Lucien
A Martian quarantine frigate detects the Y Que's forbidden dash and fires too late to stop it.
Story so far
The Lucien is one of the Martian military vessels stationed with the flotilla around The Ring. Its crew detects the unregistered Y Que three minutes before the little racer reaches the alien threshold and orders it to turn away from restricted space. Manéo Jung-Espinoza pretends to cooperate while drawing out the exchange.
When the racer fails to alter course, the frigate launches two torpedoes. They gain rapidly but cannot catch the Y Que before it crosses. The Lucien, its weapons, and the surrounding stars all disappear from Néo's instruments on the far side.
Appearance
The Lucien is a Martian frigate operating among the warships and science vessels surrounding the Ring. Its specific hull configuration and markings are not described.
Role
The Lucien represents the military quarantine that Manéo defeats through secrecy and timing, establishing that ordinary human force cannot control what follows his crossing.
Relationships
Sources — 1 recorded facts, by chapter
- A Martian quarantine frigate detects the Y Que's forbidden dash and fires too late to stop it.