Leande

"Cloud reveals his plan to use Leande, a former computer technician, to disable Lunaport's central computer, Big Brother, and seize the MIDAS, an interstellar spacecraft."
-- Events of Booklet 010

Leande is a recurring character in Die Terranauten, appearing in five of the saga's 99 booklets (010, 014, 015, 025, 029). A former computer technician whose mind was shattered by the Soul Divers in the Moon Dungeons, Leande is rescued from the lowest level of the lunar prison -- the Brown Plate -- and restored to function through the collective psionic therapy of Llewellyn 709 and the other Drivers. Her technical skills prove indispensable: it is Leande who disables Big Brother, Lunaport's central computer, making the entire Revolt on Luna possible. She subsequently becomes a key crew member aboard the MIDAS, operating the ship's computer systems during the harrowing intergalactic exile, and later falls under the control of Banshees on Rorqual before being freed by David terGorden and Llewellyn 709.

Leande's story is one of trauma, recovery, and vulnerability to psionic exploitation -- a thread that recurs across her appearances. She is not a warrior or a leader but the person without whom the saga's pivotal early events could not have occurred: without Leande, there is no revolt on Luna, no MIDAS voyage, and no intergalactic exile that shapes the Terranauts' destiny.

Biography

The Brown Plate: Imprisonment and Madness

Before the events of the saga, Leande was a computer technician -- a professional with the specialized skills needed to interface with complex systems like Lunaport's central computer, Big Brother. At some point, she was imprisoned in the Moon Dungeons on Luna, the vast underground prison complex where the Council of Corporations incarcerated political prisoners, Drivers, and dissidents.

Leande was confined to the Brown Plate, the lowest and most horrifying level of the Moon Dungeons. The Brown Plate was home to inmates who had been psychically damaged beyond recovery -- driven mad by the Soul Divers, creatures (also known as Lerroons) whose hallucinogenic secretions destroy the mind. The Soul Diver secretion creates what is described as a "foreign egocentric reality," fundamentally altering the victim's perception. Leande, exposed to this secretion, became what the saga terms a Centrist (German: Zentristen) -- an individual whose mind has been restructured by the Soul Diver poison into a distorted, self-centered psychological state.

By the time Scanner Cloud devised his plan for the prisoner revolt, Leande was described as "mentally shattered" -- a woman trapped in the Brown Plate among screaming madmen, her technical brilliance buried under layers of psychic trauma. Information about her was provided by Sheko terLyer, who apparently knew of her background and capabilities. Other Brown Plate inmates who interacted with Leande included Thom, an inmate who "wants Leande and knows a way back," and Cylia, an inmate who "accompanies Thom and hates Leande" -- suggesting that even in her broken state, Leande was a figure of significance and contention among the prisoners.

Rescue from the Brown Plate (Booklet 010)

Morgenstern navigated the treacherous tunnels of the Brown Plate, encountering screaming madmen and the micro-cameras of the Gray Guards. When he found Leande, her panicked reaction attracted the attention of Perchiner Gride -- Morgenstern's former shipmate from the SAPHYR, now driven insane by the Soul Divers -- and other inmates. Morgenstern used a Needler to subdue them and escaped with Leande.

The Healing and the Revolt on Luna (Booklet 010)

With Leande retrieved but still psychically damaged, the next step required the Drivers' intervention. Llewellyn 709 and the other Drivers who had recently arrived at the Moon Dungeons -- including Angila Fraim and Sirdina Giccomo -- entered Leande's mind in an act of collective psionic therapy, battling what the narrative describes as her "inner demons." This healing was not complete -- Leande would continue to exhibit psychological fragility throughout her later appearances -- but it was sufficient to restore her ability to function and apply her technical skills.

The restored Leande then carried out the critical task: she disrupted Big Brother, Lunaport's central computer, crippling the base's surveillance, communications, and automated defense systems. This single act of sabotage made the entire prisoner revolt possible. With Big Brother down, the prisoners launched their uprising, overwhelmed the Gray Guards, seized weapons and spacesuits, and captured the MIDAS, the experimental Kaiser Force interstellar spacecraft hidden on Luna.

The timeline records this as a MAJOR event of the year 2500: "Leande disrupts Big Brother, enabling the prisoner revolt on Luna."

Leande boarded the MIDAS with the other escapees. When David terGorden, recognizing the danger of the untested Kaiser Force drive, left the ship in a lifeboat, Leande remained aboard. The MIDAS activated its drive with catastrophic results: the ship was flung into intergalactic space, most of the crew were killed or transformed into "Glassy Ones," and the survivors found themselves stranded near a Black Hole orbiting the green sun Moloch.

Intergalactic Exile: The Wrecked MIDAS and Hobo (Booklet 014)

When Llewellyn 709 regained consciousness aboard the devastated MIDAS, one of the first survivors he found was Leande. She was behaving strangely -- a detail noted by multiple sources and attributed to a lingering psionic bond with Scanner Cloud or the residual effects of the Soul Diver secretion. Despite her erratic behavior, Leande was functional enough to relay critical information: she told Llewellyn that Scanner Cloud was alive and working in the engine room.

During the MIDAS's desperate voyage -- the Black Hole slingshot maneuver and the subsequent crash-landing on the planet Hobo -- Leande served as the ship's computer operator, a role that drew directly on her pre-imprisonment technical expertise. On Hobo, she continued in this capacity, maintaining the MIDAS's remaining systems as the crew dealt with the challenges of the alien world.

When Scanner Cloud and Llewellyn 709 organized an expedition to make contact with the native Ashras, Leande accompanied them alongside Cloud. During the expedition, the Ashras ambushed the group using a numbing gas. Llewellyn and Scanner Cloud were captured, while Leande was left behind.

In a moment that demonstrated both her courage and her attachment to her companions, Leande piloted the flying disc to the Oomp Ashra Eyrie and helped Scanner Cloud and Llewellyn escape from the Ashras' captivity. Deschmarn-Drag, the Ashra hunter, attempted to stop her, but she insisted on rescuing her companions. This act of independent action stands out in Leande's story -- a woman described as mentally shattered rising to decisive action when her people were in danger.

The Mages' Covenant and Departure from Hobo (Booklet 015)

During the MIDAS crew's extended stay on Hobo, Leande continued to operate the ship's computer systems. She is listed among the MIDAS crew as "a Centrist girl and member of the MIDAS crew" who "operates the computer systems." While the dramatic focus of Booklet 015 shifts to the diplomatic mission to Runnevel and the alliance with the Zoptic magicians, Leande's role as the MIDAS's technical backbone remained essential.

When the MIDAS departed Hobo -- leaving Basanaike Teschnapur and others behind as permanent settlers -- Leande was among the crew that attempted the return transit to the Milky Way. The ship's computer, which Leande operated, delivered the devastating news: the sun Spilter had become a nova, and the planet Zoe -- their intended destination -- no longer existed.

Trapped in the Mini-Universe (Booklet 025)

Aboard the MIDAS, now trapped in a mini-universe created by Space II energy released during the destruction of Zoe, Leande is listed as a "Centrist girl aboard the MIDAS." While Scanner Cloud fell into a catatonic state and communicated telepathically with Yggdrasil, and Llewellyn 709 investigated the mysterious transmissions, Leande remained part of the skeleton crew that kept the ship functional during this period of cosmic entrapment.

Banshee Possession on Rorqual (Booklet 029)

By Autumn 2501, the Terranauts had established a base on Rorqual, a strange planet in Space II. Here, Leande's story takes its darkest turn since the Brown Plate.

The Banshees used Leande as a weapon. As the expedition approached what they believed was Pitcairn, they encountered singing rainbows and a dancing Leande who was attempting to lure them to their deaths. The Banshee-controlled Leande manipulated the environment, creating illusions and disrupting the gliders' course computers, leading the Drivers toward a volcanic island instead of their destination.

In one of the booklet's most dramatic sequences, David and Llewellyn combined their PSI powers to break through Leande's Banshee-controlled consciousness, freeing her from the entities' influence. The timeline records this event: "David and Llewellyn break through Leande's control, freeing her from the influence of Banshees."

The aftermath revealed how Leande had come to be possessed. Calen Cameron, a Driver with uncontrolled PSI powers stationed on Pitcairn, admitted that he had attempted to force Leande to kill herself because he feared her dreams -- dreams that were apparently connected to her Centrist nature and her vulnerability to psionic influences. Calen's cruelty toward Leande provoked a confrontation with David, during which Calen attempted to kill David using his PSI powers. Asen-Ger intervened, accidentally killing Calen.

Leande's experience on Rorqual underscores the recurring pattern of her story: a woman of essential skill and quiet courage, repeatedly victimized by psionic forces beyond her control -- first the Soul Divers, then the Banshees, then a fellow Terranaut -- and repeatedly rescued by those who recognize her value.

Key Actions (Chronological)

• Is retrieved by Morgenstern from the Brown Plate of the Moon Dungeons, the deepest level of the lunar prison (010)
• Is healed through collective psionic therapy by Llewellyn 709 and the other Drivers, who enter her mind to battle her inner demons (010)
• Disrupts Big Brother, Lunaport's central computer, enabling the prisoner revolt on Luna -- a MAJOR timeline event (010)
• Boards the MIDAS and survives the catastrophic Kaiser Force activation that kills most of the crew (010)
• Informs Llewellyn 709 that Scanner Cloud is alive aboard the wrecked MIDAS (014)
• Operates the MIDAS's computer systems during the intergalactic exile (014-015)
• Accompanies Scanner Cloud and Llewellyn 709 on the expedition to contact the Ashras on Hobo (014)
• Pilots the flying disc to rescue Llewellyn and Scanner Cloud from Ashra captivity (014)
• Continues operating the MIDAS computer during the stay on Hobo and the diplomatic mission to Runnevel (015)
• Departs Hobo with the MIDAS crew; receives the news of Zoe's destruction via the ship's computer (015)
• Remains aboard the MIDAS during its entrapment in the mini-universe near Spilter (025)
• Falls under the influence of Banshees on Rorqual, who use her to lure Drivers to their deaths (029)
• Is freed from Banshee control when David terGorden and Llewellyn 709 combine their PSI powers to break through her consciousness (029)

Relationships

Core Relationships

Other Relationships

The Centrist Condition

Leande is repeatedly described as a Centrist (German: Zentristen) -- a term specific to Die Terranauten that denotes an individual whose mind has been altered by Soul Diver secretion. The Soul Diver (also called Lerroons) secretes a hallucinogenic poison that creates what the saga calls a "foreign egocentric reality" -- a restructured consciousness centered on a distorted inner world.

The Centrist condition is presented as both a wound and a peculiar sensitivity. Leande's shattered state in the Brown Plate is clearly a form of trauma-induced psychosis, but her post-healing behavior -- particularly the "strange connection" to Scanner Cloud noted aboard the MIDAS (014) and the dreams that frightened Calen Cameron on Rorqual (029) -- suggests that the Soul Diver exposure also left her unusually permeable to psionic influences. This permeability is what made her vulnerable to the Banshees: where a normal mind might resist possession, Leande's Centrist-altered consciousness provided an entry point.

The Centrist condition thus represents one of the saga's recurring themes: that psionic ability and psionic vulnerability are two sides of the same coin. Leande is not a Driver -- she has no inherent PSI powers -- but the Soul Diver's destruction of her normal mental defenses left her open to influences that ordinary people would never experience. Her dreams, her strange behavior, and her susceptibility to Banshee control are all consequences of this unwilling alteration.

Appearances (5 booklets)

Themes and Significance

The Indispensable Civilian

Leande occupies a unique position among the MIDAS crew. She is not a Driver, not a Psyter, not a soldier. She is a computer technician -- a civilian specialist whose value lies entirely in her professional skills. In a saga dominated by psionic warriors, cunning manipulators, and cosmic beings, Leande represents the quiet truth that revolutions depend on people who know how to make the machines work. Without her sabotage of Big Brother, Scanner Cloud's entire plan collapses, the MIDAS is never seized, and the intergalactic exile -- with all its consequences for the Terranaut movement -- never happens.

Trauma and Recovery

Leande's arc is the saga's most sustained exploration of what the Soul Divers do to their victims. While Perchiner Gride serves as an example of permanent destruction -- a former comrade reduced to a screaming madman -- Leande demonstrates that recovery is possible, if incomplete. The Drivers' collective psionic therapy restores her ability to function, but it does not cure her Centrist condition. Her strange behavior aboard the MIDAS (014), her disturbing dreams on Rorqual (029), and her vulnerability to Banshee possession all indicate that the Soul Diver's mark is permanent. Leande is healed enough to work, to act, to pilot a rescue mission -- but never enough to be fully safe from the forces that prey on damaged minds.

The Recurring Victim

A troubling pattern runs through Leande's story: she is repeatedly victimized by psionic forces, and repeatedly rescued by others. The Soul Divers shatter her mind; the Drivers heal her. The Banshees possess her; David and Llewellyn free her. Calen Cameron tries to drive her to suicide; Asen-Ger kills Cameron. This pattern reflects the saga's honest engagement with the consequences of psionic exploitation -- not everyone who is damaged can save themselves, and the duty of the strong is to protect the vulnerable.

Yet Leande is not merely passive. She disrupts Big Brother through her own skill. She pilots the flying disc to rescue her companions from the Ashras. She continues to operate the MIDAS's computer systems through one crisis after another. Her agency is real, even if it operates within the constraints of her condition. The saga does not romanticize her trauma or pretend that psionic healing is a cure-all; it shows a person doing essential work while carrying wounds that will never fully close.

The Bridge Between Technology and Psionic Power

In a saga where the central conflict is between Kaiser Force (technology) and PSI (biological/psionic power), Leande stands at the intersection. She is a technician -- her skill is with machines, not minds -- but the Soul Diver exposure has given her unwilling access to psionic phenomena. She operates Big Brother (technology) to enable a revolt planned by a Psyter (psionic power). She runs the MIDAS computer (technology) while exhibiting a strange psionic bond with Scanner Cloud. She is possessed by Banshees (psionic entities) and freed by Drivers (psionic warriors). Leande's story embodies the saga's argument that technology and psionic power are not separate domains but deeply intertwined, and that the people caught between them bear the greatest cost.

Notes

• Leande's full name is never given in the saga; she is known only as "Leande."
• The German term for her condition, "Zentristen" (Centrist), suggests a mind that has been forced inward, collapsed around a distorted center of self -- a poetic description of the Soul Diver's psychic damage.
• Sheko terLyer is the only character identified as having provided information about Leande's background; the nature of their relationship is unspecified.
• Leande's fate after Booklet 029 is not recorded. She does not appear in the later booklets of the saga, and it is unclear whether she remained with the Terranauts on Rorqual or departed with the CYGNI. Her absence from the later narrative may reflect a quiet retirement from the front lines -- or simply the saga's shift of focus to other characters and arcs.

See Also

• Scanner Cloud
• Morgenstern
• Llewellyn 709
• David terGorden
• MIDAS
• Moon Dungeons
• Lunaport
• Big Brother
• Hobo
• Rorqual
• Pitcairn
• Soul Divers
• Centrists
• Banshee
• Kaiser Force
• Space II
• Revolt on Luna
• Calen Cameron
• Perchiner Gride
• Sheko terLyer
• Gray Guards
• Terranauts

Leande appears in 5 of 99 booklets of Die Terranauten. She is the shattered technician whose single act of sabotage -- disabling Big Brother on Luna -- made the entire Terranaut exodus possible, and whose ongoing vulnerability to psionic forces reflects the saga's unflinching portrayal of what it costs to live in a universe where minds can be weapons.