Ronin

Ronin, a member of the human elite otherwise known as Upsiders, hates life Upside where humans are ever more mechanized and less and less connected as individuals, and he yearns for a different life. His encounter with a fullhuman girl during a visit Downside, on Earth's surface, finally drives him to action.

Part 1 of this short story provides a glimpse, part humorous and part troubling, into the homeworld of a character who will soon become one of the key protagonists of Conquerors of K'Tara.