The Omnivault: Chapter 23.

Written: Saturday. January 25, 2020.

It took a while before Toby was fully out of the effects of whatever it was that he dreamt of last night. Once he got his balance, he looked back at all of his friends. They were all looking at him as if he had just gotten into an accident or something. Toby felt like he had an accident, too. His body felt heavy, his head hurt, and his arms were getting warm again.

Tom was the first to break the silence. “What happened to you back there, Tobes? You were kinda not yourself for a little bit yesterday. I mean, you know — very unlike your usual self, actually.”

As Tom said this, Toby tried to recall what went down in the space ship. Yesterday…The space ship. “Did I really do all of those things?” he asked. “After Lady Veergha did that — whatever it was that she did on me, I could just remember small things. Not much of specific detail, like waking up feeling so mad and — “ Toby paused, his head throbbed trying to remember. “ — and after that, it felt like I was looking at myself. Only that it wasn’t really me that I was looking at. I didn’t have control. Omnius told me that my eyes were glowing. And my hands — “ as he looked down on his hands, they were starting to glow red again. June was holding him at the time, so Toby immediately moved back a little from her.

“It’s okay Toby, relax.” June tried to tell him. “We’re here for you; all of us are. You just have to take a deep breath, and concentrate.” Then she started taking deep breaths, and was signalling Toby to do the same. He looked at June, and tried to follow her breathing. “That’s it, one breath at a time.” Slowly, Toby’s hands started to lose its glow. When she felt that it was safe, June held Toby’s hands. Toby tensed at first, “It’s okay, just relax.” June said calmly. And somehow, it was as if her hands actually felt warmer than his.

After a few seconds, Toby’s hands were back to normal. “How did you — “

“I have asthma, remember?” June said to him. “Always works.”

“Ribbit. Ribbit. Rib.” Macrodon croaked inside of the cookie jar that Omnius was holding.

“Looks like this guy’s got that as-tha-ma-ma as well.” Omnius said. He raised the cookie jar up, looking at Macrdon in different angles. “What is it, my guy? You need some spiritual breathing as well?”

“Ribbit.” Macrodon answered.

June chuckled, “Omnius, it’s pronounced ‘asthma’, not as-tha-ma-ma.”

“Ha? That’s what I said, Lady!” Omnius said to her. “As-tha-ma-ma.”

“Speaking of Ladies,” Tom said. “Lady Veergha and Ervagh are waiting downstairs.”

“What?” Toby asked Tom. “What are they doing here?”

“Don’t worry, man.” Drew said to him. “They’re still wearing their human forms. Their currently talking with your mother — “

“My mother?”

“I said don’t worry.” Drew repeated. “Miss Victoria’s got it under control.”

When he heard Drew say “Miss Victoria”, Toby suddenly recalled a moment from his dream. “In the process of your maturity with the Volgans, you may never remember what you are, and even who you are.”

“What’s that?” June asked him. Toby apparently spoke his thoughts under his breath. “Remember who?”

“Oh,” Toby noticed that their hands were still touching. “it’s just something from my dream. It’s probably nothing.”

“Oh, alright.” June smiles at him, and promptly takes her hands back.

Toby was already starting to miss its warmth.

* * *

Yesterday, Ervagh was able to fix the cloaking systems of their spaceship. He activated it and then proceeded to join Tom to his house. Lady Veergha joined Amanda, who was polite enough to let her stay at her house for the night. Amanda’s parents were delighted, not only to have “Miss Victoria” pay a visit to their daughter’s home, but also because she was staying for the night. Though they were completely let down, because all throughout the night, Lady Veergha spoke as minimal as possible towards them. They never actually got to have a decent conversation with her.

This was completely different when it came to Ervagh’s overnight stay at Tom’s place. Tom and Ervagh almost had little sleep last night. Tom made him eat a bunch of chips and drink various types of soda. And while they were eating, Tom had shown him how the television worked. Ervagh was fascinated with all of the available shows and channels. He was especially intrigued with the Animal Planet. The show aired an episode on different kinds of Lizards & Reptiles. When Tom put two-and-two together, he gave Ervagh power over the remote, and told him he’d catch some sleep for tomorrow. Ervagh spent the whole night watching TV.

When school was finished for the day, Tom and the others told Lady Veergha and Ervagh that they’ll be going to see if Toby was at his house. So the both of them followed. But while they were headed for Toby’s house, Drew instructed them not to join their group once they went upstairs in order not to cause any speculation as to what both of them were doing in Toby’s house. They were after all, Adult figures.

So Lady Veergha and Ervagh have been sitting on Toby’s couch for quite some time now. Lily whipped up some of her homemade cookies and made Orange juice while they were waiting on the children.

“I’m definitely sorry about Toby being absent today, Miss.” Lily promptly said to Lady Veergha. “His temperature was rather very warm, almost sickly warm, when I went to wake him up earlier today. So I didn’t bother making him go to school today.”

“Miss?” Ervagh said to Toby’s mom. “You are in the presence of a Queen, do you not understa — “

“That’s alright, John.” Lady Veergha immediately told Ervagh. “What my assistant simply stated to you was that my last name is Queen.”

“Well,” Lily said, “that’s a very lovely name you have there; Victoria Queen. Here in the country, we see your name as a very royal name; a Female ruler, to be exact. There was a queen named Victoria, actually. My son’s told me about it from one of his studies. She was — oh what was she famous for, again? I couldn’t really remember. Toby gives too many details on the things he’s fascinated about that I just can’t keep up with the kid, sometimes.”

Lady Veergha and Ervagh just looks at Lily, not really knowing how to respond. Lily just smiles at them, and points at the cookies and beverage in front of them. “Go ahead, I insist.”

Ervagh was the first grab for the cookies. Lady Veergha, who was still unaccustomed to the Terran diet, hesitates and just looks at the food in front of her.

“My Lady,” Ervagh tells her. “I mean — Miss Victoria. These are quite delicious treats from around here. Terran Thomas and I spent the whole night consuming all sorts of delicacies.” he takes a bunch of cookies and munches them down his throat.

Lady Veergha takes one cookie, and takes a bite of it. Her eyes immediately widen, “What is this?” and guzzles down the rest of the cookie. “I’ve never quite tasted a substance such as this! Ever!”

“Try the liquid.” Ervagh tells her, while putting another cookie in his mouth.

Lady Veergha takes the glass of orange juice, and takes a sip of it, immediately followed by continuous gulps, until the glass became completely empty. “Ahh.”

“I’m glad you two liked it!” Lily smiles at both of them. “The cookies seem to be running out already. So I’ll be making more while you wait for the kids to come down. In the mean time, enjoy yourselves with a little TV.”

Lily takes the remote and opens up the TV in the living room.

“Oh! I know this one!” Ervagh blurted out once the TV was opened. “May I?” He points towards the remote. Lily gives it to him. “You are going to love the Animal Planet, Miss Victoria.” Ervagh successfully puts it at exactly the Animal Planet channel.

“John, we’ve already been to an Animal Planet before, what are you — Oh!” The TV starts showing a bunch of Lizards & Reptiles in their natural habitats. “I didn’t know Terrans allowed themselves to be so — titillating.”

“I dunno about that.” Lily told her. “This channel’s more of an educational program, actually. I guess I’ll leave you two to it.” She goes back to the kitchen to prepare the next batch of cookies.

Lady Veergha and Ervagh just looks at her, blinking a few times just trying to comprehend what they just heard. Educational…

Toby and his friends finally went downstairs. They noticed that both Lady Veergha and Ervagh were so absorbed on what was going on in the TV.

“What’s with those two?” Toby asked his friends.

Tom looked at what was going on in the TV. “Oh, man. You do not wanna know, dudes.”

“Why? It’s just on Animal Planet.” June looked at the TV. “What are you — Oh! Hmm. Welp.”

“Yep.”

Amanda puts a hand in front of Omnius. “Omnius, don’t look!”

Omnius quickly follows, and covers Macrodon’s eyes. “What is going on right now?”

Lily calls out from the back of the house. “Where’s my Cookie Jar at?”


End of Chapter.

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