Sunday 3 March 2013

Tau Zero, Chapters 11-12

In Chapter 11 of Poul Anderson's Tau Zero (London, 1973), we learn that:

Foxe-Jameson's first name is Malcolm;
he is an astrophysicist and an ex-Protestant agnostic;
there is a pilot called Matyas Lenkei;
Reymont organizes the crew to survive psychologically - the captain should withdraw to preserve his mystique, the chef should invent new dishes, the single swordsman should train others, personal relationships should stabilize;
among fifty crew members, there are small congregations for several of the world faiths, including Protestantism led by the captain;
beyond the Sagittarian nebulae, astronomers expect old stars in clear space;
crossing the gas-envelope of a giant new sun, the ship's tau approaches "...asymptotic zero." (p. 101)

Thus, human and cosmic stories progress. We receive more information about Foxe-Jameson but learn only one new crew member name so we still know less than half the total.

Chapter 12 reveals that there is a  Pedro Barrias. That brings the known names to twenty five.

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