David Brin. HEAVEN’S REACH
Uplift — 06
To
Terren Jacob Brin, our unlimited explorer
and crowning work in our trilogy
CONTENTS
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
CAST OF CHARACTERS
HEAVEN’S REACH
AFTERWORD
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
A “LAGNIAPPE”
GLOSSARY OF SPECIES AND TERMS
About the Author
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Akeakemai — a dolphin member of Streaker’s bridge crew.
Alvin — the humicker (human-mimicking) nickname of Hph-wayuo, an adolescent hoon from Jijo.
Asx — a member of the Jijo Council of High Sages, representing the traeki race. See Ewasx.
Baskin, Gillian — a Terragens Agent assigned as physician to the dolphin survey vessel Streaker. In command since the debacle at Kithrup.
Creideiki — a male dolphin, former captain of the dolphin-crewed Earth vessel Streaker. Left behind on Kithrup, along with several other members of the crew, with just a space “skiff” to make their way across the Five Galaxies.
D’Anite, Emerson — a human engineer, once assigned to the Terragens spacecraft Streaker.
Dor-hinuf — a young female hoon. Twaphu-anuph’s daughter.
Dwer — the son of the papermaker Nelo Koolhan, brother of Sara and Lark, chief tracker of the Commons of Six Races of Jijo.
Ewasx — a Jophur ring-stack entity made mostly from components of the Jijoan sage Asx, plus a master ring.
Gillian — see Baskin, Gillian.
Harms, Harry — a neo-chimpanzee scout for the Institute of Navigation.
Huck — the humicker (human-mimicking) nickname of a g’Kek orphan raised by a hoonish family on Jijo. Alvin’s closest friend.
Huphu — Alvin’s pet noor beast.
Kaa — second pilot of Streaker. Formerly “Lucky Kaa.”
Karkaett — a male dolphin and engineering mate on Streaker.
Keepiru — former chief pilot of Streaker. Left behind on Kithrup.
Kiwei Ha’aoulin — a Synthian trader.
Lark — brother of Sara and Dwer, a lesser sage of the Commons of Jijo.
Ling — a Danik (human heretic) biologist.
Makanee — a female dolphin, the ship’s surgeon on Streaker. Left on Jijo to tend mentally reverted members of Streaker’s crew.
Mudfoot — a wild noor beast, named by Dwer Koolhan.
Niss — pseudosapient computer lent to Streaker by a Tymbrimi spy.
Old Ones — a term given to the “retired” races of the Fractal World.
Orley, Thomas — a genetically engineered Terragens Agent assigned to Streaker. Married to Gillian, left on Kithrup with Creideiki’s group.
Peepoe — a geneticist and nurse on Streaker. Kidnapped on Jijo.
Pincer-Tip — a red qheuen friend of Alvin’s who carved the hull for the bathyscaphe Wuphon’s Dream out of the trunk of a garu tree.
Prity — a female neo-chimpanzee; Sara’s servant, skilled at certain aspects of mathematical imagery.
Rann — leader of the Danik humans.
Rety — a human sooner, she fled her savage band’s hidden offshoot colony in the Gray Hills of Jijo.
Ro-kenn — a Rothen overlord.
Sara — daughter of the papermaker Nelo Koolhan, sister of Dwer and Lark, mathematician and language scholar.
Suessi, Hannes — a human engineer on Streaker, converted into a cyborg by the Old Ones.
Twaphu-anuph — a hoonish customs official at Kazzkark Base.
Tsh’t — a female dolphin, originally Streaker’s fourth in command. Later shared command with Gillian.
Tyug — the traeki alchemist of Mount Guenn Forge. A new crew member on Streaker.
Uriel — urrish Master Smith of the Mount Guenn Forge on Jijo.
Ur-ronn — Alvin’s urrish friend and member of the Wuphon’s Dream expedition. Uriel’s niece.
Wer’Q’quinn — Harry’s boss at the Institute of Navigation.
yee — an urrish male ejected from his pouch-home by his former mate. Later “married” the sooner girl Rety.
PART ONE. THE FIVE GALAXIES
WHAT EMBLEMS grace the fine prows of our fast ships?
How many spirals swirl on the bow of each great vessel, turning round and round, symbolizing our connections? How many are the links that form our union?
ONE spiral represents the fallow worlds, slowly brewing, steeping, stewing — where life starts its long, hard climb.
Struggling out of that fecundity, new races emerge, ripe for Uplift.
TWO is for starfaring culture, streaking madly in our fast ships, first as clients, then as patrons, vigorously chasing our young interests — trading, fighting, and debating—
Straining upward, till we hear the call of beckoning tides.
THREE portrays the Old Ones, graceful and serene, who forsake starships to embrace a life of contemplation. Tired of manic rushing. Cloistering for self-improvement.
