Lev Surrel
Guavian Crime Boss
Cadanil, "Rage Juice"
Image Source: Starfleet medical injector from TNG
Intent: To create an illegal combat stim for the Guavian Death Gang to traffick.
Development Thread: In The Fire Of Water
Manufacturer: Guavian Death Gang
Model: N/A
Affiliation: Black Market
Modularity: Can be used with any standard injector.
Production: Mass-Produced
Material: Gylocal, Pentabenzedralyne, Cordrazine, Nutrient Solution
Description: Cadanil, known on the streets as "Rage Juice" or "Liquid Hate," is an extremely potent combat stimulant that enhances a user's stamina and pain tolerance while heightening aggression. It must be injected into the bloodstream in order to take effect. Cadanil is a secret blend of several other stimulants suspended in an algae-based nutrient solution. The first is gylocal, a powerful painkiller and muscle stimulant. Gylocal on its own is potent enough that users under a sufficient dose can ignore near-fatal wounds, but its dulling effect on the nervous system mean that soldiers under its effects do not fight at peak efficiency. For this reason, the aggression-heightening drug pentabenzedralyne was added to the cocktail, focusing the mind with primal anger by bypassing neural pathways to the frontal lobe. The resulting cocktail put severe strain on the heart and lungs, so the lifesaving last-resort drug cordrazine was added to stimulate organ efficiency.
The end result is a stimulant that, when injected, puts the user under such a haze of need for violence that nothing that doesn't kill them outright will drop them while the effects last. Soldiers suffering missing limbs, collapsed lungs, cranial fractures, and outright impalement come inexorably on, their eyes burning with loathing for their enemies. When the drug wears off, usually after about ten minutes (though it varies by species), such catastrophic injuries catch up with the user; this usually results in fatal systemic shock. Less-injured users are still at risk when coming off the drug, as all of the ignored sensory information returns at the same time. It is at the very least overwhelming, and often results in unconsciousness. Repeat users, of whom there are exceedingly few, are at risk of developing chronic heart failure and permanent damage to their nervous systems.
Because it bypasses the frontal lobe, Cadanil has the unintended side effect of making the user immune to mind-affecting Force powers and chemical influence (such as Zeltron or Falleen pheromones).
Cadanil is marketed differently to different clients. Proprietors of gladiatorial games and other bloodsports buy it to dose their fighters, ensuring a particularly savage battle to the gruesome, undisputed death. Mercenaries buy it as a last resort in hopeless situations, which spawned the pervasive nickname "Glory Blaze" among hired guns. Commanders of slave or convict armies use it on their troops, and some elite units of shock troops have taken up the practice as well; the latter group are the most likely to be repeat users. Some criminal groups use it recklessly in heists or turf wars, while others use it as a form of punishment for muscle that has fallen into disgrace; it is commonly referred to as "Redemption" in such circles. The Guavian Death Gang keeps it in their soldiers' chemical reservoirs as a backup that automatically kicks in when sensors detect that the soldier is critically wounded.
Dosages of Cadanil must be measured extremely carefully. Too little and it disperses quickly, putting painful strain on the nervous system. Too much tends to cause hearts to burst, sometimes literally.
Because of its extreme effects, Cadanil is heavily regulated in most civilized systems. These regulations do little to decrease the demand, as the target markets are generally outside the law in any case, and the substance is a major source of income for the Guavian Death Gang. As such, the gang hires many smugglers to move the product, with significant rewards for those who succeed and severe punishments for those who fail or attempt to steal from the organization. The secrets of Cadanil's manufacture are thus far known only to the Death Gang's chemists, and they are likely to stay that way; the algae that is cultured into the nutrient stream that supports and binds together the three chemical agents only occurs naturally in the bogs of Atzerri, the gang's main center of production. Even if the particular blend of component chemicals were discovered, they would not function properly without the nutrient stream.
+Feel No Pain: Cadanil allows a user to continue functioning normally with any injury that doesn't kill him outright.
+Mindless Rage: Cadanil suppresses the frontal lobe, making the user immune to mind-affecting abilities.
+Fast-Acting: Cadanil takes effect extremely rapidly, providing its benefits within seconds of injection.
-Systemic Shock: When a dose of Cadanil wears off after about ten minutes, pain catches up, causing death, unconsciousness, or nausea depending on the severity of the injuries.
-Impaired Judgement: While under the effects of Cadanil, users experience extremely heightened aggression that may lead to poor tactical decisions.
-Long-Term Damage: Those who survive Cadanil's effects and use it repeatedly suffer heart failure, nerve damage, and a high rate of addiction and dependency.
This appears to be pretty standard stuff, in regards to most of the effects of this drug, but the immunity to mental powers due to the impact it has on the frontal lobe is a bit different.