How It All Goes Down
- As has been known to happen in prologues, we start out getting lots of background info—notably, we learn there's a governing body called Starways Congress, which communicates by something called ansible.
- A robot scout ship discovers a planet suitable for human life, and the planet is settled by Catholics of Brazilian culture who speak Portuguese; they name the planet Lusitania, the original name for Brazil.
- The colonists discover that animals in the forest called porquinhos, or piggies, are sentient. Yes, this means that calling them piggies is therefore sort of insulting, but it's too late now.
- This is the first sentient race humans have discovered since Ender killed all the buggers in Ender's Game. (Suggestion: Go read that sucker first, then come back. The piggies'll wait.)
- Some folks, like the Catholic hierarchy, figure that they can treat the piggies nice and redeem themselves for how badly they treated the buggers. (Again, Shmoop says, you could maybe start by giving the piggies a name that isn't an insult.)
- Anyway, the colony is told by Starways not to spread beyond a limited area, and by law the piggies are to be left alone.