The Programmed Assassin
Der programmierte Attentaeter
Plot Summary
Queen No, Queen Yella, and Queen Zan, Shadows of the Gray Guards, are participating in a training exercise on an icy world in the 9th Stellar Province when Commandeuse Cho Li interrupts them with an Alpha-Order from Chan de Nouille. Max von Valdec has escaped and is building a power base on a planet called Lancia, raiding colonies and constructing a Kaiser Force-powered fleet. The Shadows are ordered to 34-Urt to join a Terranaut lodge and investigate the Vieber Complex, where anomalies suggest Valdec's involvement.
Meanwhile, Morgenstern, a Terranaut, is captured by Valdec's forces after stowing away on a freighter leaving Krisan. He is imprisoned on the funnel ship REGENT in the Calina System, where Security Manager Glaucen attempts to interrogate him about his "accomplice." Unbeknownst to Valdec's forces, Morgenstern's accomplice is the Electronic Assassin, a killer computer. The Electronic Assassin escapes and attempts to rescue Morgenstern, causing chaos and explosions on the REGENT. Morgenstern and the Electronic Assassin escape in a Ringo.
On 34-Urt, the Shadows meet Lodge Mistress Jana and a child named Angel, who is their column leader. They travel to the Aron System aboard the IRMINSUL, where they discover the Guard base on Frantic is silent. As they approach Frantic in a Ringo, they are caught in a Kaiser Force flash, triggered by Valdec's experiments on Lancia. The flash transforms the region into an unstable space-time zone. Morgenstern finds himself on a transformed version of the sun, Aron, while Valdec ends up near the Guard base on Frantic, which has been turned into a protoplasmic mass of the former guardsmen.
The Electronic Assassin attempts to kill Valdec, but Valdec escapes in the REGENT-One. Queen No and Angel confront Valdec, but Angel is killed by a super-driver clone from the REGENT who rescues Valdec. Queen No is left for dead. Morgenstern drifts through space until he encounters a Cosmic Spore, which transports him to Shondyke. The IRMINSUL observes the Aron System being consumed by a Dead Zone created by the Cosmic Spores. The REGENT escapes the Aron System and flees.
Key Events
- 01 Queen No, Queen Yella, and Queen Zan are interrupted during a training exercise by Commandeuse Cho Li.
- 02 The Shadows receive an Alpha-Order from Chan de Nouille to investigate Max von Valdec.
- 03 Morgenstern is captured by Valdec's forces on a freighter leaving Krisan.
- 04 The Electronic Assassin escapes and attempts to rescue Morgenstern on the REGENT.
- 05 Morgenstern and the Electronic Assassin escape in a Ringo.
- 06 The Shadows meet Lodge Mistress Jana and Angel on 34-Urt.
- 07 The Shadows travel to the Aron System aboard the IRMINSUL.
- 08 The Shadows approach Frantic in a Ringo and are caught in a Kaiser Force flash.
- 09 Morgenstern finds himself on a transformed version of Aron.
- 10 Valdec ends up near the Guard base on Frantic, which has been transformed.
- 11 The Electronic Assassin attempts to kill Valdec, but Valdec escapes in the REGENT-One.
- 12 Queen No and Angel confront Valdec, but Angel is killed by a super-driver clone.
- 13 Queen No is left for dead.
- 14 Morgenstern encounters a Cosmic Spore, which transports him to Shondyke.
- 15 The IRMINSUL observes the Aron System being consumed by a Dead Zone.
- 16 The REGENT escapes the Aron System and flees.
Characters
Queen No — A Shadow of the Gray Guards, skilled but with weak PSI abilities. She is assigned to investigate Valdec's activities and is left for dead on Frantic.
Queen Yella — A Shadow of the Gray Guards, part of Queen No's column. She is more talkative and questions the alliance with the Terranauts.
Queen Zan — A Shadow of the Gray Guards, part of Queen No's column.
Commandeuse Cho Li — A Commandeuse in the Gray Guards who delivers the Alpha-Order to the Shadows.
Chan de Nouille — The Great Gray, leader of the Gray Guards, who issues the Alpha-Order.
Max von Valdec — The former Lord Colonel and Council Chairman, now a fugitive building a power base on Lancia. He is the target of the Shadows' mission.
Master Builder Zarkophin — Valdec's chief scientist, responsible for developing the Zarkophin Shield.
Security Manager Glaucen — Valdec's security manager, a fat and cruel man who attempts to interrogate Morgenstern. He is killed by the Kaiser Force flash.
Queen Yazmin — A Queen in Valdec's service, in command of the REGENT.
Prometheus 107 — A super-driver clone in Valdec's service.
Morgenstern — A Terranaut who stows away on a freighter to investigate Valdec. He is captured but later rescued.
Lodge Mistress Jana — A Lodge Mistress of the Terranauts, tasked with assisting the Shadows.
Lem Odebreit — A young member of Jana's lodge, a Driver with passive PSI abilities.
Angel — A child who is the column leader for the Shadows, possessing a potential amplifier to reflect PSI energy. She is killed by a super-driver clone.
Scanner Cloud — A Psyter and friend of Morgenstern, located on Shondyke.
Locations
9th Stellar Province — The location of the Shadows' training exercise.
Anahan System — The system where the courier of the Cosmorality arrives.
34-Urt — A Guard base where the Shadows are to meet the Terranauts.
VAN HALEN-Two — A funnel ship that transports the Shadows to 34-Urt.
Vieber Complex — A cluster of suns in the Rim Worlds sector Laros, suspected to be Valdec's base of operations.
Rim Worlds sector Laros — The sector containing the Vieber Complex.
Aron System — A system with three planets, including Frantic.
Frantic — A planet in the Aron System with a Guard base.
Calina System — The system where Valdec's base is located.
Lancia — The planet where Valdec is building his power base.
Kaisergrad — Valdec's steel city on Lancia.
Lake Gandhi — A lake near Kaisergrad.
Sarym — The destination of the IRMINSUL after the events in the Aron System.
Shondyke — A planet where Scanner Cloud is located.
Ships & Vehicles
IRMINSUL — Jana's Driver ship, used to transport the Shadows to the Aron System.
VAN HALEN-Two — A funnel ship that transports the Shadows to 34-Urt.
REGENT — Valdec's funnel ship.
REGENT-One — A Ringo used by Valdec to escape the REGENT.
Ringo — A small spacecraft used by the Shadows and Morgenstern.
Technology & Concepts
Shadows — Highly trained agents of the Gray Guards.
Gray Guards — The military force of the Terran Empire.
Alpha-Order — A high-priority order from the Great Gray.
Terranauts — Members of the Driver organization.
PSI Powers — Psionic abilities.
Electronic Assassin — A killer computer designed to eliminate Valdec.
Multisensory Mask (MS-Mask) — A mask that enhances the wearer's senses.
Kaiser Force — A powerful energy source derived from Space II.
Space II — An alternate dimension.
Zarkophin Shield — A device designed to collect and radiate Kaiser Force energy.
Cosmic Spores — Gigantic, seed-like structures that travel through space.
Dead Zone — An artificial Black Hole created by the Cosmic Spores.
Themes & Notes
This booklet explores themes of betrayal, shifting alliances, and the dangers of unchecked scientific ambition. The tone is dark and suspenseful, with elements of body horror and cosmic horror. The narrative style is fast-paced and action-oriented, with frequent shifts in perspective.
Connections
Continues from: Previous booklets detailing Valdec's escape and rise to power.
Leads into: The aftermath of the Kaiser Force flash and the consequences of the Cosmic Spores' actions.
Related booklets: Booklets focusing on the Gray Guards, Terranauts, Valdec, and the nature of Space II.