Troe puteshestvennikov - byvshiy politik, uchenyy i zhenschina - chast sverhrazuma planety Geya - ischut na prostorah Galaktiki Staruyu Zemlyu, prarodinu chelovechestva. Poiski privodyat ih k samym pervym koloniyam zemlyan, no chto-to ne daet priblizitsya k tseli poiskov. Ih podzhidaet nechto tainstvennoe i drevnee, drevnee samoy Imperii. . .