Waltz of the Ninnies
Fandom: Lost In Space
Rating: PG 13
Disclaimer: I own neither Dr Zacharry Smith nor the Robot - CBS does
Dr. Zachary Smith gracefully swung away from his partner, balancing at the edge of his reach for one miniscule moment.
"My Metallic Friend, you really are so much more… powerful than you realise," he murmured in wonderment; as The Robot swung him deftly back to its cylindrical chest in time to the music.
"So deliciously Strong!"
"It. Is. My. Duty. And. My. Pleasure," the machine beeped back.
Without missing a beat, The Robot then hooked one of it's clawed arms across Smith's slender back. He suppressed a sigh, pressing his face briefly into the machine's red-flashing speaker, diodes dancing like faerie lights through the lids of his closed eyes.
Just for one sweet second…
With a perfect pirouette, The Robot swung away again, and Smith expertly responded in kind. Joined claw to hand, they advanced a few steps, turned, retreated, then came together again.
"I feel most honoured by your company tonight, you Scintillating Technological Masterpiece," Smith breathed, moving cheek-to-metal-shoulder.
"This. Night. Is. Still. Young," answered The Robot.
For a few moments, they danced as one, tracing a smoothly choreographed pattern on the mosaic tiles of the floor. Smith felt the thrum and rhythm of the machine's inner workings, felt them reverberate through the metal skin and against his own. An electronic heart, beating in time with his.
His upraised hand curled its fingers more securely around the claw that it held, and the claw responded by tightening ever so slightly, so gently. He spread his other hand across the broad metal back, exploring its corrugations with his fingertips. As the two of them moved back and forth, he felt as though the rhythm of the dance was rocking him, rocking him into a peaceful oblivion
This is bliss… Smith thought. Truly I feel as if I am dancing my way through the Elysian Fields…
Four more steps, three… two… one. With a practiced turn, man and robot parted once again - hand and claw. Smith gazed rapturously at the thing of beauty that was his dance partner, whilst executing a perfect stop.
The stillness lasted just a moment, and then in perfect rhythm man and robot circled back into each other's arms again.
"I am your enraptured captive, you Aluminium Brute," Smith breathed. "Take me, before I expire from the pain of my heartache…"
"Very. Well," replied The Robot. "It. Will. Be. My. Pleasure."
The music suddenly faded as they broke their hold, moving apart so that they stood face to face to each other across the floor. Smith bowed, and the gesture was mimicked with a deft nod from his partner.
"May I?" he asked, holding out his hand.
"It. Will. Be. An. Honour," The Robot intoned, raising both claws.
Trembling in anticipation, Smith approached - and took The Robot's proffered claws, bowing his head as he kissed them. Focused as he was on the thrall of the moment, he did not notice his partner's speaker-lights suddenly flash blue. Nor did he see it raise a now oddly hoof-like claw - bringing it neatly down upon the crown of his head.
As Dr. Zachary Smith fell, the scenery melted away. The elegant dance arena, with its Romanesque mosaic floors faded away into a dusty desert. Where The Robot stood was now a creature resembling a large ochre-yellow goat, with green horns, a pageboy haircut - and a white-skinned face with hook-nosed, hag-like features. It raised a foreleg - and with a squeeze of a rubbery, orange-coloured hoof it activated a small black box-like instrument, into which it next spoke with a nasal voice:
"Field Watcher Menekhet reporting for the conclusion of phase five point nine of the Experiment". It said, "The illusion ray, the hypnosis mist and the pheromone beam have been tested in tandem. The subject has apparently displayed the predicted results. The test session has been recorded for analysis. Requesting further instructions."
After a moment, a reply crackled back from the box. Menekhet grunted her acknowledgement, and squeezed the device again between her hooves. Turning to Smith, she noticed the human was recovering. He was already sitting up, rubbing his head and moaning to himself - "Oh the Pain… the Pain…" - Menekhet gave the box another little squeeze, and the air shimmered for a moment.
Smith closed his eyes again, and flopped back onto the sand.
The alien grunted in satisfaction. Now that test was over, he would make an interesting new addition to their menagerie…
The End