In the 20th century, NASA discovered an extraterrestrial spacecraft in the asteroid belt, called “Target”. Several decades later, a team of scientists boarded the ship to study it. Among them was the linguist Jane Holloway, who came into contact with someone else's mind. Against all orders, Jane hijacks a ship and heads to the home world of A'Bray, wanting to find out who is behind the genocide that destroyed his crew. But upon arrival, she is horrified to discover that the world of the Sectilis has been devastated by the same plague. Moreover, it gradually becomes clear that every intelligent being in the universe is in danger...