| abstract
| - Dr. Smith conducts a ceremony to commemorate his contribution to the advancement of space exploration—he has erected a statue to himself called "Spirit of Space" which he asserts will stand forever in his memory. Meanwhile in the process of refining deutronium fuel so they can finally leave Priplanus, the Robinsons experience terrible planet quakes. John theorizes that the planet has only hours until it disintegrates into cosmic dust. While at the deutronium drill site, Will, Dr. Smith and the Robot meet a grizzled prospector who calls himself Nerim (anagram of "miner"). He explains to them that the quakes they have been feeling are the result of him blasting for a rare substance called cosmonium. He explains that cosmonium is very precious and the quintessence of life itself. Nerim also assures them that the planet can withstand his "small explosions." Smith, true to his greedy nature, decides that he must have the cosmonium for himself. Meanwhile, the Robinsons continue to pack. John and Don send Smith back up to the drill site to collect the drilling equipment. Smith stops to talk to Nerim, who reveals that his mule, Robur (anagram of "burro"), has damaged a thruster control to his ship and Nerim will not be able to leave. Nerim says that he would give anything for a spare thruster control. He would even be willing to gamble his cosmonium. Returning to the ship without the drilling equipment, Smith tells West and John Robinson that he lost his way and did not get the equipment. While talking with them at the astrogator, Smith pockets a thruster control he sees lying there. John sends Smith and Will back to the drill site. Smith and Will return to the drill site and pay Nerim a visit. Smith and Nerim play a game of cards, betting the cosmonium for the thruster control. Smith has told Will that he found the control on a junk pile. Smith loses the card game and Nerim leaves, revealing that indeed the planet is going to disintegrate. Will finds a couple of flasks of cosmonium that Nerim has left behind. They leave Nerim's campsite and come across the "Spirit of Space" which has toppled in the recent tremors. Smith convinces Will to help him right the statue, but while doing this, they accidentally spill one of the flasks of cosmonium on it. The cosmonium causes the statue to come to life. It chases Will and Smith. They give it the other flask of cosmonium, but it wants more. John flies in with the jet pack and chases the monster off with his laser. John, Will and Smith load up the chariot and make it back to the ship in time for departure. Once the Jupiter 2 has taken off, John and Don experience problems with the thrusters. Smith admits that he didn't find the thruster control on the junk pile. Despite the missing piece of equipment, John and Don are able work out a solution to their problem and escape before the planet blows up.
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