Celestial Department Store

We stand behind our merchandise 100%, sir!

―Mr. Zumdish, Complaint Manager for the Celestial Department Store

Celestialdepartmentstoremachine — The Celestial Department Store ordering machine from *The Android Machine*

The Celestial Department Store (aka the Intergalactic Department Store or CDS for short) is an interdimensional and interstellar department store franchise that sells its goods throughout the universe, doing so by means of its unique ordering machines capable of materializing any product from the CDS catalog instantly.

In The Android Machine, Dr. Smith accidentally orders and android named Verda. By the time of The Toymaker, these machines are no longer in use, and Zumdish is destroying them. Another Celestial Department Store ordering machine is seen in The Toymaker. This one was old and rusty, and being operated by Mr. O.M., a retiree of the Celestial Department Store.

Overview[]

Celestial Department Store spacecraft — A CDS spacecraft resembling an elevator

The Celestial Department Store is a vast and far-reaching enterprise which mainly offers its goods and services not through conventional primitive means such as retail stores on every planet, but rather through highly sophisticated and nearly omnipresent vending machines stationed on practically every planet in several galaxies. Because of their far reach and need to satisfy the needs of the intergalactic market, the Celestial Department Store accepts several forms of intergalactic currency, including Thalastro, but will also accept mined Deutronium as a substitute for currency as Deutronium itself serves as a universal currency due to its usefulness as fuel, however they will only accept it if the Deutronium has been properly refined or of enough quantity to match the price of the desired product.

The Celestial Department Store's technology is nearly unmatched, having long since moved past the age of digital and analog technologies over a century ago in their native time to more advanced Tauron computers, which motivated the company to melt down all of their primitive androids and other outdated technologies, such as old model vending machines. Ordinary laser fire is also seen as pathetically primitive to them, as even their standard security guards are completely immune to them, and even one of the company's managers claim that they can instantly disintegrate any target they wish with but a wave of their hand.

The Celestial Department Store has a strict no-return policy, but they are reasonable enough as to arrange a more affordable payment plan, but complete refusal to pay for a CDS product will result in the arrest of the unruly customer unless evidence can be provided that the product is defective.

Staff[]

Zumdish - Complaint Manager for CDS Area 17 and Manager of the Demolitions Department, as well as serving as the overall representative and figure of authority for the company.
CDS Security Guards - Large and imposing artificial humanoids who protect CDS managers. Only one is ever seen.
- Head of the CDS Security Division - Zumdish's personal bodyguard, the head of security and a powerful being.
Mr. O.M. - Elderly toymaker for the Celestial Department Store. Appeared in "The Toymaker.

Products[]

Celestial Department Store Ordering Machines[]

Celestial Department Store Ordering Machines (also referred to as Galactic Mail Order Machines by Dr. Zachary Smith) are highly advanced interstellar vending machines capable of materializing any product on the Celestial Department Store catalog. The inside of these machines (at least for an incredibly old version of the outdated model) serve as links to pocket dimensions containing Celestial Department Store factories and employees, as well as vast stockrooms for products and portals to other planets that have access to CDS vending machines.

A previous model of vending machine was quite difficult for simple humans to operate, and even androids like Verda had no understanding of how the device's control worked, with one such human example, Dr. Zachary Smith, having been forced to randomly press buttons to mixed results. The CDS vending machine is also capable of transmitting complaints directly to the Celestial Department Store's complaint department should the customer feel displeased.

Even older models of CDS vending machines were more limited in what they could produce. Unlike newer ones which can produce anything available from the CDS catalog that the customer desires, the oldest models only had one category of items on their catalog screen, such as toys. Most of these models had long since been destroyed, but the few hundreds that remain are incredibly rusted and worn out due to the passage of time. The CDS Demolitions department had been attempting to track down and destroy all remaining machines from this obsolete series.

CDS Intergalactic Generator[]

The CDS Intergalactic Generator (aka CDS Reclamation Unit) is a tank-like mobile factory and disposal unit with artificial intelligence designed to manufacture androids and CDS products from its interior as well as consume any rogue product into itself for immediate annihilation. The CDS Intergalactic Generator acts as the main enforcer and will for the CDS management and ensures that all CDS products and androids produced by it follow its orders accordingly. Failure to comply with its instructions will result in immediate remote deactivation of any unit under its command. Any rogue unit that has been designated for destruction or deemed defective will be inhaled through its suction extension and into itself where it will be melted down.

Andromedan Androids[]

The Celestial Department Store is a major supplier of Andromedan androids, with their vending machines allowing customers the freedom to customize their specific android's physical appearance to suit their personal desires. Andromedan androids are mainly humanoid in appearance and when ordered they attune to the psychic frequency of those who ordered them to ensure maximum loyalty, but they are also programmed for self-preservation to ensure the endurance of the product. Strangely, special deluxe Andromedan androids have the capacity for not only self-awareness but being able to slowly evolve into real organic humanoids over time.

Verda series[]

The Verda series android resembles a humanoid female and seems to function as an artificial companion and servant for customers, as well as any other social position that may be needed such as teacher, with the unit overall being programmed for usefulness. Verda units are manufactured by RDS Remote Unit 12 on Andromeda.

Verda units are programmed for servitude and are incapable of lying, and to add to this, they are also programmed with an extensive library of information relating to both technology and intergalactic history, to the point where digital and analog technology is primitive compared to their more advanced Model 56 Tauron Computers, and their knowledge of intergalactic history covers all manner of subjects, such as Andromedian geometry, Orionid calculus, the Anti-Gravity Theory of Gimis, and the history of the first known space explorer, Formale of the fifth planet of Orion, just to name a few. They are also equipped with remote temperature adjusting coils in their hands which they use to adjust water and environmental temperatures for their owners.

Verda Android Model 10165-A[]

The Verda 10165-A series is the most notable of the line and has a value of 100 Thalastros, although special weekly offers may lower the price as far as 89.95.

Verda Special Deluxe Android Model 77-B[]

The Verda Special Deluxe Android Model 77-B was the most advance model in the series, with the capability to learn organic behavior and slowly evolve into a living being, making it incredibly valuable to the point where an entire planet's supply of Deutronium would not be enough to afford one.

One such unit from this series was the simply named but charming Verda.

Instant Destroyer And Killer (IDAK) series[]

Crush. Kill. Destroy.

―The IDAK chant

The Instant Destroyer And Killer series android (or IDAK for short) is an incredibly powerful humanoid android described as a Super Android and Destroyer Android unit designed to serve as a violent enforcer and product repossessor for the Celestial Department Store to seek and destroy defective products that have gone rogue.

All androids in the IDAK series are designed to possess several powerful features suited to their destructive tasks, among these features include a near-invulnerable metal body, gravity-defying self-propelling flight, super speed, and superhuman strength that allows them to crush boulders and large objects with relative ease, with the IDAKs describing themselves as the most powerful beings in the universe, with their only vulnerability being their eyes and their Zedam Control Belts which house their power pack, and if smashed, the IDAK unit is rendered powerless. IDAKs are also programmed with limited intelligence, being unable to comprehend big words and also lack the ability to write.

IDAK Alpha Model[]

The IDAK Alpha is the standard model series of the IDAK line and is a being of great strength and power, however its main flaw is the external power pack of its Zedam Control Belt which it relies on to power its strength and help it track rogue androids. If the pack is disconnected and damaged in some way, the IDAK Alpha may be left powerless or paralyzed. The IDAK Alpha has limited intelligence, but unlike the IDAK Omega model, the Alpha model has a capacity for decision making, self-preservation and social behavior, allowing it to form some degree of independence and emotional growth, allowing it to learn and become more sympathetic in nature, rendering it useless as a destroyer but making it an ideal companion and playmate.

The IDAK Alpha 12 was one such model of this line.

IDAK Omega Model[]

The IDAK Omega model is a larger and more powerful version of the IDAK Alpha model but with far more limited intelligence, having no capacity for decision making or independent thought, simply following orders and destroying anything or anyone that stands in the way of their mission without mercy in order to achieve their designated objectives, making them the ideal killing machine. An Omega 17 model was stated to be powerful enough to destroy an Alpha 12 with one hand.

The IDAK Omega 17 was one such model of this line.

Clothing[]

All manner of clothing can be ordered from the Celestial Department Store's vending machines and upon order will be instantly fitted and attached to the wearer, but if a proper size is not specified the result will be an outfit that is highly difficult to remove. Celestial Department Store attired can even be made with highly durable Eternal Fabric which guarantees that the clothing in question will last forever.

Living Creatures[]

Living creatures can also be ordered from the Celestial Department Store, even dangerous beasts, presumably to serve as pets, for zoological display, guard animals, hunting animals or any other possible use such beasts would have to the average customer who can afford them.

Toys[]

Toys are also among the items in the Celestial Department Store's catalog. During an unknown period in the distant past of early CDS vending machines, some vending machines only dealt in one kind of product each, with vending machines existing that exclusively produced toys.

The Robinson Family once came across one of these old toy vending machines which nearly trapped them inside of its factory dimension run in the episode "The Toymaker".

Strangely enough, some of the outdated toys in the machine's catalog and its dimensional workshop resembled those from Earth. Considering the inside of the factory contained portal to other worlds, even one linking to an Earth shopping plaza, its possible that part of O.M. products were influenced by those he took notice of on Earth. Below are several outdated toy models from the long obsolete vending machines:

Model 512 Deluxe Plug[]

The Model 512 Deluxe Plug is a specialized mechanical plug designed to conform itself to any shape opening and is potent enough to seal irregularly-shaped fissures and prevent them from expanding, including massive fissures that threaten the stability of an entire planet, making it ideal for preventing planet destroying tectonic events.

Divisions & Subsidiaries[]

CDS Complaints Department
CDS Credit Department
CDS Salvage Department
CDS Toy Department
CDS Demolitions Department
CDS Security Division
Andromedan Android Firm

Appearances[]

Lost in Space
- The Android Machine (S2EP7)
- The Toymaker (S2EP18)
- Revolt of the Androids (S2EP24)
- Two Weeks in Space (S3P13)
Irwin Allen Television Productions, 1964-1970: A Critical History by Jon Abbott
Killer Bunnies and the Journey to Jupiter board game
Starburst Magazine (Issue #416)

Trivia[]

The company's IDAK line of androids are an obvious spoof of the DC comics superhero Superman.