Fear and Loathing

[Fairchild]

The professor was watching the feed from the Outcast's cell camera again. A moment before the two guards that were with Jera in the docking hangar had been in his office. He had given them one small plastic phial filled with metallic slivery liquid - Vergil - and a quantum chip. He had explained again what they had been supposed to do. And now he watched.

One of the guards had a taser, the other carried provisions in a plastic bag - a tube of Synth Paste, a bottle of water, two Stabiline pills. There was no sound feed. Nagrebetskiy watched the Outcast turn round and waiting as the door started opening. The taser guard showed him the phial. Antonio spat. In return, the guard attacked with the taser. He first aimed for the stomach and as the Outcast attempted a dodge, he turned and went for his right side. The taser connected, Outcast's paralysed body dropping to the ground. The kick was strong enough to stun and knock Antonio down but not enough to cause paralysis or blackout.

Nagrebetskiy watched the guard putting his knee on Antonio's chest and forcibly pouring the liquid into his mouth. Meanwhile, the other guard looked into the camera and put in the chip into a small receptacle below the lamp. He left the bag with provisions in the corner and they both left the room.

Nikita turned away from the display. They were so close. It would take about half an hour for the Outcast's brain to synchronise with Vergil. The Vergil Core that the guard put in the Outcast's cell was rigged specifically to disallow anyone except Nagrebetskiy access. He connected his console to the chip and started preparing the brain-mapping software as the green synchronisation bar slowly started filling up.