9
Into the rabbit hole
Jaccobio woke in a stone prison cell. At first, he thought he was dreaming. After all, there wasn't any single room aboard the Acquirement like this. Then he heard a stranger's voice, the mere detail and seriousness of the voice revealed this wasn't a dream. Possibly a nightmare, those that you live through with cold blood and hope to end up alive. The voice was Skoal's.
"Hey, brother. Can you hear me?"
"Yea." responded Jaccobio. His large unconscious body was sitting in the floor with his back to the wall.
"Uh, good. Did you see what just happened?" asked Skoal.
Jaccobio kept his blank stare toward the horizon and released an ironic laugh.
Skoal approached and kneeled in front of him. After the beating they received from the Alpha legionnaires, Skoal decided that Jaccobio's stare could mean he was concussed. After a serious inspection, he raised three fingers in front of Jaccobio and spoke.
"How many Alpharius do you see?" he joked. Like a work of magic or a talented hypnotist, Jaccobio came back to his body and turned to Skoal.
"Who are you?" Jaccobio asked firmly.
Skoal took his identification badge and extended it. The protocol to assign all tripulants with a data badge was something a security officer like Jaccobio rejoiced on. He immediately looked at his cell mate known background.
"A drop out? What were you doing in Voodan Beta when they recruited you? Who authorized this?! A techanic on servitor repairs?" without waiting for answers Jaccobio kept throwing implication after implication. As he did, the security officer stood up. He may not be athletic, nor particularly muscular, but his large shape was still an intimidating force for the scrawny Skoal. Jaccobio crouched slightly to put his face closer to the skinny one.
"Care to explain, Skoal?" he asked with threatening tone.
"Are you blind to your situation, brother? You are incarcerated in a cell that doesn't smell or look like anything in our radar. I'd say we probably are in Voodan Beta; I don't think I was out for too long. Although I don't remember much after the bar."
Jaccobio shoved him hard with both arms. He could barely stay standing.
"Who are you, Skoal without a name of family? What in the infinite chaos hells are you doing aboard the Acquirement!?" he screamed this time.
"I'm just staying alive without casting a shadow over the Emperor's work." he said calmly, knowing he had nothing to justify after all he had gone through. And if there was anyone he should explain his actions to, it wouldn't be an officer like Jaccobio. He raised his hands and continued in the same reassured fashion.
"I was hired by Aurelio, the team lead on the servitor repairs. He made the arrangements between the Mechanicum and the Imperial Navy. I was assigned to another expedition fleet, but after he interviewed me, the position was changed. I'm here to assist the technical work on the servitors." confessed Skoal.
It was mostly the honesty that made Jaccobio relax. He was convinced that if that wasn't all or part of the truth, he would be able to extract it out of this little cell mate.
"Interesting fellow, to say the least" said Jaccobio as he dusted off his uniform.
"Aurelio? Oh yeah, a puzzle with a heartbeat".
"I meant you, Skoal. You and I are not done yet, remember that. But you are right, this fricking jail must be from one of the subdued lords on the northern continents."
"Sounds about right!" Skoal was spurred by such clear and irrefutable deduction.
"Which means we are in Imperial territory." Jaccobio said this standing next to the iron bars.
"Eh," Skoal couldn't believe he was so astute a moment ago, now he wasn't connecting the most obvious dots. "It was the Alpha Legion. We are their prisoners." he stated. "And I don't think they brought us anywhere but to the nest of the hydra."
Jaccobio appreciated that his company would be useful to stay alive.
"When you woke up, they had just left. The Astartes said his name was Bob. That he would take us to a meeting with his superior. Demanded our total cooperation so we can return to the battleship. He said that if delay they will not be able to hide our disappearance from the Acquirement. And if did not cooperate we would dead before nightfall."
"Alright." said Jaccobio. "So, we play their game. That's fair after all." spoke Jaccobio. He paid more attention to cleaning his suit, dusting off all the dust and wrinkles. Skoal sat down beside him. He looked up to him.
"And what kind of officer are you?"