The Cavern
* * *
Yes, Gaklaks never lied. The cavern entrance was here.
It wouldn't be long now.
#
"Starship? Yes, oh yes. Starship there."
"And charts? Charts to Earth?"
"To Earth? Such a little world, so unimportant. Gaklaks have not been there. Too many wars; the humans too untrustworthy."
He had nodded.
"Yes, yes, I know. Terrible people, those humans. Can't be trusted. Not even one of them. But are there charts to Earth?"
"These plasma convectors, they are old. They still work?"
"My good man! Of course they do! They have the Dr. Zachery Smith absolute and total guarantee!"
The Gaklak had watched him for a moment through its wide, round eyes. It did not blink because it had no eyelids.
"See. I see," it said.
Smith had watched the thing back. "So? Yes? Well?"
The Gaklak hissed.
"Yes, well. What you seek is there, in the mountain. In the cave. A starship."
"And charts? To Earth?"
It watched him.
"Yes. Very good. To Earth."
"Excellent, my good man. Do tell me more."
#
Yes, excellent!
He had feared that the entrance would be small, claustrophobic, but it was not; rather it yawned huge, inviting.
Huge enough for a starship.
All I ask is starship, to take me away from here.
Smith stepped inside.
He had brought a flashlight and a laser pistol; now he turned the former on and drew the latter. It shouldn't be hard to find, this starship. Just a quick search before lunch, and then he would have it and his reliance on the Robinsons would be over.
In his head, he began to construct the explanation he would give to Alpha Control.
A terrible tragedy. I was aboard the Jupiter II, making a last check, when I was assaulted by a man posing as a guard. He was a big man, and I remember that he said something about sabotage as he tied me up and shoved me into a storage locker on the lower deck. I tried to resist, of course, but he was well trained and I was rendered helpless. Doubtless he escaped the ship before launch, free to tell the world his lies that it was I who was responsible for the disaster that followed.
When I returned to consciousness the Jupiter II had already launched. With great effort I was able to free myself of my bonds. Quickly I revived Major West and the Robinsons, but it was too late. The Robot had been reprogrammed, and it nearly destroyed the ship. Only when we had regained control did we realize that we were lost.
This is so painful for me to recount! Through the years that followed I grew to love the Robinsons, you see, and they me. Major West was like a younger brother, the dear children like my own. We were together, lost in space, for all those years, and then there came that terrible day, that awful, terrible day, when we attacked and I alone escaped. They were gone, the beloved Robinsons, the manly Major West, and I was left alone to seek my way home. Oh, how many nights have I lain awake, wishing only that I might have been slain instead, that they might live!
Oh, the pain! The pain! Please forgive my tears, gentlemen. They are the tears of a man who has lost those who he loved most dearly. I pray that none of you, none of you at all, ever have to endure such tears.
Smith smiled as he moved deeper into the cave, the beam from his flashlight cutting a swath in the darkness. Yes, he thought, that story would do nicely. Enough truth that what they knew back on Earth would only support his tale. And he would be a hero, the one man who had returned from the tragic, ill-fated Jupiter II mission.
Off to one side, he heard a rock fall.
#
He spun. The light from his flashlight danced nervously over the rock wall.
Nothing.
"Who's there?" he called.
Silence.
A moment passed and he stood perfectly still.
It was only a rock. It probably fell because your footsteps disturbed it. Or there was some motion of the ground; that's always happening here. It's nothing. Go on.
But fear ate at Smith and he still hesitated. He had seen too many monsters in caves to be comfortable now. He tightened his grip on his laser and played his light over the wall again.
"Who's there?" he called again.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw something move.
It was fast, zipping across the floor of the cavern, then out of sight. He had only caught a glimpse of it, just a glimpse, but that was enough. Terror, sudden and real and familiar, caught him.
The Gaklak hadn't said the starship would be guarded. Then again, it hadn't said it wouldn't be.
Ridiculous aliens! Why couldn't they just behave like reasonable people and do what he wanted them to do?
He pointed the light and the laser at the place he had seen motion, his hands trembling.
"Who's there?" he called a third time.
Something jumped up then, atop a large boulder just a few meters away. The light from his flashlight came over it and held.
It wasn't big; perhaps the size of a dog, but it wasn't a dog, not at all. Rather, it had eight limbs, all in two rows down its sides, four legs and four arms, and its body was covered with dark spines that seemed to soak up the light from his flashlight. On what it had for a face, three red eyes stared at him.
"Stay back!" Smith cried, raising his laser at the thing. "I'm warning you!"
Just then it jumped from the boulder to the ground.
Smith screamed in panic, fired. The beam caught the creature in the side, spun it around, its howl of pain matching his own scream as it rolled.
And then it was plunged into darkness as Smith ran back the way he had come, his shrieks echoing through the cavern.
* * *
Yes, Gaklaks never lied. The cavern entrance was here.
It wouldn't be long now.
#
"Starship? Yes, oh yes. Starship there."
"And charts? Charts to Earth?"
"To Earth? Such a little world, so unimportant. Gaklaks have not been there. Too many wars; the humans too untrustworthy."
He had nodded.
"Yes, yes, I know. Terrible people, those humans. Can't be trusted. Not even one of them. But are there charts to Earth?"
"These plasma convectors, they are old. They still work?"
"My good man! Of course they do! They have the Dr. Zachery Smith absolute and total guarantee!"
The Gaklak had watched him for a moment through its wide, round eyes. It did not blink because it had no eyelids.
"See. I see," it said.
Smith had watched the thing back. "So? Yes? Well?"
The Gaklak hissed.
"Yes, well. What you seek is there, in the mountain. In the cave. A starship."
"And charts? To Earth?"
It watched him.
"Yes. Very good. To Earth."
"Excellent, my good man. Do tell me more."
#
Yes, excellent!
He had feared that the entrance would be small, claustrophobic, but it was not; rather it yawned huge, inviting.
Huge enough for a starship.
All I ask is starship, to take me away from here.
Smith stepped inside.
He had brought a flashlight and a laser pistol; now he turned the former on and drew the latter. It shouldn't be hard to find, this starship. Just a quick search before lunch, and then he would have it and his reliance on the Robinsons would be over.
In his head, he began to construct the explanation he would give to Alpha Control.
A terrible tragedy. I was aboard the Jupiter II, making a last check, when I was assaulted by a man posing as a guard. He was a big man, and I remember that he said something about sabotage as he tied me up and shoved me into a storage locker on the lower deck. I tried to resist, of course, but he was well trained and I was rendered helpless. Doubtless he escaped the ship before launch, free to tell the world his lies that it was I who was responsible for the disaster that followed.
When I returned to consciousness the Jupiter II had already launched. With great effort I was able to free myself of my bonds. Quickly I revived Major West and the Robinsons, but it was too late. The Robot had been reprogrammed, and it nearly destroyed the ship. Only when we had regained control did we realize that we were lost.
This is so painful for me to recount! Through the years that followed I grew to love the Robinsons, you see, and they me. Major West was like a younger brother, the dear children like my own. We were together, lost in space, for all those years, and then there came that terrible day, that awful, terrible day, when we attacked and I alone escaped. They were gone, the beloved Robinsons, the manly Major West, and I was left alone to seek my way home. Oh, how many nights have I lain awake, wishing only that I might have been slain instead, that they might live!
Oh, the pain! The pain! Please forgive my tears, gentlemen. They are the tears of a man who has lost those who he loved most dearly. I pray that none of you, none of you at all, ever have to endure such tears.
Smith smiled as he moved deeper into the cave, the beam from his flashlight cutting a swath in the darkness. Yes, he thought, that story would do nicely. Enough truth that what they knew back on Earth would only support his tale. And he would be a hero, the one man who had returned from the tragic, ill-fated Jupiter II mission.
Off to one side, he heard a rock fall.
#
He spun. The light from his flashlight danced nervously over the rock wall.
Nothing.
"Who's there?" he called.
Silence.
A moment passed and he stood perfectly still.
It was only a rock. It probably fell because your footsteps disturbed it. Or there was some motion of the ground; that's always happening here. It's nothing. Go on.
But fear ate at Smith and he still hesitated. He had seen too many monsters in caves to be comfortable now. He tightened his grip on his laser and played his light over the wall again.
"Who's there?" he called again.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw something move.
It was fast, zipping across the floor of the cavern, then out of sight. He had only caught a glimpse of it, just a glimpse, but that was enough. Terror, sudden and real and familiar, caught him.
The Gaklak hadn't said the starship would be guarded. Then again, it hadn't said it wouldn't be.
Ridiculous aliens! Why couldn't they just behave like reasonable people and do what he wanted them to do?
He pointed the light and the laser at the place he had seen motion, his hands trembling.
"Who's there?" he called a third time.
Something jumped up then, atop a large boulder just a few meters away. The light from his flashlight came over it and held.
It wasn't big; perhaps the size of a dog, but it wasn't a dog, not at all. Rather, it had eight limbs, all in two rows down its sides, four legs and four arms, and its body was covered with dark spines that seemed to soak up the light from his flashlight. On what it had for a face, three red eyes stared at him.
"Stay back!" Smith cried, raising his laser at the thing. "I'm warning you!"
Just then it jumped from the boulder to the ground.
Smith screamed in panic, fired. The beam caught the creature in the side, spun it around, its howl of pain matching his own scream as it rolled.
And then it was plunged into darkness as Smith ran back the way he had come, his shrieks echoing through the cavern.