Recruitment by Eva Stratt

Eva Stratt, the head of the international Petrova Taskforce, personally recruits Grace from his classroom. She reveals that the mysterious 'dots' from the ArcLight probe are likely alien life-forms called Astrophage, which are consuming the sun's energy. Stratt, who has been granted unprecedented authority by the UN, forces Grace to work on the problem, first by kidnapping him and then by installing him in a state-of-the-art lab. This event marks Grace's transition from a reluctant teacher to a key scientist in humanity's desperate struggle for survival.