You rip off the band, but your head is instantly wracked with a terrible, blinding pain. You throw the band across the chamber. The pain eases. You can see again.

If only you could find a way to escape! Wailing musical sounds fill your ears. The wall at the far end of the chamber dissolves into thin air. You see a long passageway ahead. You run down it. You see a whirling gray figure ahead of you — an alien! Could it be trying to escape too? It swoops into a narrow tunnel. You follow as fast as you can.

At the far end of the tunnel, you see a silver structure shaped like a giant clam! Could it be a spacecraft? The alien opens a hatch and climbs inside.

This may be your chance! You follow the creature through the hatch. Inside, you find the alien is just a few feet away from vou. It looks like a big, half-deflated ball, but with rows of eyes and mouths that remind you of portholes on a ship. It must have at least seven or eight legs, with branches, or roots, some of which seem to serve as arms, hands, flippers and antennae.

You watch in amazement as the alien touches various instruments with its many-tentacled “arms.” Then it turns some of its eyes on you.

“You're an Earthling, aren't you?" The creature speaks from the mouth closest to you.

— “Yes, I am,” you stammer. “Who are you?”

“Call me Mopo. This is my last chance to escape, and there's only one place for me to go.”

Before he can continue, the hatch closes, and you feel a jolt so violent that you go out like a light.

Slowly, you wake up. Your head is spinning. Your body aches. You are still in the spacecraft, but it's bobbing up and down. You look through the portholes. There is water in all directions. You must be on an Earth ocean!

The alien, Mopo, is still next to you. The hatch cover flips open. Water gushes in. Suddenly Mopo springs out into the ocean.

Through the hatch you can see a grimy white fishing trawler. It's only a few hundred yards away. But the spacecraft is sinking fast. There's no time to waste. You take a deep breath and dive through the hatch into the cold, rough sea. A wave smacks you in the face; then Mopo is lifting you on his back—safely above the waves! The trawler has turned toward you: Wet and shivering, you wave frantically. Two fishermen on the front deck are pointing. They wave back.

“I am afraid that Earth people may kill me,” Mopo says. “I must hide in the oceans of Earth so as not to be seen by them.”

The trawler is slowing to come alongside. One man is getting ready to throw you a rope. “Is that a dolphin?” he yells.

“I must dive now,” says Mopo.

“Don't! Come with me,” you say.

“Can I trust Earth people, or will they harm me?” he asks.

~ If you tell Mopo that he can trust Earth people,

< GO TO CHAPTER 15 >

~ If you tell Mopo that you cannot promise that he will be well treated,

< GO TO CHAPTER 12 >