Worlds of the Imperium

In Short

When former diplomat Brion Bayard is kidnapped by agents of the Anglo-Germanic Imperium, he learns that an infinite number of parallel Earths exist alongside his own. The Imperium, a peaceful empire born from an alternate history, faces destruction by a hostile world ruled by a brutal dictator who turns out to be Brion’s exact physical double. Coerced into an assassination mission to replace his counterpart, Brion travels across dimensions only to uncover deep political treachery. Keith Laumer's 1962 novel endures as a fast-paced, classic alternate-history adventure that helped popularize parallel-universe fiction.

The Story

Brion Bayard leads a quiet life after leaving the diplomatic service until he is shadowed through Stockholm and abducted by officers of the Anglo-Germanic Imperium. Transported aboard a cross-dimensional vehicle, he arrives at Stockholm Zero Zero, the capital of a parallel Earth where historical events diverged in the nineteenth century. In this universe, the British and Germanic empires merged peacefully after discovering the Maxoni principle, a technology allowing travel across alternate timeline branches. The Imperium’s leaders inform Brion that their civilization is under devastating attack from a war-torn alternate Earth known as Blight-Insular Two. This enemy world is ruled by a ruthless dictator who happens to be Brion’s identical double.

The Imperium’s military commanders ask Brion to undertake a covert mission: travel to the enemy reality, eliminate the dictator, and take his place to halt the war. Before departing, Brion undergoes rigorous preparation, navigating complex social dynamics and dueling Chief Inspector Bale under strict ritual rules. Once launched into the dictator's stronghold, Brion's mission instantly falls apart. He discovers that his counterpart suffered an injury years earlier leaving him without the use of his legs—a detail that makes Brion’s physical posture an immediate giveaway to those in the know.

Forced to flee into the subterranean underworld beneath the palace, Brion falls in with a group of local insurgents and criminals led by a man named Gros. Clad in his double's uniform, Brion uses his wits, street-fighting skills, and a concealed weapon to survive beatings, betrayal, and chaotic firefights alongside a fighter named Gaston. He works his way back toward the dictator’s private quarters to confront his mirror image.

When Brion finally meets his counterpart face-to-face, he finds not a monster, but an exhausted, cultured man who greets him warmly as a brother. Before they can reconcile their differences, Chief Inspector Bale breaches the room with armed men. Bale, revealed to be the true mastermind manipulating both sides for his own ambition, opens fire. The Dictator Bayard throws himself in front of Brion, sacrificing his life to save his double.

Captured by Bale’s henchmen, Brion escapes torture and execution with the help of Barbro Lundane, a Swedish woman devoted to the cause. Together, they trace Bale to a hidden warehouse headquarters in the city's shipping district. Brion confronts the traitorous Chief Inspector, who falls to his death from an upper window during the chaos. With the war-ending bomb secured and the conspiracy dismantled, Brion is offered a return to his original Earth. Looking at Barbro and the promising world around him, Brion chooses to make the Imperium his permanent home.

How It Unfolds

The kidnap off the street Brion notices a stranger trailing him through the dark streets and hotels of Stockholm. Shortly after, he is ambushed, dragged aboard a strange craft, and informed by an officer named Winter that he has been removed from his home reality.

The grand tour of Zero Zero Brought before the Imperium's high command, Brion learns how the Maxoni principle unlocked parallel dimensions. General Bernadotte and Baron Manfred von Richthofen unveil a portrait of the enemy dictator threatening their peace, revealing Brion's own face staring back at him.

The duel on the wet grass During his training period, Brion clashes with the hostile Chief Inspector Bale. Their feud culminates in an early-morning pistol duel under traditional conventions, where Brion outmaneuvers his opponent on a rain-slicked field.

The botched infiltration Operatives launch Brion through a cross-dimensional shuttle directly into the dictator's palace corridor. He quickly realizes his identity is compromised because his duplicate lost the use of his legs in battle years prior, making Brion's upright walk an immediate dead giveaway.

The descent into the tunnels Fleeing guards, Brion ducks behind secret basement doors and meets a grimy contact named Miche. He is brought into a dark underground lair where he must fight barehanded to establish authority over a rough gang of insurgents.

The getaway drive Escaping a ambush in the countryside, Brion strips a driver, commandeers a vintage staff car in total darkness, and picks up his ally Gaston while avoiding searching flashlights in the fields.

The mirror image Brion sneaks into the dictator's private chambers and finds his counterpart waiting in a leather chair. The two doubles share a brief, poignant conversation in French before Bale bursts into the room with a drawn gun.

The final confrontation at the docks After the dictator takes a fatal bullet meant for Brion, Brion and Barbro follow a scribbled address card to a gloomy warehouse on Östermalmsgatan. Brion cornering Bale on the roof structure, watching the villain slip and fall as authorities arrive.

The People

• Brion Bayard wants only to understand why he was snatched from his diplomatic career, but he is forced into an assassination plot. Facing life-or-death fights in dark tunnels and palace corridors, he shifts from a reluctant pawn into a decisive leader who chooses his own destiny.
• Dictator Brion Bayard (2) wants to protect his world and find kinship despite his failing health and lost legs. He stands in stark contrast to his reputation, ultimately giving his life to shield his interdimensional double from a assassin's bullet.
• Chief Inspector Bale wants absolute control over the cross-dimensional pathways and political structures. He acts as an unyielding, arrogant opponent who orchestrates assassinations from the shadows until his fatal slip at the warehouse district.
• Barbro Lundane wants to support the fight against tyranny while navigating the high-stakes politics of the Imperium. Her steady presence and sharp intelligence provide Brion with crucial aid when he is injured and hunted.
• Hermann Goering wants to maintain military order and honor within the Imperial forces. Far from his real-world history, this alternate version serves as a refined officer who respects Brion's skill and advocates for his freedom.
• Gaston wants to overthrow the oppressive regime on his world at any personal cost. He fights alongside Brion in tight spots, providing key intelligence and loyalty during their desperate escape.

In Its Own Voice

"The wheel gave man the power to move easily across the surface of his world; the Maxoni principle gave him all the worlds to move about in."

General Bernadotte explains the foundational science of alternate-reality travel to a stunned Brion Bayard.

"He did it barehanded."

A stunned insurgent leader inspects a defeated thug after Brion uses his close-combat training to survive an underground ambush.

"I did not know what gift the tide of fortune would bring to me, but there could be no finer thing than this--a brother."

The tired dictator greets Brion inside his private sanctuary moments before their enemies breach the door.

What It's Really About

Beneath its pulse-pounding chase scenes and timeline-hopping mechanics, the story examines identity and the role environment plays in shaping human character. By placing an everyday diplomat face-to-face with a ruthless dictator who shares his exact DNA, the narrative asks whether a person is defined by their innate nature or by the historical pressures of their specific world. The plot also explores the ethics of empire and intervention, showing how even noble civilizations like the Imperium can resort to cold manipulation when threatened. Ultimately, the book argues that individuals retain the power to reject the roles forced upon them by higher authorities, choosing integrity and personal loyalty over political convenience.

Why Read It Today

Fans of classic mid-century modern science fiction, timeline-hopping adventures, and crisp espionage thrillers will find much to enjoy here. The novel moves at a punishing pace, delivering lean action beats, vintage automotive chases, and sharp dialogue that wastes no time on unnecessary filler. Readers who appreciate alternate-history scenarios—such as a world where the British and Germanic empires merged at the turn of the twentieth century—will delight in the world-building details sprinkled throughout the narrative.

The story does reflect the pulp sensibilities of its era, featuring straightforward heroic tropes, sudden plot twists, and quick romantic developments that feel characteristic of 1960s adventure paperbacks. Modern readers should expect period-typical depictions of military bravado and underground crime syndicates, but these elements only enhance its retro appeal. What stays with you long after finishing is the central confrontation between the two Bayards: a genuinely surprising, emotionally resonant moment that elevates a sci-fi action story into a thoughtful meditation on alternative lives.