An Evening Out:

By mid afternoon, both the weather and relay stations had been set up and tested and, much to Doctor Smith's delight, they rode back to the Jupiter 2 in the chariot. Soon before the Robinsons were due to leave for the Lamotia camp, Will sat with Doctor Smith in front of the viewport and tried to convince him to accompany them.

"I don't understand why you won't come along, Doctor Smith. You'll have a great time."

"William, my dear boy," Smith began, making another attempt to sway the young lad to his way of thinking. "In this life there are those who meet certain standards, and those who do not. Unfortunately for you, this planet lacks the pomp and circumstance of cultured and aristocratic individuals. Back on Earth, I was always in the circles of diplomats and royalty, well removed from the likes of people with such lowly stature."

"What does that got to do with anything, Doctor Smith?" asked Will, for once, not going along with what he was being told. "Brina's father is the leader of their clan. That seems pretty aristocratic to me."

"These people are beneath you, William. Just look at the way they dress. Uncultured and savage, I tell you."

"That's not a very nice thing to say, Doctor Smith. Brina is my friend, she's not a savage and I don't care how she dresses. Brina and her family are just as intelligent as we are. They dress in skins, because that's all they have," said Will, frustration and hurt evident in his voice. "Maybe Don is right. All you seem to care about is how others make you look, or what you can get from them."

Without another word, the young teen grabbed his guitar and stomped out of the ship.

"William, I…"

"You really know how to make friends and influence people," quipped the Major. He and Judy had just ascended in the elevator and had witnessed most of what had just transpired. Don had chosen to wear his Air Force dress blues and Judy had a gown that Maureen had made her last year which closely resembled the dress she had asked for with the wishing machine.

"Spare me your irrelevant observations, Major. I was just concerned for the boy's reputation as a gentleman."

"You know what I find refreshing about this?" asked West, clearly enjoying himself. "Will has grown up enough to see you for what you really are."

"Indeed, Major! Miss Judy, clearly you are a person with culture and exquisite taste, are you going to allow your future husband to behave in such a rude and callous way?"

"I'm sorry Doctor Smith, I don't mean to seem ungrateful to you, for saving my life the other day, but I agree with Don. I was appalled of what you had to say about our new friends. And if my fiancé and I disagree on something, we will discuss it privately."

The elevator rose again and Maureen, Penny, and John stepped into the control room. They too, were dressed to the nines.

"Are you sure you won't accompany us, Doctor Smith?" asked Maureen, still feeling very guilty about leaving him behind.

"No thank you, dear lady," responded Smith. "I'm going to sit here and finish reading my book. I do hope you all don't end up as the main course."

"I don't think you have to worry about that, Doctor Smith. But I'll have the Robot standing guard outside," said John. He mischievously added, "Just in case the Lamotias want dessert."

Robinson's comment brought on the laughs, at Smith's expense.

"Just wait! You'll see…"

"I'm sure we will," added Don. "Oh, by the way, don't wait up."

"Bah!"

...

As the chariot pulled away, Smith watched until the vehicle was out of sight. They never listen, he thought, as he lost himself in the pages of his novel.

...

As John Robinson focused on the task of negotiating the terrain, he considered the surreal nature of the situation. Here we are, maybe a hundred light-years from Earth, on an unknown and potentially hostile planet, and my family and I are going to a dinner party. He couldn't help but chuckle over the irony.

"Penny for your thoughts," his wife asked, sitting in the seat next to him.

"I was just thinking about the kind of reaction Alpha Control would have if they knew what we were doing."

"It would certainly make the front page," she replied. "I do hope we are not over dressed."

"Jarrock was very specific when he said that everyone would be wearing their best. We don't want to insult our hosts, do we?"

"Absolutely not, the tabloids would plaster the scandal across the galaxy."

A few seconds later, she added, "John, it feels good to live again. For the first time in years, I feel like we're home."

He turned to her and smiled, reaching for her hand.

...

In the second row of seats, Don and Judy were also sharing a private moment.

"I guess I should apologize now," said Don. "It just burns me to see Smith twisting the facts. Seeing Will put him in his place was breath of fresh air."

"You don't have to apologize. I was just as upset about it as you were," she replied. "Doctor Smith is going to find out that Will isn't a naïve little boy anymore. He's growing up, a lot faster than most of us realize."

"When you had commented about us discussing things in private, I thought I might have said too much. I'm glad that you understand."

"I was letting him know, in my own little way, that he isn't going to be able to come between us anymore. Now, let's talk about something other than Doctor Smith," said Judy.

"You don't have to ask me twice."

...

Penny looked out the window, watching the sun begin to hit the tree line. Often, she found that she could lose herself in the sheer beauty of the picturesque landscape of the new planet. It was a welcome distraction from the emotional confusion she was facing in her heart.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Don and Judy share a tender kiss. I wonder what it would be like if T'lan kissed me like that? Again, she felt both excitement and fear rise up within her.

Beside her, Will had not said anything since they had left camp. She had heard enough of the conversation between Don Judy to know that Doctor Smith had somehow upset Will. Penny felt as if she should say something to him, but she was struggling with her own emotions. Maybe seeing Brina will cheer him up, I know they like each other.

...

Up front, Maureen pointed to a well lit area to their right. "That must be it, John."

"I think you are right."

The Lamotia village turned out to be mostly wood framed construction, not unlike what the early American settlers would have erected. The paths were too narrow for the chariot to navigate, so John parked the vehicle just short of the entrance.

As the Robinsons and Major West climbed out of the vehicle, Jarrock and his wife approached them.

"Greetings my friends," he began. "Our village is honored by your presence."

John took his hand firmly, "We are honored by your invitation."

Unlike the loose garments they wore when they first met, the attire chosen by the Lamotia clan was well fitted and adorned with beads and symbols. The men wore animal skin trousers that were full length and a vest with leather ties to hold it closed. A skin jacket completed that outfit.

The women's attire was a full length animal skin dress, cinched at the waist and flared slightly below the knees. It too was decorated in the same manner as the men's attire.

"Come, the Council of the Guardians awaits your arrival."

The Lamotia government consisted of ten council members called Guardians of the Clan. Jarrock's full title was the Prime Guardian; at least that is how it translated into English. Several rows of tables were arranged in the village common area with the Robinsons and Major West seated with Jarrock and his family.

The dinner consisted of a roasted native bird that reminded Maureen of a Thanksgiving turkey. Corn, carrots, peas and potatoes, or what would pass for them on Earth, completed the picture.

"How appropriate, John," Maureen said, to her husband. "If there was any doubt in my mind, it's gone now."

"I agree," he said, as he stood to address the group.

Jarrock stood with him and raised his hands, quieting the crowd.

"Professor Robinson would like to speak to the people of our village."

Robinson nodded, "Thank you, Jarrock."

In his career as a researcher, and lecturer, John had always been comfortable speaking in public. It had been a gift he discovered, quite by accident, while he was still in high school. It had been that same gift that brought him in touch with the woman whom he would marry just one short year later, during his junior year in college. But the awesome responsibility of speaking for his kind overwhelmed him and he found himself lost for words. Looking to his wife for focus and support, like he did so many years ago, he composed his thoughts and began to speak.

"My friends, forty cycles ago, my people took to the stars, in a series of space missions that eventually culminated with the mission that I was granted the monumental responsibility of commanding, the flight of the Jupiter 2.

As her husband spoke, Maureen also remembered the first time she had seen him address a crowd. She didn't even know who he was at the time, and a classmate had begged her to attend the lecture about interplanetary space travel. While she found the topic to be interesting, her major was biochemistry. When she finally relented, it was just to satisfy her friend and as she waited in the lecture hall for the guest speaker to arrive, she found herself totally unprepared for the dashingly handsome man who took the lectern. His dark locks topped a statuesque six foot three slender yet powerfully built frame. She was in the second row and his hazel eyes had met her blue ones, almost in recognition.

She had been just as memorized by his speech as she was by his appearance. His words that day painted a beautiful picture of colonizing other worlds and she knew that one day he would lead the charge. It was then Maureen decided she wanted to be part of his dream.

"Like your forefathers, we also met with unexpected problems in our journey. Our spacecraft was heavily damaged when it crashed here and it may take many months, or even years to repair the damage. Today, my beloved wife and I reached a decision, regardless of whether we can repair the Jupiter 2, we have decided to stay, and make this planet our home."

Cheers went up, not only from the Robinsons, but the entire village. The celebration continued until Jarrock signaled for quiet.

"Professor Robinson," he began. "As the Prime Guardian of the Lamotia Clan, I welcome you and your family to this world. It is my belief that the friendship that has been forged this day will last to the end of time."

Maureen stood and John took her in his arms, "Welcome home, darling."