Nebdel you can tell there are at least a dozen or more Orks below you. You can continue on in this level or go up to the second. You haven't found a way to access any other levels yet.
"Well, you boys good with clearin' this sty level by level?"
"Performing a level by level clearance of this facility may not be tactically feasible. Occux says quietly, indicating the gaggle of Orks below " I suggest reconnoitre of remaining levels."
"I think Occux is right. We should keep moving through the levels. We don't have the right kind of firepower to take on a gaggle of Ork scum in this environment. We'll risk stealthing it up another level so we can get a better strategy brewing. In any case, it'll give us a better idea of what's happened here. That is our primary objective."
Taking out a dozen is doable if we set up a proper trap. But it is risky and may not be necessary. If we have to blow the place up anyway, having killed them first would be a waste of time. I agree, let's see if we can go around them for now.
"Exactly like I have been sayin, lets move out and hit that security area if it looks like a likely place to let Occux get some intel. Plus I a don't really want that Ogren sized Ork figuring out we are here. Doesn't look like their stay here was a pleasure cruise and they will be looking hor some heads to stomp."
Quietly leaving the room and backtracking to the elevator you swipe the card and punch the button for the second level.
The lift rises slowly as the irises above your heads slowly spin open until the lift reaches the door labeled two.
When the doors begin to open you are all forced to step back as dark blood begins oozing out of the crack and spreading quickly to envelop much of the lift. When the doors open enough for you to look out you are confronted with the reason you haven't found any security. The entire entryway to this level is a carnal killing floor. Dozens upon dozens of bodies lie strewn everywhere. Bodies piled atop one another in makeshift barricades all of them bloodily dismembered or almost completely destroyed. Immediately visible are las wounds, bullet wounds, scores burned to death. There are even some liquified as if hit by plasma or melta weapons.
Fel 32
"You know, this s@%&'s gettin' old... really old... sally forth?"
Whatever did this needs put down hard!
Willpower 36:
"Damn."
Jacques stands his ground at the gruesome sight. "Bastards," Jacques seethes. "It's as if an army has tromped through here. Grrrr... search around, figure out who these people are. Mark any bodies that look like they were fighting the security. If it was xenos with captured weapons or some kind of heretical betrayal, we need to know."
After searching around, Jacques will move with his squad past the entryway and into whatever lies beyond.
Willpower : 34
The weak animal part of Occux recoils at the carnage he sees, his hand involuntarily rising to shield his eyes from the scene.
Perception 31: Awareness Check
JT moves about the dead looking for battlefield clues and possible survivors.
At least they are still fresh, not bubbly messes of gas and rotten slush, that will come though . . . The flies, the smells, the enemy gathering again for another charge. The supply lines were cut, we were out of food, there is no clean water, no clean anything. We have to fall back to a smaller perimeter there aren't enough of us left to hold them we can use these bodies, they will freeze overnight, work them into the sandbags. --- Snap out of it! This isn't Tranch. Okay, back to business.
Jacques and Julian move forward to get a better look at the carnage. The two of you stop counting at over fifty bodies with many more uncounted. All wearing the same uniform. Jacques many years working homicide as he deconstructs the scene before him. Despite them all wearing the same uniform he can tell that they were fighting each other. One group obviously the smaller was defending the far doors while the rest overwhelmed them with numbers and gunfire.
Amidst the bodies you find several lasguns and auto guns as well as one flamer, lacking fuel and a plasma gun, with enough remaining in the canister for two shots, stuck to the burnt hands of its previous wielder.
You have to climb over the bodies to get to either doors which requires you to somewhat forcibly coax Occux over it. Do you go into the maintenance area or continue through and into the security section proper?
"Alright, so I guess that's one piece of the puzzle. They killed eachother... New question: Why the f~&& would they do that?"
"Man I heard rumors about stuff like this when catching a lift between worlds on a Navy cattle boat."
JT will shoulder sling the plasma gun.
"Lets clear that maintenance door first then get to the Security office. Skrate take point, judge is preoccupied. This is a war zone people not a crime scene. Keep up your visual scanning."
Skrate quietly says, Since this is getting low on ammo, I'll take one of these.
He puts down the combat shotgun and scavenges an intact autogun and a 3 full clips of ammo.
Then heads toward the maintenance door and listens to see if he can hear anything.
Since he hears nothing, he opens the door and stands beside it with the sword raised and ready.
Julian wrenches the plasma gun free from the corpses hands and slings it over his shoulder while Nebdel scavengers through the corpses for ammo.
When you move to the maintenance door you find it locked. It takes several of you coaxing and at some points dragging Occux through the mess to get his over to the door. Seconds after his mechadentrides connect to the doors interface the panel displays Welcome and slides open. Nedbel moves in and scans the area. The rooms you have entered is covered in workbenches and machine god altars. Further on you can see access hatches to various service tunnels and ladders. Somewhere beyond those doors you can hear the distinct sound of dripping water. Based off of Occux's maps you are pretty sure that the surviving soldier from the surface team fled somewhere down these tunnels.
Jacques startles and shakes his head at Julian's rebuke. "He's right; keep focused. Damnit, old man, your desire to KNOW has gotten you in trouble before, but now it's more than one planet at stake to satisfy your morbid curiosity.
Jacques quickly moves in with the group. "One of the soldiers may still be down there, but he'll have to wait. We'll clear the Security office next."
JT ejects the shells from the discarded shotgun.
"Octus you find any pass keys or anything on the dead guy? Any of them look like anyone important?"
JT hands the 9 shot shells to Judge, "These look like something you are more accustomed to using. Glad to have you back."
"Alright you heard the man lets hit the security office. Skrate if you would check the door. If you can open it breech and delay then I'll hit it unless we have movement inside."
JT remembers his GREL vox. "Lost sheep, this is second sting calling lost sheep in the well. Do you copy lost sheep? The is second string calling lost sheep."
Occux is glad to have the opportunity to perform some technical tasks to open the door, the pure logic of the door interface calming his over active lizard brain.
Consulting his maps, Occux attempts to pinpoint the appropriate direction of travel.
Tech Use (int:45-10:35)
Based off of the maps the ladders you saw up above should come down roughly eighty metres east, most likely to a service area just above the security wing. Those access tunnels would have an access through these doors.
The hallway outside leads to a code locked door but thankfully his Arbites pattern lock breaker is able to scramble the system and unlock the door in seconds.
You see two more bodies down this hallway who look like they were trying to escape the battle but succumbed to their wounds.
You almost miss it but in the blood pooled at the first body there is a partial footprint. A bit larger and heavier than a normal persons but treaded similar to military issue tac boots.
Skrate whispers into the com, Someone wearing really big boots trod through the blood over here. Watch out for him.
Skrate moves quitely down the hallway, alert for dangers.
"We might wanna hurry to the security room, I dunno what it is but I got myself a baaaad feelin' that we're bein' watched." Octus stays near the back of the group, keeping a constant eye on their rear and will occasionally glance at the ceiling.
Occux huddles over the first body, allowing his chondrites to move over the obviously bionic eye. A few sparks illuminate his face mask momentarily as a connection is established.
Tech Use (int:45-10:35)
While Nebdel moves forward and Octus hangs back, Occux crouches down beside one of the bodies. With a hiss his mechadentrides slip out of his long robes and begin prodding the victims skull. Before anyone can object he has tools in hand and has begun carving into the victims skull. The high pitched whine of drills and the groaning of metal assaults everyone's ears as Occux begins dismantling the outer housing and extracts the components for a cybernetic eye from its socket and then tiny filaments slide out of tiny recesses in his hands connecting themselves to the various components and wiring of the eye.
JT watches Occux go about his fascinating, but macabre work. Not sure exactly what he was doing, but knew whatever it was it would likely be helpful to the group. JT had a respect for the Red Robed priest. While Occux recoiled from his lizard brain, JT embraced his, the lizard eat, sleep, sex were the best part of being alive and the instincts of run, fight poop helped keep you alive when your ape brain wanted to think and puzzle things out. Occux had gotten him healed up when he took one in the dome though and respected his wish to remain fully organic. JT would try to respect Occux's need to "improve" himself. JT just hoped that he did not fully remove the part about him that he liked.
Looking about he looked to see where they were being watched from as Octus had mentioned. Heck that was another good guy to have along, really, all in all the group was a great match up.
"The longer they can watch the better they can prepare or dig in. Hope that it's friendlies on the other end, but I am guessin if they were they would find some way of letting it be known. . . Judge you ready to make a move on the security center?"
Jacques lets Skrate take point as he hangs back and addresses JT. "Ready. We're sitting ducks in this hallway and I trust Octus's instincts.
Jacques moves up in line a bit farther back from Skrate so as not to mess with his mojo. He then addresses the entire group.
"When we breach the door, wait only the barest second to verify hostiles. If we can get them to surrender, keep up your guard and if you see any sudden movement execute with extreme prejudice. There was certain brutality by which these guards were executed that tells me somebody had the time to be sadistic, or at least thorough. They're most likely not friendlies but a captured hostile is a much more useful hostile."
Bypassing the next door lets you into another hallway with several doors that look much like offices on your left and right on front of you a wide hallway that turns to the left after passing another door. There are five doors together and one down the hall.
Skrate whispers into the com, you want me to upen the door if I hear nothing?
Skrate moves quietly down the hall and listens at the first door.
"Yeah, we will clear each one. Leapfrog down the hallway. One enters, one has watch on the hallway and uncleared doors. Lets keep moving. The longer we take the more time they can plan the welcome party."
Octus readies his autogun and nods in agreement, taking place to cover his comrades. He once again takes note to check back the way they came every few moments, but not much more than a quick glance.
Still unsettled by the carnage laying behind him, Occux allows his mechanisms to take over the task of analyzing the ocular device.
Nodding his acceptance of JT's plan, Occux takes position along the wall, las carbine held ready.
The doors are locked but with Jacques tool you can bypas them easily. Each room is set up the exact same aside from person paraphernalia. A single desk with cogitator filing cabinets and cases for scrolls line the wall behind the desk. The area is set up much like an Arbites precinct which would most likely make these rooms sergeant or investigator offices.
I will let those of you with the skills and the understanding search the rooms while I stay on guard.
Occux waits in the corridor, sweeping his firing arc with his carbine, his mask filters for some reason unable to filter out the charnel smell from the bodies behind them.
Rising and moving forward to the rooms as Nebdel's signal, Occux approaches the cogitators...
Tech-use (int:45-10:35)
Distracted by his weakness, Occux finds the ciphers guarding the cogitators to challenging at this time. Straitening, he assists in the search of the cabinets
Search (Per:35-10:25)
"Just looks like an office to me. Hey here we go, this is what we have been looking for."
Tech use for the computer
"Huh, must be offline or something, anyone know Windows 40k?"
Jacques waits, guarding the right corridor with his combat shotgun. He keys his microbead and whispers, "found anything?"
Not so far, it just looks like an office. Here you take a peek, I am betting you will fell right at home."
JT switches out with Judge.
The calm repetition of accessing the first cogitator helps sooth Occux's nerves after the frightening display outside so much that almost without realizing it he has forced his way into the system.
After several minutes of perusing the data he is certain of several things. First that the facility is as large as a void ship, over one kilometre long, and several hundred metres deep. The facility is sectioned off completely. Each bunker on the surface accesses a different part of the facility. The section you are in currently consists of fifty six floors. Every one a hub of research for a particular facet of researching Xenos. This section is responsible for the physical study of Xenos materials and specimens. This particular office was responsible for security for the floor you were just on and according to reports there were over two hundred scientists on that level and twenty security staff.
Each of the other offices probably are responsible for a different level or levels.
The GREL has been quietly following waiting for orders.
"You know, I think we might just be a tad bit over our heads here gentlemen."
Jacques's mouth hangs agape. "Fifty-six? Fifty-six floors! Of all the damnable things, this facility must require a standing army of security officers to maintain the entire thing. We have approximately two-hundred-twenty persons dead and that's just on this level alone. The xenos are cut loose and the security seems to have had a civil war. This reeks of heresy."
Jacques takes a step back, his fingers rubbing at his temples. "The people responsible, the ones who massacred this security office, are more likely than not still here in this section of the facility. With the GREL team out of contact, they're our only lead. If this entire facility is in the same shape we've seen here, then we'll have no choice but to arm the last resort."
On the second cogitator there is a flashing red warning.
CONTAINMENT BREACH DETECTED
Plasma reserves breached...
Hazardous materials detected...
Floors 5-12 isolation in progress...
Floors 5-12 isolated...
No life signs detected...
Plasma reserves depleted...
Maintenance request filed...
Submit report to Oversight?
"Damn, that sounds bad, what all does that mean? Plasma reserves? What would they use that for? And 56 levels in this one section!? We need to keep moving especially if someone has obs on us. Can you tell who has control of the cameras? Or can you get camera control from this station?"
Occux peruses the data files in the cogitator to discern the nature of these "plasma reserves".
Tech-use (int:45-10+10:35)
He also tries to pull any relevant information from his own data repositories.
Common Lore:Technology (int:45-10:35)
The report states amid technobabble that approximately sixty three hours ago a catastrophic breach occurred in one of the sections primary auxiliary plasma conduits that provide power to levels 5-12. The resulting release of superheated plasma particles ignited the surrounding air causing explosive decompressions in a chain effect that basically tore the entire area apart likely leaving little more than a semi melted gaping void in the structure of the facility. The main lift's shielding and reinforcement prevented the explosions from spreading too far beyond but the explosion was felt across most of the facility and the shockwave knocked out most of the facilities equipment.
First, large amounts of equipment and systems utilized primarily by the Imperial navy
Second a facility that is over a kilometre long
Third it's located in a huge crater
Fourth it contains massive storage warehouses large enough for titans... Or cargo vessels to move through
Int: 26