Chp 13: Hells Gate

Adam waded to his feet.

'There Kôrv' he said through gritted teeth 'I almost died, but you have your power core'.

'But there's still .. an eye on it' said Kôrv pointing.

'What' Adam turned to the power core watching as an eye still peered out from it at him.

Calcifer why are you still in the power core, we had a deal.

I said I'd give you the power cell for the train not that I'd leave it plus with me it'll work much better, responded Calcifer in Adams head.

'Its.... Fine' said Adam to Kôrv, 'The demons decided to help us'.

'Bludddy hell laddie I thought I'd heard everything ... you sure it's not goin t try and kill us thouggh'. He said squatting down and staring into the creepy demonic eye.

Tell this perv to get out of my face he's being creepy. Grumped Calcifer.

'Maybe it will, maybe not, but I don't see any other options, let's just roll with it' said Adam too weary from almost dying to think too deeply about their impending doom.

'I'm going back to sleep' said Adam dipping his head around the corner to go back to his cabin.

----

Later that Day

In what looked like a generator room, Kôrv was lying down tightening a bolt connecting the power core to the drive train, finishing up he checked all the pipe seals. Standing up he wandered over to check the diagnostic cogitor. All systems were running within parameters, actually, they were way better than the parameters thought Kôrv suspiciously.

Footsteps echoed down the corridor as Ymmê walked in. 'Arr we ready because we've got company'.

'Yes, ready as a Tyranid in a day-care' said Kôrv upbeat banging his hand against his chest in a traditional squat salute.

'I want you to watch the kid, I know you like him, but I don't trust him as far as I can throw him. What kind of child just wanders around the warp, there are things he's not telling us; Adam acts like no child I have ever seen' said Ymmê seriously, brushing past Kôrv's out-of-pocket comment.

----

The land train was comprised of three carriages. The foremost was a huge engine carriage which seemed much older than the rest of the train. Its armaments included: a plasma plow. Atop the plough was a dread hammer front facing a heavy siege cannon, above which was a searchlight. Across the top of the carriage sits four automated bolt cannons two on either side.

The second carriage, holds the engineering workshops and a command and control centre. Fixed to the sides of this car are two cyclic ion cannons. Atop the carriage sits a pan spectral scanner for the command suite, behind six missile tubes holding Kin's wrath warheads.

The back carriage comprised crew cabins a charging station and a targeting room for the top-mounted heavy magna rail cannon. At the rear of the train were two automated rear-facing MATR autocannons.

----

Adam, Kôrv, Skalfi and Ymmê were sat around a table in the command suite putting together a combat action plan, as was required by meticulous kin doctrine.

The purple light in this part of the warp began to darken, and the red glow from the surrounding volcanos grew ever more dominant.

'So what exactly should we expect, goin in there, you have told us very little good news so far' questioned Ymmê condescendingly.

'I don't have any good news but I can give you an indication based off what my mentor explained to me in the past' replied Adam kinda ticked off by the bad attitude Ymmê had been giving him.

Ooooooooooooooo she didn't said Calcifer.

 'Between us and the brass citadel is a battle between an Ork waaargggh and a khornite demon host one that has been going for days; say Kôrv have you spotted a way through'.

Kôrv started seriously 'There's nooo way through, our best bet is making a break round the rear of the Orks, as I'd say least likely t turn around to engage us if we go in dark, with a big ole fiery distraction in front of them'.

'Sounds like a good idea, I don't know much about Orks, so I'll take your word for it'.

'After we pass around the battle we need to get over the boiling blood moat, which spills out of Khornes torture chambers. There's a bridge, but coming from the side, after we've skirted round the Orks I think it would be a better idea to use the trains equipped grav tech that Skalfi told me about the other day to get over the moat, because that bridge is likely packed to the brim with demons.

Adam seeing nods coming his way from around the table chose to continue.

'Our next challenge is to get through the brass gate, if it's not open we're gonna be in trouble even with the cannon on the front of the train. Once we're through it's a straight sprint to the centre tower of khornes citadel. I've been warned though that many mighty champions of Khorne reside on this route who will quicky overwhelm us if we linger two long'. Said Adam looking around the table making eye contact with each one at a time.

Continuing 'once we're through and arrive into Khornes tower, we need to find a portal they're littered throughout it, which one I don't know ... but I say we take our chances if we make it that far' said Adam speaking quickly somewhat freaking himself out now that the enormity of the task had been laid it out.

You were just going to walk up and knock on the front door ahahaha, this plans atleast has got a one percent chance of working, it's much more likely to succeed, don't knock yourself about too hard said Calcifer being insincerely supportive.

'That seems simple, by the step by step you set out, but we're going to be facing every horror Khorne can drum up on our way there, and were on their home turf, plus if it's even possible they're gonna be extra angry with us crashing their house part y' said Ymmê exasperatly.

'Well do you have a better idea' Adam shot back.

'How dare you' said Ymmê standing up and slamming her hand on the table.

'bang'

Kôrv put a hand on her shoulder, 'he's only a kid we're getting a bit heated aren't we'.

Breathing deeply, Ymmê sat back down and leaned forward unbeknownst to the others hiding her shaking hands.

There was a long silence. Before Ymmê shot back up face steeled.

'Start her up ... Start up the INVICTUS, if she and I are going to go up in a ball of fire then we're going to do soo storming the gates of war itself, to strike a blow against chaos'. Shouted Ymmê in a deeper almost heroic tone.

'Aye, Aye commander'.

Skalfi ran to the engine room to start the main reactor like a kid at a Christmas party.

Tttttt-ttttt-gggrrgghrHHHHHRRRAAAAAR

The engine came to life with a roar, the whole train vibrating as it shook loose items to the floor.

'Its been an honour Kôrv' said Ymmê clutching arms with Kôrv who was now stood next to her.

'And mine, it's good t see you've found yer strength once more'. His weathered smile lines creased ever so slightly more.

'What ... about me' interceded Adam breaking up their moment.

Kôrv looking back across the table.

'Why you have the greatest honour... Driver'

'Cough, driver pppppphhhtt', he spluttered all over the table having just taken a sip of water.

'I've never driven a land train or anything for that matter before, wouldn't it be better for one of you to drive'.

'No, the rest of us need t manage the weapon systems throughout ter train, part of the reason we had stayed put, ignoring our lack of power core was we didn't know what to do, the minimum requirement to manage this land train is four, our ironkin wouldn't have been of much use to for either piloting or interfacing with the weapons systems as it is an ironkin warrior, not a kognitar suited to such tasks'.

Kôrv stood up motioning for Adam to follow him.

'Let's get to the front I'll show you how to drive'.

Walking up the long central corridor they arrived at the front carriage the heavy hatch swinging open with a groan. Stepping through the riveted Adam saw a wide array of controls set beneath a ladder a gangway and a massive shape like a telescope above their heads.

Opening a storage locker next to him Kôrv said 'Put this on you're going to need it, it's void armour, we don't have any extra exosuits but it'll be much better than the carapace chestplate that you're currently wearing'. Kôrv gave it a hard flick with one thick finger.

'Crack'

'Point taken' said Adam shimmying off the chest plate, now much easier as two pieces.

Once it was off and placed in a crate nearby, Adam stepped into the white void armour which plates slid open as he approached. .

'Wow' the heads-up display lit up in front of him, but in a language he couldn't read.

ᛏᚨᚱᚷᛖᛏᛁᚾᚷ ᛟᚾᛚᛁᚾᛖ

'and finally, take this abyssal dagger, do not lose it, it was given to me by my commander when he fell in battle fifty-three standard years ago, but I have long favoured the mass driver hammer but should it come down to it I hope this dagger serves you well. Be very careful with it emits an electro-dampening field stopping the heart of anything it touches be it biological or machine'. He said gravely.

Adam grasped the 12-inch dagger Kôrv had handed him, drawing out an inch, only to see how the light seemed to disappear around, and the unnaturalness it emitted made him feel ill comparable to a null field. Placing it into a slot of his void armour, he marched forward in the hulking futuristic yet brutalist plate, sitting himself down in the cot-like seat that seemed designed for the armour.

Kôrv came over his shoulder, 'There are three things you need t know fer the one-way trip that were goin on, the wheel in front of ya is used to turn, then on t left of yoo is ter throttle levers, you'll keep them at half to remain quite going around the Orks then push it to full from then on till we come apart or reach our destination. Finally, above yer ed you have a pull-down lever, which activates the grav drive which will take us to 10 feet into the air, though it won't last forever.

'How fast does she go' asked Adam slightly hyped despite their destination.

'While on the ground I've seen er do just owver 240 mph easily, but in the air, it's anyone's guess, just keep us in a straight line and don't hit anything'.

'What will you be doing' asked Adam

'I'll be above you kid and I'll be with you the whole way, the dread hammer cannon like all the tech we co-opt from the imperium has to be manually loaded with its alf-ton rounds'.

'You'll be okay kid' said Kôrv patting Adam on the shoulder noticing his worried body language even through his void armour from decades of combat throughout the galaxy.

Kôrv made his way up the massive ladder in his equally hulking exosuit, turning down to cast one weary glance at Adam a glance borne from having seen many die long before there time.

----

Some time late Adams inbuilt speakers came to life within his void armours.

'Cccccccrrr Crackle cr cr coms check' said Ymmê over their short-range integrated vox.

'Copy command centre, the heart of the forge is ready to go' replied back Kôrv.

'Rear weapon systems operational' echoed Skalfi.

'Iᚱᛟᚾ ᚴᛁᚾ ᛟᚾᛚᛁᚾᛖ ᚨᚾᛞ ᚱᛖᚨᛞᚤ ᚠᛟᚱ ᚲᛟᛗᛒᚨᛏ' A robotic voice said in a language Adam didn't understand.

'Copy iron kin, launch her'.

----

'Start her up, go to five per cent thrust' Kôrv shouted down at him.

Adam pushed the thrust to five percent the whole train shaking and roaring even louder, seeming to come alive like some great beast.

An outside observer would have seen a scene akin to a great dragon rising, shaking out its joints and popping as it rose up on its suspension.

Rooaaaarrrrr

Sounded the engine from the room behind them.

Smash it said Calcifer in his head.

Adam pushed the thrust lever forward to fifty percent, catapulting the train forward as hundreds of tons of futuristic alloy took off, on great wheeled tracks.

Adam slammed back into his seat, as the train accelerated faster and faster towards the raging conflict ahead of them.