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UndertheMoon1AOLFivehundredkilometresoverEurope，ShipOM-45movednorth．Inaroomatthebackoftheship，Kiahwatchedthenumbersonthecomputerinfrontofhim．‘Timefordinner，’Rillasaid．ThenumberschangedquicklyandKiah'seyesdidn'tmove．Rillawentacrosstheroomtohistable．Shebegantowatchthenumbers，too．‘What'swrongwiththesatellite？’sheasked．Shewasabeautifulgirl，abouttwentyyearsold，withlongblackhairandbigeyes．‘Nothing'swrongwiththesatellite，’Kiahansweredquietly．‘It'stheAOL．’Hebegantowritethenumbersinthebookonhistable．Suddenly，thenumbersstoppedchanging．KiahlookedatRilla．‘OverEurope，’hesaid．‘It'shappening．TheAOLisbreakingup．TherearebigholesintheAOLandthey'regettingbigger．’‘You'reright！ShallweseeCaptainSerunow，beforedinner？’Kiahstoodup．Hewasnearlytwometrestall，withdarkeyesandhair．‘Yes，comeon，’hesaid．Quickly，theywenttoCaptainSeru'sroom．Theywaitedatthedoor．‘Comein！’captainSerucalled．Shewasalittlewomanwithafatface．‘Comein！Wouldyoulikeadrink？’‘No，thankyou，’Kiahanswered．‘I'dlikeyoutolookatthesenumbers．’KiahgaveCaptainSeruhisbook．CaptainSerulookedatthenumbers．Suddenly，herfacechanged．‘No，no，’shesaid．‘Idon'twanttotalk．It'slateandI'mtired．Sitdownandhaveadrink．’KiahandRillasatdown．TherewasabigwindowinCaptainSeru'sroom．Kiahlookedoutofthewindowatthedarksky．HesawtheMoon．Itwascoldandwhiteinthedarksky．‘CaptainSeru，’hebegan．‘It'simportant．Lookatthosenumberscarefully．TheAOLisbeginningto—’‘Stop！’captainSerustoodupandputherhandsinherpockets．Shewenttothewindowandlookedatthesky．‘Threehundredyearsago，Earthnearlydied，’Rillasaid．‘EarthstoppeddyingbecauseoftheAOL．Butnow，overEurope，theAOLisbreakingup．WewouldlikeyoutotalktoEarthCommander．’CaptainSerudidnotmove．‘DoyourememberAdai？’sheasked．Shedidn'twaitforananswer．‘Iwasonhisship，twoyearsago．Oneevening，thesatellitegaveusinterestingnumbersabouttheAOL．WewentbacktoEarthandsawEarthCommander．’captainSerustoppedspeaking．RillalookedatKiah．‘Andthen？’sheaskedCaptainSeru．‘Gogwasangry，veryangry，’captainSerusaid．‘Intheend，hesentAdaitotheMoon．Adai'stherenow，CommanderoftheMooncolony，undertheMoon．’Kiahwaitedforasecondortwo．‘IknowaboutAdai．ButweneedtotalktoEarthCommanderagain．Thesenumbersareworse．’CaptainSeru'sfacewentred．‘Youdon'tunderstand．I'mnotgoingtotalktoGog．Lasttime，hesentmetoaweathershipintheAntarctic！ThisismyfirstShipfortwoyears！’AndCaptainSerubegandrinking．Kiahstoodup．‘Thankyou，CaptainSeru．’CaptainSerusaidnothing．KiahandRillalefttheroom，andwalkedslowlydownstairs．TheShipwasdarkandquiet．Itwaseighto'clockandevery-bodywasatdinner．‘Whatarewegoingtodonext？’Rillaasked．‘IneedtotalktoAdai，’Kiahsaid．‘OK，talktoAdai．Buthe'sfarawayontheMooncolony，’Rillasaid．‘Let'svisitCommanderZadak．’‘Zadak？CommanderofAustralia？He'sfamous！’‘Yes．He'smyfather'sfriend．HeworkedwithmyfatherinBraziltenyearsago．Perhapshecanhelpus．’Kiahsmiled．‘Good！WereturntoEarthnextweek．IcanphoneAdaifromKisanganiandthenwecangotoAustralia．Butnow，I'mhungry！Let'sgetsomedinner．’2VisittoAustraliaOnFriday，afterthreeweeksinspace，KiahandRillafinishedworkandleftShipOM-45onaspaceplanetoKisangani．KiahphonedAdaiandRillaphonedCommanderZadakinAustralia．ThenextmorningtheytookanaeroplanetoSydney．AtaxitookthemfromtheairporttoCommanderZadak'soffice，somekilometresnorthofSydney．‘Waitforushere，’Kiahsaidtothetaxidriver．KiahandRillawalkedtothegate．Abouttenguardsstoodinfrontofthegate．Acrosstheroad，atrainwaited．‘Rilla，OM-45，’Rillasaid．‘ToseeCommanderZadakatfour-thirty．’‘LetmecalltheCommander'soffice，’theguardsaid．KiahandRillawaited．ItwashotandKiahbegantofeelthirsty．Theguardcameback．‘I'msorry，’hesaid．‘TheCom-mandercan'tseeyou．’‘ButItalkedtotheCommanderyesterday，’Rillasaid．‘Hewantedtoseeusatfour-thirty．’‘TheCommanderisleavingonthetraininthreeminutes，’theguardsaid．‘Canwewaitandseehimhere？’Kiahasked．‘No！'theguardshouted．‘Getoutofhere！’KiahandRillawalkedbacktothetaxi．‘Where'sthedriver？’Kiahasked．‘Look！He'ssittingunderthattree，’Rillasaid．Justthen，CommanderZadakcameoutofthegate．Hewasaverytall，bigmanwithblueeyesandalotofwhitehair．Twoguardsmarchedinfrontofhim，andtwoguardsmarchedbe-hindhim．Theyallcarriedguns．‘Thereheis！’Rillacried．‘Commander！’Andshebegantorunalongtheroadtohim．‘CommanderZadakdidnotstop．AguardopenedthedoorofthetrainandtheCommandergotin．Slowly，thetrainbegantomove．’Kiahrantothetaxiandjumpedin．Thenhedrovethetaxifastdowntheroad．Thetaxidriversawhimandranafterhim．Thetrainbegantomovefaster．Suddenly，Kiahdrovethetaxiofftheroad．Hedroveinfrontofthetrainandstopped．Thetraincamenearer．Andthenthetrainstopped，verynearthetaxi，andsomeguardsjumpedoff．Kiahopenedthedoorandgotoutofthetaxi．‘Putupyourhands！'theguardsshouted．TwooftheguardsbegantohitKiah．‘Stopthat！’someoneshouted．‘Bringhimoverhere！’ItwasCommanderZadak．KiahstoodinfrontoftheCommander．Justthen，Rillaar-rived．‘Oh，it'syou！’commanderZadaksaid．Hedidnotsmile．‘Rilla，yourfather'sgoingtobeangry．’‘Wewanttotalktoyou，Commander，’Rillasaid．‘It'sveryimportant．’‘Verywell．I'mlistening．’Kiahbegantotalk．‘Twoyearsago，AdaitoldyouabouttheholesintheAOL．Nowthey'reworse．TheAOLisbreak-ingupoverEurope．Pleaselookatthesenumbersandthissatellitepicture．’HegavehisbooktoCommanderZadakan