The Ten Thousand were a band of aristocratic mercenary warriors who fought for the losing side in a war far from their own country. To escape their enemies in a now hostile foreign land, they set off to return home, but the journey is treacherous. One of their formations is separated from the main body and now must makes its way alone. The lost wanderers, near starvation, stumble out of a mountain pass into a miraculously fair land on the bank of a river. They refresh themselves with the abundant game and fish found there and call the land Arkadia. However, they are not alone. One night, a host of wild barbarians called the Bem appears on the banks of the nearby river and attacks without mercy. After the battle, the lost ranks of the Ten Thousand are almost annihilated, yet they resolve to stay in their new paradise, as opposed to traversing the dangerous mountains to find their way home. They are the First Founders of Arkadia, and no matter the cost, they will survive in this strange new land, already seasoned with the blood of their comrades.

Kaus wants nothing more than to be loved while its human counterpart, Raj Patel, believes fervently in freedom. Arkadia, one of four space stations circling Jupiter, was to be a refuge for all who fought the corrupt systems of old Earth, a haven where both humans and Artificial Intelligences could be happy and free. But the old prejudices and desires are still at play and, no matter how well-meaning its citizens, the children of Arkadia have tough compromises to make. When the future of humanity is at stake, which will prove more powerful: freedom or happiness? What sacrifices will Kaus, Raj, and the rest of Arkadia’s residents have to make to survive?