A nuclear war destroyed the Dali civilization. The survivors moved to an untouched zone, where, over the hundreds of years since the catastrophe, the city-state of Dal-Gey grew—home to one and a half billion people in an area of just a few hundred square kilometers, with their own outlook on life and secrets.
Earth people discovered this planet only recently. It turned out that the Dalites are externally almost indistinguishable from Earth’s inhabitants.
A secret organization called Yar-Khis, seeking unlimited power, is concerned about Earth’s growing influence and, relying on criminal groups, stages provocations against Earth’s people. A quarantine is declared on a space station near the planet housing Earth’s people due to a suddenly appearing unusual fever that affects only Earth’s people and is harmless to the Dalites. On the planet, a consul of Earth’s people has been kidnapped. A crew of the space patrol ship “Tornado,” which happens to be nearby at the time, goes to the rescue.
1978