Chapter 25 - The Burn

“Hey, anyone wanting to accel, gather round.”

Craig turned from staring out the window at the glittering night skyline that wobbled and pulsed with the leftover psychohol in his system. They’d just left Milton’s after everyone had their fill of Garvook. He had never had so much fun, and to see his emotions and personality come to life through the stage was mesmerizing every single time. Paige’s group was eager to visit a club here in Madrid, however, and he was eager to spend more time with Paige.

He looked over to see Erylara, the kaiseichan, holding out stamp sized pads. Some blue and some red.

“The blue ones are for you two,” Erylara said, handing them to the passaro couple, “And the red ones are for the humans. Syla, you in?”

One of the other human women in the group leaned forward and took a red tab from him. Craig watched as the passaro and Syla all pressed the tabs to their tongues.

“Paige? Boytoy?” Erylara asked. Craig frowned.

“It’s Craig,” he corrected, “And what is it?”

“It’s accelutate,” Paige answered, reaching out and grabbing two tabs. Craig’s eyes snapped to them.

“That drug they give the pioneers? The one that mutates them?”

“Yeah, but it also gives you a killer high,” Paige nodded, holding out the tab to him. He eyed it anxiously, his stomach lurching at the mere sight of it. He’d already had a lot to drink tonight, and wasn’t sure how much he felt like mixing his poisons. The memory of the fish-like pioneer from the day before flashed through his memory and he shivered.

“I ain’t sure I wanna play around with mutating myself like that,” he declined.

“Oh, it’s not like that,” Paige assured him, “I mean, yeah if we were on a frontier planet, then sure, you’d be risking mutation. But even then, you’d need to take a lot of it! Like ... once a day for a month or more! You’re already acclimated to Earth, so the most it’ll do to you is give you the high.”

Craig stared again at the tab in her hand. The psychohol still in his system made it look like it was growing, “OK, well ... what’s it do?”

“Incredible body high,” she explained, “Feels like you’re on fire, but in a good way? If that makes sense? And it really intensifies other stuff you take, like the psychohol.”

Craig glanced around to see almost everyone else either staring at him or sticking their own tabs to their tongues. He glanced back at Paige.

“I dunno...” he said, “I think I oughta check if...”

“Paige, I thought you said he’s good,” Erylara barked accusingly.

“He is!” Paige exclaimed, turning to the elm and giving him a glare, “It’s his first time, right Craig?” she turned back, her eyes pleading with him to go along with her.

“Yeah, it is,” he nodded, turning to Erylara, “I’m good, just wanna know what I be getting into before I jump in the deep end.”

“Yeah, well, here’s the deal,” the elm replied, “I just handed out a lotta tabs and suddenly you’re hesitating. Makes me worried. Cause the only people I ever see hesitate to accel are cops.”

Craig’s eyebrows shot up, and he glared at Paige, “What, is this shit illegal?”

“Recreationally, yes,” Paige admitted, “It’s regulated exclusively for pioneer usage.”

“Fuck, how do you not know that?” Erylara asked, “Paige, fuck this guy. If he doesn’t take it then I swear to the mother I will kick him out of this bus so fast...”