Vex Chronicles 1: Infection

Revelations and a plan

Lucena's Ascent, prow section, laboratory

Kressman couldn't say how much time had passed. But it could not be much more than one day. He had fled into his work to ignore the painful gasps of the xenos woman behind him. And slowly the Aquila for his collection had taken shape. A reminder for the mission on Eredius III, made from plaited wheat and local carved wood.

Cassilia promised Kressman a way out. But she had never finished her words as she had screamed out from one moment to the next. And since then she had remained silent. Kressman had tried to speak to her and somehow wake her up. No result. Cassilia's eyes had still moved. She had still groaned when he had tried to move her. But it was as if her mind had just went kaput from one moment to the next.

Kressman had no idea what Vex's torture machine really did. All he knew was that it was build from an amalgamation of xenos and imperial technology. It was supposed to string a custom designed cogitator to the creatures mind. Parts of it had already taken shape. And it looked quite a lot like a psychic hood of a sanctioned psyker. Kressman had never liked to work along psykers as a sergeant in the Cadian 227th. And Seeing Cassilia with it didn't made it better...

Kressman put the Aquila aside. It was not the calm he had hoped it would be. Trapped and with nothing else to do, he shuffled his imperial tarot. The veteran sat there and stared at the card deck in front of him. Drawing the blessed tarot needed a certain mindset. But the calm didn't wanted to come to him. Feeling the Xenos behind him was unsettling. And knowing that the creature might be the only chance to get out was even worse.

And so he concentrated on the chants of the war choir that still filled the room. Empowered be the glorious hymn of steadfast soldiers, Kressman pulled the first tarot from his deck. And again it was the card of the Heart in reverse. The card in that position meant change of heart. An ally that turned traitorous or an enemy turned ally. A change in loyalty. Kressman shuffled the cards, set them down and drew again. And it was the very same card.

Kressman sighed. He had not asked the tarot any question and yet it was giving him an answer... But was it really the answer he wanted to hear? Was this card meant for him? Or for someone else? He shuffled again, put his hand on the card, concentrated on the music and searched a state of calm mind.

"Show me something about myself," he asked his question.

And this time he drew the card of the Scholar in reverse. Kressman was definitely no scholar. He was no longer at the beginning of the journey of his life. Even with one rejuvenation behind him, he could feel the end of his road slowly encroaching. He was old, no longer a scholar. The scholar in reverse could mean missing knowledge. But it could also mean mentor. Someone that other scholars were looking up for guidance.

Kressman was a veteran soldier. But before meeting Vex he had felt more like an appointed man that brought the will of the Emperor to the stars, to worlds and ears willing to listen. Only his blessing of foresight had put an end to that. Kressman had known deep down inside that his ability was a blessing. Others might have seen it differently. And he had already feared the cold fate of the black ships encroach him. And then he had met Vex... And Vex had needed him. Not just as soldier. Kressman was as much Vex's mentor as Vex was a mentor for Kressman.

Vex was a rare breed. He was generous and forgiving compared to other inquisitors. He only wanted to aid his Imperium of Man. Although some of his deeds bordered on radical thoughts... Like Cassilia, Vex's latest 'project'. A twisted idea that Kressman had not managed to talk Vex out of. And now this creature was trapped here with him, naked and bloody in the machine. Her pale body was an abomination, a stain on the Emperors grand scheme. Pale skin, additional arm clutched to the abdomen, a little tail that scratched an annoying rhythm through the chamber. Scratch, scratch, every time a new shock was send into its twisted brain.