Who is Rod? What type of class is he taking? Why? Why does Rod want to learn to survive on a strange planet? What is Rod's career aspiration? Why does Rod want this career? What are Rod's chances of getting a chance at this career? How will this class help with that? Is Rod well prepared to survive on an unknown planet? Why or why not?

Who is Jack? Why is Jack on the strange planet? What does Rod learn about Jack when Jimmy joins their group? Why does this surprise Rod? Why did Jack not tell Rod the truth? What was Jack attempting to protect? Who was Jack protecting from this truth?

How does Rod spend his first night on the strange planet? Why is Rod frightened? What does this say about Rod's maturity and his ability to survive? What causes Rod to...