A/N This is a fairly long chapter. Please have some hours devoted to sitting. This is a arch I neglected to write. the scene at the end of the chapter was written in fact three years ago.

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Smith was snoring away when he lifted himself up to his feet over the sound of knocking coming from the stateroom taking a reprieve from his troublesome slumber. He came to the doorway with heavy eyes then slid it open and leaned against the threshold of the cabin with bags under his eyes leaving his arm leaning against the side of the doorway. His blurred vision adjusted to see the red head from earlier then he smiled back at the woman who was in her blue pajama wear.

"And you must be the madame of the family."

"That I am, Doctor Smith." Maureen said. "We will be on the nearest planet Takuchi Seven in two weeks."

"Oh, two weeks, how lonesome it must be in space."

"Which means, you need your measurements taken for your suit and your gloves." Maureen said.

Smith leaned against the frame briefly closing his eyes with a sigh then leaned off snapping out of it.

"I shall cooperate to the best of my ability in the measurements."

"You look like you haven't slept in weeks." Maureen said.

"I haven't had a decent night's rest in a month." Smith said. "And three weeks and a half counting this week."

"How have you been walking around looking so awake?" Maureen asked.

"Savoring every hour of rest that I got." Smith said. "It's the best that I can get under the circumstance."

"Have you been given pain relievers?" Maureen inquired.

"No." Was the reply. "I find that. . . Having drugs is lying to yourself about your state of being when it regards agony that can't be tended to." Smith said. "Even if the intention is to help." he puckered his lips. "I am trying not to lie to myself."

"I see."

"I have lied too much to myself in the last month regarding my condition." Smith said. "And I can't do that anymore."

Maureen nodded in understanding.

"You can't spend forever in that cabin, Doctor Smith."

Smith smiled back, this time bitterly, knowingly.

"I am not interested in applying to a salt to a wound," Smith said. "Madame."

"You are not salt to us." Maureen said.

"And I am not interested in the slightest of establishing bonds that I will break with your children when it comes to my timely and dignified exit."

"You will find that difficult to do." Maureen said.

"Difficult?" Smith's eyes flashed open.

Maureen smiled, tiredly, that turned into a smirk.

"Very." Maureen said.

Smith scowled.

"I'll prove you wrong." Smith replied.

"How?" Maureen said. "You can't tolerate being alone. It drives you miserable. I have spent three years in space with your counterpart." Smith listened intently to what she had to say. "And you can't sit there stewing for hours without eating or using the restroom."

"I have been meditating the last few days away during this journey and taking the left over food." Smith said then he grinned, broadly. "So, yes, I can pull this off until this ship is planet side."

"Is being alone worth putting yourself through this?" Maureen asked, concerned.

Smith grimaced looking aside then back down toward Maureen.

"Given the extraordinary circumstance I am under and the opportunity to have a choice in keeping people away from me instead of not having the choice and someone having making that for me, it's worth it to me." Then he reminded. "I am not going to stay long, madame. That is a simple fact."

"How long do you feel that you'll stay?" Maureen asked.

"It could be anywhere from one month three months if I itch the wound on a daily basis." Smith replied. "It could be six months to eight months. If I am fortunate not to itch my already delicate back."

Maureen smiled back toward the older man in a way that was fond and sad at the same time.

"Will you let me measure you?" Maureen asked, holding a tape and a notepad with a pen underneath the plastic bars.

"Yes." Smith said. "Madame. This may be the only time I wear the suit. I don't see the point in having one."

"If you like to keep yourself looking dignified and civilized then you need to wear something other than that." Maureen said. "If you like to look good before you walk into the arms of Death."

Smith leaned his arm off the threshold then stood up erect.

"Wherever you like to do the measurements is fine by me." Smith said.

"In the center of the residential deck." Maureen said.

The man moved as she asked then held his hands in his lap.

"Will is on shift with John on the bridge." Maureen said. "Did they share shifts like that where you're from?"

"No." Smith said. "They spent those shifts doing other things; the children participating in classes with the women, lunch break was the children's early shifts, and the night shift was capped at five hours for them instead of the usual eight hour shifts. And I indulged myself into yoga and meditation. And reading. And chess."

"Will is a good chess player."

"What, he is?"

Maureen looked toward him as she measured his arms at the baffled expression from him.

"He is." Maureen measured his pant legs then jotted down the measurement. "Who did you play chess with?"

"You'll laugh." Smith grimaced.

"Try me." Maureen measured to his ankle.

"A Blip." Smith answered.

Maureen raised herself upright, puzzled.

"A what?" Maureen asked.

"A lizard gorilla." Smith elaborated as she measured his hand then jotted down and went to his side. "More intelligent than what they appeared. Knocked their pieces off the chess board but over time, they got better manipulating the delicate board and I went on to teach her to say other words asides to pretty girl, pretty woman, pretty boy, pretty man. It gets mundane after awhile hearing only that so I expanded their vocabulary."

Maureen looked on in concern.

"Did Will play chess with you, Doctor Smith?" Maureen asked.

Smith turned toward her then lifted a brow.

"No." Smith said as he lowered his brow. "Was he supposed to?"

"And the other children?" Maureen asked.

"No." Smith was the one who grew more concerned. "Is something the way it wasn't where I am from?"

"Yes."

Maureen went over to his left side then measured and jotted down on the paper measuring his arm. Smith looked away perplexed by the answer. She did the same measuring on the other arm. Then she looked toward him.

"Our worlds are very different, madame." Smith said. "Mine is darker than you think it is."

"I have your measurements down, Doctor Smith."

"Thank you." Smith said. "As time goes on, madame, you will need to perform more measurements."

"Will you let me?" Maureen asked.

"It depends on the situation." Smith said.

"Doctor Smith, answer my question." Maureen said.

"It all depends if I stay living in your ship." Smith clarified. "May I go, now, madame?"

"You may."

Smith summoned a fake smile then retreated into his cabin and Maureen heard snoring not that long after. Maureen went to the uniform synthesizer and typed the numbers in to the machine. Maureen went up the deck keeping herself composed as the facts of the dark place that Smith came from threatened to break her apart. The door closed behind her as John and Will stopped laughing then turned their gaze on to Maureen.

"What did you get out of him?" John asked.

///////////////////////////////////////

It was early in the morning when the new uniform was slipped in and Smith put aside his clothing from the place that he had arrived.

Maureen wished that she could say that she was surprised to find the old uniform rolled out in several military style rolls a minute after.

She wasn't and the fact broke her heart.

////////////////////////////////////////

"Mommy, when is Doctor Smith going to come out of his cabin?" Penny asked, handing Don a cup of coffee from the tray the following morning.

"Not until we are planet side, Penny." Maureen said.

"He moves like a cryptid." Penny said. "He moves when no one is looking."

"I wonder where he picked that up." John said.

"Earth." Maureen said. "The kind of Earth that we are not familiar to."

"What kind of people are we there?" John asked. "Knowing that he did sabotage Robot."

"We would have been this way at first to him." Maureen said.

"But, not for a entire month on the Jupiter 2 in space." John said.

"Not for a entire month." Maureen agreed with a short nod and so did the girls.

"For starters, if he thinks that he can last for two weeks without talking to people." Don said. "Let him."

"I bet he can last only two more days." Judy said.

"Two solid days." Don said. "I bet three hours."

"Four more days." Penny chimed in.

"John?" Maureen asked.

"One hour." John said.

"I bet a minute." Maureen said.

From Smith's stateroom that he was in, he approached the door then he paused over a moment of reflection. He lowered his hand and turned away from the door walking away from it. He sat down to the floor and crossed his legs then proceeded to meditate.

He submerged himself into a ocean of relaxation that went over the noise of the agony leaving it in the background. He proceeded to smile in a state of tranquility then relived long and precious worth while memories. Memories that he could allow in the walls that he were erecting between him and the outside world. Memories of better times were all that he had left.

///////////////////////////////////////////////

One day, the Jupiter 2 flung forward shoving everyone forward. Smith was flung off his bed landing to the side of the wall with a hard smack. And he was out like a light that had been flicked. He had the distinct feeling that he was dragged out of his cell and his head was throbbing.

He lowered his head observing the walls were pitch black and the only highlight of the path ahead were bright carpetting. Smith was chucked into a room then landed to his back with a high pitch yelp. Then, after awhile, as the sounds of chaos and footsteps moving around him ceased; Smith groaned.

"Like some help, Doctor Smith?" Robot's voice came from beside him.

"Never from the likes of you, mechanical noisy booby."

Smith lifted himself up to his feet swatting away Robot's red painted claw and flung himself to the corner of the small room.

"Will, are you okay?" Robot asked.

Will was on the ground slumped in a small corner.

"He has head trauma. He will be fine."

"You haven't even touched him."

"I have EYES!" Smith shot back. "Injury to the head. Phaser blast? Laser blast? Not sure. He will come to." He shook his hand. "I don't need to touch him."

"Doctor Smith, you are not building walls around people around you but physical contact and I am not sure that is good. Either."

Smith rolled his eyes.

"Touching means caring and I don't want to care. It will only hurt. And I am tired of hurting others as I reach the end of my existence."

Robot whirred toward Smith.

"Don't you count as hurting?" Robot asked, confused.

Smith shook his head.

"I am not hurting myself." Smith said. "I am sparing myself of the hurt."

Robot fell silent as his helmet klunk down.

"Putting it that way . . ." Robot said. "That is self-preservation."

///////////////////////////

Will slowly came to over the sound of boots pacing back and forth with a whine and small but tiny 'ow, ow, ow's that drew attention off from his aching head. His eyes adjusted to the darkness in the room. Robot came to the boy's side then helped him up to his feet. His shiny spacesuit was the one matter that made the older man stand out against the darkness.

"Are you okay, Doctor Smith?"

"I am fine."

"You still have a nasty gash on your head."

"I healed faster in my native world. Delayed healing here." Smith shrugged. "No clue why."

Smith resumed pacing back and forth.

"Why don't you sit down?"

"No."

"You're making me ency."

"Great! You SHOULD BE!"

"It doesn't have to be ency."

Will picked up a pipe then proceeded to strike the wall feeling searching for a weak point. Smith smacked his ears and settled in the corner of the room with a wince shrinking until he were crouched over appearing to be child-like. Robot remained in the center of the room that was ten feet wide and rectangular in nature littered with engineering and construction equipment that Will tripped over and the pipe fell to the ground with a clatter. Smith winced as the noise echoed in his ear drums.

"I hate children."

"Why?" Will looked toward the older man.

"Because they never listen to the adults in the room and are disorderly."

"I am not a kid, Doctor Smith." Will frowned. "I am a man."

Smith rolled his eyes, hard, facing the ceiling, cupping the side of his face with one hand.

"Don't play that card with me, child." Smith seethed back. "Just because you have been in space for. . "

"Three years." Will said.

"Does not give you any meaning of being called adult in the mind!" Smith tapped on his head.

"But it's true." Will argued.

"I am not the same man who died back there in space." Smith replied.

"Yes—" Robot bobbed his helm up in alarm. "You are!"

Smith turned toward the machine then argued back as he stood up to his feet and approached him.

"Are not!"

"Are too!"

Will stood there for a hour figuring out a comeback that would bring the man to allowing him to come into his life. And with each retort that was thrown back at the other, Smith was getting furious. Smith marched off then Robot did the same and when they returned; they were each holding a pipe of some sorts in their hands and claws.

"Listen!" Will got in between them and put his hands on them.

"Out of the way." Smith said.

"No one would get stuck in a conversation with Robot stuck on repeat and get something to destroy him after a conversation on loop without interruption!"

"I would!" Smith argued.

"So would HE!" Robot roared. "You are in deep denial that you are anything like him and you are! Despite being found out! Despite being infected! Despite discovering what you are becoming-"

"DESPITE what I am becoming?" Smith raised his voice. "No, a old man wouldn't fear himself as a monster; he would fear the monster and try to prevent becoming it at EVERY. CHANCE. THAT. HE. HAD!"

"I mean, no one except the older you would argue with Robot and try to hurt him!" Will said. "Last time he had this conversation on loop; he got a pick axe and tried to kill him in the beginning of the third year!"

Smith snarled as he turned away from Robot and dropped the pipe then covered his ears with a wince over the noise.

"I am not him and never will be." Smith said. He searched the walls, searchingly, then lowered his head taking both hands off his ears. "Heaven's, if there were a air vent then escape would be keenly possible."

Will looked up.

"Air vent!" Will said.

"How wonderful." Smith said. "That looks too small for me."

"Small enough for him." Will said.

"Which means undoubtedly that you alone can go through it." Smith said. "No, I am not helping you up." He glared toward the boy then carefully unscrewed the lid to the vent and chucked it to the ground. "The booby can do that for you."

"Doctor Smith, do you have sensitive hearing?" Will asked.

"Me? No." Smith denied. "Super hearing, yes."

"That's still sensitive hearing." Robot said.

"Is not!" Smith shot back. "Climb on him and find your so precious little fish herd."

Will looked on in pity then climbed on to Robot's chassis and slipped inside of the vent then vanished inside before Smith's eyes.

"Be careful, Will." Robot said.

"I will be." Will replied.

Smith carefully slid it back on, carefully, but quickly behind the boy set on Robot's shoulders and ducked out of view from the vent.

/////////////////////////////

"I hope Will is okay." Maureen voiced her concern.

"They took Will and Robot in a different group from what I saw," John said. "With Robot, he is better okay; he is safe."

"I can't help but feel that he isn't." Maureen said.

"Darling." John said. "We have been in space for how long?"

"A long time." Maureen said.

"And he hasn't quite died unlike Doctor Smith has." John said. "Whatever situation he is in; he has it handled."

"Handled." Maureen had a short laugh. "Didn't have those pet alien snakes of his handled."

"Remember how we found them in Judy's stateroom?" John asked.

"And all her little mice were eaten." Maureen said, fondly with a laugh and so did John.

"Judy was unhappy for the longest time." John said.

"Don's gift for her birthday was out of the box." Maureen said.

"And inventive." John admitted. "I never seen those kind of mice before in all my years."

"Mice that have lizard qualities." Maureen said.

"Mom, dad!" Came Will's voice from above.

John and Maureen looked up toward the source of the boy's voice.

"Will?" Maureen called as she stood up from the bench.

"Is that you?" John joined her side.

"Yes, sir." Will said.

"Are you hurt?"

"No," Will said.

"Will, how are the others?" John asked.

"Penny is with Debbie and she is hurt." Will reported. "Judy had a dislocated arm so Don set it but it's still hurting and Don has some burns from the collision. Doctor Smith has a gash on his head - he is still keeping himself walled off - and Robot is fine."

Maureen and John exchanged a glance then Maureen nodded back at him as John turned his attention away as he squeezed her hand.

"Son, do you know where the Jupiter 2 is?"

"Yes, sir."

"I need you to get Penny and return to the Jupiter 2 then resume the course for Takuchi Seven."

"But, dad!" Will protested.

"Judy is hurt and is in no condition to leave." John said.

"She is." Will agreed.

"That air vent isn't big enough for our heads except for you, Penny, and Debbie." Will nodded, somberly, regretful. "Leave the space pod behind and we will find our way back to you."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"Will," Maureen spoke up. "Make sure to take care of your sister. You have to be the big brother for her instead of her being the big sister."

"I will be." Will said.

"It won't be easy for her to adjust to that," Maureen said. "After taking on that role for so long for your sake but she will manage and tell her that we love her, dearly."

"I will." Will said.

"And tell her that we're proud. Every day that you can." John requested. "Go get your sister."

Will backtracked out of the tunnel then returned into the dark and Maureen fell into John's waiting embrace with a tearful sniffle.

/////////////////////////////////////

Smith stared in the dark and made out several dark figures.

They were unique in their nature looking distorted and strange, but marvelous and beautiful, hanging on in the background away from him and Robot. He slid out of his corner then approached the strangely designed humanoid beings and reached a hand out for the creature's shoulder as Robot was fast asleep behind him then he softly asked, a creature that he sensed to be in pain.

"How can I help?"

The strange creature bobbed up and turned toward him with their large yellow eyes.

"I am a doctor." Smith replied. "Are you the ones who left me here?"

The creatures shook their heads.

"What are you to them? Engineers?"

The crowd nodded.

"To what end? Repairing this vessel? The engines? From time to time? And being ignored?"

The crowd nodded without a sound.

"I see. And one of you is wounded. Are they not?"

The group revealed their wounded members.

"Oh dear." He covered his mouth, taken back, by what disaster laid below him that could only be remedied by emergency surgery and it became quite clear why the voyage had been interrupted. "This will definitely take a while. Several hours at least."

He grimaced upon the sorry sight that laid before him.

However Smith started to smile as a idea formed in his head and that smile turned to a grin.

"Say, does this have a warp drive?"

The creatures nodded.

"And star charts for the nearest lethal acidic planet?"

The creatures nodded.

"And can your employers speak English?"

They shook their heads.

"Understand it?"

They nodded and Smith's grin grew broad.

"Don, I am back."

"What is the plan?"

"Mom and dad want Penny and Debbie out."

Judy grew relieved; she didn't have to make the act of leaving Don alone. It was the most settling thought of the whole ordeal and the imagination of how pained her arm would be in during the travel through the vent was enough to draw tears at. Penny shook her head from across, fighting back tears, cradling the Bloop in her arms.

"Okay. Let's unscrew the air vent."

"I don't want to go without you." Penny cried.

Judy put her hands on the side of Penny's arms.

"You won't go without me." Judy said. "I will be there in your heart. We will see each other soon."

"Promise?" Penny asked.

"I promise." Judy said then hugged Penny for a long moment in which Penny returned the hug.

"Judy, I need some help." Don said.

Judy got on to Don's shoulder then unscrewed the air vent and within moments it was opened. Debbie the Bloop was guided into the entrance of the tunnel then afterwards was Penny with some guidance.

Judy closed the vent then watched on, listening to the sound of the muffled boots cease to become noisy and become more careful during the trek into the next part of the mission. Don put a hand on the side of the young woman's arm then she turned toward him and he smiled.

"You could have insisted to go with." Don said.

"Without you?" Judy asked, stunned.

"Without me." Don nodded.

"I can't do that in a thousand years to you." Judy said.

"What can you do, Judy?" Don asked.

"Go with you." Judy said.

"Me too."

Judy and Don hugged with small smiles of their own.

///////////////////////

"Doctor Smith, do you still have that magnetic ring?"

Smith turned toward the source of Will's voice, his eyebrows raising then lowering, course, they know.

"It's a family heirloom, William." Smith replied.

"We need that." Will said.

"For what purpose?" Smith replied.

"I need string and a small but thin piece of equipment that I can twist and twirl." Will replied.

"Ah ha! A bendy piece of metal," Smith said then searched the area for what the boy needed with his eyes on the ground and hummed. He gasped then belt down and picked up the small piece of equipment. "I found one!" And then he picked up a piece of wiring. "And a wire should do for a string."

"It would." Will agreed.

"What kind of grand plan do you have in store for your family's departure?" Smith asked.

"Penny and I are leaving." Will whispered.

"Course." Smith indulged in the boy's request and slipped over the necessary equipment as the boy asked.

"Good-bye for now, Doctor Smith. Goodbye, Robot." Will said. "And thanks."

"You're welcome."

"Good-bye, Will." Robot said.

Smith listened to the sound of the boy trudge away then go back the way that he had came. Smith turned away letting go of a sigh. His plan was going neatly as it could on the matter.

Smith clasped his hand together-and it was strange not to feel the family heirloom on the finger. If he were letting go of hope, Smith realized, it was best to let go of the idea of valuables. Smith took in a deep breath lifting his head up.

"When you're about to become the embodiment of Evil, dear Zachary, nothing small really matters in the end." Smith told himself. "Only facing it with dignity, acceptance, and open arms."

Smith walked on.

"I am ready to perform the emergency operation, dear sirs."

Smith gathered the necessary material around the room and the buckets were set in what appeared to outline operation tables.

"Operation tables, please."

Makeshift tables was assembled in a little over five minutes with several benches then the wounded and the severely traumatized but mutilated bodies from what horrid cosmic attack had left them in were put on to them.

"Let's heal them, shall we?"

Smith slid out his handkerchief from his breast pocket.

"Everything will be okay in just a few hours." Smith assured.

He slid in a thin wire inside a hole made long ago in the handkerchief then twisted the wiring around his ears and was given the necessary but improvised knitting equipment and a container for the shrapnel. Their bodies were trembling in pain with groans. Groans that Smith sympathize with. The patients were crying and clenching on to the restraints that were left over on the table.

"Give them a rag." Smith said. "Or one of you hold their hand while I fix them. They need it. These daring warriors need a helping hand."

He looked toward the machine that wheeled over him.

"What do you require, Doctor Smith?" Robot said.

"I require you to stand guard in the doorway. Whichever it is around here." Smith said. "The screaming is bound to draw attention."

"Affirmative." Robot wheeled away.

"However," Robot twirled toward Smith. "If the patient goes then I require you to electrocute them and bring them back to the land of the living."

Then he paused, glaring toward the environmental robot.

"I will do you as you so order." Robot said.

"Great." Smith said. "Might just get them a very unexpected happy family reunion."

Robot did as he was told and wheeled away to the left side of the room facing what Smith assumed to be the blocked off exit.

/////////////////////////////

Will slid the magnetic ring out of the vent and rolled it to each side of the vent with a string. The vent fell out but Will caught it before it could make a sound. Debbie was the first to fall out then bolt for the Jupiter 2 and depart into the ship. Will was the first one out of the air vent then helped Penny out and took her hand then fled into the Jupiter 2.

Will proceeded to lift the ship into the air then turn around toward the exit of the landing bay. He fired at the control bolts of the landing bay then once he saw the explosion; he set in the course and another command that sent the space pod falling out of the underside then landing with little fanfare. Penny looked on in regret toward the wall ahead of them feeling frightened and heartbroken but certainty that she would see them again.

"Hold on, Penny!"

Penny slid into the chair with Debbie in her arms and felt as the gravity pinned her against the wall as the Jupiter 2 fled out of the ship making way to the planet that was close enough to the ship. Will turned on the artificial gravity then Penny bolted for the port window and watched as the ship shrunk behind them in size. She put one hand on the window then waved at the starship.

"Goodbye, mommy, daddy, Judy, Don, Robot, Doctor Smith." Penny waved. "Say goodbye, Debbie."

"Bloop." Debbie waved at the shrinking craft.

Will let go of a heavy sigh as his hands rolled into fists.

It wasn't fair being separated from his family by walls and space.

It wasn't fair.

//////////////////

Loud and agonized screaming echoed through the air vents of the ship drew the attention of the Robinsons from their rooms gazing toward the closed vents. The screaming continued for hours as John held on tightly for Maureen and Maureen closed her eyes tuning out the sound of the screaming as did John.

The screaming continued on this way for several more hours.

The sound of bone being struck continued on for odd hours of the night-and Don was getting furious.

"When are they going to stop the torturing?" Don asked.

"Takes as long as long as it takes." Judy said.

"I can't help but wonder who is doing the screaming." Don said.

"Could it be Doctor Smith? . . ." Judy suggested.

"It doesn't sound like him." Don shook his head.

"We have never heard him scream," Judy said. "We have met some people who have screams that don't sound like themselves."

"I get the distinct feeling that his scream wouldn't be that way." Don said.

/////////////////////////////

The commanders of the vessel watched with intrigue over the older man's operation on the square television screen displaying the event happen in black and white. They were two humanoid beings dressed in sparkly green two piece uniforms with crowns that were decorated in feathers with gems that stood out between them as though the pieces were decorating a actual metal crown. They looked on in intrigue to the event playing out before their eyes as they had for the last few hours.

"He is very effective, brother."

The blonde brother, Huron, studied the man with a goatee.

"I believed Doctor Smith was a lot older with how everyone spoke of him, Yurles." Huron said.

"This is not Doctor Smith." Yurles said.

"The way that he reacts to the machine is exactly how he would react." Huron said.

"Except that is genuine anger." Yurles said.

"Something happened to him." Huron said.

"Yes, but what?" Yurles asked.

"We have to ask." Huron said.

"Once the marathon surgery is done." Yurles said.

"How long will that take?" Huron asked.

"When he falls asleep." Yurles said. "Then we interrogate him."

"Settled it is then." Huron said.

And they resumed watching attentively.

"What are we going to do about the passengers?" Yurles asked.

"They have yet to see us; we can decide thoroughly after his aid." Huron said. "After the interrogation."

"After the interrogation." Yurles said.

//////////////////

The shrieking finally stopped as the couples were slouched against the wall holding hands in their holding cells.

They raised their heads up then sighed in relief.

At least the hours of screaming were over and they had each other.

That was a thought which eased them.

////////////////////

Will kept watch as the days passed from the bridge and Penny came up taking over his shift from time to time. He took care of her just as she took care of him and it felt so wrong to be that way. They had a mother and father, alive and well, back aboard the ship that had abruptly disrupted their ideal existence.

No.

It wasn't quite idyllic.

Not with the one person they wanted out refusing to exit and interact with them.

Will changed from his old yellow and orange uniform into the new one that his mother had stitched up during the voyage to Takuchi Seven that consisted of a green, light purple, and yellow. A color arrangement that his sister seemed to follow in with her uniform being more innocent, practical, and full of more shapes.

"Will, the ship is turning away from Takuchi Seven." Penny noted one day pointing toward the radar sensors.

Will looked up toward his sister, meeting her somber expression, then looked back toward the console.

"It is just you and me." Will said. "For now."

Penny looked toward Will in a fit of worry.

"I don't know if that is at least possible to stay that way." Penny said.

"We have stayed alive in space for a very long time." Will reminded. "We got a ship and our wits and our kindness; it is possible."

"I hope they get back to us soon." Penny said.

"What does these sensors say?" Will asked. "Are they reading what I think they're reading?"

"They're heading toward a asteroid field." Penny said. "They will be there in . . ."

"In what?" Will asked. "What is the report?"

Penny squinted at the screen then back toward Will.

"Six weeks."

Will looked toward Takuchi Seven.

"They will meet us soon at the landing site." Will said. "Our ETA is four hours and thirty-three minutes. It is going to be a very bumpy ride."

"Will," Penny said. "Can't we hang out a little while?"

Will looked on toward Takuchi Seven then back toward Penny.

"We can." Will said. "If we hang around the ship a safe distance then we can pick them when they get out."

"And shield them from the attacking craft." Penny said.

"Right." Will said. "Come to their rescue for once."

"Golly," Penny said. "I am excited already."

"We can carry on the lingering for a couple weeks but then we have to land and it will have to be Takuchi Seven because after that is all the fuel we have left for." Will said. "If they are not on their way by then then we have to leave them."

"I will be okay with that." Penny said. "But, I really won't be."

"Neither would I." Will said.

Penny reached her hand out and squeezed his hand in comfort.

///////////////////

Smith took off his gloves and rolled them up into a ball then discarded them to the side and smoothed out his uniform feeling lethargic as he wandered away. The wound on his head wasn't aching as it used to from the event only a day or so ago. Had it been a day?

Smith wasn't sure with the long and tedious operation looking up and down toward the patients's colleagues to determine what part was supposed to look like what. He tripped and fell over the elongated bench with a yelp landing to his side then fell asleep instantly but light enough to be considered partially asleep.

The creatures and their fallen departed the room and the door closed behind them. Smith heard the sound of Robot announcing "Danger, danger-" then fell quiet after a electrical noise as his voice synthesizer faded. Smith was welcomed into the dark listening to the sound of footsteps headed his way as he snored away the opportunity to greet the people coming in for him.

When he awoke with sweat and a startle, he was standing in a freezing tube then looked around holding on to his hands with a tremble. He reached his hands out then felt along the tube in a moment of concern. Where was he? Who brought him here? Smith started to suspect it had to be the very same people who ordered him to be sent into the operation room.

Yurles and Huron approached the console then pressed a button. A surge of electricity sought into him then Smith sunk with a yelp to the ground hunched over as his hands rolled into fists as his forehead met the glass.

"Who are you?" Huron asked.

Smith frowned at first.

"You mean to say that you don't know who you have?" Smith asked.

"We do not." Yurles said. "You were referred to as Doctor Smith by the machine."

"I am a monster."

The brothers looked at him in disbelief then exchanged a glance with each other.

"You . . ." Yurles started. "don't look like it."

"That is because I am slowly turning into one and it's agonizing."

"Are the rumors true?" Huron asked. "That the Robinsons lost Doctor Smith?"

"Yes."

"Physically?" Huron asked.

"Yes."

"Then we will spread another rumor." Yurles said.

"I am not staying long." He grew a tired but wide smile back toward them- planting his now unrolled hands on the glass- that was dark and sinister. "It is not worth your energy, dear sirs."

"You were reborn like a changing phoenix." Huron said.

"Technically, yes." Smith replied. "But, this phoenix doesn't have a eternity."

"It has a new opportunity to grow old with them." Huron said.

"It does not." Smith argued.

"Are you or are you not a doctor?" Yurles asked.

"I am a doctor-" Smith was cut off.

"In surgery, medicine, and neurology?" Huron interjected.

"That is more of a matter of public opinion." Smith groaned in annoyance as he threw his head back unearthing a unpleseant memory of the more resurrected machine accusing him of being a quack as he built his persona for space over time. "Some people call me a quack."

"Then you are Doctor Smith." Yurles said. "You helped in the recovery of our workers."

"Suppose I did."Smith replied. "Or didn't."

"We saw you operate with our very eyes." Yurles said.

"Did you?" Smith asked.

"We recorded it!" Yurles said.

"That could have been someone else taking control of me." Smith said.

"We did not detect any of that sort!" Huron stammered.

"Oh, then," Smith said. "why not do your best scans?"

One of the brothers pressed a button then Smith smacked his back against the wall of the freezing tube with a cry. He sunk down then slouched and winced in pain then slid himself up. The brothers were quietly bickering among the other. It was a bit back and forth as they brought over material into the room that reminded him of pool toys, television props, and theatrical props. Memories of his time in drama class brought a wave of fondness.

All the while Smith lifted himself up to his feet feeling a tinge of bemusement watching them press buttons at a time then looked up with a grin. Leading aliens on a goose chase was maddening and delightful at the same time as he grew a broad grin. It was easy to stifle back laughter as the men lifted their attention up toward him with intent in their eyes. Intent that brought out concern from the older man and his grin faded.

Smith popped out of the freezing tube then in front off what appeared to be a spiderweb made of metal and restraints.

"What is that you want me to do?" Smith asked.

"Strip your uniform off and board that web." Yurles said.

"Really?" Smith rolled his brows at once.

"Really." Yurles confirmed.

Smith complied with care and slid off his boots leaving him in only a white shirt and briefs. He was handed a pair of black trousers by one of the brothers then quietly ordered to, "take your shirt off". Puzzled, he looked up toward the men then complied with a shrug. The pitch black trousers fit his lower half with two long stripes on the side that were purple and green similar to the color combination that he had entered this world.

He put the uniform among the silver space suit then climbed the web as he started to sense what they intended to do wasn't going to be pleasant. Smith grimaced but whatever this was part of was going to convince them that they had a monster being born. He shrugged it off then hooked himself into the contraption. They were going to learn.

He grinned, inwardly, at the impending humiliation they were going to put themselves into. It was going to be epic. It was going to be worth while. It was going to be worth learning just how much that he should be rid of under his request. His personal ride that was going to go faster than the Jupiter 2. His back itched badly then he winced clasping on to the restraints and leaned his back off the cold sheet of metal.

The uncomfortable feeling was going to be worth it. Worth it in so many levels that were sure and tried. It was less going to be uncomfortable than how it would be allowing himself to hang around people who had watched his counterpart die and bury him then see someone just like himself but physically younger walking about-The wonders of harm and pain to the human mind were immeasurable when it regarded grief.

A sting into his chest caused him to gasp out.

Smith saw one of the men were holding a strange pitch fork with a orange handle and several bulbs on it shaped like electronic candles.

They poked at him with it then channeled a wave of pain and he allowed a yelp to escape.

It felt as if he had been punched multiple times into that section rather than being poked at by a glowing golden ball.

There wasn't one cruel kind of agony, it occurred to Smith as it hit him that he was in a innocent version of Hell as they poked at him a third time. A pang of pain struck him as he closed his eyes leaning back against the cold and unforgiving bitter restraints keeping in the screams that wanted out.

They are young! They are arrogant! Smith reminded himself. Let them find out the hard way! Just as I did!

There was many kinds of agony.

One way was being tortured by the most innocent appealing objects and it hurt.

//////////////////

Don awoke with a startle and shook his head. He had the nightmare, again. It was just as brutal as the last one. Piloting a doomed Jupiter 2 through a never ending atmosphere with little to cushion the fall below and Judy was there with him terrified as he was. He closed his eyes shaking off the feeling of the nightmare. A feeling that haunted him for the last few days in this troubling experience.

The entire expedition crew, including Robot and Smith, weren't there. And that is what made the dream more terrifying; filled with terror, dread, and horror that the end was never going to come. And the most startling part of the horrifying dream was being awakened by a sudden massive jack in the box that struck the window. He got up to his feet then found two trays on the floor.

"Judy, wake up." Don said, softly.

"Are we getting out of here?" Judy asked.

"No, they brought us food." Don said.

Judy sighed, briefly closing her eyes, her head tilting up toward the ceiling.

"He is doing something for them aliens, again." Judy said as her eyes opened. "Wonder what they wanted from him."

Don shrugged then handed her the second tray.

"Treating us like we got dignity." Don said. "At least."

"Don," Judy frowned. "Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Don asked.

"Silence." Judy said.

"That shouldn't be concerning." Don said.

"What if you're next?" Judy asked, looking toward him with a lift of her brow.

"If I were, we would have been visited." Don said. "And you wouldn't have known I was taken."

Judy and Don ate side by side on the park bench.

///////////////////

Smith lowered his head once the torture subsided.

He was dripping in his own changed blood with warts, bruises, cracked ribs, broken bones. Smith collapsed to the ground once the restraints were allowed to let go of his figure then let out a pained gasp and relaxed to the side of the ground. He was curled to the ground facing the two men then squeezed his eyes shut bracing on to his figure with what little reserve strength that he had left. The two loomed over his fallen figure.

"First sound in hours." Huron said. "No scream."

"His dignity is strong." Yurles said.

Smith was trembling on the ground.

"Impressive." Huron said.

"Heal him." Yurles said.

Huron pressed a button then a large device was waved over Smith out of a large gray and red striped machine with black and yellow support painted material surrounding it that could have been easily a mechanical arm. It carried a a yellow long metal that waved over him then the wounds were gone. Smith slipped his hands forward bringing himself halfway up as he lifted his head up then looked up toward them.

"I. . . I. . I. . . I have done what you have asked." Smith said as he slid the articles of clothing closer to him. "You did not need to stop the Jupiter 2 for aid the way that you have done." he used a counter as his support and lifted himself up to his feet and changed into his clothing -discarding the torn pants aside - feeling lethargic and so tired. "If you had asked; they would have helped you."

"The Robinsons have a well known record of not providing that aid," Huron said.

"But, you do when you are on the bridge." Yurles said.

"It was very uncomfortable to make that decision." Huron admitted. "We could not allow our workers to die."

Smith fell to the counter then slid his side on to it then gazed up toward the two men.

"You act as if they do not exist." Smith said. "Until they get hurt."

"We do. It is the only way to make sure that they do not come to significant harm. We let them go and let them find more employment."

"Significant harm?" Smith's brows hunched together.

"We are wanted by the tribunal of justice." Yurles said. "And they are very furious at us. A simple but very messy matter."

"I see. . ." Smith said. "You are doing it to protect them. It is in their best interest."

"It is." Huron said.

"I feel you." Smith said. "However, I can tell you that they are very disgruntled."

"How can you tell from that?" Yurles asked.

A loud sound echoed through the ship and more noise echoed.

"That, my dear sirs." Smith said. "They are sabotaging the ship and burning down the bridge with you as they do not wish to have any association with you." He looked aside for a moment then lifted his gaze up as the ship shook. "It's a lot like facing the consequence for neglecting a young person in their childhood." He smiled as the ship roared. "Resentment is a very powerful force."

Their eyes flashed open.

"We have made a mistake!" Huron said.

"That you have." Smith agreed.

"I will set the ship up for a nearby planet." Huron said.

"Run, brother!" Yurles said.

"Are you going to evacuate?"

"They can get out on their own!" Yurles announced.

Smith frowned watching the men leave then sighed and lowered his mental barrier listening to the sound of the concern echoing through the ship. Fear, uncertainty, and distress. He could sense this coming from the men and the women. Feelings that he were familiar to from the millennial war. He could wait a few minutes to sit down and fall asleep; these people didn't decide to die here. Smith began to walk.

They had the will to live and the desire to see another day. He walked forward out of the room feeling internal wounds that hadn't been tended and some of the wounds on his body lingered on. It had became quite clear they had chosen only to rid of the most influencing and consciousness ridding wounds.

He followed to the noisy clickedy clack sounds coming from a certain area then lifted his mental barrier and pressed a button.

The door opened then Robot was the first to exit.

"Get out of this ship. The others will join you shortly." Smith motioned toward the corridor. "You are nearby the hangar bay."

"How close?"

"Five minutes at your rusty speed."

"Five minutes."

"You don't have the time to roll to them but I can. They are ten minutes away at your speed. Five if I run."

"I will see them there."

Robot rolled away then Smith bolted down the corridor.

////////////////////////

Don and Judy were huddled in the corner of the room holding on to each other quite tightly unsure of what to do and praying to their creator for safety. The doors flashed open crashing with a loud thud to the ground. A familiar figure came into the entrance of the doorway then Don's eyes widened at the man lacking his gloves beckoning them on.

"What is going on?" Don asked. "Did you do this?"

"Crew is rebelling against the commanders of the mission. Take two right turns, four left turns, you should be there."

"Are you coming?" Judy asked.

"No." Smith said. "This is better than a barren planet."

"How so?" Judy asked.

"I have a very good distinctive feeling that I am about to crash land somewhere very rough." Smith said, cheerfully. "Somewhere dignifying."

"You may not have a chance of having a cure where you are from, Smith." Don said. "But, when it regards to this place? There are chances all around you. All you have to do is take them. These people might be capable of helping you."

"I was once you a month ago, Major." Smith said. "I had hope. I had optimism."

"What happened?" Don asked.

And it was at that moment did Don feel his heart drop at the look coming from the older man.

"Failure after failure were my reward and people all over the spectrum of science from different worlds told me I was incurable." Smith said, bitterly. "It is particularly soul crushing."

"That would do it." Don chuckled.

"Why is that so amusing to you?" Smith asked.

"Because I take you as a stubborn man, Smith." Don shook his head. "Young or old. Different or the same."

"I used to be. People change. So would you in my position." Smith said. "Now, live your petty little life."

Smith ran down the opposing way then Don followed Judy down the corridor.

////////////

"They are headed toward the nearest moon!" Penny said.

"Something doesn't smell right about this." Will said.

"They are going to be okay." Penny said.

"Funny thing is, Penny." Will said with a smile. "I get the distinct feeling that you are right!"

Penny looked toward Will and for the first time in several days there was a familiar happy and bright smile coming from his older sister.

"How long will we meet up with the craft?" Penny asked.

"Five minutes." Will said. "They are going to be out of there at any moment."

"Any moment!" Penny said. "I will get the medical kits ready."

Penny went down the decks on the elevator car and vanished behind Will as he watched the ship approach.

All the while sensing they were going to be lacking a passenger or two.

/////////

"Judy!" Don cried as they were being divided by the crowd of aliens fleeing through the corridors of the ship in the throes of ruins.

"Don!"

Judy reached a hand out as she was taken further and further from him.

"Judy!"

Don fought against the crowd and wiggled his way through it after her.

"Don!"

And he saw her grow distant.

"I will see you at the evac site!" Don said. "Wait for me and the others there!"

"Don!" Judy cried as he was a distant figure. "Doon! Doooooooon!"

Don forced himself out of the crowd and ran through the corridors that were was not as full until he reached the hangar bay finding the space pod waiting with John and Maureen. He was the only one to hop in then close the door behind him.

"Don, where is Judy?" John asked.

"She is in one of the evac pods." Don said. "Last that I saw she was being drawn in their direction."

"Don, get us out of here." John said.

Don nodded then manned the console. The space pod lifted up from the ground then flew out of the doorway leading into space.

"The Jupiter 2!" Maureen said.

"He waited for us." John said, proudly.

Maureen squeezed John's hand as he shared a smile down toward her as they came closer to home.

"Space Pod to Jupiter 2, open the pod bay." Don requested,

"Jupiter 2 here," Will's high pitch voice came over the comn. "Opening the doors."

The space pod returned into the Jupiter 2 where it came inside the lower decks of the ship that was in the residential half (which it had been moved down from the bridge days before the encounter). The space pod paused once landing on the floor then John opened the door and they got out of the ship. The family went to the upper decks through the corridor and into the bridge. Penny stood up erect then grew a smile and charged toward her parents as did Will. The parents caught them respectively in their arms, smiling, grinning.

Don came to the front half of the ship and looked on watching the craft hurl toward the moon as dozens of evac pods departed out of the ship.

Suddenly, the front half of the ship exited the back end then flew away leaving the damaged half falling.

There was silence on the bridge watching it unfold.

///////////////

Judy collapsed once hitting the floor of the empty corridor after several minutes of being dragged through the ship by the crowd.

The halls were cleared to her eyes then she got up to her feet over the sounds of the ship exploding and trembling all at once.

"Don?" Judy called. "Don?"

She thrust herself forward then searched through the ship as the ceiling was giving out above her.

"Don?" She looked around, frightened, placing a hand on the dark wall.

She wandered through the tunnel going further and further below that she came down to a lab hearing a familiar snore from ahead of her.

"Doctor Smith?"

Judy entered the lab and found the man in the freezing tube resting against his side with his elbow leaned against the wall. He abruptly awoke then his bright blue eyes flashed open staring down upon her in confusion, shock, blinking until that he were sure that she was standing there in the flesh. He started to bolt down the stairs but the ship trembled and Judy was knocked to the ground landing to her feet as the ceiling fell apart.

Judy screamed, shielding herself, squeezing her eyes shut for the inevitable. Smith maser beamed over to her side then guided her into a freezing booth. He stood on the tips of his toes then flashed his hand up from side to side over the diamonds and the door closed on him between him and her.

It was done in a matter of seconds and there was little time to react. Only to stare in confusion, bewilderment, shock at the chain of events. And Smith grew a smile at the result as he backed away. All as the lights in the room turned off with a loud groan escaping from the ship that was high pitched and moaning like.

The sound that only a creature from the sea could muster.

Judy was flung to the side where she hit her head against a support beam then she was out for the rest of the crash.

////////

Judy awoke with a throbbing head and halfway out of the freezing booth with sharp pain coming from her skull. The booth had been destroyed beyond repair by the crash but it had protected her as it was built to do. Judy lowered her hand then blinked staring down it noting how it was covered in a layer of blood. She lifted herself up then wiped the blood on her thigh and looked through the wreckage searching for survivors.

She looked on ahead spotting there was a planet in the distance. Takuchi Seven, Judy assumed, trudging herself forward. That was the nearest planet by far despite by several light years. She was alone and that frightened her. She was disoriented but pained, her eyes stung by tears (or was it blood? She wasn't quite sure) as she trudged forward seeking for shelter or some aid. Groaning? It's not mine.

Judy saw a stash of pipes and metal sticking around similar to a chapel over the sound of groaning coming from what remained of a corridor of the ship. Judy's alarm bells rang as she bolted toward it then looked over the chapel of junk looming above and in him. She knelt down then picked up a handful of sand and rubbed it along her palm then looked on spotting the corridor were shrinking below her.

Her eyes widened then she came to where his head was exposed. She peered in searching for the source of his wounds inside the dark corridor. With that determined and figured out, she went over to the pieces of the craft then yanked it out one by one. After making the opening of the shelter more apparent, she grabbed him by the ankles then yanked him out of the wreckage. She set Smith under a shade made by several pieces of junk on hard ground made by the wreckage as she stared on toward the blue sky.

///////////////////

"Estimated time of arrival to the moon?" John asked.

"Using the space pod that would be four hours." Don said.

"And using the Jupiter 2?"

"That would be the last of the fuel."

"Will, Maureen, I like you to take over for the landing on Takuchi Seven while we got down there and get Judy." John said. "Think you can do that?"

"We can do that." Maureen said.

Penny handed Don the medical equipment as he got up to his feet.

"I put some equipment in the tool case for you." Penny said. "Should heal the wound up quickly."

"It will." Don said. "Thanks, Penny."

The men went down to the lower decks as Maureen settled into the pilot seat then watched as the planet that they would call home for a little bit came closer to the Jupiter 2. Before, they went into the space pod, the men went into the bathroom one after the other then went to the space pod, relieved. They exited the underside of the Jupiter 2 making it's way to the moon that rested ahead of it.

///////////////////

"OOoh, aren't you afraid they are going to do what they did?"

The voice echoed through the dark landscape of the barren, gloomy, and foggy forest.

"Only worse then the Robinsons. Can you believe it? Abandoning you to people who want you alive?"

Smith ran through the landscape.

"It is not as if you want to become a test subject and the source of more discomfort."

Smith slid down a ravine then leaped on to a ledge and climbed up listening to the sound of insect shrieking behind him.

"Being alive is worse than death. Suffering, agony, misery."

The voice that Smith mentally replaced in a memory, his own but older, echoed through the forest.

"The heartbreak, disgust, and shambles of a bridge dangling like a dinky little fire extinguisher clattering against a pipe repeatedly hooked to a chain. It would linger on longer than what you wanted."

Smith ran toward the cabin then he was knocked down to his knees by a claw that dug into his wound and he let go of a shriek.

"Oh, the pain. The pain. How very unnecessary."

His counterpart lowered down to his level.

"Stop running away from yourself, ninny!"

Smith dug into the soil being consumed by the terror as he stared on toward the cabin with a orange light peeking out of the window.

"Call me Monster Smith!"

He dug his toes into the ground.

"Call me Spider Smith for all I care!"

He felt a hand grasp on to his shoulder.

"But, my dear Zachary, you must face up to what you are being reborn as; what you truly are!"

Smith was flipped over on to his back and he shielded his eyes with a shriek.

//////////////////////////////

"That is not what I am!"

Smith bolted awake, panting, terrified then relaxed but leaned forward at the feeling his back being sore and his entire body felt sore and stung. He looked around the area searching for source of reprieve from the pain but only Judy standing to her feet alongside the shelter. Judy turned toward Smith as he stopped groaning and she smiled back down toward him with one hand on the support beam to the shelter.

"I rescued you from sinking and being pinned by pipes, Doctor Smith." Judy said. "I am a woman of many things but that wasn't dignifying way to go. I couldn't leave you to go that way."

"If I asked you to let me die that way, against your own wishes, would you have done it?"

"I would have." Judy said, sincerely.

Smith stared at her for a long moment as though determining if she were being truthful with a squint then his eyes relaxed.

"Last time that happened, I was allowed to get myself out of there."

"On your own?"

"On my own."

"Will wasn't there?"

"Not at all."

"You must really be from the anti-matter world."

"I was stuck that way for hours at a time. And they left me be. It was a crash site. I had no part in it, I wasn't the hero or the villain; I was the bystander to the Robinsons's story. I was a play toy to the beings that were chasing us in the last leg of the journey."

Smith carried the tone, softly.

"Thrown, played with, decorated, dressed, and chased." Smith said. Judy struggled to stifle back a laugh, covering her mouth, trying her best not to laugh at the image of the older man dressed for tea time. "It was a nice socializing experience that amused me."

Smith smiled, a little, at the experience.

"It mended my heart a little to be cared for by a small alien child calling me endearing words. But, it was a dismal experience for the pros that outweighed it."

"Your heart was broken?"

"I was there for two days. No one came for me. They had William, Doctor Robinson, Penelope, and the small Blarp." Smith said. "Really told me they believed that I was already a monster that didn't need any rescuing and lethal to them. Suffice to say, I had my ears peered out listening for their voices hoping they would come to my rescue. They discussed me. But, they voted against it."

Judy looked on in horror as he retold in the sincere tone.

"How long ago did that happen?" Judy asked.

"Before the Galgaran event." Smith replied. "Two days before."

"I see why you have those walls up now." Judy said. "We really hurt you."

"You did." Smith said. "Don't tell your family about this tale. I sense that it would only draw their pity. It is not a story to rehash lightly."

"You think you are helping us when you're not helping us," Judy said. "It hurts, Doctor Smith."

"How does it hurt?" Smith asked.

"It hurts in the heart. And if you really cared about leaving us not in pain then you would help us."

"How can I help when your family is in pain that I can't fix? Really, child. You think that I can fix everything? Heal relationships? Heal minds? Heal guilt? Not just bodies? I can't fix that. You have to do that if you're willing to and none of you have entered my stateroom to talk about it."

"Because you have a wall up." Judy said. "That does stop someone from going on."

"Oh?" Smith's face began to darken. "And you think that stops immigrants seeking for a better life?"

His words were sharp as he glared toward her.

"They go above them, over them, underneath them, and drill through them." Smith went on. "You couldn't face me, either." He pointed toward Judy. "And I had a perfect reason not to face your and your family." then he curled his finger against his palm. "You have none."

"Why do you suppose I haven't?"

"Because you're afraid of seeing how ugly and dark that your friend might have been at my age."

Judy looked at him, curiously.

"And why are you refusing to hang out with my family?"

Smith sighed.

"I am uncomfortable being around your family because of high expectations, the pain they must be in, and expected to be someone that I am not. I am not. Never will be." Smith admitted. "I have little faith and trust in your family from everything they put me through. Never mind, these things took place long after MY attempts to be cured and sent home."

"He wouldn't be gone if I hadn't. . ." Judy struggled with her words. "If I hadn't let him go as a friend and a listening ear. I can't. . . some days. . . I can't believe I did what I did and it makes my chest ache." Smith frowned at her reply. "There are things I did that lead to his untimely end."

Smith grew concerned and intrigued.

"What did you do?"

He leaned forward.

"I feel that if I start crying then I would become a waterfall." Judy said. "That the algae would take on the form of my hair, that the rocks would turn to my skin, and the small pool of water would be around me wherever I go." She wiped her tears off with her sleeve then started to sob. "I decided his fate as soon as I. . . as soon as I. . . as soon as I. . ."

"You're not ready to talk about it, Judith."

Judy looked toward him, distressed, pained, her hands rolling into fists.

"I want to!"

"I know you do." Smith said.

"I really want to," Judy sniffled.

"That is guilt." Smith acknowledged. "Are you meaning to tell me everyone had a hand in it?"

"Our actions did." Judy said. "We didn't know. We didn't know we were making the wrong decisions. We should have. . . we should have. . . . we should have known."

"Oh, look there is a ride." Smith brought himself up to his feet cupping his waist wound. "Must be the princes."

"Princes?" Judy asked.

"They dress that way." Smith admitted.

The back end of the craft lowered then the two men exited and Smith approached them.

"I want to die as myself. As a man." Smith said. "Can you help me?"

Yurles and Huron paused exchanging a glance with each other then nodded turning their attention upon Smith.

"We can."

"I understand your inability to help me-" He started to rush his words but he were cut off.

"You mishear us, Earthling." Huron said. "We can."

"What?" Smith bobbed his head up.

"We can." Yurles said.

"You can?" Smith said.

"Yes." the brothers nodded.

"When do we start?" Smith asked.

"Whenever you're ready." Yurles said.

"I am not ready right now." Smith said. "This young woman needs medical attention."

"Most of our medical equipment went with the ship." Huron said.

"Then I will leave when the Jupiter 2 or the space pod arrives." Smith said. "I must be certain that my patient is in safe hands."

"And we will wait." Huron said.

Smith nodded then returned to her side and found Judy out cold leaning against the shelter. He checked her pulse then waited for time to pass by. He cleaned the blood from along her hands and face until she looked clean enough to have some dignity. His waist wound had ceased bleeding after applying pressure on to it for a few hours. And to take his mind off the nightmare.

Once he were sure that two hours had elapsed - using the shadows of the shelter - after the brothers had left, he returned to Judy's side then knelt down alongside her.

"Judith, wake up!" Smith shook her awake with one hand.

"Don?" Judy awoke, her eyes fluttering open, in alarm. "Is he here yet?"

"No, he is not here yet." Smith said, gently, shaking his head. "You have a head wound and until help arrives, I have to awake you every two hours."

"Every two hours?" Judy's brows raised at once.

"Yes." Smith nodded.

"I rather talk." Judy lowered her brows.

"Can you do that?" Smith asked, questioningly. "Can you feel that you can stay awake that long?"

"I can." Judy nodded.

"Talk to me about your friends from Earth and space." Smith said. "That will keep you awake until they get here."

Judy smiled, radiantly, her beauty untarnished by the bruises, cuts, and faint traces of blood that could only be rid of by a shower.

/////////////////////////////

"Will, Penny, go to the lower decks."

"Yes, mother." the children replied.

"And buckle up!" Maureen added.

"Will do!" Will chimed.

"As will I," Robot reported joining them at the elevator car.

The elevator car rolled down as Maureen buckled herself up and manned the console preparing for a landing. With care, against the groaning of the ship protesting against the expanded design that had to be carefully navigated down despite all the lack of weight but it was the room and additional decks that weighed upon Maureen. Maureen set the Jupiter 2 on a smooth part of the planet and set down the landing gear.

Maureen sighed, relieved, once the hard part was over.

She went down to the lower decks of the ship and was greeted by her children crashing into her.

"We have landed?"

"Very carefully." Maureen replied.

"Maureen, I detect a bed of deutronium nearby." Robot bobbed his helm up in the announcement

"Where?" Maureen said.

"Fie kilometers away." Robot replied.

"Children, let's get the gear ready and meet up with the men sooner rather than later." And the family went on.

////////////////////////

The space pod descended down to the planet across from the evacuation site.

"Let's start."

Don closed the door behind them then ran on.

"Judy?" John called. "Judy! Judy?"

"Judy!"

"Judy, are you here?"

"Judy!"

"Judy!

"JUDY!"

Don searched through the crowd looking back and forth searching for Judy. Judy was little to be seen around the landscape of the terrain as Don searcher through the evacuation pods finding little to no evidence that she had been in there. John was progressively growing irritated as the hours were passing by residing on the moon.

The drilling rig was disassembled after drilling for fuel then the Jupiter 2 departed from Takuchi Seven with the children in the lower decks. Maureen was set comfortably in the pilot's chair looking toward the sky that was beginning to get dark. It wasn't going to be long that she was going to whole again.

Her entire family being back together was a thought that comforted her.

But, as she sense, it was going to be incomplete in some respects.

She was very familiar to the feeling as it aided her in many missions.

And she trusted it.

The space pod lifted up into the sky and they flew toward the crash site. John held his hands on the handle bars of the space pod gazing out toward the terrain. His eyes spotted what few pieces of the lower half of the craft had remained as he gazed on toward the landscape. John parked the craft to a pause on a tall hill then descended down quickly with Don carrying the medical kit after him.

"Hold on, John!"

"Judy!" John called. "Judy!"

"Father!" John heard from the distance. "Father!"

"Judy!"

John ran in the direction of her voice then found Judy under a shade.

"Father!"

Smith was partially undressed from his uniform enjoying a sun tan with his arms crossed behind his head. He lifted his head up and slid the improvised sun glasses off his eyes looking toward the happy reunion of father and daughter embracing. Don joined in the reunion then shared a hug with her. Smith slid up the uniform to the outfit and slipped it up over the velcro.

John approached the older man.

"Professor, Major, the people who attacked you only wanted a doctor and they got what they wanted." Smith replied. "And in exchange, a hour ago, I found out they had star charts to the nearest extreme death planet and they can get there in a matter of days."

"Where are you going?" John asked.

"Pupis Four." The name sounded familiar to the professor. For what reason?

"Another solar system?" John asked.

"One that is close by." Smith said.

"And this planet is lifeless?" John prodded further.

"It's healing in nature." Smith replied.

"Healing?" John replied, skeptical.

"Worked for the princes." Smith replied. "Just jump in and whatever internal problem that you got or external-" he snapped his fingers then grinned as Don lifted his head up at the mention of healing then begin to smile. "it's over."

"Will will come back for you to say good-bye." John said. Smith wore a skeptical look. "Later."

"Like you would tell someone to their face that you've given up on them?" Smith asked. "Do you have the guts for that?"

"Yes." John said. "I do. Unlike the professor Robinson that you knew . . . I have the strength to say those words. However uncomfortable they are."

Smith's face soured.

"Why do I feel that you are lying to me, Professor?" Smith asked.

"I am not lying to you, Smith." John said.

"I am done being lied to. I am tired of all the lies." Smith threw his hands out then folded his arms stepping back. "Just tell me the ugly truth."

"I can't. Is that what you wanted to hear?" John asked, sharply. "Because it already hurts and those words-" John shook his head. "I never want to say them."

"It hurts you, Professor." Smith said. "Not me."

"Then what do you feel?" John asked, earning a smile from Smith and a glint in the man's eyes.

"Deeeelighted!" Smith replied.

Smith turned away then walked off as the reply that echoed in the professor's head was the in the voice of the former Smith that he had known. Instead of hurt, Smith left him in a moment of sorrowful amusement. Judy and Don went up the direction of the space pod as John looked on toward the sky that was turning dark before his eyes. His family was safe and sound on the planet that stood out against the canvas. That was all which mattered.

They went inside of the space pod then John closed the door behind him and Don lifted the craft into the sky. John repaired her wounds with the dermal regenerator then applied band-aids to the smaller wounds on her fingers that would take a short while to heal from. Her head wound was tended to as the red stood out against the blonde hair with the bone regenerator then used the dermal regenerator to repair the parts that had been injured then Judy waited for the return home.

"Hey, John."

"What is it?" John turned away from Judy.

"I detect a craft about the size of the Jupiter 2 up ahead." Don said.

"Maureen." John said. "She got the fuel for the return trip."

"We will meet up with her in one hour." Don replied. "I have missed my bed."

John grinned in return.

"So have I." John replied.

"Me too." Judy said, quietly.

The space pod floated closer to the ship.

////////////////////

"Are you ready to go?" Huron asked.

Smith shook his head.

"I like a short nap." Smith said. "I haven't slept in days."

"You are very forgiving." Huron said.

"You had to learn about my half. I am a very patient man." Smith replied. "Someone who waits until they cannot."

Huron nodded then Smith put his back on to the hammock and fell fast asleep.

"Brother, start charging the computer cells!" Huron called.

/////////////////////

"Doctor Smith is going to a planet that will heal him then he is going home." John said.

"Home?" Will asked.

"Yes." John said. "Will, if you approach him. . . He won't be welcoming for you as a friend."

"I know." Will said. "I want to say good-bye, anyway. I didn't get to say good-bye to him when he died."

"None of us did." John agreed with a sigh. "Put on a coat. It's cold out there."

"I will." Will replied.

Will went into his closet and took out his coat exited his cabin with Robot following close behind him then descended down the steps to the Jupiter 2. He took along a flashlight searching through the landscape in which the older man lurked around. It was still strange to do this alone without his old friend and he still was unable to get use to that. Will felt, he was never going to get used to it.

//////////////////////////////

Smith was back inside of the dark forest walking toward the cabin that was distant to his eyes. He was grasped by the torso then tossed aside as though he were a bag of potatoes and he hit the wall of a tree. He made a bolt for the cabin then picked up several pieces of metal and hammered them into the wall with a ferocious speed that he had used through his entire life until the room were a slick and gray room with lighting coming from the fire pit.

"You can't hide from yourself!"

And suddenly Smith was on the edge of a blanket being prepared to be thrown.

"Time to be eaten by our little spiderlings."

Smith gazed down in horror what laid beneath then his eyes flashed open.

"NO!" Smith shrieked.

He was thrown into the herd of spiders that nabbed and bit into him in hot searing pain. He screamed and struggled to get up only to find that his feet were planted in concrete. He was stuck and there was no way out. He flung the spiders off his figure in a moment of desperation, fear, disgust, and anguish.

He looked down then grasped on the edge of what had become a sidewalk then grasped it by the handle and flung it after the spider flings crushing them into pieces with a smash and smacked his back against the side walk, painfully, killing the creatures. The creature lurked in the shadows and avoided his very gaze.

His head ached as he lifted himself up then continued to smash them with the sidewalk over and over until he was yanked out of the concrete by his counterpart. He was kicked away from the ground then clawed at the floor that bounced beneath his feet and struggled to throw him off the course all too similar to a moving trampoline beneath him. He fell to his feet then was dragged forward with a shriek.

As he was dragged forward, his fingers clung on to the fabric and defiantly flung himself forward and wrapped the ground around the counterpart's head. Smith grinned after he landed to the floor. He balanced himself up to his feet watching as his counterpart struggled with the sheets that were also the landscape.

Smith scowled, looking toward the representation of the world that he had left behind in the form of Will.

The younger Will.

"Scared of a couple little spiders?" Will asked. "Aren't you part of them? Aren't you?"

Smith felt his face become heated as his heart stung.

"You had your chance to be remembered in a good light. I want nothing to do with you!" He bellowed. "NOTHING!"

He towered over the child.

"Get OUT!"

The boy shook his head.

"You should have died with your Spider brother. Not my older self."

///////////////////////////////////

"I said, out, child!" It was a shout of hurt. A plea to end a nightmare. One that went unanswered in the real world.

Smith bolted up from the hammock and flipped out landing to the ground. He groaned then lifted himself up to his feet then paced back and forth rubbing the back of his neck with heavy eyes. He came to a corner of the ship and silently wept into his hands feeling horrible in ways that he hadn't had in many years. Even though they were separated by a multiphasic barrier; the boy still found a way of hurting him.

He sensed a new arrival then lowered his hands as he stopped crying.

Smith turned in the direction of the newcomer then jumped back.

"William, what are you doing here?" Smith asked, bewildered.

"You said you weren't surprised to see me." Will lifted a brow. "Why are you surprised now?"

"Because you do things that you are not supposed to do." Smith said.

"And you are surprised that I came as my dad said I would?"

"William. Go home. I found myself a cure and intend on returning home to turn myself in to the proper authorities."

"Doctor Smith, why are you so intended on making your life so miserable after being cured?"

"Being home doesn't make it miserable. It makes me happy. And my chest wouldn't feel so heavy in the dark far from home. Even as bleak and sad as home is, it is comforting. It is predictable." Smith said. "Do you understand now, William?"

Will nodded, slowly.

"The kind of predictable that you can live with."

Smith shared a small smile to the boy.

"Yes." Smith sighed looking up toward the ship with a smile then turned toward the boy. "Tell your father I appreciate the Jupiter 2 as a ride." He leaned against the hull. "I got one right here. The ride to being human."

"I get the distinct feeling that it won't make you human and that it won't work in your favor in someone elses favor." Will said. "Trust me on this."

Smith stiffened then sighed shaking his head.

"I can't." Smith said, his mood shifting as his face darkened turning toward Will then slowly walked forward and Will stepped back as the younger man started to approach him. "You burned that bridge down with me and showed me what you truly feel about monsters. I am sure that feeling carries over to this place!"

Then Smith continued on.

"You intentionally did that and went to certain lengths not being associated to me. I get the distinct feeling that being associated to someone turning into a monster is not in your best interest? Is it not?" His brows hunched then glared arching down toward the boy in a intimidating way. "It isn't."

He turned away linking his hands behind his back then walked on.

"And you seen what I look like as a monster in the artwork that I shared." Smith droned on. "Four legs. Four arms. Spikes all over. Cannibalistic. So believe me when I say what your actions have told me;" He twirled on the heel of his feet then turned toward the boy then stretched his arms out. "That is no DOOMED person for Will Robinson to befriend!"

Smith stepped back, folding his arms, from the boy then turned away.

"You're wrong about me." Will said. "I will be there when you realize that. And I won't judge you for it."

Smith sighed, shaking his head, rolling his eyes then laughed as his figure shook flicking off a tear.

"How hysterical of you to say that, William." Smith said. "Because you won't be! You were NEVER there!"

He rubbed his forehead as he continued to laugh in hysterics.

"You knew what I was set to become and you decided what was the best course of action to take. I don't blame you for that but trying to make up for something that you cannot salvage is beyond idiotic." He turned toward the boy then walked on toward him with his hands by his side and paused glaring down upon him intimidatingly. "It's a waste of your time, energy, and breath."

Smith's hands rolled into fists.

"Things will finally go my way for once! Just this once!" Smith walked away from the boy relaxing his hands then threw them into the air then turned toward the boy with a grin. "And I will accept the consequences that I have carved for myself all too happily!"

Will took out the magnetic ring and shoved it into Smith's hand.

"I don't blame you, too. Reacting that way. That was the anti-matter Will you knew, Doctor Smith." Will said. "Not the pro-matter."

Will stepped back away from Smith with his feelings hurt.

"And I'll let you be my friend. Even a different version of my old one. Except he knows something new can't replace the original." Smith nodded in agreement with a silent sigh. "They only pale in comparison. Good-bye, Doctor Smith."

Will walked off as Smith darkly looked on watching him go down the landscape then looked down toward the ring.

Smith tossed it aside then walked away leaving it behind.

Death had little interest in identity; just in the soul. Smith reminded to himself. When it regards to where I am returning.

"Huron, Yurles, I feel best suited for the trip!" Smith announced as he vanished inside, loudly, and cheerfully.

Robot picked up the ring then watched as the craft left and he rolled away. Robot returned a few minutes after Will did carrying a chain that was connected to two items. Will finished wiping off his tears with his sleeves then embarked on the craft.

"Doctor Smith abandoned his ring." Robot said. "And I found his grandfather watch on the way back."

The children and John grew alarmed at the grandfather watch held on by a chain dangling on Robot's claw.

"I hope that Papis Four is everything that he hopes it is." Don said.

"Papis Four?" Robot bobbed his helm up. "Why is he going to Papis Four?"

"To cure himself." John said. "It is a naturally healing planet according to our hosts."

"Negative, it is not."

Everyone's attention shifted toward Robot.

"How do you know that, Robot?" Don asked.

"That planet is a planet that changes matter and horribly disfigures people, mutates them, and if possible leaves them in a fate worse than death if falling into a pool!" Robot announced. "We were there once extracting fuel. Major West and Judy once fell into a puddle by complete accident!"

"It took weeks for me to find and make a cure." Maureen said. "Even finding a viable puddle that could make the cure quick to do."

"Affirmative." Robot said.

"I completely forgot." Maureen said as Judy winced.

"So did I." Don said.

"Now that we are reminded of it," Judy said.

"And he doesn't even know." John said. "He helped them. Why would they want to pose significant harm?"

"I can only guess that he said no to something significant to them," Penny said. "Something that is pretty important to them."

"And something they are pretending to overlook." Maureen said.

"Either way, one of his troubles." Will said, bemused.

"If we take the hyper drive to Papis Four and get there before they do; we will get there on time." John said. "Before Smith finds out what a real and cruel kind of agony is all about."

"John," Don said. "You said that we don't use the hyper drive at all. Not since. . ."

"This calls for a exception." John said.

"Last time we used it; uh, we kinda got stuck in another galaxy." Don reminded. "Took us a long while to get back where we were."

"I recall that." John said. "This time we know where we are going."

"That is true." Don said. "Better than how last time was."

"And one exception that may convince Smith that we're doing it in his best interest. I don't know about the other version of us." John shook his head. "But, they weren't acting in their best interest not trying to make him be part of their family. If everyone here wants to go after him despite his treatment to us. Raise your hand."

Slowly, they rose their hands.

"Let's show him what Robinsons really are." Maureen said.

"Get to bed, then, everyone." John said. "We will be there in a few short minutes. And we will be waiting for them. Armed."

The Robinsons went into their cabins and Robot went into his assigned quarters then lowered his helm falling asleep. Don set in the coordinates then slid the leveler. He inputted a landing course into the console then made sure it landed on all four feet. Then he retired into his cabin flicking the light off on the upper deck then the lower deck fell into darkness as the waiting began.

///////////////////////////////////

"How long until we get to Papis Four?" Smith asked.

"Two days." Huron replied.

"Two days!" Smith repeated.

"Two days." Yurles confirmed.

"I have never been so excited in my LIFE!" Smith announced. "Two more days and I am pain free!"

"Yes," Huron said. "It is very exciting for the likes of you."

"Two more days and I can go home!" Smith sang. "Home! HOOMMMMEE!"

"Wish we could go home." Yurles said.

He threw his hands in the air in a moment of joy.

"The very thing I have wanted in this blasted, horrendous, dreadful time in space!" He grinned. "I am going back to Earth!"

He moon walked away from the men.

"Going back to Earth! Going back to Earth cured! Woopeeee!" he walked on away from the duo into the small section of the ship that was devoted to him as he sang. "A little sad man is going home! Home! Earth! Eaaarth!"

The men winced over his terrible singing.

"Judy, your healing scars make you look even more beautiful."

Judy was caught off guard by the older man's comment as she started to retire to her stateroom.

"You think so?" Judy asked, rubbing her shoulder. "If we make it Alpha Centauri this coming year; I don't think anyone will like these scars."

Don raised his brows then smiled looking upon her.

"Remember what I said back when we were. . . ?" Don asked.

"I make the ugly look beautiful." Judy said. "I remember it very well."

"I meant it." Don said.

"Even these cuts?" Judy patted along the distinctive shapes that were minor and hadn't been covered up.

Don nodded back.

"Because you are the most loving, kind, forgiving woman in the entire galaxy who makes anything that lands on you or changes you into a better version of itself." Don said. "You are like a powerful force that can't be wrecked, ruined, or destroyed, nor tainted. Maybe it is because you like the way you look to others and to yourself. Either way. . . "

He took a set of flowers from behind his back that appeared to have the petals cut then handed it to her.

"I got this from my personal garden I have been growing for a few weeks."

Judy smelled them then smiled lifting her attention up.

"Did you cut them by hand?" Judy asked.

"Will and Penny helped me." Don said then pointed toward the center flower. "That center row were very rowdy for me to do."

Judy snickered looking down toward the flowers but was genuinely touched.

"They are pretty. Just like me." Judy said then looked toward the major then planted a kiss on to his cheek and vanished inside taking the offered vase held out by Robot. "Good night."

Don grinned rubbing his cheek then went into his cabin feeling light as a feather.

/////////////////////

"What did the Robinsons do to you, Doctor Smith?"

Huron had gone to bed with a stomach ache so it was Yurles and Smith alone in the same room. Smith glared toward the younger man with a glare lowering his chicken leg to the plate with a clack.

"I am not that man."

"Course you are not." Yurles said. "But, why do you run away from them?"

"I can't trust them." Smith said, simply.

"Why?" Yurles prodded.

"They betrayed me." Smith said.

"Once?"

"No, time and time and time and time and time again."

"Ow." Yurles winced. "What was the final straw?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Okay." Yurles took a bite out of their meal.

"I gave them a chance. A full worth of a chance to come to my face and tell me but they didn't." Smith said. Yurles lowered the chicken leg to the table then looked toward the older man and listened intently. "Tell it to my face." Smith pointed at his chest then his fist fell on to the table. He cut up the steak on his plate, aggressively, knocking pieces of meat around the plate. "But, they were cowards and I had to make the move."

"That is not good companionship."

"Me?" Smith looked up, frowning, glaring back toward Yurles as he stiffened.

"No." Yurles shook his head. "Them."

Smith became relaxed as he leaned forward into the chair with a golden back rest then combed through his hair with a sigh and planted his fingers on his skull while his head was lowered.

"I wish it happened differently." He slipped his hands off his lowered head and leaned back into the chair. "Company would have done some good telling me that I may be turning to a monster but I am not one right now."

"That would have been good for you." Yurles agreed.

Yurles looked on nodding in agreement toward Smith and Smith stopped then picked up his half way eaten chicken leg. Smith bit into the chicken leg and cleaned it off the meat within minutes then observed the clean white bone.

"That's the part which hurts the most." Smith reflected. "A incentive of friendship? I would have stayed for that."

Smith sighed dropping the bone to the plate with his eyes lowering toward the table and shook his head.

"I wouldn't have ran away at all in the first month, first year, maybe in the later years. But, it would have certainly made a difference."

"The Robinsons wouldn't do that from what I have heard." Yurles said.

Smith's gaze shifted toward Yurles.

"They did and it happened." Smith said.

"Oh. . ."

"They rejected me." Smith said. "So, I reject them because that. They are not good company to be hopelessly lost with."

Smith grimaced then briefly shook his head then sighed lowering his gaze toward his plate of synthesized mash potatoes.

"The people who would have accepted me and made it difficult to make the decision on leaving them . . ." He took several bites out of the mash potatoes with his fork as Yurles stayed behind waiting for Smith to finish his train of thought. "People who would have made it a easier experience as my mutation mutilates me."

"People worth fighting for." Yurles said. "People who are very dear to you?"

"Precisely, my dear sir."

Smith looked up then nodded, somberly.

"Ah. Alright."

"People who make me cling on to the shred of sanity as I fall into the void." He placed his fingers along his temple leaning his elbow against the arm rest with a rueful flicker of a smile. "Now, that wouldn't have been half bad."

"I see." Yurles said. "But, you spent some time with some of them before we left. Didn't that. . . do anything significant?"

"Tells me they are hurting more than I am on the matter of my departure at the space station." Smith said. Smith paused, looking back, reflecting on the issue that he had abandoned but was intrigued by it then shook his head. "Curious matter."

Smith shrugged it off then resumed eating his dinner.

"How curious?"

Smith refused to answer as he put the dishes into the waste disposal and walked away toward the sink where he washed his hands, quietly. Smith went down the corridor leaving behind Yurles. Yurles thought it over for a moment regarding what he and his brother were about to put him through. Yurles shook his head then finished his meal in the dining room.

////////////////////

"Have you sent the radio rocket to Tauron, brother?"

Yurles came on to the bridge that morning as they approached the planet.

"Just about to." Huron said.

"This will explain away why they find his corpse on the planet after getting his DNA and testing it." Yurles said. "Even why the Robinsons are around." Huron looked toward Yurles. "Just because he left them doesn't mean they are going to let him go that easily."

"Shame that the Robinsons won't be able to exploit it to their advantage." Huron shook his head. "Makes me wonder . . . Was it that bad?"

"Leaving their company, initially." Yurles said. "And refusing to be with them? I can guess it was that bad."

"He was with them for so long." Huron said. "People who had his back and were trying to make up for what they did. And he rejects them."

"I have asked what they did, but he refuses to talk about it at full length." Yurles said. "Only mention of betrayal."

Huron pressed the button and the radio rocket fled to Tauron.

//////////////////

"Dad, the craft is here!"

It had been three days, not two in all, since Will had seen the older man. The hope of remedying the situation became all too clear in the boy's hands. John arrived then looked toward the electronic telescope to be certain that his son had seen a ship fall not one of the many meteorites that crashed in the passing hours to the planet surface. John replayed the last events that had transpired as Will made a bolt for it down the lower half of the ship and went into Judy's room then snatched a cage of mice.

Will ran out of the Jupiter 2 making a run for the distance in which the craft had vanished before his eyes making a bolt for the area with Robot lagging behind him struggling to catch up over the slick mud. It was dark out on the planet and very late when the craft had arrived. A forcefield struck Will sending him flying away landing to the ground. Robot came to a stop behind him then helped the boy up to his feet.

"Thanks, Robot."

"Force field. Non-electrical," Robot acknowledged. "This is a unique type of force field that lacks windows."

"Not the first time that we have seen forcefields like these." Will said. "But not often."

John and Don joined the group then came to a pause with Will's hand in the way. Will picked up a clump of dirt then tossed it into the air and the forcefield was outlined in all it's glory and sizzled. John's features darkened noticing how foggy it was compared to how it had been long ago when the landscape was clear and see through. It wasn't transparent but deceptive.

"The perimeter this carries over is approximately nineteen kilometers." Robot answered. "I detect Doctor Smith is disembarking the craft."

"Will, take out the mice." John ordered.

Will opened the cage then slipped the mice into his pocket over their little squeaks.

"Sorry." Will apologized.

"Robot, where are they going?" Don asked.

"The large re-matter lake." Robot replied. "Twenty kilometers away."

"Doesn't sound that far." Don said. "Sounds like walking distance."

"Sprinting distance." John said as Will bolted on ahead of them sprinting into the distance. "Will, wait for us!"

The men ran after the boy.

////////////////////////////

The forcefield lowered once they arrived to the large body of water. It bubbled before his eyes and popped as bubbles. Smith grimaced at the fall that awaited him from the edge of the landmass to the water. It reminded him of sludge in the most gross ways possible as he winced.

Instantly, he grew reluctant on walking on into the water.

It was all that he had ever wanted but the way of greeting the cure was quickly making him pause on the issue.

"Are you afraid?" Huron asked.

"Chickening out, as your species like to do, when it regards to matters of this importance?" Yurles asked.

Smith grew furious.

"That I am not!"

Smith slid his boots off then began to walk in and felt the water become smooth and light as he walked further toward the abyss. What was I thinking not going in? Smith wondered to himself. Doesn't feel as disgusting as I thought that it would be. His figure relaxed and all the tension in his figure loosened.

Never fear, the cure is here! He chanted to himself in his mind even mumbled to himself over the disgusting feeling that his feet were feeling as he went on the soil of the lake. This all came to a head when a shout caused him to freeze then scowl. Yurles and Huron turned in the direction of the shouting. Once Smith recognized the voice, he turned his back to it then proceeded to walk even further.

"Doctor Smith, wait!" Will cried, his voice carrying over the lake. "That is not a purification lake!"

Smith grunted at the comment.

"Oh, then, what is it?"

"That is a body disfigurement lake!"

Smith rolled his eyes then turned toward the boy restraining the calm rage - at first- from being lashed out.

"How unfortunate to say I can't believe you on that matter."

"Why can't you?"

"The last time you told me that. . . " Smith had a short limited pause. "It was my one chance at getting cured." He sucked in a breath then let it out: "And it turned out that there was NOTHING wrong with it and YOU KNEEEEEEEWWWWWW IT!"

And it became clear, he had been more than wronged by his counterpart; Smith had been betrayed by him. For what reason, Will was starting to feel, it wasn't for his well being or his concern. He started to suspect the true reason. A reason that broke his heart more than how his version of Smith had lost trust in him. He had done the same here, but, the other version of Will had done it intentionally. It was to suffer for getting them lost.

The anger, resentment, and distrust were all there for his eyes to see. It was agonizing to see that look on someone who bore Smith's name and his character. He hadn't seen this look of betrayal from Smith. Regarding what had happened leading to his allowed arrival, Will might as have a inkling of the similar expression that his old friend would have made if he hadn't masked over his feelings. Wronging Smith had echoed in time. And this was the worst of the potential other echoes.

Will unzipped his side pant pockets then took out two field mice from each one.

"Then I will prove it to you this time, Doctor Smith." Will said.

"Don't listen to him!" Huron said.

Will dropped the mice into the water and they landed with: Plop! Plop! And squeak! Squeak!

"Don't you know that purification water could either do the opposite of what it is intended to on something unharmed? Which is nothing."

"Look." Will pointed toward where the creatures had landed.

Smith sighed then looked toward the moving large moving balls and stepped back watching the mice come to his size as he stared at it.

"Is that a rat rabbit bear?" And Will didn't know what to say at that question.

The creature had large reflective eyes that stared at Smith.

"You look . . . strangely . . . cute." It was horrifying odd and strange to hear him compliment a monster.

It sniffed at him with the long pointy pink mouse nose.

"Like a nose boop?" Smith asked.

The creature tilted their head. The older man offered a hand out for the creature. He tapped on the nose. The creature spun their head jumping back. He stared back at it then the creature squeaked bouncing away, leaping into the air, kicking their mangled and unnatural feet into the air, their once upright ears were floppy, then resumed running alongside the counterpart into the distance.

For a single surreal moment, Smith forgot all about the agony and lack of trust with the Robinsons. He looked down toward his feet then lifted them up one at a time. His feet were different. They had shrunk and changed to that of being cat paws with his legs standing out of the ankle deep water with his ankles coated in fur. His eyes widened as saucers.

He shrieked then left Will behind snatching his boots along the lake, Smith made a run for it abandoning the boy to the site then was quietly followed by Huron. Yurles watched them flee then turned toward the boy who had followed the older man into the water.

"Why do you want him so intact after betraying him?" Yurles asked with a scowl.

"Because I care about his well being." Will said.

Will stepped aside out of Yurles line of sight as the man stepped forward. Yurles yelped then crashed into the water as John stood behind him. Yurles flopped over on to his back clenching on to his shoulder as the boy joined his father's side.

"Son, are you okay?" John asked.

"Yes, sir." Will said. "Got here in the nick of time."

"Where is Smith?" Don asked.

"Went that way with the other." Will replied.

Will pointed on ahead of him then Don ran in the direction that was directed. John looked over the edge of the lake then followed after Don with Will by his side.

Curious matter, Yurles thought lifting himself up as his features changed, the Earthling is right on that.

///////////////////

Huron chased after the older man fleeing into the dark as it started to lightly rain.

Huron and Smith ducked into the nearest tunnel to evade the rain with Smith getting ahead of them.

The men hid into the nearest tunnel at the first pat of rain on their hand and waited for the rain to stop.

Except-

"Will!"

John called out for Will watching his son go on into the distance following after the paw prints that belonged to a cat imprinted in the mud.

And Will vanished into a tunnel ahead of them.

////////////////////////

Smith tripped and fell down the hill of the cavern crashing into a large puddle then resumed running as the features of the cavern with sharp spikes standing out from top to bottom and side to side became a blur to him. He slipped down a slide that he caught in the corner of his eyes as the cavern grew darker. Smith crashed to the ground this time not landing on a puddle but instead on a flat surface and his back stung in pain then yelped. He leaped up to his feet then ran further into the cavern.

He took another slide down, this time landing down to his feet, not making a sound. Smith heaved out a sigh of relief then proceeded to walk forward among the landscape that had little sunlight pouring in to the cavern from small holes and oxygen was pouring into the tunnel. He looked around the room then trudged forward and crashed to his chest with a thud.

His heart was pounding and his instincts were screaming at him; keep running! Keep running!

And he saw a narrow tunnel ahead of him.

So he took it and wandered aimlessly.

///////////////////////

Will wandered the halls of the tunnel curiously then he was yanked into the dark and felt a laser pistol pinning into his back. Will stiffened as his heart raced and he struggled to regain control of his composure with a hard won battle becoming so still that he sent the fear running way and grew still.

"If you look at me then I am going to kill you." Huron instructed. "Is that understood?"

"Yes." Will said. "I can't help but wonder. . . What did you do to have the tribunal after you?"

"How can you possibly know?" Huron asked, flabbergasted.

"I know you wouldn't get rid of Doctor Smith without a good enough reason." Will said. "Removing a potential eyewitness is very clever of you."

"Something a child shouldn't be prodding to know of." Huron scoffed. "I need you to call out the man."

"He isn't going to answer." Will insisted.

"Your bond is at it's strongest when it is at the weakest." Huron said.

"We don't HAVE a bond!" Will shouted turning around to face Huron. "He isn't Doctor Smith that I knew! I got him killed!"

Huron looked at him, skeptically.

"And it still feels it happened yesterday!" Will said. "And it's partially my fault that he is GONE."

"Partially?" Huron asked.

"You don't know how that feels every day!"

Will lashed out at him.

"If I had only-" he shook his head at the regret looking aside then calmed and returned his gaze back at him. "That's in the past now." Will frowned at the events that happened before with a sigh. "And this time, this time, I can do right by him."

"How are you going to do right by him when you're dead?" Huron asked.

Will's eyes flashed open as it occurred to him of the situation. He stepped back then proceeded to run through the landscape of the tunnel fleeing from his would be killer. He was smaller in size compared to the older man. And suddenly, for the first time in a very long time, Will felt that he were running on risk. The adrenaline was causing him to run quickly through the corridor.

Will's mind began to wonder; if things had been different with his counterpart and Doctor Smith including himself and his Doctor Smith: they wouldn't be running alone. But, it wasn't the case. It broke his heart in two.

He could already imagine how the conversation would have gone with his friend, 'You heard what he said! He is becoming a monster, William! We have to respect his wishes!'. And Will's reply being 'Leave him and his friend to face a demise that would have left him being absorbed by the lifeforms on this planet and infect a entire planet? Doctor Smith, that is unacceptable.' with a shake of his head winning over the older man to his argument who would have pouted in return.

He wondered what his counterpart looked like. Was he short? Was he a red head? He was imagining a Will Robinson with dirty blonde hair, big curious eyes just like he did, and about a couple inches shorter in a uniform that was different. Every fiber in his being was different compared to his make up.

He started to feel that his red hair wouldn't have echoed into that anti-matter counterpart. And Smith's characteristics had echoed; different face, dark hair, bright blue eyes, long narrow face, big forehead. His characteristics were the loudest. For whatever reason, Will had no idea why that his friend had echoed and he had not.

He sprinted through the terrain then slid through the slopes along the cavern then came to a crash to the ground landing on dry land then resumed running further into the dark and ran up what felt to be a steep hill then took twists and turns.

His counterpart had pushed Smith away intentionally. But, when it came to his friend, what Will had done, wasn't intentional. He never meant for everything to go this far when it came to the older man's well being.

He went further into the cavern hearing the sound of the man's footsteps behind him then looked over spotting the look of intent on Huron's face. He turned his attention of f then became a distant specter to Huron traveling through the corridor of the cavern until the alien prince had to pause in his tracks and pant placing his hands on his knees.

Will continued to run on ahead of him taking different paths at a time.

//////////////////////////////////////

A large hand yanked Will aside tugging him into a dark tunnel once Will had rounded about a corner. Huron sped on past the small cavern then Will turned in the direction of who had been his rescuer. Will's hazel eyes flashed open in shock as the man's eyes stared down at him taking a small step back.

The alien features were not recognizable but the silver and orange-red spacesuit that had dulled over time inside the cavern with tears here and there on his joints as if he had been in the cavern far longer than Will had. The back of his head appeared as if he had a triceratops bony frill that blended in with the general theme of the cavern. He had little hair left with a slightly humanoid face that had a beak outlined by a goatee clinging to his hardened and cracked lizard skin.

"I am really sorry about what I did to you, Doctor Smith." Will said.

"You can't apologize for him." Was Smith's very human voice instead of angry chirping.

"I am not apologizing for myself." Will shook his head. "I can't ever do that for him."

"Then what are you apologizing for?" Smith asked.

"I am just sad that it happened at all." Will said.

"It's a start." Smith said after a moment. "But, if you betray me . . " His features darkened. "Then I will never let you in. Ever."

"That's alright." Will said.

"I shall return you to your family and I alone will deal with the person."

"Why can't I help?"

"You didn't help me at all." Smith said.

"What did Will do?" Will asked.

"He foiled my plan. It was his troubles that I recall trying to neutralize when they tagged behind me and Blarp." Smith said, fondly. "Never follow a lizard Gorilla and not expect it to warn it to warn companion in it's body language." He looked aside, a smile in his eyes, nostalgically. "We made quite a team."

Will was quiet for a moment.

"Did we have a friendship in the beginning?" Will asked.

"At first." Smith looked down toward the boy.

"You and Debbie never really got along." Will said.

Smith's bright blue eyes briefly flashed open then they lowered as he understood how the boy must be feeling.

"Role reversal, a bit." Smith said. "That lizard gorilla could make me laugh." His eyes fell looking back fondly rubbing the underside of his beak. "You should have seen them flicking the major away when he got too close to me. At least, when Blarp was there."

His features darkened and he grimaced at dark memories that flashed across his mind then placed his talons for hands along the boy's shoulder. Will saw how they had changed; additional fingers resembled talons and they were a substitute for claws. His sleeve cuffs were torn from hem to hem from his hands grown in size. Smith shook his head then began to forcibly walk the other way.

"Can we be friends?"

Smith sighed, annoyed.

"I prefer to spend as little time as I can around children, thank you very much."

Will frowned looking up toward the older man.

"I am not a-"

Smith rolled his eyes then grabbed the boy by the tunic and slammed himself the wall.

"If you say you are a man one more time -" he held up his index finger, now standing in front of the boy then glared him down once stepping back from Will and folded his arms looming over the boy. "-then I am throwing you into the DEEEEPPPPEEEEEEEST slide there is and never tell a soul that I shoved you down in there."

Will found that easy to picture, his father would have Don beat up Smith to reveal where in the cave system that Smith had tossed Will into. Smith would have refused. And be beaten to death promptly. But then that would have been what he wanted all along. To be spared of a agonizing change. And he would not go into self-preservation mode this time around. Not one but two Doctor Smiths dying because of Will was unacceptable.

"Okay." Will said. "If I get taller than you then will you call me a man?"

Smith sighed staring down upon the young boy.

"I am not going to stay that long." Smith said, almost quietly lowering his head.

"You didn't expect to be bitten, Doctor Smith." Will said. "Things change."

Smith lifted his head up, doubtfully, rubbing his chin with one hand.

"When you have a beard, maybe." Smith said. "I sense that you are always going to be a short person, William."

Smith walked on ahead of the child.

"Hey!" Will called. "I am going to be tall one of these days!"

Smith's stifled back a laugh as he looked down upon the boy then scowled.

"You inherited your mother's red hair so there is a feasible chance that you have inherited her height." Smith replied.

And Smith was quiet the rest of the way. It didn't feel wrong to be walking alongside Smith. It felt the kind of right that was normal. The kind of normal that Will had lost only awhile ago and hadn't felt right since the devastating loss. Smith shoved the boy out of the cavern then turned away.

"Doctor Smith, why are you going back in there?"

Smith lifted his eyes up with a sigh then shifted toward the boy with a dark look in his eyes.

"It's my unfinished business." Smith said. "He is close by." He looked toward the tunnel. "You better run along and let the adults hash it out."

"Can't I help?"

Smith shook his head.

"Doctor Smith, you know that I am going to come back anyway." Will put his hands on his hips. "What's the point in sending me away if I come back?"

"The point is you won't be alone when you return." Then Smith pointed toward the mouth of the cavern quite darkly. "Out."

"Oooh. I see." Will said. "That's your plan if it doesn't work out."

"That is the general idea." Smith replied.

"So you trust me, now?" Will asked.

"A little." Smith held his thumb and index finger close together.

Will beamed back with a nod then bolted on into the cloudless and fogless environment.

///////////////////////////////

Smith turned his back to the fleeing child facing the interior of the cavern. But a tiny little voice crept from the back of his mind: You're becoming a monster, now you look like one, how are they going to let you aboard?

He walked on further into the cavern back into the dark. His eyes seeing well into the dark. His mind jumped to the small waterfall that he had came across during the trek up the hill leading up to the exit of the cavern system only a short time ago with the boy. He looked aside thinking it over.

Will had went after me with a fact and I didn't believe him. If he were right; then maybe I am wrong about them? It was a truly disturbing thought about being wrong of what he thought of people. It challenged him with a simple question "Think you're still right in this situation?" that had been provided by life. He looked aside contemplating the question in great length then shook his head with a shudder.

Smith walked on further into the tunnel then caught the shape of the figure heading his way. He rammed himself against Huron knocking him down to his knees then resumed running. Huron grunted then lifted himself up to his feet and chased after the doctor.

"Time to die!" Huron shouted.

Smith bolted on ahead of him then came to the edge.

"Oh dear!" Smith yelped as a couple rocks fell down.

He twirled then jumped aside from Huron's path.

"Ah!" Huron screeched.

Huron almost lost his balance then turned around facing the direction of the taller man.

"Spare me!" Smith shielded himself as he got dangerously close to the edge taking a step back.

Huron lunged forward and grasped on to Smith's spacesuit then shoved him against the wall.

"No one is here to speak on your behalf, Earth man!"

Smith's eyes flashed open then calmly, with rage, began to reply.

"I have a name, undignified ninny." Smith replied with a scowl. "And it's Doctor Smith to you."

Smith smacked his forehead against Huron knocking him back.

"Owch!" Huron yelped as he grasped his forehead.

Smith forced himself off the wall as the prince was groaning then Huron turned toward him with a snarl and charged right at him. Smith stepped aside once move then grabbed on to the side of his shoulder and arm. In the next moment, Smith threw Huron aside against a boulder.

Huron screeched charging back at Smith crashing him off the edge. Huron looked down expecting to find Smith in the body of water below him. To his surprise, Huron was greeted by Smith's oddly mutated hand full of fingers that sent him staggering back rubbing at the side of his jaw.

"Ow!" Smith yelped.

Smith recoiled closing his fist and shook it.

"I will get you for that, Doctor Smith!"

Smith flung himself on to the cliff's edge. He was silent as he got himself closer to his opponent then ducked and punched him in the gut knocking the man back. Smith loomed over the man as he cracked his multiple fingers.

Huron charged back at Smith with a unexpected start and smashed him against the wall catching him by surprise. The older man yelped in alarm. Smith promptly returned the favor, grabbing hold of his figure, then smashed him against the wall of spikes leaving behind a loud crunch. Huron growled then twirled toward him, grinning, in a alarming manner that made Smith freeze.

Next Smith knew, he met the wall chest first then staggered back with adrenaline running through him. He turned toward Huron feeling as if he had been stung. Quickly, Smith acted, he shoved the man against a wall of spikes. Then he was punched at the eye then fell back to the ground as the younger man began to force himself out of the wall facing some certain difficulty.

Smith looked up toward the edge of the cliff then staggered up to his feet. He dug his fingers into the ground as he was yanked back by the ankle. Smith flopped over then kicked Huron at the face. He ran toward the cliff followed by the younger man then took a sharp left turn and threw himself to side as the sprinting man ran over the edge. Smith's fingers were dug into the small hole as he grinned waving his free hand at the falling man with a gleeful smile.

"This is your opportunity to go home, dear sir!"

"Smiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiithh!" Huron screamed.

The younger man crashed to the body of water.

"Heaven's. . . It is over." Smith sighed, relieved, clenching on to what was left of his tattered and stained uniform turning his attention off the surface beneath him.

///////////////////////////////

Smith forced himself up over the edge then crawled forward until finding a boulder and lifted himself up. He walked forward finding a gap in the wall to rest feeling tired and aching all over. He set down on to one of the spikes protruding out of the wall feeling quite lethargic with his knees relaxed and his wounds extensive.

Smith looked on spotting the waterfall and the sound of the water crashing against the surface with a soothing sound that lured Smith to the comforting dark. Darkness began to show themselves along his eyes as he sensed he were sinking into something.

And there were strange thoughts that nipped at him; rest, rest, rest, let us take you in, let us, let us, join us, join us.

It was odd to experience this then this mind came crashing down but he had no energy to open them wide. It was just like last time. Last time, all though, it was being exhausted from running through a alien ship fleeing from the creatures that wanted to do certain harm.

It was welcoming, wholesome, and kind similar to that strange ship. Smith was frightened as he fell to the abyss struggling to nab at a crevice, a sharp rock, falling, and no one was there to catch him. And the nightmares plaguing him before did not greet him as he fell further into the dark.

He watched as Huron arrive then pace back and forth searching for him as he yanked off torn pieces of his uniform with anger brewing visibly on his demeanor. Huron resembled a alien bull mixed with a tiger, a eagle, and a lion all at the same time. Huron turned his gaze where Smith was then turned his attention off. As though Huron couldn't see him. As though Smith was not there.

So Smith started to relax in the dark that felt healing and his defenses lowered. He allowed himself to fall becoming comfortable in the dark as Huron strutted on past him with a growl in the direction of the boy and Smith became certain that everything was going to be okay for the boy. It was a strong feeling that eased his thoughts and feelings on the matter that came from himself not from the cave itself.

He allowed the wholesome feeling to consume him as he fell to asleep.

The feeling that made the agony from his back be muffled.

Relaxed.

/////////////////////////////////////////

"Doctor Smith?

A voice.

"Doctor Smith, where are you?" Came a young boy's voice.

Was that . . . No, it couldn't be.

"Doctor Smith, can you come out now?" Penny's voice came to.

I must be dreaming.

"Your friends are gone and we have made something to revert you back to the way you were."

Human?

"Doctor Smith, it's safe to come out now!"

They are searching for me?

"Doctor Smith!"

Calling for me?

"Doctor Smith, it's just Penny, me, and Robot."

They want me? They want me! They want me!

He clawed out of the dark to find their shadows trailing away with Robot close behind them.

Wait for me!

Robot halted bobbing his helmet up in shock.

"I detect Doctor Smith is inside this part of the cave!" Robot announced.

"Where?" Penny asked. "On the lower levels?"

"Negative." Robot replied. "This level!"

Smith was met by the harmful pain in his back but none from his chest. Smith fell out of the wall with a thud and Robot wheeled over to him. The children chased after Robot then found the man snoring on his chest as the children held two umbrella's above them. Will looked up toward Penny then his hazel eyes flashed open as the siblings gasped. Will bolted out the exit of the cave carrying the umbrella.

"Dad! Don! We found him!"

John and Don arrived to the cavern then found the fallen man the ground. Smith was twice his size compared to how they had seen him with disfiguring qualities standing out of his torn and stained uniform that was coated in a fine film of alien blood and the man's own blood. Don knelt down and searched for wounds then looked toward the commander of the mission and shook his head.

"Strange." John said. "He has signs of being attacked. But, he lacks the wounds."

"Doctor Smith fell out of the wall." Robot reminded.

"I find that a likely situation."

Smith appeared to have bone structures sticking even what appeared to be additional feet and hands that were gnarly around his body. The man's uniform appeared to have been torn to shreds from the encounter with Huron. John and Don left then returned with a large wheelbarrow. Robot slid his arms underneath the large figure and placed him on to the center of it. Will looked on in disgust to what his friend had been directed into and pitied him for it at once.

"Let's see how much he weighs." John said. "Major, would you like to do the favor?"

Don nodded then grasped the handles of the wheelbarrow then struggled to push him forward.

"He is heavy! Won't even budge!" Don stepped aside. "He looks light."

"Robot, could you give it a try?" John asked.

"Affirmative, Professor Robinson." Robot said then slid the wheelbarrow up and towed it forward.

"Not heavy to Robot it appears." Don said with a chuckle.

"Will, Penny, tell your mother to have the stairs changed to a ramp." John said.

They kept their eyes out for Huron's and Yurles's reappearance on the way to the Jupiter 2 keeping their ears tuned for the sound of mud and grunting.

////////////////

The Jupiter 2 launched for the sky from Papis Four within the hour as Smith rested in his cabin. It was the sound of his agonized screaming that brought the idyllic mood to a halt even the alarm of the children. Smith threw himself off the bed and crashed to the floor landing on his chest.

It was Will who opened the door then looked on toward the large man who was trembling like a leaf clinging against the wall of the cabin in his sleeping bag. Will was joined by Penny and Judy at both of his sides. It was Will who sighed in relief to see nothing was wrong except the man visibly being in pain.

"Are you okay, Doctor Smith?" Penny asked.

"Course not!" Smith replied then whined. "Ahhhh! The paaain! The paaain!" Smith recoiled as he lashed out in agony. "My dellliiiicaaaaateee baaaaaaaaaaaacccck!"

Smith flipped over then fell back asleep on his side, becoming relaxed, resting.

Then he proceeded to snoring away to the amusement of the children.

Maureen inputted Smith's new measurements into the clothing synthesizer.

//////////////////////

It was almost eleven hours later did Don open the door to the colonel's room. Smith bolted half way up at the slightest sound then rubbed his forehead, yawning, loudly. Don stared at the disfiguring appearance belonging to the older man. Smith smacked his beaks together then stared on toward the major.

"What do you need?"

Don was blinking as Smith got up to his feet using the adjoining wall.

"Major, why in the heaven's are you staring at me?"

It was a slow moment before Don could answer him.

"I hadn't really taken a moment to look at your new appearance." Don replied.

"You must be disgusted." Smith said.

"No. Baffled." Don replied. "If I were disgusted, you would have heard it quite loudly." then the major snickered leaning against the wall as Smith stared back at him unable to have a clear idea of what to say next. "You look like you were part of a terrible B movie."

Smith rolled his eyes.

"Hmph, I look like a fine piece of animatronic and computer generated piece of art." Smith replied.

"Catch this."

Don chucked the rolled up uniform toward the older man.

Smith huddled in the corner of the room and shielded himself from the clothing as though it were a item.

"I didn't even throw it that hard." Don shook his head as he started to laugh.

Smith's heart was racing as he was huddled in the corner of the room staring at him with his eyes flashed open looking on him in fear.

"Why are you scared of me?" Don asked.

Don noticed the older man's body language.

Smith's body language was different when it came to him this time around. As if something had happened back there often in the other Jupiter 2 between him and the man. Smith would have recoiled in his corner standing up to his feet but not have made himself look small, frightened, and shielding himself from being hit by the roll of clothes. And he watched the man lower his defenses then face him.

"Because you're a entirely different person and completely unexpected." Smith pointed back at the door. "Out."

Curiosity satisfied, Don stepped back then closed the door behind him. Smith changed out of his torn uniform into the new uniform that fit his figure. The old uniform was tossed aside.

He looked toward the clutter of uniform left beside him that looked too small for his figure. He folded the uniform then placed it on to the counter across from him and sat down on to the bed. Shortly after, it was Judy who opened the door.

"Doctor Smith, we have a cure ready for your changed appearance." Judy announced.

"I thought you had a cure for my back?" Smith asked.

"We're still working on that." Judy said.

"Alright, this supposed cure?" He studied the woman. "Why are you without the medical equipment?"

"It has to be given differently." Judy replied coming to his side.

Judy held her hand out for the older man.

"How differently?"

"It is unexpected."

"Orally?" Smith asked, curiously, his larger hand grasped on to her hand then stood up to his feet.

"I can't say." Judy said.

Judy observed how large it was compared to her hand that almost engulfed it making it seem small. More importantly, it was as if that there were multiple people holding her smaller hand with how many fingers wrapped around her hand. Smith stood up from the bed then let go of her hand.

"When you're ready to say what you didn't do; I will be there, dear Judy." Then Smith added. "Hopefully."

Judy smiled then joined his side and beckoned Smith to follow. Smith complied, tiredly, following her into the lab. His steps were slow even quiet behind Judy. The major picked up a bucket of water then threw it forward. Smith yelped jumping back once it crashed into him.

Smith glared in the direction of the younger man. Judy started to giggle as the contents of the cure dripped off his remained heavily disfigured and mutated form.

"Well then, MAJOR." Smith said. "If you're even one, do you, even, in the slightest have a apology?"

"It worked last time with Judy and I." Don said.

"I thought it would work instantly." Judy giggled.

"Turns out we're wrong." Don shrugged as he started to laugh.

"Nice to see how thoroughly amused you are," Smith said. "But I am not."

Smith picked up the bucket on the table then splashed the water all over Don and Don stared back shell shocked as he, too, dripped.

"I will take being injected with this cure over being humiliated by you ANY DAY over your childish ways." Smith hissed in disgust then yawned walked out of the lab over Judy's giggling that turned into laughter.

Judy handed Don a towel then took out a additional one and chased after Smith fighting back her laughter only to find that very hard.

"Doctor Smith, wait." Judy handed the towel to him. "Have a towel."

"How kind of you, Judy." Smith said. "Good night."

Smith ducked into the cabin and closed the door behind him.

Robot opened the door behind the man then entered with a plate.

"Eat or I will slap this slice of blueberry pie on your face, Doctor Smith." Robot said. "I brought silverware and napkins."

"Put it on the table." Smith requested. "Unlike them, I won't let you in easily."

Robot's helm bobbed up as he turned toward the man once placing the plate as instructed.

"I accepted that when you entered our lives in this new form, Doctor Smith." Robot said. "I don't anticipate easy."

Robot wheeled out closing the door behind him as Smith scowled folding his arms.

///////////////////////

It was morning when John decided to visit the older man. John didn't know how to start the conversation. But a doorway in was better than nothing. He worked up the courage then knocked on the door. With a "Come in" John slid the door aside spotting the older man standing on his head and his feet dangling in the air appearing to have a good time with his arms and legs folded. The professor stared at the unchanged man before his eyes.

"How are you doing that?"

"Me? No idea. Part of the disfigurement of Papis Four." Smith tipped over then rolled on to his feet.

"Speaking of Papis Four . . " John started.

"I rid myself of Huron by throwing him into the waterfall." Smith cut him off. "On his way home at least."

"You are ready to be part of crew?" John asked. "After we have proven you wrong not once but twice."

"For the time being, it seems." Smith replied. "I have only one ground rule as being part of your crew," Smith held up a lone finger. "I want you to be truthful with me as I will be to you."

"We can do that." John said.

Smith's bright blue eyes narrowed toward the professor.

"I don't believe you." Smith said.

"Why not?" John asked.

Smith paced back and forth as he sucked in a breath then took a few steps away from the professor.

"I can't trust you at this moment because I had to make you to let go of the truth earlier." Smith said. Smith folded his arms with a pointed glare back at the professor. "That is obstacle enough to consider trusting you."

"The truth is more darker than you think it is. Where you're from, it's ten times darker. However innocent everything looks around you; it's not." John said. "Something that isn't worth talking about. Something we shouldn't face."

"I don't care how messy the truth is, Professor." Smith said. "I just want you to be who you identify yourself to be as does your son identify you in his heart."

Smith pointed a finger straight at the younger man then tucked his hand beneath his arm.

"And that is?" John asked.

"A kind, honest, brave man." Smith said. "Being kind to me is being truthful." Smith folded his arms. "I don't want to find out by accident that you have given up on me."

John had a moment of pause looking aside regretfully at his counterpart's actions then shifted his attention toward Smith.

"I haven't been exactly honest with you." John admitted.

"You haven't." Smith said.

"That can change." John said.

"That isn't going to be done overnight starting to trust you." Smith said.

"Takes as long as it takes." John said.

"Did my counterpart die because of his troubles or your trouble?" Smith asked.

"I don't know how to answer that because I am not sure who's trouble is it." John admitted.

"Really?" Smith lifted his eyebrows up for a moment.

"Really." John nodded.

"You're being sincere." Smith acknowledged.

"I will be." John said.

"Professor, there will come a day where I will have to leave your family and you will have to tell me that." Smith said. "Do you think you will be ready for the moment?"

"I will be." John said. "I know I will be."

"Shame, that it has to be this way." Smith said. "Exiting your family as a monster. But, it is inevitable."

"Not here." John protested.

"It is everywhere I go." Smith replied. "At least, the Doctor Smith of your company left your company as a man."

"We were fortunate for that." John said. "In a couple of days, we will be using the hyper drive and getting to Takuchi Seven."

"Professor," Smith said. "Many things are capable of changing on one planet and I fear. . ."

John lifted a brow.

"That seeing someone who is very similar in character to someone we used to call one of our own be mutated and vanish into the halls of insanity would be too much of a agony to witness."

"Yes." Smith said. "You pinned it down nicely, Professor."

"No." John shook his head as he lowered his brow, somberly. "It's not."

"Then what is your family's personal kind of agony, professor?" Smith said.

"I can't speak for them." John said. "They can speak for themselves."

"Are they the kind of people to speak their minds, professor?"

"Here, they are." John said. "I raised them to be honest. We have seen people in our long journey go down those halls of insanity." John shook his head. "It hurt us, it did." The professor reflected over the memory. "But, it wasn't agonizing."

"I take it that you have seen your family down these halls." Smith noted.

"Yes." John said. "We came out of it. We helped each other."

"Did you see him down those halls?" Smith asked.

"We never really got the chance to see him go down that corridor." John admitted.

"Did he see you go down there?" Smith's voice became softer and concerned.

"No." John said. "Smith, your first shift starts tonight --two hours after dinner-- with Will. If you prefer to be in here until then that is fine by me."

"Alright." Smith said. "I prefer to be seen as a human. The rest of your family deserve to see me with dignity."

"When you feel ready." John said. "I see that your eyebrows are coming back."

Smith's bright blue eyes lifted up then down toward the professor.

"It is working." Smith said.

"But going slower to you." John said. "Very curious. And good-morning, Smith."

Then John left the stateroom and Smith flipped on to his head then cackled balancing on his head having fun.

/////////////////////////////////////////////

It was a few hours later did Will open the door to Smith's room carrying a chess board against his side finding the older man resting on the ground performing meditation. His eyes flipped open then scowled as he got up to his feet as Will slid the chair forward and closed the door once putting it aside.

His mouth was distorted as it were in the process of changing from a beak to a human mouth. At the very moment it was a jaw that stood out with a retreating beak. And appeared to be quite painful but with little pain on the matter being felt by the change from the head. Smith's eyebrows knitted together then looked toward the boy and folded his arms.

"Why are you so determined on engaging a game with a freak of nature, abnormal creature against the laws of God, something that is bound to become a pure and livid monster, William?"

Will put the chessboard on the table including a case of what Maureen had made that evening.

"Because you have a mind right now, Doctor Smith." Will said. "Right this moment."

Will opened the lid then slid it forward.

"I do have a mind. . ." Smith agreed.

Smith peered over observing the folded napkin alongside the sandwich, sliced sausage, and french fries.

"You are a different version of a old friend of mine." Will reminded. "Someone who is in the middle of something so I figured I would make the best out of a tough situation."

Will took out the black chess pieces then slid them over to Smith's side and kept the white ones.

"How tough?" Smith prodded.

Will paused then looked up toward Smith.

"I sense. . . I sense. . . I sense that I am going to have to watch you fall apart, die before my eyes metaphorically, become a warped version of yourself that is worse than how he was." Will said. "A real shadow of my friend."

"Why do you sound like you've seen a farce shadow?" Smith asked, raising his brows.

"He did that for a long while before he died." Will said.

"Image to protect." Smith understood. "I take it that he slowly became that farce shadow instead of right off the bat."

"He did." Will stared at Smith. "Don't tell me that you did it instantly at the first chance that you got."

"Self preservation in space was my top priority." Smith said. "And desperate to get a cure."

"I watched him become what he was, not what he was before, but still himself all in all." Will said.

Smith decorated his side of the chess board.

"Psychologically, being in agony does a number to anyone's mind for long periods of time." Smith said. "Torture."

"Is it like that?" Will made the first move.

Smith tilted his head, inwardly smiled sadly, as his eyes had the same feeling.

"Right now?" Smith asked. "Yes."

"Why?"

"I am doing all that I can not to itch my back and it's something I want to do, to relieve the pain, but . . ." Smith looked aside.

"You cannot." Will finished for Smith. "I pity you."

"Exactly." Smith said as he nodded. "So do I."

Smith sighed, lowering his gaze, closing his eyes momentary.

"Never mind the pain." Smith dismissed the subject. "Focus on the game, William." Smith waved his large hand in the air. "Not on the back." he pointed toward the chess board. "Let me focus on that, my dear boy."

Will looked up from the chess board toward Smith then smiled visibly lighting up before the older man as his features softened. Smith took a french fry in one hand and proceeded to eat it as he played against the boy in the long silence that followed that was interrupted by crunching on french fries. And as time passed by, Will kept his gaze on the chess board waiting for the next move of the older man and made his own after the man made his move on the board.

Will watched his friend's hands shrink in size until there were only five fingers and a single wrist. The lizard like texture melted away into a more human look with the bumps vanishing over the last hour of the chess game. Will looked up noticing that Smith's eye looked swelled up and the man scowled.

"Did your mother teach you not to stare at people's face?"

"Doctor Smith, your eye is shrinking so quickly it looks like it is hurting your skull."

"Oh. Forgiven then." Smith said. "That is something worth staring at."

"Sure is." Will chuckled.

"This, too, shall pass." Smith made the last move and captured Will's queen. "Check and mate."

The door to the stateroom opened.

"It's your shift, Will, Smith." John said.

Will quickly gathered the chess pieces then went out as John went past the cabin. Smith stood up with some difficulty using the wall then rubbed his forehead feeling aching and lethargy weighing upon him. He used the wall as his support wandering away from the room.

The itching was nagging him. It was a hunger that could not be satisfied. He reached his hand out then punched against the wall instead and rubbed at his knuckles with a whimper. He surveyed the door observing little damage decorating it. He walked around the door then exited the room leaving it slightly ajar.

"Smith, why do you trust me?" Don asked as he leaned against the doorway to his stateroom across from Smith. "Of all people, why me?"

Smith lifted a brow.

"Who says I trust you?"

"Your actions have with letting you be your chauffeur to the Jupiter 2." Don said. "Did I do what they did, but not as often?" Smith became quiet as Don went on in his questions. "Did we have to work together in survive? Was that the same at least?"

"Yes." Smith admitted.

"Phew." Don wiped a bead of sweat then walked off with a smile.

"But, he was blinded by hate, disgust, and contempt." Don paused then shifted toward Smith on the heel of his boot. "We were never friends."

"That makes some sense." Don said in amusement. "So, you left before. . ." then it hit him in realization of the person that he had been before would have reacted. "before. . . Before you could make a break through and start a honest friendship?"

"Major, that was never going to happen." Smith replied, folding his arms, shaking his head. "He was going to throw me out the air-lock in my next shift with him as a act of mercy killing." Smith grimaced at the memory that flashed before his eyes. "And he wouldn't have anyone to stop him."

Don's heart sunk. It would have been him in the same position-before they knew each other had he known the truth before.

"How do you know, Smith?"

Smith became quiet as turned distant to the major.

"Talk to me about it."

Don reached a hand out placing a hand on Smith's shoulder but the older man immediately glided it off.

"My last shift aboard the Jupiter 2 ended upon being thrown into the air-lock and he was just about to press the button when Robot and the professor came in for their shift." Smith said. "The same shift where the professor picked up the space station on the scanner after ordering that I be be taken out of it."

Don didn't know what to say. Don watched the man trudge down the corridor to the elevator car, press the up button, then slide the barrier aside. Smith stared at him, his personal walls up, staring back at him with a scowl. For a simple moment, Don saw the original Smith standing there scowling at him in the elevator car then lift his brow.

"Why in the heaven's are you gawking at me, dear Major?"

His voice changed in a matter of seconds from the original to the alternate as Don blinked watching the older man's features change to the younger Smith.

"Like I said, I see him all over you." Don said.

Smith moving his hand to the bar then pressed the button and withdraw his hand returning it back to his lap with a roll of his eyes.

"You didn't know who I was when I came into the bar." Smith said. "How can you have see him all over me?"

"It's just the way you act." Don replied. "Smith, you can relax."

"No. I don't think I can or will relax around you."

"Flight response of the body . ." Don said then locked his eyes upon Smith. "How often did he throw you in the air-lock?"

Smith shook his hand, tiredly.

"No answer."

"You have to talk about it."

"No."

"If you're going to trust me with your safety then you have to at least."

"It wasn't just once." Smith relented.

Smith vanished before his eyes up the deck as Don fell dismayed. The elevator car came to a halt on the bridge then he slid the barrier aside and walked on to the bridge following after the boy who had a guitar set alongside him. Smith sat down on the chair across from Will and slumped.

"I am tired." Smith complained.

"Look like you need a nap, Doctor Smith." Will said. "You should take one. I will wake you up if we come across any trouble."

"Grateful of you to be so kind on shift." Smith said. "I will see what I can do. . ."

Smith turned over and fell asleep snoring away.

////////////////////////////

It was dark and gloomy in the forest that Smith walked through with his hands in his pockets admiring the darkness of the forest.

He smiled at the full moon above him with distant clouds above that were visible.

Smith traveled forward listening to the hooting of the owls late at night and watched bats fly overhead.

"What a wonderful night to be alive."

Smith started to sing.

"Always look on the bright side of life, always look on the light side of life."

Smith began to whistle.

"If life seems jolly rotten, there's something you've forgotten, and that's to laugh and smile and dance and sing when you're feeling in the dumps don't be silly chumps. Just purse your lips and whistle, that's the thing and always look on the bright side of life."

He stretched his leg out then grasped along the edge of a tree and twirled then crashed to the ground after spinning a few times then began to laugh as he continued to whistle.

"Always look on the right side of life." he got up to his feet and dusted off his dark uniform then resumed strolling. "For life is quite absurd." He whistled along a theme that wasn't there but it was in his singing tune. "And death's the final word. You must always face the curtain with a bow. Forget about your sin. Give the audience a grin."

Smith spun on his heel then crashed over a rock and laughed once landing into a puddle with a lily pad on his head.

"Enjoy it, it's your last chance anyhow, so always look on the bright side of death," Smith sang. "A just before you draw your terminal breath."

Smith laughed hysterically then cried as he laughed until he couldn't no more and a sound yanked him out of his thoughts.

"No! No! No! Anyone but you!"

Fear and hysteria fell upon him.

"Look at me and stop running away."

Smith stumbled to his feet then ran through the pond fleeing the figure coming out the shadows with the long head connected to a head that was disgruntled.

"You are a very silly little creature, Doctor Smith."

Smith shrieked as he came to dry land then began to run as his counterpart chased after him.

"Insist you are better than everyone, well, now you are becoming better than everyone."

He was grabbed by the spider then tossed to the ground where his face left a trench behind him. He was grasped by the tunic by his counterpart then thrown aside against a thick tree bark. He was yanked up to his feet by the creature. Smith began to walk faster as he heard his counterpart coming from behind him. Smith dared not to look back running on.

Smith was grabbed by his counterpart then squeezed his eyes close.

"Any last words before I eat you?" His counterpart proceeded to squeeze him.

Smith's eyes were closed as he grinned.

"Always look on the right side of life." Smith recited. "For life is quite AAAAABUSSSSSSSUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRD."

"What are you DOING?"

"Singing, tall scrawny ninny, because I am free!" Smith bobbed his head along to the lyrics as he sang then continued on his singing.

"You are a horrible singer!" The spider growled.

"And death's the final word." Smith resumed as his counterpart extended his jaw. "You must always face the curtain with a bow. Forget about your sin." then he started to resume whistling swinging his boots from side to side. His counterpart's head was yanked back with a wince. "Give the audience a grin."

Smith was dropped as his counterpart screeched.

"MY EARS!"

His counterpart tossed him aside then the spider threw him on and Smith proceeded to flee seeking for the cabin.

"You're not going to flee that easily."

And Smith was hit by what felt to be a rock with a yelp.

///////////////////////////

Smith yelped awake with a pant flinging himself forward from the chair toward the rocket console with sweat dripping down his skin.

"Bad dream?" Will asked.

Smith looked over in surprise toward the boy.

"Yes. . ." Smith tilted his head. "Why are you still here?"

"It's my shift, Doctor Smith." Will replied.

"Obligated or because you want to?" Smith asked.

Will raised a brow then squinted at the older man, studying him, as though unsure himself of this line of questioning then his eyes relaxed.

"Because I want to, Doctor Smith." Will replied.

Will turned his attention away then regarded the radar scanner.

"Because you want to. . ." Smith said.

Smith felt a strange warm feeling lurking from his chest and spread.

He turned his attention away off Will feeling his eyes water.

Smith flicked the lone tear away with a finger then settled turning on to his side and leaned into the pilot chair falling back to sleep with a warm dream chasing away the cold aspects of the nightmare with a smile. And snored away, peacefully, smiling. As though he had a way of keeping his counterpart at bay.

/////////////////////////////////////////

"Doctor Smith, Don told me about the operation on your back."

"Hardly anything to note about." Smith replied as he was heading toward his cabin.

"Your clothing showed that you were harmed in the back." Maureen noted.

Smith turned away from the doorway with one hand on the handle looking upon the younger but short woman.

"Doesn't really ache." Smith said. "Bad itch."

"It must be bigger than how it was left." Maureen said.

"Must be. . ." Smith's eyes flashed open then his brows hunched together. "You are not suggesting-"

"I want to remove the extension on your back." Maureen said. "And we're not throwing you into the sun after removing it. We're throwing the content into the sun."

"Why can't you solve my problem that way?" Smith asked. "And be gone with it?"

"Because we don't mercy kill people that way, Doctor Smith." Maureen said. "We do it without pain, without any further suffering, without horror."

"Have you needed to do that . . . . often?" Smith asked.

"To be kind is to be helpful." Maureen said.

"Admitting the number is something that you can't do." Smith said. "You share no pride in having to put people to sleep."

"On the contrary, we do." Maureen said. "Talking about who we helped over the bridge is a entire different matter."

"Giving privacy to the dead." Smith said. "I respect that. I will get partially undressed in a moment."

Smith slipped in to the room then closed the door behind him. Maureen went about gathering the medical tools for the operation and Robot followed in. She slid the door close as she found him laid on his chest on the bed waiting for the operation. Smith's heavy eye lids started to fall over his eyes as his hands were tucked under his chin.

Maureen was in scrubs once she applied sedatives to his back then went on the operation. Smith was laid still lacking a whimper - a sound that Maureen expected from him - as if his back was completely out. She carefully removed the extended large blob on his back. His back had healed but the scar had became infected on the right side of his back near to his spinal cord. He was still as a bolted down table on his bed as she gathered the material then dropped it into the small box.

"If only there were a vaporizer machine to eliminate the blobs." Smith groaned.

Maureen observed his changing back.

"What deep scars that you have." Maureen said. "I have seen these kind of scars a handful of times since we became lost."

"Don't you dare touch them." Smith said, sharply, his voice losing composure.

"I will not, Doctor Smith." Maureen replied. "How did you get caught in those Millennial wars?"

"It was intentional." Smith said.

"For who?" Maureen asked.

"The person who I believed was important as a senior staff to the potential back up command crew." Smith said. "It was one war." He looked aside at the past with a frown. "But, it felt to be a series of wars to me and the others in what was deemed to be a post apocalyptic landscape in a city."

A moving image with noise flashed across her mind; it was a video. A video of dust unsettling in the air, lights flickering above, windows with frozen products that beamed on and off, as men and women carried what appeared to be improvised guns covered in head to toe in armor, layers of clothing, goggles, masks, scarves, shields, and welding umbrellas rushing through the remains of a store as bullets were flying overhead. A bat striking one of the gas canisters sending them flying back outside into the open. It felt real enough to be called a living memory but she hadn't lived through it.

Her fingers moved with precision as she finished removing the additional blobs then handed the small bed pan to Robot. Robot wheeled out of the room as Maureen knitted up the open wound on his back leaving only the ever present scar that was staring to cease swelling at all.

She applied hydrogen peroxide to the scars that had been left behind by the encounter on Papis Four. Scars that hadn't been healed by the cavern and couldn't be entirely mended by it's strange power. She watched the wounds bubble as Smith winced and restrained himself from screeching in agony. The white bubbly foam faded then she looked over toward his distant expression.

"I have finished."

"Thank you." Smith said.

"How often did you do this with the others?" Maureen asked.

"I never got my back wounded as often." Smith said. "I was very careful."

"Were you really careful?" Maureen asked.

Smith grimaced before making his next reply.

"I had that bubble headed ninny's help when they forgot all about my wounds and were focused on other matters."

Smith slipped on the white shirt and tucked it back in smoothing it out with one hand as he slipped his left hand back into the suit. The shirt changed from white to a dark gray before her eyes in a matter of seconds. He put on the bright suit that morphed before her eyes to become a dark version of itself. The light gray turned to dark gray. The bright orange-red turned black then thinned out as the neck collar shrunk as a horrible re-imagining of the Jupiter 2 uniform returned.

"Never really approached me the way you do . . or requested a operation to see what little wounds that needed to be tended."

"Doesn't really sound like us, Doctor Smith."

Maureen slipped the medical equipment into the sack as she took in a deep breath then exhaled soundlessly keeping back the pain, the hurt, the confusion, and disappointment in the other Robinsons.

"Truly, it must be painful for you hearing about your family's counterparts actions regarding me."

"How does it feel to be the hero of your story?"

Smith sighed, lowering his head, briefly closing his eyes, shaking his head.

"I am the villain of it." Smith said. "It wasn't all that way before." He lifted his head up for moment, sorrowful, but bitter. "I am just experiencing the fruit of my labors. Everything that I have done has lead up to this." he pointed toward his back then lowered his hand. "A suiting punishment for a monster."

"Doctor Smith, the way you make it; we were the villains of our own story." Maureen said. "If you were the villain and so were they then who were the heroes that the outside world had to cheer on?"

Smith became silent then shifted toward Maureen.

"Hate them all. Some stories are that way." He folded his arms lowering his gaze. "Last I checked before a cruel kind of agony became my life; The Nile was streaming a lot of bleak movies and shows which were that way."

"Nobody is perfect." Maureen reminded.

"Nobody is that dumb, hopeless, or brain dead." Smith reminded tapping on the side of his temple. "All of the films there are dark, edgy, narrow horror flicks."

"Surely, there must be some that were bright and innocent."

"The classics are always better than the edgy adaption that becomes generic." Smith said. "The bright and innocent flicks are so few where I am from."

"A few?" Maureen asked.

"Many." He lowered his hand with a sigh and shook his head with his back against the corner of the room.

"What about you?" Maureen asked. "What do you like?"

"I like the innocent, uplifting, bright, and hopeful ones." Smith said.

"You will find that our existence is just that, Doctor Smith."

"Childish fantasy when it comes where I am from." He shook his hand. "Impossible."

"I wish it wasn't that way."

"Me too." Smith agreed. "As life becomes dark and absurd. . ." He looked aside if only briefly looking back at small and precious moments that made the era of Earth being green and smog green so ideal. His attention shifted toward Maureen as he folded his arms. "You look to the past, look to what had a soul, look to what had some hope, life, and optimism."

"Sounds to me that you are one of the minority." Maureen noted.

"A little." Smith chuckled, bitterly, with the shadow of a genuine smile appearing on his face as his arms folded. "Good night, madame."

"Good night." Maureen replied then smiled a little back at him and went out of the room closing the door behind her.

Smith moved on to the bed then shifted on to his side within the sleeping bag and snored away.

"Have we caught up with them, yet?" Huron asked.

Yurles's many and newly formed distorted eyes looked toward the radar station.

"We're getting closer to them." Yurles said.

"That fraud is going to pay for making us to be this distorted." Huron said.

"That he will, brother." Yurles said. "Why are they so determined in protecting him?"

Huron shrugged back at first.

"They are naturally that kind." Huron replied. "And patient when it comes to someone pretending to be who they are not. Remember the one time they had a general among them for a few months claiming to be a scientist?"

"I recall that very well, brother." Yurles said. "They were a laughing stock for the longest time."

The brothers laughed in unison over the recollection then faced the view screen anticipating of the next best trouble to finish off.

///////////////////////////////////////////

"It has been three days since Papis Four and you haven't even bothered playing chess with the others."

"And seeing me in this state?" Smith asked, bewildered, then lowered his brows and shook his head. "I don't think so."

"What state?" Don asked. "You hardly look different."

You haven't changed yet, were the words behind his reply, you still look human. Smith sighed turning his attention off the screen then face the younger man shifting the chair toward Don. Smith tapped his fingers on the arm rest of the chair then sighed before replying to him.

"I do not contemplate my move easy when being plagued by nightmares, Major." Smith replied, sharply. "The women are very skilled players. My last chess games were with Will and Penny."

"They are very intelligent." Don said. "Sharp thinkers but sometimes their imagination gets the best of them."

"These children are the most sound and coherent children that I have met with their feet magnetized to reality." Smith leaned his elbow against the arm rest of the chair and his other arm against the back rest that he waved his hand with as he proceeded to speak on. "Both of whom are very fine tastes of the intelligence of the crew. Very intelligent people leaning toward senile letting a evolving monster board their ship."

"You barely look tired to me." Don said then leaned his back against the back rest of the chair as he began to smirk. "Oh. . I see. I think, I see." Smith lifted a brow with a head tilt. "That is another wall."

"Another wall? Annooother waaaaaaaaalll? Are you being serious?" Smith's brows rose, unanimously, then hunched together. "That isn't a wall, Major!" Smith pointed back at the major. "That is called something else entirely."

Don rolled his eyes.

"I doubt that."

"Aaaaannd I disdain the usage of a wall that serves no purpose but a waste of time like it did on Earth." Smith finished.

Don looked toward Smith then lifted a brow up.

"What do you call it?" Don asked.

"Deceit." Smith said, grimly. "Sometimes I call it: focus, determination, and spite." He looked toward the major before amending with a shrug. "Regarding my tasks."

"So I heard you taught a gorilla to speak and it went easier than it would for a space chimpanzee." Don changed the subject.

"Hardly." Smith said. "It was difficult."

"How was it difficult?" Don asked.

The older man was leaned in the corner of the chair facing his back between the arm rest and the backrest in the corner facing the younger man.

"The wide eyed beast going 'blip, blip, blawp, blawp, blip, blip, blip' -" The blipping almost sounded like Debbie blooping. Almost. "-staring at me and picking at my hair like I had some insects in it during lessons made it hard to focus on the task at hand. And they had egg shaped eyes, covered in lizard skin, and two nostrils. Imagine that being a possibility."

Don chuckled looking off from the radar screen that turned into a grin as he faced the older man.

"Must have been a little bit fun." Don said.

"No." Smith shook his head. "Most of my precious time spent around Blarp found it irritable."

Don could see the image playing out in his head as he started to laugh once more.

"Course they did." Don laughed.

The ship trembled with a loud groan and Smith landed on the floor in front of the console.

"Oh dear!"

"We have a alien on our six!" Don announced. "Smith, get up and return fire."

Smith flopped up to his feet then scanned the mass of buttons.

"Which one does it?" Smith asked, frightened, but panicked. "I can't tell! It's hard to tell!"

"It's the one between our consoles, damn it!" Don snapped.

"Oh, there it is." Smith said, grimly. "Completely ignored it in my hysteria!"

Smith pressed the rocket launcher button as the ship did evasive moves evading the attacks by the princes. Smith fired then the ship was struck repeatedly so Smith was thrown across the room after several turbulence landing to the floor. He smacked the airlock door open then flopped in and closed it behind him. Don got up to his feet then scowled at the older man gleefully smiling at his end of the bargain with a rapid wave -that unnerved, horrified, and most of all, irritated him - in his usual random demeanor.

"Idiots never change." Don said.

Don used the railing as his support toward the upper half of the ship then buckled himself in and set in return fire to the spacecraft. He looked toward the astronavigator that had the coordinates pr-set only days ago. Don turned his attention off then shifted his attention toward the area ahead as the ship trembled.

"Come on! Come on! Come on!" Don said. "A little bit further toward the asteroid!"

Don shifted the coordinates a bit minor as the chasing ship fled after him.

"What is he doing, brother?" Huron asked.

"Preparing to surrender." Yurles speculated.

"No . . ." Huron's large eyes squinted at the Jupiter 2 then they expanded. "He is doing something."

Don grinned, widely, from within the Jupiter 2.

"Say hello to my crippling friends." Don said.

Don flung the Jupiter 2 through the narrow passageway of small meteorites that flew toward the approaching craft.

"Oh no!" Yurles screamed as the ship loud shrieked. "Huron!"

Huron glided his large hand over the console then it glowed blue as blasts shot after the craft from a laser grid system as the princes ship became trapped.

"Not on my watch!" Don announced.

Don slid the leveler to the hyper drive forward then the ship went forward and vanished in a bleak of gray.

"No!" Yurles shrieked.

And it was silent in the area of space.

"Now. . . " Huron said, exasperated. "The tribunal is going to find us."

Yurles fainted.

"Sissy." Huron groaned. "Can't take the thought of being apprehended."

////////////////////////

The Jupiter paused in the orbit to Takuchi Seven. The ship was unstable as it shook from side to side. Don checked the fuel guage then made his way after the planet as it was getting closer by the passing uncertainty. But, there was certainty. Certainty of making it back and evading the path of the princes.

The ship tore through the atmosphere of Takuchi Seven, over the gray clouds, over the cresting sun in the distance, over the great plains, over the local streams and rivers, heading into a desert area that stretched for weeks on foot.

He lowered the ship down in a controlled descent then the landing gear was the first to screech as the ship fell into the ground and slid forward over the screams of panic over the Robinsons. Finally, after what felt to be a eternity of spinning the Jupiter 2 came to a stop.

And the Robinsons were left in a state of shock. Their hearts were still racing as they slowly adjusted to the calm that echoed from deck to deck. Don came to the airlock then pressed the door open and Smith came tumbling out to the ground with a yelp falling out of the Jupiter 2. The Robinsons eventually made it up the deck along with Robot and Debbie the Bloop.

"Everyone alright?" Don asked.

"Shaken, but we will do." Maureen replied.

"Uh huh." John agreed with a nod toward his wife then grew concerned as he turned his attention upon the major. "Did we lose them?"

"That we did," Don confirmed. "Used the space weather to my advantage."

"Made it to Takuchi Seven together, at least." Judy said, helpfully.

"At least that." John agreed.

"Where is Doctor Smith?" Will asked.

"Look out the airlock." Don pointed toward the doorway, grinning, with his thumb.

The Robinsons approached the doorway.

"AH! Sweet land! How I missed the ground beneath my feet! Land! LAAAAND! LAAAND AAAAAAT LAAAAAAAAAAAST!"

The Robinsons laughed in bemusement as did Robot and Debbie the Bloop over the older man.

"Let's get the forcefield generator out tonight just in case they will be after us." John said once the laughter ended as he started to walk away from the doorway over Smith's long gleeful monologue of being on a planet continued. "We are going to be here for a little while."

Don nodded.

"From the sound of the Jupiter 2, I can tell it's a decent chunk of hull that we have to replace." Don said.

John winced.

"All the more time to spend on one planet and see how we can help Doctor Smith." Judy said.

"That, we do." Maureen conceded. "Children, get ready for bed. And Robot, make sure that Doctor Smith doesn't attract big cats."

"Affirmative." Robot wheeled after the doorway then the family went down the stairs.

"Where were we, darling?" John asked. "Before we got caught off?"

"Snuggling in the auxiliary deck chair, Professor Robinson." Maureen said.

"Ah, right." Then John grinned with a nod. "That wasn't disrupted much. Get ready for bed." John put a hand on her shoulder then smiled affectionately and reassuringly toward Maureen. "I will join you in a few minutes."

"I will be waiting for you." Maureen said. "Don't be late."

"Nothing makes me late when it comes to you." John assured then watched her go into their cabin.

John sighed, happily, then went with the major to get the force field generator out and keep it there for the next several weeks as a precaution. And Smith was found fast asleep on the sand laid on his side with Robot by his side when they came out taking the forcefield generator piece by piece outside of the Jupiter 2. The machine was being carefully set up outside of the ship with the men looking around occasionally then put a hand on their laser pistols. It used to be a dreadful and long routine but with ease and familiarity to it as it was being done quickly.

Robot carefully lifted Smith into his arms bridal style then rolled inside of the Jupiter 2 to the bemusement of the major and the professor. No matter how things changed; Smith was carted off by Robot in the least ways that the man could accept except it was not being protested against as he were fast asleep. The men returned into the ship then the professor closed the door to the Jupiter 2, turned the light off once the major went down the corridor, then joined the rest of the family to the residential deck.

//////////////////////////////

"Good morning, honey," John said, a arm placed around the tired woman.

Maureen stretched her legs snuggling against the man's hairy chest.

"Is it morning so quickly?" Maureen asked.

"Sadly," John said, grazing his hand along Maureen's cheek. "I will get up when you're up."

"John," Maureen said. "It's your turn to make the coffee."

"Looks like we're stuck in a corner," John said.

"How do we get out of this?" Maureen asked.

"I say we walk out of it together," John said. "And hope for the best."

Maureen's eyes lit up and a smile grew on her face.

"Quite a romantic," Maureen said, as they rested their foreheads together on the large pillow. "How about we both get up?"

"That is very ideal," John said.

With much reluctance, John and Maureen got out of bed at the same time then took out their clothing for the morning. John was the first up from bed and Maureen came after him. They were the first ones to come out of their room then made their way to the bathroom. The camera panned over to Penny stirring in her sleep tossing and turning. It went over to Will who had his arm covering his eyes.

The scene went over to Robot observing Smith making eggs singing. He had several plates that were covered resting on the table. It was John and Maureen came to the doors in purple outfits that had orange undershirts. They noticed the doctor was singing. Their looks of concern were replaced by relieved expressions.

"Good morning, Professor, Madame." Smith greeted them.

"What's made you in a good mood, Smith?" John asked. Smith turned eyes toward them and had a smile in return.

"Just the desire to cook something," Smith said. "Your plates have been made," he continued gently stirring the scrambled eggs. "I got the hang of this equipment. Outdated, and very reliable. Just what I like."

"You mean to say that your Jupiter 2 didn't take kind of equipment?" John asked, almost mortified.

"Their Jupiter 2 was bells and whistles," Smith said. "Thankfully, I never had the luxury of cooking for them. I fed myself."

"And how much did you use?" John asked.

"Just the bare necessity," Smith said. "Consider yourself lucky that everything works."

"Believe me when I say we do," Maureen said, as she sat down. "So did you find a flying farm house?"

"A flying farm house," Smith said, with a laugh. "What in space were you on?" he looked over with a baffled look.

"Let's just say the incident had plants that ate Deutronium," John said.

"Fuel eating plants," Smith said. "How remarkable. If there were any, I wasn't paying attention."

"You mean to say you never met a werewolf?" John asked.

"Werewolf, now, Professor?" Smith said. "You know that is the stuff of fantasy."

"I used to think that until I saw one with my two eyes," John said. "Threatening and highly dangerous. Unable to control themselves at the rising of a full moon." Maureen looked back at the memory with a shudder.

Smith placed the eggs into the plate then placed the pan on the adjoining counter. He placed the lid on the top of the plate.

"You ever seen a kraken before?" Smith asked.

John regarded the man for a long moment as he leaned back into the chair.

"No," John said.

"It's more terrifying than a werewolf," Smith recounted. "Just when you think you're out of its grasp, one of its arms grabs hold and yanks it back. . ."

He had a haunted demeanor about him.

He remembered being pinned down against the wall by equipment. The screams of the children being carried down the hall as flashes of lightning stormed outside.

"The power goes out."

The room enveloped into darkness.

"All you see is darkness and there is screaming. Makes it difficult to get anything done."

The screaming stopped as Smith made his way out of the collision then toward the window using the wall panels as his support.

"I won't forget watching a beautiful creature die. Even as dangerous as it was. You don't forget hearing the dying screams of a creature as it falls down. That was on a planet with a wild, stormy sea that encompassed the entire planet."

"What is the point?" John asked.

"I wouldn't go to blue class M planet if I were you," Smith said. "Nor a empty vessel with sacks decorating it. Just avoid it. That's all I recommend."

"Are you sure?" Maureen asked.

"The other planets are just as threatening as this," Smith said. "Not like there is one eyed giants walking around."

"There's a good chance of it," John said.

"Good. . . good. . . . good chance of it?" Smith asked, his skin paling and visibly trembling.

"Uh huh," John said.

Robot came down the ramp.

"Robot, is there any giants around?" Maureen asked.

"On my last scan from above, there were four hundred thirty-four giants," Smith slipped out of the chair falling to the floor. Robot turned toward Smith then toward them. "Did I miss something?"

John and Maureen exchanged a bemused glance.