简介：Theyearis1990,andspacetraveliswell-establishedsincehumansfirstlandedontheMoontwentyyearsearlier.AttheInternationalInstituteofSpaceTechnology,communicationsexpertandastronautLauraJamesmonitorsstrangesignalsbeingreceivedfromouterspace.Laura'ssuperior,Dr.Farraday,translatesthesignalanddiscoversthatitisfromanalienrace,whoaresendinganambassadortoEarth.Soonafter,however,Laurareceivesavideologshowingthatthealiens'spaceshiphascrashed-landedonMars. TheInstitutelaunchesarescuemissionaboardthespaceshipOceano,whichincludesLauraandastronautsAndersBrockmanandPaulGrant.Oceanotravelsthroughasunburst,sufferingsomedamage,beforecompletingthejourneytoMarsandlocatingthedownedaliencraft.AndersandPaulinvestigateanddiscoverasingledeadalienaboard.Faradaydeducesthatthesurvivingcrewmayhavebeenrescued,soanobservationsatellitewillbeneededtolocatethealienrescueship.Laura'sfiancéAllanandfellowastronautTonyvolunteer.TheytravelonthespaceshipMeteortoPhobos,oneofthetwomoonsofMars,wheretheylaunchtheobservationsatellite.TonyfindsanalienspaceshiponPhobos.HeandAllanareabletoenter,findinganunconsciousbutstill-livingfemalealien.Astheirrescueshipholdsonlytwo,oneofthemmuststaybehind,sotheytossacoinandTonystays. AllanandthefemalealienarriveonOceano,joiningLaura,PaulandAnders.Thealienregainsconsciousnessandsmilesatthethreemen,butnotLaura.ThealienrefusestoeatallfoodofferedandwillnotletAnderstakeabloodsample.Thatnight,asPaulisguardingthealien,sheattacksandkillshim,draininghisbloodafterfirsthypnotizinghim.Thesurvivingastronautsdecidetokeepheralivebyfeedingherbloodfromtheship'splasmasupply.Whenthissupplyrunsout,shekillsAndersandfeedsonhim,leavingLauraandAllantheonlyhumansaboard. ThealienthenattacksAllan,butLaurainterruptsherbeforeshecankillagain.Laurascratchesherinthestruggle,andthealienscreamsinterror,quicklybleedingtodeath.LauraandAllenthenfindalieneggshiddenaboard.Allanhypothesizesthatshewasroyalty,likelyaqueen(assuminghuman-likeinbreedingamongroyalty,henceherhemophilia),andwasbeingsenttoEarthinordertobreed.Theirspaceshiplandssafely,butEarthauthoritiesdecidetostudythealieneggsratherthandestroyingthemoutright,asAllanhasurged.…