Isaac is an outsider on the planet Erato - the lone survivor of a disaster elsewhere in the Ennead (a system of nine planets). But he has managed to infiltrate an important family and wields a significant amount of power. Even so, his position is often compromised because he depends on the kindness of others. So when the chance to rescue Eleanor, a girl from another planet, arises - and most importantly, to keep her forever in his debt, he seizes it. But Eleanor brings her own agenda - her own history - which threatens Isaac's position and the very fabric of Erato's society.