A spaceship with a crew of three crashes on a strange desert-like planet. One of the three, Grimes, dies in the crash. The other two, Shapiro and Rand, are now stranded.

Shapiro is freaking out about how to get off the planet, trying to make the beacon work and filtering the water from the tank of Grimes's dead goldfish to use as drinking water. Meanwhile, he is becoming progressively more and more spooked by Rand, who he compares to an android and calls a "dronehead." Rand seems resigned to being stuck there and keeps describing the dunes as a beach—though there is no ocean or water—staring into space and going on and on about beach activities and the Beach Boys. When Shapiro brings him his share of the filtered water, he doesn't want it and throws the flask into the sand.

Shapiro hides inside the ship and shovels sand out of it as the sand leaks its way into spaces that should be impenetrable. As the days go by, he becomes gaunt and unkempt. When he goes outside to check on Rand, Rand is emaciated and sinking into the sand. Rand tells Shapiro to listen to the dunes. Shapiro is resistant at first but soon becomes enthralled. His enlightenment by the dunes was interuptted by the arrival of a rescue ship. Shapiro comes to quickly and is horrified at the effect the dunes had on him. Shapiro is elated at potentially getting rescued and begs the captain of the ship to leave with him as soon as possible. The captain is unconvinced of the dangers of the dunes and insists on saving Rand as well to increase the payout of the rescue. As crew members try to extract Rand, the dunes start to move and shift. Rand is uncooperative with the rescuers and the captain orders him to be tranquilized and brought on board as soon as possible. When the sniper levels the shot and fires, a hand made of sand erupts from the dunes and blocks the shot. At this, the entire crew is terrified. They leave Rand behind and narrow escape the clutches of the dunes. Rand, left behind on beachworld, joins the dunes.