These three short stories are set before the events of the novel Heirs of Mars, and describe life on Venus, Earth, and Mars in the years and days before the novel begins. To Reign in Heaven (19 years before the novel) - India is a synthetic woman in love, passing a blissful year studying Venus and reveling in a shared dreamspace with her silksteel lover. But when her Mother chooses to sacrifice her children, India’s memories of love will be her only weapon to save her brothers and sisters. To Walk the Earth (18 years before the novel) - Victoria is ready to move into the wilderness, far away from the manufactured monotony of modern life. But her boyfriend decides to go to Mars instead, leaving her to enjoy one last motorcycle ride all alone. To Serve in Hell (1 day before the novel) - Neil is just a man struggling to get through another day on lousy food, cramped quarters, and a child who doesn’t understand why he can’t have a puppy. But when a cloner arrives, Neil has a chance to take control of something for once in his life, and to avenge the death of his parents.