The Lazarus Den
01 Oct 2023Argon Shadowstar
The Drevelli Family are at war. Apparently my operations against Congressus Tenebris and Federation organizations in the region opened up an opportunity for them to make a power grab against the Explorers of the Anarchy. Now, I have no grievance with the Explorers, as far as I can tell they are relatively active and taking an acceptable level of responsibility with their leadership, though I admit some lenience in this assessment, as they certainly could be doing more, and their recent mismanagement of certain disasters was concerning. But, if my standards are too strict, I will be at war with everyone. For now, I must be willing to forgive some transgressions of administration lest I lose sight of the human reality of governance. I suppose, being anarchists, they are not well equipped to deal with the myriad contretemps of state stewardship.In any case, I find myself involved in this war despite having little personal stake in either side, but obligated to assist the Drevelli Family as part of our now ratified business arrangement. As such, I have been touring their establishments, and perusing the sequestered wares now made available to me as per the terms of our agreement. In the course of one such foray, I happened upon an establishment called "The Broken Clock". A suitable name for what I came to learn was a Lazarus Den, a kind of respite hotel run by the Drevellis where a very particular kind of service could be found on offer.
Whilst I have little interest in diversions of this type, I was intrigued by the business model on display, as well as the substance itself. This substance, the aforementioned Lazarus, is fascinating in nature, though not especially rare, at least in my line of work. It is a drug which, when taken, induces a deep sleep state. This sleep is so deep, in fact, that the subject appears dead for all intents and purposes, though proof of life can be obtained through various unconventional means. The deathly sleep state persists for roughly 3 to 4 days of universal time, after which the subject awakens, likely quite famished, but according to some, a pleasurable experience. There are many interesting stories associated with this drug. People have woken to find fingers missing, chewed off by animals, or organs harvested, for those who wake at all. Others have woken in the morgue, at their own funeral, or, perhaps most disturbing, buried alive. Those who are cremated are probably the lucky ones of those mistaken for dead, given the stories. It makes one wonder why anyone would take such a drug, especially when you consider that for the subject, it is as if mere seconds passed, with no memory of the intervening days. In the days before Quirium, it was a popular way to pass time on long journeys, and the deathly state conserved life support resources as well. In the time between the Quirium bust and the invention of the Stardreamer Device, it fulfilled the same role again for a short time but increasing legislation against it, much of which originated in the Galactic Cooperative, gradually reduced its prevalence in many parts of the bubble. Interestingly, there was a controversy surrounding the early models of the Stardreamer Device which claimed that the unit was administering a drip feed of Lazarus into the user's body in order to produce the time acceleration effect. This resulted in the recall of many of these units. Some conspiracy theories still exist that Stardreamer Systems only disguised the Lazarus drip in their eponymous device, but did not remove it, and still use inconspicuous drug drips in many of their personal use technologies. I think if this was the case, it should be easily proven or debunked, requiring only the reverse engineering of such a device.
Today Lazarus is still considered an illicit substance in many places, however it's quite popular in the frontiers, and other places away from the oppressive jurisdictions of the superpowers. Places like this Lazarus Den are ideal for it, as you can rent a room for a week, take your dose and not have to worry about waking up in the morgue or missing a few limbs, although for these reasons, it is important to ensure you choose a den with a good reputation. It still begs the question as to why, when it really only amounts to lost time and maybe a short high. Well, apparently, some people claim to have visions. Technically, that's not a clinical side effect of the drug, but then, a drug as popular as Lazarus tends to get cut or mixed with other drugs, which explains the occasional vision. And some of these visions can be quite intense. Some have reported having religious experiences, seen and talked to dead relatives, witnessed the end of the universe, and even traveled to other dimensions. People who frequent these dens can spin some colorful stories indeed.
The business model the Drevellis have here is quite lucrative. The cost of the room is cheap, compared to that of other hotels, and the rooms are relatively nice. I'd imagine they don't get very used, since the tenant literally isn't doing anything for the majority of their stay, but taking the Lazarus isn't a requirement, and there are some who stay in these establishments simply to save money on hotel stays. The tradeoff is having to do business with the mob, and staying in the "bad part of town", but some people prefer that. Especially those who don't want to be found, and have no trouble dealing with the locals. These factors and the low cost of maintenance keep business flowing and profitable, and the colorful residents with their strange stories provide an air of adventure, kept in check by the heavily armed guards found generously stationed throughout the facility. Without state oversight to deal with, the Drevellis can cut corners and pass the savings on to the customer, in the form of good rates and exceptional service. And, roughly 98% of their monthly clientele leave fully alive, intact, and usually as healthy as they were when they arrived. Considering the death rate of Lazarus use, that's a pretty good track record. They've achieved this with vitals monitors in every room, which can alert staff when a client might be having an adverse reaction to the drug. Quick action can keep the false death state from becoming a permanent one. This all helps them to build up a good reputation and keep their clients coming back, and that's good business.
I am considering purchasing a stake in the company after the war is over. Good investments make for a solid foundation for the long term success of any military campaign.