Space Plague Read Online Free

morning,” replied the computer. “Examination room eight. You now have fifty-seven minutes and thirty-two seconds.”
    John groaned. Along with Galactic Geography, Cosmic Languages was his least-favourite subject. “Oh well,” he said, crawling out of bed and rubbing sleep out of his eyes, “let’s get it over with.”
    “Shall I start the auto-cleanse for you?”
    “Please, Zepp,” John yawned. His face twisted as music started, a song called “ Oh What a Beautiful Morning” from an old movie. “And turn the music off; I hate this song. My mum sings it all the time.”
    On John’s first day at Hyperspace High, he and the computer had bonded over music. Zepp loved Earth music and played it whenever the chance arose. Some of the computer’s song choices were, however, very odd. “This is a classic ,” Zepp said, increasing the volume. “One of my favourite tunes. Your mother has excellent taste.”
    “Please, Zepp!” John shouted. “Turn it off or I’ll be forced to take a hammer to your circuits.”
    John sighed with relief as the song came to an abrupt stop.
    “Spoilsport,” said Zepp.
    The auto-cleanse shower always made John feel like he was standing in a car wash. First, hundreds of tiny nozzles sprayed him all over with soap. After that the water power increased, filling the shower cubicle with swirling foam as the jets scoured him up and down. After a final rinse with clean water, blasts of warm air dried him off within seconds.
    Fifteen minutes later, still humming, John scanned the notes he’d made on the Gularan language on his portable ThinScreen while he brushed his teeth. Rinsing his mouth, he checked the mirror to make sure his hair wasn’t doing anything too weird, then wrapped a towel around himself. Walking back into the larger room, he took a fresh silver and red Hyperspace High uniform from his locker, and started dressing. “Hey, Zepp, where’s Kaal?” he asked. “Has he gone to breakfast already?”
    “Kaal is still in bed,” said Zepp. “I’ve tried to wake him several times, but he will not get up.”
    “That’s not like him,” John replied, glancing at his friend’s closed bed-pod screen. “Usually, he’s trying to drag me to breakfast before I’m out of bed.”
    “It is strange. As you know, Derrilians only need one hour of sleep each day. Kaal has been in bed for almost ten hours.”
    Crossing the room, John placed his hand on the wall panel. The screen slid back. John blinked in surprise. During the night, Kaal had curled into a ball, his arms hugging his knees and his wings wrapped around his body. His skin was still glowing, but even brighter now. Kaal’s bed-pod was filled with green light.
    This is freaky , John thought. Leaning over, he gently shook his friend by the shoulder. “Kaal,” he said. “Wake up.”
    Kaal didn’t move. His eyes remained closed. Beneath John’s hand Kaal’s skin felt hot and sticky. Is that normal for Derrilians? John wondered. With growing fear, he realized that he knew nothing about the way Derrilian bodies worked. Kaal might have a fever, or his species might wake up sweating fluorescent green all the time.
    “ Kaal ,” John repeated louder, shaking his room-mate’s shoulder again. “Stop messing about. Exams start in forty-five minutes. Get up or you’re going to be late.”
    No response.
    “KAAL!” This time, John shouted. Still, Kaal didn’t move.
    John leaned over further. His friend was breathing, but his breaths were fast and shallow. This is definitely not right , John thought.
    “Zepp!” John yelled, his voice cracking with concern. “I think Kaal’s sick.”
    “Stay calm,” Zepp said instantly. “I will alert the Meteor Medics. They will arrive in a few moments.”
    “Tell them to hurry. He looks really bad.”
    “They are on their way now.”
    “How long—”
    The door hissed open and six white robots with blue flashing lights and a flaming fireball insignia on their chests flooded into the