Lost in Space: The Return

by Will Ackerman

Lost in Space never concluded its storyline. I have always wondered: what could have happened to the Robinsons? Over the next 12 chapters, I intend to answer that question. Sit back, relax, and let's head out into deep space. Enjoy the ride!

10. Chapter 10

Author's Note to My Patient Readers: Thank you, all of you, for the very fine feedback you've been sending me! I continue to appreciate the outpouring of support and encouragement. My effort continues with Chapter 10, which is the longest chapter in the series. That's why it's taken me a little longer to get it out, to try and trap inconsistencies, grammar/spelling errors, and holes in the plot. Ah, well…I trust I didn't miss any, and I hope you'll forgive any that I did! Enough excuses. I submit, for your approval: Chapter 10. Enjoy. (2 more chapters and an epilogue to go!)

Lost in Space, The Return, Chap 10. The Alcandrian Adventure

The dozen or so Selesians stood waiting in front of the Jupiter while Professor Robinson, Major West, and Ordin descended the landing strut ladder and spread out in front of them. Both John and Don had donned their laser sidearms, but left them holstered in their belts. The Robot, who had remained outside following the incident of the fuel leak, stood silently to one side, clicking and whirring to himself. Maureen, Judy, and Penny were crowded at the viewport, watching pensively from inside the ship.

"They came out of the woods…we didn't see them!" Will cried in distress.

"Tell them we mean no harm!" Smith joined in querulously, panic-stricken. "Don't just stand there…do something!"

John held up a hand, gesturing for silence, and waited impassively for the Selesians to make their move.

The Selesians were large, hulking figures. Humanoid in appearance, they were swarthy in a primitive way, all standing over six feet tall. Hair sprouted from their faces so that only their wide, scowling eyes and slit-like mouths could be seen. They were garbed from head to foot in ornate, metallic armor, upon which were some sorts of stones or gems that sparkled as the Selesians moved in the night-time glow from the nebula.

The aliens were holding long, slender tubes that appeared to be weapons. Gray in color, they were four to five feet long, and there was a large opening at one end, approximately an inch or two in diameter, like the muzzle of a rifle. At the back end, there were a number of thick cables that ran directly from the tubes to square packs the aliens wore on their backs. There appeared to be no trigger or other mechanism on the tube; the Selesians simply held them in their cupped hands. Several of the tubes were leveled at Will and Smith while others were pointing menacingly at the three men standing motionless in front of the Jupiter.

Finally, when no one spoke, Professor Robinson slowly raised his head, his eyes glinting defiantly in the eerie witchlight from the nebula. "What can I do for you, gentlemen?" he said, his voice carefully measured, neither friendly nor provocative. However, one hand rested suggestively on the hilt of his holstered laser.

One of the aliens, slightly larger than the others and adorned with more gems, strode forward, followed closely by a second, smaller, Selesian. They passed Will and Dr. Smith and walked directly up to face Professor Robinson. They stopped, their weapons pointing at John's chest, but their eyes fastened with unconcealed hatred on Ordin.

"Who are you, and where do you come from?" the large alien growled in a guttural tone, still glaring at Ordin.

Unhurriedly, the Professor allowed his eyes to travel over the alien and his partner, lingering only momentarily on the tubes leveled at him. Finally, he spoke, his tone unchanged, but he formed his words deliberately. "I am Professor John Robinson of the Earth ship Jupiter 2. We mean you no harm. Release my son and the other man."

"You are in a position unsuitable to making demands," the alien rumbled ominously, continuing to stare meaningfully at Ordin. "And if you intend no harm, then why are you harboring this rebel terrorist?"

The muscles in Ordin's jaw were visibly working, but he kept his lips tightly closed and arms folded.

The Professor continued in the same even tone. "We found this man, adrift and dying in space." He cocked his head challengingly. "We are concluding a rescue mission. It is the custom on our world to help those in need."

The Selesian laughed, unpleasantly, his eyes finally shifting to glare directly at John. "You may find that custom will cost you on our world, alien! In the name of the Emperor, I, Captain Antin Garrak, arrest you," he waved a hand towards the viewport high above, "and all here in your party."

"And what is the charge?" the Professor asked, playing for time.

"Harboring a known terrorist, and spying," Garrak said as if it were obvious. "There will undoubtedly be other crimes you will be found guilty of. You will now hand over your weapons."

"And if we don't?" West snarled back belligerently, his hands on his hips, elbows outward, his feet spread.

Garrak turned his back on John and pointed his weapon at Will, speaking in an incongruously friendly tone. "In that case, this small one will die first, followed by each of you in turn until you are all dead."

"Warning!" the Robot abruptly rolled forward from where he had been standing unobtrusively under one of the landing struts. He extended his arms, and electrical arcs jumped between his claws. "Defensive unit activated!"

Several of the Selesians surged forward, and the alien standing next to Garrak aimed his weapon at the threateningly advancing machine. West made a grab for his laser pistol; Ordin lowered into a crouch, clearly preparing to make a mad rush at the nearest Selesian. Garrak raised his weapon, still trained on Will.

"Enough!"

Professor Robinson's commanding bellow caused everyone to freeze. He continued. "Robot, power down! That won't help us now." The Robot stopped where he was and retracted his arms. There were a couple snaps of residual electricity around his claws, and he lapsed back into wary motionlessness. The bright pinpoints of his eyes in the bubble top were fixed on the aliens.

"John!" Don growled sideways at him. "We can take them…!"

"I don't think so," the Professor answered, resignedly. "Not now."

"That is wise," Garrak agreed, turning back to face the humans. "You look Alcandrian," he stated, squinting at John. "However, if you are truly of an alien race, then I shall demonstrate our capabilities…"

Garrak turned and angled his rod down. Holding it steady with his left hand, he made a curious twisting motion with his right. The portion of the tube under his right hand rotated. There was a brief whine from the unit on his back, a loud snap from the tube, and a bright red ball of energy leaped from the open end. It shot across the clearing to gouge a black furrow in the ground before exploding with a loud detonation, sending grass and dirt flying amid sparks and flame. The debris fell hissing to the ground, leaving a smoking trench that was twenty feet long and easily three feet deep at the further end. Smith squawked, but no one else made an outcry.

Seemingly bored, Garrak turned back to the Professor. "This is wearying. Give me your weapons. You will then go fetch out the other members of your group that I can see at that window." He pointed up at the viewport. "If you resist, we will destroy you, and that will save us the inconvenience of hauling you back. Choose your fate. Now."

"Don," Robinson said slowly, drawing his laser and tossing it on the ground. "Do what he says. Go upstairs and bring everyone down."

Defiantly glaring at the Selesians, West snatched his laser out of his holster and tossed it contemptuously to the ground at Garrak's feet. As he turned for the boarding ladder, Garrak barked a command, and three of his soldiers followed West, crowding up the landing strut after him and into the ship.

"Garrak!" one of the Selesians in the group called. He had just pulled a black, brick-shaped instrument away from his hair-covered ear. "Command wants a report!"

Eagerly, Garrak turned his back on the group and strode over to snatch the instrument from his subordinate, brought it to his ear, and appeared to be speaking softly into it. Meanwhile, his lieutenant ordered another soldier to gather up the discarded laser pistols. He picked them up, dropping them into a sack, and brought them to the lieutenant. The two examined the contents of the bag while the other Selesians kept the men covered with their rod-weapons.

"This is impossible," Ordin whispered aside to John. "Selesian authorities are unable to act this quickly. This patrol must have just been at the right place to see us land. I am grievously sorry."

"Don't worry about it," John answered. "We all knew the risks coming here, and I would have done it again." He glanced confidently at Ordin. "We'll figure this out."

In spite of John's assured manner, Ordin appeared troubled and doubtful.

In short order, Maureen, Penny, Judy, and Major West were hustled outside to join John and Ordin under the combined guns of the Selesians. Two of the guards had been detailed to watch over the Robot, and they eyed the strangely blinking, clicking machine with distrust mingled with a bit of fear. As the family was herded together, Garrak finished his communication, thrust the instrument back at the soldier who had been carrying it, and walked back to face the family, a smug look on his face.

"Put them in a line," Garrak gleefully ordered one of his soldiers, then addressed John. "Do not deviate, or you will be destroyed." He turned and pointed at two other soldiers, barking at them directly. "Banalt! Thoom! You two will remain and guard this ship. You will not enter. Experts will be sent to examine it."

Grumbling in surly tones to themselves and scowling at Garrak, Banalt and Thoom separated themselves from the group and shuffled back to take up positions under the propulsion pod, casting curious glances at the slowly rotating lights.

"And touch nothing!" Garrak added meaningfully.

More grumbling. The two Selesians propped their weapons on the ground vertically, the muzzles in the grass, cabled ends up.

"Do what he says," Professor Robinson spoke to his family as one of the soldiers gestured with his weapon. "I'll lead, then Maureen. Ordin, I'd like you to go next, then Don, Judy, Smith, Penny, and Will. Robot, bring up the rear, and," he turned away and offhandedly added, "execute security protocol two-omega, ten."

The Robot's bubble top rose slightly, but his only reply was: "Acknowledged."

Garrak spun about and looked suspiciously at John. "What did you just say to that machine?"

John spread his hands. "I told the Robot to follow behind my family."

"No, after that!"

Robinson shrugged exaggeratedly. "I have to tell the machine to execute any instructions given, otherwise he doesn't do them. See?" he concluded vaguely, waving as the Robot rolled obediently to the end of the line right behind Will, pivoted, and waited.

The Selesian captain looked baffled, his mouth opening and closing uncertainly, not sure what John was referring to. His eyes darted back and forth between Professor Robinson, who stared back at him unflinchingly, and the waiting Robot, who appeared, in an odd, unaccountable way, to be making a theatrical show of innocence. Realizing he was appearing uncertain and indecisive to his underlings, he uttered some imprecation under his breath and tossed his head impatiently. He turned his back on the prisoners, barked a command, and started his group heading towards the forest.

Despite the warnings from their captors, Ordin fell back to talk to Major West and was shocked to see the pilot grinning.

"Why are you so happy?" Ordin whispered in astonishment. "We are in serious trouble here!"

West angled his head towards Ordin, keeping his voice low but still smiling impishly. "I know, but John put one over on the bastards. No one will be getting into our ship without a lot of trouble."

"What do you mean?"

West tossed a thumb over his shoulder in the direction of the ship. "Did you hear that strange execute command he said? He told the Robot to close up the place and lock it."

Shaking his head and looking utterly lost, Ordin said, "What?"

"John told the Robot to remotely shut down and secure the ship," Don explained. "In ten minutes, the Robot will send a radio signal to shut down the engine, power everything down, disconnect the generators, close and lock all hatches, kill the batteries, and basically turn the whole ship into a big hunk of metal. I nearly forgot we had that system; haven't had any reason to use it over the last few years. They're not getting into our ship anytime soon, damn them! Ha!"

Heartened at Don's contagious optimism, Ordin whispered, "I've got to tell you how sorry I am, Major West. I had no right to ask you all to bring me here…" His voice trailed away.

Don waved a hand dismissively, ignoring some dirty looks he was now drawing from the nearest Selesians as he continued their conversation. "Call me Don. Don't give it another thought. It was the right thing to do, and I agreed with John's decision, as did everyone in the family. Besides," and he smiled conspiratorially, then made an outrageous face back at a nearby guard who was glowering sullenly at him, "this could be fun!"

Ordin rolled his eyes in disbelief, throwing up his hands in surrender at the bizarre behavior of his rescuers, but smiled in spite of himself and the danger of their situation.

* * * * *

Soon, the landing site--with the comforting and familiar view of the Jupiter 2, now untenanted and under guard by the Selesians--disappeared from sight as the family was herded onto a rough trail that wound its way between the towering trees. These trees seemed to grow straight up out of the ground with very few lower branches, giving the impression of building-support columns rather than natural tree trunks. Far overhead, the high branches reached out from the upper levels, spreading into a canopy of what appeared to be leaves. These stood out in silhouette against the glow from the nebula and emitted a faint crystalline tinkling in the slight breeze, as if they were made of glass instead of organic matter. For a while, the family looked in wonder about their surroundings despite the precariousness of their position, following the trail that wound left and right among the ramrod straight trunks. However, soon the initial curiosity wore off and, in response to their captors' incessant urging for more speed, they sank into silent, plodding melancholy, their eyes fastened gloomily only on the ground ahead. Time passed slowly.

"This sucks," Penny grumbled aside to Will, who was walking next to her. "Why are they being so ugly? We didn't do anything to them. How will we get back?"

"I don't know," Will replied. "Don't worry. Dad'll figure out something."

"We should never have come here," Penny continued petulantly. "What do you think is going to happen to us?"

Dr. Smith had fallen back upon hearing the children whispering. "We're doomed," he intoned gravely, casting a mournful gaze about him. "There is no hope for us anymore! I warned your parents about coming here, and now look at us. We're in the hands of implacable aliens who mean us only harm!" He looked down and saw Penny staring up at him, panic etched in her face. His tone changed to one of heroic grandeur. "But, fear not, dear children! No harm will come to you; I will protect you until my last breath! Never fear, Smith is here!"

They were startled by an explosive, grinding sound that came from the Robot who was following closely behind them.

Dr. Smith stared back at him, outraged. "Do you have a comment, you clanking clod?"

His eye diodes fastened upon him. "I was merely clearing my computers."

"What? Well, do it some other time and figure out a way to get us out of this!"

"Silence!" Garrak finally bellowed in irritable exasperation from up front.

Smith made a face at the Robot, turned, and resumed walking. The children giggled in spite of themselves.

They followed the trail for what seemed like hours until they abruptly emerged into a clearing, and the clearing contained a strange vessel. It sat in the middle of the roughly rectangular field, and their captors urged them towards it. In appearance, it was in the shape of a boat or curving gondola. Both the front and back tapered symmetrically to razor sharp angles, while the bottom was crescent shaped. A low rail completely encircled a flat deck that appeared mostly level, and a large box-like podium rose near one of the ends, whether the back or front, it was impossible to tell. The most bizarre aspect of the craft was that it seemed to be hovering silently about a foot above the ground. The only part of it actually touching the ground was a gangplank that led up to an open gate in the railing. Two Selesians were on board, leaning on the rails and observing their approach with some interest, pointing excitedly in their direction and talking to one another.

They hastily covered the distance from the edge of the field to the craft, and Garrak stood at the foot of the gangplank, waving his rod weapon up towards the deck. "Quickly, quickly!" he snarled at them. "We must get to the palace before the sun rises! Shon-KonDar will be furious if we are not there when he wishes to see us!"

Ordin stopped abruptly at the foot of the gangplank, causing West to bump into him. "He is here? On Alcandria?" he asked, appalled.

"Quite a surprise for you, no?" Garrak grinned unpleasantly through his copious facial hair. "When we alerted our command at your capture, that was the word I got back. Not only is our all-powerful god-king present on Alcandria, but, upon hearing of your capture, he is desirous of making your acquaintance, personally!" His face suddenly contorted into a grimace of unconcealed fury. "And now you are making us late and dishonoring me! Now, get on!" He roughly shoved Ordin up the ramp. He grabbed Don by the shoulder to do the same, but West shook him off with a venomous glance and followed Ordin calmly up onto the ship.

Once they were on the open deck of the ship, they were herded to one end of the vessel, the end that did not contain the upright podium. Several of the soldiers, detailed by Garrak, lined up to cover them with their weapons and keep them separated from what now appeared to be the front of the ship.

As this was going on, one of the Selesians pulled up the gangplank and dropped it on the deck with a loud crash that earned him a withering glare and explosive curse from Garrak. Contemptuously ignoring the captain's outburst, the soldier sauntered carelessly up to the podium at the front. The slanted, flat top of the podium revealed itself to contain a random arrangement of switches and knobs, and upon these the Selesian's hands danced in a complex series of movements. The entire vessel jerked, then slowly pivoted and rose straight up into the air without making a sound. The pilot mashed his fist down on a large button, the prow stopped turning, there was a momentary pause, and then the ship started moving forward towards the edge of the field, rising so that it would clear the tops of the surrounding trees. Silently, it wafted along about fifty feet off the ground and well clear of the treetops, moving at perhaps twenty or thirty miles per hour. It climbed over forested areas and descended into clearings smoothly and seemingly without control by the driver. The soldier at the helm-podium simply stood there with a bored look on his face, watching the way ahead. The Robinsons, meanwhile, braced themselves against the pitching motion on the rear railing and watched as the Alcandrian countryside rolled by underneath.

"I am going to be sick!" Dr. Smith wailed, turning a dreadful shade of green and gripping the railing with a white-knuckled grasp. He made a plaintive moan as the vessel sank again into another clearing.

Will, standing next to the doctor, was grinning, letting the wind of their passage ruffle his straight hair. His head was swiveling right, left, up, and down as he divided his excited attention all around, speaking to no one in particular. "This is cool! How is this thing propelled? Anti-gravity? Repulsors? Magnetics? That guy isn't even controlling it; it must be under a computer control or something." He stopped his patter mid-stream to glance at Smith. "Dr. Smith, you should look at the horizon, not at the ground, and I think you'll feel better. Your inner ear is getting messed up with the pitching and heaving motion…"

Smith leaned over the rail and groaned again. "Please, William…"

"Or you can press the acupressure point on your wrist for five minutes or so," Penny added brightly. "I read somewhere that helps some people."

Smith looked over at her in distracted puzzlement. "What?"

The Robot was standing next to them, leaning smoothly back and forth with the motion of the ship. "Dr. Smith is suffering from motion-sickness brought on by lateral accelerations and conflict between visual perception and vestibular balance," he lectured pedantically. "Fortunately, my inertial gyro-stabilizers are capable of automatically resolving such discordance."

"Be quiet, you cackling canister of condensers!" Smith angrily channeled his mounting discomfort and aggravation on the unassuming machine. "Leave me in peace to my misery…oh, dear…"

"Is Dr. Smith okay?" Judy asked, moving up to the rail near Will.

"Yeah, he's okay," Will answered, watching the countryside roll past beneath them. "He just isn't a very good flyer."

Judy crossed her arms and hugged herself tightly. "I can't say I blame him. You might think this is fun, but we're in serious trouble."

"Who says we're in trouble?" Don swaggered over, easing up behind her and encircling her waist with his arms. "I'm having a great time. Isn't this planet beautiful? What a ride!"

Judy leaned her head back against his chest and smiled, rolling her eyes. "Your never-ending cheerfulness sometimes drives me crazy…but, thanks for being here for me!"

"Never fear, West is here!" he grinned, casting a gleeful look in Dr. Smith's direction.

"Go away, Major," Smith glowered back at him, waving a dismissive hand. "You irk me."

"Hey look!" Will had turned from watching the rear view to seeing what was ahead. "We're coming to a lake or something!"

Ahead, the forest ended on a narrow beach. The craft did not deviate from its course and soon swept out over the water, passing smoothly over gently undulating waves. The prow was pointed out towards the unbroken line of the horizon, and soon the shore vanished behind them, leaving them alone in an unending expanse of gray, rolling water that appeared more characteristic of a sea than an inland lake.

"They must be heading for the great Selesian palace built some years ago on Maldak Island," Ordin explained to John and Maureen, who were standing huddled together. "Apparently, Shon-KonDar is in residence there."

"I thought this Shon-KonDar was the king of Selesia?" John asked, scanning the horizon. "What's he doing here?"

Ordin's jaw hardened. "This is foul luck, indeed. He generally stays in his capital on Selesia, but sometimes he comes to Alcandria to vacation or pronounce new decrees that always increase his oppression over my people. I had no idea he was actually here."

"You must be a pretty important guy, then, if he wants to see you."

Ordin shrugged indifferently. "I've been flying with the Sons of Orpheus for some time. I suppose he knows me…" He stiffened. "Look there, just on the horizon! Can you see what appears to be a peak?"

"Yes?"

"I was right. That is Maldak Island, and that must be where we're going."

Ahead, an island was growing above the horizon. From a distance, it appeared stark and black, rising precipitously from the water. As they got closer, the family could see it was very rocky with steep cliffs and forbidding crags, with the rolling waves crashing against the foot of the palisades, sending up geysers of white water among creaming surf.

Perched on the highest cliffs was clearly the palace Ordin had been referring to. It consisted of a great number of spired towers, turrets, and soaring arches, and squat, rectangular buildings. Lights could be seen from innumerable windows set haphazardly in the walls and towers, and a flickering glowing reflected off the buildings as if from fires or torches below. Smoke or vapors trailed up from some of the higher towers only to be quickly whisked away by the sea breezes. Backlit by the glowing nebula, it was a starkly sinister pile, rearing jagged spikes into the heavens like naked daggers. It was sight that inspired deep foreboding.

Their transport nosed up to climb at an acute angle to breast a towering wall that seemed to encircle the entire complex. It then angled over, causing everyone, including the Selesians, to scramble for handholds. The pilot, his nonchalance dropped, scrabbled wildly over his panel to control the descent rate, and the vessel sank with an accompanying rocking motion into a large courtyard, finally leveling out and coming to a stop. At Garrak's command, one of his henchmen scuttled over to push out the gangplank; it clattered to the ground, the impact echoing among the walls of the courtyard. The gangplank rested at the foot of a broad stairway that rose towards an ornate double-valved door, through which more Selesians descended, brandishing their rod-like weapons.

"Move!" Garrak shouted at the Robinsons, herding them towards the entry port.

As the family descended, the waiting Selesian guards closed around them and marched them up the stairs, through the doors, and into a cavernous hall that seemed to lead directly into the heart of the palace. They walked past thick columns of stone, between which were enormous, leering, gargoyle-like statues. These seemed to glare maliciously at the passing group with eyes that sparkled redly in the wan illumination that seemed to come from nowhere, but was everywhere. The towering ceiling was lost in gloom overhead, increasing the sense of hopelessness and despair, and their footsteps echoed eerily. Aside from the closely packed group, there was no other person in sight, and the silence in the huge edifice was oppressive and filled with a sense of peril.

"This place could use a good dusting," Don grumbled. "And a better interior decorator! Where is everybody?"

"Silence!" Garrak roared hoarsely, his voice echoing into the abyssal hush.

After a while, they turned out of the main corridor and entered a maze of smaller hallways. One hall led into another, until they finally found themselves before an ornate door flanked by half a dozen guards. Garrak conversed in low tones with one of them, who then opened the door slightly, slid inside, and shut it behind him.

After a few minutes, the door opened, and a tall Selesian emerged. He was dressed in a long, flowing gown that flashed with gems similar to the ones the soldiers wore, but much brighter and set in far more intricate patterns. He was clean shaven, and wore a tall conical hat over gray hair. His eyes regarded the prisoners with an appraising, unblinking stare for a few moments, his arms folded out of sight in the voluminous sleeves of his robe.

Finally, he spoke in deep, stentorian tones. "Aliens, I am Telmok, Grand Vizier and Advisor to Shon-KonDar, son of the Creator of the Universe, Light of the Dawn, Purveyor of the Infinite Truth, Holder of the Eight Secrets of Klandar."

Major West rolled his eyes and snorted derisively under his breath, "Yeah, Almighty Grand Poobah." Judy, who was hanging onto his arm, gave him a warning nudge in the ribs.

The Grand Vizier continued. "We have been told of your coming. Shon-KonDar wishes to see you himself, to decide your fate. Follow."

He turned towards the door and signaled two of the guards who were flanking it. They reached over and pulled hard on the handles, hauling the doors open. As they did so, the loud susurration of many voices in conversation rolled out of the opening. Telmok swept through, his robes brushing the floor and the gems on his robe winking with his movement. The Selesian guards prodded the prisoners forward, and they followed in the Vizier's wake.

They were entering what appeared to be a large throne room. It was brilliantly lit by globes set in the high ceiling and on the walls. The illumination was bright enough to cause the Robinsons to squint after their long immersion in the faint witchlight of the nebula-shrouded night. There were dozens of apparent Selesian dignitaries milling about, many dressed similarly to Telmok, but less grandly. Everyone seemed to be absorbed in loud discourse with their neighbors, but all heads turned as one as the doors opened and the captive party entered. Conversations trailed away as the prisoners and their escorts walked forward, and many were the shocked faces as the Selesians laid eyes on Ordin, passing only cursorily over the Robinsons. The ranks parted to allow the captives through, and Ordin and John strode forward like twin ships parting the sea for the rest of the family who followed closely, the Robot bringing up the rear. The throng closed up behind them with a rustling of robes and scuffing of shoes.

They were approaching the far wall of the room. As they got nearer, they could see a raised dais, composed of some stone or rock, brilliantly polished, totally black. It rose several tiers above the level of the floor. On the top platform was a wide throne, almost a couch, seemingly composed of the same matter, but strewn with pillows and blankets for the comfort of the individual seated thereon. An elaborate canopy, supported by ornately carven columns, towered high over the chair. On the columns were depicted motifs of alien creatures of horrific and inhuman countenance, all intertwined amid a riot of snarling teeth, dripping fangs, staring eyes, and outthrust jaws. Black hangings billowed down the wall from ceiling to floor behind the throne, creating the impression of mysterious shadow and impenetrable darkness.

A half dozen steep steps led up to the level upon which the throne stood. Upon these steps were arrayed figures who were draped in golden robes and black conical hats. They all had similar long, gray beards, and watched the approaching Earth party with unblinking eyes of jet. Their folded arms disappeared into the sleeves of their robes, and they seemed to sway slightly from side to side in unison. And yet, in stark contrast to the ominous appearance of the throne and the silent, staring figures surrounding it, the individual reclining amidst the pillows of the imperial chair was absurdly comical and significantly grotesque.

Don was gaping at the creature in shocked disbelief. "What the hell is that thing?" he finally managed in none too quiet a voice.

"It is Shon-KonDar!" Ordin whispered warningly through clenched teeth. "Beware!"

Shon-KonDar was short, hugely fat, and completely bald. Tiny legs that could not reach the floor dangled in the air like a child's. Pudgy fingers, nearly covered with flashing rings, grasped goblets of liquid in both hands. His paunch was considerable, stretching the fabric of his robes to their limits. Jowls of flesh hung loosely from his face, from which close-set, beady black eyes stared at the prisoners with open malevolence. Shon-KonDar had just lowered one of the cups from his lips, and a copious amount of dark liquid dribbled down his chin to add another stain to many others upon the breast of his robe. Belching loudly, he glowered dully down at the prisoners as they came forward.

The group stopped at Garrak's command at the foot of the dais, and the entire retinue of soldiers dropped to one knee, their faces uplifted towards their ruler. Telmok stood directly in front, but he remained standing upright and faced the god-king.

He raised his hands and bowed deeply, addressing the throne in a deep voice that carried throughout the immense throne room. "Oh Great One, you see before you the traitor Ordin." Murmurs broke out among the throng, and faces were turned to each other in whispered exclamations. "Your long delayed justice has finally caught up to him, as it does to all enemies of your Selesian majesty. A sentence of death is in effect for him. With your permission, my lord, we will execute the sentence forthwith."

Shon-KonDar seemed not to notice, and did not answer. In fact, he appeared not to be paying any attention to either Telmok or Ordin at all. His eyes were sunk so far in his fat face that they could hardly be seen, but his gaze seemed to be fastened with interest on the Robinson family standing behind Ordin.

"Your highness…?" Telmok finally prompted, raising his head from his bow, when the god-king said nothing.

"Where do these creatures come from?" Shon-KonDar finally spoke slowly in a surprisingly squeaky, high-pitched voice.

West made a strangled sound as he, with superhuman effort, swallowed the guffaw that threatened to explode outwards in derisive laughter.

"They are allies of Ordin and enemies of Selesia," Telmok answered, ignoring West's near outburst and straightening from his low bow. "They have given comfort and aid to Ordin. They are spies from another world that is preparing to invade us! They have clearly allied themselves with the Alcandrian renegades in the hopes of usurping…"

"That is not true!" Professor Robinson interrupted, unable to contain his outrage. "We are passing colonists from a world called Earth! We are not spies." The room erupted into strident ejaculations of shock.

Garrak had arisen from his knee and thrust his weapon painfully into John's back. "Do not speak, outworlder!" he bellowed.

Telmok did not turn but kept his face upturned to the god-king. His voice, becoming more smug, carried over the outraged shouts of the crowd. "Indeed, you have heard by this man's own words that they are sending colonists to invade our world!" Telmok puffed himself up self-righteousness. "Your highness! We have uncovered a craven plot against our world, our people, and your divine person itself! The spies must be bled of information to determine the level of threat against Selesia, then put to death. With your permission, we will take them away to begin the interrogation at once."

Shon-KonDar grinned, displaying missing and discolored teeth. He shifted his prodigious weight, slopping more liquid out of his cup and causing a pillow to topple to the floor. A slave scuttled forward to snatch the pillow and carry it away.

"Your highness, what is your command?" Telmok prompted obsequiously when Shon-KonDar still did not answer. "We await your words of justice, Mighty One."

The king licked his lips greedily. "The Son of the Dawn says this," he finally squeaked. "Death to Ordin as the sun banishes the glow from the nebula!" He looked around happily as his gold-robed courtiers murmured their groveling approval. With a tremendous effort, he straightened slightly, waving one of his cups for emphasis. "The alien prisoners are to be removed to the dungeon for interrogation! But!" The crowd leaned forward in rapt anticipation; Shon-KonDar appeared to relish the dramatic effect. "That one," he pointed a quivering hand, still clutching the cup, towards the Robinsons. "The female with the yellow hair!" Judy's eyes flew wide as she realized he was pointing at her. Don looked at her, appalled. "Take her immediately to my seraglio! I desire her for my private amusement." As if with an afterthought, the flabby arm swung over to point again. "And that other one, too, the young brown-haired one!" He was pointing at Penny.

Things started happening all at once.

"What?!" Both Don and John spoke together, startled beyond rational thought.

"Don…?" Judy quavered, clutching Don's arm tighter and looking fearfully up at him.

Penny's eyes went wide with disbelief and terror as she turned to look at her brother, who gazed back at her in total shock.

"You squealing, fat…!" Ordin suddenly began, frothing in dismay and anger. "You foul, groveling, digusting, ugly…" Clenching his fists, he actually started to move menacingly towards the throne.

Alarmed, Selesian soldiers began closing on the group, their rod-weapons bobbing about as they tried to point them in all directions at once. Instantly, the entire crowd erupted in yells of anger and screams of terror.

"No!" Maureen cried, turning and grabbing Penny's and Judy's hands and taking up a position defiantly between them. John swiveled towards his family while Don, his eyes blazing, spread his arms and interposed his body in front of Judy.

"Stay where you are!" Garrak squawked impotently, his voice breaking, as he swung his own weapon about in a frenzy of indecision and panic.

Dr. Smith was backing away from the entire group, his eyes wide with fear, hands outstretched as if to ward off a blow, when suddenly he was pushed aside as the Robot rolled past, his arms waving maniacally "Warning!" the Robot called. "Danger! Defensive circuits activated! Stand back or be destroyed!" Electricity crackled from his claws as he extended his arms towards the aliens.

Shon-KonDar goggled at his prisoners, blanching and drawing back fearfully into the cushions of the throne. "Telmok…!" he moaned in abject terror, staring wildly at his Grand Vizier, who had spun about as the hall boiled in pandemonium.

Garrak swiveled, trying to take aim on the Robot as the nearest threat, and other guards lunged forward, their rods coming to the horizontal. A twisted bolt of electricity shot from the Robot and caught one of the closest Selesian guards in mid-section, sending him flying backwards, his rod-weapon spinning away. Another of the guards let loose a shot. The red ball of energy shot wildly past the Robot to detonate against the distant wall, causing it to explode outwards and raining shards of plaster and rock on to the heads of those directly below it. The courtiers underneath scrambled away, shrieking hysterically and retreating away from what appeared to be an impending bloodbath, the beginnings of an uncontrolled stampede.

"Hold!"

Telmok's deafening bellow overpowered every other sound in the room, echoing off the bare walls. He had leaped several steps higher on the dais and thrust both arms forcefully into the air. At the sound, every single person in the room froze in his tracks, and silence abruptly descended on the multitude. A half dozen guards had also taken up positions on the dais, placing themselves in a protective wall between the throne and the humans at the foot of the dais. The Robinsons were crouched in various defensive attitudes, having instinctively formed a circle, their backs to one another. The remainder of the Selesian guards had moved forward, their weapons trained on the group, menacing whines coming from the packs on their backs as they stood ready to unleash a barrage of deadly energy. The tableau held for several tense moments, with the only sound being soft, whimpering moans coming from the throne of the ruler of Alcandria and a buzzing of electricity emanating from the Robot, whose arms were still extended threateningly.

After a few tense seconds, Telmok spoke carefully in measured tones, his gaze sweeping over the crowd: Terrans, Selesians, and Alcandrians alike. "The Lord of Light, Emperor of the Universe, has spoken. Can anyone here doubt the veracity of his words? When he speaks, it is the word of the gods, and his will is our command!" He glared down at the Earth party. "Obey, now, or be instantly destroyed!"

John had pushed Maureen protectively behind him, who in turn had pushed Judy and Penny behind her. The Professor straightened slowly to his full height, his face grim, his eyes never breaking contact with those of Telmok. "Robot, stand down."

The Robot retracted his arms with a few snaps of residual energy. He was silent for a moment, his eye diodes sweeping over the crowding soldiers. When he responded, there was a dangerous edge to his metallic voice. "I copy your command, Professor Robinson. Defensive systems deactivated."

Telmok's eyes passed over the group. "That is wise. Guards!" Every soldier in the room jerked. Telmok raised an arm, pointing at the humans. "Our god-king has spoken. Take the aliens away as he commanded!"

Soldiers swarmed forward, grasping Judy and Penny in rough hands and pulling them away.

"No! Dad…?" Penny sobbed, extending her hands towards Professor Robinson.

Muscles were working furiously in John's jaw, and his fists were clenched tightly at his side. "Judy," he barked in tones similar to Telmok's, "take care of Penny! Your sister needs you!"

Judy looked wildly at her father as she was herded towards a door to the left of the throne. At the sound of his voice, she seemed to reach into herself, finding a core of staunch resolve, and the transformation was visible and remarkable. The panic vanished from her face; she pushed one of the soldiers away with surprising violence and moved protectively towards Penny, taking her hand.

"Come on, Penny," she said, almost conversationally. "Don't let these pricks see you afraid. We'll stick together. Penny?" She stopped in spite of the pressing guards, taking Penny's chin in her hand and gazing directly into the frightened eyes of her sister. "Come on, now. I'm here for you."

The guards milled about uncertainly, momentarily baffled at being ignored by the two women.

A single tear rolled down Penny's cheek, but she managed a smile. "Okay. I'm okay now."

"Remove them!" Telmok bawled hysterically, enraged at the delay and how foolish his soldiers were now appearing, stymied by two unarmed women. Startled, Shon-KonDar dropped one of his cups with a clatter.

Judy ignored them both, smiling at Penny. "Attagirl. That's showing 'em. Let's go."

Holding hands, the two moved off through the door that had been opened by two of the guards, Judy holding her head high and resolutely staring forward into the darkness beyond.

"Take them away!" the little god-king squeaked timidly from his throne in a transparent need to assert himself. However, as his beady eyes scanned the crowd for approval, he encountered the combined venomous stares of John, Maureen, Don, and Ordin. The god-king of Selesia sank back uncertainly into the cushions of his throne, whimpering again and thrusting his muzzle back into his remaining chalice, drinking noisily while staring over the rim of the cup.

"Bring the captives," Telmok commanded, waving towards another doorway and walking towards it.

The prisoner detail, with the Robinsons completely surrounded, moved off towards the door, and whatever fate awaited them beyond.

* * * *

The cell they were thrust into was small, unkempt, and faintly lit with small rectangular panels recessed into the ceiling. It contained no furniture whatsoever, and seemed to be carven from solid stone. The only access was via the large, barred door. It swung open on rusted hinges that screeched horribly when the door moved, as if the cell had not been used in years. The Selesians forced the Robinsons into the cell, then stepped back as Telmok entered and stood inscrutably surveying the captives, his hands characteristically out of sight within the folds of the voluminous sleeves of his robe. Professor Robinson traded him stare for stare, and said nothing, his own arms folded defiantly across his chest.

Finally, Telmok spoke, enunciating slowly. "The Son of Eternity has commanded that you be interrogated. He feels you have information that might be valuable."

"Tell him nothing," Ordin snarled, standing shoulder to shoulder with John.

"I do not speak to you, rebel," Telmok barked, his eyes passing contemptuously over the Alcandrian. "You would do well to mind your tongue if you wish to prolong the few remaining hours of your life." He cocked his head thoughtfully. "Which perhaps might be arranged."

Ordin was about to retort, then stopped short. His eyes narrowed as he looked suspiciously at Telmok. "What do you mean?"

"Information is valuable, especially to one who knows how to use it," Telmok said, then cast his gaze upon John. "Tell me your name."

"I am Professor John Robinson," John answered without elaboration.

Telmok regarded him appraisingly. "You radiate leadership. You would not bend easily to the will of another." His gaze passed over the others standing in the cell: Don, Will, Dr. Smith, Maureen, and even the Robot. "Your defiance infects the others; they take their cues from you and tap into your strength."

"You're damn right…" West bristled, preparing to provide a piece of his own mind, but stopped as John held up a hand.

"Even the young one shows courage in the face of adversity," Telmok continued, ignoring Don and allowing his gaze to pass over Will, observing with some amusement how Will's jaw was set similar to his father's. "However," he continued, looking directly at Dr. Smith, "I sense you are made of different material."

"Why, yes, I am!" Smith smiled, covering his surprise but ever ready to take a situation and turn it to his advantage. "I am Doctor Zachary Smith, at your service." He stepped forward as if distancing himself from the others. "I am the personal physician to this intrepid group of space adventurers. More than once my exhaustive knowledge of the medical field has proven invaluable in saving…"

"I am not interested in a list of your accomplishments," Telmok interrupted impatiently.

"Yes, of course, your Eminence!" Smith said obsequiously, bowing slightly, not in the least discommoded. "As I said, I am entirely at your service." If Smith was aware of the smoldering looks he was receiving from the Robinsons behind him, he ignored them.

Telmok regarded the doctor curiously. "Are you really? What an interesting expression. And how can you be of service to me?"

Dr. Smith stepped closer, sensing an opening. "Why, I have great knowledge, or information, if you wish, that I can provide you! I am a veritable cornucopia of encyclopedic knowledge of all things regarding Earth!"

"Smith," John growled warningly from behind.

"What the hell are you doing?" West snarled, appearing about ready to explode.

"Perhaps we can come to some sort of understanding," Smith continued, gliding forward until he was barely an arm's length away from the vizier. "There is certainly no need for primitive and perhaps messy interrogation techniques that would yield dubious information." He straightened. "I should be able to assist you much more directly. If we can come to an agreement, my good sir…?"

Telmok continued to stare. "Go on."

"If I help you in your quest for information, perhaps you could help me…with what I desire?"

Telmok's bushy eyebrows descended warily. "Speak more clearly, alien. What are you offering?"

"Only that I can tell you the exact location of Earth…"

"Shut up, Smith, you idiot!" West interrupted with some heat, causing two of the Selesian guards to shoulder their way back through the doorway and level their weapons threateningly at him.

Dr. Smith's eyes rolled sideways, then back. He spoke in a soft, conspiratorial tone, leaning forward. "Perhaps there is some place we can talk in greater privacy and with fewer interruptions…?"

Telmok's appraising eyes regarded Smith for a few moments. "Very well. You intrigue me. We will talk in my private chambers. The others will remain here. Follow, Doctor Zachary Smith!"

With that, he turned and swept between the guards, who retreated to give him room. As the guards closed around Dr. Smith, who began following closely behind the vizier, he called back over his shoulder, "Don't worry, my friends! I will put in a good word for you…all will work out, you'll see!"

The door clanged shut behind them, and the remainder of the Robinson party were left to themselves. Ordin stared after them.

"What was all that about?" he asked. "What is that Dr. Smith doing?"

"Being Dr. Smith," West shook his head wearily, back from the brink of meltdown. "Who knows? But we can't worry about that right now: we've got to get out of here!" He strode forward to test the bars on the door of their cell. "Robot, can you blast these bars, or pull the door down, or something?"

"The bars are made of an alien alloy," the Robot said, who was standing next to the door. "My sensors tell me they are far denser than tensile steel. I can electrify them with my defensive array, but that is all."

Don rattled the door in frustrated anger. "Well, we've got to do something! They've got Judy and Penny!"

John stared out through the bars, taking Maureen's hand in his. "When we can do something, we will."

* * * *

The two sisters had been escorted through twisting corridors and shadowy hallways to a chamber. Circular in shape and huge in size, it was lit primitively with burning, smoking torches set in niches in the walls. Thick columns lined the walls, supporting a vaulted ceiling high overhead. An ornate, intricately shaped chandelier hung from the center of the ceiling, and it held hundreds of flickering candles intermingled with burning tapers of incense. The center of the room directly below this chandelier was occupied by a raised dais, upon which was either an altar, or a bed, upon which was strewn blankets, pillows, and quilts in riotous confusion. A four-poster canopy was set around it, and diaphanous curtains hung from the horizontal supports and wavered gently in the air currents circulating around the vast auditorium-like hall.

Four guards had thrust the two women into the room without ceremony. They then withdrew, shutting the heavy door through which they had come. There was the ominous sound of a latch falling heavily into place, then silence, leaving Judy and Penny standing just inside the door, staring about them warily.

Penny stood close to Judy. "I'm scared!" Her words echoed hollowly in the chamber, causing her to reach for Judy's hand.

Judy was scanning the seemingly empty chamber, taking in the bed, columns, and chandelier. She took Penny's hand and held it reassuringly. "It's okay, Penny. I am, too, but I don't think they mean to harm us." She put as much conviction as she could into that last statement, hoping Penny would not detect how worried she was. She had to use a tremendous effort of will not to add, "…at least, for now."

"I want to go back to Mom and Dad and Will," Penny continued, lowering her voice to a barely audible whisper. "I don't like this place." A noise brought her head up. "What was that?" Her tense attention was drawn abruptly to the raised dais. "Look over there!"

There was vague movement at the far side of the bed. The two Robinsons tensed and moved closer together. Coming from the shadows on the other side of the dais, figures began to appear, one after another, like ghosts materializing from strands of mist. As they rounded the dais and came towards the two Robinsons, their indistinct figures resolved into twenty or thirty women, clad in robes of a silky material that swirled about them as they glided along. They were tall, lithe, and young in appearance, with strong figures barely concealed by their robes and veils. Exotically beautiful, they approached the Robinsons, slowly spreading into a semi-circle around them. The women stopped several feet away and looked them up and down in an appraising way.

Refusing to back away like her instincts were practically screaming at her to do, Judy stood her ground and gave them back stare for stare, compressing her lips in a tight line so that she would not speak first. If this was a battle of wills they wanted, she intended to win it. One arm was rigidly at her side, while the other was wrapped protectively around Penny's shoulders. Both of Penny's arms were around her; Judy could feel her trembling. Yet, Penny uttered not a word or a whimper, which caused Judy a fierce stab of pride, bolstering her own courage against the strange aliens surrounding them in tense silence.

After some moments, one figure detached itself from the center of the group and stepped forward. Tall and elegant, her arms folded within the sleeves of her robe, her slightly slanted eyes regarded Judy and Penny over a veil that concealed the lower half of her face. She spread her arms, and one dainty hand reached up and unfastened the veil at one side. It dropped like a weightless feather, rippling off to one side. She had a perfect complexion, small nose, full lips, and dark eyes enhanced by expertly applied cosmetics. She was breathtakingly beautiful, and Judy gasped in spite of herself.

Her mouth opened; the soft voice that came forth was musical and pleasing to the ear. "You are the aliens we have heard about?"

Judy paused before answering, then raised her head deliberately and spoke in a measured tone. "We are from a planet called Earth. I am Judy Robinson, and this is my sister, Penny. And you…?"

The speaker spread her arms, taking in the other women surrounding her. "We are the chosen ones. We stand in the light of the Son of the Dawn, and serve him!" She paused. "I am Iscandria, the First and Most Beloved. You are here to join us in servitude towards our lord and master."

"What do you mean, serve?" Judy asked casually, already knowing the answer, but playing for time while she tried to figure out what to do next.

Iscandria cocked her head, as if the answer was obvious. "We are his comfort, and his release. We are his inspiration, and his beloved. We are his sanctuary, and his most prized possessions." She waved a hand, indicating the raised dais behind her. "We serve him there. As you will, also. I welcome you to the seraglio of Shon-KonDar the Magnificent."

"I think not!" the words came contemptuously and from the heart, before Judy even had a chance to think about them. "That may be all well and good for you, but Penny and I have no intention of serving that toad-thing you call a god in any way, shape, or form!"

There was a collective gasp, and several of the women fell back, dismayed at Judy's heresy. Whispered voices rose up in scandalized imprecations, but Iscandria merely smiled.

When she spoke, the whisperings of the others died away. "As aliens, you cannot be expected to know the proper manners and exercise the decorous behavior as befitting the members of the Master's seraglio, but you will learn. I will teach you. First, we shall remove those unsuitable garments you wear, and dress you like ourselves, in attire appropriate to your new station in life. Come with me." She turned and glided away, her slippered feet making not a sound on the tiled floor. The remaining women moved aside but continued to watch the Robinsons.

Judy stubbornly stood her ground. Iscandria had gone several steps, then stopped. She stood for a moment, facing away, then her head turned fractionally.

"Come, now." A hint of impatience had crept into her voice.

Penny looked up at her sister, watching as the jaw muscles in Judy's face worked. Iscandria stood very still, her back to them, and a hush settled over the entire group.

Iscandria spoke again, softly, but with an undercurrent of menace. "Punishment here is swift and painful. This will be the only warning I give you out of consideration for your lack of knowledge of our customs. Do not provoke me again." Her face turned ahead and she began walking away. The remaining women stood stock-still, their glittering eyes fastened on the two Robinsons.

Judy looked down at Penny, concern for her sister warring with her stubborn streak. Finally, her shoulders sagged, and she spoke resignedly. "Come on, Penny. Let's see what they've got."

"But…" Penny began uncertainly, looking at the ring of females surrounding them.

"It's all we can do right now," Judy said, raising her head, her eyes fastening on Iscandria's retreating back. "Let's go with the flow for now, and then, well, we'll see."

"Okay."

Setting their faces, they stepped forward after Iscandria, and the ranks of the other women closed up behind them.

* * * *

Hours had passed and the day had already progressed far into Alcandria's bright morning. Daylight, however, was unknown in the deep dungeons of Shon-KonDar's castle where the Robinsons fretted away the hours in captivity.

Will heard the approaching contingent first. "Dad!" he said, rising up on his elbows from where he had lain, resting his head on Maureen's lap. "Someone's coming!"

John was sitting on the floor next to his wife, his back against the dank wall of the dungeon, his head nodding. His arm was around Maureen's shoulders as he had been trying to protect her back against the hardness of the wall. At Will's call, he jerked up and straightened painfully. "How's that, son?" he asked in a daze.

"I think there's someone coming…down the hall!"

Ordin materialized like a ghost from one of the shadowy corners, his face drawn with fatigue. "The boy's right, I hear them, too. It must be well past dawn. They are late to take me to my execution." He shook his head as if mildly annoyed. "How very unprofessional."

Major West, who had been sitting on the floor next to John, scrambled to his feet in a burst of explosive energy. "Ain't gonna happen!" He turned to the Robot, who was standing nearby, his console lights blinking in the semi-gloom. "Robot, energize defenses! Take position to the left of the door." He moved to the right of the door while the Robot rolled obediently to the left. "John, I'll take this side, and when they come in…"

John waved a hand wearily, climbing laboriously to his feet and extending a hand down to help Maureen to hers. "We are hopelessly outnumbered and outgunned. It's not time yet."

"But…!"

"Let's just see what's up. Easy now…here they come!"

They watched through the bars as a contingent of soldiers, armored and armed with their rods, marched into view and stopped a few feet away from the cell. They recognized Garrak, who stepped forward with a handful of keys.

Maureen spoke boldly. "Where are my daughters?"

"Stand away from the door!" Garrak commanded, ignoring her and waving the Robinsons away, then began fumbling with the lock. With a great jangling of keys, he finally got the door unlocked and swung it open. He filled the open door with his menacing girth and waved at them. "All of you will now come with us!"

"Where are you taking us?" West demanded, his fists clenching tightly.

Garrak lowered his rod-weapon so that it aimed point blank at West's chest. "Silence! No questions. You will come, now. Move!" He walked into the cell and stood aside, waving his rod to indicate they should all exit.

"Your time will come, pal," West assured him, his voice dripping with venom, as he passed Garrak, who snarled right back and prodded him with his weapon.

John watched carefully over his shoulder as his family followed him out of the cell. The Robot rolled past Garrak without the Selesian making the slightest comment. Knowing the captain had already seen the Robot in action, John had been certain he would not allow the Robot to accompany them, but that was not the case. However, more of the rod weapons appeared trained closely on the Robot rather than his family, and, for this, he was grateful.

The soldiers closed around the Robinson party and they set off through the unending, twisting corridors and echoing chambers that were lit irregularly with smoking torches. They walked for some time, no one saying a word, until they finally came to a large double-valved door set within an ornate lintel. Bright daylight was coming underneath the door and along the jambs, and a low murmur, as from the combined voices of a multitude, could be heard beyond the portal. Garrak had a brief, whispered conversation with one of his men, who then trotted off and up some nearby stairs. The group stood silently for some minutes until the guard clattered back down the stairs, approached Garrak, and saluted.

"They are ready for them," he said.

Garrak nodded and turned to the prisoners. "The Son of Heaven commands your presence, for his entertainment as well as those of his people. Do not disappoint!" He turned to a guard standing ready at the side of the door. "Open the doors!"

At that, the addressed Selesian reached over and pulled a huge lever protruding from the floor immediately next to the doors. There was a loud, metallic clank, as if a powerful locking mechanism had released. Then, with the assistance of another soldier, the two Selesians yanked both doors open, flooding the chamber with bright morning light and a great roar. Everyone blinked furiously at the sudden illumination after so many hours in darkness, but Garrak bellowed impatiently at them to walk forward into what was unquestionably a stadium.

"Well, this can't be good," West spoke conversationally as he strode forward, gazing about with curiosity once his eyes accustomed themselves to the bright morning light.

It was a coliseum on an immense scale. Tiers of seats towered up into the sky, forming concentric circles around the broad, dusty field that formed the floor of the stadium. Thousands of people lined the benches, and a great babble of voices rose into the air, combining into the steady, low-pitched roar that had assailed the Robinson's ears when the entry doors had opened. Standing shoulder to shoulder or sitting in tight ranks, gesticulating violently and shouting with wild abandon, the common folk of Alcandria were garbed in drab robes and wraps of various colors, but mostly browns and grays that flapped in the breeze.

Around the stadium at ground level were four massive arches set symmetrically about the oval structure. Socializing amiably under the cool shade of these arches were what appeared to be the wealthy aristocracy of this world. Bedecked in flowing robes and winking gemstones, they were seated in ornate chairs and served by scurrying slaves bearing trays of food and drink. Much more reserved and cultured than the common, mostly ragged folk in the stands, they chatted pleasantly with one another even as they leaned forward to observe and comment on the entrance of the Earth party.

One of these arches was set directly across the stadium floor, opposite the doors from which the Robinsons had emerged. It was larger and more flashily ornate than the other three arches, and it was towards this particular arch that the prisoners were directed. In the center of this arch and set upon a raised dais of black, glossy stone was the throne of Shon-KonDar. It was a huge chair, made of the same black stone as the dais and similar in design to the one the Robinsons had seen in the throne room the previous night. Four columns, densely encrusted with flaming gemstones, flanked the chair and supported a filmy canopy high overhead.

Shon-KonDar himself lolled in the chair, his regal bottom and back sunk deeply into a riotous collection of tasseled pillows. He was dressed in a multi-colored robe, the hues of which clashed violently with each other. He wore a small dagger on his waist, a tiny helmet was perched at a ridiculous angle on his bulbous head, and his legs stuck straight out from the chair like a child's. His pudgy fingers were practically invisible under scores of gaudy rings, and enormous hoop earrings hung heavily from his overly stretched earlobes. In one hand, he apathetically waved a diminutive sword, more like a plaything. In the other hand, he gripped a huge cup of wine that slaves kept refilled when it was not thrust into his royal mouth, which it often seemed to be.

Arranged about him, in descending order upon the tiers of the dais, was the ruling class of Alcandria. All men, they were garbed in robes of a gray color, as if to distinguish them from Shon-KonDar's ostentatious plumage. They reclined on lounge chairs set well under the shade, surrounded by scampering slaves who ensured that their masters had plenty to eat and drink. All about them were flagstaffs bearing standards and flags that flapped lazily in the breeze. Uniformed Selesian soldiers stood attentively throughout the arch, their rod weapons slung on their shoulders.

There was one other notable group clustered under Shon-KonDar's arch. They were all women, standing at one side of the arch in a tight cluster. They were dressed in long, flowing, white robes from neck to foot. Some wore silky veils of the same color that covered the lower portions of their faces. All wore conical hats of different sizes that seemed to indicate their relative status; the tallest hats stood up front, while those with smaller hats stood submissively further back. All stood silently, their hands clasped over their chests in formal attitudes of worshipful obedience, their eyes straight ahead. They drank and ate nothing; the serving slaves gave them a wide berth.

As they drew near the royal box, Maureen lifted her head to John and spoke loudly over the noise of the crowd. "John! Look at those women to the left! I think I see Judy!"

"Yes," John answered tightly.

Several rows back, they could see Judy's trademark blonde hair shining like a beacon in the uncertain shadows of the arch. She was also dressed in the white robe-uniform of the seraglio, and a small, simple turban was perched on her head. Unlike the other women who were standing ramrod straight, Judy was leaning to one side and bobbing slightly, as if to draw their attention to her.

"Do you see Penny?" Maureen asked worriedly, her eyes sweeping the group.

John shook his head. "No, but I'm sure she's in there somewhere. Judy wouldn't let her sister out of her sight…or protection."

"Dad, look!" Will pointed. "There's Dr. Smith!"

Standing next to Shon-KonDar's throne was Telmok, who silently observed the approach of the prisoners, his hands hidden as usual within the sleeves of his robe. However, standing next to Telmok was the familiar figure that had caught Will's attention: Dr. Zachary Smith. He was standing in a posture similar to Telmok's, his hands within the sleeves of a plain Selesian robe, without gems, but a pace or two back from the Grand Vizier. Dr. Smith also watched the approach of the party, his lips turned upwards in a smug smile.

"What's Dr. Smith doing there?" Will asked.

Don snorted derisively, shaking his head. "Well, now doesn't that just figure. Looks like our good Dr. Smith has gone over to the enemy camp. Again!"

"Dr. Smith attends to his own agenda, as usual," the Robot commented philosophically as he rolled along next to Will, trailing a small cloud of dust.

"This is ridiculous!" Maureen exclaimed, her blue eyes flashing angrily. "We have no quarrel with these people for them to treat us this way!"

John glanced down at his wife, not for the first time admiring her fire and passion. "I know, darling. We'll get out of this yet."

"Damn right," Don chimed in with vast confidence, as if already planning how to take on the entire hostile planet single-handedly. He cocked a chin to one side. "But, what the hell do you think that is for?"

He was indicating what appeared to be a huge pit yawning incongruously in the white sand of the stadium. Easily thirty or forty feet in diameter and fairly circular, it was an immense hole. No fence or guard rail surrounded it, and an incautious person could easily fall in if he was not watching his footing. Its sheer sides seemed to extend straight down into the ground, vanishing out of sight so that its depth was unknown.

"Wonder what's down there?" Don continued, more curious than troubled. Ordin opened his mouth to respond, but, before he could comment, the escorting soldiers yelled for silence and began prodding them into a ragged line facing the throne.

Meanwhile, under the arch, Telmok leaned back and spoke quietly to Smith out of the corner of his mouth. "You have assured me your fellow aliens will give a proper showing of themselves for the people. I am depending on this information."

"Oh, yes!" Smith agreed wholeheartedly, smiling broadly. "As I told you, Professor Robinson himself is a warrior of great renown on our world. He will make a fine accounting for himself, and give great entertainment to your people! The other, Major West, is a military man and has many tricks up his sleeve. The others…"

"I trust you are right," Telmok interrupted impatiently, raising a hand. "Shon-KonDar is particular in his need for exciting viewing. However, if not," he shrugged, "our gladiators will make short work of them and we can get on with further planned entertainment."

"Yes, yes, of course, your eminence!" Smith backpedaled agreeably. However, when he spoke next, he allowed a pleading note to creep into his voice. "But the small one, the boy, Will. Surely he does not have to participate…?"

Telmok shrugged again, disinterestedly. "He is a member of your alien band, so he is as guilty as all of them are. There will be no exceptions."

"But, surely…?" Smith stammered distraughtly.

The Vizier turned away with another indifferent wave of his hand, dismissing Smith's concerns and leaving the doctor visibly agitated. Telmok then strode forward, his gait formal, to the front of the dais and directly in front of the throne. He stopped and faced the stadium, allowing his gaze to pass slowly over the multitude, whose yelling and screaming had continued unabated for the entire time. He slowly and dramatically lifted a hand. As if that casually given signal carried disproportionate power--or was expected--the throng broke off their noise-making and took their seats as one. An immediate quiet settled over the stadium. There was no sound except Shon-KonDar, who slurped noisily at his drink, his beady eyes expectant over the rim of his cup, and the faint cracking of flags and standards blowing in the slight breeze.

"People of Alcandria!" Telmok cried, his sonorous voice rolling throughout the stadium and filling the sudden silence. "The Son of the Dawn has proclaimed a contest for your amusement! Ordin, the traitor and rebel, stands before you, convicted of gross treason against his anointed ruler and master. His guilt is unquestioned, and he shall be dealt with as his crimes demand." He paused, his eyes sweeping the crowd. "Also, you see before you the advance scouts from the world called Earth who threaten the very life of our king with destruction and our world with invasion! We have thwarted their efforts! We are strong and invincible, and the Earthmen tremble before our divinely ordained power!"

He stopped as a mighty cheer swept the stadium and the crowd boiled to their feet. He allowed it to continue for some moments. John folded his arms across his chest, unimpressed and unfazed, and calmly watched Telmok. Don's hands were on his hips in his characteristic belligerent stance, and a faint look of contemptuous amusement was on his face. Ordin scowled and was no less defiant, his brow darkened by ancestral hate as his gaze bored into Shon-KonDar. Maureen took the same stance as her husband, and even Will thrust his chin out in a truculent manner that would have been comical in any other context. The Robot surveyed the stadium dispassionately, his arms retracted; whatever was going through his electronic mind, none could say. Shon-KonDar, the Emperor of the Universe and Infinite God-King, grinned brainlessly, waving his little sword like a demented child.

Telmok's hand came up again, and the crowd quieted and resumed their seats. He continued. "Our Dear Leader has decided that these criminals will not meet their just punishment at the capable hands of the royal executioners. Nay, in his infinite wisdom, he has decreed that they will die in battle, at the sword points of our bravest warriors, who demand vengeance for their brothers lost in the cowardly raids and attacks from the despicable Sons of Orpheus, devils incarnate!"

Once more, the crowd came to their feet in thunderous applause and loud shouts of approval. In scanning the stadium, John began to discern knots of individuals who were not cheering quite as loud as their neighbors, but seemed to be waving their arms half-heartedly, as if compelled against their will. Others were actually sitting and staring morosely out over the stadium, their brows furrowed in disapproval and fury. These, John supposed, were the native Alcandrians who had been forced to come to watch the spectacle by their Selesian overseers. Clearly, the Selesian occupation of Alcandria was not a done deal, by any means. John mused over this bit of information, storing it away for future reference and returning his attention to Telmok, who was gesticulating again.

The Vizier silenced the crowd with another wave. "You know our valiant gladiators, they are your heroes! But permit me to honor them, and introduce them, one at a time, as befits true icons of the royal stadium of Alcandria! First, let us summon forth the ferocious, the unmerciful, the undefeated: Ca-Val!"

The crowd erupted again as a hidden door to one side of the arch sheltering the throne swung open, and a hulking gladiator swaggered out. He was not particularly tall, but he was broad, and carried himself with arrogant confidence. He was bare-chested above a short skirt composed of overlapping leather strips that surrounded his waist down to about knee level. He wore metal gauntlets over his hands and an ornate helmet over his head that covered his nose and cheeks down to his neck. Glittering eyes stared belligerently from between the nose guard, and his grin was toothy and expansive. Leather boots encased his feet and shins. He carried a sword in one hand, and, in the other, a shield that shimmered strangely, as if pulsing with some inner energy. He waved jauntily to the cheering crowd with his sword, basking in their obvious adoration. He paraded in front of the throne, bowed low to Shon-KonDar while dipping his sword, then turned back to face the crowd, his feet planted shoulder-length apart. He thrust his sword into the sand, placed his hands over the pommel, and regarded the prisoners balefully.

"Next," Telmok continued, "welcome the hero of the Second Alcandrian War of Attrition, a man who single-handedly slaughtered the resistance cell during the bloody siege of Elron. You know him, you love him: Anton Demelon, the Battler!"

A second gladiator emerged from the darkness of the still open doorway, waving at the cheering crowd, raising his sword in a tightly clenched fist. He was taller than Ca-Val, and his deeply scarred body was practically devoid of any armor at all. In fact, other than a short skirt of overlapping metal plates around his waist and well-worn leather sandals on his feet, he was essentially naked. Unlike Ca-Val, he carried no shield. He stepped out smartly, grinning at the crowd, then paused to stoop low in salute to Shon-KonDar, who acknowledged him with a slight wave of his diminutive sword. Demelon then pivoted around to face the stadium, stood next to Ca-Val, and thumbed his sword expectantly.

"And finally," Telmok cried as the crowd settled down again, "we have with us today the governor of Maldak Island himself, the scourge of the Battle of Anteron, the executor of the Alcandrian cowards from the Brachinian Trench. Give voice in tribute to the staunchest protector of your king…Soretoon the Magnificent!"

The third warrior emerged to the roaring ovation. He was the shortest of the three, but far broader, and lumbered along like a rolling tank. He was unsmiling and grim, staring at the Robinsons with dark, malevolent eyes, unheeding of the cheers and adulation from the crowd. An overhanging brow gave him a distinctly primitive look, cruel and dangerous; his shaven head gleamed in the sunlight. A ragged beard nearly covered the slit of his mouth. He was garbed in a black, one-piece jumpsuit that was relieved only by an ornate seal on the left breast which seemed to be a political badge of office. He wore black boots that came halfway up his calves, and he carried a curving sword that glinted brightly in the sun. He marched forward stiffly until he took his place next to the other two combatants, either forgetting or deliberately eschewing the need to salute his monarch, glaring straight ahead at the Robinsons with single-minded menace. Shon-KonDar clapped gleefully like an imbecile child, sloshing his wine about and staining his robe, taking no note of Soretoon's apparent breach of stadium protocol.

"Moe, Larry and Curly," West commented cynically to John over the continuing noise. "Stooges, all."

Ordin glanced over at his friends. "This is not good. All three are brutal killers, butchers! They have never been defeated, either in battle or in contest!"

"Well," Don snarled, cracking his knuckles and not the least cowed, "they've never been pitted against Earthmen before. Bring 'em on!"

Maureen drew Will against her in a tight embrace as she surveyed the hostile audience and the killers standing before them. When she spoke to her husband, her voice was steady. "John? What are we going to do?"

The Professor took a moment to gaze down into the eyes of his wife, but, when he spoke, it was not to her. "Robot!" The Robot was standing next to Will; his twin eye diodes swiveled towards John. "You will protect Maureen and Will at all costs. You will stand with them and handle any threat, in any fashion you deem appropriate. Do you understand?"

"Perfectly," the Robot responded simply. "Protect Mrs. Robinson and Will against all threats. I am activating defensive systems." He extended his claws. "Power levels at seventy-eight percent. I am ready."

The crowd continued to roar and scream, while Telmok seemed to ignore the prisoners while he haughtily surveyed the stadium, letting the mob carry on.

"Tell the Robot to help you!" Maureen had to practically yell to John over the tumult. "He can take all three of those gladiator-people out right now!"

"Then, what?" John answered grimly. "They'll bring some more thugs out, or mow us down from a distance right where we stand with those weapons of theirs." He shook his head. "No, let's just play their game for now. The Robot will be your protection, as well as our reserve."

"Give them weapons," Telmok suddenly screamed over the noise of the crowd, "and let the contest begin!" He turned on his heel and walked back to the dais, stepping regally past the waiting gladiators who stood aside to allow him to pass.

As he retreated into the shade of the arch, slaves on either side of the throne dashed forward and threw three long swords towards the Robinson party. The weapons were long and thin, not quite broadswords, but with a double-sided cutting edge that glinted sharply in the sun. The swords slid forward, spinning along the ground and kicking up dust, while the slaves sprinted back under the shadows of the arch. Despite the peril of their situation, Professor Robinson looked down at the weapons near his feet with the interest of a connoisseur, noting their clean lines, ornate hilts, and carefully sharpened edges. These were true weapons, not just for show, and he nodded to himself in appreciation of the obvious craftsmanship.

He started to bend down to pick one up when bloodcurdling shrieks caused him to bring his head back up with a jerk. All three gladiators were hurtling towards them, shouting war cries and whirling their own weapons over their heads.

At the same moment, Ordin pushed past the Professor, snatched one of the weapons from the ground, and shouted over his shoulder at the two Earth explorers. "Swords up, my friends, this is it! Fight for your lives! I have Soretoon."

Both John and Don dove for their swords, scooped them up, and sprang forward in Ordin's wake as the Alcandrian leaped forward to meet the advancing gladiators. Ordin was yelling and brandishing his own sword over his head, his eyes already blazing with fighting madness.

"You've got the one on the left!" John shouted, pointing. "I'm taking the center!"

The three men separated, John heading for Demelon, West for Ca-Val, and Ordin for Soretoon. Even as he dashed forward to join battle, John, an expert fencer from his university days, noted how the sword felt comfortable and balanced in his hand. He raised it to meet a furious downward stroke coming from Demelon and was tremendously heartened at the loud, solid "clang" his weapon made as it contacted that of the enraged Selesian. As the gladiator charged past carried by his great momentum, Robinson let loose a vicious backhanded swipe that would have landed squarely on the giant's back had Demelon not pivoted in surprise and awkwardly knocked the blow aside. John pressed the attack, raining serious blows on the scrambling warrior who had anticipated only an easy victory and a swift, if bloody, kill.

At the same time, Don launched himself furiously at Ca-Val, and their swords clashed together with a ringing sound that could be heard above the noise of the hysterical crowd, who were back on their feet, yelling and gesticulating. Major West was not as accomplished a fencer as Professor Robinson, but, in the rough and tumble of a fight-to-the-death, his natural military instincts and pent-up fury at their treatment gave him great strength and dexterity. Both West and Ca-Val fought closely, their feet raising clouds of dust, their swords whirling and singing through the air, their faces snarling images of ferocity.

Ordin, his eyes wild with berserker fury and deep-seated hate, swung his weapon like a deranged maniac against the curved sword of Governor Soretoon. Soretoon's bearded face was convulsed in a mask of contempt and hostility as he tried to beat down Ordin's thrusts and score the single, fatal blow that would end the contest between the two of them.

The six men had separated into three desperate battles, and the stadium had erupted into frothing pandemonium. Alcandrian and Selesian onlookers alike were on their feet as they realized this was not going to be simple, tedious butchery, which many had been expecting from so many previous, similar occasions. The aliens were fighting back and the outcome appeared to be extended, if not uncertain!

Leaping and dancing, the years seemed to fall off John Robinson as he wove a complex tapestry of steel before the astonished eyes of Demelon. Dust and sand were getting kicked up as the combatants danced and stamped their way around each other, their whickering blades missing each other by fractions of an inch. Amazed though he might have been, Demelon recovered very quickly as he pressed his own attack, furious at the impudence of the outworlder to challenge him in his own stadium. His battling style was very basic, but he possessed an animal strength that allowed him to cut and parry unrelentingly, smashing back John's ripostes and probing for any weakness. Yet, John was holding his own, calling upon reserves of strength and pulling out every trick he possessed as he fought for his life.

Meanwhile, Don and Ca-Val were locked in their own fight for survival. Ca-Val used his sword and shield in such a way that kept West in constant motion, forcing Don to divide his attention between watching his foe's eyes, to anticipate his moves, and avoid both the thrust of the sword and the odd way Ca-Val waved his flashing shield before him, as if to distract him.

Suddenly, Ca-Val's foot swept out unexpectedly and took Don's legs out from under him, sending him crashing to the ground, where he landed painfully on his back with a grunt. The crowd screamed their approval and Ca-Val reared up for the final stroke, targeting Don's exposed head. However, Ordin, fighting nearby and seeing Don's danger, impulsively swiveled away from Soretoon, rotating his entire body so that the flat of his sword struck with frightful force against Ca-Val's helmet like a mallet. Reeling from the impact and overbalancing, Ca-Val caromed away, crashing into Demelon, and both warriors fell to the ground in a confused tangle of arms, legs, and swords. Momentarily surprised at the abrupt cessation of his own fight, Robinson staggered backwards, breathing heavily and staring at the two cursing gladiators flailing about comically on the ground.

Meanwhile, West rolled, gathered his feet under him, and launched up with a yell of warning to Ordin. Soretoon had seen an opening when Ordin turned aside to help Don. His mouth gaping and his beard wagging, the governor was charging with his curved sword upraised high to smite Ordin on his unprotected head. Yelling at the top of his lungs, West pounded past a surprised Ordin, shoving him violently aside with his open hand and sending him windmilling backwards. Hurtling like a juggernaut, his head lowered, Don ran directly at the gladiator, who was rushing in single-minded fashion towards Ordin, focusing only on aiming at the center of the Alcandrian's head. The two met in a terrific impact, Don's head contacting squarely with the charging warrior's abdomen. The gladiator's eyes bulged in shock and pain as the breath whistled out of his lungs, and he doubled up, the momentum of Don's rush sending both men stumbling backwards. Somehow, Soretoon kept his footing as West spun clear, off balance and falling to his knees. Gasping and wheezing, the governor straightened and half turned towards Don, but, at that instant, twisted arcs of blue-white electricity unexpectedly knifed through the air and struck Soretoon in his side. He went head over heels to land heavily, his spinning body kicking up a great cloud of dust and dirt. He lay unmoving in a great heap. The crowd erupted in angry catcalls and a roar of disapproval.

"Nice shot!" West yelled appreciatively from where he sprawled on the ground, grinning hugely through the dust and sweat caked on his face.

"Attaboy, Robot!" Will cheered, dancing crazily behind the Robot. "That showed 'em!"

"The shot was there, so I took it," the Robot said almost uncomfortably, as if guilty at ignoring Professor Robinson's previous instructions to protect only Maureen and Will.

"Well, take another one!" Maureen urged eagerly, watching the five remaining combatants warily circling each other across the field from them.

"Do not let that machine do that again," Telmok called calmly to several soldiers nearby, who turned expectantly towards him. "You four go out there and watch them closely. If the machine tries to interfere again, destroy it."

The four chosen Selesian troopers ran out into the stadium, giving the combatants a wide berth, and took up stances directly across from Maureen, Will and the Robot, pointing their rod-weapons threateningly at them.

"Do not move!" one of the Selesians commanded.

Dr. Smith moved quickly to make some excuses to Telmok for the Robot's behavior, but was shocked to see the Vizier's lips curled in a self-satisfied smile.

"Grand Vizier!" Smith began to grovel. "I do sincerely apologize…"

Telmok leisurely raised a hand and spoke pleasantly. "No need. I have seen what I wanted to confirm." He clasped his hands together, as if in ecstasy, speaking more to himself than to Smith. "That machine is glorious! I must have more. After the match, we will disassemble it to find out how it works, and we will make an army of them to forward Shon Kon-Dar's march to ultimate dominion!"

"Well, I certainly…" Smith stuttered doubtfully. "Why, yes, your Eminence! Of course, I'm, er, sure that could be arranged if you would consider what we discussed earlier?" He trailed off when Telmok continued ignoring him.

Meanwhile, as this was going on, the two Earth sisters were craning around the other women of Shon-KonDar's seraglio. Judy and Penny were having a difficult time seeing the action because the women had abandoned their rigid formation and were milling about. The concubines were enthralled with the action occurring on the stadium grounds, and appeared so taken up with the excitement pulsing throughout the stadium that they were forgetful of their required decorum.

"What happened?" Penny said impatiently, shifting from foot to foot and standing on tiptoe, trying unsuccessfully to get a better view. She was also dressed in the flowing robes of the seraglio and wore a small turban on her head and tiny sandals on her feet. "I can't see anything!"

"The Robot got one of them!" Judy yelled triumphantly. "That'll teach 'em!" she hollered, ignoring the stern looks she received from two of the women standing nearest them.

"Isn't there anything we can do?"

"I can't think of anything right now, but I'm working on it," Judy answered, chewing on her lower lip and resuming her study of a sack lying on the floor behind where Dr. Smith and Telmok stood. The bag had been dropped there by one of the Selesian soldiers with whispered words to Telmok. Telmok had waved a hand dismissively, concentrating on the exhibition, and the soldier had retreated, leaving the bag discarded and ignored, but partially open. Protruding from the open end was something that looked suspiciously like the hilt of one of their laser pistols. Curious at the transfixed expression on her sister's face, Penny followed her gaze.

"Hey, look at…" she began loudly, her hand coming up and pointing as she saw what Judy was staring at.

"Shhh," Judy shushed, grabbing Penny's hand and lowering it, cocking her chin ahead.

Iscandria, who was standing at the front of her ranks of concubines, had turned around and looked reproachfully over her shoulder at the two Earth women, her eyes narrowing. Judy merely smiled with overly exaggerated sweetness. Iscandria turned back, and Judy's smile instantly vanished.

"Bitch," she muttered through clenched teeth. Penny giggled, quickly covering her mouth with her hand. Judy looked down at her sister, her eyes sparkling with the shared jest.

Over near the throne, Telmok leaned back to address Dr. Smith. "They are good fighters," he said, keeping his eyes on the circling men in the stadium. "I must say, I was not expecting such a stimulating contest." He glanced over at Shon-KonDar, who had actually leaned forward to the extent his bulk would allow, clearly excited and thoroughly enjoying the spectacle.

"I knew they would please you," Smith said airily, then leaned forward to whisper conspiratorially. "But, as I began to say before: when can we resume our talks about my desire for transport to Earth? Perhaps later today…?"

"Not now," Telmok waved his hand impatiently, recoiling slightly at Smith's closeness. "This is not the time. I have still not decided if I am going to help you. We have more to discuss about this world of yours and the opportunity to extend Shon-KonDar's empire."

"Yes, yes, of course, your Eminence!" Smith backed off, glaring in some annoyance at the back of Telmok's head.

Out on the sun-drenched stadium floor, John, Don, and Ordin were warily facing off against Demelon and Ca-Val, who had regained their feet and were staring at their opponents with death burning in their eyes. The Selesians knew they had lost face with the crowd, to say nothing of their embarrassment before their king, and that only fanned the fires of their rage even further.

"Come on, you losers! Wimps!" Don taunted above the clamor of the horde and shaking his sword. "Is that all you've got? Is that all you've got!?" He tossed his head contemptuously as the two Selesians held back momentarily but began moving apart, plotting their approach. He spared a glance sideways at the Professor, who was still breathing heavily. "You all right, John?"

Watching his adversaries carefully, he was bent over, hands on knees, taking advantage of the momentary respite. John nodded ruefully. "Yeah. Just a little winded."

"Stand ready!" Ordin panted, some of the berserker haze gone from his eyes and replaced with fatigue. He was watching as Ca-Val stalked to the left. "They will attack again!"

"Yeah," Don growled, "but now it's three against two." He risked a glance at Soretoon on the ground nearby, who was stirring with returning consciousness.

"Then," Ordin exclaimed, "let's not wait!" And, bellowing with a war cry, he leaped forward to engage Demelon and Ca-Val, taking all the combatants by surprise.

"Dammit," Don cursed as he sprang after him. John straightened hastily and lunged towards the brawlers, raising his sword wearily but with determination.

Back under the royal arch, Dr. Smith had eased back from Telmok's side, looking around him apprehensively as if he was debating a rash and uncharacteristic course of action. All the Selesians around the throne focused lustfully on the stadium floor as the combatants closed with each other again, and none had any attention to spare to watch his movements. Smith shuffled backwards until he felt his foot touch the sack the Selesian soldier had brought earlier. His eyes rolled towards Judy; she was watching him intently from her position behind the other women of the seraglio. Penny realized her sister's attention was focused on something within the arch, rather than outside of it, and followed her gaze to stare also. Smith made an exaggerated nod towards the sack, rolling his eyes beneath his severely upraised eyebrows. Judy was uncertain what he was driving at, but nonetheless inclined her head in a silent acknowledgement and narrowed her eyes questioningly. Then, in a completely unexpected move, Smith shoved the sack hard with the back of his foot, sending it spinning towards Judy. It stopped about halfway between them and, sure enough, a United States standard-issue military-specification laser gun slid out of the open end of the sack and lay inertly on the floor.

"Do something!" Smith screamed hysterically at her, his face twisted in a grimace of panic.

Taken completely by surprise, Judy stood, frozen like a statue, her eyes locked on the gun-metal gray shape that was the laser. Time seemed to slow to a crawl. The roar from the crowd became muted. Several of the surrounding Selesians, including Shon-KonDar, turned in a strange slow motion, drawn by Smith's high pitched yell. Unaccountably, some of the women of the seraglio turned to stare curiously at Judy, as if they were anticipating some action on her part.

Judy began turning in that same slow motion, her robes rippling about her body as if she was under water. Her vision seemed to gray at the sides, but the laser pistol stood out in crystalline detail. She could make out the non-skid surface on the grip, the silver trigger, the gray barrel encircled with small disks near the end, and even the serial number stamped along the back of the handgrip. In her dreamlike state, she wondered why such technicalities would be so compelling. At the same time, she realized the gun was getting closer to her, becoming larger in her vision as if she was looking through a camera lens that was zooming towards its objective. Then, she realized it was not the gun that was getting bigger; it was she who was getting closer.

Judy had a brief impression of Penny's startled eyes as she swept past her little sister, her robes trailing behind her in a wind-blown train of silk. As if her limbs were being commanded from somewhere outside her own mind, Judy found herself moving fluidly towards the gun. Time remained suspended, the silence eerie, and she was the only sentient being in motion, perhaps in the whole universe. Her entire concentrated attention was focused on that gun, and drawn to it. She knew intrinsically that she was running, she could feel her feet moving, but she felt like she was swimming through a liquid that imparted a dream-like floating sensation to her movements.

Startled, she saw her hand emerge out in front of her. Had she commanded the gesture? Her hand was reaching for the gun on the ground. Then, as if she experienced a jump cut in a movie, she found herself standing upright, the gun nestled in her open palm. For a fraction of a second and still locked in that strange slow-motion effect of time, she stared at the weapon, amazed no one had reacted yet to stop her. What to do now? She felt herself look up slowly to lock gazes with Dr. Smith, whose mouth was frozen open in shock, his eyes big as saucers, his eyebrows climbing the furrows on his forehead, his hands fluttering at his sides. She gazed about and saw dozens of surprised, gawking faces staring at her, while more were turning in her direction.

Then, without warning, time resumed its normal course, the roar of the crowd came back in all of its deafening volume, and people started moving again

As if the resumption of normal time stimulated Judy to action--or was her subconscious decision to act the catalyst that brought her back into real time?--she hauled back like a pitcher in a baseball game. Impulsively, hardly knowing what she was doing, she threw the laser with all her might into the stadium, uttering a guttural yell that welled up from deep within her throat. The gun soared over the heads of the shocked imperial watchers, who gazed dumbfounded as the weapon arced far out into the stadium. As the weapon came spinning out of the shadows of the arch, thousands of pairs of eyes from the crowd were drawn to it, in spite of the intensity of the action occurring on the field of battle. The laser struck the ground on its grip, cartwheeled along for a short distance, and finally clattered to a halt in a small cloud of dust. It came to a rest about midway between the battling men and Will, Maureen, and the Robot.

"Don!" Judy screamed furiously, standing on tiptoe and projecting her voice with all her might. "Gun!"

The crowd's roar had diminished. The battlers froze. Demelon and Ca-Val stood motionless with upraised swords. A recovering Soretoon peered fuzzily from where he still lay on the ground, squinting in the sunlight. John, facing Demelon, had followed the flight of the pistol and was now looking over his shoulder at it. Don's head had swiveled toward the sound of Judy's voice. Ordin had skidded to a halt in front of Ca-Val, his sword extended straight out from his body.

Maureen Robinson, standing next to the Robot, stiffened. Her family had been carried off by force from the only home they had known for three years and sentenced to death for something they were not guilty of. Panic stricken, she had seen her daughters taken away, unable to stop the designs of evil beings. She was helplessly watching as her husband fought for his life for no reason other than entertainment for the gross toad-ruler of this planet. She felt the gaze of thousands of hostile alien eyes. However, throughout the last few hours of apprehension and barely contained terror, something had been building in her heart, and a switch abruptly flipped over. The laser gun was the catalyst. Maureen Robinson had had enough.

Without warning, she sprinted away from the protective side of the Robot. Will watched her in goggling astonishment, as did the four Selesians tasked to guard them, being taken completely by surprise by Maureen's unexpected move.

"What? Stop!" cried one of the Selesians in a panic. He was following her with his weapon, raising it to the firing position.

Maureen ignored the command. As she dashed the few steps to the weapon, the soldier let loose an energy ball that streaked across the stadium floor. It rocketed behind the fast-moving Earth woman, missing her by inches, and detonated in a great flash and explosion twenty feet beyond.

But Maureen did not stop. In an incredibly fluid motion, she reached down, scooped the laser up, and flicked the power switch on. There was a brief electronic whine as she brought it up in a firm, two-handed fighting grip, spread her legs for purchase, leveled the weapon towards the gladiators, and fired.

It was a spectacular shot, as deadly accurate as it was unexpected. The blue beam from the laser lanced out, straight as an arrow, and flew between Don and John, knocking them sideways with the physical force of its fully unleashed energy. The laser beam struck Demelon full in the chest, and the impact threw him head over heels thirty feet to land with a crash on the ground, his sword clattering away. Don, trying to keep his feet under him, caromed violently into Ordin, and they both went sprawling. That left Ca-Val standing by himself, his shock supreme as he suddenly found himself staring down the business end of the laser and the snarling face of its wielder. His surprise was short-lived; another beam shot out, and Ca-Val, too, was blasted away. He landed on his back and slid into Demelon's prone body, where both gladiators lay still, whether dead or alive none could say.

Maureen was standing, the laser still in both hands, pointing at the vanquished gladiators, her chest rising and falling with deep breaths.

"Maureen!" John cried and raced towards her. Don and Ordin had picked themselves up and were running towards her also, their heads low.

Will stared, nearly speechless, at his mother's back. "Wow," was all he could manage.

The crowd erupted in the loudest roar yet, and anyone not already standing surged to their feet, arms waving and robes flapping in the breeze. It was the combined voices of thousands, and, yet, the cries of fear and chagrin seemed to be mixed with actual cheers and frenzied exhortations. There were angry faces and shaking fists, but there were excited, if shocked, grins to be seen as well among the gesticulating aliens in the tiers of the stadium.

The four clearly shocked comrades who had been drafted to watch Will, Maureen, and the Robot had been so focused on covering the Robot that they had no concept of the danger the lone Earth woman posed. Belatedly, they lowered their rod weapons to take her out, but it was too little, too late. Clustered too closely, they interfered with each other's aim and began firing wild energy balls that either arced high or wide. Maureen, on the other hand, swiveled toward them with deadly accuracy and took each of them down with four rapid bursts from the laser pistol, stretching them out in an untidy pile of arms, legs, and weapons. .

Lashed into action by shrill commands from Telmok, more Selesian soldiers were being driven out into the field, also urged on by hysterical sergeants who saw control rapidly slipping from the event. Clanking soldiers were flowing from the various arches towards the Earth party in the middle of the stadium, but their groupings offered a target rich environment to the gun-wielding Robinson. Undaunted, Maureen raged on, firing at the clustered soldiers emerging into the field. She wielded the laser with a sweeping motion, tossing soldiers right and left. Those who were not directly hit by the blue beam were struck by the flying bodies of their comrades as their efforts began dissolving into utter chaos. John, Don, and Ordin dove for the ground as the laser beams swept mercilessly over their heads.

"Get 'em, Mom!" Will exhorted wildly, dancing up and down in front of the Robot.

"Will!" the Robot commanded firmly, extending his arms and rolling forward slightly, bumping against Will. "Get behind me!"

Complying but grinning from ear to ear, Will swung around behind the machine and threw himself to the ground, covering his head with his arms but keeping his face raised so he could watch the building carnage. Now that John, Don, and Ordin were clear, the Robot had an unobstructed field of fire, and he let loose with his electrical salvos, adding to the bedlam that was occurring on the field. More balls of red energy were loosed by panicky soldiers, but these hastily aimed salvos continued to go wild or plunge into the hapless crowd with terrible destructive force, exploding in the packed masses of shrieking, terror-struck people and creating utter mayhem.

Within the royal arch, havoc also reigned. Telmok was screaming incoherent orders, gesticulating wildly. Shon-KonDar gaped incomprehensibly, his jowls flapping as his head swiveled erratically back and forth, his bloated features transformed with raw terror. He had dropped his cup and play sword, and his helmet had fallen off his head. Garrak appeared and began shouting commands to his sergeants, increasing the turmoil by countermanding Telmok's orders. Frenzied screams were coming from Shon-KonDar's seraglio as the women blundered about in total disorder, trying to stay clear of the charging soldiers. Several had fallen and were being trampled under by their companions.

However, the uproar was about to get ratcheted up another degree, and from a completely different direction. Without warning, the shadowed arch that shielded the royal party was lit brilliantly from inside with a flashing blue radiance. Figures were silhouetted against the glare and screams intensified. The ruling class came surging and tumbling out of the arch onto the sun-lit field as if pushed from behind.

It was Judy. She had found another pistol in the sack and was laying about her with the weapon, stunning some and scattering others, clearing a path for herself and Penny. Penny clung close to her sister as Judy forged ahead, fighting her way out onto the stadium floor and heading towards the isolated group that was her family.

"Wait for me! Wait for me!" Dr. Smith cried plaintively and ran after the two sisters. Realizing he was in considerable danger of being left behind if the Earth party could effect an escape, he had quickly switched sides again.

"What are you doing?" Telmok shrieked at him and made as if to grab the doctor. "Stop!"

However, Dr. Smith was moving fast, driven by blind panic, and pushed past the Vizier as if unaware of him. Even as Telmok reached arms out towards him, the Selesian was swept into a stampeding group of courtiers who forced him, his arms flailing ineffectually, through a nearby arch and out of sight.

Heedless, Smith scrambled out of the way, cast off his robe--he was still wearing his ship's clothing underneath--and moved in closely behind Judy. Even in stark terror, he was as ready to criticize as ever as he shouted at Judy from behind. "Watch what you're doing…we'll be killed!" He pointed. "Over there! Get that one! No, that one! Here comes another!"

Meanwhile, while all this was going on, Ordin took advantage of an opportunity to get a weapon and add his weight to the battle. When a Selesian soldier fell next to him, stunned by one of Maureen's blasts, Ordin, who was still on the ground after diving under Maureen's line of fire, scooped up the soldier's rod-weapon and began triggering the gun, sending red balls of energy flying with deadly accuracy into the swarming soldiers. Like one possessed, he struggled to his knees and, yelling fiendishly, laid about him, picking out targets as they came at him. He could not rise further because the weapon was still attached to the backpack strapped to the unconscious Selesian's back, but the encumbrance hardly seemed to affect Ordin at all and the destruction he was now able to loose.

Both John and Don had regained their feet and, armed only with their swords, met the charge of a group of four gladiators who had emerged from one of the arches. They were smaller than Ca-Val, Demelon, and Soretoon, but they came forward with war whoops and whirling blades, intent on saving the day. The Professor and West engaged them, knocking aside weapons and parrying thrusts, keeping them away from Maureen and the Robot, who maintained a constant barrage of fire against rod-wielding soldiers.

The crowd in the stadium had fallen into uncontrollable frenzy. The native Alcandrians, seeing their hero, Ordin, fighting for his life in the stadium, could bear it no longer. They leaped to their feet and gave vent to their frustrated rage at their oppressors, using fists and whatever else came to hand to strike back. Hand-to-hand fights swirled up and down the tiers of seats as the surprised Selesians found themselves set upon by berserk Alcandrians. Seats were torn apart for clubs, poorly aimed rod-weapons were blasting away haphazardly as the Selesian soldiers tried to contain the riot, and Alcandrians and Selesians set upon each other with tooth and nail. The previous cheering of the crowd had dissolved into bloodcurdling shrieking as the mob jammed towards the exits, and the stadium shook to the thunder of stampeding feet and heavy blows.

John and Don were forced back towards Maureen, Will, and the Robot. Combined laser fire from Judy and Maureen, as well as some well placed bolts from the Robot, scattered the gladiators, allowing the men to join them nearly at the same time as Judy, Penny, and Dr. Smith. They clustered together in a defensive circle as the fight swirled around them, instinctively protecting one another from the melee.

"Look at that lunatic!" Don yelled above the tumult while simultaneously fending off the attack of a hulking Selesian whirling a sword. He pointed with his free hand at Ordin. "What the hell is he doing?"

John viciously kicked another soldier away, who then fell among more of his group, knocking them all down like bowling pins, then followed Don's gaze. "Looks like the damn fool is going after the god-king himself!" he cried.

At some point, Ordin had discarded his rod-weapon in favor of a large, curved sword and was charging hell-bent towards the imperial arch, howling like a madman. He looked neither right nor left, but ran purposefully, his eyes fixated ahead, the sword swinging low before him. Within the arch, running figures were everywhere, except for one. Shon-KonDar, frozen stiff into immobility and blind panic, remained sitting on the throne, his mouth agape and his eyes wide. Unable to run away and completely befuddled by the swiftness of what was occurring, he sat like a lump of flesh, his ring-bedecked hands clutching the arms of his throne in white-knuckled fear. He looked wildly about him, seeking his usual bodyguards, but they had been swept up into the mobs of soldiers who were now battling indigenous Alcandrians. Armed with makeshift clubs and swords, the natives had leaped across the barricades and were running amok throughout the stadium and under the arches, giving vent to long pent-up fury against their Selesian overlords.

Shon-KonDar's swiveling head suddenly stopped as his beady pig-eyes fastened on the rapidly approaching Ordin. The little god-king saw his doom coming upon him as the vengeful Alcandrian raced towards him, now lifting the sword and whirling it wrathfully over his head. With a squeal of fright, the monarch heaved himself with stupendous effort to his feet, turned, and waddled down the dais with surprising speed. Even so, Ordin would have been upon the god-king in moments except that he suddenly found himself engulfed in a shrieking crowd of concubines, Selesian aristocrats, and courtiers who pounded past in a mindless mob, carrying him along with them despite his ineffective struggles to get through the terrified pack. He cursed at the top of his lungs and fought to get through, but it was all he could do to keep his feet as he was forced away from his intended victim.

Meanwhile, Shon-KonDar took advantage of the distraction and was moving as quickly as he could, his squat legs propelling his huge bulk towards the strange pit that yawned on one side of the stadium floor. Even with the increase in sunlight, the pit itself looked as unnatural and out of place in the stadium as ever. Surrounded by flat inlaid rocks, its walls sank straight down into the ground, disappearing into deep shadow, giving it a bottomless appearance. However, the walls were not smooth. Deep parallel gouges had been made in various places in the walls, almost as if clawed out of the rock by titanic fingers.

As if certain of his actions, Shon-KonDar did not hesitate as he approached the lip of the pit. Sweat was pouring off him, and his breath was coming in wheezing gasps. Glancing fearfully over his shoulder, he saw Ordin, who had finally broken free from the mob, running towards him again, bloody murder in his eyes. Behind the Alcandrian, Selesian soldiers, seeing the danger to their god-king, were converging towards them, yelling and swinging swords and rod-weapons. But they were far enough away that it was clear to the frightened, fat emperor that Ordin would reach him first. And, he had no doubt what would then happen.

Reaching the hole, the Son of the Dawn fell heavily to his knees, and then fell flat forward onto his stomach so that his face extended over the lip of the pit. He threw his arms out, extending them into the pit, and cried out shrilly into the unseen depths, "Comonoth regula, comonoth chantik, comonoth mechantic!"

As the echoes of his voice reverberated deep down into the chasm, he glanced back over his shoulder and saw Ordin practically upon him. Apoplectic with terror, he turned back and shrieked into the pit, "I call upon you, aid me in my hour of need! Come forth! Destroy my enemies!"

Then, from the pit, came a rumble and a braying that overcame the noise from the frothing hordes in the stands. Ordin slid to a halt in surprise, his arms windmilling, several paces away from where Shon-KonDar lay by the edge of the pit. The soldiers pursuing Ordin also pulled up short, their eyes gaping wide in fear. Several of the closest Selesians began jabbering to each other and pointing towards the huge hole. The ground had begun to shake and tremble to vibrations coming from within the pit, and frightful blows could be heard deep within it, getting louder, as if something was climbing up from the depths, something huge.

Some distance away, the Robot began warbling excitedly, throwing out his arms and waving them violently. "Warning!" he said. "Danger! Alien life-form detected! Large alien life-form! Recommend immediate withdrawal from this area!"

"Watch it, damn you!" Don snapped angrily as he ducked under the Robot's wildly gesticulating arms. "What are you talking about?"

"Large alien life-form is rising from the pit!" the Robot repeated, his sensor tabs rotating around his bubble-top, clearly beside himself in uncharacteristic panic.

"What life-form?" the Professor yelled in exasperation, laying a roundhouse punch on a soldier who got within reach, sending him staggering backwards.

"Look!" Dr. Smith cried from behind Maureen, where he was cowering. He thrust out an arm over her shoulder, pointing. "What is coming out of the pit? We're doomed! Doomed! Someone do something!"

At Smith's shout, everyone--Robinson family and nearby Selesian soldiers alike--spun to look towards the pit, and gaped in horror. Two huge claws the size of tall men rose out of the pit and slammed down onto its edges on either side of Shon-KonDar. As they watched, a horrific visage thrust itself over the lip of the pit and began rising from within.

"The Malawick!" came a hysterical shout from a nearby Selesian, who pointed with both hands, his rod-weapon clattering to the ground. "He has summoned the Malawick!"

The creature called the Malawick had finished scrabbling its way out of the pit and stood swaying, blinking in the strong sunlight. It was a giant, easily thirty feet tall, and twenty in width. It was completely covered with coarse, wiry hair that hung in ragged tendrils from its huge body. Sharp, black talons sprouted from misshapen fingers; claws protruded from the toes of its massive feet. It had a face of darkest nightmare. Half a dozen glittering black eyes, like a spider's and partly veiled with overhanging hair, clustered under a beetling brow. It had no nose, but directly below the eyes was the gaping maw, within which were multiple fangs that so twisted among themselves it was questionable the beast could close its jaws at all. It reared back and gave vent to a roaring shriek that seemed to rattle the very foundations of the stadium. Meanwhile, Shon-KonDar, who stood erect and seemingly unconcerned between the creature's wide-spread legs, gesticulated wildly, his mouth twisting and working as he bellowed incoherently.

The madly rushing crowd was now in full flight. People were jamming exits, pushing hysterically, screaming, and continually looking back over their shoulders at where the Malawick moved about. Crumpled bodies, those who could not keep their footing in the riot and were trampled under, lay scattered and unmoving like piles of rags. Discarded weapons, torn clothes, and bits of armor littered the field.

The Robinsons suddenly found themselves alone in a tight circle in the middle of the stadium as the soldiers who had been menacing them were gone, fleeing for their lives along with the rest of the mob, heading for the nearest exits.

"Well," West gasped wryly, placing his hands on his waist and staring blandly up at the behemoth. "This is a fine mess we're in."

"Major, this is no time for glibness!" an appalled Smith screamed, retreating behind the Robot. "Do something!"

Ordin, who had abandoned his berserk charge against Shon-KonDar, was in fast retreat back towards them, his face a mask of unbelieving terror. "Run! For your lives, run!" He cast a frenzied glance over his shoulder to see that the Malawick had started moving towards them in response to Shon-KonDar's incomprehensible gibbering. The little god-king seemed to be urging it on, his rings winking on his fingers as he pointed frantically at the Earth party.

Maureen uttered something uncharacteristically earthy that, despite the clear danger, drew shocked stares from her children. Her eyes flashing in the sun and her mouth twisted in a grimace of concentrated effort, she swiveled towards the approaching creature, planted her feet again, raised her laser, and fired. The blue beam struck the horror dead center on the chest, causing it to stop short, raise its arms, and give vent to the loudest pain-laced screech heard yet. But, then it seemed to lean forward into the laser and stepped closer, raising its prodigious arms threateningly. Behind it, Shon-KonDar leaped and cavorted, his arms waving flabbily, his mouth contorted in unheard exhortations.

As Maureen kept the beam on the howling creature, Don turned with slow deliberateness, as if he had all the time in the world, and extended a hand towards Judy. "May I?" he asked with exaggerated politeness, indicating the laser still in her hand. "I believe I'd like to help out your mom."

Judy stared at him, then broke out into a grin. "How very kind of you," she answered in the same tone of serious courtesy. "I'm sure she would appreciate your assistance." She extended the weapon hilt first, and Don took it with a wink.

He whipped around, all pretense at decorum gone, dropped to one knee beside Maureen, raised the laser and pulled the trigger, guiding his beam near hers onto the midsection of the colossus. Another titanic screech came from the distended throat, and the monster stopped, beating the air with its clawed hands and stamping its feet. Glittering black eyes, like shiny round marbles, glared at the Earth party as if to blast the humans from existence through sheer malignancy. Froth flew from its mouth as it howled its rage, and appeared to be coiling itself for a prodigious leap.

John thrust out his sword in the direction of the Malawick and commanded the Robot, "Robot, whatever power you have left, use it! Fire at that thing!"

Instantly, the Robot's arms went rigid as Will and Penny leaped out of the way, and coruscating bolts of blue electricity left his claws, arcing across the intervening distance and impacting on the creature.

Seeing the Robinsons fighting back, Ordin, who had closed the distance with them, changed directions abruptly and dove for a nearby discarded rod-weapon and pack. Even as the Robot opened up, Ordin slid onto the ground in a great cloud of dust, like a baseball player coming into home. In a single motion, he grabbed the weapon, triggered it from his prone position on the stadium floor, and began firing, sending balls of energy one after another into the heaving breast of the maddened beast.

Howling in pain and fury, the Malawick was finally being forced backwards towards the pit. It waved its arms as if trying to ward off the multiple energy blasts striking it, but it was being driven remorselessly backwards by the force of the manifold weapons discharges. The straight, blue beams of the lasers, the coruscating electrical discharges from the Robot, and the red pulses from Ordin's gun all combined to create an intense display of raw power. Against this was the elemental rage from the monster, who kept up its shrieking and wild flailing as it continued to step backwards unwillingly.

"Keep at it!" Penny cheered, capering up and down.

"Give him what for, Mom!" Will yelled, grinning from ear to ear.

"Go, Robot!" Judy shouted encouragement. "Go, Don!"

One of the laser beams abruptly vanished. "I'm out!" Maureen shouted despairingly over the whines of the other weapons, glancing at the power display on the discharged pistol.

As if to make up for the slack, Ordin suddenly pumped out a double-shot of energy with his rod-weapon, the discharge striking the Malawick like a pile driver and shoving it violently backwards. On the verge of falling, the monster stamped its feet furiously as it tried to regain its balance, backing precisely to where the rotund Emperor of all the Universes stood with upraised arms. Shon-KonDar's grotesque look of certain victory transformed rapidly to one of goggling alarm as the reeling behemoth towered over him. Too late, the emperor realized his danger. He started to move aside but froze in terror as a shadow fell over him. One titanic foot, lifted awkwardly, was coming down right over his head. Shon-KonDar had time for one garbled scream, his hands over his head, before the foot crashed down over him, striking him to the ground and squashing the god-king like a bug.

The Malawick slid horribly on the mess that was left, its feet went out from under it, and it toppled over backwards onto the lip of the pit. The monster continued somersaulting over, its flailing legs rising into the air as the rest of its body slipped over the brink and, with a piercing wail, the monster slid into the yawning abyss, tumbling into the dark void from which it had come. Its shrieks dwindled away, as did the sounds of its huge body striking the sides of the well as it fell with increasing velocity into unknowable depths. There was no final crash to indicate the monster had reached bottom.

The Robinsons stood frozen, blinking in disbelief at their victory. They slowly became aware of the tumult still convulsing the stadium as the populace continued its mindless stampede for the exits.

Don slowly got to his feet. "Humph," he grunted with satisfaction. "Got the bastard." He regarded the red smear glistening in the dust where the former ruler of Selesia once stood. He grinned. "Both of them, in fact." He turned towards Maureen and spoke admiringly. "Nice shooting, Annie Oakley. Remind me never to get into an argument with you…at least if you're armed."

The fires in her eyes were fading, but Maureen's voice was steady as a rock as she glanced over at him, breaking out into a fierce smile. "See that you don't, Major West," she said in a dangerous tone, evoking an appreciative chuckle from the pilot.

"Is it dead?" Penny asked, picking herself up from the ground where she and Will had dived for cover.

Before anyone could answer, Ordin came pounding up to the clustered group, having discarded his empty rod-weapon in the dust. "Unbelievable!" he cried in utter astonishment. "We destroyed the Malawick! Shon-KonDar is dead! This is incredible, I must report in, I must contact…I have…er…" he dissolved into incoherency as various expressions chased themselves across his face.

John was looking about him at the pandemonium, gesturing with his sword. "I believe now would be a good time for us to make a strategic retreat, wouldn't you say?"

Ordin seemed to come to himself and looked around. "You're right! We must get you out of here, and quickly! I don't know what's going to happen next, but now is our chance to get you back to your spaceship. Incredible!" he repeated, staring in awe as the old order seemed to be crumbling down in ruin all about them.

"Robot, how're your power levels?" Will asked, glancing with some concern at the flickering power indicators on the Robot's front panel.

"Sufficient," the Robot equivocated.

"Where to, then?" West prompted, waving his laser pistol vaguely.

Ordin pointed towards one of the arches. "We can get out through there. I know where the patrol craft are kept. We'll take one and try and get you back to your ship."

"All right, then," John said. "Let's go. Ordin, lead on; everyone, stay close!"

As they moved off, Dr. Smith, who still looked considerably shaken, piped up. "Don't forget! It was me that got us out of this!"

"It's true, Dad," Judy added as they began running towards an exit. "Dr. Smith got me the laser that I threw to Mom!"

"I see," John murmured absently, watching the path ahead.

"See?" Smith continued. "I told you! I secured the laser for Judy! And I bet you all thought I was selling you out…"

"Quiet, Smith!" Don snapped, but not as caustically as he usually was with the doctor. "We're not out of this yet." He looked admiringly over at Judy who was striding by his side. "By the way, you look good in the Arabian genie outfit. You should wear clothes like that all the time."

Judy gamely returned his grin and wagged a finger in his face. "Don't get any funny ideas, mister. The Middle Ages were long ago." She did not sound overly displeased with his attention.

He laughed. "Hey, I'm just saying…"

"Well," she said, nudging him in the side with her elbow. "Just keep it to yourself."

"Yeah!" Will said, grinning and making a face at Penny. "You look good for a genie, too!"

Neither of the kids seemed particularly traumatized at having come close to death at the hands of a nightmare leviathan from the depths of the planet.

"Shut up, stupid!" Penny giggled, sweeping off her turban and throwing it at him, which he dodged.

"Keep it moving, people," John growled warningly from up front where he was walking beside Ordin.

The group moved through the arch Ordin had previously indicated, weaving around upended chairs, smashed tables, spilled goblets, and other debris from the sudden rout. They filed through an ornate doorway into a cavernous hall, where there were still knots of people running helter-skelter or struggling with each other, yelling and screaming with fear, anger, and madness. There were Selesian soldiers scattered around, but, entirely leaderless, they milled about uncertainly or simply joined in the general exodus away from the arena and presumably towards unseen exits. The Robinsons passed unmolested and unchallenged down labyrinthine corridors and through interconnected rooms, dodging flitting people who ignored them in their own drive to escape to safety. Smoke wafted about, and dropped torches lay sputtering on the floor.

Abruptly, they burst out of the shadowy maze into a wide courtyard that was open to the sky. Blinking in the sunlight, the Robinsons skidded to a halt. They saw several of the patrol craft similar to the one that had brought them to the island parked haphazardly, as if they had been abandoned in haste. Some floated properly, while others were canted sideways or flat on the ground. One had landed entirely on top of another, crushing it underneath into an unrecognizable mess.

"Come on!" Ordin cried, pointing at the nearest hovercraft that appeared whole. "Let's take this one! I know how to fly them." He sprinted ahead, quickly mounting the extended gangplank.

While most of the family followed, Dr. Smith hung back under the arch they had just entered. He looked aghast at the hovercraft. "No!" he wailed, still panting with exertion from their run, one hand pressed to his chest. "I can't take more of this flying! I am completely undone. Leave me…" He leaned dramatically against the arch, closing his eyes. "You must all save yourselves…"

"Smith!" John called in exasperation from midway up the gangway, leaning on the guardrail. "Get moving! We don't have time for this…!" The rest of the family was pressing past him.

Will had turned back and returned to Smith's side. "It's okay, Dr. Smith," he said comfortingly. "We're just going back to the Jupiter."

"No, no," Smith moaned, raising the back of his hand to his forehead. "I cannot take another step. Go, William, 'tis a far, far better thing I do than I have ever done before…"

"Smith!" West bellowed irately from the deck of the patrol ship. "Quit screwing around and get your ass up here! This boat is leaving!"

Penny ran up to him. "Come on, Dr. Smith," she said, laying a reassuring hand on his arm and smiling up at him. "Remember, we're going back to Earth!"

"Will! Penny! Dr. Smith!" Maureen called, leaning over the rail next to Don, whose face was working in ill-tempered frustration. "Come on up here! We haven't a moment to lose!"

"Earth?" Smith's eyes opened in rapture. "Earth! I had nearly forgotten. How could I forget! Yes, yes, let us board this misbegotten alien contraption. Oh, dear," he groaned, straightening and looking down at the two children flanking him. "I am in a very delicate way, you know! Help me up, now, gently!"

Each of the children took a hand and began pulling. "Come on, Dr. Smith!" Will said. "We'll get you on board."

"Oh!" he exclaimed, lurching after them up the entry ramp. "Easy now. My back…oh, dear…"

Smith staggered up the ramp, complaining nonstop, followed by Will and Penny who were pushing from behind. The Robot was the last one up, his balance gyroscopes whining stridently as he fought to remain upright on the steeply slanting incline. Suddenly, there was a deafening explosion, and the ship lurched convulsively, sending Dr. Smith sprawling onto the deck. Will and Penny staggered around him as the hovercraft rocked; the Robot windmilled his arms wildly as he fought to keep his balance.

"Selesians!" Ordin yelled from the podium, where he turned away from actuating controls.

His attention had been drawn to a pair of soldiers who had entered the courtyard. One had dropped to a knee to let loose a ball of energy from his rod-weapon, which had just struck the hovercraft, while the other guard was in the process of raising his gun. The standing soldier triggered his weapon, and a ball of light arced out, striking the vessel in the side, sending up a great gout of sparks and smoke. The impact sent it skittering sideways, dragging the gangway along the ground and digging a furrow. The Robot barely made the lip of the deck and heaved himself level as the hovercraft rocked under him.

West pulled his laser pistol from his waistband and began firing towards the soldiers, and the entire courtyard lit up in with the dueling energies flaring back and forth. The Robot, now on deck, swiveled and let loose one intense bolt of electricity that arced over Don's head, causing him to instinctively duck with a lurid curse. The bolt impacted on the wall nearest the soldiers, and the stonework exploded outwards, showering the Selesians with sparks and flying rubble, sending them leaping out of the way. Then, with a metallic groan, the Robot slumped over sideways, his arms dangling and all his indicator lights winking out.

"Robot!" Will screamed.

"Ordin, get us the hell out of here!" John yelled.

Ordin slammed a fist down on a switch, and the patrol craft surged up, sending everyone flailing and stumbling. The entry ramp, which had never been retracted, snapped away and spun down into the grounds below. Several energy blasts from the confounded soldiers followed them, striking the vessel, but Ordin steered the craft randomly to complicate their aim, climbing at a steep angle over the wall of the courtyard. At that point, they were out of range and temporarily safe, bowling along at a dizzying rate above the rooftops of the palace.

As the ship stabilized itself in flight, the Robinsons began picking themselves up. Maureen and Judy pulled themselves up on the rear rail as the hovercraft soared along, while John and Don had joined Ordin at the control podium. Penny was helping Dr. Smith to his feet, and Will had turned to the Robot, who was swaying limply to the movement of the vessel.

"You're completely drained," he muttered to himself. "Wonder if your reserve battery is still good…"

He leaned down, flicked a switch on the Robot's control panel, jabbed a button on front, and the lights came back on. The Robot straightened and retracted his arms. "Thank you, Will," he said politely.

"That should last you for an hour, or until we can get you back to the ship and swap out your power pack," Will commented, checking some readouts on the Robot's torso.

"Yes, but I will not be able to engage defensive armaments in this condition."

"That's okay," Will said. "Nice shot back there, by the way."

"Thank you." He seemed to lean forward conspiratorially. "I do my best work under pressure." Will grinned.

"Oh!" Smith was leaning heavily on Penny, who was struggling to keep him upright despite the bucking of the hovercraft. "William, leave that clanking clod alone and help me!" "Oh! My delicate back will never be the same. Oh," he moaned as the ship sank over a rooftop while Will helped Penny get him to a railing, where he grabbed it tightly. "My stomach is in my mouth!" He squinted ahead as his hair was pulled back by the wind of their passage. "It's too windy…you're going too fast! Slow down, you'll kill us all!"

"Do not slow down," John murmured to Ordin at the control podium.

"I won't," Ordin assured him. Then, he grinned fiercely at the Professor. "This planet hasn't been this stirred up in years. But they will regroup soon and be after us with a vengeance. We must hasten; hang on."

The ship dipped over the last wall of the palace, and Ordin lowered the nose to descend over a narrow beach, skimming the sands. In seconds, it was out over the water of the surrounding sea, surging low over the breakers and plunging through the spray, they were that close to the water. Then, the breakers were behind them, with only the massively rolling waves of the sea underneath, and Maldak Island quickly dwindled into the sunlit haze. Ordin climbed several feet and touched a panel, allowing the vessel to settle down to a smooth cruise over the rollers, then bent down and pulled off a panel on the podium. He tossed it aside and thrust his hands inside, rummaging through wire bundles and relays.

John crouched down to watch. "What are you doing?"

"We're not out of this yet," Ordin said. "I'm trying to adjust the receptors of this communications device to frequencies used by Alcandrian rebel space units. You are going to need help getting away in your ship."

"What do you mean?" Don asked, squatting next to John.

"I have no doubt that Selesian fighter craft are even now scrambling, fanning out to find us," Ordin said, frowning at the connections and ripping out components. "It will not be so easy leaving as it was getting here. And, since they know where your ship is, they will undoubtedly be converging there first."

"We are not a warship," Maureen said, joining them at the podium, her hand on John's shoulder as she knelt down. "We have no guns or defenses on the Jupiter. There is no way we can protect ourselves!"

"I know," Ordin said, ripping out a bundle of wires and throwing them overboard. "That's why I'm going to try and call for an escort for you. A couple of Alcandrian fighters can ensure your safety."

Don was shaking his head doubtfully. "I don't know about 'ensuring safety'. You didn't do very well on your ship, and you had guns!" Maureen scowled at him for his undiplomatic reminder. She gave him an impatient nudge in the ribs. He responded with an innocent look and mouthed the word "What?", spreading his hands silently.

If he heard the implied criticism, Ordin made no overt sign. "I will provide the weapons support, you fly your spaceship. It's all we can do. Ah, here we go." Several lights had lit up on the interior panel he was working on. "That should do it." He straightened up and pressed several buttons on the podium. "I'm going to try and contact Alcandrian central command now…"

It only took Ordin two or three tries on the frequency before he was able to raise a response from the rebel fighter force. When he did, he spoke quickly and efficiently to his contact while the hovercraft flew steadily over the waves.

Even as he worked out the details of an escort for the Earth ship, a shoreline appeared on the horizon and grew rapidly. They shot across a narrow stretch of beach and automatically soared higher to crest the canopy of the thick forest, the wind of their passage fanning out the leaves behind them like the wake of a ship. Ordin only gave it a cursory look while he talked excitedly on his communications unit.

Several minutes passed while they rose and fell, following the undulating forest canopy. Maureen, John, and Don remained grouped around Ordin at the control podium, listening intently to the exchange. Will, Penny, and Judy had drifted to the prow of the ship, eagerly watching the view ahead and letting the breeze flatten their hair back against their heads. Dr. Smith, who felt abandoned by all, stood off to one side, complaining loudly and unceasingly to the Robot about the ride, the wind, the temperature, their narrow escape, his delicate back, and anything else that came to mind. The Robot said very little, claiming the need to conserve his power, but giving all the appearance of weary vexation.

"There!" Will said, pointing ahead. "Is that…?"

"It sure looks like…" Judy began uncertainly, squinting into the distance at a silvery metallic glint.

"It's the Jupiter!" Penny cried excitedly. "There it is, Dad!"

"Nice job of navigating," John complimented Ordin, who had finished coordinating with his allies and was hand-flying the vessel.

"Think it will still have guards around it?" Don asked, fingering his laser. "There's not much power left in this thing, but it's all we've got."

"Very likely," Ordin answered, making a minor adjustment towards the still distant spaceship. "Unless they were called away because of this crisis, or abandoned their post, or something like that. We should be prepared to fight our way in."

"Can we set down over there?" John asked, pointing to a clearing passing off to their left. "We should go in quietly on foot rather than thundering in on this thing." He waved at the hovercraft.

"There's not much time," Ordin said, looking at him doubtfully, "and time is critical. The Selesians are in confusion right now, but they'll recover fast. Surprise is on our side, but the window of opportunity for your departure is very narrow, or may already have closed. I suggest we do a flyover to see if anyone is there. This is a Selesian patrol ship, so it might not excite the guards, if there are any. If we see soldiers, we'll sheer off and come up with another plan. If no one is there, we'll land and get you on your way."

"All right," John said after brief thought. "Makes sense. Take us in, then."

"Will, Penny, Judy!" Don called to the three clustered at the prow. "You guys better get back here so you're not so obvious to prying eyes."

"Alert!" the Robot called, interrupting one of Smith's harangues. "Alert! Inbound airborne objects detected, six o'clock and closing!"

"I see them!" John yelled, staring back the way they had come, where three distant specks could be seen over the forest tops. "What are they…?"

"It's the enemy!" Smith wailed, grabbing the rail again as if to brace himself. "They'll shoot us out of the sky!"

Ordin was squinting over his shoulder at the rapidly approaching specks. "No," he began tentatively. "I think…"

The three specks grew rapidly until what few details there were became apparent. The ships were saucer-shaped, sleek, flat, and black, with knife-like edges all around. Twin nacelles on top and towards the rear appeared to be the engines, and windows in front followed the sleek contours of the saucers. The ships suddenly loomed in size and rocketed overhead at incredible speed, their wash tossing the patrol craft violently and causing everyone to duck with yells of surprise. Then, the saucers were past, the earsplitting roar from their engines vibrating the hovercraft from stem to stern, and began firing pulses of intense white energy towards the Jupiter still ahead.

"They're trying to destroy our ship!" Maureen cried in panic. "John…"

"No!" Ordin interjected triumphantly, laughing gustily. "It's your air cover! It's Alcandrians--they're our ships!" He slammed a fist on the podium. "I can't believe they made it here so fast!"

"Then why are they firing on our ship?" West shouted angrily.

John was staring ahead intently. "I don't think they are firing at the Jupiter. Look! I think there's movement around the ship!"

The little vessel was now close enough to see more details within the clearing where the Jupiter was still parked. Indeed, the saucers were not firing on the ship, as it seemed initially. They were firing close to the Earth ship, but at the ground, raising great gouts of earth. Among the explosions of soil and rock could be seen numerous figures, running for cover or firing back at the swooping saucers.

"There IS a contingent of soldiers down there," Ordin shouted. "We would have been running into a trap!"

"Watch out!" Dr. Smith cried, flinching as one of the saucers howled overhead again.

All three fighters were circling the field, belching a non-stop fire of blazingly white energy balls out of wide orifices mounted below what had to be the pilot windows. They were laying down a complex field of fire that left the Jupiter untouched but cleared the meadow of Selesian soldiers, who were quickly retreating to the protective cover of the forest. By the time the hovercraft with the Robinsons on board soared into the clearing, one saucer had landed next to the Jupiter, while the other two circled overhead, occasionally sending energy balls blasting into the forest periphery and keeping the scattered Selesian contingent hunkered down and out of sight.

Ordin jerked the patrol ship into a steep dive, leveling out abruptly over the clearing and braking it violently. No one was ready for the sudden maneuver. Dr. Smith, desperately trying to keep his footing, spun around the swaying Robot; John and Don grabbed the podium, while Maureen grabbed John. Will and Penny landed on top of one another, while Judy spun bodily around the railing, barely keeping her grip and avoiding being thrown to the ground. Ordin had brought them to a halt next to the Alcandrian saucer on the ground and several paces from the Jupiter itself. The Robinson ship shone brilliantly in the sun, the main viewport covered with its metallic shield. The drive pod underneath was dark; the bubble dome on top was lifeless.

Nearby, a ladder descended from the saucer--which was only about one-third the size of the Jupiter--and a figure descended rapidly, leaping to the ground and running towards the patrol ship. He was dressed in a spacesuit similar to the one the Robinsons had found around Ordin when they extracted him from his ship. However, the helmet was off, and a grinning, red-bearded face was goggling happily up at them as he ran at the patrol ship, grabbed the lip of the entry port, and hoisted himself on board with a great deal of grunting and fuming. Ordin ran over to assist him, pulling him up onto the deck. Finally gaining his feet, the newcomer spread his arms and beamed at Ordin.

"Ordin!" he boomed happily.

"Sentauri!" Ordin exclaimed, clapping the other man on the back. "I can't believe it! I should have known. How did you come to be here?"

Sentauri grabbed both of Ordin's hands in twin bone-crushing grips and pumped his arms furiously. "Ha! You don't think I'd miss out on a great fight, do you, nor come to the aid of an old comrade when he called for help?"

"You're still a blustering show-off," Ordin assured him, grinning hugely. "You almost knocked us out of the sky with that low flyby back there."

Sentauri tossed a hand dismissively. "Those Selesian fools were about to open fire on you. You would have been blown to pieces before you even got here! How could they miss with you steering a straight course to your own destruction like you were? I saved your neck, I did, old friend." Ordin opened his mouth to respond, but the other Alcandrian was nearly dancing with barely repressed emotion and plunged on. "But what times these are! Shon-KonDar dead, the Malawick destroyed, Selesian forces on the run! And you are in the middle of everything, as always! Are the stories true, did you slay the Malawick all by yourself?" Without waiting for an answer, he looked past Ordin at the Robinsons. "And these must be the aliens I've been hearing about…?"

Finally being able to get in a word edgewise, Ordin made brief introductions. The irrepressible Sentauri bustled among them, vigorously shaking hands with the men and giving the women enthusiastic hugs and spinning them wildly about. Sentauri bent down and tousled Will's hair playfully, then clapped Dr. Smith on the back with enough force to send the doctor staggering with a yelp against a nearby railing.

More explosions came from the forest, and one of the battle saucers screamed low overhead. Something pinged on the patrol ship. Sentauri's head snapped up alertly as he peered into the forest.

"Enough talk," Sentauri bellowed exuberantly, seeming unable to tone down the energetic full-volume quality of his voice. Pointing to a small metallic cylinder lodged firmly in his right ear, he addressed John. "You need to get out of here. I'm listening to Selesian battle frequencies, and I can tell you they are wild with fury. Fighter craft are converging on this area as we speak." He waved expansively about him, indicating the field. "This place is going to get really hot really soon." He turned to West. "You say you're the pilot of that ship? How long is it going to take you to get it off the ground?"

Don looked over at the silent Jupiter, and chewed on his lower lip. "Normally," he began, nearly shouting in response to Sentauri's loudness, then stopped himself. "Sorry," he glanced apologetically at John and Maureen and lowered his voice to normal volume. "Normally, I would say…no, never mind. This is not normal." He ducked involuntarily as another saucer shrieked overhead at low altitude, firing as it passed. He grinned in appreciation as it banked sharply over the forest, chasing unseen targets, then continued. "I can't tell you until I get inside. The ship is completely shut down, and I don't know if those Selesians were able to get inside despite our security protocols and mess things up."

"It looks secure enough from here," John observed.

"Well, get to it, then," Sentauri thundered, glancing at the sky. "No telling when those Selesian devils are going to show up with their reinforcements."

John nodded in agreement, then addressed his group. "You heard the man!" he boomed, matching Sentauri's decibel level. "Everyone on board…it's time for us to leave!"

Ordin mashed another switch on the hovercraft, causing the entire vessel to settle bodily to the ground with a crunch. The men helped the women off, while Will and Penny leaped the rail to the ground and sprinted for the ship, greatly heartened at the familiar sight of their venerable ship. It took all four of the men--Sentauri, Ordin, John, and Don--to assist the Robot off the hovercraft, but it was eventually done without injury to either man or machine.

They shortly found themselves clustered under the front landing strut of the Jupiter, looking up as Don climbed the ladder to the closed entry hatch. He knocked on it experimentally, producing a solid, metallic ring.

"Sounds secure," he said. "I don't think anyone got in." He reached up to a small panel beside the hatch and pressed two release latches. A small door dropped open, revealing a grid of buttons with numbers on them. Above them was a red handle countersunk into the panel.

"Do you remember the code?" John asked, looking up and standing one step below him.

"Yeah, I got it," West answered.

"Can't the Robot unlock it remotely for us?" Will asked, addressing his father. "That might be faster." He and the Robot were standing next to the strut with the rest of the family.

"My protocols allow for remote locking," the Robot said, swiveling towards the youth, "but unlocking can only be done manually, at the access panel, by inserting the proper code. It was considered a security requirement."

"Oh."

"Hurry up, Don!" Judy urged, looking warily about from where she stood at the pad of the landing strut. She could see the battle saucers still soaring and laying down fields of fire over the forest. "I feel totally exposed out here!"

West pressed several of the buttons in sequence. Nothing happened. He pulled at the red handle, but it did not come out of its recess. He dropped his hand to his side and stared at the panel thoughtfully.

"What's wrong?" Maureen said, looking up.

"If that's the right code, it should have unlocked. I'm not getting any indications it did."

"Try it again," John prompted.

Don punched the series of buttons again. There was a loud click.

Don brightened. "I think that was it. Must have punched it in wrong." He reached into the access panel and pulled on the red handle; it slid out on a telescoping rod. "Oughta be unlocked now…"

The handle unfolded into a crank. Don tried to turn the crank, but it did not budge. Cursing, he braced his shoulder against the landing strut and heaved again. "I'm sure it's unlocked," he said through gritted teeth, pulling hard on the crank.

"Open that door, you overbearing oaf!" Dr. Smith blustered up at him. "Put your back into it, man!"

"Come on, Don," Penny whispered under her breath, clenching her fists until her knuckles turned white. The sight of their refuge so close, yet possibly unattainable, was making her crazy with suspense.

Don took a breath, then jerked back in a colossal heave that he held. His lips were open in a snarl, his jaw clenched tight. His eyes were slits, veins popped out on his forehead and his face began turning red.

The crank turned a quarter inch.

"Son of a bitch!" he growled lustily, but his determination flared. He flew back, redoubling his effort. His entire body convulsed as every single muscle contracted. His mouth flew open and he gave voice to a long-drawn, deep-throated roar of defiance.

With a tremendous metal-to-metal grinding sound, the crank turned, and the door began opening. Keeping up the pressure, Don kept turning; the door continued to slide to one side until it was fully open.

The family erupted into frenzied cheers.

"Gonna have to put some WD-40 on that manual release mechanism," Don panted, sweat pouring off him as he sagged weakly against upper steps. "Where's the nearest hardware store?"

John climbed up next to him, reached and pushed the crank back into the panel and secured the access door. "Only a few light years down the block. C'mon, cowboy, let's get going. Need some help up?"

West laughed dismissively, taking great gulps of air. "C'mon, now. It'll take more than a rusty crank to tire me out. Besides, no rest for the wicked." He looked up. The open hatch framed a stygian blackness inside. There were no indicator lights and no sounds. "Looks scary in there."

The family began climbing up the ladder, anxious to get on board.

"Let's go, Don!" Judy urged.

"Quit crowding," Don grumbled, stepping up into the open hatch and flipping a switch on a bulkhead near the entry port. "Let me get the emergency lights on…" Dim lighting glowed on, adding just a little to the daylight flooding through the open hatch.

"We progress!" John exclaimed confidently, looking around the interior as the rest of the family surged up behind him. "Looks like they couldn't get in. That's good news. Let's get the ship powered up and see what we have!"

"Right," Don agreed. "Time to bring this baby back to life."

After gaining the lower deck, Don went directly to the ladder that accessed the upper deck and climbed up. He arrived on the flight deck and looked around. The upper deck of the Jupiter was illuminated in a ghostly radiance by the emergency lights. All the normal background noises of the ship were absent; it was quiet as a tomb. From below, the voices of the family reverberated oddly, and their footsteps on the metal deck echoed in an eerie way. John was climbing the ladder directly behind him.

Don strode directly to the helm. Only one button there was pulsing weakly, as if directing his attention to it. He pressed it, and several indicator lights on the front panels winked on. "Batteries are on line," Don muttered to himself. "Voltage is low, but it should be enough." He half turned as he heard John cross the deck behind him. "I'm starting the auxiliary power unit," he announced, then reached over and punched another button.

From somewhere deep in the ship, a low vibration began that slowly turned into a whine, increasing softly in volume. Don leaned over the helm, waiting, as John joined him. Suddenly, there was a loud clunk from behind one of the electrical control panels, and lights flooded the deck. The entire front panel lit up, and, within seconds, every single peripheral panel on the surrounding bulkheads also illuminated. The normal mechanical and electrical background noises of the Jupiter 2 that the family had grown so used to over the years filled the emptiness and banished the darkness.

"It…is…alive!" Don proclaimed maniacally, throwing his hands up in theatrical ecstasy.

"Very good, Dr. Frankenstein," John quipped, adjusting some controls. "Now let's get your creation ready for flight!"

For the next quarter of an hour, the Jupiter saw a frenzy of activity. John opened the main viewport, allowing sunshine to flow brilliantly into the main deck, adding to the sense that the Jupiter had risen from the dead. Throwing himself into the pilot chair, Don began flipping switches, pushing buttons, and massaging engine cold-start procedures. He and John began calling back and forth, running checklists and monitoring critical parameters as they hastened the operation as fast as they dared. Maureen and Judy took over the simultaneous powering and checks of their gravity, life support, and pressurization systems, fluidly meshing their actions with those of the two men at the helm station. Will and the Robot booted up the navigation and guidance systems. Penny and even Dr. Smith prepared the acceleration couches for their departure.

Ordin and Sentauri had come bustling up onto the main deck, Sentauri looking around with professional interest. "How long?" Ordin asked, watching over Major West's shoulder as Don's hands flew over the controls.

Sentauri had been standing very still, staring at the deck, one hand at the receiver in his ear. He abruptly broke in, waving a hand towards the viewport, "Robinson, Selesian fighters have been detected closing on our location. The soldiers still in the forest must be coordinating their arrival."

"Almost ready," Don growled irritably, beads of sweat trickling down his forehead as he concentrated. "I'm blowing off a whole lot of checks here."

"I understand," John said, twirling dials and pressing buttons in a blur of motion. "Just configure it as best you can, and we'll sort the fine points out in space. I'm prioritizing the systems we need right now. The other 'nice-to-have' stuff can wait until later."

"There," Don proclaimed, glancing in a satisfied way at several indicators. The deck underfoot was vibrating gently, like a silently purring cat. "Engine's at a stable idle, we have artificial gravity, and life support is steady. Good job, ladies!" he yelled, giving a "thumb's up" sign to Maureen and Judy, who were working at a panel next to the airlock door. When they returned his gesture in kind, he pointed at Will. "You, too, Will! I'm showing in the green for essential nav."

"Raw alignment is complete," Will said, scanning a clipboard and comparing his notes to the readouts. "I can narrow the buffers once we take off and make a couple of turns."

"Concur," the Robot said. "Estimated position error is at point oh-five. Suitable for basic navigation and position fixing."

"That'll do for now," Don agreed, then glanced thoughtfully at the Robot. "It might be better if you locked in to your station on the lower deck. This isn't going to be a normal departure, especially if we have to start escape maneuvering."

"A wise precaution," the Robot agreed, turned, and rolled off, heading for the lift.

Don sat back, puffing air out between his lips, giving his panel a final scan. "John, I think we're ready to go."

"Good job, everyone!" John said approvingly. He looked up at Ordin, who was hovering over his seat. "How do you want to work this?"

"Take off and follow us out. We'll escort you as far as we can," Ordin said; Sentauri nodded his agreement.

"You are leaving us, then," Maureen asked fondly as she came up behind them.

Ordin, turning, smiled at her. "I'll be riding with Sentauri. Shon-KonDar may be dead, but we still have battles to win here. The Selesians are powerful and will likely be vengeful over the death of their god-king. But," he gave a shrug, "that is our fight." His eyes went hopeful, and he gazed at Maureen with something akin to respect, even worship. "Perhaps someday Alcandrian historians will look back on this moment as the critical event, a fateful turning point in our quest for liberty. Down the long haul of time, you all may become legendary heroes, coming from the sky in your silver spaceship to free our world from tyranny, and then disappearing mysteriously into the cosmos, never to be seen again!"

"Oh, please," West groaned ill-temperedly over his shoulder. "On the other hand, it is equally likely that we may be blown to smithereens in the next hour! Let's get this show on the road, pal!"

Ignoring Don's outburst, Ordin turned calmly to face Professor Robinson, who had risen from his chair to take Ordin's extended hand. "Thank you, John Robinson, for your help. I realize now it was an unpardonable risk to ask you to bring me here, but I have you to thank for my life, at least twice over."

The Robinsons had gathered around. Both Maureen and Judy dabbed away tears as they gave Ordin hugs and kisses. Will and Penny grinned up at the warrior as he exuberantly shook each of their hands. There was a brief commotion as everyone expressed their goodbyes and wishes for success, and handshakes were exchanged. Dr. Smith waved disinterestedly from a corner, rolling his eyes at the delay.

"Come on, we're out of time!" Sentauri interrupted, grabbing Ordin's arm and dragging him towards the ladder to the lower deck. "This area will be swarming with Selesian ships anytime now…let's go!"

With a final wave, the two Alcandrians disappeared down the hatch.

"Everyone strap in!" John commanded, dropping into the seat next to Don and pulling his seatbelt and shoulder harness on.

Outside the viewport, he saw Ordin and Sentauri sprinting for their ship. "They're out, Don. Secure all hatches."

"I'm on it. Lower hatch sealed, everything looks closed and locked for flight. We're pressurizing."

John threw a look behind him to check on the family and noticed an empty acceleration couch. "Dammit, where is Will now?"

"He went below to help the Robot into his docking module," Penny answered as she wrestled with her own seat harness. "I told him not to go, but…"

John grabbed a microphone and spoke into it. "Will, where are you? We're about to launch! Get back up here and strap in!"

"Okay, Dad," came the response over the ship's intercom. "I'm just locking the Robot down. He needs recharging badly."

"Just plug him in and get up here now," John said in some exasperation. "He can lock himself in."

"Okay."

Outside the viewport, the Alcandrian fighter was already rising from the ground, moving off to give the Jupiter room to launch.

"Jupiter, this is Sentauri," the radio crackled unexpectedly. "Selesian fighters are near and closing rapidly. You've got to launch now!"

"Are you ready?" John glanced over at Don.

Scanning his panel, Don nodded. "Looks good." He reached for the stick and thrust levers, flexing his fingers in his characteristic gesture before wrapping them firmly around the control levers. He straightened his back. "Do you want a countdown?"

"We don't need the niceties. Just hit it!"

"Here we go!" Don grinned gleefully, advancing the thrust levers smoothly to maximum.

Outside, the revolving lights on the propulsion pod spun up with the accompanying crystalline whine as the engine went to takeoff power. Effortlessly, the Jupiter rose majestically from the ground, wrapped in thunder and swirling dust. As the ship rotated to face Sentauri's hovering fighter, the landing struts retracted into the belly, and the streamlined spaceship steadied for its leap into space. Sentauri turned his ship and angled it upwards.

"Follow us at a comfortable distance, but stay close," came Sentauri's transmission as his ship began a steep climb. "Let me know if you have trouble."

West grabbed the microphone, snapping, "We'll keep up."

"I have a lock on him," John said, adjusting a knob on their radar scope and peering intently at the screen. "If you lose sight, we should be able to follow on radar. I hope you haven't lost any of your formation-flying skills. Looks like we may need them today!"

"No worries," Don said confidently. "I'll just tuck in on their six o'clock tactical position and keep us there. Formation flying is like riding a bicycle…you never forget how!"

"Don't be arrogant, Major!" Dr. Smith called petulantly from his couch. "Your cockiness will be your undoing someday, and maybe ours! Watch where you're going!"

"Shut up, Smith," Don said more out of habit than antagonism.

Will clambered up the ladder from the lower deck and ran to his acceleration couch.

"Hurry and strap in," Maureen urged. "Looks like a rough ride ahead."

"We'll be shot out of the sky!" Dr. Smith assured them all, cinching his belts down far tighter than was comfortable. "This will surely be the end of all of us!"

"Now, now, Dr. Smith," Maureen consoled, always optimistic. "We'll be fine, I'm sure."

John looked back over his shoulder at his wife. She was back in her supportive mother role. He compared that with the berserker warrior he had seen blazing fearlessly away at enemy Selesians and outsized monsters on the planet below. A moment of awe tugged at his heart, until West grumpily yelled at him to increase deutronium flow to the engine. He mentally shook it off and turned back to the helm panels.

They quickly rose through the Alcandrian atmosphere. West adjusted the thrust levers to stay close to his escorts, while his other hand seemed to gently caress the control stick, using very small movements to keep the Jupiter behind and slightly below Ordin's fighter. He kept his gaze locked on the lead ship, anticipating the slightest movement and keeping the Jupiter tucked in like it was physically connected to Ordin's ship. The other two battle saucers had rejoined earlier and held formation on either side of Ordin so that the four vessels made a "T" formation, with the Jupiter at the rear.

The ship began vibrating, as if running across railroad tracks or a washboard. "What's that?" John asked, straightening hurriedly in his seat and scanning the instruments.

"Wake turbulence," Don replied nonchalantly. He dropped the ship a little lower, and the ride instantly smoothed out. "It's the atmospheric wake coming off Ordin's ship. Once we're in space, it won't matter."

The radar began beeping. "I have multiple signals at our six o'clock, closing," John called, shifting his attention and adjusting the radar set. "I have another set coming in from nine o'clock," he continued, squinting hard at the readout and adjusting more dials. "I can't tell how many."

"Bad guys?" West asked, his eyes darting from the radar scope to the viewport as he kept the Alcandrian fighters stationary in the windscreen. He eased the thrust levers forward, and the Jupiter slid even closer to her escort, halting barely twenty feet behind. They were so close they could see the pulsing glow coming from inside the engine nacelles on the top of Ordin's ship.

"Don't know." John brought the microphone up. "Ordin, we have several radar contacts coming from behind and the left. Do you see them?"

"Selesian war craft are in pursuit directly behind us," came Sentauri's voice. "Our fighters are closing from the left to cut them off. Is that what you're talking about?"

"I think so," John answered. "What do you want us to do?"

"Continue to follow. Stay close."

"Ask him what we do once we're in space," Don asked.

Responding to John's query, Sentauri transmitted, "Are you light speed capable, or more?"

West cast a glance at their fuel gages. "No way, not yet. We're too far from Earth. That would definitely kill our reserves and dip seriously into our main supply. We would not be able to make Earth."

"No, we can't," John answered. "Fuel limited."

Outside, the sky was yielding its bluish tint to the faintly pulsing yellow of the nebula as they rose, leaving the remnants of the atmosphere behind them. Brighter stars shone through the general radiance.

An excited, unfamiliar voice came over the radio. "Breaking right!"

The right-hand saucer abruptly banked and pulled off to one side. As it did so, twin white beams of light shot past the formation, rocketing past where the saucer had been moments before. The fighter continued its turn and vanished out of sight to their right.

"I'm turning to engage!" the voice came again.

"Copy, Two," Ordin's voice came from the radio speakers. "Jupiter, stay on me!"

"We're still with you," John answered, then he pointed at the radar screen and addressed Don. "All the targets are closer."

"At this rate of speed, we're going to be in the middle of a furball in minutes," Don snarled, twisting the control stick as Sentauri banked to the left. The Jupiter remained solidly in the Alcandrian's six o'clock position as if attached via an invisible tether. "We're just too damn slow." He advanced the thrust levers full against the forward stop as Sentauri accelerated ahead and began to turn randomly in a zigzag pattern.

"We're eating into our reserves!" John warned, watching multiple fuel gages.

"I know, I know," Don said through gritted teeth. "There's no way we can escape...they're coming in too fast!"

"Three, break formation and engage the enemy," Sentauri's voice came over the radio.

"Copy, lead," came the response, and the third saucer broke left and streaked away out of sight.

"Ordin," John called. "They are too fast for us. Suggest you break off and we'll continue straight ahead. Perhaps you can delay them, keep them engaged."

John waited for a response, holding the microphone tensely. The back of Sentauri's ship lit up, reflecting the light from the battle occurring behind them. Several errant beams of light shot past, dwindling into the nebula.

"Ordin…?" John repeated.

"Stand by, Professor Robinson…" came the taut reply.

"What the hell is he doing up there," Don said, wrenching the ship into another turn. The artificial gravity compensators whined to keep up, throwing everyone hard against their safety harnesses.

"Look, they're coming!" Smith cried fearfully, pointing at the radar screen. "We'll all be killed!"

"There's one chance, Jupiter!" Ordin's voice came over the frequency. "Sentauri can latch on and combine our engine power with yours to accelerate you away! Maintain your course…we're breaking out of formation. You have the lead." Sentauri's ship turned violently left before Don could react and then dipped down out of sight. Only the nebula now filled the viewport.

Surprised, Don rolled out. "What did he say? What's he doing? Where'd he go?"

"Say again, Ordin?" John spoke into the microphone. "We didn't understand. What is your plan?"

One of the battle saucers shot across their bow, followed by a stream of energy beams. One hit the saucer and ignited, casting a brilliant flash through the viewport into the Jupiter. Everyone yelled.

"He's been hit!" Judy cried.

However, the fighter continued on, spinning on its axis and executing a hard turn away.

"Damn, I wish we could see behind us!" Don exclaimed, tossing his head in the direction of the radar screen. "They're right behind us…we're gonna get creamed anytime, and there's not a damn thing we can do about it."

"Ordin, come in!" John called again. "We're blind up here…what is the plan you were talking about?"

Ordin's voice had a controlled urgency to it. "We have the capability of latching on to your ship with our rendezvous claws! We can add our engine thrust to yours and boost you out of the system!"

John and Don stared in stark disbelief at one another. Suddenly, the Jupiter lurched with a violent impact. Sparks flew from a panel behind where the family was sitting and a siren began wailing. Flames erupted from behind the panel to a chorus of alarmed screams from the strapped-in Robinsons.

"We've been hit!" Don yelled, wrestling with the controls and corkscrewing the Jupiter into a vicious evasive maneuver. He glanced over at the console. "Red light on the portside exhaust manifold!"

"Overheat," John shouted, hitting the alarm silence button, "and we have an over-voltage on panel 121VU. I'm locking it down. Will! You're on extinguisher duty…get that fire out at the emergency generator panel. Do it now!"

Now used to being called upon in emergencies, Will swept his acceleration harness off with admirable speed and leaped up from his couch, grabbed an extinguisher from a wall bracket, and applied himself to the fire. Using a two-handed sweeping motion, he sprayed the panel down, dodging sparks that leapt from the sizzling console. He struggled to keep his footing as the ship gyrated and bucked.

"Jupiter, were you hit?"

"I think so, but we're still in one piece," John said breathlessly, dealing with multiple malfunctions on the panels before him. "We were fortunate. We're running out of time and luck. One direct hit could destroy us. What was your plan again?"

A battle saucer raced by the viewport, belching energy rays at unseen foes.

"We can physically attach ourselves to your ship, and I think we can do it without damage to either. Once attached, we can use our combined engine power to boost you to higher speed and out of the system. But, we have to do it now! I don't know how much longer the other two battle saucers can hold the Selesians off!"

"Do it," John responded without hesitation.

"What??" Don cried, appalled, risking a glance at the professor, thinking him a madman. "He's gonna attach his spacecraft to ours? Where? Structurally, I don't know if…"

"Our only hope," John cut him off, flipping some switches. "Will, I've isolated power to the generator, that should help you."

"It's going out," Will yelled over his shoulder even while he directed clouds of extinguishing agent against the still sparking and popping electrical panel.

"Robot!" John keyed the intercom. "Unlock and return to the upper deck! Looks like we're going to need you up here after all for some emergency navigation, and soon."

"Acknowledged, Professor Robinson," came the unflappable reply. "I'm on my way."

"Dad, I don't know if the Robot has much power left!" Will warned as he shut down the extinguisher. "He might not be able to help much longer!"

"Can't be helped," his father replied tightly.

"I'll go get his reserve power pack!" Will began, and turned towards the ladder.

"Stay!" Robinson commanded.

"We're coming in," Ordin called, breaking into whatever else John was going to say. "Level off. I'll take care of everything. Do not change speed or heading. Stand by for coupling…"

Don centered the control stick, and the Jupiter settled down. "Coupling?" he muttered dubiously. "Sure hope that crazy bastard knows what he's doing…"

Outside, Sentauri's spacecraft circled in a tight loop to settle over the top of the Jupiter, barely inches from the ship's upper dome. Flashes from the firefight behind them illuminated both vessels. Suddenly, twelve articulated cables shot from opposite sides of the saucer, six on a side. These began flailing wildly in all directions and seemingly without control, like the tentacles of some stupendous alien octopus about to grab its prey. Suddenly, completing the image, the tentacles whipped down and enveloped the Earth ship. They joined each other end to end under the Jupiter's belly and smoothed out so that they appeared to be continuous cables wrapping completely around the ship. Sentauri's vessel became stationary, rigidly supported now by the cables with hardly two feet between the bottom of the Alcandrian ship and the pulsing navigation dome at the top of the Jupiter. Even as this happened, several Alcandrian fighter saucers approached head-on, howled overhead, and swept on in the opposite direction on their way to engage the Selesian fighters. Wildly aimed energy blasts from the Selesian ships pursing the Jupiter were narrowly missing the strangely mated vessels.

"I'm getting hull stress warnings," John warned, eyeing an indicator. "Ordin, we are not engineered for this…"

"Can't be helped," Ordin called. "We're compensating as best we can…adding power now…"

Watching speed readouts, Don called in astonishment, "We're accelerating! This is amazing! Thirty percent increase in velocity and climbing, and I haven't touched the power! We're already at half light-speed!"

"Neutralize your controls," Ordin called. "Keep sheering inputs minimal. I've got you."

Don centered his control stick. "What's the hull integrity reading?"

"The gages spiked when he latched on," John replied, punching in some computer commands. "They're still high and out of the normal range, but we don't seem to be sustaining any damage."

West shook his head. "The Jupiter engineers back on Earth would be having my ass for what we're doing to this…"

"Begin advancing to full power," Ordin called, breaking in again. "Tell me when you're at one hundred percent thrust."

"Look!" Will exclaimed, coming up behind Don and the Professor and pointing at the radar readout even as Don began slowly pushing the thrust levers up. "We're pulling ahead of all those other ships!"

"Will…" John began, about to yell at him to take his seat, but Don interrupted him.

"Tell him we're at full thrust!"

"Ordin, we are at full thrust."

"Good. We're accelerating away from the other ships. I'll give you all I can. What course do you want?"

John and Don looked at each other. "Course?" Don muttered. "Uh…"

"I know!" Will said, running to the navigation station. Behind them, the lift whined to a halt. The Robot reached for the safety cage release button with an extended claw, and rolled onto the deck after the cage retracted.

Will's head snapped around, even while he punched in computer commands and adjusted settings. "Robot! I need your help! We need a course right now!"

"That is why I am here," came the self-satisfied reply as the automaton approached the helm.

"Get to work, you disreputable dunderhead!" Smith hurled the insult at him as he passed. "We don't have time for your swaggering boasts! Just get us out of here!"

"Speed's at sixty percent light speed, we're going through our fuel too fast!" Don called out, concern tingeing his voice.

"Jupiter!" Ordin called again. "I won't be able to hold on much longer and still have fuel to return to help my comrades! What direction do you want at release?"

"Stand by, Ordin," John replied, and then looked over at his son. "Will…?"

"I'm working on it, Dad," Will answered, typing rapidly on the computer keyboard, frowning in concentration. "I have to get a fix on our original track-line, plot an intercept course, calculate a time/distance conversion…"

"Please, allow me," the Robot politely said, rolling to a stop next to him. "If you will insert the navigation cable quick-disconnect into my auxiliary receptacle, I can manipulate the data directly."

Whirling, Will grabbed the indicated cable and quickly plugged it into a receptacle on the Robot's front panel.

"I have connectivity with the system," the Robot affirmed coolly. "Calculating now."

"We're eighty percent light speed!" Don called. "Still accelerating, but not as fast! I need someone to watch that total fuel burn curve…"

"I'll do it!" Judy threw off her harness nearly as fast as Will had, jumped from her couch, and ran over to the engineering panel. "Is that it?" she asked, squinting at the gages and pointing at one in particular.

"Yeah," Don said. "Let me know when it enters that red arc."

"Got it."

Maureen unlatched her harness as well, sighing to herself. "Well, everyone else is up and running around…"

Penny's face lit up, and she reached for her quick release as well. Watching her mother carefully to avoid drawing attention, she climbed to her feet and sidled her way over to stand next to Will and the Robot. Maureen had gone to stand between John and Don, and watched the nebula outside through the viewport. Two of the cables from Ordin's ship could be seen on either side of the viewport.

"You people are insane," Smith grumbled huffily. "I'm going to stay right here, all nice and strapped in tight."

"Are we far enough away from those Selesians?" Maureen asked, trying to interpret the sensor display.

"Getting better," John replied, adjusting the gain on the radar scope. "But they may be able to catch us once Ordin disengages. He may have only given us some breathing room. I don't know how fast they are."

"Well, we're going pretty damn fast now," Don noted. "Maybe they won't have enough fuel to follow us this far out."

"Thirty seconds to disconnect!" Ordin called impatiently. "If you don't give me a course, I'll have to release you as we're pointed and hope you're going where you want to go!"

"Will!" John swiveled to look at his son. "We need something, son, and now. Do your best, but I'll take whatever you've got."

Will turned a panicky face towards him. "I'm not sure, Dad! These calculations take time! I'm not sure of the variables…"

"There you are."

The Robot's calm voice interrupted him. Will turned in surprise to the machine.

"You have a course?" Penny asked, much to Will's annoyance. He frowned to see her standing right behind him, watching everything.

"Yes," the Robot answered. His sensor paddles turned towards the helm. "I would like to transmit instructions directly to the Alcandrian spacecraft, Professor Robinson, if I may."

"Do it!" John snapped.

The Robot reached up and toggled the radio transmit switch adjacent to the navigation panel. "Alcandrian vessel, this is the Jupiter 2. Begin turn starboard, I will direct stop turn."

"Starboard?" came the puzzled reply. "Say again?"

"Turn right," the Robot gave his impression of a sigh, then seemed to have an inspiration. "Turn away from Alcandria."

"Ah. Turning away now. Ten seconds to separation."

"Starboard, indeed," Smith sniffed loudly. "We're in a spaceship, not in a sailboat, you babbling buffoon!" With another exasperated grunt, he threw off his restraining harness, got off his acceleration couch, and joined the family at the viewport.

"Reduce the Z-axis orientation of our vessels," the Robot called, ignoring the taunt. "Continue turn."

"Say again, Jupiter?"

"Point down and keep turning!" the Robot commanded irritably.

"Five seconds!"

"Increase rate of turn and stabilize nose orientation."

The artificial gravity compensators began their irritating whine again as they fought to compensate for the increased centrifugal forces as Ordin tightened his turn. Maureen grabbed the back of John's seat to keep her balance. Penny and Will both clutched wildly at the Robot, causing him to sway.

"Hull integrity values are off scale," John called to Major West. "We can't keep this up much longer…"

"Oh, dear!" Smith cried, falling against Judy, who threw her arms around him to keep him from falling. "I've always hated space travel!"

The two of them then lurched sideways to fetch up against Don's seat, but not before Judy had seen the total fuel burn indicator drop into the red colored arc. "Don, we're in the red!"

"Three! Two! One! Robinson, we must release!"

"Stop turn," the Robot commanded.

"Release!" John snapped into the microphone.

Outside, the multiple arms connecting the Alcandrian saucer to the Jupiter 2 released and flailed outwards. Sentauri pulled up furiously and the ship soared up and away as the arms retracted quickly back into the body of the ship. The Jupiter wobbled slightly then steadied on her new course, shooting ahead of Sentauri's ship like a rock from a slingshot.

"We're clear!" came Ordin's excited voice. "Good luck, Jupiter! Sentauri says we're heading back…"

The rest of his transmission faded abruptly and was lost in loud static. The Professor quickly adjusted a dial and spoke into the microphone. "Ordin, you're breaking up!" Static shrieked from the speakers again. "Ordin, if you can hear me…thank you, and good luck to you! All the best!" More loud static, and John swiftly disconnected the frequency.

"What happened?" Maureen asked, her hands on the back of John's chair. "Where did he go?"

"I don't know," John shrugged, looking vaguely concerned. "Maybe a radio problem…"

"I'll tell you what happened!" Don exclaimed, his voice strangely excited, pointing at a speed readout. "Look at that velocity…it's pegged off the scale! Whatever he did, as he broke free, something happened! Looks like he nudged us across the light speed barrier!" John straightened in surprise and checked some other indicators. "I believe you may be right…"

Don pointed at the radar screen. All the circling blips had vanished. "Look at the sensors…we're already clear of any signals! No sign of Ordin, the Selesians, or Alcandria. They're already off-scope! They're gone, left in our dust!"

"Look!" Penny called, pointing at the viewport. "Look outside!"

Everyone looked, agape. The nebula had disappeared. They were well past the boundaries of the glowing clouds of plasma containing the dual worlds of Selesia and Alcandria, left far behind. Ahead, stars could be seen, moving towards them in majestic slow motion. As the stars approached the edges of the viewport, they elongated into lines of light and disappeared out of their view.

"Didn't this same thing happen to us three years ago…when we left Earth and became lost in space?" Dr. Smith fretted angrily. "It's happening again! Those disreputable aliens have put us over the light barrier into hyperspace or whatever you call it!"

"Faster than light!" Will exclaimed, marveling. "Here we go again!"

105