Lost in Space: In the Shadow of Stars

Chapter 33

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"Dear passengers, this is the captain speaking. Please confirm that you are all properly buckled up and ready to leave our destination," came a voice from the internal communicator. Will, Robot, Penny, and Judy were already seated strapped into their chairs around the HUB table, and were just checking the straps of their seat belts again. Will was the only one wearing a spacesuit because although he had a spare one on the ship, it didn't fit any of the others, making safety all the more important for everyone present.

"This is Will, the suit is fine, and the harness as well!"
"This is Judy, I am buckled up as well!"
"This is Penny, something's biting me on the butt, and it's definitely not the safety harness!"
Laughter came from the communicator. "That's only three passengers, what about the rest?" came the voice of the captain. The siblings all looked to the window in the corridor where a metal head was looking back at them. Starpelt waved at them, the lights in her eyes twinkling with amusement.

"I still can't believe that this is the last time we'll see her today," Judy said to her brother. Will looked at Judy and thought for a moment. Although he and Robot had looked everywhere for Starpelt yesterday, she was nowhere to be found. After an hour, however, Starpelt herself appeared in Jupiter and tried again to explain to everyone why she had made that decision. Although they thought it was stupid and rash at first, they eventually admitted that if they were in her shoes, they would probably have done the same thing. John added that they should see this opportunity in as positive a light as possible, which everyone eventually agreed on. The Robinsons had the opportunity to meet an amazing creature and once again be reassured that not everything is as it first appears, because whether you are a human being, a metal robot, or a half-alive mecha-dragon, you can still have an incredibly big heart, a great sense of humor and most importantly the will to protect those you care about. Starpelt got the chance to see the faces of those she loved again and to rekindle her faith and sense that she belonged somewhere.

"Every story has an end," Will replied, his eyes still fixed on the dragoness outside the window, "but the memories will always remain with us."
Judy nodded her head and looked at Penny. Her sister was smiling, oddly enough. Judy frowned, wanting to know why the sudden smile and acceptance of this sad ending, but she was interrupted by her father.
"Hello hello? The captain here, what about our metal passengers? Starpelt? Robot?"

"Starpelt ready..." spoke Robot, returning Starpelt's wave, then checking his safety belt. He still had a feeling that in the event of an accident, his weight wouldn't be supported by those tiny belts anyway, and he would become a dangerous flying object. However, Will had asked him to try to think positively, so Robot kept his negative thoughts to himself and just added: "Ready... Let's rock..."
Everyone around, including the head behind the glass, burst out laughing and the voices on the communicator did the same.

"That's good to hear. On behalf of all our crew, I would like to thank you for choosing Robinson and Co. and I hope you enjoy your trip. Next destination - Alpha Centauri."
With those words, the communicator switched off, leaving everyone present in anticipation.
"Well, good luck to all of us," Judy uttered, looking around at everyone with a smile. Both siblings returned her smile and both metallic passengers gave her a thumbs up. Or at least Robot did, Starpelt's raised claw looked like another one-finger gesture, causing another fit of laughter.

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"Do you hear that? They're laughing," Maureen said in a happy tone.
"That's good. A positive attitude is just what we need right now," John uttered, glad that the laughter they heard despite the closed door belonged to everyone. Even Penny's. Whatever had happened last night, Penny was in a better mood today. They all were. Even though two of their friends would be leaving them soon, this was D-Day, the day they would leave this damn planet. Although, he figured, all in all, when we removed the Creators from the equation, this was a nice vacation destination. Even with the increased gravity.
"John?" He realized that this was the second time Maureen had addressed him.
"Ah, sorry, I was just thinking. Okay, I'm ready. And you?"
"I am ready," Maureen replied with a nod.