alternate-reality

In the prologue of 'Humans,' Ponter Boddit confesses to Jurard Selgan that he has committed a terrible crime in an alternate Earth where humans believe in a God who judges souls after death. Ponter struggles with guilt and the absence of divine judgment in his own world, contrasting the Gliksin's rational worldview with the humans' faith-based beliefs about morality, afterlife, and justice. The dialogue explores themes of ethics, belief, and the nature of truth across different cultures and realities.

In this chapter, humanity encounters mysterious 'angels' at sacred sites, prompting the discovery of an advanced space-drive in the Gobi desert that enables intergalactic travel. A selected crew aboard the spaceship Pilgrim Crusader ventures through a distorted dimension, is captured by alien beings called the Group-ones, and escapes to a planet known as 'God's World,' where an alien civilization exists partially in reality and partially in a 'Heaven.' The protagonist Amy Dove uncovers that the Group-ones may not be hostile and that the heavenly realm conceals a profound danger.

The chapter narrates the protagonist's journey through a surreal alternate world called Jeamland and later The City, exploring themes of friendship, change, and loss. The protagonist and Rafe initially share a deep bond as they navigate these realms, but their connection deteriorates as they become trapped and unable to return to their original reality. The arrival of Zenda introduces new dynamics, culminating in a confrontation that symbolizes the end of their shared past and the acceptance of an irreversible future.