"'What will you do next, Manse?'
"'Who knows? We never have a dearth of problems.'" (p. 631)
But their problems, even though involving time travel, must be finite in number. Milieu HQ exists for only twenty years, 1890-1910. It would be nothing for an individual, even without futuristic anti-age treatment, to work in the HQ office for that entire period. For 1850-2000, there are three milieus each with an 1890-1910 HQ - based in London, Moscow and Peiping respectively - but they can deal only with a finite amount of business. Someone who worked in one of the HQs or even in all three of them and then retired would have seen the history of the Patrol in these milieus from beginning to end.
For Time Patrollers, there is always the possibility that, if they travel into their past, then return to their present, they will return to an alternative present but a retired agent who stayed in the present would not have this problem. So there should be a generation of agents who have completed the work of the Patrol.
11 comments:
The implication in the series is that Patrol agents don't retire (except via death) -- the Academy exists for a set, though very long, period, long enough to graduate all the personnel the Patrol will "ever" need.
It's also said that if you live in one period long enough, you then relocate to another. That happens to the Furness' in THE SORROW OF ODIN THE GOTH.
I agree that the series implies that agents do not retire - although who would sign up for endless work? But my point was that the work to be done by the Patrol is finite. A mere 20 years is long enough for all the work to be done by the staff of a Milieu HQ. Thus, I think, they should be able to retire.
I'd sign up for a long lifespan with the Patrol in a heartbeat. Think of the perks! 8-).
Sort of like being a writer -- you work until you die.
I agree. It would be good.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
I tried to respond, but my comment disappeared.
I don't entirely agree. My view is that some Patrol agents, esp. those of Unattached rank, might become so emotionally drained, worn down, mentally exhausted, etc., that this affects their abilities and competence. Particularly if they had been working for 80, 90, 100 or more years (their personal lifespan time) as field agents. IF so, I can see these agents being willing to retire.
Ad astra! Sean
Kaor, Mr. Stirling! I don't entirely agree. I can see some Patrol agents becoming so soul weary and worn down that it affects their competence and abilities. That would seem esp. likely if an Unattached agent had been working for 80, 90, 100 years (in personal lifespan). If so, then I think it's likely these agents retired. Ad astra! Sean
(The missing version of the above comment.)
Kaor, Paul!
Thanks for dredging up my disappeared comment. I would also add that some agents SHOULD retire if stress and mental exhaustion affects their abilities.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean: I would imagine that Danellian mental technology would be up to repairing any damage -- agents are conditioned to be unable to reveal the Time Patrol, for instance, which would require rather subtle controls.
And they don't have to work -continuously-. Vacations and time off are mentioned fairly often.
It's just they don't get old and suffer from the de-energizing effects of age.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
But I was not thinking so much of the PHYSICAL effects of aging, which I'm sure Danellian medical technology was more than capable of handling. And I'm sure fairly frequent vacations would take care of the merely physical aspects of exhaustion. Rather, my thought was that decades of high stress and danger would take its toll on Unattached agents psychologically and emotionally. That could be more difficult to ameliorate.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean: most of the Patrol agents aren't doing dangerous stuff most of the time -- they're the equivalent of file clerks and nurses and whatnot. As for the minority who do have "active, adventurous" lives, my observation of people who chose to follow that sort of career are that they're addicted to it and bitterly regret not being able to do more of it if they survive long enough. And the psychological screening (of the type Everard experienced in the first story) would weed out those who'd break under the strain.
(From SM Stirling.)
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
That does make sense, both how most people in the Patrol would not be Unattached agents and how field agents of all ranks would be esp. carefully hand picked. So, yes, people like Everard would feel no need to retire, either ever or only after a very long time.
Ad astra! Sean
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