|
Waaargh! Hazug! Chapta 28 | |
|
Waaargh! Hazug! Chapta 28 |
“These
maps are crude.” Captain Claudius said as he examined them, “But I believe
that they are sufficient to allow me to identify the locations of the
suspect areas.” “Dat’s
all I needed to ‘ear.” Hazug replied. “Yeah,
but ‘ow ya gonna know which one’s da one we’s after?” Druken asked. The
nob fidgeted slightly as he spoke. The interior of the space hulk was
unsuitable for using rocket packs in so the stormboys had left theirs on
the surface of the planet below and they all felt off balance without the
weight on their backs. “Batrug’s
lads can tell us dat.” Hazug answered. “Dem?”
Drazzok exclaimed, “Just wot I needed to ‘ear, we’s relying on a bunch of
lads wot is more likely to blow ‘emselves up dan get shot by da
enemy.” “’Ow
dey gonna tell us den?” one of Two Heads asked. “Easy.”
Batrug replied, “Da places we is goin’ is supposed to be open to space
right?” and around him both orks and humans nodded, “Good. So if one of me
lads just uses ‘is burna to cut a small ‘ole into it den we oughta get a
draft as da air leaks through it. If we don’t den we know dat it’s safe to
go in.” “The
hole will not need to be that large mon keigh.” Mayleth said, “It would
take many days for all the air to leak out. Weeks even. Before that a
patch can be put in place.” “Dare
aint exactly a shortage of stuff to make a patch outta around ‘ere.”
Gorgoga added, reaching out and breaking a small piece of metal away from
the wall. Meanwhile
Rell and Cubrim had made their way to stand beside Captain Claudius as he
went through the maps, familiarising himself with the routes to the sealed
sections. “We
will be looking for a large section.” Cubrim said, “Most likely not
immediately next to the hull.” “No,
I doubt the hive mind would be too pleased if a collision resulted in the
destruction of all of their genestealers while they were still
hibernating.” Rell added. “Wot’s
dey goin’ on about now?” one of Two Heads asked, leaning closer to Salia
as she stood near him. “Just
describing the sort of place the genestealers will be hiding in.” she
replied and Two Heads nodded. “Here.”
Claudius announced in orkish so that the warband could understand him and
holding up one of the maps, “This section is at least a thousand paces
from the hull. Assuming you could walk the distance in a straight line of
course.” Hazug
looked at Batrug. “Could
ya get an air leak dat far?” he asked. “Maybe.”
The mekboy answered as he looked at the map for himself, “But ya’d need
some sort of duct wot ran all da way without getting’ an ‘ole in it
anywhere.” Then he nodded at Hazug, “I reckon dat’s as good a place to
start as any.” “De
dat’s where we’s ‘eadin’ to.” Hazug announced, “Batrug, ya lads can join
mine up front. Den I wants Claudius and ‘is lads behind us to tell us wot
way to go.” “Nah.”
He said, “It’d work fine right until ya came across some of Fullgrup’s
lads wot don’t know about us yet and den dey’d start
shootin’.” Drazzok
snorted. “I
thought ya beakies was supposed to be good at dis sort of stuff.” He
commented. “My
men are expertly trained in-“ Claudius began before Drazzok interrupted
him. “Don’t
care.” He said. “Druken,
I want ya lads to bring up da rear.” Hazug said, “Keep an eye out for
anyone followin’ us. I don’t want Fullgrup sendin’ any lads wot’ll just
get in da way.” “Goddit.”
Druken replied nodding. “And
da rest of ya can just stay in da middle.” Hazug added, “Dare’ll probably
be plenty of side passages dat’ll need guardin’ until we’s past ‘em so ya
eyes open and sing out if ya see anythin’.” “Wot
d’ya want us to sing?” Thuggrim asked. “I
knows da ‘Appy Squig Song.” One of the madboys added, “Dare’s a squig
wot’s really ‘appy- Ow!” “No
singin’ ya loony!” Drazzok snapped as he punched the madboy in the back of
his head. “Just
tell everyone if ya see anythin’.” Hazug said and then he strode to the
front of the warband and looked around at Claudius,” So wot way?” he
asked. “Dis
‘ad better be good.” Kazkal said as he followed his servant through the
passageways of his palace to a little used room. There a group of mekboys
worked around a large video screen on which was a flickering image of Mek
Fullgrup aboard the space hulk. “It’s
Mek Fullgrup callin’ ya on da televisualisatron boss.” One of the meks
said as the warboss entered the room. “I
can sees dat.” Kazkal replied and he stared at the screen, trusting that
the image of him being shown to the Death Skull mechaniak aboard the space
hull would be suitably large, “So wot’s up den?” he
asked. “It’s
dat git lover.” Fullgrup replied, “’E’s up ‘ere right now and ‘e aint
alone.” Navigating
the interior of the space hulk was far from straight forwards. The
multiple vessels that made up the hulk were not connected to one another
neatly as if their crews had simply performed a docking manoeuvre, instead
they were joined at odd angles with access points between them torn where
hulls had breached or cut wherever some long dead occupant had been able
to make one. Fortunately, the marines of the Deathwatch had received
training in just how to manage this and so with their guidance the warband
was able to keep on a heading for the section of the ship where they
believed the genestealers to be hidden. “Hazug,
dis aint right.” Batrug said as he examined the bulkhead that separated
the sealed section from the rest of the space hulk. “I
don’t get it.” He said. “It’s
been added hasn’t it?” Sophie said from further back, “I can see where
lots of pieces have been welded together.” “Dat’s
right.” Batrug said, “Dis wasn’t blocked off when da ‘ulk first got ‘ere.
Some lads ‘ave done dis.” Then he waved one of his apprentices forwards,
“Oi Trekred, come make us an ‘ole about da size of ya eye in
dis.” “Master
da squig’s smelt somethin’ ‘e don’t like.” Ratish
said. “And
there’s no draft.” Rhia commented. “Den
dis is it.” Hazug said, staring at the bulkhead. “So
how do you propose getting through?” Jarr asked when he heard the
servitor’s translation of this. “I
would advise entering as quietly as possible.” Rell added, “The
genestealers may not be active and we may be able to surprise
them.” Hazug
grinned. “I
can do quiet.” He said, “Everyone stand back.” And as the members of the
warband closest to the bulkhead retreated slightly he activated his
warscythe. Typically
Hazug would strike with his warscythe as quickly and strongly as he could.
But on this occasion he held the tip of the blade out in front of him
slowly and carefully, feeling a slight increase in resistance at it sliced
into the bulkhead making hardly any sound at all. Then he began to drag
the blade around in a rough circle, taking care not to move too
suddenly. He
stopped before he could complete cutting a section out of the bulkhead and
instead waved Gorgoga closer. “Use
dat power klaw ya got to pull dis out a bit.” He told the Goff and Gorgoga
pushed the tips of his claw into the cut to bend out the centre, “Good.”
Hazug said, “Now I’m gonna cut da rest of dis and I needs all da nobs and
marines to kop ‘old old of it. I don’t want it fallin’ on the floor. Just
stick it over dare.” And he glanced further down the passageway they had
come down. Finally with the larger and stronger members of the warband in
position to support the metal he cut free Hazug finished off the circle he
had been cutting and stood back as it was carried
away. Immediately
Jarr and Rell’s stormtroopers stepped forwards to peer through the hole.
Beyond the hole the space hulk was in darkness and only a little light
from the passageway got in and it was only through the use of their light
amplification equipment that they saw what lay
beyond. “I
think you should see this.” Jarr said, looking first at Hazug and then
around at Rell, “Both of you.” “Wot
is it?” Hazug asked as he took out the tau viewing device and aimed it
through the hole. Then he paused as he saw what was on the other side of
the bulkhead, “Yep.” He said, “Dis is it.” Beyond
the bulkhead was another passageway that looked to be at an angle to the
one the warband was stood in. But more significant than the rotation was
the substance that appeared to cover every surface starting some distance
down. Tendrils of some organic matter were twisted around the structure of
the hulk wherever it could get a grip. Then finer branches spread out from
these to create a web like coating over almost every
surface. Rell
produced a small stick from a pocket and bent it until there was a ‘crack’
and it suddenly lit up, producing a soft white light before the inquisitor
tossed it through the bulkhead. Affected by a sudden change in gravity the
light stick flew towards what looked to Hazug like a wall and bounced
along it before coming to a halt and illuminating a large section of the
organic mass. “Let’s
burn it boss.” Kuruk said as he peered around Hazug and raised his
flamethrower. But Hazug held up his hand for him to wait and looked at
Rell. “Should
we burn it?” he asked. In turn Rell looked at both Captain Claudius and
Cubrim. “I
haven’t actually encountered anything like this before.” Rell
admitted. “I
would advise against attacking it with flamers sire.” Cubrim
said. “As
would I.” Claudius added, “Any damage caused here may alert the main nest
to our presence.” “So
how do we get past it?” Salia asked, “If we stand on it will they
know?” “Stand
on it?” Rhia exclaimed, “You mean we have to touch that
stuff?” “No.”
Sophie said sarcastically, “We came all the way here just to look at it
and go ‘ick’.” “Shuddup.”
Hazug said and he lifted his rifle to his shoulder, “We’s goin’
in.” Entering
the passageway meant stepping between sections with two different
directions of gravitational pull so Hazug entered from a corner, steadying
himself on the wall until he was able to stand upright in his new
alignment. Turning around he saw that Thuggrim and his madboys had all
tilted their heads to try and see him from the same angle he was
at. “Come
on.” Hazug said to the warband in general, “It’s easy.” And then he
continued down the passageway without waiting for back
up.
|
|
Copyright Notice The Warhammer 40,000 universe is the intellectual property of Games Workshop Ltd. The fiction presented here is a derived work. It is completely unofficial and Games Workshop Ltd has not endorsed any of it. |
Background image miniature design copyright Games Workshop Ltd
This Web Page Created with PageBreeze Free HTML Editor