The Truth of Emotions

Chapter 26: No Choices Left

A couple days later...

Everyone is on the road, Veld and all, but he's clearly uneasy.

Cale: "Veld?"

Veld: "It's all my fault."

Makoh: "What's your fault?"

Veld: "D-263F shouldn't have ever become knowledge to anyone besides me."

Rox: "Are you talking about that drug they're addicted to?"

Veld looks down at the ground.

Veld: "I was hired by the Collection to attempt to create the perfect cure, one that could cure any disease."

Owen: "You should know something like that is impossible here. All diseases are unpredictable."

Veld: "They gave me millions upon millions in funding."

Ariyae: "So how did a miracle cure become a miracle steroid?"

Veld: "An incorrect mixture of a multitude of chemicals accidentally seeped into a cut on my assistant's hand."

Rox: "Then he got jacked in seconds."

A look of horror echoes behind Veld's eyes.

Veld: "What was worse was the side effects."

Lariat: "Side effects?"

Veld: "The drug quintuples energy consumption and the drug has an unprecedented amount of energy inside."

Makoh: "Wh-What happened to him?"

Veld: "... He died the second he exhausted his reserves."

Owen: "Why the hell are these bastards using it?! Let alone how they know!"

Veld: "Regular consumption negates death. As for how they know..."

He looks at the passing scenery.

Veld: "Lazarus of the Harmonies division was the one who called me aboard."

Ariyae remembers the man who was with Dae.

Ariyae: "Th-That guy was Lazarus?!"

Cale: "H-Huh?!"

Everyone is dumbfounded.

Rox: "At least now we cut off their supply with you back on the team."

Veld: "Do you honestly want to know how much I produced?"

The trailer goes awkwardly silent...

Rox: "(sighing) I just had to open my mouth."

Cale looks at the radar to see them still a ways away from the pink light.

Cale: "(deep breath) We're on our way Nyria..."

Owen continues the drive, now filled with as much passion as fear with everyone else...