Noland frowns. "So these pills, Mana Elixirs, can permanently increase our magic?"
"Maybe not the ones we found," Jade says. "If I read the book right, they lose potency over time and become dangerous to consume. So... boosts with nasty side effects."
"Nasty side effects such as...?"
"Convulsions, muscle contractions, violent seizures..."
"The pills we can't use safely then," Noland sighs. "And the book... I don't think we can turn it in."
Jade shakes her head. "I told you this would happen."
"Why?" Lucky asks. "Having the recipe to create these pills- ain't that a good thing? We'll be rich and help out so many people!"
"Not if we turn the pills in," Noland says, crossing his arms. "If we turn in the pills but start manufacturing them from this book, authorities will come knocking again. Even if we bullshit them, they'll want to take it away since it's so... disruptive."
"Suddenly, the city is no longer separated by magical class," Jade adds. "Higher-ups will have to compete with people from the pier who can contend with their magical abilities. Even if we don't turn in the pills, they won't allow some lower-city scavengers like us to control it."
"These pills would really help out scavengers, though," Lucky said. "When we discovered the pills, if it wasn't for Noland, I would've gotten burned. Look at all the faces we grew up with and how many are left."
"Lost control, lost power, lost wealth- that ain't happening," Fenrik coughs from the bed. "Make it for yourselves, then turn the originals in and hide your stash."
"But what about the others?" Lucky asks, but Fenrik shakes his head silently.
The room fell silent as they each contemplated the situation. Jade, who sets down her book, runs her fingers along each of the canisters, and Noland asks skeptically, "Can we make it?"
"The carrier," Jade says tightly with emotion, fingers brushing the canister containing clear liquid chemicals.
"The active ingredient," her fingers brush the light-blue chemical canister, before gripping the harshly bubbling red canister, "and the catalyst. Add a steady flow of magic, and you've got yourself a bubbly concoction of magic juice!"
"All we need is a stabilizer and..." Her hand gestures at the book with defeat. "I don't know where to find this golden stabilizer- uhm, resin-oil stuff. Says it's slick and thick, that's about it."
"What does it do...?" Lucky asks from the side.
"What do you think, idiot?!" Noland snaps. "Stabilizer! It stabilizes! Makes it not kill you!"
"Or last longer," Jade said with a wry smile. "Kind of like the preservatives in our meat or our food pills-"
"That's it!" Noland and Jade exclaim together, while Lucky is off to the side, "But how do we know that those are the right type? That's for food, not... this."
Noland's eyebrow twitches in irritation, sucking in air. Lucky was usually like this- off to the side, playing devil's advocate or second-guessing these conversations. It was never out of malice, and purely out of caution, but it was still irritating at times.
Before Noland could speak, though, Fenrik's wet and raspy voice rose up from the bed again. "The pills for our food use a golden serum to stabilize them. That would be your best bet."
"How do you know that?" Jade asked, puzzled and emotion rising in her voice again.
Fenrik fell silent for a moment, his expression tightening before sighing, a few bubbles popping in his lungs. "You live long enough to see and hear things."
"If," Fenrik coughed, sitting up, "you need it, the entrance through the waste system is still your best bet."
"Why didn't you tell us this before while we were talking about it?!" Noland said, growing agitated with Jade. "That would've been helpful in our previous discussion!"
Their eyes never met. Fenrik stared at the floor, his expression a mix of emotions. "You three are young and innocent. I've avoided topics that-"
He froze again before gurgling, "Ignorance is bliss. You'll find out soon." Then lays back down.
Unhappy, Jade shifted her weight side to side. She pursed her lips, clearly having a few words of her own. Her sharp gaze bounced between Noland and Lucky, and back at Fenrik, but she didn't say anything.
"How bad could it be?" Lucky asked, shrugging but glancing sideways at Fenrik. "Anything really that bad would be in the papers, right?"
No response. Just closed eyes, and a steady rising and falling of his chest.
"Tsk!" Jade threw her arms up in the air and walked outside, while the other two exchanged glances.
"How bad can it be?" Noland repeated, more pointedly at Fenrik this time.
-----------------
"Do you think it's because of his health that he's finally talking to us more?" Noland asked Jade as she looked out across the toxic, bubbling Chemical Sea.
"Probably," Jade sighs. "I'm happy that he is talking with us- and talking with us instead of at us. Before, he kept it all to himself! But..."
"It's frustrating. And it's only creating more questions," Noland completed her sentence, and she glanced at him.
"Yeah."
Silence fell between them briefly before she spoke up again, frustration in her voice.
"So we make these pills, turn in what we found, and then... what? Keep them to ourselves?! What about other people here!"
"You're with Lucky on this?"
"Of course I am! Aren't you?" she snapped.
"Well..." Noland sucked in air hesitantly. "Even if he's hard to talk to, he's never led us wrong. And he's worried about our safety, it sounds like. Your safety."
Jade scoffs. "Yeah. Now that he's on death's door." Her voice elevated, mocking Fenrik's tone: "You three are innocent! I avoided these topics to keep you safe!"
Shifting his weight, Noland couldn't really deny her thoughts. He'd thought it too- especially after the free food cards they were receiving stopped coming in. Nor did it make sense for safety, considering their occupation.
"The pills are made in the same factory as the ground meat for each sector. I'm guessing it's the meat," Noland mused thoughtfully, before smirking. "Can't be any worse than the bugs you eat though."
"Those bugs are a delicacy you will never understand," she rolled her eyes.
"Nope, I won't."