Chapter 1: Veins
Will couldn't stay awake. Blackness kept overtaking consciousness. He tried to open his eyes. He tried to focus on his friend as he carried him out of the chariot. He tried so hard to block out everything but the feel of Robot's arms holding him, cradling him, willing him to stay alive. Surely Robot's strength was enough for both of them. But no matter how hard he tried, pain overrode all other feelings. Will knew he was going to die, and really it seemed there hadn't ever truly been a different ending possible. He'd spent the better part of a year coming to terms with it, but he really had thought he could save his family and all the other humans on Alpha Centauri before he died. Will's pain over not getting through to Sar might be greater than the blinding ache that used to be a heart. Even then, he was sure that Robot would be able to get through to them. Maybe he still could; maybe Robot would have more success once he wasn't worried about Will.
Will opened his eyes, though they felt like bricks, to grasp onto Robot's face one more time. He hated that it had come to this. Will was expendable, but he knew that his death would hurt Robot. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt his best friend, but his last act would hurt him more than any other. It was too late now; Will's body had rejected the artificial heart and he estimated he had less than an hour to live.
If he'd had time for his original plan, if he'd been able to lead the robots away and study the alien language with Robot, could they have figured out a way to get through to Sar and the others? But there was no use replaying his conversation with Sar, no use trying to figure out if there was something else he could have done. He would have to trust that they would find peace without his help. Though he feared they would wipe each other out rather than trying to find a peaceful solution. He feared the carnage on both sides. He truly did not wish to see either race get hurt. And Robot would have unthinkable decisions ahead. How could they expect him to fight his own people for them? Would Robot even want to go back to the war? Will knew he cared about their family, but —
Blackness overtook him.
The pain was blinding. Will could feel himself being set down. Where had Robot taken him? Will forced his eyes open, but he didn't look around, he just looked into the swirling lights of his friend, the lights Will knew meant Robot was in painful turmoil. Will wanted to take away his pain, to make it where Robot didn't have to experience this. But he also couldn't bear to think of dying without Robot by his side, no matter how selfish that made him. Robot laid him as gently as possible onto the ground, but every movement made Will want to cry out. Though Robot could feel Will's pain through their connection, Will tried to hold in the groans, whimpers and screams so it would be a little easier on his friend. But again, blackness overtook him.
Will tried to send peace through their link, but he knew he was drawing his last breaths. He felt Robot's hand on his chest, felt the same power he'd felt on the Jupiter 2 so long ago, a heat that ran through his veins and made him feel like he could breathe. He opened his eyes and stared at his friend. What could Robot do to stop death? Will trusted Robot, he just hadn't considered Robot had the capability of repairing him so close to death. Maybe he was just easing his passing. Will just knew that Robot was there, he would trust him to the very end.
"Trust, Will Robinson." Will didn't just hear Robot's voice, he felt the words in his veins, spreading like fire through his touch and his voice. Will breathed in Robot's thoughts, even as he watched Robot start to transform. He had no idea what was happening, but he had never felt closer to his friend. In that moment, he felt as if they were one. He let himself drift off, completely at peace, no pain in the end.
Energy pulsed through Will. How could he breathe? Where was the pain? How was his heart pumping? And why could he still feel death? His eyes snapped open, uncomprehending. He was encompassed by Robot, but the calm peace of death was disappearing as Robot dissipated before his very eyes. Even as he felt ash fall all around him he felt pain like he'd never experienced. He would rather be stabbed in the heart a million times than feel this pain! There was no light in the ash, no pieces to put back together. Will wanted to close his eyes and never wake up. But Robot's words rang in his head, "Trust, Will Robinson."
Will breathed in, the pain unbearable, though his heart was physically working. He couldn't believe this horror, he was covered in the ashes of the one being in the universe he couldn't stand to lose. He scooped up a handful of dirt, willing it not to be robot remains. The screams he had held in erupted from him as he repeated "no" over and over. This couldn't be real… This was surely some kind of hell.
"What did you do?" Will had vowed he would never hurt his friend again, never ask him to jump off another cliff. Yet he was sitting in Robot's ashes. It seemed no matter what they did, they would always be separated. But this wasn't the same as the time Will spent on Danger. Then he had known Robot was out there, that they could find each other. But now… Maybe it was fair that Will was the one to survive, so that he would feel this pain and not his friend.
"Why did he do that? He shouldn't have done that!" Will cried as he heard Dr. Smith run up to him.
"You know why," she replied. And Will did know. He knew because if he could, he would reverse it and save his friend. He knew because he too loved Robot and could not fathom a world without him in it. He knew because as he lay safe in the arms of his friend he felt his love explode through their connection. Will started; he could still feel that connection, that love, that all-encompassing devotion.
"I can still feel him." Will breathed. As he sat there in the ashes of what was once his world, Will tried to grab hold of Robot in his mind. His connection with Robot had been a part of him for years now, it was ingrained in him. If Robot was truly dead, wouldn't the connection be severed? It had been for those few torturous days after he'd killed his friend. But now he could feel him. He felt safe. How could he feel safe when Robot had just been pulverized?
"Trust, Will Robinson." Will replayed those words over and over in his head. Robot had a plan. Will had no idea what it could be, particularly when he was surrounded by the very fibers of his being, but there was one thing he knew for sure: He trusted Robot!
Will realized Dr. Smith was talking to him, trying to get him to go with her. He let her lead him back to the Jupiter, but his mind was firmly fixed on Robot's link. He feared if he lost it, he would never feel it again.
Dr. Smith led him to the medbay and Will went through the motions for her though he couldn't stop thinking about what had just happened. He saw his heart on the screen, he saw the robotics circling the organ. Will wanted to scream again! Is that why he could still feel Robot? Was that all that was left? Would he keep living with his friend as just a feeling surrounding his heart? Dr. Smith thought the trust Robot asked for was that he trusted they'd live without him. If that were true, could he do what Robot asked? Will didn't think he could live long with this sorrow. He felt like he would evaporate into ash himself, like he would explode with sadness.
But then Dr. Smith said something that got his attention. She said, "He's always seemed to know what we both needed." Robot knew Will better than anyone else. Though Will had proof Robot would die for him, he knew they needed peace, they needed a way to stop Sar. That was it, Will knew what he had to do.
His thoughts were interrupted by the unique sound of the robot language. They rushed to the flight deck to see half a dozen robots out the window. They were all transmitting the same command. And the last piece of the puzzle fell into place.