Faith In Darkness

by Scryer101

We follow a vox operator of the Tempestus Scions as his battalion drops into a city infected with a Genestealer worshipping cult to rescue an Alpha-priority Imperial asset. As the Scions fight their way through the city, they are faced with tests of both loyalty and faith which will stretch them to breaking point. This is my first story, please review I'd really appreciate it

9. The Room

Like the rest of the Alcazar's lower levels the room was dark and moisture seemed to seep from the walls. The only light seemed to come from the banks of machines which covered most of the room. Diagnostic screens bathed the entire room in a sickly green glow, allowing them to see the eight giant tanks which were arrayed along the right hand side of the room. Twice the width of a man and half as much again in height, the tanks appeared to be fronted with armourglass and filled with a dark syrupy liquid.

The Adept took off into the room at once and disappeared into the small corridors which formed between the machines. The troopers stayed by the door sharing a feeling that there was something hostile in the room. "Jhon, check those tanks on the right" Mesarine hesitated "be careful".

The hair on the back of Jhon's neck stood up and he could feel it pressing against the seal of his rigid carapace armour. There was a charge in the air and a cold bead of sweat ran down the inside of his respirator. He reached out his gloved hand towards the condensation that covered the front of the dark glass. Just as his fingertips touched the casket, something heavy and alive slammed itself against the side of the container. Jhon lept backwards and pulled up his rifle. He could see the thing behind the glass working it's razor sharp jaws against the wall of the tank, everything about its movements suggested murderous intent. But it's eyes showed nothing, they were simply dark Xenos blackness. Genestealer. Jhon's instinct and his training made him want to open fire and erase the thing from this realm.

As his finger started to squeeze the trigger two objects shot out of the dark to his right. The first knocked the weapon out of his hand while the second slammed into the side of his head. Pain exploded from the impact and he couldn't see for several seconds. Thankfully the thing was still in his tank, leering at his with a crazed look. There was blood in his eyes and when he looked down he could see that it was covering most of his uniform and streaming from a wound in the side of his head.

The thing that had hit him came out of the dark. It was another Tech Adept, much smaller and frailer than 87Quark. It seemed to have the body of a weak and wizened old man, he certainly wouldn't have been able to walk if it wasn't for the writhing mass of mechandrites which reached out of his back and held him three meters in the air. More mechandrites reached up into the air above the Adept, while simultaneously connecting, reconnecting and adjusting the machines around him. It must have been those which had hit him. Jhon looked up onto the Adepts face, except there was no face, under the typical Mechanicus hood was apparently just a cluster of stalks with glowing lenses sprouting from them.

Jhon couldn't tell where the sound was coming from but the Tech Adept was shouting at him in Machine Cant, it was utterly unintelligible. The Adept lowered itself until the void where its head should have been was level with Jhon. It was shouting and pointing with dozens of Mechandrites. Jhon wasn't scared but he was flustered, he pushed out a hand to shove back the frail body. The thing didn't move at all, it didn't even rock backwards on the mechandrite cluster. Jhon pushed again, harder and again with all his strength, the priest didn't move. The Cant that it was emitting seemed to shift from anger to laughter and he backed off, slithering across the room to 87Quark where they stood in apparent conversation.

87Quark broke off from his silent conversation and approached them, still castled by the door. His face seemed to sneer at them as if what he was doing was annoying him. "We have theorised that you will be more effective if we provide context. Our analysis suggests a 78% chance that your psycho conditioning will allow you to accept what 60% of human subjects would not. This data may improve your ability to combat the enemy. Be aware that this data is Cryptox-level, any disclosure post engagement will result in your immediate termination".

Jhon was getting used to being talked at like this, in the Tech Priest's eyes they were less important than the weapons they carried, he understood that. It also wasn't the first time he had been briefed at Cryptox-level. The last time had been that black operation on Kasr Partox.