The central conflict revolves around a biological imperative. The people of Kepler are infertile due to cosmic radiation. Blake’s mission is to test the air and the fertility of the remaining population. The revelation that the Muds can have children becomes the most valuable commodity in the universe. This plot point elevates the stakes from mere survival to the future of the species.

Nora Arnezeder as Blake, Iain Glen as Gibson, and Sarah-Sofie Boussnina as Narvik.

When the Kepler mothership arrives to colonize by force, Blake activates a bomb intended to clear the landing zone, but she redirects it to destroy the mothership instead. She kills the last remnants of the "pure" human race to save the "devolved" ones.