Matt Harker and his people have journeyed for far too long. They're a rag-tag group of Earthmen and Venusians floating on the Sea of Morning Opals... floating without a home and with very little hope, victimized by hostile natives, burning fevers, bad soil, and bad luck.

When land is sighted, Harker makes the decision to scale the mountainous terrain in the dim hopes of finding a new home. With two companions, he ascends to encounter unknown malevolent alien beings. Harker thought he'd be lucky to find a habitable land - but now he thinks he will be lucky to just survive!