Part 2 (1/2)

*He does not know where we will find our enemy, Chaplain. How can we believe in his claim that he knows how to deal with it?'

Iakodos was robbed of his chance to reply as, without warning, Remigius came to an abrupt halt at a junction in the corridor. It was only because Korydon had ensured a respectful distance that the inquisitor wasn't trampled by three squads of Adeptus Astartes.

*Here is where we make a choice,' the inquisitor said, looking first one way and then another down the corridors that intersected their current path. *The enginarium or the bridge.'

*There. You see what I mean? I rest my case.' Korydon's frustration was wearing and decidedly uncharacteristic. Iakodos scowled beneath the skull-helm and spoke aloud.

*How certain are you that we will find what we seek in either of these places, inquisitor?'

*As certain as I can be, Chaplain.'

Despite the inquisitor's confidence, Iakodos recognised tell-tale signs of uncertainty: a slight tremor to the voice, a brief clasping of the hands.

*Perhaps...' For the first time, there was genuine hesitation in Remigius's manner. *Perhaps we could consider splitting our efforts?'

*It is not an ideal solution, inquisitor, and given what you have told us about this s.h.i.+p I cannot say that I approve of the idea of isolating a squad from the others.'

*It would certainly speed this process up, Chaplain.' Korydon stepped forwards. *We can stay in constant communication and, if necessary, the squads can join back up.'

*The final say is yours, sergeant. You have command of this mission.' Iakodos stepped back again. Despite his seniority in years, he deferred easily to the sergeant's command.

Korydon raised a gauntleted hand and rubbed it against the jaw of his helm. His red lenses stared down the corridor ahead, first to the left and then the right. The same featureless white expanse met his gaze wherever he looked. He came to a decision.

*Third Scale, we will head for the bridge and make an a.s.sessment of the area. Evander, you take Ninth and Sergeant Ardas.h.i.+r. Stay with the inquisitor.' There was a heavy emphasis on the final command and Evander nodded his compliance.

*We will move towards the command deck,' Korydon confirmed, his tone forceful and compelling. *We will remain in constant contact and in the event that we run into difficulties, or if you require our extra support, we will fall back to this position and reunite our forces.'

Third Scale moved apart from the others and gathered at the head of the right-hand corridor. Iakodos switched to the private channel again.

*This is a rash decision, sergeant, and one that seems ill-advised in this environment. I will come with you.'

*It is my decision to make, Chaplain. And no, you must remain with the inquisitor. I apologise for speaking so of one of the Ordo Malleus, but I do not trust him. You need to be with him. Those were Captain Tanek's express orders. He did not require the rest of us to be present, however.'

Iakodos clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. *Very well, sergeant. As you command. Keep your faith strong, Brother Korydon. Keep your wits about you and heed your own warnings about falling back if you encounter difficulties.'

*I will, Chaplain. Fire and fury.'

*Fire and fury, brother.'

The two s.p.a.ce Marines clasped arms in a warrior's grip and, without another word, Third Scale peeled off from the main group and turned right down the corridor junction. Iakodos had no doubt that they were strong, faithful souls to a man and that they would cope with anything that might be thrown at them, but he still felt a creeping unease at their forces having been split.

*Sergeant Evander... We are now under your command, I believe.'

*Yes, Chaplain.' Evander nodded and moved ahead of the inquisitor, leading the larger of the two battle forces left towards the enginarium.

As they walked, the corridor began to take a slight slope downwards. Iakodos considered again Evander's words from earlier. There was something fundamentally unreal about the design of the s.h.i.+p's interior. There should have been more bulkheads, more doors barring their pa.s.sage, but there was nothing but the seemingly endless white corridors. The Chaplain laid his hand against the wall and could not even feel a distant vibration from the s.h.i.+p's engines. The sensors in his gauntlet returned no movement, and as he pa.s.sed his hand across the wall it seemed smooth and almost frictionless. No casting or welding lumps or rivets, just a stark, sterile surface.

*This vessel is dead,' he observed. *I have never been aboard a s.h.i.+p that is so utterly devoid of life and soul.'

He would learn, to his great cost, that the Accursed Eternity was anything but dead.

Korydon strode ahead with great purpose. He had felt the unease of his battle-brothers from the moment they had exited the boarding torpedo. It was an unease he shared and the urge to complete this duty and return to the Ladon was strong. He had disliked the inquisitor from the moment they had met and felt a certain sense of relief now that he was out of the man's presence. Since they had boarded, a niggling voice at the back of his skull had tried to convince him that were they to lose the inquisitor, it would be no tragedy.

*What exactly is it that we are seeking, sergeant?' Arion asked. This corridor, like the embarkation one along which they had previously been walking, was spartan and empty.

*Anything at all would be a start,' muttered Tylissus. This drew a hesitant chuckle from Third Scale and even Korydon cracked a brief smile beneath his helm.

*Have you ever known anything like this place?' Tylissus continued, the bemus.e.m.e.nt in his voice expressing what Korydon suspected all of them felt. *When we were told this was a daemon-s.h.i.+p, I expected some sort of engagement the moment we set foot on the deck. Not this endless nothing. Is it possible, do you think, that the inquisitor is wrong in his a.s.sessment?'

*I do not know, Tylissus,' replied Korydon thoughtfully. *It is more than evident that this s.h.i.+p is not normal. But like you, I wonder exactly what it is we should expect. I feel this sense of...' He trailed off, unable to articulate the feelings he had. It was almost like a premonition of what was to come, but that was impossible. He was a warrior. He did not have precognitive powers. *A sense of discomfort.' It was a pitiful word compared to the depth of feeling he described, but it was the best he could manage. *If the inquisitor a.s.serts that this is a daemon-s.h.i.+p then who am I to question that?'

A daemon-s.h.i.+p. Korydon let out a soft snort of derisive laughter. He didn't know what he had been expecting either. Certainly not metre after metre of expansive, clinically white corridors. Perhaps he had been antic.i.p.ating attacks from misshapen warp ent.i.ties. Perhaps he had been expecting the walls of the s.h.i.+p to be oozing ichor and blood...

The thought dissolved into the ether and he shook himself. Fanciful, foolish thinking that had no place in the head of an Adeptus Astartes sergeant. *Move onwards,' he ordered, waving with his bolter. Best to leave such ridiculous and fantastical imaginings to others. He could not allow such things to taint his duty.

He abandoned the thought and the Star Dragons continued forwards. In the wake of their pa.s.sage, something held onto the ethereal wisp of Korydon's abandoned idea. With an inhuman appet.i.te, it devoured what it needed to give itself the strength to take form. It had been left starving for so many years that the single thread of imagination was a veritable banquet. It was gorged upon and fed the invisible horrors of the Accursed Eternity. When it had finished, it wanted more.

There was a saying from Old Terra that held truth in this place. Careless talk, so the saying went, costs lives.

The future began to shape itself. In the corridor behind Third Scale, a dark and viscous fluid began to seep slowly from the walls, going entirely unnoticed by the s.p.a.ce Marines as they pa.s.sed.

*The corridor is all wrong.'

The Chaplain's observation put into words what all present were thinking. They had marched for far too long down the endless white hallway and there was no sign of its end. There had been nothing but the unblemished walls and the sound of their feet on the decking. Iakodos moved ahead a few more metres and, utilising the sensors in his helm, scanned ahead down the corridor. He focused his attention on the relevant readout, but there seemed to be something preventing the runes from giving him a fixed response. The numbers flickered and changed repeatedly.

*Look, there.' Ardas.h.i.+r stepped forwards. There was a hint of anxiety in his voice and the Chaplain watched him sharply. He looked to see what it was that the Blood Sword indicated.

*I moved too close to the wall and made a mark just like that when we took the corridor from the crossroads,' he said. The sc.r.a.pe mark of red armour on the wall of the corridor was almost like a smear of blood. *It must be a coincidence.'

*I wouldn't be too sure, sergeant,' murmured Remigius. Iakodos turned to look at him. His words sent a muttered ripple of uncertainty through the s.p.a.ce Marines.

*Are you suggesting that we are trapped in this corridor?' Ardas.h.i.+r stared down at the inquisitor. *That we will not be able to find our way out of it?'

*I'm suggesting that there is a possibility the daemon at the heart of this s.h.i.+p is utilising the opportunity to play with us. Chaplain Iakodos, you need to ensure your brothers' faith remains strong. If they begin to doubt, then we will be lost.'

*We need to keep moving,' interrupted Evander. *But to give us a clearer idea, let us be certain of what we are dealing with, shall we?' With a metallic screech, he dragged the forearm of his armour in a cross-stroke over the red mark, adding a blue stripe to the marking on the wall. With caution, they proceeded down the corridor.

It took them barely five minutes to return to the red and blue mark on the wall.

*It was no coincidence, then.' Ardas.h.i.+r slammed his balled fist into the wall in frustration. *We are trapped.'

*Movement up ahead.' The snapped announcement from Evander drew Iakodos's attention and he brought his crozius up automatically, ready for an attack. Evander's bolter was brought to bear and he pointed directly down the tunnel. The Chaplain followed the line of the sergeant's gun and stiffened slightly as he too caught the motion. Again, his helm refused to feed him any data.

Evander took a few steps forwards, then halted, raising his bolter again. *Moving towards us. Something... A lone figure. A huge form. Adeptus Astartes size at least.' A thought came to him and he activated his vox-bead.

*Third Scale, report in. Korydon, do you have any sort of visual contact?'

*Negative. We have found nothing at all, brother. Is there a problem?'

*Nothing we cannot handle.' Evander cut the link and ratcheted the slide on his bolter. Without needing to speak the command, the entire squad, with the Blood Swords close behind, began to move to contact.