Sevencyclopaedia - I

ICE CAVES

(A-9: PROJECT AVALON)

Terloc informed Travis that Avalon was planning to set up her winter headquarters in "the Ice Caves". Cally soon afterwards reported Avalon's homing beacon signal moving about 8 miles, so she had either arrived at the Ice Caves or was on her way there when her supporters were massacred.

ICE CRYSTALS

(A-9: PROJECT AVALON)

Exceptionally pure and hard gemstones, unique to UP-Project Avalon and very valuable. They were formed by deposits seeping down into the thick ice sheets on the planet, and mined by a slave labour force of Subterrons. The Federation used them in heavy duty lasers.

See also JEWELS

IGIN

(D-3: TRAITOR)

Formerly director of geological studies at Leedenbrank on Helotrix, and superior to Hunda. Later attached to the Fourth Column of freedom fighters under Hunda's command. Igin entered the city to assess the possibility of planting demolition charges under the magnetrix terminal, but was captured and treated with Pylene-50. After revealing everything under interrogation, he was returned to his unit, unaware that he carried a tracer betraying his position. Hunda, suspicious, made Igin wait well away from the column, and Igin died when a neutron strike was launched on his position.

IMAGE AMPLIFIER

(C-1: AFTERMATH)

Chest-mounted optical device worn by Hal Mellanby after his optic nerves were destroyed during interrogation. Who fitted it, where and when was never specified, but it was probably before he fled Earth with Dayna. Mellanby was blinded when Servalan shot away the external portion of the amplifier, and he was unable to track her down before he died.

IMIPAK

(B-3: WEAPON)

Acronym for Induced Molecular Instability Projector and Key. Developed by Coser on the Federation's Weapons Development Base, and stolen by him when he realised that his superiors were going to take all the credit for his work. He thus destroyed all plans and blueprints, and fled with the bond slave Rashel to an unnamed planet. IMIPAK was handed to Blake's clone, in the belief that he was Blake, who then gave it to Servalan and Travis. It was finally taken by Rashel and she opted to remain on the planet with Blake's clone to guard the weapon.


The IMIPAK projector

Blake being marked by IMIPAK
IMIPAK was first seen to be used against a predatory creature that attacked Coser and Rashel in the night, though Coser had earlier used it against his superiors. Servalan later killed first Coser and then one of her troopers with it. Travis marked Blake, Gan and Avon with it, and Travis was marked by Servalan, before she herself was marked by Rashel.

IMIPAK worked by projecting an unstable potential onto any living thing. It could apparently penetrate clothing in order to do so. The marked target could then be destroyed at will by activating the key. Coser claimed that IMIPAK had a range of a million miles, killing instantly over that range, and extolled the weapon's versatility: it could be used simply to kill, or to enslave, or to keep an individual away from a particular area. The only way to defeat the weapon was to outrun it. Servalan killed her trooper after Blake, Avon and Gan had been marked, indicating a selective target function and/or variable range setter of the weapon. It could also be deployed directionally - Servalan marked and killed the trooper when Travis (already marked) was standing nearer to her.


The IMIPAK Key

The IMIPAK projector
When Blake fled, he attempted to use the planet as a shield. Avon commented that for this strategy to work, IMIPAK must use "a very primitive signal", implying that he had at least some knowledge of how IMIPAK worked.

IMPACT LIFE CAPSULE

- see LIFE CAPSULES

INBOARD SENSORS

(various episodes)

In Bounty Blake asked Zen where his crew had gone to, and received a reply to the effect that no information beyond the flight deck was available. This suggests severe limitations on Liberator's inboard sensors. However, in Redemption Zen reported inboard sensors registering activity in the teleport area, and in Sarcophagus Zen reported first a build up of energy on the flight deck, and later the presence of an intruder on the ship, without specifying where.

INDOCTRINATION TREATMENTS

(A-6: SEEK-LOCATE-DESTROY)

Mentioned by Blake as an activity performed at the rehabilitation centres he attacked in his earlier period of dissidence. Possibly not unconnected with the work of criminotherapists.

INERTIAL GUIDANCE GLYCOLENE BALLAST CHANNELS

(D-5: ANIMALS)

Part of Scorpio's antigrav gyro system, which developed a fault after the ship was attacked when leaving Bucol-2. Vila twice had to enter the tanks to rectify the fault.

INFORMATION BUREAU

(B-6: TRIAL)

Department of the Federation, probably falling within the Civil Administration rather than Space Command. Senator Bercol was head of the Information Bureau, and as such was an ex officio member of the High Council.

The continued existence of the Information Bureau after the Galactic War is neither confirmed nor denied, although it probably did so. Central Intelligence Control was also known as "the Bureau" and the two bodies may in fact be the same. This seems unlikely, however, since CIC appeared to be a records department, whilst the Information Bureau sounds more like a state-controlled media organ.

INGA

(B-8: HOSTAGE)

Daughter of Ushton, and Blake's cousin. Blake said that Inga had "meant a lot" to him once, though exactly where and when was unspecified. It was never stated whether Inga had been born on Exbar, sent there with Ushton, or had later opted to stay with him on the planet.

Travis took Inga prisoner, threatening to kill her unless Blake came to him within "twenty five time units". Inga was also used to ensure Ushton's co-operation with Travis. Her attempt to escape from Travis failed, but she later worked with Ushton to convince Travis that she had got away, giving Ushton a chance to release Blake, Avon and Vila. Blake offered to take her away from Exbar, but she declined, preferring to stay and organise distribution of the food stocks stored in the communication tower. Blake promised to come back for her, but probably never did.

INNER WORLDS

(C-8: RUMOURS OF DEATH)

In Rumours of Death Chesku refers to "Earth and the Inner Planets" being reunited. One of the Presidential titles recited by Tarrant was "Lord of the Inner and Outer Worlds".

INSECTS

(various episodes)

Very few insects appeared in the series. President Sarkoff had a case containing dead tropical butterflies, which he referred to as creatures "no longer living"; Blake threatened to destroy it unless Sarkoff left the planet with him. On Fosforon, Tynus kept locusts and was seen sketching them on one occasion. Vila wondered if they would make good pets.

A spider isn't really an insect, but it's (vaguely) worth noting that the Chairman of the Terra Nostra kept a large spider or spider-like creature as a pet.

INSULATED SAW

(A-7: MISSION TO DESTINY)

Cutting tool mentioned by Avon as a necessary means of severing the power cable tampered with by Sara.

INTELLIGENCE COMMANDER

(D-5: ANIMALS)

Possible rank within the Federation. Borr was an Intelligence Commander at Central Intelligence Control.
Borr

INTENSIVE BRAIN THERAPY CHAMBER

(A-1: The Way Back by CJ

This device is used to make areas of the mind inaccessible, by blocking them. It is also used to implant new ideas and memories into the mind. The therapy is reinforced by follow on treatment, using of drugs, to keep the memory suppressed.

The treatment is usually successful in normal healthy minds. However, since the treatment doesn't actually eradicate memory, should the patient suffer anything like a nervous breakdown, where all the mental circuitry malfunctions, as it were, then the patient might just possibly find a route into his past.

INTERCEPTORS

(various episodes)

Ships or rockets designed to intercept and attack a target. Most references to interceptors referred to Federation ships, but not always. The term is a blanket one, used to refer to a variety of different craft, none of them detailed. References are as follows:

INTERGALACTIC DRIVE

(B-13: STAR ONE)

Having found the antimatter minefield out beyond Star One, Avon surmised that "the intergalactic drive" may have been developed. His use of the term suggests such a drive was a much-mooted, theoretically possible but as yet undeveloped technology. The Federation certainly seemed to be working on such a project, designing a drive using monopasium 239 to be fitted to the "hyperspace ships" mentioned by Ro in Horizon.

See also PHOTONIC DRIVE, SPEED, TIME DISTORT, HYPERDRIVE.

INTERGALACTIC WAR

(various episodes)

The war between humanity and the aliens from M31 (see ANDROMEDA), culminating in the destruction of Star One. The War began as a fleet of some 600 ships appeared beyond Star One, waiting for the antimatter minefield to be deactivated. Travis only managed to deactivate one sector of the field before he was shot by Blake. Liberator held off the alien fleet until Federation reinforcements arrived, the nearest being the battle cruiser Newton, little more than an hour away.

Over an unspecified period of time, Liberator suffered extreme damage and had to be evacuated. Star One was reported destroyed by Battle Commander Squadron 6. According to the troopers stranded on Sarran, nearly 600 alien ships were destroyed (Hal Mellanby told Avon that the aliens had been virtually wiped out: the figure of 600 ships destroyed tallies with the number arriving at the end of Star One). Over 80% of the Federation fleet was also lost, although Tarrant mentioned in Volcano that a "sizable remnant" of the Federation battle fleet remained. An alien counterattack wiped out Servalan's escort group 9 and destroyed her flagship, although she managed to escape down to the surface of Sarran.

Further references to the War occurred in the following episodes:

The war's toll on the Federation prompted a failed revolution on Earth, and no doubt elsewhere. The Federation may well have been plunged into civil war, and CA-1"s reference to a galactic (not intergalactic) war might be taken as evidence for this. Justin never cited the Andromedans as the enemy over Bucol-1, and the gunship he referred to may have been that of a rival ex-Federation faction.

INTERPLANETARY MINING AGREEMENT

(B-10: VOICE FROM THE PAST)

Mentioned by Blake whilst on Asteroid P-K118. He was denied the chance to give full details, but apparently mining companies bound by the agreement were obliged to leave stocks of fuel and other unspecified things on worked out asteroids, presumably as an aid to stranded travellers.

INTERROGATION DIVISION

(A-6: SEEK-LOCATE-DESTROY)

Travis handed Cally over to the Interrogation Division after she had been taken alive on Centero. The Division appears to be a discrete unit within Space Command with its own identity, presumably with units present on many worlds. References were made to interrogation units and interrogation teams in Project Avalon. Shrinker mentioned that "the elite from Central [Security] didn't mingle with the Interrogation Division", implying that he was attached to that division.
Travis and Cally in the unit

INVESTIGATOR

(D-9: SAND)

Rank within the Federation. It is unclear whether Investigators worked for the military or the Civil Administration, but probably the latter. Servalan was accompanied by Investigator Reeve on her visit to Virn.

ION CLOUD

(C-11: MOLOCH)

Mentioned by Vila as the crew shadowed Servalan on her journey to Sardos. Presumably a space phenomenon posing some hazard to shipping.

IONIC BEAM

(C-7: CHILDREN OF AURON)

Ginka fired an ionic beam at Pilot 4-0"s C-type patroller to disable its instruments, allowing the pilot to be picked up for contamination. Servalan pointed out that the beam would prevent the pilot using his telepathic abilities to discover what Servalan was actually up to. From her later comments, it would appear that force shields could protect a ship from such an attack.

IONIC REEF

(C-7: CHILDREN OF AURON)

A residue of the Intergalactic War, if not space battles in general. Servalan told Pilot 4-0 that his ship had strayed into such a reef, though it had actually been deliberately hit by an ionic beam. Ionic reefs could supposedly drift from their source of origin, but at no specified speed.

ISLAM

(various episodes) By Murray Smith

With Christianity, it was one of the two religions of late twentieth century Earth referred to in the series, though the references were fewer.

See AMAGONS, CALIPH OF CRANDOR, RELIGION.

ISON

(A-7: MISSION TO DESTINY)

The Galaxy class cruiser Ortega was disabled by the destruction of its Ison crystal, which meant that it was effectively blind and could only travel at sublight speeds.


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