| abstract
| - While in the process of refining deutronium fuel so they can finally leave Preplanis, 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 results of him blasting in his attempt to mine a rare substance called cosmonium. He explains that cosmonium is very precious. It is the quintessence of life itself. Nerim also says the planet can withstand his "small explosions". Smith, true to his greedy nature, decides that he must have the cosmonium for himself. Nerim assures Will and Smith that the planet is not going to disintegrate. 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'd 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 didn't get the equipment. While conversing with them at the astrogator, Smith pockets a thruster control he sees lying there. John sends Smith and Will back to the drill site. Back at the drill site, Smith and Will pay Nerim a visit. Smith and Nerim play a game of cards, betting the cosmonium and 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 exit back to the surface. Smith convinces Will to help him right the toppled statue of himself. While doing this, they accidentally break one of the flasks of cosmonium on the statue. 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 on the parajet 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 lifted off, John and Don experience problems with the thrusters. Smith admits that he didn't find the thruster control on the junk pile. With the knowledge of the missing control, John and Don are able work around the problem and escape before the planet blows up.
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