The next war with the treacherous Khonti had just died down, and the people of Pandea, controlled by the wise Guardians, breathed freely. It would seem that citizens have no reason to worry; work, go to demonstrations, join patriotic associations, have fun in the “Gallery of Hate” or at the Great Pandey Games. And if you get tired, a network of public booths for painless suicides is always at your service. It’s strange that with such a wonderful life there are eccentrics who are dissatisfied with the current state of affairs! And yet, a wave of terrorist attacks sweeps across the capital, and more and more citizens dream of one day getting their hands on the “Golden Ticket”, which will give them the opportunity to leave their homeland, which is plunging into an age of loneliness...