Swänn and Sätie, originally from the planet Näkän, have now been living on Earth for twenty years. They belong to the medical and military staff of Renaissance, the expedition financed by the Complex to rescue the Earth from ecological disaster. Most communities now live in harmony with their extraterrestrial saviors, while others have withdrawn into human enclaves in autonomous zones, where Swänn and his kind aren't welcome. More troubling for Renaissance, however, is the terrorist opposition that is quickly gaining steam, throwing a wrench into the gears of the benevolent occupiers. They will soon see that these humans are ready to do whatever it takes to get the Complex out of the solar system.