Native to planet Brekka, its harvest, growth and sale provides the lone industry on the planet as a form of temporary relief for the "plague" on neighboring Ornara. The plague was actually cured generations ago on Brekka, but the planet withholds that knowledge from Ornara to promote its society-wide addiction that keeps Brekka in business.

The narcotic, resembling an Old Earth breakfast cereal of crispy rice, is refined from a rare plant that grows only in remote areas and must be carefully cultivated, harvested and purified - an expensive, time-consuming process. Distillation has improved, the Brekkians say. Two generations ago, a volume equal to five U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D cargo holds of felicium would have been needed for the potency of just seven modern standard barrels. The improvements actually helped keep Ornarans addicted to the drug.

It is dispensed in dosages of 0.01 milliliters and lasts up to 72 hours, administered through a pressure-injector hypo to the palm.