In the far future, a group is settling on a new moon called Corialis, which teems with unicellular life that seems capable of forming a non-sentient intelligence. One of the leaders of the group, a young woman, feels unsettled because she believes that the planet is rejecting their presence. Her husband is pregnant with their child, and she reflects on the elaborate decontamination and assimilation procedures they had to go through in order to get acquainted with the microorganisms of Corialis. Their communications unit breaks and, after a couple other unfortunate events occuring, she consults a religious guru for advice. After mulling it over, she realizes the moon needs a human sacrifice. She offers herself up to the moon and becomes a part of Corialis, hoping that this will allow her husband to raise a family and for her people to thrive.