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Ordo Xenos Inquisitorial Report - Dead Zone

AColossalWanker
Mar 26th, 2019
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  1. + + Accessing File: Log #1 . . . + +
  2. + + Decrypting . . . + +
  3. + + Initiating Playback . . . + +
  4.  
  5. I am Inquisitor Carnelia Leros, in service of His Imperial Majesty's Most Holy Orders of The Imperial Inquisition, belonging to the Ordo Xenos.
  6.  
  7. I have led my team to an abandoned world on the edge of the space once belonging to the Star Nation called the "Sacred Order of Nukaribbu". We have not found anything of substance yet on the world, though our long-range sensors and orbital scans picked up some sort anomalous readings.
  8.  
  9. I have ordered my team to descend to the planet with me, where we will investigate more carefully the mysterious readings and discover - if we can - their point of origin. I am hopeful that in doing so, we will be able to ease the concerns of the Grand Imperium's bureau of threat assessment.
  10.  
  11. If we discover nothing amiss, we will at least be able to ascertain some information about the now-pacifistic Nukaribbu, and perhaps even discover some insight into their culture, or even what made them shift to such an aggressively destructive chance in the first place.
  12.  
  13. I am leaving now to prepare for our trip planetside.
  14.  
  15. The Emperor Protects.
  16.  
  17. + + Playback Concluded + +
  18.  
  19. [ . . . ]
  20.  
  21. + + Accessing File: Log #2 . . . + +
  22. + + Decrypting . . . + +
  23. + + Initiating Playback . . . + +
  24.  
  25. We have arrived at a large industrial centre on a former Nukaribbu world, or a world they may have taken over at some point in the past.
  26.  
  27. The architecture here is strange; a mix between galactic records of Nukaribbu infrastructure, and something both older and less advanced. Something more primitive, perhaps, from a far less technologically ascended star nation.
  28.  
  29. The construction methodology indicates a predication towards stellar travel, at least, given the presence of what appear to be stellar-age access points and docking facilities upon the much larger of the older architecture.
  30.  
  31. My xenobiology expert has postulated, much to her excitement, that it may be remnants of a previously undocumented civilisation subsumed and destroyed by the Nukaribbu during their rampage.
  32.  
  33. I care little for the machinations of the once-threatening alien menace, and care more for the origin of the signal that led us here. While I am secure in the confines of my armour, and my ARES rifle gives me solace, I cannot help but feel as if we are walking into something insidious.
  34.  
  35. My tracker has discovered some sort of terrestrial displacement, likely by a bioform or some form of advanced gravity-inversion engine, like those used by Nukaribbu vehicles. We are moving to investigate. He believes he may have found a hidden passageway of some sort, and I am curious as to its nature.
  36.  
  37. I cannot shake the feeling that we are walking into a trap, but I have faith in my duty, and know the importance of my task.
  38.  
  39. The Emperor Protects.
  40.  
  41. + + Playback Concluded + +
  42.  
  43. [ . . . ]
  44.  
  45. + + Accessing File: Log #3 . . . + +
  46. + + Decrypting . . . + +
  47. + + Initiating Playback . . . + +
  48.  
  49. Our trek to find the hidden source of the signal that drew us to this world has taken us deep into an underground passageway, large enough for several Oberon-pattern Main Battle Tanks to pass through. It goes deeper and deeper into the earth, and appears made of some sort of bio-mineral that my xenobiologist calls 'Nukarite'.
  50.  
  51. I am not a fan of the name, nor its implication.
  52.  
  53. As we pass by wall panels affixed with glowing flora that seem to live in defiance of all reason, I find myself pondering if I am walking to my death. In spite of my confidence in His Imperial Majesty and the strength of my weapons, not to mention the courage of my team, I must consider the possibility that I will not survive this investigation.
  54.  
  55. More and more I grow convinced that this matter is far beyond me; that it is something only the Emperor Himself will be able to truly address, and that all I am is a messenger for a terrible fate. I cannot say where this dread feeling originates from, but it is a pervasive thing, as if the very air is thick with it.
  56.  
  57. I see none of this unease in Alayxis or Marius, the two Knights assigned to my team. Their armour is black, save for the emblems of their Legions on their right pauldrons. Alayxis is a Void Hunter, and Marius a Millennium Scion. In spite of their Legions having a well-documented rivalry, they work together without complaint or issue.
  58.  
  59. I am comforted for their presence, and the comforting sound of their armour servos as they cover our rear.
  60.  
  61. It has been nearly an hour since we entered the passage. Only now can I see light up ahead. We are getting close.
  62.  
  63. I will update when we discover what is to be seen.
  64.  
  65. Fervently, I hope The Emperor Protects, for I fear we will need His aegis around us.
  66.  
  67. + + Playback Concluded + +
  68.  
  69. [ . . . ]
  70.  
  71. + + Accessing File: Log #4 . . . + +
  72. + + Decrypting . . . + +
  73. + + Initiating Playback . . . + +
  74.  
  75. I have no words for what we have seen here.
  76.  
  77. This facility is some sort of biological science research centre, and there are members of several - most, even - species in the galaxy present here. Humans, Atharians, Nova Terrans, Fefings, Vulpen, Zerepians, Elcons, Altissians, Antlians, Draconians, Darexi, several Pilgrims species, and even an Illarian.
  78.  
  79. They have all been biologically infested with some sort of parasitic growth. My xenobiologist has rambled off something about symbiotic photosynthetic enhancement and nervous system bio-fusion, but I understand little and can translate less. When pressed, she informed me that it boils down to genetic re-purposing.
  80.  
  81. They are... adapting people. Changing them. Making them fit their view of ideal biological existence. Life-signs of the most of the infected are stable, but we dare not try to extract them. I have instead enclosed recordings of the subjects, including some of deceased 'experiments' in other locations of the facility.
  82.  
  83. The looks of pain on their faces make me think they may very well have been conscious during whatever happened to infect them, and their deaths were... painful. We have taken some samples from whatever we could find, and secured them in void-proof canisters for transport. Based on what we've seen, I have a very strong suspicion the Nukaribbu never truly turned away from conflict, instead their plan was to--
  84.  
  85. [SHOUTS OF ALARM, FOLLOWED BY THE THUNDEROUS ROAR OF ARES WEAPONRY]
  86.  
  87. We've been discovered. Multiple hostiles are closing in, but I won't close this recording. Alayxis and Marius are cutting them down as they come, but there don't appear anything more than standard troops coming for us. We're heading for the exit now--
  88.  
  89. [A SCREAM OF PAIN, LOUD CURSING, AND THE BOOM OF ARES WEAPONRY ONCE MORE]
  90.  
  91. Alec, my tracker, has been hit by some sort of bio-weapon. He's seizing and his veins are turning green. Alayxis is carrying him now, to try to get him to our ship for safe transport. Marius is holding them off while we exfiltrate.
  92.  
  93. [MORE BOOMING GUNSHOTS, AN ABRUPT EXPLOSION NEARBY, AND THEN SILENCE]
  94.  
  95. Marius detonated a fusion charge behind us and closed the tunnel. We're running now, trying to get back to the ship. Marius stay back only to ensure we make it. I have no doubt he and Alayxis could outpace us easily if they desire.
  96.  
  97. Alice is staring at Alec in a panic. I suspect they've been engaging in some sort of affair, but I never bothered to care until now. She is the only one with a chance of saving his life, until we arrive back in Imperial space.
  98.  
  99. I'm ending this log here. We'll be at our ship in about fifteen minutes, fates willing.
  100.  
  101. The Emperor Protects.
  102.  
  103. + + Playback Concluded + +
  104.  
  105. [ . . . ]
  106.  
  107. + + Accessing File: Log #5 . . . + +
  108. + + Decrypting . . . + +
  109. + + Initiating Playback . . . + +
  110.  
  111. We managed to shuttle back to the Truthseeker, at its anchor-point in low orbit. I'm in the medical bay now, watching Alice attempt to find a way to cure Alec. He's currently twitching and whimpering on the medical table, and the growths... Marius is here to watch him, while Alayxis works with my pilot to get us back to Imperial space safely.
  112.  
  113. Our sensors detected several large-scale drive signatures closing in as we broke free of the planet's gravity, and we were forced to make a blind Jump elsewhere in the Dead Zone to avoid them, but not before taking fire. We barely made it out alive, and we took an unknown amount of damage in the act.
  114.  
  115. It's difficult to pinpoint where we are, there's so much stellar distortion in the Dead Zone, for some reason. I'm not sure if we're going to make it back to the Grand Imperium at this rate, but I can't think about that. I've uploaded all my reports onto this holopad and I'll be projecting it back to Imperial Space with a brute-force single-burst transmission signal.
  116.  
  117. It'll probably alert every hostile force within five jumps as to where we are, but I don't know if we're going to still have the power to even send it in an hour. If this is received, please, you have to warn His Imperial Majesty. Warn him that they're coming back. The Nukaribbu never ended their Crusade, they just evolved it.
  118.  
  119. It isn't about cleansing the Garden, anymore. It's about us becoming one with it.
  120.  
  121. They're going to subsume us all, like some sort of Devourer. I've never seen such fast-acting symptoms on a person before. Alec has actual vines growing along his body, from his pores. I... It's hard to watch. He's still alive, and he doesn't even seem to be in pain, he's just being changed. So fast. It's unthinkable.
  122.  
  123. We can't afford to sit on this. Inform His Imperial Majesty. The Emperor cannot be left unaware.
  124.  
  125. The Grand Imperium must be mustered. Every part of it.
  126.  
  127. Or we're all going to wish we died.
  128.  
  129. The Emperor Protects.
  130.  
  131. + + Playback Concluded + +
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