More Kaldor City Bits. Nothing of Note.

[fangrrl_squees]

When I'm in a rut - er, groove - I'm going to flow with it. My life's stressful enough as it is for me to muck about with change and disorder and such. So, with that in mind: I'm trying to untangle the timeline of events in/around Kaldor City

I'm not sure when the story Robots of Death is supposed to occur in the chronology, aside from some perceptible time before the novel Corpse Marker. That said:

Capel's nasty little scheme on Storm Mine Four occurred (Robots of Death). The survivors of the incident are Uvanov, Pouls and Toos.

At some later point, Uvanov was the project coordinator of the "cyborg" class of robots - the project fails, spectacularly (Corpse Marker).

Also mentioned in Corpse Marker is the identity of Uvanov's assistant - Cailio Techlan - who apparently spied on Uvanov on behalf of Carnell.

In Hidden Persuaders, Uvanov and Landerchild attend the funeral of another First Master (name forgotten). A news report of the funeral mentions that said First Master's assistant/companion of the time was... Cailio Techlan. I'm filing that one away for future reference.

In Storm Mine, it's made apparent that only ten months have passed between the events of Occam's Razor and the end of Checkmate - Iago makes mention that Blayse killed more people in ten months than he did in a lifetime - granted, the source in this context is suspect, but I'm working with what I can. So it seems that Robots of Death unfolded eight months before that.

Meanwhile, eighteen months has passed between the end of Checkmate and the start of Storm Mine - if one accepts Blayse's perception of things, that is.

But then... the Chief Mover mentions an "accident" of 18 months ago, which killed most of the staff. At first, I thought this was a reference to Robots of Death but, duh, that's way off. I think he's referring to the robots uprising at the end of Checkmate - but the circumstances (and results) are so similar to Robots of Death (nastiness on a storm mine, almost everyone killed, survivors definitely a bit loopy in their own ways) that it's rather confusing.

Hm.

The symmetry of that timing has set off a few alarm bells, but maybe I'm over-thinking things.

However the timing is sliced, Uvanov went from "project coordinator" to Chairholder of the Corporation in quite a short time. I know he's a self-made man and all but, yow!

It seems that, in addition to getting my hands of a copy of Corpse Marker, I should watch Robots of Death again. I think it would clear up a lot of my confusion...

(Meanwhile, the chances of making Chicago recede ever-further, unless someone wants to make me a gift of airfare. Sigh...)

Comments

[dungeoneer.livejournal.com]

I thought Iago mentioned in Checkmate that the happenings on Storm Mine Four occurred ten years ago?

[fangrrl-squees.livejournal.com]

Hm, I don't remember that. I'll probably be listening to it again, fairly soon, so I'll keep my ears open. Thanks!

[dungeoneer.livejournal.com]

No problem. And as for Uvanov's rapid rise to power... well, his own skill as a politician aside, he was working with Carnell and had been for a while by the time of Occam's Razor. And without X-factors like the Doctor to throw their spanner into his psychostrategic works I daresay their plans ran a good deal more smoothly.

Of course, a certain gestalt entity could also take some of the responsibility.

[fangrrl-squees.livejournal.com]

I just listened to some more KC on the way home (the advantage of a long commute) and, indeed, during Checkmate, Uvanov mentions that the incident on Station Four was "years ago", so that clears up that little bit of confusion.

Still doesn't help me make up my mind re: whateverthefuck is going on in "Storm Mine", though. :)

[dungeoneer.livejournal.com]

To quote Iago in Death's Head (who was of course paraphrasing Travis) It was all a great illusion, Blayes...

[britgeekgrrl.livejournal.com]

Oh, HELL YES.

Right now (ie, six hours before I have to get up for work) I don't have time to get into it, but I would LOVE to get into all sorts of Kaldor City-related minutia discussion with you. When might you have time - in the greater sense, I mean? ;)

[dungeoneer.livejournal.com]

I keep erratic hours, but I daresay I'll be awake in fifteen-sixteen hours' time. I'm usually logged into LiveJournal's IM service, at any rate.

[britgeekgrrl.livejournal.com]

I'm about to head off for a gaming con over the weekend, but I'll have email access. Watch this space, etc, etc.

Do you have any public KC-related entries, yourself?

[dungeoneer.livejournal.com]

Not that I recall. I've not been in a fannish mood for quite some time now, but I do have a soft spot for Robots of Death-related stuff.

[britgeekgrrl.livejournal.com]

oops, I should mention - if you didn't know already - that britgeekgrrl is fangrrl_squees in another skin...