The violet-eyed manouk who received them as they disembarked from the ship in the Asteroid Belt had a list in hand and carefully checked it before allowing them down the ramp. Ethan and Shun-Ri arrived with two members of the Cult, wearing wine-colored cloaks, positioned on either side of them like bodyguards."Shun-Ri Zhou... Ethan Blake. A pleasure. Welcome. This way, please."The dark-skinned manouk escorted them with two others, both in work uniforms.Asteroids flew through the sky and around them like in a disturbing dance, an amalgamation of rocks, space debris, disused satellites, and large-scale drones. Every now and then, an asteroid on a collision course with this one was repelled by a force field.The research and production facilities were partially buried in the gray, mineral-rich earth of the asteroid. Only a small part was visible, and over the years the constructions had clearly been refurbished for their current use. They looked like ruins from Éfesis, on which something new had been built and had been operating for several years.They reached an automatic ramp that would take them to the lower floors. As they descended, the antennas and watchtowers with armed guards gradually disappeared from view.The manouk paid no special attention to their guests, as if they had been expecting them and this was just a routine procedure.Shun-Ri was suspicious of everything."We should have brought more security," she muttered, her green eyes full of suspicion as she watched the floors passing by."Fear not, miss," their guide said. "Philoctetes warned us of your arrival. We don't welcome just anyone, of course. But we received a notice."Ethan smiled at Shun-Ri's astonishment."Your friend is more influential than he seems.""You have no idea," Ethan replied, unable to hide his satisfaction.Once the ramp stopped sliding, they were escorted silently by the manouk through narrow, dimly lit corridors. The metallic sounds of machines echoed in the air, but there was something else: a penetrating chemical smell. The atmosphere felt heavy, laden with substances that seemed to alter perception."ProtaB, as it's popularly known, can actively affect the brain's reward centers, inducing intense feelings of well-being when following orders. In this plant, we manouk work in its production. Advances in this technology now allow us to say that the side effects have been reduced to a minimum."Ethan thought the manouk guiding them had to have a lot of confidence in himself or in his production plant to spout such a lie. The long-term side effects included permanently damaging the brain's reward centers, making it impossible to feel pleasure doing anything other than following orders and completely eliminating the brain's neuroplasticity. Subjects who consumed protaB for years eventually lost the ability to learn new things or draw their own conclusions, leading to a sort of functional brain stasis."This is the place," Ethan murmured, satisfied as they arrived at the center of the operation. Shun-Ri barely heard him. She was too focused on what was in front of her: a huge room full of research equipment. Manouk were moving back and forth with samples of neuroadsentol."We trust you'll find the plant to your liking. You can explore it on your own. If you'll excuse me."The manouk offered them a demonstration of the creation process, which was both disturbing and fascinating. The effectiveness of protaB was demonstrated in real-time: absolute control, no resistance. Subjects withstood torture and physical pain, just to name a couple of examples. The humans in the various isolated cells had vacant stares. One man was drawing a line over and over, until he pierced through a piece of paper. A young woman followed the instruction to walk while putting all her weight on one leg, and after repeating this action so many times, the muscular and joint wear caused her to collapse face-first on the ground. The manouk encouraged her to continue the action without stopping or changing, taking notes on her attempts. A little girl was eating cotton. A man was carving, unsuccessfully, a piece of mineral—a large chunk of asteroid—but he didn't seem frustrated. He was experiencing a sublime calm, even though the calluses and blisters on his hands evidenced his pointless work.Shun-Ri stared at a huge warning sign that dominated the experimentation room.CHEMICAL HAZARD: ACTIVE NEUROADSENTOL
ANYONE CAUGHT CONSUMING THE PRODUCT
WILL BE SUSPENDED FROM THE PROJECT UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.
MANAGEMENT RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TAKE PUNITIVE ACTIONS.
To Ethan's surprise, Shun-Ri clung to his arm."I'm happy you brought me here... even though it was against my will. I'd kiss you to congratulate you, but I think you might disintegrate."What was wrong with her? Was she delirious?She had an idea. Her volatile behavior could only be due to some new scheme that had entered her pretty head. She smiled, but it was a sharp smile, devoid of warmth. Her mind worked quickly, evaluating every opportunity. Accepting Ethan's idea didn't mean trusting him, but using him as a means to her own ends. And if she had to play with his ego a little, then she would do so without hesitation."You should try it," Shun-Ri said bluntly, "and tell me what it's like."Ethan looked into her intense green eyes. She was serious. She blinked a couple of times and leaned on his arm, slightly tilting her head up to focus on his eyes."Or are you scared?"Looking over at the girl eating cotton, wearing that identity-less work uniform, her lifeless gaze, repeating that absurd action mechanically, Ethan swallowed hard. The manouk passing by were oblivious to this interaction, except for their guide, who was now returning after making his rounds through the room."My partner would like to try it," Shun-Ri said with a cold smile."This way," said the guide manouk, a glint flashing in his eyes.They reached an elevator with neon yellow safety bars, an open platform."Now is the time. Allow me. I always carry the latest version. You never know when it might be needed."Ethan told himself now wasn't the time to be a coward. What could happen? He was only going to try it, not seek a long-term supply. He would experience the sensation, feel the effects, and learn from it. Nothing simpler, nothing more harmless. Just once. That's all.The manouk cupped his hands."Inhale and hold. If needed, look up after inhaling to ensure you don't lose the effect, and the product is well absorbed."Ethan pinched one nostril and inhaled from the manouk's hands, watching Shun-Ri's satisfied face.As they descended in the elevator, Ethan felt like he was rising, leaving the rest behind as he soared upwards. Every fiber of his being felt connected, alive in a way he had never experienced before. The worries, the fears, everything vanished. It was as if he had awakened from a nightmare, and the protaB gave him clarity he hadn't had before. And then, like a lightning bolt, the thought struck: he wanted more.He felt capable of anything, and for a second, he wanted to snatch the remaining substance from the manouk's hand and inhale it all. Shun-Ri was watching him expectantly. Never, in all these years, had he realized how beautiful she was. She was like a sharpened blade, like a cliff calling him to jump. What was she going to say to him now? He wanted to hear her voice. Maybe she had an order for him to...What was he thinking?"Is that all?" Ethan asked.The manouk raised his eyebrows."Yes, that's the effect."Ethan then thought he had everything under control. Nothing serious had happened, after all. The problem had been that sensation of being omnipotent, of being above the misery of any living being, the feeling of immortality. That sensation was inexplicable. His senses had been heightened, and he had seen another reality. A reality he would like to live in, away from that bastard Cassian's influence.But he couldn't dwell on those thoughts. They were already leaving the elevator, heading toward the reception hall, where they would discuss the hard data of the project. It had been an interesting experience, to test for himself the effects of the substance they would be dealing with. Everything would proceed as planned.Shun-Ri was watching him closely, her eyes shining with satisfaction. Ethan didn't realize it, but he had already begun to fall.