Morgan Oakes is the Chaplain/Psychologist of Ship, trained to lead and manipulate, and he does not believe in the Godhood of Ship, but recognises it as a threat. He hopes to live on Pandora, where he believes he will be safe from Ship, and in control of the people. Yet he is frightened of the dangers and waits until he can have the same luxuries on planet as in his sybaritic cubby on Ship. His assistant Lewis creates mutants from combining clone DNA with Pandoran material in experiments to try and find a type that will help them thrive.

Food and resources are very short on Pandora, and the labs used by Lewis consume vast amounts of food and energy. The people who live on the planet are under extreme stress. They stay inside a compound which is mostly safe, but they regularly take guard duty on the outside, facing Pandora's many threats, and often dying. They are hungry, and they live knowing that any day they may die.

Legata Hamill is one of Morgan Oakes' coterie, and one that he wants in his bed, but she is fiercely independent. Abnormally strong, she hides her strength so that she is not relegated to physical work. Morgan puts her through the Scream Room, a place where pleasure and pain are used to create loyalty to him, yet she does not behave the way others have in there, and she may surprise him.

Raja Flattery is also a CP, one of the original clones who participated in the experiment that created Ship. He is revived from hybernation and told that Ship has replayed the Universe many times, taking humans from many realities, but that if they do not solve the question of how to WorShip, he will give up and destroy humans as a lost cause. Raja Flattery is given the new name of Thomas, and is sent to Pandora to examine the kelp, where the answer may lie.

Waela TaoLini has been involved in the several failed attempts to study the kelp, and is drafted to help Thomas. She is fast and deadly, only the best survive Pandora, and she is also special. Ship communicates with her but she believes that it is only her own mind speaking to her.

The kelp may be the asnwer, but they must learn more about it first. Previous attempts to study it have resulted in death and destruction of the teams, but Thomas intends to try something new. He wants to try to communicate with the kelp, which he is sure is sentient. Thomas does not know that Morgan and Lewis have instituted a program which will destroy the kelp, and within days it will be dead.

Kerro Panille is one of the very few Shipmen who communicates directly with Ship. He uses a secret study chamber to explore the Ship records, which are open to him. Ship sends him down to Pandora to assist Thomas and Waela in their attempt to communicate with the kelp.

When the team of three go out to the kelp, their capsule is invaded by it, and by the tentacles of Highlighters, giant floating creatures whose tentacles dangle to the ground. They all experience direct communication with the kelp, which the Highlighters are a part of. During this time, Kerro and Waela come together and make a child. Kerro is taken away, but Waela and Thomas are taken to Morgan's base, the Redoubt.

Hali Ekel has been paired with Kerro Panille, they are allowed to produce a child, but he is reluctant. She loves him, yet cannot understand him. After Panille leaves for Pandora, she finds his study chamber and Ship speaks to her. It sends her back through time to witness the Jesus Incident, the Hill of Skulls, so that she will understand religious violence.

Waela is sent to Ship when she is found to be pregnant, and Hali becomes her protector. Waela is threatened by others aboard Ship when it becomes clear that her foetus is developing abnormally fast and draining energy from other children on board. They escape back to Pandora and meet with Panille, who has been taught how to project illusions to the creatures of Pandora so that they do not attack.

There is a mass attack on the Redoubt, and Morgan is thrown outside by the other inhabitants. While this is happening, Waela delivers her child, which has kelp DNA, and is named Vata. All the remaining humans meet on the plain outside the Redoubt and Ship speaks to them. They have finally learned how to WorShip, all they were ever expected to do is live up to their abilities.

Ship leaves them on Pandora to make their own way.