Lost Back Story
The characters of John, Maureen, Judy, Penny, and Will Robinson, as well as Major Don West and Dr. Zachary Smith do not belong to me, and I am not making money off them... I wish that whoever does own them would like to make some money off those characters and resurrect them once again!
Introduction
This takes us back to the beginning... As described in The Alpha Control Reference Manual, written by William Anchors and Gary Stork (published in 1988), and will bring us to the brink of lift-off...
Chapter 1
A Mistake?
T Minus 4 Years and 6 Months…
Two spotlights focus on the actors in the center of the stage…
The music cues…
Laurey (Judy): "Why do they think up stories that link my name with yours?
Curly (Eddie): Why do the neighbors chatter all day, behind their doors?
Laurey:
"I know a way to prove what they say is quite untrue.
Here is the gist, a practical list of "don'ts" for you.
Don't throw bouquets at me
Don't please my folks too much
Don't laugh at my jokes too much
People will say we're in love!"
Maureen Robinson held her husband's hand and sat mesmerized by the music. It was only a high school play of the Rogers and Hammerstein musical, Oklahoma!, but the actors' talents went beyond expectations, particularly the female lead. A tear casually slid down her cheek and she wiped it away, but not before her husband squeezed her hand in comfort.
"Don't sigh and gaze at me
Your sighs are so like mine
Your eyes mustn't glow like mine
People will say we're in love!"
Professor John Robinson brought his wife's hand to his lips and returned his attention to the stage. He couldn't deny that his oldest daughter had talent, but he did not suspect that she considered it to be the key to her future. As far as he knew, Judy was still his little girl whose place was with her family.
"Don't start collecting things
Give me my rose and my glove.
Sweetheart they're suspecting things
People will say we're in love."
Penny leaned near her mother and whispered, "Isn't she great, Mommy?" Maureen nodded. "She's so pretty and Eddie is so cute," Penny added.
Curly:
"Some people claim that you are to blame as much as I
Why do you take the trouble to bake my favorite pie?
Granting your wish I carved our initials on the tree
Just keep a slice of all the advice you give so free!"
Six year old Will fidgeted in his seat. He loved his sister, but sitting through an entire play was torture. Thinking that Judy was done singing, he asked his father, "Can we go now, Dad?" John whispered back, "Just a little bit longer." Will rolled his eyes and yawned.
"Don't praise my charm too much
Don't look so vain with me
Don't stand in the rain with me
People will say we're in love!"
Maureen bit her lip to stop more tears from falling. Her eldest daughter exuded a stage presence that belied the quiet, shy child underneath. No, no longer a child, she admonished herself. Judy now had the bearing of a young lady.
"Don't take my arm too much
Don't keep your hand in mine
Your hand feels so grand in mine
People will say we're in love!"
Judy scanned the audience. Her family was in the third row and she smiled brightly at them. She would have a chance to greet them after the show, but then it would be off to the cast party with Eddie, the high school senior who played Curly. The chemistry of their stage characters had carried over into real life. Both were sorry that this was the last night of the show and Judy prayed that it would not be the end of her relationship with Eddie.
"Don't dance all night with me
Till the stars fade from above
They'll see it's alright with me
People will say we're in love!"
Perfect weather, perfect mountain, perfect woman… what more could a man ask for? Second Lieutenant Donald West repelled his way down the slope and waited for his companion to follow. It had been only two weeks since his break-up with Mia, but he had bounced back quickly, too quickly, some might say. What they didn't know was that he had seen it coming and had broken it off first, which only added to his reputation as a 'womanizer'.
Lynn O'Hara dropped to the ground beside the pilot, pumped her fist into the air and screamed, "Yeah!" She'd had her eye on Don since they started at the Air Force Academy together last year, but resisted all male advances, including his, until she established herself as a top cadet. Even though he was one of her chief rivals she promised herself that she would snare him when he became 'available,' and now was her chance.
"I can't believe it took me almost 18 months to finally try rock climbing. I loved it!" she exclaimed.
His eyes sparkled in the sun as he grinned and unhooked her cable. "I knew you'd be a natural!"
She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him towards her lips. Don's advisor at the academy had warned him against becoming involved with any woman, especially cadets, until he graduated from the academy, but he was nineteen and good-looking. That was one piece of advice he just couldn't follow.
"So, what took you so long?" he asked.
"For the rock climbing or you?" she responded.
He grinned and met her lips.
As the wedding scene unfolded before her, Maureen's tears, at first a trickle, were now a stream. The thought that this would be the only time in her life that she would see one of her daughters in a wedding gown crossed her mind. Alpha Control had announced the application process for the Colonization Mission in February. It had taken John several weeks to convince Maureen that they should apply. Now it was April and they had yet to tell the children. Doubts once again clouded her mind. How could she take her family into such a dangerous and uncertain future?
He slammed the door and walked around his Datsun 280Z. The car was as old as he was, but Don loved it. It was a gift from his parents when he entered the Academy. The interior had been in excellent condition and his first expense was the upgrading of the eight-track with a CD stereo system. He had finally completed the restoration of the engine and was planning the body work. There were dents and rust that needed to be taken care of, but he was already dreaming of the color… fire engine red.
A motorcycle roared up towards Don ridden by Captain Thomas Bryce, who had graduated from the Academy two years ago, but was assigned to stay on as the instructor for the remedial math classes. Although he had never had Don as a student, he had taken an instant dislike to him, which Don never understood. Bryce swerved and stopped close enough to the Datsun that Don had to jump on the hood to avoid being hit.
"Admiring your piece of junk, West?" Tom asked.
"She's got it where it counts, Captain Bryce," Don responded.
Bryce smirked. He took his helmet off and strode to within striking distance. "Tell me. Does Lieutenant O'Hara have it where it counts?"
Don's hands curled into fists.
"Go ahead, Lieutenant," Bryce goaded. "My teaching assignment is done in a few weeks and I'm off to Houston. This might be your last chance."
Oh, he was tempted. It took every ounce of his control to refrain from taking a swing, but he was in a special three-year program and knew that hitting a superior officer would be a one-way ticket out of the Academy, crushing his dream of entering the United States Space Corps. "Unlike you, Captain, I'm a gentleman, and gentlemen don't kiss and tell."
Maureen descended the steps after checking on the children and sighed. Penny was only seven years old and Will had recently turned six. How would they deal with intergalactic travel? Her biggest concern was Judy. She would be on the brink of adulthood when they would be on that space flight. Maureen entered the kitchen and boiled water for two cups of tea. John was in the den, mulling over a report he had brought home from his office at Alpha Control. She placed his cup on his desk and pulled a chair up next to him.
"Thank you, darling," John said.
She smiled and sipped from her cup. "John?"
He turned and gave her his full attention. "What did I do?"
"Oh, it's not you. It's the children. Watching Judy on the stage tonight made me wonder… are we making a mistake?"
"About what?"
"Applying for the colonization mission."
"Maureen, we've talked about this. We've decided."
"No, you decided. I'm as interested in space colonization as you are, but how can we ask our children to give up the life they have here?"
"They're children, Maureen. They go where we go."
"Judy's not such a child anymore. When she was standing on that stage in the wedding dress, I realized that it could be her only chance of ever wearing one."
"Oh, if that's all you're worried about, bring a dress along. There will be other families in the colonization program eventually. She's bound to meet up with a nice young man some day. That's if we're even chosen to be the first family for the program."
"I hope you're right, John."
John placed a hand on her shoulder. "I know how you feel, Maureen. I've had my doubts too."
They sat in silence as they drank their tea. It comforted her to know that he shared her concern about taking their family on this mission.
John placed his cup on the desk. "Maureen, it's time to tell the children that we've applied. General Bowers said Alpha Control will be announcing the chosen family in less than six weeks."
"Let's give them a few more days. I want Judy to settle back into life without the play before we hit her with this news. Speaking of Judy, I'm worried that she's not home yet. It's past her curfew."
"It's a special night for her, Maureen. I extended her curfew to two a.m. She asked me for some extra time to enjoy herself before her life gets back to normal."
"John, you should have consulted me first! She's with that boy, Eddie. He's three years older than she!"
"And he's been driving for two years. She'll be fine, Maureen."
"Driving isn't all that I'm worried about," Maureen stated.
"Just a sip, Judy, you won't get drunk," Eddie stated.
Judy looked around and saw the rest of the cast and crew, dancing, drinking and… making out. As much as she had loved being in the play, she still felt out of place when not in costume. She promised herself that she would do all she could to fit in, and, when Eddie showed an interest in her off stage, she thought he would be her ticket into the real world of her peers. Now she wasn't so sure.
"All right," Judy replied, "but just a sip."
Eddie held the glass up to her lips and she swallowed what was more of a gulp than a sip of champagne.
"Oh, it tickles!" she giggled.
"Here, one more sip."
Before she knew it, he had poured the contents of the rest of the flute into her mouth. It didn't take long for its effects to overcome her. This was the first time she had ever had alcohol. She liked the feeling at first, but when the dizziness hit her, she wasn't so sure.
Eddie placed the flute down and led her to a darkened corner of the room. He pulled her into his lap and held her close. She was only a sophomore and he was a senior, but she was one of the (if not the) most beautiful girls in Houston High School. He ferociously kissed her and forced his tongue between her teeth.
She snapped her head back, "Oh!"
He laughed. "Never French kissed before?"
She wasn't about to let him know how innocent she was. "I was just surprised, that's all."
He continued to devour her lips and his hand wandered to her breast. He felt the soft curve under her blouse and let his hand travel to her thigh. Warning sirens screamed in her head. How far was she willing to go to 'fit in'? Even in her tipsy state, she knew that she wasn't ready for where he was leading her. Her hand automatically pulled his away from her leg.
"Come on, Judy. I just want to fool around, that's all," he mumbled.
"I can't, Eddie. I have to get home."
"Just a little longer. Your father said two o'clock. We still have fifteen minutes."
'Fifteen minutes,' she thought. 'A lot could happen in fifteen minutes!'
He continued to kiss her, but all she could think about were her parents and she kept pushing him away, so he finally gave up and agreed to leave. Besides, he liked her enough to take her out again. There would be plenty of time for them to fool around. He still had six weeks until graduation and the summer to be with her. Then it would be off to New York City for college. He'd have plenty of time to wear her down.