FE-9Q, known colloquially as "Effie," was a tractor-robot employed in the farming village of Onacra on the planet Aduba-3. After falling into disrepair, FE-9Q was recovered by the Doshun family, and he became an informal servant. When the two adults of the family were killed by high-hounds, FE-9Q was left to raise their son, Jimm Doshun. Although they maintained a tetchy relationship, FE-9Q proved an effective guardian for the young boy as he became an enthusiastic and active teenager.