The time of Autumn rolled around.
There was mildly cold weather and the sign of fall coming there would normally be leaves.
But the planet they were trapped on didn't have leaves.
It was a endearing aspect of Earth that she missed not just the food that didn't have to be rationed. She missed hearing the voice of the phone operator when making a call. She missed seeing people bundled up for the weather. She missed using a rake to gather the leaves into a pile helping her parents. Judy didn't seem to miss that. Will missed it the most even with the fun and the responsibilities they had that they still would have on Alpha Centauri. Colorful uniforms that was easily replicated and repaired by the machinery. Will was sitting down on the edge of a boulder looking up toward the sky. Smith was enjoying the twin moons pouring light at that time of night. At night, the temperature was even better. Their parents allowed it with the Robot's watchful eye on them keeping guard.
They trusted Doctor Smith but not under the cover of night due to what happened, earlier.
Another hour and they would have to go in retiring for the night.
"I miss Autumn," Penny said.
Will looked down toward Penny.
"Me too," Will said. "Come up here," he patted on the boulder. "The sight's better up here."
Penny gazed at the unfamiliar stars.
Stars that she had been becoming familiar to over the past several months.
The cosmic sand pits, the alien dogs, the giant one eyed cyclops, the large alien flowers, the platinum bushes, the ostriches, the thorny tortoises, and the monkeys with pointy large ears. Nebby was in her bed fast asleep covered by a blanket. The Taurons inconvenienced the Robinson family often. The trees were almost dead like. There were only dead, burned branches where nothing grew. It was like an eternal fall that would never end with deserts around them. Pieces of civilizations all around them. But did they ever have fall? Smith theorized that, "This planet likely has never experienced fall. It would be terrifying if it did. Unknown, scary beasts coming out of the leaves just to catch us off guard. . ." while warily looking around as he escorted her to the Jupiter two. She missed seeing leaves flying away because of the wind. It was depressing that she would never see it again on this planet. Saddening. The garden didn't count as the leaves never fell off. Penny climbed up onto the boulder.
"Any planet up there could be Alpha Centauri," Will said. "It might have trees."
"Trees?" Penny asked.
"We get to rake the leaves up and put them far away from our front yard," Will said. "And jump into them in our spot!"
"Jumping into a leaf pile . . ." Penny said, as her eyes gazed toward the stars.
"Not never ending," Will said. "Not a danger to anyone at all."
"The sky is beautiful tonight," Penny said. "I wonder if it's beautiful down there."
"Who knows?" Will said, with a shrug. "It could be."
Penny closed her eyes.
The young girl visualized leaves falling from the branches. Drifting down to the grass. In her fall gear waving her arms and legs repeatedly. The orange, yellow, and brown leaves in the form of a large mound around her. The grass being covered by orange and yellow sea of leaves across from her. The sound the leaves made being swept by a rake made Penny feel warm inside. The 1990's of streets being coated in leaves from the line of trees planted in the sidewalk. Squirrels running about on the leaf littered area on large fields of grass planting their nuts. Black and orange squirrels having a skirmish running off from the hidden nut. A smile grew on her face as wind brushed against her. She opened her eyes once feeling a hand shaking her shoulder.
"We have to go," Will said. "Robot says we have stayed our curfew."
"I am getting up, you big bag of poop," Smith said, closing the reclinable chair. "Listen up, you don't tell me what to do. I tell you what to do."
"Professor Robinson informed me that in the children's care that I am authorized to do so, Doctor Smith," the robot said.
Smith tucked his eye fold into his pocket.
"Authorized to disturb me from a peaceful night out," Smith said, as Penny slid off the boulder.
Penny helped Will down from the boulder.
"That does not compute," the robot said.
"Sure it doesn't," Smith said. "to think you were programmed to know what a peaceful night out is," he turned his attention onto the children. "Come, children, before our night gets ruined by a werewolf."
Will looked at Smith in skepticism while Penny looked longingly at a tree. A very dead tree.
"There is no werewolves on Priplanus," Will said.
"And then there was," Smith said.
"Not anymore," Will said.
"Point is, don't be arrogant that something does not exist," Smith said. "because it will make itself exist," then he added. "Don't make that mistake."
Smith walked on.
"Penny Robinson, come along," the robot said.
"I am coming," Penny said.
Her heavy eyes closed. One moment she was on Priplanis then the next she was on Earth. The dark clouds above in the sky. The leaves crunching under her shoes. In reality, she had landed against the robot against the back. Smith stopped in his tracks noticing the lack of Penny's occupied footsteps. Smith returned then handed his chair to Will. Children, of all people, underestimating themselves that they won't fall asleep at night when stargazing. It was practically easy even for adults. Smith picked up the young girl into his arms then made his way to the Jupiter two. Smith felt like a babysitter to the two youngest children. They left boot prints behind that were shortly covered by sand.
The End.