Dash stared out of his bedroom window at the dark, empty streets of downtown Orlando, Florida.

It was one week before he and Anna would encounter the Raptogon hologram and a solid year since he had first heard about the Project Alpha competition. The very next day, he would leave to begin the final phase. Hundreds of thousands of kids from all over the world had entered for a chance to become part of the project. He was one of eight finalists. Eventually there would be only four winners. Dash never expected to get that far. He thought he stood a better chance of finding a golden ticket in a Wonka Bar than making the final four.

Yet there he was with a fifty-fifty chance.

“I can’t get used to this,” Dash’s mother said as she entered the room. “When the lights go out, it’s like the world dies.”

She joined Dash at the window and looked out over the darkened city. No lights glowed from any of the tall buildings. Cars were left to sit until their owners returned the next day when they were allowed to drive again. It was the beginning of the daily eight-hour blackout period that happened all over the country. Electricity and gas service were cut off. Telephone, television, Internet, cell phone, and radio communications were shut down. It was a newly mandated government program with only one purpose:

To conserve energy.

It was estimated that within ten years these temporary blackouts would become permanent and within a hundred years the planet would run out of fossil fuel. All fossil fuel. The energy crisis that many feared in theory was no longer a theory.

It was very real and the clock was ticking.

“Do you think they shut down Disney World too?” Dash asked.

“Of course,” his mom replied. “They’re in this situation just like the rest of us.”

“I guess it really is a small world after all,” Dash said with a smile.

His mom laughed. Dash liked to make her laugh because it didn’t happen often. Not anymore. His dad had died two years before and left his mom to raise Dash and his little sister, Abby, on her own. As tough as it was, they got by. Barely. The growing energy crises always felt like somebody else’s problem.

Until the lights started going out.

Dash stared out at the night sky. His unruly brown hair needed a trimming. His skin was pasty pale, which wasn’t normal for a kid who lived in Florida, but he had been spending most of his time indoors taking the hundreds of Project Alpha tests. He would rather have been out playing baseball with his friends, but becoming part of Project Alpha was something he desperately wanted.

Now he was on the verge of getting his wish.

“You can still back out,” Mrs. Conroy said. “It’s not too late.”

“Why would I do that?” Dash asked with surprise. “This is the most important thing that’s ever happened. I have to go.”

Mrs. Conroy nodded. She knew he’d say that. Dash was a special kid. He was so scary smart that he skipped two grades in school. More than that, he was wise beyond his years. His friends always looked to him for answers and he usually had them. Mrs. Conroy worked hard to keep the family afloat but Dash was the rock she relied on when times were tough.

With the city blacked-out, the sky came alive with the light from thousands of sparkling stars. The two sat in the window, focused on the life above, not the darkness below.

“Are you scared?” Mrs. Conroy asked.

“A little.”

“It’s okay,” she said. “I am too. Winning the competition is only the beginning.”

“I know,” Dash said. “That’s not what I’m scared of.”

“Then what?”

“I’m scared that I won’t win.”

Mrs. Conroy put her arm around him.

“One way or another, you’re going to help these people. You’re going to help us. I have no doubt about that.”

Dash reached out the window and swept his hand across the sky as if he could brush aside the stars.

“Do you think it’s possible?” he asked. “Could the answer be out there?”

“I hope so,” she said. “But there’s one thing I know for an absolute fact.”

“What’s that?”

“If it’s out there, you’ll find it.”

—

Twenty-four hours later, a line of eight black SUVs with dark windows charged along a desolate desert road, kicking up mini tornados of sand. They weren’t alone. A military escort of a dozen camouflaged Humvees led the way. Another dozen picked up the rear. In the sky, four Cobra attack helicopters flew in formation, acting as a protective umbrella over the caravan.

The vehicles approached a high chain-link fence that stretched out to either side of the road for miles. There were signs everywhere warning that this was a restricted area. Violators would be subject to arrest…or be shot. Not necessarily in that order.

Heavily armed soldiers wearing desert fatigues swung the two gates open and waved the caravan through. Once the cars were inside, the helicopters broke off. Their mission was complete. The cargo had arrived safely.

The cars traveled for another mile until the first buildings appeared like an oasis, revealing a sprawling military base and airfield. Fighter jets lined the long runways. Massive hangars loomed high above the desert floor. One of the huge buildings had its giant doors open, and the caravan turned toward it. The Humvees broke off and the SUVs continued on inside. They rolled to the dead center of the vast empty space and all eight vehicles parked side by side.

Behind them, the enormous hangar doors rolled shut, cutting off the sun and intense heat.

A man stood in the center of the hangar, facing the lineup. He was in his thirties and dressed in a dark blue military jumpsuit. There were no insignias or patches, and with his unkempt boyishly cut hair, he didn’t fit the typical military mold.

He gave a curt wave and the car doors opened.

First out were the drivers. They were soldiers wearing desert fatigues. They quickly moved to the back doors, pulled them open, and stood at attention.

Slowly, tentatively, the passengers emerged.

They were kids.

Twelve-year-old kids.

Four boys. Four girls.

They stepped out of the vehicles with caution, gazing around at the enormous building in wonder until they laid eyes on one another. It was the first time they were seeing the other finalists in the Project Alpha competition. Some smiled a silent greeting. Others gave steely glares as they appraised the competition.

Last out was a pale girl with blond hair and blue eyes. Her driver brought a motorized wheelchair up to her door and moved to help her out. The girl waved him off. With a quick flip, she pulled herself out of the SUV and onto her wheels. Without missing a beat, she joined the others.

“Welcome,” the man in the jumpsuit declared formally. “Don’t be shy. Join me.”

The man wasn’t cold, but he was all business.

The group slowly gathered and formed a line, shoulder to shoulder, facing him. Everyone fidgeted nervously, waiting for whatever might come next.

“Congratulations,” the man said sincerely. “Eight finalists. Down from over seven hundred thousand applicants.”

“Who are you?” one girl asked skeptically.

“Hello, Anna,” he answered while stepping forward to shake her hand. “My name is Shawn Phillips. Commander Phillips. I’m the leader of Project Alpha. It’s time for you to meet one another.”

Anna was a dark-skinned girl with a mass of curly hair. She looked challengingly at him through oversized rectangular glasses. “Are you the one picking the final four?” she asked as they shook hands.

“I am,” he replied.

“Cool. Just want to know who I’ve got to impress.”

Anna stepped back. Next to her, a slight Asian girl with long dark hair and straight bangs stepped forward.

“Carly Diamond,” Phillips announced to the group. “Konnichiwa youkoso.”

“Arigatou,” Carly replied with a slight bow, then added, “You don’t need to speak to me in Japanese.”

“I know that,” Phillips said kindly, then addressed the group. “Everyone here is fluent in English. It’s the chosen language of Project Alpha.”

“Gabriel Parker,” Phillips said, continuing down the line.

A boy with dark skin and a mischievous twinkle in his eyes stepped forward. He stood a head taller than the rest, eye to eye with Phillips. “Yes sir,” Gabriel said with authority. “Thanks for the chance.”

“Thank you for volunteering.”

Gabriel’s bright eyes shone with eagerness as he stepped back into line.

“Ravi Chavan,” Phillips said, shaking the hand of an Indian boy.

“You got it,” Ravi answered with a slight accent and a cocky sort of grin.

The next girl was tall with olive skin, deep blue eyes, and long dark brown hair.

“Ciao e benvenuto,” she said in graceful Italian. “I’m Siena Moretti.”

Phillips shook her hand and moved to the next boy, who was shorter than the rest by several inches but stood as straight and tall as his spiked-up black hair. “Niko Rodriguez,” Phillips said. Niko didn’t answer, only nodded and stepped back quickly.

His shyness stood in stark contrast to the next finalist in line—the blond girl in the wheelchair with sparkling blue eyes.

“Hello, Piper Williams,” Phillips said. “Welcome.”

“Thanks!” she replied brightly. “You didn’t make a mistake.”

“What do you mean?” Phillips asked.

Piper tapped the arm of her wheelchair and said, “This isn’t a handicap.”

“If I thought it was, you wouldn’t be here.”

“And thanks for the new wheels,” she added. “They’re pretty slick.”

The wheelchair was a cross between a standard two-wheeled chair and a high-powered sport motorcycle.

“We felt you might need a little extra horsepower.”

The smile dropped from Piper’s face. “I don’t need extra help.”

“Glad to hear that, Piper,” Phillips said.

Phillips moved on to the last candidate, a pale-skinned boy with an easy smile and relaxed stance.

“Dash Conroy,” Phillips said, shaking his hand. “Welcome.”

“Thanks,” Dash replied with genuine enthusiasm. “This is pretty exciting.”

Phillips gave him a conspiratorial wink and said, “You have no idea.”

Phillips took a few steps back to address the entire group. “Welcome to you all. You know why you’re here and how you came—”

“Where exactly are we?” Anna asked. “All I know is I was on a plane for hours, then driven through the desert. We could be in the middle of the Sahara.”

“Not likely,” Siena said. “Based on my flight time from Rome and seeing that Project Alpha is sponsored by the United States government, it’s more likely we are in the continental United States.”

Anna gave her a blank stare and said, “I wasn’t serious about the Sahara.”

“So then where are we?” Gabriel asked.

“I think we’re at Area 51,” Ravi announced. “I mean, we’re talking about exploring outer space. What better place than where they keep all the aliens?”

“Sounds about right to me,” Niko added. “That’s in Nevada, right?”

“That is correct,” Siena replied.

“You’re hiding aliens here?” Anna asked Phillips. “Like, seriously?”

“Those are just rumors,” Carly said. “There’s never been proof and without proof they’ll stay rumors.”

“Do the winners get to see the aliens?” Ravi asked. “That would be cool.”

“Yes!” Phillips blurted out, trying to contain his frustration.

The group stared at him in wonder.

Dash finally said, “Yes, there are aliens here?”

“No, there are no aliens here, but yes, this is Area 51.”

“I knew it!” Ravi exclaimed, and held up his hand to Siena for a high five.

She didn’t return it.

“If you would let me continue—” Phillips said patiently.

“Go ahead, chief,” Ravi said. “This is your show.”

“Thank you,” Phillips said, taking a deep breath to regain his composure. “This base has been called Area 51, among many other names. For our mission, we are simply calling it Base Ten. I’m sorry to disappoint you but there are no aliens here.”

Most of the kids shrugged and looked to the floor, disappointed.

“I knew that,” Ravi said under his breath.

“For the next few weeks, you will be engaged in the final phase of the selection process. You know the purpose. With our natural fuel resources on the verge of depletion, the hunt for an alternate clean fuel source has been a primary goal of the US government and of many other countries around the world. Up to this point, those efforts have been unsuccessful, with one major exception.”

“The Source,” Dash said.

“Yes,” Phillips replied. “The Source. Deep-space probes have located and identified a material we’ve been calling the Source on a celestial body far beyond our own solar system. We believe the Source contains enough untapped energy that even a small amount will provide the power we so desperately need.”

“What planet?” Anna asked. “Like…Pluto?”

“Pluto is no longer considered a planet,” Siena said knowingly. “And it isn’t outside our solar system.”

“You know you’re getting on my nerves, right?” Anna shot back.

“The exact location is also classified,” Phillips said. “We’ve put a lot of resources into this mission; we don’t need to be giving away our findings to competing outfits.”

“So it’s a race to get it first?” Niko asked.

“Not at all,” Phillips replied. “The Source will benefit the entire planet.”

“So then it shouldn’t matter who gets it first, right?” Dash asked.

“It doesn’t,” Phillips said quickly, trying to avert another debate. “But this mission has been planned for many years. We know what we’re doing and don’t need outside interference.”

“So what exactly is the mission?” Carly asked.

“Project Alpha will send a team of four into deep space to find the Source and bring it back to Earth. Simple as that. You’re competing for the chance to be on the team that keeps Earth from going dark.”

“And winning ten million dollars each,” Anna said. “Don’t forget that.”

“And going down in history,” Niko said. “That’s okay too.”

“Once the final four are selected,” Phillips said, “there will be six months of training.”

“You’ve really got a ship that can carry four of us into deep space?” Piper asked.

“Yeah,” Gabriel added. “We don’t even have a space shuttle anymore. How did we suddenly build a ship that can go all Star Wars?”

“I’ll bet that’s classified too,” Niko said.

“It is,” Phillips replied. “Not everything we develop makes it into the newspapers. But rest assured we can get you there. Our job now is to find the best kids for the job.”

“Yeah, what’s with that?” Anna asked. “Why kids?”

“It has to do with your metabolism,” Phillips replied. “You asked if we had a ship to get you there. We do. But the technology is such that flying it would put too much strain on the systems of adults.”

“But it’s safe for kids?” Carly asked.

“It is.”

“Promise?”

“There is no danger whatsoever,” Phillips replied, trying to be patient.

“How will you choose who gets to go?” Piper asked.

“You will be put under the microscope. You’ll be given tests. You will compete against each other and against yourselves. You’re all brilliant kids. We know that. But we need to find the ones who can face the stress of the mission and still function at the highest levels.”

“You mean you want to know who’s going to crack,” Anna said.

“That’s one way of putting it,” Phillips replied. “There’s one mantra we live by: failure is not an option.”

“What kind of tests?” Piper asked.

“Contests. Competitions. Puzzles. We’re going to expose you to many different types of situations. It isn’t just about who performs the best; it’s about which four will combine to make the best team.”

“When do we start?” Dash asked.

“Right now,” Phillips replied with a smile.