The Roxxon Energy Corporation in conjunction with the Brand Corporation, their genetic research subsidiary, convert Roxxon employee Arthur Dearborn into a being of living microwave energy called Sunturion, who serves as crew and guardian for "Star Well I", a Roxxon solar satellite that orbits Earth and transmits microwave energy to the planet; the transformation was required as otherwise the cost of developing Star Well to provide for a full crew would have made the project too expensive, but as Sunturion Dearborn's personal requirements were fairly limited and he could do far more work than any normal man.