(10121 10175) first planetary ecologist of Arrakis, mastermind of that planet s ecological transformation Bom on Faseo, Kynes was the only son of Lews and Manque Kynes, two of the most prominent members of die Pasean scientific community Leuis was a botanist specializing m interplane tary transfer, Manque was a biologist whose impressive credentials included five yeais of secret post-graduate study with the Bene Tleilax Kynes* chosen field may be seen as a synthesis of those of his parents, as the ecologist himself wrote in the introduction to his mastcrwork. Ecology of Dune I chose to become a ptaBCtologist-if, indeed, that position may be said not ID have chosen me-far the freedom of inquiry it provided The ecology of a world is not made up only of flora and fauna, a encompasses weather, geology even htstocy as it applies to the balances pres ent on that world No area is beyond ecological consideration Kynes Went about achieving his goal with great precision, as if applying the scientific method to his own life Enrolling as soon as he reached the age of admission (fifteen) in the unparalleled Imperial University on Kaitain, the boy immersed himself in the study of planetary ecology The next six years were spent in single minded pursuit of knowledge to the exclusion of all other interests Kynes did not even visit his homeworld during this period, seeing his parents only when they arranged to travel to the university (Hib isolation may have saved Kynes life Had he remained on Paseo and studied at the Planetary University, it is almost certain that he would have been present at the infamous Milberne lecture in 10141, when a guest speaker unwittingly loosed a few Ecazian glow-spores in the campus s main hall Of the three thousand students, faculty members, and guest attendees-Kynes parents among them-none survived exposure to the deadly spores ) m 10142, following his graduation at the head of his class, Kynes entered Imperial service as a research assistant in an ecological survey station on Ecaz He spent two years with the station transferring to a similar station on Topaz at the end of that period this time as a full fledged researcher He continued to advance during his tenure on that world and was appointed as head of the largest such facility on Topaz in 10147 Along with his promotio