Captain Coro came through the door with his whole honour guard, chaplain Kyranos, librarian Astoras and finally apothecary Havel. The captains voice was stern and unforgiving. "Second squad, weapons down! You are to follow us to the apothecium for clensing." He turned to face Wizen "confirm there is no damage then have us taken out of the warp." "Understood sir. but reports say we are now off course from being hit earlier. If he translate now we will have weeks before we reach Lomea." The captain paused and thought for a moment. "Better we get out now. A few weeks of travel is nothing compared the risk of Gellar field failure."
"I can't tell if it's the warp or that damned psyker, but this room feels disgusting. Added Astoras as he locked eyes with the null psyker. "I am watching you woman." She said nothing, instead smiling seductively at him.
Praal stood between the librarian and his psyker. "She has served me for over two decades librarian! Demons scream in pain at her presence, she is the last to suspect and you will mind your tongue regarding such matters."
Captain Coro once again stood in to diffuse the situation between the null psyker and the librarian. "We are quarantining this room till we leave the warp. Everyone out and back to your duties. Astoras make your way to the apothecium your powers will be needed to assist with Achilles squads refresh." with that everyone started moving and the tension in the room eased as minds focused on the tasks at hand.
Achilles squad, walked single file towards the apothecium, knowing that the next weeks would be spent once again in basic training. Ever cursed were the Red Hunters in this way. "What does it feel like? Asked Apollo never having been subject to a mind wipe. "who knows, you can't remember." Oritar replied in a glum tone.
They arrived at the apothecarium, slabs of steel everywhere some with astartes in healing comas not yet awoken from their injuries. Their bodies connected to an array of fluids and surrounding by servitors ceaselessly monitoring their conditions. The whole place smelled of sterilising liquids mixed with incense as chattels whispered continuous prayers over the room. At the back of the room next to 7 empty steel slabs, serfs waited to take the weapons and armour of the condemned Astartes back to their quarters. The librarian took up his position next to the first slab mentally preparing to use his powers to assist with the wipe. Then Havel turned to face them "Taber you are first."
Taber passed his bolter to a serf then grabbed his katana next. His mind screamed flooded with white noise. through the noise came a voice "not this time." It said before vanishing as quickly as it had appeared. Taber paused for a second but the noise was gone. Not wanting to attract any more attention to himself he quickly passed over his blades and the serfs removed his armour piece by piece laying it carefully on a long trolley for transport.
"Lay down." The apothecary gestured to the first slab. Taber laid down as Havel wheeled over a great Hulk of a machine covered in dials and gauges with a single large screen in the middle. Coming off from each side was a long cable with oval-shaped ends and a two-inch long needle coming out of each cable. "Brother Taber these will go over your eyes and the needle will penetrate through the corners of your eye sockets into your brain. It will then pump a very mild neurotoxin into the part of your brain responsible for your memories. Your genehanced physiology will naturally counter this and try and heal you. It will keep the toxin contained but will shut you down for a couple of hours while it does so. You will then awaken a new Astartes and we will send you off to basic training. Oh and if you move while we insert the needles and they become displaced you may end up melting the part of your brain that controls your motor function, in short, do not move!"
Taber was incredibly frustrated at the idea of having to go through basic training again, they hadn't even seen any combat since the last time. He had to admit though the things that had been happening to him were cause for concern. He drew his weapon on an inquisitors retinue member for throne sakes. Taber laid back noticing the librarian out the corner of his eye with his hand outstretched and eyes closed, he did not understand what the psykers role was in the mind wipe process but he knew it was important.
This was best for him he decided and without fear, he watched as the apothecary brought the needles up towards his face. "don't move." he whispered once more as the tips Pierced the corners of his eyes. The pain was surprisingly mild as the needles slid home. Suppressing the natural reaction to close his eyes and move his head away from danger Ikanis Taber breathed deep and waited. He could feel a tingle inside his head, the neurotoxin had begun to seep in and despite them being open his eyes started to go dark. He could feel himself slipping into unconsciousness but right before he went out he had a vision of red.
It was a deep red blur becoming more clear as the seconds went by. Taber realised he was remembering the null psyker, or having a vison of her. Which ever it was it was very strange. She looked at him with a grin. A grin that the Astartes new to be evil somehow. She stepped into full view. Her eyes a bright violet hue. Taber was furious now. She was no psyker. She was a demon! Astoras was feeling demonic presence masquerading as a null psykers passive ability. "I will kill you!" Taber screamed forgetting that they were inside the limbo state of his mind and really he was powerless. "But I am here to help you." She replied waving her arms around to the blank space that was his mind right now.
"You can help me by dying." His retort his only weapon right now.
She walked forward and all of a sudden Taber was looking at an image of himself surrounded by nothingness while Loran stepped up to be face to face with his kneeling body. "what if I could give you back all your memories? What if I showed you the horrors the imperium has made you carry out? Why do you think they take your memories? I'll tell you why. Because they are the true evil! A decrepit liar wasting lives of billions just to keep himself alive. Let me show you the truth."