Years passed and William climbed up the ranks quickly and watched his family become larger. His parents died at rich ages ten years ago side by side in their sleep. Don and Judy made it to Alpha Centauri their own way without being known by mission control taking along Penny and her aged Debbie. William stayed behind because he wanted to do it legal. The Christmas star was something that sent humanity to the stars in twenty-three trips. This was the twenty-forth. He was the doctor of the Resolute. Designed by the great Maureen Robinson, something his mother wouldn't have been capable of-she was a scientist not a engineer.
He expected to come across the Robinsons in his time as psychologist, doctor, and surgeon but he didn't come across them face to face. He did have some encounters with them in directly which sometimes brought him to running late and speaking running late, this criminal was making him run late for a cosmic cards with his family. June Harris was a interesting individual to observe. She reminded him of Smith more than the way she studied him. But also the way in general the way she had sneaked aboard the Resolute. Lying her ass off, pretending to be someone she was not, and had likely taken care of her sibling. She tried to spin her version of the story in a way that best suit her. It was the kind of thing Smith would have done. A very Smitty thing to be exact. She had the familiar eyebrows, the short hair, and the well aged look about her.
He left her visibly bothered by the visible resemblance and character. He made his way toward the man in charge then explained his evaluation of her giving warnings. The man didn't reply at first until dismissed him with the reply that he would be in there soon. He wanted to make her sweat. She couldn't be Doctor Smith, she had a different name and different career-in fact, she had no career. She had walked in and killed a man to preserve being aboard the Resolute. He couldn't shake off the feeling that he was talking to a dear old friend. A friend that he had missed every day. Doctor Smith would be flattered at what William had done in his name. He could see the look of pride on his face. Even the reply of "Your parents would be even more proud if you did it under your name". The truth was, William Smith didn't sound right. It sounded wrong. William had made sure the Robinsons had gotten aboard the Resolute with a deal struck with Maureen through the computer under a anonymous name. Psychologically, Will wasn't ready to be put into space. But he had to go. Everyone had to go up there and meet Don West one way or another.
And help others along the way with their enemy-at-first Smith. William was expecting sabotage at any moment on the ship. And it was very concerning that no sabotage had happened to the Jupiter's. Let alone to the Jupiter 2. And a bad feeling was sinking in. Something terrible was going to happen. The Robinsons always got lost in space. It was a rule. A staple. A rule written in stone that they stuck together. There was no Robot stationed aboard the Resolute. They hadn't made the Robot, period, they were still a long ways of making a operational machine that wasn't a doll or a android that didn't act like a individual thinking Robot. William was used to the old robots, androids, and cyborgs that he came across in three years within space. It felt like he was in a slowly advancing society rather than his own. Like he was living among aliens. William carried on with his morning.
William stopped in his tracks that afternoon when he saw a large hole appeared in the hull. People who were around him stopped and stared at it. The door to the spaceship opened letting in a strange being. He looked up in horror at the machine with a red glowing visor that was bubbly surrounded metal. It towered over him in a way that was horrifying. William tilted his head looking at it. A look of recognition flashed on William's eyes. He didn't look friendly. He was intimidating, alien, and was a war machine at best than a harmless, friendly Robot. The grill was glowing a shade of red. A look of understanding dawned on William. So that's what happened to the Robot. They assimilated him after Doctor Smith's death. In that moment, all fear that he was feeling went away. He wasn't afraid of the Robot anymore.
"Robot?" William said. "Do you remember me?"
The Robot's four claws glowed a bright red.
"It's me," William said. "Will." He stepped forward then held his hand out. "I am sorry what happened to Doctor Smith."
A flash of red struck William sending him falling against the metal wall smacking his left ear against it. The Robot picked him up like a rag doll and its claws dug into his back which made him scream loudly then tossed him away. Officers ran in the direction of William as a young man helped up to his feet then helped him off. He looked over to see a young man be shot at the center of his back then collapsed in silence. William limped his way from the chaos calling for people to run for their lives. He was afraid, very afraid. It had been the first time in a long time that space had terrified him.
"Get down! Get down!" William shouted, as he came toward the corner of the hall and started to slide down. Harris came to his side. The line of fire from over his shoulder stopped distant screams. "It's coming, it's killing everybody!"
"It?" Harris asked, terrified.
The woman ducked up from William then looked over to see the source of the screams of colonists and officers. William knelt over feeling a sharp pain in his back. He smacked his hand on the floor, in anger. Families were being separated and people were dying. And he couldn't do a damn about it.
"Something breached the hull," William said.
The woman lifted his arm up then said something like "Oh god," breathing heavily. "Let me help you." She started to slid the jacket off telling him that she was going to help him. A sense of gratitude came over him.
"Oh, thank you. Thank you." William said, looking over the edge.
"Here, get your coat off," Harris said. "Can you walk?"
"No, I can't," William said.
"Oh, I'm so sorry." That's when he realized something was wrong. It sounded like she wasn't going to help him.
"Hey, wait. What are you doing?" She slid his jacket on.
"I'm sorry," Harris said.
"What? What are you doing?" He watched her leave. "You can't leave me here! COME BACK!"
She ran off in the direction that everyone was going leaving him behind to die. His ear was ringing. He looked over to see the Robot heading his way. William closed his eyes expecting to be killed. His hands rolled up into fists. Was this how he was going to go? Being killed by his once best friend? The screaming had become distant. He opened his eyes then looked up to see the Robot above him. Sweat went down his skin at the Robot. He took the time to observe its new design. A mix of old and new. Dark gray metal glistening against the soft red alert. The orange knee caps and red lights coming from the fore arms. He was facing his certain doom. A briefly painful death by his childhood friend.
The Robot stared back at William.
"Creator," came a unfamiliar robotic voice.
"No!" William said. "Don't you remember? That was Doctor Smith! He programmed you!"
The Robot stepped back lowering its claws down.
"You don't remember," William said, on the verge of tears.
The Robot ran away leaving William behind to his tears.