7 Best-Laid Plans

Seven BEST-LAID PLANS. ZEKE WOKE UP THE NEXT DAY feeling nervous. It wouldn't take long for his parents to discover that the retro-boost configurator was missing. What if they figure out that I took it? he wondered. Maybe I didn't think this plan through as well as I should have.

After breakfast, Zeke helped his parents load up the spaceship. He slipped boxes, furniture, and various electronic devices into storage compartments. Bot-drones zoomed all around the ship, making sure it was ready for its journey to Tragas.

"Are you feeling any better about going back to Tragas, Zekelabraxis?" Xad asked as he scanned the ship's console with a hand-held analyzer. "I think so," Zeke said, not really meaning it, but hoping that his plan would keep them on Earth a little longer. "I am happy to hear that, Zeke," said Xad. A red light started flashing on Xad's analyzer.

"Hmm... one of the bot-drones just uploaded a report," he said. "It appears the retro-boost configurator is missing." Quar looked concerned. "Well, we can't fly the ship without it," she said. "It will take weeks for someone from Tragas to get to Earth to deliver a replacement part, right, Xad?" Zeke asked, trying his best to hide his happiness at this delay. "And it's not like there's any place on Earth where you could get one."

"Actually, Zeke, there is a place on Earth," said Xad. Xad walked off the ship and headed across the backyard. Curious and a bit worried, Zeke followed. Xad went into the garage, where he had set up a workshop when they first arrived on Earth. Most of it had already been loaded onto the ship, but Xad still had a few shelves full of stuff he hadn't packed yet.

A few minutes later, Xad came back out carrying a brand-new retro-boost configurator. Zeke was shocked, but he didn't say a word. "Before we left Tragas, I packed spares of a few of the most essential parts of the ship," Xad explained. "I'm not sure what could have happened to the original retro-boost configurator, but it doesn't matter. We've got another one right here."