Chapter 18- light at the end of the tunnel

Sometimes it only took the presence of a simple thing to regain ones bravery. For Will that 'thing' was the robot. His mechanical friend had been recharged again and was at his side. Will appreciated that his father had chosen to send the robot with him, Penny and Doctor Smith, as they searched the ship for light rocks. Will understood his father was trying to make up for dismantling the robot , in order to keep the ship functioning. Choices, could definitely be difficult, and Will could no longer find it in his heart to feel angry with his father.

"is it my imagination or does the ship actually feel different", Penny pondered.

Will knew what she meant. There had almost been a 'heavy atmosphere before, as if the air itself contained something that made it difficult to function. Now it was like a beautiful morning, when you step outside into the sun, and suck in the sweetness of the breeze.

"Maybe it is not the ship, itself, but our minds, Doctor Smith stated wisely. "We have been in a constant battle to protect ourselves against the light creatures. They have filled our minds with defeatist thoughts, now our minds are free to choose their own paths. I for one, have learnt from this, not to go around saying "oh the pain, or we are doomed", because it really does not help the situation at all".

Will and Penny smiled at that.

"That is very wise, Doctor Smith", the robot told him.

They entered another room and began the process of searching for light rocks. Will was the most creative searcher, looking behind walls, and into floor spaces, Doctor Smith seemed to be focused on looking in places rocks could not possibly be squashed.

"Ohh", a sharp breath of shock from Penny had them all scrambling to her side. She had lifted some bedding up from the floor , to discover, one of the 'crew', lying motionless on the floor.

Doctor kicked that crew member with his foot, then scrambled backward. He reflected it was like an approach to a wild animal, cautious and filled with apprehension.

"I thought their bodies would disappear, as we got further away from the planet", Penny mused, as she carefully took a step closer.

"Possibly the light rocks act like a battery, giving them stored energy. But just like an expired battery their energy is slowly draining away", The robot told them.

"So we just wait until they disappear back into mist or whatever they do", Smith decided.

He had also crept closer. Then he boldly reached down to shake the light being, confident nothing was going to happen. When the beings eyes snapped open, he yelled loudly and scooted back beside the robot. "Fry it robot, before it does us any harm", he yelled.

The robot , just looked at the being, how it could barely even open its eyes, or move any of its appendages, "I think it is almost expired", he stated.

"Help", the word out of the beings mouth startled them all.

"You have got to be kidding", Smith said firmly, "we have had enough of your kind".

"Help", this time, they heard something in the tone of the voice, an emotion that sounded very human.

Will could feel himself beginning to shake. These creatures had emotionally manipulated all of them, and it would take time to recover from that. They had been relentlessly pursuing them, and had not backed off even when they had begged them to stop. Now one of those being was begging them for help.

He turned his back upon the creature, taking that first slight movement that would end in him leaving the room and denying the 'creature' existed. It would only be a matter of time before that thought became fact.

Penny and Doctor Smith just froze looking down at the light creature.

Will found his feet would not carry him out of the room. "We just can't leave it", he found himself saying. Those words were a shock to him at first. Then when he thought clearly he realised he had never lost his compassion. That was not something to be ashamed of, it meant that the creatures had not altered who he was.

"Why not", Smith countered. "It's not alive, so it can't die Will", Smith figured.

"Something is happening to the creature", Penny was studying , the way it moved, noting the small twitched, as if it was in pain. "Help", the pleas was louder this time. "I feel something different", came the next observation, 'what is this sensation".

The creature thrashed its head about.

"That sensation, is called death", Smith stated. "That body that you stole, can no longer be maintained, so I guess it's going to disappear, or whatever happens, when you creatures can no longer exist in a parasitic state".

"We go back to the land, usually, the creature whispered, "where it is warm, and then replenish, before we grow again. Only I cannot go back to the rock, I am trapped here".

"There is nothing we can do", Smith told the creature. "This is what happens, when you fight with someone and lose, you pay a price".

"We just wanted to live a different life",the creature said.

"Yes, well death is part of our lives, light creature, we cannot just keep replenishing ourselves. Perhaps, if you had stolen the bodies and minds of the young babies, you would have lost the ability to replenish yourself and become mortal like us", Smith continued. He felt like he was educating someone with a very young mind, who had yet to experience, the fullness of life, and could not yet see the end of their journey.

"Help me...", the creature moaned, and then it said something, that made it seem like it did indeed possess the mind and soul of a human, "please".

The word, both touched and bothered Will. It bothered him because, perhaps it told them that the creatures were capable of being more than just parasites. "What can we do", he asked the robot.

"The robot could zap it, and end its life quickly", Smith proposed. "No", it was Penny who shouted the answer to that one.

"There has to be a way, to give it a chance", she could not just stand and watch a creature slowly die. She had no idea what the creature actually felt. But some part of it, was still belonging to the original host, and that was the part that was now begging for help.

"Can we send it back to the planet somehow. Maybe this ship has escape pods", she wondered.

"Those do exist upon this vessel", the robot confirmed.

"Then that is what we should do", Penny stated.

Smith moved over to the communication device upon the wall.

"What are you going to do", Will asked him. "Well my boy we must contact your father and inform him of what we have found. He may have some other ideas of what we should do", Smith told Will . He was hoping the professor would tell them to leave the creature. He thought that giving it a chance of life was potentially dooming any other species that was unfortunate enough to land upon the planet.

"We were also affected by the light creatures actions, so we should have a say in what happens to one of them", Will stretched himself taller, as if trying to look Smith in the eye.

"I agree that we were all affected. But Will, we are talking about creatures who do not possess traits like compassion or empathy. This one will simply go back to its world and start searching for the next victim. I know its tough to see it like this however it is simply completing its natural cycle of life". Let it die", Smith concluded.

"What it happening to it is not part of any natural cycle Smith", Penny countered, "we altered that. Even sending it back to its world may not be enough to save this one, but at least we allow it the chance of a natural death, back with its own kind. So I vote we put it in the escape pod. If we are limiting the voices to just the three of us, then you are out voted".

Smith stared at them. They were sounding way more mature than he ever expected. He was not quite ready to give in however. "If we regard the robot as part of the family then he should get a vote. So what say you my man". He expected the machine to use logic not emotion, and that would mean the creature would most likely be left on this ship to expire.

"I say we should give it a chance", the machine shockingly told him. "We are no longer in danger from their kind and can take measures to make sure no ship, ever lands upon that planet again. These creatures became parasitic by opportunity. Without further chances of hosts they should revert to their natural forms. Everything has its place in life and perhaps their original form has some benefits to the world below. This is something we do not know. "

Without further debate the machine scooped up the being and slowly lumbered down the corridor. Once at the escape pod, the robot entered and began to program coordinates into the pod. "It should take this pod directly to the city", he told the children.

"Why is an escape pod being activated", Professor Robinson's voice was stern and demanding.

Smith saw his opportunity to take over the conversation. "We found one of those creatures still alive, Will , Penny and the robot want to send it down to the planet . I would prefer to just let it come to an end", he stated.

There was a period of silence. Then Professor John Robinson altered his relationship with his son and daughter , by asking "Penny and Will you obviously don't agree, I'd like to know more about what you are thinking".

John realised he could just veto their actions. But he decided that he could not continue to regard them as children. They had matured quickly while lost in space, and deserved to have their thoughts heard.

After listening to his children John Robinson felt fierce pride rise up . His children were still the thoughtful compassionate people they had been before meeting the light creatures. He knew that both Penny and Will had experienced the 'darker sides of the beings so they did not need to go through the pros and cons of letting a light creature go. John could easily manipulate that conversation, and make them feel like it was them who had made the decision. But he had no desire to do that, now, or ever. So he told them, "the choice is yours Penny and Will, save the creature if you can. I am proud of you both", he added firmly.

"Send down the pod " Will instructed the robot.

They stepped back and watched as the pod was ejected .

"Now we should continue to look for light rocks", Smith said. He hoped they did not find any more light creatures. When a crackling of the communication system loudly echoed down the corridor, he wondered what type of news he was about to hear. Don't think about doom Smith, he told himself firmly.

"If you are not all busy perhaps you could come down to the medical section", Don's voice sounded excited.

Penny grabbed Will's hand and then took hold of the back of Smith's tunic and pulled him along. She was smiling. "I think we are about to meet the newest members of the family", she told them.

She was not wrong. As they quietly entered the medical section, they saw an exhausted looking Don holding two tiny bundles.

Penny, Will and Smith now stopped still, almost afraid to approach such little and delicate looking babies.

Don grinned widely at them and beckoned. "They are tiny, yet very healthy. Come on say hello".

Penny, could see her father and mother behind by the bed, hugging Judy. Her sister looked like she had just run a marathon, with wild looking hair and a body bathed in sweat. Despite that she beamed with joy.

"We haven't thought up names for them yet. It takes a bit of time to think up the right names for these two. They did have a part in saving our lives after all. I thought I'd be nervous about holding them, yet it's like I already know them", Judy mused.

Don gently lifted the blankets swaddling the babies to show Will, Penny and Doctor Smith their faces.

"Oh', was all Penny could say. She fell in love with the little ones as their tiny fingers came up to reach for her hand.

Will was shaking as he let the smallest of the babies clasp his fingers. "Gosh, they are actually gorgeous, he remarked. He'd always secretly thought that babies were not that attractive when newly born. But maybe his change in attitude was because these ones were family. "Welcome to the family little ones", he said firmly.

"Yes ,welcome indeed", Smith said. He seemed to have a little moisture in his eyes. He rubbed them firmly. Then he smiled as an idea came into his mind. "I believe a celebration is in order. Let's have some cake".

"If we could find any, then that would be marvellous", Judy told him sleepily.

Don passed the babies over to Maureen and moved closer to John. "We are going to need to use the resources on the Jupiter two to gain food and water. Since the beings on this ship were not actually alive, they had no need for sustenance of that kind. So I doubt they kept any food in storage."

"We will have to rely on the resources of both ships to survive", Don told him.

John wished they did not have to talk about survival so soon after the arrival of the babies. "Perhaps there is another option Don. This ship must possess system maps. We could find a suitable planet to settle upon. I am not sure if we should risk taking this vessel back to its home world, as they might think we were responsible for the crews demise."

"Unfortunately we did cause what happened to the current crew", Don stated. "So it would be easy to believe we were responsible and the evidence would most likely find us guilty." Who would actually believe that creatures that lived within rocks could steal the minds and bodies of others. It sounds like something made up by desparate people." "We could not let anyone goto that planet to determine the truth. So others have to rely upon our word'

""We will look in the ships data base and see if we can find any information about any other planets", John remarked.

Don gently tucked the babies back into their incubators. "If you don't mind Judy and I will get some rest now. It's been a long day".

John smiled, "I think we could all do with rest". We can leave the robot to go through data".

He gave Don a hug then moved over to kiss the top of his tired daughters head. "Well done you two", he congratulated. Then taking hold of his wife's hand John left to find a suitable place to rest.

All was quiet on the ship, with all the human occupants sleeping. The robot was manning the bridge and searching through the data on the ships computer. Unfortunately he was not finding what the Robinson's so desperately sought, a world. It looked like the original crew, in an effort to save others had deleted all information on other worlds.

It was of course the smart move. They had tried and failed to alter the ships predetermined course to their home world.

So that was the only known location available at the moment. Don was probably right about the reception they'd receive upon their arrival.

They had no choice other than to reboot the central computer. Then program a new course. Essentially they'd be back where they started, lost in space. He supposed it could be worse, but he still dreaded telling the Robinsons.

xxxxxxx

Judy was dreaming. Once again she was in the grand manor house sitting upon the stairs and watching her 4 year old twins playing roly polies down the stairs . Their giggles drifted over to her and she smiled.

"Ohh ouch",that voice sounded alot more mature than the high pitched tones of her children.

Judy restrained a laugh at the sight of her husband rolling past her to land with an audible bang on his bottom on top of the last stair. He lifted himself gently off the ground and rubbed his backside while grimacing.

Rushing to his side Judy took his arm gently. She could not help the restrained laughter in her tone as she asked."Why did you think it was a good idea to join the children in rolling down the stairs".

Don straightened his scrunched clothing. "Well it did look like fun. So I thought why not. But oh my it definitely does not feel like fun. I think I am going to have alot of bruises."

Judy gave him a grin, "I can kiss them better", she offered. "After all it is only fair that you get the same treatment our darlings receive".

Don grinned back. "Once those two wild things go for a rest, I will take you up on your offer." He looked around, "by the way, where did they go?".

"Those two can move faster than the wind", Judy sighed. "We better go and see where they've gone before they get up to more mischief".

She pulled Don with her as they moved through a large living area and out of a massive carved wooden door.

There outside on the grass stood her twins. They were looking upward at the sky.

Judy and Don, both instinctively craned their own necks upwards, as though they were somehow following an impulse to stare at the sky.

Of course this planet was so beautiful, with its purple sky and pink tinged clouds. It was strange that they could see clearly the stars, even though it was daylight.

"Do you remember how we came here all those years ago", Don asked her. "We followed those stars, the one purple one, the two of the amber hue, then the three red ones that looked like some weird type of triangle. This place has been a great one for family. Your parents, Will, Penny and even Doctor Smith are not too far away. " After years of trying and failing to find Alpha Centauri, it was like some fantastic dream to find this world".

Don kissed his wife under the stars.

Judy's eyes snapped open and she drew in a deep shaky breath as she looked around her at the drab walls of the space ship.

"Ahhh", Don yawned widely beside her as she struggled to get comfortable on the small hospital bed. "Did you sleep well", he asked his wife.

"I had a beautiful dream, Judy told him sadly. "That we were safe , living in that grand mansion on a planet with a purple sky".

"And Pink clouds", Judy and Don said that one together. They looked at each other seriously. "Did we just have the same dream", Don asked.

He described the house, planet and stars he had seen.

"Yes we did have the same dream", Judy told him.

Don wiggled out of the bed, wincing as his tired muscles protested. He padded over to the communication console. "Robot ,he requested, is there any sign of a large purple star, out there in space".

"Surely not", Judy stated. "It's probably just a happy dream to make us feel better after all of those scary ones".

"Yes Major, there is a large purple star out there", came the amazing reply.

"Then set a course for that star robot because I am guessing you might find some amber hued stars not too far away from that one", Don ordered.

"Where is this information coming from Major", the robot asked him. "None of the others could find any data left within the computer systems upon this ship."

"No, well this data is from a different source", Don replied.

"Do I need to be concerned that we have just seen the future", Judy whispered. She stared at her sleeping twins with a slightly frightened look upon her face. It was them again, showing us the way to a new home". How can that be possible".

Don bit his lip. "This is going to sound a little weird, but perhaps it's not just them Judy. We are on an alien ship. This ship was inhabited by a race of people who perhaps had lived in space for some time. Until they had the misfortune to go to the world of the light creatures".

"Although they deleted all the information from the computers, perhaps another type of information remains, but only for those of us, who are still alive, memory. " Our twins were also born in space, and maybe that brings with it some sort of kinship, to those who once inhabited this ship."

Judy was staring at him with her mouth open. "You don't sound like the staunch military man that left Earth", she told him.

"Part of him still remains", Don told her with a smile. "But now I also believe that other things are possible, things beyond our control." I think I am willing to take a gamble and follow the stars in our dream. We will find that world Judy."

Judy stroked his arm. "I know we will Don. Because I believe as well".

"So let's get back to the serious part ,what are we going to call our babies", Don asked. "Even the dreams gave me no idea, what to call such unique children."

"Yes well I think unique names take awhile to be discovered, Judy mused. "Let's not rush".

"Hey guys, I have just seen these beautiful amber stars', you should come and take a look", Penny's excited voice boomed around them.

"The robot said you told him to look for those stars. Do you know something we don't", John sounded a little concerned.

"They point the way to a planet that we can settle upon", Don replied calmly. "It seems like we don't need a map after all."

"That's a little deep for you Major, Smith pondered. "You were always looking for a map to help guide us".

"Yes, I know, but I forgot that sometimes life just finds a way to show you where you need to go", Don told him.

Doctor Smith did not say anything for awhile because he actually had no idea what to say. But then a very simple answer came to him and it actually made him feel peaceful and content. "Alright", was all he said.

He realised that he now trusted in this man, who was part of a dynamic, strong and amazing family. The same family, that now considered him to be a member. It did not matter whether the stars led to a planet or not. Because he'd still have a home with the people whos lives he had changed forever by sabotaging their ship.

THE END