When twelve-year-old Jason Hunter and his two friends discover a spaceship in the woods behind his home, his world is turned upside down. Suddenly, he and his two friends are forced to flee for their lives. Learning to pilot the ship by fits and starts, they embark on a desperate mission to rescue Jason's abducted parents and prevent an alien invasion. The journey takes them halfway across the galaxy, where Jason must confront bizarre and deadly creatures, escape from a toxic region of space called the Vuhndalac Pit, and evade capture by a powerful alien leader intent on destroying him. Hidden somewhere among the stars is device of great power, the remnant of an ancient, long-dead civilization whose technology is so mysterious it works as if by magic. Jason must find this talisman -- before it is too late. If he is the Heir of Elam, the one person in the entire universe who can claim it, he will be able use it to rescue his parents and save his planet. If he is not, touching it will be the last thing he ever does!