Chapter 1
Humidity was high at that time of day. Beads of sweat weren't even enough to cool them, and instead trickled down their foreheads and backs like warm, bath water. Although, it probably would've been a lot worse if the group weren't sheltered under a canopy of trees. Maureen Robinson, knowing how imaginative her daughter was, had once asked Penny to describe such trees. She would smile dreamily, a far away look in her eyes, and say,
"The air is rich with the fragrance of fern and heather, like the ones that had gathered around the back of our Earth home. The canopy of leaves covers most of the sky, so even hours after it rains, the soil is still damp… oh, and there's this lovely, mysterious fog that I'm certain you can get lost in for hours but not even care. It's like a paradise for people like us in there."
And now, Penny felt happier than ever as she skipped through the thin mist and meandered around the thick trees. Even now at the ripe age of seventeen, Penny still had her same old imagination. It's like she was still eleven on the inside, still playful, still childish and everything.
Will, on the other hand, had aged maturely, as Dr Smith calls it. He had grown a faint beard, shaving it every so often so it wouldn't grow too much, and his hair was longer than it used to be. His personality had changed as well, unlike Penny's. He was now sensible and, sometimes, a bit dull, but that didn't stop him from being overly curious at times.
"Slow down child, wait for your elders!" Dr Smith called from a distance, and Penny skidded to a halt. She had almost forgotten he was there.
"How many times do I have to tell you, Penny dear, I am not as fit as I used to and ought to be," he panted, hurrying over.
Penny let out a small smirk, as did Will, who had also joined them, and the two exchanged glances. The robot appeared from behind Dr Smith, a strange noise coming from its sphered head. Laughter.
"Quiet you cybernetic simpleton," Dr Smith snapped at him.
"Come on, Dr Smith. I promise it's not far," Penny pleaded, pulling his jacket gently, like a young child would.
"Promise 'what' is not too far?" Dr Smith stood up, straightening his jacket.
"I agree with Dr Smith. What is it you're taking us to see?" Will asked, crossing his arms.
His voice was no longer the high-pitched, childish tone it used to be. Now it was deep, and certainly matched his looks and features better than his old voice. Although, it did make Penny laugh out loud after the first time it happened, and many times to follow that. She had only recently gotten over it, in fact.
"Well yesterday I found this old, abandoned small town or something like that. The houses were all crumbling and forgotten about, and it looked rather interesting to me. I was going to explore, but I simply couldn't," she explained, continuing their journey, only walking this time.
"Why not?" Will asked.
"Because it was getting late and I would be late for supper, silly" she rolled her eyes.
"My sensors can detect an alien lifeform ahead," the robot tonelessly said suddenly.
"How can that be? I-I checked the town, there was no one there. And how can anyone live in a place like that, it's far to run-down. Robot, are you sure your sensors aren't playing up?" Penny asked, confused.
"Negative, I am certain there is an alien lifeform ahead," the robot repeated, "It appears to be sleeping… or perhaps deactivated."
"Deactivated? Oh, Will you must simply sort your robot out. I'm am positive that there is nothing living there," Penny turned her head to face Will.
"Maybe Penny Robinson is correct. This mist might be messing with my circuits," Robot said, his head bobbing up and down twice.
Penny smiled, recognising where they were, and pushed a few large leaves away, revealing the remains of an old, crumbling, desolate town, just as she had promised…