The main character of the play is the head of a large bacteriological institute, a talented scientist Sergei Aleksandrovich Trubnikov. Having devoted his life to the study of dangerous infectious diseases, he risked his life many times, testing the invented drugs primarily on himself, so there is no reason to doubt his courage. But unable to resist the sin of vanity and without first consulting with his colleagues at the institute, Trubnikov sends secret developments to America, hoping to publish his own book abroad. The clash of opposing views on the relationship between humanism and science, on whether science is above political interests, constitutes the main conflict of the play.