Capitulus Primoris: Edge of Darkness

[jigglypuff69]

"Service through obedience... first rule of the Imperium, as it was. I can honestly say, congratulation on the reunion. The verse' isn't as small as it once was and finding each other might not be as much a test of the Adeptus, as a test of Faith. 'Believe in something hard enough, and it might just happen'. That's what my folks always said. And I'm part of the Arbites because of that advice. Anyways, I happy for you both. Enjoy it while it lasts." Solaria smiles at the two, her long legs carrying her deeper into the structure. She shrugs to feel the weight of the trenchgun on her shoulder, it presence comforting her uneasiness.

[Vardaen]

The brothers Haxtes and Jericus reunite, the two men speaking as the group makes its way down the metal hall. Mir remains silent in the back, sniffing the air and silent as the weight of the city over him presses down. The passage lights as you travel down it, and darkens behind you as you pass.

After about five minutes, the corridor ends in an armoured metal door, which unseals and unlocks with as hiss of pressurised air and opens with a loud grinding of heavy gears. The room inside has a jumble of dusty metalcrates (branded with unintelligible symbols) stacked against one wall, while a hospital gurney complete with restraint straps has been left toppled over on one side against the other. The room's most striking feature is a wide mirror which fills the upper half of the opposite wall from the entrance. The mirror slowly clears to transparency to reveal a glittering steel chamber beyond. Inside the chamber looking out is a tall, thin-faced figure wearing white medicae robes with (rather incongruously) a red leather coat draped over his shoulders. Behind him, covered by a mottled grey sheet, is what looks like a body on some sort of frame raised upright for inspection. While above them in the air, a pair of white enamelled skulls, encrusted with a variety of brass instruments and long hypo needles, hover expectantly.

Enamelled Skulls

Roll

Perception: Routine +20
Frastus 29 vs 50 Success
Jericus 1 vs 60 Success
Haxtes 33 vs 47 Success
Mir 27 vs 48 Success

The man's leather coat conceals armoured panels in its construction and that the bulge under his arm can only be a gun of some sort.

Solaria 70 vs 53 Failure
Xanthia 97 vs 55 Failure

[TetNak]

Haxtes leans over to Jericus and whispers something through his respirator.

Whisper

"Medicae Servitors."

He regains his rigid stance and peers forward toward the man without saying anything. There is no way the Tech-Priest will allow a non-Mechanicus doctor to touch his body for implants or other changes.

[eldritchknight]

Frastus watches, ready to reach for the Warp or his gun if the doctor makes a reach for what is obviouslly a gun hidden beneath his armor...

[Trogdor]

Jericus stands still and ready for instructions. It seems unlikely that this would be a trap, as the Inquisition had far easier ways to kill them, if it wished. But it could still be a test, so he remains wary.

When Haxtes whispers something to him, Jericus turns his head and replies with another whispered comment.

Whisper

The stylized raven and scroll insignia on his robes marks him as a member of the scholarly order Hetaireia Lexis.

Then, although he wishes to say more, the archivist turns his head again to once more face the window. There was no cause to show any disrespect to the man who would likely be giving them their next tasking.

[Brennor]

Xanthia stands in the room among the others in her tight, black leather clothing. She does not visibly reach for her weapons, confident that she can reach them in time if need be.

She glances at the floating skulls before returning her gaze to the now transparent window and the man on the other side.

[jigglypuff69]

Solaria follows the other woman's suite and lets her hand slip to the butt of her sidearm. She watches the room, the skulls and anything that might mean a trap. Trusting is not one of her stonger qualities when she does not know the people involved.

Display

I'll use the Awareness Skill/Talent. Just staying frosty...

[Vardaen]

OOC

3 Day on MadVlat: Last Post was 1 Week ago

Mir stalks down the hall silent, a bit un-at-ease in the tight passage. He holds his axe tightly in one hand. When the group reaches the chamber he snarls, "Someone better tell me what in the Emperor's Name is going on here, and soon." Just then the light behind the mirror turns on and the mirror fades from back to transparent and the man, the body under the sheet, and the skull dones are visible. A moment of whispers passes among the group, the brothers sharing some information back and forth, and the Arbite Solaria the only one to catch what they've said. Some touch weapons, others not -- the truth is if the Inquisition wanted you dead, there is nothing you could do about it.

The figure in the chamber beckons the Acolytes up to the glass with a gloved hand and after a static rattle, his voice issues from a small grill set into the ceiling:

'œGreetings Acolytes, I am Medicae-Interrogator Sand and you are the new blood, are you not? Worthy additions to our holy war? Well we shall see, far be it from me to doubt my betters' judgement, eh?" His voice would have a snide tone to it if the static verberation of it wasn't so distorting.

'œWell to the matter at hand. I represent the Holy Ordos of the Imperial Inquisition that we all serve. Our masters have called you here to assist us in the investigation of a matter of interest that has recently and unexpectedly come to light." He pauses only short enough to catch his breath.

'œOh, yes, for your information, you are now in the depths of the Templum Mori, the house of the dead where the Lords Prefecta Mortem hold court and the fallen and the lost of the great city are named and counted. It will not surprise you then to know you are here to view a corpse, I doubt it will be your first, but it is, shall we say, quite singular!'

Sand will causally brush aside any questions as if he hasn't even heard you and carries on with his lecture without your input, pulling aside the grey sheet to reveal the dissected and eviscerated body of an adult human. As he continues to talk, the servo-skulls will dip and bob out of sight to reappear with messy looking organic specimens in tests tubes and jars, clutched in their dextrous brass callipers, displaying them in turn for the your edification.

'œNow if you will kindly attend and pay heed, I will take questions afterward. The body has been positively identified as that of one Saul Arbest, male, 23 years of age, hive worker, unskilled labourer certified. Formerly of the Tantalus Indenture, registered habitation: chamber 6/23 stack 7-17# Coscarla Division, southern zone, Hive Sibelius." He continues on very matter of factly.

"Subject found dead on the mid-hive transit rail three days ago as the car returned to the main depot. Preliminary examination at the scene suggested death by drug overdose. Post mortem performed by the biologis forensic, however revealed certain anomies that necessitated our involvement. The cause of death was in fact total systemic failure brought on by tissue rejection of an implanted synthetic graft organ. Said organ destroyed his central nervous system while attempting to overcome the immune response. In short this'¦"

The servo skull displays a sample jar containing a ten centimetre long whitish cord of waving glassy tendrils, still in motion, still alive. The tendril wiggles in the jar and the servo skull shakes from side to side slightly.

'œ'¦crushed the life out of him from the inside."

'œWhat's it for? Unknown, but my opinion would be, in a word, '˜control''€"neural and synaptic override, perhaps worse. There were other grafts and surgery of a less singular kind also; one lung replaced by a concealed storage cavity, possibly for his use as a courier. Also, one optic nerve removed, skin flayed from his stomach, I've no idea why. His system's awash with alchemic traces, clotting agents, panimmune and the like.

'œThe surgery was expert, but by the lesions and tissue stresses, I doubt any care was given to whether or not it was painless. In fact, by the damage to his vocal cords, my guess was that he probably screamed as long as he was able to.

'œBut this little monster is what concerns us. Oh, you don't need to know the gene-lore or the Omnissian edict, just that this is not only illegal, it is forbidden, it is heresy. Merely tampering with this kind of dark tech is enough to warrant a death sentence from the Holy Ordos, the Arbites or the Mechanicus." He gazes at the group in turn, one after the other as he mentions the various factions of the Imperium.

'œAnd I'm sure that you, as well as I, am wondering how such a rare and vile thing ended up wrapped round the spine of some anonymous hab-prole from the dusty end of the stacks. Well, the Inquisition would like you to find out. The man has no prior criminal record, he was rendered invalid by indenture'€"laid off if you will, some sixty days ago now and was reported missing thirty-two days ago by his sister, one Lili Arbest, resident of the same hab-stack.

More than enough time to get himself into all sorts of trouble, I'm sure you'll agree. These grafts are no more than eight or ten days old at most. We have nothing else on him."

He gazes right at Mir, Haxtes and Solaria one after the other, "This is to be a shadow investigation, no open official involvement and no notification
of the local authorities, and no one knows he's here either. Coscarla's down hive, so a covert approach will draw far less attention than a boot through the door, and be far less likely to kill any leads to our heretic. Find out why and where if you can, better yet, find out how. Best of all, find out who is responsible. Go with the grace of the God-Emperor, oh and additional samples would be a blessing if you can procure them."

[Trogdor]

"Can we get access to his Imperial Identity File?" Jericus asks, not sure if the medicae-interrogator can hear him. Such records were highly protected, or so the Administratum said, but would have a wealth of information about the man. The Imperium liked to keep track of its citizens. "It would be invaluable in getting the investigation started quickly."

[TetNak]

Haxtes nods to Jericus, "It is a logical request." The Tech-Priest turns his head, looking toward the exit, "There is a higher probability we will find someone who knows him near his hab than any other place in the Hive." The Tech-Priest now draws to silence, allowing the man to answer about Jericus' question.