Devlin's team has spent over a year on earth at Keri's chateau recovering from the Terra Nova assignment. Finally given a new job by the Inner Worlds Council Security, Devlin, Dancer, and Cha journey to Astrakhan where several scientists have disappeared. Etech Cha Hao Chan looks like excellent bait and Devlin is grateful for a straight-forward assignment this time.Unfortunately, they trust the wrong people....