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“Venal is a hotbed of addicts of all types. Alcohol, Sex and most commonly - Narcotics. Thanks to groups like the HP-A crew, the Guristas hold down a sizable chunk of the narcotic market in New Eden when it comes to blue pill and crash. While majority of it is ‘exported’ to State space to give that soul crushed labour a pick me up, it’s also sold locally in region. The Guristas do play a bit of a balancing act in allowing members to indulge but also expect discipline out of them. When it comes the civilian population of the region? They’ll happily sell to any passer by with the money… Hell, even our own cute little Suha Raibuya is a recurring customer, picked up a blue pill habit as a teenager and hasn’t dropped it since… Not my place to challenger her, but for a colleague of mine? Well, just a coworker looking out for another”
- Utatis Parinen
“You wanna know why it’s called crash?”
Febeuary 20th YC 123
6NJ8-V IV - The Rabbit’s Warren Fortizar, Office of Prosperous Venal Depsoitory’s Executive Officer, Mumo Lang.
“Utatis! Uh… Pleasant surprise… What can I help you with?”
“Oh nothing, just wanted to check up on my colleagues. Make sure they’re doing well and are healthy…”
“… Except that’s not it is it?”
“What makes you say that?”
“I mean… Come on! It’s a little obvious you’re here for something! This isn’t exactly the most casual way of checking up on someone. You could had sent me a message, called me up or hell - anything that’s not so ominous as showing up to my office unannounced with that deadpan expression of yours… It’s like you’re walking in here with the intent to expose me as a traitor or something… W-Which I’m not! Mind you…”
“Uh-huh… No, that’s not why I’m here. I am genuinely here with concern for the health and wellbeing of my colleague. It’s just that I knew ahead of time you’d merely tell me that you were fine and there was nothing to be alarmed about…”
“…U-Utatis I-I don’t-”
“-I met a Gurista named Heiro Kinobo today.”
“I-I don’t know what that’s supposed to mean. W-Who are they?”
“Don’t play that game with me Mumo… Not while I already know that much… You were a client of his. A customer.”
“…W-Why are you doing this to me Utatis?”
“Like I said, I’m concerned for the health and wellb-”
< Mumo slamming hands down on her desk >
“-■■■■ you Utatis!”
“Here we go…”
“■■■■ you! Why are you prying into my business of all people?! Are you that much of a nosy prick that you gotta start invading the privacy of the people you work with?! I get it, you love researching a target before approaching them. Finding whatever dirty and ■■■■■■ up galnet searches they’ve made! But why the ■■■■ are you targeting me?! Huh?! W-What the ■■■■ brought this on that you’re spying on me now?! ■■■■ you!”
“…”
“…”
“… I-Im sorry! I… Got carried aw-”
“-How long have you been buying crash Mumo?”
“… Don’t you already know? Having done all your research already…”
“Honestly that’s nit information I would be able to uncover with observations. More so having started this late… Thus why I ask.”
“… A year now? Around the time I was given this position.”
“Mmm… Do you think it’s a problem?”
“P-Problem?! N-No! I’m… Very much fine and in control. I’m… Responsible about it.”
“Responsible? You call snorting this ■■■■ and being in charge of the entire banking system the Network established is responsible?”
“How do you think I do this job? It’s not the most practical way, sure… But it keeps me alert, focused and energized! It… It helps!”
“Have you tried coffee?”
“That does nothing for me… I-I needed something stronger!”
“No ■■■■, your body at this point is probably to used to running on crash and nothing else.”
“If you’re here to shame me then-”
“- I’m here to give you a wakeup call! Make sure somebody says something before you end up laying on this office floor in a puddle of your own piss after you’re hit with a seizure. And I know Suha isn’t going to say anything, she knows she’s not in any position to challenge anyone’s drug habits around here.”
“So are you going after her next and telling her to clean up too?”
“Not my place.”
“Oh ■■■■ you, but you’re gonna come shame me for what I do as an adult?”
“Well for starters, Suha isn’t abusing something as hard and lethal as crash and secondly her whole… Personality is a bit reliant on it, it certainly helps her put on that blissful smile when she’s surrounded by murderers and thieves… You’re taking this stuff for an edge in your work, immediate gain in the short term, horrible results late term…”
“…”
“You wanna know why it’s called crash?”
“… Because of the sudden end it can lead to?”
“Exactly, well - At least that’s my interpretation… You snort a line and next thing you know, you’re speeding by life. You’re energized, focused and feel as if the world can’t keep up with you… Until you clamp up and feel your heart on the verge of popping like a bomb. Everything comes crashing down around you with no warning. A sudden stop… If you ask me, the name doesn’t help with marketing it on the streets, but at least it’s honest and to the point.”
“I… I can’t stop Utatis. It helps so much with the workload and… I start to feel my skin crawl when I hadn’t done a line recently. I hadn’t even been able to sleep properly in months…”
“You have a problem.”
“… Yes. Yes I… I have a problem… There! I-Is that what you wanted to hear? Asshole?”
“Well admitting to it is the first step.”
“So what? He did you tell Heiro to stop selling to me? To cut my supply?”
“Oh, absolutely not… Not my choice to make, it’s yours. If you wanna keep powdering your nose, by all means. I merely came to mention it and let you take it from there… The next step after all is committing to stops, and that requires you to muster the willpower to cut yourself off.”
“Isn’t it dangerous to just go cold Turkey like that?”
“It can be, I know a physician on the Guristas’ payroll that would treat valuable captains of drug addictions… I can call in a favor and have him help you get through this… It ain’t gonna be pretty, but you’ll be better off in my opinion.”
“… < Sigh > I… I’m worried I’m not strong enough.”
“You’re not, nobody is. This ■■■■ is designed to keep you weak mentally and physically. If people could just easily shrug off their addictions for the substance, the markets wouldn’t be nearly as lucrative as they are.”
“… I’ll do it… I’ll quit starting today… Promise!”
“I’m not asking for any promise. Hell, don’t even need to do this for me… But if you’re serious, I’ll get in contact with my friend into seeing you and helping you cope with withdrawal symptoms… I suggest hiring an additional secretary or two to help with your workload.”
“I might just do that… Oh, Utatis? A favor…”
“I’m listening…”
“I need you to get rid of the crash I have now…I-I don’t wanna do it myself and can’t trust anyone else to do it. So… Please, just to make this easier for me, get rid of my stock.”
“Fine. Where’s it at?”
“I have some stashed away in my restroom and I have a brick in my quarters. Underneath my bed…”
“Alright, I’ll take care of it then.”
“Thank you…”
“… I’m proud of you Mumo, you know that?”
“I don’t need you to be proud of me.”
“That’s the spirit.”