Last week, as you recall, the Saticons built a machine that would help them conquer Earth. The Robot, not quite man, yet not quite machine, was able to destroy it. Penny then befriended a scientist who needed the Robinson's human qualities to make his creation, Raddion, become more than a simple android. The Robinson family unknowingly donated their good traits, which made them shells of their former selves, but Don and Dr. Smith, working together, were able to restore them to their true selves. John, Don and Will left soon after. Dr. Smith and the women became embroiled in a war between two aliens, one ugly on the surface, but good in character, and the other, a golden man who ingratiated himself with the adults, but Penny saw that good looks did not make a good man. Mr. Keema, the frog-like alien was victorious with the help of Penny and Dr. Smith. While Will and Dr. Smith were stargazing through the telescope, a brief solar storm erupted. When it ended, Will looked through the telescope and he asked Dr. Smith to have a look…

The Girl from the Green Dimension (Written by Peter Packer)

When Dr. Smith put his eye against the telescope, he exclaimed, "No. No, it can't be. It's not possible!" In his sights was the green woman who had enchanted him when they refueled the Jupiter and lost their chance to return to Earth.

Dr. Smith insisted that she was just an optical illusion, but the optical illusion became a green mist that spouted from the telescope and she materialized directly in front of him… He, the Robot and Will ran the entire way back to camp. Will explained what they had seen, but John didn't believe him until she appeared from behind a rock.

"She's for real, all right," Don stated. "She must be after more of our deutronium."

The family convinced Dr. Smith to send the woman away, and he finally agreed and told her to "Scat… Shoo… Shoo…" She floated away… for now.

"Dear Joan,

You won't believe this… (If I had a nickel for every time I've said that…) but the green woman who hypnotized Dr. Smith to leave the Jupiter when we were heading back to Earth has reappeared. Somehow (none of us can figure out exactly how), but somehow she found her way back to Dr. Smith. Don and Dad think that she's after our deutronium, but Dr. Smith insists that she's after him.

Dad, Don and Will went to check the drill sight to be sure that she hasn't invaded our deutronium stock. A strange thing happened while Mom and I were working in the garden this morning. Dr. Smith predicted that I would need a first aide kit because I would prick my left index finger, and that is exactly what happened. I just put a band aide on it, and it's really nothing, but I wonder how he knew?"

Don, Judy and Penny were having breakfast when they got their first look at Will, the green boy… Maureen had done her best to try to scrub the green off him, but it was as if a contemporary artist had used him as a canvas. When John joined them at the table, Penny asked, "Was Mom able to get the green off him, Dad?"

"No, I'm afraid not, Penny. We're going to have to find some other solvent," John replied.

"How did he get green in the first place?" Don asked.

"Smith and Will don't really know. Apparently the green girl has a scorned suitor who did something to Will. I wish we knew what it was so we could reverse it!"

Don shook his head.

"Now, Don…" Judy started.

"Judy, Smith is…"

Before he could finish, Maureen and Will walked off the elevator. Judy's hand flew to her mouth when she saw him, and Penny thought, 'He's just… so… so… green!' No one knew what to say, and Will's eyes started to tear up.

Don knew he'd get in trouble for what he was about to say, but someone had to break the ice. "Hey, Kermit, come sit next to me. I know you're not contagious."

Judy shot him a warning look and whispered, "Don…"

Will almost smiled and sat down next to him. At least they weren't laughing at him, but it would be just as bad if they were going to be too nice to him.

"It's all right, Will, just don't pay any attention to him," Judy said.

Don sent her a smirk across the table. He couldn't understand what it was with this family that they always had to play nice. The kid was green for heaven's sake… It wasn't as if they could just ignore that fact.

Maureen went to the galley to pop-in more toast and prepare a plate for Will. Penny had no idea what to say and Will couldn't bring himself to look at her, so she excused herself from the table.

Don tried one more time to coax a reaction out of Will. He put his hand on Will's shoulder and said, "Oh, by the way, we're having green eggs and ham for breakfast."

Will grinned at his comment and added, "I'll take some green tea with that."

"Dear Joan,

Poor Will. Athena, the green girl, has a jilted suitor named Urso who turned Will green! Don was trying to make jokes about it, but it really isn't funny, well, not really. Mom and Dad asked Athena, the green girl, to turn him back, but she couldn't. Penny told me she asked Will if he wanted some deutronium. She felt so badly for Will she even asked him if he could turn her green, so she could be just like him.

Don's been wondering why Athena has 'the hots' for Dr. Smith. It turns out that she likes the way his nose wiggles. She calls him, "Handsome, pretty handsome, Doc-tor Smith." And what does Dr. Smith want with Athena, you might ask? Well she has quite a body, but she and Urso also have some kind of power that allows the telescope to tell the future. It turns out that she expects 'handsome, pretty handsome, Doc-tor Smith' to fight Urso. I don't know how he's going to get out of that one."

One of the atomic units of the Jupiter had burned out and had to be disposed of, and, after Don extracted it from its place and threw it into a lead container, the family buried it in a mock funeral ceremony, which Dr. Smith had foreseen through the telescope, however, he thought the burial was his own. While running away from a duel with Urso he encountered the ceremony and accused them of burying the wrong body! Athena saw how cowardly Dr. Smith was and returned to Urso. Then they disappeared and Will magically returned to his normal skin color.

As the family started back to the Jupiter, Don commented, "Gee, Will, I was hoping we'd get at least one rendition of "It's Not Easy Bein' Green" from you on your guitar while you were still as green as Kermit," Don stated.

Instead of chiding him, Judy starting singing softly.

"It's not that easy bein' green;

Having to spend each day the color of the leaves."

Then Penny joined in.

"When I think it could be nicer being red, or yellow or gold—or something much more colorful like that."

Will then added his voice.

"It's not easy bein' green.

It seems you blend in with so many other ordinary things.

And people tend to pass you over 'cause you're not standing out like flashy sparkles in the water – or stars in the sky."

Then Don put his arm around Judy and Maureen followed by placing an arm around each of her youngest as they continued to walk back to the Jupiter and the five of them were now singing:

"But green's the color of spring. And green can be cool and friendly-like. And green can be big like an ocean, or important like a mountain, or tall like a tree."

John followed behind them and marveled at their resiliency and closeness. He loved his family dearly and realized that Don, regardless of whatever would happen between him and Judy, had firmly established himself as part of that unit. The group completed the final verse:

"When green is all there is to be

It could make you wonder why, but why wonder why? Wonder,

I am green and it'll do fine, it's beautiful!

And I think it's what I want to be."

They arrived at the Jupiter and Maureen turned to see her husband holding a huge grin on his face. She walked up to him and asked, "And what is making you so joyful?"

"I love this family, Maureen. Each and every one of you…" he replied.

She wrapped her arms around him and asked, "Does that includes Don?"

John nodded and Maureen added, "Me too…"

The Questing Beast (Written by Carey Wilber)

"Dear Joan,

We have another visitor. I have no idea how he got here. Will said he just came charging in out of nowhere like a knight… Actually, he is a knight, Sir Sagramonte of Antair. He's chasing a questing beast. He's taken Will on as his page. Penny, of course has befriended the beast, Gundemar. I feel like we're living through The Man of La Mancha and any minute we'll hear Don Quixote break out into "To Dream the Impossible Dream…"

Will wandered into the Jupiter soon after Judy had finished her message to her cousin. "Will! I thought you were… paging… with Sir Sagramonte," Judy asked.

"Oh, he's nothing but a tired old man, Judy," Will responded. "He exaggerated everything he told me. I wonder if any of it was true." He went into his room and closed the door.

John and Don returned to camp. Judy came out to greet them and told them that Will was back. John asked her about the alien visitor, and Judy said, "Oh, I don't think there's anything to worry about. From the way Will talked, I guess he's just a foolish old man." Don excused himself to get something to eat, and Judy told him that she'd join him after talking with her father. Judy went on to tell him that she was worried about Will. "There's something withdrawn about him. Dad, is it possible for a boy his age to become a cynic?"

At that moment, Dr. Smith came running into camp and babbling about having to fend off five, ten, twenty monsters on the way back to camp. He had no idea that Will had already returned and was listening to his tall tale. Dr. Smith was caught in his lie.

Don had made himself a snack and Judy joined him at the galley table. "So, what's up with Will?" Don asked. "I asked him if he and his knight had caught their beast, and he totally ignored me."

"I don't know, Don. He found out that his knight tells a lot of tall tales, and he just caught Dr. Smith in a flagrant lie."

"Oh… I guess it's kind of like… when he found out there was no Santa." She nodded.

Don continued, "It has to happen sometime, Judy."

"I just wish it hadn't happened so soon. There is more than enough for him to contend with out here without losing his faith in people."

"If by 'people' you mean Smith, it might not be such a bad thing."

Will was reading a book on the upper deck when Dr. Smith asked if he could join him. He picked up a book from the table and pretended to read. After a few seconds, he told Will, "I'm sorry about this afternoon."

"It's all right. You were just trying to make yourself out a big hero," Will replied.

"You make it all seem very simple."

Don started to climb up the ladder and overheard their voices. He stopped mid-way and motioned for Judy to join him.

"Well, isn't it? I mean, don't people do it all the time? Brag and elaborate and then build themselves up?" Will looked at the book Smith was holding, "The book's upside-down, Dr. Smith."

Smith tossed the book on the table, "Thank you." Dr. Smith folded his hands and said, "But there must be some exceptions."

"What exceptions?"

"Your parents… Major West…"

"How do I know for sure that they're so special?"

"Will, what has happened to you?"

"Well let's just say I'm growing up, Dr. Smith. There comes a time in every kid's life when he has to get rid of illusions – like outgrowing fairy tales about knights fighting dragons."

"Dr. Smith, nobody's to blame. Let's just say I'm outgrowing my childhood."

"It must be something Sagramonte of Antair did, wasn't it?"

Dr. Smith stood and walked towards the hatch. "Nobody's to blame. Nobody's ever to blame." He hit the button for the door and added, "Don't be in such a hurry to grow up, dear William. It isn't really worth it."

Judy pulled Don back down. "We should leave him alone, Don. He wouldn't want us eavesdropping on him."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. You know, I'm surprised at what Smith said."

"You see? He's not as bad as you think he is."

"Well, I'm not so sure I'd go so far as to say that…"

"Dear Joan,

"Our knight and his beast are gone. Will found out that his knight had exaggerated the stories of his quest and no longer wanted to be his page. It was like he lost his innocence. Dr. Smith, of all people, helped him through it. He arranged for the knight to meet the beast, but Penny intervened, worried that the beast might get hurt. It turns out the knight has been chasing the beast for forty years and neither one of them wanted it to end. I don't know how it happened, but Will has decided that he's not in such a hurry to grow up after all.

Oh, Penny's birthday is coming up. She's going to be thirteen this year. That is such a difficult age, especially for Penny since the only social life she has is with her family. She should be ogling boys and learning to flirt with them. Oh, I don't know, Joan. Maybe, if we had stayed on Earth, she would feel as left out and isolated as I did when I was her age. We are just such a weird family.

Mom made a cake and Will is hoping to think of a special gift for her since she's becoming a teenager. I hope he thinks of something because I have no ideas."

Judy also had no idea that at that very moment, Will and Dr. Smith had found an abandoned android machine. Will hoped to buy a toy for Penny, but Dr. Smith, thinking selfishly, was swallowed by the machine as he tried to procure a coat for himself…

The Toymaker (Written by Bob and Wanda Duncan)

Will ran back to camp, begging his mother to find his father and Don so they could save Dr. Smith from the machine. She was reluctant to do so, since a fissure had opened up the night before and they were searching for it. "But Mom, we found it. It's where the machine is," Will told her. Maureen then agreed to find them, but first left instructions for Penny to keep an eye on Will.

When she found them, she explained the situation and John said that looking for Smith was the last thing they wanted to do. "That fissure has gotten bigger since last night. If we don't find it soon and seal it, it may reach the core of this planet and it will blow up."

"And us with it," Don added.

"But Will found it," Maureen exclaimed.

They rushed back to camp only to discover from Penny that Will had returned to the machine, and, in an attempt to help Dr. Smith, was swallowed by the machine himself.

Don and John went to the machine and investigated both the fissure and the machine. John felt that they had only twenty-four hours to seal the fissure. Don explained that, if they dropped explosives into the fissure now, it would take the machine with it. John suggested moving the machine, but the Robot advised against it, saying that moving the machine would destroy it. They were debating what to do when a space ship landed nearby. None other than Zumdish and his henchman arrived on the scene.

His job was to destroy errant, renegade machines. John negotiated more time so he could recover Will and Smith. Zumdish agreed, and Don stood guard to be sure he abided by his agreement.

John entered the machine and found an old, retired toymaker, Mr. O.M., who was trying his best to fulfill toy orders. John was able to convince him that Will and Smith were not toys and that they all needed to escape before the machine was disintegrated. Mr. O.M. knew the way out and the four of them escaped.

With John's clever manipulating, Zumdish agreed to reinstate Mr. O.M. as an official toy maker for the Galactic Department Store, and they were gone. Before leaving, however, he aided their sealing of the fissure – as payment for the services of the old man.

Once back at camp, Penny opened her gifts – a new dress for her old doll and a doll house from Will that was made by the old toymaker. It broke as soon as she lifted it, but she was most grateful that her family was back together. The Robot brought in a cake and the entire family sang her birthday song.

As Judy cut the cake, Maureen asked, "What about the danger we're in from the fissure?"

"Zumdish gave us a plug that sealed it up," John replied.

"The Deluxe 512," Don added.

"My finder's fee for freeing the old man from that renegade machine…" John added.

Hours later, when Judy went into her room, she found Penny sitting on her bed, knees up to her chin with a forlorn expression on her face. "Penny? What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing. I'm just tired."

"Your face says 'sad,' not 'tired,' Penny."

"Oh, Judy, I appreciated the gifts, but, a dress for my doll and a doll house?"

"Will did the best he could, Penny."

"Oh, it's not Will. It's Mom and Dad. They treat me like I'm seven years old!"

"I suppose it's hard on parents when their children grow-up."

"But they don't do that to Will! He can go on adventures with Dad and Don, and he gets to carry a gun. All I get to do is set the table and help Mom."

"If it's any consolation, Penny, they treat me the same way. I feel like I'm back in high school whenever I go out with Don."

Penny wiped a tear that escaped her eye. "Well, that's another thing… you and Don…"

"What have we done wrong?"

"Oh, nothing… It's just that you and he look so happy when you're together. At least you have a boyfriend!"

"Oh, Penny, it's not so wonderful for us either. We should have been…"

"Should have been what?"

"Nothing. Forget I said anything."

"No, tell me."

She sighed. "Remember I told you and Mom that Don and I were planning on eloping the day his car was blown up?"

Penny nodded.

"Well, we still wanted to get married before lift-off, but Dad, Mom and General Bowers talked us out of it. They said the mission had to be our only focus."

"But, Judy, you can change that…"

"It's just… it's just gotten too complicated."

After Penny had finally fallen asleep, Judy lay in her bed, thinking about the entire situation and her heart went out to Penny. She was determined to do what she could to make things easier for her.

She snuck out of their room and knocked on Don's door frame.

He was up and at the door in seconds. "Judy? What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I just couldn't sleep."

He let her in the room and slid the door shut. They sat on his bed and his most mischievous smile slid up his cheeks. "So… Did you come to feel me up?" he whispered.

"Don, be serious."

"I am being serious. Do you realize that we haven't been alone since before Will turned green?"

"I came to talk about Penny."

"What about her?"

"She's at that awkward age, you know? …Not a child, but not an adult."

"Yeah, we all go through that."

"But not alone in space with no one but your family around you."

"She was upset with the gifts? …Too babyish?"

"That and… the way Mom and Dad treat her differently than Will."

"Well, yeah, your parents are traditional and follow the double standard."

"That doesn't make it right!"

"I didn't say it did! I think you and Penny should be just as prepared as Will to face whatever we might encounter out here."

"But you're overprotective too."

"Of you, Penny and Will and that's because I'm responsible to keep you all safe. You know… you and Penny can talk to your parents about that."

"She doesn't want to right now, but that's not all that's bothering her."

"What else?"

"We are."

"You mean… you and me?"

Judy nodded. "Yes. It hurts her every time she sees us together because it reminds her that she might never have the chance for love."

"Huh, that's true, but, there's nothing we can do to change that right now."

"I think there is. We can be less… attentive to each other when we're around her."

Don wasn't happy with that suggestion. "Wait a minute. That doesn't make sense. In order to spare Penny's feelings, you want to hurt us?"

"How can that hurt us?"

"Judy, if we're any 'less attentive,' we'll be acting like brother and sister."

"Maybe that's what we should do so Penny doesn't feel so badly."

"Then what happens when Penny finds out that she's the reason we're cooling it."

"She won't… unless you tell her."

"I wouldn't do that to her… But don't be surprised if 'boyfriend Don' checks out from lack of use!"

Dr. Smith thought he had the solution to the drought prone weather which seemed to be standard fare on this planet… a rainmaking device, however, when Dr. Smith set the device off its missile was headed straight for the Jupiter!

To be continued…

NEXT WEEK!

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