Chapter 20
For weeks on end, the Robinsons remained entombed in the Jupiter 2 by the frigid sub-zero temperatures outside. The stress of being confined in close quarters for so long was beginning to fray nerves and irritate the normally amiable crew. Major West seemed to be the most affected. He had no one at which he could direct his growing frustration without disturbing his conscience or suffering consequences. So, he did his best to keep it all bottled up.
Professor Robinson recognized what was happening and did his best to defuse tempers before they had a chance to explode. He ordered the Robot to monitor the weather conditions and report to him should the temperature rise above zero.
Everyone was anxious for the Robot's report. So much so that they bothered him almost hourly. He dutifully announced the outside temperature each time he was asked, but sighed as soon as the requester was out of ear shot. Even he was seemingly not immune to the frustration of being cooped up inside with little to do.
Another week went by before it happened. One early morning, the Robot loudly announced, "ATTENTION! ATTENTION! The temperature has risen above zero. The current temperature is now 5 degrees Fahrenheit."
The Professor, who was taking his turn keeping an eye on things on the upper deck, thanked the Robot. The rest of the family on the lower deck heard the crackling of the speakers followed by the Professor's voice repeating the Robot's announcement.
"Oh, I hope we can go outside soon!" Penny wished.
"Me, too", Will agreed. "I like you all, but some of you are starting to get on my nerves."
Everyone laughed at the honest assessment. Each of them felt exactly the same.
A few hours later, the Professor came down to the lower deck as Don started his shift on the upper deck.
"It's already up to 18 degrees now," he said to Maureen as she handed him a cup of coffee. "In a few hours, it'll be downright balmy," the Professor joked. "The Robot says there's a stretch of sunny weather ahead, so we'll likely get a chance to get out and stretch our legs." With a stern look, he reminded everyone, "No one is to go outside by themselves and everyone is to carry a weapon at all times. The Robot has not detected Kai for over three weeks, but that doesn't mean he isn't still out there."
Everyone acknowledged that they understood and started planning what they'd do during their respite from the confines of the ship.
Smith sat before the fire sipping a hot beverage he'd concocted by steeping little purple flowers he'd found down by the river. He'd first observed the plants in the early summer while foraging. To his surprise, they were pleasantly edible.
Like the stacks and stacks of wood he'd stockpiled for the winter, he'd accumulated a large stash of the flowers and dried them. He jokingly named the beverage "purpura tea". Those in the medical profession would recognize "purpura" as the latin word for "purple", but also as a disorder which caused purple spots to appear on the skin. When he first made the tea, that's exactly what he got, purple spots on the skin of his hands where drops of tea had splashed. Fortunately, they washed right off without staining.
The tea had a soothing effect somewhat like chamomile, so he often drank this beverage before sleeping. Unfortunately, the doctor had not discovered anything similar to coffee on this planet. He really missed the luxury of a stimulating "cup of joe", as Major West was fond of calling it, in the morning.
Fortunately, they had built up quite a surplus of food that they hoped would last them through the entire winter. The front room became quite chilly once the snows began, so Smith constructed a cooler there out of ice and snow to preserve some of the more perishable food items, like meat, that he'd gathered.
Artemis, who was fully grown now, dozed on the other side of the fire as Smith sipped his tea. With winter in full force, she didn't do much but sleep. It was too bitterly cold to hunt and most game had moved south. Smith did his fare share of sleeping too, as it was preferable to sitting around having nothing to do for days on end except for replenishing the snow for his makeshift cooler and tending the fire.
Occasionally, Smith practiced his skills with the spear and bow. He had no illusions that he'd ever be as skilled a hunter as Artemis, but it would only benefit them if he sharpened those skills. Besides, he had nothing better to do. He spent hours throwing and shooting at a small hide he'd affixed to the wall. Artemis would voice her approval whenever he'd hit the target, if she was not busy dozing.
Though temperatures dropped below zero outside, the cave provided a livable environment. A crackling fire, fur blankets, and the heat from the hot springs kept it cozy enough. On the colder nights, Artemis crawled under the fur blankets and curled up next to Smith, keeping the two of them quite warm.
Frequently, Smith suffered from nightmares. His was a mind tormented by a guilty conscience, memories of a less than happy childhood, feelings of abandonment, and a past that haunted him. His sleep was often disturbed, but as Artemis' telepathic abilities matured, she learned she was able to calm Smith before he awoke and could lead his mind into more pleasant dreams.
The children woke bright and early on the day the Robot had said would be their first sunny day in over a month. Penny and Will each grabbed a snack from the galley and tried to sneak out of the ship as soon as possible, but their watchful mother caught them and made them sit down for breakfast with everyone else.
The children fidgeted in their seats as breakfast was dished out to everyone. Maureen admonished them to slow down as they tried to finish their meal as quickly as possible. As the Jupiter 2 crew finished their meals, the Professor reiterated his rules before they all piled out of the ship to enjoy the sunshine.
Will immediately scooped up a handful of snow and formed it into a snowball, which he pitched at unsuspecting Penny. Penny, of course, retaliated and the war was on. An errant snowball pulled Don and Judy into the fight as John and Maureen looked on.
The children battled a few more minutes until they were out of breath. Laughing, they sat on the cold ground until they caught their breath, then made snow angels.
"DANGER! DANGER!" the Robot warned, arms flailing desperately.
Major West reflexively unholstered his pistol and searched around for the threat.
"What is it, Robot?" Will asked.
Before the Robot could answer, John ordered Don to help him set up the forcefield. "Everyone near the ship!" he commanded.
The Robot rolled protectively behind the women and children, charging his defenses. "I detect a large humanoid lifeform approximately half a mile away and moving quickly in this direction."
"Is it Kai?" Penny asked.
"It is likely, but I cannot yet confirm," the Robot replied.
Don holstered his pistol and helped John wheel the forcefield generator into position, energized it, and set the parameters and size of the field.
"There," John declared, "there's no way he'll be bothering us now."
The Robot powered down his defenses as soon as his sensors detected the forcefield. "At current rate of speed, the lifeform should be here in one minute and ten seconds," he announced.
Everyone waited silently and anxiously for the humanoid to arrive and reveal itself. Major West scanned the tops of the surrounding snow-covered hills while the Professor scanned the stark white plains.
"There," the Professor pointed and the Major's gaze followed. In the distance, a tall, loping figure stood out darkly against the snow drifts. "Is it Kai, Robot?"
"Affirmative, Professor Robinson."
"I wonder what he wants," Don thought aloud. "It's not like we're ever going to trust him again after what he's done." The Major could feel the ire rising in him as he thought of all the pain and grief, both physical and emotional, Kai had imposed on the family.
John and Don stood side by side, arms folded, as they waited for Kai to approach. Maureen and the children strained to see what was happening from their vantage point next to the Jupiter 2.
Kai bumped into the forcefield, causing Don to suppress a smile.
"What is it that you want, Kai?" John asked, anger evident in his voice.
"You know what I want, Robinson, your ship. And I will get it, too. You'd better be exceedingly diligent any time you leave the confines of this forcefield," Kai flicked a finger against the field causing a small ripple.
Don pulled his pistol from its holster and aimed at Kai. "John, let me just finish him off right now. It's what he deserves."
John placed a hand on Don's pistol and lowered it. "It's you who had better be diligent, Kai. If I so much as see you near our camp site again, I won't hold Major West back. In fact, I will be first to fire."
"You think your weapons can hurt me?" he scoffed. "They barely even tickled me last time."
"Yeah, well, Will and I have boosted their power substantially," Don boasted. "Would you like a taste?" Don raised his pistol again to point at Kai.
Kai stood silently for a moment, mulling his options. He raised an arm and pointed one scaly, clawed finger at the two men. "You have been warned, Robinsons. I WILL get my revenge... and your ship."
"Revenge is for the wronged, Kai," the Professor stated. "We never wronged you. We took you in, made you part of our family, offered to take you back to your home world. You turned on us. You harmed my family. You are lucky we have not opted to seek revenge... yet. Now, leave and never come back."
"You'd better watch your backs," Kai threatened and then turned and left.
John and Don walked back to the Jupiter 2. "What did he hope to accomplish there?" John mused.
"Probably just wanted to scare us," Don replied. "Somehow, I have the feeling he's not going to heed your warning."
"I have the same feeling," John admitted.
