"I'm so sorry."

The words seemed so meager, so inconsequential. That's probably because they were. No words could possibly express how badly I felt, or how miserably I had failed. Me, Brainiac Five, Twelfth Level Intellect from the planet Colu, Legionnaire in Good Standing...had failed. Miserably. I could just imagine what the other legionnaires, particularly Timber Wolf or Star Boy, would have to say about it.

Could I have done something differently? Did I somehow miss something, some detail that would have changed the outcome? Perhaps if I re-examined how this all came about, I'd learn something....

The date was July 20th, approximately 0200 hours. The summons from Dynakor VII had been sent through the Legion's priority channel, meaning that the SP had seen it and forwarded it to us as a matter of utmost urgency. Little did they know how urgent it truly was. Of course, it's not their fault they don't have a twelfth-level mind.

As soon as I saw the report detailing the signs and symptoms, I knew what it was. A plague was attacking the planet at an alarming rate, a deadly airborne virus that hadn't been seen in centuries. It was a simple matter for me to get Blok to replace me on monitor duty and head for Dynakor VII. He offered to help, of course, or to notify the others, but I knew it was nothing I couldn't handle and they'd just get in my way.

With the cruiser at top speed, it didn't take me long to arrive. As a precaution, I activated my force field, knowing that this particular disease was so virulent that even my trans-suit might not protect me from it. When I disembarked, I was greeted by Chancellor Kyr'yak himself, the bright rays of the twin suns shining off his jeweled crown. He was, of course, overjoyed to see me, although he seemed strangely concerned when I informed him that no other Legionnaires were accompanying me. For myself, I was surprised that his entourage was quite small for a being of his standing, consisting of only a secretary and one single guard. When I inquired about this, the secretary stopped fidgeting on his databoard long enough to inform me that the rest of the Chancellor's Cabinet were either sick or already dead from the disease.

They took me down winding roads, past a huge clocktower in the middle of the Ruling City, to the main infirmary. There, I was quickly ushered into a large, state-of-the-art laboratory. I could see that it was prepared and very well stocked, just as I had anticipated. The Dynakorians are renowned for their attention to detail, as well as their desire to satisfy their infrequent guests. There was even a fellow scientist, waiting to assist me. I started to dismiss him, but then thought better of it. Even I could use an extra pair of hands every now and then.

"Thank you," I had said to Chancellor Kyr'yak. "Now, please do not disturb me for any reason. I must have quiet and solitude in order to find a cure for the disease that ravages your planet. I'll let you know when I have found the cure, Chancellor."

They, of course, agreed, and I was quite satisfied when I turned away from them and heard the sealing of the door behind me. If only the Legion was as eager to please! I immediately dove into my work, anxious for the challenge.

Formulas, hypothesis, theories...all of these were considered and later discarded as I worked, the assistant by my side. As the hours sped by, I barely noticed him taking short breaks to eat from the food synthesizer or to relieve himself in the lavatory. So enthralled was I in my attempts to save these people that I noticed or thought of little else. It was never a matter of whether or not I could save them, but rather how long it would take me to do it. Even though this disease had not been seen in centuries, I knew I could beat it and relished the mental stimulation it provided. It was a refreshing change from what had become tedious work in the Legion's Multi-Lab.

Finally, after what seemed many attempts and failures, I had found it! The cure for the deadly virus! We would have to try it out on a victim of the disease, of course, but I was sure that I had devised a serum to counteract the virus and save the planet. Obviously agitated with anticipation, my assistant opened the sealed door and led the way out of the lab.

As we emerged, I was surprised to find no one waiting for us. In fact, the halls themselves were completely silent, unusual for an infirmary dealing with an outbreak like this one. I looked questioningly at my assistant, who returned my gaze with a panicked look of his own before running down the corridor.

I finally caught up with him a short distance down the hall, where I found him sitting quietly beside a small cot. As I peered around his heaving shoulders, I could see a figure lying on the cot, underneath a cloth of some kind. Suddenly, as I listened to his sobs, I felt a pang of sorrow. This must be someone he knows, I thought, a family member perhaps, ill or worse from the plague.

Looking over my helper's shoulder, I was shocked to see Chancellor Kyr'yak lying on the cot, his face pale and gray, a communicator in his hands. On the floor was his faithful Secretary, databoard still gripped tightly, his face just as gray and chalky as the Chancellor's.

This made no sense. Why would Chancellor Kyr'yak, the sovereign ruler of this planet, be lying deceased and alone in a small room like this? Where were all the mourners, the caretakers?

I placed what I hoped would be a comforting hand upon my assistant's shoulder. As I stared at it, hovering inches above his shoulder, still protected by my force field, I wondered if it was any comfort at all. Not really wanting to know the answer, I turned and walked out of the room.

Walking through the still, pristine halls, I found no one to give me the answers that I sought, only numerous rooms containing innumerous bodies, all of them dead. The more death I saw, the quicker my pace became. I began to run, listening absently to the muffled footfalls as my force field covered boots struck the tiled flooring and echoed through the facility. Finally, I reached the entrance, still not finding any live being within the entire building.

Stepping through the sliding doors, I was taken aback by the dark and starry sky. It was late in the evening and I realized that I had spent the entire day locked up in the laboratory, searching for a cure. Damn me for a fool! In that time, considering how lethal the virus had become, scores of people could have been affected! I should have paid more attention to the time!

Still, as logic thankfully overcame my emotions, I realized that didn't explain the complete lack of living beings in the infirmary. Even a single day would not have caused enough illness to wipe out the entire building! And why would the Chancellor be there? I told him I would let them know when I had the cure. Surely there were other, more urgent matters for him to tend to, rather than wait outside the lab?

It was then that I noticed it: the stench in the air, a sickening, horrible odor that I hadn't noticed when I arrived here. And as I glanced around at the city, I noticed other things, things that sent a cold chill down my spine. There were bodies, many of them, fallen in the streets or hanging out of doorways and transport vehicles. From the looks of it, after exponentially calculating the amount of victims I could see, it appeared that the entire city was deceased. But how was that possible?

I remember feeling annoyed when I heard the cruiser approaching and even moreso when it landed and my teammates disembarked. Couldn't they listen to me, just this once? I had an emergency here! I didn't have the time to placate them or the inclination to work around them! I had to find the survivors and get my cure to them!

As Element Lad walked solemnly over to me, I waved a dismissive hand towards him.

"Jan, please," I said in a condescending tone, "I really have too much to do to listen to a lecture about Legion protocol. I have to get this cure to the nearest Med-Center before the rest of the planet winds up like these poor beings..."

His face dropped and he looked at me with dark eyes.

"You...You don't know, do you, Brainiac?" he asked.

It's always amazed me how they can call me by my full name when they're annoyed, but use "Brainy" when they need something from me.

"Know what? I really don't have time for guessing games..."

The slight scuffling noise behind me made me turn. There, with a female Dynakorian in his arms, was my assistant. Tears rolled down his face as he approached me with halting steps. From his slouching posture and emotional appearance, I could only assume that the female was someone who had meant a great deal to him.

"I'm sorry," I offered, extending my hand to him. He answered by spitting at me.

Spittle slowly ran down the air before me, sliding down my personal force field as I watched him move past us and continue walking down the body-strewn street.

"Of all the ungrateful...!"

"Brainy..."

I turned to face Ultra Boy, who had a look of sadness in his eyes.

"Brainy," he said, "We didn't come here to check up on you. We came because we were called by Chancellor Kyr'yak."

"I know that, Ultra Boy, but I had already responded to the call. Didn't you check the Mission Monitor Board? Or at least speak to Blok?"

"We did both of those things, Brainiac," answered Jan. There was an edge in his voice that I'd never heard before. "And, Gods help me, it was my decision to let you try and solve this problem on your own."

"Which I did," I replied smugly. "I have the antidote right here..."

"It's too late."

"What? What do you mean, Jan?"

"It's too late, Brainiac. Chancellor Kyr'yak called us again, a second time, after he hadn't heard from you in days and decided that he couldn't wait any longer. That was a few hours ago."

"Days?!? That's impossible! I haven't been locked in the lab...that...long..."

Then I saw it. The huge clocktower that stood in the city's center, rising above the other buildings. However, not only did it display the time of day, but also the exact date: July 27th, one week to the day since I had arrived here!

"No.." I whispered. "It can't be..."

But I knew it could. I knew that, once I became involved in a seemingly impossible problem, everything else, including...especially...time, became practically non-existent. "Do not disturb me for any reason," I had told them, and they had listened well, too well. In my pride, my hubris, I had completely shut myself off from the very people that I was trying to save and now it was too late.

"We scanned the planet as we arrived, Brainiac," Element Lad said quietly, his voice trembling now with suppressed anger. "The only lifeform readings we found on the entire planet were yours and the man who just spit on you."

I looked over at Jan.

"The entire planet..?" I asked pleadingly, hoping that he would tell me this was all some kind of sick, sad joke. Instead, he nodded his head solemnly, his eyes accusing me with their stare. Now I knew why he was so angry. He, of all beings, knew what it was like to watch your planet die.

"I'm so sorry..."

As they turned and walked slowly back to the cruiser, I wondered if they knew what I was sorry for. Did they think it was because I failed and millions of beings died here, or because I never even bothered to ask my assistant his name?

The End