Summary

Basil Bebbington grows up in Bakersfield, California. Though he "isn't good at basketball, wood shop, or talking to girls," he is able to graduate, attend college, and find a job with Bakersfield Optometry (153). When Basil turns 22 and his parents move to Tampa, Florida, Basil starts to wonder if "he's missing out on things" (153). Desperate to change his life, he "applies for a job as an optics technician at an observatory on the summit of Mauna Kea on the island of Hawaii” (153).

During the interview, they explain what the job will entail and warn Basil about the solitude. He will have to spend “weeklong shifts alone atop the volcano” (153). Basil is unconcerned and gets the job. After completing the training, he relocates to Hawaii. When he arrives, a petite woman named Muriel MacDonald greets him. She gives him a tour of the observatory and...