A new planet offers hope to Devon Adair's physically impaired son and others like him. Adair ignores government orders, assembles a crew and embarks on a journey to the unblemished planet 22 light years away.

Two weeks on the planet. Gaal seeks True's friendship but reveals himself as an enemy. Gaal sees young True's lack of attention from the others and turns to her to achieve his evil goals.

Day 109. Danziger, Julia and Walman discover and excavate a Terrian corpse frozen in ice and completely preserved. That night, both Alonzo and Morgan are confronted in their dreams by the unfrozen, half-decaying, but very much alive Terrian.

Day 117. Danziger surveys an endless, forbidding vista as he returns to the dunerail where Julia, Morgan and Alonzo are waiting. There has been a serious direction error but he wants to go on in spite of Devon and Yale's warnings.