Artemis sat, watching the rhythmic rising and falling of Smith's chest as he breathed, deep in slumber. Every twitch, every disruption in his breathing rhythm, every noise caught her attention. She would not let him leave her again, if she could help it.
He had raised her, taught her, taken care of her, until, young as she still was, she could take care of herself. She was born of this world, uniquely adapted to survive here. He was not. He had no claws or sharp teeth for defense or hunting. He had no thick fur to insulate him from the elements. And yet, he had not only survived on this planet, he had protected her when she was most vulnerable. It is my turn to protect him, she thought. He is more vulnerable than I now.
Snow was beginning to melt and that meant warmer weather soon. They may be able to hunt again, which was a blessing since their food stores were dwindling. She would tell Smith when he awoke. She was sure he'd be glad to hear the news.
The Robot had been right. The good weather continued and snow began to melt. A few days later, the Professor had healed enough to do light duty around camp. He and Don made a list of repairs to make on the Jupiter 2 and got started on the easiest tasks.
"I think we might get her airworthy in a month or so, as long as Will can help out with some of the work," Don said.
"I'm sure he'll be happy to help," John replied.
At dinner that night, the Professor announced the good news that they might only have another month or so on the planet. "All of us will have to pitch in to get the ship ready for liftoff." Everyone cheered and pledged to do their part.
Artemis' weather report reminded Smith of a bit of poetry. "She turned to the sunlight and shook her yellow head, and whispered to her neighbor: 'Winter is dead'." Smith smiled. "That's welcome news, Artemis. I, for one, am tired of being imprisoned in this arctic abode." He tossed another log on the fire and stirred the embers back to life with a stick.
It was a few days before they were able to leave the cave. Smith enjoyed every minute of his newfound freedom, observing signs of the coming Spring everywhere. He wiggled his toes in his newly made moccasins, getting used to the feel of them on the hard ground. He wore his buckskin pants and jacket as well, though he could tell it would soon be too warm for them. Stroking his thick beard, he realized it would soon be time for a shave or at least a close trim. Small blades of grass pushed through the rapidly melting snow. The trees were bare of snow and leaves, but it wouldn't be long before they were flowering again. The hardier species of birds had returned and were flittering about, gathering whatever food they could find.
Smith walked along the path near the river, using his spear as a walking stick, pointy side up. Artemis stuck close to his side. He took a deep breath and smelled the sweet air. "I have never been so grateful to see another Spring." He sighed. "We'd best enjoy this meager respite, for soon we'll have plenty of work to do."
The gurgle and splash of the river along its banks was a welcome sound. A few icy chunks still clung to the shore, but most had melted or washed away. Smith drew near to the edge and watched for the telltale silver flash of the tentacled flounder-like fish he'd discovered was a delicacy. He stood with his spear ready, poised to strike. Smith heard a large splash to his right. When he turned to look, he saw Artemis trotting back to him, the tentacled fish writhing in her mouth.
"I see you've upstaged me once again, my dear huntress," Smith smiled.
Sorry, she said with a hint of laughter. You never seem to mind when we're eating.
Smith chuckled. "How true! I'm sure my ego shall recover by dinner time."
Just then, Smith saw a silvery flash in the river. He stabbed his spear downward and pulled it back to find his aim was true. "Well, now. It appears the old man can still keep up with you," he laughed. He pulled the fish off his spear and carried it back to the cave, dangling it by the tentacles.
After lunch, Smith gathered up some wood to replenish their dwindling stockpile. Artemis followed along, sticking close to the human she considered her father. Having spent months mostly idle, except for his occasional target practice, the doctor was finding his muscles, particularly those in his back, beginning to stiffen up and hurt. He continued his labors, though, hauling wood back to the cave and then making a run to the river for water. He planned on a soak in the hot springs that night to soothe his aching muscles. In keeping with tradition he'd learned visiting the onsens, Japanese hot springs, while stationed in Okinawa, he bathed first to keep the springs as pristine as possible.
Smith could feel a tickle in his mind, the mental laughter from Artemis as she observed him shivering and twitching in the icy cold water raining down from the makeshift shower he hastily cobbled together inside the cave. She didn't understand what he was doing at first, when there was a nice warm pool nearby he could comfortably bathe in. Or why he hadn't used the warm pool all winter, opting to wash himself with a bucket of water and a cloth.
When he explained it, she left the cave and came back a few minutes later thoroughly soaked from river water. She shook herself and then sprinted for the springs, leaping from the rocks far out into the pool, spraying water everywhere like a feline cannonball. She paddled back to the edge, where she could easily stand on her hind legs. The doctor, still sore from the day, wished he had the youthful exhuberance and pain-free muscles to perform such a feat. He felt better, like he was completely clean for the first time in months. He slowly lowered himself into the heated pool and sighed in relief, "Ahhhh..."
Two weeks later, John, Don, Will, and the Robot had repaired the ship enough that they decided to start running tests. Will and the Robot tested fixes to the consoles and other internal systems. They hadn't dared to touch anything over the winter, lest they break something critical. John and Don prepared to test the retro rockets and landing struts once the consoles were confirmed repaired. Don suspected there might be more unseen damage on the belly of the ship. He had taken that into account in their task list, but he was hoping the damage was minimal. He was itching to get back into space. Maureen and the girls did their part by clearing the area around the Jupiter 2 and unloading non-essential equipment to lighten the load in the ship.
"How's it going, Will?" the Professor asked.
"Well, I had to re-test the radar console. The Robot discovered I wired it wrong," Will laughed. "But it's working right now. The condenser coils could use a good cleaning and we might need some adjustments to the thermal control system, but everything else looks good so far."
"Great! Then we're clear for a test launch?" the Professor asked.
"All systems go, Captain!" Will exclaimed.
After a pre-flight check, Don walked John through the procedure for liftoff and landing, as well as the various systems he wanted to check in flight, even though he was sure John knew the ship as well as he did by now. The pilot would have to stay on the ground to visually inspect the underside of the ship, but he'd stay in contact with John via radio.
Don started the launch sequence. The family watched in anticipation from a distance as the Jupiter 2 slowly lifted from the ground. It hovered about one hundred feet in the air while John deployed the landing struts. Then, he slowly brought the ship back down until it settled on its three legs.
Once the ship was powered down, Don walked under it, looking for cracks, dents, or any other damage. The Professor soon joined him, coming down the stairs on one of the struts.
"How's it look?" he asked.
"Well, I noticed one of the landing struts was kind of sticking at first. Some lubrication will probably fix that, but I'll double check the hydraulics, too. There's a little damage to the core ring where we struck ground, but the housing isn't cracked, just a little dented and scraped. The Robot hasn't detected any radiation leaks. I think as long as we repair the heat shielding there, we should be ok. I do want to check inside the power core, just as a precaution," the pilot ended his report.
"Sounds like we were pretty lucky," John replied.
Don nodded. "You have no idea."
The rest of the repairs to the ship would require it to remain on its landing struts for easy access to the underside. John invited the family back into camp and, one by one, they climbed the stairs back into the ship.
Spring was not only in full bloom, the area was in the grip of an unseasonable heat wave. Smith and Artemis resumed hunting and the doctor started planning a garden, staking off an area near the cave, tilling some soil using the dull end of his spear, and searching for edible plants to cultivate.
Artemis watched in curiosity for a while, but then joined him, pawing at the dirt with her formidable claws and leaving 5 neat parallel rows.
"Well done, Artemis!" Smith praised. He wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of a forearm. "Mind if I take a break?" He sat down on a nearby rock without waiting for her approval, set down his spear, and took a healthy drink of water to slake his thirst.
Artemis shook her head and continued raking out rows for the doctor's garden.
Smith sat assessing their progress for the day and mentally planning the rest of the work ahead of them. With Artemis helping, they'd have the garden ready in a few hours or so. Without her, he'd have to work another day.
Artemis assured him she would continue to help, as long as he promised her a good meal and a long nap afterward.
"A feline after my own heart," Smith professed.
Once Artemis had finished, Smith thanked her and starting planting seeds, seedlings, various transplants, and a fruit tree sapling in the rows. Artemis curled up in a shady spot and quickly fell asleep.
A few hours later, the doctor collapsed next to Artemis, totally exhausted. "All done," he muttered, splayed out spread eagle in the shade. "Once my energy reserves have been replenished, I shall fix us both a marvelous steak dinner." Artemis rubbed her face against Smith's cheek. He lifted an arm and stroked her head. "We're a marvelous team, my dear. Thank you for your help today."
Artemis sniffed the air. She bolted upright, her hackles raised and a low growl rumbling from her throat.
"Artemis, what is it?" Smith asked.
She positioned herself in front of the doctor. Instinctively, Smith grabbed his spear and raised it, holding it in both hands, as he scanned for the danger. A large, black blur flew from the bushes and landed in the middle of the path they took to the river. It was a cat, the same species as Artemis, only larger. Artemis hissed, but the larger cat advanced. Smith stood paralyzed, his urge to flee warring with his protective instincts for Artemis. She slowly backed away from the advancing threat until she flanked Smith. The doctor shouted and thrust the spear forward while Artemis roared and swiped her formidable claws in the air, both hoping to scare the cat away. The creature looked back and forth between the two and after a few moments decided the two of them were too much to handle. With a growl, it turned and leaped back into the brush.
"I think maybe we should get back into the cave as quickly as possible," Smith suggested. The two backed away from the scene before they turned and ran back home as fast as they could. Artemis stopped once to check behind them and then sprinted to catch up with Smith.
Smith slammed the door to his home after Artemis flew through it. Panting, he staggered into the cave and plopped down onto his sleeping bag. He flopped onto his back and tried to bring his breathing under control.
"Well, at least we answered the question as to whether there were more of your kind," Smith stated. He chuckled nervously, but he did not feel laughter in Artemis' thoughts.
He looked over to see her staring intently at him. He felt anxiety and worry radiating from her. "Artemis? Are you alright?" He motioned to her to come to him. She settled her head in his lap. "We're alright," he said as he stroked her fur. "No need to worry, we're alright."