As bioeffers storm the Durant facilities, Jonathan's wife, Bess, gives birth to a son she names Adam with the help of the family’s domestic robot.

Bess, her son, and the robot manage to find safe passage to the orbital space colony of Centauria in an adjacent solar system.

The family members raise Adam and work with other scientists on Centauria to improve both robot and mind transfer technology.

Ultimately, Jonwon grows increasingly disaffected with the state of human-robot relations and steals the faster-than-light ship to travel to the planet of Far.

The original cast of characters by now has transferred their minds to robots and pursue Jonwon to discover that Far contains a planetary ocean which emits mind-altering waves.