b idd ing ▁Syl v ester ▁for ▁a ▁highly ▁valuable ▁book . ▁Kil led ▁by ▁Syl v ester ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁Book ▁ 1 . ▁Ins pect or ▁L . ▁Sh ar ans ky ▁– ▁A ▁Space ▁Board ▁inspect or , ▁assigned ▁to ▁Mars ▁Station . ▁Has ▁been ▁trying ▁to ▁def use ▁the ▁t ensions ▁between ▁the ▁local ▁P ipeline ▁Work ers ▁Gu ild ▁and ▁the ▁Space ▁Transport ation ▁Work ers ▁union . ▁She ▁is ▁also ▁a ▁cousin ▁of ▁Ins pect or ▁Pro b oda . ▁Y ev gen y ▁Rost ov ▁– ▁A ▁high - level ▁oper ative ▁of ▁the ▁Inter plan et ary ▁Social ist ▁Work ers ▁Party , ▁and ▁the ▁business ▁manager ▁for ▁the ▁P ipeline ▁Work ers ▁Gu ild ▁on ▁Mars . ▁A ▁sta unch ▁social ist , ▁he ▁and ▁his ▁group ▁are ▁em bro iled ▁in ▁a ▁bitter ▁dispute ▁with ▁the ▁Space ▁Transport ation ▁Work ers ▁union , ▁which ▁is ▁trying ▁to ▁abs orb ▁them , ▁or ▁failing ▁that , ▁to ▁ste al ▁away ▁the ▁P W G ' s ▁contract s ▁with ▁No ble ▁Water ▁Works . ▁L yd ia ▁Z er om sky ▁– ▁A ▁driver ▁with ▁the ▁P W G , ▁and ▁the ▁lo ver ▁of ▁murder ▁victim ▁D are ▁Ch in . ▁Peter ▁Grant ▁– ▁The ▁co - capt ain ▁of ▁the ▁Space ▁Queen , ▁an ▁old ▁star ship . ▁When ▁the ▁ship ▁is ▁sab ot aged ▁during ▁an ▁expedition , ▁leading ▁to ▁its ▁o xygen ▁supply ▁becoming ▁too ▁low ▁to ▁last ▁the