It reminded Don of a space town except these buildings had walls rather than a front entrance that lacked any of the walls. Those kinds of buildings were intriguing to him and often times, mystified him. The text on the buildings seemed to be hieroglyphics at best. Nothing like the ones that he had seen in the last five years from the other side of the universe where the Jupiter 2 remained. Something was watching them. Not someone, Don was certain, looking around hearing bushes move. Their bright, golden glow was illuminating their dark surroundings in a way that made them act as lanterns. The sounds of screaming drew their attention. Don and Judy ran out in the direction of the screams through the park until they came close and closer to the source.
Judy fell over a lump.
"Judy!" Don said, helping her up.
"I am fine," Judy said. "Just this-" she screamed coming to his side then hid her face against his chest.
"Oh my god," Don said, holding onto Judy.
The camera panned down to display a colonist who seemed to have twisted ripped in half with vital organs missing from the body. The chest seemed to have been torn open exposing the rib cage. Don seemed to be disturbed. The sound of a high pitch, girly scream came from the building. Don turned away from the gruesome sight aiming his flashlight at the barely lit building so Judy looked up. They ran toward the building hand in hand. The set of glass doors opened before the two. Don aimed the flashlight up ahead. There was another scream from across that belonged to someone else. Don and Judy's flashlights aimed at the source to see a blue man with a long claw sticking out his chest and blood was coming down from the corners of his mouth. His eyes were full of fear. He dropped his standard issue phaser to his side then was able to croak the word, "R. . . . Run."
Don and Judy fled down the hall as the unsettling sound of a soft, gentle chirp echoed came from behind. The sound of thudding came from behind Judy. She looked over her shoulder aiming the flash light in the direction of the creature but the ground trembled making her aim the flashlight at the wall. It was following them. Don ducked into a room then slammed a door in the way. They listened to the sound of what a creature rushing past them. Don looked over toward Judy. Judy's back was pressed to the wall. Don did mental calculations in his mind putting in variables regarding what to expect. This was a unexpected variable when it boiled down to it, the variable of Smith spelled certain life threatening trouble, and bodies being left around the place was more likely than anything. Instead of running away from danger, Smith had gone in and ran into it. Needless to say, Don was surprised.
It was like a new Smith had risen out of the ashes of the old then flown out with a new backbone and decided to leave behind a string of bodies behind as he walked. A contrary from the terrified, screaming, and cowering man hiding his way to safety until who ever was chasing him had grown tired. That kind of person was capable of talking their way out of a situation. Capable of leaving everyone else to die for their safety. That was the kind of person who stabbed people in the back in order to survive. That was the kind of person that stranded people did not like to be stranded alongside. That was the kind of person who wouldn't last long in space. And yet, the terrified, cowardly man managed to survive everything thrown at him. No matter how much things changed, it remained the same.
If Don were being honest with himself then he would say that it was hope that kept the group going and held together. It was their values of humanity that kept them from falling apart. He wasn't quite sure about Smith. The familiar girly scream came from where the creature had gone. Smith's scream sounded very close by. Judy squeezed his hand out of comfort. Don turned toward her getting a nod in return. They went down the hall slowly and precisely with their flashlights aimed at what was ahead. The sound of a body being dragged was evident to their ears. Don slammed himself against a door sending it flying open with a loud bang as it hit the wall.
"Smith!" Don called. "Smith!"
"Ssssssh," came a familiar, distant hush.
Don aimed the flashlight in the distance toward a series of lockers.
"Smith?" Judy said. "What are you up to now?"
"SSSSHHHh," came the hush, even more insistently.
"I have a bad feeling about this," Don said.
A large beast around six feet tall came forward that had a tyrannosaurus build coated in a thick, dark feathers, long legs that had sharp claws attached, and wings that were slightly spreading to reveal claws on each end. The light reflected off the fine, smooth feathers making it shine against the yellow pool. A unique bird chirp came from the creature. The creature lowered its wings down to its side. It raised its head up then tilted its head while staring in the direction of the two. It turned away from them toward the direction of a door. From behind it, the camera displayed Smith with his eyes closed and trembling against the wall in a tight and narrow space that made it difficult to move. The creature breathed against the thin, slightly wide windows. A familiar whimper came.
The creature's claws latched onto the metal making a screech as the claws were sliding down against the door leaving a trail of lighter shaded gray. A thin, long pen device fell out of the device illuminating a red laser light. Don stepped back and so did Judy. The creature turned around from Smith then slowly gazed down toward the floor. The creature pounced forward making the ground tremble reaching forward for the laser pen. Don aimed the laser pistol at the larger beast moving his fingers to the laser pistol. There was the sound of a bird chirping behind them. Don froze feeling his time was up. They were tossed aside by a set of claws landing to the floor. Don raised himself half way up acting as a shield to Judy. They watched a creature with a bloody, dripping arm walk in toward the other. His fingers wrapped around the trigger as the flashlight revealed there were three creatures lurking about the scenery.
Don can hear his heart pounding loudly in his EARS. He remembered then just what he was for. All the thoughts to run away evaporated. Will was going to wake up. Will was going to most likely wake up after this episode. Will was going to be asking what happened after the collapse. Will was going to be told the truth but a bit eschewed coming from Smith. And mainly, in part, coming from Don it would line up perfectly. Don raised his laser pistol up, tensely. He pressed the trigger making the creatures turn on him. From above him, there were laser pistols bolts firing back at the creatures. Judy stood up delivering multiple blasts and so did Judy giving a good aim. It was going to be worth it. There were loud chirps from around them. The beasts were walking back at the sheer brightness radiating from them forming a circle around them.
From Don's side, a creature lunged forward crashing down on him. Judy screamed, jumping back in horror. The beast clawed at him with its short, sharp claws. The creature's claws seared through the gray-red suit into the colorful flesh exposing blood between the dark, curly chest hair. Don picked up his laser pistol then shot into the beasts chest tipping it over from him. Judy fired at the oncoming creature. Don had a long, wide fresh cut on his chest that stung. Judy helped Don up to his feet. There was uncertainty that they would get out of the situation alive easily seen on their faces as they backed away. Their golden glow began to dim. Another creature came from Don's left. They closed their eyes expecting for the end. Only the sound of a door loudly being slammed startled everyone in the room.
A few seconds passed as nothing attacked the Jupiter 2 crew members.
A jarring, painful death did not come down on them.
Don opened one eye to see the creatures were paused with their heads turned toward each other.
Judy's eyes opened and her grip on his uniform went loose. The creatures softly chirped that sounded that they were communicating.
The locker door was slammed twice. They watched the beasts turn away from them and crept their way in the source of the noise.
"RED ALERT, RED ALERT, RED ALERT," Came a woman's voice. "Facilities will self-destruct in one minute."
Judy looked over to see a wide, large locker that was left ajar. She yanked it open as the creatures crept forward as the female voice counted down in the background. Don looked in the direction that Smith's voice had came from then back on to the creatures.
"We're not going to make it!" Don said. "I always knew it would be because of him-"
"Don," Judy said.
Don turned then looked at what she was pointing while firing at the strange creature. The pilot grew brighter at the locker.
"Now that's more like it," Don said.
Judy went in first into the large locker then Don crammed into the locker. Judy closed the door with her fingers slid in the window slits as they were set side to side then turned away from the door. A loud, roaring sound came from behind them. There were loud, alarmed bird sounds at first but they were cut off. Then everything was flying including the locker they were inside. From the distance, Maureen watched the explosion unfold. Buildings were exploding one by one before her eyes. Random pieces of furniture crashed down to the ground. The large locker crashed into the pavement leaving a long, embedded trail behind. Judy kicked the door open then flopped on out landing to the grass. Don hopped out of the locker then closed it behind him.
Don put his head on the edge of the locket with a hand placed on his stinging chest and his laser pistol was dropped beside his boots.
"It's not fair," Don said. He smacked his fist on the door muttering over and over, "It's not fair! It's not fair!"
Judy scanned the scenery of burning trees, burning furniture, burning meat, burning bodies, and scorched metal for lockers around the scene. The hungry flames made it seem that sunset was dawning all around them rather than from the distance where the sun would be making it easier for Judy to see what was around her. There were bodies strewn about the place that seemed half eaten. She covered her mouth at the horror story that seemed to be told before her eyes. She turned away from the scene back in the direction of Don then placed a hand on his shoulder. As Don sighed, the bright and golden golden glow ceased to outline them. Their bright, sparkly gray outfits with orange shoulder pads became darker to the human eye making them blend in to their surroundings. Judy squeezed his shoulder out of comfort. Don looked back at her, sadly, half in shame and disappointment in himself. It was natural coming into a hug between them to comfort each other from what had happened. The hug was more of a comfort to Judy than it was to Don.
Lockers crashed behind the two tipping over and skidding and turning and screeching toppling over the other coming to a rough landing. Judy turned around from Don. They wore baffled looks then back in the direction where the explosion had intensified sending even more furniture flying. Slowly, the glow started to return from the boots up with the bright and flawless gray. Don picked up his laser pistol then went after the lockers. Judy followed after him. Don went the first three doors then closed them with a loud, defiant slam. A very narrow locker crashed into the grass across from him. Don became certain that it was Smith in there. Smith was also the kind of man who was least expected in any circumstance. He ran toward the locker then came to the side. Don aimed the laser pistol toward the door anticipating the look on Smith's face when he opened it. He looked over toward Judy then shared a nod with her. He flipped open the door to face a scream coming from a familiar, colorless face then closed it immediately before looking in and the hair all over his body went up. Don's face turned to white slowly turning toward Judy and back on to the locker. He placed the laser pistol down to the grass then forced the door open to reveal the dark interior of the locker. Don reached in to the locker then yanked out a squirming man by the neck and dropped him to the ground.
"I am sorry!" Smith apologized, his back against the locker. "I am sorry! I am sorry!"
"Oh," Don said. "so you did cause all this!"
"You're over reaching, Major!" Smith bolted up to his feet.
"Then what are you apologizing for?" Don asked.
"I let go of William's hand while running to safety," Smith said.
There was dead silence between them.
"It is my fault that he was buried under the diamonds and rock," Smith went on. "It is my fault that he lost consciousness and never woke up. It is my fault that Penny had to see her brother bleeding. It is my fault that I didn't pick him up into my arms then make our way to safety! William would be walking around alive and well if I had done it differently!" Smith sat down on to the edge of the locker with his hands in his lap and lowered his head down toward his lap. He combed his hands through his dark gray hair. "The only thing I have caused is emotional pain to the Robinsons."
"Will is in a coma," Judy said.
Smith closed his eyes, painfully, as though that status condition were more awful than death.
"The Robot flubbed and might have told him that you weren't dead," Don said.
"Might is a strong word," Smith said. "The two of you. . . " he slowly spoke between his words while processing what they had told him in disbelief. "mean to say that the Robot told a boy, on the brink of life or death, the truth rather than a lie?"
"He did," Judy said.
Smith grew a unhappy look.
"Why that ninny," Smith said.
