Ismael Forth wakes up to find that his mind is now implanted in the body of a beautiful woman, his own body has been stolen, and he is reported to have died on a distant planet he has never visited.

In a time when the quest for alien life forms has been stopped by prejudice against anything not completely and exclusively human, four "unnatural" beings—including Earth's last ape and a thinking computer—must help each other survive.

Uncertain whether he is a prisoner or guest, and forgetful of the accident from which he is now recovering, Ishmael Cadmus slowly ascertains his role in an alien space environment as that of spokesman for humanity.