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Today on Newsdive: The Teacup Poisonings; an isolated event or
a rising trend? The seven people found death in
a hotelroom yesterday evening are prosumed to have been
poisoned, says the New Vilirth Police Department.
After doctors examined the bodies, they came to the
conclusion that the cause of death was likely chrysonite
poisoning. Earlier today, forensic
investigators found traces of chrysonite on the rims of the
teacups used by the victims. Police have begun to piece
together what might have happened.
It's been uncovered that at least three of the seven victims
had large sums of debt within the criminal circuit.
The NVPD believes that the seventh victim was the one to
poison both himself and the others.
Six of the victims were scheduled to sail to the
Southern Islands the next morning, suggesting they were
trying to get away from something, a spokesperson from
the police department tells us. They were found unresponsive in
the morning after they had missed their checkout time.
Chrysonite comes from the eponymous flower, also known as
Widow's Veil. It is a poison that is almost
impossible to detect. It is said to have the faintest
hint of dirt when added to something, but not everyone is
able to smell this. It's a fast-acting neurotoxin
that leads to respiratory failure, cardiac arrest and
multi-organ failure. Death usually occurs in minutes.
It's a popular poison due to its intractability and
effectiveness. Join us after the break with
criminologist Delia Dagma. We'll talk about how this event
mirrors several attacks and murders from the past and the
rising trend in... Wake up, New Vilirth!
Chapter 8 A Flight by Night A rush of wind dragged at my
clothing. I moved closer to the tunnel's
wall. Grime from the apartment still
clung to me even after a long bath.
Seppo hadn't shown up to help. Nor had he answered any of my
calls. Eljas had just sat there
watching me throw away his trash and scrub my apartment back to
something livable. Where my father had been I
didn't know. Nor did I want to.
I passed several alcoves in the tunnel, filled with ragged
figures, sleeping or otherwise. The lights that flickered along
the wall hollowed out their pale faces.
Needles and tubes littered the tracks.
I kept a steady pace. Occasionally a car or hover
passed me, but the traffic slowed down as time went by.
I followed the tracks further from the center and away from
that damned appartment. The stations I passed became
increasingly smaller. Less shops and houses lined the
walls. The houses that were there were
renovated using metal sheets and mismatched wood.
Torn posters warned against the effects of neomorphic memories,
detailing different hypothetical situations that memories could
affect. The slogan cut off after: "Using
Memories Affects More-" And now they crumpled in the gutters.
A shop advertised radios and flickering neon letters, but
there were no radios in sight. Pulled my hood further over my
head and dragged my shawl over my nose, so only a slit remained
from my yellow eyes. I walked further into the
tunnels towards the last station.
Its original name was West Green Park, but I only knew it as
Tracksend. It wasn't a place I enjoyed
visiting. The people that hung out here
weren't really perceived as people anymore.
Those too far into their addictions or debts, or both, to
be helped. A place for those whose mental
state was beyond healing. Technically this was true.
The Oneiroi Vanguard and the other organizations that
profited from this place weren't dumb enough to let the police
force believe otherwise. Occasionally there would be a
raid, and that's what they would find.
Lost addicts. But all addicts craved
something, and they flocked to it like bees to honey.
I climbed the steps from the tracks onto the platform.
The stores here did a better job of pretending they were still in
business for what they were advertising.
More radios, phones, clothing repairs, the lot.
I'd never seen these storefronts change.
They still housed the same broken neon lights and the
stacks of household supplies that had gone out of fashion
several years ago. But what was sold behind it
changed every week. I kept my face down, but it
wouldn't really matter. Few people were around, and all
of them wanted to be recognized even less than I did.
Two stairs up the wall I stepped onto a narrow street with all
boarded up shops except for one. Despite the late night, open
flickered in neon letters behind the dirty window.
I opened a door into the lone shop advertising coffee.
A luxury that hadn't been around for years.
Likely the boxes were empty. In the distance, behind the
counter, a bell rang. I closed the door behind me.
There was no one in sight and no clear path led to the counter.
Boxes and shelves stood in my way.
I had to wind through the entire store.
I wouldn't be able to make a run for it, which I guessed was the
point. I hung back from the counter,
watching the opening that led into the back of the store.
My knives pressed against my skin.
A rustling came from the back. They certainly weren't making
any haste. I waited, still as a statue.
An old man came shuffling out of the back.
He was human, although his fingers, with which he held a
stack of papers, were metal. His finger joints were rusted
and they creaked as he opened the drawer and slid the papers
into it. Although it might have been the
drawer itself as it hung lopsided in its hinges.
Good evening. Looking to buy some coffee?
The man didn't look at me. I'm looking for a special kind.
Aha. He stepped from behind the
counter and limped over to the shelves.
He picked up a small box and held it out to me.
I'd recommend this. It's from the islands of Lehema.
It's quite the investment, but it makes for a great present.
I took the box. It really was coffee.
I glanced around at the store and the fortune surrounding me.
This time the man did look at me.
I handed the box back. I'm looking for something else.
A special taste. Let me...
No. None of what you have here.
The man assessed me and then his wrinkled face broke into a grin.
You should have said so. No one is listening in.
No need to be all mysterious. I stayed quiet.
I don't have those things lying around for obvious reasons.
You'll have to place an order. But he did have all this coffee
standing here. I doubted no one was watching.
Certainly a few boxes in the way weren't stopping thieves from
taking everything. The man walked back to the
counter and reopened the lopsided drawer.
It squeaked in protest. He put a form on the counter in
front of me. I'd prefer not to leave a paper
trail. You can also tell me what you
want and I'll write it down myself.
No name required. All I need is the product and
your deposit. Which is fifty percent.
I'd like to keep my administration organized,
especially in my old age. I'm starting to forget things.
He patted the paper. His eyes sparkled.
A piece of paper wasn't going to make me keep my word, but I
leaned over to fill out the form.
I assume this is enough? I slammed a stack of money on
the counter. The smile faded from the man's
face. He stared at my words, the ink
still gleaming in the light. I will need it by tomorrow.
The man picked up the stack of money and counted it.
Right, correct. I will make sure of that, madam.
He bowed low. Can I get it delivered for you?
No. I'll be your tomorrow to pick it
up. Certainly.
Here's your receipt. He stamped a slip of paper.
Nice doing business with you, madam.
I didn't reply and turn around to meander out of the store.
Once I was outside and back down the stairs I saw the open light
flick off. The moment I stepped back on the
tracks I could tell something was different.
The alcoves had been abandoned. A blanket was lying in the
middle of the path discarded mid-flight.
I kept walking but moved one hand to the heft of my knife and
took a small handgun out of my pocket with the other.
I hit the handgun under the trailing fabric of my shawl.
I came to a halt. It's best if you keep walking
until we are a bit deeper into the tunnel.
I'd like some privacy. I continued, slowly and
deliberately. In front of us the tunnel bent
into the dark. Something pressed against my
spine. I recognized the cold, hard
muzzle of a gun. Sometimes owing a lot of money
was comforting. Most people didn't really want
to kill you. They only wanted to scare you.
That was until you paid off your debt.
Stop right there. Put your hands up.
I halted and lifted my hands. I slipped the gun into my sleeve
as I did. A figure stepped around me to
face me. My cousin pulled off his hood.
Surprise lit his face and he tilted his head.
A violent scar cut across his left eye, preventing it from
opening all the way. It gave him a far more
disturbing reputation than he deserved.
I had to admit he put it to good use.
He had the same dark hair and bright yellow eyes.
But when he smiled he bared a set of canines.
Izno Räsänen was half-duck alfar and half something different,
something feral. I assumed he was part night
walker or something similar. Although Izno liked to keep
everyone guessing, at his parentage.
That too was part of his mysterious spiel.
He had learned from his dear mother.
On a midnight stroll, are we? The officer behind me dug the
gun deeper between my shoulder blades.
Clearly, New Vilirth is lovely at night.
In the spirit of Willow I took a dramatic sniff of the air and
was immediately punished by inhaling a fresh waft of rotting
trash and urine. Lovely.
Anything you need to report? He turned a bit so that the
badge on his chest shown in the harsh lamplight.
Only now did I really look at what he was wearing.
He was dressed in police attire. It wasn't his standard uniform,
more toned down and without the official colors, but in the
buttons of his jacket shown the symbol of the New Vilirth Police
Department. Where did you get that?
It's mine. He fingered his badge.
No one in their right mind would give you that.
But evidently someone had. The Oneiroi Vanguard often made
pacts with police officers, especially those in training.
It helped with gathering information.
Raids happened, they had to happen.
The Vanguard made sure the police always found enough to
keep them satisfied. Plus it was a great way to
punish those that hadn't been cooperative.
And to get rid of those who caused problems.
Getting her son involved, however, alluded to Ulva having
planned something bigger than a few well planned raids and
arrests. Check her!
I glared at him but did not resist when one of the officers
started pulling out the knives I'd hidden in my waistband and
boots. Unfortunately he discovered the
small pistol as well. He gathered all my weapons in a
sack. Too bad about those knives that
they hadn't been cheap. That's it, sir.
First off, we can take her in for illegal possession of a gun.
Secondly, these knives are longer than the allowed set
length so we can also make a case with that too.
He could put her behind bars, sir.
We can strip her there and find out what else she's hiding.
The officer looked expectantly at Izno, who was staring at me
intensely. A frown furrowed his dark brows.
That won't be necessary. I'd like to see you try.
Repulsive, cousin. I rolled my eyes, feigning
arrogance, but my heart was thumping.
Had he somehow known I would be here?
And if he had, how? I hadn't mentioned this to
anyone. Izno took a notebook out of his
pocket and started scribbling. Name?
You know my name. Rhea Räsänen.
Good. You will be charged with illegal
possession of a firearm. First warning, sum of 150,000
shards. I ground my teeth.
I'm going to need to see your papers.
He looked up at me and waited. I fished it out of my pocket and
showed him my registration card. He nodded contently and
continued writing. Izno ripped off the piece of
yellow transfer paper and handed it to me.
We won't be so lenient next time.
Make sure to stay on the right side of the law, miss.
He made a show to glance at my surname.
Räsänen. I didn't give him the
satisfaction of playing along. The gun left my back.
I watched until all three officers left before taking off.
I slammed the door into Willow's apartment open and ran into the
kitchen. I pulled open every door
scouring through them. The light flicked on.
Rhea? What the hell?
She held a gun in her hand, but lowered it the moment she saw it
was me. Where do you keep your matches?
I opened another drawer. Fuck.
Was every drawer in Willow's kitchen a junk drawer?
What are you doing? Willow.
Second drawer to the right. I pulled it open, almost ripping
it out of the cupboard. There.
I pulled the receipt out of my shirt and held the match to it.
It caught fire immediately. I threw the smoldering pieces in
the sink. What was that?
I turned around to find Tuula standing behind Willow.
Her eyes were red. Lack of sleep?
Willow's frustration melted from her face.
What happened? Her uncle was rescued today.
Of course. Constantine must have reinstated
the rescue mission. I should have paid attention.
That's... good. Niilas didn't make it.
For a moment the name didn't click.
Oh. Her cousin.
I... Tuula...
I'm sorry. My condolences.
Tuula ignored my words. What was that?
She pointed at the sink. I looked down at the burned
pieces of paper and turned on the tap.
I noticed my hands were trembling.
I set them on the counter and watched the ashes of the paper
wash down the sink and disappear into the sewer.
A paper trail. What for?
I'm sorry I didn't check in about your uncle.
Have you killed it? The krenir?
No, not yet. Tuula wrapped her arms around
herself. They, too, were trembling.
I'm working on it. There was a moment of silence as
we stood there. I wasn't sure what to do with
this guilt that rumbled in my stomach.
If I started moving, doing something, perhaps I could
outrun it. We want in.
I glanced at Willow. We still stood next to Tuula.
Now that I really looked, she, too, seemed out of sorts.
Her skin was pale. She had dark circles below her
eyes. Her hair looked different, too.
It hung loose and it was messy. I couldn't remember Willow's
hair ever being messy. She'd brush her hair before even
getting out of bed. It all was shown, bright and
blonde. And now it was as dull as the
look on our face. Willow took the kettle from the
stove. We need to talk.
She held it under the streaming water and plucked the matchbox
from my hand. I watched as Willow took three
mugs from the cupboard. She leaned against the counter,
not looking at either of us. She was wearing a cotton
nightgown that hung just above her knees.
Her legs were bruised. And now that I was looking,
truly seeing, I noticed that her arms were too.
What happened? Char first.
Tuula sank down onto the couch and pulled her legs up.
We waited in silence for the kettle to start howling.
Willow gathered her hair together in a ponytail,
beginning to look a lot more like the Willow I knew.
She took the pot from the stove and filled three cups with
water. She scooped dried flowers into a
bag. Willow left me to pick up my own
cup and walk to the couch. I picked it up by the rim, its
ear had long ago broken off, and followed Willow.
She handed one mug to Tuula and sat down next to her.
They were a united front against me.
Great. I found something.
Found what? Something to kill the beast
with. I frowned.
That's impossible. And I told you I'm doing this
alone. Like hell you are.
Her sadness twisted into anger in an instant.
You might think you need to do this alone, all heroically, but
you don't have to go down there every day.
If this fails it will be my family that pays for it, not
yours, and not Willow's, mine. You can't just turn your back on
us because you have no use of us anymore.
We've done this together for five moons.
We're a team. Friends even, maybe, I don't
know. I open my mouth to speak.
Tuula, I don't... And don't tell me we aren't.
If that were true, you wouldn't have cared about the rescue
mission. You would have let them
suffocate. I'm not a monster.
That has nothing to do with friendship.
You're stuck with us, Rhea, whether you want it or not.
And now you're going to need us because we have information that
you don't. I don't think friends manipulate
each other into hanging out. Neither of them laughed.
Yeah, well, sometimes friends need a kick against their butts.
I'm really sorry about your cousin, Tuula.
I wondered if I could have done something to prevent it.
I am too. I wanted to know what they found
out, but pushing the subject felt inappropriate.
I sipped from my herbata. The drink burned my tongue and I
hissed. I didn't understand what Willow
liked so much about it. Tasted like grassy water.
I set the mug down. Finally, Willow spoke.
It's hurt. The blast in the mines broke
part of the krenir's skin. I sat up.
How do you know? Willow picked the bag of her
herbata leaves from her mug. She watched the water drip back
into the mug before dropping it on a saucer.
Willow? I may have stolen a memory.
What? And then used it.
Willow seemed to shrink. It made sense now.
The bruises, the dark circles. Willow, are you insane?
Even made properly, those are highly addictive.
Don't you think I know that? I'm the medical expert,
remember? But you wouldn't believe that we
could be of any help. That's childish.
Shut up. Tuula sprang up.
If you can't take us seriously, you can leave.
But we are killing this monster with you, whether you like it or
not. We have vital information.
And Willow, Willow can make her own choices.
Tuula shot Willow a look. Even if they are questionable.
So Tuula didn't agree either. They must have had this fight
already. Its belly is damaged.
So if we can shoot it or blow the beast up from below?
That won't work. The cave might collapse and...
I think... I think I've got something.
For a moment I doubted if I was really going to share this with
them. I watched their determined
faces. What?
I wriggled some extra shards out of Von Lerikov to buy myself a
safety net. In case shit hits the fan.
I bought Neek Poison. I thought maybe I could put it
in darts. Oh, and you think I'm crazy?
No, no, no, no, no. We can make something even
better. I can make a trap.
We need something to hit it from below, right?
Leave it to me. I could see the device taking
shape behind Tuula's eyes. Right.
Let's do this then. Thank you for tuning in.
We hope you've enjoyed your stay.