Nova was a small astronaut with a round helmet and very brave boots. Nova lived on a bright Space Station. The station went whoosh around the blue Earth.
Every morning, Nova waved at the stars. “Hello, stars!” Nova said.
Nova’s best friend was a little Robot named Pip. Pip had square feet, a silver tummy, and a blinking green light.
“Beep-beep! Breakfast!” Pip said.
Nova and Pip ate moon-shaped toast. Then they looked out the big window.
Oh no.
Far away, a tiny repair pod was spinning. It went round and round.
“Help!” came a small voice from the radio. “My wheel is stuck!”
It was a young Robot called Dot. Dot had been fixing a space mirror. Now Dot could not come home.
Nova put on gloves. “We will help Dot.”
Pip’s green light blinked fast. “Beep! I have a tool box. I have a rope. I have three crackers.”
“Good planning, Pip,” said Nova.
Nova and Pip climbed into the little shuttle. The shuttle went zoom, zoom, zoom through quiet space. Stars twinkled like tiny night-lights.
Then a dark ship swooped near them.
It was the Bounty Hunter’s ship. The Bounty Hunter wore a long gray coat and a shiny helmet. On the side of the ship was a sign: LOST THINGS FOUND.
The Bounty Hunter spoke on the radio. “That little repair pod has a valuable gold bolt. I will take it.”
Nova felt a little scared. But Nova took a slow breath. In. Out.
“That bolt belongs to Dot,” Nova said. “Dot needs it to come home.”
The Bounty Hunter made a grumbly sound. “I find lost things. That is my job.”
Pip held up a cracker. “Would you like a snack while we talk?”
The Bounty Hunter paused. “Is it cheese?”
“It is cheese,” said Pip.
The Bounty Hunter took the cracker. Crunch, crunch.
Nova pointed at Dot’s spinning pod. “Please help us first. Then we can all look for lost things together.”
The Bounty Hunter looked at Dot. Dot was very small. Dot was very dizzy.
“Round and round is no fun,” Dot squeaked.
The Bounty Hunter’s voice became softer. “No. It is not.”
“Here is the plan!” said Nova.
Nova drove the shuttle gently close. Pip tossed the rope. Whoop! The rope looped around the repair pod.
The Bounty Hunter used a careful blue beam from the big ship. The beam held the pod still.
“Now!” cried Nova.
Pip opened the tool box. Clink! Clank! Pip found the gold bolt. Nova turned it once. Nova turned it twice.
Click!
Dot’s wheel stopped shaking.
“My pod works!” Dot cheered. “Beep-beep-hooray!”
But something tiny floated from the tool box. It was a sparkling star-shaped screw.
Pip gasped. “My lucky screw! I lost it last week!”
The Bounty Hunter caught it in a little net. “A lost thing,” the Bounty Hunter said. Then the Bounty Hunter gave it to Pip.
Pip’s green light glowed bright. “Thank you. It is my favorite shiny thing.”
The Bounty Hunter nodded. “Maybe my job can be more than taking things away. I can help lost things get home.”
Nova smiled. “That is a very good job.”
Together, the four friends flew back to the Space Station. Dot fixed the big space mirror. The mirror caught sunlight and sent it dancing through the windows.
Gold, pink, blue, and green lights hopped across the walls.
The station captain gave Nova a small treasure box. Inside was a new badge with a golden star.
“For brave helping,” said the captain.
Pip got a tiny red tool belt. Dot got a new wheel with rainbow stripes. Even the Bounty Hunter got a new sign for the ship: LOST THINGS HELPED HOME.
Nova pinned on the golden star badge. “We did it together.”
“Beep-beep, together!” said Pip.
They ate more moon-shaped toast. Outside, the stars twinkled. Inside, Nova’s new golden badge twinkled too.
And no one spun round and round alone that day.