Isaac Asimov's Robot-Empire-Foundation Series ============================================= Perhaps the most well-respected and largest series in science fiction, Isaac Asimov's Robot-Empire-Foundation Series encompasses dozens of books and tens of thousands of years of future history. Isaac Asimov's Robot-Empire-Foundation series (so called because it's the union of what was originally three separate storylines into a single fictional universe) is the story of the rise of man from the present day onward. It begins with the creation of sentient robots which brings about an unpleasant backlash on Earth, despite the use of Asimov's famous "three laws of robotics" which ensure that robots remain mankinds servants. Eventually man spreads, colonizing the bulk of the galaxy and forming a single empire that encompasses many thousand planets. The rigid and bureaucratic empire undergoes a decline reminiscent of the decline and fall of the Roman empire. Fortunately a visionary steps forward with a clandestine plan to bring a more robust civilization (known as the Foundation) from the ashes of the original empire. Of course, such a brief introduction doesn't do justice to a series of dozens of books. It was begun in the 40s and 50s with a few short robot stories and the Hugo award winning original Foundation trilogy (Foundation, Foundation and Empire, Second Foundation) and was expanded over the following decades, eventually taken up by other authors just before Asimov's death, with additional Hugo and Nebula awards (the two most prestigious awards in science fiction) for some of the later books. For a series with the girth of the Robot-Empire-Foundation series, it can be next to impossible to keep the events straight. Below is a list of the books in chronological order along with a massive timeline provided by Dr. Attila Torkos chronicling the most important events. The following are included in the Robot-Empire-Foundation series and are by Isaac Asimov unless otherwise noted. (Robot series) I, Robot The Complete Robot The Caves of Steel The Naked Sun The Robots of Dawn Mirage: Isaac Asimov's Robot Mystery by Mark W. Tiedemann Chimera: Isaac Asimov's Robot Mystery by Mark W. Tiedemann Isaac Asimov's Robots and Aliens (Isaac Asimov's Robot City: Robots and Aliens, Bks. 1-2) by Stephen Leigh, Cordell Scotten Isaac Asimov's Robots and Aliens 2: Intruder (Book 3), Alliance (Book 4) by Robert Thurston, Jerry Alliance Oltion Isaac Asimov's Robot City by Isaac Asimov, Michael P. Kube-McDowell, Mike McQuay Isaac Asimov's Robot City 2 by William F. Wu, Arthur Byron Cover Isaac Asimov's Robot City Book 3: Cyborg by William F. Wu Isaac Asimov's Robot City, Book 4: Prodigy by Arthur Byron Cover Refuge (Issac Asimov's Robot City, No 5) by Robert Chilson Perihelion (Isaac Asimov's Robot City, No 6) by William F. Wu Robots and Empire (Empire series) The Stars, Like Dust (The Empire Novels) The Currents of Space (The Empire Novels) Pebble in the Sky (The Empire Novels) (Foundation series) Prelude to Foundation Forward the Foundation Foundation's Fear (Second Foundation Trilogy) by Gregory Benford Foundation and Chaos (Second Foundation Trilogy) by Greg Bear Isaac Asimov's Caliban by Roger MacBride Allen Isaac Asimov's Inferno by Roger MacBride Allen Isaac Asimov's Utopia by Roger MacBride Allen Foundation's Triumph (Second Foundation Trilogy) by David Brin Foundation Foundation and Empire Second Foundation Foundation's Edge Foundation and Earth Chronology of the Robot-Empire-Foundation Universe -------------------------------------------------- 1887 A.D. Birth of Joseph Schwartz. 1949 A.D. Joseph Schwartz suffers a time travel accident propelling him into the future. 1982 A.D. Birth of Susan Calvin. Lawrance Robertson founds U.S. Robot and Mechanical Men, Inc. 1996 A.D. Production of Robbie. 1998 A.D. An ordinance is passed in New York to keep all robots off the streets between sunset and sunrise. 2002 A.D. Alfred Lanning demonstrates the first speaking robot. 2003 A.D. Susan Calvin obtains her bachelor's degree. Early 21st century A social and technical renaissance flourishes on Earth. Beginning of the production of positronic robots obeying the Three Laws of Robotics. Between 2003 and 2007 robots are banned on Earth except for scientific experiments. Later only a small number of robots are produced for everyday use on Earth due to the Frankenstein-complex of people. The main field of use for robots is colonisation of the Solar System. U.S. Robot tries to break through society's resistance against robots several times, with limited success. 2005 A.D. The first Mercury expedition. 2007 A.D. Robbie is dismantled. Susan Calvin begins to work for U.S. Robot. 2008 A.D. Susan Calvin becomes a robotpsychologist at U.S. Robot. 2015 A.D. The second Mercury expedition. 2021 A.D. A telepathic robot is accidentally produced at U.S. Robot. Obeying the First Law in accordance with its telepathic ability results in a dilemma which renders the robot useless. 2029 A.D. NS-2 (Nestor) type robots are used for experiments with Hyperatomic Drive at Hyper Base. 2031 A.D. Hyperatomic Drive is developed. First successful interstellar (actually intergalactic) journey. 2032 A.D. Stephen Byerley becomes Mayor of New York. After 2032 A.D. Under guidance of Byerley and the newly developed Machines (the first Resident Intelligences = immobile positronic brains) the countries of Earth group into four Regions. 2033 A.D. Susan Calvin becomes robotpsychologist-in-chief. 2037 A.D. Stephen Byerley becomes Regional Co-ordinator. 2044 A.D. Regions of Earth form a Federation. First World Co-ordinator is Stephen Byerley. Economy of the world is managed by four Machines in coordination; they operate according to the First Law. World economy is stabilised. 2048 A.D. Stephen Byerley is elected World Co-ordinator for the second time. 2052 A.D. Susan Calvin states that the Machines apply the First Law to mankind as a whole. This concept will be (re)invented millennia later in Daneel Olivaw's Zeroth Law. 2057 A.D. Susan Calvin retires. Her successor, Clinton Madarian develops a new type of robot with intuition. 2058 A.D. The 56th edition of the Handbook of Robotics is published. 2062 A.D. From astronomical data Madarian's intuitive robot deduces which of the Sun's neighbouring stars have habitable planets. Death of Madarian. After 2062 A.D. With the use of hyperdrive mankind begins to swarm out of Earth. People bring along the virus of Chaos to the stars. Through robotic terraforming of several planets (the Outer Worlds) and their population the culture of Spacers arises. The first Spacer world is a planet of Tau Ceti's system named New Earth. Later it is renamed Aurora. In the beginning the Outer Worlds use robots in limited numbers just as Earth. 2064 A.D. Death of Susan Calvin. 2068 A.D. Development of first terraforming nanotech organisms for modification of nonTerran biospheres enables faster colonization. Entire biospheres are reworked to make them suitable for human colonists.After 2080 A.D. Having stabilised world economy, the Machines - considering any further activity harmful to mankind - gradually cease to function. 2120 A.D. Embedded Technologies and Environmental Manipulors, Incorporated, is founded. Advanced nanotech proliferates throughout the extrasolar colonies and begins to make appearances on Earth in numerous industries. Robotics benefits greatly from the extreme miniaturization and biological mimicry of many nanoforms. 2160 A.D. U.S. Robot accidentally produces a robot with an exceptionally flexible brain. The robot, Andrew becomes property of the Martin family. 2180 A.D. U.S. Robot once more attempts to demolish prejudice against robots, again without much result. Earthpeople accept robots as a part of everyday life only much later. 2190 A.D. Andrew is declared a free robot. 2260 A.D. Andrew has his metallic body exchanged to organic, humanoid. He starts to make his body more and more human using self-designed prostheses. The science of prosthetics is greatly advanced by his experiments. 2359 A.D. In order to be declared human, Andrew makes changes in his brain which will thus slowly die. 2360 A.D. Andrew is declared human. Death of Andrew. 3100 A.D. The first cases of mnemonic plague (also called Burundi's fever) appear on a few Spacer worlds, primarily on the oldest and most well-established colonies. The plague is a result of a virulent mutation of certain nanoorganisms used for the terraformation of Spacer planets. Burundi's fever causes a large percent of Spacers to forget their origins and history. 3871 A.D. Earth allows Spacer worlds to introduce robots to everyday life in unlimited numbers. 3915 A.D. First outbreaks of nanoplagues on Earth coincide with violent outbreaks of a variety of similar diseases throughout the Spacer Worlds, confusing attempts to determine a source or point of origin. Tensions rise between Earth and the Spacer colonies over who is to blame. General panic caused by the plagues makes Earthpeople turn against the intertwined science of nanotech and robotics. The use of robots is greatly restricted on Earth. Fleeing the plagues and robot persecution a new wave of emigrating Earthpeople hit the Outer Worlds. 3971 A.D. Outer Worlds limit emigration from Earth. 4021 A.D. The renaissance on both Earth and the Spacer worlds turns into history's first chaos outbreak. Overpopulated Earth provokes the Outer Worlds, which declare war against the motherworld. During the resulting Three Weeks' War (the Great Rebellion) Spacers defeat Earth and declare the Outer Worlds independent planets. Earth is isolated, emigration made impossible. After 4021 A.D. During the next milennium Earthpeople escape into metal-covered cities (the caves of steel). The rise of city culture, the introduction of hydroponics and the industrial use of robots outside the cities lessen the population and food problems on Earth. More benign nanotechnology is developed on Earth and on the Outer Worlds and introduced in many fields of industry. Appr. 4050-4600 A.D. Some experiments with nanotechnology go wrong on Earth, producing nanocolonies which begin to destroy their environment as nonorganic parasites. In the end these agressive colonies destroy themselves; only a few aberrant strains are preserved. Earth scientists unravel the puzzle of the nanoplagues and develop a number of successful treatments, eventually bringing them to manageable levels. Spacer scientists begin to make progress against their own nanoplagues, reducing them in number and virulence. Spacer medical technologies and bioscience make enormous strides, increasing lifespans and reducing age-related afflictions. 4620 A.D. The last major outbreak of mnemonic plague sweeps the younger Spacer worlds, signaling the last wave of virulent disease among them.Appr. 4664- 4721 A.D. New York is replaced with metal-covered New York City. 4693 A.D. Birth of Rutilan Horder. 4722 A.D. Population of Solaria (fiftieth and last Spacer world) from Nexon begins. Beginning of the slow and almost unrecognizable decline of Spacer culture. 4750 A.D. Mnemonic plague is reduced to the level of a social stigma, largely controlled, nearly eradicated. Direct contact is required to contract it from a carrier. It is rumored that Terrans spread the disease, fueling the anti-Earth sentiment among Spacers. 4822 A.D. Solaria becomes independent of Nexon. 4835 A.D. Embedded Technologies and Environmental Manipulors, Inc. becomes Imbitek. 4858 A.D. Birth of Han Fastolfe. 4938 A.D. Birth of Kelden Amadiro. 4963 A.D. Birth of Vasilia Fastolfe. Appr. 4975 A.D. Vasilia alters some of the programs of his father's robot Giskard Reventlov and thus she unintentionally provides the robot with telepathic powers without being aware of it. 4979 A.D. Birth of Elijah Baley. Birth of Lavinia Demachek. 4989 A.D. Birth of Gladia. 4992 A.D. Birth of Gale Chassik. 4996 A.D. Spacetown is established near New York City. Thanks to Spacer influence robots are introduced to Earth's cities. 4998 A.D. Han Fastolfe develops the mathematical method called 'intersectional analysis' which enables him to produce humaniform robots. 5002 A.D. Elijah Baley and Jessie Navodny meet. 5005 A.D. Birth of Bentley (Ben) Baley. 5012 A.D. Kelden Amadiro founds the Auroran Institute of Robotics. 5021 A.D. Auroran roboticist Han Fastolfe and sociologist-historian Roj Nemennuh Sarton realize the decline of Spacer culture. They want to get Earth to colonize new planets using less robotic service than Spacers. They plan to send humaniform robots to mix among Earth population to understand their way of thinking. The first humaniform robot, Daneel Olivaw, is produced according to Fastolfe's design. Meeting of Daneel and Elijah Baley. 5022 A.D. Elijah Baley and Daneel Olivaw investigate a murder case on Solaria. They discover that the crime was committed by roboticist Jothan Leebig, who planned to build spaceships with positronic brains. A fleet of these ships could protect the pathologically misanthropic society of Solaria from any potential outside threat. Leebig commits suicide. Fastolfe becomes an influential member of the Auroran government and strongly supports new Earth emigration. His Auroran opponents led by Kelden Amadiro want to terraform and populate new planets from Aurora instead of Earth. A group of Earthpeople led by Baley train to live outside the city domes to be able to colonize new planets. 5023 A.D. Elijah helps Daneel with solving a dispute between two mathematicians. 5024 A.D. Amy Barone-Stein joins Baley's would-be settlers. Baley investigates a case of roboticide on Aurora accompanied by Daneel and Giskard Reventlov. In the background of the 'murder' lies the power struggle between Fastolfe and his opponents over the new colonization. Finally Aurora allows the Earth to terraform new planets and will provide technical support for the task. Giskard thinks Earthpeople must settle on worlds without robots to evade the fate of Spacers. Giskard describes the idea of psychohistory, a science that can foretell events of the future. 5026 A.D. The second swarm of humans from Earth begins with Auroran support. They use no robotic service at all. The first colonist group is lead by Ben Baley. The first terraformed (so called Settler) planet will later be called Baleyworld. Earth plans to ban use of robots inside its cities. 5028 A.D. There are already twenty-four Settler planets. The relationship between the Settler and Spacer worlds becomes increasingly hostile. 5029 A.D. Elijah Baley moves to Baleyworld. ??? Robots are in Earth's cities. Technologies based on aggressive, self-programming nano-machines are also abandoned. The Hunter Group (the legal face of the crime syndicate of arms dealer Kynig Parapoyos) is founded on an undisclosed Settler world. 5058 A.D. Death of Elijah Baley. 5101 A.D. Birth of Benen Yarick. 5132 A.D. The Church of Organic Sapiens is founded. 5162 A.D. Improvo Shipping and Storage is founded. 5168 A.D. Birth of Sindra Lambid. Upon an agreement between Solaria and a Settler company Settlers begin to colonize Cassus Thole, a planet which used to be a Solarian mining endeavour. Solaria keeps only one establishment for itself, far from the Settler towns. 5171 A.D. Birth of Jerem Looms. He turns out to have UPD. 5172 A.D. A lab is founded on Earth to research the nanocolonies which infect infants and cause UPD. The lab is named Nova Levis. 5173 A.D. A sister lab of Nova Levis is established on Cassus Thole. Kynig Parapoyos' researchers start to develop new infectious agents and their cures in the lab. They test their products on the planet's population in secret. They plan to infect the people of newly colonized Settler planets with their newly developed agents, and later make enormous profits by selling their treatments. The planet is later renamed Nova Levis. Thanks to Parapoyos' organization Nova Levis gradually grows to be the center of illegal trade. 5174 A.D. Rega Looms is informed that Jerem died. 5175 A.D. Children are kidnapped throughout Earth, UPDs among them. Ree Wenithal begins to investigate the problem. The children are secretly transported to Nova Levis where Parapoyos' researchers produce cyborgs from them. 5176 A.D. Nova Levis lab on Earth starts to research the practice of nonorganic-organic symbiosis in earnest. 5178 A.D. Ree Wenithal traces the stolen children to Nova Levis lab on Earth. He is then stopped in his investigation. 5180 A.D. Earth's Nova Levis lab is closed. 5182 A.D. Rega Looms becomes director of the Church of Organic Sapiens. Gale Chassik becomes Solarian ambassador to Earth. 5183 A.D. Birth of D.G. Baley. 5191 A.D. The plans of the crazy Auroran scientist Dr. Avery (founder of Robot City) for conquering the galaxy by establishing new robot cities are foiled by Derec Avery and Ariel Burgess. 5195 A.D. Relationship between Earth and Aurora improves. 5197 A.D. After graduating from the Calvin Institute, Ariel Burgess takes a position as the Calvin liaison to the Auroran embassy on Earth. That same year, Derec Avery petitions the Terran government for a special license to operate a positronic research lab on Earth called Phylaxis. He becomes instrumental in new attempts to reintroduce positronics to Earth's cities. 5198 A.D. Auroran patrols check the Terran smuggler ship Tiberius; it turns out to carry several Solarian positronic experts and geneticists to Nova Levis. Nova Levis turns down requests to carry out investigations on the planet. Later that same year, Derec Avery completes construction of Bogard, a robot with extremely flexible Three Law parameters, enabling it to act as a bodyguard without running into positronic collapse. 5199 A.D. Terran senator Clar Eliton invites Spacer and Settler diplomats to discuss the possible reintroduction of robots on Earth and in Settler space trade; in the meantime Eliton organizes an assassination against the diplomats in order to completely discredit robots on Earth. Derec Avery's robot Bogard proves instrumental in solving the crime. After the assassination most of the diplomats of the Fifty Worlds leave Earth. A smuggler ship leaving Nova Levis fires on a Terran patrol ship. Earth blockades Nova Levis. 5200 A.D. A group of people illegally emigrating from Earth to Nova Levis are killed. Investigations suggest the involvement of Solaria and Nova Levis. A cyborg (who was once Jerem Looms) named Gamelin appears on Earth. 5201 A.D. An investigation by Derec Avery and Ariel Burgess leads to the discovery of manufacture of cyborgs and new infections by arms dealer Kynig Parapoyos on planet Nova Levis. It is revealed that Parapoyos is really Ambassador Gale Chassik. The cyborgs of Nova Levis kill Chassik. The planet is consolidated. 5202 A.D. The autonomous robot Bogard assumes control of the Parapoyos organization. It begins a program, in concert with a faction of Spacer robots, to isolate Spacers in order to allow them to die out as a result of the determination that the millennia of coexistence with numerous mutated nanoforms has altered them genetically to a condition where they represent a potential new species. Robots are dedicated to service to Homo sapiens sapiens and cannot have two masters. 5217 A.D. Kelden Amadiro and his group begin planting nuclear amplifiers throughout Earth to take revenge for their defeat. 5222 A.D. Death of Han Fastolfe. Anti-Earth and anti-Settler movement on Aurora gains momentum. Population of Solaria vanishes. Number and strength of Settler worlds grows fast. Daneel and Giskard formulate the Zeroth Law of Robotics. They realize they will need a working psychohistory to steer human history according to the Zeroth Law. Amadiro's group turn their amplifiers on to make Earth radioactive and inhospitable. Giskard lets them proceed, rationalizing that the poisoning of Earth would speed up the Settler swarm and do humanity good in the long run. His decision, however, creates an internal conflict between the Zeroth and the First Law, which ultimately leads to Giskard's death. Giskard provides Daneel with telepathic abilities, then becomes inoperational and dies. Settler emigration grows to enormous numbers: beginning of the Great Diaspora. Settlers carry the virus of Chaos everywhere. ??? Amadiro builds R. Plussix. ??? A majority of robots split into two camps. 'Giskardians' led by Daneel believe in the new Zeroth Law religion. Others - the 'Calvinians', Plussix among them - think their meddling with human affairs according to the Zeroth Law to be an outrage. A robotic civil war ensues mostly unseen by humans fleeing the sudden poisoning of Earth. Meanwhile fleets of robots - operating under Auroran programming - begin cruising the galaxy ahead of the spreading Settlers, terraforming and preparing planets for colonization. Several nonhuman intelligent races, sometimes complete ecosystems are destroyed by robot terraformers. On some planets they discover computer civilizations, remnants of once-great nonhuman cultures. The Auroran robots try to destroy the beings of these civilizations, the meme entities, as potential threaths. Some of the memes escape to the Galactic Core. 5287 A.D. Birth of Fredda Leving. 5292 A.D. Death of Davirnik Gidi. 5296 A.D. Birth of Ottley Bissal. 5321 A.D. The Spacer planet Inferno is threatened by both an ecological and a cultural catastrophe. To avoid the ecological catastrophe, the planet's new governor, Chanto Grieg asks a group of Settler specialists to reterraform the planet. 5322 A.D. Gubber Anshaw invents the gravitonic brain, which is faster than the positronic and does not need the Three Laws of Robotics to be able to operate. To evade the cultural crisis Fredda Leving designs and builds robots with gravitonic brains that operate with New Laws, giving them greater freedom and flexibility. To test the correctness of the New Laws she builds the No Law robot Caliban. 5323 A.D. Chanto Grieg is killed. Alvar Kresh becomes new governor of Inferno. Ottley Bissal is killed. The failure of the New Laws becomes clear. Reterraformation of Inferno begins. 5325 A.D. Alvar Kresh and Fredda Leving get married. 5328 A.D. An ice-comet is crashed onto Inferno's surface in order to stabilize the ecosystem and to speed up the reterraformation process. Cultural crisis is evaded by the merging of Spacers and the Settler terraformers. ??? The interstellar robot civil war eventually reaches Inferno. New Law robots are destroyed or go into hiding. ??? Daneel and his followers play an important role in formulating the Encoding Laws that will set the highest limits in producing artificial intelligence. As a result, Settler society will never think of building robots. This is one of the first great 'damping mechanisms' that help prevent chaos. Appr. 7000 A.D. = appr. 6000 B.G.E. Trantor is settled. Appr. 9000 A.D. = appr. 4000 B.G.E. Daneel and his companions start manipulating Trantor and its neighboring kingdoms so that one day they would become allies, thus creating the nuclues of a would-be galactic empire which would provide safety for mankind. 1960 B.G.E. (Before Galactic Era) Settling of planet Tyrann. 1260-1250 B.G.E. Tyrann conquers the Nebular Kingdoms. 1223 B.G.E. Birth of Biron Farrill. 1220 B.G.E. The Tyranni elect Hinrik V as Director of Rhodia. 1200 B.G.E. Planet Rhodia and the Nebular Kingdoms, led by the noble Hinriad family, shake off rule by planet Tyrann, and rediscover democracy. Beginning of the colonization of planet Sark. ??? Spacer worlds turn into themselves and slowly die throughout the millennia. The remaining population of Aurora moves to Mycogen sector of the growing planet Trantor. Settler culture gradually colonizes the Galaxy. Damping effects such as historical amnesia, brain fever and giskardian mentalic persuasion devices are introduced by Daneel and followers to fight chaos. As a result human mind, society and technology stagnates for millennia. Some human and robot groups (including the Maserd family) fight the amnesia. Later they are for the most part defeated by Giskardians. Robots are forgotten by all but a tiny remnant of humans who cooperate in hiding with heretic robots. Appr. 1000 B.G.E. Daneel transports apes from Earth to Panucopia. Here he starts performing genetic experiments on them in order to create a new version of humanity which he could better take care of with the Zeroth Law. The experiments are a failure. 700 B.G.E. The Trantorian Republic of five worlds begins to grow; later becomes Trantorian Confederation and still later Trantorian Empire. Daneel uses early 'laws of humanics' (precursor of psychohistory developed with Giskard) to guide it. Sark's inhabitants discover planet Florina's natural treasure, Kyrt. They conquer Florina and by producing kyrt they make Sark incredibly wealthy throughout the centuries. ??? The origin of mankind is forgotten. Planet Earth becomes one of the many millions of inhabited planets. 200 B.G.E. Half of the inhabited worlds of the Galaxy are part of Trantorian Empire. Trantor is on the point of forming the Galactic Empire. Trantor financially supports rebellion of Florina against oppression by planet Sark. Appr. 180 B.G.E. The civilized worlds of Ophiucus sink into barbarism. 1 G.E. (= appr. 13 000 A.D.) (appr. 8000 years after the Great Diaspora) Trantorian Empire becomes Galactic Empire. First emperor is Frankenn I, of the Kamble Dynasty. Beginning of the galactic calendar. (G.E. = Galactic Era) 750 G.E. Second Earth rebellion against Empire. 771 G.E. Birth of Affret Shekt. 772 G.E. Birth of Grew. 775 G.E. Beginning of rule of Stannel II. 777 G.E. Demonstrating his might, Stannel II provokes revolt in Washenn, Earth (third Earth rebellion against the Empire). Stannel II is assassinated. Edard ascends the galactic throne and consolidates the situation on Earth by peaceful means. Appr. 780-790 G.E. Civil War in the Galactic Empire. 787 G.E. Birth of Lord Ennius. 792 G.E. Birth of Bel Arvardan. 817 G.E. Earth scientists isolate the virus of Common Fever. 827 G.E. Arrival of Joseph Schwartz through time. A radioactive and sparsely populated Earth tries to revolt against the Empire using a bio-weapon (an extremely aggressive type of the chaos virus). The rebellion fails, thanks partly to Schwarz and Daneel's agent R. Gornon Vlimt. Empire initially supports changing of Earth's radioactive soil for healthy, then the effort is mysteriously abandoned. Appr. 900 G.E. Forced evacuation of inhospitable Earth. Founding of colony on planet Alpha. 975 G.E. An intelligent species is discovered on a desert planet. They are transported to Cepheus 18. 978 G.E. The aliens mysteriously escape beyond the Galaxy aided by a sympathetic bureaucrat of the Empire. Appr. 2000 G.E. Daneel Olivaw and R. Yan Kansarv establish a robot production and repair facility on the moon Eos. Ruellis helps establish principles of good paternalistic government, augmenting the stability of an unchanging society against chaos (another of Daneel's damping mechanisms). Appr. 3000 G.E. Public debate of personality simulations Voltaire and Joan of Arc about machine intelligence during a chaos outbreak. With support of Calvinian robots the Empress Shoree-Harn sits on the imperial throne; she tries to introduce a new calendar and shake up social rigidity without success. Appr. 7000 G.E. The Dacian Dynasty rules the Empire. 8045-8068 G.E. A commission of 300 authors collect all the tales and legends about Immortals into several volumes. 8789 G.E. New renaissance begins on planet Lingane. 8797 G.E. Lingane renaissance falls into chaos Appr. 10,050-10,092 Rule of Agis VI. Appr. 10,250 Rule of Loris VI. Appr. 11,060 The settling of Huylen. 11,865 G.E. Humanoid robot Dors Venabili is constructed on Eos. Appr. 11,867 G.E. The only extragalactic human colony is abandoned in the Greater Magellanic Cloud. All data suppressed. 11,953 G.E. Birth of Mycelium Seventy-Two. 11,956 G.E. Rebellion on Zeon. Appr. 11,968 G.E. Daneel performs genetic experiments on a group of humans, which leads to the appearance of mentalics and the birth of a man who is capable of developing psychohistory. 11,980 G.E. Mannix IV becomes lord mayor in the sector of Wye, Trantor. 11,988 G.E. Birth of Hari Seldon and Cleon I. Daneel knows the Empire is destabilizing, partly due to frequent chaos outbreaks. He is forced by Zeroth Law to actively interfere, first as Chief of Staff, then as First Minister. 12,008 G.E. Birth of Raych. 12,010 G.E. Death of Daluben IV. Cleon I becomes Emperor. 12,017 G.E. New renaissance begins on Madder Loss. 12,020 G.E. Hari Seldon lectures on possibility of psychohistory. Daneel persuades him to develop a practical science to help save the Empire. In the guise of First Minister Eto Demerzel he supports Seldon's work. Dors Venabili becomes Seldon's wife. They adopt a boy, Raych. Seldon and Yugo Amaryl begin to flesh out psychohistory. 12,028 G.E. A group of Calvinian robots, led by R. Plussix, move to Trantor and find historical documents dating from the era of Shoree-Harn, as well as the sims Voltaire and Joan of Arc. They get the sims to planet Sark to help seed a new renaissance there, to disturb Daneel's work. Seldon helps removing Laskin Joranum from politics. Eto Demerzel (Daneel) resigns his post. Cleon I makes Seldon First Minister. A New Renaissance begins on planet Sark. Voltaire and Joan get into Trantorian Mesh where they meet the ancient memes. To avenge the destruction of their original homes the memes cause a rebellion among the tiktoks, having many of Daneel's robot companions killed. The memes move back to the Galactic Core. Sark renaissance gradually falls into chaos. 12,032 G.E. Nikolo Pas declares that on Sterrad he discovered that artificial humans, robots, infiltrated the state apparatus and plan to start a rebellion. During the resulting general panic he has 50 billion people slaughtered on Sterrad and the neighboring planets. 12,037 G.E. The collapse of Madder Loss renaissance rocks Galactic society. Digging of a new heatsink starts in sector Dahl of Trantor. 12,038 G.E. Death of Cleon I. A military junta seizes power. Seldon resigns as First Minister. 12,040 G.E. Birth of Wanda Seldon from the marriage of Raych Seldon and Manella Dubanqua. 12,048 G.E. 'Death' of Dors Venabili. Daneel brings Dors to the Eos base for repair. Fall of the junta. Puppet-Emperor Agis XIV ascends the throne. Real power is in the hands of the Commission of Public Safety led by Chief Commissioner Linge Chen. 12,049 G.E. Death of Nikolo Pas. 12,050 G.E. Birth of Klayus I. 12,051 G.E. Birth of Klia Asgar. 12,052 G.E. Birth of Bellis Seldon, second child of Raych and Manella. Hari Seldon discovers Wanda's mental abilities. He tries to find others, without success. Signs of general decline show throughout the Empire. 12,053 G.E. Birth of Jeni Cuicet. 12,054 G.E. Psychohistorical equations predict the unavoidable collapse of the Empire. Seldon works out plan to preserve human knowledge, and create a Second Empire via the Foundation. Death of Yugo Amaryl. 12,057 G.E. Having been finished, the new heatsink of Dahl collapses, killing hundreds of thousands. 12,058 G.E. Raych, Manella and Bellis move to Santanni where a new renaissance has begun. Anacreon province seeks independence. Seldon finds the place for his Foundation: planet Terminus, on the edge of the Galaxy. Chaos breaks out on Santanni. Raych dies. His family is lost in space. Stettin Palver, another mentalic joins the Seldon Project, then Bor Alurin. The mentalics will later form the Second Foundation. The Commission of Public Safety begins to watch Seldon. 12,062 G.E. Vara Liso, a strong mentalic learns about the existence of robots. Upon this information Farad Sinter begins to hunt for robots. 12,066 G.E. Kale's Star goes supernova. 12,067 G.E. = 1 F.E. Klayus I sits on the imperial throne, but real power remains with the Commission of Public Safety. Giskardian robot Lodovik Trema becomes accidentally liberated from the compulsion to obey the Laws of Robotics. He questions the rightness of Zeroth Law and the lack of human consultation in their own destiny. Calvinian robots want Seldon to abandon his Project to stop Daneel directing history. Death of R. Plussix. Gaal Dornick joins the Seldon Project. The Commission of Public Safety puts Seldon to trial and exiles the Encyclopedia Foundation to Terminus. Farad Sinter's soldiers destroy base of Calvinian robots. Lodovik rejoins Daneel. The Second Foundation goes into hiding at Star's End. Beginning of the Foundation calendar. (F.E. = Foundation Era) Originist Leyel Forska wants to join First Foundation, but Seldon turns him down. 12,068 G.E. = 2 F.E. Reign of puppet Emperor Semrin. First Foundation (consisting mostly of technical experts and their families) gets "exiled" to Terminus and begins compiling the Encyclopedia Galactica. Daneel starts developing the overmind Gaia with human mentalics. Compelled by Zeroth Law Daneel destroys millions of ancient archives that had been designed to fight human amnesia. A new renaissance on Ktlina falls into chaos. R. Gornon Vlimt tries to send Seldon into the future to judge Daneel's plan and the projections of psychohistory, but is foiled by Daneel. Mors Planch (and possibly Biron Maserd) dives into the future. 12,069 G.E. = 3 F.E. Death of Hari Seldon. Leyel Forska joins Second Foundation. Linge Chen dies, Rom Divart takes his place in the Commission of Public Safety. To strengthen his power, Divart pays attention mostly to Trantor and its vicinity. Secession begins at the Empire's Periphery. A.K. 18 (12,084 G.E.) Birth of Salvor Hardin. 50 F.E. (12,116 G.E.) Anacreon declares independence, separating Terminus from the Empire. Seldon's hologram in the Terminus Time Vault explains the true purpose of the Foundation. Anacreon sets up military base on Terminus with the aim of swallowing the planet. Terminus begins to provide scientific support for the neighbouring kingdoms, balancing their powers. 80 F.E. (12,146 G.E.) The Foundation wards off Anacreon threat, then signs a treaty with neighbouring kingdoms about peaceful coexistence. The Foundation begins to trade with sophisticated industrial goods in the Periphery. As its economic influence grows, it adds the power of religious cultism. 105 F.E. (12,171 G.E.) Death of Stannell VI. 135 F.E. (12,201 G.E.) The Foundation spreads its influence over the planet Askone. 155 F.E. (12,221 G.E.) Imperial atomic weapons appear in the Republic of Korell, adjacent with the Foundation's influence zone. 158 F.E. (12,224 G.E.) Korell declares war against Foundation. 161 F.E. (12,227 G.E.) After three years of mostly economic warfare the Korellian economy collapses. Korell becomes part of the Foundation. Birth of Bel Riose. 170 F.E. (12,236 G.E.) Cleon II becomes emperor of the Empire. 185 F.E. (12,251 G.E.) Imperial cadet Bel Riose saves two spaceships from destruction near the Lemul Cluster. He is promoted. Later he becomes a general. 195 F.E. (12,261 G.E.) The Empire ruled by Cleon II is gaining strength. Imperial general Bel Riose begins a campaign against the Foundation. 196 F.E. (12,262 G.E.) Riose conquers large territories. Cleon II - afraid of a powerful military leader's attempt to seize the throne - calls Riose and his fleet back. 210 F.E. (12,276 G.E.) End of Cleon II's rule. 267 F.E. (12,333 G.E.) Birth of Han Pritcher. 270 F.E. (12,336 G.E.) Dagobert VIII rules remnant Empire. The rebel Gilmer conquers and sacks Trantor. First Speaker Yokim Sarns and the Second Foundation protect the Galactic Library, then sign a peace-treaty with Gilmer. 283 F.E. (12,349 G.E.) Birth of the Mule on Gaia. 293 F.E. (12,359 G.E.) Han Pritcher joins the army. 303 F.E. (12,369 G.E.) The Mule leaves Gaia and using his mentalic abilities he sets out to conquer the Galaxy. 310 F.E. (12,376 G.E.) Empire of Dagobert IX has shrunk to twenty worlds. Its capital is Neotrantor. The Foundation has grown into a major power. The Mule conquers the Foundation, knocking Seldon Plan off course. Psychologist Ebling Mis locates the Second Foundation. Bayta Darell shoots Mis before he could reveal location of the Second Foundation to the Mule. The Mule establishes the Union of Worlds, and searches for the Second Foundation. 315 F.E. Members of the Second Foundation mentalically alter the Mule, who then gives up further conquest and the search for the Second Foundation. 320 F.E. Death of the Mule. The Foundation regains its earlier strength, but also begins studying neglected mental sciences, further endangering Seldon Plan. 351 F.E. Preem Palver becomes First Speaker. 362 F.E. Birth of Arcadia Darell. 376 F.E. The Foundation searches for the Second Foundation, fearing its mentalic rule. Planet Kalgan starts war against the Foundation. 377 F.E. The Foundation defeats Kalgan. Diverting the Foundation's search with a ruse, the Second Foundation continues operating secretly on Trantor (Star's End). ??? Daneel unleashes his Gaia overmind. Gaia begins to watch the Foundations. 443 F.E. Death of Arcadia Darell. ??? Researching mental sciences, the Foundation gets close to being superior to the supposedly destroyed Second Foundation. The Second Foundation - without noticing it - is no longer able to keep the Seldon Plan on course on its own. The Seldon Plan is kept on course by the mental guidance of the Gaia overmind. 467 F.E. Birth of Golan Trevize. ??? Daneel starts manipulating a group of people (including Golan Trevize) to choose 'the man who is always right'. 498 F.E. The Gaia overmind offers Golan Trevize ('the man who is always right') a choice between an Empire built by the First Foundation's physical force, one ruled by Second Foundation mentalics, or a Galaxy-sized version of Gaia... Galaxia. No other options are presented and no other humans consulted. Trevize chooses Galaxia. After the decision the Seldon Plan is kept alive by Gaia to ensure stability until the emergence of Galaxia. Preparations begin for gradual assimilation of humanity into the collective overmind. 499 F.E. Trevize embarks on a journey seeking to explain his choice. On Solaria he finds that the planet's vanished folk have become a new race. He takes a child, Fallom from the planet. Reaching Earth he meets R. Daneel Olivaw, whose actions to this point were compelled by the Zeroth Law. Trevize realizes any solution must take into consideration robots, Solarians, memes, mutants and any other kind of intelligence, too. The right answer may not be to simplify. 520 F.E. First Galactic Coalescence Investigation Commission convenes on planet Pengia. The subsequent Great Destiny Debates rage for 180 years, interrupted by waves of violence, amnesia and chaos. Robotic civil wars reignite. Foundation civilization approaches ultimate confrontation with both Gaia and Chaos. 682 F.E. The Fifth Great Destiny Debate. 1020 F.E. 116th Edition of the Encyclopedia Galactica. 1054 F.E. 117th Edition of the Encyclopedia Galactica. 1152 F.E. Early History of Colonization by Sarhir Vadid is published by Baleyworld University Press. 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