Tum Par and Jan Kal are scientists in the year 9,852. Charged with conducting experiments, which runs contrary to the World Government. Society has all its needs fulfilled by machines, and experimentation threatens the established order. Tum and Jan admit they are guilty, but explain it is not a crime to prepare for a dire future, however distant. The pair is judged guilty and sentenced to travel to the distant future in the time machine they built. It is presumed by their prosecutors that the pair will travel millions of years into the future to find an idyllic world.