Chapter 5
While the Jupiter 2 was empty, Smith took the opportunity to finish off the leftover roast from the night before with a side of some sort of eggs they'd foraged from nearby trees. He had trouble enjoying his brunch, however, because with each bite, he cursed the alien for robbing him of the chance to savor it in the company of the Robinsons. As Smith brought the last forkful of his meal to his mouth, the Professor came down the ladder, obviously looking for him.
"Doctor Smith, I thought I might find you here."
Smith cringed inwardly. He had the sinking feeling the Professor was there to talk to him about Kai and he was right.
"Something on your mind, Professor?" the doctor replied.
"Yes, as a matter of fact." He sat down across from Smith, hands folded and resting lightly on the table in front of him. "I know you and Kai have gotten off on the wrong foot." Before Smith could interrupt, the Professor raised a hand to stall whatever argument the doctor was about to utter. "I'm not here to argue with you, doctor. We need your help." Smith's eyebrows rose slightly in disbelief. "Kai needs help on the deutronium refiner if we're going to have all this deutronium ready by our launch window. Don and I are busy with mining the deutronium, so that leaves you."
"What about Will?" Smith provided. "Surely his mechanical aptitude is more suited to the task."
"He's busy with his own projects, doctor. It's a two person job and you're the only one available that's even remotely qualified."
Smith cocked his head slightly and a lone eyebrow rose skyward. He was sure the Professor was attempting some sort of experiment and he didn't feel like playing the guinea pig. "And what if I refuse?"
"It would be in your best interest not to, Doctor. If we miss our launch window, we'll have to stay here through the winter. The Robot's calculations of this planet's orbit indicate it will be a very harsh winter."
If there was one thing that Smith couldn't stand, it was being uncomfortable. No matter what he chose, he would be uncomfortable. Uncomfortable from a harsh winter because he didn't cooperate, uncomfortable working with an alien he was sure couldn't be trusted. He measured his options carefully for a few moments.
"Very well, Professor. I will cooperate in order to spare us from undue hardship this winter. Let it be known, however, I do this under protest."
"Duly noted... and appreciated," the Professor replied. He rose to leave then added "He'll expect you tomorrow morning. You do know where we have set up the refiner, don't you?"
"Yes, sir," Smith said with a hint of disdain.
As the Professor turned to leave, the Doctor threw a mocking salute at his back, then slumped into his chair. He heaved a great sigh and lamented the position he found himself in. He realized he had precious little time to gather the evidence he required before he'd be relegated to taking orders from the overgrown armadillo.
Wasting no time, Smith filled a pack with supplies, slung it over his shoulder, and slipped out of camp in search of Kai's ship. He didn't relish the thought of making the arduous trek, but the thought of losing what little he had to the alien spurred him onwards. He set off across the valley to the southwest of the Jupiter 2 and hoped fervently to be back before he was missed.
The trek was more arduous than the doctor had expected and he found himself wishing, as the sun of that world beat mercilessly down, that he'd left earlier in the day when the sun was still low in the sky. He dragged the dark sleeve of his tunic across his sweaty brow as he headed toward one of the few trees in the valley. He took refuge in the shade the tree offered and took a few swallows of cool water from the canteen in his pack. He scanned the area for any clues that might lead him in the right direction. Finding none, he proceeded to plot a course across the rest of the valley to the low ridge beyond.
A short distance away, Smith saw the barren floor of the valley give way to a marsh through which a small river ran. Beyond that lay an area reminiscent of the tallgrass prairies of Earth. It extended as far north and south as the eye could see. Smith couldn't determine just how thick and deep the prairie was so he clumsily climbed about eight feet up into the tree to get a better perspective. There was no way around it. He'd have to go through it. Some hundred yards away, Smith spied a break in the tall wall of grass that appeared to be some sort of natural trail through the vegetation, no doubt left by the alien species of animal on this world. He might as well take advantage of it, since he had no machete to hack a path through it. He shimmied down the tree and made a beeline for the break in the grass.
Smith wrinkled his nose at the telltale tickle of an oncoming sneeze. This grass was doing nothing for his hay fever. He stopped and held an index finger under his nose, but it did no good. His entire body shook with the force of the sneeze. A startled flock of bird-like creatures darted from their cover, rising like an iridescent cloud of teal. Instinctively, Smith ducked at the sudden movement. When he realized the animals posed no threat, he slowly straightened up and watched them alight in the top of the tall tree he had taken refuge under earlier. Pheasant... under glass, Smith thought, already relegating them to his dinner plate if he had the chance. Unconsciously, he licked his thin lips, remembering his meal that morning, his first taste of real meat in quite some time.
The doctor was so engrossed in observing the flock that he didn't feel the low rumble or hear the sound of rustling grasses advancing in his direction until it was nearly upon him. A shadow crossed his face, which brought his attention back to his own surroundings. He whipped his head around in time to see the flash of blue wrinkled hide emerge from the cobalt hues of the grass and quickly brush past his face. He stumbled backwards as he attempted to retreat and landed on his backside with a muted thump. Panicked by the size of the beasts passing mere inches away, Smith scrambled into the wall of grass, yielding the path to the creatures who were clearly responsible for its existence in the first place.
The herd consisted of five individuals who followed each other in single file. Smith studied them as they passed, noting there appeared to be three adults and two juveniles. He couldn't determine if they were mammal or reptile and, for a moment, even mused if such classifications were appropriate for alien creatures. He ultimately decided they most closely resembled skinny elephants, except they possessed smaller, sleeker heads which sat upon slightly elongated necks. Their ears, or what Smith thought were ears, were more like the pleated skin flaps encircling the head of a frilled lizard, which flared outward when something caught the beasts' interest. The beasts had, not one, but three small appendages analogous to an elephant's trunk, only shorter, with two attached to the top jaw and one to the lower. They worked together, almost like a human hand, to grasp vegetation and, Smith assumed, other objects the creatures might want to manipulate.
The adults were behemoths, standing at least five feet taller than an African elephant. The juveniles were closer in size to a rhino or hippo. Despite their size, they moved quickly and effortlessly across the prairie.
Smith craned his neck skyward to observe the great beasts. When they had passed, he parted the large blades of grass ahead of him and hesitantly poked his head out into the path. Looking both directions, he determined the coast was clear and stepped back onto the path. He spared a glance back toward the elephantine creatures and then quickly headed in the other direction.
About half an hour later, Smith reached the foot of a ridge and stopped to rest. Taking a seat on a nearby rock, he pulled his canteen from his pack and took several deep swallows. He looked back in the direction he had come and began to dread the prospect of making the return journey. He dropped the canteen into the pack, stood, and stretched his back, groaning as tried to coax his taut, overused muscles to loosen up. Taking a deep breath, he reminded himself why he was doing this, picked up his pack, and trudged upward towards the peak of the ridge.
Zachary, he thought to himself, didn't you promise yourself never to climb again after that unpleasant business with the Asmani? "I certainly hope the Robinsons will appreciate the lengths I go for them," he muttered.
