A sudden threat looms over the United States' program for studying the human genome under the auspices of the USPNR. First, unknown militants attacked an expedition exploring the remains of ancient people in the Croatian mountains, and geneticist Lena Crandall only miraculously survived. Then, right from the laboratory in the States, her sister Maria was kidnapped, who was engaged in genetic experiments on monkeys. The solution to the problem is entrusted to the Sigma group, the combat unit of the UPPONIR. Its leader, Painter Crow, is clear: the Crandall sisters have made some kind of discovery that has keenly interested influential forces abroad. But he does not yet realize that this discovery is connected with such an ancient and terrible secret that it would probably be better not to know about it at all ...