Holsten Mason
Holsten Mason is a classicist in the Gilgamesh’s Key Crew. He translates Old Empire signals and later recognizes that the spiders are communicating in a language.
Background
Holsten studies the languages and history of the Old Empire. He wakes from suspension when the Gilgamesh approaches a planet and detects an Old Empire distress beacon. Commander Vrie Guyen asks him to translate it. Holsten also identifies a separate signal sent towards the planet as a series of mathematics problems. The crew sends its answers, but it does not know what the test is meant to establish.
Story
Holsten works with chief engineer Isa Lain to communicate with the satellite habitat near Kern’s World. He translates its warnings and speaks with its expert system, Eliza, and Doctor Avrana Kern. Kern refuses to let the Gilgamesh settle on her planet. When the satellite attacks the ship, Lain tells Holsten to send the satellite its own distress signal. The attack stops, and Kern gives the crew information about other terraforming projects. The Gilgamesh leaves Kern’s system and deploys a base on a moon for a human colony.
During a later mutiny, colonists seize Holsten and Lain as hostages. They take a shuttle towards Kern’s World, with Holsten helping them communicate with Kern. Kern disables the pursuing Gilgamesh and damages the shuttle. It crash lands in the forest. Holsten suffers a cracked rib. The survivors encounter ants and a spider before Karst’s team arrives. Karst’s security crew kills the mutiny leaders rather than taking prisoners, and the survivors return to the Gilgamesh.
At a terraforming station, Holsten helps Guyen investigate Old Empire equipment and translates the controls of an emergency upload facility. Guyen plans to upload a copy of his mind into the Gilgamesh’s systems. Holsten later sides with Lain against the plan. Guyen’s upload damages the ship’s systems, and copies of his mind remain in the computer.
Holsten wakes again as the ship deteriorates. He reunites with Lain, who has survived by waking at intervals while the engineers born aboard the ship maintain the Gilgamesh. When they return to Kern’s system, Holsten studies transmissions that warn the ship away. He later identifies the spiders’ signals as language, not machine instructions. The crew attacks Kern’s satellite, and spiders board the Gilgamesh. Holsten and Lain face the spiders together. Karst returns changed by contact with them and tells the pair that the spiders are like humans. The spiders leap at Holsten and Lain.
Relationships
Holsten and Lain begin a relationship during the Gilgamesh’s first visit to Kern’s system. Their long periods in suspension mean that they wake at different times. Holsten is asleep when Lain is awakened to help the ship’s crew during its return to Kern’s system. Chapter 8.1 identifies Helena as their descendant, a great great granddaughter. She later belongs to the human and spider community that leaves the planet aboard the Voyager.
Holsten works for Guyen, first translating Old Empire material for him and later opposing his attempt to upload himself. He also works with Karst, particularly during the conflicts over Kern’s satellite and the spiders.
Unanswered questions
The account does not identify Helena’s parents or explain the steps between her and Holsten and Lain.