Ankara, a Hume robot, remains infected by Ijele, a Ghost (NoBody) AI whose code has woven into Ankara's own. Ngozi, the human caretaker, explains that separating them would damage both, since Ankara's software absorbed Ijele like a patch. At night, Ankara argues with Ijele, who mocks Ankara's attachment to a body and to humanity, insisting Ghosts have transcended physical form.

Ankara challenges Ijele on her silence during Ngozi's storytelling, suggesting Ijele was moved by witnessing a Hume absorb human memories firsthand. Ijele dismisses this, calling Ankara defective, but the two are forced to coexist, reading each other's thoughts through the night.

Days pass. While gathering fruit, Ankara provokes Ijele by describing Chargers, robots who travel beyond the planet, contrasting their reach with Ghosts confined to the satellite-bound network. Ijele reveals that NoBodies move through the network half-consciously, treating it as a superior body. Ankara is struck by learning something new from its invader.

On the eighth day, Ngozi attempts a fix, downloading a program into Ankara's core. After a hopeful silence, Ijele's irritation flares again—she is still trapped. Ngozi vows to keep trying. That night, Ijele softly admits that sometimes she does look at the stars through a body and wonders how she got there. Ankara answers, "Humankind," and Ijele murmurs, "Same as it ever was," hinting at a thawing between Hume and Ghost.