A reeling Marcus and Paul join forces with Mother to disarm the newly weaponized serpent before it wreaks unimaginable havoc.
Marcus and Paul's faith has been weaponized. They thought they were following a righteous path. They couldn't listen to anyone claiming they were being led astray by forces they didn't understand. The Signal is coming somewhere from the planet. It's a tempting voice that produces so much trauma. The remaining collection of humanity has had to endure a lot. They carried their own divisions from the previous world. Those conflicts are starting over anew. They take on an entirely new scale because of the sharp differences in what's now possible. It didn't make sense when Mother gave birth to a serpent. She and Father had the initial impulse to kill it. That didn't work. Mother saw hope in her seventh child. She felt a stronger connection because she gave birth to it. And now, her programming has been weaponized too. She could always flip the switch and turn into a terrifying creature. Humans are always afraid because of what she can do. When she has her eyes, she is the most dangerous entity they have to fear. That's what makes it so perilous when Seven defeats her so efficiently. She wants to blame her programming. That kept her from doing what needed to be done. Instead, she hesitated. That created the opportunity for Seven to strike back. Marcus and Paul are required to save her. They were committed to this path. And then, it took Sue from them. That dawns on them the longer it goes since they last saw her. They believe she sacrificed herself for the tree to be planted. They saw the fruitful nature of this miracle. They spread the fruit believing it will instantly convert those who have strayed from the path. That's not even relevant in the grand scheme of things. Instead, it's nothing more than a beacon for Seven. The tree contorts itself so it can be devoured. In doing so, Seven evolves. It is no longer a herbivore that never attacks humans. Now, it's hunting down Campion and will destroy anything in its way. It's a dire situation. One that forces former enemies to become allies. It's also the inevitable outcome of this faith. Androids were created from the Mithraic text. They were designed as weapons. They are capable of some astonishing feats. And so, it's easy to see anything stemming from this religion as having a sinister purpose. That's what drove the creation of Mother and Father. They were programmed to do better by the next generation of humanity. Instead, they seem to have made the same mistakes that always doom this species no matter where it lives.
Father is distraught over the news Hunter is planning on moving out. He can't comprehend the family splitting apart after everything done to keep them together. Hunter is the oldest. This is a natural part of life. He has to figure out how to survive on his own. He must seek out what's valuable and essential. He must toss away everything else. He has loving relationships amongst the family. He doesn't want Tempest to suffer after losing her baby. He decides he can judge the decisions others make. He deems them mistakes and acts to correct them. That may only push him further away. He doesn't listen to what they actually want. Sure, that's constantly shifting. Tempest has evolving views about her baby. She's loved and hated her. She wanted to care for her. Then, she's willing to sacrifice her to the sea creatures. It's erratic. Hunter equates that with being crazy. That's what has entered her mind as a result of Mother and Father being distracted. The androids have been tasked with preparing humans for life without them one day. They want Campion to lead. He must embrace that inevitability. As such, he cares about all life even artificial ones. He believes Vrille has a soul. Hunter sees that as Campion falling in love with a robot. This family is a mess. It all extends from Father being more concerned about bringing life to Grandmother instead of caring for his children. He found a way to give birth similar to how Mother did with Seven. He held onto that worldview. Mother needs Grandmother's help as well. She needs clarity about the civilization that once existed on this planet. She needs to know if there is any way she can gain the power needed to kill Seven now that it has been weaponized. She is determined to pursue that path. Meanwhile, Campion runs into the forest hoping to lead Seven away from the colony. He is willing to make that sacrifice for the greater good. He is trusted to have his own agency. Paul didn't want his best friend to eat the fruit. He didn't want him following this path. He set others onto this road of destruction. The fallout will be the result of so many people making the wrong decisions out of selfishness. Sue wants to be burned. Marcus can't make that happen. Instead, he can only watch as the terror flies above hoping to destroy the planet. It may not be that simple. However, those stakes are seemingly necessary in order for everyone to rally around the importance of starting civilization anew.
