D/J Project
Beyond the Series
Episode One: The Asteroid Field
No habitable planet in sight. Major Don West scanned the heavens, cursed quietly under his breath and wondered what gods were conspiring against him and Judy. Their engagement became official soon after they had escaped the junkyard planet. John and Maureen had finally, though reluctantly, agreed to discuss a wedding date. The problem was that it had been three weeks since Don had proposed – both to Judy and her parents – and… no planet… no date. Earlier, he had argued with John that it was time to change the specifics of the deal he had made with the family. Maybe a wedding in space wasn't such a bad idea after all? The chariot's bay could be made into a bedroom suite for them – or one of the storage areas could serve that purpose. If his room became a storage room, the storage closet could... A soft footstep sounded behind him.
Soft hands covered his shoulders and gently rubbed the tension from them. He leaned his head back and Judy's face hovered over his. "Any luck?" she asked.
He shook his head. "A kiss might change it," he suggested.
She leaned down and planted a sweet, delicate, upside-down kiss on his lips. He took her hand from his shoulder and pulled her around to sit in his lap. His hand went to her neck and he brought her in for a deep, hungry, sensual kiss. The elevator rattled behind them and he and Judy pressed their foreheads together… and they both sighed.
"Good morning, good morning, good morning," Dr. Smith sang to them.
"What's so good about it, Smith?" Don asked as Judy removed herself from his lap.
"Oh, the poor major, irritable as usual," Smith teased. "Well, I have delightfully good news for both of you."
Don and Judy waited expectantly. "What is it, Dr. Smith?" Judy asked.
"I have found the perfect planet for your wedding."
Don and Judy looked at each other. "John and I haven't found any habitable planets within range, yet, Smith. There's nothing out there," Don told him.
"Oh, but that's where you're wrong, Major. There is a rather small, inconspicuous system on the edge of this galaxy." He peered out the view port for several seconds and then pointed. "There!"
"There? Where?" Don asked.
"There! Right by that tiny isolated little star." He pointed to the lower left edge of the view port.
"Forget it, Smith. That's nothing but a collection of debris… an asteroid field. There can't be any planet in there."
"You doubt my calculations, sir?" Smith bellowed.
Don stood. "Doubt is such a strong word… how about… reject? Yeah… that's it… Reject… disbelieve… distrust… Excuse me. I have to check on the fuel system." He turned to Judy. "See you at lunch," he said and strode to the ladder, disappearing below.
"Humph!" Dr. Smith exclaimed. "Were it not for you, dear Judith, I would not even have brought up the subject."
"I'm sorry, Dr. Smith. Don is… well… frustrated, but thank you for searching for a wedding planet for us," Judy told him.
"Oh, it's the least I can do, Judith dear. I am so very fond of you, you know."
Will and Penny stepped off the elevator and joined them. "What's wrong with Don, Judy? He walked past us like he was mad at the world."
Judy sighed, but didn't answer. Will turned to Smith and asked, "Did you tell Don, Dr. Smith?"
"Yes, I did, William, and I was rebuffed like a flittering insect on his cheek. You would think he would be grateful that I have found a place to set-down so he and Judith can consummate their union."
Penny giggled behind her hand, afraid to catch Judy's eye, and Will said, "Consummate? What's that got to do with anything? I thought you said you couldn't stand being on this tin plated tin can for one-more second?"
Judy shook her head. "Oh, Dr. Smith, now I see. You're just tired of being cooped-up on the space ship."
"That's true, Judith, but what is good for me…" (he pointed towards her) "is good for you… unless, of course, you have decided against marrying that ruffian?"
Judy laughed. "No, Dr. Smith. I haven't changed my mind, but if Dad and Don say there are no habitable planets in sight… there are no habitable planets in sight." She turned and left the group.
"She's right, Dr. Smith," Penny said. "It's not right to get her hopes up. It might be a long time before we can finally land somewhere so that they can have a real wedding and honeymoon."
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As Maureen Robinson settled into the barely-room-enough-for-two-people bed in their cabin, John finished writing in his journal:
As we speed further away from the junkyard planet, I pray that we will
soon exit this desolate area of the galaxy. I believe we are still within
the bounds of the Milky Way – but in an area that has never been mapped
and for good reason. Life of any kind would fail to thrive on the hunks
of rocks and gasses that drift past our view port. As we note each heavenly
body, Major West and I compulsively mark it on our star chart, perhaps more
to pass the time than to provide a map of the heavens for our descendents.
"Our descendents," John murmured as he closed his journal.
"What was that, dear?" Maureen asked as she moved closer to the wall to provide more room for her husband.
John sat on the edge of the bunk and placed a hand on his wife's cheek. "Oh, nothing… Just thinking about our children."
"I thought I heard you say… descendents?"
He nodded. "You did. Maureen, do you realize that we are starting our fourth year in space? If all had gone well, we would be more than halfway to Alpha Centauri and…"
"I know, dear, but we're all safe… and happy… well, almost all of us are happy."
John laughed. "Dr. Smith doesn't count."
"I wasn't talking about Dr. Smith."
"Oh. You were talking about the, ah, procreators of our… descendents."
She nodded. "Judy told me that you and Don had words today."
"A minor disagreement. Don wanted to swap his bedroom for a storage area below. I guess he thought it would give him and Judy some real privacy. I told him that I couldn't allow that. He needs to be within close range of the console in case of an emergency."
"Oh, John, is that really necessary?"
"Yes, Maureen, it is. He is first and foremost the pilot of this ship, and that takes precedence over any personal relationship." He felt badly about that statement, but it was true. "The Jupiter could run into trouble at any moment and he needs to be ready to get her out of it. Besides… they've been patient this long… I'm sure they can last a bit longer."
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Sleep… It had become elusive since he and Judy had officially announced their intentions. Life, for him, had been easier back in the days when their relationship was in its holding pattern. Their imminent (he hoped) marriage was so close – he could almost taste the champagne, but in reality, each passing hour brought them no closer to being husband and wife. He closed his eyes and was about to drift into darkness when the ship lurched violently to the left, and he almost fell out of his bunk.
Don scrambled to his feet and was up the ladder before anyone else cracked open the thin accordion door to their rooms. Thumping noises echoed throughout the ship as the Jupiter was tossed to and fro by some invisible force. Once on the upper deck, Don realized what that force was. The ship was being attacked by what looked like an infinite number of spinning rocks.
John was steps behind him and shouted, "What is it?"
"We're in an asteroid field," Don replied as he weaved the ship between and around the flying chunks of debris.
Systems began to short out and John grabbed a fire extinguisher. The rest of the family soon joined them and Judy grabbed onto the edge of Don's pilot seat. She watched him feverishly avoid the larger formations, some grazing the ships hull, others barely missing the view port.
"I'm losing the stabilizers!" Don exclaimed.
"We've got to get out of this field," John told him.
"What do you think I'm trying to do?"
"Robot! Can you chart a path out of this mess?" John asked.
"Negative," the Robot replied.
"Oh, dear," Dr. Smith mumbled from the back of the group, as he held onto the elevator post to stop from being flung across the deck.
"What do you mean, negative?" John asked. "There's got to be a way out of it!"
"What he means is that the ship's controls are too damaged to navigate her out of here. We need to set down and make repairs," Don told him.
"Can we land on one of the asteroids?"
"Gonna have to."
"Robot, do you detect a stable asteroid large enough to hold the Jupiter?"
"Affirmative," the Robot replied.
"Give me the coordinates and let's get down there," John commanded. "Everyone below and strap-in,"
Don turned to John and added, "This isn't gonna be easy."
The Jupiter approached the wildly revolving asteroid at a ninety degree angle. Don hit the repulsers individually at split second intervals in the hopes of leveling out the ship before hitting the surface. It worked. It wasn't a pretty landing, but the ship was still in one piece.
John turned to Don and was about to open his mouth, when Don said the words for him. "Yes, John, you don't have to say it… 'Now you know why…"
"…I didn't want you to move your room," John finished for him. "You're our pilot, Don," John continued. "You need to be ready for emergencies." John stood. "Oh, by the way… Nice work."
Don almost smirked, but he knew better than to take safe landings for granted. "Thanks."
"Robot," John barked. "Give us a reading on the atmosphere."
"None, professor," the Robot replied. "This is not a planet, but an orbiting piece of space rock. There is no atmosphere and no life forms whatsoever."
Don left his seat and said, "I'll suit up and inspect the outside of the ship for damage, right after I find Smith."
"Smith? What's he got to do with anything?" John asked.
"He is the reason our orbit intersected with this asteroid field, Professor Robinson," the Robot explained.
"I should have known," John said.
Don stomped through the lower level, "Smith!" he shouted. Judy immediately approached him to run interference. "Don, don't…"
"Don't?" he questioned her. He was in no mood for her protectiveness. "Why not?" he asked. He flung his arm out. "The Jupiter could have been destroyed out there, and us along with it!"
John was steps behind him. "Judy's right, Don. Get suited up and outside. Fixing this ship is more important than you taking your anger out on Smith."
Don grumbled, but refrained from saying anything else. John watched Don's back as he left them. He turned to Judy and said, "Beside, I have a few words to say to Dr. Smith myself."
Judy turned to her mother and they exchanged a look of helplessness. Maureen smiled at her daughter. "I don't think any of us will be getting back to sleep at this point. Let's make some breakfast."
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The family gathered around the table, and Don finished ticking off the list of repairs that needed to be done. "The outside repairs will take a while since we're working in a vacuum. We'll be moving in slow motion, not to mention the freezing cold and darkness. We'll have to set-up some lights since we can't depend on the light from that distant sun for more than short intervals."
"I can help you, Don," Will offered.
"No, Will. You'll stay inside the ship," John ordered. "There's no reason for anyone to be out there, but Don. Understood?" John received a round of nods from the group. "Besides, I need your help in here. Let's get to work."
The repairs inside the ship went quickly, and it wasn't long before John released Will from his chores. Will ventured below and found Dr. Smith and the Robot staring out the lower view port window, and Dr. Smith was pining for escape. As he watched Don move around the ship, Dr. Smith commented, "Lucky man, able to escape the claustrophobic confines of this space ship."
"But, Dr. Smith, there's nothing to explore out there," Will told him.
"How can you be so sure, William? Even this rock may have hidden treasures waiting to be found. Robot! Scan the area for minerals. Perhaps we'll find… deutronium, or even… cosmonium."
"I have already performed the scan for Professor Robinson, Dr. Smith. There are no minerals in the area."
"Scan again. You might have missed something… perhaps metal, gold, for instance."
"There is one area in which I have located identified metal." Will and Smith's curiosity was piqued. "Two miles southwest of this ship is a mass of metal similar to that of the Jupiter."
"What?" Will exclaimed. "Did you tell my father?"
"No, Will Robinson."
"Why?"
"He did not ask."
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"But, Dad!" Will was beside himself that his father would not let him leave the Jupiter to explore the area found by the Robot.
"The answer is no, Will. It's too dangerous out there, and Don and I have too much work to do to repair the ship," John explained.
"You know, John, we might be able to use some of that metal that's out there… if that's what it is. There are holes the size of Texas that need repair on the outer hull," Don said.
"We can't spare the manpower, Don. I'm afraid we'll have to make do with what we have."
"How about sending the person who got us into this mess?"
"Smith?"
"He's been complaining about claustrophobia. A walk might do him some good."
"Me?" Smith questioned.
John considered the thought. "Not a bad idea. All right, Dr. Smith, you get your wish to leave the ship."
"But… but… I simply do not have the stamina to withstand the freezing temperatures outside the ship. And, Professor Robinson, you know my penchant for finding misfortune…"
"We'll send the Robot with you," John replied. "And just the Robot," he said as he stared at Will.
_____________________________________________
The Robot was barely able to negotiate the porous, rocky terrain of the asteroid. "Hurry along, you clumsy can of cathodes. You're the reason I am in this predicament," Dr. Smith muttered.
"Correction, Dr. Smith, if you had not altered the course of the Jupiter, we would never have entered the asteroid field."
"If you had not mentioned that metal, I would be snug and warm inside the ship." Dr. Smith shivered. "We have been walking for hours. There is nothing here. Let us return."
"Negative, Dr. Smith. We have only been walking for thirty minutes. We will soon reach our destination."
Dr. Smith grunted and kept moving. It wasn't long before they approached the area that had been identified by the Robot. "What have we here? Oh, my… it can't be!"
____________________________________________
Don reentered the Jupiter, rubbing his hands together to keep the circulation going. He was met by Judy and told her, "It's getting too cold to work out there."
Judy wrapped her hands around his and brought them to her chest. "Let me warm you up," she said.
"I'll take you up on that offer," he told her as she brought him into her arms and pressed her lips to his.
He shivered. "Sorry, Judy, but I can't even pucker up, I'm so cold. By the way, is Smith back?"
"No, and I'm getting worried about him."
He was about to retort that Smith was probably hiding somewhere near the ship, waiting just long enough to worry them before returning when John approached Don. He was carrying the jet-pack. "I'm going out to look for Smith," he told him.
Don sighed. "He's probably right outside."
"Then I'll find him pretty fast," John retorted.
Don sighed, feeling guilty that he was the one who suggested that Smith go out in the first place. "Look, John, I'm already dressed. I'll go."
Judy shook her head. "Don, you're frozen!"
Don shrugged. "If I know Smith, he never got more than twenty feet from the ship. I won't be long."
___________________________________________
As Don flew through the quickly darkening sky. He found the Robot standing at attention outside a hulking mound of metal. Don shivered hard as he landed the jet-pack and shrugged it off his shoulders. He couldn't believe what he saw. "Robot! Where's Sm…" He shivered again. "Smith?" Don asked.
"Inside the vehicle, Major West," the Robot replied.
"Traveling Man…" Don mumbled as he walked around the hulking mess of tin that looked like it belonged on the junk planet.
"You are correct, Major West. It is the vehicle that transported the errant astronaut, Major James Hapgood."
Don stumbled as he approached the hatch. He looked in the window before knocking. Inside sat Dr. Smith, looking as comfortable as if he was sitting on his own bunk in the Jupiter. "Smith! Open the door!" Don demanded as he rapped on the window. Smith smiled and shook his head. Don shivered uncontrollably. "Come on, Smith. We've… we've got to get back to the Jupiter... for dinner…"
That did it. Smith popped open the hatch at the mention of food. "Dinner? Did you say dinner?"
"I'm supposed to take you… somewhere…" Don was losing his concentration.
"Major West, you are showing signs of hypothermia," the Robot stated. "You should sit in the space capsule and engage the heating unit, just as Dr. Smith did."
"I'm-m-m… okay. Any sign of Ma-Major… what-is-name?"
"Negative, Major West. There are no signs of Major Hapgood or any other life within the vicinity."
"Le's… le's search…"
"Major West, we must bring you back to the Jupiter."
"Yes. Yes. We must return to the Jupiter, Major," Smith told him.
"Nah… I wanna… I wanna find Jimmy," Don responded.
"And we will, Major. Just walk this way." Smith turned Don towards where he thought the Jupiter had landed.
The Robot pointed in the opposite direction. "That way!"
"You bumbling bubble head. Of course it's that way," Smith said as he picked-up the jet-pack. "And I will meet you and the major at the ship." He shrugged the jet-pack onto his shoulders.
"No, Dr. Smith. Major West may not survive the walk."
Don went a few yards and stumbled again, falling down onto one knee. He laughed. "I mus'… mus' be… drunk…"
Smith rolled his eyes. "Then I will send the professor to fetch him. Besides, the walk will warm him up."
The Robot grabbed hold of the jet-pack rails with his claw and held it firmly. "Negative, Dr. Smith. That is dangerous. He is already in the first stages of hypothermia. If he exerts himself, he may die. He will stand on the small platform of the jet-pack, and you will maintain an altitude of six inches… And you will follow me."
"Must I save his life – yet again?" Smith asked.
"Affirmative, Dr. Smith," the Robot replied.
Smith rolled his eyes and walked over to Don and said, "Come along, Major." He helped Don up and directed him behind him. "Step onto the platform. That's a good boy."
Don did as he was told and lay against Dr. Smith's back. "Thanks, Zach. "
"Zach, indeed!" he exclaimed as he engaged the jet-pack, which rose several feet off the ground, but the Robot grabbed Dr. Smith's leg and pulled him back.
"With me, Dr. Smith," the Robot reminded him.
Since the asteroid was now turned away from the small sun, Dr. Smith could see only inches before him in the inky blackness. He realized that, without the Robot's lead, he would most likely never find the Jupiter and could fall prey to hypothermia himself. "Onward!" he exclaimed.
___________________________________________________
COMMERCIAL BREAK
___________________________________________________
Dinner was on the table, but no one had an appetite. Maureen decided to keep the food warm while John and Judy waited at the flight console for Don and Dr. Smith to return. Judy hugged herself, turned to her father and asked, "Dad, how long can they stay out there before…"
John put his hand on his daughter's shoulder. "Judy, if I had known just how long Don had been working out there…"
Normally, Judy would have accepted her father's remorse, but she knew that he and Don had had words about their sleeping arrangements. "Dad, please… you knew that he had just come in from working outside for hours and was freezing cold."
"Yes, I did, Judy, but he volunteered.
"Out of guilt. If you and he hadn't argued…"
The Robot rolled past the view port towing Dr. Smith and Don. Judy and John ran to the hatch and opened it. Dr. Smith almost flew into the sky with Don on his back as the Robot let go of his hold on the jet-pack's post. "Turn it off, Smith!" John shouted after him.
"Oh, dear. Oh, dear… these contraptions," Dr. Smith complained as he tried to shut down the jet-pack engine. Finally, he pushed the correct button and landed on his feet with a lurch. Don slid off his back and onto the ramp – unconscious.
"Don!" Judy shouted as she ran to him. John picked Don up, slung him over his shoulder and carried him into the Jupiter. Judy shut the hatch behind them as the rest of the family joined them. Will helped Dr. Smith off with the jet-pack as Maureen instructed John to bring Don to his cabin.
"Penny, get Dr. Smith some warm food while I examine Don," Maureen ordered. Once in Don's cabin, Maureen instructed John to remove Don's clothing and cover him with a blanket. She took his body temperature. It had dipped to ninety degrees and his breathing was shallow.
"I'll get some warm water," Judy said.
"No, Judy. That could be a shock to his system. We'll warm him up gradually. Just get me the heated blanket," Maureen told her.
"Mom, the heated blanket hasn't worked since Dr. Smith used it on the ice princess."
"Oh… yes. Then just get all the blankets you can. John, please check on Dr. Smith. If he's moving around and eating, he should be fine. I'll check him for frostbite later." She carefully examined Don after he left.
Judy soon returned. "I had to take the blankets off Penny's and my beds. Dr. Smith took all the others," Judy told her mother.
"That's fine, Judy," Maureen responded. They covered Don with what she had brought. Maureen turned to Judy and said, "Don't take this as anything more than a medical procedure, Judy, but I want you to take off your clothes and lay down next to Don. Your body heat will help warm him up." Judy stripped off her clothing and Maureen stopped her at her panties. "That's fine, Judy. Just lie down and snuggle up next to him. Don't rub his skin. He'll warm up slowly through skin to skin contact."
Judy didn't stop to think about what she was doing until she lay down in his bed and draped herself over his frozen torso. She brushed a tear from her eye. "Mother, he's so cold. Will he be all right?"
"Well, he has some frostbite in his hands, but not in his feet or… um… other extremities. Once he's conscious, we'll give him something warm to drink."
Judy couldn't stop a sob from escaping her lips. "Oh, mother, he should never have gone after Dr. Smith. If he and Dad hadn't had that argument…"
"Judy! This is not your father's fault. Now, don't dwell on that, and keep your tears from falling on Don. We don't want him to get wet." She reached into her pocket and gave Judy a handkerchief. Judy wiped her eyes and held it out to her mother. Maureen took the handkerchief from her fingers and sighed. "I'm sorry, Judy. I didn't mean to be harsh with you. We've all been tense the last few weeks."
There was more she wanted to say, but Judy remained silent. The last thing she needed was to become more upset than she was. Don stirred and turned his head into the crook of her neck.
Maureen blushed, wishing she was not sitting in that very room at that very moment with her daughter lying almost naked with her fiancé… not to mention that she had seen more of her daughter's fiancé than she had ever wanted to see.
Judy, too, wished that her mother could disappear. She had dreamt of lying with Don in this state of… undress… for years, but not in his current condition.
Maureen sensed Judy's thoughts and chose to give Judy a few moments of privacy. "I'm going to check on Dr. Smith. I'll also find something – rocks or metal – to heat and put in bed with him. That will help him warm up a bit faster. I'll only be a few minutes, Judy."
Soon after she left, Don's body seemed to spasm and he grunted.
"Don? Please, Don wake-up…" Judy begged.
Don mumbled, "Travelin… Jimmy…"
Don eyes fluttered open, and he had no idea where he was. A warm body covered him… A curvaceous, soft, warm body… and blond hair was in his face. "Wha…"
"Don, it's me, Judy. Please wake-up and look at me."
Her face was inches from his and he still had no idea who she was… or who he was, for that matter. He grunted again and tried to move, but his muscles didn't obey.
The accordion door opened. John entered and his eyes opened wide. He was rarely speechless, but he had no idea what to say. "What the…"
Maureen was steps behind him. "My suggestion, John. Judy is warming him." She walked past John and saw that Don's eyes were open. "Don, you're awake. Good. Now we can get some warm fluids into you. John, please ask Penny to bring us some warm soup and then come back and help us get some warm clothing on him." She wrapped Don's pajamas around a metal pan she had warmed.
John felt as if he should say something – 'fatherly' – to his daughter, but words escaped him. He left to find Penny, and when he returned, he found Judy out of Don's bed and tugging her shirt over her waist. "Judy, you should leave," John told her as he and Maureen prepared to dress Don.
Judy almost rolled her eyes. "Dad, please. I just felt every naked inch of him. This is not sexual."
Maureen nodded and said, "It will take all three of us to dress him because he's still very confused… and be gentle with him."
As they pulled the clothing over his body, Don's brain thawed and he remembered who and where he was… and whom he was with… "Judy," he whispered as she buttoned his pajama top closed.
She took his face in her hands and peered into his eyes. "Don? You remember me?"
He nodded and said, "I'm cold." Maureen put a thermometer in his mouth and he quieted. After a few moments, she removed it and said, "Not as cold as you were when John dragged you back into the Jupiter... Ninety-two point six."
Penny came to the doorway of the crowded room, holding the bowl of soup. Judy took it from her hands. "Thank you, Penny."
"Is he going to be all right?" Penny asked.
Judy glanced at Don and saw that he was sitting up and shivering – a good sign. "I think so," she told her. Judy sat on the edge of Don's bed and put a spoonful of soup to his lips. He slurped and she dipped the spoon into the soup again.
"I… I can feed myself," he whispered. He tried to move his hands out from under the covers, but his fingers barely moved. It seemed as if they were sewn together.
"Don't be stubborn, Don. Just relax and let me take care of you," Judy told him. Maureen tucked the blankets around Don a bit tighter.
Don glanced at John and said, "Hapgood. We… we found his ship."
John nodded. "Dr. Smith told me. Did you see any sign of Hapgood at all?" he asked.
Don shook his head. "Um… I don't think so… but… I'm not sure…"
"Dr. Smith said that it looked as if the space ship had been abandoned."
"John," Maureen said, "You don't think Hapgood is out there – wandering around this asteroid… or worse, do you?"
"I doubt it, Maureen. I'll have the Robot do a thorough search. If there are any signs of life, he'll find them."
"I, uh, I wanted to search," Don said.
"You're not going anywhere for the next couple of days, Don," Maureen told him. "Your hands are frostbitten. I'm going to wrap them and watch them the next day or two to be sure there isn't any permanent damage."
John went to the doorway to leave, but turned back. "I believe I owe you an apology, Don. I shouldn't have allowed you to go out after Smith."
Don tried to shrug his shoulders and said, "He got a lot further than I, uh, expected. I'll… I'll be okay." John nodded, and he and his wife left the room. Don turned his attention to Judy. "So, uh, was it… was it my imagination, or were you, um, lying, um… naked… over me with your parents in the room?"
She smiled a coy, beatific smile. "I was naked, but somebody had to warm you up," she told him.
He managed a grin. "Glad it was you and not your father," he told her.
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COMMERCIAL BREAK
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There were no signs of Jim Hapgood on the asteroid – alive or dead. John could only surmise that he had landed and gone off in an alien ship – whether it was with or without his permission – John had no idea. At Don's suggestion, he tore pieces of metal off Travelin' Man and used it to patch the outer hull of the Jupiter. He and the Robot finished the last patch, and they reentered the ship to find Don arguing with Maureen that he was ready to leave the warm confines of the space ship.
"No need, Don," John told him as he jumped into the conversation. "The outdoor work is all done."
"I wanna go back to Travelin' Man and scavenge what I can," Don said.
"There isn't much to that ship, Don. It's not worth the risk," John told him.
"We won't have the chance to find components that might actually be compatible with the Jupiter again… And anything we can scavenge from that ship is more than we have."
"All right, Don. Tomorrow we'll go see what's left for us to pull out of that ship, but then we're outta here. I don't want to spend one more moment on this asteroid than we have to."
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The fuse was tough to pull out, especially since Don's hands were about as functional as Dr. Smith's on a good work day. "Got it!" Don exclaimed as he pulled the small piece out of its compartment.
"We can't stay out here much longer, Don," John shouted from outside Travelin' Man. I promised Maureen we wouldn't be more than two hours.
"Just let me pull the heater core out, and I'll be done."
John wondered if Don saw the irony in his statement. "Gonna use that in your room so you won't need my daughter's body heat anymore?"
Don almost let the remark slide… almost… Judy hadn't left his room since she had draped her almost naked self over him to warm him. The first night he had curled around the heated pots Maureen had brought him and Judy had slept behind him. They were nestled like spoons, but his mind was still too numb to take advantage of the situation. The second night, Judy had waited until everyone was asleep before she crept into his bed. She nestled into his side as he slept; his hands still bandaged and unworkable. He didn't know she was there until morning. Tonight would have been the third night, and he promised himself that he wouldn't be asleep if she entered his room again. "John…" Don emitted a string of hot air, but then he calmed himself. "John… marry us when we go back," Don said.
An answer was out of John's mouth before he opened it. "No."
Don tugged at the heater core and asked, "Why?" John didn't answer. Don tugged at the core again. It was more stubborn than the fuse had been. "I can't get it out."
John waited a beat and commented, "And that's exactly why I won't marry you and Judy tonight."
Don's first instinct was to argue with him, but he thought better of it. He needed to approach John on a rational level, not an emotional one. He had to agree that being married on an asteroid wasn't what he and Judy originally had in mind, but it was only going to be a matter of time before they would give in to their impulses. He hoped it would be with John and Maureen's blessings, but he wasn't sure how much longer they could hold out…
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"And, from the information we were able to piece together from Major Hapgood's ship, we should be landing on a habitable planet within the month," John said. With that final comment, the family meeting was done… well… almost. "Anything else?" John asked the group.
Judy cleared her throat, "Um, yes, Dad, I'd like…" Don grabbed her hand to stop her, but she went on. "We want to be married before we lift off."
"No, Judy," John replied. "This is no place for a wedding."
"But I don't care about the wedding – I just want to be married."
Penny and Will exchanged looks and she asked, "May we be excused?"
John nodded and said, "That would be a good idea."
After the children left, Judy turned to her father and said, "Dad…"
Maureen glanced at her husband and interceded. "Judy, I know you wanted to be married on the next planet we set-foot on, but this is not a planet and space is not a place for a honeymoon."
John nodded and added, "Now, I suggest that we all retreat to our cabins – our own cabins – and get a good night's sleep. We'll be lifting-off at oh-four-hundred."
Judy's frustration was building, but Don squeezed her hand and said, "We understand, John."
John nodded. "Good. See you in the morning."
John and Maureen left the room and Judy turned to Don and asked, "Why didn't you support me?"
"Because your Dad's right, Judy. This is no place for a honeymoon." He took Judy in his arms and hugged her close. "Your dad and I had a talk on our way back to the ship today. He really does understand. We have a target planet in mind, and he promised me that he will officiate at our wedding when we land there. It will only be a few more weeks."
"A lot can happen in a few weeks."
"I know… and we still have to get out of this asteroid field."
She realized he had larger things on his mind than weddings. She took his face in her hands and said, "You'll get us out of here. I have no doubt about that."
He smiled and pressed his lips to hers, and she leaned into him. Their lips parted. "Soon," he whispered to her, "Soon."
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The Jupiter was ready for lift-off. Don had barely slept as he prepared the Jupiter for her flight. Don was the last one to don his silver flight suit. He opened his door and found Judy waiting for him. She threw her arms around him and pulled him down for a kiss. "Just for luck," she told him.
"Thanks… I'm gonna need it," he responded. He left her to climb the steps to the upper deck.
John was already at the flight console. "Ready?"
"As ready as I can be," Don answered.
"All right, then. Let's go," John told him.
Don strapped in and ignited the engines. The Jupiter rose from the asteroid, and dipped strategically high and low as it avoided spinning asteroids coming from every direction. Don cursed that the Jupiter handled more like an RV than a space ship as it hurtled between the flying rocks. Two giant twin boulders approached the Jupiter, one from the left and one from the right and filled the view port… Don saw no escape route!
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End of Episode One: The Asteroid Field
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