Thanks to the restored monarchical system, the economic and social crises have been overcome in the new Empire. True, the first popularly elected emperor died under strange circumstances, and a new one has not yet been elected. But there is a Regent and his officials who lead the people of the Empire to prosperity. In order for the mechanism of the social machine to turn without creaking, it is necessary to get rid of the garbage that gets inside in a timely manner. And the authorities are faced with the question: aren’t those who cannot be called full-fledged members of society - terminally ill and homeless children, disabled people, lonely pensioners - the trash of the Empire? Shouldn't they be removed from the mechanism in the name of progress and the benefit of socially valuable citizens of the Empire?.. But not all residents of the country agree with the opinion of the authorities. Their struggle against the monstrous project is narrated in a new novel by the classic of Russian science fiction, winner of many literary awards, Vladislav Krapivin, whose works have not left readers of all ages indifferent for more than fifty years.