Welcome Stranger Romance
Original Story by Peter Packer
(Original dialogues in bold)
Part 1
"It can't be…" Don murmured at the sight in front of him as he and John approached the newcomer.
A man, an Earth human by the looks of him, stood on a boulder in front of them. "Howdy," the stranger said. "Hapgood's my name, boys, Jimmy Hapgood."
Don stared at Hapgood, not believing his eyes, as John talked with the stranger. Hapgood wore a space suit similar to their own, though much older in design, and a cowboy hat, advertising his Texas roots. Hapgood invited them to take a look at his ship, 'Travelin' Man,' as he called it. Once Don set eyes on the ship, he no longer had any doubt that Hapgood was as much an astronaut as he was.
"Early eighties design," John observed.
Hapgood explained that he'd been traveling since June eighteenth, nineteen-eighty-two.
"What was your original mission?" Don asked.
"A Saturn landing, but I never made it," Hapgood replied.
"What happened?" John asked.
Hapgood gave some vague explanation of looking in on the wrong star – curiosity, he said – and stated that he'd probably been everywhere in the galaxy, but had yet to find his way back to Earth.
John invited Hapgood to join them when he was done securing his ship, and allowed Will to remain with the astronaut so he could walk him back to the Jupiter. As he and Don returned to camp, Don commented, "The girls aren't going to believe this one."
As John announced the presence of their visitor to Maureen and Penny, Don went in search of Judy to tell her the news. "Hey, Judy? Where are you?" he called. Don descended the ladder to the lower deck with Smith at his heels. Don found Judy in the galley. "What's going on?" she asked.
"You're not gonna believe this, but an astronaut from Earth just landed here," Don stated.
"You mean a rescue mission has found us?" she exclaimed.
"Unfortunately not, my dear. He is as lost as we are," Dr. Smith lamented.
"His mission was a Saturn landing, but he never made it," Don explained.
"What happened?" she asked.
"He didn't really tell us. It sounds as if he got lost 'accidentally on purpose,'" Don said.
"That makes no sense at all. Who would actually want to be lost in space?" Judy commented.
"He must have an unusual sense of adventure, dear Judith," Dr. Smith answered. "He is a rather handsome, rugged fellow… perhaps you could use your… feminine wiles… to convince him that his wandering days are over and Earth is where he should return."
Don crossed his arms and turned his eyes slowly onto Smith. He took one step towards the man, and Smith hastily added, "Just a suggestion, Major. You know… anything to be rescued," and he ran to the ladder and ascended before Don could threaten him with bodily injury.
"He sounds intriguing, Don," Judy stated.
He turned to Judy. "He's as old as your parents!"
"Oh, Don… I don't mean intriguing in that way."
"Then what do you mean?"
"Just that he must be full of interesting stories, and maybe he's even been to Alpha Centauri, not that we'd be able to get there, or Earth, for that matter."
Don took a gentle hold of her arm. "Judy, you're not thinking of doing what Smith asked you to do, are you?"
"Oh, of course not! I would never do that to you… and, besides, it wouldn't be fair to Mr. Hapgood."
He breathed a sigh of relief, but something told him to keep his eyes open. After all, Hapgood probably hadn't seen a human female in fifteen years, and Judy was no ordinary woman.
When Judy and Don left the ship, Mr. Hapgood had just been invited for dinner and was gallantly bowing to Maureen, saying, "I'll be most happy too, Ma'am. I ain't had a good home cooked meal in… well quite a long time." As he rose, he caught sight of Judy who was approaching with Don. He gave a low whistle and mumbled, "And that ain't all I ain't had since then." Although Judy and Don hadn't heard his comment, Dr. Smith didn't miss it, and tucked it away for future reference.
John introduced his daughter, "Mr. Hapgood, this is my oldest child, Judy."
She reached out and said, "I'm pleased to meet you, Mr. Hapgood."
He took her hand and brought it to his lips. "Excuse me if I stare, Miss Judy. It's been awhile since I've seen such a beautiful face."
Judy blushed and Don looked on, crossing his arms in consternation. Hapgood gave Don a knowing look and added, "After all, it's been fifteen years…" He turned away from the couple. "I don't know, sending whole families out into space somehow or other, just doesn't seem right."
Judy and Don glanced at each other, wondering how he'd feel about their plans to have children once they reached Alpha Centauri. Hapgood asked to see the Jupiter, and after the men went inside, Judy noticed that Maureen looked at Penny and Will with a hint of sadness in her eyes. "Mother? Are you all right?" she asked.
"Oh, I'm… I'm just a little tired, Judy. Now we better start dinner. We have to make this a meal Mr. Hapgood won't soon forget."
Don made sure to impress Hapgood with the Jupiter's technology. A lot had improved since the time Jim's ship, 'Travelin' Man,' had left Earth. Don wasn't surprised when John offered Hapgood their navigation unit. He surmised that it was the best shot they had of being rescued. If Hapgood could reach Earth with a message from them, Alpha Control was sure to send what they needed to repair the Jupiter. Then they could be on their way to Alpha Centauri once again.
The navigation unit wouldn't fit on Hapgood's ship, but Dr. Smith suggested an alternative – the Robot's unit. After 'surgery,' the family and Mr. Hapgood sat down to their feast. Don was the last one to come to the table and everyone was sitting except Maureen and Judy, who were serving. Don noticed that the seat beside Hapgood was free and thought he'd sit there and trade stories with the old astronaut. Just as he neared the table, Jimmy held that very chair out for Judy and said, "You'll make a lonely man mighty happy, Miss Judy, if you'd sit right here."
Judy smiled and nodded. "All right, Mr. Hapgood. I'd like that."
'I'd like that?' Don repeated to himself, but he shrugged off his jealousy and sat at the end of the table, to Judy's left. Hapgood told story after story, and barely anyone else got a word in edgewise. Don's jealousy crept up again as Judy gave Hapgood her undivided attention. He felt like the invisible man, which wasn't what bothered him – what bothered him was that he was invisible to Judy.
Don had never seen Judy flirt with anyone before, well, other than himself. Don watched Hapgood keep his eyes on Judy while he told his stories, and she would touch Jim's forearm every time she laughed. Steam was coming out of Don's ears, but no one, other than Smith, noticed. John and Maureen were preoccupied, and Penny and Will were as mesmerized as their sister. Only Smith seemed to catch his eye now and again, which made Don even angrier, but he told himself to hold onto to his temper. Hapgood would leave soon and things would be back to normal, or so Don thought.
When Maureen and John chased the children to bed, Judy offered Hapgood another piece of 'space pie,' which he turned down at first. "Oh, not even a little bit?" she asked, tilting her head teasingly. Hapgood found that he couldn't resist a beautiful woman, and he let Judy know it by kissing her hand. She glanced at Don, but he turned away. 'As soon as he leaves tonight, I'm gonna have it out with her,' Don thought to himself.
After talking with the children, John and Maureen made their request for Hapgood to take Will and Penny with him when he returned to Earth. Taking kids, or anyone for that matter, onto Travelin' Man was the last thing Hapgood wanted to do, and he let John know that in no uncertain terms.
Don had had it with the astronaut. 'First he flirts with Judy right under my nose and then he treats John like a… like a… well, like an unfit parent!' Don stood and suggested to Hapgood that he give John an apology, but Hapgood refused. 'That's it!' Don thought and swung at Hapgood with his left. Hapgood went sprawling, but was itching for some action. He tackled Don and the fight was on…
They scuffled in the dirt with Don not enjoying it half as much as Hapgood seemed to be. Judy couldn't stand it anymore, grabbed a frying pan and conked Hapgood over the head, who apologized and collapsed on top of Don. Judy helped Don untangle himself from Hapgood, but he was ticked. "What did you do that for?" he blurted out.
"You were losing the fight!" she exclaimed.
Hapgood wasn't unconscious for long, so he watched the quarrel that was unfolding in front of him, which he was enjoying almost more than the fight.
"I was not!" he retorted.
"You were being beaten! I was afraid you'd get hurt."
"I was doing fine!"
"It didn't look like you were doing fine. Every time you got on top, he just flipped you right back over!"
"I don't need a play by play…" He glared at her and then stomped away.
Judy let out an exasperated sigh and watched his back retreat into the ship. She folded her arms and was tempted to follow him, but she was too angry. Hapgood groaned as he got to his feet. "You got quite an arm there, little lady. Hurt me almost as much as you hurt him just now."
"I'm sorry, Mr. Hapgood, but someone had to end that ridiculous fight."
"You mighta let us have it out… It's good for the soul… Just like cryin' is for ladies. You'd best go apologize to him."
"And what makes you such an expert?"
"I'm a man, ain't I?"
To be continued…
