As threats of global war and pollution loom larger, the governments of the world select an educated elite to establish colonies on the red planet Gaea. This chosen group will use their knowledge to attempt to preserve and cultivate the human species. But in the colony Ventura, something goes horribly wrong. The ideal community becomes a sterile, desolate place; the chosen group hopelessly obsessed with procreation as the birthrate falls to zero. Miera Tull finds herself more and more alienated from the obsessive sexuality of the colony. Instead, she is assaulted by mysterious sensual dreams dominated by the colour red. Slowly, she begins to understand that the planet Gaea may have a message for her - a message of hope in an otherwise hopeless world.