Gampu awoke on a hammock strewn between two tall and sturdy trees that were the qualities normally seen in Dr Seuss novels. He rubbed his eyes then propped himself up and looked aside spotting a familiar lunar module that he had only seen in history videos and once, a long time ago, before his very eyes in a that had light pouring into it. It was surrounded by a camp site by several tables, chairs, and equipment suitable for a campsite that made his heart leap initially at seeing a campsite. Down the stairs came a man appearing to be in his thirties holding several plates in his hands grinning from ear to ear.
"Good morning, Gampu!"
"Who are you? You look familiar. Have we met? I can't put my finger on it but I have seen you somewhere,"
"Is that what you have to say about someone you spent forty some days with those therapy sessions talking about their feelings?"
"Orion?" Gampu stood up to his feet in alarm and confusion then came to the man's side and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "Why do you look older?" Gampu lowered his hand off the man's shoulder. "You are supposed to be in your twenties."
"Being the space batman comes with stresses and worries that make you age," Orion said with a laugh then placed the plates at the first table. "Thought I was prepared for that."
"Thought you were?" Gampu asked.
"Being a adult for seven years did not prepare me for life or death situation finding my way to you," Orion shook his head. "Made some friends along the way. And lots of enemies."
"Where is the ship?" Gampu asked. "Did you lose it?"
"Nike destroyed it," Orion said.
"And you have warp drive for this ship," Gampu said.
"No," Then he repeated rather deflated lowering his head. "Impulse."
Gampu stretched his hand out then grasped on to the man's shoulder.
"You have done a good job," Gampu said. "The original Batman would be proud of your feat."
"That man died sixty ears ago," Orion said. "No one can best emulate him. No one can best emulate the great Zorro."
"You did exactly that going around the galaxy helping a lot of people than necessary." Gampu said. "You have emulated both of these legends." he let out a smile as the young man turned his attention on to him. "Nicely."
"Think I made the Batman proud?" Orion asked.
"Very," Gampu nodded then snickered. "I should have put it together in the beginning that it was you. Who else would run around the galaxy calling themselves the Bat and dress like one all of a sudden?"
"A rich billionaire feeling awful that crime is stirring around the city and the police can't help the people," Orion said.
"And you know that debate about Bruce Wayne being him has always come up with little credibility," Gampu said.
"Come on. It's painfully obvious," Orion said. "When Batman did something very dangerous and life threatening, he and Bruce Wayne were not seen for days. There is a connection here."
"Ah, what did you make for breakfast?" Gampu turned his attention on to the table.
"Quarter pound chicken legs, sausage, and scrambled eggs," Orion said. "And stew."
"How exquisite!" The older man clapped his hands together turning away from the man toward the row of food. "I am famished!"
"Oh and I got barbecue sauce-"
"Where?"
"Right here," Gampu turned in the source of the new voice. "Hello, Gampu."
Gampu watched the familiar machine scoot down the stairs one at a time then pause across from him.
"You haven't change a bit, my dear old friend," Gampu approached the machine quite slowly. "I see that you have retained that hideous bat modification."
"It is all we can afford right now to keep," Peepo replied. "Never know. We may need the Bat Machine to come to your rescue."
"Hmph, we shall see!" Gampu picked up a plate then began to fill up the plate. "How far are we from Earth?"
"On impulse, one hundred twenty-nine years," Peepo replied.
"It's just easier to get to your planet where hopefully, we will find someone who has warp drive and brings us faster back to Earth," Orion said. Peepo came to the other side of the table and rested keeping on alert with his bat shaped black helm twirling above the glass dome. "I discussed this with Jaxon in my last transmission regarding our return to the planet. And they are not the only ones there. Right now there is a science station based there to determine if humans can live there long term."
"So they are with their own kind," The older man grew a grin.
"Kids are seven years old right now," Orion nodded.
"The scientists?" Gampu asked incredulously.
"Brenda and Jaxon's," Orion shook his head. "Scared to tell Earth about it in fear of. . ."
"I see," Gampu placed material on to his plate including a small bowl.
"Right now they are doing a cat trick on them," Orion said.
Gampu looked toward Orion.
"Explain to me what you are meaning," Gampu said. "I don't grasp the concept."
"Imagine coming over to a friend's house every so often and finding one cat that they affectionately care for and cherish in the living room. One day, three years after making their friend, you find out they had three identical cats in the same room. Your mind is blown."
"Ah," Gampu said, understandingly. "How are they doing that?"
"Eliot hangs out in the mountains so he is a easy case," Orion listed. "Ellen likes to hang out in the barn, and Ella runs around finding trouble."
"Unattended?" Gampu asked, concerned.
"These children are ones you don't want to cross with, even for a animal," Orion sat down at the table. "Very self in-dependent in that respect. It's the animals they are scared for not; the children." Orion laughed at the comparison. "Macarough in every way!"
"How peculiar," Gampu joined his side at the table then sat down. "Do the parents hike with Eliot?"
"Most of the time," Orion said. "He is a daredevil and bounces back pretty fast."
"Durable skin," Gampu noted. "Remarkable."
"We assume that," Orion said. "Skin of iron."
"I look forward to meeting them," Gampu said. "How long will it take getting to them?"
"Three years," Orion said, casually. "With rest stops included."
"Three years makes Earth sound so close," Gampu said. "When do we go?"
"In one week," Orion said. "We can go on shifts. Already got that figured. It is just staying out of people's way that we have to focus on."
"You can't when they need help," Gampu reminded. "It is how you will survive and how you have survived." he put a hand on the edge of the younger man's shoulder. "This time without the mask, my dear friend."
"Before you know it," Orion said. "Three years will have come and gone."
"Too fast to you, they will," Gampu took his hand off the younger man's shoulder and began to eat. "I guarantee you that."
A loud knocking stirred Jaxon from the bed and Brenda was the second to be stirred awake from beside him. They threw on their robes and slippers then proceeded to make their way out of the bedroom side by side slowly with caution. They came to the edge where the stairs lead down to the first floor of the farm house. Their three seven year old children peeked out of their shared bedroom then were beckoned in to their rooms by Jaxon's quiet cautioning. Brenda was the first to go down the stairs then slide the door open.
"Hello?" Brenda started.
"Hello," Bolix said with a smile.
"Officer Bolix," Brenda smiled sliding the door aside.
"Mrs Goldheart," Bolix greeted her.
"What brings you to this part of the galaxy?" Brenda asked.
"It is . . It is. . . it is. . ." Bolix said. "It is about Lieutenant Macarough."
"What?" Brenda asked as Jaxon started to descend the stairs. The stairs gently creaked beneath the slippers. "What is wrong with him?"
"We just found the remains of his craft this morning floating in space," Bolix said.
"Just this morning?" Jaxon speeded to her side as she began to slump against the door frame. "What about last night?"
"He was going to be there as a waiting member of the party," Bolix said.
"And?" Brenda asked.
"How close is he to the Bat?" Bolix said.
"Very. They were close friends," Brenda said. "What is it, officer?"
"We found belongings of the Bat among the wreckage," Then Bolix handed a small ring. "And this."
The couple glanced toward each other as they observed the ring.
"He never wore a ring," Jaxon was handed the ring and observed it.
"Yes, we are aware of that," Bolix put his hands on his hips. "I last saw that on a feared criminal sixty of your years ago."
"Who?" Brenda asked.
"Someone of no importance," Bolix said. "Someone who committed hundreds of crimes against space travelers."
"I can imagine," Brenda grinned. "I take it that this person was part of the Robinson crew."
"Not officially according to our files." Bolix replied. "This man is notorious to twisting peoples words, giving things away when he shouldn't, taking things when he shouldn't, trespassing on private property, abducting royals, people of high positions, lying to officers, evading arrest, threatening a officer, murder, and several high crimes that we can't prosecute because Earth isn't in the federation." Bolix shook his head. "A shame to justice."
"Did you find any corpses among the wreckage?" Brenda asked.
"No," Bolix said. "Since it was found in the wreckage, I believe it belongs to you now. The ship was a family heirloom," the duo nodded in return to his comment going along with it. "If you see the suspect, tell him that we like to question him about the Bat's whereabouts."
"Lovely," Jaxox smiled, closing his hand, reaching it back. "Make sure that I will do that."
"And I don't have much faith in the whereabouts of the lieutenant," Bolix said. "Could have been vaporized."
"What makes you believe that the Bat was in the ship, Officer Bolix?" Brenda asked. "For all you know, the Bat wasn't there."
"We found his uniform," Bolix said. "There were trace amounts of organic matter underneath it."
"Thank you," Brenda said. "Really."
"You're welcome," Bolix said.
"Would you like some breakfast?" Jaxon asked. "We just got up ourselves."
"Your hospitality is kind," Bolix said. "But I have duty to attend."
"Goodbye," Brenda and Jaxon said in unison.
"Goodbye." Bolix said then turned around and walked away, the door closing behind him.
Brenda hugged Jaxon that was returned warmly.
"This is going to be a full house one of these days," Jaxon said.
"I thought it was already full, my Aladdin," Brenda said, looking down toward him with a smile.
"There is such thing as fuller house," Jaxon said. "We have to tell the children about the arrangement."
"I think they will love that," Brenda replied as she wrapped her hands around Jaxon's waist. "Children, come here!"
Ellen, Eliot, and Ella stormed down the stairs.
"Yes, mother, father?" they chimed at once as their parents turned toward them.
"You have a couple of Uncles on their way here," Brenda said. "And they will be here in a couple days."
"And one of you may get to see them first!" Jaxon said. "Depending where they land. And they know our secret!"
"They do?" Eliot asked.
"They do!" Brenda said.
"They do!" the children cheered. "Can we go back to bed now?"
Brenda looked toward the window across from them.
"Hm, looks like it is still late enough to get some more shut eye," Brenda said then when she turned around the children were gone and her husband's eye were focused on the corridor. "Camping in space got a little more fun around here."
"Fun," Jaxon laughed at the comment with one arm wrapped around her waist. "Our camp site is a farm compared to theirs."
"Whatever it is," Brenda said. "I am sure it is small and cozy."
"Small and cozy enough for them to call a flying motel room," Jaxon said. "Home for awhile."
"Time to add another section," Brenda said with a tired smile. "Starting in the morning."
"Starting in the morning," Jaxon said. "Let's see what's on the space radio," he guided her to the couch then sat her down. "Has to be something on like a play."
He went over toward the three feet tall wooden object with glass light fixtures and dialed the knob.
It had been over fifty-three years since Gampu had last considered that he would ever consider people of being part of his family. Someone to remember back fondly with affection and like. It had been a long time since he bad been forced off off the planet longer than a week or a month. A very long time since he believed in someone to go home with. He was up that night unable to fall asleep in the small encampment set outside of the lunar module. He paced back and forth in front of the campsite feeling a deep disturbance from within. It was the quiet kind that nagged at him.
He came to a pause in his tracks then raised his head up toward the night sky with his hands in his lap tightly held feeling it was extremely familiar. The situation that he was in, not the sky, at a campsite. The stars were places that he wasn't quite familiar to. Yet, they were familiar to him from the long term stay on his planet. Stars that once posed as company. Stars that he once shared stories about with company under the blanket of night on the grass and had bouts of laughter. Stars that had different meaning to different civilizations than the ones from Earth to amusing results.
He let down his professional and wise persona to melt down into the vulnerable, scared, and worried old man with little reassurance that he was going home. To be in the world that he had left sixty years ago against his best wishes. His hands were notably trembling. And the thought of going home hit him harder than it had in when held with promise of being taken back to Earth. He fought back his terror only find it difficult to keep it back when going into the unknown. He looked toward the several moons hanging in wait to be explored by those daring to come. Yet, to him, they were a marvel and a beauty spurred hope in the dark.
"I am scared, William," Smith admitted. "Never been more scared in my life."
Smith lowered his head with a trembling sigh.
"It's so dark and I am afraid if I reach a hand out I might get my hand into something that I might regret. That I might feel something unfavorable!"
Smith shuddered.
"Oh my dear boy. . ."
He lowered his head with his gaze to the ground.
"I just hope you are having it better knowing where you are going and being certain of what is ahead of you."
He turned toward the lunar module and lifted his head up, his facial features softening, lowered upon the resting POPS model with a twirling helmet during his calibration cycle within a tent that had been set up for him and alongside him on a hammock was a resting Orion. People that he best felt would be around him long enough to call a family.
A long term family that he had been lacking in for a very long time. Just a sample of the real extension of the family in his eyes. He sat down against a tree then his eyes started to close summoning him into a familiar and comforting darkness that was more comfortable than it had been in recent years. And safer. It felt right to call it a slice of a family, but different, in the same kind of situation set at a place that they called a campsite.