Pages 1-27 Summary

Kin Arad lives in a world where death can be put off for thousands of years thanks to genetic surgeries and treatments offered by the group referred to only as the Company. Kin is a writer who wrote a book about the history of the strata machine and the people believed to have created it. Kin also works for the Company, overseeing the creation of new planets.

Kin Arad is in her office talking with a couple of employees who thought it would be funny to leave their mark on the new planet. Kin warns them to be more cautious about their rebellions or face losing their jobs and their livelihood. Afterward, a man appears in Kin's office. This man has the ability to appear and disappear at will. The man, Jago Jalo, tells Kin he has discovered a planet that...