Franz Bethon is a Scientist, an up-and-coming researcher. He hopes to make a name for himself as a xenobiologist by making discoveries on the ground. Of course, he is not above stealing the work of others to accomplish this end.

He has to follow in his father's footsteps after all. His father, Johannes Bethon, originally a specialist in biochemistry, later became a major xenoarchaeologist. Despite his external facade of cold rationality, during his time in graduate school Franz was in fact subjected to several strands of heterodox philosophy, and developed a silent compulsion to understand alien religious concepts.

His father, who once felt a similar yearning, waits in cryogenic sleep for the return of his son.