It was in the middle of the night a month in being back on Tekuchi Seven when Don awoke abruptly, sitting on the edge of the queen sized bed, looking down toward his hands. His hands were aging just as he were. And that felt quite strange to know that fact. He rubbed his hands as a smile began to grow on his face. If time was passing once more, then why? Why start after Smith had been taken away by the Destructon prison guards? He frowned at the question. It was a question that eluded the lieutenant colonel. None of it made sense.
Don slipped into bed alongside Judy. He remembered a time where the bed was a single long and wide plank. Before they heavily modified it from the singular cot appearance with hours of mining and gaining aid from the people on Tremfya on making the modifications to the bed frame in getting the right model for it. He remembered how it used to be, sleeping apart from Judy, in his bed. He remembered before the first expansion of the Jupiter and mining for hours to add in the guest deck. They had forced the doctor to participate in the effort centuries ago.
Don was stirred out of his nostalgic thoughts by a loud and heart yanking boom that echoed through the ship. He was out of the bed in mere moments notice with his navy green night robe. There was silence that hung in the ship as everyone was still and shocked blinking in the unexpected familiar sound that hung in the air. Don came out with his laser pistol and was met by the scent of burning flesh, the smell of burning clothes, and burnt food that lingered in the air.
His eyes caught the sight of a burned galley with dying flames eating away the food that was scattered on the table. The table was covered in scorch marks similar to how Judy's room was covered in it. The panels by the side of the galley was burning and sizzling with smoke drifting off it. The food processing units were damaged with grain, dried fruit, and recipe ingredients falling out of his. His eyes went over the black chairs toward a fallen figure laid on the floor breathing and in pain but unconscious. It was their Smith, alive, and injured.
The man's hands and face were covered in dark burns that were beginning to cool off with steam. His graying hair was burning before his eyes. The sleeves of his uniform was tattered and singed. Don was paralyzed at first, taken back, then began to cross the distance. Abruptly, the damage and the wounded Smith vanished before his eyes replaced by the intact kitchen. John was the first to appear by his side.
"Don, you look like you have seen a ghost." John said.
Don turned his head toward John.
"I have." Don said.
"What was that?" Penny asked. "I heard a explosion."
". . . It was a echo." Don said.
"What was that?" John asked.
"That was a explosion." Judy crept out of the shared bedroom holding on to a crying Joshua in her arms. "I know it was." she looked in. "Where is the ruins?"
"I don't know." Don replied as Maureen and Will exited their cabins joining the crowded family.
"What did you see, Don?" John asked as Maureen pressed a button and the lights turned on in the residential deck. Maureen looked in the direction that Don's freaked out eyes were fixated on. "You look spooked."
"I saw Smith on the floor with Judy's burns," Don pointed toward the galley with a slow nod and a small gulp. "Everything was on fire. The lights were on. And no one was there."
"Yes, there was." Will said. "There had to be. Doctor Smith is hardly alone when on the Jupiter 2."
"That was a time spatial anomaly." John acknowledged. "A very brief one."
"It wasn't brief," Don said. "It was long and. . . I didn't have the guts to approach him."
"You had the guts to assess the situation." John said. "Don't be so hard on yourself."
"All of us would have done the same if we had seen Doctor Smith alive and hurt." Maureen said.
One by one as Joshua's cries began to stop, each of the Robinsons nodded, as Will's eyes were resting on the space that Don had pointed in.
"John, I don't like this. What if we are having a time spatial anomaly storm?" Don asked. "What if it is going to get worse?"
Maureen and John exchanged a uneasy glance then faced the pilot.
"Then we have to empty the Jupiter 2 and make our departure early for Alpha Centauri," John said. "Starting tomorrow morning when we are all awake and clear headed to leave."
"Why not now, daddy?" Penny asked.
"Right now, we are very frightened of the next unexpected temporal anomaly." John said. "We are not going to let our fear dictate what we do in the next five minutes."
"This is not the first time we have experienced one, John." Maureen reminded. "Only for this kind of activity is gravely concerning."
"Nor is it informing us of something that can happen later." Don said. "This is just like. . ."
"Like what?" John asked.
"The make up incident," Don replied. "Only that it happened differently."
"What do you mean?" Maureen asked.
Don's gaze was back on the galley.
"There was so much remains of food and turkey all over the place that it was like looking into a bombed in Thanksgiving dinner."
The Robinsons were genuinely horrified as it sunk into their minds of the imagery and it was silent.
"Doctor Smith bought food instead of a bed of needles." Will said. "Dad, can I stand watch on Doctor Smith's cabin? If he is hurt and it reappears, I like to be there."
"Don't walk in." John said. "Once you go in, you may be unable to get out."
"I will be careful, dad." Will said.
"Let's empty the Jupiter 2 of the non-essentials within the hour," John said. "We can make our departure in the morning after breakfast."
The family nodded then began to empty the Jupiter 2 of the non-essential materials and Will hung closely around the archway that lead to Smith's cabin waiting for the anomaly to return. He leaned against the archway and folded his arms looking on. He slid the small bed down then exited returning to the archway and waited through the night waiting for the anomaly to return. And yet, he had a distinct feeling that it wasn't going to happen on his way. Regardless, Will took the chance, the hope, the thought, and waited.
Unexpectedly, Maureen put a hand on his shoulder.
"Will," Maureen said. "I expect you to catch up some zzz's in the morning."
"I will, mom." Will said looking up toward her with a nod. "See you in the morning."
"If he appears," Maureen said. "Tell me how he is."
"I will." Will replied with a nod.
"I like to know how he is doing without us." Maureen said.
Maureen smiled then walked back off into the master stateroom and John nodded back toward Will.
"Good night, Will." John said.
"Night." Will looked on then watched his father return into the stateroom and his attention returned to the stateroom.
Silence echoed through the ship.
John was the first of the family to awaken then come out of the master stateroom. He approached the young boy staring on toward the empty stateroom with his hazel eyes focused on the open bed. A soft, "Hey," drew the young boy's attention then he rubbed his eye and looked up toward his father, tiredly.
"Anything so far?" John asked.
"No." Will shook his head.
"Take a nap, Will." John ordered.
"Okay." Will said.
Will left the station returning to his stateroom then the professor looked on toward the stateroom then lowered his gaze aside, regretfully. John went inside of the stateroom then slid the bed back up into the wall. He walked away then turned toward the interior of the scanned it, feeling a strange feeling overcome him. It was empty. It felt empty.
For the last few centuries in space, it felt occupied. And now, there was no more presence filling it. John noticed it. It was odd, being empty, feeling that way after entering it after a month. A room that lacked any form of life or warmth. The strangeness of the room was bothersome.
And now, John could never speak to Smith for the way things had unfolded despite feeling ready to say those three words. Three little words that would be returned by the older man's dismissal of there being any foul or harm when there had been. Even going on to mention that neither of them was aware of what was really going on. John smiled, wistfully, then closed the door behind him.
He was picking up a cup of coffee off the galley table when he heard a familiar snore from behind. His eyes met with Maureen's then they both raced for the cabin and it was Maureen who slid the door open with racing but alarmed hearts. The time spatial anomaly was over. And the room was very empty. Maureen slowly close the door then shifted her attention up toward John. They returned to the galley, John took a long sip from the cup then went into the bathroom taking along his adjusted spacesuit.
Later, they told everyone after breakfast.
And it was sour knowing they had missed him a second time.
"How did it feel to be on memory lane, Maureen?" John asked.
Maureen smiled, turning her head toward him, aging well as he was.
"It was nice to see what we had left behind and how it changed." Maureen said, then her fingers covered by the space suit gloves were interlaced with his own hands and gave it a small yet gentle squeeze. "That art show was fun to see."
Maureen let go then returned into the ship.
John took one last look at Tekuchi Seven then boarded the ship.
The Jupiter 2's landing legs retracted inside then with a sharp wail from the engines the ship flew off to the heavens.