Several centuries in the future, human society has reached a state of near-utopia. All communicable diseases have been eradicated and people live affluent, fulfilled lives. Lukewarm fusion provides almost limitless energy supplies, making space travel, even travel to far-distant stars, cheap and easy. And people have time for such pleasure cruises now, for a simple pre-birth operation ensures the body will not age. Other than fatal accidents, there’s every reason to expect to live forever. Perfect—except perfection somehow never includes everyone, and Rafiel’s perfect world is marred by the fact that he is aging and he will die. In a peaceful world of ten trillion immortals, what is it that gives life meaning?