The technology of implanting computer microchips into the brain has brought civilization to a new level of development. The scientific breakthrough, originally intended for treating pathologies of the central nervous system, quickly turned into a “neurophone”—a fashionable gadget that opens up virtual-reality pleasures to its owners.
Petr Frolov, an employee of the security service at the company that produces neurophones, accidentally gains access to secret data: the company has complete control over the users’ minds, and the technology itself has an extraterrestrial origin.
What goals do the creators of neurophones pursue? This question fades into the background: Frolov is declared an outlaw, and a real manhunt begins for him—killing him is the top priority for anyone carrying the gadget.