Rome: December 2059, Arecibo Radio Telescope, Puerto Rico: February 2019 Summary

Rome: December 2059

On December 7, 2059, Father Emilio Sandoz is released to the Jesuit Residence near the Vatican from the Salvador Mundi Hospital following an unsuccessful Jesuit mission to a foreign planet, Rakhat. The next morning, the Jesuit spokesman speaks to the gathered crowd, thanking the U.N., the Contact Consortium, and the Asteroid Mining Division of the Ohbayshi Corporation for helping to return Sandoz.

The Father General of the Jesuit Society, Vincenzo Giuliani, hopes to learn more about Sandoz. His private secretary, Johannes Voelker is among the critics who believes that Sandoz is guilty of wrongdoing while on Rahkat. As required, Voelker seeks out Austrian Father John Candotti to assist with Sandoz' case.

Sandoz refuses to talk about what happened at Rahkat and says he plans to withdraw from the...