Lost on Planet G889 Chapter 7
The Robinsons consider Danziger's invitation. If you're reading, I'd love to hear from you.
Background information for both shows at:
Earth 2
Background information http://scifijoan.livejournal.com/1122.html
Photos: http://scifijoan.livejournal.com/4272.html (Complete)
Lost in Space
Background information http://scifijoan.livejournal.com/3051.html
Photos: http://scifijoan.livejournal.com/3145.html
Previous Chapters: Chapter 1 http://scifijoan.livejournal.com/1639.html
Chapter 2 http://scifijoan.livejournal.com/2561.html
Chapter 3 http://scifijoan.livejournal.com/3563.html
Chapter 4 http://scifijoan.livejournal.com/3999.html
Chapter 5 http://scifijoan.livejournal.com/4589.html
Chapter 6: http://scifijoan.livejournal.com/4806.html
Chapter 7
Saturday August 13th
“Warning! Warning! Aliens approaching!” The Robot bellowed, red claws waving frantically in the air. Seconds later, four creatures burst out the ground. The tall tan, almost skeletal beings carried staffs glowing with electrical charge.
“Dad!” Penny cried, leaning closer to her father.
“Robot, prepare to defend,” John Robinson commanded.
“Affirmative,” the Robot replied, electrical charge coursing between his claws.
One of the Terrians began to raise his staff, the electrical charge rising in it as well.
“No! Wait! Don’t do this!” Julia rose, objecting.
“These creatures are armed and threatening my camp. I don’t intend to let them harm us,” John Robinson firmly stated.
“These are the Terrians. We’ve dealt with them before. Please, give us a chance,” Alonzo pleaded. “They’re not going to hurt any of us.”
John Robinson paused to consider. “All right.”
“John,” Maureen’s voice waivered as she shot a worried glance towards her husband.
“Stand down, Robot.”
The Robot obeyed and the Terrian lowered his staff, the charge dissipating.
Odd, garbled sounds came from the creatures.
“Didididididi.”
“Robot - can you translate?” John Robinson asked.
“Negative.”
“Alonzo - what’s going on?” Julia asked.
Alonzo closed his eyes, trying to concentrate.
Julia reminded them, “The Terrians can communicate with him on the Dream Plane.”
Perplexed, the Robinsons merely nodded.
“Something’s wrong Julia. I’m just not getting anything,” the former pilot rubbed his temples.
“That might be because the Dream Plane is damaged,” Devon and Danziger rushed over to rejoin the group.
“What are you talking about?” Alonzo asked.
“The other night, Uly told me that the Terrians claimed the Dream Plane in this area was damaged. I wasn’t sure whether to believe him or not,” Devon explained.
John Robinson was getting frustrated. “What’s going on here? What do these Terrians want? What does this ‘Dream Plane’ have to do with us?”
One of the Terrians stepped closer to Dr. Smith.
“Now I’m beginning to understand,” John Robinson said. Turning to the older man, he asked, “What did you do?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Dr. Smith feigned innocence while taking several steps back from Professor Robinson.
“Aren’t you jumping to conclusions?” Alonzo asked John.
“When it comes to Doctor Smith, I’m afraid not. Now, let’s have it. What did you do?” John Robinson demanded.
Dr. Smith continued to be evasive, now hiding behind the bulk of the Robot. “I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.”
“Perhaps Don could be more persuasive.” John suggested, knowing full well that the Major was still reeling from Smith’s involvement with Judy’s accident.
“No, no! We don’t need to bring the poor Major into this, do we?” Dr. Smith simpered.
“I think I know what they want,” Will volunteered. Turning to the Terrians, he said, “You want the glowing rocks. I’m sorry - I didn’t realize they were that important to you. I just wanted to learn more about them - to understand them. I’ll go get them.”
He and the Robot had almost cracked the code for the stones’ language. Hopefully they’d collected enough data so they could complete the project.
Dr. Smith volunteered to help Will.
As the rest of the Robinson family and members of Eden Advance waited for the two to return, Alonzo continued to try to communicate with the Terrians. But his attempts were futile.
Will returned with an insulated sack filled with the glowing stones and placed it at the feet of a Terrian.
“Careful, Will,” his mother cautioned.
“Here they are. I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
A creature took the bag. Then the Terrians vanished into the earth as quickly as they had appeared.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
“Maureen, what are you still doing up?” John Robinson closed the accordion folded door to the cabin they shared as his wife sat up in her bunk.
“I couldn’t sleep.”
He sank beside her, perching on the edge of the bunk. “That’s understandable, given the circumstances.”
“John, do you believe them? Do you think they’re right?”
“I don’t think they have any reason to deceive us. We’ve compared technologies and seen the differences. Julia even showed me the results of her assays.”
“That doesn’t necessarily mean they’re right though, does it? Couldn’t it just be a result of the difference of two hundred years? Couldn’t that account for it?”
“This alternative universe theory does seem rather fantastic. But I can’t come up with a more plausible explanation. What’s your women’s intuition telling you?” he teased.
Despite herself, she grinned. As much as her husband had ribbed her about it, her instincts had proven to be sharp time and time again. “It’s prickling all right but I don’t know. Their theory might be off or maybe….maybe I just don’t want to accept what they’re saying.”
As she’d tossed on her bunk that evening, she’d tried to reason it out logically, to examine the evidence step by step. But it all kept blurring together.
Straightening her shoulders, she asked, “John, how bad is it? How badly damaged is the astrogator?” She’d suspected that the situation was worse than her husband had let on. She needed to know realistically what their options were.
John exhaled. “I won’t lie to you. Don and I, along with Danziger and Alonzo, have worked on it for days. It’s not looking promising.”
“But we’ve come through so much before. What’s so different about now?”
“I don’t know. Maybe the ship is starting to show its age. We’ve put a lot of wear and tear on it. We can only improvise so far. We’re running out of spare parts. Danziger’s going to see if their camp has any supplies that might be adaptable but I’m not counting on anything.”
“But to leave the ship?” It made her queasy to even say it aloud. “It’s been the key to our survival. How could we last without it? It’s been the only home we’ve known for over three years.”
“That’s right.”
“We’ve survived on dozens of other planets. We’ve also dealt with hostile aliens before. Is it really all that different here?”
“So I take it you’re in favor of going it alone?” Her husband’s expression revealed that he was surprised.
Wringing her hands in frustration, “I don’t know. There’s the children to consider. What’s best for their future. Penny and Will are getting older. The fact that Penny had such a difficult time getting along with True worries me. She needs to be able to interact with children her own age. She’s been so isolated. Joining Eden Advance and eventually those other families might give her that opportunity - Will too. The two of them deserve a chance at a future with other humans in it.”
She wasn’t even going to mention her oldest daughter Judy. She’d seen how Judy had taken to Walman and it made her heart ache. She hoped it was a temporary infatuation. While she had nothing against the young man, Major West would always hold a special place in Maureen’s heart. That man had proven himself time and time again, defending their family from harm, willingly sacrificing himself for the good of others. Even if things between he and Judy didn’t work out, God forbid, Maureen would always consider Don one of her sons.
Her mind continued to weigh the pros and cons. “But then what about these so-called minor variations in our metabolisms? How will we deal with that? Perhaps the Eden Advance people can eat certain foods but they might kill us? Will we need to scrupulously test everything? “
“Like Julia said, so far we haven’t experienced any adverse effects. And they might be as minor as being lactose intolerant, per say.”
“But these types of changes, even minor ones, can have a huge impact. Look at starch and cellulose.”
John’s eyebrows rose.
“They’re both sugar polymers. Identical in every fashion except one.”
He nodded as he remembered. “Only one is held together by an alpha linkage and the other by a beta.”
“Which ultimately has an impact on the molecule’s structure. That’s why we can’t digest grass. Our enzymes won’t recognize that linkage.”
He laid a comforting hand on her knee. “Darling, while that is an excellent analogy, we have no way of anticipating what difficulties we might encounter in this respect on this planet. Judy seemed to react to the Koba toxin in a fashion similar to the Eden Advance crew. And if anything, we might be hardier. Remember what Yale said about the cold sleep experiments?”
“That’s true. But what about Will and Penny? If they eventually decide to marry a person from this universe, will they be biologically compatible? Will their children be viable?”
Her temples pounded. She leaned against her husband’s chest and he wrapped his arms about her.
She was getting way ahead of herself, worrying about these issues. But that was her job as a parent. To fully examine all the possibilities. To determine the best possible options for her family.
Her husband reminded her, “No situation is perfect. There will always be risks. Even if we had landed on Alpha Centauri as we’d originally intended, things wouldn’t necessarily have gone as we’d planned.”
“I know,” she replied.
“You make a good point about the benefits for the children. But do you realize how primitive Eden Advance’s circumstances are? Although they have more advanced technology, they’re essentially walking across this continent. No heat, no central air. No hydroponic garden or automated galley. No washing machine or clothing synthesizer. If we joined them, we’d have to leave behind many valuable pieces of equipment. Equipment up to now which has been essential to our survival. Equipment which, if abandoned, could eventually be stolen by those Grendler creatures.
“If we stayed with the ship, even if it couldn’t fly, our force field would protect us. Moving as a group, we’d be much more vulnerable. If we joined their party we’d also have no guarantee that we’d even make it to the settlement site. And even then, they might never find their missing cargo pods which have the supplies to build their community.”
“And this ‘Council’ group,” Maureen had only caught a few references but her impression was that it was a formidable force. “That’s not our fight.”
“That’s right. But if that group is as intent on dominating this planet as Danziger says, it could become ours, regardless of the option we chose.”
Weary, she closed her eyes, “I’m not making any decisions now.” She snuggled closer to her husband.
As he stroked her red locks, he reminded her, “We did commit to a mission, darling. To become pioneers. To colonize Alpha Centauri.”
Uncharacteristically glum, she sighed, “Does that even matter? Most likely, Alpha Centauri and Earth as we knew them don’t exist anymore.”
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Sunday August 14th
Judy’s heart did a familiar flip flop when she saw Don. At first he hadn’t seen her; she was seated at the outdoor dining table. His shoulders were hunched; he appeared deep in thought as he shuffled towards their camp site. When he caught sight of her, his appearance rapidly altered. Filled with renewed energy, the cadence of his steps grew quicker, his shoulders straightened. Worry lines were replaced with a broad grin as his eyes met hers.
“Hey, you’re a sight for sore eyes,” Don claimed.
“Hey,” She beamed. The dark smudges under his eyes caused a warm rush to fill her. He’d been scared. He’d missed her. He really loved her. The heady surge of emotion coursing through her reminded her of when they’d first met, years ago at Alpha Control. His rugged good looks and confident attitude had irresistibly drawn her to him.
When he reached her, he paused. At first she’d thought he was going to embrace her. She would’ve enjoyed that. Instead, he stopped and simply grasped her forearm.
“Thank God you’re okay. How long have you been awake? How ‘re you feeling?” He pulled up a stool beside her.
“Tired. But okay.”
Only a few hours ago, when she‘d finally woken, Penny had greeted her with tremendous enthusiasm and a hug that nearly took her breath away. Dad and Don had been working at the drill site most of the morning, unaware that she’d finally revived.
“It’s great to have you back. I could strangle Smith for letting this happen to you,” Don said, anger starting to build.
Judy was so pleased to see him that she could overlook his temper. Fortunately, Don also changed the subject.
“Did Maureen tell you about everything that’s happened?”
She nodded. “I feel like I’m still dreaming. It all sounds so crazy. It’s going to take a while for all this to sink in.”
More skeptically, Don said, “Well, I’m not so sure about it.”
“Why?”
“C’mon Judy, if we joined Eden Advance, they’d get to use our gear - the Chariot, the force field, our lasers… Wouldn’t they’d just love to get their hands on our ship.”
She stiffened. “And you think that’s why they‘ve been helping us?”
Had Don always been this paranoid? At one point she’d found his fierce protectiveness to be sweet. Now it felt stifling.
Slightly embarrassed, he responded. “I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t have to.” Suddenly the pleasure she’d felt upon seeing him evaporated. She was looking forward to seeing Mark Walman who was presently en route to their camp.
“We don’t need them. We’ve been fine on our own. They’re just trying to scare us with their stories about penal colonists and Z.E.P.s or…whatever they’re called.”
“It’s not about that Don.”
“We have a mission Judy. One which I take seriously.”
“Even when it’s no longer possible to achieve?”
Disgusted, she rose to return to the space ship.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
“Wow, that’s really neat. Penny! You gotta come see this.”
Will was seated on a crate by Yale, examining a holographic projection that emanated from the man’s arm. His left forearm had a cybernetic implant embedded within it.
The Robinsons had come to visit Eden Advance’s camp. His mother and father were deep in conversation with Devon, Danziger and a few others while Walman was eagerly escorting Judy about the camp. Don and Dr. Smith chose to remain behind at the Jupiter 2.
“Yale’s pretty great, isn’t he? He teaches us all our lessons,” said Uly, a young boy with curly brown hair.
“Our Robot does that for us,” Penny fondly looked toward the silver mechanical man that was standing nearby.
As they examined Yale’s projection, although there was intermittent static interference, they could clearly see a planet. Unlike G889, the oceans seemed brown. In many areas, heavy pollution clogged the atmosphere, obscuring their view of the planet’s surface.
“Wow,” Penny commented. “What planet is that? I don’t think we’ve been there.”
Yale prompted, “Are there any features that look familiar?” Turning his attention to Uly, he advised, “Don’t tell them. Give them some time.”
Both Penny and Will studied the projection.
“I would’ve remembered a system that was that badly damaged. Is this one of those worlds where people can only exist in artificial environments?” Will asked.
“Not necessarily.”
Penny’s expression froze. “It can’t be. That…that looks like the Gulf of Mexico. Or maybe I’m just projecting what I’m used to seeing?”
“No Penny. You are correct. It is the Gulf of Mexico,” Yale explained.
“But…where’s Florida?” Will asked, more closely scrutinizing the projection.
“Erosion and flooding destroyed it about a hundred years ago. California too.”
“Oh.” Tears were in Penny’s eyes. Even though it had been explained to her yesterday, seeing her world in such chaos was disturbing.
Will had a different reaction. “Can you show us more?”
“What would you like to see?”
“How about some landmarks? The Statue of Liberty?”
Will fondly remembered his parents taking the family there. The hustle and bustle of the huge city had both frightened and excited him. Although he’d only been five years old, he’d eagerly clambered to the top of the statue, leaving his sisters and parents far behind.
“Where was that now?”
Will had a sinking feeling. “New York, New York.”
“Ah, yes.” Yale produced a new holograph. Will recognized Lady Liberty’s torch and crown. But the ocean level was up to her chin.
“Oh,” Penny murmured.
“How about, how about..” Will thought, “The Grand Canyon?”
Yale produced another hologram. Familiar chasms greeted them.
“Wow,” Uly said. “That’s amazing.”
“At least that looks the same.” Penny said, relieved.
“No Penny, it’s not. Can you zoom in on the surface?” Will asked.
“Certainly.”
“What are those?” Penny asked. The rim and ground of the canyon were covered with small clusters of people, tents and equipment.
“Miners,” Yale answered. “That’s all we can get from Earth. Minerals and ores are the most valuable commodity it has to offer. The only plant life that thrives is inedible weeds. Scientists have been able to cultivate a type of seaweed that can tolerate the high pH of the oceans. It’s not very tasty, but many on Earth survive on it.”
“I don’t want to do this anymore,” Penny said.
Uly changed the subject. “Will you be joining us?” The young boy seemed excited by the prospect.
During the conversation, True had joined the group and was listening closely.
“I don’t know,” Will answered. “It’s up to Dad.”
“It wasn’t a real invitation anyway. The group didn’t vote on it,” True claimed.
“True, that’s not very nice” Yale scolded. “After all it was your father who issued the invitation. I’m sure the others will want to include your family,” he assured Will and Penny.
“Well, I hope you join us. It would be great to have another boy in the group,” Uly beamed.
True and Penny exchanged guarded glances, not sharing the same sense of anticipation.
“You know you’re not gonna run into any circus performers or giant talking carrots here. A penal colonist nearly killed all us when we first got here. Then we almost died twice from unknown diseases,” True claimed.
“True,” Yale warned.
“You’re just making that up to try to scare us,” Penny retorted.
“Am not.”
“Are too.”
“If you girls can stop bickering, maybe we can play a game of baseball?” Will looked hopefully towards Uly. “You do still play that?”
“Oh, yeah, I’ve seen holos of it. I’ve never been able to play it before,” Uly replied.
True was still annoyed. “And you still can’t, silly. We don’t have a bat and ball.”
“We do,” Will grinned. “I can run back to camp and get them.”
“Can I come too?” Uly asked.
“Sure.”
As they started walking, Uly said, “I’d better check in with my mom.”
“Okay. The Robot can come with us too. C’mon!”
The mechanical man lumbered towards them.
The two boys and the Robot crossed the Eden Advance campsite. Other than a command station comprised of stacks of computer units, the camp could’ve been from Will’s time. Multiple tents varying in size and color filled the valley, with occasional makeshift clothes lines draped with clothing. People milled about.
Perhaps they weren’t so different after all. Hadn’t they learned that with their vast encounters with aliens?
“How do you cook your meals?”
Uly explained, “We all take turns. There’s not much to them. Hey, Morgan.”
The thin man scowled at the boys and continued past muttering under his breath as he walked by, “The last thing we need is more mouths to feed…”
“Don’t worry about him. He’s weird,” Uly assured Will.
The boys passed Judy and Walman who were seated by a large pit presumably used for a communal camp fire and as a gathering space. They were laughing and talking with the black man called Baines along with another man and woman.
“How many people are in your group anyway?” Will asked.
“Fifteen. Used to be seventeen. The Commander died shortly after the crash. Ebon died a few months ago,” Uly explained.
“Gosh.”
“Hey, there’s my mom. Let’s try to catch her,” Uly lead them towards the med tent where he’d just seen Devon enter. They paused at the entrance to the tent.
“What do you mean it’s still damaged?” Devon demanded. “They gave back the sunstones.”
Obviously frustrated, Julia responded, “Alonzo isn’t getting any thing. I don’t know what’s going on. I suspect that the sunstones are a vital component of the Dream Plane so it should’ve been enough.”
Devon began to pace. “This isn’t good. We need to find out what’s going on. Could the Robinson’s drilling operation be disturbing the Terrians?”
“Devon, I just don’t know,” Julia insisted.
“We can’t let the Robinsons jeopardize our relationship with the Terrians.”
The boys stepped back.
“She seems kinda busy,” Uly apologized.
“We’ll be back before they can miss us,” Will assured him.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Dr. Smith lounged on his bunk in his cabin. A glowing orange sample of Lunite rested on some silver insulated fabric beside the crook of his arm. His mind had vacillated between utter despair that his beloved Earth no longer existed and defiant disbelief. Finally, rather than dwelling on the potentially debilitating loss of his home planet, instead he choose to scheme, trying to determine how to weasel his way off of this planet.
While he enjoyed the company of Will and the Robot, it was nice to have a quiet afternoon for a change. Normally he would’ve been thrilled to needle the Major. Obviously in a foul mood, the man had made as much noise as possible as he went about his attempts at repairing the navigation system, banging tools loudly and even swearing from time to time. The fact that Mark Walman had arrived that afternoon to escort the Robinsons to the Eden Advance camp certainly hadn’t helped matters. The Major’s jealousy was pitifully obvious.
It was sorely tempting to bait the pathetic man but after Judy’s near death experience, even Zachary Smith realized how foolhardy that would be. Staying out of the Major’s path was in his best interests.
Back to more important issues. A plan, yes, he needed a plan. He gingerly patted his precious Lunite for inspiration. Will hadn’t noticed that he’d slipped one of the glowing stones from the bag the night before. Since the Terrians wanted the rocks so badly, they must have value to them. How could he exploit that?
The Terrians seemed a rather primitive species. Most likely they lacked space travel technology so there would be no bargaining for a ship. Yet could he negotiate with the beasts? Get them to give him whatever delicacies this wretched planet might have to offer to make his stay here more palatable?
There was that dreadful language barrier - what a royal pain. Somehow he’d rarely had to deal with that in the past. It had only become a stumbling block at this cursed place. All the more reason to leave. He’d have to get that tin-plated ninny working on decoding the language right away.
Then again, were they really marooned here? All that talk about the astrogator being damaged beyond repair might simply be the Major grandstanding for attention. What better way to impress Judy than by seeming to do the impossible?
An alternative universe? Utter nonsense.
“You missed out on a lovely visit at the Eden Advance camp. “ Maureen entered his room. “Are you ready for supper?”
Sitting up straighter on his bunk, he replied, “My dear woman, I’m simply famished.”
“Dr. Smith,” her tone had drastically changed. She’d seen his Lunite sample.
“Oh, this? It’s nothing, really,” he tried to move the sample behind his back.
“We have to tell Eden Advance about this. Right away. No wonder they still can’t talk with the Terrians.”
“Can’t we do it tomorrow?” He yawned. “I’ve had such a busy day.”
“I think not,” was her stern response.
“But it will be dark soon,” Smith whined.
“That is not my problem. You should’ve returned this rock yesterday and you know it.”
“It’s only one rock. Where’s the harm?” He tried to justify his actions.
“Doctor Smith, can you ever look beyond yourself? We might not be able to leave this planet. We’re trying to forge a relationship with these people. One built upon mutual trust. How will they trust us if we’re not honest with them?”
Dejected, he stood.
“Can’t I have my supper first?”
“Doctor Smith,” Maureen glowered.
“But I’m hungry. Certainly you wouldn’t begrudge a man a few morsels to sustain himself?”
She didn’t budge.
“Can’t I bring someone with me? You heard Mr. Danziger talk about penal colonist and such. It could be dangerous.”
Maureen held her ground. “You need to tell Eden Advance about this. Now.”
“But it will be dark soon and I don’t know the way. What if I run into a Terrian or one of those hideous Grendler creatures?”
She sighed impatiently. Normally she wouldn’t have given such talk a second thought. Yet after nearly losing Judy and encountering the enigmatic Terrians, she was inclined to be more cautious. “This planet does seem to be more hazardous. We’ll need to discuss this with John.”
TBC
Background information for both shows at:
Earth 2
Background information http://scifijoan.livejournal.com/1122.html
Photos: http://scifijoan.livejournal.com/4272.html (Complete)
Lost in Space
Background information http://scifijoan.livejournal.com/3051.html
Photos: http://scifijoan.livejournal.com/3145.html
Previous Chapters: Chapter 1 http://scifijoan.livejournal.com/1639.html
Chapter 2 http://scifijoan.livejournal.com/2561.html
Chapter 3 http://scifijoan.livejournal.com/3563.html
Chapter 4 http://scifijoan.livejournal.com/3999.html
Chapter 5 http://scifijoan.livejournal.com/4589.html
Chapter 6: http://scifijoan.livejournal.com/4806.html
Chapter 7
Saturday August 13th
“Warning! Warning! Aliens approaching!” The Robot bellowed, red claws waving frantically in the air. Seconds later, four creatures burst out the ground. The tall tan, almost skeletal beings carried staffs glowing with electrical charge.
“Dad!” Penny cried, leaning closer to her father.
“Robot, prepare to defend,” John Robinson commanded.
“Affirmative,” the Robot replied, electrical charge coursing between his claws.
One of the Terrians began to raise his staff, the electrical charge rising in it as well.
“No! Wait! Don’t do this!” Julia rose, objecting.
“These creatures are armed and threatening my camp. I don’t intend to let them harm us,” John Robinson firmly stated.
“These are the Terrians. We’ve dealt with them before. Please, give us a chance,” Alonzo pleaded. “They’re not going to hurt any of us.”
John Robinson paused to consider. “All right.”
“John,” Maureen’s voice waivered as she shot a worried glance towards her husband.
“Stand down, Robot.”
The Robot obeyed and the Terrian lowered his staff, the charge dissipating.
Odd, garbled sounds came from the creatures.
“Didididididi.”
“Robot - can you translate?” John Robinson asked.
“Negative.”
“Alonzo - what’s going on?” Julia asked.
Alonzo closed his eyes, trying to concentrate.
Julia reminded them, “The Terrians can communicate with him on the Dream Plane.”
Perplexed, the Robinsons merely nodded.
“Something’s wrong Julia. I’m just not getting anything,” the former pilot rubbed his temples.
“That might be because the Dream Plane is damaged,” Devon and Danziger rushed over to rejoin the group.
“What are you talking about?” Alonzo asked.
“The other night, Uly told me that the Terrians claimed the Dream Plane in this area was damaged. I wasn’t sure whether to believe him or not,” Devon explained.
John Robinson was getting frustrated. “What’s going on here? What do these Terrians want? What does this ‘Dream Plane’ have to do with us?”
One of the Terrians stepped closer to Dr. Smith.
“Now I’m beginning to understand,” John Robinson said. Turning to the older man, he asked, “What did you do?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Dr. Smith feigned innocence while taking several steps back from Professor Robinson.
“Aren’t you jumping to conclusions?” Alonzo asked John.
“When it comes to Doctor Smith, I’m afraid not. Now, let’s have it. What did you do?” John Robinson demanded.
Dr. Smith continued to be evasive, now hiding behind the bulk of the Robot. “I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.”
“Perhaps Don could be more persuasive.” John suggested, knowing full well that the Major was still reeling from Smith’s involvement with Judy’s accident.
“No, no! We don’t need to bring the poor Major into this, do we?” Dr. Smith simpered.
“I think I know what they want,” Will volunteered. Turning to the Terrians, he said, “You want the glowing rocks. I’m sorry - I didn’t realize they were that important to you. I just wanted to learn more about them - to understand them. I’ll go get them.”
He and the Robot had almost cracked the code for the stones’ language. Hopefully they’d collected enough data so they could complete the project.
Dr. Smith volunteered to help Will.
As the rest of the Robinson family and members of Eden Advance waited for the two to return, Alonzo continued to try to communicate with the Terrians. But his attempts were futile.
Will returned with an insulated sack filled with the glowing stones and placed it at the feet of a Terrian.
“Careful, Will,” his mother cautioned.
“Here they are. I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
A creature took the bag. Then the Terrians vanished into the earth as quickly as they had appeared.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
“Maureen, what are you still doing up?” John Robinson closed the accordion folded door to the cabin they shared as his wife sat up in her bunk.
“I couldn’t sleep.”
He sank beside her, perching on the edge of the bunk. “That’s understandable, given the circumstances.”
“John, do you believe them? Do you think they’re right?”
“I don’t think they have any reason to deceive us. We’ve compared technologies and seen the differences. Julia even showed me the results of her assays.”
“That doesn’t necessarily mean they’re right though, does it? Couldn’t it just be a result of the difference of two hundred years? Couldn’t that account for it?”
“This alternative universe theory does seem rather fantastic. But I can’t come up with a more plausible explanation. What’s your women’s intuition telling you?” he teased.
Despite herself, she grinned. As much as her husband had ribbed her about it, her instincts had proven to be sharp time and time again. “It’s prickling all right but I don’t know. Their theory might be off or maybe….maybe I just don’t want to accept what they’re saying.”
As she’d tossed on her bunk that evening, she’d tried to reason it out logically, to examine the evidence step by step. But it all kept blurring together.
Straightening her shoulders, she asked, “John, how bad is it? How badly damaged is the astrogator?” She’d suspected that the situation was worse than her husband had let on. She needed to know realistically what their options were.
John exhaled. “I won’t lie to you. Don and I, along with Danziger and Alonzo, have worked on it for days. It’s not looking promising.”
“But we’ve come through so much before. What’s so different about now?”
“I don’t know. Maybe the ship is starting to show its age. We’ve put a lot of wear and tear on it. We can only improvise so far. We’re running out of spare parts. Danziger’s going to see if their camp has any supplies that might be adaptable but I’m not counting on anything.”
“But to leave the ship?” It made her queasy to even say it aloud. “It’s been the key to our survival. How could we last without it? It’s been the only home we’ve known for over three years.”
“That’s right.”
“We’ve survived on dozens of other planets. We’ve also dealt with hostile aliens before. Is it really all that different here?”
“So I take it you’re in favor of going it alone?” Her husband’s expression revealed that he was surprised.
Wringing her hands in frustration, “I don’t know. There’s the children to consider. What’s best for their future. Penny and Will are getting older. The fact that Penny had such a difficult time getting along with True worries me. She needs to be able to interact with children her own age. She’s been so isolated. Joining Eden Advance and eventually those other families might give her that opportunity - Will too. The two of them deserve a chance at a future with other humans in it.”
She wasn’t even going to mention her oldest daughter Judy. She’d seen how Judy had taken to Walman and it made her heart ache. She hoped it was a temporary infatuation. While she had nothing against the young man, Major West would always hold a special place in Maureen’s heart. That man had proven himself time and time again, defending their family from harm, willingly sacrificing himself for the good of others. Even if things between he and Judy didn’t work out, God forbid, Maureen would always consider Don one of her sons.
Her mind continued to weigh the pros and cons. “But then what about these so-called minor variations in our metabolisms? How will we deal with that? Perhaps the Eden Advance people can eat certain foods but they might kill us? Will we need to scrupulously test everything? “
“Like Julia said, so far we haven’t experienced any adverse effects. And they might be as minor as being lactose intolerant, per say.”
“But these types of changes, even minor ones, can have a huge impact. Look at starch and cellulose.”
John’s eyebrows rose.
“They’re both sugar polymers. Identical in every fashion except one.”
He nodded as he remembered. “Only one is held together by an alpha linkage and the other by a beta.”
“Which ultimately has an impact on the molecule’s structure. That’s why we can’t digest grass. Our enzymes won’t recognize that linkage.”
He laid a comforting hand on her knee. “Darling, while that is an excellent analogy, we have no way of anticipating what difficulties we might encounter in this respect on this planet. Judy seemed to react to the Koba toxin in a fashion similar to the Eden Advance crew. And if anything, we might be hardier. Remember what Yale said about the cold sleep experiments?”
“That’s true. But what about Will and Penny? If they eventually decide to marry a person from this universe, will they be biologically compatible? Will their children be viable?”
Her temples pounded. She leaned against her husband’s chest and he wrapped his arms about her.
She was getting way ahead of herself, worrying about these issues. But that was her job as a parent. To fully examine all the possibilities. To determine the best possible options for her family.
Her husband reminded her, “No situation is perfect. There will always be risks. Even if we had landed on Alpha Centauri as we’d originally intended, things wouldn’t necessarily have gone as we’d planned.”
“I know,” she replied.
“You make a good point about the benefits for the children. But do you realize how primitive Eden Advance’s circumstances are? Although they have more advanced technology, they’re essentially walking across this continent. No heat, no central air. No hydroponic garden or automated galley. No washing machine or clothing synthesizer. If we joined them, we’d have to leave behind many valuable pieces of equipment. Equipment up to now which has been essential to our survival. Equipment which, if abandoned, could eventually be stolen by those Grendler creatures.
“If we stayed with the ship, even if it couldn’t fly, our force field would protect us. Moving as a group, we’d be much more vulnerable. If we joined their party we’d also have no guarantee that we’d even make it to the settlement site. And even then, they might never find their missing cargo pods which have the supplies to build their community.”
“And this ‘Council’ group,” Maureen had only caught a few references but her impression was that it was a formidable force. “That’s not our fight.”
“That’s right. But if that group is as intent on dominating this planet as Danziger says, it could become ours, regardless of the option we chose.”
Weary, she closed her eyes, “I’m not making any decisions now.” She snuggled closer to her husband.
As he stroked her red locks, he reminded her, “We did commit to a mission, darling. To become pioneers. To colonize Alpha Centauri.”
Uncharacteristically glum, she sighed, “Does that even matter? Most likely, Alpha Centauri and Earth as we knew them don’t exist anymore.”
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Sunday August 14th
Judy’s heart did a familiar flip flop when she saw Don. At first he hadn’t seen her; she was seated at the outdoor dining table. His shoulders were hunched; he appeared deep in thought as he shuffled towards their camp site. When he caught sight of her, his appearance rapidly altered. Filled with renewed energy, the cadence of his steps grew quicker, his shoulders straightened. Worry lines were replaced with a broad grin as his eyes met hers.
“Hey, you’re a sight for sore eyes,” Don claimed.
“Hey,” She beamed. The dark smudges under his eyes caused a warm rush to fill her. He’d been scared. He’d missed her. He really loved her. The heady surge of emotion coursing through her reminded her of when they’d first met, years ago at Alpha Control. His rugged good looks and confident attitude had irresistibly drawn her to him.
When he reached her, he paused. At first she’d thought he was going to embrace her. She would’ve enjoyed that. Instead, he stopped and simply grasped her forearm.
“Thank God you’re okay. How long have you been awake? How ‘re you feeling?” He pulled up a stool beside her.
“Tired. But okay.”
Only a few hours ago, when she‘d finally woken, Penny had greeted her with tremendous enthusiasm and a hug that nearly took her breath away. Dad and Don had been working at the drill site most of the morning, unaware that she’d finally revived.
“It’s great to have you back. I could strangle Smith for letting this happen to you,” Don said, anger starting to build.
Judy was so pleased to see him that she could overlook his temper. Fortunately, Don also changed the subject.
“Did Maureen tell you about everything that’s happened?”
She nodded. “I feel like I’m still dreaming. It all sounds so crazy. It’s going to take a while for all this to sink in.”
More skeptically, Don said, “Well, I’m not so sure about it.”
“Why?”
“C’mon Judy, if we joined Eden Advance, they’d get to use our gear - the Chariot, the force field, our lasers… Wouldn’t they’d just love to get their hands on our ship.”
She stiffened. “And you think that’s why they‘ve been helping us?”
Had Don always been this paranoid? At one point she’d found his fierce protectiveness to be sweet. Now it felt stifling.
Slightly embarrassed, he responded. “I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t have to.” Suddenly the pleasure she’d felt upon seeing him evaporated. She was looking forward to seeing Mark Walman who was presently en route to their camp.
“We don’t need them. We’ve been fine on our own. They’re just trying to scare us with their stories about penal colonists and Z.E.P.s or…whatever they’re called.”
“It’s not about that Don.”
“We have a mission Judy. One which I take seriously.”
“Even when it’s no longer possible to achieve?”
Disgusted, she rose to return to the space ship.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
“Wow, that’s really neat. Penny! You gotta come see this.”
Will was seated on a crate by Yale, examining a holographic projection that emanated from the man’s arm. His left forearm had a cybernetic implant embedded within it.
The Robinsons had come to visit Eden Advance’s camp. His mother and father were deep in conversation with Devon, Danziger and a few others while Walman was eagerly escorting Judy about the camp. Don and Dr. Smith chose to remain behind at the Jupiter 2.
“Yale’s pretty great, isn’t he? He teaches us all our lessons,” said Uly, a young boy with curly brown hair.
“Our Robot does that for us,” Penny fondly looked toward the silver mechanical man that was standing nearby.
As they examined Yale’s projection, although there was intermittent static interference, they could clearly see a planet. Unlike G889, the oceans seemed brown. In many areas, heavy pollution clogged the atmosphere, obscuring their view of the planet’s surface.
“Wow,” Penny commented. “What planet is that? I don’t think we’ve been there.”
Yale prompted, “Are there any features that look familiar?” Turning his attention to Uly, he advised, “Don’t tell them. Give them some time.”
Both Penny and Will studied the projection.
“I would’ve remembered a system that was that badly damaged. Is this one of those worlds where people can only exist in artificial environments?” Will asked.
“Not necessarily.”
Penny’s expression froze. “It can’t be. That…that looks like the Gulf of Mexico. Or maybe I’m just projecting what I’m used to seeing?”
“No Penny. You are correct. It is the Gulf of Mexico,” Yale explained.
“But…where’s Florida?” Will asked, more closely scrutinizing the projection.
“Erosion and flooding destroyed it about a hundred years ago. California too.”
“Oh.” Tears were in Penny’s eyes. Even though it had been explained to her yesterday, seeing her world in such chaos was disturbing.
Will had a different reaction. “Can you show us more?”
“What would you like to see?”
“How about some landmarks? The Statue of Liberty?”
Will fondly remembered his parents taking the family there. The hustle and bustle of the huge city had both frightened and excited him. Although he’d only been five years old, he’d eagerly clambered to the top of the statue, leaving his sisters and parents far behind.
“Where was that now?”
Will had a sinking feeling. “New York, New York.”
“Ah, yes.” Yale produced a new holograph. Will recognized Lady Liberty’s torch and crown. But the ocean level was up to her chin.
“Oh,” Penny murmured.
“How about, how about..” Will thought, “The Grand Canyon?”
Yale produced another hologram. Familiar chasms greeted them.
“Wow,” Uly said. “That’s amazing.”
“At least that looks the same.” Penny said, relieved.
“No Penny, it’s not. Can you zoom in on the surface?” Will asked.
“Certainly.”
“What are those?” Penny asked. The rim and ground of the canyon were covered with small clusters of people, tents and equipment.
“Miners,” Yale answered. “That’s all we can get from Earth. Minerals and ores are the most valuable commodity it has to offer. The only plant life that thrives is inedible weeds. Scientists have been able to cultivate a type of seaweed that can tolerate the high pH of the oceans. It’s not very tasty, but many on Earth survive on it.”
“I don’t want to do this anymore,” Penny said.
Uly changed the subject. “Will you be joining us?” The young boy seemed excited by the prospect.
During the conversation, True had joined the group and was listening closely.
“I don’t know,” Will answered. “It’s up to Dad.”
“It wasn’t a real invitation anyway. The group didn’t vote on it,” True claimed.
“True, that’s not very nice” Yale scolded. “After all it was your father who issued the invitation. I’m sure the others will want to include your family,” he assured Will and Penny.
“Well, I hope you join us. It would be great to have another boy in the group,” Uly beamed.
True and Penny exchanged guarded glances, not sharing the same sense of anticipation.
“You know you’re not gonna run into any circus performers or giant talking carrots here. A penal colonist nearly killed all us when we first got here. Then we almost died twice from unknown diseases,” True claimed.
“True,” Yale warned.
“You’re just making that up to try to scare us,” Penny retorted.
“Am not.”
“Are too.”
“If you girls can stop bickering, maybe we can play a game of baseball?” Will looked hopefully towards Uly. “You do still play that?”
“Oh, yeah, I’ve seen holos of it. I’ve never been able to play it before,” Uly replied.
True was still annoyed. “And you still can’t, silly. We don’t have a bat and ball.”
“We do,” Will grinned. “I can run back to camp and get them.”
“Can I come too?” Uly asked.
“Sure.”
As they started walking, Uly said, “I’d better check in with my mom.”
“Okay. The Robot can come with us too. C’mon!”
The mechanical man lumbered towards them.
The two boys and the Robot crossed the Eden Advance campsite. Other than a command station comprised of stacks of computer units, the camp could’ve been from Will’s time. Multiple tents varying in size and color filled the valley, with occasional makeshift clothes lines draped with clothing. People milled about.
Perhaps they weren’t so different after all. Hadn’t they learned that with their vast encounters with aliens?
“How do you cook your meals?”
Uly explained, “We all take turns. There’s not much to them. Hey, Morgan.”
The thin man scowled at the boys and continued past muttering under his breath as he walked by, “The last thing we need is more mouths to feed…”
“Don’t worry about him. He’s weird,” Uly assured Will.
The boys passed Judy and Walman who were seated by a large pit presumably used for a communal camp fire and as a gathering space. They were laughing and talking with the black man called Baines along with another man and woman.
“How many people are in your group anyway?” Will asked.
“Fifteen. Used to be seventeen. The Commander died shortly after the crash. Ebon died a few months ago,” Uly explained.
“Gosh.”
“Hey, there’s my mom. Let’s try to catch her,” Uly lead them towards the med tent where he’d just seen Devon enter. They paused at the entrance to the tent.
“What do you mean it’s still damaged?” Devon demanded. “They gave back the sunstones.”
Obviously frustrated, Julia responded, “Alonzo isn’t getting any thing. I don’t know what’s going on. I suspect that the sunstones are a vital component of the Dream Plane so it should’ve been enough.”
Devon began to pace. “This isn’t good. We need to find out what’s going on. Could the Robinson’s drilling operation be disturbing the Terrians?”
“Devon, I just don’t know,” Julia insisted.
“We can’t let the Robinsons jeopardize our relationship with the Terrians.”
The boys stepped back.
“She seems kinda busy,” Uly apologized.
“We’ll be back before they can miss us,” Will assured him.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Dr. Smith lounged on his bunk in his cabin. A glowing orange sample of Lunite rested on some silver insulated fabric beside the crook of his arm. His mind had vacillated between utter despair that his beloved Earth no longer existed and defiant disbelief. Finally, rather than dwelling on the potentially debilitating loss of his home planet, instead he choose to scheme, trying to determine how to weasel his way off of this planet.
While he enjoyed the company of Will and the Robot, it was nice to have a quiet afternoon for a change. Normally he would’ve been thrilled to needle the Major. Obviously in a foul mood, the man had made as much noise as possible as he went about his attempts at repairing the navigation system, banging tools loudly and even swearing from time to time. The fact that Mark Walman had arrived that afternoon to escort the Robinsons to the Eden Advance camp certainly hadn’t helped matters. The Major’s jealousy was pitifully obvious.
It was sorely tempting to bait the pathetic man but after Judy’s near death experience, even Zachary Smith realized how foolhardy that would be. Staying out of the Major’s path was in his best interests.
Back to more important issues. A plan, yes, he needed a plan. He gingerly patted his precious Lunite for inspiration. Will hadn’t noticed that he’d slipped one of the glowing stones from the bag the night before. Since the Terrians wanted the rocks so badly, they must have value to them. How could he exploit that?
The Terrians seemed a rather primitive species. Most likely they lacked space travel technology so there would be no bargaining for a ship. Yet could he negotiate with the beasts? Get them to give him whatever delicacies this wretched planet might have to offer to make his stay here more palatable?
There was that dreadful language barrier - what a royal pain. Somehow he’d rarely had to deal with that in the past. It had only become a stumbling block at this cursed place. All the more reason to leave. He’d have to get that tin-plated ninny working on decoding the language right away.
Then again, were they really marooned here? All that talk about the astrogator being damaged beyond repair might simply be the Major grandstanding for attention. What better way to impress Judy than by seeming to do the impossible?
An alternative universe? Utter nonsense.
“You missed out on a lovely visit at the Eden Advance camp. “ Maureen entered his room. “Are you ready for supper?”
Sitting up straighter on his bunk, he replied, “My dear woman, I’m simply famished.”
“Dr. Smith,” her tone had drastically changed. She’d seen his Lunite sample.
“Oh, this? It’s nothing, really,” he tried to move the sample behind his back.
“We have to tell Eden Advance about this. Right away. No wonder they still can’t talk with the Terrians.”
“Can’t we do it tomorrow?” He yawned. “I’ve had such a busy day.”
“I think not,” was her stern response.
“But it will be dark soon,” Smith whined.
“That is not my problem. You should’ve returned this rock yesterday and you know it.”
“It’s only one rock. Where’s the harm?” He tried to justify his actions.
“Doctor Smith, can you ever look beyond yourself? We might not be able to leave this planet. We’re trying to forge a relationship with these people. One built upon mutual trust. How will they trust us if we’re not honest with them?”
Dejected, he stood.
“Can’t I have my supper first?”
“Doctor Smith,” Maureen glowered.
“But I’m hungry. Certainly you wouldn’t begrudge a man a few morsels to sustain himself?”
She didn’t budge.
“Can’t I bring someone with me? You heard Mr. Danziger talk about penal colonist and such. It could be dangerous.”
Maureen held her ground. “You need to tell Eden Advance about this. Now.”
“But it will be dark soon and I don’t know the way. What if I run into a Terrian or one of those hideous Grendler creatures?”
She sighed impatiently. Normally she wouldn’t have given such talk a second thought. Yet after nearly losing Judy and encountering the enigmatic Terrians, she was inclined to be more cautious. “This planet does seem to be more hazardous. We’ll need to discuss this with John.”
TBC