While Mother, Father, and the children face hostility from their new atheist collective, Marcus sets out to fill the walls of an ancient church with Sol's worshipers.

Campion is hurt meeting the serpent. The Trust tasks the collective with hunting #7 down. Mother must reconcile her feelings. Convinced the serpent will lead him to the Tree of Knowledge, Marcus sets out to find it before the atheists do.

Upon learning that the serpent is nonviolent, Mother fiercely protects it, while Father busies himself with the regeneration of a new android. Endowed with mysterious new powers, Marcus grows his congregation.

After the Trust uses Paul to strike back against Marcus, Mother confronts the Trust and threatens a coup. Meanwhile, on the run from Mother, Marcus has to keep his followers from losing faith as his powers suddenly disappear.

Mother struggles to keep the collective from falling apart as she struggles to lead while Sue resorts to prayer in her desperation to cure Paul. Meanwhile, Marcus and his followers are given new hope as they discover an ancient temple. But as Marcus investigates the temple's secrets, Decima and the rest of his followers are made to answer for their sins.

As they try and fail to open the seed box, Sue and Paul realize they need Marcus's help. Sue makes a plan to break Marcus out of the brig while Mother is distracted with the imminent birth of Tempest's baby. But when Sue, Paul and Marcus finally open the seed box, they make a horrifying discovery.