Immortalys II: The Expansion

Chapter Forty-Eight: The New Normal

For a whole day the city of Immortalys crackled with the recent news, and then there was a lull, as if everyone had just attended a funeral. Willow could feel the bitter disappointment, the fear, the trepidation, emanating from the very buildings of the city. Blainey had come to them, almost in tears, to tell them that the Virus had been reactivated in everyone who had possessed it before; hundreds of Virus outbreaks had been counted across the city since it had happened to Rupert, and Blainey even said that she could feel the Virus' presence within her again, although she couldn't explain what that felt like to Willow. What Blainey wouldn't tell her, although Willow had gently tried to pry it from her, was how she came by the news firsthand.

"It's sad," Willow murmured, staring out of the living room window at the cloudy sky, "that the thing we are all most afraid of is so, so small."

"And yet so dangerous," said Friction. Since Rupert had nearly attacked him, Friction had been quieter than usual.

It was a few days before the Virus Research and Eradication Board announced that they had created a Treatment to modulate the effects of the Virus. Since the Virus would keep mutating, Rupert Huxley had said, the Treatment would have to be modified as soon as the situation required. This did bring hope and life back to the citizens, although it was a cautious hope.

Outside of the capital city, business moved forward as usual. Willow continually checked the Immortalys Logbook for updates, yet there were so many new planets and systems added every week that it was almost useless for her to keep track of them. Doing this made her think of Trisha and Mike, and she couldn't help but wonder what the latest news was on the rebellions. Willow didn't really feel like researching the rebellions, however, so Trisha surely could give her the consolidated version if she asked.

On April twenty-fourth, after they had dinner, Willow, Friction, and Blainey sat on the front porch to watch the sunset.

"We're starting spring term tomorrow," Willow said to Blainey, gesturing to herself and Friction. "I'm a little nervous, but it should be good. It's just been a little while since we've been in school."

"Cool!" exclaimed Blainey. "I know you'll be just fine." Then she sighed, "I'm getting the Treatment tomorrow. For the Virus. We'll see how long it lasts before I have to go again."

"Those poor scientists," said Willow. "They'll have to keep coming up with more and more Treatments until the end of their days."

"Or until they actually cure the Virus," Friction replied, but the girls didn't say anything.

"So," Willow said to change the subject, "I'll be replacing the lights in the kitchen tomorrow night. It will be so nice to actually have something to fix. Having everything so perfect has been driving me insane."

Blainey laughed. "Usually having something break is a cause of inconvenience."

"Not for me," said Willow happily. "Assuming I have enough energy to do it after a day of college classes."

Suddenly Friction cringed and stuck his tongue out. "Ah... I just bit my lip."

"How unfortunate," Willow said. Then she instantly remembered the Virus, and her gaze snapped over to Friction's. "It's not bleeding, is it?"

"It is," replied Friction, and the fear that rapidly filled his eyes made Willow think he was about to faint.

Blainey jumped up from the porch and stumbled into the grass, shaking.

"Control it," Willow cried, grasping Friction's shoulders and staring into his face.

Friction, trembling uncontrollably, panted and moved his tongue around the inside of his cheek. "Nothing... nothing's happening."