(Part 7)
by Wayne Eggleston

"Danger! Extreme danger! Cross-dimensional protective force field in place!"

Judy cried out. "It’s the robot! They must have sent him after us!"

Kresh spun around and saw the mechanical man, still ablaze with blue sparks of the ion force field. "What is that?" Kresh screamed, instinctively shooting at the robot. The laser blast bounced off the force field and hit the astrogator.

There was a boom and a shower of sparks as the navigation island burst into flames. An alarm went off and once again, the Gemini began rocking. The engines started to rev, sending the ship into an unknown flight path. The force of the acceleration caught everyone by surprise, tossing them off their balance. Don, Judy, Smith and even Kresh careened across the deck, grasping for something to support themselves. The robot switched off the force field and began flailing its retractable arms. "Danger," it said. "Extreme danger!"

"Robot!" Don shouted. "Disarm that alien!"

Dr. Smith piped up. "Yes you ninny! Save us!"

Struggling to maintain its balance, the robot reached out for Kresh, but the alien quickly dodged its claws and fired another shot. This time the blast hit home, striking the robot directly in its breastplate and disabling it. The robot made a groaning sound and leaned forward, its arms dangling lifeless.

Kresh steadied himself against the frame of the co-pilot’s chair and tried to take aim at Don. Just as he did so, Judy lost her grip and slid halfway across the deck. Kresh reached down and grabbed her around the neck. "All right!" he said. "Everyone settle down or she dies!"

Don had gotten to his feet and held tight to the rim of the burning astrogator. He crouched forward, ready to leap at Kresh. Dr. Smith was cringing on the floor, practically hugging the base of the pilot’s seat.

The rocking of the Gemini decreased somewhat, but the ship’s lurching motion was still strong enough to make normal standing or walking impossible. Don figured the back-up controls had stabilized the ship. "Let her go, Kresh," he ordered.

"I’m afraid I just can’t do that Major West," Kresh said. "Despite this minor setback, I fully intend to press on with my plan. However, in light of the changed circumstances, I must insist that you and Dr. Smith suit up and leave the ship at once. I will keep the girl to ensure your compliance."

"What?" Smith said. "You’re simply abandoning us to the dark reaches of space?" He looked through the main viewpoint at the blackness outside the ship. "Oh dear! We’re doomed!"

"You’ve got to be kidding Kresh," Don said. "There’s no way I’m leaving her here with you."

"Surely you don’t expect us to just step out into space," Dr. Smith pleaded. "There must be some way we can come to an understanding."

John Robinson opened his eyes a sliver. He was laying on his side in front of the freezing tubes and from his position, he could see Kresh holding Judy at gunpoint. He couldn’t hear the conversation very well, but he knew he had to act fast. But what could he possibly do in his condition?

"Oh don’t worry about the girl," Kresh said. "I’ll place her in that empty freezing tube after you’ve gone. I’ll need some time to formulate my next step. As for you two, I’d highly advise you to follow my instructions. My patience is beginning to wear thin."

Judy struggled in Kresh’s grip. The alien’s arm was wrapped tightly around her throat, making it hard for her to breathe and nearly impossible to speak.

John needed a weapon. He slowly reached out with his right arm and quietly patted the floor beyond his head. He remembered the pistol Don had earlier. Where had it ended up? Just at the limit of his reach, his fingertips landed on the edge of the gun’s barrel. He tried pulling it toward him, but the pistol merely rocked in place. I’ve got to get a grip on it, he thought. He kept his eyes on Kresh. Beyond the alien, John could see some kind of inactive robot standing uselessly. He briefly wondered where such a monstrous looking device had come from.

"Look Kresh," Don said. "We can talk this over. Nobody has to get hurt. Just let her go."

"Didn’t I tell the two of you to get your spacesuits on?" Kresh asked menacingly. "I suppose you don’t think I would really harm the girl." He tightened his hold on Judy. "It looks like I’m going to have to show you how serious I am."

Judy tried to wrest herself free of the alien’s grip, but she couldn’t. It surprised her how strong Kresh was for such a small being. "Please!" she cried. "You’re hurting me!"

This is it, John thought. He realized there was only one way he could make it. He had to move fast to grab the pistol and take out the alien. They all still thought he was passed out, so he would have the element of surprise on his side. He prayed it would be enough. His head was throbbing worse than ever and his body felt very weak, but as he had trained himself to do, John set his feelings and physical condition aside and focused mentally on the task before him. He flexed his legs slightly against a support beam and pushed forward. His hand closed around the pistol and he sat up fast. John summoned all his remaining strength and quickly took aim.

"Get your hands off my daughter!" he yelled, firing the laser.

Kresh was caught completely by surprise. The laser beam that struck him was narrow, but contained an enormous amount of energy. Kresh lost all muscle control as the laser seared into his body. The power of the beam instantly broke down his nervous system. Judy felt the alien’s arms go limp and she quickly pushed herself away from him. The beam had passed close enough to her face to singe her eyelashes, but otherwise, she hadn’t been harmed. Scrambling backwards across the floor in a frantic crablike motion, Judy watched as the laser beam devoured Kresh’s small frame. The alien suddenly vibrated in a grotesque dance of death and then vanished altogether in a burst of energy. Suddenly, the Gemini was very quiet.

Once Kresh was gone, John dropped the laser and collapsed again.

Don was at Judy’s side, helping her to her feet. "Are you all right?"

"I’m fine," she said. "Dad!" She left Don and ran to John’s side. "Dad!" she cried again. "We thought you were gone!"

Don grabbed a fire extinguisher and started dousing the burning astrogator. "Smith!" he yelled. "Get that robot working!"

Professor Robinson held Judy’s hand and smiled up at her. "I couldn’t let him hurt you. You may be from another universe, but you’re still my daughter," he said. He reached for her hand. "I’m sorry I was so harsh with you earlier."

"I understand," she said. "You were protecting your family. My dad would’ve done the same thing. That’s one of the things I love about you. Or him. Or both of you." She laughed. "This situation is so confusing."

"I know," John said. He squeezed her hand and suddenly grimaced in pain. "Th- thank God you - you’re my -" John closed his eyes and whispered. "My daughter." Then he was still.

Judy shook him lightly, but there was no response. "Dad? Dad! Wake up! Please! Wake up! No, daddy you can’t die! Please wake up!"

Don stopped his work on the damaged astrogator and grabbed Smith’s arm. "We need that robot now!" he barked. Then, he knelt at Judy’s side. Tears were streaming down her cheeks and she turned to Don and wept openly. He wrapped his arm around her and held her. "It’s going to be all right," he said. He felt John’s wrist, but couldn’t find a pulse.

Smith furiously snapped relays into place on the robot, trying to circumvent the burned out circuits. "Just a moment," he nervously called. "I’ve almost got it. There!" He turned a switch on the robot’s front panel and the mechanical man sprang into life.

"Danger, danger!" it said.

"Never mind that," Smith cried. "Evaluate Professor Robinson’s condition at once!"

The robot’s sensors hummed and clicked for a few seconds. "Professor Robinson is near death," it said. "He must be returned to a state of cryogenic stasis immediately."

Judy looked up. "He’s still alive?" She choked back a sob. "Then we can still save him!"

"Can you set the freezing tube controls?" Don asked the robot. "We don’t understand his physiology."

"Affirmative!" the robot stated. "Place him in his cryogenic suspension tube, I shall operate the controls."

"Smith!" Don yelled. "Give me a hand!" Together, the two men pulled John to his feet and gently positioned him inside the freezing tube. "Okay," Don said.

The robot rolled to the leftmost section of the main control panel. As there was no time for mechanical button pushing, the robot sounded a string of beeps and tones, instructing the main computer what settings to use to stabilize John’s condition. The computer quickly processed the orders and lights suddenly flashed on and off above John’s freezing tube. Within seconds, the front half of the tube quietly slid into place. As they watched, a light within the tube grew in intensity, enveloping John in it’s glow.

Practically biting her nails, Judy watched as the process completed. The glow faded, revealing John standing within the tube, in perfect hibernation. She turned to the robot. "Is he all right?" she asked. "Did it work?"

"Professor Robinson’s respiratory, circulatory and metabolic systems have been restored," the robot said. "However, he must remain in cryogenic suspension for at least 72 hours for a full recovery."

"Oh thank you!" Judy said, ecstatic. She wrapped her arms around the robot. "You always come through for us, robot. What would we do without you?"

Dr. Smith cleared his throat. "Don’t forget, dear girl, that it was I who repaired our mechanical friend so quickly."

She smiled. "Of course I couldn’t forget that, Dr. Smith! And after everything Dad said about you, you still jumped to his aid. Thank you so much!" She gave Smith a warm hug.

"That’s just great," Don said. "Once again, Smith almost gets us all killed and here you are hugging him!"

"Because of Dr. Smith, my father is alive!" Judy said.

Don had just about reached his boiling point. "He’s not even your real -," he stopped himself. Don’t get into this, he thought. It’s not worth it. "Never mind that," he said. "We’ve got to find a way to get back to the Jupiter." He looked at the robot. "I hope you’ve got some information for us, mister."

"Affirmative," the robot said. "I have been programmed with instructions from Professor Robinson on returning all of us to our own universe."

"Oh, what wondrous news!" Smith cried out. "I simply cannot wait to leave this ghastly dimension. To be reunited with the rest of the family will be sheer bliss after this dreadful experience!" He clasped his hands together over his breastbone in an expression of joy.

Don gave Smith a harsh look. It nagged him to the core that Smith had backstabbed them and was getting away with it once again. Talking to Judy was useless. She was so happy that the Gemini’s John Robinson would be all right, nothing else mattered. Judy could forgive Smith for anything, it seemed. Don, on the other hand apparently had done nothing right the entire time they’d been aboard the Gemini 12. The cold looks Judy had given him made Don feel broken inside.

"Robot," Don said in a flat voice. "Let’s get going on those instructions you’ve got."

"Affirmative!" The robot rolled over to the control panel and began reciting Professor Robinson’s instructions for setting up an anti-matter field generator. Judy straightened up around the deck as best she could, glancing at the freezing tubes from time to time.

"This will sure make an interesting story once they’ve landed," Judy remarked to Smith.

"Indeed it would, if the good Professor remembers any of it at all," Smith said. "I can’t help but wonder what effect his condition will have on his memory. For all we know, he might not remember any part of our little adventure. Or he might simply think it was a bad dream."

She shrugged her shoulders. "I guess we’ll never know."

"Perhaps that’s as it should be," Smith said, nodding.

Don snapped a couple switches and stepped away from the control panel. The instruments were humming with power, surging as if trying to break free. "Okay," he said. "We’re just about ready here. I’ve set the navigation controls to automatic. The Gemini will seek out the nearest habitable planet and set down, releasing the Robinsons from their freezing tubes. That’ll probably take a couple weeks."

"It’s a shame we can’t help them get back on course," Judy said.

"Yeah, I’d like to, but being lost in our own universe is bad enough. There’s no way I could navigate here. Despite the damage to the astrogator, the navigation controls are still working good. They’ll be okay." Don looked at the robot. "Before John sent the robot over, he put a small forcefield around him. We can extend the range of that field to protect all of us when we cross over."

Smith was anxious. "Well Major," he said. "Everything sounds in order. When can we go?"

"Right now," Don said. "We’ll need to kind of huddle around the robot. The anti-matter system’s programmed to shut itself off once we’ve gone."

Dr. Smith and Judy stepped up close to the robot and grabbed onto the machine’s hoisting loops. "This had better work, you thundering dunderhead!" Smith snapped.

"Stay close and be still, Dr. Smith!" the robot said.

Don pressed a final button and quickly stepped over to the front of the robot. As he did so, he felt Judy move away from him. It’s as if the distance between us keeps growing. I’ll have to talk with her later, he thought. There’s no time now. The humming sound rose in volume and green sparks of energy started to pop up from the control panel.

"Robot, activate force field!" Don shouted above the noise. At once, a sheet of blue sparkles enveloped them. Smith shut his eyes and clenched onto the robot in fear. The roar of the anti-matter field grew louder and the green sparks that were jumping along the control panel fused into a thick green arc of energy. The arc began to bend and fold until it finally jumped up at them. The anti-matter energy surrounded them in a brilliant green light and all at once, they felt themselves being literally pushed out of the universe of the Gemini 12 . . .

* * *

. . . and back onto the deck of the Jupiter 2.

They appeared amidst an all too familiar flare of green light nearly exactly where they had first vanished. John, standing near the turbo lift, shielded himself from the light and the heat. When he looked back, he saw Judy, Don and Smith, gathered around the robot as if in a group hug, surrounded by the blue sparks of the force field. John couldn’t contain his joy. "They’re back! Maureen! They made it!"

As the robot switched off the force field, everyone staggered away. Dr. Smith clutched his back with one hand and held his forehead with the other. "Good heavens!" he cried. "I feel as if I’ve been run over by a steam roller!"

Don held a pilot’s chair for support and shook his head, trying to get his strength back. "Whew!" he said. "That was something else!" He looked over to Judy, leaning against the radio control panel. Her eyes were closed and she looked quite weak. He wanted to go to her, but there was no time.

The rest of the family had arrived and were embracing the three of them. "Dr. Smith!" Penny screamed in happiness, running across the deck into his arms. "We were so worried!"

"There, there my dear child," Smith said. "Nothing to worry about. It appears we all made it back in one piece. No harm done."

John took Judy into his arms. "Are you all right darling?" he gently asked.

"Yes," she said. "I’m fine. I just need to lie down."

"Of course," John said. He helped Judy across the deck to the elevator. She looked back at Don, started to say something, but then just turned away.

Maureen and Will helped Don steady himself. "What was it like?" Will asked. "In the alternate universe, I mean."

Don smiled weakly. "Just like here, only a little different," he said. "Except for Smith that is. Wherever we go, it’s always the same old Dr. Smith." He laughed and shook his head.

"Everyone was there Penny," Smith told her. "The entire family, still in their freezing tubes. It was like some sort of horrible nightmare."

"Oh, it sounds weird," Penny said.

"Well thank goodness you’re all back safe and sound," Maureen said. "That’s what really matters."

Don thought about Judy. He thought it might be a good idea to give her some space for a while. They both had some things to sort out on their own.

"Mrs. Robinson," Smith said. "I’m sure you would agree that after such a trying ordeal, it would seem only fitting that we replenish ourselves with a hot hearty meal!" His back pain seemed to have mysteriously vanished. "While we dine, I can regale you all with the story of how I single-handedly saved everyone from a gigantic, ferocious alien, bent on our destruction!" He began to lead everyone to the elevator, which had returned to the main deck.

"What?" Don asked. "Oh brother! You saved us?"

While Don and Smith bickered, Penny glanced out the main windows. She wondered if she would ever see that strange river in space again. It was so beautiful, she couldn’t help but marvel at it. She looked out at the sprinkling of stars, but there was no sign of the river now. A little disappointed, she turned to go down below when she heard someone behind her.

"What?" she said, turning back around. "What did you say?" She was startled to see no one there. The voice hadn’t been clear, but she could have sworn there had been someone standing right behind her. She looked around, but all she saw was Will and the robot over by the elevator.

"Penny," Will called. "Aren’t you coming?"

She shook her head, puzzled. It must have been her imagination. There was nobody there. "Yeah, I’m coming," she said.

The End