[ voice ]

[hostage]

[No video. Getting to be a habit with him these days, but really... who wants to see him looking like he does right now? Thank him later. If he sounded bad before, he sounds much worse now. The way someone would sound when they've spent a week vomiting. That's why he keeps the message relatively short and sweet.]

I tested the, um... the verstatsi. The U.E.'s drug.

In case the obvious needed stating: don't try it.

Full report coming once I can get my ass outta bed, but I can tell you it's about half-opiate, half-synthetic. The comedown's a total bitch and I ain't just talking like regular use. I mean like one shot and you're gonna need another fix in a few hours unless you like spending the next few days worshiping the porcelain god. Seriously, I'm a professional and this stuff... is bad. I don't think we got a lotta samples around here but take my word for it and don't mess around with it. I done H. This is worse than H. Way worse.

So that's your little P.S.A. and don't roll your eyes 'cause this ain't some D.A.R.E. bullshit, yo. I'm serious.

Comments

[hostage]

Had a camera and somebody watching me, but I remember enough.

[inthejunk]

...Gross! It sounds like really bad reality TV.

[hostage]

Luckily, nobody else has to watch it.

[inthejunk]

You're definitely insane. You know that, right?

[hostage]

Nah, I'm just a scientist.

[inthejunk]

It might be the same thing.

[hostage]

I guess, maybe.

[inthejunk]

You know, I have a friend who likes to mess around with scientific stuff. But she's not going to kill herself over it. Maybe I should introduce you two. Except you shouldn't hit on her, just so you know. Tatsumi would definitely be able squash you.

[hostage]

[Gross, bro.]

I ain't into kids.

[inthejunk]

[Oh hey. Finall some good news.]

Right. Of course not... Anyway, what does D.A.R.E. stand for? I mean, I know that H is hydrogen, but I used to...forget my chemistry book at school a lot. By mistake.

[hostage]

Ah, it's a... thing. Don't worry about it.

[inthejunk]

C'mon, I probably just don't know the word. This thing...the translator gets things wrong sometimes, I swear. I think I misspoke about the book, you know? I'm not the kind of guy who needs summer school.

[hostage]

Nah, it ain't a chemistry thing. It's like this anti-drug program the police run at schools in America, trying to get kids to stay clean.

[inthejunk]

...Oh. Why didn't you just say? It makes more sense like that.

[hostage]

It's dumb. Whatever.

[inthejunk]

Trying to keep kids off drugs?

[hostage]

It don't work.

[inthejunk]

It does if you behead them...but that way isn't exactly a good solution either.

[hostage]

Jesus...

[inthejunk]

So what does H really mean? You seem pretty familiar with how opium works. If it's something like that...shouldn't these people have been dying from it anyway?

[hostage]

H is heroin. And you only die if you don't do it right.

[inthejunk]

Seriously? Man. The gym teacher lied to us. Then again...well. It's better not to do drugs at all where I lived.

[hostage]

It's better to not do drugs wherever you are. Even if it don't kill you, it's still bad.

[inthejunk]

I guess?

[Pretty noncommittally. Spoken like a kid who's rarely even had the chance, and even then didn't actually try it.]

Why'd you do it, then?

[hostage]

It feels good. They never tell you how good it feels.