The first thing that Locksmith was awarded to was bright light that freed him of the darkness and the feeling that something was in his mouth. The object standing out of his mouth was removed with a hiss and he closed his mouth feeling his jaw was sore. He rightened his jaw feeling a pain from remaining open for a long period of time. How long was he asleep? Locksmith was dragged out of the pod then stripped off the remaining torn and tattered clothing as the leaves had grown.
He clenched on to his figure feeling cold then was given a fresh pair of shoes that clasped around his hands and a new pair of protective gloving. His figure was coated in grass and moss that it was hard to tell that he had once been a human. His fingers had became hard as tree bark and looked like them with their sharp pointy nature. And the rescuers had neglected to give him clothing asides to the necessities; boots and gloves. Boots that did provide some use.
With warmth flowing through, he relaxed up until he felt his hands were bound in shackles. His blue eyes widened then he was yanked forward out of the medical room until he were tugged into a launch bay. He searched around the area for familiar faces on the brink of tears, genuinely upset, searching for the one old friend who was reliable enough to be around.
"Doctor Locksmith?" Came a familiar teenage voice belonging to a boy.
It was difficult to speak as he could only groan.
"Doctor Locksmith!" Came a familiar young woman's voice.
He turned spotting Penny and Will headed his way; he observed, they had grown quite a deal.
"Chh-c-c-ch-" it was difficult to speak, what happened to his vocal cords?
He reached his hand out for them but they were restrained by two security officers and he whimpered.
"You're okay," Penny said.
"You have been asleep for a year." Will said.
"Slr?" Locksmith tilted his head.
"Yes." Penny nodded.
"Sc-sc-sc-sc-scrrd." Locksmith managed to slip out.
"We are going to fix this." Will assured as Locksmith looked toward them, pleadingly. "You are going to go home." it was enough to perk up the older man
Locksmith looked down toward his gloves then toward the children, noting they were not in color, confused then grew dubious and his bright blue eyes fell sadder. He withdrew his hands into his lap clasping them into his lap and lowered his head.
John arrived then dispelled the children and looked at the humanoid figure that reminded him of a hedge cut in the shape of a human given mitts and strap on boots. It was hard to see his eyes among the leaves as well then John looked aside and turned back toward him.
"The passenger that we had before you came along insulted your name, your friend, and your family." John said. Locksmith lifted his attention up as he clenched his hands together, tightly. "Down there on Grandstand."
"Rr-r-r-rr-r-r-r-," Locksmith struggled to speak, to call him out by a title, to make the reveal but the words refuse to come out and his figure trembled in the heated pool of frustration. "S-s-s-s-s-s-s-"
"Yes, that visitor." John turned aside. "That woman right there."
Rodney joined John's side.
"Rrr?" Locksmith asked, frowning beneath the leaves. "Rn rn rn-"
"Not a princess." John said.
"R-rr-r-r?" Locksmith asked.
"Really." John replied with a curt nod then looked up toward Rodney. "Rodney . . . do your best."
John walked away then the officers guided the older man to the Jupiter 2.
"So, you see, Maureen. . . This is the only way it can end. This insufferable plant being returned from whence it came. Your family dead."
Harris went on then Locksmith slid off his gloves as he noticed that she were in color as was Rodney and B-9. His eyes were dead set on her with curiosity. Just how did she play into the return home? Locksmith wasn't quite sure and he could not ask if she knew regarding his problem. Then, he noticed that the Robinsons were in their space suits with helmets on. As if they were prepared for something that was going to happen very soon. Being spaced? He was troubled by the thought. What happened in the last year he had been asleep?
"Clean slate for me at Alpha Centauri when this charade ends. Your friend being transported back to his home planet with this strange bobbed being." Harris grinned as she explained her plan. "I made sure they put on the bridge." Her grin vanished observing the reaction of the Robinsons. "Why are you smiling at the discussion of your death?"
"Because we are not the ones who are going to die at the end of this discussion." Will said.
"We are going to walk out of here alive, June." Maureen said.
"All of us." Don agreed.
"Except for your personnel." John said.
"Will," Penny said. "How about your last words with this fraud?"
"I never hate anyone before when I went into space." Will admitted.
"I find that hard to believe for a child." Harris said.
"You're the first person I have ever hated with every single fiber of my being. To use the word 'hate' properly." Will said. "You left the real Doctor Smith behind, you nearly got my dad killed, you nearly killed my mom, you made me kill someone who was becoming my friend! You tried to get us killed multiple times. You think we can accept you after all you've done? You HURT him!"
Harris stepped back, wincing, turning away from him with a roll of her eyes.
"Maybe, just MAYBE, if you took Doctor Smith with you and lied your butt off about being aboard then you wouldn't feel the sting of the Robinsons. Instead, you left him to die. Instead, you left us all to die. Instead, we are going to leave you to die from your own troubling mess."
"Kill the boy first." Harris said.
Locksmith shrieked breaking the shackles apart with a loud metal screech then tackled her -and slapped her - as a fuel of blood rage boiled over him taking control over him. It was instincts that belonged to a animal instead of a person that clawed into her finger slapped her at the face. The security personnel started to fire that were countered by Rodney's blasts. The Robinsons scattered around the area and covered Rodney's six.
Locksmith was yanked off the woman's figure as he snarled only seeing red. B-9 was part of the effort in clearing the area of the attacking personnel then wheeled into the large ship that belonged to Rodney. Rodney went inside of the craft then came back moments later and shot down a royal guard. Rodney picked up Harris by her figure with two claws then chucked her into the hangar bay of the Jupiter 2. Harris crashed with a thud to the ground and groaned. Will picked up the older man's gloves then sped into the Jupiter 2 after the duo.
Don flew into the bridge of the Jupiter 2 then his eyes flashed open setting Locksmith against the doorway to the bridge. Locksmith looked on then saw what the mechanic was seeing and recoiled.
"Oh no." Don said. "Robot, you got tortured badly."
Robot was set on the chair trying to get up but his figure fell with each attempt and his helmet was glowing a alarmed and terrified red. His armor appeared to have been rusted with damaged parts that stood out. His armor and joints were scattered around him with horrifying detail; open wounds decorating his chest, dulled orange secondary theme that was full of dirt making it blend in with the dark grayed armor, his neck suffered most of the damage, and his neck collar was jagged even extended at some points.
"D-d-d-dang-dang-danger, Don West."
"Will, GET IN HERE!" Don called.
"I am here!" Will appeared by Don's side.
"Sooth him."
Don turned off the the landing gear from the front seat as he watched B-9 vanish underneath the ship with Judy. Judy slumped the woman's figure over B-9's chassis then began to guide him up the corridor to the ship for the residential deck. Don watched the fully repaired shuttle craft hover as the ground beneath them began to crack and break beneath them. He looked over spotting the newly installed astronavigator console alongside him that had the holographic figure of the resolute. Don grinned, optimistic, hopeful more than then he had been long time ago.
The ground broke beneath the ships in the hangar bay then the ship flew down beneath the patrol ship. The shuttle craft fell into space but rightened up and extended a long pole into one of the hooks installed on the side of the Jupiter 2. The travel time to the resolute read as being five days away. Don slid the leveler forward then watched as a wormhole appeared before his eyes then the ship fell into it taking along the shuttle craft into the wormhole.
"It's okay, Robot." Will said. "You're safe."
The young boy stroked the side of the red tinted helm then the light faded into blue and dancing lights appeared that brought a smile to his face.
"You're going to be better in no time." Will added.
Judy appeared in the hallway then went over to the radio.
"Jupiter 2 to space rv, are you there, over?"
"Space rv here," Maureen's voice came over. "Eta?"
"Five days!" Don said.
"A week!" Judy said, excitedly. "How are the chickens?"
"Nice car ride companions as expected." Maureen said. "However, Debbie the Bloop is scared. She will take awhile to cool down."
"She must be very spooked." Judy said. "Knows something bad almost happened."
"And our patient?" Maureen asked.
"Locked in the air lock with B-9's watch," Judy said.
"Keep a eye out for her." Maureen warned. "And Doctor Locksmith. RV out."
Will handed over to Locksmith the gloves.
"You need a trim, Doctor Locksmith." Will said with a laugh.
"Gr," Locksmith nodded then grasped around his own neck. "Gr grrk. . ."
"What is wrong with your throat?" Will asked.
Locksmith lowered his hands.
"His tongue can't move the way it should," Judy said as she shook the radio in. "He can make noises."
"What kind of alien creature can't move their tongue up?" Will asked.
"Birds." Judy said.
Locksmith revealed the changed nature of his hands to Will then the man turned away putting his hands into his lap.
"You can go back to appearing human. . . ish." Will said.
Locksmith looked down, doubtfully, toward the boy and shook his head with a heartbroken whimper.
"How about a hug?" Will asked.
Locksmith perked up then looked down upon the boy and nodded as Judy set Robot up on the chair then put a head comforter behind the machine's helm. Locksmith lid his hands into the gloves then hugged the boy. Judy watched as his helm glowed a bright blue and the lights were leaping up and down. It had been a long time since she had seen him that way.
Almost two years since the event in which they were forced to be torn from each other's paths. Judy smiled then put the parts where they belonged only to find they refused to come back together. She frowned quite perplexed by the sudden development. She looked up, troubled, toward Robot. His helm was flickering showing how weak that he was. She returned then duct taped his parts together.
"Now heal," Judy put her hands on her hips.
Robot tilted his helm.
"Right, not the right place."
Don got out of the chair with the ship in autopilot mode.
"Let's give him the master bedroom." Don said. "He would heal nicely there."
"Make him feel welcomed." Judy said. "Good idea."
They lifted Robot up - only taking his arm off then taped it back on - and carefully tried again with time with their hands on his waist. They lifted him into the corridor, with some difficulty, then set him in the bedroom where he fell like a rock to the bed and they tucked him in with a large comforting blanket. Don was handed another set of scissors.
"I don't need a hair cut."
"You are next after Locksmith, now that you mention it, rowdy rascal."
"Damn. I am not going to get a break."
"Right you are, badass princess."
Don and Judy laughed as they went down the corridor then returned to the bridge finding the two still in a hug.
"Did someone say he needs a trim?" Judy took out scissors with a evil glint.
Will's strong grip kept Locksmith locked in place as the older man's attention shifted toward her then he tried to get out of it. After a brief moment of struggle, Locksmith relented and accepted his fate of his body being invaded by two people tending to it.
"How much leaves do you think he is layered in?" Don asked.
"Lots of it." Judy said. "Once we get down to the layer of the skin, we stop there."
Don grinned, clicking the scissors together.
"I feel like a cowboy about to shave a lamb." Don said.
"Savor it, Don." Judy said. "There won't be another megaladon like it."