The Cave
* * *
They hurried.
They had heard the cry, the scream.
Human.
Female.
Penny.
They hurried.
It hadn't been a big entrance, but it had been there. Only a few kilometers from the ridge, shielded overhead by a large slab, the entrance would have been easy to miss but for the Robot, who rolled along quickly, its clawed arms flailing as it followed the alien biosignatures to this spot and then within. John had hesitated only for a few seconds at the narrow entrance; it was easy to see that this cave was new, very new, formed by a shift in the soil and rocks underneath the slab, and formed recently, at that.
It was also clear that it wasn't very solid.
"You stay here," he said to Will.
His son shook his head.
"We go together."
"Son, I mean it. This cave isn't safe."
"Which is why you aren't going alone, Dad."
The Robot was already several meters inside.
"Human biosignature detected. Preliminary analysis indicates 78.4645 percent likelihood that it is Penny Robinson."
John looked at Will. Will had always been a strong willed boy, had always done what he thought was right even when he was told not to. On more than one occasion this had saved them all. He was not looking at his father now but rather at the cave and the lights of the Robot inside.
No time to argue. She was daughter and sister.
"Call your mother," John said then. "Tell her and Don where we are. Then we go."
Will was quick about it.
#
They hurried.
The second scream echoed through the cavern. This time there was no question but that it was Penny.
A deep chasm, a narrow ledge. John switched his lamp to high beam and pointed it across the chasm.
Something moved, over there.
"Penny!" he shouted.
She screamed again.
John had taken only a few steps onto the ledge when the tremor began. Behind him he heard the Robot.
"Danger, Will Robinson! Danger! Sensors indicate a massive seismic event in progress!"
"Dad!" he heard Will call.
John stumbled, slipped as the ledge began to give way. As he did his arm went out, struggling for balance, his lamp cutting an arc to the chasm below, which was dark by its depth despite the high beam. As his hand closed on a nearby rock for support, the beam came up and as it cut the darkness, he saw.
Penny.
There, across the chasm, maybe ten meters away. She was on her side, her hands and arms behind her.
"Danger, John Robinson!" the Robot called. "Instability in the cavern is growing!"
The earth shook again.
And he heard her voice, echoing back to him.
"Dad!"
He could feel the ledge crumbling beneath his feet. There wasn't much time.
Her cry was desperate. "Dad! Help me!"
He saw them, then, as he moved forward. Something else, over there. Red eyes, dark bodies, watching him.
"Penny!" he shouted. "Hang on!"
"Danger, Will Robinson! Danger!"
Will's voice, as the tremor grew and rock began to fall from above.
"Dad! This place is coming down!"
Will had his own lamp on Penny now, giving John a line of sight. It wasn't far, just a few more meters.
Just a few more. A few more. He knew that Penny could see him now.
Please, my baby. Hang on.
That was when the ledge collapsed.
#
It all happened suddenly, and yet as it did it seemed an eternity. The rock, crumbing like liquid beneath his feet. Air, rushing from his lungs in a torrent, even as around him rock began to fall like rain.
John Robinson felt his body begin to fall.
Instinct then. No thought, only an instant reaction, leaping toward the nearest solid ground. Self preservation.
The nearest solid ground.
Away from his daughter, toward Will and the Robot.
Through the din, voices.
"Dad!" That was Will.
"Danger, Will Robinson! Cavern collapse is imminent! Danger!"
And as he impacted the face of the ravine, just below his son and the Robot, John Robinson heard the third voice, as though it was from far, far away.
"Daddy!"
His feet dangled as he fought to gain purchase on the rock and sand, as his hands clutched desperately at nothing, his fingernails clawing at the loose earth that was all that kept him from pitching into the inky blackness of the chasm below. Panic, for the first time, came as a shiver through his body as he realized that there was nothing to hang on to.
His grip gave way.
And as he slipped back, still struggling, John felt something hard, something metal, snap around his wrist and pull.
He did not fall.
The Robot pulled him up, and he felt Will's hands on him too now, heard his son's voice.
"Dad!"
As if on cue, the cavern shook again, the world a roar of falling rock. The beam of his lantern showed only dust.
"Where is she?" he yelled.
"Danger! Danger!"
Somewhere nearby, John sensed as a large rock impacted another and shattered.
Will again.
"Dad! We have to go!"
"No! Not without her!" John waved his lamp wildly in the chaos.
"Dad!"
Something hard hit his head, glancing off his skull. It was suddenly hard to think, hard to understand. His baby girl was there, over there, somewhere. He had to get to her, had to save her. He felt himself moving, running, guided by the steel claw that had again locked around his wrist, his son somewhere nearby, the noise of the collapsing cave proving overwhelming as they fled.
Overwhelming save for a single, terrified cry that was his daughter, somewhere behind him.
"Daddy!"
* * *
They hurried.
They had heard the cry, the scream.
Human.
Female.
Penny.
They hurried.
It hadn't been a big entrance, but it had been there. Only a few kilometers from the ridge, shielded overhead by a large slab, the entrance would have been easy to miss but for the Robot, who rolled along quickly, its clawed arms flailing as it followed the alien biosignatures to this spot and then within. John had hesitated only for a few seconds at the narrow entrance; it was easy to see that this cave was new, very new, formed by a shift in the soil and rocks underneath the slab, and formed recently, at that.
It was also clear that it wasn't very solid.
"You stay here," he said to Will.
His son shook his head.
"We go together."
"Son, I mean it. This cave isn't safe."
"Which is why you aren't going alone, Dad."
The Robot was already several meters inside.
"Human biosignature detected. Preliminary analysis indicates 78.4645 percent likelihood that it is Penny Robinson."
John looked at Will. Will had always been a strong willed boy, had always done what he thought was right even when he was told not to. On more than one occasion this had saved them all. He was not looking at his father now but rather at the cave and the lights of the Robot inside.
No time to argue. She was daughter and sister.
"Call your mother," John said then. "Tell her and Don where we are. Then we go."
Will was quick about it.
#
They hurried.
The second scream echoed through the cavern. This time there was no question but that it was Penny.
A deep chasm, a narrow ledge. John switched his lamp to high beam and pointed it across the chasm.
Something moved, over there.
"Penny!" he shouted.
She screamed again.
John had taken only a few steps onto the ledge when the tremor began. Behind him he heard the Robot.
"Danger, Will Robinson! Danger! Sensors indicate a massive seismic event in progress!"
"Dad!" he heard Will call.
John stumbled, slipped as the ledge began to give way. As he did his arm went out, struggling for balance, his lamp cutting an arc to the chasm below, which was dark by its depth despite the high beam. As his hand closed on a nearby rock for support, the beam came up and as it cut the darkness, he saw.
Penny.
There, across the chasm, maybe ten meters away. She was on her side, her hands and arms behind her.
"Danger, John Robinson!" the Robot called. "Instability in the cavern is growing!"
The earth shook again.
And he heard her voice, echoing back to him.
"Dad!"
He could feel the ledge crumbling beneath his feet. There wasn't much time.
Her cry was desperate. "Dad! Help me!"
He saw them, then, as he moved forward. Something else, over there. Red eyes, dark bodies, watching him.
"Penny!" he shouted. "Hang on!"
"Danger, Will Robinson! Danger!"
Will's voice, as the tremor grew and rock began to fall from above.
"Dad! This place is coming down!"
Will had his own lamp on Penny now, giving John a line of sight. It wasn't far, just a few more meters.
Just a few more. A few more. He knew that Penny could see him now.
Please, my baby. Hang on.
That was when the ledge collapsed.
#
It all happened suddenly, and yet as it did it seemed an eternity. The rock, crumbing like liquid beneath his feet. Air, rushing from his lungs in a torrent, even as around him rock began to fall like rain.
John Robinson felt his body begin to fall.
Instinct then. No thought, only an instant reaction, leaping toward the nearest solid ground. Self preservation.
The nearest solid ground.
Away from his daughter, toward Will and the Robot.
Through the din, voices.
"Dad!" That was Will.
"Danger, Will Robinson! Cavern collapse is imminent! Danger!"
And as he impacted the face of the ravine, just below his son and the Robot, John Robinson heard the third voice, as though it was from far, far away.
"Daddy!"
His feet dangled as he fought to gain purchase on the rock and sand, as his hands clutched desperately at nothing, his fingernails clawing at the loose earth that was all that kept him from pitching into the inky blackness of the chasm below. Panic, for the first time, came as a shiver through his body as he realized that there was nothing to hang on to.
His grip gave way.
And as he slipped back, still struggling, John felt something hard, something metal, snap around his wrist and pull.
He did not fall.
The Robot pulled him up, and he felt Will's hands on him too now, heard his son's voice.
"Dad!"
As if on cue, the cavern shook again, the world a roar of falling rock. The beam of his lantern showed only dust.
"Where is she?" he yelled.
"Danger! Danger!"
Somewhere nearby, John sensed as a large rock impacted another and shattered.
Will again.
"Dad! We have to go!"
"No! Not without her!" John waved his lamp wildly in the chaos.
"Dad!"
Something hard hit his head, glancing off his skull. It was suddenly hard to think, hard to understand. His baby girl was there, over there, somewhere. He had to get to her, had to save her. He felt himself moving, running, guided by the steel claw that had again locked around his wrist, his son somewhere nearby, the noise of the collapsing cave proving overwhelming as they fled.
Overwhelming save for a single, terrified cry that was his daughter, somewhere behind him.
"Daddy!"