On an alien planet, a long time ago, a symbiotic race of bugs have planted themselves in the human race. The bugs make the the humans feel like a drug. The humans infatuated with the extra powers create their entire religion and civilization around these symbiotes.  The narrator Arissa Boddu was playing a fighting game with a brute adversary while her uncle had problems of his own. After receiving an unknown package he runs into the creatures that really control things, the bugs. He teleports himself to his ship having to leave Arissa behind.