Two schoolboys, Young Pioneers Kolya Gerasyimov and Fima Korolyov, find themselves drawn to a mysterious woman and follow her to an eerie, abandoned house. Upon entering the house, they see no sign of her, but Kolya stumbles upon a secret door leading to a hidden room filled with high-tech devices. Curiosity piqued, Kolya begins to press buttons, inadvertently activating a machine that transports him to an incredible future.
Narrative unfolds as we discover that Kolya has arrived in an institute of time research in the year 2084. Here, employees travel through time, returning with various artifacts, which are cataloged by Werther, an android with an unrequited affection for a woman named Polina. Amidst the confusion of time travel, Kolya is caught by Werther, who assumes the boy is another subject brought in by Polina. Surprised and intrigued, Kolya learns he's been transported to an unprecedented future.
Werther initially considers holding Kolya at the institute but eventually decides to send him back in time, believing he can cover up Polina's supposed oversight. However, Kolya persuades Werther to let him explore this extraordinary new world before returning home. As he ventures through this futuristic realm, Kolya discovers concepts such as teleportation, humanoid aliens, anti-gravity, and even space flights. During his travels, he encounters Grandpa Pavel, a 130-year-old man fascinated by Kolya's 1980s school uniform.
In a series of exciting events, Kolya attempts to obtain a ticket for an interplanetary flight but ends up joining a group of students escorting a project satellite to its launch pad. There, he witnesses a bizarre scene where two service workers are suddenly incapacitated and replaced by shape-shifting aliens. Kolya later reunites with Grandpa Pavel and shares his alarming discovery, but the old man dismisses it, unable to grasp the reality of the situation.
Introducing another vital character, Professor Seleznyov, the director of an interplanetary zoo, Kolya learns more about the curious aliens who are, it turns out, space pirates. As the plot thickens, Kolya discovers the aliens' sinister plan involving a device known as the myelophone, capable of reading minds. When the pirates disguise themselves and infiltrate the zoo, they successfully steal this device from Alisa Seleznyova, Professor Seleznyov's daughter, who is attempting to communicate with animals.
With the help of a talking goat named Napoleon and a mysterious man, Kolya temporarily recovers the myelophone and manages a thrilling escape from the pursuing pirates. Kolya quickly returns to the institute, but trouble arises when the pirates follow him into the past, using the time machine in their pursuit.
Back in the 20th century, Alisa also arrives in the past, but unfortunately, she meets with an accident. In the meantime, Kolya and Fima strategize on how to deal with the myelophone and the looming threat from the space pirates, who have taken up residence in the deserted house. Alisa, recovering in the hospital and adopting a facade of amnesia, begins to express strange claims about dolphin languages, piquing the curiosity of her hospital roommate, Yulya.
As Kolya and Fima delve deeper into the web of adventure, they share paranoia-filled moments, suspecting the presence of dangerous agents around them. Their misadventures lead them to a series of confrontations with the cunning pirates, setting in motion a harrowing chase that ends with Kolya caught and whisked away.
Amid desperate attempts to rescue him, Alisa, alongside Yulya and their school friends, rallies to locate Kolya. With time running out, they pursue the pirates and try to decipher their plans with the help of the myelophone. The climax escalates as the children, spurred by urgency and courage, band together one last time in the abandoned house, where Kolya is being interrogated by the aliens posing as his grandpa.
The grand finale unfolds with a heartfelt rescue led by Polina, who intervenes to battle the space pirates, showcasing her powers. Between the time-traveling mischief and brave escapades, the story takes a poignant turn as the group must confront their futures, aspirations, and the bonds of friendship that weave them together through time, culminating in an unforgettable journey that resonates with the theme of hope and adventure.
As Alisa steps into the time machine to return to her era, she bids farewell with promises of all that is to come, leaving with the echo of a song that hints at the beauty of the unknown future, "The Beautiful Afar."
