Chapter 297: The Rioting Experiments
Aside from the sounds of cannon fire from the Commorragh cityscape, the only sounds in Gabriel's ears were the reports from his Chapter members and the humming of the various xenos machines in the factory.
"Jonah, have your psychic senses detected any enemies nearby?" Gabriel asked, looking at his Chief Librarian.
A wave of psychic power surged from Jonah, spreading out into the surroundings. But in such an important poison manufactorum, the intense counter-attack they had expected had not materialized.
Just as Gabriel was wondering why such a vital facility was undefended, and even beginning to think that Eldrad might have provided faulty intelligence, Jonah opened his eyes again and looked down at the floor beneath their feet.
"Chapter Master! There are many life signals beneath us!"
"Many?! Are they enemies?"
"A great many. Tens of thousands! But these life forms are not moving. It may not be an enemy force... The psychic feedback is strange. The signals may not even be from the same species. What are your orders?!"
"It doesn't matter what's down there," Gabriel declared. "We have to go and see. This is our only lead right now. Our forces are strong. Even if it is an enemy army, they were our target to begin with!"
Sure enough, after a more detailed search of the ground floor, they found a hidden passage.
Faced with this unknown space, a ten-man squad in Terminator Armour and another Blood Ravens squad equipped with storm shields charged in first. After a few moments of waiting, no sounds of battle were heard. After confirming there were no enemies inside, Gabriel led the rest of the Chapter members in.
Although they encountered no enemies, the sight that greeted them was of row upon row of transparent stasis-vats, each imprisoning a variety of grotesquely mutated creatures from different species. A rough count revealed tens of thousands of vats, all arranged in a vast underground space.
Gabriel walked slowly past the nearby vats. As the Blood Ravens, who had "excavated" and "explored" all over the galaxy, their knowledge of xenos was far greater than that of a conventional Chapter. Their frequent cooperation with the Adeptus Mechanicus and the Inquisition had also made them aware of many xenos that were only recorded in secret archives.
Gabriel even recognized some of the creatures. These were all extremely dangerous xenos species. Many of them had once caused horrific massacres on various Imperial worlds.
"Hrud... Kroot... Tyranid... a Pain Fiend."
Gabriel muttered the names of the many species he recognized. But all of them had been twisted from their original forms. Organs and biological characteristics that did not belong to them had been mutated onto their bodies. Razor-sharp needles pierced their flesh, drawing various substances from their bodies. These substances were what these species used to strengthen themselves or to inflict pain on their enemies.
Under some unknown apparatus, these substances were being fused into a special liquid, which then flowed through pipes to another part of the laboratory. All the massive pipelines led to the deepest part of this factory.
"Chapter Master, what is a 'Pain Fiend'?"
Jonah had come to Gabriel's side. He could feel a psychic power emanating from the creature. As far as he knew, the use of psychic powers was forbidden in Commorragh, relatively speaking, of course.
"I encountered this creature once, on a mission for the Inquisition," Gabriel said, a haunted look in his eyes. "It is a terrifying being. Even we, the Adeptus Mechanicus, and those Inquisitors were completely helpless against it. They are highly resistant to physical damage, and to psychic powers as well. Their very existence violates the laws of physics. Any human, even an Astartes, who gets close to them will feel extreme pain and gradually lose their sanity or be driven mad."
Jonah rarely saw Gabriel use such a tone to describe an enemy. It was clear that this xenos creature had left a deep psychological scar on all the Imperials who had participated in that operation.
"Regardless," Gabriel continued, his voice hardening, "these xenos have modified these creatures and are using their bodies to create various poisons and combat drugs. This is consistent with the information Eldrad provided! The place where these liquids are flowing must be related to the STC we are looking for!"
"Chapter Master, what are your orders? Shall we destroy these blasphemous creations?"
"Be careful. We don't know what other xenos are here. I'm worried that destroying these vats will release the creatures. Who knows how many species these Dark Eldar have collected from across the galaxy over the years..."
"I understand. I will have everyone try not to damage the vats."
But Gabriel's hopes were in vain. Reality always seems to veer in the direction you least desire.
The sound of abnormal machinery activating echoed through the underground space. Gabriel suddenly noticed that the liquid that had been flowing towards the depths of the factory had begun to flow in reverse, and its color was changing. A pitch-black liquid began to flow into the vats, contaminating the nutrient fluid within. Even more of the liquid was being injected directly into the bodies of the xenos through the tubes piercing their flesh.
The bodies of the xenos, which had been motionless as if anesthetized, immediately began to twitch violently. Their closed eyes suddenly snapped open. The creatures in the vats began to struggle, as if trying to break free from their restraints.
Regaining consciousness, the xenos all turned their gazes to the Blood Ravens present. Every one of them was in a state of extreme rage after enduring such long torment.
Gabriel immediately began to fall back. He instantly realized that it wasn't that there were no Dark Eldar here; these imprisoned xenos were their counter-attack.
Some of the creatures had already regained their mobility and were ripping the tubes from their bodies. They began to hammer on the glass walls of the stasis-vats with all their might. A dense network of cracks immediately appeared. It was clear that in a few moments, these xenos would be completely free.
"Rally all companies here! Those Eldar are injecting an unknown drug into these creatures! Concentrate fire! Destroy the vats! Destroy those pipelines!"
Seeing this, Gabriel gave the order to open fire without hesitation. A storm of bolts flew toward the stasis-vats, and the assault cannons of the Dreadnoughts began to roar. Power fists smashed into the pipes on the walls, preventing more combat drugs from being injected into the xenos.
A mountain of spent casings piled up at the feet of the Blood Ravens. One after another, the stasis-vats exploded under the storm of metal. The bodies of the xenos were torn into mangled limbs. The Blood Ravens had acted quickly. A large number of the xenos were killed before they had a chance to act. But the combat drugs the Dark Eldar had injected into them were not the cheap goods supplied to common Kabalite warriors.
These special drugs had given the xenos strength and vitality far beyond their natural limits. Having completely lost their sense of pain, they would continue to attack as long as they were not dead. The combat drugs had also completely destroyed their sanity. In their drug-induced hallucinations, the Blood Ravens had become the ones responsible for their torment.
More and more xenos broke free from their restraints and charged at the Blood Ravens. A flying xenos, moving as if it were teleporting, pounced on a Blood Raven. Its sharp teeth and terrifying bite force actually managed to chew through his power armor. After tearing out the Blood Raven's throat, it morphed into his likeness and, with a swing of its fist, sent another Blood Raven flying several meters.
Fortunately, powerful xenos like this were in the minority.
The creature Gabriel had called a Pain Fiend had also broken free. It had even survived the concentrated fire. As it drew closer, the Blood Ravens felt a sharp, stabbing pain in their minds. The creature, its form constantly shifting, charged directly at Gabriel. He activated Forgebreaker and sent it flying, but even after a successful hit, Gabriel's expression remained grim. He knew this creature would not be so easily killed.
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