The Skeleckians, a race of technologically advanced but socially awkward aliens, are introduced in this episode. Dax, a member of this race, helps Lisa with her science-fair project—a shrinking machine to explore a model of the solar system. Francine, hoping to win the fair, sabotages the project, shrinking the two and trapping them in the model. They must communicate with the other members of the Electric Company to escape, yet they accidentally get shrunk as well. They need to get out, however, there is nobody outside the model who can work the machine.