Stepchildren (Noon Universe)
Encyclopedia
In the Noon Universe
created by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky
, the foundlings are a group of 13 humans
, who evolved out of the embryos stored in the "sarcophagus". The embryos were discovered on December 26, 2137 by Boris Fokin's group of explorers on an unnamed planet in star system EN-9173. These events are described in the novel Beetle in the Anthill
.
. After entering the cave, Fokin's men discovered a strange machine which they called the "sarcophagus" (because of its visual similarity to ancient ritual coffins
). The calculated age of the device was approximately 40 to 45 thousand standard years and it was soon discovered that the Sarcophagus is connected to a planet-wide network of energy generators providing it with energy.
The true shock came when it was uncovered that the Sarcophagus is, in fact, a sophisticated incubator containing 13 fertilized, but latent human egg cells. Shortly after that Gennady Komov
, the director of the expedition to EN-9173, ordered to classify any information on this discovery, therefore nearly nothing about it was known to the public.
(already being in chief of COMCON-2) demanded that they decide whether they destroy the device and the embryos or activate them. Leaving things as they were, according to him, was not an option.
Kirill Alexandrov, one of the youngest Council members, suggested that these 13 humans were, in fact, not humans but Wanderers and, since no one could contradict him in this, that the Sarcophagus was a safe
containing their gene
pattern. Because it was, thus, none of Earth's business he proposed "leaving things as they are" and abandoning the EN-9173 system immediately.
August-Iogann-Maria Bader argued that the sarcophagus was built by the Wanderers to preserve actual humal embryos. According to him, Wanderers may have created this gene storage 45,000 years ago to preserve human species in case of a catastrophe that would wipe out the whole race.
Pak Hin agreed with Bader but added that the device might be a "time bomb", opening of which may bring the mankind detailed knowledge of how their ancestors lived. In this case, the Wanderers were acting as progressors of mankind.
Gennady Komov himself suggested that the embryos, once activated, would developed into agents who would help the Wanderers to establish a contact with Earth, and should be activated immediately.
Cautious Masahiro Shinoda suggested that they Wanderers may not have friendly intentions towards humans.
s. In the next three days the Council decided the best way to raise the foundlings.
In the end, when a completed plan of their upbringing, as well as secret observation and study of them was finished, Rudolf Sikorski, as the chief of COMCON-2 demanded four things:
"Sikorski's Four Demands" were accepted despite a strong opposition of the minority and mostly because of the support of the psychologists and, personally, Masahiro Shinoda.
Later that year (2138) after a cautious intelligence exchange, all diplomatic relationships between Tagora and Earth were cancelled. It was revealed that Tagorians
found an identical "Sarcophagus" on their planet but decided to destroy it rather than activate the larva
e stored within it.
In 2139, after the Sarcophagus was transferred to Earth, scientists found a small box containing 13 small discs with different symbols on them.
To study the bond between the detonators and the corresponding foundlings, one of the discs was destroyed. A week after that, Edna Lasko, whose symbol matched the one on the destroyed disc, perished when her class was caught by an avalanche somewhere in the Northern Andes
and the World Council demanded to stop experimentation on the detonators.
In 2162, in violation of Sikorski's demands, another foundling, Kornei Yashmaa, was told of his true origin. He accepted this information with stoic
serenity and promised to cooperate with Earth's government if he notices anything strange about himself.
Encouraged by this experiment and despite strong objections from Rudolf Sikorski, the scientists revealed the truth to the second foundling, Thomas Nielsen, but this time it didn't go so well. Four months later he perished on Gorgona under circumstances that suggested a suicide
. Shortly afterwards it was discovered that the corresponding detonator tracelessly disappeared from the case.
was the first foundling to get the detonator's mark on his skin. In 2178, he returned to Earth under suspicious circumstances and, despite being chased by Maxim Kammerer
and Rudolf Sikorski, tried to obtain his corresponding detonator. Since he provided no information on how he found out about the discs or what he was going to do with them and ignored multiple warnings from COMCONs, Sikorski shot him before he could reach the detonator.
This assassination was a very controversial topic both among the people of Earth
(leading, eventually, to Rudolf Sikorski's retirement from COMCON-2) and the Strugatsky's fans.
It is unknown if any other Stepchildren tried to obtain their corresponding detonators after 2178 and, if so, what happened to them afterwards.
Noon Universe
The Noon Universe is a fictional future setting for a number of hard science fiction novels written by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky. The universe is named after Noon: 22nd Century, the chronologically first novel from the series...
created by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky
Arkady and Boris Strugatsky
The brothers Arkady and Boris Strugatsky are Soviet Jewish-Russian science fiction authors who collaborated on their fiction.-Life and work:...
, the foundlings are a group of 13 humans
Humans (Noon Universe)
Humans of the Noon Universe created by Boris and Arkady Strugatsky are mostly identical to homo sapiens. Humans inhabit numerous planets, but their original homeworld is probably Earth, others being populated by humans, presumably, as a result of Wanderers' manipulations.-Human Planets:The...
, who evolved out of the embryos stored in the "sarcophagus". The embryos were discovered on December 26, 2137 by Boris Fokin's group of explorers on an unnamed planet in star system EN-9173. These events are described in the novel Beetle in the Anthill
Beetle in the Anthill
Beetle in the Anthill is a 1979 sci-fi novel by Boris and Arkady Strugatsky set in the Noon Universe.-Explanation of the novel's title:Beetle in the Anthill is the title of a theory explaining the Stepchildren phenomenon...
.
Discovery of the Sarcophagus
In the late December of 2137 an explorer group led by Boris Fokin discovered and obtained a permission to study an artificial underground cave, presumably, built by WanderersWanderers (Noon Universe)
Wanderers are a fictional alien race from the Noon Universe created by Strugatsky brothers. Their homeworld is unknown. No official contact between Earth and Wanderers has ever been registered, although they've contacted humans from other planets, e.g...
. After entering the cave, Fokin's men discovered a strange machine which they called the "sarcophagus" (because of its visual similarity to ancient ritual coffins
Sarcophagus
A sarcophagus is a funeral receptacle for a corpse, most commonly carved or cut from stone. The word "sarcophagus" comes from the Greek σαρξ sarx meaning "flesh", and φαγειν phagein meaning "to eat", hence sarkophagus means "flesh-eating"; from the phrase lithos sarkophagos...
). The calculated age of the device was approximately 40 to 45 thousand standard years and it was soon discovered that the Sarcophagus is connected to a planet-wide network of energy generators providing it with energy.
The true shock came when it was uncovered that the Sarcophagus is, in fact, a sophisticated incubator containing 13 fertilized, but latent human egg cells. Shortly after that Gennady Komov
Gennady Komov
Gennady Komov is a fictional character in Boris and Arkady Strugatsky's series of science fiction novels set in the Noon Universe.-Biography:...
, the director of the expedition to EN-9173, ordered to classify any information on this discovery, therefore nearly nothing about it was known to the public.
Reaction of the World Council
Immediately after the discovery of the embryos, Komov informed the Earth World Council and demanded further instructions. The reactions of the Council were very different, but in the end Rudolf SikorskiRudolf Sikorski
Rudolf Sikorski is a fictional character in Boris and Arkady Strugatsky's series of science fiction novels set in the Noon Universe, also known as Exzellenz or Wanderer. Sikorski appears in Prisoners of Power and Beetle in the Anthill...
(already being in chief of COMCON-2) demanded that they decide whether they destroy the device and the embryos or activate them. Leaving things as they were, according to him, was not an option.
Kirill Alexandrov, one of the youngest Council members, suggested that these 13 humans were, in fact, not humans but Wanderers and, since no one could contradict him in this, that the Sarcophagus was a safe
Safe
A safe is a secure lockable box used for securing valuable objects against theft or damage. A safe is usually a hollow cuboid or cylinder, with one face removable or hinged to form a door. The body and door may be cast from metal or formed out of plastic through blow molding...
containing their gene
Gene
A gene is a molecular unit of heredity of a living organism. It is a name given to some stretches of DNA and RNA that code for a type of protein or for an RNA chain that has a function in the organism. Living beings depend on genes, as they specify all proteins and functional RNA chains...
pattern. Because it was, thus, none of Earth's business he proposed "leaving things as they are" and abandoning the EN-9173 system immediately.
August-Iogann-Maria Bader argued that the sarcophagus was built by the Wanderers to preserve actual humal embryos. According to him, Wanderers may have created this gene storage 45,000 years ago to preserve human species in case of a catastrophe that would wipe out the whole race.
Pak Hin agreed with Bader but added that the device might be a "time bomb", opening of which may bring the mankind detailed knowledge of how their ancestors lived. In this case, the Wanderers were acting as progressors of mankind.
Gennady Komov himself suggested that the embryos, once activated, would developed into agents who would help the Wanderers to establish a contact with Earth, and should be activated immediately.
Cautious Masahiro Shinoda suggested that they Wanderers may not have friendly intentions towards humans.
The Stepchildren Case
Komov's and Shinoda's theories sparked much discussion but this was ended abruptly as Boris Fokin informed the Council that the egg cells had self-activated and started evolving to embryoEmbryo
An embryo is a multicellular diploid eukaryote in its earliest stage of development, from the time of first cell division until birth, hatching, or germination...
s. In the next three days the Council decided the best way to raise the foundlings.
In the end, when a completed plan of their upbringing, as well as secret observation and study of them was finished, Rudolf Sikorski, as the chief of COMCON-2 demanded four things:
- All information on the foundlings was to be classified
- None of them is supposed to know of their true origin
- All foundlings are to be separated immediately after birth
- All of them should later get extraterrestrial jobs to make their return to Earth as difficult as possible
"Sikorski's Four Demands" were accepted despite a strong opposition of the minority and mostly because of the support of the psychologists and, personally, Masahiro Shinoda.
Later that year (2138) after a cautious intelligence exchange, all diplomatic relationships between Tagora and Earth were cancelled. It was revealed that Tagorians
Tagorians
Tagorians or Tagoryans are a fictional, lizard-like alien race from the Noon Universe created by Strugatsky brothers. Their homeworld is Tagora , a planet discovered by the end of the 21st century...
found an identical "Sarcophagus" on their planet but decided to destroy it rather than activate the larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e stored within it.
In 2139, after the Sarcophagus was transferred to Earth, scientists found a small box containing 13 small discs with different symbols on them.
Life of the foundlings
The foundlings were born on October 6, 2138 with no apparent difference from normal human children on Earth. A difference appeared only in 2149, when symbols identical to those on the discs in the Sarcophagus appeared on the right elbows of all 11-years-old foundling. The disks became known as "detonators".To study the bond between the detonators and the corresponding foundlings, one of the discs was destroyed. A week after that, Edna Lasko, whose symbol matched the one on the destroyed disc, perished when her class was caught by an avalanche somewhere in the Northern Andes
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
and the World Council demanded to stop experimentation on the detonators.
In 2162, in violation of Sikorski's demands, another foundling, Kornei Yashmaa, was told of his true origin. He accepted this information with stoic
STOIC
STOIC was a variant of Forth.It started out at the MIT and Harvard Biomedical Engineering Centre in Boston, and was written in the mid 1970s by Jonathan Sachs...
serenity and promised to cooperate with Earth's government if he notices anything strange about himself.
Encouraged by this experiment and despite strong objections from Rudolf Sikorski, the scientists revealed the truth to the second foundling, Thomas Nielsen, but this time it didn't go so well. Four months later he perished on Gorgona under circumstances that suggested a suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
. Shortly afterwards it was discovered that the corresponding detonator tracelessly disappeared from the case.
Assassination of Lev Abalkin
Lev AbalkinLev Abalkin
Lev Abalkin is a fictional character in Boris and Arkady Strugatsky's series of science fiction novels set in the Noon Universe.-Biography:Lev Abalkin was born on 6. October 2138 on Earth...
was the first foundling to get the detonator's mark on his skin. In 2178, he returned to Earth under suspicious circumstances and, despite being chased by Maxim Kammerer
Maxim Kammerer
Maxim Kammerer is a fictional character in Arkady and Boris Strugatsky's series of science fiction novels set in the Noon Universe....
and Rudolf Sikorski, tried to obtain his corresponding detonator. Since he provided no information on how he found out about the discs or what he was going to do with them and ignored multiple warnings from COMCONs, Sikorski shot him before he could reach the detonator.
This assassination was a very controversial topic both among the people of Earth
Earth (Noon Universe)
In the Noon Universe created by Boris and Arkady Strugatsky Earth is one of the planets populated by humans as well as their assumed origin. It is identical to the modern Earth except for the fact that it is set in the 22nd century...
(leading, eventually, to Rudolf Sikorski's retirement from COMCON-2) and the Strugatsky's fans.
It is unknown if any other Stepchildren tried to obtain their corresponding detonators after 2178 and, if so, what happened to them afterwards.
See also
- "Beetle in the AnthillBeetle in the AnthillBeetle in the Anthill is a 1979 sci-fi novel by Boris and Arkady Strugatsky set in the Noon Universe.-Explanation of the novel's title:Beetle in the Anthill is the title of a theory explaining the Stepchildren phenomenon...
" particularly describes the "Stepchildren Case", especially the circumstances of Abalkin's death. - "The Kid from HellThe Kid from HellThe Kid from Hell is a 1974 sci-fi novel by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky set in the Noon Universe. The English translation was included in a single volume entitled Escape Attempt with the other Noon universe stories Escape Attempt and Space Mowgli.-Plot summary:The novel tells the story of Gack, a...
" describes a short period of Korney Yashmaa's life (2177)