On Mars (and beyond) the bubble research programme started by Heather Findhorn-Bunting was successful; the first generation of ultra-courageous risk-takers who piloted the bubble probes have discovered new worlds, and plant-life on a few other planets. Some of them even had animal life. The search still continues into the second generation for any non-humans you could actually have a conversation with, though. On Ground, Jakav, the experimenting son of experimenting parents, is a long way from home and running from predators, and about to make a discovery that'll cause  no end of trouble.