harbinger 40k part 2

8/12/2019 HARBINGER 40K part 2

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/harbinger-40k-part-2 1/4

A R T T W O

“Borski! What’s taking you so long?” Churian marched oer to here the technician as s"uatting #eside

the o$en control $anel%

Borski scoled #e&ore getting u$ and turning to &ace the a$$roaching lieutenant%

“The &ragging thing’s ell and truly 'ammed( sir (” retorted Borski( $lacing more than a little sarcastic

em$hasis on the )sir’% The to men glared at each other( isors #arely an inch a$art( &or seeral seconds

#e&ore Borski #roke the silence%

“There’s no ay e’re getting that door o$en unless e cut through it(” he said%

“That’s not an o$tion% We’e lost enough time already ith you &ailing to do your 'o#(” Churian re$lied

scorn&ully% “Cutting through the armour o& that #last door could take hours% * hae a &ar #etter idea%” Borskidid not like the sound o& that one #it%

Churian turned to the other to cre mem#ers% “+ou to, gie your cre mate a li&t% Borksi’s going to see

hat’s on the other side o& that door%”

Cursing to himsel&( Borski stoed his gear and shouldered $ast the gloating lieutenant%

---

.arko led her team u$ a ide( arterial corridor( the lumen #eams attached to their ea$ons scanning

eery nook and cranny as they $rogressed% .etal #uttress su$$orts lined #oth alls at three metre

interals( and the ay they cured u$ &rom the &loor to 'oin ith the ceiling #eams gae her the distinct

im$ression o& #eing inside the ri# cage o& some giant mechanical snake% This as not a $leasant thought(

#ut .arko as e/0*m$erial 1uard and made o& stern stu&&( so she immediately shook o&& the &eeling o&

discom&ort%

“.arko% Progress re$ort(” Ca$tain 2imitar’s oice crackled oer the o/%

“We’re adancing don one o& the $rimary $assageays that( according to the schematics $roided #y the

shi$’s com$uter( should lead to the enginorium sector% 3TA si/ minutes(” she sitched the o/ link o&& #e&ore adding to hersel&( “Barring any sur$rises%”

“4ot acce$ta#le% *ncrease your $ace( .arko% * ant you there in to minutes% Churian’s team #etter #e

there doing their 'o#% *& not( you need to get that drie shut don% Con&irm%” 2imitar’s res$onse as harsh(

#ut .arko had sered under him &or many years and as used to his #lunt and demanding nature%

4eertheless( she gae a long e/hale #e&ore res$onding%

“Aye ca$tain%”

---



Borski dro$$ed onto the metal deck $lates ith a loud clang% 5e as no on the other side o& the #last

door and "uickly singing his #olt gun u$ to the ready $osition( aiming it and his lumen #eams into the

#lackness% 5is heart as racing in his chest and his #reathing had increased to match% 5e sung the gun

le&t and right( u$ and don( hal&0e/$ecting some hideously ar$ed monster to come lunging at him &rom

the dark% But none as &orthcoming%

“What can you see( Borski?” *t as Churian( the callous and com$assionless o&&icer%

The tech gathered himsel& #e&ore re$lying%

“*t’s another corridor #ut it seems to o$en u$ a little ay ahead% This should #e the outer reactor

cham#er%”

“1ood% 6tart scouting ahead, e’re coming oer%”

Borski cursed under his #reath 7 something a#out Churian #eing the illegitimate son o& a hore 7 and

#egan a ery cautious alk don the $assageay% A&ter ten metres he could see the corridor o$ening u$into a large cham#er, the ceiling and o$$osite all lost in the darkness% The sound o& #oots landing on the

metal deck $lates came &rom #ehind% Borski glanced oer his shoulder and sa &rom the colour o& the

shoulder $auldrons that it as that #astard Churian% As he turned #ack to continue his slo adance( there

as a sudden #loodcurdling scream%

---

“2id you hear that?” +annick asked( ith a noticea#le tremor in his oice%

.arko res$onded #y signalling &or her men to halt and get don% As they s"uinted along the iron sights

o& their ea$ons into the gloom ahead( .arko s$oke "uietly into her o/%

“Ca$tain( e heard hat sounded like a scream% .oing u$ to inestigate%”

“Co$y that( .arko% Proceed ith caution(” he re$lied%

1esturing again in *m$erial #attle sign( .arko instructed the others to get u$ and $roceed don the

long( ide corridor% +annick as on $oint( much to his consternation( and .arko moed u$ alongside him

to $lace a reassuring hand on his shoulder% 5e res$onded #y giing a thum#s u$ and they continued their

cautious alk( ti$toeing care&ully on the metal deck $lating so as to make as little noise as $ossi#le%

---

Borski could see hat looked like Temmo des$erately trying to haul his #ulky suit oer the li$ o& the #last

door% 5is hands ere &rantically claing( looking &or any $urchase on the smooth metal( and he as crying

out &or hel$% Churian as moing toards him( reaching out ith gloed hands% Borski as s$rinting #ack

don the short corridor to hel$ his shi$mate out( #ut sto$$ed 'ust short hen( ith a sudden 'erk Temmo

as yanked #ackards to disa$$ear #ehind the door( screaming in $ain and terror%

“4o! 4o! Aaargh!” There as a sickly tearing sound( &olloed #y a crunch and then silence%



“Temmo!” yelled Churian% “1regor!” 5e s$un round to &ace Borski%

“1ie me a leg u$% 8uick!” the o&&icer shouted% Borski dearly anted to 'ust turn and run( #ut his loyalty to

his cre mates outeighed his &ear( so he lunged &orard( slamming his #ack to the all( $lanting his &eet

and clas$ing his hands together in &ront o& his groin% Churian asted no time and shoed his #oot into

Borski’s $alms and $ushed himsel& u$ards% As he reached the li$ o& the #last door( he $aused to dra his

$lasma $istol( took a #reath and in one si&t moement as looking oer the to$( gun in #oth hands( readyto shoot hateer had attacked his comrades%

But there as nothing there% 4o sign o& any attacker and no sign o& his cre mates%

“They’re gone!” Churian his$ered loudly through gritted teeth%

“What do you mean( they’re gone?” as Borski’s dis#elieing re$ly%

“* mean( they’re gone% There’s no sign o& them% 4o #odies, nothing%” A&ter a &e seconds as he scanned

the corridor ith the light &rom his torch( Churian &inally lea$t don onto the &loor( and stood u$ ne/t to

Borski%

“* sa #lood on the deck(” as all he said%

Borski grimaced in des$air and &elt anger rising ithin him% “Temmo! 1regor! Can you hear me? Temmo!

1regor!” he yelled oer the o/( des$ite the &act he didn’t e/$ect a res$onse%

5e looked into Churian’s eyes through the slit in his isor%

“We’e got to get the &rag out o& here(” he said%

---

9$on hearing the second scream( .arko decided that enough as enough% 6he as a soldier and

stead&astly loyal to her comrades( so she made a s$lit second decision and turned to her men%

“:ollo me(” she said( #e&ore #reaking into a s$rint u$ the ide $assageay% The others looked at each

other( momentarily shocked #y their leader’s actions( #e&ore running a&ter her% Their &oot&alls ere loud(

and the sound o& heay #oots landing on the metal deck $lates rang u$ and don the corridor% There as

no disguising their a$$roach no%

They ran u$ the long corridor &or to hundred metres #e&ore reaching an intersection( here they sto$$ed

&or .arko to ra$idly check the deck $lans on her data slate%

“The reactor’s this ay% Come on(” she said( and they resumed their #reakneck dash to aid their

colleagues%

*t as three hundred metres or so #e&ore they reached the hal&0o$ened #last door that led to the outer

reactor cham#ers% .arko $ointed to the o$en circuitry o& the control $anel and .aidenko ent oer to

it( $ulling tools &rom his $ack%

“.arko% There’s #lood here(” e/claimed Bodan( kneeling on the deck and running his &inger through a red

smear on the &loor%



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*go 2imitar’s $atience as earing thin, hich considering his naturally intolerant and olatile dis$osition

as nothing ne% The cre on the #ridge could see it( and they ere all #usying themseles at theirstations( making eery e&&ort not to make eye contact ith their ca$tain% The $ict &eed &rom .arko’s team

had all o& a sudden disa$$eared%

“.arko( hat is your status? We’e lost isuals%” he #arked into the o/% There as a crackling and a&ter a

&e seconds ;enaya .arko’s distorted oice res$onded( although it sounded distant and as #reaking

u$%

“0 0 &ound #lood 0 0 &resh 0 0(” as all that came through( as the signal #ecame more distorted%

2imitar stood u$ &rom his chair and $lanted his hands on the console( scoling% “6ay again( .arko% +ou’re

#reaking u$%”

“0 0 heard screams 0 0 "uick 0 0 can’t &ind 0 0%”

The ca$tain’s #ro &urroed in &rustration% “.arko( send one o& your men ith a #ooster #ack to relay the

signal% 2o you co$y?” 2imitar as #ecoming increasingly irritated #y the re$eated #reakdon in

communications%

There as silence &or a hile( #e&ore the gar#led oice o& .arko re$lied%

“A&&irmatie%”

2imitar got u$ &rom the terminal and s$an on his heel( marching ith $ur$ose toards the door% 5e

glanced oer at <t% =arga as the #ig door slid o$en%

“Assem#le another team and hae them meet me on the um#ilical% Tell them to #reak out the heay

ea$ons, *’m going in to sort this mess out%”

harbinger 40k part 2

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