Cleon XVI is a main character in the Apple TV+ series Foundation. He is the sixteenth Emperor of the Genetic Dynasty, known as Brother Dusk. Cleon XVI is portrayed by Terrence Mann, first appearing in the episode "In Seldon's Shadow."
Biography[]
In 12,210 Era Imperial, Cleon XVI enjoyed the company of Rue Corintha of Cloud Dominion in the Gossamer Court. Cleon began working on the Mural of Souls when he was still Brother Day, believing that it could be a pleasure rather than waiting for it to be a chore.[3]
In 12,240 Era Imperial, after Cleon XVII’s assassination attempt, Cleon XVI is suspected as being involved due to the potential end of the Genetic Dynasty. He is also critical of Cleon XVII of sleeping with Demerzel, given how she cared for him as a child. Cleon XVII wants him to go through a neural audit to confirm he wasn’t involved. Later, he joins his brothers and Demerzel as they discover the Foundation may not have been destroyed. He wants to destroy the Foundation quickly, but Cleon XVII takes Demerzel’s advice and wants to investigate the issue more closely first.[1]
At dinner with his brothers, Dusk and Day discusses the appointment of Bel Riose to deal with the Foundation. Dusk believes that maybe Riose should remain a prisoner due to his popularity with his men. Day expresses his disdain at the movement coach towards the brothers' lack of synchronization during the meal. He gets up and leaves, saying when he is married, he will not have to do this again. Later, Cleon XVIII joins his brothers, Sareth I and Rue Corintha for a meal where they discuss Sareth's family being killed as well as the end of the Genetic Dynasty.[4]
Alongside his brothers, Cleon XVI meets with Bel Riose when he arrives on Trantor. However, he and Brother Dawn are dismissed by Day when Riose requests a private audience.[5]
Dusk later met with Rue privately, where they reminisced on their encounter, although Rue could not remember the actual event just that it powered her to riches and political influence. They discussed the upcoming marriage between Day and Sareth, and Dusk then invited Rue to watch a recording of their copulation in his private chambers.[3]
Dusk and Rue spend some intimate time in his quarters, watching recordings of their first meeting and night together from thirty years ago. Dusk asks if Rue is aware that her memories of that night are gone, and she replies no. Dusk thought that it would feel like something was missing. Rue asks if he has ever thought about editing their own memories; even if something were removed, it would be stored in the Memorium along with his normal memory audits. Rue says it must be reassuring to know he can trust his own memories.[6]
The conversation with Rue gets to Dusk, and he goes to talk with Demerzel. He learns that in the wake of the assassination attempt, Day has taken sole authority to edit memories for the Genetic Dynasty, including his and Dawn's. Dusk is angry, stating it should be a shared authority. Asking how would either he or Dawn know if their memories were altered, Demerzel assures him that the memories are backed up in the Memorium, as well as her own perfect memory. However, Dusk realises that he would not even know to ask if his memories are altered. Demerzel assures him that she would tell him if that happened because she serves Empire, not just Day. She tells him that she will always be there, as she always has been.[6]
Dusk meets with Dawn at the Principium. They plan to awaken the memory of Cleon I for advice. Dawn is worried that their genetic drifting might not be enough to activate the memory, but Dusk says if they are not identical, the ceiling will drop on them. A digitized form of Cleon I emerges from the Principium, and Dusk tells him about Day's hoarding of authority. Cleon I's responses are frustrating; saying they must be united and to be envious of Day is to be envious of themselves as they are one man. Cleon I says that Day's actions are not their concern, and that his temperament has been accounted for.[6]
Still not satisfied, Dusk and Dawn head down to the Memorium and request metadata on their memory files, as well as for all the Cleons before them. As they wait for Keeper Yartell to retrieve the information, Dusk wonders about his own legacy, and the way he did not handle many of the conflicts that arose during his rule and allowed Demerzel to pacify the galaxy for him. He notes that the current Day was embarrassed by his actions as a young boy. He tells Dawn that maybe Day is doing him a favor by taking away his chair, and releasing him to actually live a life. Yartell arrives with the memory data, and everything appears normal. Dusk has the same average memory data as other Cleons of his age, although one thing stands out; Cleon I's memory size is significantly larger. Dawn says that if makes sense for Cleon I to have more since he presumably had more life experience. Dusk agrees it could, or it could mean the subsequent clones had something removed.[6]
Cleon XVII assembles the Galactic Council and addresses a crowd of citizens in an arena on Trantor, including Cleon XVI and Cleon XVIII. He dedicates a new statue to Winoset, mother of Cleon I and the last galactic Empress. During his speech, Brother Day announces his intention to wed Sareth I and end the Genetic Dynasty. To the applause of the crowd, Sareth addresses them as well and promises that they will rule as servants to the people, and that their concerns would be their agenda. The crowds cheer as Day looks on, annoyed at what his bride-to-be has promised the people.[7]
In Demerzel’s quarters, Cleon XVI finds Rue examining the robot’s living space. Rue is using a Shadowmaster silencer and Dusk doesn’t want to now he she got it, rather how she discovered the servants’ byways. She reveals, to his shock, that the Cloud Dominion have the ability to restore memories, which is how she remembered the byways. Dusk feels trust between the two has been affected here and also notes that her knowledge of the byways makes her a suspect in Day’s assassination. Rue retorts that the marriage benefits Cloud Dominion, not endangering it. Dusk refutes the idea that Demerzel is a threat to Sareth, but Rue wants to dig deeper into Demerzel’s history. Any attempts Rue makes to find out more from Dusk, he responds “she will always be here, as she always has been.” He tells Rue of the history of robots and man in front of a mural of a robot. He considers Rue’s offer to restore his memories so he can remember how she first came to Empire. As he does so, he notes the Chroma on the robot image isn’t moving which it is supposed to when people are in the proximity of it. The pair are interrupted by a message that Dusk is required at an execution.[8]
Dusk watches as Brother Constant and Poly Verisof are to be executed, when a Whisper ship slams into the platform. Dusk is wounded as he helps Rue to her feet. Back in the Imperial Palace, Dusk implores Day to act swiftly and harshly as the world is watching. He is furious at Day for pointing out to him that he always thought Seldon was just a story. Dusk thinks Day is a fool for wanting to go to Terminus and to talk to the Foundation. Dusk is snubbed by Day, with Trantor being given to Dawn to lead while he is away on Terminus.[8]
As Rue is in her room, Dusk interrupts her and wants to resume their search for answers re Demerzel as Day is off planet. Dusk is able to manipulate the stationary Chroma on the robot painting and it opens a doorway which he and Rue enter. They go down a stairwell which Dusk has not encountered before - he feels like a stranger in his own home. Reaching a hidden chamber, Dusk finds a digitised version of Cleon I waiting for them,[8] who tells them the story of how he found Demerzel in this room and how she came to serve him.[9]
The pair try to escape, but are interrupted by Demerzel who lowers the barrier. They discuss memories, including Demerzel’s perception of Cleon I and how she still longs for him despite what happened. She is unsure though if her programming is causing her to have these feelings. Dusk and Rue are shocked when Demerzel reveals she hired the assassins that attacked Day. The idea was that Day would be frightened and blame the attack on Sareth, stopping the marriage. Dusk has a realisation that they were never meant to find this place and that he and Rue were dead as soon as they entered. He approaches Demerzel and forgives her, saying none of them were ever free.[2]
Some time later, a new exponent of Cleon XVI is decanted by Demerzel, alongside exponents of Cleon XVII and Cleon XVIII.[2]
Appearances[]
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 "In Seldon's Shadow"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Creation Myths"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Where the Stars Are Scattered Thinly"
- ↑ "A Glimpse of Darkness"
- ↑ "King and Commoner"
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 "The Sighted and the Seen"
- ↑ "Why the Gods Made Wine"
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 "The Last Empress"
- ↑ "Long Ago, Not Far Away"