"Major West and Professor Robinson are returning," the Robot informed the family.
Will jumped up and ran outside, anxious to hear any news.
"John?" Maureen asked as she greeted her husband on the outskirts of camp.
The Professor waited until the family had gathered around him.
"Well?" Penny prompted, about to explode from curiosity.
"We found him," John beamed. "Alive."
"Oh, thank goodness," Maureen gasped.
"Where is he?" Will exclaimed. "How is he? I want to see him!"
"Now, calm down, son," John put a hand on his shoulder. "He looks well, but he's been through a lot. He has a lot to process right now and he asked us to give him some time to think about it."
"What's to think about?" Penny asked. "Doesn't he want to come back to us?" Her heart suddenly sank at the thought that maybe he wouldn't.
"I'm sure he does," the Professor explained. "But things are a little complicated. He has another family."
"Another family?" Judy asked.
"Cats," Don chuckled.
"Cats?!" Penny was intrigued.
"It's a long story, but yes. Smith rescued a small cub whose mother Kai had killed. He raised it and it now has cubs of its own," John explained.
"Oh, I hope Doctor Smith brings them here. I would love to meet them!" Penny gushed.
"I told him to take some time to think about it, but he was welcome to come visit, or stay, at the Jupiter 2 at any time," the Professor stated.
"Well, I, for one, am relieved. This is fantastic news," Maureen declared.
"Dad, can I go visit him?" Will asked.
"No, son. We must give him the space to decide when to initiate contact. Because we left him behind, the trust he had in us is broken. We must be careful in our attempts to mend it," John warned.
"I understand," Will replied. "I just hope... I hope he knows how much we've missed him and decides to come visit soon."
John patted his teenaged son on the back. "We came back for him. I'm sure he knows."
The cubs swarmed all over Smith, unsure how to cope with the stream of emotional thoughts his mind was transmitting. Smith pet them, trying to distract himself.
You want to return to them, Artemis stated.
Yes.
But you don't want to leave us.
Yes.
And you don't know how to resolve this conflict.
Precisely.
I can help.
But how?
You protected me. You provided for me. You cared for me. You rescued me. It is time for you to be rescued. It is time for you to be cared for. You belong with your own kind.
Smith looked at her with tears in his eyes. "How did you become so wise?"
Life experiences, she answered, with a human named Zachary Smith. I do not want you to leave, but I know you must. We sometimes must endure things we do not want to. We will miss you, but you should not worry about us. We will be ok. You made sure of that.
Yes, Nyx said.
We will be ok, Aurora added.
Deimos will protect!
Smith laughed, "I'm sure you will, you ferocious beast." He ruffled the young feline's black fur.
You should visit them, soon.
The doctor nodded. Tears welled up again. "I've missed them so much. I thought they were dead."
We come with you, Smit, Aurora announced.
Meet more human peoples! Nyx exclaimed.
Wreak havoc!
Smith felt Artemis' laughter followed by commentary, I think he takes after you. He certainly has learned some of your vast vocabulary.
The doctor's tears were replaced with laughter as he relished the thought of the cubs running rampant in his old home, the Jupiter 2.
Tomorrow night?
Smith spoke out loud. "Yes, tomorrow night. You and the cubs will come with me. We'll bring gifts," Smith added. "Penny... she loves animals. She'll be absolutely delighted to meet you all."
The following day, Will's frustration was palpable. He was nearly vibrating with excitement to see Doctor Smith again. He briefly considered sneaking away to find him, but his father's words echoed in his mind. He didn't want to ruin things. He had to wait for the doctor to decide.
He and his sister occupied their time playing chess, reading, anything to work off their nervous energy.
"I hope Smith makes up his mind soon," John whispered to Maureen. "If he doesn't, I think those two are going to explode."
Maureen laughed. "I think you're right. We may have a mutiny on our hands soon. And to be perfectly honest, I think I might join it."
Living without other humans around, some of Smith's fastidious grooming habits had become a little lax. That morning, he bathed himself thoroughly in the river and washed his hair and beard using soap he'd made from alkali and oils from native plants. He trimmed his beard with his knife and when his hair was dry he tied it back in a short ponytail. His wardrobe was very limited, so he opted to wear his buckskin pants, vest, and jacket from the Jupiter 2.
He butchered the rest of the pig, packed it in the plastic containers the Robinsons had left for him, and stowed it in his knapsack along with the vegetables he'd gathered the previous day. He peered at his reflection in the water of the hot springs and decided he was as "gussied up" as he was going to get given the circumstances.
"Ready?" he said, more to himself than to the cats.
Let's go.
As was habit, Smith grabbed his spear. That spear and Artemis at his side brought him a sense of comfort and security. Since they weren't going hunting, he used the blunt end as a walking stick.
"WARNING! Aliens approaching! WARNING!" the Robot alerted.
"What?!" Don jumped out of his chair on the upper deck of the Jupiter 2 and peered out of the viewport. He quickly spotted Smith in the distance ambling towards the Jupiter 2 with a walking stick and his feline entourage. Smiling, he chuckled and announced, "Never fear! Smith is here!"
Don waited for Will and Penny to sprint out the door before he followed with Judy, Maureen, John, and the Robot.
Smith smiled as he saw the children running out to greet him.
Do not interfere with the humans' reunion, Artemis warned the cubs. This is his family. Be respectful. Keep your distance.
The cubs acknowledged their mother's directions and promised to obey. The cats slowed their pace and dropped back as the humans approached.
The two teens slammed into Doctor Smith with exhuberant hugs, nearly knocking him off his feet.
"It's really you!" Penny exclaimed.
"We missed you so much!" Will added.
Smith returned their hugs enthusiastically. "I've missed you all so much."
Each grabbed an arm and started pulling him back to the ship.
"You have to tell us how you survived!" Will said. "You must have a lot of stories."
As they approached the Jupiter 2, Maureen and Judy hugged the doctor. The Professor and Major took turns shaking Smith's hand.
Smith took his knapsack from his shoulder, placed it and his spear on the ground, and opened the bag. "I brought you all a little something," he said as he handed the containers of meat and vegetables to Mrs. Robinson.
"Is that... real meat?" the Major asked.
Smith nodded. "Killed it and butchered it myself just yesterday. Well... with a little help from Artemis." Come here, dear. Let me introduce you.
"You mean... Artemis killed it and you butchered it," Don smirked.
"I mean, Major, that it was a team effort. I speared it, then Artemis caught it and held it down while I delivered the coup de grĂ¢ce."
Artemis came to Smith's side. The Robinsons and Major West backed away cautiously.
Don apologized, "I believe you. I believe you."
"This is Artemis. No need to fear her. She's gentle as a lamb," he shot Major West a look and his voice lowered, "as long as you stay on her good side."
What about us? Aurora asked.
It's ok. You and your siblings may approach, Smith thought.
Be gentle with these humans, though, their mother admonished. They are not used to you.
Ok, mama, Aurora thought.
We be good, Nyx added.
The cubs trotted up to their mother. Deimos put his paws up on Smith's leg, begging to be lifted. The doctor groaned as he picked him up and hefted him onto his shoulder, where the cub had grown fond of perching ever since Smith had placed him there after their "pool party". "You're getting a little too big for this, my boy."
"May we pet them?" Penny asked.
"Certainly," Smith replied. "But be gentle with them. And watch out for this one," Smith hitched a thumb at Deimos on his shoulder. "He's a little terror. Fittingly, his name is Deimos." He pointed to his siblings in turn. "That is Aurora and that is Nyx."
"God of terror, goddess of dawn, and goddess of the night," Penny replied. She pointed at their mother. "And Artemis, goddess of the hunt and wild animals."
"Very good, my dear," Smith answered. "You'll find they all have personalities to match."
Penny went straight for Artemis, holding a hand out for her to sniff first and then kneeling to her eye level. "Oh, you are such a beautiful cat," she whispered as she scratched under Artemis' chin and pet her back.
She is fearless, Artemis commented.
A blessing and a curse, Smith replied.
Yes, I understand.
Judy picked up Aurora, who was asking to be held, while Nyx gravitated toward the Robinson matriarch. Maureen picked up Nyx and she and Judy stood listening to the others while the cubs basked in all the attention.
Will went straight for the "little terror" who was sitting at eye level on Smith's shoulder.
"My, how you and Penny have grown," Smith remarked.
"It's been two years, Doctor Smith," Will said as he pet Deimos' head. "Two years without you. We really missed you."
Smith put a hand on Will's arm and lightly squeezed it, holding back tears that were threatening to form. "I've missed you, too. I was afraid Kai had succeeded in his plan." The doctor's brows furrowed. "Oh dear. Kai! I saw one of their ships overhead the other night..."
"Calm yourself, Smith," John interjected. "We made contact with them some time ago. They were searching for that ship and we told them where they could find it. It was a prison ship on its way to a penal colony and Kai was one of the convicts."
"Well, that certainly explains a lot," Smith said as he visibly relaxed.
Just then, Deimos batted at Will's head. "Hey!" Will laughed as he dodge a second swipe.
"Deimos. Now, we talked about this. Behave yourself," Smith admonished.
Deimos grudgingly stopped batting at Will. He jumped over to the boy's shoulder, startling Will for a second. Deimos got comfortable and Will continued to pet him.
Play time later? Deimos asked.
"Yes, you may have play time later. For now, you must behave," Smith answered. "Until after we've attended to the social niceties."
I do social niceties. Deimos answered.
"Yes, you do, my boy," Smith smiled as he tickled underneath Deimos' chin.
Everyone looked at Smith quizzically, not realizing the cub could understand what the man had just said.
"He's been away from humans so long he's started talking to himself," the Major chuckled.
Smith raised his eyebrows and turned his head towards the Major at the slight.
He really does irritate you, doesn't he? Artemis asked.
The doctor chuckled at the comment, though Don thought it was in response to his. Smith had been about to reveal just how intelligent the cats really were, but decided perhaps now wasn't the time. He'd leave that as a surprise that the Major and the others would discover soon enough.
There was one thing Smith wondered though.
Artemis, can you read their thoughts as you do mine? he asked.
No. I only understand them through you. I don't know how to explain. Their minds are all different from yours. Each individual has a different... she searched for an appropriate phrase, mind pattern.
Brain waves?, Smith suggested.
Yes, I think that is correct, she confirmed.
Ah, yes. I think I understand. You have to learn their brain waves before you can communicate.
Learn brain waves! Deimos exclaimed as he jumped from Will's shoulder to the ground. We learn Smit brain waves! He circled Smith's legs, rubbing himself against them.
Then it becomes a bond, automatic, Artemis concluded.
"Smith?" the Professor asked.
"Huh?"
"You seemed to space out there for a second," Don answered. "Are you ok?"
"Oh... Yes, I'm fine," he answered.
"I asked if you were hungry, Doctor Smith," Maureen repeated.
"Famished, my dear lady," he replied. "Would you mind a little help in the kitchen?"
"I would love it." Maureen linked her arm with his and announced, "The chefs are heading to the kitchen. Dinner should be ready in about an hour." As they walked up the ramp into the ship she asked, "How would you like a haircut while you're here?"
"That would be heavenly madam. And perhaps a shave too," the doctor answered.
"Oh, I don't know. I think the beard makes you look distinguished," she replied.
"Hmm..." Smith stroked his beard. "Perhaps, then, I'll keep it."
"John?" Don asked.
"Yeah?"
"Did Smith seem a little... off?"
"He's been stranded here without human company for years," the Professor answered.
"Yeah, but... I don't know. The way he spaced out there. Completely blanked out. I thought I was going to have to shake him to bring him out of it," Don explained.
"That did concern me a little," John admitted. "We'll keep an eye on him."
Artemis and the cubs started to follow Smith into the ship.
"Uhhh..." Don nudged the Professor. "The cats are entering the ship. I don't think that's a great idea."
"Are you going to stop them?" the Professor chuckled.
Don opened his mouth to object, but in the end, he just said "No."
"They seem tame enough and Smith seems to be able to handle them. Hopefully, they shouldn't be a problem," John explained.
"I hope you're right."
