
The emergency that PANCHA detected turns out to be a potential meltdown of all the frozen cryons. MARA and TANE repair the damage just in time. PANCHA finds being permanently connected to the computer is draining in unexpected ways. SHENG comes up with the solution with some electronic blockers. But they work too well at blocking things. To determine that they have saved the New Settlers, the crew decide to reanimate one to run tests. The crew select Dr Flickadello, but PANCHA sees DEGENHARDT purposely change the computer selection to another cryon.
The year is 2050 and the Star Runner is two years into its 90 year voyage; a voyage that will take them to the Silver Sun. Frozen in the hold is the precious cargo of 550 frozen New Settlers, waiting to colonise the new planet. After encountering a solar fog, the sensors on the Star Runner pick up a non human entity. Is it an alien? A search is organised before the life form is discovered; Squirt the Cat, smuggled aboard by TYCHO the youngest member of the crew. Alls well that ends well until a major computer glitch threatens the entire mission.
The glitch caused by the solar fog is to be solved with a down load from Earth. But leadership tension between TANE and DEGENHARDT can not be solved so easily. Via the holophone, LEONELLA learns a lesson in change from Earth. TYCHO and CINNAMON want more responsibility. PANCHA strange illness is discovered to be from her developing an empathetic link to the ships computer. Although unexplainable, it proves invaluable when she detects an imminent system failure and sounds the alarm.