When the Calamity occurred, two-thirds of the entire population of A’nzar your fellow brothers and sisters – dropped dead. On that dreadful day, millions of Jeng died. You don’t understand why or how. All you know is, that it’s your fault. You’ve been banished. And you’re just six years old.

The only way to escape this nightmare, is to fake your own death. This was Qirl’s idea. She makes you teleport out across space, seeking refuge in engine rooms in ships the galaxy over, but never staying longer than fifteen days in any one place, lest you are caught. Her instructions are clear and you know them well: Travel to human space. Once in human space, stay there. Do not return. Speak only your name. Do not take The Test. Protect your mind. Do not speak of your world, your life or your species until you meet someone who tells you first. Until that time, protect your mind!

For the next three years you try to find human space, or a sanctuary, anywhere; and some thread of comprehension no matter how slim. Your desperate search takes you to the furthest reaches of the Galactic Borders, until finally you end up in uncharted space, onboard a star cruiser, the Balliage. You strain with your mind to hear for sounds of other ships, other races, but you are alone. The crew know they have a stowaway. But you have nowhere else to go.