"You miss your family?" John asked.
They were on a stroll with baskets in hand seeking for berry bushes. They had special equipment capable of testing their ability to be consumed that was being carried by Smith that was strapped along his shoulder in a dark blue 24th colonist group bag. He looked toward the younger man then gave a curt nod.
"Yes." Smith turned his attention away. "Dearly."
"They must miss you too." John said.
Locksmith walked on ahead of the man, silently, while John's eyes followed him.
"It won't feel like it is for them, my dear." Locksmith said.
John's eyebrows rose for a moment then lowered.
"How are you so sure about that?" John said.
Locksmith paused then smiled back, kindly, upon the younger man.
"Happiness makes time feel irrelevant and the adventure never really ends when you are together as a family. I won't be gone very long to them. But to me, I will be." Locksmith said. "It makes us classic. Timeless." he looked toward the younger man rubbing his bishop's ring. "Invincible to the forces of time and only face the worst in people's minds."
"Where are they?" John asked. Locksmith shifted toward John. "Your family."
"Somewhere in the unknown." Locksmith replied as he shifted toward the man then gestured toward the sky. "Another galaxy, John." was added softly. "Everything is going to be okay."
John slowly nodded.
"So, it will be a cut scene to them while you are experiencing time?" John asked.
"Yes." The older man nodded then paused and tilted his head slightly leaning back on the rock. "What is a 'cut scene'?"
John began to laugh.
"A cut scene is for a video game, a scene you go to, between the actual game play." John said. "The holo cut scenes are so vivid."
"Holo?" Locksmith asked raising his eyebrows at once. "You mean holographic cut scenes?"
"Yes." John said.
"I am from a very young civilization compared to you," Locksmith said. "We haven't gone to that level."
"For someone with a artificial intelligence and been aboard a starship?" John asked. "What? Was it a military project?"
"Space corps project that took twenty-five years to take off the ground. We got the advancement before everyone else did." Locksmith said. "They did."
"Were you part of that effort?"
"I cleared them for lift off," Locksmith said.
"You mean you gave them stress tests." John said.
"Passed with flying colors." Locksmith said, fondly.
"All of them?" John asked, getting a proud nod back.
"They were made to be kind and brave for stressful situations." Locksmith said. "They are stress proof."
John's brows briefly raised then lowered.
"And their children were stress proof as well?"
"Scared when they need to be but they press on. Fear does not control them." then he added quite softly to himself. "It does control me."
John turned his attention off the older man who lowered his own gaze looking down with regret toward the grass then looked on toward the path ahead of them.
"A peach tree!" John said.
"Peach tree?" Locksmith said. "How wonderful!"
he put his back against the tree then proceeded to yank down a branch that was beside him drooping in a sad manner then took a bite out of it. He took another bite and another and another as John watched him down it and lick his fingers.
"Doctor, I recommend you don't do that." John said. "It might make you sick."
Locksmith baaed with a shake of his hand as he tossed the core away over his shoulder then wiped off the yuck on the side of his pants.
"It tastes delightful!" Locksmith replied. "I am certain it poses no harm."
John scanned the tree with the equipment as the older man chucked peach after peach into the basket from the basket singing happily to himself. A high pitch screech belonging to Locksmith came from across John then he turned toward the right. John was quickly on the tips of his toes with his heart racing.
It was less terrifying than the robotic beings that he had been unfortunate to have seen, yet it looked off and quite unusual, but still as threatening. John saw a tall humanoid beast covered in head to toe in leaves coating them similar to leaves stood before his eyes with brown eyes staring back at him and a outfit made of fur holding Locksmith with their claws digging into his back above their head then tossed them afar. John ducked out of the flying Locksmith's projectile.
The creature picked up the basket then stormed off immediately before he could take out his weapon. John followed after the creature then watched as it stalked into a nearby cavern then pause joined by two smaller groups of itself and knelt and they proceeded to eat.
It was a rare glimpse into the lives of aliens. It was a rare piece of civilization that hadn't quite developed yet to a community. John picked up a large stick then jotted down into the ground 'DO NOT CROSS' using a stick. He turned away and left leaving the creatures behind. John returned to the direction of the whimpering older man left on his side hugging his arm against his figure with a tremble.
"They just wanted to take our harvest," Then John put a hand on the man's shoulder. "How bad is your back stinging?"
"Ow." Locksmith cried, his eyes stung by tears. "My delicate back."
John took the man by the hand then helped him up.
"Let's get back to the camp site and get that wound treated." John said.
"Ow. Ow. Ow." Locksmith whimpered. "The peaches!. . ."
"We will test the peaches later." John said.
They slowly returned to the direction of the space van.
Locksmith was laid on the bed at the back of the vehicle and laid on his chest. Judy tended to his wounds removing the remains of claws that the creature had left behind and disinfected the wounds. And he was given a new shirt as generated by Robot and prescribed rest.
"Is he okay?" Will asked as Judy came out of the space van.
"He is very irritable and whiny about it," Judy said.
"He is fine." Robot translated. "There is no long term harm to his mind."
Robot wheeled away then parked himself by the hydroponic garden before Will and Judy say anything else.
John returned to the site this time with a sign post with Don and hammered down the sign that read in depth 'DANGER. PLANT HUMANOIDS!' in black ink. Judy checked his temperature occasionally watching his skin sweat and he tossed and turned in the bed. She applied a small portion of tranquilizer and he was out like a fly on the cot. He ceased to stir but remained breathing on the bed. It was only the next day that the older man was up and walking about as if he hadn't been attacked.
"Let me check your back." Judy said.
"My back is fine, my dear." Locksmith said. "Not even aching for once. I feel heavenly. "
"I still need to check your back, doctor." Judy glared toward him with her arms folded.
"If that is what you wish, Doctor Robinson." Locksmith relented then retreated to the back of the craft.
Judy took her medical equipment then joined him as he sat down on a boulder and lifted the back of his shirt up. She cut off the gauze from his skin then checked for the level of soreness and swelling.
"Loos like it has stopped swelling." Judy said. "If we had the Jupiter 2 and further medical testing equipment then I could determine in depth if there is more to the wound than meets the eye."
Judy applied a bandage to the wound between Locksmith's shoulders as the older man bobbed his head up.
"What do you mean by that?" He turned toward her with concern etching his features. "My dear?"
"We are in wild space country," Judy said. "It's the space wild west. Anything can be out to kill us or be capable of killing us."
"Such as the grass, my dear?" Locksmith asked, incredulously.
"Except the grass." Judy said. "Oxygen producing life is our friend."
"Not everything is out to kill you, turn you into what it is, or . . ." Locksmith said but couldn't finish the last part. "Sometimes, they are people who are scared or in the wrong crowd. They are people."
"If you have seen what I have seen," Judy said. "You would see them as monsters."
"I once raised a little plant and they turned into a very proud Locksmith by complete accident," Locksmith said. "Surprise family member you can say. It was difficult to let them go, so soon. They used to be this small when I put them into a pot."
"You raised a humanoid sapling," Judy said in a questioning tone with a look of disbelief.
"It was a tree before the radiation belt." Locksmith said, sheepishly. "It survived against space. Like a Locksmith should."
"So, unisex?" Judy said.
"Hmm, I think so." The older man shrugged. "I am not quite sure on their gender but they are capable of duplicating themselves."
"So asexual reproductive breeding." Judy said. "That must have been odd."
"Oh, well, what is in the past is the past!" Locksmith shrugged. "Wasn't odd in the grand scheme of space."
Judy found herself laughing as he walked on past her including Don. Don had his shoulder leaned against the craft.
"So," Don said. "Anything I should know about the neighbors that spooked John?"
"No infection, no disease," Judy said. "I can't help but be concerned."
"What does your gut tell you?" Don asked.
"We need to have more thorough tests on him just to be sure nothing weird is going on in him." Judy said. "If we can find a abandoned ship and find medical equipment. That would be great."
"Princess," Don said. "Your wish is my command."
He leaned off and walked away.
"Don, we haven't found a abandoned ship around here!"
"We haven't searched far enough." Don replied. "Hey, B-9, like to go on a walk?"
B-9 twirled toward Don.
"Affirmative." B-9 replied.
"Can I go with?" Penny asked.
"Sure." Don said. "Four eyes and advanced sensors are better than two and only one set."