The whole side of the spaceship slid back to create a wide opening, revealing the sparse, dimly lit interior. I stood in the gloomy cavern with the other Hearters, illuminated by candlelight and the warm, soft light from the spaceship’s inside walls.

Kallan stepped forward and murmured in my ear. ‘It is time,’ he said.

‘Time? Time for what?’

‘Philip has been pre-programmed. Your first mission is simple.’

‘My … my first …? You mean … now?’

The light from within the spaceship glowed a little brighter, and Philip’s voice said, ‘You didn’t think this lot would hang about for permission, did you? Meet your passenger, recently stolen from Earth Zone. I believe you have seen her before. Tammy Tait! Show your face!’

The human girl stepped forward from the back of the spaceship, the outline of her body darkening the glow. It was her hair I recognised first: the tangled mess of matted curls that I had seen two days ago when she peered at me from her Earth Zone enclosure. She lifted her hand and waggled the fingers on it and said something that sounded like ‘Hi’.

The others were being quiet, waiting for my reaction, so I stepped forward and tried to say the same thing. I am not well practised in English – it probably did not sound very good.

‘OK, OK, enough with the pleasantries already,’ said Philip. ‘Get in, Hellyann. My pre-program has already started and can’t be overridden till we get to our destination. We’re outta here!’

I hesitated. I had not expected this – it was all far too sudden. I looked around me, and saw the candlelit faces of the others smiling at me encouragingly.

I was close to the entrance of the spaceship when I heard a scream, followed by the pounding of feet behind me.

Everyone turned in terror as four Assistant Advisors ran out of the darkness towards us.