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I didn't know how long I sat there crying, only that it was a long and difficult time before exhaustion was able to get me to stop. My entire life was just flipped upside-down now, I was well on my way to passing college with a GPA of 3.5. Had a plan for what university I wanted to go to and my career choice, all that was made pointless for reasons that were likely going to be unexplained forever. I was a twenty year old man and had my entire life planned out before me. Whatever those Genestealers did to me probably wasn't good. I didn't feel any different now but back then it was like someone or something was entering my mind.

"At least I know it can't be demonic." I thought but it was hard to feel grateful as I wonder if this could be any worse. "Am I tainted by Genestealers now...? Should I just run back there Guardsmen and let them shoot me?" That part was accompanied by the thought of what would happen to my soul once it ended up in the Warp. I never took the time to look up that lore...

The amount of luck I lacked to be immediately taken by genestealers was abysmal. But then again I was transported into the Warhammer 40k universe so that shouldn't be that surprising.

It was getting exceedingly dark until I straight up wasn't able to see anything further away from my hands. So as much as I wanted to sit there and wallow in self-pity for a while longer I needed to address my current situation. If not it would only be a matter of time before death took me. So I took a few consecutive deep breaths and was just barely able to calm myself then looked down at my feet. The air was cool but not freezing, surprisingly 'warm' but that was probably just this jungle's climate. So body temperature dropping was my secondary issue here.

My feet were still cut, the wounds stopped bleeding but needed to be covered by something now. I didn't even wear socks to bed this was a serious problem when I was in a jungle with mub everywhere. What I needed was something I could use to cut up my sleeveless undershirt. The thin furry overcoat I wore would have to do for the cover. The thin fabric took a second but tore easily enough and I wrapped parts of it tightly around my feet. It wasn't much but would have to do until I found some real shoes. The rest of my shirt was used to wipe the back of my neck from the blood and wring as much of it out of my clothes.

I was in the 40k universe, I didn't know what specific time it was nor what planet I was on. I couldn't think of anything to rectify my situation so instead, I tried to just relax against the door and listen to the rain, trying to let it lull me to sleep. I would need the rest for when I could see more than two feet in front of me.


I woke up and an undetermined amount of time later, the rain had stopped and the sun was leaking through the leaves. I moved to the edge of the canopy and managed to get just a little view of the blue sky. There were still dozens of grey clouds there but it wasn't raining anymore. The sky was still covered by a few clouds not really grey having deposited most of their fluids and also, I decided to pay it no further attention as I took stock in the here and now.

My situation is crap, the thin pajamas would help keep me a bit warm when things got cold. But this jungle environment was going to ruin it fast. No shoes were also an issue here.

Now that I had the time to check my surroundings I noticed something that freaked me out even more. The distinctive Tyranids organisms are rooted into the ground. Small and large ones, I knew just enough about their lore to see it. It wasn't just a Genestealer cult on this planet, a Hive fleet was likely hitting the sector. Looking to the sky things didn't look too off so the 'nids likely haven't gotten to his planet or this particular section of it. The organisms didn't look like they were growing through, many were slanted over and shriveled, maybe because they were just taking root in the jungle and beginning to spread? I didn't know or understand a whole lot about Tyranid lore.

As if I needed any more reasons to get off this world.

I needed to find some better headcover than the trees, finding civilization before more Guardsmen or Genestealers found me. The brown and green of the foliage made that difficult and I knew the direction I ran from the battle was obviously out of the picture. There was the tree, it had to be at least twenty feet tall and had a diameter of leaves spanning eight feet out. I didn't even need to climb very high just enough to stick my head over the canopy and this tree more than rose over it.

Unfortunately, climbing a tree was easier said than done. The bark looked as if I could get a grip in places but immediately broke off when it failed to support my weight. I kept trying though, occupying my mind with the complicated task of tree climbing to avoid letting it fall back into more depressing thought. Such as my lack of any breakfast.

Eventually, I managed to find some places where I could get some footing and then on returned to searching for more. Only I was off the ground now a few feet in the air. It would be around the time I was halfway to looking over the canopy did I begin to question the sense of this plan. The bark didn't like holding for long and if I fell and broke something this situation would go from bad to somehow worse. I was already pretty high and decided to accept the danger and commit.

Finally, I had managed to reach my destination and crank my head to peer over the ocean of green to see... well more leaves. There was something a reasonable distance towards the rising sun it was brown but it didn't look like it was organic in origins. If a structure then it would be a perfect place to get myself out of the elements.

I was making my way down the tree when a small patch of bark gave way against my foot. It wouldn't have been too big a deal if not for the sudden weight on my other foot being just a little too much and the wooden support finally gave out. I cried out my surprise and fell ten feet, landing with an audible thud. My back impacted against the ground but the rain had thankfully softened dirt into mud but I missed any of the roots. I still groaned as I stood up, my pajama caked in mud now.

"This had better be worth it..." I muttered resigned.


It took longer than I wanted but eventually, I made it, although judging from the sun it was midday and getting very humid. The shade from the trees may have protected me from the UV rays of the sun but it was still getting hot and in a jungle, I knew it would be sweltering soon. I was right though, there was a structure in the distance but now that I was here I realized it was more of a series of ancient buildings. At least from the plants and moss covering them all and the degradation told me it must have been some ancient ruins.

I took the time to remove my foot coverings and tried to wipe them free of the mud on some nearby rubble. My feet had been caked in mud and I knew that wasn't good with fresh wounds on my feet. That done I decided to get a better look at my surroundings. Stone... Maybe brown clay. Whatever it was made of the material was hard and would provide some serious shelter.

Especially the large structure covered with plants, one could be forgiven for thinking that the place was intended to hold so much greener. What with how much was growing atop and on the sides. Vines and other plants I didn't recognize looped around and snaked up the sides. The whole structure was looming over a mostly clear courtyard with the ground somewhat paved in more of the brown material. The rubble at the center of the place might suggest that a small tower of sorts used to be there but was completely knocked down hence the various piles of rubble scattered about. Five Obelisks were also in a half-circle spanning out from the main building, large thins the size of many of the trees I had seen. I was near the center of the place with the sun radiating heat down on me and this building. I would prefer if it was just the structure though.

"At least I found some shelter." I thought grateful to have a legitimate roof over my head now. "Now to find some water."

Even with my stomach growling for food, I knew for a fact the human body could not survive long without water. That had to take priority for now.

Before I could do that there was a low rumbling noise coming from the distance, that it was getting louder telling me something was approaching. I hoisted myself up onto the large pile of debris that used to be the tower then shot back down. I didn't notice this when I first got here but there was some kind of dirt road. Large enough to fit two semi-trucks side by side but held a convoy of imperial guard Chimeras. At least I figured they were imperial guard, there weren't any visible spikes when I peaked my forehead over the rubble once more.

I spotted at least a dozen vehicles pulling into and fanning out the courtyard of this place. They all position themselves to mirror the opposite side with the lead vehicle in the middle setting up in a checkerboard fashion. The troopers with the flak vests and lasguns poured carefully out the back of their transports. Covering one the treeline or forming into groups a fair distance away from their led Chimera which now had someone sticking halfway out of the turret hatch a lieutenant if I wasn't mistaken. The man doing so was now scanning the structure I had been before and unfortunately, his head snapped to where mine was sticking out from.

"Who is that?!" A gruff voice bellowed out. "Come out with your hands in the air and Identify yourself immediately!"

I wasn't very inclined to do that really, this was a combat zone and I did not have any good explanation to be out here. Especially not with red and white pajamas I got for Christmas, it was going to look so out of place here. All it would was for them to look at the back of my head and ask what that was from and I knew I'd be a dead man.

"I said identify yourself!" Even from over here, I could feel the impatience radiating off him. This was a guy who did not want to be kept waiting, he was also getting ready to just shoot me. If the way he spun the gun turret of his Chimera and glared angrily at my position was any indication and he just had this aura to him as well.

"Jeez, this guy is easy to read for some reason..."

I needed to get away from here, which was a shame because this was likely the first civilization I would find in a long time. I would be better if these guys were gone, but that was my life right now. I was just about ready to slip back and use the rubble and greenery as cover for my retreat. However, the back of my head began to sting and I felt back just to see if something was jabbed into it. Just as I was rubbing my head someone else shouted. Just as loudly as the office but with a far younger voice.

"'Nids!" They cried as a wave of Hormagaunts barreled out of the jungle all the size of a very large dog and swarmed out of the foliage. Pushing down the plants into the still soaking wet floor. When I said wave I really meant it too, the beasts stretch out twenty in a wide but wavey line. At least three ranks deep as they flooded out of the jungle and towards the Guardsmen. The distance between the treeline and them was short and the Hormagaunts were on the closest men and Chimeras in seconds with few shots being fired.

"Time to go!" A battle was the last place I wanted to be, especially with what happened last time.

I turned and noted a wall a few yards away, there was a long staircase to the left of that but it would mean losing cover for a while. Not gonna happen. The wall was various stones placed against an elevated position, holding back dirt on what used to be a hill. The withering March of time had eroded and cracked parts of the stone. Plants grew out of said cracks and there were even roots likely from any of the forest of plants that ruled this place. As hesitant as I was to attempt claiming again this was like eight feet and had far more places to get some footing. So I bolted and thankfully my assumption about its ease for climbing was correct.

Climbing to the top I rolled over and was now obscured by a few more feet of a stone wall atop the wall and was now shielded. Behind me was the massive temples complex, archways twenty feet tall looped over and over towards and away from the staircase. Whoever built this place certainly knew how to make it last as even with so much plant life making it look like a cracked and corroded chia pet, it was still standing.

I didn't waste any more time trying to admire this place, crawling away from the sounds of gunfire, the shrieks of the Hormagaunts, and screams of dying troopers. Peering over the wall as I moved I saw men getting impaled by long serrated blades of hardened bone and skin. Others having their limbs ripped off or necks torn out. As bleak and sickening as it was to see, the forty or so Guardsmen and their Chimeras were able to down a fair amount of the Tyranid packs. Many Hormagaunts had to jump over their fallen fellows to try and assault the humans. A disciplined line of fire took hold and they managed to cut down the swarm into a manageable size.

The hundred or so beast that frightened me would soon be taken care of. That much I was certain of now.

I turned my head forwards to keep crawling, the staircase was something I needed to climb and get out of immediate danger. It would also give me the perfect vantage point to hopefully eye out proper civilization. However, I now came face to face with a Hormagaunt. Even though I was on all fours its head was leveled with mine and I even saw more of the same creatures bolting down the very staircase I was trying to get to. Not this one though, it had spotted me or I came close to it without knowing.

I froze, hoping to God that this thing wouldn't pounce if I just didn't run. When Tyranid creatures were operating out of animalistic instinct they tended to flee more than fight. At least that's the impression I got from the Caiphas Cain novels and short stories. Although I didn't know if this one wasn't connected to the hive mind or not. It wasn't making any aggressive moves though.

"Just remain still and don't do anything okay?" I pleaded internally and the thing stiffen as I cautious moved back on the rough stone floor. "Or better yet just back up."

Then it did something completely unexpected... it actually backed up. I paused at the sudden movement and was confused. I wasn't a threat to it but that didn't mean it wouldn't or shouldn't be on me in seconds. Why retreat so suddenly?

The battle below was coming to a close, I didn't even need to look over to see the victor. Didn't want to either, the gunfire wasn't getting any less intense. I wanted to keep my attention locked on the eyes of the Hormagaunt in front of me and keep my mind away from my stinging head. The thing kept its blades folded and pressed against the ground... almost as if it was trying to look non-threatening.

The beast cocked its head, not an unusual action except it happened in perfect unison with me. This thing was waiting for me to do something, to say something, to act.

"What am I feeling...?" I said aloud, how did I know what the Hormagaunt wanted... unless it...

I hesitantly reached out with my hand, hold the palm flat, and arm stretched mere inches away from its head. I don't know for sure what possessed me to do that but the back of my neck seemed to sting a little less. I wanted it to close the distance and press its face into my palm. Then it did. My hand rubbed into its hardened face, and I felt faint at the implications of what I was doing now.

Then something impacted the ground some ways behind me, my head whipped around. Expecting to see another Tyranid and or more specifically a Genestealer hybrid coming to whisk me back for more surgery and this was just some complex ploy to throw me off. Instead of that I noted a weird dark green looking rock of some kind-

"No that's a damn grenade!" I shouted at my momentary stupidity, I needed to protect my body, that thing would kill me outright just six feet away. Before I could even move to bolt the Hormagaunt moved with almost lightning speed shoving me back, pressing my back into the stone floor while my front was covered by the hardened carapace. The weight and suddenness of this action succeeded in driving the air from my lungs. All my thoughts consisted of was my desire to be safe, to be anywhere but here.

Then a blast deafened me.