And the Suns Never Rise: A Story of Alpha Centauri

Glossary

Familial Relation Terms

Aftercomer - the term used to refer to an individual's artificial twins which have yet to be birthed. An individual's followers in their own Geneline.

Blooddaughter - a Mother's 'natural born' female child. Most middle-class and upper-class families only have one of these per matFam.

Brother - the term by which a person refers to a 'natural born' male bore by the same Mother.

Dame - a term referring to a former head of a household. This is usually the current Matriarch's Mother.

Father - the name by which one refers to the man married to their Mother.

Forerunners - the term used to refer to an individual's artificial twins which have been birthed in the past. An individual's precursor in their own Geneline.

gee-emm - a gm

Geneline - this refers to all of the artificial twins of a Sister who have yet to be birthed. What a person accomplishes (or does not accomplish) in their lifetimes is directly related to the probability that additional members of that Geneline will be birthed. Those members of a prestigious Geneline automatically receive additional education and privileges from High School age until they complete their higher education. These individuals are then expected to accomplish the same level of achievements as their Forerunners.

geneMother - the person from which one's Geneline sprang. The accomplishments of one's GeneMother are commonly used as a strong indicator of an individual's, and thus their entire Geneline's, potential.

geneSister - a female who shares the same gm as the individual in question. While finding a geneSister is uncommon, due to the sheer number of eggs harvested during a woman's early adulthood and the practice of artificial twinning, it is not unheard of.

gm - 1. a female's GeneMother. This abbreviation is normally only used inside of an individual's name and is reserved for people whose GeneMother was a member of the 1077 female colonists in the First Wave or one of the 1080 female colonist of the Second Wave. Thus having a gm in one's name gives that individual an incredibly good pedigree.

2. A person who has gm in their name, a gene daughter of one of the initial colonists.

Great House - a term used to refer to a direct blood descendant of one of the Founders, or one of the original 1077 female colonists. Membership in such a Great House is held via the line of eldest Blooddaughters. As a result, there are only 1077 Great Houses on the planet.

House - ones combined matFam and patFam.

Initial - The first member of a Geneline. Being an Initial is a large responsibility because what a person accomplishes (or does not accomplish) in their lifetimes is directly related to the probability that additional members of that Geneline will be birthed.

Junior or Junior Wife - a woman married to one's Father but who has not yet had children of her own. This may either be to the woman's young age (being married and becoming pregnant before the end of one's education is frowned upon), lack of fertility, or due to the terms of their marriage contract (some Houses require that a woman serves as a Junior Wife for up to 7 years before having their own Family to make up for a lower dowry, etc.)

Keeper - a Sister who protects one of their brothers' virtue while out in public. As a result, they never leave their assigned brother's side while outside of their matFam's compound.