Primer for the Spiral Politic (Post-War Edition) 4: The Year of the Cat Era: Human historical (later period). Technology: Military (self-contained), non-time-active. By the end of the fifth millennium AD, the homunculi created by the human species—clones, cross-breeds, fighting-machines and artificial intelligences of all descriptions—outnumbered humanity by more than thirteen to one: but even so, there were no creations like those of Peking. Heading a thousand-strong army of individually-crafted automata, the twelve commanders were self-aware embodiments of the oriental zodiac, forged to a strict astrological design and said to incorporate history itself in their operating program. After the fall of Peking, however, most were never accounted for...