In the attic, in an old chest forgotten by everyone, old, broken, pretty shabby toys “live” - an elephant, a bear, a soldier and a doll. They have long dreamed of getting out of this chest, but to do this, someone alone must sacrifice themselves and stay, and no one wants to take on this role. They argued and shouted for a long time, but never came to an agreement.

Military doctor General Klenski is arrested in Stalin's Russia in 1953 during an anti-Semitic political campaign accused of being a participant in so-called "doctors' plot".

Detective Al Bailey is invited to one of the outer worlds, Solaria, where a mysterious murder has occurred. Solaria is characterized by the isolation of its inhabitants from each other (even husbands and wives see each other on a schedule), which makes the murder all the more incredible. From childhood, people grow up surrounded by robots, and as adults, personal contact is considered inappropriate and a difficult challenge. The unpreparedness of the inhabitants for the murder leads them to accept the invitation to bring in an Earthling. Upon arriving on the planet, Al Bailey meets his old acquaintance, the robot Dan, and they begin their investigation together.