[center][h1]Cagen[/h1][/center]


Light. But not just regular light, this was a strange, ever-changing light. Like an oil spill, where coloured bands meld together against the blackness as the sunlight reflected from it in an irregular fashion. Yet these colours were in constant kaleidoscopic motion. That alone would have been enough to satisfy most people but it was the secondary sensation that really moved you to a higher place. The ice-cold tingle coursing through your veins, somewhat similar to the feeling of anesthetic being pumped into your arm before you're whisked off to slumber. It relaxed you yet kept you on edge at the same time. Goosebumps washed over you in waves every other second. Each wave bringing with it a cacophony of feelings and emotion. The most prominent being of happiness and love. As time passed by, the strength of each wave grew stronger until emotion was transformed into orgasmic sensation. 

These were the effects of [i]Ice[/i]. Or rather, Cryosurgical Muscle Stimulant other wise known as [i]CryStim.[/i] It had been originally conceived as a medicinal stimulant for athletes to be directly injected into damaged muscle tissue in order to alleviate pain and allow them to continue on despite injury. It had been outlawed only two years after its' release when a prominent soccer star had been caught injecting the stuff directly into his blood stream. Now it was a highly sought-after recreational drug, with a high addiction rate but no apparently malicious side-effects other than exhaustion and dehydration. Despite the high price tag, it was this very drug that had been circulating Cagen's blood stream for the better part of six hours.

[color=bc8dbf][b]"[s]Cag...get...u...ou...ass...le![/s]"[/b][/color] It was a sound he thought he recognized, but he couldn't be sure. [color=bc8dbf][b]"[s]We...hav...g...tim...f...is![/s]"[/b][/color] It was a voice, definitely female. [color=bc8dbf][b]"[s]Pathetic fucking[/s] [i]junkie![/i]"[/b][/color] A harsh slap to his face instantly roused him and he shot bolt upright, protesting the act of violence in pain.

[color=0072bc][b]"Fuck, I'm up already![/b][/color] He yelled, his head pounding from the strike. [color=0072bc][b]"Don't you know [i]not[/i] to wake someone out of a trip like that?!"[/b][/color] He continued, obviously annoyed at the interruption of his latest dose of [i]Ice[/i].

[color=bc8dbf][b]"I couldn't give a [i]damn[/i] about that shit you pump into yourself to help you jack off at night, we needed you on the bridge hours ago!"[/b][/color] It was Celeste, his second-in-command and more-often-than-not his replacement mother.

[color=0072bc][b]"Alright, I'm coming. Just gotta clean myself up."[/b][/color] He said, looking down at his completely naked self in mild disgust at the mess he'd made whilst still under the effects of [i]Ice[/i]. [color=0072bc][b]"How long was I out for?"[/b][/color] He inquired.

[color=bc8dbf][b]"About six hours."[/b][/color] Celeste answered, only now deciding to avert her eyes from her Captain's pitiful state.

[color=0072bc][b]"Holy shit, that's a new personal best!"[/b][/color] Chimed Cagen, suddenly upbeat and smiling.

[color=bc8dbf][b]"You're such an asshole."[/b][/color] She sighed, rolling her eyes, before walking out of his chambers and leaving him to get dressed.

[hr]

Cagen emerged on the bridge five minutes later, dressed in his usual attire and looking as pale as he always did after one of his lengthy trips. He walked gingerly to his command station, casually popping an aspirin into his mouth and washing it down with water. The bridge had gone quiet, with everyone turning to look at him, various looks of annoyance or pity filled their faces. All except Celeste who was sat to the right of his station, although situated slightly lower, furiously tapping away at her glass keyboard. [color=0072bc][b]"Morning crew."[/b][/color] He said tentatively, almost at a whisper, before collapsing into his chair and slouching to make himself more comfortable. He took another swig of water, relishing the coldness of it and how it reminded him of CryStim.

[b][color=82ca9d]"Heavy night, Captain?"[/color][/b] Came a voice from the front. It was followed by a few laughs which were instantly put down by Celeste clearing her throat, who had then pulled herself away from her typing to glare in the direction of his Weapons Specialist, Dex. Cagen chose not to answer, figuring it'd be better not to aggravate his XO any further.

[color=0072bc][b]"Can I get a SitRep of the last six hours?"[/b][/color] He asked. Normally he would have ordered it, had it not been given to him upon his arrival, but he was in the doghouse with Celeste right now and he would need to tread carefully. To his surprise, it was Celeste who answered him.

[color=bc8dbf][b]"We've arrived in the Neptune sector. There's a small pirate faction operating in the area right now and Security Forces have taken it upon themselves to detain us until we can confirm we're not pirates. We're being escorted planetside as we speak."[/b][/color] Cagen sat up in his command chair, suddenly looking at the large visual display unit at the front of the bridge. He could see from various camera ports two Security Force patrol ships flanking his own ship on each side.

[color=0072bc][b]"[i]Shit.[/i] Did they say who was in command?"[/b][/color] He asked, somewhat annoyed at himself for being out for so long.

[color=bc8dbf][b]"Lieutenant Garrick, he will be leading the interrogation and inspection of the ship."[/b][/color]

[color=0072bc][b]"[i]That[/i] asshole? Are you fucking [i]kidding[/i] me?"[/b][/color] He tapped a few buttons on his keyboard, bringing up Garrick's service record that had been stored on the SFs public database. He looked at the name of his commanding officer then smiled to himself. [color=0072bc][b]"Sasha, get me a line to Lieutenant Garrick."[/b][/color] He said to his Communication Specialist, who nodded in reply and quickly began carrying out the task at her station. Seconds later a buffering screen appeared on the VDU punctuated with a ringing chime that repeated itself every few seconds. After a few moments, the screen changed again and was now filled with the image of Lieutenant Garrick. A middle-aged man, impeccably dressed in his Service Blues and looking somewhat impressed with himself, evident by the smug sneer that seemed etched onto his face.

[color=007236][b]"Fletcher Payne. I wondered when I might be getting a call from you."[/b][/color] He spoke, his smile showing several badly stained teeth. An imperfection that mirrored the man's personality, a rotten core beneath the perfectly pristine facade.

[color=0072bc][b]"If you knew I was going to call, you can cut the shit already and get these goddamn patrol dogs off of my ass."[/b][/color] Stated Cagen, not wanting to partake in the Lieutenant's usual game of snide remarks and hoop-jumping.

[color=007236][b]"Can't do that I'm afraid, your number is up. As of about twelve hours ago, your ship was classified as a known pirate vessel and yourself named as a pirate aggressor. To let you go would be an act of gross misconduct and certainly treason."[/b][/color] He explained, the smug look never once fading.

[color=0072bc][b]"That's bullshit and you know it, Garrick! Twelve hours ago I put in a renewal request for my Fugitive Enforcement registration, which is due to run out next week. Everyone in the system knows that renewal requests instantly relinquish any licensed status and automatically inserts the licencee's ship credentials as [i]Potentially Dangerous[/i] to your sector scanners."[/b][/color] Cagen was growing annoyed with the man faster than usual, a knock on effect of the exhaustion he'd been feeling since he'd come around.

[color=007236][b]"Well, we'll just have to confirm those claims after we've taken you in for questioning and performed a full inspection of your ship."[/b][/color] Another smile, Cagen forced himself to bite his tongue. Instead of anger, he would match this asshole with a trump card. He sat straighter in his chair, taking a small sip from his glass of water and calmed himself.

[color=0072bc][b]"If it's time wasting that you want, Lieutenant, then I'm sure your Commanding Officer would be delighted to hear all about how you've detained such a dangerous criminal as myself. Surely he would promote you right there on the spot, wouldn't he?"[/b][/color] Cagen's tone was sarcastic and passively aggressive. [color=0072bc][b]"Sasha, would you be so kind as to hail Commander William Payne?"[/b][/color] Garrick's face dropped before forming into a scowl.

[color=007236][b]"Fine. If you want to cry to [i]daddy[/i], so be it."[/b][/color] Garrick turned to speak to someone off screen. A few moments later, the two patrols ships that had been escorting him towards the planet slipped away, abandoning his ship to return to their usual patrol routes. [color=007236][b]"Just know that there'll come a day when your old man won't be around to save your ass. And then I'll be free to lock you up for the criminal you really are!"[/b][/color]

[color=0072bc][b]"On that day, Garrick, I'll still find away past you and you know it. Now be a good boy and go back to shuffling papers, whilst I catch all the bad guys for you."[/b][/color] Cagen retorted, smiling at his success.

[color=007236][b]"Got to hell, Payne."[/b][/color] Garrick spat before cutting off the communication link. Cagen had always thought him a strange man. Garrick held this deluded grudge against him for as long as he could remember, the reason for it escaped him but whatever it was Cagen was sure it barely warranted the man's constant hounding and harassment. Looking at the screens of his command station, Cagen could see data readouts for the navigation system. It was advising an alternate approach vector towards their intended destination: Neso, one of Neptune's moons. The interruption of Lieutenant Garrick meant that they had deviated from their original path.

[color=0072bc][b]"Jensen!"[/b][/color] He called to his Navigation Specialist, one of the newer additions to his crew. [color=0072bc][b]"Perform a course correction and get us back on-route to Neso. I don't wanna be in this sector any longer than we need to."[/b][/color] The young officer said nothing as he immediately sprung to work.