CHAPTER FIVE

It took Billy a few minutes to realize that he was alone in the library. He sank back into his previous seat, still questioning what had just happened. It had felt so surreal, like a dream.

Or maybe a nightmare.

If whatever had happened to Mortimer were contagious, Billy would be the most likely the catch it next. He'd been in the same places as the former, which meant they would have been exposed to the same things at the same time. The fact that it had looked nearly fatal wasn't helping matters.

Yes, Billy was certainly on edge in that moment. Which is why he practically jumped out of his skin when a voice remarked, «You're still here?»

It was another of the lavender cyclops eggs. Billy wished he'd asked Mortimer what they were. He'd been meaning to, but...

«You're to be where we can contact you. Follow me, please.»

Billy got up, still a little shaky, but followed the being back to Mortimer's office.

When they reached it, Billy took his previous seat and the egg-being fiddled with something at the computer so that the monitor flipped around and locked.

«We'll be keeping you updated on his condition. If you have any questions or decide to leave, please let us know. Would you like some tea?»

Billy nodded, «Um, yes. Thank you.»

It returned his nodding with a similar motion and left. A while later, it returned with a cup of tea, which it placed on the table.

«If you need anything else, feel free to call.»

«Thanks, but I'm sure I'll be fine.»

The egg nodded again and left.

For the next hour Billy received regular updates, though they all seemed to say more or less the same thing.

Until, of course, the updates were interrupted by none other than Princess Lindsey.

«C-Commander Keen?» she asked, surprised to see him in the office of the Grand Intellect.

«Princess?» Billy was equally surprised to see her calling Mortimer's office.

There was a second or two of silence as they both waited for the other to say something. Finally, Lindsey started the conversation.

«I was about to raid into the place, but it looks like you've beaten my men to it.»

Billy shook his head, «Actually, I'm not here for that today.»

The princess raised an eyebrow, «Oh? Then what are you here for?»

Billy needed a second with that one. «Um, well...»

«Have you been taken hostage?»

«Um, no.»

«Can you leave?»

«Well, yes, but-...» Billy looked at Princess Lindsey sheepishly. «He's sick.»

«Every being knows that.»

«No, bedridden sick. "Illness" sick.»

Lindsey blinked a few times in surprise. «So he's in bed, sick and unable to prevent you form leaving, and yet you haven't left yet?»

Billy laughed nervously, «Not as such. No.»

«Are you brainwashed, insane, or is this some strange earthly tradition you never explained to me?»

«I'm not crazy!» Billy protested, «It's just, well, he's a male human, and I'm a male human. If whatever happened to him affects male humans, I'm afraid I might be next!»

Lindsey raised an eyebrow, «As you humans would say, "Yeah, no." I'm sorry Commander, but your judgment of this situation seems suspiciously flawed this evening. I'm sending my men in to get you... I believe it the phrase is "the hell"? Out of there.»

Billy shook his head, «Princess, I assure you I'm completely fine! Anyway, it's almost six in the morning back home, I should be heading back to earth anyway.»

Now it was Lindsey's turn to shake her head, «Commander, did you not say you may be the host to a horrible virus because you are a human male? Shouldn't you worry that this may spread to the other humans on your homeworld?»

Billy started to explain, but Lindsey cut him off.

«At least let me pull some strings and have the medical staff check you over.»

«Princess, I-»

«Wonderful!» She clapped, «You'll be here soon!»

Then the feed cut out.

Billy sighed, but smiled to himself. The princess could be very 'persuasive' when she felt something was important.

He called the being from before on his Computer Wrist and requested that the update feed be sent there. Then he went to the parking terminal, got into the mega-rocket, and with the help of a set of coordinates Lindsey sent him, he boarded her main ship.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

«You're fine. In fact, you were probably fine the entire time.»

«I didn't know that at the time, though!»

The princess shook her head, «Oh alright. You're fine, but crazy.»

«Technically, being crazy means you're crazy, which doesn't make you fine at all,» Page pointed out as he walked in.

Though a Council Page was his title and occupation, his name was completely unpronounceable to any tongue other than that of a Gnosticene. To make things easier for his human friend, he'd taken up Page as a nickname.

«It makes me crazy?» Billy asked with a grin. Page could be predictably redundant at times.

Page nodded enthusiastically, «Exactly!» Then he laughed.

«Heya, "Captain!"»

«It's "Commander",» Billy corrected.

Page made and exaggerated roll of his eyes and shrugged his shoulders, "What-ever!"

Lindsey smiled, «Hello, Page!»

Page nodded, «Hello, Princess!» At this, he seemed to shrink. He turned to Billy.

«What's that thing that makes copies of things? Paper things?»

"Photo-copier," Billy supplied the English word.

Page nodded, «I- I have to go check on ours.»

«Bye!» He called as he hastily back out of the room.

Lindsey frowned at the doorway. «He's been acting almost as crazy as you these days.»

«Yeah,» Billy agreed. «I think he's just stressed about that Council exam.»

«Then where are the usual complaints?» She shook her head. «I don't know, but that just doesn't seem like it. Not completely, at least.»

Billy nodded, «Well, I'd better go too. I've got to get home, since I'm only crazy and all.»

«Good luck, stay safe, and try to not go completely insane!»

Billy laughed, «Got it!»

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Back on Earth, and with an hour or so before he would be expected home for lunch, Billy stopped at a Joe's for something to eat. He sat at a table by the window, watching cars speed past on the highway.

Halfway into his meal, a message was sent to Billy's Computer-Wrist. Surprisingly, or perhaps not, it was from Mortimer.

/

To: Billy B.

From: Mortimer M

Subject: In case you want to know,

Message:

My reaction wasn't to the ferrets, moron. Apparently I'm allergic to Rayton's blood.

/

To: Mortimer M.

From: Billy B.

Subject: RE: In case you want to know,

Message:

Well, at least it's not contagious.

\

To: Billy B.

From: Mortimer M.

Subject: RE: In case you want to know,

Message:

Oh yes, lucky you and your precious humanity.

/

To: Mortimer M.

From: Billy B.

Subject: RE: In case you wanted to know,

Message:

Someone's grumpy today.

\

To: Billy B.

From: Mortimer M.

Subject: Preferably Indefinitely.

Message:

Shut up.

/

Billy sighed, arguing would get him nowhere. He finished his meal, and when no one was looking, he carefully made his way back to the roof where he'd hidden the BWB. Kicking on the cloaking mechanism and stealth drive, he made his way back home.

Managing to park the mega-rocket on its make shift landing without being seen was never an easy task, but today Billy had gotten lucky. Everyone was either indoors or at the beach, the summer heat that everyone had longed for all year was a bit too strong, and had driven everyone away to cooler areas.

With everything in order, Billy casually breezed into the house. Or, tried to. Due to a lack of sleep, he almost tripped over one of his sister's boots and nearly fell.

Billy's mother, hearing his minor cry of alarm, welcomed him home.

"How'd your sleepover go?" She asked.

"Fine," Billy tried to say over a yawn.

She laughed. "You played video-games all night, didn't you?"

He laughed nervously, which only made his mom laugh louder.

"Go to bed, Billy. I'll put your lunch in the fridge."

Billy smiled. "Thanks mom!" He started towards his room, but she stopped him.

"Don't I get a hug?" She asked, grinning.

Billy nodded, "'Course!" and wrapped his arms around her.

"You're lucky it's summer, your sleep is important!"

"I know, I know."

She kissed the top of his head before letting him go.

When Billy got to his room he didn't even bother to crawl under the blankets. It was too hot a day for them anyhow.

Writer's Note:

And of course, FFN's formatting made the texts look annoying. I'm sorry about this guys. I really am. It looks much better on the origional document, but then again, doesn't everything?

It's getting hotter over here as well, and it's not even mid august yet!

Well, it looks like I'm onto the sequel I tentatively call ISOTA; where we find out a certain why that, I can assure you, I will be greatly hated for. Read on if you dare, but no one is there, because nobody cares! Haha!

...Wait, I should clear something up: IT'S NOT A SLASH RELATED THING. I don't care what your opinions are, I'm trying to appeal to as wide an audience as I can. (Surprised? Yeah, I know right? Here I thought I just hated the world and was trying to kill it with poor literature. Funny old world we live in, huh? Funny old world...)