Please favorite, follow, share, and/or review
Finding something to cover my rear end was unfortunately quite simple, the dead had plenty of clothing on them. The armor over my legs meant putting on pants was a no go but cutting off the bottom half of a shirt and wrapping it around my waist and under the protruding armor over the sides and crotch worked well enough. A few claws from some Hormagaunts to pin it and modesty was secured by a makeshift skirt. Thankfully one could only tell it was that by staring at my covered rear end.
Then came the other manner.
Testing my new body was gonna be a bit trickier than I initially thought it would be. I was in that pod for a long time, as we were approaching Sub-sector Auralia now and food was gotten considerably lower than before with rationing in place. There will be some time to figure out what I could do with my new body but realized in such a confined space that was mostly empty corridors used to pack a lot of Tyranids creatures around for drop pods. Lacked much of anything to test my abilities on. My stamina was the easiest of everything in here.
Sure I always like to jog for miles for fun in my past. This was different though, sprinting down the halls to see just how fast I can move, at speeds I was certain cars go, at least when I pushed myself and only felt the least bit winded after a few hours of doing this. It was kind of jarring when I started picking up the speed to or perhaps even greater than riding a Hormagaunt and I staggered and slowed. Out of fear I would trip and get some serious buns sliding across the floor. I had armor so that probably wasn't an issue but instinct told me to slow down. We lacked any kind of clocks so the hour of time I spend doing this was more of an assumed timeframe as well. Knowing my stamina and endurance had grown immensely was good, but running away wasn't always going to be an option, hence my I got the upgrades. Although I couldn't test anything exact such as my ability to avoid projectiles until someone actually started shooting at me.
Speaking of avoiding projectiles, while I wasn't exactly willing to have the Hybrids shoot at me. Elementary school's determination to have us learn the value of recycling made me look at the empty tin cans pilled up in the cargo containers. Sure some of them had sharp edges but the rational part of my mind doubted they could pierce my hardened skin nor the carapace armor. I did try and get the riot helmet on but my wide head made it a pointless endeavor so I decided to just trust in the strength of my skull. Dozens of human and animalistic Hybrids lines up on the opposite side of our primary living space and just started throwing cans at me to dodge. It was that moment where my body jolted back and away from that Eldar spear that first had me wondering if my reflexes were enhanced like my sight and ears were.
"Well, they're certainly going to be enhanced now."
Volleys of tin cans flew at me, not all at once but everyone was genuinely trying to hit me. I tried moving out of the way like against the spear thrust and found myself jerking from side to side away from the flimsy objects chucked at me. A few managed to make contact as I kept trying to look out for one coming in and weave past but so many were being thrown it was hard to keep track. Many just barely missed and gazed at my side or bounced off my armor or became a glancing blow. I felt myself moving faster than I did before and I could tract plenty but I felt as if I was thinking too hard on my dodges.
This needed to become more instinctive, like during the Eldar attack. The only way I could really learn instinct was through experience or just continued practice. It was getting frustrating at first, thinking I had just whipped my body out of the way of three cans only to be hit by two moves coming in from the direction I moved in. Anger began heating up as I knew with these claws I would have to deal with mostly close-quarters fighting. Because blitzing my bodyguards was the only way anybody was going to get the opportunity to kill me. And getting out of way of any blows was the whole reason why this training was important, but I didn't seem like I was getting better as time wore on and they collected all the cans. Only that many of the Hybrids were getting better at hitting.
Then I felt their mind and it was a wash of pleasant emotions. They were all having fun, as they all readied themselves for the next throw and I couldn't help but smile along and just carry on. It was much the same but soon it went from training to me just running around the room, sliding across the ground as they tried hitting me. Some of them just forgone accuracy in favor of just throwing as many as they could and Norma even held a bunch in her arms as another threw and threw. I spun, ducked, and jerked from side to side in a genuine attempt to avoid the cans and it was more their lack of aiming that led to me getting hit less. But it swiftly became an enjoyable evening for everyone.
Then I noted as one of the Hybrids held a glowing blue stone in their hand and everyone paused as I stared them down. They were about to throw one of the Eldar spirit stones, having rushed over to the pile they were at thinking they'd make better throwables. It was an innocent action and a synaptic message had everyone going back to feeling good about the causal evening or maybe night.
The offender just carried them back to the pile and everyone knew never to touch them again. Just piling them up was the only thing I could think to do with them. Beyond that, I had little clue on where to go with those things. It held the souls of Eldar and were the ones who went on a suicide mission to kill me. Yet, damming them to Slaaneshi's belly wasn't the best solution for it, and losing many of my charges. I was still angry about that, but they were already dead and were stuck in a stone forever. Or at least until they get crammed into a Wrath construct that is. But what to do with then was where things got tricky for me. Just squirt them out of the ship and leave them floating endlessly in the void of space to never meet their kin again or got pulled into a star or rammed by a solid object?
"Maybe when I get back to Auralia I could just pile them somewhere and just let the Eldar 'divine' where they are. They wouldn't appreciate the gesture I'm sure but it was better than compromising my humanity and morality more than it already is..."
I was still angry, sure, but I also knew that keeping my emotions in check was a good idea, I would behave irrationally if I let them wash over me freely. Returning those rocks instead of trying to use them for some purpose was the best way to get started. My thoughts were broken when a can bounced against my forehead and dropped to the floor. Like I presumed my skull was thick enough that it could tank the blow, or Norma just threw it so poorly.
"Oh!" She cried out frightened. "Great Carrier I did not know you were deep in thought! Had I been aware I would never-" She bounded out of the way when I sent it flying right back.
"Nice throw!" I grinned and allowed our link to help express that it was okay. "Let's see if you can do it while I'm moving!"
With that, the cans flew once more, and Norma hit me a few more times after that.
Eventually, we had to stop, not from any exhaustion oh no. We could have gone for hours more but it got a bit old like anything after a while and a break for it was needed. So I lay up on the mound of flesh extruding from the back of the room.
"Why does this space exist?" It held the Patriarch of this cult and assumed it was a chamber for more pods but it already had a decent space for that. So putting serious thought behind it I couldn't figure out just why this space had to exist here. The Spawning pool was just a brisk jog across a few corridors but as far as I could tell this space was for. So decided to just ask the ship, it always knew the functions of its body. The idea I was getting back was this space was supposed to be for a powerful Synaptic creature or even a Norn Queen of all things.
At first I thought it was crazy that I found some sort of Tyranid flagship. Until further prodding revealed that this addition for the Biocrusier was not a unique one, as pretty much every Tyranid ship of a certain size had this camber. I assumed it was for a new Norn Queen if the original one died or just a powerful Synaptic creature in general.
"Better to have most vessels pre-prepared with a secure space for their leader or important units. Otherwise, they'd have an annoying time trying to get one grown."
I wondered if this chamber could grow a new Norn Queen and decided that ignorance was bliss for now. Not like the cruiser would make one unless told to with me in charge now.
I accepted the can of soft meat from Norma as she took up a position just below me on the mound. She had an empty tin with more than half the one she handed me. Rationing wouldn't be difficult for me, I barely needed to eat much anymore. Norma and the other Hybrids had to deal with this for a long time and I didn't want to deprive anybody of much. Really I just accepted the offering out of the desire to taste some meat. Even if it wasn't that appealing, the stuff was okay but it felt nice to have some actual food on my tongue for once. Better than the raw animals cooked over a fire, this canned stuff had some spice to it and I ate it slowly while staring at the bioluminescent ceiling.
"Did you have a career in the Imperium before the brood?" I could feel Norma parking up from her meal to wonder about the purpose of the question.
"The lumber mill, my mother was the chief overseer for the region before she was enlightened by my father."
"Your father... was full-fledged Genestealer?"
"Yes," She smiled and did that sort of chuckle thing, where a person's chest raises but they stop themselves from following through with it. "She was found while inspecting one of the sites in the jungle and soon had me join to spread the brood."
A rather disturbing picture began to form within my mind of the older woman dragging Norma off to be implanted and I shook it off. Knowing there was little point in dwelling about it now, Tyranids are known to send a vanguard far in advance of their main fleet to scout planets out. So it wasn't that hard to imagine why the thing was out there and perhaps just how long a cult had been there. Barely a few years at max cause they didn't manage to build up sufficient numbers for an uprising on the place.
"So she was showing you the ropes of the business when the fleets arrived? Or did you know in advance and prepared for it?"
She looked at me quizzically before answering. "The great fleet's arrival was known to our first Patriarch as it approach the system. We eagerly awaited in the jungle to greet the angles as they landed." Her mood swiftly soured and I turned to see her face scrunched up like she smelled something bad. "The unenlightened Imperials and especially the xenos Eldar slaughtered many as they arrived. The ladder especially had the Orks disrupt many of our brood nests and even slaughtered our first Patriarch on Typhon."
"Huh, I knew the Eldar were trying to get the Tyranids to charge in then burn the worlds to redirect them. Plus safeguard the Craftworld buried on Typhon but it seems like they were doing a lot behind the scenes we didn't see in the game."
I suppose they would see scattering a Genestesler cult would help slow the 'Nids down. That was also why they were empowering the Orks on Calderis. To try and slow them down to blow up Meridia and but Typhon with an Avatar of Khaine.
"So what was your mother like?"
"As any member of the brood she cared in a way outside cannot understand. Even when I was still being integrated she held me close, and gave clarity as my mind cleared from the enlightenment flowing through my veins!"
"Huh... So you two kept cutting down wood and moving it."
"She showed me the trade, if the quotas weren't met someone would come and find the Brood as it grew." From that alone, I knew it was no accident or random chance the cult was based there. The lumber mill and more like it was probably how it spread. There was enough foliage around for a Genestealer or two to hide and perhaps security was more focused on maintaining said quotas too. Over noticing the laborers were acting a bit strange, or at least not noticing until it was far too late.
"People usually get disorientation when they're first infected so that's no surprise." There was a cocktail of affection, joy, and a fondness for the memories of the elder woman flowing through her mind to me. Well and just about anyone who was paying attention, thus was the odd beauty of the synaptic link between humans. But this is 40K so of course there is the idea that it's merely an unintentional byproduct of the Genestealer kiss. Or a legitimate scheme to keep Hybrid subservient.
"Although considering they are legitimately brainwashed I'm leaning more to the former theory."
I slid down the mound so I was next to Norma she had eagerly munched down the last of her food while I was still nibbling it down. She was kinda cute with a smile on and discussing something that was actually horrifying. However faking the idea of family love and unity was just a part of the Tyranid's Pac-man strategy. Under me, it wasn't this falsehood any longer.
She turned and it was impossible for my increasing cynical heart not to be warmed with the hope once more. I had kept avoiding the word but this interesting made me believe I could have some semblance of a normal life. If only through helping people afflicted by the Genestealer kiss.
"I remember my mother..." Sadness washed over me and still being connected to her meant it was felt by others present. Norma's smile dropped and a wave of concern came over the Hybrids.
"Great Carrier? Why is there grief surrounding you?"
"Because I probably disappeared one night and I'll forever be an unsolved missing person case. That my entire family, especially my mother shall never know what happened or where I am."
There would be no sign of a struggle, just me being gone and they'll never know what happened. If I ran away from home or not and just sit there for the longest time.
"I was closest with my mother, we'd head out sometimes on Friday to this bowling alley near our place. Maybe see a movie of there was something that interested us, it was nice to have a job and money cause it made that far easier." Norma wouldn't completely understand, her relationship with her own mother wasn't the same but it felt good to just say this out loud to someone.
"When I started going to college she knew full well the time when I'd officially leave home was coming." I sighed, my elder sister had left years before to a university in another state but she always found time to visit for the holidays. I'd do the same but it didn't stop her from feeling sad. "Oh, I had this cat that would always sleep in my bed next to me and wake me up. I think she would've wanted me to take the kitty with me. My mom always said the cat would sometimes cry for me and I had to spend more time with her."
She was always on about that and I did, things got annoying when Autumn would wake me up early though. My mother was the one who taught me how to write my name, the technique to tie shoe laces, and helped me with homework in elementary. All those memories couldn't bring a smile to my face for one reason alone.
"I can never explain what happened to me or where I am. Just saying goodbye is such an important thing I was denied..." I trailed off looking to just mop in silence until my hand tried to interweave with mine. Norma's smile was strained but she was trying to soothe the sorrow I was feeling.
"My mother fell trying to protect the Brood from the foul Eldar... Even though it all occurred so fast and so many died I could sense her loss throughout it all." Her face told a story of calm jubilation at the idea of her mom sacrificing for the sake of the Brood. It was those brown eyes that portrayed the sadness she truly felt for her death.
"I know of the pain Great Carrier, but we still have the Brood! The legacy of any loss shall always live on with us!" Norma said with such certainty and determination, not to mention all the Hybrids abroad joined in with a triumphant shout.
There were a lot of Hybrids all over the galaxy who didn't have what these guys did. They were not brainwashed drones with me, I am never going to forget they are people and this care will never be fake.
"This is nice... Kind of like those talks and chess matches with Absalom." It will never go that like that again, not with my new strength and soon sizable fleet to should us.
"That's the other manner I need to think on... Just how am I supposed to gather a fleet from two other worlds while the Imperium is on high alert?"
Sure I could try and fly over to Calderis or Typhon and send out a physic signal of sorts but the end result might be bad. I had gathered a fleet in Meridia's sector and the Imperial Navy was hot on our heels for half the time and I needed to lose all but four vessels for FTL purposes. I needed to run away with every vessel I could muster with the Eldar after me. There were a lot of Librarians in the Blood Raven's chapter though. Not to mention Chaos sorcerers running around that could feel any disturbances and...
"Oh damn, there's gonna be an Ulthuan Warhost running around too. That Craftworld has powerful seers that could detect any psychic call I try to make." Going to sub-sector Aurelia was starting to sound like a bad idea. But I am being hunted by Eldar now and it's not like I know of anywhere else I could find Tyranid reinforcements. But how to deal with anyone coming to look for me, sure the place was already duking it out between many players in the Galaxy but if I gather enough forces somebody is going to take note. Then mobilize a fleet to stop a splinter fleet from forming...
"Besides what if they are more Hybrids on the surface? I can't just leave them there to wreak havoc and get themselves killed. A diversion of sorts was needed to keep as much attention as from me, to really get everyone to look planet side and not into the void..."
What about the Orks?
Sure they're pretty better and bloodied but that doesn't mean they cannot be of use to me. Maybe rile them up and have them yet themselves at some outposts to die or something. Finda large enough Ork and have them grow something nearly resembling a Waaagh. Another one in the midst of a Black Legion invasion and Eldar Warhost's assault will really seal the deal for the Imperial forces on the ground to keep their eyes glued to the ground. Lest they have to deal with yet another Ork Waaagh like the one from over a year ago. Memories of that will still be strong.
"Yeah just need to find a few warboss tough enough to try an empower then start gathering a fleet."
That would be hard but with enough chaos, in both a literal and the definition of the word, running around there is bound to be a few bosses. If only because there's plenty of war and not enough resources devoted to culling them so that tends to allow Orks the time to progress like that.
I flexed my claws and slid down from the mound. Hybrids easily shifted without needing to look at me, and the remaining Armsmen. Like two. Moved to assist in my hand-to-hand training. Every little bit will help me in preparing for the troubles this galaxy is gonna throw my way. Unlike those times before I was not going to be caught unprepared, just lacking much combat experience.
"Details to work through later." I thought while trying to get into the stance they wanted.
