Dramatis Personae

Examiners: English name for Galaxy-spanning protective service. Move Caltech & MIT to Tau to Test humanity for responsibility.

Earth

Vesna Grohar: astrophysicist and on crew of Gamble. Sister to Janez and Mina.
Christina Noriega: General, USAF. Commander of Gamble.
Kalpana Sarswati: astronomer, operator of SETI array, married to Janez Grohar.

Caltech:

William ‘Will’ Chamer: grad student in electrical engineering, later lead Screamer, eventually chief medic and teacher of Caltech. Trained by Examiners. Married to Mina Grohar.
Zmago ‘Z’ Grohar Chamer: very slightly the elder of the children of Will and Mina. Interests in spaceflight and navigation.
Karen Grohar Chamer: Z’s twin sister. Xenologist and rancher.
David Dorman: undergrad in aeronautical engineering. Head of the Blacker Ninja Division and later the BOC Ninjas.
Mina Grohar: grad in geophysics, lead surveyor of California. Married to William Chamer.
Mackenzie Long: undergrad and resident of Dabney House. Sometime follower of Andrew Chao. Died attempting to return from self-imposed exile.
Sarah Long: daughter of Mackenzie. Rescued by Melinda Yang in infancy. Electrical engineer.
Venkat Sakhar: grad student in molecular biology, supplier of vitamins and insulin. Later Techer Health Minister and President.
John Stansted: grad student in mechanical engineering, BOC ninja. Attempts to poison Patrick Townsend’s patients at the urging of Andrew Chao. Commits suicide in prison.
Patrick Townsend: grad student in biochemistry, med school at UCLA, Avery House RA. Trained by Examiners. Later chief medic of MIT and involved with Kathryn Hildenstoy.
Melinda Yang: undergrad in particle physics, resident of Blacker House. BOC ninja, also surveyor and teacher to the young. Guardian to Sarah Long.
Kevin Zhang: grad student in physics, discoverer of process to make negative matter. One of the Four Physicists.

MIT:

Andrew Chao: undergrad in Course 7 (premed), resident of Slugfest. Leader of the Failures. Dies in Failure War.
Adam Delbert: undergrad in Course 16 and Air Force ROTC. Cadet Captain of the Revere Company.
Elmund Gera: grad student in environmental engineering, resident of pika. Trained by Examiners. Head of Gera Organization. Dies in Failure War.
Kathryn Hildenstoy: undergrad in Course 6, resident of Cruft Labs. Trained by Examiners. Paranoid and militant, but good.
Rob Lessik: undergrad in Course 8. One of the Four Physicists. Killed by Andrew Chao.
Julian Marriner: undergrad in Course 17. Trained by Examiners. Musician. Dies immediately after announcement of Passage.
Luke Maness: undergrad, chief lieutenant of Andrew Chao. Public face of Failures after Chao fakes his own death.
Julia Morbidini: One of the Four Physicists.
Laura Sturm: undergrad in Course 2. Ham radio enthusiast, MIT Screamer. Killed during Failure War.
Zijun Xin: grad student in EAPS. One of the lead surveyors of Massachusetts, builder of White Towers station. Trained by Examiners. Dies during Failure War.