Forge World Gramm IV

[Sons of Horus]

well no they weren't the inspiration, it was actually Glados from portal :tu: I know it's strange.

 

about the melta, I thought about the same thing but then I only remembered after I already posted the chapter. sorry

[Ufthak]

No need to say sorry mate, it's your story, and a good one too :P

Plus: you can always edit posts...

 

When's the next part up? Looking forward!!!

[maddai666]

I must say you've created some really strong characters in your story and the action is brilliant so keep up the good work and look forward to the next installment

[Ufthak]

When's the next part up? Come on, we must be nearing the finish, can't leave us waiting mate!!! :)

[Sons of Horus]

The darkness above was nigh impenetrable even to the enhanced senses of an astartes. Rosarch's preysight was still active, although it did not register any immediate threats. The lift began to slow down after little more than a minute as the Night Lord looked up to see the cause of this delay.

He could barely see the burning steel and debris blocking the shaft, but it was definitely there. He would have to take another route to the bridge since the service lift did not have the ability to pass through the obstacle.

 

Just before he clicked the stop button, a voice chimed in from the lift's vox caster. "Upper deck unavailable. Emergency stop at medical deck."

The service elevator ground to a halt on noisy gear brakes just in front of a set of blast doors. The warrior expected them to open but when they didn't, he forced the portal open with his bare hands. Most of the ship's automated systems would probably be destroyed anyway.

 

The corridor was pitch black except for the occasional sparking lumen globes. Rosarch strode into the chamber, his armoured boots cracking the tiled floor beneath him. The place was a mess though there were a few bodies. The medical crew was probably preparing to aid the astartes immediately after extraction, too bad the strike cruiser wasn't able to hold out then.

 

He walked swiftly towards the opposite exit of the deck. Another elevator would be able to take him the rest of the way if it was still intact. The astartes never used that lift though since it was primarily design to transport the mortal crew. The extra strength needed to carry a fully armoured astartes was lacking in its design so it wasn't recommended.

 

As Rosarch neared the exit, the wreckage shifted once more, throwing him into the nearest wall. His body shattered a glass cabinet that contained several surgical instruments as well as leaving a large dent in the steel wall. The sound of the ship coming apart was deafening. He felt a portion of the medical deck separate from the rest of the hull in a chorus of screeching metal.

 

Rosarch held onto the edge of a table that was still miraculously bolted to the floor until the ship steadied itself again. He got back to his feet and was stunned.

The passage to the mortal lift had been torn free off the strike cruiser's hull. The only other way to the bridge would be on the surface of the ship itself.

 

The Night Lord approached the ejection shaft, a vent built into the outer side of the deck that allowed anything that could be fit into it to be ejected into the void. It was how the crew disposed of other crew members that had died of especially infectious and lethal diseases. Rosarch forced himself into the tight vent and crawled until he reached the exit. He slammed his fist into the airlock, caving it in and tearing it off.

 

~~

 

Astorel watched as the last of the robots found its way into the strike cruiser's hull. Whatever Rosarch was planning had to be good or else they would all just end up dead. Anaris had joined him in his ditch since Rosarch left in case they were attacked. The two astartes would stand a better chance together, after all.

 

An incoming message lit up a rune in Astorel's helmet display which he blink-clicked into activation. "Brother, get Anaris and run as far from the ship as possible. There's been a change of plans."

 

It was only a message, not a channel, so Astorel could not reply. He turned to face Anaris who was sitting beside him, idly activating and deactivating his power fist. "Anaris, it's time to go."

 

"Finally. I thought we'd be sitting here for the rest of this campaign." he replied as he activated his mechanized gauntlet. "Let's get these scum!"

 

"No, not that way. We're going that way." said Astorel pointing at the manufactorum.

 

Anaris looked as though he couldn't understand the logic of the situation. "What? All the mechanicum's forces are over there!" he said pointing at the ship. "We've got to help Rosarch."

 

"We are helping him," there was a short pause, "By going that way. Just trust me, brother."

 

"All right," said Anaris hesitantly. "Let's go."

 

~~

 

Rosarch climbed the unstable outer hull of the strike cruiser on all his limbs. He had almost fallen to his death twice, and he was only half way to the bridge. Every time the ship turned or shifted he was forced to hold on for his life. Luckily though, none of the automatons decided to scour the hull's surface. It would be utterly horrible to have to fight while maintaining balance out on the ship. The first one to loose footing would surely die.

 

The Night Lord continued his painstaking climb towards the strike cruiser's command bridge. He would make his entrance in just a hundred more meters but was stopped short.

 

Without warning, a mechanical claw grabbed his leg and lifted him up. It was followed by several mechadendrites that wrapped around his armoured form and began to compress him. He could hear the cracking of ceramite and he instinctively tensed his muscles in order to avoid being crushed. The mechanical body of the magos appeared from beneath the adamantium hull of the strike cruiser. Its single, yellow lens stared at him once more.

 

"You thought you could escape the Omnissiah's incarnation?" it said in a monotonous voice. "I am nearly perfect now."

 

Rosarch wasn't in the mood to talk this time. He could barely breathe. With all his might, he sucked in as much air as he could until all three of his lungs were absolutely filled. 'Certainly noise could damage some of this beast's circuitry' he thought.

 

The robot moved what would be its head closer to Rosarch's face. "Wrong move," said the Night Lord. Raising his vox output to maximum, Rosarch screamed with all his might. The sound was immensely painful. It was unlike that of a human scream, and more like that of a vicious monster. Its unnaturally high pitch must have damaged something within the magos' body for it loosened its grip just enough for Rosarch to move.

 

The Night Lord moved as fast as lightning and he was on his feet within less than a second, his archaic power sword drawn and at the ready. He lunged at the magos' chest area where his preysight detected weakness. His strike was parried by a thick mechadendrite. The two exchanged rapid blows with the magos only being able to keep up due to his numerous limbs. Rosarch was faster and he knew it.

 

He stopped aiming for the magos' chest and began to attack the automaton's limbs. Slowly but surely, he was able to sever the robot's mechadendrites and mechanical claws until almost all of them were gone. He screamed a second time, throwing the machine off balance before delivering a straight thrust with his sword into the heart of the magos. The blade's tip punched through the body as though it were as thick as air.

 

It took several seconds before the machine finally stopped moving and only then did Rosarch remove his sword from the body. He grabbed the machine by its midsection and with all his strength, hurled it from the surface of the strike cruiser. The magos' body shattered like a fallen statue upon contact with the rocky crust of the planet bellow.

 

The Night Lord smiled as he remembered the stories of the great Warmaster himself upon the world of Ullanor. It was well known that Horus had slain the great ork warboss and hurled its shattered remains into the screaming horde bellow the tower. Rosarch was not present on Ullanor but he'd heard of the stories anyway. There was a certain thrill in being able to imitate such a legendary action. It made him laugh a little.

 

He resumed his climb to the bridge, it was so close now. It would all be over soon.

 

~~

 

"Did you see that?" asked Astorel. He sounded as though he had seen something awe-inspiring.

 

"Yes, brother. I can't believe it either. Who would have known that he was such an amazing fighter."

 

"He never did do well in the practice cages."

 

"Now I'm starting to believe what he said several years ago," said Anaris.

 

Astorel looked suspiciously at his brother. "And what did he say exactly?"

 

"He said, 'Every time I spar with any of you, I just let you win.'"

[Ufthak]

:D Rosarch is ridiculously epic. One starts to ask oneself why he was a simple marine and not a sergeant or captain!

 

Very good addition, enjoyed it!

 

I do have a few crits too though.

 

First of all: your English is very good and you have a beautiful way of writing, so I assume you're a native speaker. Still, there's a case in English Grammar called past perfect, which you SHOULD be using but simply don't.

Example:

"Rosarch was not present on Ullanor but he'd heard of the stories anyway." - I dunno, but "Rosarch had not been present on Ullanor but he'd heard of the stories anyway" somehow sounds more correct.

 

Another minor qualm I have is:

How in the name of Terra could a GLASS CABINET have survived the crash of the ship??? The force of impact would have blasted it to smithereens!!!

Also, the ship seems to have conveniently crashed in such a way that you can walk its corridors upright and use elevators. The chances for that are rather slim...wouldn't you expect it at least to be a light angle?

 

That apart...very good addition :)

[maddai666]

I'm loving the story and yes there are a few impossibilities in it but what the heck enjoy it for what it is "fiction" :)

I read loads of the black library stuff and theres thing's in there that i just reckon wouldn't happen but its their story and i just read it for what it is

if i didn't like it i wouldn't read it. As for Rosarch he's AWSOME and may just like being a grunt and not giving orders haha .

Keep up the excellent work and cant wait for the next part

[Ufthak]

When's the next part up? ;)