Once Smith's home came into view, the children chattered animatedly amongst themselves at the novelty of the abode they were about to enter.
"Doctor Smith," Mrs. Robinson asked, "did you build that? It reminds me of the adobe homes built by the Hopi tribe."
"I did indeed, madam. That was, in fact, the aesthetic I was going for," he teased.
Smith gave a sharp, short whistle and Bertram stopped to unload his passengers. The cats bounded on ahead to make sure their home was still secure from any possible trespassers.
The doctor helped the children down. As the Major was giving a hand to Judy, Will and Penny ran over to inspect the structure Smith had built. They ran their hands along the walls, feeling the texture. There were spots where the doctor had obviously made repairs after winter had passed, as the adobe hadn't faired well when the winter snows had begun to melt.
Mrs. Robinson and Judy marveled at the garden Smith had cultivated. There were rows of vegetables, a few fruit trees, and even some fragrant wildflowers.
The cubs were already inside the cave running rampant while Artemis had laid down on Smith's bed inside the adobe dwelling.
"Neat!" Penny said as she entered through the wooden, hide-covered door and waved to Artemis.
"Wow," her brother said, as he followed right behind her. "It's like we've gone back in time to the stone age."
"Complete with sabretoothed tigers," the Major quipped, as he and the Professor followed Mrs. Robinson inside.
"Make yourself at home," Smith offered from the doorway. "Though it's not nearly as comfortable as the Jupiter 2, I've grown accustomed to it."
The Robot rolled up to the door and realized the door frame was too short for him.
"Oh, so sorry," Smith apologized. "I never dreamed I would be entertaining anyone here, let alone you, Robot." The doctor thought for a moment and came up with a solution. "Would you permit me to remove your bubble for a minute?"
"Affirmative," the Robot replied.
Smith twisted the section carefully and disconnected the wires leading from the body to the head. "You should have clearance now," he announced as he handed the Robot his head. The Robot rolled through the doorway and up to the cave entrance. "My sensors indicate this entrance is also a tight fit."
Smith inspected the sides and top. "Turn your upper half sideways," he commanded. "Yes, yes, that is sufficient. Roll forward." As the Robot entered the cave, Smith took the mechanical man's head, reattached the wires, and connected it back to the top of his body.
"Thank you, Doctor Smith," the Robot said before rolling along to join the others.
"This is some pad," the Major said as the doctor drew near.
"It has its comforts," Smith admitted. "It's warm enough in the winter, provided one gathers enough firewood to last the season, and kills enough furry little beasts to make warm clothing to replace tattered rags, and stores enough food so as to not starve while trapped in here for several freezing months."
"Yeah, as homey as it is," the Major replied, "I'd prefer the Jupiter 2."
"Precisely," Smith agreed.
"Mom, Dad, can we go for a swim in the hot springs?!" Will and Penny asked in unison.
"Not until after dinner," Mrs. Robinson replied.
The children were momentarily disappointed, but amused themselves playing with the cubs.
"I bet you and Artemis are grateful for someone to watch the cubs for a while," Mrs. Robinson joked.
"You have no idea, madam. I love them beyond measure, but they are a handful."
While the adults were gathered near the center of the cave, Smith pointed out the various areas of his home, which probably weren't readily apparent to someone who had just wandered in. "That area over there is for storage. And this, obviously, is the firepit where I warm myself and cook my meals. Oh, and if nature happens to call while you're here, back in that corner is... the latrine." A few distateful looks appeared at the mention of the word. "Sorry, it's the best one can do in such primitive circumstances," he apologized, which elicited a few chuckles.
"Now, gentlemen, I suggest we get a roaring fire going to cook dinner," Smith gestured towards the enormous pile of wood in one corner of the cave.
The Professor and the Major obliged, gathering enough wood to burn for a while. They didn't even complain that Smith didn't lift a finger to help, reasoning he'd had to do enough of this to last him the rest of his life. Once the wood was piled in the pit, the Professor took his pistol, aimed, and lit the fire.
Smith sighed heavily.
"What?" the Major asked.
"So much easier than the old fashioned way," Smith replied. "You don't know how I mourned when the power pack on my pistol went dead."
The Major chuckled and patted Smith on the back. "Well, Smith, you'll never have to worry about that again. Unless... you'd rather stay here."
"Oh, no, Major. I've had quite enough of here, thank you very much."
Everyone within earshot laughed. Those who hadn't heard Smith's comment had heard the laughter and came over to see what was going on.
As the men stoked and tended the fire, Smith pointed out the meat storage area and invited them to choose the choicest cuts for their meal. Then he, Mrs. Robinson, and Judy went to the garden to gather some vegetables and herbs. As they went about their work, Smith educated them on the alien plant life. After a short trip to the top of the cave to gather wild onions, tubers, and other delicacies, they rejoined everyone inside.
The doctor demonstrated how he used stones to grind some of the plants into a paste, which then could be used as a marinade or turned into a sauce. Everyone took turns tasting each concoction to decide which, if any, they wanted with their meal.
"Well, doctor, I'm impressed," the Professor announced. "You have learned to live off the land quite well here. To be quite frank, I'm amazed you're still alive without the Jupiter 2 lab to analyze the plant and animal life to make sure it's fit for human consumption."
"That makes two of us, Professor. I can tell you there are many poisonous plants here and it is only by sheer dumb luck or the grace of some higher power that I did not succumb to the ones I happened to taste." The grimace on the doctor's face told the others he was not exaggerating.
"We're all very grateful for that," Mrs. Robinson announced.
"Shall we get dinner going?" Smith asked.
The group split up into teams to prepare the meal. The women claimed the responsibility of preparing the vegetables and sauces, while the men prepared the meat for roasting.
With a flourish, Smith produced the well-worn pan Will had given him during his banishment from camp. "Madam, I am glad to present this back to you, along with my gratitude for allowing Will to gift it to me. I assure you, I made good use of it."
"Well, Will did say you needed it more than we did and he was right," she replied. "But, why don't you hang onto it for a few minutes more and show us how you make some of those delicious sauces you've told us about."
Within an hour, dinner was ready and everyone sat down to eat a meal of roasted meat with sauce, starchy potato-like tubers, and salad on plates Mrs. Robinson had brought from the ship. Smith prepared separate plates for Artemis and the cubs, with roasted meat and some fresh worms from atop the cave that the felines found so delicious.
As they ate, the children coaxed Smith to tell them more of his adventures and he obliged, being more open about his struggles than he had previously. Uncharacteristically, the doctor didn't embellish. Some of his tales were harrowing and strange enough on their own that they didn't need it.
Conversation lasted far longer than the meal did and when it came to a natural lull, the children jumped at the chance to ask again if they could go swimming. Mrs. Robinson glanced at her watch. "I guess it would be ok. I could use a little dip, myself."
The crew of the Jupiter 2 had been looking forward to the hot springs, so much so that they all came prepared with their swim suits underneath their clothes. As they disrobed, Smith requested they all take a quick shower before entering the springs to keep it as pristine as possible, even though he would soon be leaving.
As they did so, Penny asked if Doctor Smith would be joining them.
"I'm afraid not, my dear. I have no swim suit," he replied.
"Then how did you..." Penny thought a moment, "Oh," she giggled as she put a hand to her mouth.
"Precisely," Smith confirmed to more chuckles.
"Never fear, Doctor Smith," Mrs. Robinson announced. "I brought you a gift," she said as she produced a pair of swim trunks from her pack.
"Thank you," he said, taking the trunks and holding them against himself. "It looks like they will fit."
The doctor excused himself and quickly went to the front room to change in private. By the time he reappeared, everyone, including the cats, were soaking in the hot water. Always dressed impeccably with nearly every bit of his arms and legs covered, the doctor had never been seen to bare this much skin. His appearance elicited more than a few stares. The effects of Smith's hardships were clear. Tanned skin, a trim waist, and toned muscles replaced his former goldbricker's body. He quickly showered off, then approached the springs.
Can-a-ball! Can-a-ball! He clearly heard Deimos egging him on as best he could with his elementary grasp of English. He felt the sisters' laughter tickle his mind.
That would hardly be dignified, young man, Smith admonished.
Is time for fun, not dig-na... dig-na-fie, Deimos responded.
Smith chuckled as the cub pulled himself out of the water, shook himself off, and trotted to the doctor's side.
Can-a-ball! Can-a-ball! the other cubs echoed.
Deimos is right, Artemis chimed in. This is a time for fun, for you are with your human family now. Allow yourself to lower your defenses. Show them the person you allowed yourself to be with us.
You're right, Smith acknowledged.
Smith's and Deimos' eyes met and glinted mischievously. Shall we?
Yeah!
The two sprinted toward the water in unison, jumped, tucked, and plunged into the depths, spraying everyone with a wall of water.
Shrieks, shouts, and laughter greeted them as they surfaced.
"I don't believe what I just saw," the Major commented.
"Well, believe it, Don, because I just saw it too," the Professor laughed.
As Smith swam towards the group, he was greeted with splashes in retaliation for his uncharacteristic entrance. A war broke out and sides were chosen. Smith and the cats mounted an offense, splashing Will, Penny, Judy, and Don. The quartet spread out and countered with an offensive campaign of their own, while Mrs. Robinson and the Professor tried to move safely out of range.
Deimos climbed atop Smith's shoulder, then jumped up to his head, and launched himself at Major West.
"Ahhh!" the pilot ducked out of the way at the last second. "No fair!" he yelled.
"All's fair in love and war, Major," the doctor smirked, as he aimed a wall of water in his direction.
"Wait a minute. Cease fire! Cease fire!" the Major yelled. All splashing stopped. "I don't recall those two," Don pointed at the elder Robinsons, "declaring themselves neutral parties."
"I do believe you're correct, Major," Smith replied with an evil grin.
Suddenly, the former enemy factions united against the duo, assaulting them with unrelenting walls of water.
"We surrender! We surrender!" they shouted in unison.
A cease fire and treaty was agreed upon. The adults took up positions against the rocky walls of the pool and relaxed as Will and Penny continued to play with the cubs.
"You know, I could get used to this," the Major sighed. "Hardships aside, of course," he amended.
"It has been a blessing to be able to soak in the springs after a particularly labor intensive day," Smith admitted. He dipped his head below the waters and slicked his hair back as he resurfaced.
Deimos swam over to the doctor and nuzzled up to his neck. Smith absent-mindedly tilted his head toward the cat and stroked his wet fur. To those observing, this seemed to be something the two did often.
"You and Deimos are like two peas in a pod," Judy commented.
"Artemis says he takes after me," Smith admitted.
"Oh, great, two Smiths, and one in feline form," Don joked. "Just what we need."
Judy splashed some water at the pilot and he swiftly apologized. "Sorry," he grinned.
Aurora swam over and settled herself between Judy and Don. As Judy pet her, she admitted, "I've only known them a few days, but I'm going to miss them."
"I don't even want to think about it," Smith replied sullenly.
Penny heard the conversation and swam over. "Mom, Dad, I don't suppose we could take the cats with us, could we?"
The Professor shook his head. "Space is tight as it is. And how would we feed them? They require meat."
"We could harvest a lot of meat here and then freeze dry it for later," Will proposed.
"Whether or not we take the cats with us, that's a good idea, Will," the Major admitted. "I wouldn't mind having meat in our diets more often. I could get used to eating like we did tonight."
"I agree," the Professor added, but seeing the troubled look on Smith's face, he suggested they drop the subject for now.
Deimos jumped out of the pool from Smith's shoulder and shook himself. His sisters soon followed. The doctor climbed out, followed by Artemis.
"It's getting late," the Professor said as he climbed out of the hot springs. "We should probably get back to the ship." At the pronouncement, the others followed him out of the pool.
"Professor? I thought you would be staying the night," Smith said.
"Where would we sleep?" the Major asked.
"There are plenty of hides to cover the ground and use for blankets," Smith replied.
"Nah," the pilot replied. "I don't think so."
Seeing the crestfallen look on the doctor's face, Mrs. Robinson chimed in. "Now, Don, we hosted Doctor Smith in the Jupiter 2 for a night. I think it's only fair he get to return the favor. We can handle one night here and we'll get a little taste of how he lived while we were gone."
Judy teased Don, "Don't tell me you've gotten so soft from the comforts of the Jupiter 2 that you can't rough it for one night."
"Alright, alright," the Major relented. "If the rest of you want to stay, I'll stay." He looked around a moment. "So, where are the towels?"
Smith pointed to the fire as he stood in front of it drying himself. "We don't need them."
The Major shrugged and joined the doctor in front of the fire. The others joined the circle, turning occasionally to dry evenly.
Once dry, they all dressed and prepared for bed, laying hides on the ground to sleep on. Unlike the Jupiter 2, sleeping arrangements felt more like a slumber party. While Smith and the cats curled up together and quickly fell asleep, the children chatted in low whispers in their respective beds. The Robinson adults and Major West stayed up a little later, chatting quietly amongst themselves.
The following morning, the family awoke to sounds of sizzling meat over the fire.
"That smells wonderful," Mrs. Robinson said, peering into the frying pan. "Are those eggs?"
"Indeed they are," Smith confirmed. "Eggs of pheasant-like creatures Artemis and I have dined on many times. We were fortunate to come across a nest while foraging this morning. I'm also cooking up a side of 'grass pig bacon' as Artemis calls it. Grab a plate and help yourself."
The others soon joined them and plans for the day were made over breakfast. The group would return to the Jupiter 2, prepare the Chariot, and return to the cave. They'd pack up Smith's meager belongings and bring back the food from his larder and garden in preparation for liftoff in a few weeks.