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X -Plor-R, the ginormous space probe, careened toward the Earth, dragging XJ9, teenage robot and protector of the planet, along with it. At its current speed, X-Plor-R would be violently reunited with “Mother Earth” in a matter of minutes. The result? Global catastrophe, ecological devastation, and two weeks with Jenny’s phone confiscated.

Jenny Wakeman would not let that happen.

Activating her extendo-fingers, XJ9 wrapped one hand tightly around the probe’s understructure. She unspooled her stretchy arm so that she was able to drift back behind the ship and get a better angle on all those pesky rockets that had popped up out of nowhere. Transforming her free arm into a laser-cannon, Jenny took out the righthand array. The lefthand thrusters now pushed X-Plor-R off course and it zoomed past the Earth.

“Mommy!” The probe’s pompous voice cracked with pain. It tried to circle around and have another go at the Earth, but Jenny pulled out a few hidden thrusters of her own, her rarely used and embarrassingly named “fanny pack.” At least Tuck wasn’t here to make his customary fart jokes.

Jenny drove the probe quickly towards the center of the solar system, streaking past Venus and Mercury. The speed and strain made her bolts ache, but Jenny persisted. “Your mom’s a little busy right now. Why don’t you hang out with her Sun?”

“I have a . . . brother?” Doubt entered the probe’s voice, followed by anger. “Negative! None but X-Plor-R shall have Mother Earth’s affection!” The ship’s remaining rockets burned extra bright. It curved and spun toward the center of the Sun. “This is a battle to the death!”

“My thought exactly.” Jenny detached from the probe and watched from a safe distance as the massive bulk of the ship was swallowed up by the much more massive Sun. Her eyes telescoped out and their internal cameras zoomed in so she wouldn’t miss the explosion. 

She needn’t have bothered.

KABOOM!

The explosion was huge, and Jenny was not at a safe distance. She was blown back by the eruption, her metallic skin sliced by shrapnel and sizzled in a gigantic cloud of magnetized plasma. 

When she finally stopped spinning, Jenny ran a quick systems check. Initial findings were good, showing no signs of internal damage. But as the blinding light from the probe’s explosion dimmed, she got a good look at her exterior. 

Jenny gasped. “No!” 

She recalibrated her eyes and looked again. “No, no, no!” She could forget the new look she’d come up with for school. The probe’s explosion had given her a very different sort of makeover.

Talk about a global catastrophe! How could she show herself at Tremorton High looking like this?