It was a jubilant Captain Rousseau, insisting he be called simply Philippe, who led them all to see his ship-to-ground transport vehicle.

Will was immediately captivated by the new hardware, which was sleek and stylish, albeit a bit boxy in design. Near the hatch was the designation AC3-04. The nose was slightly tapered but the rest was rather plain aside from the landing struts and antigrav rings beneath. Whoever designed it clearly had no intention of creating another Space Pod. This may not have looked like interstellar transport but it certainly implied quick maneuverability and larger cargo capacity.

"Why 'Stinger'?" he asked as he walked around. "Doesn't seem to fit."

Rousseau laughed heartily, something he clearly did often. "Not our idea. An 8th grader came up with it during a competition. He and his family earned berths for that one." Seeing the continued look of confusion on the youngest Robinson's face he explained. "See those small protrusions underneath, forward and aft?

Will nodded. "Well, those are laser weapons. The Stingers aren't designed for warfare but do have some offense and defensive capabilities. That's presumably the inspiration for this vessel. Incidentally, we have nine more just like them in the cargo hold. Each holds ten people, so more than enough room to take you all up for a spin."

Philippe started to walk into his ship, where a hatch slid sideways to admit entry. Steps slid out. "Come, come, this will benefit both of us. I need to select a camp for a crew of people. We hope to resupply and do some research. And I saw some grasslands not far from here?"

"Northwest?"

"Indeed."

"I'd reconsider that location if I were you," Smith said dispassionately.

"Oh? Forgive me, but why is that? We have more than enough lasers to deal with predators if that is what you're afraid of."

Glaring, Smith spat out, "This is not fear talking, Captain. This is reasonable caution expressing itself in a logical way." He crossed his arms over his chest and gave Rousseau the typical Smith combative-attitude stance. "I don't suppose you happened to notice what is in the general area where you hope to set up an encampment. Trust me it's not an ideal spot to bivouac."

The hint of sarcasm in Smith's voice got the Captain's attention. "And what do you know that I don't?"

"Did you happen to see anything very large and gray upon your descent to our site?"

"Oui, a rocky outcropping at the end of a swampy river."

"That, dear fellow, is neither a large rock nor swampland."

Philippe's hard, pinched expression said, 'I don't like you much already so why should I believe you?' "Alright, so what are they?"

"Tell you what. Since you are so eager to show off your toy, why don't you take us there and we can personally demonstrate why your choice is unwise."

The captain looked even angrier than before, but he waved everyone onward without comment.

"Rousseau doesn't seem particularly happy with Smith, did you notice?" Don observed as he held John back a second.

"What do you suppose that's about? They don't seem to know each other at all and there isn't much Smith said or did that would generate that kind of animosity."

"Let's not worry about it now. I'm sure if Philippe has something to say, he'll do it. He doesn't seem like the kind of man who does anything but speak his mind."

Once in proximity to the Leviathan, Captain Rousseau settled his craft beside it but far enough away to be relatively safe as long as it didn't decide to roll over. As they got out to gaze in trepidation at its enormous bulk, the ground shook and rumbled. Boulder-sized teeth hurtled down, while muscles and fat rippled from stem to stern."

"Magnifique!" gasped Philippe. "C'est enorme!" For many minutes he stood and watched the beast lumber along as the land beneath his feet trembled mightily. "Phew, quelle est cette puanteur."

"That, my good Captain, is the digestive remnants you are smelling."

"Merde…" Those around him couldn't tell if it was more of an oath or an observation.

"Exactement," Smith said. "Je suppose que vous n'avez pas de masques à gaz à bord, n'est-ce pas?"

"You don't already have gas masks on your ship?" Philippe asked.

"We do but they aren't all that effective for…this." He waggled a finger at the trailing end of the beast."

"It'll get worse, when that end gets here," Will supplied, already pinching his nose.

"Mon Dieu, I feel sick to my stomach already."

"We know how you feel, believe me." Don concurred.

"Doctor, clearly you are correct, we need to reconsider where to set up an advance camp. How many of these things are there?"

"Two. That we have noted during our aerial observations anyway. And they aren't difficult to miss so I'd say two is an accurate count. They are roughly equidistant from each other and appear to follow in each other's tracks traveling along a continental circuit. Of course, at the rate of speed this thing moves, and factoring in distance of this landmass, I'd calculate the next one won't pass here for decades. Howsomever, you'd want to go well inland to avoid the effluviums."

"The what?"

"L'odeur nauseabonde."

"Ahhh."

Will covered his mouth. He didn't need to know French to understand that.

"Why haven't you killed the beast?"

John took the opportunity to fill him in on their discoveries and decisions. "Ultimately, there are only two. They are not harming anyone…yet. They can be planned for and we could migrate if needed. Frankly I am not sure how long our repairs will take but honestly, I'm not in a hurry to leave because aside from the Leviathan, there is nothing we can't handle. Plus, in all honesty, it's good to be on an Earth-like world for a change. Without star charts it would have meant wandering aimlessly once out there again, hoping our karma was good. So, I saw no reason to ship out soon."

"That was wise, and I don't blame you. It does appear to be a bounteous world." He patted his prominent paunch as if anticipating the good meals it would provide, although clearly he hadn't been starving aboard his own vessel.

"Would you mind if we stand here and observe the beast for a while longer. I find it fascinating. In fact, now that I think about it, let's move to the anterior end. I'd like to watch it approach again."

Within a few minutes they were airborne and putting down ahead of it. Once more all of them stood to watch nature at its finest, awesome yet terrifying to behold. A nearly unstoppable force of nature. John filled Rousseau in on much of their discoveries so far as they either leaned against relatively bug-free trees or stood in small groups.

While Judy, Maureen and Penny went in search of potential edibles, Will and Smith just watched and felt the approaching Leviathan in all its raw, untamed glory. The booming sound of its approach was enough to drown out their conversation even from so short a distance.

Once sure they were alone, Rousseau leaned in toward John and Major West. "So, this doctor of yours. I thought he was never meant to be aboard. At least that's the story I heard."

"He wasn't," confirmed John. "Smith told us he came aboard to adjust the helium-nitrogen intake valve at the last minute because he forgot to check. After that he was just here with us."

"And you believe this story?"

Don cut in, "Not totally but we have no proof to the contrary."

"Aren't you worried he could have been lying?"

That didn't get a rise out of John since Rousseau was not actually making accusations. Philippe was merely voicing his own suspicions and John didn't want to argue about it. For whatever reason the doctor had been aboard, he'd been accepted as family. Hard to get along with family, but still one of them. The crazy uncle who occasionally proved useful or beneficial. The guy who could be terrified in one breath and heroic the next. Of course, the terror presented itself far more often than the heroism but he wasn't complaining. They were all alive because of him. On several occasions, including the time he could have stayed on Earth but didn't because it would have meant their demise.

"No, I'm not worried," John said without hesitation. "The man has saved us all at one time or another. Not always willingly but he's come through for us when it counted. Oh sure, he's a bit hard to live with but over time we've learned to deal with his idiosyncrasies. It's not like he was matched to the team, so I never expected him to mesh in perfectly. He's one of us now though, and that's the end of this discussion." Don remained conspicuously silent but did nod his agreement periodically.

"Hmmm," rumbled Philippe deep in his chest.

John chose to deflect the conversation. "Why don't you ask Smith about one interesting thing we find out about the Leviathan and its excretion?"

Eying the doctor as if this was an odious task, Philippe did as suggested anyway. "The professor says you have something of interest to tell me about the muck this animal leaves behind." There was no preamble or how was your day talk. He just launched into the conversation and to Smith's credit he lapsed into teaching mode without question.

"That trail behind it develops into extremely rich topsoil in no time. The land heals itself very quickly, not because of the nature of the planet to mend, but because the Leviathan's waste product allows for rapid regrowth. See these trees?" He fingered some of the bright leaves and rough bark of one tree closest to them. Then he stooped to pick up a large, nearly black, rough-surfaced pearl and held it out for Rousseau to examine.

"Oui?"

"The nuts they bear are as hard as granite. Next to nothing can break them. Not without an unusual amount of pressure. The Robot can do it. A log splitter with a decent hydraulic ram could accomplish it as well. And yet the tiny forest fungus, that grows pink and furry, can weaken the surface enough for it to eventually allow roots to poke through. From what I can tell, that takes an extremely long time. And yet the digestive juices in the Leviathan's gut must be able break down the shells sufficiently enough to weaken them and allow the seed to take root. The muck itself must have exorbitant amount of that particular fungi in it to speed up the process. Either way, if you go back about 20 miles, you'll see new sprouts already reaching through the newly formed soil. Quite amazing really. And those are but a few of our remarkable discoveries."

As Philippe watched Smith talk, he couldn't help but note the childlike wonder written on the man's face.

"Such as?"

"No doubt you noticed the little animal Penny was coddling. She calls it a Mogwai. I can see why. We learned, quite by accident mind you, that the ejecta from it is abounding with an incredible number of organisms with antibacterial properties."

"Ejecta?"

Smith stuck his finger near his open mouth and mimicked a valley girl pretending to be sick.

"Oh, I see. That's…fascinating."

"Not to you, I can see. But useful for us. Tiny samples can be grown in Petri dishes and stored for medicinal purposes when we venture forth again."

"And when do you expect that to be?"

Smith probed him with an inquiring look. "Whenever the repairs are done, I presume. Or whenever the Professor says so." He closed the statement with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Speaking of taking off, I understand you went back in to check on the helium-nitrogen intake valve just prior to lift off."

The once inquisitive expression on the doctor's turned instantly guarded as if Smith had been expecting this question. "That's correct. I couldn't have lived with myself if something went wrong after lift-off because of it, so I went back to double check."

"And?"

"It was fine, but the hatch doors had closed by then and I couldn't get anyone's attention to halt the countdown."

Rousseau was thinking it sounded a bit scripted, like a defendant rattling off a well-rehearsed testimony, but he couldn't be certain. "So, you had to handle lift-off while conscious?"

"Yes, of course. No other choice. It's not like I had the benefit of my own personal freezing tube."

The anger and bitterness creeping into Smith's tone wasn't lost on the Captain. "Those g-forces must have been hard to cope with. Probably very painful."

"Excruciating," Smith confirmed with absolute assurance.

"I always wondered what that would be like. After all our flight to the ark was very gentle in comparison. So…did you lose consciousness?"

"Of course, I'm not superman."

"How long were you out? Unconscious I mean?"

Sizzling blue eyes hurled flaming rivers of lava upon Rousseau for a split second and then the blazed died as if extinguished by a sudden and complete absence of oxygen. "Is this an inquest, because if it is, I think I'd like an attorney present."

Rousseau threw both hands up in surrender. "No, no. I certainly meant no offense. I'm merely curious. You made quite a name for yourself, you know. There had been no firm conclusions on where you went after the Jupiter 2 took off. Some speculated that you took off for parts unknown for reasons of your own. A rare few said you were too slow leaving and got too close to the thrusters and were incinerated. However, no body was ever found. The third hypothesis was the one which said you were on board for whatever reason. I didn't know what to think, nor did I care to. I had other things to worry about after the Jupiter 2 disappeared from the radars."

Running fingers through his gray, curled hair, Philippe exhaled softly, "Clearly, I now have my answer. Nothing but an unfortunate accident. Your friends have vouched for you and that is good enough for me." He then thanked the doctor and wandered back John.

"Learn anything?"

"Absolument. I'll pass along those tidbits back to our scientists." He paced back and forth as he watched the slow but steady progress of the great beast. "So, tell me Professor. I was curious. Are you a man of faith?"

"Most definitely," John answered.

Philippe turned a shy look upon him. "I was raised as a Catholic by the way. Just so you understand I'm not trying to belittle your beliefs. Anyway, we have met a small number of aliens in our journey in this sector of space. And quite a few have been humanoid in appearance. Some indistinguishable from us. Like the Taurons, for instance and a couple of law enforcement types we've run into." His gaze begged for honesty. "Have you found that your faith is faltering when you meet so many people like us? I mean…" He dragged in a long breath. "Oh dear, I am not sure how to phrase the question. I always assumed we'd be alone out here. That humanity was the height of development anywhere. It's what we were taught, yes? And yet there are all these people out here that are so much like us I can't tell the difference.

Nodding, John waited for him to continue. "So, do you think scripture is wrong? Was Earth seeded by these other aliens perhaps? Myself and my crew have discussed this often enough."

"No, Philippe. I also thought we'd be alone and obviously we were wrong, but I do believe God created everything. I have simply adjusted my faith to believe that He created life everywhere in the universe, not just on Earth, human life included. He still oversees all, knows all, is in control of all. All part of His grand plan. I don't ask why because I know the truth will eventually be revealed to me."

"Je Comprends. I understand. That makes sense. Makes my soul rest a bit easier."