Since being exposed to nanorobots at the beginning of the 21st century, Lee Carstares has been a caretaker of Area 26, the alien animal sanctuary, husband to his Alue wife, Clare, and father to their five children. For the last two centuries, he has led a quiet life interspersed with periods of excitement where he and Clare have fought off alien invaders, battled demons, and corralled escaped creatures of all description. Today starts out no differently than most others, but it soon goes pear-shaped when an old adversary returns for a rematch. And all Lee wanted to do was take his family to breakfast.