Two of Anne McCaffrey's most beloved creations meet, but it is a very uncertain meeting. The brainship needs Pern's help with emergency repairs; the people of Pern see the brainship as a harbinger of disaster. Rated K-plus; the language is all K.

The Brainship Hypatia and her Brawn Alexander are making an extensive survey of all of the known failed human colonies when they encounter something totally unexpected at a planet called P.E.R.N that was supposed to be totally uninhabitable.