The Archimedes Engine

The Archimedes Engine is a 2024 science fiction book by Peter F. Hamilton that establishes lore for a 2026 game called Exodus.

Stats

• Author: Peter F. Hamilton
• Publication date: 2026
• Publisher: Random House Worlds

Details

People

Aljan

(c15) A son of Terence and brother to Vanilda.

Annabeth

(c?) Medic and girlfriend of Terence. (c7) Dumps Terence due to his long work hours.

Asahi-Iryna

(c25) The archon assigned by Ualana-Shoigu to replace archon Makaio-Faraji.

Avone-Valerio, General

(c28) Imperial Knight assigned by Queen Helena-Thyra to take over Gondiar in retribution for the assassination of Makaio-Faraji. (c29) A missile strike from their forces kills the marchioness after Imperial ghosts are shot by a sniper while en route to capture Otylia.

Bekket

(c4) A first life male partner of Helena-Chione and sire of Thyra.

Bensath, Sergeant

(c18) A mercenary hired by Gyvoy for raiding a Celestial compound on Kajval. (c22) A mercenary hired by Gyvoy for raiding a factory on Kingsnest.

Clavissa

(c8) One of the congregant daughters of Helena-Chione. Ambushes Thyra with other daughters but fails. (c15) Daughter of Jolav-Dabny. Injured by a bloodlien and rescued by congregant daughter Thyra during their Second Trial. (c30) Agrees to spy on Helena-Thyra for her father, Jolav-Dabny, and his friend, Gahiji-Calder.

Colvin

(c7) A Stanvar8 gang member who Terance interrogates for information on Dagon. Mysteriously self-immolates during an interrogation.

Dagon

(c7) A focus of Terenceʼs investigations into the Q-I-X movement. Linked to the death of Younes and Colvin.

Delfina

(c15) Daughter of Ualana-Lyon. Dies during the Second Trial.

Dushan

(c16) Son (?) of Otylia and Josias. Sibling of Laurella.

Eleanor

(a.k.a. “Ellie”) A human stranded on Anoosha when their spacecraft crashes. Helps Finn after he lands in a tree.

Elohim

(c1) An ancient starfaring people who terraformed many planets and constructed the Gates of Heaven. Presumably control the course of Dolod via its Archimedes Engine.

Eulaie

(c31) A congregant daughter of Helena-Thyra who eliminated two other congregant daughters in First Trial.

Faraji

(c1) A curious young boy destined to host Makaio‑Yalbo’s mindline. See Makaio-Faraji.

Finn

(c1) A Uranic human capable of manipulating livestone. Thrown from a plane above the Camurdy Mountains on Anoosha. Rescued by Ellie and Josias.

Gahiji-Calder

(c2) Chief archon of Wynid for Helena-Chione. (c23) Queen Helena-Thyra replaces Gahiji-Calder with Ualana-Shoigu as chief archon. (c25) Conspires with Jolav-Dabny and Makaio-Faraji to investigate anomalous behavior of Ualana-Shoigu and Queen Helena-Thyra.

Gyvoy

(c6) A traveler of the Enfoe Traveler Dynasty whom Finn knows. (c18) Accompanies Finn to the Hoa Quinzu in order to retrieve a Celestial dropship for descending into Dolod's atmosphere when it arrives at Kelowan. (c?) Accompanies Finn to retrieve the Archimedes Engine operating system from Kingsnest. (c30) Terence finds the real Gyvoyʼs corpse enclosed within livestone in the Stanvar8's Dark Paradise club, indicating the Gyvoy accompanying Finn on the Diligent is a imposter. (c34) Retrieves a large quantity of antimatter from an Archimedes Engine engine station of Dolod and loads it onto Arcadiaʼs Moon.

Helena-Chione

(c4) Gives birth to only a single daughter: Thyra. (c21) Is dominated by Thyra with neural weaponry. Gives up her memories to Thyra who becomes Helena-Thyra. Dies.

Helena-Thyra

See Thyra.

Iuntin-Detlef

(c20) Senior representative of the Guillrameo family. Murders Ualana-Lyon.

Jimena

(c7) A forensics technician who assists Terenceʼs investigation of Younesʼs murder.

Jolav-Dabny

(c15) Father of Clavissa who was wounded during the Second Trial and saved by Thyra. Consoles Ualana-Lyon following their loss of Delfina (c25) Conspires with Gahiji-Calder and Makaio-Faraji to investigate anomalous behavior of Ualana-Shoigu and Queen Helena-Thyra.

Josias Aponi

(c1) A human stranded on Anoosha when their spacecraft crashes. Helps Finn. (c3) Leader of the arkship Diligent and its human refugees who arrived at the Kelowan system from the Sol system asteroid Eunomia.

Laurella

(c16) Daughter of Otylia and Josias. Sister of Dushan.

Liliana

(c1) Throws Finn out an airplane above the Camurdy Mountains of Anoosha. (c2) Captures Finn as a Quinitai family double-agent in order to maintain Anooshaʼs government. (c17) Murders Marcellu. (c20) Helps Iuntin-Detlef murder Ualana-Lyon. (c29) Helps convince Josias to become a figurehead for human liberation on Gondiar. (c34) Helps Gyvoy secure anti-matter aboard Arcadiaʼs Moon.

Luus-Marcela, Queen

(c2) Queen of Bassa of the Crown Dominion.

Makaio‑Yalbo

(c1) A Celestial Archon of the Wynid Royal House overseeing the Crown Dominion’s interests. (c10) Accepts the suggestion of his supervisor, Wynidʼs chief archon, Gahiji-Laurent, to move his mindline on, becoming Makaio-Faraji.

Makaio-Faraji

(c10) A Celestial Archon who inherits Makaio-Yalboʼs mindline. (c27) Is assassinated by a concluder at the Roundhouse Mansion on Gondiar while speaking with Terence. (c25) Has sons Neusch and Soltz.

Malquilvo-Beaumont, Lord

(c15) Accuses Thyra of murdering his daughter Valeri and Ualana-Lyonʼs daughter Delfina during the Second Trial. Helena-Chione immediately executes him upon reading Thyraʼs memories and finding no evidence of foul play.

Marchioness

(c0; a.k.a. Mary Kathleen Jalgori-Tobu) 43rd Marchioness of Santa Rosa. Finnʼs mother. (c6) Approves the sale of Finnʼs Hafnir to Josias and his people. (c29) Killed in a missile strike during General Avoneʼs takeover of Gondiar.

Medusa

(c?) Subordinate of Marcellu. (c?) Recruited by archon Sahdin (?) after Marcellu is assassinated. (c?) Captured by Terence after bombing near High Rosa. (c?) Hidden from Avone by Terence as coma patient in Santa Rosa hospice.

Moaksha

(c3) A race engineered as biological memory storage. Have bodies resembling centaurs with 5 lower limbs and a humanoid torso and arms at the front. Produce the chemical rekaul which is valued for its ability to enhance memories when consumed.

Neusch

(c?) Son of Makaio-Faraji. (c?) Does not receive Makaio's mind line due to Makaio's assassination on Gondiar. (c30) Is in cahoots with Jolav-Dabny and Gahiji-Calder and present on the Kelowan system. Is assigned to assist Clavissa if she requires help while spying on Thyra.

Olomo

(c1) An Archon of the Heresy Dominion who secretly informs Makaio‑Yalbo about the existence of Dolod and its trajectory towards Kelowan.

Otylia

(c1) Finn’s twin sister who practiced sculpting livestone with him during childhood. (c12) Turns Okkwell Manor into a Gath sanctuary. Finn takes her suggestion to use Gath labor to maintain the Diligent after most of the human crew settle on Hafnir.

Oujanya

(c21) Princess congregant for Helena-Chione. (c23) Mentally dominated by Helena-Thyra into changing her career track from economics student to Navy officer. (c30) Accompanies Helena-Thyra as she leads the unified Imperial Navy.

Pablo

(c12) A Gath who Otylia takes in after being beaten by their employes for not participating in a cage fight. (c33) Hears Ellie scream while working on plumbing on the Diligent. Causes Ellie to question her own memory.

Radwarno-Werkas

(c33) Commander of Empress Carolienʼs Twenty-Third Squadron assigned to escort Queen Helena-Thyraʼs Royal Fleet.

Serrilda-Kroja, Admiral

(c31) An admiral who accompanies Helena-Thyra on the Dracaenae as she leads her Royal Fleet fleet from Wynid to Kelowan.

Soltz

(c25) A son of Makaio-Faraji and brother to Neusch.

Stanvar8

(c?) A criminal organization of Santa Rosa. (c?) Gutted after Terence forced by the governor of Gondiar to divulge all his archon intelligence network which includes sources within Stanvar8 following the bombing near High Rosa. (c30) Terence explores the dead organization's headquarters near the Dark Paradise club of the Haywood Block on Oldmixon Avenue in Santa Rosa.

Stethos-Remi

Court datamaster for Helena-Thyra who accompanies her on the Dracaenae as she leads her Royal Fleet from Wynid to Kelowan.

Terence Wilson-Fletcher

(c5) A Santa Rosa probationary constable. Recruited by archon agent Lenertz Mo, who is also his supervisor, to gather intelligence outside of law enforcement channels on the Q-I-X (Queen in Exile) movement which seeks to depose Queen Zuberi-Dulcina from power in the Kelowan system. (c7) Investigates an off-worlder named Dagon resulting in mysterious deaths of Stanvar8 gang members Younes and Colvin. (c27) Witnesses Makaio-Farajiʼs assassination by a concluder and receives the dying archonʼs personality as a rider.

Thyra

(c4) Daughter of Helena-Chione and Bekket. (c15) Is accused by Lord Malquilvo-Beaumont of murdering congregant daughters Valeri and Delfina during the Second Trial. Privately recounts to her father, Bekket, how she turned bloodliens against Valeri, Delfina, and Clavissa during the Second Trial with her neural weaponry. (c21) Forcibly succeeds Helena-Chione with a neural weapon while they are alone in a steam room, becoming Helena-Thyra. (c23) replaces Gahiji-Calder with Ualana-Shoigu as chief archon.

Toše

(c14) Murders Tabia with a concluder. (c29) Helps convince Josias to become a figurehead for human liberation movement on Gondiar.

Valeri

(c15) Daughter of Lord Malquilvo-Beaumont. Killed during the Second Trial.

Vanilda

(c19) Terence's daughter with Jimena and sister to Aljan. (c24) Confronts Terence about her support of the human liberation movement of Gondiar. (c30) Rejects fleeing Gondiar with Otylia in order to accompany her father, Terence, as he covertly pursues Liliana and Tose. Accompanies Terence and Jimena as they investigate Stanvar8's Dark Paradise for clues about Liliana, Tose, and the faction they support.

Younes

(c7) Murdered in connection with Terenceʼs investigation of Dagon.

Zuberi-Dulcina, Queen

(c2) The Queen of Kelowan who attempted the subvert the Imperial Celestials with neural weaponry and an evolution dogma. Defeated by the other five queens of the Crown Dominion seven thousand years ago who carved up the Kelowan system and executed Zuberiʼs family. The Accords among the Queens of the Crown Dominion were made following her execution. (c30) Led an evolution project opposed by the Crown Dominion.

Places

Anoosha

(c1) A planet within the Poseidon Nebula where Finn is dropped from a plane above its southern hemisphere. The planet hosts humans who mine ores and minerals. Governed by Queen Carolien of Verakʼs Grand Families. (c30) Destination of Otylia and Zelinda as they flee Gondiar aboard the Polkadav.

Biniji

(c15) A terraformed Eden moon of gas giant Golwaki in the Wynid system. Location of the Second Trial where Thyra competes.

Boksrock

(c32) The innermost world of the Kelowan system.

Cherag Harbor

(c31) An anchor asteroid atop the Lyonesse orbital tower on Lidon, Malakbel.

de Verya

(c18) A gas giant in the Hoa Quinzu system where a Mara Yama fleet is refueling at that Finn and company notice while visiting Kajval.

Eunomia

(c3) A Sol system asteroid where the Diligent was built and loaded.

Gondiar

(c3) A solid giant low-density world with four times the surface area as Earth. Covered 45 percent by ocean. Population: 2 billion; demographics: mostly human, negligible Celestials. Finn owns 20 000 km² uninhabited land here which he promises to Josiah in exchange for the arkship Diligent. Gondiar produces agricultural products to feed to the planet Kelowan.

Hafnir

(c3) Undeveloped coastal land on Gondiar owned by Finn. Finn offers the land in exchange for the arkship Diligent. (c6) With some negotiating by Josias, Finnʼs mother, the marchioness, approves the transaction.

HeSea

(c1) A half–light-year diameter helium‑3 cloud within the Pillar of Zeus Nebula. Created long ago after a macroplanet composed of helium-3 mysteriously underwent a mini-nova.

Hoa Quinzu

(c18) A system of the Ratarajan Dominion, home of the reclusive Ratarajan Celestials. Contains three habitable planets. One planet, Kajval, is the destination for Finn and Gyvoy for securing a Celestial dropship. Contains a Mara Yama fleet refueling at the gas giant de Verya.

JK67b

(c1) A star system of the Gomatu Celstials undergoing a Dyson sphere megastructure construction. Was the destination of Dolod until it changed course 7 000 years ago for the Kelowan star system instead.

Kajval

(c18) A world in the Hoa Quinzu system wrecked by a Crystal Gun. Finn, Gyvoy, Ellie, and company retrieve a Celestial dropship but suffer heavy losses due to saberstones.

Kelowan, system

(c1) A star system that is the capital of the Crown Dominion. Current destination for the iron exotic Dolod. (c3) The arrival location of the Diligent and its refugees from Sol led by Josias Aponi. (c31) Has a gas giant named Lapetiie 8.7 AU away from the systemʼs star.

Kelowan, planet

(c2) A planet in the Kelowan system that hosts the capital of the Crown Dominion. (c3) Hosts estates of Grand Families. Imports food produced and exported from Gondiar rather than maintain a polluting agricultural industry.

Lapetiie

(c31) A gas giant 8.7 AU from Kelowanʼs star.

Lidon

(c2) A human-controlled planet in the Malakbel system. A destination Finn considers to travel to after leaving Gondiar.

Malakbel

(c11) A white dwarf system. Its only habitable planet is Lidon. The star collapsed during the Formation War. Plasma streams from the unstable star and the surrounding planetary nebula occlude most space ship activity. Marcellu meets Sahdiah in an asteriod here.

Pana-Seok

(c17) A city located on top of Anooshaʼs orbital tower.

Pillar of Zeus

(c1) A nebula in the Centauri Cluster.

Poseidon Nebula

(c1) A nebula visible in the skies of Anoosha.

Roundhouse Mansion

(c27) Where Makaio-Faraji is assassinated by a concluder.

Tinaja

(c1) A star system connected to the Kelowan system via a Gate of Heaven.

Things

Aeacus

(c31) A ship on Gondiar Makaio-Faraji reserved for emergencies.

Arcadiaʼs Moon

(c11) A ship captained by Andino. Is a geodesic sphere of trusses. (c31) Spotted by Neuce at Cherag Harbor, Lidon, Malakbel, while Neuce backtracked Tošeʼs journey from Gondiar, Kelowan. Neuce noticed Arcadiaʼs Moon traveled back to Gondiar disguised as the Infinite Totality, arriving shortly before General Avone-Valerio.

Archimedes Engine

(c1) An Elohim device used to move planets.

Concluder

(c14) A remnant era rifle. (c24) Terence learns Zikar provided Toše with a sensor array for augmenting his concluder long-range sniping capabilities. (c27) A concluder sniper assassinates archon Makaio-Faraji at the Governorʼs Roundhouse Mansion on Gondiar.

Cybeleʼs Eagle

(c24) A ship bound for Lidon that Terence found Toše boarded three years ago. (c31) A ship Neuce believes Toše rode to Lidon.

Diligent

(c3) The arkship that carried Josias and his people from the Sol system to the Kelowan system.

Dracaenae

(c30) Imperial ship carrying Helena-Thyra as she leads her Royal Fleet.

Gansvoort

(c31) A ship Neuce believed Toše used to fly to Lidon from Kelowan. Terence believes Liliana negotiated with this ship.

Helium-3

(c1) A fusion fuel used in starships and fusion generators of the Centauri Cluster.

Infinite Totality

(c31) A disguise for the Arcadiaʼs Moon.

Nethrus

(c30) Imperial frigate selected by Helena-Thyra as fleet herald for her Royal Fleet.

Polkadav

(c30) Ship in the Kelowan system that carries Otylia and Zelinda from High Rosa, Gondiar to Pana-Seok, Anoosha.

saberstones

(c18) Round rolling machines resembling stones on Kajval that eat armor and flesh.

Starlightʼs Shore

(c30) An Enfoe Dynasty starship. A fast courier with limited cargo capacity.

Narrative

Chapters 0-9

Chapter summaries (c0-9)

Chapter	Title	Description	Characters
	Introduction	40 000 years ago, humans created arkships and departed Earth. The initial arkships that arrived at the Centauri Cluster settled it and expanded into Celestial civilization. Subsequent arkships continue to arrive and their relatively primitive peoples are redirected towards protected irrelevant worlds.
1		POV Finn: Finn is bound and cast out from a plane above the Camurdy Mountains of the planet Anoosha. A rescue drone prevents a fatal landing. Ellie finds Finn and verifies he is human. Finn identifies as a Uranic human. Ellie cuts him down from a tree, performs first aid, then hobbles with him to her camp with Josias Aponi near their crashed lander. Hypothermic, Finn has Ellie drag him to a livestone outcrop which he shapes into a warm indoor habitat. Finn loses consciousness. POV Makaio-Yalbo: Archon of the Now and Forever Queen of Wynid, Makaio-Yalbo and his future mindline vessel, Faraji, meet with Archon of the Heresy Dominion, Olomo. Olomo tells Makaio-Yalbo that his faction discovered an iron exotic gas giant traveling through the Poseidon Nebula. Olomo explains the iron exotic, presumably launched during the Remnant era by the Elohim, was originally traveling towards JK67b and the Gomatu Celstialsʼs Dyson sphere under construction there. Olomo says his faction has named the planet Dolod. However, 7 000 years ago, the gas giantʼs Archimedes Engine changed course near a brown dwarf of the Pillar of Zeus so the new destination is Kelowan, capital of the Crown Dominion. Makaio-Yalbo and Olomo speculate on the economic implications of harvesting cheap iron from Dolod and whether the Archimedes Engine stops the planet or not at Kelowan.	Finn, Ellie, Josiah, Makaio-Yalbo, Faraji, Olomo
2		POV Finn: Finn accepts a job to attack Quinitai politicians. Finn sleeps with Liliana, leader of the combat operation. Finn is trapped by xeefoam. Finn is released and finds Liliana was a double-agent for Quinitai security. Liliana chooses to banish Finn to a remote location instead of killing him.
3		Finn wakes up. Josiah explains his origins from the Sol system; Josiah is the leader of the arkship Diligent which had initially traveled in the opposite direction of the Centauri Cluster when they received the Green Worlds signal. Finn offers Josiah land on Gondiar for Diligent settlers to colonize in exchange for the Diligent itself. Finn, Josiah, and Ellie discover a Moaksha rekaul harvesting operation. They infiltrate the drug trafficker castle and liberate the Moaksha captives. They travel away in a skimmerfoil Finn captures.
4		Helena-Chione experiences an anomalous pregnancy of only a single egg, her daughter Thyra.	Helena, Bekket
5		Constable Terence is recruited to a clandestine investigation of human rebels against Celestial power.	Terence, Younes
6		Finn, Ellie, and Josias travel from Anoosha to Santa Rosa, Kelowan. Josias identifies Uramics was changelings, offending Finn. Terence escorts Finn and company to his mother's palace. Finn reünites with his twin, Otellia (?). Otellia brags about using Finn's money for changeling philanthropy. Finn presents Josias and Ellie to his mother. Josias reveals the Diligent, like all ark ships, uses an entropy drive. Josias offers to commercially develop Finn's land. Finn's mother does not reject outright. Finn goes out for drinks with a Traveler friend. Finn uses rekaul to remember his old bohemian girlfriend.
7		Terence loses contact with Younes the morning after his failed surveillance operation. Later, Terence checks Younes's apartment and finds Younes brutally murdered there. Terence speaks with forensic tech Jimena about the crime scene. Terence's girlfriend dumps him for working late. Terence and Mo suspect a man named Dagon. Terence entraps a gang member comrade of Younes named Colvin and demands Dagon's location. Colvin bursts into flames. After receiving treatment for minor wounds, Terence meets with Mo, Mateo dʼAlvaro (Santa Rosa police commander), and Zelinda Jalgori-Tobu who orders Terence to bring Colvin's remains to a High Rosa, the orbital tower above Santa Rosa, for analysis. After Terence returns, Jimena calls him saying she knows his current burden and invites him to go drinking.	Enfoe Dynasty starship
8		Thyra trains in a combat simulation. Thyra is attacked by her competitors. Thyra conspires with her father, Bekket, to hide memories from the Queen at her next gifting.
9		Finn, Josias, and Ellie travel to the Diligent. Celestial knights follow them and demand to see the entropy drives destroyed. Finn attempts to initiate a dialogue, but the knights threaten to kill him. The knights follow Diligent Captain Dejean to the entropy drive modules. When decommissioning by ship technicians takes more than a few minutes, the knights throw grenades into each entropy drive module and call it a day. Octaine, the ship engineer, says only ancillary systems were destroyed and the entropy drives could be rebuilt within a month. Finn speculates Celestials are ignorant of entropy drive design because knowledge of their working principles permitting their construction is banned. Finn sees the Celestial knights as mere thugs who hide their ignorance through show of force and intimidation. Finn declares the entropy drives destroyed and officially permits the Diligent crew to settle oj Gondiar.

Chapters 10-19

Chapter summaries (c10-19)

Chapter	Title	Description	Characters
10		POV Makaio: Makaio and Faraji are in Wynid. Gahiji-Laurent reprimands Makaio for allowing a rival Dominion to interfere on Gondiar. POV Terence: Terence arrives in Wynid. He recalls protesting Mo's order to attend a Celestial security conference due to his engagement with Jimena. Terrence nervously waits a few days, served by a small changeling. Terence meets with Makaio-Faraji. Makaio forcefully checks Terence's brain for subterfuge or loyalty to other Dominions. Makaio brings Terence to attend a trial of the Queen's congregant sisters. POV Thyra: Thyra slaughters her congregant sisters in combat by influencing their Awakened mounts with whistles to trigger commands she programmed into them before the trial.
11		POV Marcellu: In Malakbel, archon Sadiah asks traveler Marcellu to infiltrate Santa Rosa and learn what Terence is up to. Sadiah also asks Marcellu to sabotage the arkship Diligent in order to remove the possibility of it being modified into a Starship, thus improving the predictability of affairs in the Kelowan system.
12		POV Finn: Finn fails to receive financial support from his mother to refurbish the Diligent. Finn asks his twin Otylia for assistance. Otylia suggests manning the Diligent with Gaths who otherwise face workplace discrimination on Gondiar. Finn agrees. Finn meets with traveler Gyvoy to acquire a ZPZ generator. Gyvoy offers information on one in exchange for an entropy drive; Finn discovers Gyvoy had a spy on the ship that brought him to meet the Imperial knights on the Diligent. Finn agrees to Gyvoy's offer. Gyvoy tells Finn an abandoned ZPZ generator is available in an ancient wreck in Terrik Papuan. Finn worries for his personal security since that place is part of the dangerous Wargrid. Finn sleeps with Ellie. Ellie decides to accompany Finn instead of settling in Hafnir, to his disappointment.
13
14		Marcellu looses ghosts near the salvage bubble. Toše recovers a hidden concluder sniper rifle from the wreck. Ghosts attack the wreck salvage operation. Finn commandeers plasma cutters to fight the ghosts. Toše murders Tabia with his concluder for questioning how he knew it was within the wreck.
15		POV Terence: Terence surveils Gyvoy (?) meeting _. Terence and Jemina (?) talk real estate in Hafnir. POV Helena-Chione: The queen's sex session is interrupted by accusations of congregant misconduct during the Second Trial. Malquilvo-Beaumont accuses Thyra of murdering other congregant sisters. Queen Helena reads Thyra's memories of the Second Trial. Queen Helena clears Thyra of wrongdoing and executes the Malquilvo-Beaumont, father of dead congregant sister Valeri. POV Thyra: Thyra meets with her father, Count Bekket. Thyra shares the true memories of mind controlling and riding a bloodlien feline to attack her competing sisters. Her father, Bekket, judges Thyra ready to receive more memories; Thyra is eager to receive them.
16		POV Finn: Finn and Ellie, returned from their journey, take care of business on Gondiar. Finn calls Variaka Richelieu-Travere, his girlfriend before Graça, who is engaged to Everett. Variaka refuses Finn's offer to leave Gondiar but wishes him well. Finn and Ellie return to the Diligent. They meet with traveler Gyvoy who offers Finn a mission to reprogram the Archimedes Engine surrounding Dolod in order to prevent the impoverishment of the human population of Anoosha when Dolod's iron rain crashes the mining economy. Finn accepts the mission. Finn uses rekaul to relive young sexy Variaka's promise to leave Gondiar with him. Ellie interrupts Finn's drug-induced hallucination and berates him for finding comfort in the memory of a past lover instead of her. Finn admits that despite achieving independence by winning the Diligent, he remains unhappy from being emotionally tied to his uranic heritage.
17		POV Marcellu: Marcellu meets with Medusa in the Helium6 bar in Pana-seok, Anoosha.
18		POV Finn: Finn and company arrive in the Hoa Quinzu system. They land on the planet Kajval to acquire a Celestial dropship for exploring Dolod. Saberstones in an air crystal moat eat most of their hired crew. POV Ellie: Ellie saves Finn and company by ordering an impromptu demolition of some ancient structures to create an escape route from saberstones. POV Finn: Finn successfully commandeers a Celestial dropship and hauls his crew into orbit.
19		POV Thyra: Thyra officially becomes princess congregant and receives memories from Queen Helena-Chione. POV Medusa: Sahdiah appoints Medusa to replace Marcellu. Sahdiah commands Medusa with to investigate which faction assassinated Marcellu. POV Terence: Terence attempts to capture gang member Bopbe. Bopbe is almost intercepted by an unknown third party which violently disrupts the capture operation. Terence captures Bopbe as they attempt to modify their appearance and flee Gondiar (?). Bopbe self-immolates under interrogation. Terence briefs Makaio-Faraji who happens to be in Kelowan. Makaio suspects the Maru Yama (?) celestial faction is the third faction that Bopbe belonged to.

Chapters 20-29

Chapter summaries (c20-29)

Chapter	Title	Description	Characters
20		Ualana-Lyon arrives in the Annoton to the system of the planet Uixic. Drifting microscopic machines begin stealthily covering the Annoton's hull. Ualana-Lyon is the father of the dead congregant sisters Liata and Delfina whom Ualana believes were murdered by Thyra during the Second Trial. Ualana is accompanied by his children Shoigu, Lucio, and Pavel, who arrive at the planet Uixic. Ualana wishes to investigate the background of Lord Bekket, father of Thyra. Ualana decides to take Shoigu with him to the planet. Ualana and Shiogo arrive at the town Husnak. On the Annoton, Lucio and Pavel experience a power outage. They are captured by creeping growths. On Uixic, Ualana discovers the town is fake and attempts to summon his dropship but his sons on the Annoton are incommunicado. Ualana recognizes who betrayed him and is horrified. Ualana is vaporized by several gamma ray weapons. The remains of the Annoton are towed and cast into Uixic's atmosphere.
21		Thyra carefully waits for an opportunity to be alone with Helena-Chione. Thyra forcibly succeeds Queen Helena-Chione. Helena-Chione identifies Thyra as someone she watched die screaming. Thyra becomes Queen Helena-Thyra. Before she died, Helena-Chione recognized Thyra was the queen she thought she had killed long ago.
22		POV Finn: Finn, Ellie, Gyvoy, Elsbeth, and Captain Dejean arrive in the Kiyu-Cerro system in order to visit Kingsnest. Gyvoyʼs mission for Finn is to acquire the operating system for an Archimedes Engine so Finn can shut down analogous engines on Dolod when it passes through the Kelowan System. Gyvoy and company negotiate with locals for a guide down to an Elohim factory. They travel in the Silver Cloudspear to a factory with two Ovar transports. They identify pirates tailing them. They arrive at the factory and infiltrate it. Finn discovers a neural interface and communes with the enormous mind managing the factory; Finn learns how Archimedes Engines are made and controlled. Ellie forcibly disconnects Finn due to factory defense ghosts swarming their position. Gyvoy, Finn, Ellie, Elsbeth, the two Ovars and their pilots flee towards the Silver Cloudspear circling outside the factory. They are pursued by nightweid, flying biological factory defense units: hairless flying changelings wielding blades and guns. Their two Ovar transports are caught and killed by Grozlamia, arachnids mounted by Icarians. Gyvoy, Finn, and company defeat the Grozlamias. The Daves help Finn capture a nightweid and load subversive instructions to redirect their aggression against the pirates pursuing them. Finn and company board the Silver Cloudspear and escape the factory.
23		POV Olomo: After entering Tianja from Kelowa , Olomo meets with Karaglo at the gas giant Lonizi. Karaglo says he found the neutronium core of the star that formed the HeSea. Karaglo requests funding for a project to open the core but is rejected. Karaglo also says the sensor network Olomo provided him with detected regular flights by unknown ships between Tianja and an undocumented location within the HeSea. Olomo orders Karaglo to continue his vigilance. POV Thyla: Thyla replaces Lord Gahiji-Calder with Lord Ualana-Shoigu as chief archon. POV Clavissa: Clavissa, princess Wrangler, voices her doubts about Helena-Thyra to her father, Jolav-Dabny. Clavissa believes Helena-Thyra is more Thyra than Helena. Jolav reassures Clavissa that the queen had much more significant personality changes upon previous successions and has been much more ruthless in her political appointee dismissals before.
24		POV Zikar Tasot: In Hafnir, Terrance and Lućia's offer to shelter illicit bioware seller Zikar Tasot from a kidnapping operation is mistaken for a gang shakedown. Zikar eventually agrees. POV Terence: Terence pretends to be Zikar and collects intelligence from the two enforcers sent to capture Zikar. Terence interrogates Zikar and learns Zikar built a targeting system for a concluder rifle for a man named Toše. Terence and Lućia speculate on the motives of two other groups infiltrating Santa Rosa. Terence gets stuck on traffic due to a protest. Terence attends a family cookout attended by neighbors and Otylia. His daughter Vanilda criticizes his disapproval of the protests, highlighting a lack of housing and territory provided by the Celestials on Gondiar.
25		The Crown Dominion queens meet. They agree to annex Capo Frois to intimidate the Mara Yama fleet refueling at de Verya in _.
26		Terence attempt to capture Toše at High Rosa. Terence fails. Lućia and over a hundred civilians are killed when a suitcase bomb explodes. Zelinda capitalizes on the very public crisis to restrict civil liberties in order to quell protests against Queen Helena. Zelinda orders Terence to divulge all his intelligence on Santa Rosa's gangs, effectively neutralizing his information network. Terence deploys weaponry given to him by Makaio-Faraji to openly confront Medusa. Medusa surrenders. Terence interrogates Medusa. Medusa doesn't self-immolate. Medusa reveals she is an agent leading an intelligence network for the archon Sahdiah, succeeding Marcellu. Medusa reveals she was trying to identify the same Archon agent network that Terence was pursuing. Medusa says Sahdiah was offended that another archon so brazenly murdered Marcellu. Medusa reveals that Marcellu's killer wields a Cherenkov blade and was personally close to Marcellu.
27		Terence wakes from a dream of memories not his own. Terence employs Medusa in exchange for intelligence on Toše. Terence integrates the new information with his own archives; Terence identifies the local leader of Faction 2 as Liliana, a woman who disappeared from society after the Queen Helenaʼs Economic Institute financial symposium twenty five years ago where he personally saw her talking with traveler Gyvoy whom he knows is accompanying Finn on the Diligent. Terence shares his conclusions with Makaio. Ten months later, Makaio descends to visit Terence in Santa Rosa on Gondiar. Terence briefs Makaio. Makaio concludes the bombing of High Rosa by an archon means the Great Game is concluding and so a violent next stage is soon to start. Makaio asks Terence if any of his network found mention of Uixic; Terence says no. Makaio is assassinated at long range by a shot to their shoulder. Before Makaio dies he dumps his personality directly into Terence's brain. Makaio tells his now superfluous child, Neusch, that he has activated the Phoenix protocol and to warn Lord Gahiji-Calder. Later, in his own bed, Terence dreams himself with Makaio in a bar like the one he had nightmares of. Makaio, now a rider with much lower cognitive capacity due to his now human platform, shares knowledge with Terence. Terence identifies chief archon Lord Ualana-Shoigu as the prime suspect for the assassination. Makaio suspects his assassination will result in all humans of Gondiar being exterminated in retribution and to intimidate all humans from acting against Imperial Celestials. Terence sets their mission to find Liliana and Tose.
28		POV Carolien: Empress Carolien-Amaia has breakfast interrupted to learn Lord Ualana-Shoigu demands an audience and that archon Makaio-Faraji was assassinated by a human on Gondiar in the governor's mansion by a concluder rifle. Carolien fears Helena-Thyra will blame her for the incident and demand leadership over the combined Imperial Navy that Empress Carolien and the Queens agreed to form by merging their own local navies. Empress Carolien decides to attack humans as a show of force to prove her strength to Helena-Thyra since Gondiar's fall will disrupt Helena-Thyra's economy for centuries as well as intimidate humans from rebelling Imperial Celestials again. At a formal ceremony, Carolien informs Ualana-Shoigu that the imperial Navy will invade and subdue Gondiar to find the assassin and restore order by reverting governance to the original parameters set for the humans when they first settled the planet. POV Zelinda: Zelinda sees the Imperial Navy ships arrive two years after the bombing. Zelinda calls Terence who recommends she send her family to find shelter away from Santa Rosa. Zelinda finds her brother Everett blind to the scope of the risks of Imperial occupation. Zelinda sends her children to Hafnir. Zelinda helps her mother, the marchioness, to meet General Avone-Valerio who chose the palace of Santa Rosa to govern Gondiar. Avone gruffly orders all human leaders to leave the palace and that he is taking over the government. Marchioness asks for clarification and Avone accuses her (and all humans) of murdering Makaio-Faraji which baffles all humans present. Avone says Terence knew. Zelinda evacuates her mother and family to Hafnir.
29		Terence hides Medusa from Avone in a hospice. The Green Bounty seeds Kelowan's atmosphere with kestrels that converge on the palace. Toše and Liliana capture Josias and convince him to be a figurehead for human liberation. Terence warns Otylia that she is to be abducted. Terence evacuates Otylia and his families. Avone is unknowingly provoked into killing Otylia's mother, the marchioness, in a missile strike. Terence promises to get Otylia and her family to High Rosa and off Gondiar to start a new life.

Chapters 30-35

Chapter summaries (c30-35)

Chapter	Title	Description	Characters
30		POV Clavissa: Clavissa agrees to spy on Helena-Thyra for when father _. Clavissa reports Helena-Thyra only communicates with Bekket via neural contact and frequently interfaces with the ship systems directly unlike Helena-Chione. POV: Thyra: Thyra oversees the fleet communication systems and sees the first ship enter the Elohim gate towards Kelowan. POV Clavissa: Clavissa reports no actionable intelligence on Thyra as they depart Wynid towards Kelowan. POV Otylia: On board the Polkadav traveling from Gondiar to Anoosha, Otylia tells Zelinda she plans to flee to the Diligent which should be returning soon to the Kelowan system from Kingsnest via Oxanotol. POV Terence: Terence, his daughter Valinda, and his wife Jimena, infitrate and investigate Stanvar8's Dark Pleasure club. Terence finds and uncovers Gyvoy's decades-old stabbed corpse within a livestone floor. Terence concludes the Gyvoy accompanying Finn on the Diligent for decades is an imposter.
31		POV Finn: Otylia meets with Finn and breaks the news of his mother, the marchioness's death by missile strike. Otylia shares her memories of how Terence saved her and how he is investigating Tose. Finn realizes Tose had worked with them under Gyvoy until recently. Gyvoy claims innocence. Finn tells Otylia that his journey has enabled him to make sure Dolod passes through Kelowan, disrupting the Crown Dominion's ability to profit from the iron rain which would cripple Anoosha's mining economy. POV Helena-Thyra: Helena-Thyra receives a message from Empress Carolien-Amaia five hours after entering Kelowan from Wynid with her Royal Fleet. Carolien-Amaia and Helena-Thyra send politely aggressive messages; Helena-Thyra disrupts Carolien-Amaiaʼs naval ship planning. POV Terence: Terence hides out within the Roundhouse Mansion with his daughter Vanilda and wife Jimena. Terence decides to broadcast his conclusions upon discovering Gyvoyʼs corpse to his assigned archon (Asahi-Iryna) as well as others (Sahdiah and Olomo): that Gyvoy was likely murdered and replaced by Dagon who likely has ties to the Mara Yama in Hoa Quinzu where the imposter Gyvoy visited with Finn some decades ago. Neusch contacts Terence and they share information. Neusch warns Terence that archon Asahi-Iryna is hostile and is actively attempting to locate Terence; Neusch is temporarily blocking her control of Makaio-Farajiʼs CI which Terence has been using. Neusch urges Terence to use Makaio-Farajiʼs emergency space ship, the Aeacus, to flee Gondiar. Neusch shares that he tracked Tošeʼs movements to and from Lidon via the Gansvoort and Arcadiaʼs Moon which has been disguised as the Infinite Totality. Neusch gives Terence the position of the Arcadiaʼs Moon in the Kelowan system and asks him to follow its movements. Terence, Jimena, Vanilda, and Medusa flee the Roundhouse Mansion via underground passages as it is bombed. POV Olomo: Olomo reviews information aboard his Xiyra while it orbits the gas giant Lapetiie in the Kelowan system. Olomo arrived at Kelowan early to view the Imperial Navy exercises. Olomo learned of Makaio-Farajiʼs assassination and suspects Sahdiah and the Talloch-Teh. Olomo receives Terenceʼs report about the Gyvoy with Finn being an imposter; Olomo decides to covertly follow the Diligent to observe what not-Gyvoy does. POV Terence: Terence and company board the Aeacus and depart High Rosa and begin traveling towards the Arcadiaʼs Moon. POV Sahdiah: Sahdiah receives Medusaʼs report. Sahdiah attempts and fails to integrate various intelligence surrounding Toše, Gyvoy, Gondiar, the Diligentʼs approach to Dolod, the Queenʼs Royal Fleetʼs approach to Dolod, and the human unrest on Gondiar. Sahdiah reconfigures his ship from passive asteroid into combat mode and begins traveling towards Dolod. POV Ellie: Finn watches and is disturbed by human war propaganda showing concentration camp killings. Finn reafirms to Ellie his desire to change Dolodʼs orbit. Finn has been planning his mission to Dolod with Gyvoy. Ellie expresses doubt which angers Finn.
32		POV Terence: The Aeacus arrives at the Arcadiaʼs Moon location. Terence notices the hull is just the shell of its Infinite Totality disguise. Terence and company decide the Arcadiaʼs Moon is likely to travel to the Diligent which itself is flying by Dolod on a course from the Oxanotol egress gate to the Lidon ingress gate. They notice the Wynid Royal Fleet is soon to perform navy exercises. Terence directs the Aeacus to travel to Dolod. POV Helena-Thyra: Thyra, Bekket, and Ualana-Shoigu (actually Iuntin-Detlef) form a triple neural connection in private. Iuntin reports that Terence communicated Gyvoy Enfoeʼs death to Asahi-Iryna, Olomo, and Sahdiah. Also, Terence has eluded Asahi-Irynaʼs attempt to kill him, is aboard and controlling the Aeacus. Although the Aeacus is undetectable, they conclude Terence is likely to travel to the Diligent. Thyra orders Terence to be killed. Thyra receives report of the arrival of Queen Luus-Marcelaʼs Royal Fleet. Thyra eagerly watches the Diligent approach Dolod. POV Ellie: Ellie bids farewell to Finn as he departs for Dolod from the Diligent with Gyvoy, Bensath, and the Daves. Otylia reassures Ellie. POV Terence: Terence follows the Diligent in the Aeacus at a distance due to Imperial Navy ships performing high energy scans. Terence launches observation drones.
33		POV Helena-Thyra: Thyra receives reports of a dropship approaching Dolod from the Diligent. Thyra orders observation instead of interception. POV Clavissa: Clavissa and Neusch chat about Thyraʼs oddly passive actions regarding Dolod. Neusch mentions he is traveling in three days to Uixic via the human ship Ilumn. POV Finn: Finn, the Daves, Gyvoy, and Bensath descend to an Archimedes Engine in a dropship. Finn guides the dropship down and lands in a hangar. Finn interfaces with the Engine. Finn is distracted by regret and anger from the murder of his parents. Finn decides to direct the Engines to harm Celestials. Finn wakes up to find himself alone with the Daves. The Daves report that Gyvoy and Bensath have departed in the dropship, stranding them on the Engine. POV Liliana: Liliana sees the dropship move to another Engine. Liliana, Toše, and Captain Andino discuss how Finn was useful to the human resistance movement. Toše silently asks Liliana for permission to kill the talkative Josias. POV Clavissa: Clavissa and Neusch notice the Archimedes Engine anchor ships are moving. POV Ellie: Ellie takes a rest after watching the dropship descend. Gath Pablo asks if she is okay after hearing her scream in her bedroom the other day. Ellie fails to remember screaming. Unable to sleep, Ellie takes rekaul from the Diligentʼs pharmacy. Ellie remembers seeing Gyvoy modifying Finnʼs memories through neural induction pads on his palms. Ellie remembers Gyvoy shooting her with nervejam and then having her memories erased. Ellie concludes Gyvoy is a Celestial.
34		POV Finn: Finn ponders why Gyvoy or Bensath betrayed him. The Daves ignore Finnʼs strategizing. Finn realizes he made a mistake in attacking the Celestials with the Engine. Finn discovers that doubling down rather than canceling the orders he gave to the Engines will improve his situation. POV Thyra: Thyra and her advisors are confused at how humans interfaced with the Archimedes Engine. Datamaster Stethos-Thierry briefs Thyra on how the Archimedes Engine transfers momentum between one celestial object (e.g. a star) to another (e.g. Dolod) through quintessence lines maintained between Engine station and anchor ships that surround each object respectively. Thyra orders the capture and live interrogation of all occupants of the Diligent. POV Finn: Finn believes his revised orders to the Engine will save the Diligent and himself and the Daves. Finn and the Daves board an anchor ship and begin a day-long journey back to the Diligent. POV Olomo: Olomo abandons stealth and sprints towards the anchor ship traveling towards the Diligent to capture whatever tool the humans found to control the Archimedes Engines. Olomo also sees Sahdiah racing towards the same objective. Olomo and Sahdiah parley with poetry then crudely accuse each other of assassinating Makaio-Faraji. POV Thyra: Thyra, Bekket, and Iuntin commune. Thyra is excited for the momentum transfer via the quintessence cage around Boksrock. Thyra calls the person who abandoned Finn by the name Uncle Dagon. Bekket reassures Thyra that Radwarno-Werkas knows her mission is to interrogate Finn to make the whole disaster appear to be a human rebellion. POV Toše: Toše watches Gyvoy and Bensath ride cargo attached to the end of a skyhook suspended by the Arcadiaʼs Moon. Gyvoy, Bensath, and the cargo successfully arrive at the ship. POV Finn: Finn and the Daves arrive in the anchor ship to the Diligent. Ellie briefs Finn about Gyvoy being a Celestial. Finn is not surprised. Finn regrets being manipulated into using the Engine to harm Celestials but he also believes he can still save the Diligent and those aboard. Finn interfaces with the ZPZ generator and the anchor ship aboard Diligent. Finn coaxes the ZPZ generator into receiving momentum from Dolod via the anchor ship and accelerating the Diligent. The Archimedes Engine and the ZPZ generator accelerate the Diligent at 10 000 gees. POV Thyra: Thyra receives reports that the Diligent escaped. Thyra is furious that Finn escaped; Finn was the key evidence of human rebellion that would have tied her schemes together.
35		POV Olomo: Olomo and Sahdiah agree to coöperate to acquire intelligence from the Diligence. Olomo deduces the Mara Yama Dominion is the belligerent faction at work. Olomo tracks the arkshipʼs course to the Capo Frois ingress Gate. They pursue the Diligence. POV Terence: Makaio-Spirit urges Terence to flee Kelowan to escape Asahi-Iryna. Terence notices the Diligent accelerate to the Capo Frois ingress gate. Terence decides to fly the Aeacus to Capo Frois to flee Asahi-Iryna and possibly rendezvous with Olomo or Sahdiah. POV Thyra: Thyra receives a condescending message from Queen Luus-Marcela. Thyra privately wishes to Bekket her project could have started with Queen Luus-Marcela. Thyra asks Radwarno-Werkas to pursue the Diligent. Thyra is notified of Boksrockʼs destination. POV Carolien: Carolien sees the Diligent accelerate. Carolien and her advisors deduce that Thyra instigated the events. Carolien receives a report that Boksrock is going to strike planet Kelowan itself. POV Clavissa: Clavissa and Neusch reel in surprise at the news that Boksrock will collide with planet Kelowan. POV kestrals: The kestrals positioned above city Kelowanʼs palace notice the Empressʼs evacuation vehicle preparing to launch. POV Carolien: Carolien and her princesses board the evacuation vessel. Carolienʼs chief archon, Acelynn-Jabula, informs her Boksrock will not strike for three weeks. Carolien orders immediate launch. POV kestrals: Some kestrals manage to stick to the evacuation craft fuselage. They begin penetrating hatches. POV Carolien: The evacuation craft loses power mid-launch. POV Thyra: Thyra witnesses the evacuation craft explode as its anti-matter confinement fails. Thyra privately rejoices with Bekket and Iuntin. Thyra says phase two of the plan can proceed which involves saving a planetary population. Thyra looks forward to meeting her grandmother Khepri whom she calls the true queen of Kelowan. POV Finn: Finn and company aboard the Diligent arrive at the Capo Frois ingress Gate. Finn explains that they all need to escape Kelowan for now. Zelinda resolves to return to Gondiar one day to help its inhabitants. Finn supports her with a show of familial responsibility. POV Josias: Josias protests at the scale of destruction Gyvoy has engineered with the destruction of Kelowan. Gyvoy asks Josias to continue to be a figurehead for a human revolution against Celestials since existential violence is how humans can force concessions from Celestials. Gyvoy brags he brought three thousand tons of antimatter aboard the Arcadiaʼs Moon from one of the Archimedes Engine stations.

History

• 2024-09-17: The book was published by Random House Worlds.
• 2024-09-12: Peter F. Hamilton give an interview explaining his collaboration with Archetype Entertianment and lore tie-ins with his 2024 book Exodus: The Archimedes Engine.

See also

• Wikipedia:The Archimedes Engine

External links

• bk4, reboil.com