On an earth-size planet in the Centaurus Constellation, a paranormal investigator, his talking dog Hugo, and an abandoned orphan boy attempt to save Mankind from the deadly scourge of "Itch". "They wanted the kids," Max said, "they wanted the orphans, they wanted the seven of us." "Why?" the dog asked, and looked at me, shaking his head in wonder. "They wanted us for 'Itch'," the boy continued. "What's that?" I asked. "I don't know, Taylor," he admitted, and shurgged. "All they kept talking about was ''Itch'," and he shrugged again and added, "By the way they were talking, 'Itch' must be real important." Hugo jumped up in alarm and ran around the kitchen table. He barked shrilly few times and stopped in front of me, his expressions cold sober. "We have to talk," he said sternly. "We have to talk now-in private."