/)isadvantagec: Enemy (such as the law). Greed, Kleptomania. Overconfidence. Paranoia, Poverty, Reputation and Low Status.
Skills: Acrobatics, Area Knowledge, Carousing, Climbing, Fast-Talk, Gambling, Jumping, Running, Throwing and, of course, any Thief skills.
Meteor-Miner
For the most part, meteor-miners are the scum of space, scouring asteroid belts for those few rocks that contain platinum, osmium or other noble metals and those very few that contain diamonds or other gems. They are the sheer misfits of life. Many arc petty criminals, fugitives from justice on various planets. Nearly all are unable to hold steady jobs, because of addictions or berserk tempers. All are master spacemen.
Advantages: Absolute Direction and Timing will help the seat-of-the-pants navigational techniques used, Alertness to combat the fatigue of the work. tntuition or Luck to pick the right rock.
Disadvantages: Greed is a prerequisite. Addictions, Alcoholism, Bad Temper or even Berscrk. Compulsive Behaviors, Delusions, Kleptomania, C)’. ereonfidence and many other mental disadvantages could drive a man to the asteroid belts.
— Skills: All spaceman skills (p. 31), Beam Wcapon, Geology, Engineering (Mining), Professional Skill: Spec-Gee Operation (Mental/Easy).
Pirate
The commanders of the Galactic Patrol originally believed that Boskonia was nothing inure than a syndrome of widespread piracy. ‘they learned that it was, in fact, an intergalactic tyranny that never renounced its ultimate goal of universal conquest.
however, sometimes a pirate is just pirate. At many places throughout the galaxies. a ship-full of cargo — or an entire spaceship! — can be sotd with no awkward questions being asked. Both Civilization and Boskonia support privateering, allowing pirates free rein as long as they restrict their predations to the other side’s ships.
Advantage.s: Allies, Reputation and Wealth belong to sue-eessful pirates. With both the Galactic Patrol and cold space
itself Irving to kill you, Luck can be a bonus.
Disadvantages: After a few years of pirating, accidents arid combat may leave their mark: One-Armed or -Handed, One-
Eyed and slightly Lame pirates are common.
Skills: All the standard spaceman skills and good combat skills are required. Intimidation and Merchant can increase profits.
Radicals
Any governmenc no matter how enlightened and benign. will be opposed by a radical fringe. Not all radicals are dupes of the opposition; in theory, anarchists want to see the removal of all forms of government. They may he supported, covertly or openly. by the opposing side of the war, but some of the members of the fringe are there for purely personal reasons.
Radicals range in approach front bomb-throwing loonies to calm and competent experts trying to alter the system from within. They can be found on siren corners, loudly advocating violent civil insurrection, or on broadcast talk .shows lobbying for changes in the government.
Advan~tages: The more urbane and sophisticated radical might have Charisma or Voice. Radicals frequently hang around together, so they may have Allies. (Hàwever. many radical groups by nature aren’t going to be overly organized.)
Disadvantages: Particularly the more rabid will have Odious Personal Habits, Poverty. Reputation (bad) and Status (worse). Delusions, Fanaticism and Par4noia are always appropriate.
Skills: Economics, Politics and Public Speaking. For the more violent types. Demolition is good, a,s are all combat skills.
Scientist
The scientist is a researcher or professor who is an expert in a body of knowledge. The subject can be virtually any of the Scientific skills except for those dealing with engineering and technology. Such skills are in the realm of the engineer (see above) who specializes in construction and development. A scientist will find employment with a university as a lecturer or a research student, with a government agency or an independent group — a “think-tank.”
Scientists have less opportunity for heroic action than warriors, but their obsession with learning the Truth can give them their own kind of bravery: “Nonsense! I have subjected the affair, every phase of it, to a rigid statistical analysis. The probability is significantly greater then zero — oh, ever so much greater, almost point one nine, in fact - that the ship will return, with my notes.”
Advantages: Reputation amongst other scientists can be valuable, as can Language Talent, but none are essential.
Disadvantages: As with engineers, physical disadvantages are common. Age, Bad Sight, Hard of hearing or Lame are all acceptable. Some mental disadvantages thaI would disqualify him from military service are also appropriate (AbsentMindedness is a cliche, but particularly obnoxious scientists will indulge in Bad Temper, ()verconfidenee and Stubbornness). Sense of Duty (to Discover and Teach the Truth) is possible for particularly noble examples.
Skills: Expertise in one Scientific skill and familiarity with one or two others is almost mandatory. Academic careers include but certainly aren’t limited to: anthropologist, archaeologist. astronomer, biologist, chemist, geologist, linguist, physicist anti psychologist.
S
Secret Agent
The secret agent works either for any of Boskonia’s or Civilization’s intelligence agencies (or a neutral government, though these are rare) and either operates within his enemy’s dominion under a secret identity or at home conducting counter-espionage. The trade in secrets and sensitive information remained in full flow in both directions throughout the Boskonian War.
The War also includes covert acts of sabotage, surveillance, kidnapping and blackmail. GURPS Espionage will be useful to a GM planning to include the “undetectable war” in his campaign.
Advantages: There are plenty of useful advantages available for the secret agent; Acute Senses, Charisma, Combat Reflexes, Danger Sense, Eidetic Memory, Language Talent and Night Vision are but a few. Luck helps.
Disadvantages: Secret agents invariably have powerful Enemies and regular Duties. ‘l’heir dangerous lifestyle can give rise to various mental disorders including Bully, Compulsive Behavior (such as elaborate daily security procedures), Overconfidence and Paranoia. Cowardice is easily hidden in this profc~sion. Some agents have Faniiticisui as a motive, while others are Greedy.
Skills: An agent may requ~ “cover” skills to infiltrate an enemy organization, but other skills include Acting. Fast Talk, Area Knowledge, Gun (Pistol). Brawling. Demolitions, Escape, Forgery, HoldouL, Lockpick. Sex Appeal. Carousing, Shadowing, Stealth and Disguise. Savoir-Faire and Language skills are needed to pass as a native of an area.
Spaceman
There are hundreds of times as many civilian ships of space as there are vessels of the Galactic Patrol, They range from super-freighters larger than drcadnoughts to tiny in-system pleasure craft, but all of them require some crew. These civilian spacemen can he technical wizards capable of fixing almost anything or complete duffers. Most will have served at least one hitch in the Patrol.
Advantages: Absolute Direction, Alertness. Combat Reflexes, retired Military Rank or Strong Will,
Disadvantages: Bad Temper, Fanaticism, Intolerance (of round-grippers), Lecherousness, Paranoia or Sense of l)uty to other spacemen.
Skills: Generic spacemnien have great Scope in their skills. Astrogation, Free Fall. Guns. inertialess Agility, Mechanic (Bergenholun), Survival, Electronics Operation amid Vacc Suit are common.
Technician
A scientist dreams it up arid an engineer builds it, but it is the technician who keeps it running. He may not have a deep understanding of the theory behind the application nor the abili ty to design one from scratch, but there is tro one who can open it up. crawl around in its guts, tune it to 113% optimum performance, or patch ii up if it breaks like the trained technician.
Advantages: I-high DX is important. Acute Senses amid Ambidexterity would be handy. Common Sense and Mathematical Ability are alrmmost required.
Disadvantages: Physical disadvantages will hamper performance. Overconfidence is common. impulsive technicians don’t live long.
Skills: Electronics Operation, Engineer, Integrating Calculator Operation, Mechanic. Scrounge. Many techs have Craft skills as well.
Writer/Journalist
A war correspondent wilt obviously be trying to get into the thick of the action, but nearly any other type of writer can also fmd himself involved in the struggle against Boskonia. A journalist of any sort will routinely research sensitive subjects, which may lead to discoveries jeopardizing his very life! Even a writer of pulp fiction may be mildly interested in the “real thing” and seek interviews with Patrolmen or zwilniks:
Advantages: Media reporters will tind Voice and perhaps a
good Appearance valuable, and all journalists will benefit from
Alertness, Charisma, Connmnomi Sense, Empathy, intuition.
Language Talent, or l.uck. A very few successful writers enjoy
Reputation, Status and even Wealth.
Diiwlvanwgrs: Poverty is a communon disadvantage, others include hmpulsiveness. Cowardice. C)vereontidenee, Shyness and Stubbornness. Journalists have also been known to acquire Enemies by uncovering shady deals or corruption. Alcoholism or other Addictions all too often appear to be an oecupational hazard for writers.
Skills: Bard, Detect Lies. Fast-Talk, Photography, Psychology, Research, Streetwise, and Writing are basic career skills. Other helpful skills are Diplomacy, and a journalist will have a specialist subject for his “desk” (such as Law, Economics, i.iteraiure and Area Knowledge). Carousing can be a good addition.
Zwilnik (Drug Dealer)
The drug trade is ubiquitous, deadly and very, very profitable. It employs thousands of millions of beings, from the chemists and biologists that develop and synthesize the hellish products to the actual smugglers. couriers and runners who physically move the product. As with any marketing system, the vast majority of the money goes to the top levels, but much of it stops at intermediate levels. It certainty pays better than any struggling or poor job.
Advantages: Acute Taste and Smelt to detect bad stuff. Alertness, Counibat Reflexes, Danger Sense, Intuition and Luck will help the career to continue. Common Sense is debatable — is risking the lethal chambers for a great profit STUPID? A Patron is almost required, and Reputation and Wealth will soon be gained.
Disadvantages: A zwilnik that samples his own wares will soon be a dead zwilnik, either from a fatal overdose or a fatal mistake caused by operating at less than fuhl efficiency. Greed is almost a certainty; why else take the risk? Secret is required, and Enemies will soon show up.
Skills: The life of a zwilnik is one of constant danger, both from thc Law and from rivals seeking to expand their tentries. Social and Thief skills are appropriate. Most combat work wilt be done by hired thugs, but sonic Familiarity with weapons won’t hurt.