ZSROTU 06 - "Squatters Go Home"

"Apologies for earlier. We've been having trouble with our universal converters which as you see not only translate our language to yours but make us appear as your species. You can call me, 'Key-Mar'

PRESS CTRL = (EQUALS) TO INCREASE THE PAGE SIZE AND CTRL 0 (ZERO) TO RESET THE PAGE SIZE THIS PAGE VIEWS BEST IN FIREFOX   Lost In Space       Want to read this in a different language ? Change the TO field to your own country and click the TRANSLATE button after going HERE LOST IN SPACE Zachary Smith - Ruler Of The Universe © February 2017 Written by David Wicker Please do not reprint without permission This will be my new main Tuesday writing until the story is complete. [ CHOOSE A DIFFERENT CHAPTER ] * * * These entries are Rated: EVERYONE SQUATTERS GO HOME Last week as you remember, Dr. Smith tested the ring he had which had written on it, Ruler Of The Universe. He did so by asking for Tutti Frutti Ice Cream. In the kitchen, Penny and Will were going to have some some not-so-tasty generic soft-serve when real Tutti Frutti ice cream had miraculously come out of the machine. Smith warned the children that if they told their parents of this incredible event, it just might not happen again. The kids then knew that Smith was somehow responsible and held their tongues about it. They then each took their bowl to enjoy. A short time later though, a fracas occurred outside the Jupiter Two. Don and John were already ready. A cluster of strange aliens approached, speaking in their alien tongue, and clearly not at all happy by the tone of their voice. Dr. Smith fearfully looked up to the sky and it rumbled angrily in reply. Clearly he had only to utter a word that he wanted the aliens gone and they too would be vaporized in fire from the sky. But with all the people out here, if lightning did indeed strike twice, he may well be branded the cause of it. And he wanted to keep his secret intact. Instead he kept his distance and watched on. The elephant-headed alien touched a switch on its belt. Not only was the speech now in English but it appeared to be a perfectly normal man in a beautiful suit of green banded armor. Don and John lowered their weapons. The alien held out a perfectly normal human hand to them. "I apologize for earlier. We have been having trouble with our universal converters which as you see not only translate our language to yours but make us appear as your species. You can address me as 'Key-mar' if you like." John nodded but was down to business. "What can we help you with, Key-mar ?" Key-mar looked to the left and right. "Well, first off, we cannot seem to find the emissary we sent earlier. He looked a little like me in alien form to you humans. Had he met you ? Did he find this camp site ?" Don spoke now, "Yes, he did. But something strange happened." Key-Mar asked, "Oh, what ?" Don then spoke. "A beam of light from the sky hit him and he vanished." Key-Mar was distressed but pressed on, "And what do you think could've caused this - beam ?" Don shrugged, "You tell me. Do you have any enemies on this planet ?" Key-Mar scratched the back of his head quizzically. "Not as far as we know. We are a peace-loving race, bound by written rules and regulations for many centuries. Hmm ... This changes everything." John asked, "How so ?" Key-Mar held a hand out to John, Don, Dr. Smith, and the Jupiter Two. "We are here to relocate you. We have a legal claim to this planet, and to be as polite as I can, we really do want you squatters off of it. But we can't do that without the proper galactic paperwork. The emissary we sent earlier held all of these vital documents to have you sign." He paused for a second to narrow his eyes suspiciously. "You are certain you don't know where he is ?" * * * Don and John suddenly looked at each other, fearing the actual truth of his demise. Don spoke briefly though, "It could've been a teleportation beam." A long moment passed as Key-Mar considered the possibility of this. Dr. Smith, however, was giddy with himself, finally able to leave this accursed hellhole in place of Earth, sweet Mother Earth ! And with the power of the ring, he truly could be ruler of the planet to say nothing of the universe. Crepes Suzette were indeed within his reach ! Key-Mar broke the uncomfortable silence. "We will - look for our emissary then. Perhaps he was simply relocated by this teleportation beam you speak of. However be warned. If there is any treachery on your part or if you have lied to us, despite our peace-loving nature, we do not take kindly to deception by others and will indeed take proper legal action." Key-Mar pointed to the brightest star in the sky, the one that illuminated the planet most. "When E14, the star you see in the sky, passes over your ship twice, we will then have to make a decision as to what we are going to do with you." He faced John and pointed a finger at him. "If we find our Emissary, all will be well. We will escort you and your ship to Earth so you can be with those of your own kind. If not, well ... let's not address that event until it actually happens." Key-Mar tapped a button on his belt In a sudden flash of light he appeared back as his normal and very strange looking alien self. He barked a few orders to others in his native language which was not at all understood by John or the others, and then they wiggled and crept away on their tentacles. Don breathed a sigh of relief. "Good thing we didn't tell him that he was vaporized by that shot from the sky." John looked at the ground darkly. "We don't know that was the case for certain, Don. But maybe telling them - at the least, that there was a possibility of him being vaporized by that beam we saw earlier. Maybe - they'll accept that, that it wasn't our fault, and still put us back on Earth." Don nodded. "Perhaps. In any case, we only have 48-hours before they'll return. Let's go tell the girls and mount our own search for this emissary - just in case he was merely teleported a short distance away." John nodded and they returned back to the Jupiter Two to enlist the help of the 3 women and Will. Dr. Smith however was still outside. He knew what happened to the Emissary as indeed he was the very person responsible for sending a blast from the heavens to turn him into so many atoms. And now Smith was clutching his head in agony. "Oh, the pain ! The pain ! They'll never find that fool visitor, he's gone ! No ! I snuffed him out as one blows out a candle. Oh ! But if that team of voracious monsters do NOT find him, it will go bad, very bad, not just for the others, but for me ! ME ! What to do - what to do ..." Suddenly he was interrupted by his thoughts in hearing Don calling. "Smith ! Front and center, we need everyone for this task !" Smith didn't dare disobey, and besides, perhaps with his unique abilities, he may be able to somehow "find" this Emissary again, by plucking him out of the very atoms he was spilled into. At least to look well enough to satisfy the council that he was unharmed. John was there and handed everyone a small silver box. There were 7 of them in all. John explained, "These are each attuned to the wavelengths of the aliens we saw earlier. If their emissary is anywhere nearby, these machines will register by showing the direction with an arrow. The arrow will grow brighter - yellow if you are closer." "If the arrow turns green. Stay where you are and call either me or Don on the radio. Okay, let's move out !" Everyone took off in different directions, except for Smith who stayed where he was. "Bah ! This search won't turn up anything. No, I must think. Think ! Think, Zachary ! What can I do to bring him back ?" Smith waited until the others were clear out of earshot. Then he held the ring up in the air and spoke in a clear voice. "I want this alien emissary to be alive again. Alive ! And that I would be the one to find him." The ring flashed once and Smith once again reached up to feel around it as it was a kind of ticklish warmth. Satisfied the ring had done as it was told he looked to his monitor. Sure enough, what was dark before with no display before now shone with a light-colored gray arrow leading off to his right. Smith took the box and headed off in that direction. The box now glowed yellow. Smith pressed on. Then it turned green. "What was it I was supposed to do ?" he asked himself. "Oh yes, when the arrow turns green I am to call the others." But he hesitated. "Bah ! That would just give John or that idiot Don all the credit ! I won't have it ! Do you hear ? The glory is mine ! All mine ! I deserve to be the hero !" And with those words he continued on, pressing through thick brambles of alien foliage now, when suddenly he heard a weird sound straight ahead. His box was flashing a bright green arrow. Clearly he was within mere feet of his quarry. Smith pulled back the last bit of obstructing brambles to see, no, not the alien they saw earlier - but something truly horrible ! (to be continued) Return back HOME   You are Earth Visitor #