Reading Online Novel

[Galaxy Of Fear] - 03(8)



One of the stormtroopers raised a weapon, and Tash thought he was going to open fire. But instead, the weapon merely glowed briefly as the trooper pointed it at the newcomers.

“All clear,” he reported. “Energy scan reveals no weapons.”

“You are clear to proceed,” another trooper told them, clearing a path to the door.

“For a hospital, you seem quite well guarded,” Hoole observed.

Kavafi looked almost embarrassed. “Unfortunate but necessary. This star system has experienced increased pirate activity in the past few weeks. Smugglers and spacejackers trying to steal medical supplies. We’ve had to expand our security.”

They passed the stormtroopers and reached the front of the gray tower. Over the doors, the letters “IBWD” had been set in black onyx.

“Welcome,” Kavafi said, “to the Imperial Biological Welfare Division.”

Tash followed closely as Zak was carried through the doors of the steelcrete tower. The Infirmary’s ground floor was a vast lobby filled with turbolift banks and people scurrying to and fro. Most of them were human, and most of them wore Imperial uniforms, but there was a smattering of alien species. Since the Empire rarely employed anyone but humans, Tash guessed that the aliens must be patients seeking treatment at the Infirmary.

They reached a turbolift and hastily pushed Zak’s hover-gurney inside. Kavafi turned to the lift’s control panel and said, “Floor ten. Override any other floor calls.”

“Acknowledged,” said a mechanical voice, and the turbolift rose quickly.

While most turbolifts still used a simple push-button system, Tash had seen many lifts like this one before. The lift car itself was actually a class-four service droid. It responded to simple voice commands and was programmed to shuttle occupants up and down the turbolift shaft.

The droid-powered lift took them up to the tenth floor, where Zak was moved into a medichamber with calm efficiency. For a few moments the room was a blur of motion as technicians took samples of his blood, hooked up monitors to his chest and forehead, and prepared medication.

Kavafi held up an enormous needle and examined a dark fluid within it. “What’s that?” Tash asked nervously.

“Just something to help him sleep,” Kavafi said. “Sometimes sleep is the best medicine of all.”

He bent down and prepared to insert the needle. Tash shuddered as the needle slipped under his skin. As soon as he’d given Zak the injection, Kavafi checked the monitors, nodded to himself, and sighed.

“Is he going to be all right?” Hoole asked. Despite the fact that his own nephew now lay in a hospital bed, Hoole’s voice was as steady and businesslike as ever.

“Oh, yes,” Kavafi replied confidently. “We will run some tests to be sure, but the early indications are that Zak has a strain of influenza.”

“I thought you said he had a virus,” Tash replied.

Kavafi smiled patiently. Tash realized that he was trying to make her feel comfortable. She appreciated it, but her brother was ill, and she was standing inside an Imperial facility guarded by Imperial soldiers and run by Imperial doctors. Even if they were Hoole’s friends, she was anything but comfortable.

“Influenza is a virus,” Kavafi explained. “There are millions of viruses throughout the galaxy. Each one of them causes different problems, sometimes quite serious ones.”

Tash swallowed. “Is-Is he going to-“

“No, no!” Kavafi said, putting a hand on her shoulder. “He will be fine. Usually a person’s body can fight off the virus after a little while. Would you like to see what is causing your brother to be ill?”

Tash was surprised. “You mean, you can see it?”

“Not with your eye, but with this.” Kavafi picked up a visor off the desk. The lenses were deep red, with tiny control switches mounted on the sides. “This is an electroscope. It allows you to see objects a thousand times smaller than the tip of a hydrospanner. Right now it’s programmed to find and locate viruses. Here.”

He pointed to a small glass plate sitting on a counter. The plate contained a sample of red fluid. Tash stared at the small drop of fluid as she put on the visor and felt on the side panel for the power switch. When she flipped it, the medichamber vanished. Tash found herself peering into a world of swirling red currents. In the center of the currents was a large mass that moved and wriggled as though it was alive. Suddenly six ominous-looking creatures swam into view. They had large, faceless heads covered with thick strands of what looked like hair. Their bodies tapered into long, thin tails that they used to swim about in the red fluid. Without pause the six creatures swarmed the wriggling mass. Five of the creatures succeeded in piercing its membrane. They forced themselves inside the mass, eating away at it.