In 2007, the novella was republished as part of a collection of Lukyanenko's early short stories titled Quay for Yellow Ships.
An astronaut from Earth named Dima (short for Dmitry) crash-lands on the fourth planet of the star LK 43.
The indigenous people, whose physical appearance is almost indistinguishable from human, live in the so-called Cities, enclosed and self-sufficient habitats, providing their tenants with all life's necessities.
All individual qualities are considered to be atavistic and must be mercilessly eliminated to the point that most redheads are forced to dye their hair.
Long ago, there was a nuclear war on the planet, which turned most of the planetary surface into a scorching desert.
He agrees to aid a group of Outsiders in infiltrating a nearby City to free all Equals from the totalitarian Watchers.
He finds out that most Watchers live in the beautiful and idyllic Thirteenth City, which consists of houses in the only forest left on the planet.
Besides the small forest, which fits only several thousand Watchers and the gully with a few hundred Outsiders, life is only possible in the Cities.