Chapter 771: The Noxian spills.
Outside, Poncho sniggered. "That is so not what I was expecting. Mr. tough orange alien made it seem like he could break the Noxian in five seconds. I half expected our prisoner to scream as soon as he saw orange’s face."
"His name is Vortan." Hades reminded Poncho. He didn’t add that he was disappointed as well. He had been expecting a spontaneous confession. If Vortan failed, who could they call?
Sunshine stepped into the room, her arms crossed, a sharp, cold smile on her face. The Noxian’s eyes widened when he saw her. He had seen Asgeda blow up the repairman and confirm her death. Seeing her standing here, glowing with health and mockery, was clearly a blow to his spirit.
"Surprised?" Sunshine asked, her voice silky. "Don’t be, I’m hard to kill. You Noxians should have left me alone, I would have taken your secret to the grave." The Noxian hissed, but she stepped closer, leaning into his personal space. "Since you made the first move, I have no choice but to defend myself. I have given the Mosotoys knowledge of your secret. They are going to attack your world, kill your friends and find the hidden eggs. I don’t have to tell you what they are going to do to them. By the time they are done, your race will become a piece of history."
Her words hit him hard. The Noxian’s eyes suddenly welled with thick, dark tears. His lip trembled, but then he squeezed his eyes shut, locking his jaw in a final act of stubbornness. He glared at her, eyes burning with intense hatred.
Sunshine looked at Vortan and nodded. "He’s being difficult. Make it hurt or just make him talk."
Vortan didn’t growl or shout. He reached into a small fold in his clothing and pulled out a tiny, elegant glass bottle. He continued to hum that strange, low tune as he unscrewed the cap and drew a clear liquid into a glass dropper.
He moved with terrifying speed. Before the Noxian could react, Vortan pried the alien’s jaw open with strength and squeezed three drops onto his tongue.
The Noxian fought for a second, his body thrashing, and then... he stopped. His muscles went limp. His eyes popped open, but they were empty, looking like two glassy marbles with no soul behind them. He stared at the ceiling, his expression totally blank.
"What did you do to him?" Carson whispered, leaning in, his scientific curiosity finally outweighing his ego. "Interesting, he looks mindless."
"System, what is that?" Sunshine asked
[Scanning....]
the system answered. [Substance Identified, Truth serum from planet Selene. It temporarily dissolves the concept of secrecy in the neural pathways. It is also very poisonous, and one must ingest the antidote on time.] Vortan didn’t look at Carson. He kept his eyes on the alien. "What is your name?"
"Tega Vega," the Noxian answered instantly, his voice monotone and hollow.
Carson gasped. "No way. I spent three hours just trying to get him to grunt, and you got a name in three seconds?"
Vortan ignored him. "How did you find Sunshine Quinn, the repairman? Who gave you the coordinates for her location?"
Tega’s hollow voice filled the room. "The information came from Cobra."
Vortan’s face seemed to stiffen. He exchanged a sharp look with Sunshine. "Cobra?"
"Yes, Cobra," Tega repeated.
Behind the glass, Hades and Poncho looked at each other. They were clueless. But not the Repairmen, they had all heard of the information merchant. But Cobra was the ghost of the galaxy_ the biggest information broker in existence. He sold secrets like bread in a bakery, but no one had ever seen his face. He was a myth that left a trail of bodies of those that searched for him.
Vortan looked at his watch, his expression turning cold. "We have what we need."
Suddenly, Tega Vega began to shake. His four arms jerked violently against the chains, and a thick white foam began to pour from his mouth. His eyes rolled back into his head, and his skin began to turn a sickly shade of grey.
"Whoa! What’s happening?" Carson asked, stepping back as the alien’s body spasmed. "Is he having an allergic reaction?"
"He is dying," Vortan said calmly, capping his bottle. "Which is a good thing. We have no more use for him, or did you think that we were going to let him go?"
Carson looked inspired. "Wait, was that bottle a special kind of poison? Damn!"
Vortan looked at Carson like he was a particularly slow child. "It is a truth serum. Efficient, don’t you think?"
Carson looked starstruck. He looked at the dead alien, then back at Vortan. "Very efficient." He extended his hand. "My name is Carson; I don’t know if Sunshine has mentioned me. I have been with her on some of the most dangerous trips to other worlds."
Vortan rolled his eyes. "I don’t take on underlings."
Carson pouted.
Sunshine stared at the corpse of Tega. The anger that had been driving her all morning settled into a cold, hard resolve. "Cobra," she whispered. "If he sold my location to the Noxians, then we have to know how he got that information."
"I will find him," Vortan said, stepping toward the door. "Cobra thinks he is a shadow. But shadows cannot hide from those who live in the dark."
"I’ll ask my contacts too," Sunshine added, her mind already racing through the list of people who owed her favors.
"Tell me when you have useful information. Cobra is protected by thousands of layers of favors. If we go after him, we do this together." Vortan told her.
She looked at Carson, who was still staring at Vortan with a mix of fear and deep professional respect. "Carson, clean this up. Burn the corpse. Dispose of him the same way you did with Cassius."
"You got it, boss," Carson said, snapping out of his daze. He would do whatever she asked for a chance to follow them when they took down Cobra.
Sunshine and Vortan walked back into the monitoring room. Nine was waiting with a grin that showed too many teeth. "So! We are looking for the needle in the haystack now?"
"No. We are hunting," Sunshine amended.
Nine and Vortan shared a look, then tapped their transporters. "I will contact you when I find something, Sunshine," Vortan said. "Rest. You look like you need it."
Nine gave her one last hug, before hugging Hades as well. The two aliens vanished in a swirl of light.
Sunshine stood in the quiet room with Hades and Poncho. The silence was heavy, but the uncertainty was gone. They had a name. They had a target.
"Cobra, huh?" Poncho said, popping another chip into his mouth. "Sounds like a guy who is going to regret ever poking his nose in your business."
She smirked. "I think he should worry about Vortan more than me." There was no way her supervisor would leave Cobra alive. In fact, it was possible that the council would get involved, because one of their own had been harmed.