The Stars Are Cold Toys

While the story begins as hard science fiction describing Pyotr's flight to home on shuttle Spiral, later the emphasis drifts from technical details.

In the beginning of the 21st century a group of scientists from MSU invented a jumper, a device allowing FTL travel.

But distance of every jump is a constant — about 12.3 light years, so travelling requires high navigation skills and a good dose of luck.

Soon after, the scientists are hired by NASA and begin working on the prototype, converting a space shuttle into a jump-capable ship.

— nevertheless, narrow specialization is a characteristic feature of Weak races — and the reason why the Conclave needs and uses them, while civilizations of no value are simply exterminated.

During a usual trading flight Pyotr found a Counter on his craft who called himself Karel and, most importantly, made it through the jump unhurt (ironically, the alien accomplished this by going into a self-induced coma caused by division by zero).

Standing orders require Pyotr to destroy the ship and all evidence of the alien's survival, as this would eliminate the Conclave's need in Humanity.

The alien requested an informal meeting with Andrey Khrumov — Pyotr's grandfather, a known political scientist, a Russian patriot/nationalist and a great patriot of Humanity, biased against the Strong races.

Studying the memory of the scout showed that another civilization had transferred its planetary system to a region of space close by, perhaps escaping a cataclysm.

Pyotr Khrumov agrees to enter a symbiosis with a Kualkua, who morphs him to appear as the dead pilot, gives him the language of Geometers, and temporarily erases his memory... By struggling to find allies Pyotr will explore two worlds: the home planet of Geometers and the world of Star Shadow in the core of our Galaxy.

Possessing control over energy, friendship with other sensible races, order and love to all alive... Lukyanenko polemizes with Strugatsky's World of the Noon.

People are brought up in groups of four by Mentors, who help them to socialize and suppress "wrong" sides of their characters (without any violence, just refusing love).

Apparently, there were two intelligent lifeforms on the planet: the Geometers and those they called the Furry Ones (humanoids with fur covering their bodies).

The death toll was high, and the Geometer society was in disarray, allowing the Mentors to take full control and establish the "friend philosophy" as law.

It's probably the most ancient world, settled mostly by beings biologically identical to Humans — but it includes non-humanoid races as well, as respected minorities.

Shadow allows you the absolute freedom and all possibilities to evolve — there's even no death: if you'll die, you'll be resurrected at the planet you want.

All what's needed to save the Earth is to plant the Seed of the Gates — and Humans'll join the Shadow, escaping outer threats.