Sevencyclopaedia - Z

ZEROK

A frontier planet, "not very modern" according to Keiller, and possibly the only remaining source of gold in the known galaxy. The gold was sold to a number of parties, that destined for the Federation travelling as fruit in the pleasure cruiser Space Princess. Captain Kennedy referred to a voyage of twelve standard days from Zerok to Earth. The planet had a breathable atmosphere, and was visited by Avon, Tarrant, Dayna and Soolin. Shortly after the crew stole 17 billion (credits?) worth of gold from the Space Princess, Zerok ceded to the Federation, with all local currency invalid after seven days and all private transactions immediately illegal. Servalan had just given the crew ten billion in Zerok banknotes (apparently of one million denomination) in exchange for the stolen gold.

ZETA-3 PARTICLES

Federation communications were converted into zeta-3 particles and then scrambled, forming an unbreakable code without a cypher machine. This process may or may not be the same as the pulse codes mentioned in Killer.

*ZIEGLER-5

One of the Outer Worlds, on which Blake believed his brother and sister were living. According to Dal Richie, Bran Foster had been on Ziegler-5 a few months before he met Blake.

ZIL

Parasitic, vaguely humanoid creature living on the surface of the Host. Seeing the white (egg-like) teleportation field of Blake's arrival, it took Blake to be a newly-hatched individual of its own species and set out to protect him. When the Host started to cleanse itself by drowning the land masses, Zil surrendered and disappeared into the Host. Blake, however, found new resolve to continue with his campaign.

Zil may have been the name for the species as a whole, but the individual Blake met was happy to accept the name Blake as his "oneness", and thus Zil was probably specific to that particular individual. Zil came to speak Terran after a brief period of incomprehensibly, and may have had some telepathic or similar ability.

ZIRCASTER

Referred to by the Judgement Program as a planet, the location of a massacre in which 1,417 unarmed civilians were murdered under the orders of Travis, although the shooting itself was carried out by the troopers under his command, one of them being Par. This happened about three years before Travis" court-martial, and presumably before his appointment by Servalan to hunt down Blake, although earlier references to a massacre conducted by Travis (in Seek-Locate-Destroy) alleged that it happened on Auros.

*ZOLAT-4

Planet on which Jenna and Tarvin hid from 300 customs guards, during which time Jenna saved Tarvin's life.

ZONDA

The home planet of the moon discs. (Pronounced "Zondar"). This was said by Blake to have no night side as it had twin suns (a planet in such a position is in a highly unstable orbit and would be ejected from the star system within a few orbits). Visited by Blake, Avon, and Jenna, who planted fire control sensors around the moon disc plantations. It was also visited by Cally. The President's personal security force guarded the moondisc plantations.

ZONDAWL

A planet acquired by the Federation through their Pacification Programme. Avon showed the warlords invited to his prospective alliance a videocast from Zondawl, in which drugged citizens (marked with identifying numbers on their foreheads) were randomly gunned down by Federation troopers. The videocast had been made some six weeks previously.

ZONES

Divisions of some or all of the galaxy. The freighter Blake followed to Horizon travelled from Zone 8 to Zone 9, where Horizon was situated.

ZUKAN

President of Betafarl, and father of Zeeona. Boorva described him as a pirate and an outlaw, and it was noted that he possessed a considerable military force with which he threatened neighbouring systems. Zukan had lodged territorial claims against the other warlords contacted by Avon, Tarl and Serrus being specifically cited in this regard. Zeeona said of him that "in war or friendship [he] is never less than half-hearted".

Although apparently willing to join Avon's alliance against the Federation, Zukan was in fact working in league with Sleer (he was probably unaware of her true identity). He had Finn seal off all exits from Xenon Base, and himself planted the radioactive airborne virus developed on Betafarl. He neglected to tell Servalan the location of Avon's hideout, in order to secure the antitoxin formula for himself: his claims that an antitoxin source grew in abundance on Betafarl may thus well have been true, even though Avon and Soolin found no evidence to back his assertions.

Servalan planted a bomb in the airlock of his personal ship, and Finn was ejected when he tried to disarm it. The ensuing explosion threw Zukan's ship wildly out of control, and he tried to persuade Avon to change course and come to his rescue. He failed, and he died when his ship disintegrated.

Zukan was intensely possessive wherever his daughter was concerned, and also appeared to be burdened with the guilt of his crimes. He said that dream suppressants were of little help in easing his conscience. That didn't seem to stop him doing everything he was notorious for.

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