Read Online Deep Yellow by Stuart Dodds - Free Book Online

experiences when
coming around; for Brell it was an awareness of the weight of her
body, in particular the sense of feeling in her fingers. Brell
rubbed her hands across the stiff bed fabric, trying to remember
where she was. Within a locked bedroom in her quarters? On a space
cruiser on way back to Corps HQ after a leave period on a vacation
moon? In prison, in her cell with nothing to look forward to? With
eyes still closed, she had no choice but to allow the present back
into her mind. Prison. Mind numbing prison. She remained relaxed
for as long as possible and when real life could not be rejected,
she opened her eyes. Groggily, she got up and splashed water on her
face.
    “Welcome back to the
world.” She said aloud, to her unsmiling reflection.
    She sat on the privy
and propped her head in her hands. Deep Yellow whilst a wonderful
drug, it was also a curse, a ruination of many a career. As her
Police Corps instructor once said, ”As soon as you take Deep Yellow
you are on a collision course.”
    ***
    "Good morning
recruits. This morning we will examine one of the Associations most
popular, but illegal substances, Deep Yellow." The class instructor
said.
    Brell was eighteen, a
new Police Corps recruit, and sat in a classroom with her
colleagues at the Academy.
    "Watch this," the
instructor said.
    The lights dimmed and
a holo screen appeared. A man dressed in a white coat held a bottle
of yellow liquid and looked towards the camera.
    "Seconds after
drinking Deep Yellow, its nano filaments swim through the
bloodstream, forming a small, powerful mass of nerves, which
latches onto brain cell receptors. After a brief interval, three
words form and appear in the users mind. If the user opens their
eyes at this point, the words would be visible as if displayed on a
transparent screen. However, it leaves its mark on the brain and
nervous system. Many users claim that they live a normal working
life whilst taking DY occasionally. However, it is risky. Constant
overuse can lead to brain freeze, where the user does not know if
they are in the real or Deep Yellow world."
    A beam clip appeared,
showing various people being led into a doctor’s room by a
relative. Whilst their eyes were open, the drug users were not
registering any outside stimulation.
    "Does anyone know the
basic three menu words that appear after someone has taken DY?"
    "Sir, there is
'thought’ for contemplating a single thought or idea. ‘Sensual’ for
visual and internalised body sense stimulus. ‘Oblivion' for a
euphoric experience where no stray thoughts can interfere."
    "Thank you, Jensen,
good answer, you show a lot of knowledge regarding the
subject."
    "Sir, my given mother
works in a Police Corps laboratory."
    "That’s good. Now,
during your career you will undoubtedly meet a fellow officer who
has or is about to take the substance."
    "Why would they do
that?" Brell said in a low voice to her colleague, who nodded
back.
    "What was that,
Sturlach?"
    "Sir, I was wondering
why Corps officers would destroy their careers by taking Deep
Yellow, or any illegal substances, for that matter."
    "You’ll be surprised.
I have seen a few good officers brought down by Deep Yellow abuse
and intox amongst other substances. Stress, relationship
difficulties, and work problems are just a few reasons why someone
would take it. Use your gland enhancements and legal highs as
necessary, but as soon as you take Deep Yellow, you could be on a
collision course to forfeit your pension and everything else."
    "Yes Sir, I'm not
going to waste my career away by taking that stuff," Brell
said.
    "Good. Let's have a
look at the drug itself."
    The scientist appeared
again, and a smaller image screen opened in the top right of the
screen. His voice was boring on its own, so someone had added
images for interest.
    "Deep Yellow also
known as Deep, DY, Yello, Yell and Mellow was discovered years ago
when an apothecary working within a brain injury research unit
mixed yellow bark root