Approaching an inhabited planet, the Alphans are suddenly pounced upon by warships. In an unprovoked attack, Moonbase Alpha is devastated by Earth-style Hawk fighters. With 128 dead and Alpha unable to sustain life, Koenig and Helena appeal to the aliens for mercy. The aliens proclaim the Earthmen to be an invading virus, with no right to exist.

The Alphans celebrate the arrival of the first child born on the Moon. The blessed event sours when the infant grows into a five-year-old child in minutes. Trying to accept him, the Alphans do not notice that little Jackie Crawford is much more than he seems. When hostile spaceships approach the base, Koenig realises, too late, that the aliens have an agent on Alpha.

In 1996, Tony Cellini commanded a high-profile space mission which ended in disaster. The sole survivor, he told an outrageous tale of a spaceship graveyard and an alien 'dragon' which devoured his crew. Believed by no one, he was left a broken man. Five years later, the truth is revealed when the runaway Moon approaches the same deadly Sargasso in space.

Anonymous alien benfactors provide the wandering Moon with a breathable atmosphere. The Alphans rejoice as they realise they have a wonderful new home in their own backyard. Preparations are made to settle and begin building a new civilisation on the Moon's surface. Koenig is suspicious of the aliens' motives, wondering how long this generous gift will last.