Chapter 1: The Ghost of Earth
- Introduction of Dr. Aris Thorne, a brilliant but disillusioned terraforming expert, haunted by the loss of Earth.
- Description of the current state of humanity: scattered colonies, resource scarcity, and a desperate search for a new home.
- Introduction of the Icarus Project: a daring mission to terraform Kepler-186f, a potentially habitable exoplanet. Aris is reluctantly recruited.
- The team is introduced: a diverse group of specialists, each with their own motivations and secrets.