y ' s ▁Planet ▁is ▁in ▁decl ine , ▁and ▁when ▁a ▁generation ▁ship ▁arriv es , ▁having ▁failed ▁to ▁contact ▁six ▁other ▁plan ets , ▁Ross ▁is ▁sent ▁to ▁discover ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁the ▁inter stell ar ▁colon ies . ▁He ▁is ▁given ▁a ▁ship ▁which ▁can ▁make ▁the ▁trip ▁from ▁col ony ▁to ▁col ony ▁almost ▁instant ane ously . ▁ ▁The ▁technology ▁used ▁in ▁the ▁ship ▁has ▁been ▁kept ▁secret ▁because ▁it ▁could ▁give ▁rise ▁to ▁inter stell ar ▁war ▁if ▁one ▁col ony ▁decided ▁to ▁conquer ▁others . ▁ ▁However , ▁the ▁isolated ▁populations ▁are ▁also ▁affected ▁by ▁gen etic ▁dr ift ▁resulting ▁in ▁a ▁decl ine ▁in ▁their ▁soci eties . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁planet ▁he ▁vis its ▁has ▁been ▁completely ▁destroyed , ▁the ▁second ▁is ▁a ▁ger onto cr atic ▁trav esty ▁of ▁a ▁dem ocracy , ▁and ▁the ▁third ▁is ▁a ▁repr ess ive ▁mat ri archy . ▁On ▁the ▁way ▁he ▁pick s ▁up ▁compan ions ▁Hel ena ▁and ▁Bern ie . ▁ ▁The ▁next ▁planet ▁they ▁visit ▁is ▁supposed ▁to ▁be ▁Earth , ▁but ▁it ▁turns ▁out ▁not ▁to ▁be ; ▁not ▁only ▁are ▁its ▁planet ary ▁statistics ▁different ▁from ▁Earth ' s , ▁but ▁it ▁is ▁populated ▁by ▁a ▁race ▁of ▁almost - ident ical ▁people ▁called ▁Jones es . ▁This ▁planet , ▁also ▁called ▁Jones , ▁is ▁ruled ▁by ▁a ▁cult ▁of ▁total ▁conform ity ▁in ▁all ▁areas ▁of ▁life , ▁including ▁gen etic ▁phen ot ype . ▁Ross ▁disco vers ▁that