The wars that changed the face of the world have long since ended. People settled on the planets of nearby stars. Traces of a departed alien race have been found on many planets. But prosperity is only an appearance. The secret services and politicians are playing their own games. And on the border of explored space there is cruelty, xenophobia, hostility. Humanity is not able to live in peace even with itself. And when alien races enter the arena, and the human race itself is on the verge of destruction, the internecine struggle of the colonies only intensifies. It seemed to Sergei Krasnov that the stars were very close - reach out and touch. But fate draws him into a whirlpool of galactic intrigues, and now he needs to figure out who and why involved him in this confusing game...