Bloodstar: Star Corpsman: Book One (30 page)

Star Corpsman Timeline

2069:
Discovery of pseudobacterial mats beneath Martian permafrost.

2072:
Collapse of the North Atlantic Conveyor. Beginning of the New Ice Age.

2095:
Cayambe Space Elevator enters service.

2098:
Terran Commonwealth established. Glaciers form across northern hemisphere.

2100:
Neo-Luddite revolution against nanotech and genetic engineering.

2105:
Alpha Centauri Expedition. Success of Plottel-Alcubierre Drive.

2109:
Chiron [Alpha Centauri A IV] colony established.

2115:
Terran Commonwealth takes over Cayambe Space Elevator.

2117:
Sirius Expedition. Discovery of Encyclopedia Galactica.

2120:
Jovian Expedition. Discovery of Europan Medusae.

2131:
First AI transcriptions of Encyclopedia Galactica.

2140:
White Seraphim Incident on Chiron.

2143:
Human Endeavor
expedition to Gliese 581.

2146:
Establisment of base at Conomara Chaos, in Europa.

2149:
Founding of General Nanodynamics.

2150:
Contact with the Durga, at Delta Aquarii.

2181:
Salvation Colony established on Bloodstar’s World by CCS
Outward Venture
.

2186:
First contact with Qesh by
Zeng He
at Gamma Ophiuchi, 84 light years from Earth.

2194:
Contact Protocol—location of Earth kept secret.

2198:
Establishment of Cernunnos, at Psi Serpentis IV.

2204:
Hippocrates
Expedition. Contact with X’ghr.

2212:
Development of cybertelemeric engineering.

2241:
Elliott Carlyle joins the Navy.

2245:
Bloodstar Rebellion.

2246:
Second Battle of Bloodstar. Treaty of Bloodstar.

Star Corpsman Glossary

apneustic center:
portion of the brain, located in the pons, that stimulates breathing.

atrioventricular node:
also AV node. Collection of cells at the upper end of the right ventricle of the heart, which can take over pacemaker duties from the SA node if it is suppressed.

atriums, left and right:
the two smaller, upper chambers of the heart that receive blood from elsewhere—from the body for the right atrium, the lungs for the left. When they contract, they force the blood down into the heart’s ventricles.

Bainbridge reflex:
automatic response to a sudden drop in blood pressure within the atria, slowing the heart rate.

BP
: blood pressure.

bradycardia
: from Greek for “slow heart.” A heartbeat considerably slower than normal.

BVE
: blood Volume Expander. A fluid such as saline, Ringer’s Lactate, or human blood plasma, used to prevent circulatory collapse in the event of severe blood loss.

C1 through C7:
designations for the seven cervical vertebrae in the neck, located between the skull and the thoracic vertebrae.

carotid arteries:
major arteries, one on either side of the neck, delivering blood to the head.

cc
: cubic centimeter. A standard unit of volume used in medicine.

cingulate cortex:
portion of the brain’s limbic system that, among many other things, processes the neural input from the body we register as pain.

diastole
: the second number of a blood pressure reading, measuring the lowest pressure against the arterial walls, in millimeters of mercury, between each contraction.

DRG
: dorsal respiratory group. Column of nerve fibers within the medulla oblongata that initiate breathing.

fibula
: long bone in the lower leg, more slender than and next to the tibia.

hippocampus
: portion of the brain’s limbic system that, among many other things, helps process acute pain.

humerus
: long bone in the arm, between shoulder and elbow.

intercostal nerves:
from Greek for “among the ribs.” Nerves arising from the thoracic spinal nerves and running through the thoracic pleura and abdominal peritoneum.

medulla oblongata:
in common usage, the medulla. Portion of the brain, the lower half of the brainstem, between the spinal cord and higher portions of the brain that controls, among other things, heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, and various involuntary or autonomic functions.

mesothelium
: a thin membrane lining several body cavities, including the thoracic cavity.

micron
: 1 millionth of 1 meter. A human red blood cell is about 5 microns across. A typical human hair is around 100 microns in thickness.

nananodyne
: from “nano” and “anodyne.” A nanobot, about 1 micron across, programmed to reduce or eliminate pain. Slang:
nanonarcs
.

nanobots
: nanotechnic robots—tiny machines, first hypothesized in the late twentieth century, that operate inside the human body, either under autonomous programming, or through teleoperation by a human or artificial intelligence. Typically, they range in size from 1 to about 20 microns, are powered by the heat of the body within which they operate, and can communicate with one another and with an outside operator by radio.

neuroreceptor
: a neurotransmitter receptor—a membrane protein allowing a cell, particularly a neuron or a glial cell, to communicate chemically with its surroundings.

neurotransmitter
: any of a number of chemicals that transmit signals from a neuron across a synapse to another neuron or some other target cell.

NMDA
: N-methyl d-aspartate. A type of neuroreceptor in the brain associated with consciousness. Certain anesthetics, such as Ketamine, block these receptors, inducing dissociative anesthesia.

nociceptor
: pain receptors; sensory receptors that send nerve signals to the spinal cord and brain where they are interpreted as pain.

pericardium
: from Greek for “around the heart.” The thin, membranous layer of mesothelium surrounding the heart and the roots of the primary blood vessels.

periostoma
: from Greek for “around the bone.” Sheath of nerve- and blood-vessel-rich tissue surrounding each bone.

phrenic nerve:
from Greek for “mind.” Nerve that branches through the diaphragm, the mediastinal pleura, and the pericardium. It provides the only motor supply for the diaphragm.

pneumothorax
: from Greek for “air in the chest.” Caused by a penetrative wound piercing the pleura, allowing air to enter the chest cavity. Also referred to as a “sucking chest wound.” It can lead to the collapse of one or both lungs.

RBCs
: red blood cells. Natural, disk-shaped cells 5 microns across that transport oxygen and carbon dioxide through the circulatory system.

respirocyte, Freitas respirocyte:
artificial blood cell, a spherical nanobot approximately 1 micron across and containing approximately 18 billion atoms, first proposed by Robert Freitas in the early 2000s. Respirocytes carry 236 times as much oxygen as human RBCs. If all of a human’s RBCs were replaced by respirocytes, that person could hold his breath underwater for hours, or sprint at top speed for fifteen minutes without taking a breath.

sinoatrial node:
also SA node, collection of cells on the surface of the heart’s right atrium that serves as a pacemaker, causing all of the heart’s muscles to contract together.

systole
: the first number of a blood pressure reading, a measure of the highest pressure on the arterial walls, in millimeters of mercury, during the heart’s contraction.

T1 through T12:
designations for the twelve thoracic vertebrae in the spine, located between the cervical vertebrae (above) and the lumbar vertebrae (below).

thalamus
: portion of the brain serving as a central switching station for incoming neural impulses.

thoracic cavity:
space within the chest containing the heart, lungs, esophagus, and associated structures.

tibia
: long bone in the lower leg that, together with the smaller fibula, runs between the knee and the ankle.

ventricles, left and right:
the two larger, lower chambers of the heart, which receive blood from the atria. When they contract, they force blood out of the heart—into the lungs in the case of the right ventricle, and out into the body for the left.

VTA
: ventral tegemental area. Portion of the midbrain responsible for triggering dopamine release during orgasm. Among other things, it is associated with motivation, addiction, and the emotions associated with love.

About the Author

IAN DOUGLAS
, one of the many pseudonyms for writer William H. Keith, Jr., is the
New York Times
bestselling author of the popular military SF series The Heritage Trilogy, The Legacy Trilogy, The Inheritance Trilogy, and the ongoing Star Carrier series. A former naval corpsman, he lives in Pennsylvania.

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By Ian Douglas

Star Corpsman

B
LOODSTAR

Star Carrier

E
ARTH
S
TRIKE

C
ENTER OF
G
RAVITY

S
INGULARITY

The Galactic Marines Saga

The Heritage Trilogy

S
EMPER
M
ARS

L
UNA
M
ARINE

E
UROPA
S
TRIKE

The Legacy Trilogy

S
TAR
C
ORPS

B
ATTLESPACE

S
TAR
M
ARINES

The Inheritance Trilogy

S
TAR
S
TRIKE

G
ALACTIC
C
ORPS

S
EMPER
H
UMAN