The year is 2103. Lieutenant Steve Halden, is on duty at the "magnetoscope space scanner" with his fiance, "code analyst" Kara Lane. Steve tells her his two-weeks of leave is approved, which pleases Kara so the two can be married. Steve points out an odd 'batship' to Kara as the spacecraft enters the Earth's atmosphere. He reports this to his superior, who orders the Lieutenant to, "Alert every proton-powered, anti-gravitator vessel available," before reporting to the aged Captain Dane Bartok.