A team of three space hunters attempt to kill a theriida—a space whale with invaluable organs and skin that can provide riches and protect humans against interstellar radiation—but in their zeal, they face the risk of turning into theriidas themselves.

On a cold Seattle night, deep in the heart of winter, a woman walks into a bar and finds the beautiful and animal-like woman she has been waiting for. She chases the woman into the night and finds the stranger is not what she seems—but neither is the protagonist.

A fourteen-year-old farming girl is set to marry her twenty-year-old Air Force boyfriend next week. Her father disapproves and tries to convince her not to go while they shelter from a storm.