Vex Chronicles 2: Outbreak

Earthgrave

Ede Prime, lower spire

The Blood of the Emperor cultists lead Vex and retinue deeper into the lower hive. And with every level behind them the air got shallower, the lights dimmer and space more scarce. It was obvious that they weren't led the direct way. The cultists weaved trough corridors and unnecessary side streets.

More than once they passes purity scanner stations. But some were outright abandoned. Others were manned with rugged examinatii more like an alibi. When those abandoned security forces saw a group of armed cultists, they quickly disappeared into armored bunkers.

Most purity scanners were in such a state of disrepair that Cassilia could just walk past undetected. And in other places the walls between the scanner capsules had been torn down, entirely defeating their purpose. It was as if Ede Prime had entirely abandoned the lower hive. As long as whatever lurked down there stayed down, the examinatii forces did not care. Did the psyker woman wanted to show them this abandonment? Or was it just chance that she chose this path?

The cultists were either not too technologically apt. Or they simply ignored Vex's servo skull that documented every bent and corridor. And with Markos nearly perfect memory, it was unlikely that this zigg-zagg path would do much. All it did was waste time...

Vex had seen more than one hive city from below. He knew how bad it was down here. And to be honest, Ede Prime looked better than most. Only half the people were armed to the teeth with improvised weapons. And only a third stared at the newcomer with greed and murderous intent in their eyes.

But what Ede Prime had in abundance was mutants. The eredians had showed an unhealthy interest in abhuman workers. And it was the nature of things that the abhumans and mutants would slowly wash down into the lower spire.

The smell told Vex that mutants wasn't the only thing washes out here. When they entered Earthgrave, the hand-dug area of the lower hive, the smell of chemicals was heavy in the air. The farm districts used factory fertilizers in abundance to compensate for the draining soils. And the nasty brew all ended down here. It seeped through isolation and walls. And it stood ankle high on the ground. It was second nature for the inhabitants to walk over stepping stones and planks of rotten wood, plastic or metal. For the inquisitor however it cost attention to not step into the brew.

Only one thing seemed to thrived in the muck. Some florescent mold or algae gave the soup a faint orange glow. The stuff was everywhere. If there was enough moisture, then it glowed orange. In some areas the dim bio-luminescence even was the only source or light.

And then they reached the plaza. If there was something like luxury among the beggars, this was their place to be. There was actually something resembling a market down here. Scrawny figures offered their wares, haggled, protested and threatened each other. Something akin to security forces walked through the masses. Their shoddy weapons seemed to be the only reason why this did not escalate further.

In the rear was something that looked like a stairway tower leading up. A fortified thing of metal and junk. It was armed to the teeth with people clad in black. Those where either the worst examinatii Vex had ever seen. Or those guys had killed the actual examinatii guards and had taken weapons and armor for themselves.

"The Umbilical." The mutant psyker pointed at the stair-tower and the girl spoke for her. "Connects Earthgrave with the rich bastards above. But they no longer trickle down for illegal goods since the ring of blood closed down..." The girl's voice ringed with pain. But her expression quickly changed.

The girl slipped out of Sill's caress and hugged the broad lizard woman. "You made it a better place. A place of healing and prayer."

The lizard girl grunted and tried to pry the girl off. But the little one stayed relentless. "You made it home."