Post by Geneva on Jan 23, 2014 17:13:59 GMT
Hey, how ya doin'?
Hey there Hive! So I promised I'd post something on this board a while back and, though I missed the Christmas competition I finally came up with something I'd like to run with. It's a short story...ish. Basically its a collection of entries from an Inquisitor named Markus Vellon who, after years of traversing the Eastern Fringe, has returned with no intention of continuing in his position. What does that mean exactly? Well, I'll leave that for you to judge. This is the first part (I'll be editing in the rest as it comes - I haven't really got the time to pen it all at once) of what may be the first story of many - depending on feedback. Please leave a comment if you like (or dislike) what you see as every little bit helps. In particular, Vellon is a bit of a rambler. I'd like to know if that's distracting or if it fits the atmosphere. First part is really just a taster for the prose. More will be added real soon. Things are about to get very dark in the 41st Millenium.
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The Twisted Tales of Markus Vellon - The Lonely Asteroid
The depths of space hide many things; many dark things, some best left hidden. From my travels across the Eastern Fringe I have garnered tales that amaze and tales that terrify from those whom I have met along the beaten path. There are some I have lived through myself those few times I strayed from such paths. This is one such tale. I feel it of utmost importance to let you know that I, Inquisitor of the Ordo Xenos though I may be, do not, nor would I ever pretend to, possess knowledge of what goes on between the twinkling of stars. The inky blackness where horrors roam, both the twisted aliens of the forgotten corners of our galaxy and the abominations of the Immaterium that sometimes find their way into our world. In truth it is my lack of understanding that terrifies me with regards to such things. Our galaxy is plagued by many evils and not all are known to us. I dare even say not all are even truly comprehensible. And so it is with a shaky hand that I transcribe my story to this dataslate in the possibility that my potential madness may not be such; and that the Imperium is indeed in more danger than I had ever thought possible. This is the first of many tales I have gathered since my departure to the fringe. And this collection as a whole will be my last record as a standing member of the Ordo. I, Inquisitor Markus Vellon, do swear that every word of the following is true as far as my mind can assure me.
+++ Entry No.1 +++
Falthia VI was a desolate world. The choked desert tundra and harsh winds of the single biome planet did not lend itself to many visitors. My entourage and I had landed there as an en route stop to… Funny. I cannot for the life of me even remember where to. Nor where from come to think about it. We just sort of ended up there. We certainly didn’t have any reason to be there and there were pressing matters urging us to leave. I apologise to the Ordo for my lack of professionalism. My mind hasn’t been quite the same since my return. There are gaps, spaces, fog. But such matters are inconsequential to the story regardless. It was on Falthia VI we had landed and on Falthia VI we had learned of the asteroid. As I recall I was being assisted by four at the time. Maybe five. Some disappeared over the course of my journey. Faint echos are all that remain of them. Of some I often wondered whether they had ever existed at all or whether I had just dreamed them. But I digress, and again I apologise for my prose. Too often I meander these days. There were definitely four at least. Of those I remember. A young woman, Seia, a very talented psyker. Pretty, though her gift had visibly taxed her body some. Dark hair and bright green eyes. I remember her so clearly. The older one not so much. Brig. Yes, that was his name. He was a priest. Bearded, grey, tall and rigid. And his scream had been harsh and hacking. Odd how clearly I remember that much about him. Daxos was the youth, impetuous and bold. Thick brown hair like a mane. Two pistols that he cherished so dearly. And lastly Cass, my Interrogator. A promising girl with orange hair and always with a lho stick in one hand. Dastardly clever with technology too. Four of us there were on Falthia VI. Of that I am sure. I must be. Emperor help me if not.
The planet was barren and old. The Great Devourer had spared it on its path to UItramar and I suppose its inhabitants have that much to be thankful for. It was not hard to see why it had been ignored. The desert stretched on and on unbroken as far as the eye could see. No mountains, no forests, no ocean. It was a mining world that received most of its resources from the other planets in the system though three of them had been ravaged by the Tyranid hive fleets and the other two had not come out unscathed either. But infrastructure had been rebuilt on the surviving worlds and Falthia VI had gone from the most obscure of the planets to the heart of Imperial operations in the system. It was there we had met with Melkiah, the governor’s representative at the outpost. It had been a particularly harsh day. We were dressed in furs that had been loaned to us by the soldiers at the docking station. The trek from there to the outpost had taken roughly three Terran hours on foot through the sandy winds. The weather was too rough for speeders and the dunes too thick for land transportation. I remember helping Seia as we made our way. Her body was too weak to brave the winds unaided and arm in arm we trudged with only a single guide to lead us. The guide was a young boy, hardly a dozen Terran years old by my account. He was fascinated by Daxos and threw the odd shy glance towards Cass when he thought she wasn’t looking. A fool’s hope. Cass was sharp as a whip though she didn’t chastise him for it. He was only a boy after all. Cass was probably the first woman he’d seen since his own mother if the workers we had seen at the docks were anything to go by. Even in heavy furs Cass must have seemed exotic to him. Seia on the other hand terrified him. And Brig… I do not remember Brig. He must have been there but I can’t recall. He must not have spoken much.
Our guide eventually brought us to the outpost as it began to grow dark. The planet’s day and night cycle was relatively short compared to what I was used to and I remember the temperature dropping something terribly. I could feel Seia shivering as I helped her crest the last dune, atop which stood an old and decrepit bastion. The building was large and monolithic in the cold desert landscape though just by looking at it I could tell it wasn’t being fully maintained. The guide had brought a lantern with him to guide us through the dark but the planets two moons shone brightly enough to show us where we were going; two large pale eyes looking down on us in the sky. Even now I shudder at the thought but back then, of course, back then I had not even the slightest idea. Perhaps Seia had not been shivering over the cold alone. Our guide brought us before the entry to the bastion and bid us farewell. Two arbites took charge of us in his stead. I thanked him for his efforts and paid him appropriately. Cass threw him a smile which delighted him no doubt but it was Brig who had asked if he could join us. Old Brig, for all his hardness, was loath to let the boy wander back on his own. The arbites looked nervous, unwilling to refuse an Inquisitorial retinue but the boy refused the kindness claiming he had to be back all the same. Brig had looked at me then I remember. Though I still cannot recall his face I remember his expression unsettled me. He was unhappy about something though I could not determine what. I was more concerned with getting Seia indoors in any case. She had grown limp under my arm and did not look at all well. Cass and Daxos helped her off of me so I could show my Inquisitorial seal and we made our way inside.
Seia and Daxos retired as soon as we were shown our rooms. The bastion was spartan to say the least and aside from a rough cot and a chest the rooms offered little in the way of comforts. The building was dimly lit and little warmed than outside. Cass, Brig and I went to meet the representative in the officer’s quarters. He was a slight man, wrinkled with age and with a warbly voice. His name escapes me but I remember a certain strangeness about him. A certain tension had fallen over everyone as we had entered the room and for the first time I noticed the silence of the arbites escorting us. I was used to people being intimidated by me in my line of work but even the most timid of soldiers would speak a word or two when addressed. Instead all communication between them came in the form of nods and shrugs, their weapons always clasped in hand. That I had noticed. Every arbites seemed to be holding their guns as if on red alert. Still, I wrote it off to caution following the departure of the Devourer. Necessary caution and perhaps a few lingering horrors left over from the recent invasion. The governor was quick in getting to the point; mining teams that had set out for a particular asteroid had not been responding. An detachment of Guardsmen had disappeared after being sent to investigate and the governor suspected a genestealer infestation. He wanted the expertise of an Ordo Xenos Inquisitor to be sure. I have dealt with Tyranids plenty of times across the length of my career. I knew that, while Tyranids did leave traces of their invading fleets behind, they usually left them inactive. Without a Hive Fleet to reach out to, any genestealers should be dormant so it was unlikely a cult had formed. At the same time the governor's representative informed me that the asteroid was still sending back materials on unmanned vessels and had, to date, been meeting their quotas. The mining project was still operational but communications had ceased. I was intrigued, and so I gave the governor my word that I would look into it. I think Brigg had protested. Someone had and it had not been Cass so it must have been Brigg. Again, I cannot recall exactly why... We were fed by the governor’s men and he apologised for the petty rations he had to offer. Daxos and Seia had their food brought to them in their rooms and later Cass went to check up on Seia before we went to sleep. Tomorrow we were to return to the docks and head to the asteroid.
To be continued real soon. In the mean time, why not leave a comment!
