Protagonist Elijah Baley's 19-year-old son, Ben appears in the opening chapters alongside his father, as he works Outside the City to conquer his intense agoraphobia. Baley intends for Ben to accompany him to colonize other worlds in the Galaxy. Ben has a round face and sparkling eyes like his mother but also the length and solemnity of his father's face. He shares his father's grave disposition and way of thinking. Ben light-heartedly teases Baley about his age and wanting to go to Aurora only to see Gladia Delmarre/Solaria, whom he had defended three years before on the Spacer world Solaria. This is Ben's mother's great fear. At the Spaceport, Ben asks Baley why, with all that he has done for Earth humans, he receives so little appreciation. He observes that Baley is not a hero type.