The evening was warm and soft like a favourite blanket. The balcony smelled of mint from the pots and a little of chocolate, because Lena kept empty cocoa tins there in which strawberries grew. Paper planets climbed up the wall, taped so that they flew with every gust. Above it all were stars shining at night. When the lights in the room went out, they looked like the real sky. Lena, wearing yellow polka dot socks, crouched by a small telescope made of tubes and rubber bands. She looked through the glass to where she always looked for the Great Cart. - There you are,' she whispered. - And next to it... Saturn like a ring. Next to her, on a striped cushion, sat Pixel, a robot cat. He had soft felt ears and whiskers made of thin wires that shimmered with colours. On his collar shone a tiny screen on which stars sometimes flew. When he was happy, he spoke: - Miau-bip - and his tail would make a quiet bzz. - 'Pixel, there's going to be something interesting today, I can feel it in my tummy,' said Lena and put her hands to her cheeks as if she could catch the sound of the sky. In the block next door, the last lamp on the balcony went out. The city was quiet. Only crickets and the soft hum of trees could be heard. Suddenly, a luminous dot flashed in the air. It was not like a plane. It did not twinkle like a star. It floated slowly, as if it were a light blower that had fallen from the moon. - See? - Lena pointed with her finger. - It's flying here! The speck flew closer. Instead of behaving like an ordinary hollyhock worm, it began to glow. It stopped exactly above the mint pot, vibrated, then became an object the size of a plum. Metal, shiny, with thin grooves that arranged themselves in a spiral. It went from a quiet bziiiiii to a bzi-bzi-bzi, and the air suddenly smelled like warm honey. - Miau-bip? - Pixel turned his head. His collar shimmered with three blue dots. - 'It looks like... a seed from outer space - whispered Lena and held out her finger. When she touched the smooth surface, something inside clicked. The silver 'seed' began to unfurl, silently like a fan being pulled apart. It grew. First to the size of an apple, then to a ball like a volleyball, until finally it stood on three thin legs on the balcony. Now it resembled a miniature spaceship. It had windows like raindrops and a small antenna shaped like a cat's ear. - Oh my... - Lena sat back on her heels until she did. - Hello? - she tried. - Good morning? The ship answered with a light. Dashes and dots lit up on its side and formed a row. Then the flash moved to the wall. A silent beam ran across the balcony, stroking the pots. Glowing dots appeared on the ceiling above the entrance. They arranged themselves into a shape that Lena knew well. - It's the Grand Carriage! - she clapped her hands. - Look, a pixel! Just like in my book! - Miau-bip-bip - replied the cat, very serious. His tail drew a circle in the air. The lights shone again, closer now. The beam touched the balcony floor silently and drew an arrow towards the ship's door. And on the side, so clearly that Lena held her breath, the letters lit up: LENA. - You know my name... - she whispered. - From where? - She looked around reflexively. There was a soft teddy bear lying in the room behind the curtain, and Mummy's scarf snoozing on a chair. - 'Mummy, I'm just looking at the stars,' she said towards the door, to be fair. - And I'm on the balcony. The pixie blinked the screen and displayed a small symbol of a backpack. - 'You're right,' Lena nodded. - You have to take things. She quickly slipped into the room, quiet as a cat. She put an apple, a notebook with a purple cover, a pink crayon, a polka dot patch, a torch and a moon-shaped cookie in a small letterbox with stars. On the card she wrote in block letters: "Mum, I'm with Pixie on the balcony. All is well. Lena." She put the card on the table next to the bedside lamp, corrected the teddy bear so it looked straight, and returned on bare toes to the balcony tiles. The ship had grown a tiny bit more by this time. It was now the size of a toy basket and stood steady, as if it had always lived here. The antenna winked at her, like a wink. The narrow door only twitched and closed again. A soft sound came from inside, as if someone was moving a feather across the strings. - Hello, can I come in? - Lena knelt down to look into the tiny window. It was dark inside, but she saw tiny lights like skylights. They were arranged in strips and circles, and tiny round chairs moved along them, humming quietly. They looked like rockers. - 'Meow,' said Piksel, puffing out his chest. - Beep. - All right. Just be careful,' whispered Lena. She touched the side of the ship. The metal was cool and smooth, but it had a soft trembling force about it, like the purr of a cat. - Guest recognised - a quiet voice suddenly spoke up. It was neither boyish nor girlish. It was like a silver bell. - Guest: LENA. Companion: PIKSEL. Welcome. - Oh my! - Lena jumped up all the way and then laughed quietly. - Good morning, ship. - Balcony programme - the little voice continued. - Option: stars close by. Do you want to see? Lena looked up at the sky. The Great Carriage was shining as always, calm and sure. A joy trembled inside her, as if she were a balloon full of helium laughter. - 'I want to,' she said very sleepily but firmly. - But first... is it safe? The pixel made a meow-beep so long it sounded like the word 'yes', and a green dot appeared on its screen. The ship replied with a soft: bzzz. - Safe,' the voice repeated. - Do you fit left or right swing? - 'Left for me, right for Pixel,' Lena decided, and immediately regretted not asking where the swings were. At that moment, the door swung open to the width of her hand. A thin ray of light flowed from inside. It danced between the pots, touched the mint, which trembled, and illuminated the pollen floating in the air. They looked like tiny planets. - 'Come on in,' said a little voice, and two rocking chairs flashed in the middle. Each had star stripes and a place for a tail. - Quick question: do you have a snack with you? - 'I've got an apple and a biscuit,' said Lena, looking into the bag. - Perfect - replied the ship, as if someone was smiling. - Taste supply: an apple. Stockpile of joy: a cookie. Stockpile of courage: two pieces. Pixel jumped in first, softly, as if entering a cardboard box. The rocker fitted itself to his tummy, and the straps quietly rustled and stopped in the perfect place. The cat purred with contentment and his whiskers glowed green. Lena slid her foot onto the threshold. The door was low and smelled of warm metal. A gentle draught blew through the room from behind the curtain and a card on the coffee table moved a little, as if waving: see you later. - If anything... - began Lena, as she still wanted to ask about her mum, about the night, about whether they would be back in time for morning porridge. - 'Balcony time,' interrupted a tender voice. - Where we are, time can be like a rubber band. It stretches when you need it to. You come back when you want to. It sounded so strange and so simple at the same time that Lena felt her heart make two quick jumps. She put her hand on the cool frame of the door and looked at the sky once more. The Great Carriage blinked, or so she thought. - Good,' she whispered. - I'm going in. And then, before she could put her other foot down, the air around her buzzed. The antenna on the roof of the ship stretched out like a cat's ear and a thin dash of light came on. Numbers appeared on the side of the ship, right next to the letters LENA. - 'Getting ready,' announced a little voice, now as if in more of a whisper. - Belt fastened. Tail secured. Countdown begins. The pixie stopped purring and squatted down on his belt. His eyes shone like two tiny moons. Lena felt a tickle in her stomach. She sat down on the rocker and let the star-spangled belt wrap around her like a car belt, only cuddly. She grabbed Pixel's paw. The pots around her rustled like leaves in the wind. In the room, the clock ticked once. - Three... - said the ship. The lights inside dimmed for a moment, as if taking a breath. On the balcony, everything seemed quieter: the city, the crickets, even the street lamps. - Two... - a quiet whisper traveled to the ceiling, bounced off the shining stars and returned to Lena's ears. Lena squeezed Pixel's paw tighter. She looked into the window. In its depths, something moved. It was as if, behind the glittering glass, very far away, someone was waving at them from the other side of the dark sky.