"We don't have any more. Nova knows where they're dealing from, but she's not exactly in any condition to get more," Cal said.
"Then I'm afraid my patients will likely die. But maybe you can save your friend."
"Doctor, are you sure this is the only way?"
"Quite sure, otherwise I would be rescuing my patients."
The screen went blank.
"What do we do?" Tanguin asked.
"We input the drug design into the food generator. You've done it before. We make more pills and send them to the hospital."
Tanguin bit her lip and turned back to the main console, her fingers darting over the controls. "It'll be uploaded in an hour or so, but I can't risk adding it to the Cloud. There's no way to stop other nut-cases from producing it and drugging people."
"Confirmed," said Cal.
"I wish Lara was here. I swear that woman could cure the plague with just a tea-towel and a pinch of salt," Tanguin said, referencing The Jagged Maw's medical expert.
Cal's internal processor's beeped. "The plague was irradiated last century."
Tanguin sighed and waved her hand. "I know, it was just a figure of speech."
Cal sliced up what remained of the green pill into smaller segments. "Peculiar."
Tanguin rolled her eyes and grabbed the largest piece, striding to Nova's sleeping pod.
Cuts covered Nova's arms and legs where the straps had dug into her skin. She glared at Tanguin with open hatred and bared her teeth.
"Nova, I've got some more of the drug, I need you to take it."
"Yes, yes!" Nova hissed, twisting towards Tanguin.
"Just hold still and I'll put it in your mouth."
Nova's body fell still but her eyes jerked. She opened her mouth wide as Tanguin approached.
Tanguin's heart twisted at the sight of Nova's pallid skin and deranged eyes. Her best friend looked like a pale ghost of her usual self. "Here."
She dropped the chunk of green pill onto Nova's waiting tongue. Nova closed her eyes and swallowed the pill with a smile.
"Where's the rest of it?" Nova's face darkened and her mouth turned down. Her eyes narrowed at Tanguin.
"I can't give you all of it right now," Tanguin said.
"What? It's mine! Give it to me!"
"I can't do that, Nova. It's for your own good."
"Hell to your preaching! Give it to me now!"
"I'm sorry, Nova." Tanguin backed out of the sleeping pod, Nova's curses following her all the way.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
From there the days melded into one painful stream. Each morning Tanguin gave Nova a small segment off the pill, each more tiny than the day before. Each time Nova spat and cursed. She demanded to be given the whole pill but Tanguin refused to back down.
"Please! It itches!" Nova wailed. She twisted so that her skin scraped along her sheets in a desperate attempt to relieve the itching that covered every inch of her body, even her eyes. If her hands weren't tied down she would have raked her nails across her body until every spec of skin tore free.
She screamed as Tanguin shuffled away, leaving her with just enough drug to keep her alive, but not enough to give her a high. Every morning Nova pleaded to be given just enough to reach the high, where the pain disappeared and she'd be floating, but every morning Tanguin disappointed.
Nova gritted her teeth as she thought about the bitch Tanguin. She'd pretended to be Nova's friend for so long and yet here she was, torturing her. Nova spent her free time plotting the many ways she could kill Tanguin, and get rid of Cal. She fantasised about the day she could get free and run back to the train-station. She'd buy a whole bag of pills, and then she'd hide away, living in the clouds.
With each smaller segment Nova felt herself slipping away. It got harder to open her eyes because the lights above burned like lasers through to the back of her head, and she couldn't eat because nausea rocked her body and bile pooled in the back of her throat. Even breathing became agony as every movement of her chest felt like a knife stabbing through her lungs.
Two weeks later Tanguin handed her a tiny segment of a pill.
Nova glared up at her. "Give me the rest."
Tanguin sighed. "Nova, we've been through this. I'm trying to help you."
Nova narrowed her eyes. "You're lying. You're trying to torture me, you bitch."
"Please Nova; I'm not trying to hurt you. This is how it has to be."
Nova clenched her tongue between her teeth and bit down until blood poured out of her mouth and dribbled down her chin. "Give me more or I'll bite it off."
Tears sparkled in Tanguin's eyes. "You won't do that."
Nova shrieked and writhed against the ropes. "You bitch! I'll kill you!"
Tanguin backed out of the room, her face pale, leaving Nova alone with blood bubbling out of the side of her mouth. She had fully intended to bite it off. It might have made Tanguin realise that she was serious, but in the end she couldn't do it. A part of her couldn't face drowning on her own fluids. She settled for spitting the blood across the walls of her sleeping pod until she was surrounded by a bright red mural.
***
"Nova!" Tanguin rushed into Nova's sleeping pod and knelt by her side, ignoring the sticky puddles of blood that surrounded the bed.
She put two fingers on Nova's neck and held her breath. The faintest flutter of a pulse beat against her fingertips. Shallow breaths, barely more than a whisper, escaped Nova's blue lips. Sweat trickled down her clammy grey skin and created a pool on the sheets.
"She's getting worse," Tanguin said as Cal hovered into the sleeping pod.
Panic writhed in Tanguin's stomach like worms, twisting her gut and climbing up her throat until she gagged. She stroked Nova's forehead, her hand coming away cold and covered in sweat.
"There's nothing more we can do," Cal said. "We've followed the doctor's instructions."
"I don't think she's going to make it." Tanguin choked on the words and squeezed her eyes shut, hot tears trickling down her cheeks.
"She has to."
"Look at her! She barely made it through the night."
"But she did make it, and she's been through worse. With the pod's regulated temperature and the nutrient drip, she'll be okay."
Tanguin bit her lip and clutched Nova's lifeless hand. She refused to get up, even to eat, and fell asleep on Nova's floor, her head resting beside a patch of dried blood.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
"Hey," Nova said when Tanguin's eyes fluttered open.
Tanguin's mouth dropped and she scrambled off the floor, clutching Nova's hand. "You're awake!"
"Yeah," Nova said with a soft smile before her eyes drifted closed and her head lolled to the side.
Tanguin smiled through her tears as she stumbled out of the sleeping pod.
***
After a month without the pill Nova felt less like a waking corpse. Her muscles ached and she moved with the speed of a tortoise but at least her stomach had stopped churning.
"So when are we leaving this trash hole?" she asked.
Tanguin sat down on the bed beside Nova and stared hard at her friend. "I don't think I can leave until this is fixed."
"What do you mean?"
"There are more people getting dosed every day. I can't leave them to suffer like you and then die."
"But they have the cure now; you sent pills to the hospital." Nova's heart clenched and her skin crawled. Thoughts of the previous month, of the agony, rolled through her mind and she shivered.
"It's not enough. The pills will run out, and anyway, not everyone who goes through the treatment survives. You were lucky."
"But…" Nova's bit her lip and her mind raced. She didn't want anything more to do with the drug. The last few weeks were like a painful blur and she wanted to get as far away as possible. She couldn't stay on this planet! She certainly couldn't get more involved. What if the dealers found her again?
"It's okay, Nova. I understand if you want to leave. I can
't though."
"Tanguin," Nova whispered.
Her friend was always so quiet. She was tough, but her place was in front of a computer screen, hacking through data. It wasn't confronting a drug gang; that was Nova's job.
"I can't let you face this alone."
The corners of Tanguin's mouth flickered. "You'll stay?"
Nova grinned, hiding the sharp pang that shot through her stomach. "Of course. Can't let these bastards get away with what they're doing!"
Nova wrapped her arm around Tanguin's shoulder and let her friend's warmth calm her racing heart. She swallowed the lump in her throat and pushed her thoughts away from the shadow looming at the edge of her senses.
CHAPTER TWENTY
The next day Nova used the walls to haul herself from her sleeping pod to the command chair. "So what's the plan?" she said, collapsing into the chair with a gasp. Her head spun and she had to lean against the controls to keep herself upright.
Tanguin leaned against the corridor wall and bit her lip. "While you were gone we tracked the van."
"Van?"
"The one you nearly got hauled away in."
Nova's heart fluttered as fragmented images flew across her memory.
"We followed it to a massive house in the city. If we want to know what's going on, I suggest we start there."
"Our initial survey suggests it's worth investigating," said Cal.
"They were talking about you," Tanguin whispered.
Nova clutched her aching head in her hands, bile curdling in the back of her throat. "We have to be careful."
"Cal and I already tried surveying the outside but we couldn't get a good look."
Nova's head throbbed as she strained for a solution. A sudden thought made her head snap up. "I've got an idea."
She snapped out of her chair and stumbled through Crusader to the storage room, leaning against the walls to keep her upright. Tanguin and Cal followed right behind. She yanked open a rusted draw and snatched out a ball of metallic limbs.
"What the…" Tanguin said.
"Spidey. He helped me back on Taive."
Nova placed the robotic spider on the bench and flicked the power switched. The motor gurgled and spluttered before bursting into life. Spidey's legs unfolded and he scuttled across the bench.
"Video feed clear," said Cal.
Nova nodded and grabbed Spidey. "We just have to get him near the house and we'll be able to see what's really going on."
"Whoa." Tanguin snatched hold of Nova's shoulders and gave her a gentle shake. "You are not ready for field work.
Nova clenched her teeth as rage flared in her stomach, her hatred for Tanguin surging with new fire. She took a deep breath, struggling to rain in her fury. "I don't remember asking your permission."
Tanguin sighed and looked into Nova's eyes. "Nova, we'll get them. I promise. But if we're going to have any chance of beating them, you at least need to be able to walk in a straight line."
"We don't have time for that!" Nova wrenched her shoulders free of Tanguin's grip.
"I'm sorry Nova, but you're still not in charge of this ship and Crusader isn't letting you out until you're ready."
Nova pursed her lips and glared at Tanguin, ready to hurl Spidey at the other woman's face. She flexed her shoulders, but as she did her vision flashed and the energy drained from her limbs. Her legs shook and she collapsed to the hard ground, pain shooting through her knees. Spidey fell out of her grip and clattered to the floor.
She stared at the ground, resting on hands and knees, as dark clouds swirled at the edge of her vision. Her head spun and bile surged to the back of her throat. The idea of standing, of even sitting, seemed impossible. She took a ragged breath.
Tanguin fell to the ground at Nova's side and laid a warm hand on her friend's back.
Any remnant of Nova's rage fizzled away, replaced by a dull weight that filled her stomach. "Maybe you're right."
Tanguin patted Nova's back. "You'll be good as new in no time. Trust me."
Nova nodded and with Tanguin's help she staggered back to her sleeping pod and fell into bed.
***
Nova knelt with Tanguin and Cal behind the bushes, gazing over at the mansion. The black van stood in front and sent a cold shiver down her spine. Her head spun but she refused to show any weakness, they'd already waited two weeks longer than she'd wanted to, and now was the time to act. If these were the bastards that had tried to kill her, she'd make them pay.
She pulled Spidey out of her bag and laid him on the grass. She flicked the power with her thumb and he came to life.
"Go get 'em," she said, nodding towards the house.
Spidey dashed across the road towards the mansion while Nova bunkered down out of sight.
Cal projected a small image into the air in front of Nova and Tanguin; it showed grass parting before Spidey's metallic legs, and a mansion looming above. It didn't take long for the small robot to get to the house and climb to an open window.
Inside, the house looked more like a buzzing office building than a suburban home. People rushed from room to room, carrying screens and unmarked bags. Some wore neat suits whilst others wore torn jeans and ragged shirts.
Nova gasped. A man with a red armband had crossed in front of Spidey's vision, his face stern. "That's him," she whispered. His imaged burned against her memory, something she'd never forget.
"I guess this is the place then," Tanguin said.
Spidey hurried forward and slipped into a wide room. The lush carpet partially covered his camera lens but above that towered three figures. The biggest, a man in a blue suit sat behind a wide desk.
The thinnest wrung his hands as he stared at the floor. "The last shipment looks good. Faster acting with more activity."
"Good, we're going to need it," said the man in the blue suit, turning back to the papers on his desk. "Although if you ask me, which no one ever does, it's easier to control people with guns then with ridiculous pills."
"Yes, sir…"
"Not that the great Doctor Codon wants to hear anything about that. Oh no. It's his plan or nothing. I tell you… he's not been quite right since that massacre on Archalon."
"Yes, sir…"
"If you ask me, he should have been let go right then. Suspicious business. But instead I'm stuck here in the Outers feeding junkies because the Minister thinks it's a good form of brain control. I tell you, if I were in control—"
"Sir…" The man cut in, taking a deep breath. "There's one other thing."
"What?" Blue Suit's face flashed red as he glared at the other man.
"The targets. We… we've lost track of them. She hasn't been seen for three weeks."
"You haven't seen the target for over three weeks!" Blue Suit's face glowed red and spittle flew from his mouth.
"M-Maybe she died," a thinner man said.
"Or maybe she got away! I don't think I could have been any clearer about how important this is."
"Yes, sir."
"We've been trailing those Hunters for months; we can't afford to let them loose. Not if we want to get beyond Quadrant Two."
"Surely two Hunters—"
The bigger man erupted to his feet and jabbed a thick finger into the other's chest. "Enough! I've told you a thousand times not to underestimate them, and now you've lost them. I should throw you to the junkies and be done with it!"
The smaller man's face lost all colour and he bowed his head. "Yes sir."
"And as if that's not bad enough, I've got word that they passed extra pills to the hospital. So guess what? They're curing people! It's a bloody mess!"
The smaller man swallowed, his throat bobbing.
"And, on top of all that shit, I just got word from Confed Headquarters; they're launching an assault on The Jagged Maw."
"Sir?" the man stuttered.
Nova and Tanguin's mouths dropped open and they gazed at each other with wide eyes.
"I dunno. Some turn-coats spilled their guts to an of
ficer – not one of ours mind – about rebel activity. And seeing as our top two targets came from that same damn guild it's probably worth dealing with. Now get the hell out of my office and find her!"
The two soldiers scurried out of the room, past Spidey, their commander's voice trailing after them.
Nova collapsed back, resting her head against a rough branch. "They're going after the Maw." Her heart pummelled against her chest. She'd warned Aart that this would happen; now his quest was going to see everyone at The Jagged Maw killed.
"That can't be the Confederacy," Tanguin said, breathless.
Nova slammed her fist into the ground. "It has to be, you heard them."
"All analysis confirms," said Cal.
Nova hung her head. "We've got to kill these bastards and get back to the Maw. Cal, send a message back to Aart, Orion, Gus, anyone you can get hold of. We've got to warn them."
"Affirmative."
Nova groaned as she got to her feet, head spinning, and stumbled to face the house.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
"How're we doing this?" Tanguin asked, her hand resting on Nova's arm.
Nova frowned up at the smooth cement walls and studied the windows, each tinted black to hide the rooms beyond. A flutter of movement caught her eye and she locked her gaze on the second-floor window.
Something reflected a glint of sunlight back at her.
"Sniper!" Nova yelled, snatching Tanguin's arm and pulling her behind the fence as a blast of energy carved a hole in the pavement. "Move in. You two go round back, I'll take the front!"
She stumbled from behind the fence to the front door, hoping to draw the sniper's attention away from Tanguin and Cal. She clutched her gun and fired alternating shots, first at the door and then at the second floor window. Her aim was off but she managed to blast the door handle and the sound of shattering glass said she'd hit the window upstairs.
Junkie Page 5
