Chapter 28
The end justifies the means…
The 'blip' turned out to be a small band of Saticons. Anyone who wandered into their camp would think that they had stumbled upon the set of a Bob Fosse movie. They wore non-descript black caftans and glitter-covered, flat-topped bowler style hats. They had set-up their living quarters in a cave and reflective hanging beads separated the living area from the work area.
There were only three of them and they sat on pillows around a large table eating a meal in what an Earthling would call Japanese style. Their leader was designated by the symbol on the front of his hat… a symbol that looked like a star burst. They gave the impression of a cultured, docile species, but their conversation revealed their true nature, which included the desire to rule the galaxy. They were not from a militaristic society. Their method of invasion was much more sophisticated and effective. They planned on visiting the Robinson camp, hoping to bargain for the mechanical man they had seen in their midst, but they were in no hurry. They would also study the humans to determine how easily they could be subjugated to an external power.
As the girls tended the garden, Maureen placed the clean laundry into the basket. She looked up to see the three Saticons approaching, holding what appeared to be a bouquet of yellow roses in their arms. Maureen was tempted to run inside the Jupiter for a laser pistol, but the flowers caused her to reconsider. The head Saticon approached her and bowed. He held out the flowers and Maureen glanced at the girls before accepting them. Penny and Judy went to their mother as she accepted the bouquet. "Thank you," she said. "They are beautiful. How did you know that yellow roses signify friendship on our world?" she asked.
The head Saticon nodded and repeated, "Friendship."
Dr. Smith walked down the ramp of the Jupiter with the Robot not far behind him. Maureen noticed a change in the demeanor of the Saticons. Their attention seemed to be riveted to the Robot. Dr. Smith walked up beside Maureen and said, "My name is Dr. Zachary Smith and I am the leader of this group. What can we do for you?"
The Saticons splayed their arms to indicate that they meant no harm and bowed to Dr. Smith. "Friendship," the leader repeated.
Dr. Smith knew that there had to be more to them than met the eye. He was interested in their means of transportation, however, and he decided to play along with them, hoping to find a way back to Earth.
"Friendship, a noble ideal that is valued throughout the universe, I see." Dr. Smith extended his hand. The Saticon scanned Dr. Smith's mind and realized that the correct response to an extended hand was to shake it, and so he did. He nodded towards the space ship and Dr. Smith said, "Ah, yes, this is our vehicle, such as it is. Would you like a tour?"
Maureen interrupted. "No, Dr. Smith, I don't think that's a good idea – not without John here."
"Oh, come now, Mrs. Robinson, what is there to fear? As your husband said, we are not to assume that the aliens are hostile. They have offered us a gesture of peace and we must respond in kind." He turned to the Saticons and said, "Follow me," and he led them into the ship.
Penny watched them enter the Jupiter and asked, "How did they know that yellow roses mean friendship?"
"Well, I don't know, Penny," her mother replied. "Perhaps it was just a coincidence."
"This may not mean anything," Judy said, "but I was thinking about the yellow roses that Don had given to me at the end of Oklahoma! just last night."
"Where were you?"
"At–" She stopped and nodded towards her baby's grave.
"Oh, I see," Maureen responded. "Well, I know these aliens seem friendly, but I'm not so sure we should trust them so easily. I better go inside and see what Dr. Smith is doing."
After her mother left, Penny turned to Judy and said, "Do you think they read your mind, Judy?"
"I don't know, Penny, but if Don were here…" she couldn't continue.
"If Don were here, he'd be having a fit that we let them inside the spaceship."
Judy nodded. "We would argue about how easily I tended to trust people. He always thought trust needed to be earned and felt that I gave it too easily. In this case, he might be right."
The resistance to math was gone. Once Don earned his students' trust, they were more than willing to put forth the effort to learn what had eluded them so many times in the past. In essence, the lessons weren't really about math, but about how one makes a meaningful life despite the barriers society, and in some cases they, themselves, put in place. The students had just finished watching the movie, Stand and Deliver, which portrayed the efforts of real-life teacher, Jaime Escalante, to teach calculus to math students who barely knew their basic math facts.
"But, Mr. West, he didn't last. He quit teaching in the end," Jerome observed.
"Not in real life, Mr. Bradley. He taught for many more years and even became the head of the math department," Don answered.
"And once he was in good with the administration, he got whatever he wanted for his kids, didn't he?" David commented.
"Well, not really, Mr. Terrell. He was fine until a new principal came in who didn't share his philosophy. He had to start fighting with the administration all over again. Eventually, he quit Garfield High and went onto to teach somewhere else. The math program at Garfield High fell apart after he left. One of his protégés offered to bring it back up to speed, but his offer was rejected."
"Man, even after the movie came out?"
Don nodded. "Politics and jealousy exist everywhere – even in education, and I guess he felt he couldn't fight it anymore and moved onto where he could still do some good. And, remember, the movie made things seem a lot easier than they really were. It took years for him to develop his program, but he never gave up."
"Except when he left Garfield High."
"Well, yeah, but he stayed in the game – just played it somewhere else with different players."
"He had to be smart, though. I bet he came from a rich family and had a great education himself," Joe stated.
"He was intelligent, Mr. Black, but he didn't come from a rich family. In fact, he was born in Bolivia, which is where he started teaching. When he decided to move to the United States, he didn't even know English, so he first moved to Puerto Rico to learn English and earn a teaching degree that would be accepted in the states. He did a lot of planning and preparation for his career. He had a goal, which was to teach in the U.S., and he did what he had to do to achieve it."
"He did it all legally," Mike Ryan added.
Don laughed. Something he wouldn't have done in front of his students several weeks ago. "Ouch… that hurt, Mr. Ryan, but your point is well taken. Yeah, he fought the system the best way he could."
"That all sounds good, Mr. West, but even you broke the rules when the system failed you."
"I'll be honest with you, Mr. Ryan. I didn't think enough about what I did… if I had…"
"Would you have done the same thing?"
"You mean, run instead of turning myself in after General Bowers was killed?"
"Yeah."
Don sighed. He knew the answer to that, but he wasn't sure it was an appropriate lesson for his students. Then again… "You know, in an ideal world, I never would have run away. In general, I believe in our government and its systems, but I'm also a realist. I made an informed decision. I knew what could happen to me if I went A.W.O.L. and I made the best choice I could at the time, and now I'm paying for it, but I think it would have been much worse for me if I hadn't run. I would have been framed for murder and the truth might never have come out. It's a chance I took, and it was worth it. Now I only have two months left to serve."
"And then what?" David Terrell asked.
"I wish I knew, Mr. Terrell. I know one thing… I haven't given up hope of getting back to the Robinsons."
"Even if you have to fight the Air Force to get there?"
Don sighed. He knew he wasn't done fighting. "I'll fight whomever I have to… In this case, I firmly believe that the end justifies the means…"
The 'Get Don Back to Judy' Committee was meeting one final time. Don's release would be in a matter of weeks, and his father wanted to be sure everyone was still on board with getting him back to the Robinsons, legally or illegally. "I have it on good authority that Don will still be assigned to a lighthouse. There is no way around those orders at this point," Colonel West told the group.
"He'll have to stop at Bowers Base before he's expected to leave for the outer edges of the galaxy," Red explained. "I'm sure he can find a way to get 'lost' on his way to whatever lighthouse he's been assigned. Then, none of us will be implicated."
Mike Bonilla laughed. "I'm sorry. I know this is serious, but I figure that, hey, if he got lost once, he's bound to get lost again."
Even Colonel West laughed at that one. "All right. Here are the final assignments. Thankfully, Tom got that position in Cape Kennedy, and he'll be our point person there. Mike, you're our point man in Houston, and, of course, Red, you're our man on the moon. Now, if Don leaves from either Houston or Florida, he'll be covered."
Mr. Anderson spoke up. "And that is phase one of our operation. Phase Two will be to evacuate as many people as possible from Earth if and when the time comes that we're invaded."
"I have no doubt that we're going to be invaded," Rebecca stated. "It's just a matter of when."
"I have to say that I agree with you, Rebecca," Red chimed in. "Lee Ann has the code and will be sending a signal to Mike, Tom and me when the word comes to evacuate. She could receive the go ahead from any one of us here. Most likely, though, it will be me, since I'll be the first to get reports of any invasion."
"Is that all right with you, Lee Ann?" Mr. Anderson asked.
"Hey, no problem," she responded. I'll be communicating with Red regularly about, uh, personal matters, so our set up should work well."
Colonel West glanced at his wife and smiled. Cupid had struck again. He knew that Frank Bowers would be happy for his daughter. "I just wish your father were here to hear that, Lee Ann."
"Me too," Lee Ann whispered.
"If we end up needing to evacuate," Mr. Anderson stated, "I'd like to see my children be saved. Mike, I assume you'll have Sherry and the baby with you. Would it be possible for Lisa and Dave to be assigned a transport also?"
"I'll do what I can, Mr. Anderson. We'll need medical supplies and knowledge, so I've already assigned them the task of getting together whatever supplies they can," Mike stated.
"Tony, you know that Tom has requested that you and Debbie transfer to his command. Are you and Debbie willing to make the trip?" Red asked.
"As long as all goes well with the baby, Major, we'll be relocating in June," Tony answered.
"Then you'll be taken care of and put in charge of security for whatever band of ships end up rendezvousing on Priplanus. Red, do you still have the information Don sent you about navigating to Priplanus and beyond?" Colonel West asked.
"Yes. Don analyzed all the data. Did a nice job of it too, considering he wasn't working on a military computer set-up. I don't think it'll be a problem getting there. I just hope the Saticons, or whoever is going to invade us, don't get there first."
John returned to camp as quickly as he could. If they weren't in vital need of water, he would have returned immediately after Maureen had notified him of the alien landing. Once again, he wished Don were still with them. They would have split-up with one of them taking care of the water supply and the other, probably himself, taking care of the women. As it was, he and Will made the trip in record time. John forced himself to drive straight through without a stop. He was exhausted when he pulled up to the Jupiter and thought his eyes were playing tricks on him. He looked around and wondered if he was hallucinating or had stumbled upon the camp of the Space Croppers. "Will?" he asked. "Do you see what I see?"
"You mean laundry hanging on the line and Judy stirring a pot over an open fire?" Will replied.
"I guess you do…"
Maureen rushed up to him. "Oh, John, thank goodness you're back."
"What's with the clothesline, Maureen?"
"All our equipment seems to be breaking down. Without the sonic laundromat and dishwasher, we've had to wash things in water. I know it's too scarce to use for cleaning, but I didn't know what else to do."
"This could be disastrous, Maureen. We can't spare the water. What about the pot over the fire?"
"Our food units have quit on us too. We cooked all we could over the open fire, but I'm afraid we've lost some of our stores.
Penny ran up to her father and gave him a hug. "All this started after Dr. Smith took the Saticons on a tour of the Jupiter, Dad. There's something weird about them."
"Now, Penny, it just might be a coincidence," Maureen stated.
Judy walked up behind them. "Oh, Mother, don't be so naïve. Of course the Saticons had something to do with this. Dad would never have allowed them on the ship."
Dr. Smith strolled out of the Jupiter, the Robot rolling behind him. "Ah, Professor Robinson, you have returned, along with young William. Your mechanical expertise is much needed here. Well, I must be on my way."
John grabbed his arm. "Uh, Dr. Smith, just where are you going?"
"To the Saticon camp. You were right, Professor, they are quite friendly. And they have a keen interest in mechanics. In fact they've asked me to bring the Robot to them to study, and in the spirit of neighborliness, I am bringing it to them now."
"Oh, no you're not. You'll help us unload the water so we can run it through the purification system before that breaks down too."
"But, Professor, the Saticons will wonder what happened if I don't go immediately."
"Let the Saticons wonder all they want, Dr. Smith. You are not bringing that Robot to them at all, do you understand me?"
"But what harm could there be…"
"Dr. Smith… That is an order! Now move!"
"Humph… a man of my qualities being used as a beast of burden."
John turned away and mumbled, "Don, where are you when I need you?"
"Colonel Holbrook, Sir, I have a request before I'm discharged from your command," Don stated. He was back in uniform, standing before the prison warden, who was about to give him his release… and new orders.
"A request…" The colonel eyed Don. "I can't promise to honor it – but – go ahead."
"Terrell, Ryan, Bradley and Black, Sir, they're good men. I'd appreciate it if you could give them a recommendation for something, anything, that's better than digging ditches once they're out of here. They've worked hard and they have learned a lot with me."
"I'd say you performed a miracle, Major West. I understand that they passed the Algebra 1 test."
"Yes, Sir, and they've promised me that they'll work for their next teacher too, regardless of who it is."
Colonel Holbrook smiled. "I'll see what I can do. Now… I have your orders."
He took them from the colonel's grasp and swallowed. The lump in his throat was still there. He guessed that nothing had changed, and he was almost afraid to open the envelope. His hands trembled as he tore open the seal. He took a deep breath and read the orders:
'Major Donald West is hereby ordered to report to Cape Kennedy, Florida, for transport to the Bowers Base. He will be issued a vehicle for transfer to a lighthouse as directed by Major James Miles. He will remain in charge of the appointed lighthouse until further notice. His primary duty will be to transmit regular reports to the Bowers Base of any unusual activity in his vicinity, and to ward off any invasions by an alien force to the best of his ability.
Given that he will be stationed at the designated lighthouse for an indefinite period of time, he is hereby given permission to stop at Priplanus. His wife will be allowed to accompany him to the designated lighthouse, should she choose to do so.'
Don reread the last sentence several times before it's meaning registered in his mind. He looked up and said, "I can take Judy with me."
Colonel Holbrook nodded. "Consider it payment for the excellent job you did during your stay here. The president's wife is a former classmate of mine and big fan of Rebecca Hunter. We both put in a good word for you with the president, and he agreed that there was no reason that your wife could not accompany you on this mission."
Don reached out for the colonel's hand. "Thank you, Sir. You don't know how much this means to me."
Colonel Holbrook chuckled. "Major, anyone who has been reading Rebecca Hunter's series of articles does know how much this means to you." He shook his hand. "You are dismissed." Don saluted him and turned to leave. Holbrook had one last word for him. "And, Major… good luck…"
Don nodded. "Thank you, Sir. I'm afraid I'll need it."
"Tom, please… stop pacing," Rebecca pleaded. "He'll be here. Relax."
"I know he'll be here, but…" Tom stood in front of the window. "He's here."
"Told you so…" Rebecca teased him.
It was only a few minutes before Tom's secretary buzzed him. Tom stood at attention as his new charge opened the door and saluted him. "Major Donald West reporting for transport orders, Sir."
"At ease, Major." Tom then took Don in a bear hug and shook his hand. "You look pretty good considering you just got out of prison."
Don laughed, "Yeah, just a few gray hairs from my prison assignment. It's good to see you."
Rebecca rose from the chair she had been sitting in and gave Don a hug and kiss on the cheek. "You made it through."
"It wasn't so bad. In fact, if I wasn't an astronaut, I might consider a career change to teaching." He looked at Tom. "I guess you know about my final orders…"
"It's still a lighthouse, isn't it?" Rebecca asked.
Don nodded, then a smile lit up his face. "But I got permission to take Judy with me."
"And it's even better than that, Don," Tom stated. "I received orders to travel with you to Priplanus and bring the Robinsons back to Earth."
Don was stunned. "I had no idea… How did that come about?"
"The power of the press, Don," Rebecca stated. "I told you I wouldn't give up. I guess the president finally decided that leaving the first family in space stranded on an inhospitable planet was bad for his image."
"It didn't hurt that the president's wife became a fan of your stories," Don added.
"No, it didn't. So, Tom, when do we leave."
"We?" Don asked.
"Rebecca has received permission to write a follow-up story about the Robinsons and how they adapt to their return to Earth," Tom said.
"Tom, suppose they don't want to come back?" Don asked. "They might want to stay on track for the Alpha Centauri system."
"With no families set to follow them, I can't imagine that they'll want to stay with their original mission."
"And what about a possible invasion?"
"Those rumors have died down in the last few months. We'll talk with Red about it when we get to Bowers Base, but from what I understand, there hasn't been any more transmission from the Saticons in the last six months.
"The Saticons? What have they got to do with anything?"
"A message from the Saticons to Aolis Umbra was intercepted almost a year ago."
"From what Jim Hapgood told me, Tom, they are a patient, methodical species. They are probably plotting an invasion as we speak."
"I hope you're wrong because we don't have a lot of resources at our disposal to fight them. The best we'll be able to do is a retreat to Alpha Centauri."
"If there is any possibility of invasion, the Robinsons may not come back. Suppose they refuse to return with you?"
"My orders are to bring them back voluntarily. They aren't military, so I can't force them. If they don't want to come, I guess they'll be free to roam wherever they want to go."
"This is crazy, you know?"
"Yeah, I know… When will you be ready to transport to Bowers Base?"
"I'm ready now."
"Good. Then we take off tomorrow."
The stop at Bowers Base had been a short one. Don only needed to get the navigational information for Priplanus from Red, as well as the coordinates for his lighthouse. They were now on their way back to the Robinsons.
"I agree with Red in that I don't like the idea of you manning a lighthouse. It's a waste of talent," Rebecca stated.
Don shrugged. "I don't like the idea either, but at least I don't have to get myself 'lost' so I could get back to the Robinsons."
Tom had warned Rebecca not to bring up her next thought, but she couldn't let it pass. "Don, I hate to bring this up, but… suppose Judy doesn't want to go with you?"
The look that crossed Don's face was a mixture of fear, hurt and hope. "I've been thinking about that the whole trip, Rebecca. I wouldn't blame her if she didn't." He turned up the palm of his left hand and held it as if it was weighing his words. "Let's see… a life of monotony and tedium on the edge of the galaxy… or…" He held up his right. "…A chance to get back to the stage and start a career in acting… Tough choice." He dropped his left hand. "And I've been away for – what – almost a year now?"
"She'll still want to be with you, Don," Tom told him.
"I wouldn't lay money on that, but whatever she decides to do, I have to give them the chance to get off that godforsaken planet… As long as I know they're ok… Then I'll do what I have to do."
"You can quit the Air Force, Don… Don't follow your orders," Rebecca suggested.
Don shook his head. "No… not this time Rebecca. I'll do my duty."
"You'll go crazy out there… alone."
"I probably will… but at least I'll know she's safe."
The Saticons were quite peeved at the Robinsons. Once John came back and took over the leadership of the camp, it became clear that they would no longer have access to the electronic and mechanical equipment. The needed the Robot to complete their studies. They could steal it – but getting past the force field was a problem they had yet to solve – or they could trade for it. They were a patient species. They knew that it was only a matter of time before one of the humans ventured past the force field.
It was Maureen's birthday. She and John were taking some time for themselves and sleeping in a bit later than usual. Penny decided to pick flowers for the breakfast table and turned off the force field so she could venture down the path away from the Jupiter.
As was her custom, Judy started her day at her daughter's gravesite. She didn't see them coming. Before she could emit a scream, they had her and she was gone.
