Thad Allen, a meteor miner, has worked long lonely weeks in space collecting pieces and particles of iron and other valuable metals, which he welds onto the ball of metal that he refers to as the smallest planet in the solar system. He lives, sleeps and works on the ball of metal that he has constructed with only his space suit to protect him from the hostile environment of space and his magnetic boots to keep him from floating away. He is disappointed by the small amount of valuable metal that he has collected to sell for salvage and his supplies are running low, which means he will need to return to Earth very soon.
