Set in the galaxy"s largest deep-space hospital station, replete with engaging human-alien interaction and intricate puzzle plots, the Sector General novels have been a favorite with SF readers for over three decades.Dr. Prilicla, a veteran of Sector General, commands an expedition answering several near-simultaneous distress beacons. What he finds is two intelligent species, one of which has nearly wiped out the other; a revelation of a botched first contact; and a rare opportunity to set matters right -- if he can make the right diagnosis.