Inside the Star Academy, 5 misfit students are being lectured by their stern assistant principal. When she leaves they see an alien ship outside and board it. The assistant principal (Ms. Davenport) and their teacher (Commander Goddard) follow them. The alien ship (the Christa [which was named for the teacher who died in the Challenger explosion]) is flung through the white circle, a legendary rip in space which could spit them out anywhere in the galaxy. But where will they end up?