Above Toris

Doctor Walker arraigned his belongings in his cabin. He was on the space station above planet Toris. Colonized several years ago the planet was half NASA controlled, half People's Republic of Space Colonies (RSC).

Dr. Walker was going to fly down to the NASA combat hospital and aid soldiers and workers hit by guerilla RSC strikes.

The Field Medic set his medical bag next to his combat gear and laid down to sleep.

He tossed and turned in the night. He awoke and noticed a screen light up in his medical bag. He got up and pulled out his med-scanner. It had picked up a strain of Multiplexed Argitis, or M-Ar. Dr. Walker blankly stared at it as his brain was still sleeping. He rubbed his eyes as the levels went from 1.2% to 3.5%. He watched in puzzlement at why M-Ar was in the air.

M-Ar is a base drug commonly used in unprofessional warfare. The drug stimulates the brain into a frenzied state. It can also be used to attach and mask several other synthesized substances.

Reality suddenly hit Walker. He snatched his bag and dug through the contents. He strapped on his respirator mask and stood up. He stepped over to the communicator and held the mic button. He spoke to the onboard help desk. No response. He tried again then tapped the emergency call button. Nothing happened. He picked up his plasma smg and forced the door open. Someone had shut down the communication mainframe, auto locked the doors, and put something in the air.

Dr. Walker wedged open the door across the hall from his. A body lay on the floor, rolled off of the bed. He unslung his bag and scanned the man: still alive. He peeled off an adhesive filter and applied it over the man's mouth. Not exactly ideal, but it will work, he thought. The man was barely unconscious.

The doctor propped the man up against the wall. He then pulled out his med-scanner and checked the M-Ar levels: 35%. Adrenaline shot into Walker's heart as he realized he couldn't waste another second. The space station's air system had just shifted into the recycle stage and was pumping M-Ar into the cabins.

Walker scanned the halls with his eyes as he began to head for the maintenance section of the station. He passed the hallway to the space dock and caught a glimpse of 2 people. He snuck up closer and hear them talking.

"The drug should be up to 66% in the next 20 minutes. We should leave now."

"Adakov offered a bonus if we get a bug in the captain's computer," said the taller of the two.

"That's completely irrational. Its not worth the risk at all. I say we get out now, job's done. In the long run, we get the whole planet." Walker saw the uniform: RSC.

"Has the gas gotten to you?" The taller one snapped. "We are going to the cabin."

"Keep your voices down," Walker said as he stepped out into the open, "you might wake the sleeping." The field medic fired 3 shots in a tight circle in the shorter man's chest. The taller one dove to the side but Walker's trained reflexes put several rounds in the operative. His body landed hard and his head knocked against the floor.

The doctor quickly examined the first and then the other. A large pool of blood was already forming from the small cut on the man's forehead from hitting the floor.

Walker thought it odd for a moment but took off running to the air systems. He reached the systems with no resistance and found where a tank had been injected. He removed the tank and set the air systems to an emergency recycle/filter. He stayed guard until the morning.

* * * * *

That morning the crew was assembling through the sick bay, each being treated for M-Ar.

"Thanks to you, the crew was not exposed to the M-Ar long enough for brain damage," the onboard doctor told Walker.

"Yes, but I don't think that was their plan. I think there is something attached to the drug, but I can't figure it out."

"You should talk with the captain..."

* * * * *

Walker shifted in his chair in the Captains quarters.

"You sure they didn't say why?" the captain asked.

"No sir, but they talk about bugging your computer."

Just then a message came for the captain. Several NASA outposts on Toris were bombed with M-Ar gas and a shipment of Vortex guns was intercepted. 1 crate was taken but the other 3 made it to the RSC territory. Vortex guns shoot long thin sharp funneled needles. They cause bleeding but normally not enough to die because normal human blood is too thick and clots in enough time. Also, simple armor easily stops excessive blood leakage.

"Vortex guns? What on earth will they do with those?" the captain questioned.

Walker looked down and studied the floor as he pondered the situation. M-Ar gas, Vortex guns, frenzied battles, frenzied bleeding? Blood? Blood..." He recalled how the taller man had bled so profusely from the tiny cut on his head.

"Do we still have the RSC operatives?"

"Yes, on deck 6."

* * * * *

Walker examined the body and took a blood sample. His blood was extremely thin. He found M-Ar in the blood and a trace of the Morvic virus. The M-Ar speeds up the Morvic virus, thinning the blood for a temporary time. "Why would he have the virus?" he took a sample of the other operative's blood. No M-Ar or Morvic virus. That meant he probably wasn't taking M-Ar for battle because then both operatives would have M-Ar in their blood. Walker then noticed a small leak in the infected op's respirator mask.

Just then it all clicked. The virus was attached to the M-Ar. The M-Ar would speed up the virus's blood-thinning effects, but also mask it from a simple scan. The gas combine with the Vortex guns would create a powerful advantage over the plasma guns of NASA.

Dr. Walker looked up at the Captain standing next him. "Send word back to NASA base on Toris. Get all the gassed troops to the hospital and treat them for M-Ar and the Morvic virus. Vaccinate all the other units for Morvic and outfit them in heavy gear."

"And I thought I gave all the orders." The Captain said as he turned towards the computer.