PrologueThe sun was dying, falling over the horizon. Yellow moons peeked out of the clouds with indifferent pupils. And new stars were born in the purple sky... Mr. Tu-Bas Sr., Member of the Privy Council, ex-protector of the United Planets, loved to watch the sunsets. They are especially good here... A giant disk of the residence hung over Meclan, the capital of the Planets. The ceiling and floor in the huge Conference Room were transparent. From a height of three kilometers there was a magnificent view. The main city is from here in the palm of your hand. Tu-Bas Sr. remembered every bend in those streets. An intricate extravaganza of business centers rushing to the sky and the austere architecture of geometric-like state buildings. The rationality of monorail lines and the cosiness of residential neighborhoods....