(Content Warning: Alcohol Consumption)
The Journals of Ashton Frost, Part Six
The closer I got to unraveling the secrets of the Institute, the worse that things seemed to be going for me. I had nearly burned my bridges with the only two friends I had. I had at least one bounty hunter on my trail, probably several. But with the help of Breaker and Whiz, we had completely severed the Institute's pipeline to obtain Trip - it wasn't going to be mined, manufactured or distributed anymore. The Institute would be running out of their wonder drug soon enough, and hopefully that would make them desperate and reckless. We wanted to flush them out into the open.
Breaker and I were both exhausted. It had been a rough couple of days, physically and emotionally. The funds from the ice mining were slowly building up, and I figured we could use a short vacation while we figured out what to do next. "I know a great place to spend a weekend, Brother," I told him. "Sure, it's only a few decks up from here, but the views are great, the whiskey flows like water, the food is even better than the stuff in our galley, and there's not a care in the world."
So we returned to my favorite hotel (actually, the only one I have ever stayed in, to be fair). "Welcome back, Sor Frost. Always a pleasure to see you," said the concierge. She turned to Breaker. "And welcome to you as well, Sor...?"
"Bridger, Sira. Blake Bridger. Sor Frost's business partner." I had known Breaker for several weeks now, and this was the first time he'd ever used his given name. We checked in and headed down to the lounge. It was a low-key place, designed for private business entertainment. "So, Blake," I said to him, over a round of Florin whiskey, "how did you come about 'Breaker'?"
He laughed, and lit a fine cigar. "It's actually kind of a funny story. It was my kid sister. She was maybe two or three, still learning to speak. She'd call me 'Break'. It became her nickname for me. When I started doing salvage runs, 'Breaker' seemed fitting and it just kind of stuck."
I took another sip of the whiskey and savored it. I'll have to pick up another bottle of this for the ship, to replace the one I gave to Farmer Grey. "As for you, Ash?" Blake asked. "It's obvious why you chose 'Hellion', but that handle's kind of tied to your old identity. Too easy for an overly curious person to make a connection. You need a new one." He swirled the whiskey in his glass, pondering suggestions. "You move like a shadow, especially in the dark. Quiet, invisible... like a ghost. Or a phantom..."
"Wraith," I said. He raised an eyebrow, so I went on. "They say that someone who is murdered, but has unfinished business, might return as a vengeful spirit, called a wraith." Blake nodded appreciatively.
"That's better than anything I'd have come up with, Ash." He raised his glass in a toast. "To my best friend Ashton Frost, the Wraith." We clinked our glasses together and finished our whiskey. I ordered a bottle to go.
[Sojourn: +Heart. 6+3 vs 2 and 7. Strong Hit. Hearten: +1 Spirit (+5). Resupply: +1 Momentum (+6)]
* * *
I sat, alone, in the sauna. The heat didn't bother me. It was the best place for me to find some privacy, to ponder the events of the last several days and to find my way back to the only people who mattered to me. I took deep breaths, and freed my mind. I searched for the bright spark inside me, and quietly murmured my mantra: "I am in control of my anger. My anger does not control me." Once more, I could feel the warmth kindle inside me - the fire of the righteous spirit within me. Once more, I felt that I was on the right path again.
[Meditate: +Spirit, 5+5 vs 6 and 9. Strong Hit. +3 Fire.]
* * *
[Develop Your Relationship: 5+2 vs 4 and 5. Strong Hit. +2 ticks to Bonds Legacy track. +2 XP (3)]
A carefree weekend of relaxation, good food and drink, and great live entertainment had done wonders for both of us, and went a long way to mend the friction that had arisen during the violent raid on Arrakoth. I could see that Blake was also free of the tension, frustration and stress that had built up from recent events.
As we rode a minicab back to the Acheron, I turned to Blake and said, "On Arrakoth, you said we are partners, and partners stick together. At the hotel, you introduced yourself as my 'business partner'. It got me thinking: You've sunk as much money into this enterprise as I have, the Acheron is in so many ways a product of your time and effort, and you've given me the means to be financially independent. You're my best friend, and you're like an older brother to me. We should formalize our business partnership. What do you say?"
Blake seemed surprised at first, and then thoughtful. He nodded his head. "It sounds good to me, Ash. I can't let you go running off into trouble all the time without someone to watch over you. You need a sounding board. I've seen the decisions you make on your own." He laughed, and I could not help but laugh with him. He was right. I hadn't always made the best choices. If the fire inside me, that led me on, was my gut, then Breaker was my conscience, my 'mind'. And who was my compassion, my better nature, my 'heart'? I only knew one other person besides Blake. I wondered if I would ever see her again. I needed to set things right with her. She needed my help as much as I relied on hers.
We arrived at the Acheron and went aboard. I put the new bottle of whiskey in the cabinet. Blake looked around as if he was seeing a different ship than the one he had flown on before. I clapped him on the shoulder and gripped his hand. "Welcome aboard our ship, my friend, my brother, my partner, my co-pilot. Why don't you check out your quarters and go get your gear?"
[Frost has purchased a new Asset: Sidekick (Blake Bridger aka 'Breaker'). Expertise: Spacer]
[Final Stats: Momentum +6 Health +5 Spirit +5 Supply +5 Fire 3 Fugitive 1]