QWRK’S new pastime horrifies MR. HOHENHAUS and alarms MISS BLOOM sufficiently for her to call MOTHER and FATHER into her office for a serious chat. It appears QWRK has adopted the skateboarders’ lingo and has accused his teacher, MISS PAYNE, of having a “filthy mind”.

Following MISS BLOOM’S advice, MOTHER and FATHER take a firm stand with George, trying their best to behave like Earthly parents. Keeping X right out of the situation, MOTHER and FATHER forbid QWRK from associating with the hooligans, threatening a surprise punishment if he disobeys.

When QWRK falls off the skateboard, he thinks it is his punishment. He then decides to comply with his parents ruling, after one more meeting with the skateboarders, where his formula wins him a fan in skateboarder, BINDY LIPTRAP, and acceptance with the skateboarding gang.

When Michelle is caught peering in the Jacksons’ window, X, Jenny and Colin take the Roobot (the Chief) to the Rolands’ house and hide him in their shed. Colin gives her some patronising tips about tactics and she wins an annual race between the boys and the girls defeating her smug adviser in the process. X doesn’t understand why Colin is miffed, so Jenny gives her a crash course in the subtleties of the male ego.

Things go from confusing to worse when Miss Harrow takes X to a Sports Clinic for a series of fitness and aptitude tests. X allows a blood sample to be taken before she and Jenny realize – too late – that her blood will prove conclusively she’s an alien. After Miss Harrows media class discusses the many grisly fates that could befall aliens visiting Earth, X decides urgent action is required. She coerces Father into breaking into the Sports Clinic and replacing her blood with that of a human. Colin donates his blood for the purpose – greater love hath no budding chauvinist. The minor crime is accomplished without incident. Colin apologizes to X for his reaction to her win, and the two run into the darkness together, hand in hand. It’s a night filled with relief and budding romance.

MOTHER reminds everyone they’re still in danger. The CHIEF could strike back at any time. He could clone into any one to do so. But the main thing is they’re staying. X is determined about that. She learnt the lesson her family taught her. If you’re different, there’s no point in hiding it in trying to be normal. The only thing to be is yourself. They’ll stop running – but they’ll stick together. And when the CHIEF comes – as he will – they’ll fight.

So X and JENNY; DOVIS and QWRK head off for school. COLIN’S sorry he has his own school to go to – he’s grown fond of X in the last few days. MOTHER goes to work, alert and vigilant and FATHER returns to his restaurant. As we start to suspect the CHIEF has cloned into someone entirely unexpected – MICHELLE – whose family has just moved next door to the Jackson’s.

MICHELLE [Chief] invites X down to the pool, for a grudge match, to settle once and for all who’s the best. X accepts, deciding it’s time to put Michelle in her place. As they head for the pool, DALLAS wants to come too. MICHELLE lingers and argues – and shuts the squealing DALLAS into a locker. On her release, JENNY realizes what’s happened. She rushes to the pool, warning DOVIS and QWRK.

Locked in the sporting complex, X fights for her existence as her earthly nemesis clones back to her galactic one. X’s nightmare starts to happen in reality. The Chief is determined that X will go back to Zyrgon… as a Roobot!

When JENNY, DOVIS and QWRK break into the sporting complex, a solitary ROOBOT hops around. And X lies exhausted, but victorious.

At the paddock, the Family concentrate – and send the raft to the dark side of the Second Moon. But before they head for home to get back to normal, X takes COLIN and JENNY fishing in the boat, flying over Bellwood ostentatiously, recklessly. And MICHELLE sees them…

At his restaurant, FATHER’S engrossed in cooking. He insists they can’t leave till he’s served a meal. X hurries everyone through their delicious meal. They dine sadly, miserably, to the mournful music of QWRK’S violin.

Back at Jenny’s, she and COLIN are miserable too. They know the truth now. Losing a friend hurts – no matter where she’s from. MRS. ROLAND tries to comfort JENNY. To her surprise, she finds her daughter stronger and wiser when it comes to losing someone.

Meanwhile FATHER enters with a cake for X. Fifty candles, one for each metre X swam. X is touched by her family’s love but before she can blow out the candles they flicker and die. It’s LOX trying to get through on a thoughtbeam. He tells them that he and Hecla have been saved from the lava, then drops his bombshell: the CHIEF told him that X never won the Scholarship fair and square – but cheated. X is flabbergasted. So is the rest of the family – all except FATHER. He admits he was the one who changed X’s marks. He couldn’t bear to see her fail.

The CHIEF arrives on Earth. He’s traced the rudder from Hecla’s spaceraft to Jenny’s room. He takes Jenny to help him find the whereabouts of the Family’s raft.

X struggles to cope with the knowledge of her twin failure. She’s no good as an organizer – because she was never meant to be one. She feels stupid and miserable – but to FATHER’S credit, he knows he’s the guilty one. He convinces X at last, they can stay. And slowly, X sees he’s right. The burden is lifted. They can go to the paddock, not to leave – but to load the spaceraft with everything that came from Zyrgon and send the raft off into space to avoid detection – and stay.

The Family hurries off to the paddock – only to be met by the CHIEF. He takes FATHER prisoner. X trades her freedom for JENNY. With his prisoners aboard, the CHIEF exults – but finds he is pursued by the Family, COLIN and JENNY in Jenny’s dad’s old boat. An awesome chase conducted at molecular level results in the raft being brought down. X and FATHER are saved – but the CHIEF is gone.

Meanwhile on Earth, X resumes control. She orders DOVIS and QWRK to school for one last day. When it’s over they will come straight home, clean up and board the raft. There will be no argument. MOTHER may have a brief, final day, at work. They will pick up FATHER later from his foolish restaurant. Sadly, obediently, the Family do as they are told. They must return to save HECLA. X sets off to school, meeting JENNY on the way. Full of forgiveness – and an invitation to go iceskating – and the surprising news that COLIN wants to come too.

X tells JENNY she can’t go – she won’t be here tomorrow. JENNY is devastated at the news. More than anything, X realizes she wants to be Jenny’s best friend. But it’s too late, and too much divides them. There’s no turning back. She doesn’t explain. JENNY can’t understand. Her hurt and anger spills over. X lines up for the fifty metres Inter-House Swimming Carnival. As the race starts, she hears Hecla urging her on, willing her to win. She wins, beating MICHELLE and gets overwhelming applause, and a fine medal. It’s the high point of her stay on Earth. X struggles with her emotions – and insists it changes. nothing. They’re still leaving.

The Family sadly farewell their house. The situation is too poignant for words. They leave, to walk to the restaurant, and FATHER. On the way, they’re met by COLIN and JENNY. COLIN’S finally conquered his cynicism – and told JENNY about the beam. JENNY has guessed the truth – and come to plead with X to stay. X admits the truth. She wishes she could get out of it, and just be herself. But she can’t. X and JENNY will be friends always – but half a galaxy away.

X finds MOTHER over the moon, having been offered a half-share in the design boutique where she works. X realizes with a shock that things have run out of control during her illness.

X lays down the law to her family, but they fight bank. FATHER wants to open a restaurant, QWRK is determined to be the best violinist on Earth, DOVIS is stepping out with DAVID CARRUTHERS. X retires to her room to regroup.

COLIN goes to the Jackson house to return the runaway ZEPPY and is bewitched by the vision of the girl he knows as Charlotte bathed in luminescent thoughtbeams as she communicates with LOX.

X has intercepted LOX’S thoughtbeam to Mother and discovers he believes her to be in the Chief’s Detention Centre. X now realizes why HECLA is missing – her aunt has simulated into her and gave herself up as X to the Chief. X is appalled. HECLA, her greatest rival in organizing, has put her eternally in her debt.

X instructs her family they must leave for Zyrgon, otherwise HECLA will be punished in her stead.

Without X’s restraining influence, DOVIS gets into trouble at school when she releases all the rabbits from the biology laboratory. QWRK continues to impress MR. HOHENHAUS.

All these problems pale into insignificance however when JENNY comes to visit X and tells her she’s seen somebody from Peru. Her description fits the Chief exactly. X asks JENNY to do her a huge favour. She wants JENNY to let herself be seen by the CHIEF wearing her Pearlrock Logotype and then tell him that X and her Family have left. But the CHIEF does not believe JENNY and follows her to the Jackson home.

Her suspicions stirred by seeing Jenny wearing X’s pearlrock logotype, HECLA returns home. She guesses that X’s jumpiness cannot be explained by even a bad case of flu and realizes the truth. X decides the only thing she can do to protect her family is to give herself up to the CHIEF.

The CHIEF is delighted to have X do just this and gloatingly takes her back to Zyrgon in his pursuit raft. However, it is not X he has captured but HECLA simulated into X.

X is called to the Principal’s office. She fears the worst that her secret has been discovered. To her surprise, MISS BREWSTER shows X – QWRK playing a difficult violin concerto at his first lesson!

MISS BREWSTER and MR. HOHENHAUS have found a prodigy. X hasn’t time to take her anger out on QWRK – she’s wanted for the Inter-house Swimming Team Selections trials. To everyone’s amazement, X beats MICHELLE in the trial – and is applauded for the first time in her life.

It’s a strange feeling – but not its strange as visiting Jenny’s house. All X’s instincts as an Organizer recoil at the sight of the chaotic, messy Roland house. But her biggest trial is Jenny’s room. For JENNY wants X to be her best friend. X feels weak all over. She’s not prepared for this sort of closeness. All her doubts and fears climax in a gigantic sneeze. MRS. ROLAND decides it’s the flu, and hurries her home.

The Family finds it hard to believe that X could be ill. She wouldn’t allow herself to get sick. They look on in consternation – X tells them they’ll have to get along without her while she goes to bed to recover from this Earthly ailment. HECLA repeats her advice. You’re making yourself ill with your constant anxiety.

Meanwhile, the Chief is getting closer, having just left Yorp’s fuelstop and he vows he is going to get X.

HECLA is on the doorstep. She bullied their whereabouts out of Lox and came halfway across the galaxy to be with the Family. She grabs hold of MICHELLE. Inspects her closely. Great thundering zelphs! What funny looking children! MICHELLE and DALLAS – and JENNY run for their lives. And X knows, hers will never be the same…

Despite X’s resistance, HECLA moves in, with ZEPPY, her pet zeppolope. When X learns that her aunt has left her spaceraft in public view in the park, she goes to hide it. But finds it’s been mistaken for playground equipment by a gang of young boys. She chases two of them, who think the rudder’s a bat. She catches them outside their house – which is also where Jenny and Colin live. ANDREW and SHANE are their younger brothers. On being confronted by COLIN, X pretends the bat’s nothing special. His brothers are welcome to it. But her sudden arrival only confirms JENNY’S earlier thoughts. There’s something about X that’s mysterious. Special. JENNY wants to know more…

When JENNY invites X’s family to go on a picnic to the beach, X discovers some of the pleasures enjoyed by children on Earth.

While MOTHER resents HECLA’S influence on the family, X worries she will betray them as alien – as she nearly does when XAVIER YOSHIDA, the real estate agent, arrives with the lease. The solution is Hecla to go back to Zyrgon. With MOTHER’S assistance, X beams LOX to arrange some kind of transport for Hecla’s return – only to hear the shattering news that he’s betrothed. To Jady – the gorgeous girl who runs the Space Shuttle Kiosk.

It’s too much for X. The pressures of their exile and her responsibilities as Organizer take their toll. Her family’s never heard X so emotional.

X shuts them out – and turns to the one who’s always been there. The one she adores. She beams LOX, back on Zyrgon.

X ticks her family off. FATHER will ,stay at home and tend to the kitchen. MOTHER will lead an ordinary working life. And DOVIS, QWRK and she will go to school as usual – and be perfectly normal! It’s not that easy. Not even for X. The more she tries to be perfectly normal, the more DALLAS and MICHELLE thinks she’s a weirdo. QWRK doesn’t help, when he’s asked for a list of ten words starting with “A” – and comes up with “autochthonism” and “antonomasia”. DOVIS is busy delighting in her new-found friends to worry – so it’s left, as always, to X to brood.

MISS BREWSTER insists on seeing MOTHER and FATHER because of Qwrk’s precocious intellect. X commands the Family to learn a cover story, but, despite her despair at their inattention, it is she who almost gives the game away.

And finally, to make the worst mistake of all – and invite DALLAS and MICHELLE back to the house – to prove they’re quite normal. JENNY comes with them. Like DALLAS and MICHELLE, she’s sensed there’s something different about X. But where the others feel threatened, Jenny’s on X’s side. If X is hiding something, JENNY is willing to help her.

But it is not only X and her classmates making for the Jackson home – HECLA too is on her way!