*That's an easy one, Kadego thought to himself... or did he actually say it out loud? He wasn't sure anymore...*
Huh, that's an easy one... Cardamine was never forced on me. And I never felt like taking it either.
Being born to a mother who also wasn't addicted to it... and my father being a typical Rheinlander, who never took anything stronger than aspirine for his headache... no, it's simply not in my blood.
I did, however, trade the stuff a bunch. In my old Liberty days, back at Rochester - just behind Planet Manhattan...!
You know, there is a saying "where there's smoke, there's fire"? It's also true for economics - demand and supply. Whatever the people demand, somebody's gonna crop up and supply that demand (and make some profit while at it). So I just said to myself "hmmm, if I don't do it, then somebody else will". And whoever buys that stuff is addicted to it anyways, for the rest of their life. You are practically 'keeping them alive' at this point, which should only be considered an act of service.
That's the way I see it, when I think about it.
*A strange thought crossed Kadego's mind... what if all of this conversation was happening only in his head? What if all of this was just a dream... He wasn't sure anymore.*
*Rheinland... the very mention of it was enough to flood Kadego with thoughts and memories from his childhood on New Berlin... and later, Kreuzberg Depot. It all felt like the most lucid of dreams...*
Ah, Rheinland... zhe motherland! I was born there, on planet New Berlin! I speak the language as good as hispanic, I've gotten my educational degrees and... my father is from there, did I mention that? Yeah... too bad he left the family and never called me or my mom, ever. Or maybe that's good, actually. Wouldn't have met my hispanic roots back on Malta, if it wasn't for him disappearing. You lose some, you win some...!
Cmd. Calliente:Senor Sudrossa, let's stay on topic... which is, what is your current relationship to the local Rheinland 'authorities'?
Neutral for now, as the authorities haven't stopped me or endangered my family, my person or my material things in any way. I do have plans to do 'shady business' in Rheinland again, just as I did as a teenager on Kreuzberg... and my neutral status is essential to keep me from getting arrested on the spot somewhere.
Cmd. Calliente:What do you think of a prominent group, calling themselves 'The Red Hessians'... Have you had interractions with them, and if yes... --*She couldn't finish the sentence, as Kadego exclaimed loudly --*
BLAST THEM. ANY OF THEM. JUST START BLASTING..!!! Destroy their ships, tractor in the escape pods, sell at the nearest base that'll buy them off me.
*Hessians... Kadego couldn't remember a time when he didn't hate them. Those were the types of folk he could never understand - the type that attacks civilians mercilessly, despite branding themselves as 'freedom fighters'!*
You seem to carry a lot of resentment towards the Hessians. I can understand that but let's try to keep focused. Are you willing to work towards destabilizing the current operations in Rheinland and Outcast controlled space?
*That question had a bit of a perplexing effect on Kadego... probably thanks to the drugs in his system. He struggles to keep his mind concentrated on the new topic*
De....stabili...zing... to de-stabilize, yes... Wait... god, my head is spinning like a broken record right now (right round, as they say)...
Cmd. Calliente:Losing a bit of focus, senor...? This session is almost over, but you have to finish it - we don't have much time and there are only two questions left on my list here. Please, proceed with your answer.
Destabilizing... - absolutely. I have no love for either the Maltese Navy or the Rheinland regime. I would, however, avoid endangering civilians - be it from Outcast origin or otherwise. Military men and women have made their choice, so if they stand in the way of our goals (or our lives and freedoms), I will open fire on them.
Besides... if there is anything in common between the Rheinwehr and the Marina Maltesa, it's that both of them are somehow tied to the Nomads, one way or another. There are either experiments going on (as the rumors say), or somebody from the top brass is playing host for one of those incubi... Makes me sick by just thinking about it!
*The Wilde are something that Kadego is very familiar with - all the vivid memories of the battles in Coronado, leading up to the Nomad Gate (now in ruins), come flooding back to his mind*
*His mind was just about hitting a deep fog, typical for someone who had started experiencing the 'come-down' effects of powerful drugs. The monitor on the left confirmed this, by a message "WARNING: USER BLACKOUT IMMINENT, ANTIDOTE ADMINISTRATION SCHEDULED IN >1 MINUTE"*
...h-hey, chief... I think I'mma....a-bout to pass out, j-just letting you know in advance h-here.
*Commander Calliente leans forward on her chair, looking intensely into Kadego's eyes, monitoring their now erratic rapid movements* Cmd. Calliente:It's okay, everything is under control. You have to hurry up now and answer the last question, senor... do it quickly, so we won't have to do another session just for that...!
A...a-nother session...? Oh, HELL no... Listen, I have nothing to hide here... Nothing 'ulterior', other than the fact I'd have to barf all over this table in a hot minute... and I'd very much like to avoid that, depending on how much longer I'd have to force myself to think here....
I'm equally as intolerant to drugs... as I am with nomads, aliens, crazy cultists or pink-colored tentacle monsters...!
H-have... you got... anything else to ask... commander...?
*Just as he finishes the sentence, he collapses in front of the chair he was sitting on, with the IV probes still connected to his left arm. The medical equipment's alarm sound filled the room, with the display saying "ANTIDOTE - ADMINISTERED. SUBJECT: UNCONSCIOUS. VITALS: STABLE*
She nodded to one of the operatives who completed the recording of the session. With care, Michela gently proceeded to unhook all the equipment and woke Sudrossa up. Once she was sure that the man was stable enough to hold his own and conscious, she continued:
I believe this covers all the information I needed. Thank you for your candor Kadego. Not that you had any other option. She smiled drily.
That would be all. We’ll escort you back to your quarters. If you feel any dizziness, it’s routine. It will pass within the next standard hour. I will send my assistant to provide you with some refreshments and food. You can rest for the time being.
Assuming everything checks out, I will file all the paperwork and you will be free to roam about the unrestricted sections of this station. I will contact you as soon as I have an assignment for you.
![[Image: iWs7UZ5.png]](https://i.imgur.com/iWs7UZ5.png)
