Chapter 7
The wind howled, lightning flashed, thunder rumbled, but the family inside the spaceship took no notice as they went on about their nightly routines. Down below, Maureen, Judy, and Penny cleared away the supper dishes while John and Don discussed their plans for the upcoming day. Meanwhile upstairs, sat Will, Bethany, Dr. Smith, and the robot. Will was busily working the ship's radio in hopes of making contact with another passing ship. Next to him stood Bethany watching him intently. Dr. Smith sat a little ways away from them, with a far off melancholy look on his face. His eyes were half closed as he listened to the robot play a small tune on Will's guitar.
Will looked up from the radio and glared at him. "How do you expect me to hear if anything's coming in with all that going on?" he asked.
Instead of replying, Dr. Smith rolled his eyes. He closed them momentarily as he continued to listen to the robot's rhythmic strumming. Then, in a low, droning, and slightly out of tune voice, he began to sing…
"Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home…"
Will and Bethany both visibly cringed as he continued to hum along to the music until the robot played the final resolved chord, ending the song.
A loud crash of thunder was heard along with a simultaneous flash of lightning.
"If you think that was applause, you're wrong," Will sneered. "It sure was creepy music."
Smith gave a sorrowful sigh. "Apparently, you're not sensitive to the finer things of life as I am, young man. The only home you and your family had was probably the ready room on a launching pad."
Another loud clap of thunder was heard.
"The storm is getting closer," Smith remarked, turning to look out the window.
"Close or not, it sure is messing up my reception."
"Reception! Is that what you call a sound and fury that signifies nothing?"
Before Will could reply, John was seen coming up the elevator. As soon as the gate slid open, he strode over to where Will was working and shut off the radio.
"You should know better than to have the radio on during a storm, Will," he said sternly.
"But I thought I was getting something," Will protested meekly.
"Try again in the morning. It isn't safe to keep it open with a storm of this severity."
"Not safe? Why? What could happen?" Smith asked nervously.
"Well when it's tuned this high, you could very easily bring one of those lightning bolts crashing down on us. Abnormally high wavelengths, coupled with the electrical storm, can produce a homing signal."
Dr. Smith frowned. "Homing signal?" he gulped. "Then anything out there could home in on us? Anything at all?"
"Well that's hardly likely," John said calmly. "With the exception of those lightning bolts, I don't think there's anything out there within light years of us."
"How do you know what's out there?" Smith exclaimed. "Why, there could be a deadly runaway missile, or some sort of alien monstrosity waiting to swoop down on us at this very moment!"
John scoffed. "Well in that case Dr. Smith, might I suggest that you 'man your post throughout the night,' because I'm going to bed. Come along children. It's high time you were in bed too."
"Yes sir." Will and Bethany answered simultaneously. They followed him to the elevator, and were just about to get on when a sudden beeping noise from the main control panel caught their attention.
"It's the scanner!" said John.
He and the children rushed towards it. Smith also hurried over to see what it was.
On the top edge of the screen, there was a tiny blip which was slowly decreasing in altitude.
"There!" Smith cried out triumphantly. "You wouldn't believe me, but there it is!"
"What is it?" Bethany asked.
John frowned as he looked at the scanner. "It's a missile," he finally determined, "and it's heading straight for us!"
"A missile! Oh dear! Oh dear! What a horrible way to go!" Dr. Smith began to screech.
John ignored him and turned to the children. "Get the others up here right away. They need to see this."
"Yes sir." They both scampered off.
A few minutes later everyone was up top, staring at the scanner. The blip was still descending, but not as rapidly as a missile would, like John had initially thought.
Don breathed a sigh of relief. "For a moment I thought we were going to have to abandon ship and cast ourselves to the mercy of the electrical storm," he said.
"We don't have to worry about that right now," John replied.
Maureen looked afraid. "What should we do then John?" she asked.
"There's nothing we can do. At least not yet. It's not descending very rapidly, and I doubt that it will be landing tonight. I think the most sensible thing we can do is wait until morning. Why don't you and Judy go below and put the children to bed? Don and I will keep watch tonight."
"Okay," Maureen smiled and gave him a goodnight kiss. "Whatever you say dear."
As she and Judy began herding the children down below, John turned to Don. "You might as well get some sleep too. I'll wake you up in a few hours."
"Alright, John."
"If my services won't be required, I think I'll go below as well," said Dr Smith, now somewhat calmer. He turned to the robot.
"Professor Robinson is standing watch tonight. Help him in whatever way you can."
"Affirmative."
"Come on, Smith. Let's get below," said Don.
"Oh dear. I have the feeling I shan't sleep a wink tonight," the doctor moaned as he followed Don down the ladder.
"Smith, just for once, act like a man and shut up," Don snapped.
"How dare you sir!"
John sighed as he listened to their arguing below. Finally after a few minutes, all was quiet as everyone retired to their rooms for the night. He pulled up a chair and sat in front of the scanner, watching it intently for several hours until Don came to relieve him for the night. He then stumbled downstairs into his room, where he collapsed into bed and fell into a restless sleep.
Despite the late hours he kept that night, he still awoke at the crack of dawn with the rest of the family. Maureen fixed a quick breakfast for everyone and they all headed up top to eat and watch the scanner.
Don and the robot were waiting for them. Don reported that although the blip had not landed yet, it was now definitely in the planet's atmosphere. It would only be a matter of time before it finally touched down on the planet's surface.
"What do you think it could be, John?" Maureen asked.
"Your guess is as good as mine, darling."
"Well whatever it is, it must have homed in on those radio signals Will sent up last night," said Don
"It sure is coming in fast," Will remarked.
"I hope it's not one of those alien monstrosities," said Smith.
"It's no pigeon, that's for sure," Don replied.
"That boy should never have been allowed to tamper with the radio!" Smith groaned.
"I wasn't tampering!" Will growled. "I was trying to raise something!"
"Space devils, no doubt!" said Smith.
Penny laughed. "I've never heard of space devils!"
"Haven't you my dear? Well there's one right there. A deadly intruder swooping in on us with the speed of light, spitting flame and cosmic dust, burning up our precious oxygen, spreading its lethal virus!"
"It's homed in on us alright, and approaching us considerably faster now," said John, ignoring Smith's dramatic outburst. "There's just a possibility it may change its course. Till we know for sure, we'd better sit tight."
"It's getting awfully close," Don muttered. "No wait, it's landed! No sign of any movement."
"Well we just can't wait for it to come to us," said Maureen.
John nodded. "Don and I will take the robot and investigate." He turned to West. "Break out the lasers."
"A splendid idea!" said Dr. Smith. "However, I do believe the robot should stay here with me - that is - us."
John was silent for a moment, considering. "On second thought," he finally said, "I think I'd like to have you with us."
"Me? Out there? Defenseless?" Smith squeaked.
"We'll all have our guns."
"What use are they going to be against a monster who eats electrons for breakfast?"
By this time, Don had returned from the weapons rack with the laser pistols and a portable tracker. "You don't have to take one if you don't want to, Doctor."
Smith scoffed. "Indeed Major! I'd rather have some protection than none at all," with that, he snatched a gun belt from Don and strapped it around his waist.
"What about me?" Will asked.
"Well, what about you?" said John.
"I'm responsible for it being here. You can't leave me out now. Please, Dad?"
"Alright," John decided. "You can come."
Will smiled triumphantly. "Yes!"
Maureen looked up at her husband nervously. "Be careful out there," she said.
John pressed a quick kiss to her forehead. "Don't worry darling. We won't be gone long. Stay inside the spaceship and keep the radio frequencies open. We'll let you know if we find anything."
She gave him a small smile. "Okay."
John pressed the OPEN button for the hatch. "Alright then. Let's go."
Dr. Smith turned to the robot. "Follow me…or better still, I'll follow you."
As soon as they were all outside, Maureen closed the hatch. John turned to address them:
"Keep your eyes peeled. There's no telling what might have landed in that ship. If there's any sign of trouble, Don, the robot, and I will engage it. Understood?"
"Perfectly, Professor!" Smith nodded.
"Understood, Dad," Will agreed.
"Don, is the tracker working?"
"Yes, John. We need to head due west."
"Alright. Robot, lead the way."
"Affirmative."
They followed the tracker's signal to the foot of a mountain. There was a small winding path that led up to the top.
"According to the scanner the ship landed at the top of this mountain," Don said.
John nodded. "Everyone, keep a sharp lookout. There's no telling what we might find up there."
"Oh dear! I feel faint," Smith groaned.
"Look alive, Smith," John told him sternly. "You're not getting out of this so easily."
The robot led them up the mountain, with John following closely behind. Will and Dr. Smith came next, and Don brought up the rear. He, John, and Dr. Smith had their laser pistols drawn and were looking around cautiously for any sign of danger. As they neared the top, Don made his way up to the front.
"John, it must be just ahead. Let's take a look."
"Alright," John nodded. "Will, stay back here and man the radio."
"Yes sir." Will answered. He watched as Don and John disappeared through the trees and around a bend.
Dr. Smith made no move to follow them. The robot was about to when he called out for him to halt.
"After all," Smith said quietly, "Someone needs to protect you, my boy."
Will rolled his eyes. Before he could reply, Maureen's voice was heard over the radio.
&@"John, can you hear me? Come in John."&@
"Mom, this is Will," he answered. "Dad's not here right now. He and Don went up ahead a little ways to investigate. Is everything okay?"
&@"Oh dear! I'm afraid not. I've lost Bethany. She's nowhere to be found on the ship."&@
"Not again!" Will groaned.
Bethany had developed a tendency to always want in on whatever adventure was to be had, no matter what the danger. She knew no fear, which had been to her detriment a couple of times. More than once, she had found herself getting patched up by Dr. Smith as he scolded her and told her to be more careful. None of this deterred her though and her escapades continued, much to the annoyance of the others. Will knew that most likely she had been following them and was hiding somewhere nearby.
Maureen continued, "I know I wasn't supposed to leave the ship, but I did go outside to see if I could find her, but so far, no luck."
Will sighed, "Alright Mom, don't worry. I'll see what I can do." He signed off.
Smith was frowning. "Oh bother, that child!" he exclaimed.
"You and the robot stay here," Will instructed. "I'm going to retrace our steps and see if I can locate her."
"Do you think you should?" Smith asked.
"I don't know," Will shrugged. "It's the best thing I can think to do right now. If Dad returns, tell him what happened. I won't go too far." With that, he started back down the mountain.
He walked slowly, looking carefully this way and that for the runaway. Finally after several minutes he stopped. An amused smile spread across his face. Not ten feet ahead of him, he could see a pair of little blue sneakers peeking out from under a large bush.
"Alright Bethany," he said. "I can see you hiding there. Come on out."
The rustling of leaves was heard from the bush and a few seconds later, a blonde head poked out.
"You found me," Bethany pouted.
Will stepped forward and pulled her out. "When Dad and Don find out what you did you'll wish I hadn't. What were you thinking?!" he said angrily.
"I wanted to come too," she said, folding her arms across her chest stubbornly.
Will gave an irritated sigh. "Well it looks like you get your wish then. Come on. Let's get back to the others."
While they were walking back, he made contact with Maureen to let her know that he had found Bethany. He had just signed off when they came upon Dr. Smith and the robot, still waiting for John and Don to return.
Will was surprised to see that they hadn't made it back yet. "It's been fifteen minutes," he said nervously, "It's not like them to take so long. Hopefully everything is okay."
"Perhaps we should return to the spaceship," Smith suggested.
Will thought about it then shook his head. "No, we're not doing that. They might be in trouble and need our help. We'll give it a few more minutes. If they're not back by then, we're going after them."
Smith was about to open his mouth to cite the terrible dangers but then remembered Bethany and held his tongue. Instead he turned to her and gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Don't be afraid, Bethany, just keep calm."
"I am," she replied.
Smith continued. "You see, these alien creatures may be very terrifying. You mustn't panic, you know, and don't tremble."
Will laughed, "She's not but you are."
As he was speaking, Don and John returned. Immediately they noticed Bethany.
Don frowned. "And just what do you think you're doing here, young lady?" he said with a hint of anger in his voice.
Bethany paled and opened her mouth to speak. Before she could say anything however, Will cried, "Look at the robot!"
Everyone did as he said. To their surprise, the machine had extended its arms and was waving them frantically.
"Object approaching," it said.
They all looked around, trying to spot what the robot was talking about. Suddenly, Smith gasped and pointed. Just up ahead of them, perched on a giant boulder, staring down at them was a male humanoid. He was wearing a silver space suit similar to the ones the Robinsons had worn the day they had taken off from earth. A cowboy hat darkened his face, and they could just barely make out a smirk as he looked down at them.
Don shook his head in disbelief. "It can't be," he said.
"Howdy," the man called out. He jumped down from the boulder, landing right in front of them.
The robot extended his arms and was about to bring his pincers together to shoot a bolt of electricity at the man. Dr. Smith stopped him just in time. "Halt!"
The man stared at the robot for a long moment and then laughed. "His footwork's going to have to be a lot more nimble than that if he figures on hitting me. Hapgood's my name, boys. Jimmy Hapgood." He held out his hand.
John Robinson smiled and shook it. "I'm John Robinson. This is Don West, his niece Bethany, and my son Will."
Hapgood gave each of them a friendly smile. "Howdy! How do you do?"
Dr. Smith, who also wished to be acknowledged, stepped forward. "Ahem!"
"Oh, and this is Dr. Zachary Smith," John added.
He nodded his head in acknowledgement "Howdy, Doc."
"A pleasure to meet you," Smith said with a polite smile.
Hapgood turned back to John, "Well, where am I?"
"We don't know," John replied. "We were headed for Alpha Centauri when, in an unfortunate turn of events, we were driven off course. We ended up crash landing on this planet. What about you?"
"What about me?"
"Where were you headed?"
He just shrugged and pointed up in the sky towards the north. "Well, that way, I reckon. That is until I picked up your signal. You see, Traveling Man, he's got a nose like a hound dog for hunting down doggies. Now, of course, you're not what I call real doggies."
"What kind of a dog is Traveling Man?" Bethany asked.
"Oh he ain't no dog, Little Miss. It's my ship. It's in pretty good shape. Needs a little charging up, but in pretty good shape."
"Mind if we take a look?" asked John.
"Be my guest," he motioned for them to follow him. "It's up this way."
They all hastened to follow him, except for the robot whom Smith had ordered to stay behind.
"So you don't know any more about this little old planet than I do, do you Zach?" Hapgood asked Smith as they walked.
"Zach!" Smith exclaimed in surprise and disgust, "Indeed!"
Hapgood just smiled in amusement. "You know, I've got a grandpa back in Big Springs by that name," he told him. "Come to think of it, you look a little bit like him. Course maybe he was a little spryer than you the last time I saw him."
Smith frowned. "Appearances can be deceptive, you know," he said.
Hapgood nodded. "Yep, I'll allow you that. For instance this little old planet here. It looked as big as Texas from up above. When you get right down to it, I think you could put it all in the panhandle."
"We haven't seen it all yet, Mr. Hapgood," Will spoke up.
"No? How about it's sun? You know its name?"
"No sir," Bethany answered.
"Well how about that!" he chuckled. "Then you're all just like me, ain't ya? You're as lost as a wood tick on a bald mountain."
"It's a terrible thing, being lost," Smith said.
"It sure is, if you're inclined to misery."
He led them up the path a little ways till they came to a sandy plateau. There, right in the center was the ship.
Unlike the Jupiter, its shape was like a cone. It was silver in color and sat on three legs. It was also very small compared to the Jupiter, only a few feet taller than a man. In the middle there was a tiny square flap that served as a door. It was raised so that they could see the interior. There was only one single chair inside, although there looked like there might be enough room for one or two more people. Covering the walls were instrument panels. They all hurried over to get a closer look.
"It's a fine ship in its class," John remarked, as he crawled inside. "When did you leave earth?"
"I took off more than fifteen years ago."
"What was your original mission?" Don asked.
"A Saturn landing, but I never made it."
John raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "What happened?"
"Oh, nothing," Hapgood shrugged then added. "Well maybe I did lock in on a wrong star out of curiosity." He turned to Will and Bethany. "You know curiosity killed the cat one time, kids." He chuckled to himself, then continued. "Since then there ain't hardly a spot in the galaxy I ain't touched. But I never did find a path that'd take me home. I guess they must've written me off back there a dozen years ago."
John hopped out of the ship. "We'd really like to hear more, but I think we should get back to our spaceship and let the others know we're alright."
"Why sure! You do that," Hapgood nodded. "You go ahead and I'll secure the ship and join you."
"Will," John turned to his son "would you like to stay with Mr. Hapgood and show him the way back to the Jupiter 2?"
"Yes sir!"
Bethany looked up at Don. "Uncle," she said in a small voice, "May I stay too?"
"Do you think you deserve to stay after what you did?" Don said sternly.
Bethany looked down sheepishly. She already knew what the answer to that was. Before she or Don could speak, Hapgood said, "Aww, let her stay, Don. I'll make sure she stays out of mischief."
"Yes, Don," John agreed. "I've got something to talk to you about on the way back anyways. Come on. Let her be."
Don looked reluctant. Then he sighed. "Alright. But don't think I'm forgetting about your disobedience, Bethany. There will be consequences for it when you get back to the ship."
Bethany winced a little at this. "Yes, sir."
"We'll see you three back at the ship," John said.
"See you there," Hapgood waved as John, Don and Dr. Smith disappeared around the bend. He started whistling a lively tune as he reached inside the ship and pulled out a large canister with a spray nozzle.
Will watched him curiously. "I guess you've got me to thank for you being here, Mr. Hapgood," he said.
"Oh? How come?"
"I was trying to raise something on the radio last night when you picked up our signal. I bet you were surprised to find us!"
Hapgood smiled. "Oh, I'm not too surprised to find people, son," he said quietly.
"What are you surprised at?" Bethany asked.
"Well I'll tell you…" he was thoughtful for a minute. Then he spoke. "Finding things that you know can't exist, but do. Happenings that will put your heart up in your mouth and blood down in your toes. Living things that breathe fire and swim in ice. Yes ma'am! And you know something? I ain't even seen a smidgen of it yet."
Will and Bethany stared at him wide eyed. He smiled at their wonder and began to spray down the ship with his canister.
"You don't really need to do that," Will told him. "The atmosphere is very clean here. Not like it is back home."
"Oh? You mean to tell me that they ain't found a way to lick that?" He chuckled a little then added. "Well it ain't on account of dirt I'm decontaminating Traveling Man."
"Why do you?" Bethany asked.
"Did you two ever hear of one man's meat being another man's poison?"
The children shook their heads no.
"Well I'm going to tell you. You see, there could be spores on this planet, or bacteria, and it could mix with any alien spore that I might have brought with me through space. Ain't no telling what could breed from that if I didn't do this. It happened to me once before."
Will's eyes widened. "It did? Where?"
"Well, I was coming in on this little dinky planet up on the epsilon orbit."
"Epsilon Indi?" Will asked.
"No Eridani." He looked at Will in surprise. "Son, I'm impressed! How did you know about that star?"
Will had a pleased smile on his face. "Studied astronomy," he answered.
"You did?" Hapgood laughed, then he continued, "I looped this little bitty planet, and then I landed."
"What did you find there?" Bethany asked.
"Why it was as pretty as a picture," Hapgood closed his eyes and smiled, remembering. "It could have been springtime in the valley of the Rio Grande."
"Then it wasn't scary or anything?" said Will.
"We'll not then," he said quickly. "It was though. You see, I went out to do a little sightseeing. When I came back to my ship, it was all a-swarm with these outlandish bugs. They were no bigger than locusts, but they were a hundred times as fierce. And they were chewing their way right through my hull."
Bethany's eyes widened. "Eating metal?" she gasped.
"That or something that was on it."
"Did you collect any specimens?" Will wanted to know.
Hapgood shook his head. "Just a scar." He held up his right hand and clenched his fist for the children to see. On the back of his hand, extending all the way down to the wrist was a long jagged scar.
"Boy!" Bethany exclaimed. She and Will looked at him with respect.
"It was quite a fight to get them off. I never made that mistake again," he said as he began to spray the ship again.
"I'll finish decontaminating the ship if you like," Will offered.
"You would? How much do you charge?"
"Just another story of your adventures when we get back to camp."
Hapgood handed him the canister. "Buddy, you got yourself a deal. Maybe I'll tell you about those crystal critters I ran across in the Ganymede. Now they were something. Yes sir!"
Will smiled and eagerly continued decontaminating every inch of the ship. As he walked, Hapgood wandered off a short ways to investigate a peculiar looking plant on the ground. He stooped down and removed some of the leaves. He took a small pipe from his pocket and placed the leaves in the bowl. Putting the mouthpiece to his lips, he inhaled. Immediately, he removed the pipe and spat.
"Dry rot," he grumbled. "One of these days, I'm going to find something a man can smoke with enjoyment."
"Hey Mr. Hapgood! Wait for us!"
Turning around, he saw the children running over to him.
"I finished decontaminating the ship," Will told him. "Shall we take you back to ours now?"
"Lead on, son." Hapgood said. He began to whistle a lively tune as he followed the children back to the Jupiter.
00oo00oo
John walked slowly over to the table outside where Maureen was busy making lunch. He and Don had arrived back at the ship an hour ago. He knew that the children would be returning with Hapgood any time now, and there was something he wanted to talk to Maureen about before then.
Maureen smiled at him as he approached. Absent-mindedly, he picked up one of the greens she was chopping up to taste. Immediately he spat it out.
"It can't be that bad!" Maureen laughed. "It's a new herb I crossed with one of our own species."
"It's peppery," he replied.
Maureen noticed he was avoiding her eyes. "Is something wrong?" she asked.
John shook his head no. "There's nothing wrong. I just wanted to talk about our visitor."
"What about him?"
"While we were at his camp, I looked over his ship. It's in really good condition. I think Don and I can help him get back to earth."
"Oh that's wonderful John! Did you tell him?"
"I didn't."
"Well why not? After all he…" Maureen stopped as she saw that John wasn't even listening to her. He was looking at Penny cheerfully tending the garden. Maureen wondered if it was her imagination, but she thought she saw a tear trickle down his cheek. She frowned. This was not like John at all.
"There's something you're not telling me."
He turned back towards her. Although he had a smile on his face, she could see that his eyes were moist.
"Now have I ever kept anything from you?" he asked playfully.
Maureen went over to him and wrapped her arms around him. "Just you try," she said in an equally playful voice. "I'd wring your neck." She pressed her lips to his in a loving kiss. As she pulled back she gave him a mischievous smile. "Now are you going to tell me?"
Slowly, John took a deep breath and nodded. "You remember when we first discussed our plans for the space flight? We couldn't decide whether we had the right to bring Will and Penny along."
Maureen frowned. "Yes I remember."
"Have you ever regretted our decision?"
Maureen looked from her husband to Penny and her heart sank. She well remembered the long talks that they had together about this topic. It had been tough but after seeking countless advice, and seeing the eagerness of the children to go, they had eventually made up their mind. She remembered the day that they took off. She and John had proudly marched into the Jupiter 2 with their family, so sure that they were doing the right thing. If only they could have known what would occur in less than eight hours…
Looking back at John again, she said in a shaky voice. "You want the truth?"
John nodded. "The truth."
She pulled away from him and opened her mouth to speak. The words would not come. Her eyes welled with emotion. Turning away, she gave a quick shake of her head yes.
John reached out and pulled her to him in a tight embrace. "Alright," he said, "it's possible to let them go. Hapgood's ship is big enough if we pull the ballast tanks. We could send Bethany too. I talked to Don about it and he agrees that this would be best."
"John no! Do you know what you're saying?"
"Well, not knowing how long we could last here… or if we could ever get the Jupiter to fly again… they deserve something more than that."
Maureen had begun to cry now. Wiping her eyes, she looked up at John. "Is that what you want?"
John gripped her shoulders tightly. Blinking rapidly he made an effort to steady his voice. "Yes."
Maureen wiped the tears from her eyes and nodded. "I suppose so," she said in a choked voice. "If anyone should go, it's the children." She lay her head on John's chest and cried. John quietly comforted her, and led her into the spaceship so that Penny would not notice her distress.
From behind a nearby boulder, Dr. Smith listened to the conversation with a frown on his face. So the Robinsons thought they could send the children off with Hapgood? Did they really think that the children should have the first dibs on returning to earth when he was the one that was trapped in the ship at takeoff? He scoffed at the idea. John, Maureen and Don had made their choice whether for good or ill. But he! He had been taken against his will to this ghastly planet. Of everyone, he should be the first to be given safe passage back to earth! Despite all this, he knew it would be futile to persuade the others. They would never agree to it. He sighed as he watched the couple retreat into the spaceship. As soon as they had gone, he stepped out from his hiding place and strode over to where Penny was working in the garden.
"Delightful child," he said to her.
She looked up at him confused.
"You are happy here aren't you my dear?" he asked.
She frowned at his odd question but didn't answer.
Smith was not paying any more attention to her anyway. He was looking up at the sky deep in thought. "Of course you are," he said more to himself than her.
Somehow, he would find a way to prevent the children from flying with Hapgood. Whatever happens, they must not be on that ship when he took off. A smile appeared on his face as he began making his own plans to secure his passage to earth.
00oo00oo
When Hapgood, Will, and Bethany arrived back at the ship, John introduced him to the rest of the family. He greeted them politely but his eyes were glued to the Jupiter.
"Is that thing your ship?" he asked in disbelief.
John nodded. "It is. Our destination was Alpha Centauri before we went off course. We were to start a new colony there, and hopefully over time, other families would have joined us."
Hapgood frowned. "Now what would they want to go and do a thing like that for?"
"It was the most logical next step when it came to space travel," John replied. "We had found another habitable planet in the galaxy and it seemed only right that we should take the opportunity to plant a small colony there. Do you not approve?"
"I don't know," Hapgood shrugged. "Sending whole families out into space somehow or another just doesn't seem right. All this makes me and Traveling Man feel like a horse and buggy." He turned his attention back to the ship. "Mind if I look inside?"
"Go right ahead." John motioned with his hand.
They all followed him into the ship to get his reaction. They were not disappointed. As soon as he entered, his eyes bulged and he gave a low whistle.
Grinning, Don walked over to a table in the middle of the deck. There was a glass dome covering the table and encased in it was a small metal dish balanced on a rod. He began working the control panel attached to the table, and the dish began to move. Hapgood watched him curiously.
"This is our navigational guidance system and spectroscope," said John.
"That's a dandy piece of hardware you got there boys," Hapgood acknowledged. "I wouldn't have any trouble getting home in a thing like that, would I? And then there'd be no more marathons for old Jimmy Hapgood. I'd settle down on a little launch pad of my own."
"Well we'd be glad to let you have it if you think it'll be of any help," said John. "We stand a good chance of getting where we're going without it, once we can fly."
"Are you absolutely sure that you don't need that thing?"
"No, we don't need it. Besides, you've been away too long. You deserve a chance to get back."
Hapgood nodded and was silent for a moment. Then he frowned. "Well," he said slowly, "I appreciate your gift, John, but that thing's too big and too heavy."
"Surely there must be something you can jettison," Don said.
Hapgood just shook his head, "If I jettison any more than I already have, I'll have to walk home," he sighed. "Thanks a lot, but we'd better forget it."
"You give up too easily, gentlemen," came a voice from the hatchway. The three men turned and saw Dr. Smith standing there. He smiled at them.
"I couldn't help overhearing," he said. "You may relax, gentlemen. I've just solved your problem. What you people seemed to have overlooked in your great haste to send Mr. Hapgood on his way, is that we have a smaller but identical mechanism that will definitely do the trick."
"And just where do you expect to find that?" Don challenged.
"Right here," without elaborating further, the doctor turned from them and poked his head back outside. "Come!" he shouted. A few moments later the robot rolled through the hatch.
Hapgood looked confused as he walked over to where Smith and the robot stood.
"Our robot is equipped with a spectroscope, navigational guidance system, and a space sextant," Smith explained.
"I'll be," Hapgood muttered.
Don eyed the doctor suspiciously. "What are you getting from this, Smith?" he asked.
"Only the satisfaction of knowing that I've made it possible for Mr. Hapgood to be reunited with his loved ones," Smith replied calmly. "How much time do we have?"
"Well," Don said slowly, "if his liftoff is within 48 hours, the navigational guidance system could give him a lock on the Kruger 60."
"Why sure, boys. I could find my way home blindfolded from that friendly little beacon," Hapgood agreed.
Dr. Smith nodded. "Plenty of time then. We'll do the operation below. All instruments should be sterile, of course. We'll follow the routine surgical procedure. It's quite simple really. Not too different from a kidney transplant. Now, if you all will excuse me, I must prepare the patient and scrub up." He turned to the robot. "Come along!" he said sternly.
The robot rolled after him.
Hapgood watched them both go with a smirk on his face. "I think I underestimated Zach. He's a lot more spry than my grandpa ever was. I can't wait to watch this."
Less than an hour later, John, Don, and Hapgood were gathered around Smith to watch him "operate" on the robot. Smith had managed to separate the top half of the robot from the lower, and with the help of the men he had gotten both halves on top of a long table. A lamp had been provided to give him adequate light while working. Will was also present for the procedure, having volunteered to help Dr. Smith by handing him the tools he needed.
Dr. Smith began to fiddle with the underside of the upper half of the robot. "Micro-Wrench," he told Will.
Will nodded and produced the desired tool from the kit. Smith took it and continued his work. After a few minutes he set it down. "Ratchet driver." Again, the appropriate tool was produced.
"Warning! Warning!" the robot sounded off. "Attitude stabilizer losing power! Losing power!"
Smith ignored him and continued working. "Poor old thing," he remarked to the others. "He doesn't like this one bit."
"Why don't you switch him off?" Don asked.
"I need his alert cooperation," Smith explained, "although I could use some local anesthesia, if there were such a thing for machines."
"Warning! Warning!"
Smith rolled his eyes. "What is it now?"
"Vidicon film exposed! Close shutter!"
Smith groaned and hurriedly undid his last step. "I wish you would have told me that sooner," he growled.
"How much longer are you going to be?" Hapgood asked.
Smith frowned. "If you were more familiar with the delicacy of this procedure, you wouldn't ask."
"All I know is I've got a star to catch in about 48 hours."
"You'll catch it."
As Smith was speaking, he pulled out an odd looking piece.
"I didn't know our robot had one of these," he remarked.
"Zach, time's wasting," Hapgood snapped.
Smith shrugged and stuck it in his coat pocket.
"Warning! Warning! Losing directional capability! Losing wobble damper! Losing spectral! Navigation unit inoperative!"
Smith pulled out a gold rectangular piece from out of the robot's core. "Ahh! A surgical masterpiece! Even though I do say so myself." He handed it to Hapgood. "Everything go now, ehh Jimmy my boy?"
"Well, now all we have to do is get it on my vehicle."
"That won't take too long," said Smith, slipping off his gloves. "Right now, I believe there's some cause for celebration."
"Umm, before we get to that Smith, you need to put the robot together again," John interjected.
Smith eyed the robot with disgust. "Of course," he sighed.
It did not take too long to join the robot's two halves and set it back on its treads again. The top half was a little bit wobbly. Smith said that was to be expected given the ordeal that it had been through. It would take some time for it to gain back its sense of balance, but by tomorrow everything would be normal again. Having said this, he ordered the robot to return to its magnetic lock. The machine wobbled off. Will went after it to keep it steady.
That evening they all enjoyed one of Maureen's finest suppers underneath the stars. Hapgood kept them all entertained with stories of his travels throughout the meal. Some of his tales had the Robinsons on the edge of their seats with excitement, and others had them doubled over in laughter.
The children were especially happy because they were allowed to stay up a little later than usual that night. Eventually though, Maureen spoke up and told them that it was time to prepare for bed. With groans of disappointment, they got up from the table and disappeared inside the spaceship. John, Maureen and Don followed them inside to make sure they were actually getting ready and weren't being distracted.
Once they had finished, John called them into his and Maureen's room.
"Is everything okay, Dad?" Penny asked as she, Will and Bethany took a seat on one of the beds.
John nodded, "Yes Penny, everything is fine. Don, your mother, and I just wanted to talk to you about something important."
"What is it?"
John hesitated and then said slowly, "Children, have you ever made a big mistake in your life that you wished you could go back and fix?"
Will gave his dad a puzzled look. "Yes?" he answered hesitantly.
John took a deep breath, then continued. "Well, we have been talking about it, and we've come to realize that we've made a very big mistake this year."
Penny and Will's eyes widened and a look of dread came into their faces. Bethany wrinkled her forehead in confusion.
Penny clasped her hands nervously. "Do you mean that you think you made a mistake by taking us with you into space?"
"Yes Penny, we do."
Will glanced up at his parents soberly. "This is about Mr. Hapgood's ship, isn't it?"
John nodded. "It is son. Don and I were talking today, and we feel that with a few modifications, Mr. Hapgood's ship may be able to fit the three of you as passengers. And with the inertial guidance system that Dr. Smith pulled from the robot today, Mr. Hapgood stands a very good chance of getting back to earth now."
"You're going to send us away then?" Penny's voice shook.
John nodded. "We intend on asking him tonight."
At this point Bethany began crying, and Don had to carry her out of the room to comfort her. Penny also looked close to tears.
"I don't think I want to go, Mother." she sniffed.
"Neither do I," Will declared.
"It's not a question of choice, children," John said firmly. "Going back to earth is something that we believe is right for you."
Maureen nodded in agreement. "And we wanted you to be prepared when we speak to Mr. Hapgood about it," she said.
Penny dabbed her eyes and then said in a stronger voice, "Well if you think it's best, Mother."
"We do," she answered.
"Is that all, sir?" Will asked.
"Yes, that's all," John answered. "Now go on. Off to bed with you two."
The children rose from their seats and quietly shuffled out the door to their rooms.
As Penny entered the girls' quarters, she could see that Don was there beside Bethany's bed. She had calmed down a little bit, but Penny could still hear her sniffling. She smiled sadly. "You go ahead and go Don, I'll take care of her."
Don gave Penny a grateful look and rose to leave. As soon as he was gone, Penny went over to Bethany and swept her up in a tearful embrace.
"Oh, Penny," she sobbed. "I don't want to go back. I like it here!"
"I know Bethany, me too," Penny sighed, willing herself not to cry. She must try to keep up appearances for Bethany's sake. "but you must be brave. Remember Will and I are going too. I'm sure we'll enjoy earth once we get back."
"I hope so," Bethany sniffed. She rubbed her eyes with her fists and let Penny tuck her in.
Meanwhile John, Don, and Maureen returned outside where they found Hapgood, Dr. Smith, and Judy, still sitting around the table and talking. As soon as he saw them, Hapgood rose from the table with a smile on his face.
"Maureen, the last time I sat down to a home cooked meal like that was a day or two before I took off and I was with my family. That was a long time ago," his smile faded and for a moment he looked wistful. "You know nothing in space has ever welcomed me. Seems like no matter where you go they've got the place posted. It says 'Keep out! Enter at your own risk!' Pretty soon, you begin to feel as if there's no difference between living and dying. That's how it's been for me. But meeting you all has changed all that. There is a difference - a big difference - between living and dying. And I had just about forgotten about it." As he was speaking he gazed up into the night sky. "Look at that! Did you ever see so many stars in all your life? It seems like they're right there just for the taking. If a man could see all of them, he'd really have it made, wouldn't he?"
John nodded. "He would indeed."
Hapgood sighed contentedly. "Well," he said at length, "I hate to eat and run, but I've got to get back to the ship and lay in that guidance system. John, I've got enough solar energy stored up by now, don't you think?"
"Oh, I'd say so," John replied.
"Then I guess I'll be saying goodnight to you all."
"Before you go," John said quickly, "there was a favor that I wanted to ask of you. I haven't mentioned this before, because Don, Maureen, and I weren't sure about it, but we are now. When you leave tomorrow we want you to take Will, Penny, and Bethany with you."
Hapgood looked shocked. "The kids?!" he exclaimed.
"Yes."
"Let me get this straight. You want me to take Will, Penny, and Bethany in Traveling Man and go where?"
Maureen spoke up this time, "Well back to Earth, Jim."
"You've got to be joking."
"No, this is no joke. You've got a very good chance at getting back," John said.
Hapgood stared at them in silence for a long moment. Finally he spoke:
"Forget it! That's right, I said forget it! I'd have to be out of my mind to take on something like that! Me and three little kids in Traveling Man? I'd be signing their death warrant, as well as my own. I'm a little surprised that you three would have something like that in your minds!"
"Well we were just thinking of them!" John snapped defensively.
"Well it's too bad you didn't think about them before you found out that space don't take too kindly to family outings! You're not out of gas on a highway back home. You're way out yonder, and there ain't no highways way out yonder. As far as I'm concerned, you're out of luck."
John bit back the angry retort that was on the tip of his tongue. He took a deep breath. "I've got some star charts in the spaceship that I think will help you. I'll get them," with that he turned on his heel and headed back inside.
Maureen stared at Hapgood with disappointment showing clearly in her face, but she too refrained from speaking for fear she might anger him further.
Don was a little more hot-headed. "Hapgood, I think you owe the three of us an apology," he said.
Hapgood just scoffed. "Get out of my way, Sonny." He turned to go but Don reached out and grabbed him by the arm.
"I said you owe us an apology."
"I don't owe you guys nothing. But I do thank you all for a meal that quit giving me pleasure about 2 minutes ago. Now get out of my way!" He yanked his arm away from Don's grasp.
Don responded by landing a punch straight to Hapgood's jaw, sending him flying to the ground.
Maureen was about to march over and stop them. Then Dr. Smith suddenly rose from his place at the table and took hold of her arm. Seeing that there was nothing she could do, she ran back into the spaceship after John.
Hapgood sat on the ground for a moment rubbing his jaw. Then he looked up at Don and chuckled. "Is that your best shot?" he taunted. With a whoop and a holler he leapt to his feet. "Come on here, boy! Try it again right on the chin!"
Don charged towards him and took another swing at him. This time Hapgood ducked, causing him to miss entirely. Hapgood just laughed and the next moment he struck his first blow to the major's face. Don collapsed on the ground, his mouth filled with blood. Angrily, he got up again and hurled himself at Hapgood.
"Don't tell me you're not finished yet!" shouted Hapgood. He deflected one of Don's fists with his hand and with the other, backhanded him across the cheek.
Don stumbled back and Hapgood tackled him to the ground. The two men wrestled in the dirt, pelting each other with their fists, both of them trying to get the upper hand.
Dr. Smith watched the fight with an amused look on his face. Judy, on the other hand, had had enough. Grabbing a frying pan that she had just washed, she ran over to where they were struggling. She raised the pan up high, and then brought it down with a clang against Hapgood's head.
Immediately Hapgood froze and straightened up from where he was crouched.
"Alright," he said quickly, "I apologize, but I still ain't going to take those kids." With that, he collapsed to the ground unconscious.
"Don! Judy!" John's voice was heard from the entrance of the spaceship. "What's going on?"
Judy helped Don up and cried "I hit Mr. Hapgood over the head with a frying pan!"
John, Maureen, and Dr. Smith hurried over to them. Smith knelt down and examined the unconscious man. "No concussion. That's a relief. He'll be alright, though I dare say he will have a splitting headache tomorrow."
"Come on, let's get him into the spaceship," John said. He and Don heaved him up and dragged him into the inside. When they got him below, they set up a collapsible cot in the galley and laid him in it.
"John, what are we going to do with him?" Maureen fretted as she covered him with a blanket.
"Well when he comes to, I doubt he'll feel like walking back to his ship. He can stay here for the night, and then in the morning, we'll see how he feels."
"If you say so, John."
"Speaking of which," Dr. Smith added, "it's going to be an early morning for us if we are to help Mr. Hapgood take off in time. I for one am going to my quarters for a much needed rest. Goodnight all!" He hurried off to his room.
"For once I agree with Smith," said Don. "I don't think we'll have to worry about Mr. Hapgood tonight. He's out cold."
John nodded. "Yes we'd better retire too, Maureen."
"Alright dear."
"I'm going to make sure all the lights are turned off, then I'll join the girls," said Judy.
"Hopefully we didn't wake them with all the noise," Maureen murmured nervously.
With that, the group departed, each going their separate ways for the night.
When they awoke the next morning, the cot was empty, and Hapgood was nowhere to be found.
"Where could he have gone?" Maureen wondered.
"Well I imagine he went back to his ship to get it ready for takeoff, dear," John replied.
"Do you think that he will leave without coming back to say goodbye? He was pretty upset last night."
"I don't think so. He still has several hours before his departure. I am sure he will be back to bid us all farewell soon enough."
"I hope you're right," Maureen sighed.
"Well, wherever he went he decided not to take the robot's guidance system with him," Don remarked. "Judy and I found it still lying on the table this morning."
"Oh John! I wish we hadn't asked him now!" Maureen exclaimed.
"Now Maureen, none of us could have predicted that he'd react the way he did. We were only doing what we believed to be best."
"I know dear. It's just that we all got along so well with him. It would be a shame if he left with a chip on his shoulder."
"Well darling, that will be on Mr. Hapgood's conscience if he chooses to do that, not ours. Don't fret about it too much though. If he doesn't show back up in a couple of hours, Don and I will go after him and try to make amends. Now why don't you go and wake the children? I've got a hunch that they will be pleased to hear that they won't be going back to earth after all."
Maureen laughed. "I suppose that's one good thing that came from this whole ordeal." She trotted off to their rooms.
John gave a suppressed laugh. He turned to Don, "Well Major West, what do you say we get started on setting up the ore refinery equipment today?"
"That sounds like a good idea to me, John."
True to John's predictions, the children were very thrilled to learn that they would be able to remain on the planet.
Bethany was particularly relieved. She had grown quite accustomed to her new life on this new planet and had no wish to ever return to earth if she could help it. The morning seemed extra cheery to her as she went about her usual morning routine. After she had finished breakfast, Maureen gave her a small watering can and told her to go outside and start watering the garden.
Bethany skipped to a nearby spring where she could fill up her can. As she dipped it into the water, she was unaware of the sound of footsteps coming towards her.
"Howdy, Little Miss!"
The sound of Mr. Hapgood's voice caused her to jump and whirl around, nearly making her fall into the water.
"Oops! Sorry there, I didn't mean to scare you," Hapgood said apologetically. "What are you up to this morning?"
"Getting water for the garden," Bethany replied, rising to her feet and lugging the container out of the water.
"Here, let me give you a hand with that," Hapgood volunteered, reaching out and taking it from her. "Now why don't you just lead me to the garden, and I'll help you with the watering?"
"Okay!" Bethany nodded.
They started back to the spaceship together. Bethany chattered the entire time about how she helped in the garden and what kind of plants they were growing. Hapgood just listened to her with an amused smile on his face.
"I'm so glad you came back!" Bethany said suddenly. "Uncle Don wasn't sure that you were going to. He said that you were probably afraid to come back and say goodbye."
"Did he now?" Hapgood chuckled. "I wonder why he'd think that?"
Bethany just shrugged her shoulders.
They were nearing the garden now. Hapgood could see John and Don working on some machinery nearby. They were so busy with their project that they did not even notice him helping Bethany water the plants. After he had finished, he headed over to where they were.
Earlier that morning, Hapgood had still been angry over the previous night's ordeal. He had tiptoed out of the ship to take a walk and clear his head. After nearly a half hour of strolling about aimlessly, he finally began to calm down. Of course John Robinson and the others had only been doing what was in the best interest for their family! If he had been in their position, he would have probably done the same thing. The more he thought about it, the more he realized his anger was completely unjustified. While he still wasn't interested in taking the children with him, he could better understand their point of view. He just hoped that they would be willing to put all of this behind them and make a fresh start.
He approached the two men nervously. "Howdy," he said in as confident a voice as he could muster.
John looked up and gave him a friendly smile. "Hello, Hapgood," he replied before continuing on with his work.
There was an awkward silence for a few seconds.
Hapgood took a deep breath. He had thought up something to say as he had been walking, to try and help smooth things over. But now that he was in front of them, his brain went blank and he twiddled his thumbs nervously.
"Say, if you fellas are still mad at me, just say so and I'll leave," he finally got out.
"We're not angry," John assured him before looking at Don. Don's face was all concentration as he worked on the wiring of the machine. "At least I'm not," he added with a chuckle.
Hapgood went over to Don. "You still mad?"
Don stopped what he was doing and looked up. "No," he said with a smile, "I'm just sorry I didn't hit you any harder."
Hapgood laughed at that. "It was a pretty good fight, wasn't it?"
"Yeah, that it was."
Hapgood turned back to John. "Say, you still want me to have that guidance system since I'm not taking the kids?" he asked.
"Sure, take it! Somebody might as well get home."
"Well then, I guess I'd better go and run a check on Traveling Man. I haven't done that yet." He turned away, satisfied that all had been settled between them.
Don set his tools down and began to operate a lift to hoist the machine into an upright position. "Hey John, want to give me a hand with this?"
"Alright," John dropped his tools and joined Don at the lift. The two men began panting with exertion as they struggled to elevate the machine.
Suddenly Don cried out, "Careful, John! It's slipping! I can't…Look out!"
Hapgood turned to see what all the commotion was about. To his horror, he saw that the lift they were operating was tilting dangerously and threatening to topple over on top of John. In a split second, he sprinted over to where they were struggling and managed to shove John out of the way. Don's strength gave out at that moment and the machine toppled over on top of Hapgood!
Hapgood gave a grunt of pain as it slammed against his back and threw him face first into the dirt.
"Don! He's been hurt! Help me get this off him!" John yelled.
With a great deal of effort, the two men managed to lift the heavy equipment slightly and pull him out from underneath it.
John knelt beside him. "Are you alright?" He asked anxiously.
"It's my back," Hapgood groaned as John helped him to his feet.
"We'll get you into the ship. Come on! Lean on me!"
Maureen and Judy walked outside at that moment. Maureen gasped as she surveyed the situation. She rushed over to them.
"Here! Let me help!" She took his other arm and assisted the limping man into the ship.
At the entrance she stopped and turned to Judy. "Get Dr. Smith," she told her.
Judy was close to tears. "Mother, I wish now I hadn't hit him!"
"Just get Dr. Smith."
"Do you think he'll be able to leave today?"
"Well, we'll know as soon as Dr. Smith examines him."
Judy nodded and sprinted off to find him. She returned with Smith a few minutes later. They went to John and Maureen's quarters where Mr. Hapgood lay. After a quick examination, Dr. Smith announced that he did have considerable bruising but that everything else looked fine.
"Nothing that a couple hours rest and some pain meds won't help. You were very fortunate sir," he told him.
Hapgood breathed a sigh of relief. "Much obliged, Doc."
Smith gave him a curt nod and left the room.
"Well now Mr. Hapgood," said John, "you can just make yourself right at home here and I'll be right back with those pain meds that Smith was mentioning."
"Would you like something to eat?" Maureen asked him.
"I guess I am a mite hungry," he admitted, "I haven't eaten at all this morning."
"I'll go into the kitchen and whip up something real quick," she said exiting the room. A few minutes later she returned with a steaming bowl of some sort of creamy white soup.
Hapgood eyed it hungrily. "What's that?"
"Well I call it space chowder," Maureen replied, handing him the bowl.
He looked up at her guiltily. "I've been more trouble to you folks than an old goat in a paper mill," he said sadly.
"Oh not at all!" Maureen assured him, "Why you most likely saved my husband's life today, and I'm very grateful to you! We all are!"
He still didn't look convinced. "Now look about the kids, I uh…" he began.
Maureen put a hand on his shoulder causing him to pause. "You are the commander of your own ship. Your decision is the only one that matters," she told him.
He nodded. "Thank you."
Maureen just smiled and left the room.
True to what Dr. Smith had predicted, Hapgood found that he could get up and move about easily a couple hours later. He made his way up top and outside. The children were just finishing up lunch and both Judy and Maureen were doing the dishes. Hapgood gave them a big grin as he strode out to meet them.
"Well here I am, as sound as a bell and raring to go!" he told them.
"Would you like another cup of coffee before you do?" Maureen offered.
Hapgood shook his head. "Oh, no thanks. I've got to get back and install that guidance system on Traveling Man."
"Can I go?!" three little voices from the table cried.
Hapgood chuckled a little bit at their enthusiasm. "Why sure!"
Penny turned to her mother. "May we?"
Maureen nodded. "Yes."
"I'll tell you that story I promised you on the way," said Hapgood motioning for them to follow him.
The children fell in line behind him as he began to tell yet another tale about his adventures. They had quite a ways to go, but he was such an entertaining speaker that they barely minded the distance. Finally they reached the mountain where his ship had landed.
"Won't be long now," he said as they began their ascent. He continued on with his story.
"Looked like a big fish more than anything else. All mouth and long feelers where its eyes ought to be," he said as they neared the top. "Low gravity can account for that I guess. There was hardly any atmosphere. Well it came right up to my ship, and the second it touched metal - Zam! There was a whale of an explosion!" They rounded the final bend as he was speaking and stopped dead in their tracks. The jolly smile on Hapgood's face changed into a frown of concern.
"What is that!" Will exclaimed.
Hapgood just shook his head.
The top of ship was just barely visible as it was surrounded by a veritable forest of gnarly looking vegetation. They were simultaneously moving back and forth in a slow rocking motion as if they were trying to touch the ship. A few of the bigger plants' "branches" (if one could call them that) were stretched out towards it, just inches away from making contact. All the while a jumble of unusual sounds were being emitted from the swaying mass, from high pitched chortles to low ominous moans.
"Stay here," Hapgood told the children.
They watched him as he disappeared through the foliage. For several minutes they waited, but he did not return.
"Do you think he's okay?" Penny wondered nervously.
"Maybe we should go in after him," Will suggested.
"But Mr. Hapgood said…"
"I know what he said, but he might be hurt or something! We can't just leave him in there!" Will said, starting forward.
As he pushed his way through the vegetation, Penny grabbed Bethany's hand and followed him, being careful not to trip over the numerous vines that covered the ground. As they were walking, Penny felt something grab hold her ankle. She looked down and to her horror, one of the vines had wrapped around it and was snaking up her leg. Instantly, she dropped Bethany's hand and knelt down to try and untangle herself. No sooner had she done that, when another vine suddenly wrapped itself around her wrist. It yanked her to the ground and then she felt herself being dragged along to a cluster of giant leaflike branches standing upright in a circle. She shrieked as the branches suddenly lowered themselves flat against the ground revealing a large pit with even more vines reaching out to receive her.
"Penny!" Bethany screamed as she tried to grab hold of her to keep from being swallowed up. It did no good and only succeeded in jerking both of them towards the pit. Now fully panicked, they both began to shout at the top of their lungs for both Will and Mr. Hapgood.
Hearing all of the commotion, Will turned around just in time to see Penny topple over the edge into the pit. Immediately the branches sprang up around her blocking her from view. Only Bethany was just barely visible as she continued to hold on for dear life. Will ran with his might to where they were struggling and pushed apart the branches. He grabbed hold of his sister's other arm and began to pull as hard as he could. While this action kept her from sinking in further, he could not lift her out. Will groaned in frustration as he began to feel Penny slipping from his grasp.
At that moment, another hand reached out and grabbed hold of her arm. Will looked up and saw that it belonged to Mr. Hapgood. Together, they were able to pull Penny out part of the way but they were not able to free her from the numerous vines that had wrapped themselves around her legs and waist.
Hapgood looked at Will. "The decontamination canister is in the spaceship, boy! Get it!"
Will nodded and, releasing his grasp on Penny, he ran off. He managed to find the spaceship and climbed inside. There on the pilot seat was the canister that he had been using the day before. He grabbed hold of it and hauled it out the ship. He began to spray it all over the alien vegetation, and to his surprise, the plants began to wilt and topple over. He made his way back to where the others were, spraying a continuous stream of white foam from the canister. As soon as he saw them he hurried over and began spraying the plant. The vines that held Penny down became brittle, easily snapping in two as Hapgood finally managed to pull her out.
Hapgood snatched the canister from Will and began furiously spraying all the plants. He continued for several minutes until all the vegetation had been killed off.
He turned back to check on the children. They seemed to be no worse for the wear, just a little breathless. He let out a relieved sigh and slowly trudged over to where they stood.
"What'd you want to go and do a fool thing like that for?" he said angrily.
Will and Bethany looked down ashamed.
"Th-thank you f-for saving me," Penny managed to gasp before bursting into tears.
Hapgood reached over and pulled her close. "It's alright honey. You go on and cry. It's good for you," he said in a kinder tone. "And don't you two laugh at her either!" He told Will and Bethany sternly.
Penny's sobs quieted a moment later. "I'm alright now," she said shakily.
Hapgood nodded and released her.
"Penny! Will! Bethany!"
They all turned and saw that John, along with the rest of the Robinson party, was hurrying toward them.
"What are you doing here?" Hapgood asked.
"Maureen mentioned that you and the children had returned to the ship to get it ready," John replied, "and so we decided to come and see if we could help."
Maureen looked around at the decaying plant matter. "What happened!" she exclaimed.
Will looked up at Hapgood. "I guess I didn't decontaminate Traveling Man as good as I should have," he said sheepishly.
"I fell into one of those plant things," Penny explained, "and Mr. Hapgood pulled me out of it."
"Don't make a mountain out of a molehill, young lady," he said modestly. "It was a team effort. Don, how much time do I got left?"
Don looked at his watch. "Six hours."
"Well then, you guys better get the kids briefed for that long ride. That is if you're still willing to entrust them to me."
The whole family stared in shock at Hapgood. The children looked ready to cry at the realization of what he had just said. Dr. Smith did not look too pleased either.
Only John had a smile on his face."They'll be ready anytime you are," he replied, "We'll go back to the ship and get their gear. Come on children." He took Will and Penny's hands and began to walk back to the ship. Maureen and Judy followed behind.
Don picked up Bethany and went over to Hapgood. "It's a real good thing you're doing, Hap." He held out his hand. Hapgood grasped it in a firm handshake. Don turned and followed the others, leaving only Dr. Smith with him.
"You can't be serious, Jimmy!" Smith exclaimed as soon as everyone was out of earshot. "Three noisy whining children! Always wanting a drink of water! No intelligent adult conversation! Why you'll go quite mad before you reach earth!"
"Well, I'd be happy to take you along with me, Zach," Hapgood replied as he climbed into his ship, "but this is the right thing I'm doing, and I'm going to do it."
"But don't you see Jimmy, you're making a serious mistake!"
Hapgood just ignored him and began to get out his tools to install the guidance system.
Smith rolled his eyes. "Very well," he said quietly. "There is more than one way to skin a cat."
It was very quiet the rest of the day as preparations were made for the children to leave with Hapgood. Knowing that it would more than likely be their last time ever to see the children again, the entire family spent as much of the day together as possible. No one felt very cheerful at the inevitable departure of the children that night.
As the sun began to set, Maureen and Judy began preparing dinner. At length everybody sat down for the last meal together as a family. Nobody felt very hungry except for Smith. He devoured two platefuls of the spaghetti while the others barely picked at it. Finally he gave a contented sigh and pushed back his chair from the table, excusing himself. He retreated into the spaceship down below. Not long after his departure, Don and John also wandered off for their evening patrol. Maureen, Judy and Penny started on the dishes. Will took Bethany's hand and led her into the spaceship.
"Let's go down below and make sure we haven't forgotten to pack anything," he said.
They went down the elevator to the lower deck. They were going through their bags when Smith emerged from his quarters.
He smiled at them. "Why hello children! I see you're making one final check before you leave?"
"I guess so," Will sighed as he zipped up his bag.
"Do I detect a note of sadness in your voice? I can't say I blame you. You are about to embark on a long and perilous journey through outer space, possibly never to see your family again!"
Bethany began to sniffle.
Will glared at Smith. "Quit talking like that," he scolded. "We have to think positively. Once we finally land on earth we'll send a rescue ship back for you."
"And how will you find earth when we don't even know where in the galaxy we are!"
"The robot's navigation system that Mr. Hapgood installed will help us once we spot a familiar star and lock onto it."
"Oh yes that," Smith rolled his eyes. "Let me tell you something my boy, I was there when Jimmy installed that computer on his ship this afternoon. Unfortunately, his spaceship is a little more antiquated than the robot. It was a nightmare for him to sync it with the rest of his controls. Of course I explained to him that I cannot be held entirely responsible for the transplant of that navigation equipment."
Will frowned. "Is something wrong with it?"
"Oh no. It's working perfectly now. But for how long? Who can tell?"
"It's a chance we'll have to take, I guess."
"Yes. I'm afraid you will."
Their conversation was interrupted by Penny climbing down the ladder. Smith gave her a welcoming smile and motioned for her to join them.
"Although I must say," he continued, "I can't understand your parents and Major West's attitude. In fact I'm a little shocked by it."
"What do you mean?" Bethany asked.
"Yes, what do you mean Dr. Smith?" Penny chimed in.
"Perhaps I shouldn't have mentioned it. Children don't have to know how their elders feel about an important decision. And you can't ask them."
"Why not?" Will pressed.
"Think how badly they'd feel if you forced them to lie to you. Remember one thing, before they say goodbye to you - perhaps for the last time - they may weaken. The heartbreak may be too much for them. But you…you must be strong. Pretend your very hardest that you don't see the tears in their eyes when they try to convince themselves that this parting is best for you."
"You mean they don't want us to leave," Penny's voice sounded hopeful.
Smith smiled craftily. "I've said too much already."
"You needn't be afraid to tell us," Will prodded, "it won't change anything."
"I should hope not, but after all they are your family. I wouldn't blame the average child for refusing to go if he learned how happy his family would be if he stayed. In fact, I think the average child would probably do something quite ridiculous! Run away and hide or something equally absurd just so he wouldn't have to go. But you three aren't average children. Oh no…oh no." With that Smith turned and left them.
For a long moment there was silence as the children pondered what he had said. Finally they grabbed their bags and proceeded to go up top. From the control deck, they could see that Maureen and Judy were finishing up the dishes. Their backs were turned toward the hatch. John and Don must have still been on patrol, for they were nowhere in sight.
Silently, the children tiptoed outside and began walking as quickly as they could in a direction opposite of Hapgood's ship.
From the shadows of the spaceship, Smith stepped out and watched them depart. As the three small figures faded away into the night, he smiled, grabbed his satchel and he too left the camp.
A few minutes later, Don and John returned from their patrol.
Maureen greeted them with a smile. "Glad to see you're back," she said. "It's almost time for us to deliver the children to Mr. Hapgood."
"Speaking of the children, where are they?" John asked.
"I think they went down below to make sure they had everything packed. I'll go get them." Maureen said. She hurried into the ship and down the elevator to the lower deck.
"Penny! Will! Bethany! It's time to go!" She called.
There was no answer.
Maureen frowned and checked the children's rooms. They were nowhere in sight. She checked under the beds and in the galley, but that search also proved to be fruitless.
Doing her best to keep calm, Maureen hastened back up top.
"John? I can't find the children!" she called from the entrance of the spaceship.
John frowned. He, Don, and Judy rushed over to her.
"Maybe they've already started off to Hapgood's ship," he suggested.
Don shook his head, "I doubt that, we would have seen them on our patrol if that were the case."
"Oh, where can they be!" Maureen exclaimed.
"Judy, call Jim," John instructed. "Tell him to hold up for as long as he possibly can. Don and Maureen, come with me. We'll search the area until we find them."
Maureen was close to tears. "John, they didn't really want to go. Maybe we should…"
"They're going!" John cut her off firmly. He started off into the night, calling for the children. Don and Maureen hurried after him.
Judy went inside the spaceship to contact Hapgood. "Hello, Jim? This is Judy! Jim, can you hear me?"
"Loud and clear," his voice came over the radio. "Are your parents on their way with the kids?"
"No. That's why I'm calling you. We can't find them anywhere. Dad, Mom and Don are out searching for them. They wanted me to ask you if you could hold up just a little bit longer ."
"Look, honey, if I delay past my launch time, I may never get off this piece of real estate."
"But Mr. Hapgood, they're bound to find them!"
"I'm really sorry, but if I don't have passengers aboard in twenty minutes, it's going to have to be a solo flight."
Judy knew Hapgood was right. This was his only chance to get off this planet, and he couldn't afford to blow it. But she also knew that there was absolutely no way that her parents would be able to find the children and get them to his ship in time. She sighed.
Hapgood seemed to realize this too. He spoke again. "If I ever do manage to get back to earth, I promise I'll give Alpha Control your coordinates so that they can send over a rescue ship." he told her.
She gave a sad smile. "Alright, Mr. Hapgood. Thank you for everything."
"You're welcome honey. I'll contact you again once I lift off. Goodbye for now." With that, his voice cut out.
As soon as the transmission ended Judy sent out another signal to the search party. "Mom, Dad?"
"Judy, it's Mom. What did he say?"
"I'm sorry Mom. I tried to convince him to hold off a little bit longer, but he says he has to have them aboard in twenty minutes if he is to depart safely."
"Understood," it was John's voice that came through the transmission this time. "We haven't found the children yet, but we have picked up their trail. We'll call you as soon they're located."
"Okay Dad, see you soon."
John sighed as Maureen switched off the com. "Well that's that then."
"And we still need to find the kids," Don growled.
"Fortunately these footprints of theirs look very fresh. They have to be nearby," said John stooping down to examine the markings on the ground.
"Well what are we waiting for then! Let's go!" Don said, sprinting forward.
John and Maureen hurried after him.
The tracks led them to a wooded area with a small stream flowing through it. They had not ventured very far when suddenly John stopped dead in his tracks. "Look over there!" he pointed.
Don and Maureen strained their eyes and could just barely make out the forms of all three children huddled together in some foliage about fifty feet away.
As soon as she saw them, Maureen cried out, "Oh children!" and she ran towards them followed by John and Don.
At the sound of her voice, they all started and jumped up from where they were huddled, looking very sheepish.
"Hey Mom, Dad, Don," Penny spoke a little nervously.
"What on earth is the meaning of this!" John cried sternly.
Will winced at his father's tone of voice, but spoke up bravely. "I know you thought it was best for us, but you didn't really want us to go did you?"
"Because we sure didn't!" Bethany said.
"We know that you're probably displeased with us," Penny added, "and we understand if you intend to punish us. But we could not just up and leave you for the rest of our lives! We're a family, and families just don't break apart when times get tough. We stick together and we see it through!"
The adults were taken aback at this. They weren't sure how to respond. On the one hand they had intentionally run off and acted in disobedience to their wishes. On the other, they had shown loyalty and love for their family, and a willingness to persevere through whatever trials lay ahead. They couldn't really fault them for that.
At length John just sighed and shook his head. "We'll talk about this tomorrow," he said quietly. "For now, let's get back to the ship. It's getting chilly out here."
The three children grinned at one another.
"Yes, sir!"
Whatever the punishment was, it would be worth it to them knowing that they wouldn't be separated from their family.
00oo00oo
Smith hurried as fast as he could towards Hapgood's spaceship, desperately hoping that he wouldn't be too late. It was too dark out to get a good look at his watch, but he estimated that he had a good ten minutes or so before liftoff. Surely that would give him enough time to board the ship! Now that the children were completely out of the picture, it should be a simple matter for him to convince Hapgood to let him come.
He breathed a sigh of relief when he reached the mountain. Perfect! It was only a matter of time now! Although he was exhausted, he didn't dare stop. Every moment counted as he made his way up the mountain.
"Almost there!" he panted. "Just a little further!"
Up ahead, he could just make out the bend in the path where he would come upon Hapgood's ship. He ran towards it with renewed energy. Then all of a sudden he stopped. A low rumble could be heard.
"What is that sound?"
The rumbling grew steadily louder and the ground began to tremble beneath his feet. Suddenly, a deafening roar and a sound that Smith could only liken to an explosion caused him to cover his ears.
"No, no, no, no!" Smith screamed.
He hurried around the bend but it was too late. Hapgood's ship had lifted off and was already several hundred feet in the air. All Smith could do was look up in the air and shout helplessly at it.
"Hapgood! Hapgood! Hapgood, come back! Come back! You can't do this to me! Don't leave me here! Hapgood!"
He sank down to the ground despondently. "Oh, woe is me! Alack and alas! To come so close, and yet be so far…"
There was nothing to be done. Slowly, he got to his feet and made the sad trek back to the ship.
00oo00oo
"Traveling Man to Jupiter 2. Traveling Man to Jupiter 2."
The entire family was gathered around the ship's radio to say their final goodbyes to Hapgood. John picked up the com and spoke:
"This is Jupiter 2, Jim. John Robinson here. What's your position?"
"I'm 22 minutes out, John. All systems are good and go. Do you have the kids with you?"
"We found them."
"I knew you would. Look, I was all set to take them with me, but they weren't too keen on going back to earth. And that's the truth! And neither was I when you get right down to it."
"Well we thought you were!"
"Well so did I, but I got to thinking it over. You know, John I figured there ain't nothing down there that I haven't seen or done twice. But out here I ain't hardly scratched the surface."
There was a patch of silence after that but then Hapgood's voice came piping through again.
"You still with me?"
"Right with you," John replied.
"I sure want to thank you for your hospitality, and if I get within hollering distance of Earth, I'll be sure to tell them where you are. I know you folks have a hard time understanding a fellow like me. And sometimes I do myself, but there's one thing I know. If I go back now, I'm going to go back to be put out to pasture like an old racehorse that's done with living. And I got too much to do to be ready for that. I hope the kids aren't too disappointed in me. But I got to thinking that it wouldn't be right to separate them from their family. It's too hard on all of us, I guess."
There was another moment of silence then:
"It's getting a little busy out here, John. There's a nova coming in. It's all purple and silver and gold!" He gave an excited little holler. "Whoo-whee! Look at it go boy! I'm gonna get back to you later! Whoo-whee!" And with a final shout his voice faded into static as he passed out of range.
The Robinsons all laughed and smiled at his parting message.
"Well we're not through with living either," Maureen chuckled. "Ya-hoo!"
They all laughed really hard at this unexpected outburst.
At the entrance of the ship stood a despondent Smith, unnoticed by anyone. Seeing the Robinsons laughing together irked him considerably. How could they be so happy at a time like this? He shook his head and rolled his eyes.
"Whoo-whee," he said in a sarcastic voice. He silently slipped down below to his quarters where he could sulk in peace.
00oo00oo
As Hapgood's ship was departing the planet's atmosphere, another ship was making its entry. It skimmed over the planet's surface looking for a suitable place to land. Once it found one, the ship tilted into a horizontal position, fired its rockets and made a slow descent to the ground.
Moments later the ship's hatchway opened and a man clad in strange looking armor and a helmet with a T-shaped visor stepped out. He had scanned the planet for life forms and found very few. Only a small band of people a couple of miles from where his ship was located. They shouldn't be any trouble though as long as he kept out of sight. He smiled as he surveyed the vast desolate wasteland. This would be the perfect place for him to lay low until the heat from his previous job blew over. It would also give him time to consider the new offer he had received. A very intriguing one…
He turned around to head back inside his ship. He would need to make a scouting mission to the camp of the life forms to determine who they were and what level of threat they might pose while he was here. That could wait though. It was dark and he was ready to get some much needed rest. Tomorrow would come soon enough.
