The action shifts to the tiny planet of Terminus near the galactic fringe where Hari Seldon's team of scientists work on compiling the Encyclopedia Galactica central to their plans. The young Foundation is confronted with a powerful menace in the breakaway Kingdom of Anacreon, and it appears the Emperor is now powerless to defend them. A new figure emerges in the Mayor of Terminus City, Salvor Hardin, who has to use his wits and the limited resources of his tiny world to find a way to maintain the independence and vitality of Seldon's audacious project.