A Night Without Stars

A Night Without Stars
is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © 2016 by Peter F. Hamilton

All rights reserved.

Published in the United States by Del Rey, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.

D
EL
R
EY
and the
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OUSE
colophon are registered trademarks of Penguin Random House LLC.

Published in the United Kingdom by Pan, an imprint of Pan Macmillan, London.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Hamilton, Peter F., author.

Title: A night without stars : a novel of the Commonwealth / Peter F. Hamilton.

Description: New York : Del Rey, [2016] | Series: Commonwealth: chronicle of the Fallers ; 2

Identifiers: LCCN 2016017030 (print) | LCCN 2016022034 (ebook) | ISBN 9780345547224 (hardback) | ISBN 9780345547231 (ebook)

Subjects: | BISAC: FICTION / Science Fiction / Space Opera. | FICTION / Action & Adventure. | FICTION / Thrillers. | GSAFD: Science fiction.

Classification: LCC PR6058.A5536 N54 2016 (print) | LCC PR6058.A5536 (ebook) | DDC 823/.914—dc23

LC record available at
https://lccn.loc.gov/​2016017030

ebook ISBN 9780345547231

randomhousebooks.com

Book design by Elizabeth A. D. Eno, adapted for ebook

Cover design: David G. Stevenson

Cover illustration: © Igor Zh./Shutterstock

v4.1

ep

1,000,000
B.C.
(approx.)
…Raiel armada invades the Void. Never returns.

A.D.
1200
…Prime species' home star system and renegade Prime colony star (Dyson pair) quarantined behind force fields by the Anomine.

1900
…Starflyer crash-lands on Far Away, 400 light-years from Earth.

2037
…First attempted human rejuvenation, Jeff Baker.

2050
…Nigel Sheldon and Ozzie Isaacs open wormhole to surface of Mars.

2057
…Wormhole opened to Proxima Centuri. Start of interstellar colonization.

2100
…Eight new worlds settled. Official formation of Intersolar Commonwealth Council, the “Parliament of Worlds.”

2100–onward
…Massive expansion of human settlements across H-congruous planets. Rise of Big15 industrial worlds.

2102
…Huxley's Haven founded, genetic conformist constitution.

2150
…Prime star disappears from Earth's sky—unnoticed.

2222
…Paula Myo born on Huxley's Haven.

2270
…Prime star pair identified as Dyson Emission Spectrum twins.

2163
…
High Angel
discovered orbiting Icalanise.

2380
…Dudley Bose observes Dyson Alpha vanish.

2381
…Starship
Second Chance
flies to Dyson Alpha.

2381–2383
…Starflyer War.

2384
…First colony fleet (Brandt Dynasty) leaves to found human colony outside Commonwealth.

2545–onward
…Use of large starships to establish Commonwealth “External” worlds.

2550
…Commonwealth Navy Exploration Fleet founded to explore galaxy beyond External worlds.

2560
…Commonwealth Navy ship
Endeavor
circumnavigates galaxy, captained by Wilson Kime; discovery of the Void.

2603
…Navy discovers 7th
High Angel
–type ship.

2620
…Raiel confirm their status as ancient galactic race who lost war against the Void.

2833
…Completion of ANA (Advanced Neural Activity) first stage on Earth. Grand Family members begin memory download into ANA.

2867
…Sheldon Dynasty gigalife project partially successful, first human body biononic supplements for regeneration and general iatrics.

2872
…Start of Higher human culture, biononic enrichment allowing a society of slow-paced long life, rejection of commercial economics and old political ideologies.

2913
…Earth begins absorption of “mature” humans into ANA; inward migration begins.

2984
…Formation of radical Highers, who wish to convert human race to Higher culture.

3000
…Sheldon Dynasty colony fleet (30 starships) leaves Commonwealth, believed to possess long-range transgalactic flight capability.

3001
…Ozzie produces uniform neural entanglement effect, known as gaiafield.

3040
…Commonwealth invited to join Centurion Station, the Void observation project supervised by Raiel, a joint enterprise between alien species.

3120
…ANA officially becomes Earth's government; total planetary population 50 million (activated bodies) and falling.

3126
…Brandt Dynasty transgalactic colony fleet launched.

3150
…External world Ellezelin settled.

3255
…Kerry, radical Higher Angel, arrives on Anagaska; Inigo's conception.

This era (time uncertain)
…Edeard born in the Void.

3320
…Inigo begins duty tour at Centurion star system; his first dream.

3324
…Inigo settles on Ellezelin, founds Living Dream movement, begins construction of Makkathran2.

3326
…Nigel Sheldon's mission into the Void.

3328
…The Void expels Bienvenido into intergalactic space.

3331
…Sheldon Dynasty leaves Commonwealth.

3336
…Laura Brandt opens exploratory wormhole to Ursell.

3407
…Ozzie departs Commonwealth for the Spike to build “galactic dream.”

3589
…Ethan elected Cleric Conservator of Living Dream, announces pilgrimage into the Void.

3590
…The Void transcends.

3593
…Ry Evine's Liberty mission.

BIENVENIDO

Laura Brandt
…Molecular physicist

Joey Stein
…Hyperspace theorist

Kysandra
…The Warrior Angel

Demitri
…ANAdroid

Marek
…ANAdroid

Valeri
…ANAdroid

Fergus
…ANAdroid

Florian
…Forest warden

Ry Evine
…Pilot major, People's Astronaut Regiment

Anala Em Yulei
…Pilot major, People's Astronaut Regiment

Chaing
…Captain, People's Security Regiment

Jenifa
…Corporal, People's Security Regiment

Lurvri
…Lieutenant, People's Security Regiment

Corilla
…Student, Chaing's informant

Stonal
…Director, section seven

Yaki
…Director, PSR Opole office

Ashya Kukaida
…Colonel, PSR Opole office, records division

Castillito
…Florian's mother, civil rights lawyer

Terannia
…Florian's aunt, music club manager

Matthieu
…Terannia's partner, musician

Joffler
…Drug dealer

Rohanna
…Joffler's girlfriend

Hokianga
…Colonel, Opole Regiment

Lukan
…Underworld driver

Roxwolf
…Opole's top underworld boss

Billop
…Opole underworld boss

Faustina
…Chief scientist, section seven

Adolphus
…Prime minister

Terese
…Deputy prime minister

COMMONWEALTH

Paula Myo
…Senior investigator, Serious Crimes Directorate

ANDROMEDA GALAXY SETTLEMENT

Nigel Sheldon
…Inventor of wormhole technology