Familiar shapes and colours struggle to define themselves. Countless faceless women lie bare in desirable poses. They don't speak. Only moans emanate from their blurry overlay as they reach out to him, instantly fading away each time he reaches back. He rushes from one to another. Their inviting coos become shrieks as they all vanish before he can identify them. He falls to his knees as if the ever growing weight in his chest was a deliberate sign from his body to not continue onward, but ahead are faces he can see. A man and woman with terrible, petrified expressions stand in the distance. Their bodies contort violently yet their heads remain stationary. He stands but does not approach them. The once faceless women now stand behind him. Their expressions and bodies mirror the couple ahead of him. Not knowing what else to do, he speaks.

"... you guys really need to work on your dance moves."

Tegan opens his eyes. He takes a moment to remember what happened which only gives him a vague idea of where he might be, a large room with multiple individuals strapped to slightly tilted vertical posts, each surrounded by paper thin moats of jet black liquid. A quick wiggle confirms the security of his own restraints. Then the pain sets back in.

"ughhphshiiit ... damn. She coulda left me with at least one rib ...."

A nurse, clearly dressed as a generic sexy nurse, notices Tegan. Looking quite astonished, he grabs a small case and moves closer to inspect him. "Wow. You're up before her."

"Who now?"

"Her." he points to his left where Wraith is also strapped to a post. "You don't seem to be fully healed yet."

"I've been worse. Since I'm up though, hows about you go ahead and lemme out of here."

"Nope." He reaches into his case and pulls out a rather large syringe ... but if a syringe had like five needles.

"Okay if that's for me ... really, I'm fine."

"Uh huh." He preps the syringe.

"Buddy. Seriously, I'm good to go."

"Sorry." He raises the syringe and jabs it right between where Tegan's neck meets his collar bones.

"Aggheeyoumotherfuuu ... k ... rrrr ...." and it's lights out again.

There are no shapes or colours now. 
No women. No sound. Only the weight remains. A persistent crushing gravity holds him in place. 

No thoughts. 

No words.

No escape.

The weight is all there is.

Blank and heavy.

It repeatedly begins and ends simultaneously.

"Bro!"

Tegan opens his eyes. Sleaze's face is directly in front of his. "… you gonna kiss me or something?" he mutters.

"Huh?"

"Back up, man!"

"Oh! Hahaha, my bad! Been trying to wake your ass up for days." Sleaze motions for some nurses to release his friend.

"... days? There's no days here."

"You're only sorta right about that. Long story short, the queen and uncle Rock came up with a system of time to keep the military organised. I'm sure you've seen the big ass clock."

"Right ... then how long have I been out?" he asks, stretching as he's freed from his post.

"About a month. Something like 74 days."

"How long is a month!"

"81 days. We'll get you caught up on all that shit later. Right now WE gotta party to go to."

"I'm cool with that. What's the occasion?"

"It is Triple 6 Day, my dude."

"Like the rappers?"

"What?"

"They're a ... never mind." He follows Sleaze through the Med District. They pass many rooms with posts for patients. Some larger than others. Some with individual rooms that have been closed off.

"Oh, hey! Almost forgot! Congrats! You are officially in the 8SR!"

"The what now? Wait ... your sister's squad? I thought I failed."

"The queen says you passed. That's all that matters."

"Yo, what is the deal with your sis? She's kinda-"

"Stuffy. Frigid. Uptight."

"I was gonna say sexy."

"She's a joyless glacier."

"Glacier! Nice word!" They bump fists.

"For real though, don't bother. No one touches Wraith. If she doesn't castrate you, dad will."

"No one? So she's never ...."

"Never has and probably never will."

"Is that so?"

"Dude." He stops Tegan mid stride with a hand on his chest. "No. It's not happening."

"Oh, it's definitely happening."

"You think you're the first to try?"

"Nah but I'll be the first to succeed."

"I'm diggin the confidence but you got a better chance of fuckin my mom than Wraith."

"Your mom?" he smirks. "Is that so?"

"Dude! No! For fuck sake." Before he can dissuade his obviously suicidal friend, a nurse makes her presence known.

"Excuse me, Mr. Sleaze. For your safety we have to insist that you and your associate leave this area of the district."

"We're on our way out, Valerie. Don't be so formal."

"So this guy is cool? He came in here with your sister so we all thought he was a stiff like her."

"Ha, no. He's a bro."

"Well in THAT case, come check this shit out before you go."

"Lead the way."

Nurse Valerie takes them into the lower levels of the district. The posts are spaced farther apart with wider moats than the ones on the upper levels, each isolated from the next by a glass-like wall. The patients inside appear to be jagged statues covered in a strange fusion of crystal and stone that extends to and stops at the rings of jet black liquid around the posts.

"Alright, boys. Look. Don't touch unless you want to become a permanent resident here. This is where we study the Angel's Plague or as you might call it-"

"The Frost." Tegan's words and movents are slow. "You keep Frost victims … in the city?”

"The specimens are secured in the field and brought back here for research. The soldiers snatch em and we stash em."

"Specimens ...." The word confirms his suspicions. This is a morgue. "How is it not spreading?"

"We've uncovered that it has no effect on liquid. It's contained as long as nothing goes over those rings."

"... that's not just some random liquid though ... is it?" Tegan keeps his distance, peering into the ebony barriers on the floor while creeping toward the exit. "You use the Abyss ... to trap the Frost."

"Brilliant, right?"

"Fuck this. Get me outta here."

"Bro-" Sleaze starts to say something reassuring but Tegan isn't having it.

"Fuckin now."

And so they get outta the Med District via taxi beast. Lights flash in rhythmic unison with powerful drums throughout the city. The masses crowd the streets and walkways with dancing and sex. It's as if the individual scenarios hidden within the Rendezvous District moved out into the open and converged in public. 666 Day is well underway and although Tegan is grateful to be included in the festivities, he can't seem to ignore the latent disaster he's now aware of. This doesn't slip past Sleaze who wastes no time picking up a few friends to help Tegan focus on enjoying himself. The addition of T and A is enough to keep him occupied until they reach the source of all the debauchery, the Queen's District.

"You got a thing for showing up late, huh?" Tempy shoos away the girls they brought and greets Tegan and her brother with hugs and cheek kisses.

"It's how the cool kids roll." says Tegan.

"Then we're lucky you showed up at all." She punches Tegan's chest with a smile. "Heard you let big sis beat your ass."

"That's one way to look at it, heh."

"A generous way." laughs Sleaze.

"Please, you just met him so you don't know this yet but nobody beats Tegan except Tegan." Tempy brags.

"And mom." says Sleaze.

"She ambushed him." she retorts.

"And Wraith."

"He let her."

"And dad probably, who I'm assuming has no idea you're out here."

"He thinks I'm training with Wraith. Don't worry. Mom promised to keep him busy so I can kick it with you guys."

"So is your sister meeting up with us later or what?" Tegan's naive inquiry is instantly met with laughter. Tempy manages to calm herself before her brother who takes a seat on the floor still laughing while holding his sides.

"Hooogh! Wow! No, Teegs. The colonel does not attend recreational activities such as this." she says.

"You're telling me she's actually training right now."

"Yeah it's sad I know. ANYWAY! We got pussy to slay. I'll find you something better than the skanks you came with."

"Oh? I can find my own skanks. Thank you very much."

"Yeah but I know nicer skanks than the ones you can get."

"You're talking top shelf skanks?"

"Top tier skanks." she replies.

"Upper crust skanks?"

"No crust skanks." she smiles.

"High class skanks?"

"First class skanks." she giggles while Sleaze chuckles in the background.

"Skanks I can spank?"

"You'll say thanks for these skanks." she fights off laughter.

"These skanks sound dank."

"Ok, hahaha!" She joins her brother on the floor. Their voices meld with the sounds of celebration and joy. Everyone in the city is having a good time. This is not the kind of thing Tegan has ever seen outside of Earth. Just what kind of kingdom was this? Everyone seems at ease and for the most part safe. Even knowing of the serious potential danger in the Med District, Tegan is still able to put it out of his mind to enjoy the moment with his friends ... and a few classy skanks.