Even when he was still in school, a young man named Arik decided to become a biologist and, without fail, create an artificial “life” from the “inanimate.” He pursues his goal, not considering any obstacles and not shunning any means—especially since some kind of predetermined fate strictly watches so that he won’t even think about straying from the intended path. The novel takes place at Leningrad University in the 1970s–1990s of the last century.