Chalmys DuBauer was an engineer from Earth whose technical knowledge was seriously outdated by having had to spend long periods of time traveling in pre-wormhole-jumping space ships between Beta Colony and Earth. He retired to a large chunk of property where Ohio had once been and lived in semi-isolation. He was a close friend to Anias Ruey, who visited him occasionally to get away from her publisher and from the demands of her job. He was a great deal of help to her in dealing with the troubles that came about as the result of her taking a very strange dream commission.