NOTE: This story takes place where the series left off, with the Jupiter departing the Junk Planet. I tried to incorporate some new ideas while using background information for what the fourth season would have been like, and some material from early script drafts. I do not own the characters; just enjoy seeing what might happen to them in their fourth year of being hopelessly lost. I apologize if updates are not frequent.
Anyhow, here it is:
The system was enveloped in an eerie, luminescent cloud, masking its single planet from view. For centuries ships of all shapes and sizes had drifted into the cloud, pulled by a magnetic beam to the surface of the planet.
Yet something was coming out, the first object to leave the system in 700 cycles.
It was small, insignificant by galactic standards, resembling a large silver plate with a small tapered assembly on one side and a transparent dome on the other.
Inside the dome was a slightly smaller dome, inside which was a tiny model connected to a gyroscopic platform which was encircled by a small astrocompass. The model was squat and circular, with black lines running down its sides in spiral patterns, representing a stable hypermagnetic ion field.
The model mimicked the larger craft's shape and movement in precise detail, slowly moving up and down with the motion of the ship. Below the model, a miniature navigation system processed the data the ship's NGS scanner was projecting, and fed it into the spaceship's electronic brain. Its assignment completed, the smaller dome containing the ship model and gyroscopic navigation system retracted back into the bowels of the ship, replaced by a swirling scanner module, which begun to spin rapidly. Space warped, and the small ship sped into hyper-drive, leaving only a faint deutronium- ion trail to indicate it was ever there, which dissipated into ionic particles that drifted deeper into the cloud. Only a careful survey could detect anything unusual about the alien ions, drifting endlessly through space…
Dr. Zachary Smith watched the cloud recede through a viewport. He felt no nostalgia for the glowing point of light that was that system, or for any of the nearby stars, though he had only visited a few. The only planet he would be truly happy to see would be Earth, or the homeworld of any civilization willing to take him to Earth. But that dream might never be fulfilled. On the semi-bright side, more chances to work on his memoirs this way, he thought. He pulled out his alien quill pen that he gathered on the planet Xentarus, with its poor excuse for ink, and began to write. "And so concludes my encounter with the deadly junk planet, in which I saved the robot from a fiery death, in which he repaid me by making false claims about my…." Smith was interrupted by a voice from outside the alcove, belonging to Major Don West, the expedition's pilot. "Smith" he said, annoyed at the doctor as usual. "What is it, Major?" responded Smith.
"Will needs your help checking the Robot's logistic circuits, I told him you couldn't repair a dehumidifying unit let alone a delicate cybernetic brain, but Professor Robinson insisted."
"Indeed" replied Smith. "I have no intention of repairing that Incorrect Inhuman Automaton, though I'll have you know I just repaired the Dehumidifying unit behind my cabin last week, and that I've reprogrammed the robot many times in the past. Most of what you see in him today is my work, though I can hardly say I'm proud of it."
"Yeah right, you programmed him to only obey your voice"
"That was a long time ago, Major, and a purely innocent mistake, but I can't promise that if I reprogrammed him again, the same things wouldn't happen- now if you'll excuse me I shall retire to my quarters."
Smith turned to leave, but was blocked by Major West.
"Nobody's asking you to reprogram him, just check his logic circuits," said West, his tone sharpening.
"Can't you assign me some other job, my back is extremely delicate today."
West was getting more and more annoyed. After 3 years of living with Smith, he found it almost impossible to get him to do anything.
"You were well enough to carry those diamonds you found on the planet to the ship half a mile away, so I think you can handle this assignment."
"But, you would do far better testing the robot than I would, I've always been impressed with your mechanical skill."
"Oh on second thought I will give you another assignment, I can test the robot while you can chart gaseous anomalies in that cloud we passed through. You can sit in the chair the whole time controlling the computer, it will be simple for an intellect as 'advanced' as yours."
"On second thought, I think I will test the robot- you would do far better at charting space phenomena than I."
Smith hurried down the small flight of stairs leading to the lower deck, leaving Major West alone on the control deck. Shaking his head, he returned to the control console. He wondered what they would find next. In their travels they had encountered everything from seemingly ordinary humans to creatures so alien that he couldn't even begin to comprehend how they had evolved in the first place. But, in all their travels, they never found the one thing they were looking for, the way to Alpha Centauri.
3 years ago, (by their time that is, there was no telling how much time had elapsed on Earth, after so many time warps and travels at near light speed), Earth was dying. The Jupiter program, the result of over 40 years of research, was established by Alpha Control to attempt to explore and colonize the distant worlds of Alpha Centauri, the only system within range of current technology that could support human life in its present form. It all seemed so glorious; each family would have their own spaceship, their own robot, and would set out to discover the secrets of deep space, while helping to build the foundations of the future. And indeed it was glorious, especially to someone like West. As a child he had always dreamed of visiting deep space. And he was thrilled by the possibility of visiting Alpha Centauri.
But he might never visit Alpha Centauri at this rate. He might not even see Earth again.
Nevertheless, he had learned to enjoy the solitude of space, and to treat the other members of the expedition as family. Even Smith, though he would never admit it.
Don was so lost in thought that he didn't realize the small spherical object attaching itself to the hull. He could not realize it even if he had been watching carefully, for the object did not even register on his radar screen. It would only be visible for one millionth of a second- not enough time for the automatic scanners to register anything unusual. West adjusted a dial and turned back to the communications station.
"Do you need some help?" came a voice. Don turned around to see the familiar face of Judy Robinson in the glide tube elevator
"Sure," said Don. Judy had some kind of special gift with alien signals- something that she had gained on the first planet they ever landed on. Don remembered it clearly. They were on their way back to the spaceship after crossing an Inland sea, and they had stopped in a tropical region of the planet to give thanks. Judy had wandered off for a minute- and when she returned, she started to act strange. Apparently she acted as a sort of lighting rod for alien transmissions, allowing them to communicate with the Robinsons through her. But this also made her susceptible to alien takeovers of a hostile intent. That had created a problem once, when alien plants had hypnotized her and lured her into their clutches. But that was over now.
Don activated a Comm channel. Usually all that he got on this frequency was electromagnetic space static, which Will and the Robot referred to as Space Music. But, if one listened to it long enough, they might just pick up signals. But the 2 times they had actually responded to signals, problems ensued. Don wondered just how safe space really was.
"So where should we start?" asked Judy, crossing the upper deck and switching on the computranslator.
"Well," said Don "we'll try that galaxy over there, that's where Will and I picked up some unusual readings".
"What kind of readings?" asked Judy.
Don explained how he and Will were doing a routine galaxy check when they picked up a large structure, just drifting in space.
"Could it be a ship?"
"Well if it is it blows anything we've seen before out of the water."
Don switched on the monitor, displaying an image of a greenish elliptical galaxy, 2 times larger than the Milky Way.
"There are also several planets, they could provide a source of Deutronium," said Don.
"Dr. Smith told me we wouldn't need Deutronium anymore with his new 'invention'," replied Judy.
"Now don't tell me he's started experimenting with rocket fuels again."
"Dad told me he'd take care of it."
"Well I sure hope Professor Robinson knows that where Smith is concerned, don't trust anything he says," replied Don "I don't see how you all put up with him, Judy."
"Sometimes I don't either," said Judy "But he is like family, when you think about it."
"I guess," said Don "Well, there's a black star coming up, we can slingshot around it to accelerate us to the next galaxy."
They both made their way to the deck's Central Astrogator and began plotting a course.
"Stay out of its event horizon," said Judy "or time will start to pass quicker for us, according to the Robot."
"Hey- I'm an officer in the United States Space Corps, I know how to avoid dangerous space phenomena."
"The dozen crash landings we've had say otherwise" said Judy smiling.
Don smiled too. "Well, we could walk away from all of those, and you know what they say about landings."
Outside the ship, the stars seemed to stand eternally still despite the constant motion. The Jupiter 2 bobbed up and down in space like a balloon thrown into the water. Though sometimes the cosmic winds would push it in directions its crew did not want to go. But the Jupiter 2 was not alone.
The Sphere that followed the Jupiter was less than a foot wide, semitransparent and pulsating with an eerie light. It searched the underside of the great ship, looking in a port at 2 strangely shaped pinkish creatures next to one large silver flashing entity.
It moved away, entering through a disposal hatch.
At that moment, on the Lower deck, Smith was checking the Robot's programming.
In his opinion, it was a waste of time, but it beat sitting on the upper deck charting gas clouds for 3 hours.
"Now then, you Deprogrammed Deanimated Dunce, you're as accurate as you ever were, though I would hardly say you ever were. Back on that junkyard planet, you described me as 100 percent fat. No creature could be made entirely of fat- it's ludicrous. And then there was that business with 'Levinty Leven'. But I can hardly blame you. After all, you're not really sentient, you don't know what monstrous miscomputed misinformation comes out of your transparent bubble brain."
The Robot, a Class M3, Model B9 General Utility Non Theorizing Environmental Control Robot did not reply. To do so would be pointless. Will Robinson, however, did.
"Come on, Dr. Smith, the Robot was damaged-his transistors twisted, and still getting used to all of his new alien parts. You have to understand that."
"Very well, William." He walked over to the robot "Just you wait…."
Maureen Robinson was working with Penny in the laboratory when the sphere entered. Penny was the first to notice.
"What is that?" asked Penny
"Well I don't know," replied Maureen examining the glowing sphere. "We don't have anything like that onboard. It must have come in through the waste disposal hatch, Will?"
"Yes, Mom?" said Will, still reconnecting a new side panel to the robot.
"Please tell me this is one of your experiments" Maureen replied, not believing it, but still having to try.
Neither had time to react any further. The sphere sprung across the deck. The Robot moved into battle mode.
"Everyone report to your cabins," said Maureen "And lock the doors- until we know what we're dealing with, you better stay where it's safe."
On the upper deck Judy was the first to notice the hatches closing.
"Don, were being sealed in."
Don moved to the ladder- but it was too late, the heavy-duty hatch had shut.
"Maureen calling Upper Deck- Maureen calling Upper Deck"
"This is Don- Judy's up here too- what's going on?"
"The Lower levels have been sealed off due to an alien object entering the ship," said Maureen, tense. "We're all safe, but don't come down here."
"How long will this last?" asked Judy.
"I wish I knew- John?"
John Robinson's voice came over the intercom.
"Myself and the Robot will come out in a few minutes, see if its safe- if it is then we'll analyze that alien sphere- and see what it wants here."
Smith heard this over the intercom and was not pleased. The Jupiter was cramped enough, but his cabin was even smaller. But this way he had more time to work on his experiments without the Robinsons knowing- Experiments that might lead to a trip to Earth.
He pulled out of his closet the artifact he had found on the junkyard planet. It was a hoop like object about twice as wide as he was.
"Take me to Earth," he said.
There was a humming noise- but not from the device. It was the emergency alarm.
The Jupiter 2 shook back and forth.
"John you're not really going to go out there," said Maureen worriedly
"I have to."
"Well then I'm coming too," she said, grabbing a Laser Pistol. They opened the hatch. But what they saw was not the familiar lower deck. It had been converted into a giant maze of spheres similar to the one that had entered the ship.
John and Maureen were surrounded.
On the Upper Deck, Don struggled to control the ship.
"We're heading into a space warp," he declared.
Will donned his Space Suit. He knew he had to help.
"Will Robinson- you must not leave your cabin," said the Robot
Will pulled his power pack "I'm sorry Robot," he said, placing the power pack on his suits belt.
Opening his cabin hatch, he felt a moment of disorientation- then he realized the airlock was open. There was a brief pause- then he and the robot were sucked into space.
At the center of the lower deck- the spheres had all left, going out the airlock as well, leaving John and Maureen alone in the lower deck. John hurried to the hatch, closing it- then collapsing on the ground.
"What happened," he thought as he awoke.
"Will and the Robot- they're gone" said Penny, horrified.
Over the intercom, Don's voice came. "John- if we don't activate the escape rockets now- we'll never make it out."
"We're not leaving without my son," said John.
Don counted down in his head "7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1"
Suddenly, the Jupiter 2 hurtled into the starry void beyond, out of control.
Will looked up. He was floating in a vast void. "Robot?"
He saw the Robot floating nearby and reactivated him. They were both unaware that they were not alone, that they were being watched, by something different than anything they had ever encountered. They were lost, but not alone.
TO BE CONTINUED….