Synopsis: Can you measure the value of a life? Ruth Villiers has been trapped by the collapse of an old tunnel. But their society does not cover the cost of rescue, and foreign aid is prohibited under the strict Darwinian laws. Where would we end up if everyone in need could not expect public aid? In caves on an island, people have survived the nuclear catastrophe and built a new society that lives primarily with the fear of being outside. For outside, the elders say, death lurks. But the caves are bursting at the seams ... Hugo Johnson is bored to death. He does not care about anything anymore, does not leave the house anymore. His psychiatrist fears that he might commit suicide, so he orders Hugo a robot to watch over him ... In a total of nine stories, Michael Coney once again proves to be a critic with a keen eye for grievances and aberrations, but also as a master in the creation of alien worlds.