An ancient scroll unearthed in Sicily contains an epic tale about an advanced civilization that existed tens of thousands of years before the common era. This hyper-cerebral culture, in which people are called mind carriers, produced works of art, literature, and philosophy that have yet to be surpassed. The mind carriers are instructed by tradition that the entire universe is actually a brain of cosmic dimensions otherwise known as the Omnificent Cerebrum. The visible world is but a cell within it; a multitude of additional cells, populated by other races of mind carriers, fill the remaining gray matter. In order to ensure that the Omnificent Cerebrum functions harmoniously, society must strive continually to create works of genius in arts and letters. Not everyone, however, is satisfied with this state of affairs. A new movement, Bioprimalism, challenges the pre-eminence of logic and reason. The Bioprimalists instead proclaim the dominance of raw feelings, animal instincts, and the natural environment.

The ensuing strife threatens the cohesion of the Omnificent Cerebrum. Who will carry the day the partisans of intellect or those who revere Mother Earth above all else?.