A technology wunderkid with an inability to apply himself, Eli spends most of his time playing on his computer. He catches the attention of the Icarus program after solving an embedded code in a particular video game. Eli finds himself beamed aboard a spaceship, recruited to solve the 9th Chevron power dilemma. A sarcastic pop culture nerd, he immediately connects with Chloe Armstrong, the beautiful political aide. His genius is a valuable commodity once stranded aboard the Destiny and leads him to being pulled between the many camps and players on the ship. While torn with leaving his single mother behind, he realizes that he may be part of the most important discovery mankind has ever made.