Let it breathe, let it breathe, let it breathe for the space cadets

The stumped man

Chris was stumped as he stood in Emergency Academy Control.

Should he go ahead and start the reveal by, "Technically, he is Commander Gampu." or not at all?

The temporal prime directive was strict regarding what could be done and what could be done. No reluctant time travelers were allowed to interfere in time. Should they do so, they would suffer the consequences in their future. It could be just the smallest change in the type of outfits that that someone wore after coming back to the present. Or, in their case, Gampu being very aware of what had been done as he had a part in it. And if he had a part in it then so must the Robinsons. Chris didn't know if they did. It wasn't wise to drag in 20th century Space Castaways into their problems.

The more that Chris thought about it, the more the plausible that the Jupiter 2 never returned into the present. They never did find the Jupiter 2 intact. What had been found was left over damaged junk. The junk had been found in deep space, collected by hoarders over the years as mementos, just enough that they could be handed over to the Federation's possessions after beaming out a message for anyone who had gone into a section of deep space where a destroyed spaceship had once floated in. It was a long shot. One that had little hope of ever getting a response but it did. The junk was put together for a vivid, accurate reconstruction of the spaceship from the floor paneling, the astronavigator, the windows, and several parts of the ship.

What if he was supposed to tell Professor Robinson?

No, he couldn't be.

Their fates had split off from each other after the exile.

Then why did Commander Gampu have so much Jupiter 2 memorabilia?

Chris was deep in his thoughts in the commander's quarters for the second time in the last six hours.

The commander's quarters were like a museum rather than a typical quarters. The Jupiter spaceship model lay on the counter. Most museums had plagues with the history of the item. Everything inside of this room had none of that. Searching for answers that were not there. Chris was sure the commander would tell him and Laura about with the Robinsons once the whole Dragos episode was over. He was sure the man would always tell them the truth but now he couldn't be certain if anything about the commander were true including vague pieces of a past before the space academy. It made him question everything that Chris knew about the commander forcing him to go through his memories and reevaluate the first time that he and his sister had met the commander. The optimism, the fondness, and the respect in his eyes like the commander had seen a old friend moments after freezing where he sat watching them walk in.

It made sense about the questions that the commander had asked about their family. Slowly aging and memory wasn't too kind on to him as he was forgetful as any human when long term memory was concerned. His comments made Laura and Chris struggle not laugh until the unexpected permission was given "You may laugh,". Their laughter died down until Laura and Chris had control over themselves. The real discussion regarding their strange request to be in the same classroom and other matters were settled including for a nomination for being part of a color coordinated team. Chris could remember feeling the excitement in the air mixed in with surprise and bewilderment. He was fifteen years old like Laura seated in front of the older man with thousands of questions regarding his long respected career. Someone that Chris had grown up hearing about from his grandparents rather warmly.

A warm but strictly professional man who explained their unique escort was also part of the team and Star Command.

The initial hurt and anger was still lurking around the young man.

In time, that will fade away but what was needed right now were answers.

Why not tell Chris and Laura before hand?

Why not tell them to be ready for-they were trained for the stresses of space.

The commander may have been worried if they were ready for this, at all.

Did the commander regret not telling them? Not telling anyone for that matter?

Chris was desperate for answers at the moment for everyone.

Maybe there are no answers in these quarters not in the form of writing or a well hidden audio message.

Perhaps in a different form.

Chris moved toward one of the golden holographic closed photographs on the counter across from the model then picked it up and slid the warm golden device open to face a very faded photograph. It reminded Chris of ancient photographs from Earth's Old Western days that had been found in the nick of time to be properly restored before it was lost forever. Almost gone but the bare structures of the image were barely visible and still there.

It was difficult to make out faces as though it had been exposed for too long that it no longer bore distinguished shapes or colors. A beige canvas faced him with faint lines that made unusual shapes and lines that went no where. A small, side square object met his finger. Gradually, the square object was slid up. The lines became more apparent in color going on connecting to figures and shapes that was like watching a artist sketching out a group photograph on a live stream that had been sped up. But as it did, Chris saw living color return turning the interior of the photograph three dimensional. The Robinsons and Smith were in it. Like they were inside a small object standing still with the Robot in the center from behind them. Chris slid the small button down returning it to its original state then turned it over. There were old English text on the back that he couldn't read. What did it mean?

Chris closed the device and placed the device back to the rest place very gently. This kind of holographic technology was very expensive and very risky to photographs. Sometimes, transferring them to digital (or what was left of the image) format left the paper without a image and destroyed into several small fine pieces. Taking the chance to take a family picture along was worth the risk. A acceptable risk. He walked over toward the window that still stood in the commander's quarters. Chris placed his hand beside the window then leaned forward thinking it over. Was it a acceptable risk not telling the Robinsons that the commander and Smith were the same person? Where was the risk? Smith was not a risk to them as he was to the academy.

Smith was capable of sabotage. Why want to keep thousands of people planet side when aware that he could not join them? Currently, Smith's best interest dictated to steer clear of danger if not run away from it with a scream. Much like he had done when they were luring a two headed plant being into a closed off cave in order to gather samples. Smith had followed out of curiosity to see what they were doing. Not too different from Paul when he first joined the group except for the screaming part.

Was it a acceptable risk not telling the Robinsons?

Chris stared out to see the familiar glinting figure in the distance.

Risks of not telling the Robinsons were: Loki's last vanishing act, losing Peepo, and vanishing out of existence-Someone would have been on the bridge performing the separation protocol and distracting Dragos's army. They would still be here without the commander and Peepo but lack a office to turn into Emergency Control. They would be alive but one less doctor and a situation where people would lay doubt over the blue team leading them. And outright ignoring them only listening to the Professors who were still around on what happened next. There would be chaos over the twenty-four hours with plenty of mistakes and people not knowing who to listen to until they saw that Blue Team 1 were the right people to lead them. It was going to be alright in the end for space academy after the disarray was lifted.

Whatever was going to happen, it wouldn't stick long to the doctor and he would come back to live another day.

Everything was going to work out the way it was supposed to be.

It is a acceptable risk, it was decided as Chris took his hand off the wall then leaned back and walked out of the room.