Opal 77: Skewed Space (Jerrie)

Part 14

She knew the consequences before she did it, but Lauren was too distraught to care. She knew that the least that would end up happening would be getting sacked, but she was exhausted. She was so tired and lonely and gutted and nauseous. The things she found out when she returned to work made her sick to her stomach. So without thinking, she grabbed a drink from the first server she could find.

"Lauren, what are you doing?!" Jesy stage whispered from beside her friend. "You're not supposed to drink that."

The raven haired girl ignored her friend as she downed the expensive champagne in three gulps. "Leave me alone." She grumbled.

"Look, I know you're upset and stressed out but that doesn't mean you get to be reckless." Jesy said, laying a gentle hand on her best friends shoulder. "You need to tell me what's going on."

Lauren shrugged Jesy's hand away. "Stop, you have no idea what's going on or the mess that we're in." She took another glass from a passing server.

"We?" Jesy asked, trying to take the glass from Lauren who violently turned away. Almost spilling her drink in the process. "You're being ridiculous Lauren, please stop."

Lauren sighed loudly with brows knit and hands clenched. But then her face softened. "Jesy... it was foul play." She whispered.

Jesy's mouth dropped open as her body tried to catch up with her mind. "You mean— It... the crash? The crash was... Planned?" She stuttered. Lauren nodded, finishing off her glass and setting it on the table beside them. They had slowly migrated to this corner near the bar, away from the door where they were supposed to be.

"Thirlwall Inc. was transporting a bacteria to the outer colonies, they were going to use it to sabotage the C.I. deals going on down there." She said.

"Why would they want to sabotage Cabello Industries?" Jesy asked.

"I'm not sure, but it has something to do with politics. Which clearly didn't work out."

"How do you know all this?" Jesy whispered, her eyes were scanning invisible information in front of her as she tried to comprehend this bombshell.

"I was in the commons room at base before I came here, and I overheard a squadron talking about it. They said they were being shipped out to help the investigators with a problem. Part of that problem involved... the creatures," Lauren paused, quickly shaking her head to physically clear it of bad memories. "While the other part was to help with the cover up."

"Why does this remind me of that Alzheimer's fundraiser put on by Syco Insurance." Jesy chuckled morbidly.

Lauren giggled in response, Jesy's lips forming a tight line as her concern grew. But just as quickly as Lauren's mood had shifted to a positive one, a scowl quickly formed on the ex-marine's face. Jesy followed the storming green eyes of her dear friend to find the object of her distain.

"There's Jade, rubbing shoulders with the elites like nothing ever changed." Lauren sneered. At any other time Jesy would find it quite amusing how fast Lauren had become intoxicated. Unfortunately, this was not a good time.

The two ladies watched as Jade went off with a mysterious blonde.

"My god," Lauren snorted. "She bounces back quick."

Jesy looks at her friend with wide eyes when she is chugging back a glass of something odd looking that seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Cursing at her friend she tried to take it back. Lauren wined her protests but had already drank most of it by the time Jesy had noticed.

"I'm taking you to the break room." Jesy stated firmly, grabbing her wobbling friend by the shoulders. But Lauren was strong and unrelenting. She quickly ducked under her friends grasp and started charging across the room. Jesy followed at a normal pace in an attempt to hide her reckless friends actions, but then she saw where their path was heading; directly to Norma Thirlwall.