A young adult female, her cat and a technologically advanced telepathic adolescent alien male struggle to understand each other, themselves and their ever-changing world on a journey into outer space. One million years in the future, Antaska accepts employment with an alien who will take her and her cat on an exploratory trip into space. Unknown to her, the aliens (Verdantes)hire human companions because they want them as pets. M. Hoyvil, her 650-year-old adolescent alien supervisor (in actuality her new owner), does not realize that although humans are assumed to be non-telepathic, she has some telepathic abilities and understands some of his conversations. Antaska is soon distracted from the confusing sounds she hears by the inappropriate attentions of an un-Earthly attractive human male fitness instructor. Both he and his human female partner are irresistibly beautifuland incredibly powerful due to genetic manipulation in the aliens' birth labs. The female becomes jealous and takes violent action against Antaska, always staying within the bounds of what is allowed by the Verdantes in her role as Antaska's martial arts trainer. In order to resolve a situation spiraling toward increasing violence and betrayal, Antaska must confront her own human but destructive desires.In his own desire to protect her, M. Hoyvil fights against the adult authority that has set strict limits on interference with humans. His martial arts master, a psychic Verdente adult, predicts that the conflicts he and Antaska are experiencingwill prepare them for even greater dangers they will face in deep space. Part 1 ends with an emotional bond beginning to form between the three main characters as they land at the first stop on their journey, the home planet of the Verdantes.