After a confrontation with Marcus, Mother discovers and takes five Mithraic children (Hunter, Tempest, Paul, Holly and Vita) back to her settlement. While Mother, Father and Campion, adjust to living with a new group of Earth-born children, Marcus struggles to survive alone on Kepler-22b.

Father tries to teach the children how to hunt some of Kepler-22b’s mysterious creatures for food. Meanwhile, the Mithraic make a stunning discovery that potentially fulfills a Mithraic prophecy, and a debate about how to proceed ignites a conflict between Marcus and the Mithraic leader, Ambrose.