Chapter 540: Breaking the Wall
Although they witnessed many deaths along the way, the two teams finally reunited without any danger.
As for why only so few people are sent, on the one hand, many soldiers have no experience in fighting against gene stealers, which will only increase casualties.
On the other hand, the internal structure of the hull is small, and the number of people often does not have much advantage. On the contrary, there are many places that are conducive to ambush. It must have at least Terminator-level protection to be able to fight against the ambush of gene stealers. .
Throughout the entire history of the Empire, most battle groups have adopted the tactics of elite Terminator squads jumping gangs to deal with the gene stealers in the hulk.
Of course, there are successes and failures.
But in general, deploying a Terminator team is the best tactical plan without directly destroying the hulk.
But it was not just another team that met Soshyan, but also another Tech Priest who followed that team, Dietrian.
The two servitors worked diligently without thinking, and their actions were completely obeyed by the signal control board held in Dietrian's skinny hands.
Drills, saws, laser cutters and plasma burners heat the air around the two bionic slaves as they carve their way through another twisted wall.
The techno-heretic sees it all through his emerald eyes - sculpted into cascading lenses and fixed into sockets in his reshaped face.
Dietrian molded his body to exacting standards, and the diagrams he devised to construct his physique were closer to art than engineering, by the standards of human intelligence, which is not unlike the Astartes The effort necessary for them to survive together for centuries, one lacking the immortality their genetically forged physiology would allow.
He knew that he made human beings feel uneasy. He was familiar with the effect of his appearance on ordinary people. The equations in his mind that simulated the biological thinking patterns did not find the answer to correct this adverse effect, and he was not sure. Was it correct - but he remembered one thing.
Fear has its use when it is harvested by others.
This was a lesson he learned from interacting with the Night Lords.
After confirming that there was no problem with the work of the two servitors, Dietrian tilted his head towards his principle supervisor, Loken.
Since the other party's status in the organization is much higher than his, he should show a little respect.
"Priest Loken."
As soon as he spoke, the man was obviously frightened, while the servitors continued to work.
“What’s the matter?”
After realizing that his reaction was a bit embarrassing, Loken coughed twice and then nodded in response.
The corridor they occupied was low, claustrophobic and scary.
The Astartes were busy elsewhere, patrolling nearby chambers.
"Speaking of which, do you know why the Soshiyan Chapter Commander took you with him in this dangerous operation? Everyone knows that you are not keen on fighting."
Loken did not He answered immediately. He had a feeling that the other party had some bad intentions in asking this question.
In his eyes, Dietrian was an ugly thing made of black metal, liquid-filled wires, and polished chrome. He was covered with a metal skeleton and its circulatory system, and was hidden in a blood-red suit. Under the thick old robe.
Loken has always believed that one would have to have a perverse sense of humor in order to reshape one's body into something akin to a bionic replica of an insect from pre-Imperial times.
But he never shared the joke.
At one time, Dietrian's eyeglass lenses were dark red, probably cut from gemstones.
This is by no means a permanent feature, it will often turn green, blue or clear, revealing the metallic wires behind it and connecting to what is still at least partially a human brain.
"The Chapter Master told me that it was due to my outstanding skills and research on ancient technology."
Loken was proud to say this sentence that he believed to be true.
“I believe I can do an approximate analysis.”
Dietrian smiled, the buzzing sound was like the communicator slipping from the correct frequency, there was a hidden meaning in it. mocking. Loken was emboldened by anger, and although the traitor was bound in the shackles of the Astral Knights Chapter, Loken had every right to teach him a lesson, a power given to him by Soshyan.
"Dietrian, you'd better be careful about what you say next."
"I mean no harm, this is just a logical inference, because you are human."
That's gone. The skinny guy turned away its skull-like smile and stared at its servitor again.
"Human being, no shell, no metal, your blood, heartbeat, sweat and breath - all these biological details will be detected by the predatory alien species on this hulk."
"Dietrian."
Feeling uneasy, Loken turned and looked back at the long corridor they walked through.
“You are talking nonsense again.”
“I have studied the Tyranids in depth. Before this operation, I adjusted my stimulation array to be similar to that of a gene stealer. , my auditory receptors can pick up your breath, like the wind in nature, your heartbeat like the primitive drum of primitive culture. If I feel it, Priest Loken, I assure you that I feel it, then you should know that many The creatures living in these ruins also feel this way."
Loken snorted and tried not to guess that Soshyan's idea of using him as a bait was really
far away. , the bolter suddenly started roaring.
This movement made Loken tremble, and then he saw Soshyan returning here.
"Did an alien appear?"
Loken tried to make his voice less nervous.
“There were some, and they are all dead now.”
Due to the low temperature in the cabin, the cylindrical engine hood on Soshyan’s back would occasionally emit smoke from the gap in the exhaust port.
Soshyan glanced at the servitors at work. They had already cut through the bulkhead.
"The passage is open?"
"Already open."
Nodded, the reason why Soshyan chose to move in this way was to avoid being easily Passage for ambush.
The gene stealers on the ship are 100% aware of them. These aliens will ambush on the road they think they must pass, but Soshyan does not go this way.
He chose to break the bulkhead to move to the next area.
"Let's go to the mechanical room and see if we can restore some power. As long as the lights are turned on, the alien threat will be much smaller."
"Understood."
At this time, more violent roars of bolters were heard in the distance. In addition to various tactical commands, the communicator was also mixed with the vague curses of the Astartes.
“These things are stunted and weak, almost decrepit looking.”
"The alien race of gene stealers on the ship may have existed for hundreds of years. Without prey, they have no strength. Although they are old and frail, they are still deadly."
"It is not a struggle for the time being."< br>
Finally, the chirping of the bolters faded away.
The Terminators once again returned to their starting point.
Then they entered a large room through the passage opened by the servitor, which contained a towering generator and a wall-mounted plasma chamber - a mixture of liquid and gas tumbling deep in the glass chamber, emitting a faint orange light.
(End of this chapter)