Halfbreed Ch. 09

Immediately Mike was reminded of the illicit drug den's from his youth, of the sorting room where the dealers would cut and portion out their collected sin into portable and sellable blocks. Two long tables stretched across the wide, rectangular room, upon which the bulk of the dust was piled in half-sorted order.

The Veiled One turned to face them as she stepped backwards into the room, opening her arms and sweeping her gloved hands wide to either side of her. "Behold: The answer to your questions, and the reason why we're here."

"What is this?" Mike asked, taking in the room while trying to breathe as little as possible. His Elf was at his side, staring in blank curiosity at the mystery of the room around them.

"In money terms? About 300 million credits of product on the black market." The Veiled One said. She snapped her fingers, and her ten guards leapt to the process of clearing the room out.

"Maeles Aelor is engaged in... drug trafficking?" Allynna asked in a soft, disbelieving voice. She walked over to one of the tables, planting her gloved finger upon a small trail of the purple dust and drawing across its surface. She looked at her now-purple fingertip with something approaching horror.

Lashvara stood like a brewing storm cloud in the center of the room as the Loupians rushed to and fro to collect their prize. She lifted her nose and took a deep inhale, letting out an angry snort. "This smell..." she growled.

"You ought to recognize it," the faceless Loupian said, her mask glowing like pale static. "You're wearing the source of it around your neck, after all."

Lashvara let out a belting roar that shook the room. Everyone stopped in their tracks and turned to stare at the enraged Orc.

"Where did they get this?" She shouted, rushing forward at the Veiled One and seizing her by the scruff of her jacket, lifting her into the air. The Guards whose hands were not full let out growls and reached for their guns, but the Veiled One yipped at them. The sound seemed to stymie them, and they went back to clearing out the room. The hooded creature turned her head to face the enraged native.

"I'm not sure the exact source, only that it comes from your planet. The Elves have been tightlipped about that particular detail. Highest level clearance, need-to-know basis." The Veiled One's mask became a soothing, female Orc's face. Her hands reached out to gently grasp Lashvara's clenched wrists. "Didn't I tell you that I was not the enemy here?"

The Orc glared for a long moment into the Criminal's facemask, before letting her go. The Veiled One landed on her feet with a cat's smooth grace, brushing herself off.

"Lass, what the hell is going on?" Mike asked, profoundly confused. The Orc rounded upon him.

"The Elves have robbed us of our birthright! Plundered our most sacred places!" Lashvara's thick green biceps were like tensed tigers about to snap through their restraints. "Kavar is the most sacred object in our society, more precious to us than our very lives! Tribes have been exterminated for the theft of a single one! If my people were to learn of this, it would mean the end of peaceful coexistence. Do you think the Polar Orcs are angry now? They will boil you all in starship fuel for this!"

"What have they stolen from you?" Mike asked.

"I swear, if you have lied to me, smuggler-"

"The mushrooms, Michael." Allynna said in a quiet voice.

Comprehension dawned on him. "What, that little blue trinket around your neck? I thought it was just a fashion statement."

"Insult my people again, and I will tear your head from your shoulders." Lashvara snarled. She was angrier than Mike had ever seen her. She turned once again towards the Loupian, towering over her with her seven foot frame. "What have they done to our life blood?"

"Refined it." Came the modulated response. "At some point during the colony's interactions with your people, a researcher was able to acquire a sample of one of the mushrooms and analyze it."

As the Veiled One spoke, several of her henchmen left the vault, weighted down with multiple dollies stacked to the brim with the purple dust. They moved in turns, four to five of them departing from the room at a time as the rest took the time to steal everything that wasn't nailed down.

"The results were stunning: a fungus with an organic compound of unknown material being pumped through it, like blood vessels. Infusing it with..." She shrugged, "Something we don't fully understand yet."

"So the mushroom gives the Orcs mind reading powers?" Mike asked, flabbergasted.

The Veiled One shrugged again, "Possibly, or perhaps it merely intensifies already latent abilities. Regardless, it is an indescribably valuable resource."

"It is theft." Lashvara spat. "My people have had their future stolen from them, and now these jackals want to take our very souls from us as well."

The faceless Loupian tilted her head. "This distilled dust is a purified version of that unknown compound within the mushroom: extremely potent and safely consumable by all known Seminal spaces. Apparently, it is particularly potent amongst Elves."

"They're using a fucking mushroom to make a wonder drug?" Mike asked.

"I won't speculate as to their reasons, I can only tell you what I know." The Veiled One responded. The group that had left the vault with the first load of dust returned, the second wave of six Loupians, laden down with yet more of the dusty bounty, headed out, changing shifts.

"The dust has a surprising effect on the brainwaves of those who take it: they are granted a temporary growth of empathic abilities, similar to that of the Natives. They also report an extreme euphoric feeling, one that is apparently even more intense than Varkhan Dust, without the increase in aggression. In fact, they become as docile as a Catian in heat."

"Which explains your own interest in it." Mike said, tapping his chin.

The Mafia leader nodded her head, watching as her followers scooped the heaps of dust into bins and loaded more of them onto nearby transport dollies. "After the mess you made with Fignet's double-dealings, This may very well be the last time I ever see any of this dust again. Before he was smuggling out ounces to me; this haul will have to suffice until I can find a new back door."

"The Elven authorities will be hunting you down after this." Allynna said, wiping her purple finger onto the tabletop to try to get the dust off.

"Thaggan's Bones, forget the Elves!" Lashvara growled, "My people will be out for blood!"

The Veiled One laughed, Her modulated voice crackling with mirth as her mask shifted to a pale Elven man's face. "I dare them to try, Native."

"I can't let you steal my people's birthright." The Orc said, folding her arms.

"We aren't." Came the frank reply, "You really don't understand the rules in Wild Space, do you Orc? The strong take what they will, and the weak suffer what they must. You and your companions are getting off easy, all things considered. You have paid me back for my lost investment, and in turn have found the answers you sought."

"Not nearly enough of them." The Orc grumbled, but Mike could see her eyes were uncertain. As she hesitated in the center of the room, two more Loupians departed with yet more of the stolen supplies.

"I didn't promise all the answers, only that you'd find some of them if you helped me. And you have." The Veiled One walked over to one of the last remaining, untouched piles of dust. She took a small, open container and swept the pile into it, turning to Lashvara, holding it out to her.

"Here, perhaps this will help you gain the perspective you need."

The Orc stared down at the container for a moment. "...You are 'giving' me this?"

The Veiled One's mask formed a Cheshire cat's red smile. "Yes, and I'll even sweeten the deal: there is one other side effect caused by ingesting the dust in large enough quantities."

Lashvara's brow rose. "What?"

The lipless smile grew wide enough to cover the whole screen.

"It's a truth serum."

The Veiled One flicked her wrist, throwing the contents of the container in Lashvara's face. Mike watched in horror as the Orc staggered back, inhaling a ragged gasp before falling to one knee, struck by a sudden coughing fit. Purple crystals hung thick in the air like twitching stars as Lashvara shook her head from side to side to try to clear away the dust.

Before Mike could so much as react, the gangster who had been lurking behind him kicked his knee out from under him. He went to the ground as a pair of handcuffs were slapped onto his wrists in one swift movement.

Allynna reacted immediately, pivoting on her heel just as the Loupian behind her attempted to pull the same trick. Her leg snapped out, and she high kicked him in the face, sending him sprawling as her shin connected with his chin. The gangster behind Mike growled and put his gun against the back of Mike's head.

"Hands up or I blow his fuckin' brains out!" He snarled. Aly paused just long enough for a third guard to tackle her, wrestling her to the ground as yet another Loupian handcuffed her wrists behind her back.

"Aly!" Mike shouted, but the Loupian held him firm. The smuggler felt the barrel of the gun press against the back of his skull.

"Finish up carting off the merchandise, then get these two into the transport." The Veiled One said, staring down in thoughtful contemplation at the coughing Orc.

The Loupians leapt to follow her orders, leaving two behind to watch the prisoners. The Veiled One tilted her head, watching the Orc as she hacked and coughed in the crystalline air. She circled Lashvara with slow footsteps.

"Now," the Veiled One said, "Let's discuss my shield generator."

The Orc was gasping for air, her hand clawing at her throat as tears built in her eyes. The Veiled One hunkered down so that she was at eye level with her prisoner. She folded her hands together as she rested her elbows on her knees.

"You should be feeling the effects of it rather quickly. There were enough doses in that bin to make an Elf overdose. I figured, given your species' exposure to it, it would take a bit more to affect you." The Veiled One's mask became a green, snarling dog's face. "Now: where is my Shield Generator?"

"You fucking snake!" Mike shouted, which earned him a painful rebuke. The butt of his captor's gun smacked against the back of his head, causing Mike to see stars.

The Veiled One remained focused on the dosed Orc. "When you walked into my territory, you had the gall to hold my property to ransom, like I was some toothless pup in need of a bitch and a teat to suckle." She pointed at herself, "-As if I was someone to be fucked with."

"So now you're going to do me a favor: instead of torturing a lie out of you, I'm going to get the truth." The Orc was still coughing. The Veiled One stared at her from beneath her mask.

Lashvara shook her head back and forth, her eyes squeezing shut as she gritted her teeth. Spasmodic breaths mixed with whooping coughs as she struggled to stop herself from collapsing.

"Where is my Shield Generator? I want an exact location." She pointed at Mike, "We have three prisoners, and only one question to answer."

Mike made a surreptitious gesture with his hand, causing the liquid metal to flow between the links of his cuffs. It would take time - far, far too much time - to saw through them. If Lass told the truth, all of their lives would be forfeit here and now. He could not allow the Veiled One time to focus on her.

"You mangey bitch, call yourself a Loupian," He shouted, hoping to distract her through sheer insolence. "You're more conniving than a Catian and with half the honor. It's a wonder you don't turn on your own pack!"

The Veiled One's mask dimmed to an empty void. "Change of plans: start talking in the next three seconds or I shoot the Human directly in his mouthy skull."

Mike's breathing quickened, his eyes dilating as he felt a nervous tremble crawl up his spine. Aly met his eyes, her wild expression one of shock and fear and anguish.

"Three."

Mike stared at Aly, imprinting the lines of her face into his memory for as long as possible. As he did so he worked furiously on the cuffs that bound him. He was nowhere near free.

"Two."

Mike wondered for a half instant what life might have been like, had another path been open to him. Would he have ever even met Aly? The question was irrelevant: at least she wouldn't be here to witness this. He wished he had just a few more seconds to get himself free.

"One."

Mike squeezed his eyes shut, bracing himself for whatever was to come after. He whispered a quiet Heruen help me under his breath.

The Veiled One nodded at Mike's guard, Aly let out a cry of horror; the world began to move in slow motion. Lashvsra, empty of breath and desperate in her flailing movements, threw out her hand as if to halt the merciless mafia boss' command.

"Stop!" She bellowed, her voice taking on a peculiar, rhythmic tone.

A burst of lightning erupted from Lashvara's extended palm like the unleashing of a terrible storm. Thunder rolled across the room as the onlookers' astonished faces were lit by an electric blue glow.

The vault lights above them exploded as the lightning passed, raining chunks of glass to the ground and plunging the entire room in pitch darkness.

The Veiled One leapt to one side with inhuman reflexes, just managing to dodge out of the way of the explosion of energy as it made its destructive path across the room.

For a long moment, there was nothing but silence.

And then, all hell broke loose.