Space Plague by Zac Harrison Read Free Book Online

door slid open. “Yes, sir,” he said. “And if there’s anything I can do...”
    “I know, John,” said Lorem, disappearing in a flash of light.
    A few minutes later, John took his usual seat in the Centre. Kaal’s place next to him was empty and so, too, was Emmie’s. Probably still with Professor Dibali , he told himself, deciding not to wait for her. “I could do with some comfort food today, Zepp,” he said into empty air. “Chicken pie and mash with gravy would be great, please.”
    Lishtig plonked himself down in the seat opposite. “Hi, John. Jegger said you’d gone to visit Kaal. How is he?”
    The hulking Gobi-san-Art settled his huge, rocky frame in the seat next to Lishtig. “Can he talk? Did he say anything?” he asked in his deep, gravelly voice.
    Next to John, the thin, grey Bareon sat down. Fixing John with eyes almost as big as Dr Kasaria’s, he asked, “What are his symptoms?”
    “Kaal’s not so great,” John said quickly. He didn’t want to dwell on just how sick his friend was; he knew that wouldn’t help. At that moment four steaming bowls slid out of the food dispenser. “What’s this?” he said, looking into a bowl of pink mush with green blobs floating in it.
    “Grim,” said Lishtig, sniffing his bowl. “Smells like something the Sklart dragged in.”
    Gobi dipped a spoon into his bowl, letting the mush drop back in with a wet squelch. “I’ve had exams all day – haven’t you got anything better than this to eat, Zepp?” he complained.
    “Tonight’s meal is an automatic selection,” the ship’s computer replied. “It is Vita-Soup. Please finish the bowl.”
    “ Vita-Soup ,” said John, wrinkling his nose. “It looks more like Vita- Gloop .”
    Bareon, whose father was a medic with the Galactic Fleet, did his best to explain. “Vita-Soup is a specially engineered foodstuff that can be eaten by all known life forms in the universe. It contains all the vitamins and minerals necessary to build up the immune system.” He paused for a moment before slurping a spoonful. “And it tastes absolutely disgusting,” he finished glumly.
    John almost choked on his first mouthful. “I’d rather eat my own toenails than this,” he said, letting his spoon fall into his bowl. “Chicken pie’s got lots of vitamins and minerals, too, you know, Zepp,” he added hopefully.
    “I’m sorry, headmaster’s orders,” Zepp replied.
    An Examiner floated to the table, lights blinking across its smooth, white head. “All students must finish the Vita-Soup,” it droned. “Failure to comply will result in detention and double Vita-Soup rations tomorrow.”
    “I thought the infection had been contained,” groaned Gobi, picking up his spoon again. “Why are we being forced to eat this muck if there’s no chance we could get it?”
    Bareon forced down another mouthful, his face twisting in disgust. “Yuck... Zhaldarian Flu is extremely contagious,” he replied. “And very serious. I had a great-great-great-great-great uncle who died from it.” Hearing John gasp, he turned in his seat. “Sorry, John... I didn’t mean to worry you... that was hundreds of years ago. Treatments have improved since then. I’m sure Kaal will be—”
    “It’s OK,” said John, raising a hand to stop Bareon’s apology.
    Lishtig and Gobi changed the subject, asking John about the Space Flight exam. John answered politely, but finished the soup as quickly as he could. “Got to meet Emmie in the library for revision,” he said, as he gulped down the last spoonful. “I’ll see you guys in the morning.”
    John rushed to the library, but there was no sign of Emmie. Dibali must be working her hard , he thought, sitting at an empty desk. For half an hour, he tried to concentrate on Hyperspace History, but his mind kept wandering back to Kaal. As the minutes ticked by and Emmie still didn’t arrive, he began to worry a little. “It’s nothing, she’s always late,” he said to himself.
    As