Temozar Alkabah's skin has completely changed to the five colors that also mark the alien Shirrah. He tries to explain to his lover, Artemis Katsaros, that the transformation in his mind that is far more significant than the change in his skin color. Thanks to his fusion with the entity from the dark universe, he has come to the realization that his conception of self is false, a virtual construct of his brain.
The couple embark on a dangerous adventure, a trip to explore the far side of the mountains to the west of Eden's human settlement. When they return, he is contacted by the alien Shirrah. They invite him and other human and non-human representatives from Eden to visit the planet Hestia. The conference will discuss the Khaozians, creatures that have destroyed a nearby galaxy and threaten all intelligent life in the Milky Way. The Khaozians are traveling straight towards the sector of the galaxy where both the Shirrah and human beings dwell.