When young Carl Kempton returned from an idle day at the beach, he found a secret service man awaiting him at home. Carl's father, Bradley, had been murdered — a fact more puzzling than tragic because, as one of the truly great scientific minds of the day, he had been marked by the Federation for "restoration." Who, then, could possibly have hoped to gain by his murder?

Carl sets out to solve the mystery. His father, even after restoration, could not be of much help, because the last recording of his brain had taken place months before.

Carl can't help but feel there is something very strange about the whole matter... and indeed there is.