A New Beginning:
Outside of Smith's cabin, Judy waited for Don to emerge. When he exited, she pulled him into her embrace and gently kissed him on the lips.
"Good morning," said Don, somewhat uncomfortable with the open display of affection in front of her parents. "What was that for?"
"I heard most of what you said to Doctor Smith. I'm very proud of you, Don. I know that wasn't easy for you."
"No, it wasn't. What you said last night, it got me thinking. I do owe Smith my life, and even though I can't guarantee that he won't get under my skin on occasion, for your sake I should try to be decent to him."
"Donald West, I love you," said Judy, pulling him in for a long deep kiss.
"Judy…your parents…"
"I don't care," she said, opening the distance between them a tad. "I'm tired of hiding how I feel about you, Don. I've decided I'm not doing it anymore."
"In that case, we should have a talk with them."
...
Across the deck, John and Maureen had witnessed the exchange between the Major and their oldest daughter. As they approached the table, John turned to his wife saying, "Here it comes."
John Robinson found his feelings very much in conflict as Donald West had become a trusted confidant and close friend. In the three year odyssey they had endured together, the two men had saved each other's lives, several times over. He would trust him with his life, or the life of his family without reservation or question. Professor Robinson knew that he could not ask for a better life mate to care for his first born daughter.
As a father, he saw a man who was going to take his little girl away, and somehow that fact seemed to mitigate all of the good qualities that Don possessed. It was the bane of any man who had been blessed with daughters.
"John, Maureen? Judy and I have something we would like to discuss with you."
Before Robinson could answer, the door opened to Smith's cabin and the good Doctor made a beeline towards the group.
Saved, by Doctor Smith, thought Robinson, privately amused by the irony.
"I have a feeling that I know where this is going. Why don't we sit down after breakfast?" asked John.
Don and Judy exchanged an unreadable look, but offered no resistance.
"Sure, John," said West.
"Oh, Don, while Maureen and I are talking to Doctor Smith, would you grab the damage report? I'd like to go over it with you while we eat."
"All right."
"I'll walk up with you, Don," Judy added.
As Don and Judy walked to the elevator, Smith sat down across from the Robinsons.
"Coffee, Doctor Smith?" asked Maureen.
"Yes, please, dear lady."
"Well, Doctor Smith," began the Professor. "It seems, despite your propensity for causing trouble, my family and I can't find it in our hearts to turn you out. I think Megazor once called it, a human defect."
Smith's façade brightened, "You mean…you're not going to send me away?"
"No, Doctor Smith," Maureen said, her voice filled with sincerity. "We're not."
"But," the Professor added, "That doesn't mean that things are going to stay the way they were. There are going to be some changes around here, beginning with your status."
"I'm afraid I don't follow you, Professor Robinson."
"In my mission logs, I had you listed as a stowaway. And, for the most part, that is the way Major West and I have treated you. As of today, that is going to change. Now, how you came to be trapped on board is still somewhat of a mystery, and the explanation you gave Don and I, about the oxygen/nitrogen valve adjustment, doesn't add up. Nevertheless, our encounter with the time merchant proved that your presence onboard saved all our lives."
Smith smiled wanly, "It would seem, Professor, any contribution I have given to this mission has been by accident."
"Now, Doctor Smith, don't be so hard on yourself," said Maureen. "As difficult as it has been, you have become part of our family, just like Don and the Robot."
Smith seemed to be genuinely moved, "Do you really mean that? Oh, dear, I think I'm going to cry."
"You might want to wait until you hear the rest," said John. "As a full-fledged member of this crew, you are going to have responsibilities. The Jupiter 2 sustained very heavy damage in the crash landing. To get her space worthy is going to take the combined effort of her entire crew. I don't have to tell you what that means."
"Yes, manual labor," said Smith. "My delicate back will never be the same, but, manual labor is much more preferable than the alternative."
"Not everything that needs to be done is back breaking work," said John. "Maureen and the girls could use your help in the garden, as well as the galley. And you have a unique talent that we seemed to have overlooked. You are a trained physician, are you not?"
Smith recalled his shady past and his grades in medical school that had been less than stellar. But, despite his mediocre classroom performance, his skills in the surgical suite had been praised by his peers. Had he not chosen to pursue psychiatry, he had been told that he would have made an excellent surgeon.
"I am Professor Robinson, although, my specialty was space psychiatry. My medical skills are somewhat rusty."
"In that case, I would suggest that you spend some of your free time in medical study. Maureen is trained as a paramedic, but we both would be more comfortable letting a trained surgeon handle any real medical emergencies."
"I understand," said Smith. "Professor Robinson, Mrs. Robinson, I do appreciate the second chance you have given me, but the cold truth is, I am a greedy and selfish individual. In a few weeks, the memory of Will being injured will fade away. I can see myself going back to the miserable wretch of a person that I truly am."
This time Maureen spoke, "Oh, Doctor Smith, our faith teaches us that we are all imperfect and not one of us is worthy of standing before God."
"And I am the least worthy of all…"
"Now, wait a second, Doctor Smith," interjected the Professor. "For a man to admit his flaws to others takes a lot of courage. To want to institute a change for the better, takes even more. But a journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. I think you took the first step today."
"Professor Robinson, you and your lovely wife have much more faith in me than I deserve, and for your sakes, I will try to mend my ways."
The cabin doors began to open, and Will and Penny joined the group at the table.
"There you are, my dears," said Maureen, to the two children. "Breakfast is ready. Penny, would you run up to the flight deck and get Don and Judy?"
"Sure Mom."
...
As they finished their breakfast, Major West reviewed the damage report with the Professor.
"The portside thruster controls are damaged, John. We are going to have to tear each one of them down and rebuild them. That's six week's worth of work alone."
John shook his head, "So we are stuck here for at least eight months. How's the fuel status?"
"That is the good news. We still have sixty percent of our reserves. If I had to guess, I'd say we are coming into late spring on this planet, which should minimize the drain on the systems, that is, until the warm weather comes."
"Well, it could be worse. At least we have water and food close by…"
"There is one other item, John. The ATD Field Generator was severely damaged. I don't need to remind you about the last time it failed, do I?"
"I remember it well, Major West. We ended up on Earth in the year 1947."
The ATD, or Anti-Time Dilation Field Generator, allowed the Jupiter 2 to travel at relativistic speeds, without suffering the effects of time dilation. Without it, time passage aboard the ship would slow to a stop, as the ship approached the speed of light, effectively causing the ship to travel forward in time. Exceeding the speed of light would have the opposite effect.
"How long will it take to repair, Don?" asked Maureen.
"Three months, that is assuming we can repair the damaged components. If we have to fabricate new parts, it could take over a year."
A hush fell over the group as they all came to grips with the idea that they weren't going anywhere for a while. It was Penny, who broke the silence.
"I could get used to living here. It's the most beautiful planet that we have seen since leaving Earth."
"Sure, Penny is right," added Will. "This planet is very much like Alpha Centauri is supposed to be. Maybe we should just settle here."
John and Maureen looked at their children in surprise. "Do you understand what you're suggesting, Will?" asked John.
"Yeah, Dad, I think I do. It means that we will be alone, and on our own. But we've gotten along well on our own for the past three years."
"Will," interjected Maureen. "Other families are supposed to follow us to the Alpha Centauri system, and together we are supposed to build a new world. You and Penny would meet children your own age and eventually you would each find someone to start your own family with. If we stay here…"
"I know what you are saying, Mom, but how do we know that the Jupiter Program was even continued. With the loss of the first two ships, the program may have been canceled. We could make it to Alpha Centauri and find out that no one else is coming."
"As much as I hate to say it, Will may have a point," said Don.
"Are you suggesting that we abandon the idea of repairing the ship and set down roots here, Don?"
It was clear that the professor was not keen on the idea of staying and Don chose his next words carefully.
"Absolutely not, John, I'm all for repairing the ship and getting it space worthy again. Heaven knows, we've had our share of emergency lift-offs in the past. But I'm not opposed to staying here long enough to catch our breath."
Robinson looked to his eldest daughter, "Judy, do you have any thoughts on the subject?"
"I'm tired of putting our lives on hold, Dad," she said, as she reached for Don's hand. "I want to start living again. If Will is right, then staying here is no worse than settling on Alpha Prime."
"If Alpha Control kept to the schedule, John, there would be about twenty families settled on Alpha Prime by now," said Don. "Unfortunately, unless we get there ourselves, we have no way of knowing."
The Professor looked at Doctor Smith, who had been notably quiet.
"Doctor Smith, I'd like to hear your opinion, even though I'm sure I know what it is."
"Yes, of course. Even though I have pledged my cooperation, I still would very much like to return to Earth. But, if I may state the obvious, it would appear that we aren't going anywhere for quite some time."
Robinson turned to his wife, the woman who had been his anchor in the years of stormy seas. "Darling, what are your thoughts?"
"I think Doctor Smith is right, we are putting the cart before the horse. We are looking at a year or two of repair work before we can go anywhere. Where we go, is not a decision that has to be made today."
"You're right, as usual," he said. "We'll table the discussion on our destination for a later time. Right now, we have a lot of work to do, so let's get to it."