Brinus came from behind the no-smoking section of the promenade and flicked a cigarette butt onto the ground. He walked into the mess hall, waiting to get some fresh ocean food similar to fried octopus from the planet they orbited. The food smelled succulent, and his empty stomach growled with anticipation. He ignored the news, which showed government officials in the Federation responsible for the Great Purge, where the government rounded up and shot people in the streets. A lone soldier was going behind each man one by one, putting blaster bolts at the base of their skulls. The police had the streets blocked, and the video of the public executions was leaked, TriQuarter footage. There was commentary on the purges. However, he tuned it out and contemplated between fried octopus and Conti Ocean World crab legs.
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A midshipman tapped Brinus on the shoulder as he grabbed a few fried octopus tentacles. They were greasy, crispy, and smelled like fish. The friend asked, “Are you okay?”
Brinus jumped, and it was his study buddy from his Warp Bubble Calculus Two class. “I’m not sure what to think, Godfrick. I kinda enjoy watching the feds burn, but I am not the same person I was when I joined the Navy.”
They both paid for their food from the commissary and sat in the smoking section of the mess hall. The smoking section smelled like a hookah bar. It was thick and cloudy, and over 100 midshipmen and cadets were eating.
Godfrick ate his bluefish sticks and chips. “No one likes watching the social collapse unless something is wrong with that person. What did I say about looking at those clickbait sites?”
“You’re right.”
After eating, Godfrick offered Brinus a cigarette from his pack, and they both started smoking together. Brinus said in a matter-of-fact tone, “Did you hear what happened at that Federation Military Academy?”
“I heard they rounded up ten professors and shot them in the square. They were showing the footage. They wrote papers on mass executions of the Elves in the Elfendor System and were all for the old system.”
Godfrick tilted his head back, blew smoke up to the ceiling, sighed, and grumbled. “Really? Those news sites again?”
He mumbled something under his breath about media reliability and then looked Godfrick in the eye. “You ever get the feeling the news is trying to distract us from somethin’? I was on a clickbait site the other day and was readin’ about Operation Divide and Conquer.”
Godfrick snapped and rolled his eyes. “What did looking up information on Operation Divide and Conquer add to your life? Did it make your day better, or did it make you feel worse?”
Brinus thought for a moment and then mumbled, “I guess it made me want to smoke despite trying to cut down.”
“Exactly! It’s upsetting! Why do you doom-scroll, knowing it will upset you?”
Brinus shrugged and then shook some ash into the ashtray. “I’ve been stressed lately with AA nicotine withdrawal, the big test comin’ up. On the last test, I made a 99, but I need a 100 to make the honor roll.”
Godfrick stuck his tongue into his cheek and then snapped. “There will always be stress. You can control the doom-scrolling and the conspiracy-theory-hunting. Why don’t we discuss something else? You always talk about politics. Is Simmie cooking tonight for the study group?”
Brinus smiled, and his shoulders relaxed. “Yes, he is. He’s makin’ his favorite dish from an old recipe.”
They both crushed their cigarette butts in the ashtray and disposed of their food trays in the replicator.
Brinus yelled across the room “I’ll see ya in a couple of hours! Bring Donny and Smol!”
Godfrick gave Brinus the middle finger, and they both laughed.
After the supper with Godfrick, Brinus came home. He stripped down to a pair of gym shorts. Hearing voices, he went into the living room and saw his mother, Commander Tom, and Commander Theodore standing there.
Brinus stood at attention and saluted.
Commander Theodore saluted back. “At ease, Stinkball. The Magi are giving us the use of their Crystal Temple at Aldoneen whenever you’re ready. You will be designated as a magi consultant.”
Marci coughed and sighed.
Commander Theodore looked at Marci. “What is wrong, madam duchess?”
“Why are you hazing my son?” Marci really didn’t care if they were hazing him or not, she only cared about her image. Hazing the son of a duchess was not good for her public image in her friend circles.
Commander Tom shrugged and laughed, “He hasn’t complained about it.”
Marci snapped, “You could dump Brinus in the woods without smokes, lighters, food, or water, and he still wouldn’t complain.”
The two officers laughed, and Commander Theodore joked, “He would go through nicotine withdrawal, though. May not survive.”
Marci held up her hand and made a shushing sound. “That isn’t the point. You will stop calling him a Stinkball today, or I will audit this academy for hazing.” The bluff was a lie. It would look bad on her as First Lady of the Admiralty if she called an audit over them calling her son names. It would make her look weak and would cost Marci her office under the Abuse of Power Act.
The two commanders looked at each other and then at Marci. Commander Theodore smirked. “What about Smokestack?”
Marci shrugged and crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Seems rude, but whatever.”
Simmie came home, stripped down to gym shorts, kissed Brinus on the neck, and wrapped his arms around his chest. “I will be with you shortly,” said Brinus, kissing him on the lips. Simmie entered the kitchen.
“Sir! Permission to help Simmie in the kitchen!”
Commander Theodore sighed and snapped, “Permission denied. You can love on your boy toy after we are done.”
Marci smirked in disgust. , she thought.
“You have your assignment, Smokestack. You will learn wandless magic first, and then, once you’re on a vape or nicotine-free, you will learn regular magic. Dismissed.”
The three officers left.
Brinus walked into the kitchen and then slapped Simmie hard on the butt, and kissed him excessively on the neck.
Simmie laughed as he set down the fryer after breading the fish. “Cut the shit Brinus. I know you’re happy about the news today.”
Brinus realized he could finally drop his act. He wrapped his arms around Simmie’s bare chest and whispered in his ear. “I ain’t gonna lie. Hearing about the public executions of those sheep makes my day. They should have disobeyed orders to kill those innocents.” Brinus kissed Simmie’s ear and then ruffled his hair, stepping back with an evil grin.
“You’re saying they brought this on themselves?”
Brinus nodded with an evil smile on his face.
Simmie swallowed and looked at his fish. “Sometimes you scare me, bro, but I’m glad you are on our side.”
Brinus realized he had gone too far and then looked down at his feet. He mumbled, “I’m gonna squeeze in some dungeon crawlin’ on my RPG before study group. I’ll see ya’ after they arrive.” Brinus left the kitchen.
After the study group, Brinus slept in the living room. He had to work at the robotics lab the next day.
Brinus was in the lab and listened to more news of the executions of revolutionary elites in the Federation Government. He worked on a programming problem for a droid that plagued him for weeks. Brinus was so engrossed in his work that he forgot that today was his Monday session with Dr. Calnori.
She coughed and cleared her throat. Brinus looked up and saw the doctor.
“Alex! Cut podcast!” Brinus scowled when he saw her.
Calnori sighed and leaned against the door, she thought.
“Listening to the news?” She asked. She pulled out a data pad and a stylus.
Brinus and Calnori sat across from each other at a table.
Brinus tried to cry as his eyes teared up. “Yeah, it is really sad, ain’t it? Just a tragedy.” Dr. Calnori watched Brinus for five minutes before the session, singing and dancing to the news. Her strategy was to get Brinus to dig a hole for himself, and she would call him on it. She also detected a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
Calnori made a few notes on her datapad and asked, “What is your opinion on what happened at the Fed Military Academy?”
“It is so sad. I just want to cry.” Brinus’s eyes watered even more, and he teared up. He faked cried as tears streamed down his face.
Calnori knew it was fake because Brinus had tried crying to manipulate her before. However, years of experience working with convicted felons told her when bullshit was in the air and right now it reeked. Dr. Calnori was impressed that Brinus could cry on cue and figured that the syndicate had taught him.
She made a few notes, trying not to laugh, but grinned from ear to ear. “You know, I can only certify you for duty if you’re honest with me. Therapy is a place of no judgment.”
He rose from his workstation, wiped his eyes, and flicked his messy hair out of his face. “Fine. What do you wonna know?” Brinus felt he should have known better than to try to bullshit a professional anti-bullshitter.
Calnori adjusted her glasses. “You tell me? Why do you enjoy the news?”
Brinus put a cigarette in his mouth and lit the other end. “I had magic for two weeks, and now I don’t have it anymore. Damn cigarettes to hell."
Dr. Calnori picked up the pack that Brinus opened. “I see you are smoking in therapy. We discussed this. You can’t smoke in here. Are you distracting yourself?”
Brinus shrugged his shoulders. “Yeah, I've been a lot more anxious lately. It’s getting harder to cut back. I am back up to 74 a day from 69 a day.”
The therapist sat down next to Brinus. “Why don’t I walk you through an exercise? I want you to close your eyes and visualize emotions, ok? What are they?”
Brinus took a draw from his cigarette, tilted his head up and blew smoke towards the ceiling, and closed his eyes.
It took him a moment, but then he spoke with an unusually high voice with his eyes closed. The high voice told Calnori he was under stress. “I guess I feel revolted by the images of murder. Angry that the people killed put themselves in that position to be killed. Happy they are getting justice, and sad about the entire situation in the federation.”
Calnori spoke in a soft and soothing voice. “Right? So, is the news affecting you positively or negatively?”
Brinus blew smoke into Dr. Calnori’s face. “I hate this exercise.”
Dr. Calnori coughed and scowled. She said calmly, “What is with you today? You’re smoking in therapy again. You seem more edgy than usual, and you’re dancing at the deaths of people. What is going on?”
Brinus slouched in his stool and crossed his legs. “Long Ho was fired for poor performance a week ago, and I got a card from the syndicate saying they were severing ties with me and that there was no beef between me and them.”
Dr. Calnori blinked. “Is that a bad thing?”
Brinus blew more smoke into her face and said, “It depends on how you left the syndicate. In my case, it is not a good thing. I’m a fire mage, so they may not want to deal with magic.”
Calnori waved her hand in front of her face and snapped, “You know this smoke screen isn’t going to work. Why don’t we put out that cigarette and take this seriously?”
Brinus blew more smoke into the therapist’s face and laughed.
“I think the smoking, the doom-scrolling, and the defiant behavior are an expression of your fear of the syndicate coming after you. Oh, and one more thing: you’re not mentally fit for duty this week. I am ending today’s session early. You know, by now, smoking in therapy is not allowed. Hell, we discussed this! Multiple times!”
Brinus cussed and slammed his hand on the table. “Seriously?! I have my unit test in calculus on Wednesday!!”
Calnori tilted her head back and put her hands on her hips. She said in a mom-like voice. “Actions have consequences. Think about that next time you smoke in a therapy session. I don’t feel like anything of value can be gained while you’re in this state, and I have homework for you. I will send it to you tomorrow when you calm down.”
At the end of the week, Brinus stood by the door, waiting for his therapist to arrive. His heart pounded from nerves and withdrawal as he chewed on his nails. He made sure Simmie was gone so he could have some privacy. Having just seen his professor, he felt better about the whole situation. He was on medical leave, not disciplinary leave. Brinus chewed a piece of nicotine gum and paced back and forth. The doorbell rang.
Brinus put on his uniform shirt, walked up to the door, and opened it. Dr. Calnori stood in the doorframe.
“Oh, hello. Welcome to my home. Why don’t you come in?”
She took off her shoes and socks as she came in. He had a rule about being barefoot in his home which came from being in foster care. Brinus wondered why she wanted to do a home visit, but it didn’t matter; she was the professional.
“Sorry if I am early. I finished another session and was doing paperwork at the Dalla. We had to cancel their parole. We are shipping them out now. You were pretty upset about something at the last session. Are you ready to talk about it?”
The Dalla was a restaurant on the promenade, a lot of medical personnel ate at because of its use of healthy animal fat oils when making vegetable stir fry.
“Uh, yeah? I guess?” Brinus’s heart pounded in his ears, and his pupils dilated as he guided her to the game room.
Calnori flicked her head and then crossed her legs. “Did you do the homework I sent you?”
Brinus nodded as he sat her down on the chair across from the couch. He shook his leg and started biting his nails.
“Do you know why I’m doing a home visit?”
“Because I’m confined to quarters?”
Calnori nodded. “That’s part of it. However, I want to check on you since you have been confined to your quarters for a week. How are you?”
“Cabin Fever? I am sick of being in my quarters for two months. I want to go out but can’t.”
Calnori made a few notes on her datapad. Brinus smiled because maybe he could actually get to see a few planets. He began clicking a lighter from his pocket as he craved a cig but knew not to smoke.
“I heard the magi will start magic training soon.” She noticed the lighter but chose not to say anything.
Brinus tapped it on his leg. His leg bounced as he began talking. “They said I’m a dark fire mage. They want me to go to a crystal temple to make a wand.”
“Right, let’s get to the point. Do you know why I suspended you from duty and ended the session early?”
Brinus nodded and then said, “Yes, ma’am. I behaved like a Raverger in our last session.”
A Ravager was a group of scavengers known for farting at the table, eating with their hands, wiping their mouths with their clothes, and not bathing for weeks at a time. They were also pirates engaged in extreme acts of violence.
Dr. Calnori leaned forward in her chair, and she snapped, “It is more than that. Did you identify the core cause of your behavior?”
Brinus looked at the doctor and then stated, “They said in the letter that Long Ho was my father. It impacted me more than I thought. That was when I started doom-scrolling and excessive smoking.”
Calnori crossed her arms and then asked sternly, “What else? I need you to say it, or I will suspend you for another week.”
He shrugged and then relaxed in his seat. He said, “I also think I was responding to the news the way I did because, on some level, I enjoy watching evil people suffer.”
She looked over her cokebottle glasses directly into Brinus’s eyes and then crossed her legs at her ankles. “And why do you enjoy watching evil people suffer?”
“Because of what my foster mom did to me in foster care and how the syndicate killed Harper.”
Dr. Calnori tilted her head, smiled, and asked, “How much do you smoke? You seem antsy.”
Brinus shook his leg and bit his nails. "About sixty-one a day. I am having a lot of withdrawal symptoms. I have been vomiting all week and had had the shakes real bad ‘'til last night.”
Dr. Calnori pulled out a prescription pad from her pocket and wrote down a chemical formula. “Put this in your food replicator, ” she said, handing him the prescription. “It is for some meds that should help with the cravings and the withdrawal symptoms. You can do it now if you’re having trouble focusing. It will only take a minute. I assume you know how to give yourself an IM injection with a pen if you used Bliss.”
Brinus nodded. He put the prescription off to the side and then said, “It is on the hip or the horseshoe of the stomach area. I should use an alcohol swab.”
“Do you want to use the medicine now?”
He did and proceeded to inject himself with it without any issues.
The rest of the therapy session was spent discussing his feelings of being trapped in a prison; how Simmie was the reason he was able to cut back and get through a hellish week, and how he had several absence seizures throughout the week and had a skull-splitting migraine.
Calnori made notes and then finally said, “You should have called me and left me a message. I would have helped you. You should not have done this on your own. According to medical literature, your withdrawal symptoms should be much worse. I think it’s your magical abilities that keep your withdrawals from being as bad as they can get.”
Brinus said nothing as Calonori made some notes. “Our session is almost over, but I am going to give you two more prescriptions. One is an antianxiety medicine for short-term use, and the other is an antidepressant to manage cravings and mood.”
Brinus took the pads. “I ain’t allowed to leave my quarters except fer classes or work.”
“I’ll write you a pass for medical business. Good day, Midshipman.”
Calnori left the room.
After the session, Dr. Calnori entered her apartment. It was the end of the day, and she wanted to relax. She scanned her keycard into the door to find her 12-year-old son gaming with his 14-year-old brother.
“Did you finish your homework, Tim?” Asked Calnori.
Tim, the 12-year-old, sighed, “I signed up for welding school. There’s no homework in the trade schools.”
“Please tell me you didn’t sign up for trade school so you didn’t have to do homework?”
“Nah, I just like welding. It’s relaxing. They tested us today for trade school or regular high school. I also tested high in 3D printing, math, physics, chemistry, and spatial reasoning skills. They want me to train to be a materials science engineer.”
Calnori cocked an eyebrow, “Really?”
There was a time when Calnori would have forced her son to sign up for college to be a lawyer, a doctor, or a scientist. However, she just left the apartment of an engineer, and it was obviously a good way to make a living.
Tim looked at Calnori with wide eyes. “I thought you’d be angry?”
She shrugged her shoulders and rolled her eyes. “Why? One of my clients is an engineer. You should see how well he lives. He obviously makes good money. You do you. I have to write up reports for my patients. Remember, your father has visitation next week.”
“I still don’t want to visit him,” said the 14-year-old in a snarky tone.
“Look. I know y’all didn’t part on good terms. Boys need their dads.”
She went into the back and began working on her reports.
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