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A truce has finally brought an end to the conflict between the Alliance of Planets and the Quagga Consortium Planets. The bloody war seems to be at an end until the discovery of a small planet with an irregular orbit resting perfectly between the two agreed-upon territories. Its anomalies render it a virtual blind spot for either side’s defenses. In order to maintain the terms of the truce, both sides agree that the only resolution is to destroy the planet. However, the notion that this planet is uninhabited is thrown out when a mysterious being, Old Man, is discovered to be living on it. Able to stop any threats to himself or his world, Old Man is set instead on diffusing the tension between these two groups in order to prepare them for a threat looming beyond the universe.
Set in the very distant future, this science fiction story showcases Steele’s imagination in regard to both the setting and his characters. Despite the scale of the conflict, much of the most interesting narrative development occurs on the individual level, initially with the steady Admiral Jenki on one side and the irascible Sobo of the Quagga on the other. In time, both groups must contend with and learn from Old Man, whose enigmatic origins add an element of the metaphysical and even the spiritual that leave the reader considering the larger and unknowable truths of the universe that we live in. The story unravels gradually, keeping the story fresh before culminating in a fantastic reveal of narrative puppeteering that addresses any remaining threads of the plot. This story doesn't just describe technology and alien worlds. Rather, it stimulates both imagination and wonder in its audience.