The crew of а space expedition dies under mysterious circumstances. After 15 years, an inspector investigates why the exploration of a planet was abandoned. To do this, he visits the only surviving member of the crew, Captain Amos, who now lives in a shelter for retired astronauts. In the report, he made a ban on further exploration of this planet.
It turns out that the inhabitants of the planet took on the appearance of the crew members' deceased relatives to inspire the idea that a quarantine regime is needed in this place. Moreover, the captain returns accompanied by a certain being (the "apostle"), who possesses Absalom.
