Many years into the future, a last-ditch attempt to save humanity was created, a project known as Ship, an AI containing DNA of different Earth flora and fauna and sent into space to find a new planet.

Also created are a group of children using genes from the leaders of the project, all raised by Ship, and of whom Zoheret is the main character.

Now in their teens, the Zoheret and the others are subjected to their last test, a competition within the Ship's Hollow, a simulated Earth-like environment.

Zoheret develops a relationship with Dmitri, another teen, while Lillka is slowly replaced as leader by another boy, Tonio.

Things for the small community are made worse when they awake to find their fields incinerated by Ho's group.

They explain that Ship had created them years ago when it had found two planets suitable for life.