Newtopia was a strange enigma to Marcine, or "Marcy" as she insists on being designated, due to the city's technological level. The cogitators in the hospital she had awoken in were able to take her vitals, despite the difference in species. The streets and shops were powered by the Motive Force. Yet so much was similar to feudal worlds found among the Imperium. A question to prod King Andrias with in the future. For now Marcy will focus on the tour of the city Olivia promised her.
Wanting to start at the beginning, Olivia had led Marcy to the gates of the city and the common area. The gates were left wide open, allowing various beasts of burden and amphibians to arrive. Not only was Newtopia the center of the continent, but the heart of the kingdom as well. All manner of goods flowed past Marcy as she observed with wide eyes. Most of it handled by frogs, the peasant class and agri-farmers of society she learned. She'd spot a few toads in the crowds, but never in any large groups and often carrying weapons.
Olivia returned to Marcy's side, two hooded newt guards always in close proximity, always poised and elegant as any noble woman should. "Enjoying the traffic, Master Marcy?" Her expression neutral while Marcy acted like an eager tourist.
Marcy's pict-recorder was working overtime, the mechadendrite swaying about to collect data from the mass of bodies moving to and from the city gates. Hand moving like a blur as she jots down notes into her data-slate, one of the few she managed to salvage from the corpse of her crushed, noble steed. Much too distracted to even pay attention to her escort/guide's question immediately. Finally taking notice when Olivia clears her throat loudly. "Oh! Yes, the amount of species of frogs, toads, and newts is quite fascinating!"
"Well we don't have all day for you to catalog them. Come, there are other sights to see." Olivia spoke.
The Tech-preist was reluctant to leave, but she relented and followed the noble newt through the city. The streets would eventually narrow, twisting and turning in a maze like fashion. Olivia navigated it all quickly with a brisk walk, like she knew every nook and cranny of Newtopia like the back of her hand. Robed citizens made sure to give the party a wide berth.
Leading them ever onward, Marcy was brought to a park made up of long stalks of coral. A statue of a famed explorer at the center of the red forest. Lady Olivia was adamant on letting Marcy take a sample with the help of her mechadendrite. The mysteries on how it kept it's vibrant color outside of the water would have to wait as the tour continued. Traveling back down the tight corridors of the oppressive walls, similar to that of a Hive City or Forge World.
Though what caught Marcy's eye, and that of her picter, was a squad of five hooded newts. Their furred cloaks a dark blue and held together with a seashell just below the neck. Leather armor strapped to their chests over sky blue tunics. Their faces stern, not even flinching at Marcy and Olivia passing them by with their escort. "Who are they, Lady Olivia?"
"Them?" Eyes peering over to Marcy's latest subjects, not even bothering to slow down their stride. "Those are the Newtopian Night Guard. An elite task force only meant for the most difficult of missions. It's not uncommon to see them out and about. Though we are safe behind the walls, Newtopia has plenty of beasts and enemies looking to undermine it." Olivia urges Marcy to keep up, despite having longer strides compared to the short newt. "Enough about that, I know this will interest you!" Passing by a few restaurants and cafes, they round a corner to gaze up at a large stone bridge. "Who needs to think about the ways our lives can be destroyed when we have beautiful stone work to admire. This bridge was made in the year twenty two by famous architect Francisco De-"
"It's corroded." Marcy interrupts flatly.
"What?" Lady Olivia peers at the bridge, sure a few stones were out of place but it was still stable!
"The supports on the left have been eaten away by water. The stone placement is misaligned in several areas." Pulling up a drawing of the bridge on her data-slate, Marcy shows the various flaws with the bridge before adding new ways to increase it's life as well as the load it could carry. "I'm sure you can bring it up with the King the next time you see him. Now about those Night Guards."
The newt noble was at a loss. She knew Marcy was some sort of "Pursuer of Knowledge" for her religion, but the way she effortlessly picked apart the works of one of their greatest architects was anything short of astounding. The wind taken out of her sails, Olivia gives in to the young woman's demands. "Yes, of course. What would you like to know?"
Marcy had managed to pry as much information as she could from Olivia as they rested on a bench. The two guards with them a ways away eating a tray of gnatchos. Learning the Night Guard report directly to King Andrias, operating outside of the regular Newtopian Army. Much like the agents of the Inquisition, the Night Guard deal with threats without and within. A way to explore outside of the city would be beneficial to Marcy, she could search for any clues about where Anne or Sasha's transports could have landed. Gaining favor with the king was an added bonus though diplomacy was more of the Rogue Trader's business. But, Marcy suspected she would eventually wear out her welcome if no other Imperial came to retrieve her.
With their break coming to an end, the newts and human travel through a crowded bazaar. Stands holding all sorts of local delicacies and items, a few brave enough to approach the group to try and peddle their wares. Lady Olivia had been down the market street enough to ignore the salesmen. Especially when most of them required hard coppers and not credit cards. Her mistake was taking her eyes off Marcy for a moment within the densely crowded area, as Olivia turns to see her gone. The guards tailing them just as confused as her. "How did you lose her?" She shouts.
"Hey, not our fault! I thought Greg had an eye on her." One of them speaks.
"What? Don't blame me, I was too busy picking out an anniversary gift!" Says his partner.
Frustrated, Olivia massages her temples to stave off the coming headache. "I don't care about excuses, find her!" It would be a disaster if the guest of the king and current ambassador went missing or worse under her watch! A quick glare and the guards fan out to look for Marcy.
Elsewhere in the market street Marcy, stepping out of the way of a millipede carrying a family of newts to their come, had her interests currently focused on a stand selling caged turtles. Mumbling to herself through bursts of binary from her rebreather as she jots down more notes. The picter moving closer to observe the animal while the owner of the stand looks on annoyed. "You gonna buy one or what?"
"Oh no, just browsing!" The happy tone of her voice only making the newt sigh.
Unknown to Marcy, a pair of eyes watched from across the way. The figure wearing a black cloak would continue to follow the oblivious human when she's finally shooed away from the turtle stand. More would join in, gathering yet keeping a low profile as Marcy continued to observe and catalog her surroundings. Prepared to continue walking until a cart pulls out in front of her, the large hermit crab blocking her path forward. Forcing her down a different street until the another strange occurrence obstructs her. Either a crowd of people too densely packed or contents spilled and releasing dangerous critters. One final turn and Marcy found herself at a dead end alley.
"Really Marcy, how could you have gotten lost?" Chastising her constant need to write down everything about this new world.
"Need some directions, little lady?" The sudden voice causes Marcy to turn around her. Five figures, some a bit more stout or taller than others blocked her way out of the alley. She peers at them, slowly putting her data-slate away.
"I definitely could use some assistance. Seems I've been separated from my escort and Lady Olivia advisor to King Andrias." In Marcy's experience the casual drop of a name is enough to deter most threats from acting. Fearful of the consequences.
Rather than bow down, the gathered newts all share a collective laugh.
"Oh, we know all about who's with you. We even know about how you came falling out of the sky!" A newt to the side shouts.
"Invaders from beyond who worship false idols. You have to place here on our world." The leader of the group at the center draws his sword, prompting the others to follow in brandishing their weapons.
This sent a twitch through Marcy's mechadendrites. These were no muggers looking for an easy pay day, they're here to kill her. She was growing nervous as they slowly started to close in on her. Marcy was never one to fight, she was kept safe deep within the bowels of star ships or behind a wall of combat servitors during engagements. Even for her first mission with Anne, Marcy was expecting the armsmen to act as her shield. Instead she faced down a gang of xenoforms by herself.
Tired of acting menacing, the overzealous one from before rushes at Marcy! Sword drawn ready to spill the blood of the outsider for the glory of his god. He never makes it to his target, a burning hole is burnt into the middle of his forehead. The group astonished to see one of the human's mechanical limbs had felled their companion so easily.
The welding las sizzled, the tip red hot and smoking after the discharge. "Interesting fact about the welding las," The vox enhanced voice sounding more metallic and devoid of emotion. "With enough output, it works almost as well as a lasgun." The tech-priest pulls up her hood, covering her face in shadow except for the green glow of her right eye's iris. "Combat protocols engaged." All six metal encased limbs spread out from her back in a threatening display.
Seeing his companions starting to lose their nerve, the leader holds out his sword. "Kill her!" The last four newts charge all at once. Another hot red flash and a fresh body is added to the pile on the stone tiles. Their gamble pays off, the three of them managing to close the distance to swing at the red robed human. The manipulater claw of a mechadendrite closes around the neck of a newt, smaller than the others, easily crushing the windpipe and whipping him into the nearby wall for good measure.
Blades slash back in retaliation, but merely glance off the armor Marcy wore. Her chest plate barely scratched while the steel encasing her leg remained steadfast. Before one could land another strike, Marcy drives the explorator mechadendrite into the face of the assaulting newt. Servo-arms latching on before a drill could be heard. Pained screams marking the assassin's death as a vial attached to the mechanical limb starts to fill with blood. "A good sample, thank you for the research."
"M-monster!" The leader, the final one of his group, shouts and attempts to avenge his fallen comrades. He ducks past an arm looking to grab him, deflecting the collector that had just stolen a piece of his friend's brain with a sword swipe. He would have been fried by the laser the tech-priest wielded if he didn't knock it away with his tail, a jagged scorch line marking the wall. He could do it, he was chosen for this mission for a reason. He was always the most skilled, which helped him close the gap with his target. Finding her arms vulnerable when his iron cuts into flesh, finally drawing blood from this mechanical nightmare of a person.
Marcy staggers the newt with a quick burst of high volume static from the rebreather she wore. Clutching at his ears as she inspects her wound. Deep, but not enough to hinder her combat effectiveness by a significant margin. He was proving to be much too slippery for her liking. Each time a manipulator claw reached out to grab at the robed figure, he'd dodge or swipe away the limb with his sword. The newt taking his chance at an opening and lunging in for an overhead strike, only to be stopped by a pair of fleshy human hands holding his wrists.
"Got you." The electoos in her skin flared up to a bright blue, unleashing a shock of electricity through her opponent. The newt's body spasms from the Motive Force flowing through his system. Not enough to kill him, but enough for Marcy's prehensile dataspike to pierce his gut. The sharp obsidian crystal rending flesh, and leaving a blood mess when she removes it. Unable to hold himself up, the newt assassin drops onto the cold stones. Spitting up blood as he clings to the last flickers of his life.
With no more active hostiles in her immediate area, the combat protocols disengage. The cognitive processor that suppressed her emotions let the feelings of panic and anxiety flood back into her system. Tearing back her hood and rebreather to let the fresh air fill her lungs, Marcy tries to calm her nerves after the intense fight. But she had did it, she beat the odds and now five bodies litter the alley way instead of hers. The faint smell of smoke drawing her attention to the small fire clawing at her robe. "Ah!" She stomps it out, attributing it to a stray discharge from her electoos or the heat of the welding las. Retracing her steps, Marcy walks back out to the market street where Lady Olivia and the newt guards find her.
Olivia rushes to the found tech-priest, hands patting her down and checking for injuries. "Master Marcy, are you alright?" The frantic search leads her to the angry red wound marring Marcy's olive skin from wrist to elbow. "What on Amphibia happened to you?"
"I, uh, got lost." Which isn't entirely false. "Ended up swept away in the crowd, some nasty insect managed to swipe at me when I was too close. Don't worry, I can hardly register the pain." Marcy puts on her best smile, but winces when Olivia simply pokes her arm.
"Come on, best we head to the hospital and get that stitched up." Taking hold of Marcy's hand, she leads the young woman by her uninjured arm. "This time I won't let you out of my sight." If Olivia ever had children, she imagined it would be something like this.
Nodding, Marcy fixes her rebreather back on as she's lead through the streets by the newt noble. "Can I talk to nurse Janice again?"
"Of course, Master Marcy."
The trip to the hospital had cut the tour of the city short. Marcy had kept the details of her attack from Olivia for good reason. It wasn't some random ganger attack, they were targeting her for a reason. She trusted the newt, but didn't want to risk any sort of information to leak out to her assailants. Instead, she went straight to the top, King Andrias himself. Wanting a bit more privacy, Andrias and Marcy were back in the study. The flipwart board already in use as she attempts to overthrow him as champion.
"Very troubling, Marcy." Andrias remarked as he moved his heron knight. "It's not too farfetched that they would know about you. Not hard to piece together your sudden arrival to that of the ship that crashed."
"Their words are more concerning. Like they recognized me as a member of the Cult Mechanicus." Marcy moved her pawn to threaten Andrias' knight. "You said this planet has never been visited by the Imperium before, correct?"
The giant newt nods. "For thousands of years we've lived in isolation, even before the Calamity. Must have been because of the...what did you call it?"
"Warp storm?"
"That's it. So far you're the only human to arrive. Well, you and your missing friends." He moves his bishop to take the pawn. "Don't worry, I'll have the Night Guard look into it."
"The Night Guard is also something I wish to discuss with you, Andrias." The king raises his eyebrow in interest. Not because Marcy just moved her tower to take his bishop, putting his wart in check. "I wish to join their ranks."
"Oh, trying to solve the mystery of your attackers personally?" Andrias slides the Guard into place, removing Marcy's tower.
"Something like that. They have more autonomy than your army, being your eyes and ears. I aim to use that to search for the whereabouts of the missing transports." A pawn slides out of formation.
"Not just to explore outside of the walls more often without a royal escort?" Andrias asks with a smirk, not taking her bait and simply moving his general across the board.
Marcy frowns as he saw through her trap. Instead moving another one of her towers. "I wouldn't mind observing the fauna and flora."
"I think I can make it happen, but it'll take some time to get the appropriate paperwork done." Moving his shield forward, Andrias knocks over Marcy's wart. "That's flipwart." Leaning back into his enormous chair, arms crossed with a triumphant smile. "Better luck next time, kiddo."
Marcy stared at the board in disbelief, somehow he had screened her attack. Leaving her open for his pieces to slip in through the gaps. She'd have to run a few more games before putting up a real challenge to King Andrias. "Hm, well now that the game is done we can move onto more concerning matters." Pulling out her data-slate, she presents the improvements to the bridge to Andrias. "Your infrastructure is lacking in several areas. Buildings are falling apart, the sewer system is so backed up I can smell it from the street, and your roads are filled with holes."
The constant barrage of ideas and reworks to the city had Andrias internally groaning. The royal treasury was going to suffer these next few weeks, that's for sure.
Luckily, tax season is close at hand.