"Mom! Dad! The eggs are hatching!"
The sound of Will's voice drew the attention of the Robinsons from lunch. Locksmith picked up his sandwich and followed after the family back into the shuttle tailed by the hens and rooster back into the shuttle itself. He followed them back into the improvised chicken coop. Chirping could be heard from the eggs as the family stared at the small collection of eggs in each open box and Don stopped in front of the box labeled as 'Debbie West' then he grinned seeing a small group of fluffy yellow chicks.
"My chicks," Don picked them up and grabbed them into his arms. "My baby chicks. Come to grandpa."
The chicks chirped as the Robinsons laughed at the newly hatched chicks struggling to hatch that was taking several minutes.
Locksmith leaned off the wall then looked down toward the chimpanzee.
"Bloop?"
Locksmith nodded down toward the chimpanzee and the space chimpanzee grinned.
"Bloop!"
Locksmith walked away.
"Let us seek for some treats, dear chimp."
Debbie the Bloop blooped after the older man as Don was laughing holding the monkey then Penny turned away noticing the empty doorway.
Then she turned her attention upon the chirping mess.
"Who knew watching baby chicks could be so long and cute?" Penny asked.
Maureen and John exchanged a long smile back toward each other then back on toward the hatching eggs.
Many days passed on Afterstep with celebrations thrown for the development of the baby birds growing in size and width. They notably followed Don through the forest chirping with frequency that made it easy to tell where he went. Everywhere he went, the birds chirped and he grumbled folding his arms, covered in head to toe, once appearing out of the woodwork. The Robinsons, Locksmith, and B-9 laughed in bemusement. It was getting to become a natural occurrence, Don realized, to hear the laughter of the family. Laughter that was kind, welcoming, and good to hear.
Huh.
Don thought to himself.
So this is what it is like to have a family, as he began to feel warmth in his heart.
"Don, why are you putting a bee's nest into the shuttle?" Maureen asked as she leaned against the doorway of the shuttle.
Don pointed toward Locksmith.
"He is growing flower buds, Maureen." Don replied.
John looked toward the napping older man.
"And?" John asked, raising a brow.
"I get the distinct feeling that we're going to be leaving soon and he is going to be needed pollinating!" Don said.
Maureen thought it over for a moment.
"Then we are going to bring in flowers to the shuttle and other plants." Maureen said.
"This should be fun," John said. "We will have our own in door hydroponic set up with pieces of worlds around us. How does that sound?"
"You make it sound more fun than it is, John." Maureen said.
"That is because it is." John chimed with a grin then resumed slowly stirring the stew in the pot.
John's gaze returned on to the stew that was full of meat, vegetables, and improvised spicing.
It wasn't often that he heard their laughter when Harris had been there landing them in trouble that threatened their lives on a day to day basis. Qualities of the Robinsons that were shared with their counterparts. One day, John approached the mechanic and requested that he sit down and went into detail about the dreams of his other life. Don laughed until he stopped and leaned back upon looking down.
"That is the guy who arrested me," Don said. "Where did you get that?"
"My dreams." John said. "You won't believe it. I have been having dreams of our counterparts doing the things that B-9 has said. And I. . ."
"Him? Don West?" Don lifted a brow. "Are you meaning to say that smelly and stinky breathed man got to have the great opportunity to be a rugged, smuggling, bad ass princess Don West?"
"Yep." John nodded.
"Weird." Don shrugged.
"And?" John prodded.
"I am personally finding myself staring in disbelief at myself." Don said.
"Why?" John asked.
"Because if that can happen to him; it may be a hundred percent more serious version of that here and extremely dangerous." Don noted. "He is having it lighter but still as hard as we do."
"What about the other me?" John asked.
"Harder than you are having it. It's all bright. But dark. Yet, if he is doing all that; then he may be producing a lot of hope. The source of it." Don said. "They don't know where they are. Unlike we do because of their company." he pointed toward the shuttle over his shoulder. "Not even in the milky way."
"Yet, he has the opportunity to reach the planet they want to go and he still wants to go back to them." John said.
"I feel that is crazy," Don said. "Then, when I think about it. Not really." he shrugged, folding his arms, at the comment. "Your family are really good and kind people." John smiled at the comment. "If I had a choice on the company I like to spend eternity with then your family would be high on the list." Don had a small smile at the comforting thought as well.
"They have no chance reaching Alpha Centauri in the current generation." John said.
"I hate to imagine the Jupiter 2 become a multi generation ship." Don said then watched as the former marine sighed lowering his head and his shoulders loosened.
"Don. . ." John said.
"Yeah?" Don asked.
John looked up toward Don.
"It's a saucer where he is from." John said. "Really massive."
Don's brows lowered then he started to get up from the chair.
"Good night." Don went inside the craft.
It was five days later that Locksmith's scream, in the middle of the afternoon, that drew John and Don's alarms as they were feeding the hens.
"What was that?" John asked.
A loud but deep shriek echoed through the trees.
"That was Smith's shriek." Don said.
They bolted in the direction of the screaming then found the older man hiding behind the boy clenching on to his shoulder facing a tall and pitch black creature with tall spirals erupting on their back, neckline, and chest, with a hundred white pearly eyes. There were others that were standing out of the tree line as Locksmith gave out more shrieks then began to run away. The blood in the men's faces went down seeing the abnomination creeping up toward them.
"To the shuttle!" John announced.
The older man was sprinting on ahead of them.
"There is a army!" Don shouted.
"I think NOW is the time to leave!" John said. "Will, go!"
"DANGER! DANGER!" B-9 cried as he lagged behind the family heading toward the shuttle craft.
"Ninny!" Locksmith cried.
"Danger!" B-9 announced.
"Go faster!" Locksmith demanded.
"I am unable to go any faster, Doctor Locksmith!" B-9 replied. "my treads are blocked by foliage, thorns, and messy sticks."
"Don't stand out there!" Don shouted.
"As I said," B-9 replied. "I am stuck."
"Yes, you are capable of going on!" Locksmith shot back. "my dear pink skin!"
"Pink skin!" B-9 bobbed his helm up. "DID YOU JUST CALL ME AAAAA PIIIIINNNNNKKKK SSSSKKKKIIIINNNNNNIN?"
"Yes!" Locksmith replied.
"Pink skin!" Will caught on.
"You're a pink skin!" Penny added.
"And you're covered in it!" Judy added.
"You're entire inside is pink!" Don added.
"Pink skin!" Locksmith cried as B-9 paused while his figure was trembling with rage.
"I AM NOT A PINK SKIN!" B-9 roared.
B-9 wheeled on spite into the shuttle and the door was closed behind him then the shuttle flew out of the scene as the creatures came closer to the craft. The family wore sighs of relief then John and Maureen, at the front seat, exchanged a glance with each other. It had been a close call. A very close call. They knew it had been as they continued to ascend up toward the sky leaving behind what was little of the place they use to call home. And they broke free of the atmosphere.
"Well. . ." Don started. "At least we're together."
Penny stared at Locksmith with puzzlement but curiosity in her eyes.
"Doctor Locksmith," Penny started.
"Yes?" Locksmith replied looking down toward her.
"What is a pink skin?" Penny asked.
"A organic machine painted hot pink," Locksmith replied. "Not to be confused with cybermen who assimilate, these type of people can co-exist peacefully with humans and have a very unique relationship with them-" Locksmith collapsed with a shriek.
Electricity cackled from B-9's orange painted claws.
"Retribution handled." B-9 replied as Locksmith groaned then slowly wheeled down the corridor.