Gilbertus Albans was the founder of order of Mentats, temporary sanctuary with Bene Tleilax who hoped to incorporate them into Tleilaxu hegemony; spread into uncounted "seed schools"; suppressed by Leto II because they formed a nucleus of independent opposition; spread into the Scattering after the Famine [1].
Early History
Founded 1234 during the reign of Mikael I, the Builder, by Gilbertus Albans (1192-1294); originally established on the planet Septimus, later moved to Tleilax (1246); expanded and reorganized by Grodon Orpar Playt (1186-1272); suppressed by Leto II in 11745.
Gilbertus Albans, a Septimian philosopher and logician, conceived a program of far-reaching importance one spring morning in 1231 during some leisure-time reading on the Butlerian Jihad. It occurred to Albans that the legendary computers had been built by humans, and it seemed unlikely to him that they had possessed capacities beyond those of the trained human mind. Over the next few years, he devised a plan of study for the production of human computers, which he named Mentats, and recruited students for the program. The early Order, located on Septimus, consisted of three ranks of adepts: Memorizers, Processors, and Hypothesists. Although often in financial difficulties for his infant Order, Albans refused to allow his Mentats to serve until they had passed through all three ranks. But he did allow those still in training to publicize Mentat abilities, and that practice led to the relocation of the Order House.
Of the three ranks, Processors were the most vulnerable. Their training stressed unquestioning acceptance of the direction of others, and they were therefore totally dependent on the good will of those around them. In the Training House they were safely in the care of the Order until they progressed to the relative security of the third rank, Hypothesist.
One tragic incident on Septimus almost led to the disgrace of the Order. Albans would take his young trainees to various cities from time to time, exhibiting their skills to seek support for his program. On one such occasion, a group of five Processors became separated from the main party. Under instructions from Albans to wait by the city's sports stadium, the group asked a passerby how to find the stadium. He said, "Just follow them — they're on the way to the stadium," and pointed to a band of gladiators. The Processors fell in step behind the gladiators, followed them into the arena, and were killed in the melee of the day's program. There are similar stories of Processors being kidnapped (no difficult task) for carnival sideshow curiosities. Albans saw that at worst the Order risked destruction and at best faced public ridicule. He therefore contracted with the Spacing Guild to relocate to Tleilax. For a percentage of me profits, the Tleilaxu agreed to supply the Order with military protection, beginning an association that was to have regrettable consequences centuries later.
Once Albans was able to train a sufficient number of Hypothesists in seclusion oh Tleilax, he undertook an effective campaign to persuade CHOAM directors and managers of the extraordinary value of Mentats. So economically successful was his program, and so secret were his training methods, that for centuries the Order grew rich. Its Tleilaxu protectors also prospered from their share, and some speculate that the wealth from these early years gave the Tleilaxu the investment capital for their programs in biogenetic engineering. Others suggest that the success and secrecy of the Order of Mentats led the greedy Tleilaxu to attempt the production of Mentats by other means.
Some or all of this article was copied from the following external source:
The Dune Encyclopedia
- This article is a stub: It may require more information.
References
- ↑ Chapterhouse: Dune , page 193