Dyak steps into the shadows of a sand-filled laboratory. He has crashed on the desert planet finding only the remnants of an ancient civilization, and two great trees struggling to survive. Ahead in the gloom he sees the great, gnarled trunk of one of the trees thrusting through the roof. Its malignant branches and writhing roots cover the floors and walls. Suddenly he is struck with dread. He is in the presence of something terribly evil and malevolent. He turns to escape. Too late! Root tendrils pin his feet, slither up his legs and inside his shorts. Branches encircle his body, tighten around his neck.