Character guide

Dr. Richard Arcot

major

Also known as Arcot, Dr. Arcot, Uncle Arcot, Dr. Robert Arcot, Arcot junior, the elder Arcot, young Arcot

Arcot is the restless mind at the center of the team, the man whose bantering confidence and wild theoretical leaps make interstellar travel conceivable. His playful needling of friends like Fuller hides a genuine willingness to gamble everything on an untested idea, and his fame chafes against Morey's quieter contributions. Without his insistence that the velocity of light is merely a property of space to be rewritten, the expedition would never leave the ground.

Morey

major

Also known as the elder Mr. Morey, Mr. Morey, the elder Morey, Morey senior, XI Morey

Morey is the steady counterweight to Arcot's showmanship, the man who grumbles theatrically about doing all the hard work while Arcot collects the glory. As the elder Morey's son and the expedition's financier, he carries both the money and the discipline that keep the ship flying. When crisis strikes mid-voyage, his calm, methodical mind is what holds the crew together.

Wade

major

Also known as Only Wade

Wade's past as the invisible Air Pirate makes him the crew's most complicated member, a former adversary turned indispensable colleague through psychomedical cure and Arcot's trust. He brings chemistry, invisibility technology, and a wry humor to the team, needling Fuller and matching Arcot's banter. His redeemed criminal ingenuity gives the voyage a wildcard edge that pure academia could never supply.

Torlos

supporting

Also known as the giant Torlos, XIX Torlos

Torlos commands a Nansalian ship and greets the Earthmen with wary curiosity, communicating through telepathy in a world where speech is secondary. His enormous strength and three-hundred-fifty-pound frame are matched by a courteous, hopeful nature, and he leaps at the chance to visit Earth despite knowing he will look alien there. His friendship with Arcot bridges two species and proves that kinship can outrun biology.

John Fuller

supporting

Also known as the late John Fuller, Fuller, Kid Fuller

Fuller is the hands-on builder among theorists, the man Arcot teases as 'the late John Fuller' for arriving an hour late from Chicago. He grumbles about being dragged from his drafting table, yet the promise of seeing Antares and Andromeda up close hooks him instantly. His engineering skill turns Arcot's mathematics into a ship that can actually fly, making him essential to the expedition's survival.

Tharlano

supporting

Also known as Old Tharlano

Tharlano represents the accumulated wisdom of a race that has endured the cold dark of interstellar space, and he greets the Earthmen with measured respect rather than fear. He recognizes their desire to return home but asks them to come again, understanding that five days of travel now binds two worlds together. His guidance proves literally navigational, steering the Ancient Mariner correctly homeward when the crew needs it most.

Sator

minor

Ruler of the Satorians, a hostile alien civilization.

Nansal

minor

Leader of the Nansalian people, a peaceful alien race.

Robert Morey

minor

Also known as Morey

Son of the elder Morey, a young crew member.

Arthur Morey

minor

Also known as the younger Morey

Another son of the Morey family, part of the expedition.

Weakmuscles Fuller

minor

Also known as Fuller

Nicknamed for his slight build, a member of the crew.