Paving the road to Hell

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(Written by Cobalt Greywalker; posted June 20 and June 27, 2007)
Journal 59/A-2

Day 2:

This was a Bad Idea (TM), but then I've never been so mad. Darkeyes REALLY didn't like it, which is why I only have five guests instead of six in the base's secure rooms. Damn it, I don't like feeling vindictive pleasure as I'm crushing someone's leg! At least Attim stopped me throwing up.
Greenpeace is doing well, soaking up the rays and liquid fertiliser. The bullet wound is almost gone already (which implies things about her make up I might have to be worried about), but the system shock will take several more days to settle.
I've finished the examinations and the interrogations, and it seems I got shot at by two Zwilniks (one now deceased), a Boskonian fixer (about whom both Attim and Darkeyes are drooling over, if for different reasons. Insert shudder here.), his bodyguard/assistant, one Reaver (I know, I know. A Reaver is a Boskonian. But geeze, all I'd need to find him is a magnet.), and a Cyber. The last two on Thionite leashes.
My guess is that the Reaver was muscle, and the Cyber was some poor schmuck who annoyed them.
The Cyber calls himself Dave, and I could swear I know him. Of course, The Accident made my memories from before slightly fuzzy. But his lower legs definitely have my work on them, and early too. I'd say pre-lift, but I'm not sure (damn memory). I'll get his bio-sig and send it to Fred.
Kasumi's watching them, but is worried the base'll get messy. I told her we can survive a few days without the ceilings gleaming.
"A clean home gives a good impression of the owner, A.C." She said to me. "Care for the home's appearance implies the owner takes care of their appearance." And then she gave me that 'You know I'm right' look. Bah! Like I have much choice about my appearance? Or the impression I give? Who did she think she was talking too?
But with her busy on security, Andy's going to have to be my 'coolpack' for the next few weeks.
Speaking (typing) about Andy, he's taken a sample of Thionite and is trying to break it down and work out its composition. I don't mind as long as he's careful and doesn't use too much. The supply we seized has to support Dave and the Reaver whilst we're trying Darkeyes' idea.
I mean, everything we know says Thionite withdrawal is a hell we could do without and we should probably shoot them. But the idea's sound enough to give it a try. It's just FAR more sadistic than Darkeyes usually is. Given how p'''*ed I was, I'm not really surprised though. Of course, hospitals are not going to like it, but I don't have their resources.
Meanwhile, Libby and I will get to work cracking computers and examining the shuttle respectively.
I just hope Fred gets back to me soon.
At least now I change out of this "SS She Wolf" outfit Darkeyes used. It could have been worse, it could have been the "Red Queen" outfit. By Belldandy do I miss my cargos, and shoes with no Lazarus be damned heels!
I just know Greenpeace is involved in this...
<Journal entry ends>




Day 4:

Well, Fred got back to me, and I DID know the guy. Now I'm dealing with the headache of my newly perfect recall about our mutual business with some virtually ineffectual aspirin. Kasumi's still watching the prisoners, so I can't get one of her temple massages.

The weaning of Dave and the Reaver (still don't know his name. Does he even remember it?) is having differing results. The Reaver is (as expected) showing no sign that he's loosing his dependency.

Dave, however, seems to be recovering. Looking him over shows that the mod I did to fit the legs further 'cured'. It's been seen around that some biomods continue to change the mod-ee after the effect is fully established. Sort of like an auto-correcting fine tune. Brain scans show that the 'wavium further worked on the motor control areas, cause they're maybe 3% larger than they should be. I just think it looks odd.

Andy's having little success on the Thionite sample, and Libby's going slow to avoid any booby traps.

The shuttle's a horrendous bodge job, with skill and focus replaced with brute force. Given that they're tough and can seemingly be churned out far faster than other Fen ships, that's not exactly a bad thing. Not a good thing for us though.

It's too quirky for me to use though, which is a pity. It's also too waved for it to be easily recycled here, and we currently don't have anyone who could tow it to somewhere we can sell it for scrap. Attim liked the impressions she got from it. Sorry, but what's so enjoyable about knowing the bad guys can be so basic? Or they'll be easy to hunt? I'm trying hard not to be one sort of predator, so I don't want to be another sort.

Damn it Attim, but the thought of rare stake is making my mouth water.

<Journal entry ends>




Day 5:

The bodyguard got loose during his follow-up check, and tried to OD on Thionite. Looks like he was a 'Family' guy. Andy was there though, and got him in the scanner room again.

It looks like Thionite DOES make some changes to brain structure, but they're TINY. We wouldn't have even seen it hadn't I upgraded the sensors last week (which is why we were away from the base anyway, trading state of the kludge equipment). The changes are in the areas where Dave's got extra mod development.

Was it some sort of clash with the 'One Biomod' rule? Is that why the s'''* didn't get an unbreakable grip? It makes a sort of sense given what Thionite's made of, and that we know those with really strong wills can fight off the addiction. Dave's got a strong will all right, given the story of his lost lower legs, but it isn't THAT strong.

The scary side is that even biomodded Fen are known to be susceptible to Thionite addiction. Could this be the secret to true multiple biomods? Once I've made sure the guests are fully secure I'll be in the lab.

<Journal entry ends>




Day 8:

Greenpeace is up and around again, and is pouring over our research on Thionite. She's getting that damn gleam in her eyes again, which ALWAYS spells trouble for me.

Family guy is going through withdrawal now. I'm kinda hoping we can work him through it, but with how much Thionite he took... I keep wondering if I should get in touch with a hospital, but then the sight of Greenpeace with a hole in her chest pops into my mind.

It looks like we might be having some success on the intel front though. Libby's going strong on the computers, and our fixer is looking to break. But I'm going to have to burn the gloves I was wearing during the last interrogation session. I wish Darkeyes didn't tease them like that.

They aren't prime specimens of manhood anyway, and it'll be too much effort to train them to be Gimps.

Update:
Darkeyes! Damn it, I SO did not want that image. Why oh why, for all the clones in the army, did I make this commit only? Oh, yeah. It seemed a good idea at the time.

Lots of things in life do, unfortunately...

<Journal entry ends>




Day 9:

Greenpeace thinks she can produce a chemical that will flush Thionite out of a persons system. Problem is it's almost as addictive as crack cocaine.

Despite my reservations, I think I'm going to have to let her try it on Dave. If it works, it will transfer his addiction to something we have a constant supply of. With the new junkie we need to conserve the Thionite we have.

Analysis of the Thionite samples is showing something truly weird. Given who I am that's saying something. The 'wavium in the samples is... Well I'd call it devolved. It looks like its gone Reaver, which is frightening. I did some checking, and while we're starting to get fuzzy images of individual 'wavelets' we still don't have a clear picture of one. This effect, however, is not as strong on the Thionite 'wavium. Does the process of making Thionite damage the 'wavium somehow?

Unfortunately, nanotech development back in the old gravity well is either astonishingly simple, or classified up the wazoo. So I don't know if hardtech can do things like this.

If we don't get somewhere soon I think I'll have to do something I'll regret.

<Journal entry ends>




Day 12:

Libby and I have cracked our respective sources. It seems as though they were checking the routes for a big delivery when they found us on the way back. Greenpeace has worked up a system to knock our guests out, so Kasumi and I are going to raid the Zwilnik ship. At least that means Darkeyes doesn't have to vamp the prisoners anymore. I hated them leering at me.

It also means I have to put on that perverts wet dream of an armoured pressure suit Darkeyes and Attim worked up for us to wear. Kasumi loves hers, damn it.

I've got a really bad feeling about this...

<Journal entry ends>




Day 17:

Holy f'''*ing s'''*.

I'm gonna have to make a trip to Stellvia (given their respective reputations, I'm surprised Noah let Haruni within a light-minute of Stellvia). They need to know, and I need to secure transfer a copy to Fred. This is f'''*ing scary.

Good News? I am now the proud owner of a decent large transport ship.

That's all the good news.

Bad News:
One - The ship itself is far too nice for typical Boskonian workmanship. They've got themselves a really together guy to have put this together. And it ain't stolen, as bow to stern she's a Boskonian built ship. Anyone this good Fen side would be known.
Two - She had two metric tonnes of Thionite aboard. TWO TONNES. Best the Fen know that's TWO HUNDRED TONNES of Broadleaf needed to make it. The commercial value of that much Thionite is staggering.
Three - Ships files call this a Class B level shipment. What's been leaked from OGJ says that the 2-3 kg loads are referenced as Class E shipments. The SMOF seem to think higher letters mean bigger shipments, which is logical enough given Thionite's potency and the lack of finding any smaller shipments. This blows that WELL out of the water. Also, Andy took samples from every packet, and says they're all from the same manufacturing batch. One more scary thought, there are implications that there are Class A+ shipments possible. If this is Class B, how big IS their operation?
Four - There are notes about the crash of Crystal Osaka, and how it was very useful. "It was a good job too." Is quoted. I've had nightmares ever since I read that. Combined with point Two and Three...
Five - I've interrogated what seems to be the head Boskonian (him, the captain, and the engineer are all I felt necessary to not kill. But the twenty others? If it wasn't for point Four, those would be haunting my dreams.) and he implied that the loss of this shipment WOULDN'T MATTER.

We're getting everything together, but it'll be several days until we can leave.

I better make sure my disguise kit is fully stocked.

Update:
I've just tight-beamed the basics in a hyper-encrypted and coded message to the nearest relay, Stellvia being in occlusion. I just hope Noah doesn't get too paranoid when it seems to appear in his system. The hop-purge may be overkill, but I don't want it traced.

Now I've got to try and remember why I have a code-phrase key for him. By the Force why do I individually pass-phrase my journals?

<Journal entry ends>




Day 20:

Family guy and the Reaver have both attempted escape in the past three days. It looks like I'm gonna have to turn off my conscience and do something extreme. Say 'Hi!' Family guy...

Update:
Well, biomodding the poor sod didn't work. So now I have to deal with a very horny anthro-fox lady who's addicted to Thionite. Family Foxy's gonna be even more of a pain.

Update:
It seems the Boskonian captain a) doesn't know as much as I hoped, b) was just following a pre-laid course, and c) has a moderately less intense Thionite addiction. Much as I hate it, I'm giving it another go.

Update:
Sweet Majel, Mother of Spock. It worked. Sorta anyway. I now have a fanatically loyal semi-anthro fox-guy (the guy quite openly and sincerely offered to 'neuter' himself there and then, and smiled hopefully at me as he took a welding torch to his own butt to brand-tattoo himself as my property) to deal with. But DAMN he's fine, and For Serenity Valley was he GLAD to see me. I made him take care of Family Foxy, which may have been a mistake as he seemed almost ecstatically worshipful when I told him.

I'm also locking up that strain of 'wavium.

Update:
By Yoda's Lightsaber, the two of them are noisy. Surely they aren't Bunnies instead of Foxes? But it looks like Robin (as he now calls himself) can more than control Mimi (as Robin calls Family Foxy).

<Journal entry ends>




Day 21:

The Eye of Harmony sees all, but Darkeyes didn't. She's so out of it that I can feel that Attim is smirking. It looks like Robin and Mimi know their stuff.

Oh Hogwarts do they know their stuff.

By Kahless, I don't need to feel this good. Or feel the need to wear the navel deep, waist slit full length emerald silk qipao with the emerald spike heels. Or the fingerless silk opera gloves. Or give myself matching emerald makeup, and eyes, and tinted hair... I don't want to be fan service from the hentai version of the Wizard of OZ!

It also looks like I don't have to worry about Robin following me around anymore, much as Attim and Darkeyes hate it, as the worship seems to have been burned out of him over the course of the night. An examination of Mimi shows that SOMETHING changed in her brain, and she now addicted to Robin instead of Thionite. I do hope I didn't create a Pokegirl.

It's beginning to seem as though Thionite addiction can't be cured once it's taken a hold. But it can be redirected given extreme enough biomodding. Downside is the biomod is so extensive it does a persona wipe. That does NOT bode well, as I hoped not to have to go this far. Metaria, the mod seems to have rewritten their memories.

Now it's the Reaver's turn.

You know what they say about the road to Hell and all that...

<Journal entry ends>




Day 28:

The Reaver's dead. It was disgusting to see him melt, and the goo that was his remains evaporate and fall to the ground like a snowfall of diamond dust. Only whatever it is, it doesn't match anything in Myth or Fact that we can find. It's inconclusive that trying to restart the morphic properties of the Reaver's biomod by flushing his system with large quantities of his own biomod's 'wavium worked or didn't. SOMETHING happened, but terminal meltdown is not what I wanted or expected.

We've been building up supplies for the trip in-system for myself, Kasumi, our mated foxes, and our four prisoners. The big ship has enough room for us all, the Thionite and the car. Of particular attention was soundproofing the foxes' quarters (they're really bunnies I tell you).

Using the Thionite as a prisoner restraint system is a particularly nasty trick of Darkeyes though.

Anyway, Dave still needs treatment for a while so Greenpeace is staying behind. He's almost cognizant now, and lucid enough to ask to be fitted with a wedlock. He still doesn't realise I'm the one who originally gave him his legs yet. The thought of him able to be told that brightens my day. What doesn't is Attim and Darkeyes thinking him cute. SO don't need that right now.

Andy's got the only sample of Thionite that we're keeping in the vault until we get back in about a week.

We leave tomorrow, and I can't wait to get this over with.

This month's been hell.

Update:
I've just sent off an email to Stellvia informing them of our arrival, along with sign/countersign. Going through hell just to get shot out of space is not how I want this to end.

<Journal entry ends>




Day 30:

Greenpeace is in the atmospheric processing room, crying.

I know she's good judge of character and all, but DAMN IT! Why didn't she think about CAPABILITY? Allowing Robin and Mimi to escort the Zwilnik to the ship was STUPID by the Ginzuishou! Now we've got to rebuild the air supplies after the Zwilnik got loose and blew the dock and killed the three of them, taking a quarter of the base's air.

<Censor filter has removed text>

Update:

OK, I'm a bit calmer now. I've also informed Stellvia of our delay, and the fact I'm dropping off the fixer at Phobos before heading in. The engineer and the big-time Boskonian have been quieter than the previous lot.

Probably because they saw what I and Kasumi did to their friends.

Anyway, now I've got to write up Robin's and Mimi's obituaries. Making them heroes is the least I can do for them now.

After I incinerated the 'wavium strain I used to mod them. I'm never going to use that again.

By the Overfan, I'm never taking prisoners again.

Yeah, and the Commander in Confusion of the United Stupids will declare the Wave a religion.

Anyway, the protocols I've worked up involve strapping them down, keeping them out, and feeding them by IV, which will involve fitting catheters and giving them enemas. Darkeyes would be positively drooling if it wasn't for the fact they'd be unconscious at the time.

Oh Urd, there's an image I don't need.

At least I burned the gloves I was using when the fixer soiled himself back then. I didn't think Darkeyes could be that intimidating and seductive, especially because I didn't touch him except to clean him up (the rules for interrogation are well known), which scares me to think of what I'm capable of.

<Journal entry ends>




Day 32:

Greenpeace is exhausted, poor thing, but we now have full atmosphere again. She'll be staying behind to treat Dave in his continuing detox. Andy will be staying to provide company (and security, while Dave still has the wedlock I'm now fairly paranoid. Why the Hell didn't I do this from the first?).

I didn't take chances this time; I knocked out our three remaining prisoners and we transferred them one at a time. The cargo area has full locks, and we'll be bringing their food in fully sealed pressure suits, so we can explosively decompress if an escape attempt is made. And this has been made abundantly clear to them.

Libby and I have burnt the disc with our 'complete' records on. Why don't I feel ashamed about falsifying the records about the cure attempts? I purposely make my records verifiable to avoid things like this.

We leave in four hours, to make a quick rendezvous with Phobos. That's about a day of travel, which means at least a day to get to Stellvia depending on how long the paperwork takes.

And because I wasn't in disguise when I took the first ship, that'll have to be public. For Entil'Zha, that'll be a pain. At least I was smart enough to keep them all separate.

<Journal entry ends>