The world of the near future...More and more people are escaping into the ghostly, but so fascinating virtual reality of online games. And more and more often, people disappear into this reality forever, leaving their families with a lot of problems. But, as it happens, new problems gave rise to a new profession. Igor Lambert is a “returner”, a special person who senses the Network and is not influenced by Chandler’s space, where others can be lost forever. When the son of an old friend gets stuck in the game, Igor, without hesitation, rushes to the rescue. But it's not that simple. There the “hardcore” mode is turned on, and the death of the virtual is equivalent to death in reality...