Thomas sat at the table on the Omen feeling strange and out of place. It's not that he wasn't used to being on a space ship or anything, he was, but he had gotten used to how things work on captain Kozlov's ship. The men and women he met there were a lot harder and a lot more..... jaded then the crew of the omen. If there was one thing he could say about his brother's crew is that they seemed mostly happy and mentally sound.

If any of them happened to have dark pasts, they hid it well.

Sunny and the Drev might be the only ones with tragic pasts worth talking about, but even so it didn't seem to bother them. Where Captain Kozlov's ship was full of hardened veterans, the omen was full of weirdos, not that he minded. The other thing was that he got to see his brother in action, which was odd, since after years and years of being the big brother, he wasn't used to seeing the youngest of the Vir family in charge of anything.

Even if he did feel out of place, it was nice to see his brother in his element.

They were standing on the command deck around the "war table" as Adam had called it. Thomas had tried not to roll his eyes, but no one else had seem phased. Everyone else included. Ramirez, Maverick, Sunny, and her older brother Kanan. Others joining them included their resident medical officers Dr. Katie, who Thomas couldn't help but notice was very pretty, and Dr. krill, who he had been familiar with for the past few years.

Adam stood above him, still wearing his hand-me-down leather jacket, though he had at least had the decency to change into some real pants.

"So, as for what we know about the intergalactic drug market."

It was strange to hear about this from Adam.

It was strange to hear about this at all. Thomas had been under the delusion that he was going to be safe from drugs while in space. As it turned out, he just ended up where they were playing the game faster and harder.

"The intergalactic drug trade wasn't really an issue until humans came along."

"Nobody is surprised." Maverick muttered.

"Aside from some light drugs used by the Tesraki and the Rundi, there was really no market for hard drugs. Though you can imagine as humans have expanded outward, there have been multiple discoveries of different plants which have qualities similar to the drugs we have on earth." He looked to his team, "You all remember stardust."

There was a grimace and a muttering around the group.

"Since it's discovery its estimated market value is about 1000 credits per ounce."

There was a murmuring up around them..

Maverick snorted, "Should have just been a drug dealer."

"Anyway, before humans came along this intergalactic drug market was rather small and survived on the use of Shiri, and Calva, one which is a mild stimulant similar to Adderall and the other which is a mild depressant. When I say mild, this would be like chewing on a Coca leaf to stop a toothache. Human drugs appeared on the market about half a year after a treaty was signed with the GA, it started with the sell and trade of Marijuana, which can be used by, Rundi, Drev, and Tesraki to some affect. Despite this being our most mild human drug, it has been known to cause severe symptoms of dependance ad addiction in other alien species. Alcohol, since we are counting this under the drug tab, does not work on any plant based species, nor does it work on a species that's natural digestion requires the use of fermentation, like the Drev."

Dr Katie was taking notes, as was Sunny.

Adam paused and grinned, "Fun fact."

Sunny rolled her eyes.

"Due to the fermentation process in Drev digestion. You could get drunk off of Drev Urine."

Maverick made a face.

Ramirez laughed, "Don't threaten me with a good time."

Katie smacked him in the back of the head before going back to her notes.

"That being beside the point, human drugs slowly filtered into the market after that, though most anything more potent than Marry Jane tends to straight up Kill any alien who tries it. There have been at least two hundred instances of deaths caused by overdoes in species that are not human. Blood samples include traces of cocaine, meth, heroine, LSD, and PCP. From now on let us just assume than human drugs are practically poisonous to anyone else."

He turned and flipped to another slide in his presentation.

Two thousand years and the Army was still using powerpoint.

"You would think that this change in the market would only increase drug trafficking between humans, however, some genius scientist discovered why these types of drugs tend to work so well on humans. Every drug there is act on some sort of chemical transmitter or hormone in the body which naturally produces those same affects. For instance, the human body creates a natural pain killer more powerful than morphine, the only difference is that it does it in incredibly low doses. If you didn't have this natural pain killer, you would be in incredible pain all the time just from daily life, which is why drug addicts are known to have very low pain tolerance."

Thomas flexed his fingers remembering the fading ache of his joints shortly after quitting.

How miserable that had all been.

"Furthermore it also reduces their ability to feel pleasure from other sources as it has taken out the body's natural ability to produce it's own pleasure hormones."

That was true enough, "Thomas had been told by his addictions counselor that after being a Heroine addict for so long, it might take him a year or more to be able to experience pleasure like a normal person. For the past year or so he had taken no pleasure from food, and found no interest in relationships or the touch of another human. The worst part was, he didn't trust himself to take medication for the depressive slump he found himself in.

Work was the only thing that was keeping him going now, though he had started to notice some improvements in himself with the help of his counselors.

"This realization brought out the idea that humans, themselves, can be used as the source for naturally occurring drugs, including stimulants, painkilling drugs, and pleasure drugs. The big ones on the market right now are Addie and Dopie, which are the Street names for Adrenaline and Dopamine. Adrenaline has been found in drug tests taken from factory workers and athletes. In once case it was even discovered in the bloodstreams of Drev on Anin after a particularly pitched battle. Dopamine can be found almost anywhere on the market, but manufactures have their greatest ties to the Prodigum homeworld, as it seems that Prodigum and humans have a very similar action in the body when it comes to the experience of pleasure.

Thomas gripped his fists tight together, and suddenly stood from the table. The others looked at him in surprise, and an exchange passed between the two of them. Adam nodded imperceptibly, and Thomas hurried from the room breathing hard from his nose as he slumped against the wall outside. Usually he might have been able to sit through a briefing like that, but he was hanging on the end of a fraying rope. Thomas was convinced it was harder for him than it was for other people to quit. He had cravings all the time, he even dreamed about it, which was hardly fair.

He prayed for the day when it would all be over, though he worried that day would never come.

Some days if felt like no one understood what he was feeling.

But that's, of course, why Adam was here.

Adam was probably the only person he knew that understood what he was going through, at least the only one in the family who could sympathize with him. To think that the Steel eye Project would have brought the two of them together like that.

It was the steel eye project, that had, in a roundabout way caused Thomas to quit.

***

Thomas was searching for a hit. Ever since the Kaplin county police department had done their "Crack down on drugs" finding a score had become that much more difficult. That didn't mean it had disappeared of course. It just made things more annoying. Thomas turned a corner receiving a honk from the car behind him as he had forgotten to turn on his blinker. He stuck a finger out the window and flipped them off before continuing into the run-down suburb. It wasn't your white picket fence kind of place. It was run down populated with row upon row of crumbling brick houses with dead brown lawns and rickety chain link fencing, owned by a vast majority of blue collar factory workers caught in the same cycle of going to work, returning home and then sitting down to watch TV only to repeat it again every day.

When it wasn't them it was those on unemployment or disability, living in ramshackle houses who may or may not have paid their water bill in the last month. Roving bands of kids ran up and down the street, some of them wearing oversized shoes, some of them not wearing shoes at all. A big rottweiler tugged at it's chain behind one of the linked fences and barked angrily.

The dog was chained with a massive iron collar and links that could have been used for a boat anchor. The ground inside the little dog run was devoid of grass and mostly made up of mud. A couple of five gallon buckets sat by the dog house, one of them holding feted brown water circled with flies.

He felt sorry for the dog.

Thomas liked dogs, though he had an affinity for cats.

No animal deserved to live in a place like this.

He pulled his, "Borrowed" Car into the house across the street.

Technically borrowed, if you didn't consider semantics. It was his buddy's car, or.... Well, he didn't really know the guy well enough to call him a buddy, but they sometimes shot up together when there was no one else around. He would still be passed out in the house on wingvale road, and Thomas was sure he wouldn't mind if he borrowed his car assuming he brought back something for him as payment.

He got out of the car and stepped up the sidewalk, walking onto the sagging porch, made of concrete, and cracked with years of neglect.

Through the open front window he could hear the sounds of Saturday morning cartoons playing in the background.

The yard was filled with junk, and he knew enough to know that the inside of the house would be similar.

The smell of cigarette smoke was strong.

He knocked on the door once, and after a moment the door opened, and a woman appeared in front of him. She was incredibly thin with lank brown hair and collar bones that could have sliced through butter. She was holding a cigarette in one hand and a baby in the other.

"Momma?" Came a voice from inside.

"QUIET JUNIOR, we have a visitor!"

She turned back to him, "Morning Thomas."

"Jack home?"

" 'Fraid not, but I can get you what you want." She took another puff on her cigarette. Inside her teeth were brown and yellow."

"Come on in real quick."

He stepped inside and sat down at their kitchen table between a moldering bowl of cereal and an old boot. The smell was pretty horrific, but he didn't flinch.

He had been in worse places before.

"What can I get for you."

"Point 4 grams."

She raised an eyebrow, "You got the money for that."

He shrugged, "Got paid yesterday."

"Well that will be eighty." He handed her the money and she slipped him a few small bags, "Don't do that all at once."

"Some of it is for a friend." Though as soon as he said it he knew he wasn't going to share. If his friend was still asleep by the time he got back, he wouldn't share, though he supposed if he was awake than he was going to have to.

"You got a few minutes to sit."

He shook his head he hated the smell of cigarettes, and this place stunk of them.

He supposed that made him some kind of hypocrite but he got up and walked outside shoving the bags in the pocket of his jeans. The cops knew this place was a drug den, but he knew when to come to avoid them.

Thomas got back in the car and started it up with a rattle.

He was just getting ready to Drive off when his phone began to ring.

He scrambled around his pockets looking for the source of the noise before managing to find it, withdrawing it from the pocket of his jacket. He didn't have enough money for one of those fancy implants, and so he had his burner phone. He glanced down at the caller ID.

It was Adam.

That was odd, he had heard that Adam was back from the Drev war, though he hadn't had time to go and see him.

Deep inside he knew he DID have time to go see Adam. A certain sort of guilt gnawed at him. He had been too busy with the drugs.

Guilt spurring him on, Thomas reached down and flipped open his phone, "Hey Kid, long time."

There was silence on the end of the phone for a while, and then the voice that came over the line didn't sound anything like his little brother, "T-thomas...." His voice was raspy and weak quivering and shaking like he could barely hold a syllable.

Thomas sat up straight, "I'm here kid, what is it? Are you ok."

"I n-need help, please."

He didn't need to hear that twice. He turned the key in the ignition and tore out of the Driveway, "Where are you?"

Adam mumbled something and Thomas frowned, "That was odd. That wasn't far from here, and certainly not in a good part of town."

He floored it and took a corner through a stop-sign scaring an unsuspecting squirrel half to death.

"I'm close by just hold on."

Thomas tried not to count how many traffic violations he made in getting there, but he didn't really care, the cops didn't patrol these streets this early in the morning. He found his little brother on the other side of the canal standing in the cold autumn wind in just a T shirt.

When Thomas pulled up, he found himself frozen in shock as he looked at his little brother.

His once, smiley healthy brother was gone. In his place was a skeletal shambling corpse. Thomas's eyes widened further as he saw the metal wrist crutches, and the and of the boy's jeans, where the leg had been tied off well above the knee.

Thomas stumbled out of the car and ran over grabbing Adam by the shoulders and looking down at him.

What had they done!
Adam was so thin. The T shirt tugged around him with the wind showing his emaciated chest and arms. His hair was lank and messy, his arms seeming barely capable of holding him up, and his leg! Or lack of a leg.

No one had told him.

His arms and hands were covered in bandages, he could even seem some peaking out from the neck of his T-shirt. The bandage on his left hand was unraveling to reveal a line of livid red spots on the back of his knuckles.

"Adam, what' what happened."

Adam looked up at him causing Thomas to almost recoil at the look in his brother's eyes.

Empty

Adam limped forward on his remaining leg, grabbing Thomas by the collar of his jacket, distressed brown leather deforming in his hands, Goosebumps appeared on the skin of his thin, pale arms as his white knuckled fists pulled Thomas closer.

"I n-need it."

"You need what?" Thomas stammered grabbing his brother by the shoulders to support him as he swayed, "Adam you're so cold." He paused and reached up pulling Adam's hands off his jacket and then tugging it off, wrapping it around his little brother's shoulders.

Adam didn't seem to notice, swaying on the spot before Thomas steadied him again.

"I need more?"

"Adam, I don't understand."

Tears ran down the younger man's cheeks, "It.... hurts.... So much. I just.... Need a little- to make the pain go. Go away."

It was then that Thomas understood, and what he saw made him sick. How could he have not seen it before the dead eyes, the thin pale hands shot through with tremors.

Adam was asking for Drugs.

And he had come to Thomas to do it.

That's why he was here on this side of the city. He was looking for drugs but didn't know where to find them. He was too good a kid to know.

Thomas felt suddenly sick, repulsed by four little packets in his pocket. Adam had come to him, for drugs because he knew that Thomas would have some. He felt ready to throw up, hot tears prickled at the corners of his eyes.

And in that moment, Thomas had never felt such shame.

"Please Thomas." Adam begged

He wanted to die, to sink through the ground and die.

Adam gripped at his shirt in desperation, "Please Thomas."

Thomas Grabbed Adam's hands, "I don't have any." He lied

Adam began to shake, and Thomas grabbed him around the waist helping him towards the "stolen" car.

"Lets get you somewhere warm."

As they were passing by the canal, Thomas reached into his pocket and tossed the packets over the edge into the water.

He would regret disposing of them like that later, but in the moment, he just couldn't think of anything more to do.

He helped Adam into the car hoping beyond hope his friend hadn't left anything in there.

The heater was broken, and Adam continued to shiver as Thomas turned the keys and began to drive. In the canal the little packets were caught in a tangle of debris under the bridge and stuck. He drove for a few miles finally pulling into a little diner he had spent many mornings and nights, helping Adam limp through the door and inside.

They made it to a booth in the back.

"Thomas I need...."

Adam began but Thomas cut him off, "Need breakfast, you're far too skinny."

He got Adam to put his arms through the sleeves of his jacket, which looked massive on him."

The waitress came up and asked what they'd like to start with, He ordered them some orange juice.

Adam sagged against his shoulder and Thomas held him close.

"It hurts." He whispered.

"I know kid, I know." The dull aching in his own joints became poignantly evident as he rubbed his brother's arm, "I know, but.... But I'm not getting you drugs Adam."

The younger man looked up at him eyes full of tears, "Please."

Thomas bit the inside of his cheek trying not to cry, "No, I am NOT going to let you do it."

The waitress set down their dinks and hurried away.

Thomas gripped Adam by the shoulders, "You're going to get through this o, I'm going to help you."

Adam looked defeated, turned and rested his head against Thomas's shoulder and sobbed quietly. Thomas looked up at the ceiling trying to force himself to keep it together. He held his younger brother close urging him to have something to drink, something that would make him feel better.

A glowing ember of rage appeared in his chest.

He had no idea who had done this to Adam, but he wanted to punch them in the throat.

For the first time in his entire life, Thomas was finally able to admit what he had been avoiding all along. He didn't want Adam to become like him, and if he didn't want that it meant that he knew. He knew what he was and what he was doing, and he hated it. he was not ok, and the fact his little brother had come to him to score was... was disgusting.

He ordered them more food, forced Adam to eat, and even ate himself though he didn't feel hungry.

They talked a little when Adam calmed down.

Thomas talking him through the pain for a while.

He learned of the Drev war.

Of project steel eye.

Only to see that the soldiers had been forced into some form of speedballing while in the armor. Fentanyl and meth or cocaine perhaps. He had done both, he knew the feeling. He burning rage made his heart pulse and throb in his chest.

Eventually Adam was feeling better, and Thomas was able to talk him into returning home.

When he arrived, they intercepted their dad just getting into his truck a frantic look on his face. He stopped when he saw Thomas pull up, get out of the car, and drag Adam out of the side. He looked relieved, running over before looking at Thomas worried.

A silent exchanged passed between them

You didn't give him any?

NO! I would never.

His father nodded and supported Adam as he took him inside.

"I got him some breakfast, so maybe let him sleep it off." Thomas heard himself say.

His father turned to look at him eyes glistening more than usual, "Thank you Thomas."

He felt a pang in his chest again.

He hadn't seen his father for a while, and the last time they had talked it hadn't ended pretty. It felt nice to finally do something good for a change.

Thomas got back in the car, missing his jackets but feeling his spirits renewed.

He navigated the neighborhood and then turned the corner onto the highway.

Only to see blinking red and blue lights in his rear view mirror.

He pulled over in his stolen car which was sure to house drug paraphernalia and knew he was busted.

He sighed and pushed open the door as the cop ordered him out over the loud speaker.

Though his heart began to slow.

It was ok.

He went down to his knees.

He didn't regret what he did.

Onto his stomach.

It had been worth it.

The handcuffs ratcheted tight around his wrists.