Chapter 9
Hunger gnawed at Smith and he had to do something about it. While exploring the surrounding area, he found some wild berries. Since the Robinsons had stuck to eating from the hydroponic garden, the stores from the Jupiter 2, and the occasional meat Kai brought back to camp, there was very little they knew to be edible on the planet.
Hesitantly, Smith popped some berries into his mouth. They were a bit tart, but edible. Delighted with the taste, he popped a few more into his mouth, licked his fingers, wiped his mouth with his sleeve, and carried handfuls of the berries back to camp. He dumped the berries on a rock, ate a few more, then went about gathering the firewood he'd need to keep him warm that night. He also brought back branches to start a lean-to as shelter against the elements.
Exhausted from his labors, Smith stretched out underneath a shade tree and took a nap. When he awoke, he was unsure of how long he had been asleep. It had to have been a few hours at least because the sun was setting. That, however, was the last thing on his mind. He rolled over and heaved, the berries making an unwelcome reappearance. He rolled onto his back and somewhere in his haze filled thoughts, he came to the realization that the berries were definitely not fit for human consumption. He prayed fervently that he'd survive that mistake.
Smith crawled toward the fire pit as nausea continued to assault him. He tried to pull the wood and kindling together, but he was too weak to do it effectively. What normally took a few minutes took him better than a half hour. Finally, he ignited the pile with his laser pistol and curled up as close as he dared, alternately shivering and sweating profusely as his body tried to purge the toxins he'd ingested from the berries.
Will could see the smoke from Smith's fire some distance from the Jupiter 2 camp. He took it as a good sign that his wayward friend was still nearby and able to keep warm, but it saddened him that he had to remain away from the comfort of the Jupiter 2 and human companionship. He wondered how Doctor Smith was faring all by himself in the alien wilderness. It was then that it occurred to him that while his father had forbidden him to see Smith, he had not forbidden him to provide him with supplies. He went back into the ship, grabbed a large bag, and proceeded to fill it with food and water. He also added a few items he thought might be useful or the doctor might want, such as his shaving kit, a survival blanket, and a small frying pan from the galley he hoped his mother wouldn't miss.
As he rushed back out of the ship, he bumped into Major West.
"Whoa, where are you going in such a hurry? Shouldn't you be getting ready for bed?"
"I was, uh, just…" Will stuttered. He'd been taken by surprise and wasn't prepared for the Major's question.
"What've you got in the bag?" the Major continued. He opened the flap and looked into the pack. He pulled out the frying pan and thermal blanket, then held them up, a look of disappointment on his face. "Your dad forbade anybody from going to see Smith."
"I wasn't going to see him," Will replied quietly. "I was going to leave a few things he might need where he could find them."
"Will…"
Before Major West could continue, Will began to argue his position. "Don, Doctor Smith is all alone out there. All he has are the clothes on his back."
"Don't forget that laser pistol he pulled on your dad and I," West reminded him sternly.
Will's expression fell. He knew Smith did bad things on occasion, but he was his friend. It didn't seem right for him to be out there all alone with no supplies. He didn't know why, but he couldn't stay mad at him.
"C'mon," the Major said, grabbing the bag from Will. "Let's go put these things back where they belong."
"No!" Will cried. "Doctor Smith needs them!" He yanked the bag away from the Major. He started to walk away when he was stopped from behind.
As the boy turned to face him, the Major could see his eyes glistening with the threat of tears.
"You really care what happens to Smith, don't you? Even after all he's done?" he asked.
Will nodded. "He's my friend."
The Major sighed. "He doesn't deserve a friend as loyal as you, Will." As much as he disliked what Smith had done, he disliked seeing Will upset even more. He could never be as forgiving of Smith's faults as the boy was, but he had a hard time staying angry at the doctor when he had allies like Will. Reluctantly, the Major pulled a folding knife from his pocket. He turned it over in his hands a few times, admiring it, then handed it to Will. "Smith could probably use this too."
"Thanks, Don," Will said, smile returning to his face.
"Just don't go against your father's rules, alright? No talking to him. Just leave it where he can find it. Oh, and you can find the sheath to it in my cabin."
Will nodded, went below to grab the sheath, then ran off to find the doctor. As he neared Smith's camp, he could see the outline of the doctor's form in front of the dwindling fire. The boy sneaked closer and closer until he was near enough to see that his friend was shivering in the cool night air, but was otherwise fast asleep.
Quietly, Will set the pack down in front of a rock not three feet from Smith, where he was bound to find it. He noticed a small pile of berries, picked one up, examined it, then set it back down. Looks like he found some food, he thought. That's good. Careful not to wake the doctor, Will grabbed two logs from Smith's stack of firewood, laid them on the glowing embers, and stoked the fire. Then, he returned to the pack, withdrew the survival blanket, and gently laid it over Smith's sleeping form. The man didn't stir at all. Between the blanket and the rekindled fire, Will was satisfied the doctor would be comfortable enough through the remainder of the night and he returned to the comfort and safety of his own bed in the Jupiter 2.
The following morning, as the family gathered for breakfast, Mrs. Robinson asked "Has anyone seen my small frying pan?"
A glance passed between the Major and Will that didn't go unnoticed by the Robinson matriarch. "Will? Do you know where my frying pan is?"
Hanging his head, Will replied, "Yes, ma'am. I… I gave it to Doctor Smith."
"I thought I told you nobody was to have any contact with Doctor Smith," the Professor scolded.
"But I didn't!" Will defended. "I only left it where he could find it… Along with a few other things."
The Professor scowled. "What 'other' things?"
"Food and water, a survival blanket…" Will answered.
The Professor interrupted, "Will, have you forgotten that we're on an alien world with limited supplies? We need those things."
"Doctor Smith needs them more," Will countered.
Mrs. Robinson recognized that her husband was letting his anger at Smith cloud his thinking. She grasped his upper arm, gave it a squeeze, and looked up into his eyes. "John, Will's right. Doctor Smith does need them more. I'm sure we'll get along fine without them."
The Professor wanted to stay angry, but one look into the loving eyes of his wife dissolved that anger. This was difficult and confusing for all of them. As angry as he was at Doctor Smith, he didn't want to see the man suffer unduly. And to be perfectly honest, they could spare the goods. Will's actions wouldn't do them any harm. He released a sigh of defeat. "Alright, but my order to avoid contact with Doctor Smith stands. Understood?"
Will suppressed a smile and nodded solemnly to his father's orders. Kai suppressed a scowl. This was definitely not good for his plans. After breakfast, he left the ship to find the doctor and take care of him once and for all.
Awareness drifted slowly back to Smith. A stiff breeze blew through his hair and daylight assaulted him through his closed eyelids. He groaned and pulled the blanket over his head. Just a few more minutes of sleep, he thought. Wait a minute. Blanket!? His eyes popped open and examined the survival blanket covering him. He looked around and saw the pack resting against the nearby rock. He smiled. Will, he thought. A true friend if there ever was one. He mentally gave a small prayer of thanks for both the provisions and surviving the night. He was definitely feeling better.
Suddenly, another breeze rustled Smith's hair. He turned his face toward the wind, only to find it wasn't wind at all. A shriek escaped his lips as the outstretched trunks of one of the elephantine beasts he'd seen before grasped his head and felt it. He couldn't be sure if he was being tested for ripeness or being given a friendly alien hug, but whatever it was, he didn't want any part of it. He swung frantically at the trunks and scrambled behind the rock, not that it was much protection from the behemoth.
The giant beast's trunks turned their attention to the bag, deftly opening it, snaking inside, sniffing, and feeling the contents. Once their inspection was done, one of the trunks grasped the bag and started to pull it skyward.
"NOOOO!" Smith yelled. Normally, the doctor would turn tail and run as fast as he could from a situation like this, but hunger and desperation forced him to take action. He grabbed one of the straps and pulled. He was no match for the size or strength of the elephantine creature, but he more than made up for it with sheer tenacity fueled by adrenaline. The behemoth swung its head to the side, pulling Smith off his feet and flinging him bodily through the air. He slammed into the side of the creature, eliciting an annoyed "oof". As soon as the doctor's feet hit ground again, he tugged futilely with all his strength, his boots slipping in the grit and gravel as his feet desperately sought purchase. That only earned him another trip through the air in the other direction. Once again, he hit the creature's other side and landed awkwardly on his feet.
"Now see here!" he yelled as he tugged sharply. "This is MY bag and I won't let some burglarizing behemoth steal it from me." He jabbed at the trunks with one hand while keeping a death grip on the bag with the other.
The creature stopped swinging its head from side to side and stared at Smith. Slowly, its trunks released their grip and withdrew. It stood watching the doctor with keen interest.
"That's better," he huffed. He sat on the rock and opened the bag, giving little thought to the creature watching him. As far as he was concerned, he'd won the battle and the creature was no longer a threat until it proved otherwise. He had more pressing matters to attend to. He inspected the contents of the bag. A frying pan, shaving kit, a canteen of water, containers of food… and Major West's folding knife. The last item caught Smith off guard. Had Will stolen it or had the Major offered it to him? Smith smiled as he envisioned the Major throwing a fit when he discovered who now possessed his knife.
Smith placed all the items back into the bag with the exception of one container of food. He opened it and began to eat voraciously. Once again, the behemoth's trunks gravitated toward Smith. It sniffed the contents of the container, but pulled sharply back when Smith slapped them. The creature withdrew again, emitting a mournful cry.
It was then that Smith truly took a moment to regard the creature. It was smaller than the largest elephantine creatures he'd seen. A juvenile, perhaps. And hungry. He could sympathize with that. He watched as it skirted around him to his right, clearly hoping to avoid another confrontation. It folded its legs under it and sat on the ground. Its three trunks hesitantly stretched out towards the berries Smith had piled one the rock the day before. Understanding what the creature was after, he picked several up, which startled it.
"I see. You can't have my bag, so you'll settle for this?" he asked. He pondered for a moment. He hadn't done well with the berries, but he wasn't from this planet. And it hadn't killed him, only upset his system for a short while. Perhaps this creature was immune to the toxins and these berries were a regular part of its diet. There was only one way to find out. He certainly couldn't use the food, so might as well give it to something that could.
He stretched out his hand and offered the berries to the creature. It took them eagerly and swallowed the whole handful. Laughing at the sight, Smith offered another and another, one by one, until the pile was all gone. When the beast tried again for the food in his container, he blocked it and sternly warned, "No, that's where I draw the line, my pesky pachyderm." The creature seemed to understand and backed away. It raised its head and trumpeted. Smith nodded and said "You're welcome," in response, even though he had no idea if the creature had actually thanked him. He thought he could see a spark of intelligence in those eyes as he regarded them. It was an alien intelligence, to be sure, but it was there. As the elephantine lumbered away, he laughed and added, "But don't expect to be able to get handouts here anytime you want!"
Smith ate a little more of the food Will had left for him, but realized he had better exercise restraint, something he was not used to doing. He had no idea if this was a one time offering or if they'd continue to leave food for him. He felt it best to be cautious, so he packed the food away again and set about building his lean-to.
A short time later, Smith heard a sound that startled him. He glanced behind him and was greeted by the sight of Kai standing a dozen feet away. Instinctively, his hand went to his hip, only to realize that his laser pistol was where he'd left it after he'd lit the fire last night. It was closer to Kai than it was to him.
"What do you want?" Smith asked.
Kai took a step toward him. "I want to make sure you don't spoil my plans."
Smith swallowed and gripped the branch in his hand tightly. It was the only protection he had against the alien. He noticed Kai didn't have a laser pistol, which only meant that he intended to rip him to shreds with his bare hands, or rather, claws. The doctor shuddered at the prospect.
"The Robinsons will find out what you're up to!" he yelled, hoping someone was near enough to hear.
"I doubt it," Kai responded. He took another step forward. "They'll never find a trace of you." Then, he made his move, rushing toward Smith at full speed.
Smith swung the branch, but Kai caught it in one of his hands and wrenched it free from the doctor's grasp. He flung it to the side, then backhanded the doctor across the face, sending him to the ground. Kai pounced, but Smith recovered in time to grab the alien's wrists before his razor-sharp claws could make contact. Super human strength fueled by adrenaline was the only thing keeping the stronger alien at bay, as Smith wrestled to keep Kai's hands away from his throat, or anywhere else. That adrenaline would eventually run out and he'd lose. So he did the only other thing he could do. He screamed for help, even though it was most likely a futile effort.
Smith could feel his strength leaving him. Kai's claws inched closer and closer. He closed his eyes and turned his head, hoping beyond hope that this nightmare would just go away. Suddenly, he felt Kai's weight lift from on top of him and heard an exclamation of surprise from the alien. He opened his eyes in time to see Kai suspended in the air, a few feet above him, wrapped snuggly in the trunks of the juvenile elephantine creature. The behemoth whipped his head to the side and sent Kai flying like a rag doll. As Kai picked himself up off the ground, the beast turned and charged at him, trumpeting angrily.
Being unprepared for Smith's unlikely ally, Kai retreated back to the Jupiter 2. The creature ran over to the doctor and nudged him with its trunk, checking to see if his benefactor was alright. Smith stood up, dusted himself off, and gratefully patted its trunk. "Thank you," he whispered. He made a mental note from then on to be kind to animals whenever possible.
