[Rated for violence, gore, disturbing content, various other adult themes, and general badness]
Tanarus sat like a statue in his command throne on the bridge of his flagship, Truthseeker. He had let the majority of his mind become immersed into the Manifold, pieces flowing through different systems of the ship to check on the various diagnostics and communicate with his ship officers not located on the bridge. He was awaiting the return of the environment data for the planet's surface. Analysis of the air, soil, and whatever water samples that could be extracted might clue the Explorator in on why the planet was silent. And the surface team needed to know the state of the atmosphere so they could prepare for air full of biological toxins or if the surface had been irradiated. Tanarus let some of fragmented self return as he took stock of the location of every person of interest on his ship.
Magos Yvette Krystek, known the ship as Madam Krystek, sat in her poorly lit quarters on the Truthseeker. The lighting was poor by her own choice, as her room was nicer than what most on the ship had. She sat cross-legged before a private cogitator that she had brought with her in her baggage. Thick cables connected the machine to the ship through ports that had once been hidden behind a wall panel.
Kyrstek had a very human visage, which was considered odd given her ranking among her peers. Outside of the Martian Priesthood, she would be considered beautiful. No such compliments came her way from many of her peers, who had either suppressed or removed the parts of their minds that gave into those chemical feelings. But, keeping a human face had its uses for her. She did not need to take advantage of it as she stared at the glowing screen of her cogitator. Data streams flowed across the screen like the rapids of a river. Krystek's eyes flitted from stream to stream, isolating the important data. A small ringing from her door caught her attention and she ceased the operation of the cogitator.
She stood and straightened her robe before moving to her door and keying it open. The junior priest on the other side gave a respectful bow and the sign of the cog. +I have been sent to inform you that the surface team will be gathering soon.+ The priest said in a blurt of binary. +Attempts to contact you through the noosphere have been met with silence.+
+I have been absorbed in work+ she replied +I will be sure to keep an open eye on it from now on. Thank you for informing me.+
The junior priest bowed again and glided away down the steel hallway. She closed the door and returned to her work desk. She had been neglecting noospheric communication in order to focus on her data collection. But if it had gone noticed, she could no longer ignore communications from it. A series of thin dendrites snaked from her shoulders. Monomolecular edged blades extended from the ends of the dendrites as she flexed synthetic muscles. She relaxed, letting the blades return to their homes and the dendrites fall idle. She returned to her chair and resumed her data collecting.
In the Bowels of the Truthseeker
Secutor Mikaeus stood on a raised platform overlooking the converted storage hall. In the hall proper, skitarii ran training drills which Mikaeus was overseeing. The secutor was tall, his body crafted in imitation of the human musculoskeletal system. From the nose down, his face was complex rebreater unit and at eye level was a black bar that ran around the circumference of his head and was set into the bionic skull. A glowing eye stared out from the black strip, scrutinizing the drills below him. An identical eye was set in the back of his head. He was without his robes and there were multiple vacant ports on his body for various attachments to be fitted in. His cybernetic limbs ended in clawed hands and feet, the former of which rested on the guard rail as he observed.
+Secutor Mikaeus.+
The binary came from a source behind the Secutor. The eye set in the back of his head focused on the priest who had spoken to him, prompting him to continue. +You are requested at the evaluation of Skitarius Delta and Skitarius Kappa.+
+Is that not the Master of Skitarii's assignment?+
+The Master requested yours as a second opinion since they will be on the surface team as well.+
+Sound reasoning. I will depart at once+
Mikaeus turned from the view without another word and strode past the priest into the halls of the grand ship.
Location Unknown
“The primary preparations are complete. We can begin secondary protocols as soon as the recharge is complete.”
“How long will that take?”
“With the energy that was expended? A few hours.”
“And the excavation...is going just as projected.”
“So we are continuing with our present schedule?”
“It remains optimal.”
Location – Bridge of the Truthseeker
+A ship is translating into realspace.+
The statement brought Tanarus from his trance and he disconnected with the Manifold. The ship's oculus showed the ugly tear in reality and the ship breaking through out of it. The prow of the grand Imperial vessel turned to face the positioned fleet and began broadcasting a communication signal. +Receiving the signal,+ the communications officer intoned. +It is the Inquisition, Magos.+
+I was hoping to be on the ground before they showed up,+ Tanarus said, translating his irritation through the wavelength. +Let us see what they say before we proceed.+
The fleet moved into a less threatening arrangement for the arrival of the Imperial ship. Tanarus did not want to appeal overtly hostile to any friendly ships arriving the in the area. Though the Inquisition signals did not fill him with confidence.
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