A team of three human explorers, led by Farrell, arrives on the alien planet Falak, which has a desolate landscape marked by a vast crater and remnants of a past civilization. Initially, they are tasked with assessing the planet for potential recolonization after it was abandoned by the Hymenop conquerors. The explorers encounter a group of degenerate human survivors, primarily young and filthy, who seem to have lost their humanity over generations of enslavement. As they investigate, they discover the survivors' strange customs and the absence of older individuals, leading to speculation about a ritualistic decimation linked to the planet's ecology. The team grapples with the implications of their findings, particularly the idea that the Hymenops may have engineered the survivors' condition as a means of control. Farrell becomes increasingly enchanted by the valley's beauty and the young Falakian girl, Koaele, who embodies innocence and vitality. This fascination leads him to reject the team's mission of exploitation and control, culminating in a moment of defiance against his companions. He attempts to prevent them from reporting back to their superiors, realizing that the paradise they have found would be destroyed by human intervention. However, the allure of the valley is revealed to be a manipulation by the local moths, which exert a powerful influence over the humans, drawing them into a cycle of dependency and control. As the explorers struggle against this compulsion, they are forced to confront the reality of their situation and the true nature of the relationship between the Hymenops and the human survivors. In a climactic moment, the team is saved from succumbing to the moths' influence when they deploy insecticide to eradicate the threat, ultimately deciding to rescue the surviving humans from their grim fate. The story concludes with the explorers reflecting on the complexities of alien motivations and the dangers of human curiosity, leaving them to ponder the ethical implications of their actions and the nature of their own existence.
By Roger Dee Aycock · First published 1970 · Genre: Science Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Adventure