Sevencyclopaedia - H

HERRIOL

A border system, represented by Lod at the meeting of warlords called by Avon. Avon noted that Herriol, along with Serrus and Sentha, was threatened by the Federation's pacification Programme.

Lod is on the left

HIBERNATION PILLS

Mentioned by Blake as a means of coping with the stresses of lengthy confinement in early infraluminal space flights.

HIGH ADMIRAL

'High Admiral of the Galactic Fleets' was one of Servalan's presidential titles, mentioned by Tarrant in 'Rumours of Death'. This title seems quite similar to that of 'Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom', a title held by the monarch of that Earth state since 1 April 1964 AD.

The office was established in the fourteenth century, when the English fleet first came under a single admiral's command. The title became fixed as 'Lord High Admiral' by the sixteenth century; previously the titles 'High Admiral' or 'Lord Admiral' were used interchangeably. From 1628 to 1964, except for certain periods, the office was in commission, the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty being vested with all its jurisdictions and powers.

See also Rank.

HIGH COUNCIL

Governing body of unspecified size, at the top of the Federation's hierarchy. Among the Presidential titles listed by Tarrant in Rumours of Death, one was "Ruler of the High Council". No details were given as to the composition of the High Council, or how its members were chosen. Other references include:

• Pressure Point: Servalan requested a direct link to the High Council in order to ask that the Forbidden Zone's defences be deactivated.
• Trial: Senator Bercol (not High Councillor Bercol) stated that he was head of the Information Bureau and "ex officio member of the High Council".
• Voice from the Past: Servalan told LeGrand that the High Council were aware of what she and Ven Glynd were planning from the very beginning, suggesting that planetary governors were not members of the High Council.
• Star One: Durkim was summoned to a meeting of the High Council, a summons he called "a Presidential order-in-Council". Servalan refused to give him clearance to leave her command station.
• Rumours of Death: Major Grenlee noted that Chesku was a High Councillor, although his wife "Sula" apparently was not. The High Council had, therefore, survived the Intergalactic War.
• Traitor: Practor told Leitz of how the High Council was restored to power at the time Servalan was deposed, which rather contradicts the evidence suggested in Rumours of Death. Perhaps Servalan had abolished the High Council at some point after that episode, or the High Council under President Servalan had no effective power.
• Animals: Ardus wanted authorisation from the High Council to disclose information on Bucol-2. Sleer threatened his family, forcing him to change his mind.
• Blake: Orac informed the crew that the authorities had placed a formal application for Federation membership before the High Council on Earth. Blake and his allies were expecting a High Council representative to arrive on the planet at any moment.

HIGH INTENSITY RADIATION GRID

Part of Control's defences, surrounding the bunker entrance for a radius of "fifty yards, maybe more", at least in Vila's estimate. Avon stated that the rays could burn an individual up in seconds, and noted that it was completely self-repairing in eight seconds. An inbuilt sensormesh was weight and disturbance sensitive. The grid also had the apparent ability to fix people to the spot, preventing their escape. Responsible for the deaths of Arle and Berg, it very nearly claimed Avon as well. It was deactivated to allow Travis and two mutoids to enter the bunker, and Servalan, Jenna and Veron later crossed it unharmed. If it remained deactivated after Blake's escape, then Veron may have been able to get away unharmed, otherwise she would have been trapped in the bunker or killed.

Arle & Berg being blown up.

HIMALAYAS

Cited by Vila as a good reason for going back to Earth: "The Himalayas are quite tall at this time of year". The only major geographical feature on Earth to be mentioned by name.

HITECHS

One of the two factions on Chenga, disagreeing from the Primitives in believing in the use of high technology to better their lives. The Hitechs used Primitives and others as a source of organs for prolonging their own lives, and employed bounty hunters to catch Primitives for such purposes. Vila was brought in by Zee and Barr, whilst Cally was one of 64 people (including Servalan) brought in on a ship picking up survivors from the Intergalactic War. Servalan used her position to escape the Hitechs, but Cally and Vila had to be rescued at the last minute.

Zee and Barr

HOB

A rebel on Earth, working with Sula to depose Servalan and establish a People's Council. Sula persuaded him not to have Servalan killed, and he backed her up in persuading the other rebels in this matter. He was killed by Servalan when he followed Sula to the cellar, distracting Servalan long enough to allow Avon to teleport safely back to the Liberator.

HOFEL'S RADIATION

Egrorian mentioned Hofel as the scientist who over a hundred years previously had predicted many of the properties of neutron star material. Since these properties have to some extent already been predicted, it would seem likely that Hofel's predictions were pertinent to currently unconsidered applications.

Hofel's radiation was released from neutrons subjected to an intense magnetic field. Severe temporal displacement resulted from this - Pinder had aged fifty years in as many seconds after being exposed to Hofel's radiation for a mere millionth of a second. Pinder later released a fatal dose of Hofel's radiation to kill himself and Egrorian.

Since there are references elsewhere in the series to "neutron" drives, it could well be that the process which generated Hofel's radiation was a fundamental principle of time distort drive technology. Protective shielding could be applied against the radiation and its effects, somewhat necessary if the process was used to power crewed spacecraft.

HOLDING AREA

The place where prisoners were held as the prison ship took off. Described by Vila as "cold as a corpse's armpit". The doorway to the surface was opened by Artix by remote control once the London had taken off.

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