Kaboom! The satellite exploded, sending debris flying into space.
"That's the last we'll be seeing of the Vingorts!" Captain Hornblower exclaimed as he and an officer watched the explosion from their ship. He grinned. "Are you ready for lava surfing on Borgaina5?"
"Let's go!" the officer said, and music began to swell.
Mateo and Bethany turned to Ally and Kate. "So, what did you think of the show?"
"Did we finally turn you into a sci-fi fan, Kate?" Bethany asked eagerly.
"Um, sure," Kate mumbled without looking up from her phone.
Bethany laughed. "I think that means no. What about you, Ally?"
"Well . . ." Ally wasn't sure where to begin. "I guess it was pretty funny."
"Funny?" Bethany looked confused.
"I mean, Borgaina5 doesn't have volcanos, so I don't know how they'd go lava surfing on that planet," Ally said.
Kate finally looked up. "How do you know about—"
Mateo laughed loudly. "I don't know anything about lava surfing! But I'd love to ride in space on Hornblower's ship. It's so cool!"
Ally shrugged. "It's okay. It doesn't have a cloaking device or . . ."
Just then Ray walked into the room.
"Papi!" Mateo said. "Can Bethany and Kate stay for dinner?"
"Oh!" Ray looked surprised to see everyone there. "Sure, I'm making . . . What am I making? Oh, yes, enchiladas."
"Yum!" Bethany said.
Ray smiled, but Ally could see he was distracted. She read his thoughts and saw he had something important to talk to Mateo about.
"I need to help Ray get time alone with Mateo," Ally thought.
She popped up from the sofa. "Come on, Bethany and Kate. Let's go buy some ice cream for dessert."
"That would be great!" Ray sounded so relieved, Ally was glad she thought of it!
"What flavors should we get?" Ally asked as they approached the market.
"My favorite is mint chip," Bethany said, "and Mateo likes . . ."
A convoy of large white trucks rumbled by, drowning out the rest of her words.
"Wow!" Kate exclaimed. "That's more trucks than I've seen in town all month."
"They're heading out to the desert," Bethany said. "What could anyone be getting delivered out there?"
"Sand?" Ally asked.
Kate and Bethany laughed as they entered the market. Kate and Ally started for the freezer, but Bethany stopped at the newsstand. She picked up a copy of the Sandville Times.
"I wonder if those trucks have anything to do with this?" Bethany held up the newspaper. The headline read: "Southwestern Bearded Whoopers Spotted in Sandville Desert!"
There was a photo of a pair of birds with long necks, yellow feathers, and pink-and-orange plumage sprouting from under pointy beaks.
Ally frowned. "Why would anyone want to eat such pretty birds for dessert?"
"Desert, not dessert, Ally." Bethany handed the newspaper to Ally. "See? Bearded whoopers are an endangered species, so there aren't many left. This article says local conservationists are hoping the pair will build a nest in the Sandville desert—and have babies."
In Ally's pocket, Alpha crackled. "Whoopers mate for life and have been hunted for their colorful plumage."
"Oops! I forgot to turn Alpha off!" Ally thought. As she pulled out Alpha, Kate grabbed the phone away.
"What app are you using, Ally?" Kate asked.
"Applications are primitive technology," Alpha said.
"Was that your phone again?" Kate asked.
"Ha-ha!" Ally laughed nervously as she took Alpha back from Kate. "Ignore my phone. There's a glitch or something."
"A glitch I wish I could fix!" Ally thought. She stuffed Alpha back in her pocket. Glancing at the paper again, she spotted another headline: "Rumors Swirling! Is Billionaire Lainie Polk Launching Her P.O.D. into Space Soon?"
Ally's jaw dropped as she scanned the article for details.
Could camera-shy billionaire Lainie Polk be getting ready to unveil her newest enterprise, Polk's Orbiting Device (P.O.D.)? Space enthusiasts everywhere are trying to figure out the ship's launch site . . .
"Excuse me, but this isn't the library!" The store clerk scowled at Ally from behind the cash register.
"That's true." Ally nodded and continued reading.
"You want to read, you pay for the paper!" the clerk said.
Ally shrugged. "Why didn't you say that in the first place?"
"Add it to our bill," Bethany said, placing two tubs of ice cream on the counter.
"Kids these days," the clerk grumbled.
After they'd paid, Ally tucked the paper under her arm. "I need to show this news to Mateo," she thought. "Maybe someone from his online space chats knows more about this trip to space!"