"There is a chance I may not come back from this little adventure." Smith said. "A very good chance."

"There is no chance that you will not return," Robot said.

"Booby, you have been a dear friend of mine. . . . Far too dear for me," Smith said. "I find it cruel that we have to part ways in this way."

"You mean having to face Professor Robinson about Bronius," Robot said.

"Lust is ugly," Smith said. "I am sure we will never see her again after we clean this mess up. If we do, it will be far too soon!"

"It would be," Robot agreed. "I will see you soon."

"You were always there when I needed you," Smith said. "Now, you need to be there for them."

"I am timeless," Robot said. "I will always be there for them. Long after you are gone."

"We have come far, you and I," Smith said. "Enemies to friends to brothers. It's a shame we will have to start over."

"What do you mean?" Robot bobbed his helm up.

"Kelo told me a few things I have neglected to tell," Smith said. "And it makes more sense than ever who she was referring to."

"Lust killing you?" Robot asked. "Your fear is unfounded of her doing it."

"She is very attractive," Smith said.

"She is,"

"It makes more sense about what I seen with the Galgaran." Smith closed his eyes taking in a breath then exhaled opening his eyes. "The act of dying in the middle of undignified sacrilege before the Robinsons."

He looked aside, bother, irked, regretful for a small moment.

"The things that have to be set in motion and will be set in motion . . ."

His attention returned on to Robot as the machine's helm bobbed up.

"My dear old friend, do know I wished that you and the Robinsons never go through what you will go through. The time after me will be cruel. Far too cruel. It will be layers of agony. It will only take a matter of time to peel them away and make them better. It only gets worse if they do it wrong." Smith closed his eyes shaking his head as he approached the space pod clearly torn about what he had to do and the consequences. "A cruel kind of agony."

Smith stopped then looked up toward the ceiling.

"Even from a Smith." Smith said. "So full of self-hate, anger, and resentment."

Smith pressed a button.

"Good-bye, bubble-headed booby." Smith said.

Robot started to wheel forward as the door opened.

"Don't say it like that." Robot said. "You will come back."

Smith paused in the passageway.

"I don't know how I could live without you. . ." Then Robot added. "Buddy."

Smith began to smile, bitterly, lowering his head with his eyes closed and a hand on the wall leaning against it.

"Can't live with me. Can't live without me." For the first time, Robot heard the sound of Smith's laughter but it was full of bitterness, sorrow, and bemusement. "You found your way of living with me. I am sure you can find your way. . ." he paused for a long moment with his head hung. "Without me."

Robot's helm twirled.

"I don't know if I can, Doctor Smith."

Smith went up then opened the door but stopped mid-way and turned toward Robot with a wistful smile.

"Let it not be forgotten; that when it matters, when it counts, that when it is needed, Doctor Smith is always there to rely on."

Smith turned away then sighed and entered the space pod. He closed the door behind him and the door to the space pod bay closed with a press of a button. Robot came to the front window and stood beside the radio. He watched as the space pod descended down to the planet shrinking in size until it was flying down toward the planet as a speck. Robot's sensors reported that the space pod was out of reach. He waited for the next few minutes. The lifesigns on the planet changed. Wildlife killing each other, Robot assumed.

He scanned again and again and again-

"Space Pod to Jupiter 2," Don said.

"Jupiter 2 here," Robot said. "Report on the situation."

"Robot, we can't bring Smith back to the ship,"

"Registered," Robot said. "Report on the well being of Bronius."

There was a long moment of silence between them.

"Major West, are you there?"

Still there was silence.

"Is Bronius still posing a threat?"

"No. . ." Don said. "She has been neutralized."

"Then what is the matter?" Robot asked. "You don't sound too . . ."

It was as if Don had lost a part of himself. He didn't sound like himself. It was as if in that transmission, a different version of himself was speaking, a piece of him was gone and couldn't be recovered. A part of his heart that had been swallowed whole as the doctor had once exaggerated about the loss of prized fuel. What were the right words to describe his tone?

"Hopeful."

It was silence over the line.

"It's Smith." Don said. "He is gone, Robot."

"This computes." Robot said. "I will proceed to return the space pod to the ship upon the professor's order. Robot out."

Robot hooked the radio back then then stared to the planet below him. His figure trembled with feeling that threatened to take over him but as a master of his own will, Robot was able to smooth out the emotion and contain it in a box that was carefully concealed and covered. He would have time to grieve on a time that had been established for himself.

Instead, the most healthy way possible in the empty ship to release his feelings was to scream.

And so he did.

"NoooOOooo!"