6
The spaceship landed upon a windswept plain of purple grass and scrubland. Dark lightning played over the surface of the entire planet like the glitches of an unreleased game, charring the plain black. Mallard looked into the distance and saw a fantastic city of dark glass, unbreakable screen-glass, twinkling in the deep violet sunset. Chambers of all sizes were connected together by cylinder walkways. The structures were divided into wings, which were not joined together, but a dark energy crackled inbetween them, rings of pulsating negative energy that looped and danced in intricate patterns. Mallard guessed this was some form of advanced teleportation. The entire structure followed no pattern and was no discernable shape, with walkways branching off at angles that would have been impossible for a human architect. Some led beyond the atmosphere into outer space. The structure seemed to be floating, using a gravity of its own that defied the Universe. Mallard could see no way into the place. Maybe it wasn't inhabited- maybe it was some kind of power supply, or something else beyond his comprehension.
The hatch opened, and Asdatesco Reductio was released onto the planet's surface. The medics climbed into their chairs. At Mallard's command, the Titan came to life and strode across the blasted plains of Commoragh. Jack fed him directions on the Titan's in-built map. They were heading away from the glass structure, towards a mountain range made of purple sandstone.
"What is that glass thing anyway?" asked Drake, "It looks like one of those Rotastak hamster house things."
"That is the city." Jack told him, "But my master lives apart from the others, in his research laboratory."
"Laboratory. I don't like the sound of that." Duck shivered.
"My master has never performed an experiment that is as unethical as the terrible things you humans do to other animals in laboratories."
"Oh great, a Dark Eldar animal rights activist."
"I am beginning to tire of your prejudices against Dark Eldar."
"Duck, stop annoying the negative restorer. Jack, where are we heading?"
Jack led them through a narrow valley inbetween two mountains, barely wide enough for a Titan to fit through. The grass here was longer, undisturbed and sheltered from lightning. Surprisingly, Mallard felt the small red eyes of hedgehog-like creatures watching him from cracks in the rocks. Flies buzzed around him. He wondered if he was becoming light-headed due to the wonderful feeling of ultimate power flowing through every atom of his body as he was in total synthesis with the machine god. The valley continued for several miles before they came to a large glass pyramid, its perfectly smooth walls surging with a nimbus of dark energy.
"Wait while I contact my master." Jack reached behind his ear and unclipped a tiny device. He closed his eyes and held it to his mouth. "Master Rakarth? Your pupil has returned. I have need of your assistance. Please allow us to enter."
"Rakarth? Urien Rakarth?" Duck yelled.
"Shut up." snapped Jack, "Forgive me, master. My companions are uneducated as to the Truth. I would be eternally grateful if you enlighten them."
A ripple appeared in the surface of one face of the pyramid, as if it were a pool of ink, and grew into a triangular doorway big enough for the Titan to fit through. We are medics, Mallard tol hismelf, we are fearless. We go where no others dare to go, and we don't take sides. This is my greatest test. He stepped through the portal.
"Master!"
"Jack!"
Leaping out of the Titan's hatch, the negative restorer ran over to his master and hugged him. A gang of male and female Dark Eldar ran towards him, and soon they were exchanging stories and berating each other for being away for so long. The master was an old man even by Dark Eldar standards; wrinkles were appearing in his deep purple skin and he stooped over a dark metal staff engraved with daemonic eldritch runes and decorated with bone carvings. He wore a long black cloak over his black plasteel armour. The cloak bore a symbol of a white arrow pointing upwards. Wickedly sharp blades were strapped to his arms. He was watching the Titan with an amused fascination.
"Ah, yes. This, master, is Asdatesco Reductio."
"An impressive piece of machinery. Why is it in my laboratory?"
"The Princeps has been incorrectly wired to it. It was a permanent peripheration. We need your help removing the wires."
"Indeed." the master laughed, "Who would be so careless as to accidentally botch a permanent peripheration?"
"It was... a difficult situation." Jack explained the story of Mallard's mistake, the trial and his involuntary peripheration, while the master leaned on his staff and nodded. Mallard imagined that he saw shock and outrage in the old man's eyes.
"Right. You and you... get Room 255 cleared up. You, get me some alsulin and some perolymate. Jack, go and disinfect my instruments." he barked, "I need two assistants."
"I'll do it!" said a female Dark Eldar. Jack volunteered too.
"Okay. Princeps Mallard, would you like to walk Reductio this way? Your friends will have to leave you for the moment, I'm afraid."
They obeyed and climbed out of the Titan.
"What do you want us to do?"
"Master, they need enlightening!" Jack told his master.
"Very well. My father can do it. You two, lead our friends to Room 404."
The spaceship landed upon a windswept plain of purple grass and scrubland. Dark lightning played over the surface of the entire planet like the glitches of an unreleased game, charring the plain black. Mallard looked into the distance and saw a fantastic city of dark glass, unbreakable screen-glass, twinkling in the deep violet sunset. Chambers of all sizes were connected together by cylinder walkways. The structures were divided into wings, which were not joined together, but a dark energy crackled inbetween them, rings of pulsating negative energy that looped and danced in intricate patterns. Mallard guessed this was some form of advanced teleportation. The entire structure followed no pattern and was no discernable shape, with walkways branching off at angles that would have been impossible for a human architect. Some led beyond the atmosphere into outer space. The structure seemed to be floating, using a gravity of its own that defied the Universe. Mallard could see no way into the place. Maybe it wasn't inhabited- maybe it was some kind of power supply, or something else beyond his comprehension.
The hatch opened, and Asdatesco Reductio was released onto the planet's surface. The medics climbed into their chairs. At Mallard's command, the Titan came to life and strode across the blasted plains of Commoragh. Jack fed him directions on the Titan's in-built map. They were heading away from the glass structure, towards a mountain range made of purple sandstone.
"What is that glass thing anyway?" asked Drake, "It looks like one of those Rotastak hamster house things."
"That is the city." Jack told him, "But my master lives apart from the others, in his research laboratory."
"Laboratory. I don't like the sound of that." Duck shivered.
"My master has never performed an experiment that is as unethical as the terrible things you humans do to other animals in laboratories."
"Oh great, a Dark Eldar animal rights activist."
"I am beginning to tire of your prejudices against Dark Eldar."
"Duck, stop annoying the negative restorer. Jack, where are we heading?"
Jack led them through a narrow valley inbetween two mountains, barely wide enough for a Titan to fit through. The grass here was longer, undisturbed and sheltered from lightning. Surprisingly, Mallard felt the small red eyes of hedgehog-like creatures watching him from cracks in the rocks. Flies buzzed around him. He wondered if he was becoming light-headed due to the wonderful feeling of ultimate power flowing through every atom of his body as he was in total synthesis with the machine god. The valley continued for several miles before they came to a large glass pyramid, its perfectly smooth walls surging with a nimbus of dark energy.
"Wait while I contact my master." Jack reached behind his ear and unclipped a tiny device. He closed his eyes and held it to his mouth. "Master Rakarth? Your pupil has returned. I have need of your assistance. Please allow us to enter."
"Rakarth? Urien Rakarth?" Duck yelled.
"Shut up." snapped Jack, "Forgive me, master. My companions are uneducated as to the Truth. I would be eternally grateful if you enlighten them."
A ripple appeared in the surface of one face of the pyramid, as if it were a pool of ink, and grew into a triangular doorway big enough for the Titan to fit through. We are medics, Mallard tol hismelf, we are fearless. We go where no others dare to go, and we don't take sides. This is my greatest test. He stepped through the portal.
"Master!"
"Jack!"
Leaping out of the Titan's hatch, the negative restorer ran over to his master and hugged him. A gang of male and female Dark Eldar ran towards him, and soon they were exchanging stories and berating each other for being away for so long. The master was an old man even by Dark Eldar standards; wrinkles were appearing in his deep purple skin and he stooped over a dark metal staff engraved with daemonic eldritch runes and decorated with bone carvings. He wore a long black cloak over his black plasteel armour. The cloak bore a symbol of a white arrow pointing upwards. Wickedly sharp blades were strapped to his arms. He was watching the Titan with an amused fascination.
"Ah, yes. This, master, is Asdatesco Reductio."
"An impressive piece of machinery. Why is it in my laboratory?"
"The Princeps has been incorrectly wired to it. It was a permanent peripheration. We need your help removing the wires."
"Indeed." the master laughed, "Who would be so careless as to accidentally botch a permanent peripheration?"
"It was... a difficult situation." Jack explained the story of Mallard's mistake, the trial and his involuntary peripheration, while the master leaned on his staff and nodded. Mallard imagined that he saw shock and outrage in the old man's eyes.
"Right. You and you... get Room 255 cleared up. You, get me some alsulin and some perolymate. Jack, go and disinfect my instruments." he barked, "I need two assistants."
"I'll do it!" said a female Dark Eldar. Jack volunteered too.
"Okay. Princeps Mallard, would you like to walk Reductio this way? Your friends will have to leave you for the moment, I'm afraid."
They obeyed and climbed out of the Titan.
"What do you want us to do?"
"Master, they need enlightening!" Jack told his master.
"Very well. My father can do it. You two, lead our friends to Room 404."