Free Space Plague by Zac Harrison

“People will die—”
    “I have contacted the Galactic Council,” Lorem interrupted. “No one is willing to take a chance on an unproven hypothesis.”
    “Then someone from Hyperspace High?”
    The headmaster shook his head again. “During an emergency, the priority for staff is to look after sick students. There are few enough of us left as it is.”
    “A student, then. Why couldn’t a student go?”
    Seconds ticked by as the headmaster stood, looking at John in silence. Finally, he spoke, his voice more serious than John had ever heard it before. “The Galactic Council would never allow me to send a student on such a dangerous mission.”
    “Then what can we do?”
    “We can wait, John. Wait and hope.”

Chapter 11
    As the headmaster turned into a ball of light and zipped away, John remained where he was, staring out into space with his hands in his pockets.
    Somewhere out there might be a cure for Emmie and Kaal .
    A strand of blond hair fell into his eyes. He pushed it away and blinked. “Zepp?”
    “Yes, John,” replied the computer’s voice.
    “Would a human being be able to withstand... no, actually, nothing. It doesn’t matter.” Telling his thoughts to the ship’s computer was a sure way of inviting failure before his plan was even fully formed. Zepp would be duty-bound to inform on him.
    “Very well,” Zepp replied. “If you need help, just let me know.”
    John pulled his ThinScreen from his bag. His fingers tapped across it, delving into the wafer-thin computer’s almost limitless data banks until he found what he was looking for. His eyes fixed on the screen, he began walking towards the nearest TravelTube, fingers moving deftly as he searched for more information and boarded the lift.
    “Dormitory level sixteen.”
    John tucked the ThinScreen back into his bag as the door slid open onto the common-room area outside the dormitories. At this time of day, it was usually buzzing with conversation as students relaxed between classes. Now, it was virtually empty. Dol, Kritta, and Werril were sitting by the fountain in the middle of the room, talking in hushed voices. A few metres beyond them, Mordant Talliver was slumped in a MorphSeat, staring into space in stony silence, his Serve-U-Droid hovering silently beside him.
    “Are you immune, too?” asked dolphin-like Dol as John approached.
    John nodded. “So Dr Kasaria says. And you?”
    “Yes. There are a few of us and some, like Kritta, who were vaccinated against Zhaldarian Flu. Some planets still do it.”
    “Thank goodness,” Kritta said, clicking her insect-like mouthparts with feeling.
    “Is anyone else left?” John asked, hoping there were other students unaffected. Although he liked the three of them, he needed help and none of them were well suited to the task he had in mind.
    “We’re the only first-years,” said Werril, nervously rubbing the horn that sprouted from the middle of his face. “There are a few older students scattered around, but another flu wave went through the ship like a hurricane about an hour ago. Lishtig’s down with it now, Gobi... everyone .”
    John crossed his arms. “OK, then I need one of you guys to help me.”
    Kritta turned her enormous compound eyes on him. “Help you do what ?”
    As quickly as possible, John repeated what the headmaster had said about the microbes at the centre of the Zaleta Nebula. “I’ve checked it out,” he finished. “Properly protected, I should be able to withstand the environment in the middle of the nebula for about thirty minutes. There are nebula-diving pods in the main hangar. All I need is for someone to fly the ship while I go in and get what we need.”
    Three faces stared at him in confusion.
    “You want to steal a ship, fly to the Zaleta Nebula, and go looking for microbes that may or may not have any effect on the Zhaldarian Flu?” Kritta asked after a few moments.
    “And probably kill yourself in the process,” added Werril.
    “If we don’t