Of the millions of addictive drugs used and sold within the limits of the known galaxy, few are more pernicious and problematic than the synthetic megasteroid known as Zip. This "performance enhancement supplement", as it is often euphemistically labeled, actually does make the user stronger and faster... but at a price.

Prolonged use leads to dementia and breakdown of major internal organs, and eventually death. Originally touted as a chemical enhancement for athletes, Zip was eventually banned from all professional athletic competitions.

Perhaps the most insidious effect of Zip is that it leads users to falsely believe that they are smarter than they actually are. This artificial sense of superiority, coupled with the increase in physical strength, inevitably leads to fatal flaws in judgement.