Michael O'Brien, a somewhat spoiled 12-year-old, is puzzled when his workaholic mom insists on a two-month road trip, to New Mexico, in the middle of the school year. While exploring in Roswell, they encounter the Timizhon family, aliens from the planet Loam. During a tour of the spaceship, Michael accidentally causes it to take off on a nonstop course for Loam. Upon arrival, the O'Briens and the Timizhons are met by Looster, a sinister Avarian who is temporarily ruling Loam. Looster refuses to allow the O'Briens to return to Earth, and places them under compound detention at the Timizhon's vast estate. Michael and his mother have many good and bad experiences on Loam, including being subjected to medical examinations and experimentations to determine their compatibility for existing on Loam. Overtime, the O'Briens uncover and thwart Looster's diabolical plan to takeover Loam as well and all the other planets in its universe, before moving on to conquer Earth.