Ancient Objects: Chapter Six

Tsathoggua: No, it isn't a halliculation. As far as he knows he's been seeing things in his dreams and remembering them – almost re-experiencing them - when he sees a sphere that came out of the warp and started zooming towards his ship. Don't forget he is a gamma level psyker. For comparison, Ravenor is low-gamma.

Readers, the plot begins to progress, and at the prompting of the dreaded Ordos Helican.

"Inquisitor, may I be allowed to ask a question of you?" the Tech-Priest asked me, using a vox instead of his mouth and High-Formal in an obvious attempt to show superiodity.

"Ask the question, Tech-Priest, and I will decide whether or not I choose to answer," I returned, also using High-Formal.

"Thank you, Inquisitor," he said, switching to Low Gothic, and using his voice. I guessed that either his command of High Formal was limited, or that he was hoping to confuse me with High Formal and vox-speak but had realized his failure, or that he was attempting a gesture of equality.

"Inquisitor, when the craft collapsed why did you not recover the wreakage? You simply went back to this blackship and took the recently teleported beings to the medicare. It could have been of incalculable value," he pointed out in a rather annoyed tone.

"That I shall explain momentarily. Lord Osma, however, wishes an immediate report, and I must give it. Listen, and you will learn."

"After I fired the ships lance I was amazed to see that, though heated, the sphere was heated but completely undamaged. However, several seconds later its motive power vanished and it collapsed into what sensors told me were of an unnateral atomic structure, that then collapsed, according to sensors."

"Was their any wreakage," Inquisitor Osma asked me from the command chair of the ship.

"Yes. After the atoms in the ship collapsed they reformed in to some form of unknown substance, Lord," I replied. "That the knowledge of the mighty Imperium of Man could not understand this reaction confused me and worried me, yet soon after I was comforted that I did not know," I finished.

"What do you mean?" asked Osma.

"I discovered there to be a warp taint – my astropath could easily recognise it. I judged that, including the evidence of the demonic he reported, and the fact that a warp-taint was detected in the new substance, that the safest course of action was to fire at it. It then ignited and I returned here, Inquisitor Lord."

Osma sighed slightly and appeared satisfied with my explanation, silencing the Magos'es complaints with a wave of his hand.

"Then it seems that our Brother Inquisitor has been correct in his actions. Now, what of the survivors?" questioned Osma.

"They are all in sickbay. It seemed there was a malfunction in their teleport. When they appeared they were all wounded in the travel. I believe further explanations should best left the Adeptus Mechanicus and Adeptus Medicare, Lord."

"Very well. I have already heard their report, Brother Inquisitor. I suggest you go to the sickbay now and ask for a report their."