-This Lost in Space fanfiction is a reworking of Richard Matheson's "Mother by Protest" short story. I took a good deal of material from it and worked in the LIS characters. I also included dialog from the LIS episode "Follow the Leader". I just thought it would make an interesting story to mash up with the Robinsons. This story takes place in the first season of LIS, in the first few episodes since the show was more serious at that point. Also, I like the idea of a more serious Dr. Smith.-
Chapter 1: The Light.
For the last couple of weeks the Robinsons noticed the odd night showers of light and meteors—cosmic storms. They had yet to find a reason for the showers. And since no answer had been found, all seven passengers of the Jupiter II were on a strict schedule of being inside the ship by nightfall. Of course the ship's force field aided in further damage to the vessel, but once outside the force's radius they could not be protected from the meteors hurling towards the planet or the unusual flashes of light.
Maureen and Judy finished setting the table for dinner, when Maureen called the family in. Dr. Smith was first one in, followed by Don, and John who kissed Maureen on the forehead.
"Well, where's Will and Penny?" Maureen asked. Usually they came running for dinner.
John looked around and back to Maureen, "I thought they were helping you."
Maureen shook her head, "I thought they were with you." She turned to Judy, "Judy, have you seen your brother and sister?"
Judy, who was pulling her chair up to the table next to Don, answered, "No, I haven't seen either one since about lunch time."
"Mr. Smith, have you seen them?" Maureen asked Dr. Smith, really concerned this time.
Smith, was tucking his napkin into his collar, annoyed at Mrs. Robinson and the thought of those little brats holding up dinner. "No, my dear," he answered with an air of snobbery.
John rubbed his wife's shoulder, "Maybe they're in their rooms. You check there and I'll check outside the ship."
Maureen and John departed hastily, only to return a couple of minutes later. Judy watched from the table at her panicked parents. It was not unusual for Penny and Will to disappear, in fact it happened fairly often. But this time was different—with the strange showers at night and the way Mother and Father looked.
Maureen's distress turned into quick anger, "I told those two deliberately that they had to be back here before dark!"
John only shook his head, thinking about his next course of action, Maureen was on the verge of tears. Judy left the table to comfort her mother. She placed an arm around Maureen's waist.
"Mother, they'll be back. They always come back."
"Yeah, Maureen," Don approved, now standing between John and Judy.
"It's just been so dangerous out there at night lately," Maureen stated softly.
"We'll have to go search for them," John said to Don.
"Right," Don agreed. "We still have a few minutes before night. I'll get the chariot. It should hold up against the showers for long enough."
John nodded in agreement and Don rushed off. John held his wife by the shoulders and looked into her eyes, "Stay here. We'll go look for them. They can't be far."
"Alright, dear," Maureen said, wiping tears from her eyes.
John kissed her and headed to the ship's door. Before he whisked out into the dusk of their new planet, he turned to Maureen, "Now, stay put. We'll find them. And Judy stay with your mother."
Maureen and Judy no longer felt like eating, so they waited in the cabin while Dr. Smith gorged himself on the family's dinner. Judy tried to occupy her mother by playing cards, but Maureen's mind was elsewhere. "Don't worry, Mother. Dad will bring them back."
Maureen threw her cards onto the table. "Oh, I know. But a mother can't help worrying about her children." She looked at her watch, "Maybe you should go to bed, I'll wait up for them."
"Mother, I can't leave you by yourself."
Maureen gave her daughter a weak smile.
The minutes soon turned into hours. Dr. Smith, unworried about the children, went to bed, while Judy accidently fell asleep in a chair. Maureen was up, pacing the room. She could take it no longer. Her mother's intuition told her she could find her children. She grabbed her laser gun and holster, and left the ship, being sure to not wake Judy—Judy would try to stop her. Maureen, while pacing the room, had calculated the rhythm at which the meteors fell. If she ran at certain times, between the pauses in showers, she could seek refuge when the meteors fell and search for her children when they let up.
xx
Judy was rudely awakened by her father shaking her.
"Judy! Judy!"
Through a yawn she responded, "I'm awake."
Her hazy eyes spotted her father standing there with Don, Penny and Will—all unharmed.
"Judy, where's your mother?" John boomed.
"She must have went to bed," Judy answered, unsure.
"I've checked our quarters, she's not there. She isn't anywhere on the ship," John shouted, feeling himself getting angry at Judy when it wasn't her fault. "Oh, I'm sorry Judy. I don't mean to take it out on you."
"John," Don said. John let go of Judy and turned to look at Don. "Maureen's gun's gone from the rack."
John looked around the ship, "So is her space suit. She must have went out to search for Will and Penny." He clenched his fists. "After I told her not to leave!" Feeling softer he turned to the children, "You should go to bed." And then to himself, "And she wonders where they get their adventurous nature."
Judy looking at her father, shuffled Penny and Will to their chambers. Don reassured John, "Maureen's a smart woman. She knows what she's doing."
"Yes, but it's a strange planet."
"Let's go after her," Don began.
"No. Not yet. It's almost dawn," John said, calmly, looking out of the ship's viewport. "It'll be easier."
Daylight began to peek and John had almost went to sleep sitting in his captain's chair. He looked over at Major West who was sleeping with his legs propped on the ship's controls. John let the Major sleep and headed out into the early light to look for his wife.
Judy didn't get much sleep if any at all—worrying about her mother. She decided to get up anyway and start breakfast, even if no one would be awake yet. However, Dr. Smith would definitely be ready for breakfast at the usual time, to which Judy rolled her eyes.
As Judy sat the coffee pot on the table, John barreled through the ship's entrance, carrying an unconscious Maureen. "Mother!" Judy shouted, running toward them and waking Don. "Is she alright?"
John kneeled to lay Maureen on the ship's floor. "I think she'll be okay. She's unconscious. Something must have knocked her out. Where's Dr. Smith?" John demanded, rushing to find him.
Judy took her Mother's head to give her still body cushion against the cold floor. Don helped her—taking Maureen's boots and dusty coat off.
By the time Will and Penny woke, Dr. Smith had complied with John's plead to help Maureen. Dr. Smith had stabilized Maureen, hooking her to an oxygen tank. She was awake now, though weak and tired. And as far as Dr. Smith—with the help of the robot—could tell there were no signs of damage or anything at all wrong with Maureen except dehydration. John impatiently waited outside their compartment. Dr. Smith came out. "Well, Doctor, is she alright?"
"Yes, but she needs her rest. And you owe for this one. Be grateful that Mrs. Robinson is the only one aboard I can tolerate," he snapped.
John ignored Dr. Smith and went in to see his wife. She lay on the bed, looking fragile and pale. She removed the oxygen mask. John sat on the edge of the bed and took her hand.
"I'm sorry, John. But I had to look for them. They're—"
He kissed her hand. "It's alright, Maureen. As long as you're safe now. I wouldn't trade your stubbornness for anything—even if it means our children are like you," he joked.
Maureen gave a frail laugh.
"Maureen, what happened out there, I mean to you? It doesn't look like a meteor struck you," John asked, examining her body.
"I'm not sure really. There was a sudden flash of white light. It came over all of a sudden. I tried to run from it. And, then, something hit me. John, it felt like a needle going through by body. That's all I can remember. But I don't feel anything now. And I'm sure if I get a good sleep I'll be good as new," she assured her husband.
He was quizzical, "Are you sure you feel fine Maureen?"
"I'm sure," she answered, rubbing his arm.
"Perhaps, it was some kind of electrical energy that went through you. And maybe your gun refracted it—from killing you." There was a long pause as John was thinking again. "I'll let you rest now. I'll tell the children you're fine."