Book II: Brinus Helios - From Criminal to Hero

The Junta's Purge has pushed the Federation military and population to the breaking point. Pattaban was called to deal with a riot outside the enemy capital building. Rather than firing on the crowd and dispersing them, his unit turned on central command and stormed the capital. After a day of heavy fighting between Central Command and the Presidential Palace, Pattaban was declared president of the Federation.

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 like 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 blocked the streets; the video of the public executions was leaked, TriQuarter footage from the Federation City of Albor. There was commentary on the purges. However, he tuned it out and contemplated fried octopus and Conti Ocean World crab legs.

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, so I don't know what to think."

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 yesterday. They wrote papers on the mass execution of the Lapori, criticizing the genocide."

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 tryin' to distract us from somethin'? I was on a clickbait site the other day and was readin' about Operation Divide and Conquer."

Godfrick pinched the bridge of his nose, and his nostrils flared. "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 want to smoke?"

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 on this next test to make the honor roll this semester 'cause I made an 84 on the first test."

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 when you're stressed. All it does is stress you out more. Why don't we discuss something else? Is Simmie cooking tonight for the study group?"

Brinus smiled, his shoulders relaxed, and he crossed his ankles under the table. "Yeah, 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 supper with Godfrick, Brinus entered his quarters and 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 along with Jorge.

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's 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 his smokes, 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 shushed. "That isn't the point. You will stop calling him 'Stinkball' today, or I'll audit this academy for hazing." I shouldn't do this. It'll blow up in my face, thought Marci as her heart rate quickened and her palms became sweaty.

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 I'll live with it."

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,"

"No," snapped Commander Tom

Marci curled her left lip in disgust. If I could break those two up, I would. I need heirs. Why do I have to have the only gay son in the whole fucking fleet, she thought, shifting her feet. Why can't I have a normal son?

Commander Theodore waved his hand to say shoo. "You have your assignment, Smokestack. You will learn wandless magic first once you get onto a vape; once you're 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. He wrapped his arms around Simmie and moved his hands down his bare chest

Simmie laughed as he set down the fryer after breading the fish. "Cut the shit, Brinus." He pushed him off and snapped. "I know you're happy about the news today."

Brinus made an evil grin and wrapped his arms around Simmie's bare chest. "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 a bright smile, with dead eyes.

Simmie swallowed and looked at his fish. "Sometimes you scare me, bro, but I'm glad you are on our side."

He looked down at his feet and 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 listened to more news of the executions of revolutionary elites in the Federation Government. He was on a computer terminal furiously typing code into a program while working on a programming problem for a droid that plagued him for weeks. I'm so close to a solution, I taste it. An alarm rang on his computer for five PM on Friday, but without thinking, he just pressed the off button and resumed work. Why the fuck was the alarm going off! He pressed compile on the code. It read a syntax error on line 202, and there were 90 lines of code. Fuck. At least it's a syntax error this time.

A woman coughed and cleared her throat. Brinus looked up and saw the doctor.

"Fish! Cut podcast!" Brinus scowled when he saw her — Dr. Calnori.

Calnori sighed and leaned against the door and smirked. "You were twenty minutes late to your session, so I came here because you still need your mandatory sessions if you wish to serve in the Navy." Brinus and Calnori sat across from each other at a table, and Calnori pulled out a datapad and a stylus. "You were told by Lieutenant Aura and Commander Theodore that if you tried to skip another session like you did on Monday, it'd be held in your workshop. Skipping is not an option. Your commanders told you this."

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Brinus pulled out a pack of cigarettes and began tapping one out of the pack.

"No smoking."

Brinus put the pack back onto the table.

"So, you're doomscrolling again? Why don't you tell me about what you were listening to?"

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 knew Brinus

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 stared at Brinus with a blank look and neutral Body Language. Brinus had tried crying to manipulate her before. She saw he had a slight smile that went to his eyes, and the crying was too dramatic to be real. Years of experience working with convicted felons told her when bullshit was in the air right now, and it reeked. Dr. Calnori was impressed that Brinus could cry on cue and figured that the syndicate had taught him. She thought back to the first time he tried manipulating her with tears.

Brinus tapped a cig on the table, was bouncy, like an addict needing a fix. They were in Calnori's office, as she took notes. The office had jade statuettes throughout the room on neo-imperial end tables, and her desk was solid oak in a baroque style.

"Brinus, why don't you tell me more about your foster family? You were talking about them last time."

He leaned forward in his seat and began tearing up. "I just felt like I wanted to just off the bed."

"Uh-huh. And then?"

Brinus began to tear up even more. "And then my foster brother pushed me off the bed. I almost hit my head."

"And then?"

"And my foster mom came into the room."

He sobbed hysterically when Calnori sighed, adjusted her shirt, and crossed her legs. "I can only certify you for duty if you're honest with me. If you want to make up stuff about your foster family so you can go on a smoke break, then that will only add ten more minutes to your session before I let you smoke. Now, are you ready to be honest with me?"

Brinus stretched out and started biting his nails. "Damn, I thought I could fool you."

"Well, you probably could someone else, but I've got 15 years working with convicts, so I know all the tricks. Now, are you ready to be honest, or do I need to add ten more minutes before your next smoke break?"

As she jerked back from memory lane, 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. It didn't work last time, so no reason why it should this time.

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. I'm just an addict."

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 drawfrom his cigarette, tilted his head up, blew smoke towards the ceiling, and then 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 here exercise."

Dr. Calnori coughed and scowled. "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. "The syndicate tried to kill me a week ago and then sent me a letter saying the issue was settled. They want me to remove my tattoos and but I'm scared."

Dr. Calnori blinked and tilted her head to the side. "if it's settled. Is that a bad thing?"

Brinus blew more smoke into her face and snapped, "It depends on what was settled and how. In my case, it is not a good thing. I'm a fire mage and a duke, 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!" he yelled, standing up and jamming the cig into the workbench.

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 and blow smoke in my face. 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."

I'm cuttin' down on the smokes. That's final. Thought Brinus as she left.

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 again. He made sure Simmie was gone so he could have some privacy. Having just seen his professor, he felt more at ease about the whole situation. He was on medical leave, not disciplinary leave. Brinus chewed a piece of nicotine gum and paced back and forth. I wonder what'll happen. 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. It was customary in the confederacy to be barefoot in people's homes.

"Sorry if I am early. Once again you missed a week of sessions. No one has seen you leave your quarters. And your boyfriend has been telling everyone you've been sick, and he sent me a text that he wanted me to check on you, so I'm doing a wellness visit. How are you? Are you ready to cooperate?"

"Uh, yeah? I guess? So you're talking to my boyfriend now? And my commanding officers?"

"Technically, you're a convict serving a criminal sentence in the Navy, and it was Commander Theodore who ordered your therapy. And remember, last month when you started, you signed a waiver making Simmie your emergency contact that I can contact him in case of emergencies? He contacted me and told me you were very sick this week and needed help."

Brinus's heart pounded in his ears, and his pupils dilated as he guided her to the game room. This week's been hell. Thank god Calnori is here.

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 at the quick again, which caused them to bleed.

"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, and no one has heard from you. 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. He also rocked back and forth and bounced his leg.

"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 furiously 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 once I'm smoke-free."

"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 because 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. It wasn't fear but anger."

Calnori crossed her arms and then asked sternly, "What else? I need you to say it, or I'll 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 coke bottle glasses directly into Brinus' 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'm 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.

Calnori made notes and adjusted her shirt after she gave him the information about the meds, "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 from AA nicotine should be much worse. I think it's your magical abilities that kept it from being as bad as they can get."

Brinus said nothing as Calonori made some notes on her data. "I think that concludes the wellness visit. But I'm gonna give you two more prescriptions. One is an antianxiety medicine for short-term use. Only use it for two weeks or you risk addiction. The other is an antidepressant to manage cravings and mood. I'll give you a three-month supply, but no refills."

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. She walked over her apartment in the middle-class quarters. It was the end of the day, and she wanted to relax. She scanned her keycard onto 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, boo. 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, but boys need their dads, and I want you to have a relationship with him. Y'all are visiting him, and that's final."

She went into the back and began working on her reports.