LIS Series End Challenge

Forces of Nature

Part 7

The written request was in his hand, and Tom faced his underling, wondering if he was making the right decision. "The last time you led the Robinson family on an excursion, both young women came back the worse for wear," he told Lieutenant Conway.

"Yes, sir, but this is a personal request from Penny Robinson herself," Jim replied.

That much was true. He guessed the forces of nature were to blame. "All right, permission granted, but on the condition that Will Robinson attend the outing with you."

'A chaperone,' Jim thought, and his face reflected his disappointment. "Thank you, sir," Jim replied.

The coffee was hot, but Maureen realized that she had made too much. Will and Penny had already departed on an excursion off the base with the young Lieutenant. She hoped that Judy and Don might join them for breakfast, but John brought her back to reality.

"Maureen, they just got married. Would either one of us have wanted to have breakfast with family on the morning after our wedding night?" John asked her.

"Oh, I suppose you're right," Maureen replied.

"Beside, we have quite a decision to make," John told her.

Maureen nodded. "What are you thinking?"

"This was our goal, Maureen, and we've reached it."

"But the planet isn't exactly the paradise we were hoping it would be. It's hostile, John. Even the military won't stray far from the base."

"I'm sure Earth was no different."

"But, do we have a right to try to… to tame this planet? Look what humanity did to Earth? Won't we be doing the same thing here?"

"That is the reason we're here… with a chance to do it right this time."

"I'm not so sure that's possible. John, we're not going to have government support. We'll be on our own."

"Just as we've been for the last six years, darling."

Maureen squeezed her coffee mug. She had been strong for six years, but she wasn't sure she could maintain that strength into her elderly years. "John, Judy will be leaving with Don. I want to keep the family together. I think we should all leave with them."

His arm was asleep. Don opened his eyes, and Judy lay on his shoulder cuddled up against his body. He needed to move, but was afraid to wake her. He was enthralled by her beauty. Her face looked, not angelic, but blissful, and he smiled, knowing that he had played a role in her happiness.

Judy stirred and opened her eyes. She slid her hand down his chest, and then she stretched, picked up her head and said, "Good morning, Major West."

"Good morning, Mrs. West," he replied. He put his hand behind her head and brought her lips to his. "I need my arm back," he told her, and then rolled her over and lay on top of her. He brushed the hair away from her face and asked, "Happy?"

"More than happy… blest to be with you…"

Wanting to make love to her again, Don touched his lips to hers, and then… there was a knock on the door. Don wrinkled his forehead. "If that's a Robinson…" he said. He stood and called, "Just a minute," as he slipped on his pants and opened the door. No one was there. A cloth-covered tray was at his feet. He brought it into the room and placed it on the bed. He snatched the cloth away, revealing a pot of coffee and assortment of muffins. He grabbed the card that was on top of the coffee cups and read, "Compliments of Colonel Bryce."

"Oh, that was so nice of Tom! I'm starving," Judy told him as she pulled the sheet under her arms and grabbed a muffin.

Don poured the coffee and said, "Yeah, it was nice of him – but his timing could have been a little bit better."

Judy smiled and said, "Major West, we have our whole life ahead of us to make love."

"Yeah, if your parents aren't in the next room. Those plastic doors on the Jupiter are pretty thin, you know."

Judy's face clouded. "When we landed here, I would have given anything to go back home, but now…" She looked at Don and said, "I can't believe we have to go back. That's another five years, Don. Another five years that we can't have children."

Don stared into her eyes. "I know, Judy. I want a family as much as you do."

"You could resign from the military. Let someone else take the Jupiter back."

Don shook his head. "I don't want to take it back at all. I mean… to put it in a museum? That's ludicrous, but maybe your family wants to go back too?"

"Will and Penny don't."

"It might not be up to them, Judy."

"But to come all the way out here and then just turn around and go back? It makes no sense, Don."

He placed his hand over hers. "Nothing about this mission makes sense anymore."

Lieutenant Conway took Will and Penny down a different path from their previous venture. The mountains were majestic and Jim decided to show them more of the natural fauna. "Where are the vines or snakes or whatever you call them?" Will asked.

"They like to live near water, so they're not around here," Jim told them. He pointed to a bush not far away from them. "Look in there," he told them. A furry creature, about the size of a chimpanzee, sat in a nest with two smaller ones at its breast.

Penny peered into the bush and whispered, "They're adorable."

"Don't get close, Penny," Jim told her. "The mother will tear you apart with its claws."

"She reminds me of Debbie," Penny told him.

"Debbie who?"

"Debbie was my pet bloop."

"What the heck is a bloop?"

"An animal we found on the first planet we landed on. She died a few years ago."

One of the smaller bloop-like creatures wiggled out of its mother's grasp and stepped out of the bush. Within seconds, a second creature that resembled a bearded dragon with wings as wide as a biplane swooped down to grab the little one, but Penny ran to the small creature and picked it up, slapping at the dragon to shoo it away. The dragon, incensed, turned for another pass, this time aiming at Penny's head, but Jim pulled his weapon and shot the dragon. It fell to the ground.

"Put the thing down!" Jim shouted to her.

Penny tried, but the little creature had its claws buried in her clothing. Penny tried to pull it away from her, but it wouldn't let go of its grasp. The mother stepped out of the bush and bared its claws at Penny, and Jim aimed for the mother. "No! Don't!" Penny told him as she held a hand up to stop him. She stroked the baby animal and said in a soft voice, "It's okay. Nothing is going to hurt you. Your mother is here." She gently pulled the claws out of her shirt one by one and placed the small animal on the ground. It ran to its mother, who stared at Penny, as if in gratitude, and then took her babies back into the bush.

Jim was incredulous. He glanced at Will, who told him, "Penny has a way with animals."

"I'll say," Jim commented. "She could tame the fire out of a boar. You two really were destined to be space pioneers, weren't you?"

Penny and Will looked at each other and nodded. "That's what we've spent most of our lives doing."

"And how I want to spend the rest of my life," Will added.

To be continued...