Zed, a humanoid male alien, arrives on Earth with a mission to study human creativity and report back to his species. In an effort to blend in, he adopts the common Earth name "Ed" and applies makeup to disguise his alien features. Lacking skill in this area, he joins a local theater group where he works alongside actors who use stage makeup regularly.

Ed clumsily held the makeup brush, trying to mimic the precise strokes he had watched the actors make. "Like this, Ed," Maria, a veteran actress, said gently, guiding his hand. Ed's three-fingered hand shook slightly as he attempted to recreate the intricate patterns on his face. He had told everyone that he lost two fingers in a ship accident, plus suffered facial deformities.

He didn't tell them that it was a starship he was piloting.