The relative of the space pod was emptied of all the survival equipment to set up the campsite and changed into their spare field uniforms from the space van that had been stocked up with countless pairs before launch. Maureen grinned at her precaution being used. Everything, that she had anticipated, was met by her meticulous planning. And they put aside their old clothing for the new.

The Robinsons paid little attention to the monkey as the silver tent was set up across from the fire pit that had been assembled with foldable chairs. Debbie looked from the family to the vehicle then up toward the sky and back. She grinned, watching the family cooperating at setting up their tents, the young boy had the most difficulty and so did the red head version of the person who cared for her deeply then returned her glance back up toward the space van.

"Are you okay, Debbie the Bloop?" Don asked.

Debbie shook her head.

"Something wrong?" Don asked.

Debbie pointed toward the sky.

"Your owner up there?" Don gestured toward the sky with his thumb with one hand on his hip.

Debbie looked toward Don, and for a moment, a surreal moment, he saw a young child shaking their head.

"Friend?" Don asked.

"Bloop." Debbie nodded.

"I am sure you will meet them again someday." Don turned his attention off the small creature then toward the sky. "Wow. I had a full on conversation with a monkey." he shook his head. "This is very surreal."

Debbie looked toward the craft then Don applied the last finishing touches to his tent. When he looked over, the monkey was fleeing into the vehicle. John looked away from his tent with a frown then toward the mechanic.

"Don, can you make sure that monkey doesn't mess anything up?"

"John, that space van is chimpanzee proof."

"Did you test that?"

"Yes."

"Then why is the windshield wipers working?"

Maureen looked toward the space van.

"Monkeys are not that intelligent."

Don got up to his feet.

"I will get her out of the space bus." Don said.

Don walked into the space bus and closed the door behind him then was sent falling back to the floor as gravity pinned him down. The space bus flew on into space fleeing in the general direction of the sky. Debbie had thrust the long pipe staring in determination. For several long minutes it was this way until the detention center was in their line of view. Don freely floated in the air as the craft flew toward the detention center.

"Hey!" Don said. "Turn around!"

Bloop turned her head toward him then stuck her tongue out.

"Blo!" Debbie said.

Don used the parts of the space bus to navigate his way to the front.

"I am going to get you-" A fist came flying off from Debbie sending Don flying away covering his eye.

Don grasped on the handle of the cabinet then slowly made his way toward her.

"Listen," Don said. "I understand you really care about your friend, but we don't have the cavalry to get them back and it is really unwise to go in there with just the two of us-"

The ship flew sideways missing a laser blast and Don smacked his head against the window and everything turned black.

The space bus landed in the hangar bay.

The door fell down, slowly, but with a creak.

The space bus was coated in burns and dents that showed it gave it all.

Debbie blooped her way out of the craft then weaved her way through the hangar bay heading for the entrance.

Don awoke then slipped out the laser pistol from his thigh as he searched through for the monkey. He heard the distant sound of blooping from behind the door then opened it and began to go after the sound of the monkey. He saw a golden droid with bright blue eyes waddling past him that he stared in awe, shock, and bewilderment hearing a familiar voice that belonged to the complaining being. He shook his head then resumed his path hearing the sound the creature blooping loudly.

Don hid behind the wall as the officers of the detention center ran after Debbie headed his way. Don hung out his long leg then the officers fell over and collapsed upon each other. Debbie turned around from Don's direction then resumed going in the way that gave him some pause. Debbie out ran the man with a bloop then after several minutes of this chase; Debbie took a sharp turn and ran into the doorway.

"It will be okay, Doctor-" B-9 whirred toward the new arrivals. "Debbie!" B-9 extended his claws. "Apologize this instant!"

Debbie halted in her tracks then tilted her head.

"Bloop?"

"Do not pretend. Apologize."

Debbie hung her head.

"That is a monkey, B-9." Don said. "She can't apologize."

"She is fully capable of apologizing, Major." B-9 said.

"It's Don and I am not a Major," Don said. "Why did you call me major? I am a marine."

Robot's helm bobbed up.

"Marine!" Robot said. "Doctor S, did you hear that?"

"Oh, the pain. . . the pain." S whined.

"Bloop bloop bloop bloop." Debbie looked up toward the machine. "Bloop."

B-9 twirled toward Debbie.

"Apology accepted." B-9 said as Don approached the fallen man.

"Oh man," Don knelt down beside S. "You really look like a real rotten pizza."

"Spare me the beauty garnishment," S groaned.

"I have been doing my best in cleaning him up." B-9 said.

"Not your first time." Don said. "Where did you get all the ice packs? Did you attack him?" He looked toward B-9. "Did you do this?"

"I did not." B-9 bobbed his helm up. "He is my buddy. We may disagree with each other . . ." He twirled toward the groaning older man. "But, we do not come to blows."

"Then who did?" Don asked.

"Murveon." B-9 said.

S grabbed the underside of his arm. "Murveon is not worth it."

"Then what do you suggest I do, Doctor?"

S placed a ice pack on his eye lowering his head.

"Ninny, generate me some clean clothes. If possible." S looked toward Don. "Your name?"

"Don West, and yours?" Don said.

"Locksmith." Locksmith said. "S stands for Locksmith." B-9 generated a clean shirt and pants then handed it off to the man. Locksmith smoothed over the bandages coating his figure then took Don's stretched out hand. The man helped Locksmith up to his feet. "Let Murveon be handled by our dear friend. He is more capable of crossing paths with us in a later time than I ever could in this vile filth."

"Like you know a way to the short cut?"

"My room is a short cut there," Locksmith said. "Debbie. Come along. We don't leave what little of our family behind without being armed." he held a hand out for the bloop then Debbie jumped into his arm and wrapped her hands behind his back around his head. Lockmith lifted his gaze up toward B-9. "Later?"

"Later." B-9 said.

B-9 flipped a switch then their atoms were moved from one place to another as Don looked around watching the scene shifting and moving before his eyes. They reappeared at the hangar bay then Don fired at the officers who were firing at them. Don was the first to arrive into the space pod and Locksmith shrieked carrying the monkey in his arms. He closed the door behind him then shrunk down over the sound of firing.

"Welcome to our space pod," Don said. "Eh, well, actually space bus. The space pod is actually smaller."

"Homely," Locksmith replied. "And tight. Just what the doctor ordered."

"Not your first rodeo being in a tight space?" Don asked as Locksmith picked up Debbie and buckled her in.

"I have been stationed in narrower places to carry out missions pertaining to national security of Kalpatop," Locksmith said as Don helped him over to the chair. "What does the real Doctor Smith look like?"

"I'll show you after we get out." Don said.

Locksmith slid into the passenger chair then Don slipped into the driver seat.

"Happy, Debbie?"

Debbie grinned, holding her thumbs up, with a laugh.

"She is a very stubborn and troublesome monkey! And for that, I care about her dearly." Locksmith slipped on the shirt with care as he buckled on the lower half of the seat belt then went to work with the pants with some difficulty as the space van flew out of the detention center. "She doesn't often get into trouble but when she does, it is a mess bigger than my troubles!"

"Who does she belong to?" Don asked.

"My dear young friend Pellie." Locksmith said. "I was separated from her. I was separated from everyone that I held dear to me. Little I could do to prevent it."

"Are they dead or alive?" Don asked.

"Alive," Locksmith said. "I know they are."

The detention center shrunk behind the space van as the older man got dressed and Don's eyes were focused on the planet ahead. He looked back toward the monkey that had fallen down into the chair and was snoring away. He turned his attention away from the resting bloop then on to the path ahead of him. Locksmith sighed in a few minutes after changing then folded his old clothing neatly on to a pile on the dashboard as the craft flew toward the planet.

"Oh, this," Don slipped out a ID card then handed it over to Locksmith. "Looks pretty young."

Locksmith looked down toward the photograph and stared at it for a long moment as his hand trembled.

"Very young," Locksmith agreed.

"Something up?" Don asked looking toward the older man.

"He reminds me of a friend that I am desperately trying to return to," Locksmith said. "My dear friend."

"What is his name?" Don asked.

"Billy," Locksmith said. "I can only admire that fellow for remaining in tip top shape." he handed the ID card back to the younger man. "The real Doctor Smith has a sure chance of being alive."

"I doubt it," Don said.

"Why?" Locksmith asked.

"That alien machine killed two dozen people, doc." Don said. "He was very thorough on his rampage. People left behind die."

"What are you going to do with the imposter?" Locksmith asked.

"If Maureen holds a vote to throw the bitch out of the air lock then I would vote for it,"

"What if Doctor Smith was similar to her?" Locksmith asked. "Only smarter and reliable."

Don was silent thinking it over looking toward the constellations ahead of him thinking it over.

"If we met differently and he came back for me with help," Don said. "My vote would be different. Why do you ask?"

"What if I were someone like her?" Locksmith asked.

Don laughed folding his arms leaning his back against the back rest before replying.

"You are not." Don said.

Locksmith briefly closed his eyes turning his attention away from the mechanic.

"You do not know me," Locksmith warned.

"You are alive," Don reminded.

"Yes," Locksmith said.

"So you're nothing like her. Someone like her wouldn't have lasted to fifty-three? Fifty-four," Don said. "Not in space."

"She is just that stupid," Locksmith said. "As you are to imply."

"Yes," Don confirmed.

"I understand why you would want to air-lock her out. Completely, whole heartedly, thoroughly." He shook his head. "I have a distinctive feeling that he wouldn't leave you behind in the first place not unless he had to destroy the ship and himself with the creature if forced into that corner. However; bittersweet it was. To make sure that you made it out."

"She wouldn't do that,"

"Course, she wants to get to Alpha Centauri and start a new slate,"

"Yes,"

"If you get to meet her first. What are you going to do?"

"KO the imposter. What about you?"

"I would like to have a discussion with her before airlocking her out. From survivor to imposter."

"I can agree to that,"

"Doesn't the thought of allowing children to watch her be. . . Unsettling, disturbing, horrifying?"

"She left us to die multiple times. Multiple. Multiple times. Didn't even come back for us. Didn't even tell anyone what had happened. She is a good actress but a terrible person to be casted away in space." Locksmith looked toward the side window as a small smile began to form on his face at fond memories that crossed his mind. "So you did things like her when you were my age?"

"No," Locksmith shook his head. "I was thinking of. . . far better times."

"I can guess working for a detention center is awful." Don said.

"Disgraceful is what it is," Locksmith said. "Better times where my family knew something was wrong when I came back after a upsetting event crossed my way."

"Hey, is that why you were working there? To get money to go after your family?"

"Yes. But they are far away. Very far away." Locksmith said. "I have to do this through inconvenient means to secure passage for me, for her, and for him. And I will do anything to get back to them."