Maureen tells John about the astrophysics of stars. Meanwhile, Penny sneaks up to the door of the hub and listens as Maureen explains that she saw a black hole just off the shoulder of the planet's sun. The gravitational pull is pulling the planet closer toward the sun, and eventually it will be so hot that nothing survives. Maureen says that they have weeks, maybe months, until the planet becomes uninhabitable. She wonders if they should tell people, and John admits that he doesn't know. He says that people were looking to him to answer questions about the Robot, questions that he doesn't have answers to. He tells Maureen that he'll support her whatever she decides. As John goes back to his quarters, he looks briefly at the Robot standing outside of Will's quarters.
The next day, the colonists argue about the Robot. Peter suggests that they should hear from someone who can describe what the Robot is capable of. Victor asks Angela to speak up, and she says that the Robot killed her husband in front of her. She's sickened by the people who want to use the Robot, and Victor suggests that they treat it as a criminal. John points out that it's a machine, not a man, and offers his condolence to Angela. However, he says that the Robot has changed and kept his family safe while he couldn't. Peter wonders what happens if it changes again, and John says that Will controls it. Smith watches as Angela limps out, and goes after her.
In the garage, Smith tells Angela that she's not alone and claims that she lost a dear friend in the crash. She talks about how she found her, and claims that she insisted that Don rescue Angela. Smith suggests that Angela talk with a professional therapist like herself, but Angela says that she's focusing on her physical therapy at the moment.
Don picks up litter around the settlement, and goes over to Hiroki and Nakao. The couple are conducting research on local specimens, and Don asks if it would be valuable if he brought any back. After Nakao speaks briefly in Japanese, Hiroki tells Don that there isn't enough time. Aiko and Judy are making weapons and give a spear to Don. Will and the Robot leave the Jupiter, and everyone stares briefly at it. Maureen tells Will to take the Robot inside and he reluctantly goes. After a moment, everyone goes back to work.
Penny approaches Vijay, who is hauling the animal corpses away. She says that she's going swimming at the waterfall, and Vijay says that he can't go with her because he told Victor that he'd complete it. Penny walks off and after a moment, Vijay goes after her.
Victor tells John that he wants to talk to Maureen, and says that they might want to consider long-term habitation of the planet because they don't have any way to get to the Resolute or contact it. John says that he'll let her know and walks off, while Don listens to the conversation.
John tells Maureen and Will that the colonists agreed to let the Robot stay. However, Will has to keep it away from other people, has to register its whereabouts at all times, and report any changes. Once Will runs off, Maureen tells John to let Will be happy for a moment. John starts to talk about how Maureen didn't tell the others about the black hole, and Will comes back with a list of chores for the Robot. His father suggests that he help him with a father-son thing later. The Robot walks up and John suggests that they take it along as well.
The trio leave the Jupiter, and John tells Victor that they're heading off. Once they leave, Don introduces himself to Victor and says that he knows where they can find enough rocket fuel to get everyone back into space. Victor doesn't believe him, but Don says that the eels live in water and his ship with reserve fuel tanks crashed in the desert. He points out that recovering the fuel would make Victor a hero and himself wealthier. Judy notices them talking and once Victor leaves, she comes over and Don asks what her schedule is for the next 24 hours.
Angela is walking in the forest and finds a piece of cloth tied to a wire. She follows the wire and discovers the other end is hooked up to a bag. Inside it is the gun, and Angela tucks it beneath her jacket.
In the garage, Judy is packing things for the trip when Maureen comes in with a bag of supplies. Her daughter tells her that Maureen needs to rest and they can't bring anyone to get the fuel who is physically limited. Maureen gives in but tells Judy to bring the fuel back safely, and hugs her puzzled daughter.
As Maureen leaves, she finds Smith reading a tablet with how to use words to analyze emotions. She asks Smith if people have been talking to her professionally, and Smith asks if Maureen wants to. Maureen immediately sits down with her and says that she and John never talked to a therapist. She then asks how Smith deals with being the keeper of other people's secrets. Smith says that she can't, citing doctor-patient privilege, and Maureen asks how she deals with the responsibility. The supposed doctor tells her to find a little box inside to put things that she doesn't want anything else to know, and nothing can get out. Smith wonders why Maureen asks, and Angela calls her before Maureen can respond. When she realizes that Maureen is listening, Smith tells her that it's a patient and Maureen leaves.
John, Will, and the Robot go out into the forest and the Robot brings Will a rock. When he dismisses it as the same as back on Earth, the Robot breaks it opens and reveals crystals inside. Impressed, Will takes it and the Robot holds up its hand so that Will can high-five him. John has seen it, and asks if Will taught the Robot how to do it. His son says that the Robot is learning, and thanks John for speaking up for the Robot. Will figures that when they get to Alpha Centauri, he'll be the only kid with a robot. As they go, the Robot looks around.
Don and his team drive the two Chariots to the desert, and Don assures everyone that he knows how to drive. They come to the edge of a cliff with a field of gaseous emissions caused by the sun's heat, and Aiko says that it's safe as long as they don't drive through the field. Victor calls and tells him that they have to move, and Don turns on his music and drive off, much to Judy's irritation. He opens the emergency escape hatch, telling Judy that it's a sunroof, and invites her to stand up and yell. Aiko and Evan in the back tell her to do it, and Judy finally does. Victor and the others in the other Chariot wonder what she's doing, and one colonist, Diane, figures that Judy is having fun. Irritated, Victor calls on the radio and tells Judy to get inside.
Hiroki and Maureen burn the bodies, and Maureen starts to tell her friend about the black hole. He already knows, based on the changing weather patterns, and says that he didn't say anything because it would cause panic. Hiroki tells her that information does not exist in isolation and they have to look at the context. He figures that if they get the fuel then they'll all escape and it becomes irrelevant.
Penny and Vijay go to the waterfall and Vijay complains about the trip. They get there and discover that the waterfall has dried up. Vijay tells the disappointed Penny that it's not a big deal, and she says that she had it all planned to fake being in trouble, he'd rescue her, and they'd kiss. Vijay says that they have plenty of time, and Penny tells him that they don't. She finally says that the planet is dying and then says that she shouldn't have said anything. Vijay persists and Penny relates what Maureen described. He wants to tell the others, but Penny makes him promise not to say anything.
The Chariots reach the crash site only to discover that the ship is gone. There's an enormous crater where the ship was, and Victor tells Don that the deal is off. Judy asks Don what Victor meant, and Victor says that Don demanded money to show them where the fuel is. The others go back to the Chariot, and Judy is angry that Don demanded money to save them. He says that he wanted compensation, kicks the ground, and they hear his boot sound off of metal. They call the others back and start to dig, but the cliff starts to give away around the buried Jupiter. They start digging with shovels, and Evan enters the Jupiter and confirms that the tank is full.
John, Will, and the Robot reach a cliff and admire the view. After they take it in, John tells Will to pick up a large rock without the Robot's help. Will hauls it over, struggling, and John says that they need twenty-six more just like it. He explains that Will has a responsibility now, and Will tells him that the Robot is his friend and there when he needs him. John points out that the Robot wasn't always his friend, and they have to live with their mistakes. In honor of that, they're going to put up 27 stones to make a cairn to honor the 27 who died on the Resolute. John explains that Angela lost her husband on the Resolute and puts down one stone. Will touches t for a moment and then goes to get more.
Smith recites from what she was reading, telling Angela to share what she remembers about the attack on the Resolute. Angela describes the people panicking and running away from the attacking Robot.
John and Will build the cairn.
Angela says that the Robot killed anyone in its path, and Smith tells her to recall the sense-memory. The woman describes the burning flash and the Robot killing her husband Josh. She tells Smith that she can't do it anymore and she feels worse, and worries that they don't have time. Smith points out that the Robot is being welcomed and they can't do anything to prevent other people from being hurt. Angela picks up on the idea--just as Smith intended--and asks if she could do something, and Smith refuses to discuss it further. She says that they'll pick it up the next day and leaves.
John offers to help Will with the last rock, and Will says that he should do it. His father helps him anyway and says that they have to hope they never need to add another one.
The team hooks up the fuel hose to the Jupiter, and Victor tells Don that he'll pay him once they get the fuel back safely. Aiko warns that it will take three hours to pump out the fuel, and Don asks what they'll do when the Jupiter falls off the ledge because transferring the fuel will unbalance it. Evan figures that they use the Chariots as anchors, and Judy offers to drive one to counteract the weight. Victor agrees to let her do it over Don's objections.
As they walk back, Penny apologizes for freaking out. She gives Vijay his letter back, and he explains that it's something that he wrote when his Jupiter was crashing and he thought they were going to die. Vijay hands it to Penny to read, and she immediately does so. It's a poetic testimony that he wrote when he thought he was going to die, and Penny jokingly says that it's terrible. In it, Vijay admits that he never fell in love, and Penny kisses him..
Angela finds Nakao and gets directions to the Jupiter 2. Nakao asks if she has something to protect herself, and Angela says that she does.
As the stranded Jupiter lightens up, Judy holds it in place with the anchored Chariot. Don suggests that she let him relieve her, and Judy refuses. Peter tells Don that Don should go inside the Jupiter and tells Evan that it's time to disconnect. Evan is driving the other Chariot, and warns that the engine is running hot. Don goes inside the Jupiter and Aiko says that they got all of the fuel. She and Maureen head up, and Don goes to Smith's quarters. The Jupiter starts to fall, pulling the Chariots with it despite Judy and Evan's best efforts.
Don enters Smith's quarters and finds her luggage... and something in it that surprises him.
Peter tells Judy and Evan that they need to detach the Chariots. Don tells Judy over the radio that he's found something. Evan detaches but Judy doesn't, and the case falls out of the Jupiter and into the valley below. Judy warns Don that she can't hold it much longer, and Don detaches the cable anyway. The Jupiter tilts over and falls into the valley. Judy runs over and Victor says that Don sacrificed himself for all of them. Don crawls over the ledge and claims that he just detached the cable so he wouldn't get blamed. He tells Judy that he's a "Badass princess", and she teases him about saying it without the comma. As they walk away, Judy thanks Don.
Maureen is in the Jupiter and notices Vijay outside. Penny comes in and says that she was just hanging out, and Maureen tells her that Vijay seems nice. Judy calls over the radio and says that they got all of the fuel, and that they're going to spend the night in the wild before coming back because it's getting late. Maureen assures Judy that she loves her and congratulates her on a great job. John comes in and Maureen tells him that they're going to be outside.
Later, John, Penny, and Will are playing Go Fish and Will explains to the Robot how to play. John asks Smith if she wants to play, and she declines. She suggests that Will invite Maureen to play, and he goes to get her. John tells the Robot that Will will be back, and it makes a face that Penny figures is smiling. Angela comes in and draws the gun on the Robot. She says that she has no quarrel with John, and he tells her to put the weapon down. The Robot goes into combat mode as John tells Angela to put the gun down.
Will finds Maureen, who tells him that she'll join them. Realizing that something is wrong, Will runs back to the Jupiter and Maureen comes after him. The ship is in emergency mode, and he runs into the hub as Angela shoots the Robot without success. It reverts to combat mode and knocks John aside when he tries to intervene, and Will tells the Robot to stop. It does so just in time.
Later, the family gather around the unconscious John. Maureen assures Will that John will be fine and just needs some rest. Will goes out into the hallway where the Robot is waiting, and tells it to come with him.
Don shows Judy the real Smith's ID badge that he managed to hold on. He figures that Smith has something to hide.
Smith tells Angela that no one will blame her for what happened and it will all work out fine.
John wakes up and Maureen tells him that everything is okay. They realize that Will is gone.
Will leads the Robot out into the forest and to the edge of the cliff. He then tells the Robot that it's the best friend he's ever had, and he has to be responsible for it. Will hugs it and then tells it to step off the cliff. It looks at Will for a moment and then does, splintering apart on the rocks below. Crying, Will picks up another rock and adds it to the cairn.
Written by Gadfly on Jun 16, 2018