"We are in the belly of the beast, Will!" Robot announced.

"What makes you say that, Robot?" Will asked.

"The spiders that we are killing are in some ways parasites to the terrifying but less threatening vessel," Robot said.

"Doctor Smith!" Will said.

"Will, stay back!" Robot swung a arm stopping him from walking on ahead of him. "Carnivorous fragile spiders are behind him."

Robot sent out a wave of electricity electrifying the baby spiders. Will ducked out of the line of fire and watched after dozens and dozens of them were eliminated. Robot came to a cooled down stop and his arms chucked into his shell as the spiders fled past the two. Will stood up to his feet then looked over his chassis looking on to spot that the older man coming through the red hue. He remained the same height and the same size that he had last seen him as prior to the entire episode happening.

"When, in what universe, are you going to start listening and obeying your father?" Smith asked.

"Where did all those spiders come from?" Will asked.

"They extracted them from me," Smith said.

"You gave birth to them," Robot said. "I will believe you when hell freezes over!"

"I?" Smith's eyes became big as he put a hand on his chest. "You are inconceivable! They extracted them from my DNA and brought them to life just to see what kind of creature I am becoming for themselves. I told them not to do it but they did it regardless of the warning. And it brought a world of pain. A third kind of agony in this world is no one listening." He shook his head. "The escape pods are this way."

"And they just ignore you?" Will asked

"I am one of them," Smith said. "We share the same DNA. Us, on other hand, will arrive to the shuttle bay shortly." Smith took out a piece of equipment from the bag then knelt down to Will's level. "I will take care of that nasty head bump."

A purple light illuminated out of the device and the big bump began to fall blending in among the red hair. The wound from along his ear began to heal and the blood vanished before Robot's sensors. His helmet bobbed up in alarm looming over the unusual event happening. With that done, Smith put it back into the knapsack. Will walked on ahead after the wound was tended to.

"I do not like the illusion you are pulling, Doctor Smith," Robot said as Smith put it away.

"How much power do you need for your defense mechanism?" Smith asked.

"Enough," Robot said.

Smith put his hand on Robot's energy pack then watched as a warm wave of energy traversed from his fingertips into Robot's gray energy pack.

"Is that enough?" Smith asked.

"More than enough to cover for the next wave," Robot said. "Doctor Smith, where did you get that energy from?" Robot's helm bobbed up renewed with energy traversing through him.

"The additional hour I got to rest," Smith said. "Follow the boy and protect him."

"Are you coming?" Robot said.

"Yes," Smith said, walking after the young boy. "I hope we're all leaving this war zone," Smith looked on toward the two in concern and uncertainty. "I can't really shake you off no matter what I do." Smith shook his head then rolled his eyes as they speed walked after Will. "You're practically a boomerang! I tell you to do one thing and you come back the other way!"

"I am a mechanical entity," Robot replied. "Not a boomerang!"

"Are too!"

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

Will listened to their petty bickering during the trip searching for the shuttle bay. Their bickering was ceased by the interruptions of the space spiders that leaped out at them with their small mouths ready for a eager bite only to be destroyed in mid-air. Smith shrouded Will's eyes once one of the spiders legs were sewn off and the spiders began to feast on their injured over the child's complaints. Smith finally let go of the boy's eyes once they reached a remarkably uninfested part of the ship.

"Hello, Smith," Tsew came out of the red hue of the klaxons.

Smith jumped behind Robot using him as the shield then.

"Do I know you from somewhere?" Smith asked.

"Why don't you talk to them, bug to bug?" Tsew held up a detached leg to one of the space spiders. He threw it into the center of the floor. Smith's eyes widened in recognition while lifting his attention up toward the man. It was West, the dark version, the butchered version, the antagonist version. "Terrorist."

"Monsters are rarely so easily dissuaded," Then Smith added, cowering behind Robot, terrified. "Especially after they are designed to kill." he ducked. "Course!"

"Who are you?" Will asked.

"Someone he used to know," West said. "You remember me. You killed Captain Daniels. Remember? You told me."

"Lies! Slander! I wouldn't do that," Smith protested. "A smear!"

The next action was quick and swift from the man. Will collapsed after a single fire was discharged by the major in a sudden way that it was unexpected. Smith restrained himself from screaming but made a loud bolt toward the boy's side and Robot sent a bolt of electricity that sent the man back repeatedly until he were ten feet from him. Robot's claws cackled with electricity. Smith put his hand on the energy pack returning some of the lost energy to the machine.

"You're the monster, Smith," West said. "Not me."

Smith knelt down by Will's side then checked for a pulse.

Lub-dub lub-dub lub-dub

"I should have sent you out that air lock in the beginning," West said.

Smith's hands took out the dermal generator then gracefully patched up the wound on the boy's chest that had a large rounded hole from the laser blast. He placed the knapsack into Will's lap then straightened up his head against the wall very carefully. Smith replayed the events that lead him into his position.

A series of mistakes brought him into this situation. If only he had taken a fighting stand instead of running away before it was too late. His mind stopped at the choices that he had made thinking it over then frowned. His hands rolled up into fists against his palms with his head lowering toward the floor.

West didn't need to do this just to get back at me. It was the single thought that stirred through his mind. Slowly, but furiously, Smith stood up from the young boy with eyes focused on the older man then straightened out his legs in the shape that they had initially mutated into beneath the illusion that he was staring into the dark. He slipped the sack of medical gear over the young boy's shoulder with cold eyes on the major. Eyes reserved once for more appropriate and worthy opponents to chastise.

"But, you didn't," Smith replied, sharply. "The choice that you made then was the right one." Smith turned away from the boy completely. "I won't mind eating hate." West stepped forward as the older man stepped forward. "Stay out of this, ninny. This is my battle."

"What makes you think that you are going to eat me?" West asked, laughing, heavily skeptically. "You are too high on yourself to eat another being."

Smith took another step forward.

"Excuse me for one moment, Major," Smith said holding up a finger.

Smith turned away then began to cough.

"You are not considering . . ." Smith spat out a large clump of pink flesh to the floor. Smith lowered his disguise in the next second shifting aside from the major. "Oh my god."

"Ah," Smith wiped off what bits was left along the lips as a smile grew on what was left of his human features that had became coated in armor. Only hints of pink were left around his face below the armor. "My throat feels a lot better."

"You have finally become what you are," West said. "A inhuman spider."

His legs were bulging, aching, ready to split apart for another pair of legs, a new ache that had finally came in. So close to turning into the monster that he was terrified of. So close to becoming a insect that had nothing to do with the name Doctor Smith. Those thoughts and fact were tucked into the recesses of his mind as he looked down upon the figure. The figure that represented the past. A past that needed to be resolved. With West here, what did that say about the Robinsons? Smith didn't want to think about that.

"Your rage makes you inhuman, West." Smith said. "Just like my greed has done to me." he took a step forward drawing closer toward the major. "We are very alike in that regard."

"We are nothing alike!" West held up the phaser with a snarl as Smith lunged toward him.

Smith dodged the blast then grabbed on to West's figure then smacked him against the wall with all four hands sliding him up against the wall forcing him to drop the phaser. West swung himself forward then kicked at his face sending him stumbling back shaking his head. Smith turned around and chased after the man hurrying over the remains being eaten by the little spiders that he trampled over squashing them to bits.

Smith dug his claws into the ground leaving dents into the wall chasing after the man. Large pieces of the paneling were yanked out slid out of the floor as if it were shell. The metal screeched against being ripped apart as he picked up speed, effortlessly, painlessly, focused on a moving target. West ran further in the ship chased by the hissing that echoed after him. He ran into into a room then the door closed behind him.

"Who is the coward--MAJOR--now!"

Smith continued running breaking down the door with a crash.

West picked up a large weapon then fired back at the creature dodging each blast that turned into flames from a torch erupting out of a wall.

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

The door fell out then John and Don came out of the hole looking both ways. Don fired at several pockets in the walls that became stained by a dark burn and steam radiated off them. Don picked up two additional phasers then checked the amount of firepower on the battery compartment. There were ten green glowing bars on each side of the laser pistol. The laser pistol was handed to John then the older laser pistol was handed to Maureen. John tightly squeezed Maureen's hand then withdrew his hand. The door closed between them.

"Robot!" John called turning away from the Space Pod's door. "Will? Robot! Will!"

"We are here, Professor Robinson!" Robot's voice echoed through the hall.

The men ran in the source of the Robot's voice then found the Robot acting as a shield for the boy's unconscious figure left against the wall. John's heart leaped at the sight of his unresponsive son set behind Robot's figure. Robot yanked his arms back into his chassis and his glass head lowered as the men ran toward them.

"Will!" John shouted, running toward his son.

Robot wheeled out of the way.

"Dad?" Will's eyes slightly opened. He sounded and even looked tired. "Where is Doctor Smith? Did we make it?"

Don looked around scanning for the baby spiders that he shot down one by one.

"I don't know where he is," John said. "What happened?"

"There was a firefight," Will said. "I tried to help."

"With the Kavalarians?" John asked.

"No," Will said. "He didn't look like a Kavalarian."

"Then what did he look like?" John asked.

"He looked . . . human," Will said. "Doctor Smith seems to know him."

"Knows him?" John asked.

"And he isn't here to help him or take him back," Will said. "Dad, I never seen so much hate on someone before."

"Robot, escort us to the space pod," John said. "Don. . ." John turned his attention toward Don. "If what I think is happening . . ."

"This isn't good," Don said.

"Stop him whatever on whatever he plans to do." John ordered.

"I will." Don said.

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

Don ran ahead of the duo running through the visibly destroyed doorways being ignored by the space spiders. The space spiders were busy eating their prey that was barely alive and barely dead at once. The lights in the ship flickered off a second them then the emergency lights kicked on revealing outline of green fixtures outlining the floor. There was the sound of laser fire echoing through the ship and screaming that would haunt him for the rest of his natural life.

Don ran into the bridge carrying a laser rifle in one hand. There was the sound of a struggle going on from within the dark. Electric sparks erupted highlighting a tall spider humanoid looming over a figure digging its long claws into a older man's chest with a hiss that sounded quite inhuman. The older man was thrown across the room with his back hitting the wall then slunk down to the floor. His thorns clicked against the floor. Don ran in the way of the tall spider then stopped standing clear in the tracks and aimed the laser pistol up toward him.

"Smith! Stop!" Don held his other hand up. "That is enough."

It was hard to see the look on the taller creature's face in the dark within the pitch black bridge.

"This is not of your concern," Smith said, sharply.

"Oh boy, yes, it is," Don lowered his hand. "This ship needs to be destroyed so we need his help to do that."

"He isn't in the chain of command," Smith said.

"He could be," Don said, earning a eye roll from Smith.

"He is dressed as a security officer and doesn't have the pips for it," Smith hissed back. "I know pips."

"Uh huh," Don said. "I know my way around the everglades and you know your way around alien women."

"Spare me the mockery," Smith argued. "He is not trained to pilot a ship."

"Spare him and I will do stop making fun of you," Don said.

"You're making it increasingly hard to do the right thing," Smith hissed.

"Isn't it already hard for people to do the right thing where you are from?" Don asked.

Smith looked away from the major thinking over the situation about how the right had gone wrong.

"It is," Smith said.

"You're not halfway a spider and you're already making a disaster," Don said. "I thought you didn't want that."

"He aimed at Will on purpose, Major," Smith's long neck extended toward the man then lowered down to met his eye level and his head retreated by a few inches so that Don had personal space. "He is your vile counterpart."

West staggered back staring at the two, his eyes darting to and from, paralyzed by shock.

"Sure he deserves a solid punch for that," Don said. Smith's long neck treated with a disgruntled grunt. "but not being killed over it."

"This is different," Smith folded his upper set of arms, his lower set of arms clasped in his lap, looking down upon the younger man.

"What divides me from him is killing when it is not necessary," Don said.

Don lifted up his weapon then fired at a oncoming baby spider and Smith winced.

"What divides you from the spider is not-"

Abruptly, West hit his counterpart on the back of the head sending Don falling to the floor then aimed and fired at Smith. Eating people alive, was what he meant to finish. The spider moved swiftly in the dark knocking West over to the floor. West yelped then began to prop himself halfway up. Don was set behind the tall spider with his back to the wall then began to slouch over with the side of his face meeting the wall. Smith hissed toward the fallen ex-space force officer while his lower arms were acting as a visual block for the unconscious man.

"Who is the monster now?" Smith asked.

"You are," West seethed back. "You always are."

Smith stepped back as his eyes became revealed.

"I am not the one who just tried to kill a SPACE CORPS OFFFIIICCEEERR!" Smith roared back taking a step toward the major.

West glanced toward the glowing object on the man's elbow.

"What is that obnoxious green bracelet you got there?" West asked. "A timer for when your next wave of eggs need to be laid?"

Smith looked down toward the bracelet then back up as a evil smile formed on his facial features.

"Decoration!"

West crawled away firing at the tall spider speed walking his way.

"My other self didn't have much of a choice becoming this,"

Smith grasped on to his forehead clutching onto a large protruding vein.

"But I have decided what I want to be," Smith said. "Because I have to."

Each blast struck his long torso leaving laser burns behind and each burn initially hissed then cooled down by a notch.

"Doctor Smith is a different creature from a insane space spider hybrid," Smith said. "A creature hardly interested in taking over a entire world. "

He yanked up the extension then the rounded bulb opened to reveal another eye.

"Good looks a lot more humorous than evil," deep but sinister laughter echoed the room. "Don't you agree, my dear Major?"

All three blue eyes looked down toward the human yanking off the green marble from the wrist band.

"Never!" West spat back.

Smith grasped on to West's figure with his lower set of arms catching him in mid leap then raised him up. He took a step back then then the color from the bracelet faded from the dark. West kicked his legs giving a good struggle attempting to free himself from the strong grasp. He kicked with gusto toward Smith's sternum only coming to unpleasant results.

West saw the facial features of a alien being different from the one that he had seen over twenty years ago. The visible fury resting on Smith's face was one that was silent but deadly and annoyed at the same time. Smith forced West to drop the weapon to the floor then stepped forward so the marble glowed green. West bit into the man's fingers. With a high pitched yelp, Smith dropped him to the floor.

"One more move and its your head," West said.

Smith was flickering his hands up in down with a grunt.

"This head can't get more bruised," Smith noted.

"I can barely see any bruises on your head," West scoffed earning the spider to raise his head up with a scowl.

"It is hard to see in the dark, West," Smith said. "Being in the light for so long tends to make the gift become null."

"Not for me," West said. "I have lived in it,"

"You want the darkness to lighten up. . ." Smith clutched the green bulb in one hand. "Do you?"

"Yes," West said. "I do."

Smith looked over, remorsefully, then turned his attention onto the older man.

"Then help me pilot this ship to the nearest sun," Smith said. "I am quite aware I cannot repay for ruining the mission or your life. And that I may never be able to redeem myself in the eyes of the United Global Space Force. Or yours for that matter."

"Do you mean that?" West kept the gun aimed at Smith's face.

"I am exhausted from fighting against the wind. Help me." Smith pointed toward the unconscious major. "Please. I beg of you." he turned his attention back on toward the shorter man. "Save yourself."

West slowly shook his head with a jaded smile.

"I can't do that when one of your children can jump out and bite him," West said. "His life was over soon as your counterpart sabotaged the ship. It's better this way that everyone lives and he doesn't." he looked down toward the man in envy. "Something I didn't get."

"I won't leave you," Smith insisted. "I will make sure that the little ones clear a path for you."

"I can't let you do that without my eyes on you," West said.

"Then come with me," Smith said. "Watch me throw him in and send him out the air lock. Solves two birds with one stone."

West thought it over for a moment then lower the phase.

"One moment," West said.

West turned away from Smith and began to man the console.

"One moment is all you need," Smith slowly approached the younger major.

There were traces of what could have been with his time in his native universe acting as a bitter rival to West. A bitter rival that Don did not like but came to respect, admire, and love. Just as Smith had in their unscheduled interactions regarding the silliest of situations during his mutations. A smile sprouted on the man's face looking back at the bright and lively memories.

I'm sorry, Smith wanted to say. Words that couldn't come out. Would not come out. The Robinsons had never reached their promised planet just as he had feared. Even without his constant interference in finding a cure and returning to his homeworld had not done a dent in their quest. The only dents made were ones that they made themselves not making olive branches to aliens along the way. A far lonely and depressing fate for the family. And he knew, deep down inside, a fate like that could happen to the very classic but mostly innocent Robinsons.

"I have set the course," West said.

Smith knelt down then his lower arms picked up the younger major with care very delicately keeping the unattached ball in between his fingers. The ball shined green against the dark as he turned sideways in the direction of West. If only things had been different. Incredibly different that he wouldn't have chased after him into his innocent world. The world wasn't that much innocent anymore after his arrival. That was the tragic part of the entire episode with all things considered as they traveled down the hallway.

"Where is the airlock?" Smith asked.

"Right by the shuttle bay," West said.

"So close together," Smith said.

"Back in the old days the cargo bay was a prison deck and the only way to get from ship to ship was through that airlock," West said.

"How long have you been here?" Smith asked.

"Long enough," West said.

"Did you get here a couple months ago?" Smith asked.

"Longer," West replied.

"Was this a couple weeks after I left?" Smith prodded further.

"Three years," West said.

"Hmm," Smith stopped in his tracks. Three years? A specific number. Just as long as they had been lost. "Was her name Bronius?"

"Shut up," West ordered.

"What did you tell her?" Smith asked. "Did you mistreat her? What did you say? Did you break into her ship, corner her, flirt with her, and give her your comn number?"

"I am not going to say this again," West said.

"Good heavens! I thought you weren't capable of that. No wonder your family hates you!"

It was done in a matter of seconds. West appearing in front of him. A single blast. Staggering back. Smith clasped on to his throat feeling his adams apple singed by a heavy burn. Tears welled into his eyes and fury began to brew in his mind. Rage was the only way to describe what he was feeling. It was a painful feeling pertaining that stood out against the agony in its unique sensation.

The more that he took account for the character, the real character, the real character of Major Don West, the more Smith began to feel that he was speaking with a imposter instead of the genuine article of the person. West turned away from Smith then walked on ahead of him. Smith rubbed at his injured larynx. A sharp pain erupted from it as he wore a knowing but murderous look toward the once and former major lacking a ounce of respect in his eyes.

Smith resumed following the older man stroll on ahead of him. The baby spiders kept their space from around the group making their way to the large qualities of corpses around them that had been made available to them by the chaos. Smith regarded them in pity and regret. The silence was comfortable to West. A sound that he had became adapted to and most familiar to over the countless years. Silence that he ended up liking the most. He came to a stop by the door then turned around to face the doctor.

"It's time."

Smith looked down toward the unconscious man in his arms.

"Time isn't on your paycheck."

Smith looked up toward the older major.

"I know it's strange," West admitted. "Last time, you saw me as a handsome twenty-five year old man. It's even stranger for me to find you changed but still young and alive." West shook his fist in anger at him. "And you know what? That makes me so angry when they should be. Not you! I know this won't bring them back but it will bring some justice."

Smith approached the major then slipped a red ball into the older major's hand.

"What's this for?" West pressed the button and the airlock door opened. "A parting gift?"

Smith put the man's other hand onto the hand.

"You know where we going," West said. "We are not taking things with us."

Smith's bracelet was glowing green as he gestured a hand in toward the airlock door then it turned red upon being pointed in the hallway.

"What's the matter with your strange bracelet?" West asked.

Smith dropped the younger major to the ground then grabbed West with all four hands, grabbing him by the arms, the legs, and the waist. West gave a good struggle against the remarkably iron cold grasp on his joints. Smith tossed him on ahead into the hallway. West vanished between the red klaxons with a scream. Smith relaxed, his gaze lowered, his shoulders lowered. Then Smith pressed a button that made the air lock door close on the side of the wall.

"When it glows red, you're a dead man."

Smith took a few steps forward searching in the dark then looked down toward his bracelet that was glowing brightly green.

"Perhaps not, Officer Eglardo," Smith said, hoarsely.

Smith stepped back then turned into a figure that was most familiar. His eyes looked over the figure of the human. Then he picked him over his shoulder then made a run for the escape bay that had a dozen so shuttles left behind even the one that he had stolen. He arrived inside then put the major down into the passenger seat. He slipped off the vest and the torn shirt placing it into the neatly made pile of clothes that he illusion-ed as a part of the floor set behind the rows of chairs.

Smith came over to his side then apologetically placed a hand on the younger man's shoulder. Smith paused for a short moment, sincerely, regretfully, mournfully. Smith then looked away regretfully turning from Don turning toward the consoles coated in a thin film of crystals contrasting against the darkness. He walked away and the door to the shuttle craft began to close.

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

John and Maureen watched the starship hurl into the nearby sun before their eyes while Will was leaned against the wall to the railing of the space pod. Judy stifled back a heartbroken as she covered her mouth and Penny held on to her sister. Penny squeezed Judy's hands stopping her short of breaking out into tears. Will stared at the view screen searching for signs of a shuttle escaping from the sun. His eyes searched among the stars, peered out for a white flick of light to stand out against the dark.

"All life aboard the ship has been eliminated," Robot said.

"Don. . ." John said.

"John!" Maureen said. "There is a shuttle escaping!"

Their eyes tuned toward the flying ball that was heading in the direction of their planet.

"Robot, how many lifeforms are in there?" John spoke up.

"My sensors detected two," Robot replied.

"He is in there," Will said. "They are in it. I know they are. I feel it."

"That's all I need," Judy said. "The chance that Don is alive. I am taking it," she was trembling in Penny's hands. "He's got to be alive."

"We will know when we come across it," Penny said.

It was a long moment as he and Maureen exchanged a worrisome glance then toward the view screen of the space pod.

"Let's go home." John said.