"Warden, what do we do now?"
"Recover the wounded,"
"And sir,"
"Yes?"
"We have failed to find the Earth man."
"Ah." Murveon said. "So he escaped."
"To the great unknown."
"No, not to the great unknown." Murveon shook his head. "He has escaped to the known that we don't know. Beyond our reach. He has already been punished for his infraction. It would be against the penal code to go after the one who has not performed another crime." Murveon picked up a small device then threw it to the floor. "Much as we are against this. . ."
Murveon walked away rubbing his fist.
"We are to leave it alone." Murveon said.
"And the other Earth man?"
"Our authority is to the detention center and he has only done a rescue mission. It would not be in our best interest not exceeding the authority bestowed upon us by the galactic justice tribunal to handle immigration," Murveon said. "The moment that we go against our directives is the day that we lose our funding and this ship. Thankfully, we did not have a heavy fire attack."
The older man fell asleep during the ride back down to the planet. Don searched through the canvas as the space van descended once inputting 'follow previous course' listening to the snoring. Locksmith raised his head up momentarily between each snore with his bandaged hands in his lap.
The snoring provided a nice background noise to the ambience of space. It was different from hearing silence while driving through space on his shift. Locksmith awoke as they were getting closer to the area where the Robinsons were set digging a long series of tunnels for their large garden. The older man's eyes flickered when Don looked toward him, as if in recognition, as if thrown back to a time that had happened long ago.
"Hydroponic garden throw backs?" Don asked.
Locksmith nodded, slowly, squeezing his eyes shut, painfully.
"First one is all I am thinking about."
Don proceeded to land the space bus to the ground.
"What was the first one like?"
Locksmith sighed lifting his attention up opening his eyes.
"Larger than this one."
"What happened to it?"
"The cold killed it." Smith said. "So we had to make a portable version of it that could be brought in and used to make us new oxygen." He looked aside then turned the chair away toward the large gap leading to the doorway. "It was a very troubling winter in space." Don got up once unbuckling himself then the older man struggled to get up so the younger man held a hand out and helped Locksmith up to his feet. "Very first winter."
"What is it like experiencing a alien winter?" Don asked.
"Cold. Earthquakes. That I recall." Locksmith replied. "You never got to experience all of those in a winter because Priplanus had a very unique orbit."
"Nope," Don said. "You feel okay to walk?"
"My body is thrilled to walk, my dear." Locksmith said.
"Why did your friend call me major?" Don asked.
Locksmith lifted a brow at first turning his attention from the waiting patiently chimpanzee.
"B-9 has faulty memory tapes," Locksmith unbuckled Debbie then slid the door open. "Excuse me, I have a friend to wait for."
Locksmith stepped out of the craft then brushed past the waiting Judy then Don came out of the craft narrowing his eyes after the strolling ahead.
"Don, are you okay?" Judy asked.
"I am okay, princess," Don said. "I could do with a bump on the side of my head from-" he leaned aside, his hand rolling into a fist, then shook his fist after Locksmith. "SOMEONES BAD DRIVING!"
Debbie lifted her head up then held her hand up, twisted it, and rolled her middle finger up.
"Oh my god, that monkey is sapient!" Don said.
Judy smiled, fondly, affectionately, as the other members of the family looked but when they did the monkey had lowered her hand and head away.
"What is up with Doctor S?" Maureen asked.
"What is his story?" John asked.
"Important to Debbie the monkey," Don said. "And it turns out that S stands for Locksmith."
"If we take that monkey. . . " John pointed toward the monkey who was pointing toward a flying large bird. "Then there is a large chance she is going to make us turn the space bus around for him."
"Yeah," Don said with a grim nod. "And that isn't pretty."
Will turned toward the direction of the older man who's eyes were fixated on the sky.