John is a retired associate professor who researches propulsion engines. He strongly dislikes federal agencies dictating research disclosures because the data always ends up at some corporate level. In an attempt to test his space vehicle, he accidentally propels himself into deep space and miraculously crash-lands on a planet far away from earth. John is lost and needs help from the local people in order to survive. He discovers that most of the local people are genetically cloned and live apart from the remaining population. He finds himself in the midst of civil conflict and tries to help the people that are supportive of him.