Andrew Dahl is pleased with his new appointment: his favorite research work awaits him, and not just anywhere, but in the laboratory of Intrepid, the famous flagship of the Universal Union. However, the young xenobiologist soon realizes: some people on board the ship are connected by a secret that is not shared with newcomers. What is alarming is not only the amazing survivability of senior officers against the backdrop of the highest mortality rate among subordinates, but also the sheer absurdity of what is happening. Having accidentally learned what Intrepid really is, Dahl offers his comrades an insanely risky path to salvation...