Tales of the Amber Vipers Chapter 102
They ran, what else could they do, they had no real weapons and no armour. None of them was deluded enough to think they could hurt the Necrons so they fled. The Aberrants turned away from their pursuers and ran as fast as they were able. To stand and die would serve no tactical or strategic purpose, so the only option left was to retreat.
Kazao's arms pumped as he galloped down a row of glowing blue cubes. He was sprinting as fast as the swiftest human athlete but thanks to his genhanced physiology he could sustain this pace for hours. In one hand he held a surgical knife, the diminutive tool pathetically small in his grip but it was all he had. Otherwise he was naked and unprotected.
To either side passed blue boxes, each one holding a strange creature in stasis. Kazao had long since stopped recognising the races, they were unknown even to the Hypno-indoctrination machines and he suspected they may well be from species that were long extinct. Behind the black pyramid had vanished into the distance but the grim cloud was growing ever nearer. Whatever it was it was moving faster than the Aberrants and it had their scent.
Kazao risked a glimpse back and saw it was getting closer and gasped, "What is that thing?"
Before him Brother Eckun with the glowing eyes snarled, "You don't want to know."
"You can see that?" Kazao wheezed.
"These eyes aren't just for show," Eckun spat as he redoubled his efforts, "Trust me when I say we don't want to be caught by that."
Ahead the black wall rose up like a mountain, absolutely sheer and featureless. It already filled the horizon as far as he could see, the distances hazy even to his eyes. They had been closing steadily on it, desperate for an escape route but unsure there even was one. But they had no options other than to continue and trust there would be a door, or a tunnel or a crack… anything to get them out of here.
As they ran Zasio cursed, "Fang-rot, these cubes never end. There must be billions trapped in these."
Nazrik pulled slightly ahead as he snapped, "Trust you to find the most worthless thing to say."
"I had my fill of your bile in training," Zasio spat, "I won't stand for anymore!"
Suddenly Marko ran past them both and snarled, "If you two don't shut up I'll kill you myself and leave you for the Necrons!"
The threat was hollow but it at least got the bickering pair to be silent. Kazao's legs were starting to burn with exertion, even a Transhuman body finally struggling to clear lactic acids. Yet his will was undaunted and he slowed not a morsel as he pushed himself to the limit. To his right the hirsute Torfa gambled along on all fours, spine cracking like a Mastiff's as he thundered forward. Kazao could barely match him but would not fall behind, not when the wall was so close.
Suddenly Eckun screeched to a halt and barked, "Stop! Necrons, between us and the wall."
"How many?!" Scarrio yelped.
"Ten of them, standard warrior forms. I don't think they've seen us yet."
Kazao gulped down cold air as he hissed, "There's no way we can rush those guns, we have to go around."
Marko nodded, "No time to argue, go right and Eckun let us know when we're clear."
Instantly the aberrants veered right, racing through the fields of blue boxes, heading parallel to the wall. Kazao cursed every moment they wasted, keenly aware that the black cloud was closer than ever. He could only trust that they would get clear of the lurking squad before the cloud caught up, else they were doomed. What the Necrons intended he did not know, yet one thing Kazao was certain of was that he would not go back into that laboritorum. He would die fighting before allowing himself to be captured once more.
Abruptly Eckun veered left shouting, "A door! I see a door!" Kazao could barely make out the wall but trusted the Aberrant's sight and everybody followed. For long minutes they ran at the wall, the mountain of its girth growing ever more defined. He felt the shadow of the cloud on his heels drawing ever closer, seeking them with unwavering focus and did not know if they would reach the wall before it overtook them. His breath was stinging in his lungs now and spikes of pain shot up his shins with every step but he did not relent. He pushed himself to the limit as he raced for the wall, then he saw it. A door: a wide aperture in the wall leading out of this place, open and inviting.
Everybody pushed themselves to the utmost edge of their speed and Marko shouted, "Hurry, we're almost out!"
But Eckun yelled, "Look out!"
As they passed the corner of a blue box two forms appeared and attacked. Kazao saw broad shoulders and metallic faces attached to a spine that tapered away like a long tail. They had no legs but boasted vicious talons for fingers, that promised inevitable death. Wraiths, same as had attacked his squad in space, coming for them like bloodhounds.
"Scatter!" Kazao yelled as the Wraiths struck and everybody dove aside. Kazao felt a talon whisk past an inch from his face as the Wraith shot by and knew it would have taken his head off had it made contact. Marko wasn't so lucky; the other Wraith swept low and struck his thigh, shearing through muscle and bone like it was nothing. Marko went down spraying blood from his sundered leg, the limb almost hanging off entirely.
The Wraiths shot by and vanished into the floor, tails flicking like diving fish. Kazao knew they'd wouldn't go far and shouted, "Form a circle, they'll be back!"
Everybody backed up and Nazrik hissed, "You've seen these before?!"
Kazao replied, "Yes, they have some form of phasing, they can't be hit when they fly past. They can only be touched when they move in for the strike. Hit them when they pounce."
Suddenly Eckun yelled, "To the right!" From the shadows the Wraiths returned, talons gleaming with deadly intent. Kazao saw them coming but resisted the urge to attack, waiting for the moment when they pounced. They shimmered in and out of being as they closed, only their eyes remaining true, filled with hatred and scorn. Then they hardened into solidity and Kazao yelled, "Now!"
As one the squad leapt, tackling the pair of Wraiths. Silver talons flashed and Nazrik hissed as his shoulder was rent, but with his other hand he stabbed a scalpel into its side. Kazao followed suit, wrapping his arms around its shoulders and digging in with his knife while Zasio grabbed it lower down. The others tackled the second Wraith but Kazao had no time to watch as they fell to the floor in a heap.
He lifted his arm and stabbed down again and again, penetrating the silver of the Wraith's body. Each blow was tiny but he would not relent, desperately gouging over and over in a quest to find some vital mechanism. Nazrik followed suit, blood pouring down his chest as he stabbed with his good arm. Yet it was Zasio who was doing the most damage, his arms moving like pistons. His limbs shot back and forth at an incredible rate, blurring as he let loose an onslaught of stabbing frenzy. It was like his tendons were made of coiled springs, granting him speed and strength no normal Astartes could boast.
Together they dug their knives into the flowing metal of the Wraith, tearing chunks of it away and leaving gouges in its form that healed over in moments. Kazao gritted his teeth as a talon scored over his bicep, leaving a trail of blood, but he persisted in his attack. Then suddenly he fell forward, hitting the floor with both hands. The Wraith was gone, not phased out but sinking into the ground like a ghost. It had retreated but not abandoned the fight. It would be back, Kazao was sure.
He rolled over, looking to see how the fight against the other Wraith was going. What he beheld was a scrum of bodies, all fighting tooth and nail. Scarrio was stabbing furiously into the silver neck as Eckun levered a drill bit between the ribs. Hasak was punching it repeatedly in the face while Torfa slashed with his feral claws and gnawed with his fangs. They were taking it apart piece by piece, but it wasn't going down easily.
A silver talon flashed and Eckun flopped back, weeping blood from a cut to his chest. A gap was cleared and the Wraith tried to get up but suddenly Scarrio was on top, straddling its chest. He held his arm aloft and then flexed his fist oddly, causing a length of bone spur to erupt from the back of his wrist. He stabbed the mutant claw into a glowing eyesocket with a snarl of righteous hate and the Wraith froze. All was silence for a moment, then the Wraith shimmered and faded into nothing, phasing away in defeat.
Everybody gasped for air, weeping blood from vicious cuts and feeling their many wounds burning. Eckun was first to his feet and declared, "We did it, we beat…" The next few seconds were seared into Kazao's memory. Eckun froze as a halo of ethereal energies played around his skull, his face going slack and imbecilic. He twitched once and then flopped to the ground as neural tissue leaked from his eyes and ears. Behind him a tall Necron with one eye shrugged a long rifle as it wrapped itself in shadows and tried to disappear.
"No!" Kazao yelled in dismay as he scrambled to his feet. The Necron sniper was fading away before his eyes and he raced to intercept it, but Hasak was faster. The giant Aberrant came out of nowhere and wrapped the sniper in a bear hug, lifting it aloft as he roared his anger. The Necron kicked wildly and shadows danced as it tried to evade but Hasak would not let go. He shook it like a rag doll, trying to break its spine and the violence caused it to drop its rifle.
Hasak piled on all his strength, trying to crush it to death but living metal was not so easily broken. Its hand caught a wrist and dug deep, ripping tendons and it broke the grip holding it aloft. Hasak roared in frustration as the Necron dropped to the ground, intending to escape, but Kazao was already there.
He barrelled bodily into the Necron and sent it staggering. It tripped over its own feet and fell backwards, straight into one of the blue boxes. Shimmering stasis-fields enveloped the Necron and held tight, locking it into a perpetual fall. It seemed even Necron technology could not overcome stasis for the sniper became motionless, literally. Its fall arrested for all time as it hung at a forty-five degree angle inside the stasis-field.
Kazao gasped for air as he said, "Eckun?"
"Dead," Nazrik wheezed, "As will we be if we don't move."
Kazao picked up the discarded rifle, he didn't know if it affected Necrons but it made a handy club and he said, "No time to mourn, pick up Marko and let's go."
From the ground Marko protested, "My leg's done for. Leave me, I'll only slow you down."
But Hasak grabbed him and said, "Keep quiet, I carry."
The giant slung him over a shoulder and they set off once more. Kazao saw the cloud was closer than ever and set a punishing pace, heading for the wall again. They ran for all they were worth and surprisingly Hasak matched them pace for pace, his strength not troubled by the weight of Marko. Closer and closer the wall came and Kazao saw the blessed door in all it perfect majesty. Yet the shadow of the cloud was mere metres behind and it was closing.
Faster and faster they ran then finally the confines of the door engulfed them. Kazao stopped and waved the Aberrants inside, sending them down a long featureless tunnel. Hasak and Marko were first, followed by Zasio and Nazrik, then Torfa. Last of all was Scarrio, who was lagging behind.
Kazao turned to see what was holding him up but his breath caught as he beheld Scarrio standing stock still, four silver talons sticking out of his larynx. Behind him the remaining Wraith floated into view, its eyes glowing evilly. Kazao reached out his hand in denial but a twitch of the silver talons sliced the neck apart and Scarrio's head fell from his shoulders, hitting the ground with a soft thump. The Wraith dropped the body as blood fountained everywhere and Kazao knew he was next.
Two Brothers were dead, a Wraith on his tail and the shadow of doom almost upon him. Faced with useless death Kazao did the only thing he could. He turned and ran, fleeing the scene of the fight and leaving the cooling corpses behind. So he fled into the depths of the Dyson Sphere, to face whatever horrors awaited them deeper inside the Necron's Tomb.