OMINOUS

This is an alternate universe story (AU) based on the second-season episode, "The Mechanical Men."

            Smith leaned against his rock in misery. Whatever he did, he could not go back to the Jupiter II. Just because he had miscalculated and his new rocket fuel formula had blown up, just because John and Don had made fun of him for it, just because he'd gotten childishly angry with them for that and used the formula to blow up their weather station, now he was stuck out here. He'd run away; they'd actually chased him, hunted him, but he'd hidden from them. And here he must stay.

            Now, his only contact with the group lay in the brief infrequent visits when Will could sneak away to see him without being followed.

            But maybe there was hope. An idea came to him. Smith sat down and composed a heartfelt letter for Will to take back after his next visit.

            "Dear Professor Robinson and Major West, What I did was terribly wrong and I beg your forgiveness. Hiding is wrong, too, I know, and I'm prepared to surrender. I know that I deserve to be punished for this, and I have only one request. Please do not punish me physically. Please don't beat me. I will voluntarily submit to any other form of punishment. Perhaps you wish to confine me to my quarters? Or send me to bed without dinner? Or give me the silent treatment? Or make me work to repair the damage that I did? Or all of the above, only please, please, don't hurt me! Don't hit me! I'm too old and too fragile. And too terrified. Please, sirs, can you see your way clear to granting this one request? I await your reply. Zachary Smith."

            Waiting for Will to return with their reply was even more torturous than waiting for Will to come get Smith's letter in the first place. Smith paced and muttered to himself, but it did not help. His agitation only grew.

            At last, a breathless Will burst through the bushes.

            Smith whirled. "Well? Well?!"

            "I gave it to them, Doctor Smith."

            "And? Did they agree? Did your father say, 'Come home'?"

            "Not exactly. It's a two-word message all right. But in Don's words."

            "Well? Tell me."

            "'Keep running.'"