Hostage Situation:
Repairing the communications system on the Jupiter 6 took Don less than twenty minutes. When he was sure that everything was working, he tuned in the frequency for the Jupiter 2 and hailed them.
"Jupiter 2, Jupiter 2, this is Jupiter 6. How do you read? Over."
"Don!" the Professor's voice came through the speaker. "I've been calling you for the past ten minutes. Are you all right?"
Professor Robinson sounded more than just a bit troubled.
"Yeah, John, we're fine. We never heard your call. What's wrong?"
"I want all of you to return to the Jupiter 2 immediately," said Robinson.
"John, I found a stockpile of components we need to repair the ship. It will only take me about an hour to load the chariot."
"Negative, Don. We can get the equipment later. I want you all to return right now. That is an order, Major."
"Understood, Jupiter 6 out."
"Don? What could be wrong?" Judy asked. "The last time Dad spoke to you in that tone of voice was years ago."
West remembered the incident on Priplanus when John had snapped at him out of anger. At the time, Don assumed he was being impulsive and stubborn, but after seeing what the blazing sun had done to the shelter, he had learned to give her father much more respect and consideration. John also learned a lesson in leadership that day, his hasty decision to leave without allowing Don to re-align the solar batteries had almost cost West his life.
"All the more reason to listen to him," said Don, coming out of his reverie.
Judy had an armful of belongings which came from their cabin.
"You better put that stuff in the chariot. I'll get Smith and Tyler."
As Judy strode outside, Don climbed down the ladder to the lower deck.
"Doctor Smith, Colonel Tyler, drop what you're doing and let's go. John just ordered us back to the ship."
"Did he say why, Major?" asked Tyler.
"No, and I didn't question his order. Now move it."
"Coming, Major," said Smith, seemingly eager to leave.
...
Lt Colonel Tyler knew that Robinson must have found a way to access the robot's programming tape, and the information contained on the cartridge would implicate him as a saboteur. Unbeknownst to Smith, he had been ordered to eliminate West and his wife by making it look like an accident, and the indigenous arachnids of Beta Hydri 4 seemed like an ideal way to accomplish his goal.
Now that he had been discovered, he could have simply killed them outright, but Tyler had a sadistic sense of revenge to satisfy. West had embarrassed him numerous times during training, and he had sworn that the Major would have his day of reckoning, by watching his beloved die before his very eyes. If Smith cooperated, then he would live, if not, he would share the fate of the Major and his intended.
Don, Judy, and Doctor Smith were waiting for Tyler at the chariot, when he came trotting down the ramp. Don climbed up into the waiting vehicle and had turned to help his fiancée, when Tyler pulled a semiautomatic pistol and grabbed Judy from behind. He held the gun to her head.
"Judy…" cried Don.
"Don't try it, West. Unless you'd like to see what's inside her pretty little head splattered on the glass," said Tyler.
"Please, you're hurting me," Judy pleaded, but Tyler only tightened his grip.
"Quit struggling, or I'll blow your head off right now," threatened Tyler.
"This is absurd, Colonel Tyler," said Smith. "Release her, this instant, I say."
"I should have known you wouldn't have the stomach for this, Smith. Now get in the chariot, both of you. Toss your weapons in the back, and don't get cute. I can snap her neck just as easy."
"All right," said West. "Just don't hurt her."
Smith and West reluctantly complied and Tyler, not so gently, pulled Judy into the vehicle with him.
West started the chariot and put it in gear.
"Drive north, Major, leave the radio and the transponder off," said Tyler.
West depressed the accelerator and the chariot lumbered towards the ridge in the distance.
...
Back at the Jupiter 2, John strapped on his laser pistol and dug for an item that he never expected to use, a pair of handcuffs.
"I didn't know that we had those, on board," said Maureen. "What do you intend to do with him?"
"Once I know Judy and Don are safe, I intend to take Lt. Colonel Tyler into custody."
"What then, John? Do we keep him locked up until the first ship from Earth arrives, if it ever arrives?" she asked. "Even a man who is obviously guilty deserves a fair trial."
"I agree, Maureen," he said, gently. "There is another option. The Lamotia Clan does have a judicial system, and surprisingly, it isn't all that different from our own. I intend to turn Tyler over to them with a list of charges and specifications. The judicial code followed by the Lamotia Clan is very straightforward."
"John? Tyler is most likely guilty of murder. Murder of our daughter and son-in-law, and our two grandchildren, on Earth these would be considered capital offenses. What are the consequences if he is convicted?"
John took his wife in his arms. Capital punishment was one of the very few things that they disagreed on. John had always considered the death penalty to be justice, while Maureen believed that life was sacred, and the taking of a life, except in self defense, was much too close to playing God.
"If convicted, Tyler could be sentenced to death. But that will be up to the judicial council," he replied.
"Will they listen to a plea for leniency?" she asked.
"They just might," said John. "If you really feel that this is what you need to do. I won't argue against you."
Maureen leaned into her husband in gratitude knowing how strongly John held to his own beliefs.
"Don and Judy may not be so easy to convince," he added.
John released his wife and stepped over to the radar screen. He switched on the unit and tied it into the relay station at the top of the ridge. A blip appeared on the screen north of where the Jupiter 6 crash site was, but it was not transmitting the transponder code for the chariot, and the target was heading in the wrong direction.
Disturbed, Robinson walked back to the communications station. He snapped on the equipment and picked up the microphone.
"Jupiter 2 to chariot, come in, Don."
"Jupiter 2 to chariot, Don, Judy, please answer."
The radio received nothing but static.
"John? What's wrong?"
John pointed to the blip on the radar screen, "I'm sure that is the chariot, but they are heading in the wrong direction. Not only that, the transponder is turned off."
"Oh, John, you don't think…"
"I don't know what to think, Maureen," he interjected. "I'm going out there."
"I'll come with you…"
"No darling, I'm flying out with the jet pack. I can be out there in twenty minutes. The chariot will take much too long."
"All right, I'll get your coat," she said.
While Maureen went below to retrieve the Professor's flight jacket, John hauled the jet pack outside. He had just finished fueling the unit when his wife returned, carrying his jacket and what looked like an envelope.
"John, I found this on your desk," she said as she handed him the envelope. "That's Doctor Smith's handwriting."
John opened the letter and quickly read its contents, his heart stopping as he realized the implications.
"John, you're as white as a ghost…"
John handed the letter to his wife and shouted across the field.
"T'lan! Penny!"
While John rounded up the children, Maureen read the letter.
...
Dear Professor Robinson,
By the time you read this letter, you may already know that Lt. Colonel Tyler is the saboteur responsible for the loss of the Jupiter 6 and her crew. Tyler is a member of the organization you know as Aeolis Umbra.
What you may not know, and must now be told, is I was also once a member of this misguided nefarious organization. The sabotage of the Robot that almost cost us our lives was my doing.
Tyler worked in cybernetics and was one of my two contacts. The other, Major Frank Killian, was assigned to security in Houston.
I was going to inform you of Tyler's duplicity, until I learned that he has, in his possession, a weaponized strain of the Ebola Virus, a biotoxin which he has preprogrammed to release, somewhere in this valley. Unless he restarts the timer at least once a day, the entire valley will become contaminated with the virus. Be aware, he also carries a vial of the toxin on his person.
I fully expect to be held accountable for my actions now that you know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that I was responsible for the failure of the Jupiter 2 expedition.
Yours truly,
Dr. Zachary Smith
...
"Oh, Doctor Smith…" said Maureen.
John had gathered the children and sent them into the ship. He turned back to his wife.
"Maureen, I have Will closing all of the outside vents and engaging the life support systems on the ship. Once you're inside, stay inside. Once we return, don't open the door until the Robot has done a bio sweep the atmosphere…"
"John, I…"
"You know I'm right, darling," he said.
Maureen was on the verge of tears, but she knew she needed to call on some of her inner strength for her husband's benefit as he was about to head into the whirlwind.
"Be safe, my love," she said.
John kissed her passionately, as if he wasn't going to see her again. He broke free and strapped into the rocket belt. Firing the thrusters, he rose from the ground and flew to the north, nursing as much speed as he could out of the unit.
...
As they approached the cliff, Don saw a small cave opening in the side of the formation.
"That cave is where we are going," said Tyler. "Pull up in front of the opening and kill the engine. The two of you are going to get out slowly and lie face down on the ground. Remember, any funny business and your fiancée is going to lose her mind, literally."
"Don, he's going to kill us anyway…"
Tyler tightened his grip on Judy's throat cutting off what she was going to say. He could see the rage building up in West's face and he cocked the hammer back on the pistol.
"This is a hair trigger, Major. Don't push your luck."
West and Smith climbed out and Tyler released his grip allowing Judy to breathe.
"Don't try that again, Miss Robinson. It will be that last thing you ever do."
Don was going to try to jump him as he was getting out with Judy, but with the hammer cocked on the weapon, he couldn't risk it. They both laid face down on the ground, as they were instructed.
West knew that his fiancée was right. Tyler planned on killing them and he was going to use the cave to hide their bodies. As soon as he let's go of Judy, I'm going to jump him, consequences be damned.