Chapter 2
The day dawned to a brilliant sky and remarkably clear weather. Judy arose tingling with anticipation as she prepared herself for the upcoming day. She hoped the gorgeous weather was a good omen for what she had planned. She was the last one to enter the breakfast area, and was immediately greeted and embraced by her parents and soon after by her brother and sister. She noticed that Don hung back and sipped at his cup of coffee, but he caught her eye with a quick wink as she untangled herself from her family.
Before Don could take a step, Dr. Smith intercepted and caught her hand, bringing it to his lips for a kiss. "Well, my dear girl, I give you my sincerest greetings on this most happy occasion. Twenty-one is both a joyful and solemn milestone, as you forever leave your carefree years behind you and enter the world of responsibility and…"
Don rolled his eyes and reached out to take Judy's hand from him. "Okay, Smith, that's enough. She's turning twenty-one, not entering a convent."
"Major! Be aware of your choice of words! I dare say that you must treat this young woman with the utmost respect. She is still but an innocent flower, and I trust that she will remain that way even after spending an entire day with you!"
Don's amusement turned to irritation as he listened to the diatribe. "Now listen here, Smith…"
Judy pulled Don away and hurried him out of the ship before he could be goaded into an argument. She'd let her parents deal with Smith. For today, she wanted Don relaxed and attentive to her. She had him all to herself until dinnertime, and she wasn't going to let a little irritation interfere with her plans.
She pushed the picnic basket into Don's hands as she hurried down the path that led away from the ship. Don had told her about a secluded spot on the edge of a cliff where the vista was incredibly beautiful. It was a ten-minute hike past a series of caves that Penny and Will were exploring the previous day.
As they approached their destination, Judy's pace slowed and then stopped. She was hypnotized by the jagged rock formations in front of her. They were immense and extended infinitely in all directions. She stood at the precipice of the cliff, mesmerized by the view. The air was especially crisp and clear and the valley was an awe-inspiring sight. Don came up behind her and pulled her closer. A stiff breeze swept past them as they silently absorbed the beauty surrounding them.
Turning her away from the scene, he led her to the blanket and invited her to sit and enjoy their first meal of the day. He opened a jar of jam that they had made from fruits of a planet on which they had lived a few months back. Judy had loved it, so Maureen saved a jar for this very occasion. Don handed Judy a cup of coffee, spread the jam on the bread, and then brought it to her lips. Don was captivated as she took small bites and savored the delicious taste it left on her lips. When she was done, she sensuously licked each of his fingers, sending chills down his spine.
She placed his hand around her neck, and leaned closer. He took his cue and kissed her, lightly at first, then parted her lips with his tongue and explored. Pulling her closer, he lowered her to the ground and she pressed her body against him. She could feel that he was already responding to their passion. She reached down and touched him, but he caught her hand and held it.
"Judy, I'm not sure I can last too long if you touch me like that."
She gave him a wry smile. "Don, I've waited three years for this. I'm more than ready. Aren't you?"
He grinned, reached into his pocket and ripped out a roll of condoms. "Military issue. Guaranteed."
She couldn't help laughing. "Uh-oh, I hope we're not in trouble."
"We better not be, or your parents will kill me."
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The family finished breakfast and John issued everyone their chores for the day, which were minimal, so the children found that they had some unexpected free time on their hands.
Will approached his mother with a request. "Mom, would it be ok if Penny and I did some more exploring in the cave?"
"I don't like the idea of you and Penny wandering around a cave alone. You don't know what you might find in there."
"There were lots of interesting rocks and I wanted to collect more to do some experiments on them. They might have properties that could be useful to us."
"Well, alright, but take the robot with you and be back by lunch."
"Thanks, Mom!"
Will found his sister and they took off down the path. Penny was at that awkward age, where her emotions could swing from child-like happiness to adolescent angst in the blink of an eye. She was deep in thought as they approached the series of caves and entered the first one. They went no more than twenty-five feet into the cavern and collected their specimens.
Will was examining a glittering stone when he asked, "Hey, Penny. Do you think we could make something out of these rocks for Judy's birthday gift?"
Glancing at her brother, she mumbled, "I don't know, Will. The only thing she wants this year is Don."
"Yeah… Do you think they'll get married?"
"I guess so." She dropped the rock she was holding and sat forlornly against the wall. "Judy is just so… lucky."
Will stared at Penny askance. "You aren't in love with Don, are you?"
She threw a small rock at him and exclaimed, "Of course not! He's like my brother!"
Trying to lighten her mood, Will stated, "You'll get married someday."
"Right. Like there's anybody out here for me."
"We won't be lost forever."
Penny lamented, "Oh, Will, what if we are? I'll die a lonely old lady."
"No, you won't. You'll have me and Judy and Don… Hey, maybe you'll even have some nieces and nephews running around."
Penny appreciated his attempts at soothing her. She laughed at the vision of Don and Judy chasing children around camp. "Okay, let's look at the rocks we've got so far. Maybe we can make a bracelet or something for her."
Meanwhile, the Robot stood guard outside the cave and started to analyze subtle changes in the atmosphere that were picked up by his sensors. He prepared to issue a warning to those within the cave.
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Lying side by side on the blanket, Don and Judy were engaged in a long, lingering kiss. When she moved to unbutton her sweater, hepulled back. Puzzled, Judy asked, "What's wrong?"
He gazed at her face. "Judy, you know I love you."
She nodded. "And I love you too."
"Suppose, for some reason, we don't work out?"
Judy was incredulous. "Do you really think that's going to happen?"
"No… not on my part, anyway… But, you really haven't had much choice of men up here."
"Don, have you been talking to my mother?"
"No, your father. Why?"
"She was worried about the same thing." Seeking to reassure him, she flatly stated, "You are everything I could possibly want." She searched his eyes and continued, "Even if I had a hundred men to choose from, you know I'd choose you."
He hesitated before replying, "Yeah, I… I guess I do."
She held his face in her hands. "I love you, Major Donald West." She wrapped her arms around his neck. "Let me show you how much."
"Are you sure?"
She stared into his eyes and simply nodded.
Don knew that this was the right moment. He pulled her back up to a seated position, and crouched in front of her on one knee. "Judy, I have a gift for you, if you're willing to accept it. I very much want to make love to you someday," he lifted the ring from his pocket, "as my wife. Will you marry me?"
Judy's eyes misted as she stared at his face. "Yes, I will."
He took her left hand and pledged, "I am committed to you," he slipped the ring onto her fourth finger, "now and always."
She pulled him into her arms, and they collapsed in an embrace as she smothered him with an unending kiss. Their passion, now unchecked, erupted as they hungrily pressed their bodies together. Then a rumbling rolled up from the ground and the earth started to tremble. A loud cracking sound caused Don to jump up and take several steps away from the edge of the cliff, pulling Judy with him. The rock overhang on which they had been lying broke off the precipice and plunged into the valley below, taking their blanket and basket with it.
Judy screamed and they clung together until the quake finally subsided.
Don let out a breath. "That had to be at least an 8.5. We should go back to the Jupiter and be sure everybody's okay."
She nodded.
He took her face in his hands and pledged, "I'll make it up to you, Judy. We'll have our time together, I promise."
They made their way back down the path, which was now covered in loose rocks that had fallen during the quake. As they neared the series of caves, they could hear the Robot calling, "Danger, danger, Will Robinson. You must leave the cave. There is an 83.6 percent probability that an aftershock will occur in twenty-two minutes and 14 seconds."
Don and Judy immediately entered the cave and found Will about twenty feet inside, frantically tossing rocks aside.
"Will!" Judy exclaimed.
He was panicked and shouted, "Penny's trapped! We were collecting rocks and I went out to look at them in the light when the earthquake hit. She's still in there."
Judy stumbled and picked her way through the fallen rocks and called her sister's name while Don took Will by the shoulders to calm him down.
"Will, you have to go get your father. Tell him we might need ropes and pulleys and whatever else he can think of to help move the rocks. I'll do what I can until you get back."
Don turned to Judy to find her trying to soothe Penny through the debris. After assessing the situation, Don chose a spot that looked the least likely to collapse and removed the rocks one at a time. He finally had an opening and peered in to find Penny, who stood a few feet away, scared and bruised, but otherwise unharmed.
"Are you okay?"
"I think so. Just get me out of here."
"See if you can fit through this hole."
With his help she wiggled through the opening, and Judy hugged her close.
"Okay, girls, let's get out of here before an aftershock hits."
They were about ten feet from the entrance when the ground beneath them shook again. Don looked up and saw that a large portion of the rock ceiling was ready to fall. "Run!" he commanded. Penny ran into the arms of her father who was now at the cave's entrance, and he pulled her away. Rocks started to fall from the ceiling and Don knew they had run out of time. He pushed Judy forward. She was barely out of the cave when the ceiling collapsed. Turning back to look for Don, all she could see was his arm reaching out from under a pile of rocks and boulders. Her father grabbed her around the waist and held her back as she screamed her fiancé's name. John passed her to Maureen as he went to help his future son-in-law.
"Mom, let me go! I have to go to him!"
Maureen wanted to assess Don's condition herself before allowing Judy closer. "You can't help right now. Stay with Penny and make sure she's alright. I'll go ask your father what he needs."
Maureen carefully made her way into the mouth of the cave and took Don's wrist. Thankfully, she still felt a pulse, but almost dropped his wrist in shock when his hand grabbed hers.
"John, he's still conscious."
John cleared the last rock near Don's head. He and Maureen leaned over him to assess what they could of his condition. He was awake and in pain, and they hoped that the injuries to the upper half of his body were superficial. The largest portion of the ceiling had fallen on his lower back and legs.
John leaned close and calmly said, "Don, there's a large rock on your back that I can't move. I'll rig up something for the robot to help pull it off. I'll send Judy in to stay with you."
Mustering up all the strength he had, Don whispered, "No… too… too dangerous."
John looked at Maureen questioningly. Don was right, and he didn't want to send Judy into a dangerous situation anymore than Don did, but Maureen shook her head. She leaned down and said, "Don, if it was John instead of you lying here, no one would be able to keep me away from him. Judy feels the same way about you. I know you want to protect her, but she needs to be here with you."
John left to set up the robot after giving Judy the go ahead to enter the cave. Then he quietly told Will to find Dr. Smith and bring back medical supplies. Judy took her mother's place at Don's side and wrapped her hand around his. Although she was terrified for him, she was determined to echo her mother's strength.
It wasn't long before Dr. Smith and Will returned. By then John had set up a pulley system and was ready to have the Robot remove the largest rock. "Robot, how long until an aftershock hits?"
"My sensors tell me that there is a 95.3 percent chance that the next aftershock will hit in 8 minutes and 57 seconds."
Dr. Smith checked Don's vital signs, and he pushed the backboard as far under Don's body as he could. "He is stable, Professor Robinson."
"Judy, get back with your mother. Dr. Smith, I want you to pull Don onto the backboard as he's freed from the rock."
"Certainly not, Professor, that could damage him even further, and I doubt that I would have the strength to pull him alone."
"Smith, we don't have time to argue about this."
Judy stood her ground next to Dr. Smith. "I'll help pull him out. Dr. Smith, you push the backboard under him, and I'll be sure he is fully on it and stays on it."
John knew it was useless to try to dissuade her, so he nodded and set the robot pulling at the ropes. Maureen and Will reentered the cave to help steady the Robot and keep the rope taut. John hoped that they would all be able to clear the cavern before the inevitable hit.
Judy leaned over Don and whispered, "Hold on, Don. It won't be much longer."
When John gave the signal, Judy and Dr. Smith worked together to push the backboard further under Don's body. He groaned in pain, and Judy was tempted to stop and comfort him, but she looked up to see Penny giving him encouragement and helping Dr. Smith pull the board out. Just as he was freed, the ground began to shake again and John yelled for everyone to run into the clearing. Maureen almost stumbled over Dr. Smith who had abandoned his position to rush out ahead of everyone. John nudged Penny out, and he and Judy pulled Don to safety. The mouth of the cave was obliterated with falling rock just as they cleared the opening.
