Out of Space 421 Happy?

"We don't exactly need to go all the way up..." Lt. Tavor replied. "The probe should be in a decaying orbit. All we need to is meet the probe when it is at the lowest point of its orbit."

"Than, we reset its computers, reestablish its command link back to us," Lt. Tavor said. "Than we set its trajectory back to a stable orbit and we change some programming remotely and we will have eyes over the entire planet."

"Sounds easy..." Someone muttered.

"Fuck..." Chief Matt glared around. "Easy? You think so?"

"First we need to make a rocket thruster that can get someone up there," Chief Matt ticked off his fingers. "We need a reentry vehicle capable to withstand the high gees and high temperature."

"Next, fuel..." Chief Matt sighed. "What fuel to use? We aren't on Earth or any of its colonies... We don't have a fuel that safe to use... A rocket to space is basically strapping a shit ton of HIGHLY FLAMMABLE fuel on a thruster and trying to control that burn!"

"Any tiny mistake and you have the biggest and most expensive fireworks in the skies," Chief Matt shook his head. "And an empty casket funeral for whoever is on board."

"But is it doable?" Ford asked in a serious manner. "Do we have the capabilities and tech to do get a rocket up there?"

"Technically, yes..." Chief Matt said after a moment of hesitation. "But chances of success? I can't guarantee anything..."

Ford nodded, "Ok, get your team to work on the idea... See if there is any feasibility to this idea."

"I will temporarily take charge of all matters until the Captain is back on his feet," Ford said. "All governing issues will be continued to be handled by City Hall and the Princess's staff."

"I will hold a closed door meeting with all the ministry heads to inform them of the situation," Ford declared. "Remember... till further notice, this news involving the Princess adduction and the Captain's illness must not be spread."

"Until we take control of the situation," Ford added. "I do not want anyone doing anything rash... yet."

-----

United Nations, City of Falledge, Faire Street

The large wind wolf paused in its tracks, its sharp claws making clicking sounds on the pebbled sidewalk as it bent its head down and sniffled the ground. It gave a low growl and crept forward, heading towards a row of houses. It then paused again as it sniffed around the door and gave a low growl.

A shadowy figure appeared next to the wind wolf and rubbed its mane before gesturing with some hand signals. Several figures appeared out of the shadows and split up, half went to the back of the houses while the rest stacked up next to the wooden door.

Bartley, ex Marine gunner, now part of the Falledge Police Department, Special Duties Unit, gestured to his partner, Grey, the wind wolf, to retreat back. He wore a balaclava, leather vest reinforced with trauma armour plates and large 'POLICE' stencil on the back of his armour in the common tongue, a standard issued SDF helmet and thick gloves, all coloured black.

The rest of the SDU team readied their stubby sub guns and braced themselves for action. Bartley removed a portable battering ram from his back and posed just next to the door and looked to the team leader to give the go ahead. The SDU team leader raised three fingers up and counted down to zero before chopping his hand down at the door.

Bartley took a deep breath and he swung the heavy cast iron battering ram with all his might against the door's lock, shattering the silence of the night. The lock barely survived the hit and a hole was punched through the door. The nearest SDU officer tossed a primed flashbang through the small hole just as Bartley took a step back and tilt his head away from the door. "FLASH OUT!"

A loud pop followed by a flash of light leaked out from the hole. One SDU officer dragged the shattered door open and the rest piled in rapidly, their tactical lights on their sub guns lighting up the dark interior yelling at the surprised occupants inside. "POLICE! FREEZE!"

"ITZ DA FARKING PIGZ!!" A half naked goblin wearing a thick gold necklace shrieked madly from the couch of the living room where a table was piled with several paper satchels and vials. A white powdery substance was spread over the surface of the while a small fire on the fireplace provided some light source to the dirty looking room. "YOU NEVERZ TAKE KAPPA ALIVE!"

The goblin giggled wildly as he brandished a long knife and leapt over the couch, stabbing towards the closest SDU officer. Instantly several angry barks of gunshots erupted as the SDU officers fired at the crazed goblin.

The rest of the occupants suddenly broke out from their confused states, some of them tried to escape while others rushed the SDU officers, trying to take them down while laughing and giggling madly away. More gunfire erupted as the doped up users attacked the police officers who retaliated in self defense.

"FREEZE! POLICE!" The SDU officers screamed at the suspects but they ignored their commands. Bartley threw a right hook at a crazed woman, her eyes bloodshot and drools leaking out of the corner of her mouth as she kept laughing and coughing.

His punch sent the doped up woman crashing into the wall and she laid there unmoving as she was knocked out cold from the punch. A goblin tried to take the chance to slip between the legs of the fighting men and women towards the exit of the house. He crackled happily as he exited the house but there was a sudden growl and he suddenly found himself flying into the air.

Grey shook the goblin in his jaws wildly, making the goblin puke all over the place. The disgusted wolf tossed the sick goblin away and stepped away from the flicks of vomits. Several police officers quickly stepped forward and cuffed the dazed goblin while they waited for the action to die inside.

Bartley saw the situation was under control as the suspects were either dead or cuffed before he followed the rest of the SDU team upstairs. They cleared the rooms, finding several alchemical kits in one room, and boxes of raw herbs and arcane components in another. Another three more suspects were apprehended and they were all brought out before hauling them off in a police truck.

Bartley removed his helmet and balaclava, feeling the cooling night air. He gave a lovingly rub to Grey who gave a sniff of his sweat soaked uniform and snorted in disgust. Bartley shook his head at the antics of his friend and partner before he joined the rest of the SDU who was listening in to their team leader giving a brief to a group of reporters who god knew when did they appear.

"We had just broken a drug den!" The SDU team leader was saying. "We arrested nine suspects, seven male and two females. Three are goblins, two Oerkins, the rest are all elves."

"There is three death among the suspects which can't be avoided," The team leader continued. "We also found several kilos of the drug called Happy and also the alchemical kits and raw materials needed to manufacture them."

"This is not only a drug house but also a workshop for making drugs!" The team leader said. "We have yet to find the mastermind, but for every drug den we take out, means lesser people get addicted to this crap that can destroy our society!"

"That is all I can say for now," The team leader waved away the questions the reporters were trying to get him to answer. "Wait for the official press release! Thank you!"

The SDU team leader gestures the rest of the team to board the vehicles to return to the station while he came up to Bartley and smiled. "Good work, your buddy helped us tracked them easily."

Bartley cast a glance at the giant wind wolf that was the same height as him. Grey of one of the pups he had saved and when war came with the Empire, Bartley wanted to do something for the UN. But due to his previous record, the military did not accept him back but yet it was a waste of his skills and abilities.

Hence, he was instead given an offer to be a combat trainer for the police. A year later, the Special Duties Unit was formed for the police to combat high level crimes like gangs and cults. He brought along the wind wolves to work as police dogs since the cost of raising them was not cheap.

"But this is not the last bust we will do..." The SDU leader frowned as he watched the FEPD forensics team enter the building to do their work. Their commotion had also attracted a late night crowd of gawkers as they were awoken by the gunfire and were kept back by several FEPD officers. "We will be counting on your wolves to find the source of all these..."

Bartley gave a nod as he watched the coroners carry out black body bags and load them onto the back of their truck. "Yes... we need to stop this..."

"Let's go," The team leader said as he boarded the police truck. Bartley nodded and gave a low whistle and Grey hopped on the back of the truck, squeezing in with the SDU team who grumbled good naturally.

-----

The Isles, Port Sanctuary, UN Embassy

"So what do we know about this drug that has been appearing among the refugees and now in our cities?" Ford asked the images of the two Governors. "How popular is it among the people?"

The plump face of the Governor of Falledge, Otoro gave a shrug, "We only know there is a mastermind that is controlling the sale and production of this drug, called Happy."

"My police department has already cracked down six drug dens in the past two weeks," The image of Otoro said. "But they are all small workshops and low level players. We are still trying to track who is in charge. As for its popularity, it seemed that the disposed nobility seemed to be quite into it so far. Might be due to the street price is not yet easily affordable to the masses."

"It is not too widespread here yet in Orwell's Point," The pretty face of Titanna said. "So far, it seemed to be popular among the refugees outside our borders but I don't see how they can afford that..."

"Hmmm..." Ford rubbed his chin. "What do you mean refugees outside the borders?"

"Most of the refugees tried to enter our borders illegally," Titanna clarified. "And a lot of them used the drug when they were trying to cross."

"Did you find anything on their bodies?" Ford asked as he stared at Titanna's image. "Are they carrying any of the drugs?"

"No..." Titanna's image looked down as she referred to her report from the Immigration and Custom. "Other than some personnel belongings, the Customs officers did not found any other things on their bodies after searching."

"Strange..." Ford frowned and he turned to Otoro's image. "How about your side? Is it the same with the illegal immigrants?"

Otoro's image nodded, "Yes, we found quite a lot of them using the drug but nothing was illegal was found on them."

"How many refugees on average will make it past the border without being caught?" Ford asked.

"I said, about a one to two for every hundred caught," Otoro gave an estimation which Titanna nodded in agreement.

"I think I might know how the drug is coming in..." Ford said. "I think they made the refugees swallow sealed packets of the drug in exchange for bringing them to cross our borders!

"That is why there are so many illegal immigrants high on the drug!"

Chapter end