Dedication
For CINDY BEASON, for being there and supporting my dreams throughout the years.
(Doug Beason)
For REBECCA MOESTA ANDERSON, with her sharp eyes, sharp pencil, and loving heart.
(Kevin J. Anderson)
Acknowledgments
Writing Assemblers of Infinity required knowledge and expertise in many areas. For their invaluable assistance, we would like to thank Dr. Rod Hyde and Lt. Gen. Tom Stafford’s Synthesis Group, Dr. Jim Degnan, Dr. Bel Campbell, Michael Meltzer, Clare Bell, M. Coleman Easton, Dan’l Danehy-Oakes, Lori Ann White, Michael C. Berch, Thomas Ryan Nelson for Aiken and the caviar, Lt. Col. Tom Walsh, Eric Fukumitsu, Jeff Kidd, Kathleen M. Dyer, Leslie Lauderdale, Rebecca Moesta Anderson, Cindy Beason, Betsy Mitchell, Heather McConnell, and Richard Curtis.
dramatis personae
Columbus Base
Trevor “Can’t Wait” Waite—Maintenance specialist
Siegfried Lasserman—Telemetry specialist and hopper pilot
Becky Snow—-Electronics engineer
Jason Dvorak—Commander of Columbus Base
Margaret Dvorak—His wife, back on Earth
Lacy Dvorak—His daughter, back on Earth
Lawrence Dvorak—His son, back on Earth
Dr. Cyndi Salito—Mining engineer
Lon “Big Daddy” Newellen—Communications expert
Collins L-l Waystation
Bryan “Zed” Zimmerman—L-l to Moon shuttle pilot
Dr. Bernard Chu—Director, L-l Station
Washington, D.C.
Celeste McConnell—Director of United Space Agency
Major General Simon Pritchard, USAF—Special assistant to McConnell
Albert Fukumitsu—Duty manager, United Space Agency Mission Control
Lt Col. Eileen Dannon—Bernard Chu’s predecessor on the Collins
Antarctica
Kent Woodward—Astronaut
Gunther Mosby—Astronaut
Dr. Erika Trace—Nanotechnology researcher
Dr. Jordan Parvu—Nanotechnology pioneer
Sinda Parvu—His wife, an anthropologist
Timothy Parvu—His son
Dr. Bingham Grace—Astronaut and commander, Simulated Mars Mission
Alpha Base, Wendover AFB, Utah
Major Jardine Felowmate, USAF—Alpha Base commanding officer
Francine Helschmidt—Liaison, International Verification Initiative
Other Locations
Dr. Maia Compton-Reasor—Stanford nanotechnologist
Dr. Maurice Taylor—MIT nanotechnologist, Erika’s PhD adviser
Rico Portola—Astronaut on the ill-fated Grissom
Dr. Piter Sommerveld—Belgian nanotech researcher
Julia Falbring—News reporter
Clark McConnell—Celeste McConnell’s husband, killed on the ill-fated Grissom