Here's something I had been thinking about for a few days, but since I found some time today I decided to sit down and write it. I've been wanting to expand on some of the chems of Free Space and had this thought about taking an already existing one and working on it a bit.
Gael Arleth was sitting behind the shop counter bored; waiting for the day to end. Every person who walked into the store would see her launching from her resting position, in order to send a glance and smile their way. Hardly anyone would respond in kind, however. Yeah, far too busy to crack a smile. The job wasn't what she wanted to do, it was just a means to an end. It bet sitting around all day with nothing going on, and the thought of living off the meager savings she had accumulated over the years didn't fill her with hope; knowing that a few good nights out and the odd shopping spree would see her with a bare account and no idea where the next bit of money was coming from. The place was quiet and she had some time to check her communicator; it had been blowing up all day.
Almost all of the messages were from her friend: Zivon Esperon. The messages that she could quickly read were all in the same vein. "I need to speak with you." "Are you still at work?" "What time are you finished?" "I have something to show you!" "I did it!" Most of the messages that she continued to read thereafter just continued to repeat a similar message, stating that he was a genius. She would have replied, but knew that her boss would be monitoring the footage, he was an old Beskin, with greying fur covering his entire body: Sule Tarni. He was a good boss, even if he could be quick to annoy, especially when he felt that Gael was slacking off, and he was quicker to mention it. Sitting back and letting the words float around her head, the idea of this important thing Zivon had to tell her was all she could think about.
Looking around, she reached for her com-link once more and started typing out a message, if only to shut Zivon up. Muscle memory allowed her to write it out, mostly free of spelling mistakes, and she kept an eye out on the shop while she did. It was done in moments and she ran an eye over it to give it a check before sending it. "Hiy, YeAg, still in WOrk, telk sooon." She started to clean it up; taking the moment needed to fix it.
"Gael!" She almost jumped out of her skin as she heard the croaky old voice of Sule as it echoed down one of the isles. "Mr. Tarni, sorry, I." She managed to get out, and she looked up to see him slowly make his way down to her. "I don't want to hear it, every time I find you here, you're on that damn communicator, talking, typing, laughing. While you ignore the shop and allow people to take what they want! Should I put a sign-up? Come in when Gael Arleth is working; everything is free!" He spoke as fast as his voice would allow, crackling as he groaned. "I'm sorry Mr. Tarni, it won't happen again." She said while lowering her communicator. "Damn right it won't happen again, pack your stuff and get out. I won't be needing your assistance any longer." He said, barely looking at her as he stood near the head of the shop. "That, that's not necessary. I can," He just shook his head. "No, I've made up my mind, now move out from behind the counter." He replied to her mumbling apology.
She was out on the streets within a few minutes, it took every fibre of her being just to make sure she didn't cry. The thought of not having a job was scary, and she had no idea what to do. Gael lifted her communicator and started to connect with Zivon. "Thanks, thanks a lot. What was so important you couldn't wait!" She complained. "It, what? What happened?" "I've just been let go." There was a pause as if Zivon was thinking of how best to apologise.
"Nah, who cares, it's just a shop, I got something that'll be way better than that old place." Gael just shook her head as the words came through. "I liked that place, it was a good job. I'm going home, while I still have one. I'm not in the mood for any more of your ideas." She replied, ending the session as Zivon started to plead and beg for her attention.
Her home was modest and minimally furnished. It was only a one-bedroom apartment, but, it was big enough for her. She sat in the dark, thinking of putting on a holo-vid to take her mind off the day, but, she decided against it; not wanting the noise. The place was a bit messy, from a couple of days of not cleaning up after herself, she thought it would be best to start doing some tidying, maybe it would have been a good way of staying busy, maybe a clean place would be better for her to relax in, but, no, again, she just sat on the couch, looking around at all the clutter.
The door started to pound, she knew exactly who it was. Those four knocks in quick succession. Zivon. She stayed on the couch, feeling like shouting, like telling him to go away. Gael thought he wouldn't listen and then figured that the best thing to do in that case was to call The Peacekeepers and have them escort him away by force. Those four knocks came in again; breaking her concentration. She just sat back, making herself comfortable. "Gael, open up, you'll want to see this!" She could hear his muffled voice through the door and just shook her head. Moments later her communicator started to chime and she quickly covered it, stopping the noise. "I can hear it. Open up!" "No!" She shouted in response. "I'm not leaving until you do, this is big!" The curiosity attracted her attention. As much as she wanted to see what it was, she also wanted to be alone. The four knocks came through once more, and this time she launched herself from her seat and headed straight for the door.
"What!?" She shouted as she opened it and an excited Zivon just rushed past her into her home. "I want you to leave," Gael said, but, he didn't listen and instead made himself comfortable on her couch. "Look, hear me out and close the door, it's freezing." She rolled her eyes at him and shut the door, before walking to the couch and standing beside it. "What? What's so important?"
Zivon produced a small case and set it down on the table in front of him. "This." He said with a grin that told her that he was up to something. "What? What is it?" She asked impatiently. "So, you know the way I've been spending some time out in the wilds?" Gael shrugged as if she didn't care. "No, I didn't know you were in the wilds, but, yeah, you've been disappearing for the last couple of weeks. What about it?" Zivon started to laugh, not a heartfelt laugh, it was more of a light one; the kind of laugh that said he knew something that she didn't. Ever since they were back in school, he's had that same laugh, that same grin, the face that was easy to read, but, a head filled with things she couldn't imagine. He didn't speak, he just leaned over the case and unlocked it.
The case was full of what looked to be Haze packets. "Wow, you bought some Haze, big deal. You know I don't take that stuff anymore." She replied, annoyed that he would bring it around, that this was his big idea, this is what was so important that he made her lose her job. "I don't want any, and I don't want you here. I want you to leave and take your Haze with you." She said in a sharp tone. Zivon could only look at her and grin, shaking his head lightly. "No, this isn't Haze. This is my own stuff." He replied while taking out two of the packets. "I've been thinking, Haze is great, but, you have to take so much in order to get a good clarity trip. So, I've been working, alone, out in the middle of nowhere. I've refined it, made something that would make the hardest of Haze Heads rush." Gael walked over to him slowly, and with purpose. She took one of the packets off him to inspect it.
It was in the usual inhaler packet, and the liquid didn't seem any different, although, while looking at it, she couldn't help but notice that the usual dark brown liquid was lighter in colour. But, not overly light. "This? It doesn't look much different."
"I can assure you, it is, I've refined the old formula, it's stronger, and tastes better than that metallic-tasting muck the High Flyers produce." Zivon stopped to inspect the packet in his own hand, before turning once more with that grin again. "Care to do the honors? I've been rushing for days while getting it right." She was unsure, as she smelled the packet in her own hand. Zivon was right; even through the container, she could smell that there wasn't the typical metallic scent from it. "I don't know. It's been a while." "Exactly, you have no tolerance, that's why I came to you, I'd like to document the effects on someone without a tolerance. That, and I also trust you." She nodded. "Okay." Zivon started to laugh lightly. "You didn't take much convincing."
She raised the end of the inhaler to her mouth and pushed down on the top of it. It spat into her mouth as she inhaled as much as she could. Instantly, her eyes opened and she dropped the packet to the floor. It was like her eyes zoomed in on whatever she looked at. Slightly distorted, she was still able to make sense of her surrounding. "How do you feel?" Zivon asked, but it sounded like all the bass was gone; like the treble had been turned up completely. Apart from his voice, she could hear a breeze in the room. "I feel like my eyes are zoomed in and I can see everything in detail!" "Slow down, let me type this out." She watched as each finger struck his communicator. "Is there anything else?" "I feel like the bass is gone, I can hear the air, and there's a breeze in the room." Zivon just looked around the room and shrugged. "Sounds like a clarity trip."
Gael noticed the place was dirty. Every food container and piece of stale rubbish stank. She collected it all up and started binning it all. Piece by piece, the rubbish was gone. With that, she started scrubbing the countertops. She could see each spec of dirt in detail as it was wiped away. "Okay, so you're moving faster and you're hyper-aware. Is there anything else?" Zivon asked and she could barely focus on his words. After a moment, they started to make sense though.
"My heart. I can feel it beat." She looked down at her chest and could see her skin ripple rapidly with each heartbeat. "Are my boobs bouncing?" She asked. "I, I don't think so." Zivon started to type as he stood up, following her as she rushed around the room. She stopped for a moment and could see her veins. Following her blood cells as they moved around her body. "I can. It's like I can see inside myself." "That's, strange. Come over here and sit down." Gael could only shake her head. "I can't, I can't sit, I have to move, I have to do something." She looked through the room and past the worried look on Zivons face. There was so much to do.
"Gael. Gael! Wake up." She opened her eyes and was laying on her couch, looking up at Zivon. "What. What happened?" She asked, trying to remember back. She was in the middle of cleaning, after taking some Haze, and then everything went black. "You've been out cold for about forty minutes. You were clarity tripping, then you started to rush off your head. I was asking questions and you were answering, then you started to babble and ramble and just fell to the ground. I got you onto the couch, I thought you were going to die. Maybe it's too strong." He said while picking up a packet off the ground. "Look, you didn't even take that much of it." She stared at the inhaler and it was almost full. "This would have you rushing for days, just off one. Isn't that crazy?" Gael sat up and was surprised that she didn't feel hungover or in any way affected by it.
"That was amazing. I could see everything clearly, it was so detailed and everything was so bright." Zivon nodded and then looked back at her. "I think I should work on the formula, tone it down a bit." Gael shook her head. "Bare in mind, I have no tolerance. You would know what it's like if some Haze Heads took it." Zivon nodded to that.
"Well, I'm spent, I can't afford any more supplies, which is the other reason I asked you. Do you think you could fund a batch that I can present to the High Flyers? We can split the profits, fifty-fifty." Gael had to think for a moment, her savings were meager. But, at the same time, if they were to buy it, it could be a lucrative little hustle.
"Yeah. Okay. Fifty-fifty?" She asked after a moment's pause. "Fifty-fifty." Zivon put his hand out and as they both shook, they both started to laugh.