"Doctor Sakaar, I want you to tell me if there is anything left of Penelope Robinson," Smith said.

"She is gone, Doctor Smith," Sakaar said. "She is one with her happy place."

"She is her happy place," Smith said. "You mean."

"Yes," Sakaar said. "She is too far gone to retrieve." Smith fell into the chair that had been left out for him then lowered his head. "We had to give her the ring to make sure she didn't break out into the madness. That is all she knows and that is all she lives by."

"Even if her family were rescued," Smith started, raising his head up. "In the nick of time. . . would the chances of her recovery be higher?"

"It seems so," Sakaar said. "She is in her little fantasy. Consider it her little piece of heaven."

Smith looked down toward his hands.

"If I had came back earlier," Smith said. "If I had came back earlier. . . Things would be a lot different," his hands danged on the edge of his knees with sulking shoulders. "So even after she returned to her human form," he had to stop speaking feeling his stomach twist up. "there is no happy ending."

"You can make her a happy ending," Sakaar said.

Smith looked on toward the young woman seated across from him with bobbed short hair in a purple dress staring at the wall.

"She would be a conversational piece," Smith shook his head, then stood up to his feet. "No," he turned toward Sakaar. "Give me another option."

"There is a space asylum open for people of her condition," Sakaar said.

"No," Smith said. "Another option."

"What you want is something we can't give," Sakaar said.

"You brought me back from Earth and expect me to leave her in the hands of aliens?" Smith asked, sharply. "I won't do that to her."

Sakaar handed him a space pistol of some kind.

"This vaporizes intruders," Sakaar said. "If you are willing to let her go and be with her family. . ."

Smith's hand was trembling looking on toward the young woman. Sakaar came to the side panel then pressed on a few numbers then walked away as the field vanished before the man's eyes. Smith slowly approached the young woman who paid no attention to him. He sat down beside her placing the space pistol into his lap. He couldn't feel anything. He couldn't feel anything sitting beside her. There was only numbness as he closed his eyes and lifted his head up. He reached his hand out then grasped her hand with a tremble.

"Penelope," Smith said, nearing the verge of tears shaking his head. "Don't make me do this to you. Please."

Smith squeezed her hand.

"It's me," Smith said. "Doctor Zachary Smith. "

He studied her features.

"It's been ten years," Smith said, then had a half hearted smile. "Didn't think you would still recognize me by now."

Smith turned his head away from her taking his hand off.

"I made it back to Earth but. . ." He cleared his throat, emotional. "I had to start a new life under a new name. Right now I am running around under the name Isaac Gampu," he looked toward her. "It's quite alright. No one would have believed my story and thought your dear friend was the one responsible for the Jupiter 2's demise."

Gampu shook his head in disappointment facing the cieling.

"I was driving around America during the summer when they took me at night with my ride and told me about you," he looked down toward her. "Told me that you were found. Finally. After years thinking that you were vaporized rather than left to be in heavily disfigured and in permanent pain."

There was silence in the room between them for five minutes.

"You know, it was the most difficult thing I had to do to bury your family after I found them," Gampu continued. "Someone apparently bashed KaraQ's head in with a rock after we took care of your family." he briefly closed his eyes then opened them. "I saw your brother. He was a fighter. Held on the longest. He was a Eurasian Red Squirrel mixed with some kind of space creature. Your brother died trying to warn me about KaraQ. Died in my arms."

Nothing had changed about Penny.

"Good night, Penelope," Gampu stroked the side of her face affectionately. "I will see you in the morning."

Gampu planted a kiss on to her cheek then walked across and came to a stop beside the adjoining wall. He raised the weapon fighting back tears. He pressed the trigger then watched Penny vanish once the red blast struck her. Her figure was outlined in red for a brief moment then she vanished in the next second that passed. The camera turned around to reveal Gampu had closed his eyes. The space pistol was trembling in his hand that lowered and he slunk down placing a hand on to his face breaking out into weeping. He dropped the space pistol with his back to the wall in the lonely room and covered his face.

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

"Peepo, check on Jason," Gampu said.

"Oraco!" Peepo said, then hummed his way out of the cabin.

Gampu stroked his chin looking down toward the replica of the Jupiter quite fondly. He lowered the replica down where it belonged then moved toward the void that had formed perfectly as Peepo had theorized it would with careful calculations adjusted for error. He looked on. He knew why the void was there. He was only observing it to see of it had grown large enough to allow the academy to fall right in. The academy suddenly jolted forward knocking Gampu to the ground. His eyes opened then groaned lifting himself up using the nearby chair as his support up to his feet.

Gampu saw a strange scenery from the window.

Leafless trees standing out among the fog with rows of machines with what seemed to be tapes.

It was quite a odd scene that was also concerning.

His mind jumped to the cadets then moved toward the door and waved his hand.

The door opened then he poked his head out and observed there was no corridor.

"Odd," Gampu said.

Gampu backed away letting the door open.

"Could this be related to the void?" Gampu said, making his way to the holo-photograph.

Gampu picked up the golden case then made his way toward the door, waved his hand, then exited once the door opened before him. He walked in looking round searching for any forms of life. He looked over observing his quarters were still there with the door remaining open rather than being closed. Gampu turned his attention away then made his way forward hearing the sound of ticking. Ticking that felt endless. Tick. Tick. Tick. No wonder Captain Hook hated the sound of ticking. Time was passing. If time was passing then it had to mean that one of the cadets were going to notice that a part of the academy was missing rather quickly. But who took a chunk out of the academy and why? That was a mystery that had to be solved.

He traveled his way toward the arch way until coming to the heart of the lab. There was a strange dressed man in red across and his eyes landed on another perhaps even stranger creature manning the lab. He pressed the golden photograph even closer to his chest feeling a cold chill coming down his spine. He turned around to find that his quarters was blocked by the smoke in a mystique kind of way. The smoke cleared away to reveal clocks of all kinds decorating the scenery. Gampu saw hills with distant blue skies lingering below the dark sky.

"You, over there!"

Gampu almost jumped as he turned in the direction of the voice.

"Good heavens!" Gampu exclaimed, then took in a breath.

A figure in red was gesturing him ahead.

"Over here!"

Gampu walked right over.

"I am Commander Gampu of the Space Academy," Gampu introduced himself. "how may I help you?

"Doctor Chronos," Chronos replied. "You can help me with putting these machines together."

Gampu's eyes landed on the collection of tapes in the thousands, purple machinery, and collapsed tables with support poles among the pile with drills, screws, and small rounded material. It dawned on Gampu on who was standing before him. The father of time. Gampu dropped his belonging at a loss of words staring back at the man. More of a being than a man. He was a man younger than Gampu with a sharp pointed beard and a golden necklace around his neck that seemed odd to him. He had a unique head scarf on his head kept together by a golden item carved well with precision and care.

"Don't just stand there!" Chronos snapped. "My time is very precious and I don't spend it for nothing!"

"Yes, sir," Gampu said.

"Follow my lead," Chronos said.

Gampu silently went out setting up the tables. Together, they put together new machinery and put in the tapes throughout the process. They must have made dozens of these tables. It must have been more than a few minutes working on the contraption. Each tape represented lives. He left a bit of tape out on to the section of the machine that then grasped it and began to pull it forward but stopped before anything could be clearly done.

They made sure the machines were in one piece making sure that he followed directly to the instructions. He stepped back and relaxed at his work. Gampu observed the machines were part of a elaborate system working at the same time. When one reached the end to one set of the machine, it stopped and the other parts continued without it. Chronos stopped Gampu from going on to see what was wrong and the commander turned toward the time merchant earning a head shake in return. It wasn't supposed to be taken out.

"How many years are you willing to sell to keep this time loop running, Commander Gampu?"

Gampu turned toward them.

"How long can I make them live?"

Chronos frowned.

"Who?"

Gampu huffed then began to search his person for the photograph then stopped.

"Oh dear, I have dropped it!" Gampu exclaimed, mournfully, his eyes scanned the ground. "No, no, no, no!"

"Dropped what?" Chronos asked.

Gampu was knelt down searching among the dark ground patting around for the case.

"My family," Gampu said. "I must find it before it's lost forever!"

"Your family is a object?" Chronos asked

"No," Gampu said, shaking his head. "They are inside of it."

"So you are searching for a photograph," Chronos said.

"I would be willing to part fifty years of my life for them to live," Gampu shook his head. "Fifty extra years."

"Per member," Chronos added.

Gampu stood up to his feet.

"Per member," Gampu said.

"Is that new and current?" Chronos asked.

"This is their lives we are playing with," Gampu said, slowly.

"Yes, but you want them to live a little bit longer," Chronos took out a large tape. "How much of your tape are you really willing to sell?"

Gampu turned away rubbing his chin then shifted toward Chronos.

"I have one hundred years left," Gampu said. "I can sell that."

"You have to decide," Chronos said. "who do you want to live the longest?"

Gampu turned away, visibly pained, as it dawned on him then squeezed his eyes shut.

"If we do the math," Gampu said, opening his eyes. "And split one hundred years evenly between them they won't be parted from each other for long."

Gampu faced the machines.

"So. . ." Gampu said. "There are six of them."

He walked around the sets of machines.

"The professor lives for ten years," Gampu said. "Doctor Robinson lives for ten years, Judy Robinson lives for a extra ten years, Major West lives for ten years, Penny Robinson lives for ten years, and Will Robinson lives for ten years." he came to a stop beside the machine facing the listening time merchant.

"That's twenty years that you have left to spend," Chronos said. "I recommend you readjust it."

Gampu was silent as he leaned against the table doing the math.

"The professor lives ten years," Gampu started, again. "Doctor Robinson lives for ten years, Judith Robinson lives for twenty, Penelope Robinson lives for twenty, William Robinson lives for twenty, and Major West lives for twenty."

"No children?" Chronos asked.

"Their tapes haven't been made, Doctor Chronos," Gampu said. "I cannot deal for someone who doesn't exist."

"Just. . ." Chronos started, slowly. "ten years for the parents."

"Ten years," Gampu repeated.

"You are sure about this?" Chronos asked, raising a brow.

"The madame wouldn't be herself without the professor," Gampu said. "As her doctor, I am certain on that."

"That works," Chronos said. "Would you like to see what happens to the Robinsons in your time loop?"

"I would love to," Gampu said. "With them."

"But you'll be watching them,"

"Without them," Gampu said.

"They are dead," Chronos said. "I personally clipped their tapes."

"Just because they are dead doesn't mean their image is gone as well forever," Gampu replied.

"Right, the photograph," Chronos took out the golden object from his pocket then handed the photograph to the man. "Dearest family? Really?" Gampu scanned the back for any damage. "If they are so dear to you then it must be worth this to you."

Gampu slid the small object up watching them reappear with smiles.

"Family is worth it," Gampu said, then looked up toward the man with a smile. "They are worth it to me."

Chronos took several tapes out of the machine then moved toward another machine. He took them out then put them into the elaborate set up tapes from across the lab then took the original set including Gampu's. Gampu closed the object following after Chronos until coming to the lab. He watched the man clip off long pieces of tape from what was undoubtedly his own case the attach them on to the tapes. One by one they were handed back to the assistant who moved back toward the machine they had been removed from carefully putting them back into place. Gampu was silent then came forward as beckoned by the man.

"Watch this," Chronos said, pointing toward the screen.

Gampu watched the academy falling through the air then the screen changed to the gymnasium focusing on hands. Civilians, professors, and cadets were no longer being thrown around the gymnasium that became stabilized. Concern etched on his face watching the injuries that seemed to make him question his decision. He watched the academy come to a stop then soar over the distance away from the Jupiter earning a sigh of relief. He watched as his campsite's flame briefly was extinguished. He watched himself appear at the gymnasium. He watched Loki hug him and be greeted by the space cadets.

It all unfolded before him in a matter of two hours watching the cadets formulate their plan and a look of pride formed on his face.

"I always knew they were capable of great things," Gampu said, proudly on the verge of tears.

Gampu watched the Robinsons react then the truth became apparent before his eyes in the third hour.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no," Gampu said, shaking his head. "Major! That is not true! DON'T GO OUT THERE! MAJOR! DON'T PLEASE, DON'T GO IN THERE!"

"He can't hear you," Chronos said.

Gampu watched helplessly as the major jumped into the space drill.

"Major," Gampu said. "Don't."

Gampu fell to his knees placing the photograph on to the edge watching his friend go up there.

"Major, please, go back down there!" Gampu demanded. "Please!"

Gampu shook his head watching the events the battle happen before his eyes.

"Matt," Gampu said. "No."

Chronos looked down toward Gampu.

"People have to die for your family to live," Chronos said.

Gampu shook his head.

"I accepted that," Gampu said. "But not like this."

Chronos looked at him in pity.

"That's what happens when you put cadets in charge, Commander Gampu," Chronos said. "Look."

Gampu looked up observing himself screaming for help in the sinking pod.

"I am doomed," Gampu said, horrified. "Doomed!" He got up to his feet with rage in his eyes. "They are doomed!"

Gampu smacked him against the machine.

"WE HAD A DEAL!" Gampu shouted.

The assistant started to come but Chronos held a hand up.

"My time loop exist in turn they live!" Gampu said, grasping into Chrono's outfit. "I have to exist in order for that to happen! It will fall apart with no one to make sure it sticks!"

"Commander," Chronos said, calmly. "Finish watching the video."

Gampu dropped him then turned away with a visible tremble.

"I understand your feelings for mortals," Chronos said. "sacrificing your retirement years in this timeline. . . Just for them," Gampu placed a hand on his face. "That is the best kind of deal I have made with anyone in quite a while. For them, not yourself, a selfless act," Gampu slid his hand down his face. "And expecting in nothing in return."

Gampu looked up toward the screen.

Gampu stared at the screen watching his face reappear then vanish after dialogue that he had said earlier.

"Robot, can we remove the message and return it through the new void?" John asked.

"Affirmative," The Robot replied.

"John, what kind of idea are you getting?" Don asked.

"The kind that prevents the last week from happening," John said.

Gampu was frozen where he stood.

"This is the timeloop," Gampu said, then walked away. "It was all for nothing."

"No, no, no," Chronos said, as the assistant got in the way.

"Out of my way," Gampu said, his head lowered.

"You have to watch it in full," Chronos said. "Not everything is what it seems."

Gampu returned reluctantly to the screen then watched KaraQ perform the experiment. He was silent throughout the entire episode. The assistant moved the chair forward for the commander to sit down on. He watched all the hurt and pain that the werewolf episode put them through. It made Gampu feel helpless and powerless to comfort them that everything was going to be alright. He could see the guilt building up in the major. And he couldn't do a thing about it from behind the screen.

He watched the treatments, the meetings with Sakaar, and their reactions to it. How they dealt with the treatment was a matter that was the Robinsons and true to them. It comforted him that he wasn't alone. He watched as Will and Penny reunite with him. He watched the major and young woman reunite with him. He watched dinner happen. Just as it had many times before but it drew a certain emotion from Gampu watching the Robinsons eating their diner unharmed and in good spirits. He watched the visibly pleased look on Maureen's face late that night after dinner.

"It's good to see you again, Doctor Smith," Maureen said.

"Madame," Smith said. "I hope your time in the dimension was more pleasant than how the children told me. They tend to exaggerate."

"It was more fruitful," Maureen said, carefully choosing her words.

"Fruit," Smith said. "How I miss Earth fruit."

Smith got up from the table picking up his plate.

"You know," Maureen said, making him stop. "I think we all missed you."

Smith feigned a look of shock.

"Everyone?" Smith asked, raising his brows. "Even the annoying, paranoid major?"

"Even him," Maureen said. "He made a few comments about it."

Smith placed Will's plate underneath his own with care.

"I will take it," Smith said. "Madame, how about you rest and I take care of the dishes?" he placed a hand on the side of her shoulder gently. "It is the least you deserve from being in another dimension. You had a eventful day."

"Why thank you, Doctor Smith," Maureen said. "And I expect those dishes cleaned."

"Why would I chicken out on helping a friend in need?" Smith said, insulted.

"It is just you don't do it often," Maureen said. "and when you do."

"Ah," Smith had a small nod. "I see. They will be thoroughly cleaned, madame, I assure you."

Maureen put the plate down then walked off to the inside of the Jupiter but turned to face the doctor who was collecting with a smile.

"I miss you, too, Robinsons," Gampu said.

He watched the occupied Jupiter 2 leave Priplanus while it were in the middle of destroying itself thirty years too early because of a space miner mining for cosmodium.

It was the best mistake of his life.

"I am sorry," Gampu apologized.

"It's okay," Chronos said. "It happens when you don't get the full picture."

Gampu turned toward Chronos.

"Why did you make me watch history. . ." Gampu closed his eyes, emotionally pained, slightly angry, rubbing the center of his forehead cupping his elbow. "That I can't be part of?"

When Gampu opened his eyes, there was anger in them directed toward Chronos.

"That little bird comment by the boy," Chronos said.

Gampu stared back at the man.

"But. . ." Gampu said. "No. I can't. I can't go back there." he shook his head. "The temptation to stay is strong," he held his trembling hands up. "And replace the Doctor Smith of that timeline."

"You have to," Chronos said, Gampu lowered his hands then linked them behind his back. "Even if you were different, they would accept you."

"But two cannot exist in the same place," Gampu said.

"Which means he won't exist," Chronos said.

"Can you please stop being helpful for one minute and take this seriously?" Gampu asked.

"I am taking it seriously," Chronos said. "There won't be any temptation."

Gampu was sharply glaring at Chronos while tightly grasping onto his heating up wrist.

"You. don't. know. me," Gampu said. "Sir."

"Since you gave one hundred years of your life . . ." Chronos said. "You have the opportunity to use the elite form of time travel. Highly experimental." He looked off toward the blue cage. "More reliable so far compared to some machines I do use."

"Why do you want me to go?" Gampu asked.

"Because you have to," Chronos said.

Gampu looked off toward the set up machinery that had to be for the time loop.

"That little boy is going to lose hope a lot sooner and not go that way than what has been seen," Chronos said. "They are not ready to drop you off."

"They are not ready to drop off Doctor Smith," Gampu corrected, turning away from the time merchant to face the largest purple equipment. "Not Commander Gampu."