Tales of the Amber Vipers Chapter 67

The cold metal operating table lay underneath him, chilling his naked back with its bare surface. In his eyes was a glaring light, hanging over his head and shining onto his chest. Under that light hooded figures leant over his frame, their soft whispers a constant drone in the background. Above him hung bags of saline fluid and cloned-blood, feeding into his implant sockets via long cables and there were many beeping machines. The room smelled of antiseptics, blood and the acrid tang of disinfectants. Under that musk was a lingering hint of rot and decay that he was slightly concerned might be coming from him. He wished he could raise his head and look at what was happening but he had not the strength. This was nothing to do with analgesia, for he had received none, Reddam simply hadn't the energy to move.

The light shining in his eyes was obscured as a bulky figure in white armour shifted position, his armoured gauntlets exploring the ragged wound in the Sergeant's chest. It was Apothecary Shrios and he was tending to Reddam's wounds with diligent care. The Marine bore harsh lines on his face, his concerns and sorrows weighing down heavily upon him, yet he worked on regardless. His head was exposed but over his right eye was strapped a curious device, a series of lens and augurs held on thin arms that clicked into position in seemingly random patterns, magnifying the Apothecary's sight and expanding his visual range into frequencies beyond human perception. Over his head floated a servo-skull with a large candle set on its polished skull, chanting prayers for healing and restoration in a looped cycle while in the corner of the Apothecarion a servitor held trays of medical tools, the tattoos on its arms proclaiming this one had once been a chattel of the Amber Viper, condemned to this half-life for some forgotten transgression.

Reddam had been laying on this gurney for over an hour as various adepts podded and poked him, examining his wounds and inspecting his condition. He had been an object of curiosity ever since they made it back to base. To his surprise he and Glord hadn't been the first to make it back, nor the last, but none had been injured in the manner he had. The bulk of the Chapter had returned in their transports but their losses had been considerable. The few Amber Vipers creeping back in ones and twos had been worn out and bleary-eyed but they were largely hale and every soul to return had been welcomed most warmly. Even a handful of mortals had somehow stumbled through the forest, not many but even one was more than Reddam had expected. Yet even with this good news the Eldar had still hurt the expedition most grievously, a matter Reddam intended to address, if he ever got off this damnable table.

"How much longer is this going to take?" Reddam muttered from his prone position.

Apothecary Shrios didn't look up as he said, "This is delicate work, the wounds should have closed days ago. There's some form of crystal shards in the incisions, keeping it from closing."

"I know that," Reddam hissed, "Get them out."

Shrios frowned as he said, "They are emitting an unknown form of energy, possibly psychic in nature. I dearly wish we had a Librarian to examine this, there's so much to learn."

Reddam scoffed, "A Librarian? You might as well wish for the Adeptus Custodes to sail forth from Terra and bestow the Amber Vipers with the keys to the Throneroom. Now, are you going to take the damned things out or not?"

Shrios sniffed, "I need more time to study this or it could kill you."

Reddam snapped, "If you don't I'm dead anyway, or worse."

Shrios replied coldly, "But the way the energy attacks the cell-structures is fascinating. Close study could advance my research of new poisons in so many ways."

"I'm not your damned lab-rat," Reddam snapped.

Shrios' head came up and he blinked as he said, "What? Oh yes, excuse me. I get lost in my research; of course I was going to take them out. Let us begin."

The Apothecary turned to his menials and took up a micro las-scalpel and a device with tiny mechandrites that wriggled like worms. He sprayed them with antiseptics and then bent over the wounds. Reddam felt pain spiking in his limbs but he refused to show weakness, these damned shards in his guts were the enemy and an Astartes gave the enemy nothing save contempt. He couldn't see what was happening but there was a lot of muttering and pulling and prodding, and the hiss of las-cutting flesh as Shrios informed him, "The shards have dug microscopic filaments into the tissue, I can't remove them… I will have to cut away the surrounding tissue to excise them."

"Get on with it," Reddam muttered through gritted teeth.

There were a few more pulls and an awful whiff of soldered muscles and blood then there was a sharp clink as something was dropped into a glassic container. Reddam lay helpless as the minutes crawled by and Shrios removed shard after shard from the wound. As the minutes inched past Reddam felt a strange warmth creeping into his limbs, driving out a coldness that he had grown so accustomed to. His skin began to itch and his head grew clearer, dispersing the foggy haze that had bedevilled him. Reddam was growing uncomfortable and he shifted his feet to adjust position, only to be stunned when he realised he had regained control of his legs. He wiggled his toes in delight, luxuriating in the sensation of being able to move anything.

"Hold still," Shrios snapped testily, "You there, spray more anti-coagulant here, the Larraman organ is working again but the clotting factors are getting in the way." Reddam concentrated on laying still as he heard clink after clink, the shards being excised from his body one by one. He had no idea how long the procedure took but with every shard he felt more strength returning to him, the power of the Adeptus Astartes filling him once more.

Finally Shrios stated, "They're all out, you apply sutures here, here and here. You there, apply sealant spray and bandages."

Reddam lifted his head and said, "It's done?"

Shrios stepped back as the hooded menials finished the operation, he sprayed his gauntlets with cleansing fluids and lifted off his eyepiece as he said, "You're damned lucky none of your implanted organs were destroyed. The energy in the shards was suppressing them somehow but they are physically intact, you should feel them working even now."

Reddam could certainly feel it and as the menials finished dressing his wounds he sat up and said, "Praise the Emperor."

The menials withdrew from the Apothecarion as Shrios checked a machine displaying vital functions and muttered, "Recovery speed is excellent, vital signs are stabilising, tissues regrowing at nominal rates, hormone production at peak efficiency. The shards really were the only thing keeping you down. Here, do you want to see?"

Reddam reached out and took a small glass dish from the tray held by the servitor, seeing piles of green crystal laid within. "They're so small," Reddam exclaimed, "How could this trouble an Astartes?"

"I don't know," Shrios said, "But I intend to find out. You rest up for an hour and then we'll see if you can walk."

Reddam however wasn't about to wait and slid off the gurney saying, "I'm good to go."

"Wait!" Shrios said as he spun about in alarm. Reddam jumped down, only to be pulled up short by the various lines plugged into his Black Carapace, the action pulled over the drip stands and they fell to the floor with a clatter. Reddam grimaced apologetically but Shrios merely sighed and waved the servitor to clear up the mess of fluids and blood. It took a few seconds for Reddam to unplug the lines but then he was able to push himself upright and stand unassisted. He still didn't feel back to one hundred percent but he grinned as he claimed, "Fit as an ambull and ready to fight."

Shrios shook his head and said, "Damned Initiates, always pushing themselves before they're ready. You should redouble your praises to the Emperor, without the genius of his gene-craft you would have never regained the use of your legs."

Reddam took a step forward and felt his stride growing more sure with every motion. His genhanced body was rebuilding itself and he felt his confidence grow with it. By the time he reached the door he could walk without a hitch in his step and he was able to reach out and pick up a coarse robe from a peg. His left arm pulled at him as he shrugged it on, the thick scar tissue tight across his bicep and his Black Carapace equally marked. Still he was glad to be able to walk and pushed the thin door open, stepping out of the prefab hut into the Amber Viper's base. He was greeted by the hustle and bustle of a military camp at war, chattels and Marines working diligently. Machine tools whirred, munition trucks roared past and the smells of oil, engine fumes and sweaty bodies were heavy in the air. The sky overhead was without a cloud and the brilliant sun cast oppressive heat onto the base. Reddam was glad to see it, as he was the squad who were loitering around.

Reddam's Brothers rushed over to him and Joffel called, "Sergeant, you're alive!"

"Of course he's alive," Tebes retorted, "Any fool can see that."

"I knew you'd make it," Larus said, "You're too tough to kill."

Reddam greeted them with a smile and said, "You should be thanking Glord, he carried me forty kilometres through hostile territory on his back."

Glord shook his head and demurred, "Thirty-eight, only thirty-eight."

Reddam faced him and said, "One kilometre or a hundred matter not. You displayed true Brotherhood and I will never forget it."

Glord grinned as he quipped, "Would this be a good time to ask for dartboard for the barracks?"

Everybody chuckled, save Kazao who hung his helmed head and said, "Sergeant, I am sorry. We saw you go down and thought you dead, had we known…"

"Speak not of such things," Reddam reassured him, "Your vulture was damaged and in no condition to intervene, there was nothing you could have done. I hold your actions to be correct."

Kazao lifted his head in relief and Reddam looked at his Brothers, alive and well despite all that had occurred. He wanted to speak to them more but suddenly another voice cut in, "Reddam! Up and around already, I knew you were too pig-headed to die."

Reddam turned about and saw Chapter Master Coluber bearing down on him, the master wearing his scarred and battered power armour. His breastplate was rent by many tears and his Iron Halo was a sparking mess of broken gold but he still marched with sure confidence and his face was set in a determined cast. Everybody bowed briefly to their lord and Reddam said, "I am honoured you should come to visit a wounded Brother."

Coluber nodded as he said, "I am visiting all the survivors, few as they are."

Reddam gulped, "How many did we lose?"

Coluber sighed, "Too many, every soul who wanders back is a blessing but still we lost far too many."

Shrios muttered, "This is the Chapter's biggest loss since Gujarat Drift."

Coluber didn't deny it as he said, "We shall mourn this fight for years, yet when we speak of this we shall tell a tale of victory not defeat."

Reddam frowned as he said, "You intend to return?"

Coluber nodded, "Indeed, our dead shall be avenged and the Eldar shall pay for crossing us."

Reddam was glad to hear the fire in his tone but he pointed out, "We are a diminished force, our casualties are heavy and we lost much equipment. Another fight in our present condition will be risky."

"And yet we must embrace the danger," Coluber affirmed, "Ferrac and his squad are still in there, all alone. I won't abandon them to fickle fate. The Amber Vipers shall always return for our Brothers."

Reddam drew himself up and said, "And I shall be there with you, no matter the cost."

Coluber nodded solemnly but then said, "I am glad to hear it, but I do not intend to go in unprepared. While you have been slogging back to base we have been far from idle, we have been preparing a special weapon… one suggested by Brother Larus."

Reddam started in surprise and spluttered, "Larus?"

Larus looked embarrassed as he explained, "The Eldar used the forest against us, it's their natural environment. There was a big argument about whether we should call down an orbital barrage to level the place but then I suggested that fungus… you remember that one we picked up off the drift. I mean it is poisonous and it multiplies like crazy."

Reddam was confused and said, "I don't follow."

Shrios elaborated, "I thought it a mere poisonous mould, but it mutated during Warp transit. Its growth rate is exponential, not linear but geometric in progression. I had to vac-seal the compartments and starve it of oxygen to stop it overrunning the Wyvern. I've been brewing the stuff up in vats for three days. Its nasty stuff, it eats pretty much everything: metal, wood and vegetation and it's none too good for us either. It would go through those trees in minutes and I've got barrels and barrels of it being loaded onto Valkyries as we speak."

Reddam turned to his master and said, "This is your plan, to infect the forest itself?"

Coluber replied, "The enemy uses this forest against us, so I intend to burn it down around their ears. You shall be tasked with flying escort for our mission; I have six Vultures left and one of them is short a pilot."

Reddam bowed again and said, "I am honoured and I swear to you we shall exact the blood price for our losses. The Eldar shall learn to fear the venom in the fangs of the Amber Vipers."