"It's collapsed," Zok grumbled as we stood above the tunnel entrance adjacent to the glass parking garage of the Evna art museum, which had partially crumbled into the ground. The three of us stood sadly near a sunken and very broken area of ground that had been partially buried in collapsing masonry from the museum's roof. The Tzaangor held the pamphlet in his hand, and scratched his feathered head. The only illumination available was the faint glow of my Corona, which wasn't much, as it was being suppressed by the anti-Warp pylon's operation. As we stood around, another moderate quake struck, and the sound of more shattering glass could be heard from both the museum's windows, and a large attached glass enclosure. Distant screams and manic laughter could be heard, which made the intense darkness of the nighttime urban power outage even more upsetting. Above, more aircraft screamed by, spurned into fleeing this world by the distant chiming of the Last Bell. At least the Wheelers that circled the front of the museum currently appeared to be incapacitated, and daemons wouldn't be able to manifest at the present.
"Was this the only way in to the tunnels?" Alberich asked as he stood next to the Tzaangor.
"Map only says this one. Doesn't say more," Zok replied with a thick clack of his beak. "Twelve kilometers to go to Port Aubergine, it says."
"Well, shit," I sighed, looking at the collapsed tunnel, which was definitely not usable now. "Now what? Are we going to walk there? In the dark?"
More screaming, and the bright orange glow of a distant explosion somewhere nearby in the city. Without proper electric power or the expansive law enforcement by the pervasive Wheelers, riots were breaking out, and the city was quickly going to hell.
Zok sniffed, and folded the pamphlet up once again, and placed it in one of his trouser pockets. The old mutant cook then began to critically observe some of the parked futuristic vehicles that lay resting in the partially shattered glass enclosure. "I might have an idea," the Tzaangor informed us with a happy rumble as he carefully stepped between jagged panes of heavy glass with his clawed feet, and approached the enclosure.
This enclosure appeared to be a covered garage, and had been built flush to the museum itself. Encased entirely in heavy glass supported by a metal armature, it was a tall structure with a glass pyramidal roof that stood an impressive five or six meters in full height. The glass walls and roof were now falling apart from each subsequent quake. It reminded me of a very fancy greenhouse, and it probably had been a very beautiful structure before this evening. I had no idea what was causing these quakes, and I suspected that I didn't want to find out. Another flyer soared above, this one a larger one. A desperate cry of, "Help me!" rose up from somewhere nearby, which was ignored by my traveling companions.
Cautiously, Alberich and I followed the Tzaangor as he picked his way through the glass garage. The ceiling had mostly collapsed, although there were a few (and very dangerous) areas where most of the glass remained clinging to its metal armature. From here, we could see that there were three vehicles parked in this room. Each vehicle was unique and very stylish, and all three were very aesthetically pleasing, which each probably being worth a fortune.
"Careful with all the glass. Don't stand under an area that can collapse on you," Zok quietly informed us as we cautiously stepped inside. Another small quake shook beneath us. The Tzaangor began to investigate each vehicle with a critical eye as he passed it, and with a strain, I brightened my Corona so that we could all see where we were going.
"What are we doing now? Stealing a car?" I asked, jokingly. My feet caught on a small plinth that had fallen under the glass. I spied a small note in the rubble, and in curiosity, I leaned down to pick it up. It said, "Bat of Night, Parade of Chariots, 4.485.998.M41: Owner: Harry Smith." Oh, this wasn't just a simple parking garage!
"We're in the museum," I quietly replied in awe, picking my way through the broken floor, and very carefully trying to stay away from any areas of overhanging glass. "These cars, they're exhibits in the museum!" I may be slow, but I get there eventually, I thought, shaking my head.
"Yes," Zok replied plainly as he turned away from the car nearest to us. "We're in the downtown art museum. I used to work in security here. These vehicles are the winners of the last three yearly Parade of Chariots, a specialized art show held each year for the wealthy of the Conglomeration of Ev." The Tzaangor continued to examine a large black Batmobile-styled car before us. It had six wheels with very suspicious hubcaps decorated with eight-pointed stars and short, partially retracted bat wings on its sides. While still very impressive, it was covered in heavy panes of glass that had collapsed from the broken ceiling, and one of which even seemed to have pierced the vehicles body near where an engine might be located. "This one wont work. Too damaged," Zok observed with a disappointed rumble.
"Are we really stealing a car?" I asked. Another minor quake, and a loose pane of glass fell from the ceiling on the far side of the room.
"Do you have a better idea?" Zok spoke up as he investigated the second vehicle, which was less damaged. This one appeared to be a sleek van. While its overall shape was somewhat unremarkable, the body of this van was completely covered in artful murals of various aliens and action scenes like a comic book, some of which included tyranids fighting guardsmen, orks fighting Space Marines, and some unknown reptilian aliens locked in battle with a group of Aeldari. All were very well done, and I found myself wishing that I had my phone so that I could take a picture. This van, like the "Bat of Night" car, also appeared to have a short pair of wings that were currently folded against its sides. This one's plinth was still upright, and this car was named, "Eagle Five, Parade of Chariots, 4.423.999.M41: Owner: L. Lonestar."
"Can't do this one either. Can't hot-wire it. Specialized genetic lock that only responds to authorized drivers. Shame, Eagle Five can fly very well and is very maneuverable in the air, even capable of short inter-system flight. You wouldn't think that by looking at it, right? I saw it airborne two years ago. Would've made our trip easier."
Outside, I could hear the laughter of the Wheelers, and a strange chill crawled up my spine. Due to the inference of the pylon, I could not determine what this meant. I decided to alert my companions with, "We should probably get out of this area soon. I'm getting a bad feeling."
"I also feel the same," Alberich replied softly. Another large pane of glass fell from the ceiling with a loud smash, causing us to jump.
Zok, as usual, was completely unflappable, and didn't even flinch at the noise as he approached the third vehicle, which stood in a heavy shadow in the corner of the room. Looking upward, I saw that the ceiling, unfortunately, was partially and very precariously intact. This meant that while the car below was not currently damaged, but that the glass above could fall and smash into anyone walking in that general area. Since I couldn't telekinetically move the glass away to safety, I found myself becoming justifiably nervous to walk beneath it.
The Tzaangor paused, and gazed upward, apparently also understanding the danger. He turned around to me, and regarded both Alberich and I seriously. "Don't follow me too closely. Dangerous. Speak softly. I think I can start this one, and depending how much of a charge it has, might even be flight worthy. Need you to walk a little closer for light, Inheritor," Zok whispered.
I nodded, and watched the ceiling above rattle after a minor quake, which was then followed by the sound of another low flying shuttle above us, which lightly rattled all the glass here. This felt very dangerous.
With great caution, I carefully stepped between glass piles, following Zok at a distance. I pulled on my Corona as much as I could, but I still couldn't get much illumination out of it, which was about as much as a bright night-light. Ahead, the third vehicle began to come into focus. It was, I could now tell, a smallish four-seater convertible, and it reminded me almost of a very wealthy 1930's-styled Rolls Royce with retro-futuristic styling. This car was a storm cloud silver-grey, and accents of gold and glittering emerald details made it breathtakingly beautiful. A partially sculpted relief of a running horse decorated the length of the body of the car. Like the other two vehicles, this car also had a pair of stubby retracted wings along its midsection.
Zok stopped me from progressing further as we got to the point where he would have to pass under the collapsing roof. "You stop here," he said to me. "Shouldn't take long. This is an older style, easier to hot-wire. I have horns, and thicker skin. I might survive falling glass better than you two."
The Tzaangor walked ahead very carefully, and gently, he elevated his digitigrade legs to lightly step into the driver's seat of the convertible. As Zok began to tinker with something under the steering wheel, I noticed the intact plinth for this car, and I smiled when I read its name.
"Horse of a Different Color, Parade of Chariots, 4.195.000.M42, owner: Gov. Langwidere"
"Look, it's the Horse of a Different Color," I whispered, shaking my head and quietly laughing. "Or maybe, I should say, the 'horsepower' of a different color, because it's a car and all!"
"What?" Alberich asked beside me.
"Oh, this grey car is sorta like something from The Wizard of Oz," I whispered to Alberich, starting to relax. "Remember that horse that changed colors in the Emerald City? This car has the same name. Isn't that-"
A terrible chill then passed over my soul, and then, I felt deep instinctual fear. It was bad enough that I froze with my mouth still open, and I looked in the direction of where we had come.
"What now?" Alberich asked, turning toward where I was looking.
The only thing I could discern without the full use of my abilities was that something very dangerous was close. I could vaguely hear Zok quietly pleading to the art car, praying for it to start.
The low purr of an engine ignition luckily rumbled through the shattered museum, and we turned back toward Zok, who nodded affirmatively with a broad grin on his beak. He then gestured with a hand that we should get in the car. I noticed that the Tzaangor's ears were now swiveling nervously, and that his expression, while happy, appeared tense.
This was enough for Alberich and I to quickly move forward as we held our breaths, trying not to think about the precarious ceiling above.
A peal of mad laughter and the metal squealing of wheels echoed nearby once again, this time closer. I did not turn around as I walked ahead, crunching over piles of thick sharp glass. If anything fell from above, we could easily be killed!
Alberich and I climbed into the back seat of the car, and we continued to cringe nervously at the dangerous ceiling. As soon as we were in the car, and with Zok in the driver's seat, the Tzaangor flipped a few switches, and a low hum filled the air. I was now seated in the rear right seat, and Alberich was on my left side. Horse of a Different Color was not a large car at all, and it seemed very compact for a convertible, which actually gave it even more style.
The laughter was growing louder, and I could see faint movement from the broken hole that we had used to access the museum. The glint of bright distorted television screens was now close, and the screeching of wheels filled the air. A maddened Wheeler then abruptly rolled into the museum, the sounds of its wheels grating painfully to my ears like nails on chalkboard as they ground over the broken glass. Its computer monitor head, which would typically display a graphic representation of a face, was instead now a mess of static and noise. Like a surrealist horror movie, the unnatural creature fixed its head to me, and growled, "Law-b-breakers! Thieves! L-l-looters! Violation 8-a1! Penalty..." It paused. "P-penalty, evis-cer-ation! P-praise Am'Erika! All hail the new f-flesh!"
Some sort of futuristic silver rifle weapon then rose from the body of the Wheeler, and pointed our way in the dim light with a charging hum!
Luckily, that was as far as it went, as Zok then violently and loudly revved the engine of the Horse of a Different Color, causing the remaining pieces of the fragile ceiling to shatter completely, causing heavy glass to rain down dangerously upon the area. Fuck! Before we were cut to pieces, I noticed that the giant lethal fragments were being deflected off some kind of force field bubble that had risen around us. The Wheeler that had addressed us was struck, and a large shard of glass now impaled it through its rubbery black torso, causing it to fall to the ground, where it continued to laugh madly. "No, I don't think so," Zok plainly announced before he adjusted the gear shift, and turned the wheel. "Strap yourselves in. This will be bumpy."
Before more Wheelers could charge at us, Zok proceeded to drive right through the remainder of a glass wall, which shattered into a million pieces!
"Woah!" I exclaimed with a gasp as we were jostled violently. With trembling hands, I searched for a seat belt, and luckily found one tucked in the black leather cushions of my seat. Alberich and I frantically strapped ourselves in. With a quick glance behind us, I now saw that we were now being chased by a group of laughing, gibbering Wheelers. All of the battle servitors had static playing across their television-monitor heads which glowed terrifyingly in the dark! Ahead of us, Zok drove like a maniac, and soon, we found ourselves racing down side streets at dangerous speeds. Behind us, I heard the metal clanging of Wheeler wheels as they vaulted up onto the elevated rails that lined the road.
With a squeal of our wheels, we wildly banked at an intersection, causing Alberich to cry out in fear, his hands gripping his head. Gunfire briefly passed aside us, and it now appeared that Zok was steering us away from another road block with a deft turn of the steering wheel! I then noticed that due to the force field surrounding us, external sound was slightly muffled, which was convenient because everything seemed very loud outside. Another turn, and the Tzaangor evaded a small group of bystanders who appeared to be socializing on the street, all of which screamed when we blew past. Watching all this made it apparent that Zok was an extremely accomplished driver. He handled this future car with incredible skill!
"Where are we going?" I shouted ahead to the Tzaangor race car driver in the front seat.
"Port Aubergine, right?" Zok responded as we turned down another dark street. The terrifying Wheelers were still following us, both on the elevated rail above, and on the street itself. I found myself wishing that Wolfie was with us, and I made a mental note to call the astral hound back into existence when the Warp was active again. The ghost dog would be super useful right now, and since everyone else was blatantly summoning daemons at the present, I wasn't too worried about breaking any Evna laws anymore. Heck, the governor herself was after me! And, we had just stolen her car!
"Yeah, Port Aubergine" I replied. "My ship is there. It's the big gold bird that flew through the city a couple days before. Did you see it?"
"That was yours?" Zok asked, actual surprise coloring his deep voice.
I smiled. "Yeah! I'm the captain."
"Is it just a shuttle, or is it fully Warp-capable?" the Tzaangor asked as the bright light of a lasbolt sailed beside us. Fuck! "Oh, keep your heads down. Not sure how good this force shield is. Might stop glass, but maybe not bullets or lasers. She doesn't have enough charge in her to go airborne for more than a few seconds right now, and this isn't a military vehicle."
Alberich and I quickly crouched down, and I then answered Zok's question with, "Warp-capable. Yeah. We're going to Molech."
"Molech? Don't recognize that," Zok answered as we peeled out again, and made another dramatic turn. I heard the gibbering laughter of the pursuant Wheelers as more flashes of snapping laser light pew-pewed around us. Aside from being a good cook, Zok was definitely proving his worth. I wondered if he could fly this car too? The Tzaangor continued speaking, "But, as long as it's beyond the Conglomeration, I'm satisfied. Tired of Evna politics anyway. Look at all this."
"Yeah, me too. Three days and the amount of trouble we have been through could fill an entire book," Alberich replied beside me as I felt the sense that we were climbing. Briefly excited that we were taking off, I lifted my head up slightly from the back seat, and promptly became disappointed to see that we were just driving onto an on-ramp, and now, we were speeding along on a broad, but mostly empty highway populated by only a few other ground vehicles. Above, I could see a few shuttles soaring through the air, either on their way to the planetside ports to pick up passengers, or on the way to a spaceport. Unfortunately, as we weaved in and out of traffic, we realized that the Wheeler rails lined this inter-city highway, and were now being ridden by very tenacious and bloodthirsty battle servitors which easily paced with us.
Another flash laser light of light momentarily dazzled me, and I ducked down again.
"They're having trouble aiming," Zok informed us. "If they were functioning correctly, we'd all be dead. There's some kind of electrical interference I overheard at the palace. The Wheelers are broken."
"At least we've got that going for us," I groused. We continued speeding along. From where I was hidden, I spied the odometer, which displayed that we were traveling at around 130km per hour. Despite this rate of speed, the force field kept the wind from blowing us away, and allowed us to talk. A slight breeze passed over us, but it was easily tolerable.
"We'll be there shortly, assuming nothing intercepts us." As if God Himself had heard us, I heard as Zok then mumbled an "Uh oh" as we began to slightly slow down, and the traffic grew thicker. Most of the cars were turning onto off-ramps, but we continued onward. A metal popping sound rang through the body of the car. "Roadblock up ahead," the Tzaangor informed us. "Not a thick one. I'm going to try to run through it. Brace yourselves."
"Mein Gott," Alberich hissed as I watched him grip the side of the vehicle.
A few moments later, our vehicle abruptly sped up and weaved insanely through the traffic ahead of us. A heavy rumbling behind us, and I then felt a sense of G-force as we were briefly taken aloft! The front of the vehicle heavily bounced as we made contact with the ground again, and I could see that Zok was dramatically turning the wheel as he hissed angry curses. "Damn fools. You deserve it!"
The Key on my chest briefly warmed, and I could tell that two souls had been absorbed. The Divine Retribution would definitely eat well tonight, at least. How many people had I eaten today. What, like a hundred? I had actually lost count.
"Okay, that's done. We're past. I put some extra juice in her to fly for a few seconds. No more Wheeler rails here on this stretch, but we've got some damage. Had to run some jokers over," the Tzaangor informed us dryly. "The soldiers saw all that, so they'll probably be after us soon, so I recommend that we leave here as quickly as possible."
"Is it safe?" I asked.
Zok briefly laughed. "As safe as it can be. But, if you want to put your heads up, it's safer than it was. We're in Evna's industrial area now that borders its ports. No traffic here since it was blocked off. I can't go at top speed anymore, so it'll now be a little longer."
"Oh," I breathed. Dizzily and cautiously, I raised my head from the back seat. The road was completely open and clear here now, and this area of the city was mostly dark. In the light of the two moons above us, I could make out the shapes of warehouses and storage units. To my left, Alberich kept his head down, unwilling to look up. Through the city on my left side, I could see the distant figure of a very tall and vaguely corkscrew-shaped tower in the distance. A bright red light flickered at its very top. As I watched this building, I could see flashes of light and explosions against this structure. "What's that place over there, Zok? That tower?" I asked as he drove.
"The Tower of Reason. It's where the metal men meet and work. Looks like someone's trying to break into it."
"Langwidere's military," I answered. "They're keeping the Warp shut out through that Tower. I wonder if they just got control over the Wheelers?"
Ahead, I saw that we were now on the way to the ports, and signs designated exits for Port Carmine, Port Aubergine, and Port Ruby. Carmine was the first exit, Aubergine was second, and Ruby was last. Above us a shuttle flew low, approaching one of these ports.
"My leader, look," Alberich, who now was partially sitting up. The psyker tugged on my sleeve, and pointed up to my right.
To my right, I could see the distant Statue of Libertine, still many kilometers outside of the city. Underlit with mauve lights, it reached up into the sky like a wicked too-close parody to the Statue of Liberty. Tiny lights clustered around its massive base, which I guessed were groups of people that would be sacrifices (willing or unwilling) to the greater daemon, Am'Erika.
"And look! The car, it changed color!" Alberich then abruptly observed, bringing me out of my observation of the statue. I briefly brightened my light, and was able to see that the body of the car had mysteriously now changed to red!
"Yes, it does that," Zok informed us happily as he drove, now passing the exit for Port Carmine. "This particular vehicle was blessed by a strange Magos, and was said to have an unusual machine ghost, or whatever they call the spirits that animate technology. The color will change according to mood. Red, from what I remember reading on the parade program, means that the soul is excited. Probably because we're speeding. This car has been sitting around in a museum for awhile, so it was probably depressed and bored all this time, which is why it was grey."
"I guess it really is a Horse of a Different Color, huh?" I offered, trying to lighten the mood. No one said anything. As I continued to watch the landscape pass by, I started to wonder how Zok got so awesome. Not only was he a cook, but he had hot-wired a futuristic space car which he drove with incredible precision. "So, Zok, how do you know all about cars?"
"Hobby of mine, and don't ask how I knew how to start this one," the Tzaangor quipped. "I went to all the Parades of Chariots, even as a boy. It's real nice to be able to drive this beauty. Shame there isn't enough power stored inside for full flight."
"Can it really fly?" Alberich asked, amazed. "So, it's a shuttle?"
"Yes. I saw her at this year's Parade, which she won. Technically, she's a very small flyer, and not a proper shuttle, but I think she's beautiful," Zok informed us, his deep voice amused. "She's a grand little vehicle, aren't you?"
The Horse of a Different Color, somehow hearing this, then turned to bright yellow, and I watched as Zok playfully tapped the steering wheel with his clawed hand. Okay, this was pretty great, and a nice distraction from our impending doom. Null would probably love to check this car out.
"Wonder what this is all about now?" Zok then spoke up as he continued to drive. The Tzaangor pointed upward to the sky somewhat close to the area over the cursed Statue of Libertine. Above, I saw a faint glowing starburst ignite in the night sky, almost as if they were setting off fireworks. The light was less than half the size of the moon, and shimmered with a brief pale magenta-blue color before it dimmed. As soon as that explosion vanished, another one ignited, this one to the left (or the north) on our horizon.
A sign informed us that the exit for Port Aubergine would be coming up soon. Two flying shuttles passed overhead, appearing to come from Port Carmine far to the north, further away.
"Are they summoning it already? Am'Erika?" Alberich asked fearfully.
"They can't. Not yet," I replied. "The Warp is dampened right now. They can't." They couldn't summon Am'Erika if the Warp was muffled, right?
"I think these are fireworks. They said that they were opening the Statue tonight back at the palace, and they're also holding a vigil there, which is why you're seeing lights at the base of the statue. Didn't think they would still be going through with it, what with everything going on, all these terrorist attacks," Zok offered. "Tells you what you need to know about the leadership of this world. I'm glad to be leaving it."
"No, I don't think it's that either," I said, watching as more soundless explosions began to ignite high above in the sky. One even ruptured directly above us, flashing a strange pink-cyan before fading. Another explosion burst ahead and far above us in the turbulent night sky, and this one was slightly larger than the rest, which was about the size of the moon. Right before this burst ignited, I was able to spy a thin neon green line cutting far across the horizon. Feeling dread, I quickly discerned what this was. "It's the Nome King," I said quietly. "He's in the minefield, I think. We just can't see his ship."
"No one has told me what this 'Nome King' is," Zok huffed in irritation.
"He's an alien," Alberich answered. "A skeletal metal alien called a Necron. You saw him on the television displays on the street." Alberich looked at me with his new blue human (and Tzeentchian look-alike) eyes. "He may have some friends with him. Is that right, my leader?"
I didn't answer. My earlier visions about the Necrons coming here were violent, and I vividly remembered witnessing a massive fleet that overwhelmed this planet. I even saw some of the metal creatures skinning people. That made very little sense considering that the Nome King wasn't a Flayer. Or, at least I didn't think that he was. After another faint neon green beam of energy arced across the horizon, I watched as another blossom of light lit part of the night sky high above the horizon. From here, I could see no alien fleets, and without the full benefit of my Sight, I couldn't just reach into the Warp and figure out what this was all about.
"That creature we saw on the display looked like a robot to me," Zok replied as we sped along. "No matter. Alien or robot, if it seeks hostile entry to this world from above, it will not get far. An entire pirate fleet was completely destroyed some decades ago, and I heard that the entire city simply had picnics in the parks outside as they watched the minefield burst the interlopers to pieces. This was right before my time here, but maybe you are right?" The Tzaangor pointed at the fading light of an explosion. "Maybe these explosions are from the minefield, or maybe they are simply fireworks? No matter, really."
"I had a vision where I saw a swarm of Necrons laying siege to this world," I responded quietly.
"Visions can be inaccurate, from what I always overheard from those Blue Architect fellows. If there is nothing that you can do about this, do not concern yourself. That is my suggestion," Zok offered with a short rattle of his beak.
We traveled for a short distance without any further trouble from Wheelers. Many shuttles passed overhead, and I was grateful that some people seemed to be evacuating this world. More sporadic explosions silently dotted the night sky, and the Tower of Reason continued to stand tall against the immense amounts of artillery pummeling it. Peering over at the odometer, we had definitely slowed down now, as we were only topping out at around 80kmph. The car seemed to groan on occasion, and I definitely got the impression that it was damaged in some way. It's color even changed to a deep blue grey, and it gave me the impression now that it was "sad". I patted the side of the vehicle, and, feeling silly, I decided to try to make it feel better. "Cheer up, Horse. It'll turn out okay," I whispered quietly to the car.
The car responded with its colors becoming more saturated. I was impressed that the Horse of a Different Color could actually react like this when the Warp was muffled. Was there actually a daemon in the car, or was this really just a temperamental machine spirit? Well, whatever. It was a cool car.
As I sat losing my mind by reassuring a machine that everything would be okay, a movement caught my eye to an area far to right of Port Aubergine. Above, and flying somewhat low to the ground, I saw the slight reflection of moonlight over what appeared to be another dark shuttle as it slowly flew through the sky. It looked like it had come from Port Ruby, and was now making a short hop to Aubergine, which gave me a sinking feeling. I knew that the Family of Liberty was now shuttling people to Port Ruby so that they could then be sent to the Statue of Libertine, so I didn't want to find out the purpose of that flyer.
Continuing onward, our engine began to sputter as we finally approached Port Aubergine's exit, which was on a downhill slope. As we drove, I could now see a group of white lights rolling across the tarmac at a high speed, and the remains of the destroyed and smoking port terminal. Lian and Rezel were there, and I hoped that both were safe somehow, despite all this. Word Bear had warned me earlier about swarms of Wheelers cruising around the Divine Retribution, which I could now see. The battle servitors were circling the length of the entire port in one chaotic group as if they were horses running around a race track. Without my skills in magic, how the hell was I supposed to defeat all these Wheelers? Could I even get inside the vessel without the Warp being active? Shit, this was complicated.
"What are we going to do about all those Wheelers?" I asked. "It looks like they're guarding the Divine Retribution. All of those servitors are heavily armed, and without my psyker skills, I can't do too much."
Alberich studied the circling Wheelers as he readjusted his red cloth head scarf. After a few moments, he replied with, "The robots circle the length of the port every few minutes. Our vessel is close to the south end of the port. Maybe we can run up to the Divine Retribution when the Wheelers reach the northern point?"
"Good idea," Zok replied as he drove. "We're going to need to stop soon, anyway. We're still about a kilometer off of the port, and we're nearly out of a charge. I'll bring her to a rest somewhere near one of these hangars." The car continued to sputter, and I could now tell that we were being aided by our downward momentum. Horse of a Different Color's color was now grey again, which communicated that this vehicle's machine spirit was definitely feeling dejected. Poor car. Maybe we could take it with us, I thought, noting its relatively compact size. I now knew that the Divine Retribution had a larger freight entryway, and I wondered if we could bring this flyer aboard somewhere? There were still areas on the big gold eagle that I hadn't fully explored, so there had to be some kind of storage area large enough to house this cute jaunty little convertible shuttle. Plus, it gave me wicked satisfaction to know that this was apparently Langwidere's flying car, and that we had stolen it from one of her museums. Because, fuck Langwidere, that's why.
We continued to ride downhill, and the smoldering wreckage of Port Aubergine's terminal became more visible. Thin plumes of smoke wafted into the sky from the bombed terminal, slightly obscuring our view from here. As I watched, another small shuttle attempted to land nearby, but was chased away by the gang of wailing Wheelers before it could do so, forcing it to reroute. It then sped away, heading southward. The other dark shuttle we had seen before continued to hover above the port, apparently out of range of any Wheeler artillery fire. Whatever its reason for being there, it was not deterred.
Through a thin veil of smoke, I felt great relief when I finally recognized the dark silhouette of the Divine Retribution looming over all the other parked craft at one far end of the terminal. I wondered how many Wheelers had been smashed under my vessel's talons this evening?
My senses were then once again drawn to the dark craft that persistently hovered around the destroyed terminal. Now very curious, I began to study the shuttle in the dim moonlight. What was it doing? It reminded me almost of a futuristic harrier jet, and it was now lazily circling above the Divine Retribution, as if watching it. This was very concerning, and I really hoped that this dark craft wasn't part of Langwidere's military. "Zok, do you recognize that shadowy vessel over there above the port?" I asked, pointing toward the dark shape. "It's giving me a strange feeling."
"Looks like a shuttle to my eyes. It's a modified Valkyrie, but it isn't Vigaz military standard. No weapons. Probably transport for some VIP who owns a vessel stored at Aubergine. My guess is that they're trying to stay away from the Wheelers, but they still want to land for here whatever reason," the Tzaangor replied calmly. He then peered at me through one of the mirrors, my expression probably communicating my worry. "This part of the port doesn't just house your vessel, but many wealthy crafts, some of which are locked within hangars here. My guess is that this is someone trying to get to their own vessel while avoiding the Wheelers, just as we are."
"Well, not like we can do anything about it, right?" I observed.
"Once we're aboard the Divine Retribution, we'll be safe, and we can destroy those mad robots so everyone else can leave too," Alberich added.
"And we have to retrieve Null, don't forget," I added. Alberich sniffed derisively.
With a bump as we turned onto the off-ramp, we finally entered the industrial district bordering the port. I watched the dark Valkyrie shuttle finally decide to land on a wide stone rooftop while the mad Wheelers were approaching the furthest northern point of their "loop" around the track. They had landed somewhat near the Divine Retribution, and I very much hoped that these people were just innocent evacuees.
Our little group was now limping through a wide and somewhat desolate area populated by metal hangars and broad stone rectangular buildings, similar to a typical industrial area near an airport back home. The color of the car switched to a deep, and very sad blue-grey as we sputtered to a stop about a half kilometer away from the destroyed terminal. "Power's spent," Zok observed as he pulled Horse of a Different Color over, parking it on the side of a wide road and next to what appeared to be an aircraft hangar. "Everyone out. Gotta walk now."
The three of us climbed out of the car, and I stretched. Because of the citywide power outage, this industrial area was very dark and somewhat foreboding, reminding me of something out of a horror movie. The faint smell of smoke tinged with a hint of charred meat hung in the air, and the distant sound of laughing Wheelers keened with a ghostly echo through the wide streets.
"So, the plan is just... to sneak up to the Divine Retribution when the Wheelers are on the other side of the port?" I whispered.
"I think that's the only plan available to us," Zok replied as he attempted to open a locked door on the side of one of the buildings. "My guess is that the governor now knows where we are headed, as we ran her little soldiers over, and if we sit around and wait, they will eventually catch up to us."
"Pity we can't just wait for the pylon to fail again," Alberich growled. "No one can stand up to our magical potency now!"
"Time is something we don't have the luxury of," Zok sighed, and motioned for us to follow him as he began to stalk along the shadows of a large warehouse. The Tzaangor was right.
Sadly abandoning the Horse of a Different Color, the three of us walked along the wide straight road that would eventually led to the terminal. To be safe, we hugged the shadows of each building, and tried to make as little noise as possible. Very wide rectangular structures approximately three or four stories tall made of either stone or metal lined this road. It was fairly dark and shadowed here, with the only illumination being the dim light of the two moons above. None of the street lights seemed to be lit, probably due to the power outage. No one else was out here, despite a few vehicles that lay parked on the side of the road. The mood was fairly desolate and dark, and I felt ill at ease as the distant sound of squealing Wheelers crawled through the wind. The laughing screams of the battle servitors almost sounded like a flock of seagulls, there were so many. I could tell by the rising cacophony of their voices that they were now growing closer again.
"My suggestion is that we find a side street or something to hide within, and we use our ears to know when the Wheelers pass. Then, we make a break for it," I whispered as we continued onward.
"Smart," Zok replied, his goat ears swiveling as he listened to the mad laughter of servitors. "We are around fifty meters away from the tarmac now. They draw close again!"
"Look, in here," Alberich quickly walked ahead, and ducked into a narrow alley within two stone buildings. Zok and I both followed, and now, the three of us stood nervously in the near total darkness as we listened to the Wheelers jeer and laugh. We were very close, and this situation was very intimidating.
My breath caught. Something felt wrong in here. The hair on the back of my neck stood up as I felt a sense of danger alight in me
Before I had time to properly register this worry, Alberich touched my shoulder, and in the dark, he whispered, "It takes them about ten minutes to complete a circuit, I've noticed. After they've gone, we wait a few minutes for them to gain distance, and then, we run for the ship."
"But, wait," I hissed, realizing something important. Something really was wrong here, and it was irritating that I couldn't just use Sight to figure it out. It felt as if we weren't alone, but I still couldn't quite parse why I felt this way. "I couldn't open the Divine Retribution when the Warp was muffled on Levant! If we get there and we can't open it, do we have enough time to run back here?"
"You can't get inside your own vessel?" Zok's voice rumbled in alarm. The Wheelers mad laughter grew closer, echoing eerily off the walls in here.
"If the Warp is muffled to a certain degree, I can't! We might have to wait for the Warp to turn on again. Otherwise, we're stuck out here!"
"When do you think that will be?" the Tzaangor asked in irritation, his beak clacking.
"I really have no idea," I replied, needing now to speak over a whisper to be heard. "It's just-"
"The Warp returns in four minutes, twenty three seconds as the last useable psyker expires and the Tower of Reason loses power," a mysterious deep and entirely malevolent voice responded. Completely terrified into silence, no one said anything, and my thin Corona emerged in great alarm! The Wheelers were now right outside, and we could hear the squeaking of their wheels as they began to circle around the port's close end point a short distance away. If we screamed, they would hear us! "And their circuit is about eleven minutes round trip. Good observation, Alberich."
The three of us were completely shocked, and before any of us could respond, two glowing red eyes from a horned helmet now stared down at us, illuminating the space in the alley with a bloody light. Between the light of my Corona, and the giant's glowing red eyes, I could see that this very bulky figure wore bright red power armor, and seemed to be reading from a broad book that he held in his massive gauntlets. The giant was standing with a very casual stance, even leaning against one of the walls as if relaxing!
And then, I noticed something that made this all even worse! His red armor was covered in short spikes...
No one moved as we watched the giant casually close the book with a short snap, and he reached around to place it in some kind of armored pack that he wore on his back. He then turned to us, his red eyes blazing as he reached up to unhook the seals on his helmet with soft hissing sounds.
With an indulgent shake of his long black hair in the dim light of my Corona, I immediately recognized who this Chaos Marine was!
"Word Bear?" I asked incredulously, my jaw dropping.
"At your service once again, larval God-Empress," Word Bear quietly purred with mirth as he then actually kneeled gallantly before me, his amber eyes twinkling. "Since your Fallen friends are gone, you will have need of the services of my brothers and I very shortly. Forgive me for surprising you this way, but I read slightly ahead in your story, and you closed the compact before I could warn you fully."