25. Alice
CHAPTER 25
ALICE
T he walk to the hold feels longer than usual, each step heavier than the last. Davrik's broad shoulders are tense as he inputs the security code.
"You're sure about this?" His eyes search mine.
"Yes." My voice comes out steadier than I feel.
The door slides open with a soft hiss. Inside, the crates sit innocently enough - standard shipping containers, unmarked except for serial numbers. Davrik kneels beside one, his fingers working the complex locking mechanism.
"Step back," he warns.
The lid creaks open. Inside, neatly stacked bags shimmer under the fluorescent lights. The powder inside catches the light like crushed diamonds.
My breath catches. "I've seen this before."
"Alice-"
I'm already running back to my lab, my heart pounding against my ribs. The portable scanner sits on my workbench, buried under research notes. My hands shake as I grab it.
Back in the hold, Davrik hasn't moved. He watches silently as I wave the scanner over an open bag. Numbers flash across the screen, and my stomach drops.
"Oh god." The scanner nearly slips from my grip. "This is Stardust."
"What?"
"It's- we studied it in advanced chemistry. The molecular structure is unique." My finger traces the readout. "One gram can keep someone high for days. Two can stop their heart." The implications hit me hard. "How many kilos are in these crates?"
Davrik's silence is answer enough.
"This could kill thousands of people." The scanner beeps again, confirming what I already know. "The addiction rate is nearly hundred percent. Once someone starts..."
I can't finish the sentence. The silver powder sparkles mockingly, beautiful and deadly. All this time, I've been harboring enough poison to destroy entire communities.
My knees feel weak as I do the mental calculations. "Even at rock bottom prices, this is..." I swallow hard, my throat dry. "This could buy a whole mining station. Feed everyone there for years."
The scanner trembles in my hand. I set it down before I drop it, steadying myself against the crate.
"One delivery." My voice sounds hollow in the cargo hold. "Just moving boxes from point A to point B. That's all it takes to earn more than I make in five years of research."
Davrik shifts his weight but stays silent, those green eyes watching me process everything.
"I get it now." The words taste bitter. "Why you'd do this. It's so... easy. Just don't think about where it goes after. Don't think about the bodies that'll pile up in the morgues. The families torn apart. The kids who'll never see their parents sober again."
My fingers brush against one of the bags. The powder inside shifts, catching the light like crushed stars. Beautiful, deadly, destructive. My stomach churns.
"How many doses are in here? A hundred thousand? More? And that's just one crate." I wrap my arms around myself, suddenly cold. "How many people were you going to help kill?"
"Alice-"
"No." I step back from the crate. "I don't want to hear justifications. I've seen what this stuff does. Third year of university, I volunteered at a recovery center. Thought it would look good on my resume." A harsh laugh escapes me. "They were so young, some of them. Just kids really. And their eyes... god, their eyes were empty. Like they weren't even there anymore."
The memory hits fresh - hollow faces, trembling hands, bodies wracked with withdrawal. All because someone somewhere decided profit mattered more than lives.
Davrik runs a hand through his dark hair, his jaw set. "Then tell me how to destroy it."
My fingers trace the edge of the scanner, mind racing through chemical compositions and molecular structures. "It's not that simple."
"Everything can be destroyed."
"Not safely." I pull up the molecular diagram on the scanner's display. "See this bond structure? If we try to burn it, the compound breaks down into something caustic. The fumes would poison the air for kilometers. Anyone or anything breathing it would..." I shake my head. "Their lungs would basically dissolve."
His green eyes narrow. "Bury it then."
"The chemical makeup is highly soluble. It would leech into the groundwater, contaminate the soil." My hands wave at the surrounding jungle beyond the hold. "Everything I've been studying, all the unique life here - it would die. The ecosystem would collapse."
"The river-"
"Same problem, but worse. The current would spread it downstream. Any animal that drinks would die. The fish, the plants..." I bite my lip. "And that's assuming it doesn't make it to the ocean. If it does, we're looking at dead zones that could span hundreds of square kilometers."
Davrik paces the hold, his boots echoing against the metal floor. "There has to be a way."
"The only safe disposal would be in a specialized facility with containment fields and molecular scrubbers." I gesture at our surroundings. "Which we definitely don't have out here in the middle of nowhere."
He stops pacing, staring at the open crate. The powder inside continues its mocking sparkle.
"So we're stuck with it," he says quietly.
"Unless you want to be responsible for destroying an entire planet's ecosystem? Yeah, we're stuck with it."
"I'll take care of it once we get off-world." Davrik closes the crate, his movements precise and careful. "There has to be a facility somewhere that can handle this."
I cross my arms. "And you won't be tempted to just... complete the delivery?"
"No." He meets my eyes, and there's something fierce there. "I meant what I said. I'm done with that life."
"Just like that?"
"Just like that." He steps closer, his hand brushing my cheek. "I choose you. Everything else... I'll figure it out."
My scientist brain kicks in, unable to let go of the practical concerns. "We need to seal these crates properly. Even a small leak could be catastrophic."
"Already on it." He walks back to his ship, and I follow, still not fully sure I know what he's really thinking. He moves to a panel in his ship's wall, pulling out what looks like industrial-grade sealant. "This stuff could hold through a solar flare."
Back at the station, I watch him work, methodically checking every seam and corner. "We should move them away from any ventilation systems. And definitely away from the water recycling units."
"The cargo hold has its own containment field." His fingers trace the edge of a crate, checking for weak spots. "It's designed to handle volatile materials."
"Volatile materials." I can't help but laugh, though there's no humor in it. "That's one way to put it."
He pauses, sealant gun hovering over the final edge. "I'll make this right, Alice. I swear it."
"I believe you." The words surprise me, but they're true. "Just... promise me we'll find a way to handle it properly. No shortcuts."
"No shortcuts," he agrees, finishing the seal with a final pass. "We do this right."
Back at the station, I survey the chaos left by the pirates. Broken equipment litters the floor, and my research notes are scattered everywhere. The sight of my violated workspace makes my chest tight, but having Davrik beside me helps steady my nerves.
"They really did a number on your filing system." Davrik picks up a handful of papers, arranging them carefully on my desk.
"At least they didn't destroy anything irreplaceable." I gather up sample containers that had rolled under tables. "The backup drives are intact, and my specimens are safe."
"Your priorities continue to mystify me." He rights an overturned chair. "You were kidnapped, and you're worried about plant samples?"
"These plants could help people." I start organizing slides, checking each one for damage. "Real people, not theoretical ones."
Davrik moves closer, helping me collect scattered equipment. "Is that why you do this? To help people?"
"Partly." I straighten a stack of reports. "Also because I love it. Every day I get to learn something new, solve another puzzle." I glance at him. "What about you? What would you do, if not... you know."
"I don't know." He pauses, considering. "Never really thought about it before."
Together we restore order to my lab, and with each item returned to its proper place, I feel more like myself again. The station slowly transforms back into my sanctuary, made somehow better by sharing it with someone who understands both its importance and mine.