Suzanne Oh — Characters — Encyclopedia Galactica

"Suzanne Oh -- Stranded on the planet for two years, helps David and Narda. She has psionic abilities."
-- Character description, Labyrinth of Dread (Booklet 087)

Suzanne Oh (also spelled Suzan Oh in early booklets) is a Driver and member of the Terranauts who appears in 9 booklets of Die Terranauten. Introduced during Max von Valdec's galaxy-wide persecution of the Drivers, Suzanne survives the destruction of her ship on Volonder, joins the underground resistance, and goes on to participate in some of the saga's most dangerous missions -- from an attempted assassination of Valdec in Berlin, through sabotage operations and exile on Sarym, to a years-long stranding on a nameless planet among the Buds of the Tree.

Suzanne's arc is defined by separation and survival. On Sarym, she is separated from the main Terranaut group by Dream-hooks and transported to an entirely different world by a petrified Yggdrasil tree. While her companions -- Lyda Mar, Ennerk Prime, and Onnegart Vangralen -- experience imprisonment, escape, and the Hate Plague crisis, Suzanne and Aschan Herib endure years of isolation on the hostile planet Arioch before being found near its PSI-Aura. Later, she is stranded again -- this time for two years on the nameless planet of the Buds of the Tree -- before David terGorden's arrival reconnects her with the broader Terranaut saga. She is one of the few characters whose experience spans from the Driver persecution through to the cosmic journey aboard the Collector.

Biography

The Persecution on Volonder (c. 2499)

Suzanne Oh first appears in The Supreme Colonel's Gambit, where she is living on Volonder, a Terran colony in the Cariga system. When Max von Valdec launches his galaxy-wide pogrom against Drivers, Suzanne's ship, the PEKING, is destroyed by anti-Driver settlers incited by the shadowy propaganda group known as the Shadows. Her friend is murdered in the violence. Suzanne flees as Gray Guard landing boats arrive, barely escaping with her life.

Her experience on Volonder parallels the simultaneous persecution of Ennerk Prime, who witnesses the Gray Guards suppressing a Driver strike on Yenderson, and Onnegart Vangralen, who watches Drivers being stripped of their PSI abilities on Siam-Sin. All three will later become inseparable companions in the Terranaut resistance (Booklet 012).

The Assassination Attempt on Valdec (c. 2500)

By the time of The Starship Thieves, Suzanne has joined the Terranauts and participates in a daring infiltration of Earth. She and Ennerk Prime land near Kosmograd and travel to Berlin, where they use their PSI powers to infiltrate the Council Chambers during a meeting. Their objective is the assassination of Max von Valdec himself. However, Gray Drivers -- Drivers in the service of the Council -- thwart the attempt, and Suzanne and Ennerk are forced to flee. They escape Earth by stowing away on a container ship.

Though the assassination fails, the broader mission succeeds: Asen-Ger and other Terranauts steal two Driver ships, the LASSALLE and the GARIBALDI, from a Council base in the Cheviot Hills of Scotland. Suzanne's willingness to attempt the most dangerous assignment of the operation -- a direct strike at the head of the Council -- demonstrates both her courage and her commitment to the Terranaut cause (Booklet 024).

Sabotage on Naria and Capture (c. 2500-2501)

In A Glitch in the Machine, Suzanne is part of a four-person Terranaut cell -- alongside Ennerk Prime, Onnegart Vangralen, and Lyda Mar -- that successfully plants bombs in a Gray Guards supply depot on Naria, a colonial planet in the inner sector of the Reich. During their escape, they run into an undisrupted shock field and are captured. The Gray Guards Kommandant Cecile Aman interrogates them about David terGorden and a supposed "hypno-block" in their minds, but learns nothing. Aman orders them deported to the penal planet Sarym.

During transport aboard the Kaiser Force courier ship XS-571, the four Terranauts are put into deep sleep, but not before sending a psionic tracking pulse to the SONNENWIND, a Terranaut ship that follows them into Space II. When the experimental Seeker navigation device malfunctions, developing a form of consciousness after merging with a Space II "soul complex," the Terranauts are awakened and asked to form a Driver Lodge to control the device. Upon arriving at Sarym, they discover that the planet's sun Norvo emits radiation that suppresses PSI abilities, rendering them powerless.

Suzanne is described in this booklet as "initially overcome with fear and resignation" upon arriving at Sarym -- a moment of vulnerability that distinguishes her from the more stoic reactions of her companions. This emotional honesty does not diminish her effectiveness; it makes her subsequent survival all the more remarkable (Booklet 040).

Exile on Sarym/Surin (c. 2501)

In The Emerald World, the four Terranauts are dumped unceremoniously on a white sandy beach by the Gray Guards. As the Ringo spacecraft departs, Suzanne becomes trapped by a plant tendril -- one of the first signs of Sarym's aggressive, semi-intelligent flora. Ennerk Prime frees her just before the Ringo's engine exhaust would have incinerated them both.

The group is attacked by a massive armored lizard, flees into the forest, and encounters Derb Ransih, a green-skinned Mediator of the native Surinen, who saves them from the creature using plant manipulation. Through Ransih, they reach a Surinen village and meet Damon Credock and Aschan Herib, two sane Mediators. Ennerk explains their plan: to use a Lodge of Mediators to transmit a contact pattern from Lyda Mar's memory and reach a returning courier ship.

Suzanne is described as "attractive and has a different moral code than Lyda Mar" -- a characterization that hints at a personality distinct from the more idealistic and driven Lyda. She accompanies the group on their journey to the general assembly of all Surinen on the planet (Booklet 041).

Separation by Dream-hooks (c. 2501)

The journey to investigate the Maritime Coral City on Sarym's southern continent proves fateful for Suzanne. In The Gatherer, the group is attacked by Dream-hooks -- bizarre creatures that induce dream-like states by connecting to a human's bloodstream. Suzanne and Aschan Herib are separated from Lyda Mar, Ennerk Prime, and Damon Credock.

While separated, Suzanne and Aschan discuss Rorqual, the Terranauts' hidden base, unaware that a robot spy disguised as a bird is listening to their conversation -- a detail that feeds into the Gray Guards' intelligence-gathering operations on Sarym (Booklet 042).

The Underground Tunnels and the Yggdrasil (c. 2501)

In Breeding Ground of the Hyperdrive, Suzanne, Onnegart Vangralen, and the ailing Aschan Herib struggle through the jungle of Sarym's South Continent, pursued by armored lizards. After Onnegart is captured by lizard-like robots, Suzanne and Aschan escape into an underground tunnel system.

In the tunnels, they discover a strange, glowing plant conglomerate and a skeleton -- remnants of Sarym's ancient past. They are chased by a giant Maulwurf (mole creature) and eventually stumble upon a petrified Yggdrasil tree. The Yggdrasil activates a transport channel, teleporting Suzanne and Aschan away from Sarym entirely.

This is the decisive moment that separates Suzanne's storyline from that of her companions. While Lyda Mar, Ennerk Prime, and Onnegart Vangralen are captured, imprisoned by Hermano Lotz, infected with the Hate Plague, and eventually escape back to Rorqual, Suzanne and Aschan are transported to Arioch, the hellish twin planet of Sarym. Their fate is explicitly left "unresolved" at the end of Booklet 043, and they will not be seen again for nearly twenty booklets (Booklet 043).

Years on Arioch (c. 2501-2503)

Suzanne and Aschan Herib are transported to Arioch, a nightmarish world of high gravity, methane-ammonia atmosphere, crystal cyclones, acid hail, and predatory Crystal Devils. The saga does not detail the circumstances of their arrival or survival during this period, but by the events of Arioch's Inferno, they have endured an extended stay on the hostile planet.

When the survivors of the crashed CYGNI -- including Onnegart Vangralen and Ennerk Prime -- and the crashed MADRID -- including Gunther V. and Ariane ter Wilson -- fight their way through Arioch's dangers and discover a coral city with a breathable atmosphere near the planet's PSI-Aura, they encounter Suzanne and Aschan waiting near the energy field. The reunion is a significant moment: it reconnects Suzanne with companions she has not seen since the Dream-hook separation on Sarym. The PSI-Aura -- the same type of ancient bio-psionic energy field that powers the Maritime Coral City on Sarym -- has evidently sustained them during their time on Arioch (Booklet 062).

The Nameless Planet and the Buds of the Tree (c. 2503-2505)

After departing Arioch, the combined group of Terranauts and rogue Gray Guards led by Maron Lumis is stranded on a nameless planet -- later revealed as Last Sleep -- which is home to the Buds of the Tree and their Traumstatt (Dream Prison). Suzanne and Aschan have been stranded on this world for approximately two years by the time David terGorden and Narda crash-land in the Himmelsstuermer.

In Labyrinth of Dread, Suzanne and Aschan play a critical role: they help David escape from Maron Lumis, who intends to use David to commandeer the Himmelsstuermer for his own escape. However, the Himmelsstuermer launches without them due to Lumis firing on it.

When Kadir, the power-hungry leader of the native Klippenstuerzer, captures Narda and plans to send her into the Traumstatt, Suzanne joins the combined rescue team -- David, Aschan, Ariane terWilson, Goliath, Onnegart Vangralen, Ennerk Prime, and the dissenting native Janan -- in a mission to free her. The rescue mission fails when Kadir captures the entire group, and David is sent into the Traumstatt alone, where he communicates with the Sleep Guardian and learns the truth about the Renegades.

Suzanne is described in this booklet as having "psionic abilities" -- confirming that, despite the PSI-suppressing environment of Sarym and the harsh conditions of Arioch, she has retained her Driver capabilities (Booklet 087).

Departing Last Sleep (c. 2505)

In The Exile Planet, the crisis on Last Sleep reaches its climax. The Renegades -- insane former Buds of the Tree -- awaken and begin possessing the Terranauts. Suzanne is listed among those traveling with David as they navigate the treacherous landscape, encountering hostile life forms and pursuing Renegades. Schoen-Duft, a Bud of the Tree, sacrifices herself to transform the Renegades back into a World Tree and avert an entropy catastrophe. Aura Damona Mar regains control of the Collector, and Suzanne departs Last Sleep with David and the surviving Terranauts, heading for the "Old Forest" to uncover the truth about David's destiny (Booklet 088).

Key Actions

Booklet 012: Survives the destruction of the PEKING on Volonder and the murder of her friend during the Driver persecution
Booklet 024: Infiltrates Earth with Ennerk Prime; attempts to assassinate Max von Valdec in Berlin; escapes after the mission fails
Booklet 040: Bombs a Gray Guards supply depot on Naria with her cell; captured and deported to Sarym
Booklet 041: Exiled to Sarym/Surin; trapped by a plant tendril and rescued by Ennerk Prime; encounters the Surinen and attends the general assembly
Booklet 042: Separated from the main group by Dream-hooks on Sarym's southern continent; discusses Rorqual with Aschan Herib, overheard by a robot spy
Booklet 043: Escapes into underground tunnels with Aschan Herib; discovers a petrified Yggdrasil tree; transported away from Sarym by the Yggdrasil's transport channel
Booklet 062: Encountered near the PSI-Aura on Arioch by fellow Terranauts after an extended period of survival on the hostile planet
Booklet 087: Helps David terGorden escape from Maron Lumis; joins the rescue mission to free Narda from Kadir and the Traumstatt
Booklet 088: Travels with David across Last Sleep; survives the awakening of the Renegades; departs aboard the Collector for the Old Forest

Relationships

Ennerk Prime

Suzanne's closest and longest-standing partnership. The two witness the Driver persecution on separate worlds (Booklet 012), then infiltrate Earth together and attempt to assassinate Valdec in Berlin (Booklet 024). They are exiled to Sarym together (Booklets 040-041), where Ennerk saves her life by freeing her from a plant tendril. They are separated when Dream-hooks scatter the group (Booklet 042), but reunite on Arioch (Booklet 062) and remain together through the final events on Last Sleep (Booklets 087-088). Their bond spans the full arc of the saga -- from the persecution through to the cosmic journey.

Aschan Herib

Suzanne's constant companion during the long years of isolation. After being separated from the main group on Sarym, Suzanne and Aschan escape into the underground tunnels together, discover the petrified Yggdrasil, and are transported to Arioch (Booklet 043). They survive together on Arioch for an extended period (Booklet 062) and are subsequently stranded together on the nameless planet of the Buds of the Tree for approximately two years (Booklet 087). Aschan, originally a Surinen Mediator from Sarym, is Suzanne's partner in survival through the most isolated and dangerous phase of her journey.

Onnegart Vangralen

A fellow Terranaut and long-term companion. Vangralen and Suzanne are captured and exiled together on Naria and Sarym (Booklets 040-041), separated together from the main group by Dream-hooks (Booklet 042), and struggle through the South Continent jungle together before Vangralen is captured by robots (Booklet 043). They reunite on Arioch (Booklet 062) and remain part of the same group through the final saga events (Booklets 087-088).

Lyda Mar

Suzanne is exiled to Sarym alongside Lyda (Booklets 040-041), but their paths diverge sharply after the Dream-hook separation (Booklet 042). While Lyda undergoes a transformative journey -- becoming a Mediator, conceiving Aura Damona Mar, and eventually becoming the Oracle of the Maritime Coral City -- Suzanne is transported to Arioch and endures years of isolation. The contrast between their fates after the same starting point underscores the role of chance in the saga: two Terranauts exiled to the same planet, one of whom becomes a cosmic figure while the other disappears into the wilderness for years. Suzanne is noted as having "a different moral code" than Lyda (Booklet 041).

David terGorden

Suzanne's relationship with David develops in the later saga. On the nameless planet, she and Aschan help David escape from Maron Lumis (Booklet 087), and she joins his rescue mission for Narda. She departs Last Sleep as part of David's party aboard the Collector (Booklet 088), placing her among the Terranauts who follow David toward his cosmic destiny as the "Bearer of the Monochord."

Maron Lumis

The Gray Guard captain represents a persistent threat. On the nameless planet, Lumis attempts to use David terGorden for his own escape, and Suzanne actively works against him, helping David flee (Booklet 087). The uneasy alliance between the rogue Gray Guards and the Terranauts is a recurring tension throughout the late saga.

Appearances (9 booklets)

#	Title	Role
012	The Supreme Colonel's Gambit	Minor. Survives the destruction of the PEKING on Volonder during the Driver persecution.
024	The Starship Thieves	Supporting. Infiltrates Earth with Ennerk Prime; attempts to assassinate Valdec in Berlin; escapes.
040	A Glitch in the Machine	Major. Bombs a Gray Guards supply depot on Naria; captured and deported to Sarym.
041	The Emerald World	Supporting. Exiled to Sarym/Surin; trapped by a plant tendril; encounters the Surinen.
042	The Gatherer	Minor. Separated from the group by Dream-hooks; discusses Rorqual with Aschan Herib.
043	Breeding Ground of the Hyperdrive	Major. Escapes into underground tunnels; discovers a petrified Yggdrasil; transported away from Sarym.
062	Arioch's Inferno	Minor. Encountered near the PSI-Aura on Arioch after an extended period of survival.
087	Labyrinth of Dread	Supporting. Helps David terGorden escape from Maron Lumis; joins the rescue mission for Narda.
088	The Exile Planet	Minor. Travels with David across Last Sleep; departs aboard the Collector for the Old Forest.

Notes

Name Spelling Variation. Suzanne Oh is referred to as "Suzan Oh" in the earlier booklets (012 and 024, both by author Robert Quint) and as "Suzanne Oh" in all subsequent appearances (040 onward, primarily by author Andreas Weiler). This inconsistency is likely an editorial artifact of the multi-author series rather than a deliberate narrative choice. Both names refer to the same character. A separate stub page at Suzan Oh also exists in the vault for cross-referencing.

The Separated Terranaut. Suzanne's defining narrative experience is separation. She is separated from Ennerk Prime after the Berlin mission (Booklet 024), separated from the main group by Dream-hooks on Sarym (Booklet 042), transported away from the planet entirely by the Yggdrasil (Booklet 043), and then stranded on the nameless planet for two years before David's arrival (Booklet 087). This pattern of isolation and survival distinguishes her from the other members of the Sarym exile group: while Lyda Mar, Ennerk Prime, and Onnegart Vangralen remain together through the Hate Plague crisis, the return to Rorqual, and the confrontation with Valdec's fleet, Suzanne experiences a parallel but solitary saga -- one defined by endurance in hostile environments rather than dramatic participation in the central conflict.

The Yggdrasil Transport. The petrified Yggdrasil tree that teleports Suzanne and Aschan Herib away from Sarym (Booklet 043) is one of the saga's most significant plot devices. The Yggdrasil trees are ancient transport channels created by the Buds of the Tree, and Suzanne's accidental activation of one connects her personal story to the larger cosmic narrative of the World Trees and the Long Row. That she and Aschan end up near the PSI-Aura on Arioch -- and later on the planet of the Buds of the Tree themselves -- suggests that the Yggdrasil transport was not random but directed by the ancient bio-psionic intelligence that pervades the Norvo System.

Psionic Abilities. Suzanne is confirmed as possessing psionic abilities in Booklet 087, despite having spent years on planets where PSI was either suppressed (Sarym) or hostile (Arioch). Her retention of these abilities after prolonged separation from Driver Lodge activity and the PSI-suppressing conditions of Sarym is notable and may be connected to her proximity to the PSI-Aura on Arioch.

Moral Code. The observation that Suzanne has "a different moral code than Lyda" (Booklet 041) is one of only two characterization details provided about her personality (the other being that she is "attractive"). The nature of this different moral code is not elaborated upon in the text, but it distinguishes her from Lyda Mar's more idealistic and duty-driven persona. Given that Suzanne and Ennerk attempted one of the most radical acts in the Terranaut resistance -- the direct assassination of the Lord Colonel -- a more pragmatic or ruthless approach to the struggle is implied.

The Multi-Senso-Synthesizer Passage. An extracted passage from the original German text describes a Mediator "skillfully strumming on Suzanne's ribs as if they were the keyboard of a multi-senso-synthesizer" -- a moment of physical examination or healing that connects Suzanne to the Mediator practices of Sarym's Surinen inhabitants.