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When one imagines themselves getting transported into a fictional universe they likely expect some fanfare. Some majestic or mystical portal opens up to drag them through, a panicked beginning as you realized this isn't your world. A land you know of but never thought to end up living in. A quick and unfortunate end to your previous life heralding it all.

Not to just wake up in your pajamas under a thick canopy of leaves. The only sky you could glimpse was blocked by a blanket of deep grey clouds. It was jarring to get into your bed and let sleep take you only to wake up in a jungle.

Especially to the sound of gunfire.

That got me standing up then slamming my back to a tree for cover. Bullets and red beams were whizzing by and tearing up the foliage and revealing two groups locked in combat. One I recognized as members of the Astra Militarium, PDF, or Guard I couldn't tell at the time. The other made nearly scream as they ran up, fired, then were cut down by lasguns. Genestealer hybrids, I have heard their description many times in the Ciaphas Cain book series so I knew this was a place I needed to get away from. So I bolted into the jungle while trying to keep my head down and weave through the trees and foliage. To use the word weave in a very generous way, I kept bumping into trees and almost tripping over ferns, roots, and some other plant life I couldn't identify. All the while I cried out in fear at the sounds of bullets whizzing by and lasrounds searing parts of trees off, the screams of hastily shouted orders echoed in throughout the firefight. Matched only in volume by the screams of soldiers and hybrids getting hit. It was nothing short of a miracle that I didn't get shot throughout all this. I was moving without a plan, clear direction, or even thought about how I was supposed to survive out here. It was just a pure instinctual desire to get away from the harm and a scrambled to try and find a route to do that.

So was it any wonder that I ended up bursting through a curtain of vines and into a squad of genestealer cultists. One of them in a fancy cloak and hood stared right into me for a moment, I swear his eyes glowed a deep green. Soon the moment of surprise was lost and he leveled a curved blade at me and screamed for his men to seize me. I tried turning to run but they were far faster than I would believe. Grabbing ahold of me I screamed and thrashed about to get free but they were vastly stronger than I was. This went about for a couple of seconds before I felt a sharp pain in the back of my neck and everything went black.


I woke up an indeterminable amount of time later strapped to a large metal chair of sorts, surrounded by Genestealer hybrids. They were all every bit ugly and gross to look at as the books described them to be. A purple hue took root on most of them, parts of their bodies or just their rugged foreheads had that hardened skin. Natural armor brought on by the Tyranid's genes. More than a few had extra arms or by judging the bulges of their clothing it suggested they had something hidden. Some of them were displaying sickle-shaped talons the length of swords or pincers I knew were strong enough to crush rock.

Suddenly I feel something prickle my neck for a moment before retreating. My head was restrained but my eyes were free to peer over at an empty needle. It took a few seconds before my eyes became fuzzy and my senses dulled further.

Then the cutting began.

Whatever they were doing to me, I was aware but not able to feel it well. The skin was peeled to the side and the rounded skull opened as l felt what could have been medical tools cut into the back of my head and planted... Something. I didn't know what it was just that it was likely not an object I wanted to be inserted into me. My first thought was that they were trying to turn me into a servitor and my God did that freak me out, I didn't know much in the lore about them but just enough to realize that it was a fate I wanted to avoid. Not that I was able to do anything to stop them.

The hybrids continued to dig around and insert a thing into me. I didn't know what it was but just knew something was being placed into the back of my head. Then they were done, just like that, and sealed my head back up. At first, I hopes the worse would be over soon, but then something else was wrapped around my skill. Metal and think cables were connected to me and then the pain came back...

It was a gradual thing like someone placed a vice over my head and turned hard. Even when it could turn no longer it kept going. My entire body shook with pain, my eyes began to blank and I felt another mind of sorts. Not too sure how to describe it other than my mind being a moving car and someone just dived through the passenger's seat and was shoved into me. They started screaming into my ear as we both tried to hold onto the steering wheel. I joined them shortly after.

Crying out for God, my mom, the Emperor of man, literally anybody to try and make the pain go away. The Genestealers began crying out too, from what little I can reflect on now praised to the 'great God above' and for it to accept this 'vessel' for its glorious essence.

No clue what that meant precisely but I really didn't register or care all that much at the moment. Just occupied with trying to scream my vocal cords out of functionality. I didn't even notice the Guardsmen blasting open the door to the warehouse when my eyes rolled back. Not heard the gunfire and screams of battle at the raid took place. Or the cult getting cut down and retreating tails, both literal and figurative, between their legs.

What I did hear and feel was the gadget on my head being torn off by one of my unintentional rescuers.

"Check for wounds! I want to make sure if this one's infected or not." The visor on the helmet protected most of their facial expression from being seen. I could still detect the stern authoritative tone on her voice order as my body was patted down and the back. The restrains had to be removed to fully check my body, the soft fabric of my pajamas getting even more dirt from the manhandling.

"Got nothing besides from this one in the back of his neck... Looks like it was just made Ma'am. Doesn't look like something from a genestealer though..." The feminine voice from behind suggested that there was room for doubt here, which wasn't good for my health. If they suspected me of being tainted by Genestealers I was a dead man. If I wasn't already. I had no idea what the cultist did to be but didn't why need a genestealer patriarch to infect new hoists and didn't it leave the victim disoriented...?

The Guardswoman in front of me pursed their lips trying to come up with what to do with me. I was found captive by a Genestealer cult after all. Before she or anybody else could do anything the cultist were back. Many were cut down by the sudden counter-attack, I didn't care to think about the death around me as instinct took over and instructed me to get the heck out of here. So I staggered out of the chair and fell into a body of a hybrid, blood was leaking out of them and pooling on the concrete floor. I tried my best to ignore it, failing then dry heaving my empty stomach before finally getting to my feet and then bolting for a busted window. Troopers were being cut down left and right, most were too focused on the Genestealers to notice me. The few that did either did nothing to deter me from fleeing or were cut down by gunfire from the stealers right before the melee ones closed the distance.

Once I made it to the window I fell back to my feet as broken glass pierced my feet. I instead crawled to the window and dragged myself over the edge and outside. Into the pouring rain, it was really sprinkling water but I could care less for specifics at that moment. I just bolted, feeling the wet dirt squelch beneath my feet, and stopped once I saw a butt load of armored transports parked outside. Although no soldiers in sight, that was fine for me as I took a chance and booked it out of there, covered by the grey clouds blocking the sunlight and rain masking my footsteps. Not to mention the thick green foliage that I eventually ran into.

I wasn't thinking, just trying to focus on getting as far away from the Genestealers and the raging gunfight as fast as my legs would allow. After a while, the adrenaline began to die down and my side burned as it always did after a long run. I noted a patch of thick trees that serve as a makeshift umbrella, jungles were like that apparently. So I decided that was my best bet for a place to sit and planted my rear there, letting my back be propped up by the hard bark.

My soaking wet pajamas drained onto the dirt floor some of the blood- my blood pooling with it. I was finally alone and able to collect my thoughts. Gathering my wits as the reality of the situation had the time to dawn on me.

"I'm in the Warhammer 40K universe..." I muttered aloud as my measly shelter and the dry patch did nothing to keep me from shivering.

Then I started crying and I'm not sorry or embarrassed to admit that...