Marcus moves forward with a plan to rescue the Mithraic children, but first he has to find them. Back at the settlement, Campion and Paul bond while on a hunting expedition with Father, and Mother attempts to learn more about her origins.

After rekindling her connection to her creator, Mother finds herself distracted by intense feelings she didn’t know she was capable of having, unaware that Marcus, Sue and the Mithraic are closing in on the settlement.

Marcus’s decisions stress his relationship to his family as he struggles to maintain his clout as leader of the Mithraic. Mother is able to see Marcus for who he truly is, which threatens his power and puts Mother in a precarious situation she might not recover from. Meanwhile, Campion is faced with a choice that could result in dire consequences.

As Marcus continues to embrace his Mithraic devotion, Sue worries he may no longer have her and Paul’s best interests at heart. Meanwhile, Mother experiences what she believes to be malfunctions, and Hunter works on a secret project with Father.

Sue is determined to keep the children safe, and in doing so, struggles with whether or not she can trust Mother. Meanwhile, a new threat arises and an increasingly erratic Marcus causes the Mithraic to question their leader.

Paul begins displaying troubling behavior not unlike that of Marcus, leading to a shocking discovery. Father struggles with human-like emotions. Mother and Father discover a startling secret about the planet they’re on, just as a new threat arrives on Kepler-22b.