Zeno Ayers II is the president of the United World and one of the most powerful business magnates in the known universe. The Ayers family originated in Weston, Massachusetts, a lineage of scientists, engineers, bankers, and investors — and Zeno II showed the most potential of any child in the family.
At thirteen years old, the prodigy Zeno began building the technology that would allow humans to live beyond Earth. By twenty-three, upon graduating from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he completed a small prototype of the interstellar ark. With financial backing from his family and collaboration with NASA, Zeno created the first interstellar ark — constructed in space near the International Space Station over a decade spanning 2040 to 2050.
As humanity moved to space, the Ayers family had already established an international bank and moved over $700 trillion of their own money into the cosmos, launching businesses in mining, energy, and farming. The family's empire grew across stocks, bonds, and debts worldwide.
Despite his monumental achievements, Zeno's legacy is complicated. He stole the blueprint for the interstellar ark from Pluto Varyn — taking sole credit for a creation that belonged to a team. His choices as a father, particularly his neglect of Mars, cast a long shadow over his family.
The Space Ark: Zeno took credit for the interstellar ark — a project built on the stolen blueprints of Pluto Varyn, sparking a centuries-long rivalry that defines much of the story's conflict.
Neglect of Mars: Created as a clone to harvest organs for Alchemist, Mars was later revived at Alchemist's plea. But Zeno's growing preoccupation with power caused him to neglect Mars, stunting his development and creating deep emotional wounds.