long-term-observation

The prelude introduces the subterranean office of the Director of North American Missions, Drozma, a centuries-old Martian Observer overseeing human affairs. The Abdicator Namir, a disillusioned former Observer who has resigned from his duties, visits Drozma to warn him not to interfere with his plans involving a human boy, Angelo Pontevecchio, reflecting deep skepticism about humanity's potential. Their conversation reveals tensions between hope and cynicism regarding human progress, the burden of long observation, and the complex dynamics between Martian Observers and humans.