Vex Chronicles 2: Outbreak

Killing cure

Ede Prime, Earthgrave

Vex had grown more restless by the minute. The lizard mutant had returned often, taking Jeofrey and his men with her to cure them. But not a single one had been brought back.

When she returned the next time the mutant did not grab another infected officer. She directly came to Vex's cell. And as usual she had a little kid at her side to serve as her voice.

"The men of metal want to talk to you." The scaled woman's kid voice transmitted exhaustion. "But only the madman. The rest will stay. If anything happens to the metal men or me..."

She growled a guttural warning and squeezed the next words through her own throat. "Pain... and... blood....!"

Vex wasn't so easy to give in. "I demand that one of my own accompanies me!"

The lizard woman growled. "Zztubborn.... madman..."

But she still nodded and Vex waved Markos closer to accompany him.

The cure might be in his grasp and now this 'men of metal'? They had no time. Ede Prime was drifting closer and closer to tradegy with every moment Majoris wasn't cured.

Kressman leaned closer before Vex left and whispered his warning. "She is a psy witch and a mutant. Don't trust her."

Vex replied sharper than he had planned. "I need the cure. It's all that counts!"

Kressman looked worried. But Vex had not time for that. He turned around and followed the mutant, his interrogator at his side.

"I am worried too." Markos sounded unsure – and that was a rare sight.

"I feel the same," Vex replied. "Majoris and those uprisings... It is connected. But how? What has the Four Bladed Cog planned?"

"I am worried about that too. But I worry for you more." Markos struggled to get that out. "You are unhinged, driven. It will lead to failure."

Vex looked at their guide who lead them deeper into the underground complex of the arena. "Not now. Neither place nor time for that talk!"

Markos didn't looked happy but he nodded. The honorblade's life debt did not allow him to go against Vex.

It did not took them much time until they reached a heavy door. And behind was an improvised workshop. It was a thing of old metal and wood. But for the lower hives it was quite an orderly place. Custom made machines and tools were cleanly ordered on desks and shelves. Vex was surprised to even see a running cogitator unit. Its monitor cast a green shine on the robed "men of metal".

Those metal men were two Adeptus Mechanicus priests. Their robes were dirty and badly patched. The Mechanicus red had long since been burned out by the chemicals in the water. Cybernetics had been repaired with whatever parts available. Their heavy augmentation had allowed them to endure. But their exposed skin was pale and wrinkled by age and the touch of Earthgrave's chemicals.

One had a wooden peg leg where cybernetics could no longer be repaired. The other had a face severely disfigured by old burn scars. But his extended cybernetics were in a better state. And the remains of decorations on his robe showed that he once had been of a higher rank.

When they saw the inquisitor, they walked over as fast as old legs allowed.

"You are the inquisitor!," the burnt one begun. "Did you receive our message?"

"I am inquisitor Ilvex, yes. But which message?"

"The one we send about the cult incursion."

"You send the message that brought me to Eredius?" Vex was surprised. "It was garbled and barely understandable."