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Sime~Gen 
where a mutation makes the evolutionary
division into male and female
pale by comparison.
 

CHRONOLOGY OF THE SIME~GEN UNIVERSE

A SIME LEGEND

In the Days of the Ancients, Simes and Gens lived together without strife, the Gens freely giving selyn to the Simes, the Simes protecting and caring for the Gens. But then the Gens grew selfish. They wanted to keep all the selyn for themselves. The Simes grew weaker and weaker, and finally they went to the Ancients to ask for help, that they should make the Gens give up the selyn they could not use.

The Ancients called the Gens before them and asked why they kept for themselves the energy of life that they could not use. "It is a great treasure," they said. "See how the Simes desire it. It must be very valuable, and therefore we will store it up."

At that the Ancients became angry. "You have not the wits to know that this substance has value only when you share it! For your foolishness, we make you subject to the Simes, to be their cattle. And to the Simes we give the power to take selyn from you, whether you will or not."

And so it has been ever since.

This table layout was typed for us by Mary Arens from the work by Katie Filipowicz in the Paperback First Channel.

Subsequently updated by Jacqueline Lichtenberg.

The Sime~Gen Timeline is divided into 3 main eras:

Pre-Unity

Era Unity

Era Interstellar

See also the Sime~Gen Wiki

Unity Calendar Date

Elapsed Time

Pivotal Event

Published/ Planned Story

Historical Background

* Here and Now *  *
ERA PRE-UNITY 
-1833 Unity Calendar at least 1,000 yrs  * As a matter of policy, no authoritative novels or stories are to be written describing the collapse of Ancient Civilization.  The people who must live as Sime or Gen never can have any proof about what caused the mutation or how it happened. 

Simes and Gens, of course, have written many such novels and even Sacred Texts and have thousands of theories about how it happened. 

First Simes appear; civilization collapses; Ancients die out. Nomadic existence. Some Ancient knowledge blamed for the mutation preserved secretly by isolated communities (e.g. School of Rathor: esoterica). Gens develop gunpowder, partition of world into settled Sime and Gen Territories, leaving nomad groups such as gypsies and Freeband Raiders.
-833

-533

several centuries  * * Organized Territory governments; Gens raised in pens in Sime Territory. Raiding across the borders. Ways of the Starred Cross help Gens escape from Sime Territory. Gen Church of the Purity calls Simes demons to be destroyed.
-533

-530

3 years Self-identification of the first channel, Rimon Farris.  Rimon has a son, Zeth, when he's about 18 natal years. Fort Freedom set on the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains. First Channel by Jean Lorrah and Jacqueline Lichtenberg (first pub. 1980)  Now all the books are available in new paper editions, in e-book, various formats + audiobookFirst First known community of Simes and Gens living together, in Sime Territory. Channel transfer dominates there, some renSime (ordinary Sime) /Gen transfer.
-527
-525

-518

9 years Many experiments in living on both sides of the ever moving Territory Borders.
A Mother's Choice
by
Donna Fernstrom
*
- 518

-517

1 year Zeth Farris, Rimon's son, changes over and is handed leadership before the end of his First Year, when Rimon and Kadi die at the age of about 29 years.  Zeth discovers anti-kill conditioning.  Channel's Destiny (Sime~Gen, Book 5)  * (1982?) First recorded incident of unofficial Sime/Gen cooperation across the border.
 

-516 Established in RenSime and FARRIS CHANNEL

 

few years First "Householdings" formed, called "Forts" including Zeth's Fort Rimon. Zeth has a son, Del Rimon born (unknown to them at the time) in the year that will be known as -516 -- 48 years before he founds Zeor.  Fort Rimon breaks up and the Forts scatter for protection, hoping some will survive. COMPANIONS by Jean Lorrah

The story of the breakup of Fort Freedom into seed Forts that scatter to the winds for survival of the non-junct lifestyle. 

(unwritten) *

 The cultural status of Gens as authority figures among Householders is formed.
-516

-500

* First "Householdings" formed, called "Forts" including Zeth's Fort Rimon. Zeth has a son, Del Rimon.  Fort Rimon breaks up and the Forts scatter for protection, hoping some will survive The farflung Forts collapse, economically and strategically overrun during political instability among the juncts.  "Willing Victim" unpublished short story by Jacqueline Lichtenberg

The Need is the title of the movie script by Anne Phyllis Pinzow based on this short story.

Politically, Nivet Territory is falling apart, and economically the Pens are not able to cope. This happens periodically within every living memory, but this time it seems worse.
 

-468 (established in RenSime)

1-2 years Zeth's son Del Rimon Farris, ~ 48 Natal Years Old,   founds Zeor.

Del Rimon discovers that all the data on channeling makes perfect sense if you just leave out all data on Farrises, thus founding Modern Transfer Mechanics as a science.

 

The Farris Channel: Sime~Gen, Book Twelve  

A new S~G novel of the founding of the House of Zeor after the collapse of the Forts.   

Del Rimon Farris, son of Zeth Farris, known as Delri to his family, and Rimon to everyone else, gathers the refugees from the fallen Forts and founds The House of Zeor with 400 sworn members, ambrov Zeor. History records that Zeor was founded by Rimon Farris, thus confusing the two Rimons.
-500

 

-120

380 years  * * Householdings proliferate and spread to other Territories in North America, then around the world. Other places in the world only hear that such a thing as channeling is possible, and re-invent the process for themselves. Thus variations abound. 
circa - 117 *  Tallin is First Companion in Dar while his son is Sectuib "The Problem of the Pilfered Pen" by Mary Lou Mendum  and other Tallin&Eskalee stories  The Householdings thrive in Nivet Territory but Zelerod hasn't published his famous Paper yet. The Pen system is working well, fortunes and reputations are being made In-and-Out-Territory. It is not apparent that this society is doomed.
* * * * *
- 20 years 1-2 years Risa Tigue becomes Sectuib in House of Keon, one of only two Householdings in Gulf Territory. The other is Carre. Ambrov Keon (Sime~Gen, Book 7) (Sime/Gen)  ** (1986)

 

Householdings spread to other Sime Territories, spurring technological redevelopment. First Tecton, barely legal organization of Householdings. Houses emerge as vital economic force.
-16-17 years * Jimin Vandyke and Kareen Alldean arrive in Zeor SHINING STAR AND STEP AFTER STEP by Marge Robbins *
* * * * *
- 15 years one month Klyd Farris, Sectuib in Zeor, meets Hugh Valleroy, leading to Hugh's founding House of Rior. House of Zeor (Sime~Gen, Book 1)  (Doubleday 1974 - in various editions continuously in print, now in ebook) 
 *
- 2 to 3 months * Aran a second order channel , son of Kareen and Jimin, changes over and is served First Transfer by Klyd Farris Untitled by Marge Robbins unwritten *
ERA UNITY
Year 0 UNITY CALENDAR YEAR ONE Third Order channels identified. Klyd founds "modern" Tecton. Hugh founds Distect. Keon opts for Tecton.

The Secret Pens are established.

Zelerod's Doom (Sime~Gen, Book 8) (Sime/Gen)  *** (1986)

 

Tecton takes over Territory government, initiates negotiations with nearby Gen government; they cooperate to eliminate last great group of Freeband Raiders. First Contract signed: Tecton undertakes to see that Simes never feel need. RenSimes denied direct Gen transfer. New calendar established. Simes allowed in Gen Territory, but with retainers confining their tentacles.
Year 0 Year 0 The Last Kill is announced, and the Unity Treaty takes effect

Zhag disjuncts before meeting Tonyo

To Kiss or To Kill (Sime~Gen, Book 11)  by Jean Lorrah -- A Sime~Gen Romance in Kindle and paper PERSONAL RECOGNIZANCE flashes back to this time though set in Year 250
Year 1 * Jimin and Kareen leave Zeor to found Householding Chanel with Kareen as Sosectu THE LIGHT OF ZEOR by Marge Robbins and Jacqueline Lichtenberg *
Year 1    *    *
Year 1 (10-15 yrs)  The Life and Times of Zhag and Tonyo, Musical Diplomats from Gulf Territory - and of Oliver Tigue. The golden age of Gulf Territory during which basic telegraph and radio ELECTRICITY BASED technology becomes borderline commercially viable despite the expense of metals.  It all rests on a political base of optimism and trust. 3 stories about Zhag and Tonyo

The Story Untold and Other Sime~Gen Stories (Sime~Gen, Book 10)

"Best of Fools"  by Jean Lorrah, 

"The Story Untold" by Jean Lorrah

"Reflection of a Dream" by Jean Lorrah

 

Schools for channels, Donors, and renSimes founded. Tecton spreads around the world. Householdings become non-localized corporations. The Distect, supporters of direct Sime/Gen transfer for all, rebel, are defeated at Battle of Leander Field, and go into hiding.
Year 2 or3 2-3 The Tecton forces Chanel to choose a Sectuib or lose its recognition as an independent House Untitled by Marge Robbins. Unwritten *
Year 9 ??    *  *
Year 10

Year 15

10-15 years? Secret Pens Abolished after Oliver Teague reveals their existence. THE ONLY GOOD SIME . . . by Kerry Lindemann-Schaefer, and all her stories about Freven, the last Disjunct Channel to be trained and allowed to work. *
Year 12 YEAR 12 Aran Sectuib in Chanel puts his career on the line to train Frevven Alymeer the last disjunct channel CONTROLLERS DILEMMA by Marge Robbins and Kerry Lindemann -Schaefer *
Year 15 * Oliver Tigue announces the existence of the Secret Pens to Gen Territory.  This bursts the political base of optimism and trust, and ends the Gulf Territory technological explosion in a terrible economic depression. 

Karmic Romance introduces a Philosophical Countercurrent into Householding Dar that lies dormant until it erupts with the rebirth and re-marriage of the original couple.


A young channel learns the hard way what it means to be Ambrov Chanel


Zhag has passed away.
 
BE NOT AFRAID by Marge Robbins *
Year 16

Year 22
* Tonyo Logan launches "The Genfarm" -- an entertainment production studio hub, publishes novels and is elected head of the Gulf Territory Legislature - but is assassinated by Oliver Teague before he can serve.    
Year 23 * Kareen dies at hostile Gen hands saving the life of a changeover victim while serving in an out-t Sime Center Untitled by Marge Robbins unwritten *
Year 30 * Setting for the Bender Cove RPG which might be regarded as invented by Simes and Gens on the cross-Border Internet * *
Year 30 * Lisa, Sectuib Aran's daughter leaves Chanel and becomes Ambrov Zeor for a time in a search for her Sectuib's vision for Chanel That same year Aran retires making Lisa Sectuib in Chanel Untitled by Marge Robbins unwritten *
Year 45 * Aran dies saving lives during a fire set at an o-t Sime Center * *
Year 65 * First Publication of Mathematical Description of selyn flow.  This first description eventually proves incorrect, as are subsequent modifications of the theory, but over the next 60 years the theory is refined to be good enough to generate and support a burgeoning selyn driven technology based on the selyn-battery.

The battery technology slowly begins to give rise to selyn powered lighting, cars, slideroad trains that "mag-lev" over a refractory bed, and eventually to digital technology.  This is not in common usage in-and-Out-T and on outlying farms and homesteads until about 130 to 140.

The science that produces the slideroad's bed leads to the integrated circuit and chip technology.  This will be seen in the digital telephone network in use around the year 125 in-T and spreading slowly out-T by the mid-130's. 

* *
68 * Research and statistics (remember statistics is a math redeveloped to a very high degree OUT-TERRITORY --- Sime society doesn't think in terms of averages, medians etc. and doesn't tend to think about the behavior of large numbers of things.)  -- statistical records are finally amassed and studied and it is established that a Channel's or Donor's "Order" is an inherent characteristic of an individual.

 

* *
76 * End of 8 years of political struggle over the Inherent Rank theory of Channels.  * *
94 * First scientific papers in the Journals about breaking down the Ratings into Rankings -- so that each of the 3 Ratings has 4 rankings within it.  (i.e. QN-1 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0)  arbitrarily assigning the Farris to the QN-1 4.0 Rate/Rank. * *
Year 103 * Digen Farris born * *
113 * Digen Farris's Changeover "To Strike a Spark; To Light a Fire" (unpublished, but posted to the web) *
115 * Rankings Officially instituted.   Official testing and re-testing schedules adopted. * Slideroad transportation network building, selyn powered trains levitating above a ceramic ribbon carry cargo across Territory borders, and a few passengers.
120 Less than a year Digen Farris finishes out-Territory High School and fights Tecton Bureaucracy for right to attend an out-Territory University and Medical School, succeeding just barely.

Den, a TN-1, shelves his in-Territory ambitions to build a heavier than air flying craft and joins his cousin, Rital, a QN-1, to found a Sime Center farther out-Territory than has been attempted before, in Clear Springs.
"A Change of Mind and Heart" "A Legacy of Trust" by Mary Lou Mendum -- fanzine published stories of Den and Rital now  professionally published by Wildside Press - 2017-2019, titled A CHANGE OF TACTICS, SIME~GEN #14 etc. and moved up in the Chronology to start 5 years before Unto Zeor, Forever

A Shift of Means by Mary Lou Mendum

REWRITTEN AS CLEAR SPRINGS TRILOGY YEAR 128 UNITY.
Selyn Power has come into industrial usage in-Territory and now technological progress is limited by selyn availability.  This fuels the political thrust to place Sime Centers in every small town Out-Territory.

Out-Territory towns begin to convert from the sparse, only-for-the-rich electrical power to cheap selyn-powered appliances.
125

127

Yr. 125 - 127 Sectuib Digen Farris  attends out-Territory Medical School.  From changeover to his death, Digen Farris held the World Controllership a record 6 times (1 year terms -- often not completed).    My Life Is My Own, by Cherri Munoz,  posted .

 

  -- 

The World Controllership is created.  Cross border phone service established, digital selyn-powered networking.

It takes nearly a hundred years for the selyn-powered digital phone services to lead to the cross-border Internet because of political resistance, economic instability, and assorted problems not related to technical capability.

128-131   The Tecton is expanding operations deeper into Gen Territory and around the world. A Change of Tactics: A Sime~Gen Novel: Clear Spring Chronicles #1 by Jacqueline Lichtenberg, Mary Lou Mendum, Jean Lorrah --

This  trilogy is a rewrite of Mary Lou Mendum’s series of fanzine novels about Donor Den Milnan and his cousin, channel Rital Madz, as they open a new Sime Center in the middle of Gen Territory.  It has been moved later in the timeline and now includes crucial developments in powered flight and selyn battery technology.  A CHANGE OF TACTICS covers the events in the fanzine stories A Change of Mind and Heart and A Legacy of Trust.  Mary Lou did the rewrite with editing by Jean and Jacqueline.  #2 in this trilogy will be titled A SHIFT OF MEANS and #3, A LEGACY OF TRUST.
Vast improvement in selyn battery technology leads to powered flight and explosion of industrial uses.

Some High Order Donors trained to drive selyn powered vehicles out-Territory where Gens allowed to be licensed, leads to Donor's out-Territory license requirements including driving lessons, and being licensed to drive in-Territory, daytime, in some places.  Accidents lead to computer controlled selyn-field signals installed in cars, then autonomous vehicles.
132 - date established in RenSime * * Unto Zeor, Forever (Sime~Gen, Book 2)  by Jacqueline Lichtenberg, Dbdy 1978

UZF won the Galaxy Award for Spirituality in Science Fiction and is still available on paper. 

A different version of the history can be read in Sime Surgeon, a rough draft of this novel, posted online as a text for the WorldCrafters Guild but available to everyone to read free.

The donor shortage is remedied by Hayashi's machine-training of Donors.   (biofeedback training)
* ~4 years * * *
* * Aild Ercy Farris, Digen's daughter and Sectuib Apparent in Zeor is born * *
152 * Aild Ercy Farris changes over and discovers how to distill Kerduvon, Moondrop, and "disjunct" Digen.  This leads to eruption of his Endowment.

Mahogany Trinrose (Sime~Gen #4)  by Jacqueline Lichtenberg, Dbdy, 1981

Overlapping the last 4 months of Mahogany Trinrose,  pivotal events unfold in:
Mind And Heart by Jean Lorrah Wildside Press - ~2018
*
152-160 * A mathematical definition of the Levels of selyn storage (the equivalent of the invention of Quantum Mechanics) is devised: the initial publication contains errors.  With revision, the math becomes useful beyond theoretical physics.  

Bru Logan and Reeon ambrov Dar team up in the Entertainment Industry and lay the foundations for a unique Interstellar Drive

*
* * Aild Ercy Farris returns to Zeor to give birth to a son and die, leaving Digen to raise his grandson, Mairis Farris in Zeor. * *
 *  * Orbital flight and satellites become commonplace.   *  *
185  * The Math Description of Levels gives rise to the DeBroglie technology  which comes into common usage over the next 40 years In-and-Out Territory.  (against enormous resistance by those who fear the unknowable effects of "Nageric Pollution" on Sime and Gen alike.)

Levels Math also gives rise to the technology underlying the Attenuators.   

 *  *
224 * Mairis Farris saves an important Senator's life and furthers his campaign to get Attenuators accepted as a substitute for Retainers. 

Meanwhile, the World Controllership is fully established and creates the Clandestine and Covert Operations corps under cover of the Tecton Troubleshooters, hiring the top management for the new agency from Householding Dar. (see Year 9 Unity)  The elder couple hired for this task is a reincarnation of
"Operation High Time" by Jacqueline Lichtenberg, Jan 1969 issue of IF Magazine, posted to the web.  *
230  * Beginnings of the Cross-Border Internet

Satellites for communication relay, weather, and space exploration by telescope well in place.   Relied upon In-and-Out-T. 

"Borderlands Co-operative Fiction Scenario" rumored to have been invented by players on the Cross-Border Internet.  This group is generally considered to have created the cross-border Internet.  Up close and personal stories about life on the Border. 
232 - date established in print * Digen's Funeral -- The Digen Coin first minted - 700 years after Delri's founding of Zeor.  Digen's profile on one side, the Starred-Cross shaped Monument to the Last Berserker on the obverse. RenSime (Sime~Gen #6)  by Jacqueline Lichtenberg, DAW Books Dec 1984 (working title was SIME FROM GEN DIVIDED) Laneff Farris ambrov Sat'htine discovers how to tell Sime from Gen before birth. 
245 6 months Rialite campus computerized.  Vret McClintok and Ilin Sumz meet and become Troubleshooters.  They meet an unnamed renSime nicknamed Blissdrip on the Secret Boards who believes he lived a life as the telepath sadist Aunser ambrov D'Zehn founder of the Secret Pens.  Now he's a computer geek at the cutting edge of the e-revolution.   Personal Recognizance (Sime~Gen, Book 9)  by Jacqueline Lichtenberg  RECOGNIZANCE flashes back to the historical period of TO KISS OR TO KILL (Year 0).     
246-247   Theoretical work that eventually leads to the FTL Jump Drive Heartland Troubleshooter by Jacqueline Lichtenberg, sequel to Personal Recognizance  
250  * Internet Burgeons to 30% penetration and hits "critical mass" as a commercial megatrend  *  *
260  * Internet connectivity among In-And-Out-T Universities spurs out-T Gen contributions to DeBroglie Technology and discussions and publications on the theory of FTL drive begin to appear in legitimate Scientific Journals.    *  *
275   Folin ambrov Vriam born    
280  * First funding of serious FTL experiments. 

Over the next decade, several experimental FTL flights, the Jumpers, go out of our solar system and never return. 

 *  *
302  * The FTL Mystery is solved with the advent of space-worthy Orgonics Technology.  Orbital and Lunar stations and shipyards established.  The first FTL ship Jumper 9 makes a round trip fraught with disaster but informative results.   *  *
ERA INTERSTELLAR
307   In 307, Jumper 10  leaves Earth on the first completely successful round trip finding their way back by the dim but unique selyn glow of Earth's system.

Folin ambrov Vriam, at age 32,  releases The Log of the Stowaway of Jumper Nine

Keon funds a colony - leaving Zeor (temporarily) in the dust. 

THE BEACON CORPS IS FOUNDED

The galaxy is open for exploration. 
The Eternal Equations by Jacqueline Lichtenberg  
348   Folin (formerly ambrov Vriam) becomes embroiled in the founding of Householding X    
350-500   Colonization Era in full swing.  The Skip Drive is developed from the Jumper technology, Orgonics technology proliferates, and ever more accurate Astrogation as DeBroglie Beacons are improved and deployed across inhabited space puts human passenger ships into dominance on the Spaceways. 

Non-human resentment of human dominance builds as humans take over cargo transport.

Non-humans launch ever more risky experimental space ships searching for an FTL drive they can master.  Industrial Espionage abounds.

Non-human resentment of human dominance of all Space Transport finally explodes as non-humans form various coalitions to unseat humans, and humans fight back on all fronts. 
   
501-1200 * In wake of the hundred-year conflict, Interstellar civilization flourishes.  The young, agile, Interstellar Tecton settles into a monstrous, entrenched bureaucracy. * *
1200 * Yone Farris leads a group of stranded passenger liner refugees to found a colony on a lost world "The Channel's Exemption" Endowed Channels use Endowment openly
1375 * Xigram Klairon Farris takes a terrible risk while astrogating the cargo ship Pebble Beach on a mercy mission "As Easy as Hop, Skip, and Jump" by Jacqueline Lichtenberg (unpublished early attempt at a story -- posted to Rimon's Library) *
1400 * Xigram Klairon Farris brings Yone's World into the Intersteller Tecton and changes everything. Untitled House of Zeor goes Dark.
* * * * *