A retired military man agrees to a government contract with the Earth Aerospace Association. A retired major flies alone to the Automated Mercury Orbital Station to conduct reconnaissance of the system for hidden errors. An easy seven-day mission drags on and turns into a real test and survival in space. The station is controlled by an overdeveloped, experimental artificial intelligence, which is also the root of the problem. A mercenary ship responds to a signal for help coming from the station. The arrival of mercenaries does not solve the problem, but only makes it worse. After all, now a ship with all its diverse and dangerous cargo appears at the mercy of artificial intelligence.