jeriendhal (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
jeriendhal) wrote2010-09-14 07:56 pm
jeriendhal) wrote2010-09-14 07:56 pm
Entry tags:
Altered Trajectory (cont) PG-13 for drugs
Some of this material appeared in a slightly different from in my vignette Desperate Times
They dragged Rufus and Hazel to separate cells, leaving him to stew in worry for what seemed to be an interminable amount of time. Well, more like two and a half days, judging by the number of meals he was delivered. The only heartening thing to happen, or rather not happen, was the absence of a call to general quarters immediately after their incarceration. He took that to mean that Commander Blake had actually stayed true to her word and let the Scarlet Claw repair herself unmolested.
He tried to console himself with the thought that Blake couldn't do anything with the assets she had in hand. Unless of course she did have a cyber-glider aboard to crack the lock codes, in which case the future was very uncertain. Well, no. If she wasn't able to manage an electronic solution, there were other means. She had the two people who could unlock the data she desired, she just had to persuade them to be cooperative.
Hazel won't talk, he thought firmly. If threatened, the irascible vixen would simply raise her hackles and answer any questions with a stream of creative invective. Such a pity she doesn't use a crutch anymore. I'd like to see Blake's toes be on the receiving end of one of her arguments.
So how could they in turn make him talk? That was easy, just threaten Hazel. Except that he couldn't let that work either. The stakes were far too high... The idea of referring to the safety of the Gene Mage's two greatest crations as if they were part of some great game sickened him momentarily. No, even for Hazel's life, not even for his own, would he give away any secrets.
He head footsteps on the metal deck outside the cell and two burly guards entered. He was shackled and force marched down the corridor to a hatch with the ominous label “Interrogation Chemistry” stenciled above it. There his artificial arm was removed and he was forced into a chair and secured with several nylon straps. A moment later Commander Blake entered, a medtech at her heels.
“I'm sure you can guess why I'm here,” Blake began. “I don't suppose you want to avoid any pointless heroics and unlock your ship's navcomp now, do you?”
“You realize, I hope, that at this point you're in complete violation of the Treaty of Species,” Rufus told the commander.
“I think after I finish talking to you, the Treaty of Species, at least as it applies to Humanity and its relations with the rest of the GSA, is going to be pretty much a dead letter,” Commander Blake said. “But before that I intend to drain as much info about the Varn Dominion out of your head as I can, Lord Ru Ofanius. I know you and the Swiftfoot vixen were in communication with my cousin Lance. I want to know what intelligence you got from him. Varn naval strength, troop dispositions, everything. Most especially I want you to unlock your fighter's navcomp so we know exactly where their homeworld is.”
Rufus forced himself to chuckle, trying to project as much confidence and contempt as he could. “First off, Commander Blake, I didn't discuss that with Lance. Even if I had, I've no intention of telling you a thing. You must know you can't use interrogation drugs on me. Even given to a perfectly healthy Vulpine they'd be dangerous. Give a dose to me and all you end up doing is making my artificial heart seize up.”
“Oh, there are better ways to persuade you, Lord Ru Ofanius,” Commander Blake said, coolly.
“Harm a hair on Miss Switfoot's tail and not only won't I tell you anything, I'll declare a blood feud against you, Commander!”
“Please, I don't torture, Lord Ru Ofanius. Like I said, I'm going to persuade you.” She motioned to the medtech that had been hovering in the corner of the room. He inserted a saline drip into Rufus' good arm, then took a syringe from the side table and injected the contents into the feed line. “That was a cleansing agent, Lord Ru Ofanius,” Commander Blake explained. “It's removing all other drugs from your system, including the placebo you'd been prescribed for your addiction.”
It was true, Rufus thought. As the chill drug ran through his veins, he could feel the familiar, horrid Need twist up his gut. He gritted his teeth and just stared at the commander, trying to project as much malice in her direction as he could muster. “What do you think that's going to do to me? Do you imagine I'm going to break down weeping just because I don't have a Juno spike handy?”
“Nothing of the sort,” Commander Blake replied. She gestured the medtech forward again, Silently, he added another drug to the saline drip, the amber contents horridly familiar to Rufus. In less than a minute he could feel his breathing steady and slow as Juno's calming influence washed over him like a warm wave, his vision suddenly sharpening into bright focus. “Say hello again to your oldest, best friend.”
“No... no!” he cried out, thrashing against his restraints, trying to fight the Juno's effects. “Administer the antagonist! Get this poison out of my veins!”
“No, I don't think so, Lord Ru Ofanius.” Blake smiled down on him, an expression that was completely devoid of warmth. “By my interrogation team's estimates, given a regular dosing schedule, you should be fully re-addicted to Juno inside of twenty-four hours. After that, all I have to do is refrain from giving you your scheduled dose, and I think you'll be ready to tell me anything I want. See you then, milord. For now, I think I'll have a chat with your girlfriend.”
She turned and left the room with the medtech, leaving Rufus to howl in outrage at their back, even as the wave of horrid, empty pleasure ran through him.
TBC
They dragged Rufus and Hazel to separate cells, leaving him to stew in worry for what seemed to be an interminable amount of time. Well, more like two and a half days, judging by the number of meals he was delivered. The only heartening thing to happen, or rather not happen, was the absence of a call to general quarters immediately after their incarceration. He took that to mean that Commander Blake had actually stayed true to her word and let the Scarlet Claw repair herself unmolested.
He tried to console himself with the thought that Blake couldn't do anything with the assets she had in hand. Unless of course she did have a cyber-glider aboard to crack the lock codes, in which case the future was very uncertain. Well, no. If she wasn't able to manage an electronic solution, there were other means. She had the two people who could unlock the data she desired, she just had to persuade them to be cooperative.
Hazel won't talk, he thought firmly. If threatened, the irascible vixen would simply raise her hackles and answer any questions with a stream of creative invective. Such a pity she doesn't use a crutch anymore. I'd like to see Blake's toes be on the receiving end of one of her arguments.
So how could they in turn make him talk? That was easy, just threaten Hazel. Except that he couldn't let that work either. The stakes were far too high... The idea of referring to the safety of the Gene Mage's two greatest crations as if they were part of some great game sickened him momentarily. No, even for Hazel's life, not even for his own, would he give away any secrets.
He head footsteps on the metal deck outside the cell and two burly guards entered. He was shackled and force marched down the corridor to a hatch with the ominous label “Interrogation Chemistry” stenciled above it. There his artificial arm was removed and he was forced into a chair and secured with several nylon straps. A moment later Commander Blake entered, a medtech at her heels.
“I'm sure you can guess why I'm here,” Blake began. “I don't suppose you want to avoid any pointless heroics and unlock your ship's navcomp now, do you?”
“You realize, I hope, that at this point you're in complete violation of the Treaty of Species,” Rufus told the commander.
“I think after I finish talking to you, the Treaty of Species, at least as it applies to Humanity and its relations with the rest of the GSA, is going to be pretty much a dead letter,” Commander Blake said. “But before that I intend to drain as much info about the Varn Dominion out of your head as I can, Lord Ru Ofanius. I know you and the Swiftfoot vixen were in communication with my cousin Lance. I want to know what intelligence you got from him. Varn naval strength, troop dispositions, everything. Most especially I want you to unlock your fighter's navcomp so we know exactly where their homeworld is.”
Rufus forced himself to chuckle, trying to project as much confidence and contempt as he could. “First off, Commander Blake, I didn't discuss that with Lance. Even if I had, I've no intention of telling you a thing. You must know you can't use interrogation drugs on me. Even given to a perfectly healthy Vulpine they'd be dangerous. Give a dose to me and all you end up doing is making my artificial heart seize up.”
“Oh, there are better ways to persuade you, Lord Ru Ofanius,” Commander Blake said, coolly.
“Harm a hair on Miss Switfoot's tail and not only won't I tell you anything, I'll declare a blood feud against you, Commander!”
“Please, I don't torture, Lord Ru Ofanius. Like I said, I'm going to persuade you.” She motioned to the medtech that had been hovering in the corner of the room. He inserted a saline drip into Rufus' good arm, then took a syringe from the side table and injected the contents into the feed line. “That was a cleansing agent, Lord Ru Ofanius,” Commander Blake explained. “It's removing all other drugs from your system, including the placebo you'd been prescribed for your addiction.”
It was true, Rufus thought. As the chill drug ran through his veins, he could feel the familiar, horrid Need twist up his gut. He gritted his teeth and just stared at the commander, trying to project as much malice in her direction as he could muster. “What do you think that's going to do to me? Do you imagine I'm going to break down weeping just because I don't have a Juno spike handy?”
“Nothing of the sort,” Commander Blake replied. She gestured the medtech forward again, Silently, he added another drug to the saline drip, the amber contents horridly familiar to Rufus. In less than a minute he could feel his breathing steady and slow as Juno's calming influence washed over him like a warm wave, his vision suddenly sharpening into bright focus. “Say hello again to your oldest, best friend.”
“No... no!” he cried out, thrashing against his restraints, trying to fight the Juno's effects. “Administer the antagonist! Get this poison out of my veins!”
“No, I don't think so, Lord Ru Ofanius.” Blake smiled down on him, an expression that was completely devoid of warmth. “By my interrogation team's estimates, given a regular dosing schedule, you should be fully re-addicted to Juno inside of twenty-four hours. After that, all I have to do is refrain from giving you your scheduled dose, and I think you'll be ready to tell me anything I want. See you then, milord. For now, I think I'll have a chat with your girlfriend.”
She turned and left the room with the medtech, leaving Rufus to howl in outrage at their back, even as the wave of horrid, empty pleasure ran through him.
TBC