Humans have scattered and occupied the known universe for so long that many worlds have forgotten their true, Earthly origins. The planets which retain the memory of the "Formers" have allied together, creating a Galactic Federation, whereas the "Retros" are worlds that have returned to a more archaic, primitive, and isolationist way of life. The Federation entrusts its best agent, Marce, with a delicate, yet vital, mission to help a retro world called Almagiel evolve. But political machinations, brutal living conditions, and deadly creatures may prove to be the agent's undoing.