Hi Everyone,
Attached at the end is a short story inspired by Warhammer 40 K. Hope you like it! Posted in pdf MS word for ease of reading and format or if you want to read here posted right below.
The Universe at My Door
A short story inspired by the Warhammer 40000 genre
It’s dark....way too dark to be getting up at this hour. But a hundred hectares of untouched forest on Besarife is no joke and my credits get cut as much as anyone’s if we don’t make quota. Yet the only thing I care about at this moment is the java right in front of me. Shipped from hell knows where in the Imperium probably taken half a century to get in my cup. But it tastes good and I feel better the moment I smell it let alone drink it. At least rations are not an issue, company knows what loggers need to get through a day. Plenty of pork, beef, or anything else you want for that matter to keep calorie counts up. Its genoed and not the real thing but the good stuff wouldn’t be good by the time it got here. After all they don’t call it a lumberjack breakfast for nothing and mine is coming out of the sinarator right now.
On my way to the transport I catch my work team smoking sig’s outside of the commissary. “Hey boy’s how’s it going?” I said.
“Okay” says Mikul after he finishes a long drag with one hand and holding a cup of java in the other.
“Not bad boss!” says Boed a little overenthusiastic with a big grin.
Mikul is about twenty three and is a good guy. For being new to the job he gets things done and accepts both advice and direction well. At thirty it’s taken me awhile to get to team lead. You learn a lot out here in ten years if you keep your eyes and ears open, you also have less chance being taken out by airlift. Boed on the other hand can get on my nerves. It’s a good thing our audio sets can be filtered because he is a chatterbox. It wouldn’t be so bad if he was entertaining. He’s the type that is always trying to convince everyone of something he’s figured out. Funny thing is it changes every six months. I’ve known him for awhile he’s about my age but has never tried to get his own team. Perhaps he has tried and just hasn’t gotten it.
“Okay the bus is leaving in five minutes so make sure your gear is in the back.” I said. We are about an hour from the site, but at this hour there isn’t that much talking even with Boed in the back. As team lead I drive. I could ask someone else and catch a couple more winks but I try to do my best to keep the guys in good spirits. There are countless teams on this planet now. If I were to lose a guy I would have another one assigned and on route tomorrow. Sometimes you have to fear more about what you would get than complain about what you have.
They say Besarife is to be a strategic military point, hard to believe. We already have an Imperial Guard presence, you can see a Sentinel patrolling the far boarders of the site on occasion. It’s good to
know if I ever needed help I can radio the company. Not that I can think of any reason why I would. The most danger on the job I have ever been in was coming through thick brush face to face with a carnivorous plant. Eight years of experience with a Grav-Saw came in handy that day. It did scare the crap out of me but cutting a sentient plant is not that different than the regular variety. You just have to move a bit quicker to say the least. It’s one of the many reasons why I continue to use the same saw to this day. Most of the guys go with the newer Las-Sear’s, no blades and easier to cut bigger trees. I prefer to be more nimble and consider myself old school like the guys that taught me. So a thirty six inch Grav-Saw it is without an Exo-Suit. I can walk and climb hills all day long. I do suck wind sometimes as I am up to a pack a day of sig’s but I manage just fine. It feels more natural than stomping around in one of those mechanical suits. I do have one in the back but only used if absolutely needed. The rumor that this is a future military strategic point does make you wonder. We all know about the Horde and really what kid doesn’t grow up with nightmares about the footage on the tele. It’s been so long that the Imperium has been fighting Orks I don’t know if we could even conceptualize peace with those things. Not sure what peace would look like with such pure rage against humanity. They say there are other things as bad or worse out there in the universe but I’m not convinced. I guess I am a bit cynical. Growing up on my world the Emperor, Space Marines, and the Imperium in general are larger than life. I couldn’t imagine a reality without war. Makes you wonder if the threats are all real. Well besides the Horde, I know that’s real.
It was a long hour and we make it to the edge of the site, now the real work begins. “Okay suit up or get as ready as your gonna get, time to start walking” I said.
“Just watch that I don’t step on you boss” says Boed with a laugh.
“I’m not worried, trust me I will be way up ahead on my own two feet” I assert.
“Just think how productive you would be for the company if you adopted modern technology” says Boed as Mikul grins.
“If I come up a tree or two short just remember a good part of my day is keeping your butts cutting a straight line. And my counts are on par or better” I said
“Emperor’s crap did my da just walk in the room? Just kidding with you Sedrick!” says Boed.
“Yeah well we have a ways to go to make our quota and the hurricane delaying our arrival to this sector put us three days back. Company doesn’t recognize delays due to natural causes so I don’t have to tell you what that could mean for our credits.”
“Yeah no worries man just trying to keep it light” says Boed chuckling.
“Well you two know where we are going I’ll be fifty paces ahead while you finish suiting up. You did bring your reserve power right? As much as I do not care for those expensive suits the acid rain here doesn’t mix well with them. Just remember they are not ours to ruin if they get left out here.”
“Yeah we have reserve power pods, for sure boss” says Mikul. Boss, I cringe every time I hear that but a couple more credits in my pocket for a job provides me consolation.
I have to say this is one of the more beautiful planets I have been on, at least from out here in the brush. We have cleared a trail about a quarter of a mile long to get to the main cut. Walking up the trail I can see the two moons of Besarife which contain an eerie blue hue as the sun starts to show on the horizon. This forest reminds me of the forests on Arconi II with huge blankets of deep green and blue trees. Under the canopy it is very different with thick vines that are more like roots trailing across each hectare. Strange sounds of terrestrial life echo in the forest at a distance and have kept away from our presence. But the smell of the forest is one of the things that keeps me out here every day. Back home is nothing like this in the city where I grew up. If I were to go back I would die breathing that air again. The industrial machine creates an atmosphere that literally chokes the soul as well as the lungs. I found myself stopped on the trail leaning with my hand against a tree when I heard “Hey there boss!! Fifty paces ahead huh!? Are you getting tired already?!” says Boed as he bears down the trail to where I am standing.
“Tired?! Are you kidding me? I am just watching the sunrise as I wait for you two man-droids to get to the site” I say with a grin. That brings early morning laughter and we shortly make it to the spot we left off at yesterday. “You two continue to cut here and I will go up ahead to clear the felling path.”
“Sure thing Sedrick!” says Boed. This area is to be cleared and the trees prepped for lumber. That brings extra credits and work. Dislodging trees takes time so it helps to clear a path for efficient felling so we split up.
The morning and early afternoon is pretty typical. By this point the team has cut half a hectare and we are looking at a productive day ahead. As I was setting up a notch on a sixty foot tree I heard a weird sound through the headset. I wasn’t sure if it was projecting from a channel or from the forest. It seemed like it was far off like a horn or an avian call of some kind. I am used to indigenous birds on various planets but this was in between a man made sound and something else. I then remembered I adjusted the filters on my headset to drown out Boed so was now questioning the device itself. Turning all channels on I radio them “Hey boys I think were probably past lunch time I am heading your way lets break.” The mic brings Boed talking about being back home and how he is going to spend his credits.
“We gotchya boss loud and clear we were ready an hour ago” says Boed.
As I arrive to the team we head back up to the bus to get some rations and eat in the clearing.
“These rations are about as genoed as a space marines ass!” says Boed. I laughed out loud and started to keel over and just caught myself and straightened up.
“Silence your sets now!” I hissed “Boed this is a military contract and you may not know this but that means the military has the ability to monitor these channels!”
“Are you kidding me?! Do you know how many teams are on this planet?! Even if the military did listen which I highly doubt what is the likelihood they would be listening at this exact time? Come on! They have better things to do!” says Boed.
“Enough! Going forward keep the chatter clean! Now let’s get the headsets back on before the company worries and thinks we have a problem.” As we approach the transport I pull Boed aside. “Listen Boed, no offense but it’s my job and I don’t want to take chances as this is a good contract. I know you like to joke around but this is serious, if something goes bad because of one of your stunts I won’t think twice about dropping you. If you risk my credits in the process I will get you on a team you will wish you had never been assigned.”
Boed gets quiet, a rare event and eventually says “You got it boss I hear you loud and clear.”
It felt good to take a break, energy returned to my legs and arms which I owe both to the rations and the java. As I was smoking a sig Mikul asks “Hey boss did you hear that weird sound earlier? It was kind of like a scream of some kind or maybe a screech?”
I hesitated before I answered. “Yeah I think it was the headset did you have your filters on?” In addition to satellite communications our headsets are specifically designed to block equipment noise while allowing external noise through.
“No mine was wide open and I must admit I had one ear off, I would rather hear the Las-Sear than Boed sometimes” said Mikul.
“Well first you better keep that headset on because you won’t be logging forever if you’re hard of hearing. You will either kill yourself out here or someone else.”
“Yeah I get it but what do you think it was?” said Mikul.
“Hard to say, could be something could be nothing. I am not sure either of us have an accurate account of it. There are all kinds of wildlife out here that we don’t see because of equipment noise. Besides whatever it was it sounded like it had to be far off don’t you think?”
“Yeah I guess so, it seemed to have an echo to it” said Mikul.
The next forty eight hours was very productive. If we keep up at this rate we will have our quota in time despite delays. We have cleared a total of fifteen hectares and three of them were just in the last three days. I think a big part of it is Mikul who is really turning out to be a good hire. If I can keep him on a number of upcoming jobs I think he will be a strong logger. Despite Boed’s mouth he also is very skilled, after all he has been doing this awhile now. I am sure their being paired together for most of the job has helped Mikul. We are currently at our third large clearing and I have already created the felling path. Now I am working closer to the boys but still about thirty paces away. I use the headset mic “Hey how are you guys doing? I am just getting started on a seventy footer, haven’t heard you for a bit.”
“We’re doing ‘A OKAY’ Sedrick, just cleared a thicket of brush at the base of another grouping of rielpines!” yelled Boed.
“Right, well I can see that. I have a clear view just haven’t heard you for awhile over the sear’s.” I get down on a knee and look at the base of the tree’s large trunk. I like to take a minute sometimes when I am cutting these big ones. Despite cutting down what seems like millions of tree’s I still have a respect for them having seen planets void of all natural life. As corny as it sounds I will take a moment occasionally before starting the cut. And that is when it happened. From that moment my life changed forever from what it was and in some ways I was never the same again.
As I was sitting at the base of the trunk with the Las-Sear’s chiming in the background I looked up and noticed it. It was about ten paces from me standing on a large log positioned up on top of a rock formation. It stared intently over at Mikul and Boed. At first I thought it was a kind of demon with a nightmarish face pulled back from its mouth which bore an enormous under bite. I was frozen in a state of shock and continued to gawk at the creature. I noticed it had four limbs like a dog and was very wiry almost like it was starving, yet clearly defined musculature rippled throughout its frame. Along its back appeared to be spike like protrusions. Slowly it shifted back and forth in position ready to spring. I could hear the sound of a drop of saliva fall from its mouth onto the log like the sound of a drop of rain in a light shower. Watching I came out of my paralysis. All thought of a supernatural beast disappeared. It looked too real to be something my ma and da have spoke of in fairy tales. At that moment it let out a piercing screech towards the boys that would have shattered my eardrums if I didn’t have my headset. I flipped the switch on my Grav-Saw and it started right up. The beast was about to spring towards the boys when it wheeled towards the sound of the saw. It almost fell off the log as it quickly readjusted its position on the log to spring for me.
I thank the Emperor to this day for having encountered a carnivorous plant before I encountered this beast. As it came for me I instinctively wielded the arm of the saw at it. The saw cut through the beast’s front paw like a piece of birch. The beast landed about six feet from me and screeched out in agony. Despite being hurt it braced and prepared to lunge forward, as it did I took its head clear off with a second swing of the Grav-Saw. I knew that I had the surprise and that my saw and luck are the only reasons I ended up being the one standing. Then I noticed the sound of the Laz-Sear’s had stopped and the boys were walking towards me talking to me in the head set. “Hey Sedrick what is going on over there!” said Boed. Before I could articulate an answer I noticed in my peripheral vision two shapes moving towards the boys from the same direction a hundred paces out. I knew what they were and this time it wasn’t going to go down well. They were coming in too fast and the boys do not have a clue, as if it mattered.
I ran toward them and pointed and screamed “Run! They are almost on you!” They both looked where I was pointing and their faces went pale. Mikul turned to run and got twisted up in his Exo-suit falling over hitting the ground. It looked as if he fell on his right side with his top left boot stuck under his right. He didn’t have a chance, one of them was on him with its beak like mouth tearing into his
throat. Now the screaming was coming from Boed. As quickly as the first took down Mikul a second was bearing down on him.
I must have made it a few paces towards them when something smacked into my side throwing me to the ground. I felt a searing pain up the left half of my body and couldn’t breathe. As I looked up one of those things was rising to its feet, I must have ran into its path from behind a tree and it collided into me. This time it’s going to be over I knew I would end up like Mikul. As it moved towards me I saw a strobe flash to my right accompanied by a deep thud.. thud... thud sound but only a hundred times faster. The creature’s side exploded before me in a mist of blood and tissue. I cupped my hands over my ears and noticed my headset was on the ground. I looked to my right towards the increasing level of noise and saw an open top vehicle hovering over the ground carrying huge hulking armored figures. Of course I knew they could be nothing other than space marines. They were clad in orange metal power armor with an archaic symbol on their shoulder. The vehicle was a land speeder which I have seen many times on the tele. As the gunner next to the pilot was still finishing off the three creatures two of the marines jumped off the rear sides running towards our direction. They were huge at least eight feet tall. I soon found out why they were running. My head was a little foggy but cleared upon the sound of another screech different than the first. When I looked up five figures were 20 paces away from the same direction as the dog creatures came. They resembled the dogs but stood on two feet and were humanoid. Their skin was green and they had quills coming out of their heads like hair. As they moved through the brush I could see they were carrying funny shaped sticks and walked in purposeful yet abrupt jerking motions before they sprung. When I say they sprung I don’t mean at us no they sprung for the trees. As they sprang from tree to tree they made their way towards our direction as if they could fly under the forest canopy.
By this time there were three marines out of the speeder with the gunner of the craft remaining in the vehicle. They made a triangle formation facing the creatures armed with nothing other than the signature bolter gun the standard armament of space marines. The creatures did not arrive in unison but leaped in a zig zag pattern. As they approached our direction the marines fired at them in unison. They came in really fast I would not have known there were five if I hadn’t seen their initial approach. Two of the creatures were hit by the initial barrage, one was killed instantly and the other I could hear shrieking at a distance. As the last three closed the distance I could see the marine in the center instinctively sling his bolter and unsheathe a large sword dashing towards the enemy. One sprung at the marine who ducked and rose as the creature landed on his back sending the creature sprawling to the forest floor. Another sprung at the marine with the stick weapon which I now noticed held a sickle shaped blade. The marine utilized the steel shell of the power armor blocking the swing right beneath the blade. Then he swung his sword and the blade edge started to move with the speed and sound not unlike a Grav-Saw! One swing was enough to clear through the creature’s torso which provided no resistance and it fell lifeless to the ground. As the thrown creature advanced he turned towards it drawing a pistol then halted it with one round to the head. The other two marines pursued the third creature which disappeared into the brush. At this time I started to lose consciousness. The last thing I heard was a radio dispatch “Tarius have you confirmed the Tau presence.”
“Yes we have encountered a Kroot hound pack and have eliminated most of them” said the marine.
“Did you eliminate the shaper, I repeat did you eliminate the shaper.”
“No the shaper was not present, one Kroot escaped, one captured.”
When I came to I was still on the forest floor yet inside a white tent. I could hear a lot of activity outside. In the tent a medic was giving me an injection. “Hey where am I, what are you doing?” I said.
“Don’t worry this is something that will help the pain. You will to be sore tomorrow but this should reduce the inflammation. Oh and to answer your first question your still at the logging site. Your team has created quite a ruckus back at the outpost” said the medic with a smile.
My mind went to the horror I had just experienced “The space marines, are they still here?” I asked.
“Yes Captain Tarius has asked to speak with you when you woke, I will let him know” said the medic. It must have been thirty minutes before a marine came into the tent. It was the marine I saw earlier I could tell by the sword he had at his side. With his helmet off he looked like a seamen from ancient Terra with stoic features like a living statue. As he started to speak his expression was without emotion.
He said “Glad to see you are awake and your injuries are minor. You are lucky to be alive. I am Captain Tarius of the Knights of Gryphoone.”
I struggled to sit up but could not, the pain in my side was still there. I said “Well I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you and the others thank you for saving us.” Then I remembered Mikul and Boed. I was sure Mikul didn’t make it. Although I couldn’t remember seeing how Boed faired against the dogs.
“One of the men with you was killed and the other named Boed was severely injured by a Kroot Hound. While he will be in recovery for some time you should be up on your feet fairly quick. I am told you have most likely suffered a couple of broken ribs.” said Tarius.
More and more of the battle was coming back to me “How did you know we were being attacked?” I asked
“We detected traces of Tau propulsion around Besarife with the highest concentrations above this sector’s atmosphere. We have been scouting this area for days. This planet has become important to the Imperium, for that reason we are not alone here. The timing of the rescue was sheer luck although we were aware of your location from your headsets” said Tarius. Then Tarius handed me my headset which was partially crushed in the skirmish. “An apothecary was on standby in the vicinity and shortly after a medic bus from the outpost was contacted and transported Boed to the hospital.” said Tarius.
I looked more closely at the ornate power armor which bore an unusual crest on the shoulder plate. “I have heard of a number of chapters before but never the Knights of Gryphoone” I said.
“Our order is now small in number and we have been traveling the outer rim for quite some time” said Tarius. His gaze was now to the corner of the tent. I noticed the sword at Tarius side and then remembered my Grav-Saw.
“Hey do you know where my saw is?” I asked
“Yes it is right at your feet, by the look of the hound carcass you showed a level of skill with that tool. Was that the first time you have used such a device in combat?” said Tarius.
“Kind of...although sometimes out here in the bush it feels like combat. I noticed you are pretty good with that sword as well” I said while pointing to the weapon at his side.
Tarius unsheathed the sword which had teeth along the blade edge and purple notches along the scabbard. The captain stared for a moment at the weapon looking like he was suddenly in another place. “Yes this weapon has served me well. Our order has been away from society for some time. We are pleased to have been able to assist here this day. A medic bus will take you back to the outpost shortly. You should be up on your feet in no time, farewell” said Tarius.
It has been a couple of months since that day on the job site. I have been recuperating and taking leave from the cutting. Luckily the company does not consider an assault involving an alien life form a delay due to natural causes. They gave me time off with full pay. I can’t help but wonder whether the military had something to do with that. A few weeks ago I did visit Boed in the hospital. He was in stable condition but they would not transport him to the orbital station for surgery until he was further along in his recovery. To my surprise when he finished his surgery he said he wanted to come right back to the job. They are letting him heal up a bit more before he comes back to work hopefully in a few months. But now Boed is back on Besarife and on his feet again. I am waiting for him right now at the outpost pub to have a drink. Boed arrives in a running outfit with his arm in a sling and sporting a beard.
“Hey boss it’s great to see you again” Boed says with a smile. He hops into the booth and winces as he puts his arms on the table. “Modern medicine is truly amazing, to think that I had ligaments and tendons in my arms shredded by that thing and now they are almost completely restored. I guess I patch up pretty well. I do owe my life to those marines and the apothecary though. I was told I lost a lot of blood that day and an artery was nicked at the scene during the attack.”
“It was all a blur for me. I remember most of it like I was just there but it all happened so fast. Yes it’s a good thing those marines were scouting the area” I said. The server came and I ordered both Boed and I an Arconi rye.
Boed raised his eyebrows and with a big smile said “Wow now that wasn’t in the doc’s orders but it wasn’t out either! You been hitting the hard stuff boss?”
“No No not at all, I just like to sip on it after all we work hard.” I am beginning to respect Boed a bit more. He was talking about coming back here to the job even before he was in stable condition. I also think after going through something like this it brings perspective. Most people won’t be able to relate to what we experienced. But Boed and I were there and it has changed us. As the server brings us the rye we both drink to Mikul. Afterwards I am silent for a moment savoring the burn of the whiskey. “So you’re really coming back to the job Eh? You coming back to my team?” I said.
“You bet I wouldn’t have it any other way, although I have thought of making some changes” says Boed.
“Oh really? How so?” I said
“Grav-Saw. Next time something comes at me I am taking it down with me. And it will prepare me for when I run into one of your carnivorous plants” says Boed.
I laughed and said “That’s a good choice. You know cutting down extraterrestrial carnivores is kind of like vegetation although you have to move a bit quicker to say the least.” We both had a good laugh. The rest if the evening we talked about old times and new times to come.
I have heard there are things as bad as or worse than the Horde in the universe. What I know is they are not as far from our door as we imagine.
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