Fred looked at Gene with wide eyes. "You?"
With a shrug that managed to look cocky, even with the unsure look on his face, Gene sat down on
Suzuka's bed. "I don't know. When I look at you guys now, half the time I don't see you. I see sparks,
balls of bright, multi color light. And bands of light tie us all together." He shook his head, shoulders
slumping as if a large weight has fallen on them. "Things are just popping into my head, and I don't
know where they are coming from."
A gentle hand rested on Gene's shoulder. He looked up into Fred's soft eyes. "We're all right here,
Gene. We will be as long as you need us, and," the other man smirked. "Most likely when you want to
be left alone."
A weak smile crossed Gene's face, and he lifted his hand to give Fred's forearm a squeeze. "Thanks."
He looked at the others. "Everyone."
Melfina rose and also sat on Suzuka's bed. "We're your friends, Gene. Nothing you can do can change
that. We will always be here for you."
"Unless you stop bathing. Then we would avoid you. What?" Aisha blinked innocently at the glares that
were tossed her way.
Wrapping an arm around Jim, who had also sat on the bed and was reattached to Gene, the outlaw
smiled again, a bit more strongly this time.
Suzuka was the first to notice the strange look in Gene's eyes. One that warned her that he was hearing
something that the rest of them couldn't. It had been less than a day since Gene's "rebirth," and already
she had seen the changes. They were small, but still there.
Since the assassin had seen the look, she was prepared when the red head stood.
There was a pause, no one daring to say anything, then Gene looked at Fred. "Did you get any books
lately? Any real books?"
Startled by the question, Fred's mouth moved, but no words came out. Finally, he stopped and thought
about it.
"Actually, my last shipment did have one extra book." He looked at the others, dark eyes narrowed. "It
was extremely odd. No one misplaces a book like that. Not a real one, anyway."
Aisha looked at the humans as if she thought they were insane, which might have been close to the
truth. "Who cares about some book? I want to know when we're going to look for the Galactic Leyline
again."
"Real books are really rare, Aisha," Jim told the cat-girl. "Ones that are made of paper aren't found
very much anymore, so their worth a lot of money." He blinked. "I've never seen a real book before,"
he mumbled.
Gene was ignoring all of this. "Let's go see this book, Fred."
The black haired man said nothing, just left the room, followed by Gene. The others sat for a few
seconds, then trailed after the two men.
Soon, all of them were in Fred's office. "I was going to send it back to the people who sent me the
shipment, but I haven't had a chance yet," Fred told them as he pulled a box out of the drawer. "It's
been sitting here for a few days now."
Setting the box on the desk, he pressed his thumb against the keypad. There was a soft hiss as the
environmental seal that helped protect the valuable book was unlocked. Fred carefully opened the box,
exposing the book.
A deep brown in color, it had a faint musky smell to it. Jim's eyes grew large, and Gene could just see
his little brother fall in love. Of course, it wasn't like the book didn't call to him, too. In several ways.
One was the fact that sitting on Fred's desk was something worth several hundred thousand wong,
possibly more. Another was that whatever was tugging at him was centered around that book.
Gently, Fred lifted the book from the box. He sat it down, then looked at Gene. As did everyone else.
"What?"
Before the others could answer, something strange happened. Gene got the feeling that it wouldn't be
the last strange thing to happen to them.
From nowhere, a cool wind swirled around the six people and the book. It smelled of fresh flowers and
clean air as it swept through the room. The book began to flip. Fred and Jim both yelped and moved
for it, but Gene place a hand on each of their shoulders. "Don't," he whispered. Reluctantly, both froze
as the book's pages flipped wildly.
As sudden as the wind had started, it stopped. The book's pages settled, and the group, those who
could see the small lettering, look at the words.
"What kinda language is that?" Aisha yelped, her eyes large. Spidery, the letters crawled all over the
page. They were in some type of order, but nobody was sure of what type of order.
Gene looked at the words, eyes narrowed in thought. "Jim, think you could use your computer and that
super brain of yours to translate?"
Jim nodded. "It'll take me a few days at least. I have a new Rosetta program I want to try. It should
help."
Looking at the others, Gene sighed. "Looks like we're stuck here for a few days." He blinked, then
looked at Fred. "If you don't mind, that is?"
Fred laughed. "Gene, Gene, Gene." He just shook his head. "When will you understand that you are
always welcomed to come and abuse my hospitality?"
With a smile, Gene felt himself relax. "Well, I'm going to abuse your kitchen. Jim, you want anything?"
The youngest of the group had left to get his laptop. Making a mental note to make a sandwich for Jim,
Gene also left.
Things were starting to move.
TBC...
With a shrug that managed to look cocky, even with the unsure look on his face, Gene sat down on
Suzuka's bed. "I don't know. When I look at you guys now, half the time I don't see you. I see sparks,
balls of bright, multi color light. And bands of light tie us all together." He shook his head, shoulders
slumping as if a large weight has fallen on them. "Things are just popping into my head, and I don't
know where they are coming from."
A gentle hand rested on Gene's shoulder. He looked up into Fred's soft eyes. "We're all right here,
Gene. We will be as long as you need us, and," the other man smirked. "Most likely when you want to
be left alone."
A weak smile crossed Gene's face, and he lifted his hand to give Fred's forearm a squeeze. "Thanks."
He looked at the others. "Everyone."
Melfina rose and also sat on Suzuka's bed. "We're your friends, Gene. Nothing you can do can change
that. We will always be here for you."
"Unless you stop bathing. Then we would avoid you. What?" Aisha blinked innocently at the glares that
were tossed her way.
Wrapping an arm around Jim, who had also sat on the bed and was reattached to Gene, the outlaw
smiled again, a bit more strongly this time.
Suzuka was the first to notice the strange look in Gene's eyes. One that warned her that he was hearing
something that the rest of them couldn't. It had been less than a day since Gene's "rebirth," and already
she had seen the changes. They were small, but still there.
Since the assassin had seen the look, she was prepared when the red head stood.
There was a pause, no one daring to say anything, then Gene looked at Fred. "Did you get any books
lately? Any real books?"
Startled by the question, Fred's mouth moved, but no words came out. Finally, he stopped and thought
about it.
"Actually, my last shipment did have one extra book." He looked at the others, dark eyes narrowed. "It
was extremely odd. No one misplaces a book like that. Not a real one, anyway."
Aisha looked at the humans as if she thought they were insane, which might have been close to the
truth. "Who cares about some book? I want to know when we're going to look for the Galactic Leyline
again."
"Real books are really rare, Aisha," Jim told the cat-girl. "Ones that are made of paper aren't found
very much anymore, so their worth a lot of money." He blinked. "I've never seen a real book before,"
he mumbled.
Gene was ignoring all of this. "Let's go see this book, Fred."
The black haired man said nothing, just left the room, followed by Gene. The others sat for a few
seconds, then trailed after the two men.
Soon, all of them were in Fred's office. "I was going to send it back to the people who sent me the
shipment, but I haven't had a chance yet," Fred told them as he pulled a box out of the drawer. "It's
been sitting here for a few days now."
Setting the box on the desk, he pressed his thumb against the keypad. There was a soft hiss as the
environmental seal that helped protect the valuable book was unlocked. Fred carefully opened the box,
exposing the book.
A deep brown in color, it had a faint musky smell to it. Jim's eyes grew large, and Gene could just see
his little brother fall in love. Of course, it wasn't like the book didn't call to him, too. In several ways.
One was the fact that sitting on Fred's desk was something worth several hundred thousand wong,
possibly more. Another was that whatever was tugging at him was centered around that book.
Gently, Fred lifted the book from the box. He sat it down, then looked at Gene. As did everyone else.
"What?"
Before the others could answer, something strange happened. Gene got the feeling that it wouldn't be
the last strange thing to happen to them.
From nowhere, a cool wind swirled around the six people and the book. It smelled of fresh flowers and
clean air as it swept through the room. The book began to flip. Fred and Jim both yelped and moved
for it, but Gene place a hand on each of their shoulders. "Don't," he whispered. Reluctantly, both froze
as the book's pages flipped wildly.
As sudden as the wind had started, it stopped. The book's pages settled, and the group, those who
could see the small lettering, look at the words.
"What kinda language is that?" Aisha yelped, her eyes large. Spidery, the letters crawled all over the
page. They were in some type of order, but nobody was sure of what type of order.
Gene looked at the words, eyes narrowed in thought. "Jim, think you could use your computer and that
super brain of yours to translate?"
Jim nodded. "It'll take me a few days at least. I have a new Rosetta program I want to try. It should
help."
Looking at the others, Gene sighed. "Looks like we're stuck here for a few days." He blinked, then
looked at Fred. "If you don't mind, that is?"
Fred laughed. "Gene, Gene, Gene." He just shook his head. "When will you understand that you are
always welcomed to come and abuse my hospitality?"
With a smile, Gene felt himself relax. "Well, I'm going to abuse your kitchen. Jim, you want anything?"
The youngest of the group had left to get his laptop. Making a mental note to make a sandwich for Jim,
Gene also left.
Things were starting to move.
TBC...