ZSROTU 12 - "The Universal Greeting"

PRESS CTRL = (EQUALS) TO INCREASE THE PAGE SIZE AND CTRL 0 (ZERO) TO RESET THE PAGE SIZE THIS PAGE VIEWS BEST IN FIREFOX 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 © April 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 12. THE UNIVERSAL GREETING Last week as you remember John Robinson and his family were being chased by the vengeful Dralastites in their anger for Zachary Smith having escaped their punishment of justice during being found guilty in their court of law. With the destruction of the "wishing" ring, everything is back as it was before. With an exception. They all now eagerly awaited the arrival of the alien emissary, to speak with, and allow the Dralastites to take them all back home to Earth. The whole party sat and stared at where the emissary first appeared, but nothing happened. Finally John spoke, "Smith. When did you get that ring ?" "Just yesterday, well, plus a few hours of sleep." "So can you tell us how many hours its been since you got the ring and the emissary first appeared ?" Smith counted on his fingers for a second. Finally he replied, "About 34 hours I believe." "So we have some time before he arrives." John told everyone. The group relaxed and looked around for a moment. Judy then spoke, "I suggest we get on with our chores and we will see the emissary tomorrow. Since Smith no longer has the ring, everything should work out well - this time." So saying the group got to being busy at the chores they abandoned almost 2-days ago. Smith took off in a hurry in the direction he originally found the golden coin that turned into the direction finder device. But no more were to be found. It was late and getting dark when Maureen rang the chime for dinner. Smith immediately abandoned his search and returned back to the crew at the Jupiter 2. During the meal and hours afterwards, everyone was very excited about getting the chance to finally return back to Earth. Preparations were in order and everyone got their items and stuff together and organized. They didn't know how much they could take with them so they sorted it all out based open size and importance. The morning finally came. Don spoke during breakfast. "I've done some accurate estimates and have calculated how long it will be before that emissary arrives. I did so by making this clock program to count down to the minute." He pointed to a large countdown display on the computer's console by the Jupiter 2 controls. After cleaning up everything and preparing their bundles for travel, they looked to the program Don wrote. The countdown was down to about 6-minutes now. "I've got goosebumps with anticipation !" Smith spoke excitedly. Don smiled crassly, "Aren't you more afraid of a court martial after what you did to us, Smith ?" Smith jerked his head back in rebuff, "Are you referring to yesterday, Major ?" Don shook his head. "No, I'm talking about the first time we saw you and you not only sabotaged the Jupiter two but ordered the robot to kill us while we slept in our travel capsules." Smith looked to the floor abashedly, "Well - that is. I mean to say. Well what I mean to say is, I'm sorry." And that was all he could muster at the time. Don nodded, "Better than nothing I suppose. We'll see what happens when we arrive then." Will spoke in earnest, "I have all my rock samples organized !" Maureen gently smiled and leaned down to meet Will's level, "Will, honey. You might not be able to take them. If they have us travel by rocket or a spaceship, the amount of items we can bring might very well be limited. Focus on what's most important and go from there." Will countered crossly, "But rocks are important to me !" "4-minutes, gang !" Don said above the others as he was keeping an eye on the countdown. Everyone stepped outside the Jupiter 2 and waited. In a short while, just like before, the alien Dralastite, the emissary was approaching. Stubbling along on tentacles and touching the air with the others, perhaps sensing for dangers of any kind. John barked orders to others, "Now don't crowd him. Give him plenty of room. We don't want to botch this !" Don suddenly opened his eyes wide in surprise. Smith was running straight up to the emissary ! "Smith, get back here !" he ordered, but Smith paid no attention. Smith was overflowing with beatitudes and showered the emissary in praise. "Good to see you, good to see you !" The Dralastite was clearly frightened and backed up, not even bothering to attach the language translator at the moment. "Nothing to be afraid of friend, we bid you peace !" and with that Smith held up his two fingers in a V for the universal greeting of peace. But the Dralastite would have nothing of it. It shrieked once and turned into a rolling spiral to get away. There was a strange vehicle nearby that it apparently rode in. The Dralastite ran to this vehicle and took off like a shot with the Robinson family and Smith in hot pursuit. Don was beyond himself with rage, "Smith ! You're ruining this ! What part of 'give him room' did you not understand !?" Smith continued to run after the Dralastite and his speedy vehicle but did reply, "I didn't want there to be any mistake of our good intentions. It was clear to me he was uncertain if we were friendly or not. I had a very good reason to approach him !" No-one talked now as they really had to start running even faster, but soon the Dralastite was out of view and likely on his way back to the camp of the othes. The others stopped to catch their breath and wheezed in out heavily from a good hard run. Penny spoke now, "What's going to happen ?" * * * Maureen tried to comfort her, "I don't know, dear. John ?" John shook his head still a bit out of breath. "The only thing we can do now is approach their camp and - try to explain our situation to them." He looked to Smith. "Smith, while I appreciate the fact you wanted to show we were friendly, did it ever occur to you that you may have frightened that poor emissary out of his wits and is returning now to say we are nothing but savages ?" Smith sniffed disdainfully, "Not in the least. Why, he looked to be an intelligent sort of fellow. I'm certain he understood exactly what I said." Don spoke morosely, "Smith, for your sake, you had better hope so." The party was just about ready to start running some more when Will noticed something. "Do you hear that ?" he asked. Everyone was quiet. There was the unmistakable sound of an engine powering up. Clearly alien in nature. Smith smiled, "You see ? They are firing up the rocket to take us back to Earth !" Don spat angrily, "Smith. You fool ! That's THEM getting ready to leave this planet !" Sure enough a short moment later a massive rocket blasted off and was the size of a thimble in the sky by the time they actually noticed it. Certain the aliens had left. Smith and the family continued to walk on. Maybe something of interest would be found at their abandoned camp ? They arrived where it was clear the aliens were staying. A strange black book stood on a large raised pedestal. Will was the first to grab it. When he opened the pages something sparked around his fingers and caused the spine of the book to glow red for a second, but he held on. The pages which were originally in alien gibberish were now in perfect English. He opened it to a section entitled "Greetings." He saw that the sign for greeting in the Dralastite language was to put two tentacles (or fingers) up. One horizontal, and one vertical, to make a plus sign. The plus was apparently meaning to be a positive thing and one of trust and friendship. Will turned the page and saw the unmistakable sign that Smith gave, universal for Peace to him and those on Earth. But according to the book this particular sign for Dralastites meant that you hated someone, did not trust them, or would hurt them if they came any closer. The definition stated that the two "fingers" come out to form a V and the top showed maintaining distance between others while the bottom where the "fingers" connect show fighting and adversary by touching each other. The angles of the vectors indicate support for "crooked" or dishonest thinking, behavior, or actions. Will brought the book for Don to see. Don was livid with rage now. "Smith, you idiot ! Can't you see what you did here ?" and he showed him the book. Smith looked but was unsympathetic in the least. "I couldn't have known that ! Why they really are a backwards species aren't they ? Imagine that, misinterpreting what is clearly the universal sign for peace and running away like the cowards they are !" Don slammed the book to the ground and narrowed his eyes in anger at Smith. "Smith, of all the conceited, twisted, depraved types of thinking you have ever had. Can't you see that because of what you did we'll stay marooned on this planet now with no outside help to ever come to get and get us now !?" Smith shook his head and addressed everyone. "I don't know I bother to put up with you people at all. I reach in to help, a rare instance at this time I must agree, and THIS is how I am treated !?" He turned haughtily and started to storm off, "Good day, gentleman and ladies." After looking over the rest of the abandoned campsite, nothing more was to be found. John brought the book back for further studying. The next few days were especially quiet. A week passed and tempers had cooled and angers had quelled. Eventually Smith and Will were back out on the outer fringe of the campsite once again looking for strange rocks and items. They were using a delicate set of digging instruments, when suddenly Smith grew excited at what he found ! "What is it ?" Will asked with matching enthusiasm. "It's another golden coin, another ... !" but as he spoke the "coin" suddenly flipped out of his hand, over on its side on the ground, and 4 shiny legs plus a small head poked out and started to walk away from the pair. It was such a comical scene that Smith thought he had found something valuable like a golden wishing coin again when in fact it was some just some type of small and harmless alien turtle creature with an especially round surface to its back. Will laughed to watch it crawl away, the 'sun' in the sky reflecting on its perfect golden back. In seconds it was lost amongst the ground foliage. "Looks like your money ran out on you !" he said with a toothy grin and leer. Smith clutched a hand to his forehead and shook his head miserably. "Oh, the pain. The pain !" THE END Return back HOME  You are Earth Visitor #