[ video ]

[hostage]

[Jesse's reporting in from the lab, for once, which probably looks a little strange for anyone seeing him in hazmat coveralls for the first time. Look at him. Professional-like. Behind him is a peek at the Initiative's futuristic chemistry equipment, but the focus is on a vial of clear liquid pinched between Jesse's fingers.]

Yo. Remember how I said like a month ago I was working on something? I finished it.

Wait - Um, backing this up a little in case you missed it. We got word a few months back that the U.E.'s been drugging their people with something called verstatsi. A lotta the Exiles that turned up here ended up sick 'cause they couldn't get their fix. A lotta them were dying from the withdrawal. It was pretty bad.

Anyways, I was developing an anti-addictive drug. We tested it this week.

[He taps the vial he's holding, looking pretty proud of himself.]

It's working. Everybody we gave it to stabilized in like under two hours. Cravings totally gone, symptoms gone. And the dose is only once a day, which - if you've ever been on methadone - that is huge, okay.

I know a lotta you are probably like, "Who cares? I'm not a junkie anyway." No, seriously, this shit? This could save your life if the U.E. ever captures you. This is big. We're gonna keep testing it, but I'm making sure the clinic gets stocked A.S.A.P., yo. All my research notes'll be there along with it so I don't gotta sit here explaining science to you for three hours. Everything about dosage... Recipe, too, in case anything happens to me.

So... Yeah. And thanks to Vanadi and Rin for helping me out with getting chemicals. We totally did it, you guys.

Comments

[payback]

You did it! Good for you! We did it! Good for us! We never have to go back there again ever, right?

[hostage]

Not there, since we already took all their shit.

[payback]

I don't dare think of where someone might wind up going next.

[hostage]

Hopefully a nice, quiet chemical warehouse. I can totally deal with breaking into those, no problem.

[payback]

Couldn't the Initiative just buy a business or something? Get the money somehow? Make its own chemicals?

[hostage]

I dunno but I mean I could synthesize some of it here but it adds extra steps which means I got more of a chance to mess it up, plus we'd have to get precursors for our precursors, anyway... There's a lot they don't have here.

[payback]

In another time I mean. They know the past, don't they, they could make tons of money.

[hostage]

The trouble is, you can't just buy this stuff. Back before the world went to shit, people really kept an eye on all these chemicals. I mean, my crew had to rob a train once 'cause our connection fell through.

[payback]

There must be something that they can do. Something better than going and trying to steal a bunch of supplies in a warzone.

[hostage]

I dunno. Everything's a warzone when it comes to chemicals...

- Um, but I could probably do it myself next time. It was a lot to ask.

[payback]

You probably have a lot better chance with a team, so that would be stupid. Don't start.

[hostage]

Yeah. Okay.

[payback]

[A pause.]

Something wrong?

[hostage]

No. What?

[payback]

What what?

[hostage]

Nothing's wrong.

[payback]

You're being kind of weird.

[hostage]

I agreed with you.

[payback]

Yeah...

[hostage]

So..? What, I can't agree with you?

[payback]

You just sounded weird.

[hostage]

I dunno. You sound weird.

[payback]

Did it hurt your feelings getting told that going into a warzone all by yourself was a stupid idea? Sorry, but I'm not taking it back.

[hostage]

That wasn't it.

[payback]

So there's something.