The Taelons |
Agenda on Earth |
The Taelons, also called the Companions, arrived on Earth three years ago. The Taelons shared their advanced technology with humanity, virtually eliminating hunger and eradicating many serious diseases. Such feats were accomplished through a number of joint ventures between the Taelons and entities like Doors International ("Decision"). Among such projects were the cold fusion retrofit of the Granite Canyon Nuclear Plant ("Old Flame") and Futurity Farm with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. However, the Taelons' arrival also had some destructive consequences, such as the outbreaks of Companion Reaction Syndrome—psychological trauma and sometimes mass suicides caused by some humans' inability to cope with the challenge to their belief systems posed by the existence of the Taelons ("Float Like a Butterfly"). Despite the early, almost universal support for the Taelons among the human populace, a Harris poll conducted after Jonathan Doors' television appearance announcing the existence of the Liberation showed an unprecedented 6 percent disapproval rating for the Taelons ("Resurrection").
The Taelons maintained ambassadors, themselves referred to as Companions, in many nations, including the United States ("Decision"), the United Kingdom ("The Secret of Strand Hill") and Australia ("The Scarecrow Returns"). Each Companion resided in a Taelon headquarters building; there more than 46 worldwide, and examples were located in Madrid, Spain ("Resurrection"); Washington D.C.; Lisbon, Portugal; Mexico City; Moscow; Ottawa, Canada; Santiago, Chile; Singapore; Sydney, Australia and India among other places ("Wrath of Achilles"). Taelon research facilities were located in Tel Aviv, Israel ("Wrath of Achilles"); Singapore ("Resurrection"); Athens ("Infection") and Naryan Mar, Russia ("Destruction").
The Taelons conducted a number of significant projects on Earth, both public and covert. They may have been involved with The Church of the Companions led by Rev. Travis Murray. For almost two years, the church broadcast its services over the Internet, spreading its doctrine that the Taelons were messengers of God. American Companion Da'an told Murray "you have an instinct for this work" after the church leader attempted to exploit the Julie Payton incident for the church's (and the Taelons'?) benefit ("Miracle").
The Taelons asked for volunteers for a program to train pilots for inter-dimensional spaceflight to other galaxies. The Untied States government apparently performed experiments involving the grafting of non-human anatomy into human bodies on these volunteers (and may have done some experimenting without the Taelons’ knowledge). Some of the volunteers were held at Futurity Farm, which Jonathan Doors described as a "holding tank" for failed experiments. The Taelons publicized the spaceflight portion of the project to deflect criticism of them for pressuring the U.S. government to cancel the planned mission to Mars, apparently to hide the presence of the Taelon homeship and colony on the far side of the moon ("Resurrection," "Horizon Zero," "Live Free or Die").
The Taelons conducted extensive testing in the area of psychic phenomena and co-sponsored the Thirteenth Annual Psychic Sciences Symposium at the J. Calvert Conference Center ("If You Could Read My Mind").
Da’an told the Synod that "When first arriving on the surface, I may have expected the humans to be more compliant, malleable like the game pieces on a field of qaliol. I find them enigmatic. They are so capable of such beauty, yet they brutalize each other with such intensity. But I suppose that is one of the reasons we are here” ("Truth"). In coming to Earth the Taelons had intended to carry out an experiment in “de-evolution,” which Da’an opposed. But the Synod overruled him, declaring that the Taelons’ future depended on an exploration of their past. The Taelons injected scientist Rho-ha with neurons from the human pineal gland and amygdale, telling the Implants that they hoped to use the neurons as a catalyst to evoke elements of human sentience and emotion in order to better understand humanity. After being injected with the human neurons, Rho-ha’s face contorted to resemble that of the human who provided the neurons: Capt. Lucas Johnson. The experiment succeeded in reawakening Rho-ha’s [s]aqa[r]ava (see Physiology below), as well as giving him the ability to move very quickly and to become invisible for brief moments. Rho-ha also fell out of the Taelons’ collective consciousness and formed a mental bonding with Johnson ("Pandora's Box"). Apparently because of Rho-ha's unstable behavior, including the murder of Major McIntyre and the harassment of Johnson's family, the Taelons removed most of the human DNA from Rho-ha’s system. Yet the remainder still drove Rho-ha to violent outbursts and caused him to exhibit Capt. Johnson’s features ("Law & Order").
Another of the Taelons' crucial goals on Earth was the retrieval of the research of Ma'el, a Taelon scientist sent to Earth more than 2,000 years ago. Da'an led this search. Ma'el had warned the Taelons not to come to Earth under any circumstances after initially declaring humanity a "perfect compliment in every way" to the Taelons. The Taelons intended to leave Earth forever if Ma'el's research revealed that his final message was justified. Yet Ma'el had destroyed his research, and the Taelons decided to remain on Earth ("The Secret of Strand Hill").
The Taelons remained cryptic about the true reasons for their arrival on Earth. Publicly, the Taelons insisted that "we Companions have come to Earth to share our knowledge, to learn…that together we may thrive" ("Truth"). Da'an tells Boone "Your planet is at an evolutionary crossroads. The human species has arrived at this crucial moment when you must take the first step into uncertain frontiers. Our Taelon race evolves along a different path. Our experience here feeds us knowledge about the forces that will bear upon us in our evolutionary course" ("Decision"). Da’an said that "[human resourcefulness and resolve are] the prime reason for our journey here." He also said that "Our approach was based on the proposition that our needs might be better served by collaborating with this race rather than enslaving it" ("Resurrection").
The Taelons' mission apparently adhered to a strict time table. They programmed the CVI to give their Implants a "sense of urgency" about their service to the Companions ("Sandoval's Run," "The Secret of Strand Hill"). It also seemed to involve the fate of both the Taelons and humanity. After Sandoval received his second CVI he told Boone "[The Taelons] need us as desperately as we need them. The fates of our two races are intertwined. Without them, we're doomed; without us, they're doomed. To destroy the Companions is to destroy ourselves" ("Sandoval's Run"). Da'an told Boone that in the long term the Taelon well-being served the interests of humanity ("Resurrection"). After the Taelons learned that Ma'el's research was destroyed and heard his final recording, the Synod determined to remain on Earth to seek either the Taelons’ destiny or extinction ("The Secret of Strand Hill"). Following the death of Ha'gel, Da’an said "Our current agenda on Earth will lead to the destruction of humanity." Zo’or replied "The only other option is the extinction of the Taelon race," to which Da’an responded that "Ha’gel’s actions have demonstrated that extinction may be preferable to becoming that which we despise" ("The Joining"). Finally, James Pike’s dying words to Boone: "You will be their [S]aqa[r]ava…Their world is inside the mind they gave you—your implant…When you see, when you know, you will judge them…They are afraid…The sleeper will come" ("Avatar").
Attitudes and Beliefs |
The Taelons had a view of death different from that of many humans, a view that rejected fear and individualism. Da'an said that "for Taelons there is no fear in naturally passing to the next level" ("Decision"). Quo’on said that the Taelons "do not fear death as [humans] do," and Da’an stated that they "have been taught not to dread this passage. But fear has a presence." Da’an also referred to a release from the "constraints of matter," suggesting that the Taelons did not necessarily believe death to be the end of consciousness. Quo’on said that "the passage of a single consciousness offers no cause for sorrow." This and the Taelons’ refusal to negotiate for the life of Da’an suggest that the Taelons did not consider the individual of primary importance ("Live Free or Die").
Though the Taelons never espoused any directly religious dogmas, they did allude to their beliefs about the spiritual. Da’an stated that "as we see this universe, every being lives with no distinction between creator and created" He also iterated his puzzlement over humanity's propensity for religiously-motivated violence: "You actually slaughter each other over questions of the spirit. It is different on every other planet" ("Miracle").
Some Taelon mythology was revealed by James Pike, who apparently discovered it within the "mind" of his CVI. Da’an recited by heart the myth Pike had painted on his cell wall: "The sacred texts tell of a sign, a dire omen appearing in the heavens. Two avatars of grace, Um[r]athma and [S]aqa[r]ava, quarrel over the meaning of the omen. Um[r]athma vanquishes [S]aqa[r]ava and casts him into the void. But the void does not consume [S]aqa[r]ava. Through anguish and denials he emerges with the fury of truth that burns away all the illusions of Um[r]athma, the voice of all lies." When Boone asked Da'an to identify an enigmatic third figure in the painting, whose eyes appeared closed, Da'an remained silent. Pike later told Boone, "the sleeper will come," possibly referring to this figure ("Avatar"). After returning from the edge of death, Da’an said, "I have known the void," perhaps recalling the words of the myth ("Live Free or Die"). Taelon scientist Rho-ha, made violent under the influence of human genetic material, uttered the ancient Taelon threat, "The sleeper comes; embrace the void." He also said, "the sleeper dreams oblivion" ("Pandora's Box").
Other isolated statements provide insight into Taelon attitudes and beliefs.
Culture |
Government |
The Taelons' governing body was the Taelon Synod ("Decision"), the leader of which was Quo’on ("Miracle"). The Synod apparently operated according to a consensus-based principle in which all members had an equal voice, while Quo'on made final decisions about the Taelons' actions. Joshua Doors became the first human to meet with Quo'on directly in order to bring U.S. President Thompson's concerns before the Synod. This prompted Zo'or to privately declare Quo'on's leadership weak ("Destruction").
Individuals |
Language |
There was no grammar to the Taelon language; one had to feel the words to see and understand what they said. The written Taelon language was not read in a linear, left-to-right fashion ("The Scarecrow Returns"). The writing on the chamber in which Ha’gel was found dated back to the beginning of the Taelons’ recorded time ("The Joining"). One of Ar'al's Implants, an Australian Aborigine, attempted to learn Taelon in order to record the Companions’ history on Earth in their native language, but failed. The CVI seemed to quell most Implants' desire to learn Taelon ("The Scarecrow Returns").
Selected vocabulary:
Origins and History |
The home planet of the Taelons, itself called Taelon, was located in the Mahu[r]uva Galaxy ("The Secret of Strand Hill"). Da'an said that Taelon was "near the core of a star system we call Q[e]u[r]uva. The four moons of our world have been made inhabitable and have been home to most of my fellows for almost a millennium" ("Live Free or Die").
Da’an told Boone that 10 million years ago, the race represented by Ha'gel conquered Taelon through a war of genetic assimilation, using their chameleon-like abilities to infiltrate the population and infect it with a genetic virus that bound the two species for all eternity. According to Da'an, the Taelons on Earth were a result of that genetic bonding. Zo’or said that "Ha’gel is no more Taelon than your Neanderthal man was human" and that Ha’gel was an ancient Taelon criminal imprisoned in a chamber and cast into the stellar void millions of years ago. However, when Boone was no longer within earshot, Zo’or stated that in fact it was the Taelons who destroyed Ha’gel’s race after they had saved the Taelons from extinction. Several facts about Ha’gel could be observed:
Soon after the Taelons achieved star travel, they sent Ma’el to Earth "to determine if a meeting between the two cultures could be mutually beneficial." Da’an explained that “Selective evolution can leave a race vulnerable to unanticipated events. A primitive race often bears those traits most helpful in contesting those unanticipated events." Ma’el collected extensive data on human ancestors over many centuries, and his preliminary messages indicated that humanity was a "perfect compliment in every way" to the Taelons. Yet the last message Ma’el ever sent warned the Taelons not to come to Earth under any circumstances. He had come to believe that given time, humanity could evolve to be the equal of the Taelons, but he did not trust his fellows to see humanity as he did. Ma’el destroyed his research and left a recording to explain his actions if the Taelons did not heed his warning and came to Earth ("The Secret of Strand Hill"). Ma'el gave humans psychic abilities in the hope that they would allow humanity to tap into the Taelon collective consciousness, to understand the Taelons and to convince them that humanity could be a partner to the Taelons. He did this without the knowledge of the Synod ("If You Could Read My Mind"). Ma’el disappeared on Earth and was never heard from again over 2,000 years ago. He died shortly thereafter. The other Taelons felt his passing through a ripple in the Taelon Commonality. Ma’el was buried in what would one day be called County Cork, Ireland, perhaps by local inhabitants who thought of him as a "mystical king." A mosaic grave marker placed in a nearby passage grave no more than 2,000 years ago depicted Ma’el surrounded by images of the Buddha, Christ, Shiva and Moses ("The Secret of Strand Hill"). The Taelons’ outward appearance could be an amalgam of such religious figures, or it could have inspired depictions of them. When Boone asked if the Taelons had been to Earth before, Da’an replied, "The souls of our two species have a long history on many planes" ("Miracle"). The Taelons came to Earth despite Ma’el’s warning with the intention of verifying Ma’el’s last message by retrieving the scientist’s data. If the data confirmed Ma’el’s warning, the Taelons planned to leave Earth forever. Da'an led the search for Ma'el's research ("The Secret of Strand Hill").
At some point the Taelons made contact with the race of skrills. Quo’on described their first contact as "carnage without ceasing," and Da’an remarked on the skrills’ having proved of "particular potency in time passing." Eventually, at least some of the skrills were subdued and, with the help of human scientists, were transformed into organic weapons ("Scorpions Dream").
Da’an told Boone that "no Taelon has killed another since the creation of the Synod, a time beyond memory." The Taelons possessed a vestigial organ called [s]aqa[r]ava in their hands, which was capable of killing with one touch. It had lain dormant for "countless generations" until reawakened in Taelon scientist Rho-ha during an experiment in "de-evolution" ("Pandora's Box").
At some point, the Taelons established a facility on the dark side of Earth's moon without the knowledge of humanity ("Horizon Zero," "Through the Looking Glass").
Physiology |
The Taelons had evolved to the point where their bodies were composed primarily of energies ("The Secret of Strand Hill"). Their bodies appeared translucent with a series of glowing pathways running through them ("Truth"), one of which was called the aqiha pathway in the center of the torso ("Pandora's Box"). Although most Taelons wore an outward "skin" when around humans, they "blushed," revealing their true appearance momentarily, when affected by strong emotion ("Truth"). Because the Taelon body was composed primarily of energy, Taelons could not be injured or killed by bullets (or presumably any other projectile weapon), and a human could pass a hand through a Taelon’s body ("Law & Order"). Taelons had "no brain…every cell in [their bodies] could be intelligent" ("Live Free or Die"). Taelon immune systems produce antibodies ("Infection"). The Taelons possessed a vestigial organ called [s]aqa[r]ava in their hands, which was capable of killing with one touch. It has lain dormant for "countless generations" until reawakened in Taelon scientist Rho-ha during an experiment in "de-evolution" ("Pandora's Box"). Da’an said that death would allow him to "evolve beyond the constraints of matter" ("Live Free or Die"). The Taelons placed little value on their physical remains, which dissipated easily after death ("The Secret of Strand Hill").
Sandoval said "he, she—neither really applies. Just ease of reference” when Boone asked why he described Da’an as a "he." This implied that the Taelons had no biological sex, were hermaphrodites or were so alien that sex did not apply to them at all. Da’an's statement that he had dreamed of space travel "since [his] young days" implied that Taelons aged ("Decision"). The Taelons preferred a certain (undetermined) temperature for their comfort ("Wrath of Achilles"). A Taelon could direct all of his energy to one part of his body. Da’an said that this energy contained all that defined a Taelon ("Wrath of Achilles").
Psychology |
The Taelons shared a collective consciousness called the Commonality ("Pandora's Box"). Da’an said, "We are all present to each other on a multitude of levels. We are never alone in our thoughts." He stated that any Taelon could leave the Commonality if he chose, but none ever did. He admits that they were perhaps afraid to face their thoughts alone ("Wrath of Achilles"). Because of this connectedness, Da'an said that the "annihilation of self out of despair" was incomprehensible to the Taelons because "no Taelon [could] become so alone" ("Miracle"). Da’an described the Commonality as a "neutral state," to which James Pike's mind became similar after his CVI began to break down ("Avatar"). Quo’on stated that the other Taelons "experience a transformation in the life-force of Da’an" when Da'an began willing himself to die ("Live Free or Die"), and the Taelons were immediately aware of Ha'gel when he emerged from his chamber ("The Joining"). An invasion of the Commonality was the Taelons’ greatest fear upon arriving on Earth ("Pandora's Box"). Taelon scientist Ma'el had gifted humans with psychic abilities in hopes that humanity would be able to tap into the Commonality to reach a greater understanding and partnership with the Taelons ("If You Could Read My Mind").
Technology |
The CVI, or "cyber virus" as Sandoval called it, was "half computer chip, half Taelon germ." The CVI enhanced basic intelligence and recall. "It puts you in your memory,” Sandoval stated. The CVI also contained a motivational imperative that redirected the bearer’s priorities in favor of the Taelons ("Decision"). Da’an stated that even with the motivational imperative, "each Implant will interpret what is best for the Companions in his own way. Human determinations are not taken completely out of the equation" ("Resurrection"). The CVI allowed one to "recall memories in complete detail." The sudden surfacing of such memories was referred to as a "memory intrusion." Sandoval said that the cerebral cortex adopted the CVI as "just another way of thinking." The CVI also allowed one to read at a faster pace. The Taelons referred to those to whom they gave CVIs as "Implants" ("Truth"). The CVI allowed an Implant to tolerate tremendous pain and to switch his or her vital signs on and off ("Avatar"). The implant prevented alcoholic intoxication ("The Secret of Strand Hill"). The implant was capable of curing congenital deafness ("Through the Looking Glass").The CVI seemed to negate an Implant's desire to learn the Taelon language, although the Synod did not know why ("The Scarecrow Returns"). However, It did not take away sexual desire and, in fact, increased an Implant’s physical capabilities thereof ("The Joining").
The CVI could be programmed with false memories that overrode the Implant’s true recollections. The Taelons tested all of their Implants using this capability. Boone was the first to discover the tampering ("Old Flame"). The CVI also had a built-in obsolescence of about two years. Boone explained that the "mind works at such incredible speed that eventually it just crashes." Initial symptoms of a CVI breakdown included bleeding ears and erratic, violent behavior ("Avatar"). Later symptoms included headaches and seizures. The end result of a break down was death because the brain cannot survive without a CVI after it has adapted to one's presence. Dr. Julianne Belman developed an anti-cyber virus that sought out and killed a CVI without harming its host in order to facilitate replacement of CVIs. It was unclear if the Taelons knew about the obsolescence before the CVIs were implanted, and Dr. Belman made no progress in determining why the implants broke down. The earliest generation of CVIs contained a supplement of information about the Taelons and their mission on Earth ("Sandoval's Run"). "You must master the talents of your implant," Da’an told Boone. "Let it guide you to a more profound phase of awareness" ("Decision").
The skrill was an organic weapon that lived as an appendage of the central nervous system and was controlled through the CVI. Da’an cautioned Boone: "Respect the life force in your skrill. Much of what it bears derives from the intensity of your essence" ("Decision"). Skrills were sentient beings with whom the Taelons made contact. The Taelons considered them primitive; Da’an said that "as with every texture, there are degrees of contact as well as degrees of sentience." Quo’on described their first contact as "carnage without ceasing," and Da’an remarked on the skrills’ having proved of "particular potency in time passing." A skrill, "harbor[ing] an almost apocalyptic power" according to Da'an, was capable of killing a Taelon. The skrills used by Boone and Sandoval, which Da’an called "peace-keeper[s]…a tool to quell a storm," were a product of human bioengineers at Comtech working from a template provided by the Taelons. Two series were developed; the Alpha series, which retained greater self-awareness and, descended from the Alphas, the Gamma series, which were more docile. Dr. Clarke nicknamed Boone’s skrill Condor and Sandoval’s Raven. Sandoval described Implants as "true symbiots. [The skrills] feed off our food intake, draw on our energy to generate their fields." Both Sandoval and Boone had experienced communication with their skrills, particularly in "primitive and irrational" dream imagery. Boone told Lili that his skrill definitely "[had] an intelligence, a presence." Skrills made a hissing noise and exhibited bioluminescence, which they also used to communicate with their hosts. Sandoval counseled Boone that "a skrill isn’t a device to be mastered…form a relationship" ("Scorpions Dream").
The shuttle had the energy signature of a living organism ("Float Like a Butterfly") and was equipped with inter-dimensional flight capability ("Decision"). The shuttle’s inter-dimensional drive used one of the four additional dimensions recognized by Taelon science (beyond the twelve recognized by human science) to crumple three-dimensional space, allowing the shuttle to move between points where the crumples meet ("Horizon Zero"). The shuttle could travel at speeds of 6.25 miles/second, as Bob Morovsky stated that it traveled 1,500 miles in 4 minutes ("Decision") or even 20 miles/second, as Captain Hart said that the shuttle traversed 400 miles in 20 seconds ("Horizon Zero"). Most shuttles' navigation systems were programmed by Taelon engineers to disallow travel outside Earth’s atmosphere, a measure designed to prevent humans from reaching space ("Horizon Zero"). The vehicle was equipped with a transponder, a radar jamming device, some sort of weapons system ("Sandoval's Run") and antigravity capabilities ("Horizon Zero").
The Taelon homeship was hidden on the far side of Earth's moon until exposed by human astronauts ("Horizon Zero"). It was capable of inter-dimensional flight and was apparently very large, as somehow people all over Earth were able to see the vessel when it appeared over Washington D.C. ("Wrath of Achilles"). The homeship could project a virtual glass shield around an adjacent area ("Infection") or cure a computer virus in Earth-side Taelon systems ("Wrath of Achilles"). Taelons regularly traveled between the homeship and Earth ("Infection"), and Synod leader Quo'on resided there ("Destruction").
The Taelon Limb Regeneration Project had been in the "experimental stages for some time." Quo’on said that “the regeneration of [human] anatomy still poses our most difficult challenge" ("Miracle").
The Taelons could grow buildings ("Old Flame"). In fact the Taelon Headquarters building was a living organism with the capacity to defend itself with energy pulses and a central processor for its systems located deep inside its "body" ("Wrath of Achilles").
The Taelons, working with Doors International, developed an electro-magnetic pulse weapon capable of disrupting computer systems in information warfare ("The Devil You Know").
The Taelons helped human scientists create a technique for transferring neural intelligence between bodies through the medium of artificial intelligence ("The Devil You Know").
The Fixed-link Inter-dimensional Travel Project, commonly referred to as the Portal Project, was tested for more than a year and had been in operation for two months. There was a portal between Los Angeles and New York, one between New York and London and another planned between Moscow and New Delhi. Individuals were genetically scanned before entering the portal platform and placed in stasis during transit. The project, under the stewardship of Zo’or, was being used to secretly gather genetic data. This data was used to select individuals with high intelligence (as well as judges and politicians) for implantation with CVIs—or in the case of women of child-bearing years, an artificially-created fetus. Chosen travelers were re-routed to a lab in the Taelons' moon facility for the procedure. Da’an believed the portal project would undermine humanity’s trust of the Taelons ("Through the Looking Glass"). Zo’or used a portal to escape from the explosion of the alien probe at the Naryan Mar lab in Russia. It was unclear to where this portal connected ("Destruction").
Taelon virtual glass existed from nanosecond to nanosecond, like a strobe light ("Destruction"), and could be programmed to allow only certain objects to pass through, as in Boone's office ("Decision").
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EARTH: FINAL CONFLICT SEASON ONE COMPANION |