The sky above Orpheon was unnaturally dark - the clouds moved in slow motion, as if someone had forgotten to rewind time forward. Sara stood just at the edge of the multi-level platform, looking out over the sprawling metropolis below, where the lights of the biotic streets pulsed lazily in rhythm with the pulses generated by the planet's core. For the past year, she had lived on this colony - one of the most technologically advanced places young Earthlings had dreamed of. For the past few weeks, however, something had begun to break down. There was interference through the sound communication systems, and the holograms - hitherto vivid and clear - began to flash in strange shapes. Today she had arranged to meet Leo and Joon at the top of the transmission tower to try to unravel the case. Leo was already waiting, stripped almost halfway down, as the Orpheon sun was scorching even at night, and the air was thick with humidity. Joon nervously checked her portable analyser - something was buzzing again, as if someone was tapping from inside. - Again? - Leo furrowed his eyebrows. - 'This can't be a coincidence. Look what's happening with the network. We recently lost contact with half of the western sectors. - 'We should notify the adults,' Sara began, but immediately bit her tongue. Everyone knew that reporting worrying anomalies ended in immediate isolation and questioning by the Consortium. Joon swiped her finger across the holopad, displaying a series of codes. - 'I've identified the signal. It's being sent by something from outside our space. It's regular, like an echo, repeating every exactly 137 minutes. See for yourself. All three fell silent. Sara felt a shiver run down her spine. Leo looked at her with concern - they knew they had to discover the source of these signals before someone else did. However, before they had time to establish a plan of action, a low, metallic sound pierced the tower. All the lights of the metropolis went out for a few seconds. At the same moment, a streak flashed across the horizon - then a powerful, unfamiliar silhouette appeared floating in the air. The day on Orpheon had just ended. A night like never before had begun.