Penny was cutting barks from trees one by one stripping it off. Debbie was munching on the collection of leaves that she had gathered. Debbie raised their head up appearing to be alarmed. The Robot's arms de-extend as he turned both ways. The ground lightly trembled beneath his treads. The trembling occurred every five minutes. Now it was occurring every three minutes. Penny laughed watching the monkey fool around with the dead leaves and toss the pieces into the air. Debbie's long, dark furry arms went up and down as the young woman laughed.
"You're making a leaf angel, Debbie," Penny said.
"Bloop, bloop, bloop," Debbie said, then looked up again.
"Is something the matter?" Penny asked.
"Bloop," Debbie said, continuing on what she was doing.
"Robot," Penny said.
"There may be a massive earthquake preparing to happen at any moment," The Robot said. "I am not the earthquake detector so I cannot be sure how soon it is."
"Or it might happen later," Penny said.
"The chances of it happening now are sixty five over nine thousand," The Robot said, earning a relaxed demeanor.
"The later the better," Penny said, then resumed the tree bark chopping.
Piece by piece fell to the halfway full bucket. Debbie came over placing most of the deaf leaves into the bucket then shoved them in and returned to the pile of leaves that she had been playing around in moments earlier. Penny was touched, growing a brighter smile. She turned her attention back onto the tree bark then worked her way up even further. Just a few more scraps and she was done. Penny was doing very well tackling Debbie as her responsibility for the last few years. Debbie moved the bucket on to the boulder abruptly on Penny then walked over toward her and tugged her toward the boulder. The small trembling had gone very close to each other and the ground was still.
"Debbie, I am not done yet," Penny said.
"Bloop, bloop, bloop!" Debbie was panicking hopping around the teenager.
"What is it, Debbie?" Penny asked.
"BLOOP!" Debbie repeated, frantically.
There was a loud rumble.
"DANGER, PENNY ROBINSON," The Robot announced, waving his arms in the air, as the ground loudly trembled beneath her feet. "DANGER!"
"Debbie!" Penny grabbed on to the dark monkey.
Penny jumped onto the nearest boulder with Debbie in her arms and waited for the trembling to stop. She was trembling all over clinging onto the monkey, tightly, as it loudly blooped. Debbie buried their head under the teenager's chin while clinging on to her shirt. She braced herself closing her eyes waiting for it all to end. The loud trembling stopped. She opened her eyes to see a large, wide cliff was made a good distance ahead that hadn't been there before. The Robot's arms slunk into his shell then sped ahead of her. Penny got off the boulder carrying Debbie along following the metal machine. His two lights which were red and blue were frantically glowing. The same thought was racing through their minds. Were Doctor Smith and Will okay? The two came to the mouth of the cave.
"Will!" Penny called. "Will!"
"Bloop, bloop, bloop," Debbie said, their voice echoing back.
"You may want to stay behind," The Robot said, turning toward the young woman.
"No," Penny said. "Will needs me."
"I am only warning you, Penny Robinson," The Robot said, then turned toward the cave.
"Bloop, blooop, bloop," Debbie's voice softly yet gently echoed through the corridor.
The sound of a distant groan was the first sign that something was very, very wrong.
The Robot whirred to a stop then bent over and picked up Will's heavy bag.
"Their rock bags," the Robot said then Penny ran on ahead of him. "No, wait, don't-"
"WILL!" The sound of her grunt followed suit.
"Penny Robinson!" The Robot called, dropping the bag.
The Robot wheeled after the young woman coming to her side. The cuff of the yellow sleeve easily told Penny that it was Will. More groans escaped from the blocked tunnel. It was Will's groaning. Will's golden glowing hand was peeking out from under the rubble. She touched something wet and sticky during digging. She came to a stop once reaching the young boy with pieces of diamonds and other sorts of gems piercing through his skull. Penny fought back a scream, her eyes full of horror, and her eyes slowly looked down toward her bloody hands. She looked up.
"Penny. . ." Will groaned.
"Will," Penny said, tearfully.
"Are . . . you . . . okay?" Will asked.
"You don't look good yourself," she placed a hand on his back that was covered in diamonds stuck in. "I am okay and so is Debbie." His eyes closed and he lost consciousness. "Will?" Penny asked, placing her hand on to his shoulder. "Will, please, talk to me," she shook his shoulder. "Will!"
"We need to bring him back to the Jupiter 2 for repairs," The Robot announced.
"I will help you get him out," Penny said, restraining her tears.
"You do not need to help," The Robot said.
"He is my brother!" Penny said, her voice dripping emotionally. She was on the verge of tears, "I have to do something."
"If that will make you feel better then I can take all the help I need," The Robot placed a red claw on her shoulder.
Penny wiped a tear off smearing some of the blood on her cheek.
"Yes. . . yes. . . it would," Penny said.
Penny and the Robot dug into the cave until there was enough room to take Will out. Penny gently tugged the teenager out of the tunnel dropping him to the floor. Penny's pink, green outfit was stained in red. Her hands were covered in blood that reached up to her elbows. She lifted Will's unconscious figure into the Robot's extended arms. The Robot's claws rested against the young man's figure. Penny stepped back with a sniffle shaking her head. She looked over toward the other side of the cave appearing to be very sad. She wore a sad expression on her face as though she knew. At least she believed it as much. That Doctor Smith was dead. There was no groaning coming from the other side.
"Go," The Robot said. "Penny Robinson. I will be right behind you."
Penny ran off as her face began to twist and tears came down her cheeks
Debbie picked up the bucket then blooped after Penny. The Robot wheeled after the young woman leaving the depressing cave behind. The Robot was going fast as he could while Will's blood was sinking into his arms, down his treads, and on his chest plating. His sensors detected that there was a chance that Will could survive the injuries. A strong chance of survival if the Robot made it to the Jupiter 2 on time. Time and hope was all Will had of making it out alive. Maureen had some experience in tending wounds when it came to Smith being absent or needing help to treat a member of the family for drastic injuries. The Robot computed the many scenarios that could have happened. He could have alerted the three earlier that there was chances of a earthquake getting steadily higher by the passing hour. His friend might as well been dying in his arms. If he had gone in and warned them then they would have avoided this tragedy.
The Robot came to a halt in front of the Jupiter 2. Don and John were standing at the doorway of the Jupiter in a discussion when Maureen had a horrifying, heartbroken scream. The men's heads turned toward the front yard to see the Robot holding Will's bloody body covered in dirt and diamonds. Judy was holding onto Penny as they were frozen in place alongside hydroponics. John wore a devastated expression as he observed his son's broken body. Don looked up toward the Robot, his skin going pale, and his face fell. Debbie was sitting on the chair in front of the table rocking themselves back and forth.
"Robot!" Don said. "What happened?"
"The cave collapsed on Will Robinson and Doctor Smith," The Robot said, handing the teenager into John's arms.
"Dad. . ." Will said, weakly.
"I'm here," John said. "Sssh, don't talk."
"You're going to be just fine," Don said, as Maureen was shaking her head almost in denial backing into the Jupiter 2's doors.
"Is . . . is. . . Doctor Smith okay?" Will asked.
"I don't know," John said, shaking his head. "I don't know, son."
"I do not detect Doctor Smith's heat signature from the other side," The Robot said.
"He . . . is . . he is. . he is gone. . ." Will said, heartbroken.
"You're alive," John said. "That's what matters right now."
Don looked up sending a angry glare toward the Robot.
"He has a right to know," the Robot said.
The glow from Will's hands slowly receded and his bright pink skin began to get darker. His weak, hazel eyes turned dark slowly closing. The two men didn't notice the loss of color only that his head now laid against John's chest. John up toward Don with heavy, grave eyes that were bound down by weights. John looked down toward Will who seemed peaceful. John slowly walked out of the cave, quickly. The golden glow around the Robinsons was gone just leaving the bright colors from their outfits and youth standing out. The camera moved back to reveal the Robot's light gray glow had vanished as well.
"Judy!" Don said, coming to the door. "Your mother needs you."
"Hold on to my sister," Judy said, as he came over toward them.
Judy slipped Penny into Don's arms then quickly walked into the cave.
"I am so sorry, Penny Robinson," The Robot said, synthesizing the sound of weeping as he bent over with his claws on to his glass head. "I am sorry."
Then the camera focused on the dark gray boulder from across.
Don dropped Smith to the ground at the exit of the cave. Smith scrambled up to his feet making his way toward the Chariot then jumped into the seat at the back. Smith noticed that the color around him was a dark gray. The familiar blue sky was a shade of gray. He looked over toward the distance to notice the ground wasn't light brown but instead dark gray and the sky was white. There were specks of dark gray in the sky that resembled clouds. There was a bright, circular white shape in the sky. Smith leaned into the chair then looked out the window watching the golden, glowing figures coming toward the Chariot. In many ways they still had their wings while he didn't.
Smith's dark blue eyes looked down toward the ground. What he noticed was the little pebbles brightening beneath their boots. The sky remained the same color as it had been when he exited the cave. The Robot was the first one aboard the Chariot easily floating up using anti-gravitational thrusters installed into the back part of his treads. The anti gravitational thrusters deactivated once landing on to the floor. Upon even noticing further between the counterpart and the Robot, it was clear that the Robot had a more humanoid build. Smith had been responsible for the Robot's programming while the construction was by some of his colleagues in the Robotology department. During the construction of the Robot, Smith played with various ways he could do sabotage so he became very familiar to rebuilding the Robot not just the programming paying his visits under the ruse "I have to see the thing I am making programs for, after all". His memory had faded about the construction over the last few years so it was quite handy that was a manual to rely on. With a different set of lens acting as his eyes, the Robot seemed more human than robot.
The other Robot was more robot than the Robot could ever be based off his design. The Robots showed two eras that contrasted quite easily when put together side by side. One was dark and one was bright. One was built without alien technology and the other had been built with alien technology specs. The idea that the Robot was built using alien technology wasn't as absurd as one would have thought. It wasn't out of the realm of possibilities. The first time that Smith had rebuilt the Robot there was many discrepancies with the level of technology that Alpha Control had been allowed to use. It seemed beyond the level of technology being rolled out in the United States Space Corps. The Robot's aesthetic was more pleasing than his counterpart.
"Is there something the matter, Doctor Smith?" The Robot sounded concerned.
Smith raised his hand up slightly up then shook it.
"You are unusually silent," The Robot said. "normally, that means you have something on your mind. " Smith sighed, briefly closing his eyes. "And it isn't about reaching Alpha Centauri."
Smith lifted his head up and his dark eyes stared back at the Robot in a challenging manner.
"So certain you want to know?" Smith asked, raising his eyebrows. There was no reply from the Robot. No wisecracking comment, no roast, or his normally colorful comment came forth. Smith lowered his eyebrows. "It is none of your concern."
"I do not know what happened to you in the last two weeks but if you need someone to talk about it then I am offer my audios."
"Your offer is generous but it is not necessary," Smith said. "Where I had been . . ." he looked on toward the Robinsons making their way toward the Chariot. "No one should have to know where I have been."
Smith watched the rail turn bright orange once the Major's hand gripped on to it. The color went up to show the sparkling metal roof. Don hopped in to the Chariot then made his way over toward the drivers seat. Don plopped down into it then buckled himself in. The ground turned from a dark gray to the shapes of rocks becoming more apparent with their individual colors becoming more clear. Judy sat down into the chair beside him. Maureen closed the window doors behind her with a gentle touch.
"Thank the stars we don't have to drive over hills," Judy said.
"I am extremely happy to be the driver," Don said. "I am going to tell John that I am not going ahead with installing a trampoline anytime soon."
"Rather that we never use it as a form of transportation," Maureen said, tidying her hair with a laugh. "This went better than how I thought it was going to be. What we all thought it was going to go."
"Oh?" Smith asked, raising a silver brow. "What did you believe it was going to be?"
"Being nice to certain people to get you out," Judy said.
"And providing a means of distractions if that didn't work," Don said. "possibly die. We had several close calls."
"I can't believe they didn't allow for Robot to be aboard their spaceship," Judy added. "Would have made the entire mission easier had he come along."
"They had stolen the spaceship," Maureen said. "Didn't want to be chastised by the Robot regarding stealing."
The Robot's head bobbed up-a familiar sound that clicked in Don's mind and he came to a reeling realization.
"Stolen!" The Robot said.
"Shamefully," Maureen said, with a shake of her head.
Don looked over toward Smith with a strange expression on his face.
"I get a strange feeling that the Robot did not come along was for a good reason," Don said, earning a nod from Smith. "Just a feeling," he turned his attention toward Judy with a smile and started the Chariot. The Chariot warmly hummed. "Let's go home."
Maureen looked over toward Smith with a raised eyebrow then back on toward the road.
Penny was not a little girl with pigtails anymore.
She had grown into a young woman with short bobbed black hair.
She was a sixteen year old teenager dressed in a two piece outfit that was light gray and dark gray that complimented each other very well. Penny looked up from the plants as she heard a familiar, distant rumbling. She stopped what she was doing as a smile spread on to her face. Hope flickered in her eyes as the Chariot came closer and closer. She didn't notice that the scenery was turning from gray to light brown contrasting against the scenery of what seemed to be dead trees. What little of leaves were surrounding the tree slowly regained their orangish, yellow color. Space birds flew out of the Chariot's way making a loud ruckus. Penny stepped away from the hydroponics station coming over to the side. The Chariot came to a loud halt screeching against the somewhat large series of rocks underneath.
The doors to the Chariot flew open outwards and stopped on their own. Maureen was the first one to hop out with a beaming look on her face. That is when Penny knew everything was alright. Color returned to the teenager's face while her hair remained as dark as the light continued down her colorful outfit. Penny hugged her mother then stepped out of the hug looking over to see Judy come out. She felt like a eleven year old girl again who's family had been reunited from being separated by a natural disaster. Don was the next to come out of the Chariot then she hugged him too. The Robot floated out of the Chariot coming to a coordinated landing. Penny hugged the Robot as Smith exited the Chariot and the Robot's arms were curled around her torso.
The teenager stepped aside from the Robot coming face to face with Smith.
"You . . . You. . . you came back," Penny said, emotionally.
"I had to return much to your anguish," Smith said.
Penny shook her head, her expression changing to 'you're wrong'.
"You are dead to Will but not to me," Penny said
The next moment, Smith was crashed against the Chariot by the unexpected hug with a "Oof!"
There was warm, light hearted laughter from the three Robinsons and the Robot.
He seemed to be generally startled even surprised by her affection. Because initially Smith believed he wouldn't be hugged by them because of his part once returning to the Robinsons. It felt like it had been many years ago that he had hugged someone for that matter. Three months traveling from place to place that had been the victim of different events: natural disaster, warfare, chemical warfare, and in general any kind of disaster. What colleagues he had acquainted to were off limits to become friends or anything that meant getting close to him. The kind of emotional hurt he was in back then had been a wise time to follow through on it. And now, he wasn't entirely sure if that rule could still stand.
Penny stepped back as she ended the hug, radiantly, her hands sliding down his shoulders and slowly let go.
It had been a long time since Smith had been warmly greeted by people who didn't want to kill him. Too long.
Being a space doctor without borders came with being targeted by governments, people who had their lives ruined because he tended to the victims and sent them on their way, and people who had been sent to prison due to his testimony at the galactic tribunal of justice regarding his part. Their escape from mining was always a mystery to Smith. It had been too long since Smith had been around people who were considered friends or family. For the first time in a very long time, he was unable to form a reply. It was only his much surprised facade that masked his almost brought to tears aesthetic. Smith saw Maureen walk past Don and Judy headed toward the doorway. Smith's dark blue eyes strayed toward the slightly younger members of the family as his face turned apologetic. He could easily hear Judy telling him, "Waking him up is the best way you can fix this."
Maureen went up the ramp. The doors to the Jupiter were wide open to reveal it was light gray and dark gray. Compared to the dark colors contrasting against her, Maureen out shined against the theme similar to a angel lacking a crown. In many ways, the Jupiter 2 was a relic to him. Only this relic had a light that wasn't flickering. She was radiating wholesomeness, hope, and pure optimism. Smith slowly walked away from Penny coming up the ramp where he came to a stop beside her. His hands were trembling as they were clasped together in his lap. A familiar characteristic of the doctor. He wasn't visibly trembling to the other members of the Robinsons who watched the two enter the Jupiter. The Jupiter seemed like a lost, colorless home that had lost all its life a long time ago. The familiar colors of the astrogator were mundane. He placed a hand on to the glass wall around it. The familiar drum set utilities on the top. The familiar machinery was light gray and dark gray with a series of 't's around it on a light gray strip. The warmth radiating from it was gentle even soft to a point. They hardly used the astrogator planet-side. And the coordinates seemed to be aimed toward the elevator.
Smith walked away from the astrogator coming over on to the elevator. Maureen closed the railing in front of them then pressed the button on the long bar. The elevator slowly went down. It was strange being on a old fashioned elevator like the Jupiter 2's. Smith felt more as a newcomer, a stranger, coming down the Jupiter. His eyes wondered briefly around the scenery. The elevator came to a halt. The familiar residential deck laid ahead of him. Instinctively, he opened the gate sliding the railing to the side then gestured Maureen on. Maureen was the first one out with a fond smile before the doctor. The turbo lifts workings were on the back of his mind. It was ready to be used at any time he needed it, but this method of going up and down was very simple enough that it wasn't forgotten. Maureen's radiance was soft and gentle compared to how it was back in the other universe. Not squinting when the light blinded him numerous times. It was almost as though his eyes had readjusted to the light.
"Let me go in first," Maureen said, placing a hand on his shoulder for a moment then took it off.
Smith nodded.
"Long as you need, madame," Smith said.
Maureen opened the door to the cabin then walked in and closed it behind her.
"Long as I need. . . " Smith shook his head then looked up toward the cieling. "That can't be determined." he lowered his gaze down to his trembling hands.
In the blink of a eye, his hands were covered by a thin layer of dark yellow film that had creases and folds. His gaze swifted up from his gloved hands toward a operation. There was a couple of nurses besides a short man standing on a stool. There was a loud rumble that shook the building. The medical personnel in yellow gear acted were going about what they were doing except for one newcomer. Smith pressed himself against the support beam struggling to keep himself standing. He hurled forward and a jet of liquid full of sausage, bread, and pieces of tomato. Smith wiped off what was left behind of his breakfast on the corner of his lips.
"Are you Doctor Smith?" the blue man asked, looking up from the operation table.
Smith drew the yellow gloves closer to his fingers.
"I am him," Smith said.
"Get in here," the blue man said. "This patient just suffered six vuillet wounds to to the chest," Smith came along side the body. "Got two of them out."
"This is a very complex physiology," Smith commented, in awe looking at the layered holographic representation of the patient.
"And you can't operate on Galzantine people?" the blue man's yellow eyes stared back at Smith.
"I can," Smith lied, taking a tool from a nurse's plate. "Have you looked in the kidneys?"
"There's no vuillet wounds to the kidneys," the blue man said.
"This is a massive patient," Smith said. "Has it not occurred to you that a small vuillet might be able to float through the blood stream at its size?"
"Travel the blood stream. . . " The blue man repeated. "That's impossible."
Smith glanced over toward the bowl. He saw one of the vuillets were the shape of a bullet that had a unique composition while the other vuillet wasn't so lucky to retain its original shape. It didn't have the same color as a Earthling made bullet, either. The second one had been smashed beyond recognition. He regained his composure as the ground tremble beneath his feet and he gripped onto the table. Smith can hear his name being called by the blue man repeatedly. Each time it grew louder. The sound of the falling rock was prevailing against the now. He looked over toward the blue man.
"Doctor Caj'ehi'euo," Smith said. "Are we looking at the same vuillets?"
The blue changed shades growing and darker until the door was slid open to reveal the colorful current head of the Robinson clan who stepped out of the threshold then partially closed it behind her. A wave of dread and utter depression swept out of the cabin as Maureen slid her way out of the threshold closing the door to her side. The familiar emotional wave wasn't alarming to Smith but familiar feelings that he was well acquainted to.
"He is ready for you," Maureen said.
Smith nodded.
"I will try," Smith said.
Smith took in a deep breath then walked in passing by Maureen opening the door on his way in and closed it behind him. He exhaled once closing the door dark door behind him. When he looked on ahead, Smith was struck with a imagery that he hadn't wanted to see or ever see for that matter. There was a monochrome scene featuring John sitting by Will's bedside. Smith's back was to the door standing there more as a viewer and a bystander who wasn't part of the scene. His heart sank. Will seemed like a little boy instead of a teenager with many scars decorating his face. His dark blue eyes gazed over toward John. John didn't look like John and that took Smith back at first.
John appeared to have a two week old thick beard. His hair bangs had grown longer easily curving over his ear, his head had more hair than it had long ago and a part of Smith wondered to himself if that small bald spot on the back of his head was covered up. He found himself chastising that thought as it was a part of John that stood out like a sore thumb easily distinguishing him from people who looked like him. That bald spot had saved John from several dangerous situations. Smith grounded himself into the now. John was a shadow of himself, Will was in a coma, and the other Robinsons were counting on him to talk. Finding the right words to start off on were the kind of skills that kept Smith alive for over fifty years. Surely, he could find the right words to begin with right now. For once there wasn't any words that could come out of his mouth when it came to John. Smith respected the scientist.
John had his hands placed together under his chin and his elbows were on his knees watching the resting young boy.
The dark gray man's attention turned on to Smith.
John's miserable appearance was replaced by anger.
Smith found his voice.
"If it is any consolation, for the longest time I wished I had died instead of him," Smith said. He lowered his gaze then briefly closed his eyes and looked back up toward John. "I did die back there. . ." Smith had a difficult sigh making his way over to the adjoining wall. "And I never wanted to come back after the pain I put everyone in. That's what I normally do around here, isn't it? Make it miserable for everyone." Smith leaned against the wall with his hands clasped together. "After I acquainted myself to who I was now, I hitched a ride to a Earth like planet and turned myself in for all the space crimes that I did as your reluctant stowaway. My sentence . . . " Smith stopped himself, reflecting over it. "Doesn't really matter now," he had a sad chuckle looking toward John. "I was loaned to the space doctors without borders because they needed every available surgeon on hand."
To John's eyes, there was something different about Smith. He couldn't pinpoint it but he didn't seem . . . himself? For the lack of better term. The monotone color from John's side made Smith look like Smith without color but there was something off about him. Wiser, older, and almost as though he wore a new skin. Perhaps it was the look on his face that made John feel that way. A man who had gone mad being stranded in space from time to time in first three years, a incompetent man when it came to technological reliability, and a coward but a fine doctor. Smith seemed older. The lines on his face had increased including the once faint lines under his eyes and along his cheeks were even more obvious speaking his age.
"And I spent a great deal of my time seeing horrors on the other side of the cave," Smith continued. "Horrors that would make a average man grow sick. Horrors that I am glad that none of you were able to see. I saw families broken apart by disaster. I saw children who needed to be put back together. . . I saw Penny and William in them. In all of them, really," Smith gulped. "I wasn't there when the Robot returned with Will but I might as well have been seeing the faces of desperate, heartbroken parents. Having to tell them that their children were dead." Smith paused, looking down toward the floor. "Then there were times my colleagues and I were stranded planet side because our transport was attacked. . . We couldn't help everyone who had a disease. There were survivors and some who believed that we could have done something about the tragedy. I couldn't, none of us could, we were surgeons who only had tools for a operation. I wish we had those kind of doctors with us who dealt with the diseases. I really do, nurses would have been handy. The times I had to watch young people perish were the worst and I could only comfort them. I never felt so helpless. The times I saw Judy and Don in them. . . " Smith was unable to finish that trail of thought. "If I could trade all my suffering for his well being then I would have done it in a heartbeat, Professor."
Smith's eyes saw Will's fingers move on the side of the bed. John's eyes followed Smith's eyes in the silence very slowly. His finger gripped on to the blanket, tightly, his eyes squeezing and a frown grew on his face. Beads of very light gray liquid traveled down the boy's skin. John reached his hand out for the boy but the sound that came from Smith easily said it was a bad idea. John paused, as it occurred to him it would be like being attacked by his son during a nightmare and not knowing it was him. It was in Will's best interest not to be touched. The boy's face relaxed then grew tense and afraid. His right hand squeezed the blanket then his eyes came open as he bolted open, terrified.
John embraced his son into a hug without speaking a word.
"Dad?" Will looked over. "Why are you in my cabin?" He looked over toward Smith while being tightly held by John. "And who is the old man? Is he a space hiker?" The happy look on John's face slowly began to fade as he let go of his son. Smith's face had not changed from one moment to the next remaining grim faced as he had came in. Will turned toward John. "Well? Who is he? Dad?"
"He is . . . " John could tell that Smith had decided it was going to be a little longer before he came back. "Doctor Smith."
"I'm Will Robinson," Will said. "Glad to meet you."
"We met earlier," Smith said, was the sound of what was left of his heart breaking. "Now that my part is done. I will take my leave."
Smith turned away from Will then made his way toward the door.
"Smith," Smith stopped then turned toward John. There was heartbreak and pain in the doctor's eyes. "Thank you."
Smith nodded, then opened the door and slid out closing it behind him to see Maureen standing by the galley doorway with her arms folded. She saw the long, sad look on her face and expected the worse. Smith approached then shook his right hand and came to a stop in front of her. Her mind was set at ease but she was confused. Why did he look so grave if Will was awake? She wore a concerned expression looking on toward the doctor. Maureen watched him him take a sigh then visibly gather himself together.
"He has suppressed memories pertaining to me, madame," were a series of words that Maureen never thought would come from Smith. "Being forgotten is a fate worse than being dead. . ." he tightly clasped his hands. "Please, join your son."
Maureen nodded.
She strolled past Smith then opened the door where she went into the cabin. Smith painfully closed his eyes taking a emotional sigh then used the elevator to go up while keeping his still composure. Moments later, the other members of the group came down in the elevator. Penny opened the door once the elevator came to a stop then sped into Will's room. When the door opened to Will's room, a large wave of bright colors crashed through into it. The floor had changed from light gray to gold. The door was left open to reveal the Robinsons surrounding a confused, baffled Will. Will was in living color, appearing older as a teenager would and his scars were faint lines in his skin.
"You act as if I have been asleep for days," Will said. "Dad, why do you have a beard? Major West, why do you have a stubble? Mom? You're looking at me like a miracle happened-what happened?" Maureen and John exchanged a concerned glance that was washed over by a warm looks as Will's stomach loudly grumbled in the cabin. "I feel like I haven't eaten in weeks!"
Pearls of precious, happy laughter erupted from the group and Penny hugged the confused teenager.
The pearls of laughter turned into the alarming sounds of a spaceship's high pitch red alert.
"Don't fail us now, Jupiter!" West put on the head piece.
The air was tense in the dark spaceship.
"Come on, come on," he tapped on the flat, blue glowing screen on the console as several of the rockets on the end returned to life with jets of blue flying out. The spaceship disconnected from the larger spaceship then turned right side up soaring through space going past the exploration vessel. "I know, I know, I know you've got problems!"
West shouted at the screen indicating the various problems occurring inside.
The spaceship twirled missing several blasts from enemy fire.
"So do we!" West added, piloting the ship out of harms way. "Don't explode, don't explode, don't explode-"
"Judy!" Tomlinson called over the intercom. "How long does it take to put in a hypospray?"
"Sorry-" BLAST "Mom, dad and I are-" BLAST "Really busy right now-" blast! "With Smith's baby spiders!"
"I thought it was going to be easy!" John's voice came over. "Dimondium seems like it will have to be put into him the other way!"
"Shit," Don said. "Maybe we should have followed his death bed wish?"
"It's not a death bed wish when he was not on the brink of death," Will said.
The short, young boy got out of the chair.
"Will!" Tomlinson said.
"Mom, I know another way," Will said, turning toward her. "Trust me."
There was a long pause as she looked over toward him, concerned.
"I trust you," Tomlinson said. "John, Judy hold on! We have a third way!"
Tomlinson turned off the intercomn as she reached onto the arm rest of the chair. Penelope was seated in the chair with Debbie in Judith's seat. West uncovered the leveler from the console then pulled the switch as Will beckoned the Robot to come with him. The Robot wheeled after the boy going toward the doorway fast as they could. From ahead of the spaceship was a gigantic blue bubble that seemed to be sparkling. Bubbles were coming out of it in a strange way. There were spaceships chasing after the small, circular spaceship. The spaceship flew into the large, light blue bubble. The bubble popped behind them. The space came to a halt over the vastly populated planet that had lights all over. The moon seemed to have its share of lights from the dark side of it. A collective sigh of relief was heard on the bridge.
"This is mission control," came a familiar voice. "Jupiter 2, are you there?"
"This is Jupiter 1," West said, with a smile looking toward the Robinsons then back on toward the screen. "Everyone is alive and well, accounted, except for two space gorilla's." Don overheard celebratory cheers from over the comn.
"We thought you were destroyed by the sun," came the relieved reply.
"How long have we been gone?" West asked.
"Five minutes," Mission Control replied.
"The Robinsons will come down in the space pod," West said. "and I will have to stay aboard the ship to make sure our reluctant stowaway has become himself again."
"Who might that be?" Mission Control replied.
"Doctor Smith," West said.
"We will be waiting," Mission Control said. "Where will the Robinsons be landing?"
"I'll reply to you after I find that out," West said. "Jupiter 1 out."
The connection sizzled. West looked on to see the blue and brown planet laying there as a marble. Life was going to return to the planet. West was grinning from ear to ear feeling emotional. It had been several years since they had became lost in space, now they were older and more experienced. They were more like a family than they had been in the beginning. West's eyes looked toward the distant sun. It was going to be alright. He relaxed in the chair. Will came speeding into the bridge coming over toward his mother's side.
"We did it," Will said. "He'll be fine. We'll all be fine."
Tomlinson hugged the thirteen year old.
"We're finally home," Penelope said, leaning forward with emotional eyes. "we're home."
"Jupiter 1," Mission Control hailed. "Welcome home. Mission Control out."
"It's good to be back," West said, brightly smiling.
John and Judith came onto the bridge without the Robot.
"It is," John agreed, putting his hand on Tomlinson's shoulder with a smile looking off toward the planet.
The Robot was currently pinning down what was once Doctor Zachary Smith with his long arm pressing the being against the biobed and keeping it restrained for the cure to run through the veins.
The camera backed out to reveal the damaged spaceship. The aged Jupiter seemed like she had gone through hell keeping her crew alive. Her once smooth, flat texture and well light glass additions were shattered. Her circular additions to the top of her hull seemed to be halfway eaten away with pieces of metal flying out. The long poles connecting up to the central back end of her seemed to be in various phases of being heavily damaged. The front view windows below the view screen were off while the glass parts were cracked and in desperate need of repair. There was laser burns in front of her hull. She had taken a heavy beating just to bring them home. Her blue secondary color had been torn away revealing the exposed wiring, pipes, and various other parts of her stood out than before. All of her red paint was gone mostly ripped off from ferocious, vicious attacks.
It had been two days since Will had awakened. The mood around the Jupiter 2 had lightened up, yet the look of trying to remember something was seen on Will's face. Maureen was surprised that Smith hadn't come running toward them pleading to be taken in. So Don went to check on Smith. He came to a stop seeing a small camp site had been set up consisting of a tent with a medical stamp on the side. It was positioned right next to a large pond where under a tree rested Smith. He had a makeshift fishing rod in his hands that was connected to a long, transparent line dangling in the pond. When Don came closer to the pond he could see large fish swimming around the hook giving occasional bumps at the hook. There was a makeshift bucket that splashed occasionally beside Smith's side. The tent was a dark shade of gray but small enough to be put away. It seemed more a robotic version of a tent that didn't require someone to put it together by hand. Don looked toward Smith.
"Will wants to remember," Don said.
Smith looked up from the pond.
"I can't help him with that," Smith said
"Why not?" Don said.
"I just can't. Love to, but, that would require letting go of his hand-I can't reenact it," Smith said. "I cannot go through another tunnel without reliving it. Had I not been part of it, I would have happily made him relive the experience." He lowered the makeshift fishing stick to his side giving Don his full attention. "You should go with him."
"I can't let go of his hand," Don said, placing his hands on his hips. "I wouldn't be able to."
"He wants to remember and I want to forget," Smith said. "I envy him more than he envies me."
"He doesn't know you were there," Don said. "He doesn't know what happened nor does he have a slightest idea of why he doesn't know you."
"They haven't told him?" Smith asked.
"John is very unsure about it," Don said.
"About whether or not to tell him that a stowaway is responsible for what happened to him. . . " Smith paused, looking over toward the pond then shook his head. "I cannot blame him. Will doesn't need to be upset so soon after waking up." Don was looking down toward the doctor with a skeptical look.
"Did you really not eat for five days?" Don asked.
"It could have been worse," Smith said, fiddling with his fingers.
"And you didn't lobby the other Robinsons to go after your counterpart because you didn't want them to be in pain," Don said.
"He was becoming a Earthling-space spider hybrid," Smith said. "A monster. A necessary death. Would you want to live like that?"
"No," Don said.
"Would you have wanted to know the man you were speaking to was yourself?" Smith asked. "Would you?"
"They made the right choice giving fake names," Don said
"Let this be our little secret," Smith said, shaking his index finger. "And my advice is tell them about the reenactment."
"I would if you told me what happened in there," Don said.
"We talked," Smith said. "The ground violently trembled, we dropped our bags, I took his hand, and ran. The rest is history."
Don sat down next to the slightly dark colored man giving glares.
"I know this is going to be hard for you," Don said. "But Will really needs to know what he said."
"To relive it?" Smith asked. "I have relived it more than once. Why, I rather not say." He could spare a little white lie about what he said regarding his affection for the Robinsons. Twist his words into something similar to it that got to the effect of what Will replied. He was good at twisting his words. He looked over toward Don. "Did you happen to bring a notepad?"
The Chariot came to a stop in front of the cave. It had been five days since Will had awakened from the coma. Five days since Smith walked away from the Jupiter 2 crew dealing with his pain. The occasional comments from the Robot regarding subjects that no one was talking about made it seem that the Robot had been paying visits to Smith. The comments were normally exclamations followed by the Robot wheeling away like he had realized a perfect comeback or a argument. It was amusing and then it was just puzzling regarding the context. Having to hear the Robot say, "SPACE PIGS CAN'T LIVE ON MOONS!" when they were eating lunch was quite startling and zoom off.
Will had purposely suppressed his memory to protect himself from a reality that wasn't even real. The Robinsons were in better moods now that Will was awake and things had become brighter. The thick fog had lifted as though several beams of light had come in dissipating the heavy gray mood. Will played chess with Penny. Maureen watched Will contemplating a move. A move that he did all the time when he played against his older sister then took his black piece sliding it forward. Will stared at the entrance of the cave and the Robot was resting beside the young boy. The Robot placed a red claw on the young man's shoulder.
"Will Robinson," The Robot said.
Will looked up toward the Robot with a defiant look.
"Will it help me remember?" Will asked.
"I am sure it will," Maureen said.
"It is okay to be afraid," The Robot said, as Maureen opened the doors and took the flashlight out. "The chances of failure stand at five percent."
"That five percent is small as the distance between my fingers," Maureen said, holding her index finger and thumb together. "You will remember."
Maureen was the first one out of the Chariot then Will followed after unbuckling himself. The Robot levitated out of the Chariot landing to the ground. The group slowly walked their way into the cave further and further inside. They came to a stop at the almost fatal scene. Maureen reluctantly let go of her son's hand while closing the notepad with her wrist. Will stared at the blocked tunnel. Their flashlights making the diamonds glow brighter against the constant white light leaving behind a shine. They lowered their flashlights to the floor where one of the diamonds had aged blood on the side that had the shape of a palm.
"I would have remembered if it were that simple," Will said, then looked toward Maureen.
Maureen tilted her head, startled, looking down upon her son.
"It didn't happen that way," Maureen said.
"I think. . . I think. . ." Will said. "I think. . ." she placed a hand on his shoulder. He looked up toward Maureen with a unsure expression on his face. "I think I was the one who let go."
"You still don't remember," Maureen said, her face falling.
"I want to remember," Will said. "I really do."
The Robot tapped on her shoulder then whispered into her ear and she glanced over toward a gloomy Will.
"If it'll work," Maureen said.
"It will," The Robot said. "Wait outside the tunnel."
Maureen nodded then walked away leaving the two behind.
"You know what I love about being alive, Will Robinson?" The Robot asked, coming to his side.
"Getting to have your power pack on all the time," Will said. "No one ripping it off unexpectedly."
"Asides to that," The Robot said.
"What is that?" Will asked.
The Robot looked both ways then turned toward Will.
"Spending time with my family that I love deeply," The Robot patted on the young boy's shoulder with Smith's voice synthesized. "Don't tell the major I said that."
The Robot let go of Will's shoulder then quickly wheeled away.
The camera moved into Will's hazel eyes as the Robot was consumed into the pitch black as a flicker of images came through on the center of the pupil that ranged in color from monotone to technicolor playing simultaneously. The camera panned over to the campsite where a large rhino like humanoid was laid on their side. Smith's fingers were moving along the injury in a pair of thin, dark yellow gloves that looked orange contrasting against the generated flames from the center of the fire place. A large, slimey blue object slid out then Smith slid it back in with his hand feeling around for what was inside.
Smith looked over the body seeing figures in bright uniform that was sparkling against the scenery. He lowered his gaze down and slipped out a large, silver object with several gems inside it. He placed it into the container then took out a large pair of knitting devices keeping the organs inside with his feet and remaining hand. Smith used his free hand to knit up the wound in a bright blue light while his hands were trembling. The uneven rocky bowl had several similar objects around it. Smith shook the rhinos being's shoulder.
"Wake up, you stubborn artifact thief!" Smith demanded. "Right this instant!"
He looked over, frantic, then down.
"Please!" Smith whined. "Before your associates drag me into your mess!"
Smith looked up one last time as their light blinded him and he shielded his eyes belting out a girly scream.
The End.
A/N Thanks for giving this story a read!
Thank you for sticking around and reading this sad-miserable-to-happiness story.
I hope to get a few chapters of A Cruel Kind of Agony done. Maybe a few scenes at most regarding this space mall chapter and complete that damn chapter. I find myself enjoying writing sad-miserable-to-happiness stories as it's very satisfying writing that journey that was intense, humorous, fix it, fun, unique, and a host of other things it could be to you. I hope you enjoyed my take on the Prime Robinsons and Alt!Robinsons (even butchering Wests characterization then building him up from there as DON WEST similar but different from the movie).
If you have your own wishes for things that should have happened. . . PLEASE GO WRITE YOUR OWN CROSSOVER FANFICTION.
BE THE POSITIVE CHANGE AS THE MEME GOES AND HAVE FUN.
Just like I did. :)
Live long and prosper.
