Eisenhorn Omnibus - страница 3
Of course, if I ever work out whose idea it was to write these stories in the first person, I'll be round their house with a baseball bat. The plot problems that caused…
Oh, hang on. That was me.
Dan Abnett
Maidstone , 9th August, 2004
XENOS
For John Parsons, bonemagos.
BY ORDER OF HIS MOST HOLY MAJESTY THE GOD-EMPEROR OF TERRA
SEQUESTERED INQUISITORIAL DOSSIERS AUTHORISED PERSONS ONLY
CASE FILE ii2:67B:AA6:Xad
Please enter your authority code >
Validating…
Thank you, Inquisitor. You may proceed.
VERBAL TRANSCRIPT OF PICT-RECORDED DOCUMENT
LOCATION: MAGINOR DATE: 239. M41
RECOVERED FROM SERVITOR RECORDING MODULE
TRANSCRIBED BY SAVANT ELEDIX, ORDO HERETICUS
INQUISITORIAL DATA-LIBRARY FACULTY,
FIBOS SECUNDUS, 240. M41
note 1 Darkness. Sounds of distant human pain. A flash of light note 2. Sounds of running.
Pict-source moves, tracking, vibrating. Some stone walls, in close focus. Another flash, brighter, closer. Squeal of pain note 3. An extremely bright flash note 4.
A man note 6 in long robes, calls out as he strides past close to the pict-source note 7. Surroundings, dark stone note 8. (i)'s identity unknown note 9. Pict-source moves in close behind (i), observing as (i) draws a force hammer from a thigh loop under his robe. Close up on (i)'s hands as he grips haft. Inquisitorial signet ring in plain view, (i) turns note 10, (i) speaks.
VOICE (i): Move in! Move in, in the name of all that's holy! Come on andnote 11bastard monster to death!
Further flashes of light, now clearly close las-impacts. Pict-source filters fail to block glare note 12.
note 13 Passing in through the high stone entrance of some considerable chamber. Grey stone, rough hewn. Pict-source pans. Bodies in doorway, and also slumped down interior steps. Massive injuries, mangled. Stones wet with blood.
VOICE OFF |(i)?[: Where are you? Where are you? Show yourself!
Pict-source moves in. Two human shapes move past it to left, blurred note 14 to be male, approx 40 years, heavy-set, wearing Imperial Guard-issue body plate note 15, significant facial scarring note 16, wielding belt-fed heavy stubber; other
note 17 is female, approx 25 years, svelte, skin dyed blue, tattoos and body-glove armour of a Morituri Death Cultist initiate, wielding force blade note 18.
Blurred shapes (ii) and (iii) move beyond pict-source. Pict-source pans round, establishing sidelong view of (ii) and (iii) engaged in rapid hand-to-hand warfare with adversaries on lower steps. Adversaries are heterogeneous mix: six humans with surgical/bionic implants, two mutants, three offensive servitors note 19, (ii) fires heavy stubber note 20.
Two human adversaries pulped note 21, (iii) severs head of mutant, vaults backwards note 22 and impales human adversary. Pict-source moves down note 23.
VOICE OFF: Maneesha! To the left! To the l-
Pict-source makes partial capture as (iii) is hit repeatedly by energy fire, (iii) convulses, explodes. Pict-source hit by blood mist note 24. note 25 (ii) is yelling, moving ahead out of view, firing heavy stubber. Sudden crossfire laser effect note 26.
note 28 (i) is just ahead of pict-source, charging into wide, flat chamber lit by green chemical lamps note 29. Subject (i) positively identified as Inquisitor Hetris Lugenbrau.
LUGENBRAU: Quixos! Quixos! I put it all to the sword and the cleansing flame! Now you, monster! Now you, bastard!
VOICE note 30: / am here, Lugenbrau. Kharnagar awaits.
Lugenbrau (i) moves off-image. Pict-source pans. Image jerky. Body parts scattered on chamber floor note 31. Major detonation(s) nearby. Image shakes, pict-source falls sidelong.
note 33 Lugenbrau partly visible off frame left, engaged in combat. Afterglow-residue of force hammer blows remain burned on image for several seconds note 34
