The Aurora 17 research station floated above the surface of asteroid 4021 Vesper like a shining jewel against the blackness of space. Amid steel corridors and transparent domes through which distant galaxies could be observed, three 17-year-olds - Nina, Maks and Tayo - were preparing for their first solo exploration mission. They had been selected from among the best at an interstellar STEM school - and today they were to venture beyond the familiar confines of the Orion sector. The plan was simple: check out a newly discovered nebula, record the data and return before the end of their shift. But from the morning onwards, everything seemed strange - the onboard computers were blinking with unfamiliar messages and the station's artificial intelligence was repeating: "Scan in progress.... Anomalies detected." As their capsule left the hangar and plunged into the luminous haze, something in the ether disrupted communications. A rhythmic signal, unfamiliar to all three of them, sounded from the speakers: a short 'click', then a long 'screech'. Maks, the coding expert, immediately began to analyse the sequence. - 'It's not a natural phenomenon,' he mouthed, looking at the screen, 'It's some kind of message, but not in any earthly alphabet. Nina turned towards the window and watched the nebula spread out like a luminous web. For a moment it crossed her mind that she was being watched. Tayo, the bravest of them all, was already putting his hand over the control panel. - Maybe we should respond? - He suggested, glancing uncertainly at his companions. Silence fell for a moment, broken only by the pulsating signal and the distant hum of space. The AI concluded coolly: "Unknown life form detected nearby. Contact protocol: activated." A red-lit button began to pulsate under Tayo's fingers. Before they had time to make a decision, a powerful energy pulse shook the entire capsule. Something - or someone - had responded to their presence.