“My assignment, embarrassingly enough, boils down to being Suha’s babysitter… She’s a grown adult physically, but mentally? A child. Stunted progress somewhere in her adolescent years leaves her without the maturity or wisdom to function in the real world without someone there to stop her from harming herself… She doesn’t know any better… She probably won’t ever.”
- Utatis Parinen
“…Bro, I think she’s dead!”
October 19th YC 126
H-PA29 IV - Moon 2 - Guristas Assembly Plant - Residential district, outside the personal quarters of Suha Raibuya
“-So what’s the issue Reks?”
“It’s Suha, Felch. She hasn’t been responding to any calls or messages since this morning. Utatis wants us to do a wellness check.”
“That’s fine, but did we really need to bring the mute along to do that?”
“…”
“Friran’s cool. Um… Worst case scenario we could use the help.”
“Worst case scenario? Hell are we expecting? We’re gonna have to fend off an ambush of Kaalakiota shinobis or some ■■■■?”
“Those aren’t real.”
“Absolutely they’re ■■■■■■■ real! All them holo-vids didn’t come from nothing! They really do be training people ancient shadow techniques in them mountains.”
“So are we the ones expecting it, or are you?”
“I’m just saying, they’re real. And there’s always the chance they get a fat paycheck to do a hit job. Could be our boss this time…”
“Sure Felch…”
“Look, it’s gonna turn up that she just slept through her alarm. We don’t need ■■■■■■■ three of us to do this…. Y-you could’ve sent Thulun to do this! Why us?”
“It doesn’t matter! Alright? Look, you got a spare key and to her door, right?”
“Yeah Utatis gave me one… Just ring! I’m telling you! She just slept in! She’s gonna hear the ring, come open the door and be like “I was just getting my beauty sleep!~” and we’re gonna realize we wasted our ■■■■■■■ time”
“Felch-”
“-I ain’t ate ■■■■ this whole morning! I hadn’t had the time because I had to show up when there were already ■■■■■■■ two of you! This-”
< Friran sliding a keycard and opening the door >
“… I’m sorry, who the ■■■■ gave you that?”
“…”
“Felch! It doesn’t matter!.. Suha? Ma’am? You there?”
“…”
“…”
“Nothing… Alright! We’re coming in!”
< The three walking in >
“… No signs of any struggle.”
“Kaalakiota shin-”
-Shut the ■■■■ up with that already… Poke your head into the bedroom. See if she’s in there.”
“AlrightAlright… Hey! Suha! Are you awake? Suha…?
“…?”
“…Well?”
“…Bro, I think she’s dead!”
“What?!”
“…?”
“She aint moving!”
“Move over! Suha!”
“H-Hey! Just ask me to step aside, asshole…”
“Oh no…NoNoNoNo! ■■■■!”
“Flip her over, see if she’s breathing.”
< Suha faintly wheezing >
“S-She’s b-barely breathing!”
“That’s something. Not dead!”
“Suha! Can you hear me? It’s me Reks!”
“I don’t think anyone is home…”
“■■■■ is wrong with her?!”
“…Oh ■■■■.”
“What?!”
“Look at her eyes, they’re dilated.”
“What does that tell us?!”
“Boosters. So the ■■■■■ is probably O.Ding on us.”
“… W-What the ■■■■?!”
“Uhhh… L-Lay her on her side! Straighten her airways out!”
“A-Alright… F-Friran! Hand me a pillow!”
“…”
< Suha faintly wheezing >
“Oh ■■■■, ■■■■, ■■■■, this ain’t good…”
“HeyHeyHey, keep it together big dog…”
“How long has she been like this?!”
“Doesn’t matter, does it? Look, she threw up on the side of her bed, so she saved herself from choking on her own vomit. All in all? Working within the best case scenario.”
“We have to get her help!”
“No ■■■■! Calm the ■■■■ down Reks! You’re not helping the situation! Just listen to me! We’re gonna fix this!”
“O-Okay! ■■■■!… W-What do we do?”
“… We get her some help.”
“… Are you ■■■■■■■ taking this seriously asshole?!”
“Look I didn’t think too far ahead of that myself!”
“■■■■■■■ clearly you didn’t!”
“Don’t take that tone with me now.”
“■■■■ you! I figured you were shutting me up because you had an actual idea!”
“I will if you shut the ■■■■ up and let me think for a second! God damn bro! Chill the ■■■■ out before I make you!
“Make me?! How’s about-… F-Forget it! Friran gots something to say.”
“…Say?”
“Just watch her ■■■■■■■ hands!”
“…”
“S…”
“…”
“O…”
“…”
“Sisters of EVE! Of course! You’re brillant Friran!”
“She’s gonna die before we jump the first gate out of here.”
“No! NoNoNo! There’s a dispatch force on this station! They’re providing healthcare to the wounded coming in through Zarzakh! But they’re helping anyone on the station if they need it!”
“So what? We gotta carry the ■■■■■ across the whole station to where they’re at?””
“They’ll send paramedics! We just gotta contact them! I’ll find their info on my neocomm! Just give me a second…”
< Suha faintly wheezing >
“■■■■, a second might be all you have.”
“This is so ■■■■■■…”
“Find it?”
“Y-Yeah! I just gotta give them our details… A-Any idea what she’s on?”
“Probably whatever that is on her nightstand… Wait.”
“What is it?”
“I recognize that container. That’s some ■■■■ she bought off the H-PA crew. It’s blue pill. VERY pure blue pill at that. ”
“I-I thought she had a high tolerance?”
“Tolerance ain’t got ■■■■ to do with it. That stuff there would ■■■■ any fiend up, practically Capsuleer grade… She nagged them to sell her some of the purest blue pill they got and clearly they obliged. I was there for her buying it.
“So you knew this was going to happen?!”
“I had a strong suspension it wasn’t gonna work out, sure… What? I should’ve stopped it? Grown woman. Not my place…. Look, are they sending paramedics or not?”
“… Yes! Yes they are!”
“Okay, we’re cool then!”
“No… No! Let’s move her!”
“■■■■■■■ where?”
“Living room, we’ll straighten out on the couch and give the paramedics ample space to work. Friran! Give me a hand and grab her legs.”
“…”
“What do I do?”
“F-Find a blanket! She’s cold as a corpse!”
“Just use the one on her bed!”
“A clean one! This one is disgusting!”
“■■■■ whatever… Fine.”
“Good… Alright, just grab her just like this. Keep her straight. Suha! We’re gonna move you, okay? We’re gonna get you some help!”“
< Suha faintly wheezing >
“Nice and slow… watch the doorframe!”
“…”
“Right over here… Lower her down easy… There we go, that’s better… ■■■■ man, this is crazy.”
“…”
“I was not expecting to have to deal with something like this today…FELCH! Where the hell is a blanket!?”
< “Shut the ■■■■ up! I don’t know where she keeps anything!” >
“Check the closet!”
< “I am! I don’t see-” >
< Loud crashing sound >
< “God dammit! ■■■■!” >
“Do you need help?!”
< “I just need you to shut the ■■■■ up! Get off my dick!” >
“Asshole…”
“…”
“…Once the SoE paramedics show up? She should be okay. These folk are second to none…”
“…”
“I just hope they get here in time… Felch!”
“Stop saying my name! Here.”
“… This is a towel.”
“Who ■■■■■■■ cares? Here, I brought two! Now cover her up.”
“It’ll have to do…”
“Yeah, it will.”
“…Should help.”
“Mhmm…”
“We gotta call Utatis… Tell him what’s going on.”
“Huh? WhoaWhoaWhoa, put the neocomm down big dog…”
“What?”
“Utatis ain’t got to know anything…”
“… She’s ■■■■■■■ dying!”
“We all are, the difference is she has help on the way… Look, I’m just looking out for my employer’s privacy.”
“… What?”
“Now I’m not her… But if I was Suha? I’d be deathly embarrassed if word got out I O.Ded and nearly died. So I’m thinking we spare her that and just uh… Try to keep this between all of us, yeah?.. I already know you ain’t gonna say anything!”
“…”
“Buuuuut… I’m sure when Suha comes back to us and learns of our discretion? There be a nice bonus in it for us… So we keep Utatis in the dark about all this.”
“We can’t hide this from him! He’s gonna be calling us any second now for an update!
“ignore it and just tell him we got invited in for a cup of tea and lost track of time. I don’t ■■■■■■■ know, so long as our alibi lines up, should be good.”
“So you want to lie for the possibility Suha pays you more to keep this a secret?”
“I mean… Yeah? Trust me, she’ll pay out a discretion fee… And it’s not like we’re doing anything malicious! She’s in safe caring hands… We’re the reason today that she’s gonna be able to see tomorrow! Why not pocket an extra bit of kredit for our trouble?”
“■■■■ you’re greedy…”
“I’m a hustler, don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“ < Exhale > Okay just… Let’s wait for the paramedics.”
“Yeah! Chill the hell out big dog! Been trying to tell you that this whole time.”
“Friran, can you stand outside? Make sure the paramedics find us?”
“…”
“… Guess all we can do is wait now.”
“We can talk about Kaalakiota shin-”
“-In silence.”