2. WHAT DREAMS MAY COME
Last
week as you recall we, Dr. Smith had just won his final match against
the gambling machine. The payoff ? If Smith was to believe it, a magic
lamp, and with still one wish left on it.
While Will was playing a game of chess with the robot, Penny had gone off to find Dr. Smith.
Smith took the lamp into his hands. "Lovely." he crooned to it.
The
gambling machine sucked back in the cards with a table-based vacuum.
"Still can't understand how you won all them hands at Galaxy Poker." it
spoke in bafflement.
Smith looked up for a second. "Luck I assure you dear boy. Nothing but pure luck on my part."
"Be
as it may." the gambling machine went on. "I'm going to have my parts
checked over by maintenance. They'll tell if there were any problems."
Smith
paled suddenly realizing the earlier handiwork he did on this machine
would be found out, "Oh but my good sir, I can do that for you. Yes, me !
I'm quite able to see if you are in good working order or not. I am a
doctor of many things !"
There
was a moment of silence as the machine thought it over. "No I don't
think so. Enjoy the lamp. I'm outta here." when suddenly the machine
teleported away, leaving Smith to suddenly fall back on the ground.
"Untrustworthy
appliance !" he called after it. Then his eyes gazed lovingly at the
lamp. "But it was worth it. Totally. Now. What shall I wish for ?"
"Doctor Smith !" Penny cried out, only a short distance from where he was.
Quick like a flash he put the lamp inside his carry case and slung it over his back.
Penny showed up. "There you are ! I was calling for you earlier, didn't you hear me ?"
Smith
replied, "Oh no. Of course not. I was completely - caught up in
nature." He looked heavenward. "Doesn't it just take your breath away,
midear ?"
"Sometimes." Penny confessed. "But - Daddy is looking for you."
"Professor Robinson ? What could he want ?"
Penny fidgeted. "I didn't ask. But I'm sure it's important."
Smith sighed, "Well, let's go see what's troubling the good professor, hmm ?"
And with that they both went back to the camp site of the Jupiter 2.
Don
and Judy were just hooking in the new shields. Don looked at Smith as
he arrived, "We've been having ravagers in the night, coming to take our
plants which bear fruit and vegetables. Smith, you wouldn't know
anything about this, would you ?"
Smith put two protective hands on his chest, "It's not me, Major. As you said - scavengers."
That seemed to satisfy Don for the moment. As for John, he was inside the Jupiter 2 sitting down at the console.
Dr. Smith entered and at once got the ominous feeling of close scrutinization.
"Something I can help you with, professor ?" he offered.
"Sit down, Smith." John said, flatly.
Penny stood by with her hands clasped in anxiousness at the obvious tension between the two.
John
pointed to Penny, "Missie, this doesn't concern you. Can you go and
help your Mom ? She should be preparing today's dinner."
"Okay, Daddy." With that she skipped out the exit.
John then turned his chair to regard Smith silently.
Moments passed when Smith could finally no longer contain himself, "Just what is it !?"
John
sighed, "Smith. I want you to know something. Ever since you tried to
do away with us on our initial flight, I've never trusted you. I know
you say you've turned over a new leaf, whatever that is supposed to
mean, but it's not good enough for me."
"If
you want to go wandering out on your own on this alien planet, I won't
be stopping you. But I DO NOT want you involving my children any more,
do I make myself clear ?"
Smith bowed low, "Crystal, sir. I understand you completely."
"Good.
Now that is not to say I'm telling you off limits around the Jupiter 2.
I just don't want any more of my kids mixed up in your adventures
outside the direct area of our ship where they can be in immediate
danger from hostile threats. I'm the captain of this ship so what I say -
goes."
Smith
bowed again, "Certainly sir. Your word is as good as your bond. But for
the moment, I'm exhausted from a very difficult walk. It's my delicate
back, you see. I need to go lie down."
John stood up. "That's fine. We'll wake you for dinner. I know you won't miss that." With that he got up and left.
* * *
Smith
looked around. He was alone. With more than a guilty expression on his
face he stole away to his room and closed the shutters.
He
snickered to himself, "Captain indeed ! Just - you - wait ! Once I
decide upon what I wish for, you may very well find yourself in direct
subservience to me, Lord - Zachary Smith !"
Smith
stood up a moment to look in a mirror. He tapped the bottom of his chin
and opened his eyes wide in the reflection. "Bags under my eyes ? Oh
dear ! I knew it ! I'm certainly not getting enough rest these days !
I'll make my wish later, for now, I need my beauty sleep."
Smith put the lamp under his bed and with that, was almost asleep before his head hit the pillow.
Meanwhile Don and John were turning knobs and setting controls for the newly repaired perimeter shield generator.
"You know why I'm doing this, don't you, John ?" Don asked him.
"To keep out invaders I thought ?" John replied.
Don
nodded, "Yeah, that AND to see if it really is Smith who is getting
extra portions of food. Once this shield generator is in full operation,
if any of our vegetables or fruit go missing the next day, we'll know
who our 'scavengers' really are."
John shrugged, "I hate to admit it, Don. I actually feel pretty sorry for him."
Don scoffed, "Smith !? You can't be serious !"
John
spoke solemnly. "Yes I am. I've got my family to support and keep me
company - and you, you've always been family to us, Don." He put a
supportive hand on Don's shoulder.
Don smiled, agreeing, and nodded for him to continue.
John
pointed to the sky. "Smith's relatives are millions of miles away from
here. He's light-years away from home - and Earth, and aside from Will,
my boy, few if any of us trust him at all. That's got to be a burden on
him."
Don reached around to tighten a connector on the generator. "He's brought it all on himself though, John. You know this."
"Yes
I do, and then again, maybe not. There is such a thing as a destructive
personality. Yes, it goes out of its way to destroy those around, but
it also destroys the person within. I think in many way Smith is not
responsible in large for a lot of things he does."
John
continued in Don's incredulous look of disbelief, "He just wants to be
recognized and appreciated, and sometimes - I think he goes about it
entirely the wrong way."
Don
huffed, "That's probably the nicest thing anyone has ever said about
him. You're too soft, John. Me ? Just give me 5-minutes with him, I'll
straighten him out so he never hurts or swindles anyone ever again."
John
didn't have anything to say at this point. It was clear they had two
politely opposing views. The sun for the alien planet they were on was
already starting to set. The good news was, they had the shield
generator working perfectly now.
Maureen sounded a dinner bell. A discarded piece of triangular metal hung by a spare cable and rattled with a long soup spoon.
"There's Maureen." John said.
Both headed to the entrance of the Jupiter 2. John stopped to knock on the outer wall of where Smith was. "Smith ! Dinnertime !"
The blinds pulled back immediately and Smith was there with a big smile on his face.
"Always ready and alert, professor." he said.
Don smirked, "Yeah, you're ready alright - anytime there's a meal that is."
Smith
sniffed disdainfully, "Major, your barbs fall on deaf hears this
evening, I just so happen to be in a very good mood - and you - can't -
break it."
Don smiled wickedly, "Maybe I can break something else you WILL feel."
Maureen
intervened. "Alright you two. Can't you ever get along ? Come along
now. Judy and Penny helped me all evening to make this nice meal for
you."
Soon
sounds of eating were replaced by insulting words and even the two
opposing members of the Jupiter 2 crew had softened their moods.
Penny was the first to speak. "Dr. Smith was just telling me earlier how much nature just takes his breath away."
Smith
swallowed his food rapidly realizing he had the center of attention.
"Indeed it does ! This whole planet, just lovely lovely ! Lovely it is
!"
Don wasn't convinced. "Aren't you the same guy yesterday that said you'd do anything to get off this hell hole ?"
Smith
looked reproachfully to Don. "Ah, but I'm a new Smith now, Major. I
have a new perspective on life. If - we never get back to Earth, well,
I'll just have to make the best of things that I can here I suppose.
It's not so bad. Not really."
Don shook his head and laughed, "Smith, you're just full of surprises, aren't you."
Smith didn't bother to answer him and soon all finished their meals. It was late in the evening and then John spoke.
"Okay
you two. Will, and Penny, I want you in bed now. We're going to be
going on a long trip tomorrow for drilling the new site - and I want you
two to get plenty of rest."
"Okay Dad." the two chimed. Then went to their respective rooms.
John
then addressed Smith. "Smith, would you like to join us - to help, or
did you want to stay here and guard the Jupiter 2 tomorrow with the
robot ?"
Smith
held his hands up and shooed them in the air like there was a fly. "I'm
sorry, professor, all that dust churned up by the drilling is very bad
for my asthma. I believe I'll stake out tomorrow with the robot and
we'll keep the Jupiter safe from invaders."
Don snickered but didn't say anything further.
Each went to their respective room, closed the privacy blinds, and ultimately went to sleep.
That
is - all except for Dr. Smith. No, he was up, with the beautiful
crystal lamp in his hands, and he was scheming. Scheming of all what he
could have, with a mere and single wish.
He
wanted to make it perfect, absolutely perfect in every way. Oh of
course he wanted to go back to Earth. There were many times before he
would sell out the entire crew to get this, but now - now there were
greater things to wish for than a mere ticket home.
And now, as the Jupiter 2 Crew slept. Now this very instant - he was finally ready to make his ultimate wish ...
prev chapter
Share This
Email
Facebook
Twitter
Read Request
My Library
Subscribe
Flag Writing
