# This is the end.



## Ambush Beast (Oct 31, 2010)

The rest of the story is in as hoped for and requested.

This is the end.


The plague settled upon Vadican Primary in the year M.41- 017. It started as a small outbreak but quickly became dominant within the next few months and spread like wild fire through dead bushes. The outbreak was bad enough and most likely would have killed everyone within a few years, but when the Bureaus of Disease and Chemical Prevention and Authentication became involved things became much worse.

Black spots began to form upon the necks of those who had been infected and spread quickly in cobweb patterns throughout their bodies. Doctors at first identified the virus as a outbreak of some mutated form of the pox, but quickly found their patients incoherent with loss of memory coupled with deep agitation and paranoia within a few days of infection.

At first only a few were found to be infected and quarantined, but a week went by and more and more cases were verified at risk. The Bureaus of Disease and Chemical Prevention and Authentication were called upon to find out first: what the infection was and second: how to stop the spread of it. 

The Holy Inquisition was also notified of the outbreak but was told all was under control for the time being. Inquisitor Rafael V’haulston felt that the outbreak was something more than a simple sickness and requested that he, along with his team be sent in to investigate the situation. 

If all was truly under control as the B.D.C.P.A. had led the Inquisition to believe then validation would be necessary and if this disease spread the Inquisition would be able to step in and take control if the need should arise. Inquisitor Rafael V’haulston prayed to the Emperor that all would be well, but in his heart he knew that things would not be.

Too many worlds had been plagued by a similar description of the spread of disease within the last few years. Most of them were declared Exterminatus and purged according to the Emperor’s will. 

Billions of faithful citizens inhabited Vadican Primary. Faithful in tithe of both trade and supply and also a valuable resource of young guardsmen, Vadican Primary was deemed of utmost importance and could not be lost. 

The dead were, at first buried by grieving families or burned to ash and placed in remembrance boxes or urns and given back to the families to do with what they would, but as time passed more people became infected until there were too many to deal with.

Scientists struggled to find a cure to this sickness but in the end their best efforts would be in vain. Panic spread and civilization began to break down even as martial law was imposed and the PDF began shooting any who were still in the streets after the sun went down.

The cities began to reek of the infection and the dead by week three of the plague and still there was nothing to be done.

Deep in the labs of the B.D.C.P.A. the doctors struggled with their panic even as they sought to reign in the virus. Subject 10192-14 lay on a gurney in the middle of the room while technicians covered in germ-resistant environmental suits swabbed the man’s sores and took samples of his blood. 

The virus itself was subjected to various anti-virus agents and chemicals but for every breakthrough the virus mutated and in fact grew worse until after thirteen long weeks the B.D.C.P.A. had exhausted all known methods of treatment. There would not be a cure unless something radical was discovered that could break down the virus and kill it before it had totally killed off everyone on Vadican Primary.

That miracle came six days later when a scientist mistakenly mixed two anti-virus agents together and flash burned them in a chem-cup. Though the agents had been burned a sample remained that proved to be more then capable of stopping the spread of the virus in specimen trials. 

Though not tested on human subjects the B.D.C.P.A. believed it safe for testing and administered it to subject 10192-14 who was all but dead anyway. If the testing proved to be a failure the subject would be dead and the doctors would be back at square one with nothing lost but time.

That evening the subject died and was pronounced dead by Doctor Mafield Bogradst; President of Research and Development First Class. There would be no cure to the virus and no escape for anyone from the plague’s clutches and stranglehold. 

Inquisitor Rafael V’haulston placed the Emperor’s world, Vadican Primary under extreme quarantine but refused Exterminatus in hopes that a cure could still be found. 

Doctor Mafield Bogradst stood alone in the quarantined room with the corpse of subject 10192-14. The body was pale and cold with web-like tendrils of inky black lines running all through the outer layers of its rotting flesh. Its eyes were open and milky white irises looked uselessly at the ceiling above. 

The doctor stood there in his anti-germ environmental suit wondering what to do next. Even though the tests proved the cure had been found the man had still died. A pang of regret settled within the doctor’s chest and weighed heavily on his shoulders as he thought about the lives that were being lost. 

He wondered if truly the cure had been adequate for human physiology and if it was only useful for killing the virus in lab conditions under the watchful eye of the microscope or maybe the cure really did its work but the subject had been too close to death’s door for the cure to be of any use. Well it was no matter; there were at least another billion of the infected for him to study; job security. He smiled at the sick joke and turned away from the corpse and stepped toward the decontamination room just outside the sliding glass door. 

Behind him the gurney creaked as subject 10192-14 rolled off of it falling onto the floor. Doctor Mafield Bogradst turned quickly when hearing the activity behind him and stood aghast as the corpse pulled itself from the floor and turned towards him. 

From outside the room behind thick glass windows the technicians who observed and recorded the doctor’s activities stood up from their chairs and could do nothing but watch in shock as the corpse lurched forwards and grabbed the doctor in a bear hug and pulled him to the ground. 

Through the thick glass the sound of the doctor’s screams could not be heard. Soundproofed windows protected the technicians from the horror of the doctor’s screams but could not protect them from seeing the subject rip through the protective folds of the environmental suit and sink its teeth into the doctor’s face. The teeth went deep to the cheekbone and left grooves through it as it closed its jaws and whipped its head around tearing the bloody flesh away in one long strip.

Blood spattered upon the window even as subject 10192-14 left the still screaming doctor writhing upon the floor holding his face, blood gushing from the bite through his fingers and moved over to the sliding glass door and pulled the release lever. 

With a gasp of purified air the door slid to the side and subject 10192-14 walked through the decontamination room to the exit door beyond and turned the handle. Those on the other side of the door began to scream as it opened and some even began to vomit as the stench of death and rot preceded the corpse figure coming through the doorway.

Back inside the observation room Doctor Mafield Bogradst had gone into shock and finally slipped into darkness never to awaken again. Indeed his body rose a few moments later to the sounds of screams and panic pouring into his consciousness from beyond the open doors, but to him the noise was nothing more than a siren’s call to join the feast.

A moment later and the alarm sounded. One of the technicians had the presence of mind to hit the alarm before the zombie pulled her to the floor. Instantly the facilities were locked down and all hope of escape for the other thirty techs escaping was nullified. 

By morning every man and woman were infected shambling around in stupefied mindless circles. Black lines webbed their way through the corpses flesh and the stench of decay and death filled the air. All hopes of finding a cure to the plague were dashed when the doctor and the techs lost their humanity. 

By late afternoon twenty PDF troopers had been sent into the facilities in Chem suits and las-guns in order to find out the reason the alarms had been set off and the facilities had been locked up. As the inner doors were opened the creatures poured out into the hallway and met the PDF head on. 

The men fired their weapons into the chests of the walking corpses but instead of falling they advanced into the gunfire and began to pull the troopers down and tear their flesh apart. The men screamed as they were torn to pieces with bloodied teeth and elongated nails.

Some of the men escaped and made it outside but in their panic they failed to lock down the labs once more. The plague had done its damage first, weakening the populace so they could barely take care of their immediate needs, but when the undead began to grow in numbers even the hope of living through the plague’s cold embrace faded from the mind.

Inquisitor Rafael V’haulston stood upon the bridge of the Inglorious and closed his eyes as the news of the walking dead became known to him. There was no hope of saving this world now his worst fears had been confirmed.

With a resolute determination he flipped the cover off of the firing control and condemned Vadican Primary to the Emperor’s grace.


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## Lubacca (Sep 4, 2011)

*Grabs popcorn*

More?


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## wrycanion (Nov 14, 2011)

Lubacca said:


> *Grabs popcorn*
> 
> More?


... Perhaps this is just the _beginning_ of _the end_? :thank_you:

Another very good read, Adrian.


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## gothik (May 29, 2010)

more more more more did i say more?


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## Brother Emund (Apr 17, 2009)

In the words of an Imperial Guardsman
'Game over man, game over'

Adrian... ther living masses demand more. _Exterminatus_ was tooooo easy


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## Gluttoniser (Aug 14, 2010)

My only friend, the end...


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## Brother Emund (Apr 17, 2009)

Gluttoniser said:


> My only friend, the end...


_'They train young pilots to fly aircraft and drop bombs on people, but won't allow them to write....'_

.


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## Ambush Beast (Oct 31, 2010)

*love the Doors*



Gluttoniser said:


> My only friend, the end...


Great song!

Okay, I can see a theme growing here I think and I will see what I can do. Thanks for the comments. Feels real good.


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## Brother Emund (Apr 17, 2009)

Adrian said:


> Great song!
> 
> Okay, I can see a theme growing here I think and I will see what I can do. Thanks for the comments. Feels real good.


The pressure is on now *Adrian*! opcorn:


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## Ambush Beast (Oct 31, 2010)

*okay you asked for it. I hope you are not dissappointed.*

2. 

Virus bombs are messy but not very destructive unless it is meant to be. Some burn the oxygen in the air and reduce everything to ash in a matter of hours while others melt the flesh and reduce everything to paste. But there is another type that is used for a specific kind of cleansing.

Death comes almost instantly in most cases without the victims even having time to realize what was taking place. The epicenter of the detonation suffers the most collateral damage as surrounding structures crumble away into powder and are blown away by the world scything winds that are produced.

Death is instant at the epicenter when all flesh is corrupted and melts from the bones. That flesh is robbed of all liquid in an instant from the heat of the blast and is swept away by the winds as well. At the epicenter of the detonation everything is razed to the ground and blown away and not even the memories of ghosts remain.

The blast wave weakens after only a few moments but the winds do not; no, the winds carry on with the virus in its gales. The winds caress the standing structures and swirl through the streets as the virus continues with the purpose with which it was created to do. 

Away from the epicenter all flesh dies upon the surface of the world within hours as the virus painlessly enters the sinuses and pores of the body. Those the virus comes in contact with fall into comas and dies within moments as their hearts slowly stop and quit their life giving beats.

Vadican Primary’s assets could not be lost to the Empire so there could be no destruction of buildings, cities, space-ports and docking rigs. There could not be any harm to the mining stations or equipment or refineries or fuels or technology or science facilities or weapons factories. Flesh could be replaced to resume the works of Vadican Primary but only if the world was still intact when the end came.

For these reasons Inquisitor Rafael V’haulston planed the destruction of Vadican Primary with precision. Though he had hoped the preservation of Vadican Primary could be maintained and even cleansed from all plague he had planned for the worst. 

‘Are the structures still intact?’ Inquisitor Rafael V’haulston asked. ‘Yes Inquisitor. All structures still stand. There are no life signs upon the planet’s surface ether. Everything is dead Inquisitor.’ The servitor confirmed. V’haulston frowned and closed his eyes. This was another stain upon his conscience that no amount of alcohol or prayers could expunge.

He knew there was nothing that could be done. The plague was a fire that could not be quenched and the failure of the B.D.C.P.A. had only compounded things. Though there had been rumors of the dead coming back to life or walking or whatever, he had not believed them. In his experience the dead stayed dead, but the sick did not always stay down.

Sometimes the sick had to be put down like a rabid dog or injured horse. V’haulston hated to think of humanity like that, especially the faithful citizens of the Empire. This was not the time for mourning; there would be plenty of time for that late when he was dead and being judged at the Emperor’s right hand. The thought of that made him shake his head in doubt. There would be no hope for him, of that he was sure.

‘I will be in my chambers. Inform my team as well as the 155th infantry we will be debarking in two hours; full chem-suits and weapon loads as usual.’ Though he did not want to go down to the surface, he knew there were confirmations to be made. 

 3.

The 155th Infantry consisted of a thousand men completely obedient to the needs of the Inquisition. Each man was a veteran of at least ten conflicts of which they had been forced to retreat from their enemy. To some that claim was not something to be proud of, but to Inquisitor V’haulston it was the one thing that mattered.

To be forced to retreat while in the heat of battle against overwhelming odds meant two things. One; the men were obedient even in the face of dishonor and two; the men were survivors. They knew what it was to fail and to be victorious and had flourished in both settings. These men could be trusted to make the hard decisions and when the hard times came when they were under fire, V’haulston knew they could be trusted to keep their heads.

The docking stations were relatively clean except for the few controllers and servitors that lay at their stations having been killed by the virus four hours ago.

The lights were still on and in the night their warm glow was a welcome thing. This was not a warzone but a grave world that when pronounced “Purged” would have to be cleaned up, the dead buried and their memories mourned.

The elevators and escalators were still running and the 155th used them as they exited their shuttles and made their way down to the surface of Vadican Primary. Though the city’s lights still shone brightly upon the surface of the dead world everything else was quiet. 

The doors to the docking ports opened with exasperated hisses as the 155th made their way out to the open square at the base of the massive tower. 

Nothing lived and there were bodies everywhere lying in the street, leaning against the walls and sat within the confines of their personal vehicles. The offices the men passed by felt empty even as the bleeps and static screens made their presence known to lifeless corpses that would never answer their urgent calls again.

The 155th had received their orders and had dispersed from the docking tower in groups of three people each. Armed with shotguns and las-rifles they proceeded to the medical facilities, research centers and development centers in search of any unlikely survivors that may have escaped the plague or lived through the virus winds. There was a chance that some still lived who were quarantined or still wore the Chem-suits of their trade. 

The wind still blew with hurricane force and if not for the chem-suits the men wore they would have died instantly when the breeze touched their unprotected skin. Though there were other cities and continents they could have touched down in, Prague was the primary place of interest to the Inquisition.

Prague was the Military Science and Developmental Research Center. Its purpose was many-fold and utterly secret. For all intense and purposes Prague was like any other city with its families, schools, businesses and entertainment venues, but behind closed doors and under the crust of earth that separated it from prying eyes the Emperor’s work was being accomplished. 

The Inquisitional Rosette swung from the neck of Inquisitor Rafael V’haulston’s chem-suit as he walked through the streets of Prague, his small unit of men following behind him. He was tall and heavy but not fat. No, his bulk was made up of muscle covered prosthetics and robotic replacements. His hair was full and jet-black like ravens wings and his eyes glowed blue in the limited light of the city’s glow-globes.

His men were like him in many ways, each having been enhanced in one way or another in order for them to fulfill their tasks to the upmost possibility and accurateness. 

‘What is it that we are looking for?’ Mizer Fission asked as he caught up with Inquisitor V’haulston. ‘The source.’ he answered. 

4.

The doors to the M.S.D.R.C. opened without a sound and light flooded out illuminating the shadows revealing all the lifeless things that inhabited them. Inquisitor V’haulston led the way in and was not surprised to see bodies lining the floors, research labs and desktop areas.

There was no blood, no sign of distress to mar their features. The corpses looked as if they were asleep, eyes closed, mouths open; they looked peaceful and serene uncaring of the troubles that happened by. But there was something about them that did not seem quite right. Black lines like cobwebs had spread throughout their flesh; it was possible these had died before the virus bomb had spread its fell cargo in the air.

‘I do not like this place Inquisitor.’ Koleck whispered in the stillness. ‘We should gather what you came for and leave.’ She was a small young woman with long red hair and dark green eyes. Her complexion was light, almost pale white, and she was exceptionally attractive in the right setting, but cross her and she could very easily cut your throat.

The Inquisitor understood. He could feel it too. But what “it” was he did not know. There was a chance that the plague had not entirely been wiped out or “it” could be something else too. He could not put his finger on what it was, but he had a bad feeling just the same.

In the lowest depths of the M.S.D.R.C. the director, General Omagon Izak had died. He was found in his quarters with a hole in his head and a las-gun beside his prone body. Black lines were wormed throughout his flesh and brain-matter lined the back wall and ceiling. 

Upon the mirror the words scrawled in blood said, “It was my fault.” Inquisitor V’haulston walked past the corpse and over to a desk in the corner. His robotic eyes scanned the surface first then the drawers. Having not found what he was looking for there, he began to probe the walls and ceiling for secret compartments hidden therein.

‘There.’ he said. And walked over to the closet, opened the door and hit the right hand wall. The wall collapsed into the floor and V’haulston walked through the newly formed portal. Inside the small room the furnishings were sparse. There was a small desk made of rosewood and a small wooden chair. The walls were covered with maps and faces of some of the scientists and doctors from the B.D.C.P.A. and the M.S.D.R.C. as well. 

Inside the left hand drawer there was a small black booklet with the symbol of the holy Inquisition. He frowned as he opened it and began to read. “The plague was a result of negligence on my watch.” The forward note began.

“We named it the Death Web because of the cobweb patterns that form on the infected. The Death Web is an airborne virus we were manufacturing for Inquisitor Rafael V’haulston for his reasons alone.” There were ink stains where the General’s tears had fallen onto the pages as he wrote. 

“We created it as a trial specimen not to be given to Inquisitor Rafael V’haulston until we understood its properties and limits, but the virus escaped. The virus has a life of its own but it would have died out when it had run its course but for the efforts of the Bureaus of Disease and Chemical Prevention and Authentication. They altered the plague in ways I cannot explain.” There were more ink splotches from where the General’s tears had fallen upon the page. 

Inquisitor V’haulston scowled with bitter hatred as he read the next words. “I am guilty of aiding the efforts of Inquisitor Rafael V’haulston, traitor to the Emperor and collaborator with the Chaos powers that be!”

Quickly Inquisitor Rafael V’haulston tore the page from the booklet and burned it. With that done his mission was complete. ‘It’s time to go. I have found what it was that I was searching for.’ He said as he walked from the room. Before he left the General’s quarters he leaned over the dead man’s body and asked, ‘How did you find out?’

5.

The servitor maintaining the sensors of the Inglorious contacted Inquisitor V’haulston before he had left the subfloor of the Military Science and Developmental Research Center. The communicator beeped twice before Inquisitor V’haulston was able to retrieve it from his belt. ‘What is it?’ he growled. 

The servitor’s voice was that of an old man devoid of emotion when he answered the Inquisitor, ‘The Inglorious’s sensors have detected movement throughout Vadican Primary and Prague especially.’ 

‘What kind of movement? Be specific.’ He said.

The servitor hesitated for a moment before answering. ‘I cannot say, Inquisitor. The movement comes from millions of sources all closing on the life-markers of the 155th and yourself. You are surrounded, all of you.’ Inquisitor V’haulston shook his head instantly aware of the silence all around them. ‘Life signs?’ he asked. ‘No, Inquisitor. Not a single one.’ the servitor answered quizzically.

‘Weapons free, gentlemen and keep your guard up. We are not alone.’ He whispered. The company around him slid their shotguns from their harnesses and began to move up the stairs. The elevator would have been faster in reaching the surface, but when those doors opened there was no telling what they would meet.

Static reports began to pour in from the sergeants of the 155th as the dead began to rise up and surround their positions. Reports of corpses attacking were beginning to flood the vox-net and one by one the green icons upon the Inglorious’s sensors began to disappear. 

The servitor began to relay the information to the Inquisitor, but he did not need to be told as he was finding out for himself just how deadly the plague had become. He was finding out that the virus bomb killed everything that was not dead, but did nothing to stop the mutated infection. The dead were not only walking, they were running, crawling and lunging at anything still living.

The web patterns upon their epidermis pulsated and burst as their dead flesh began to stretch into use once more. Blood flooded the animated corpses as they moved bathing them in viscera and vital fluids. Though in many cases the blood had started to clot from inactivity, it still painted their dead skin in sticky red. Tacky footprints were left in their wake but as they moved through the artificial light of the dead city their lifeless minds paid the blood no heed. 

With only the need to feast upon the flesh of the living, the dead advanced through every open street, building and alley of Prague. ‘Back to the shuttles, now!’ Inquisitor V’haulston yelled into the vox as he sprinted up the stairs. Behind him his team shadowed his every movement; as he turned right, they turned right and when he stopped, they stopped. 

Weapons ready, they moved from the sublevels of the M.S.D.R.C. and emerged from the stairwell into the ground level hallway. Inquisitor V’haulston fired his las-gun four times almost as soon as the stairwell door had opened. The body before him fell to the ground pulped by the raw energy that eviscerated its chest, but still it crawled forward, hands methodically searching for purchase as Inquisitor V’haulston and his team stepped past it uncaring that the corpse still moved, but content that it was out of the way.

There were upwards of fifty flesh eaters, plague victims all, moving through the hall aimlessly up and down its shadowed length when the stairwell door opened, but they did not notice Inquisitor V’haulston and his team until the las-gun was fired and the body fell before them, but when the action was taken and the noise was heard they turned as one and began to move like a rushing river down a sloping ravine.

At once all ten members of the Inquisitorial unit knew they could not fight their way out no matter how nay weapons they had or what type of augmetics they were geared with. Death was rushing at them and there would be no escape. They fired their shotguns and las-guns anyway but the dead still kept stumbling forward. 

The chem-suits they wore were slowing them down but they could do nothing about that now. ‘Up, we have to get above them, now!’ Mizer Fission yelled over the din. Inquisitor V’haulston agreed and ordered the strategic withdrawal. Behind them the stairwell door stood open and they took the opportunity to escape the hall’s close confines and the dead that pursued them.

Officer Comell turned to close the stairwell door as the last of the unit passed the threshold and began to move up to the next landing, but as he took hold of the door handle the dead took hold of him and pulled him to the ground. The door could not close because of the press of the bodies and his screams could be heard echoing up the shaft even as his team escaped with their lives to the second floor of the building. 

There were more of them on the second floor and they stalked toward the unit with focused purpose and deadly intent. Inquisitor V’haulston shot one in the head and it fell motionless to the floor, blood and brain matter pasting those following behind. Seeing the Inquisitor’s example the others fired their weapons into the heads of the cadaverous masses and stepped over their still bodies, blood caking the leggings of their chem-suits as they passed. 

At the end of the second floor hall there was a board room devoid of any threat, clean and ready for the next meeting that would never be held. The strong wooden door was closed and barricaded from the inside; scratching and pounding could be heard on the other side.

From outside the plate-glass windows the city streets were awash with the movements of the hopeless dead. There were thousands of them moving like an angry sea in the courtyard below and hundreds of thousands more beyond that. 

The stench of their rotting flesh permeated the air and caused a light fog-like residue to float just above the ground. The web-like black lines that marked the victims of the plague now appeared upon the very soil of the planet, upon the statues of the Emperor and those rulers who had gone before. The lines were growing upon the brickwork and climbing the buildings like wild vines upon a garden wall. 

The lights of the docking platforms could be seen from the board room’s windows, but as it was there was no way of getting to its massive towers and the shuttles that rested there without becoming victims themselves.

Inquisitor V’haulston contacted the Inglorious via vox-caster and paced back and forth through the meeting room like a caged grox. His tones were low but there was desperate venom held in his voice. ‘What of the 155th?’ he asked. The servitor manning the comms answered as if there was nothing wrong and all the time of the universe was on its side, ‘According to the sensors before me, Inquisitor, the soldiers of the 155th are all dead.’ 

The Inquisitor cringed at the thought of the 155th having met their end so uselessly but smiled at the thought too. He did not let his feelings show to the others in his unit, there was no need for them to know his mind on the matter of the Emperor’s own fading into nothingness. 

Instead he ordered the commander of the Inglorious, Admiral Graswhell, to send a fresh shuttle to their position and hover outside their window. The windows would be blown and they would make their escape. Admiral Graswhell refused the order though, stating Inquisitorial bylaw 147.990-x215 which stated, “Under no circumstances shall an Imperial vessel be allowed to proceed into an actively quarantined plague zone and return again if the threat of contamination exists and the risk of spreading said plague is not prohibited.” 

Inquisitor V’haulston screamed into the vox-caster, ‘How dare you quote bylaws to me. I am a fekking Inquisitor by the Emperor’s will and you will obey me or I will have you terminated upon my return! Do you understand me Admiral?’

There was a long pause and then the Admiral’s voice came back across the vox-caster’s receiver core, ‘With all do respect, Inquisitor, I do not care if you were the Emperor returned. You shall not return to the Inglorious by any means or under any circumstance until the plague has not only been contained but abolished and the quarantine lifted.’ With that the transmission ended abruptly and completely. 

Inquisitor V’haulston cursed and threw the device across the room where it shattered against the wall. The others looked at him now completely aware of their situation. ‘Our only chance is to get to the docking bays.’ Koleck stated. 

Outside the hardwood door the dead continued their siege, scratching and banging against its hard surface. Trapped and without any means of escape the only option for them was to stay put and hope the corpses outside would forget about them. Inquisitor V’haulston knew that would not happen. He looked at the time remaining on the oxygen regulator providing breathable air to his chem-suit and knew they only had a little more than five minutes remaining at best.

The dead knew they were here. They could not only hear them behind the office door, but they could smell the life’s blood coursing through their veins.

‘Ready your weapons and prepare to fight. If I’m going to die here it will be on my terms and not as victims waiting for the end to come!’ the Inquisitor pronounced. With that said the unit reloaded their weapons and stood ready for the door to be opened.

As the doorknob turned the door was pushed open and the plagued corpses flooded in. Mouths were agape with diseased saliva running down unfeeling chins and hands clutched nothing but air, opening and closing in anticipation of laying hold of living flesh. 

Mizer Fission fired his shotgun point blank into what had been a beautiful woman; the blast and led pellets ripped her body in half but she continued to crawl across the floor unfeeling of her injury. Blood trailed behind her as she crept across the carpeted floor, but Fission stomped on her head while he fired again and again into the rotting river flowing in.

A hand took hold of his chem-suit and tore the sleeve wide open. Within seconds the blackness of death consumed him and he fell on his face as the germs from the virus bomb stopped his heart and seized his lungs. He did not feel the teeth close upon his flesh as the dead consumed him.

Inquisitor Rafael V’haulston stood beside the last seven members of his unit and fired his las-gun pointedly at the heads of the frenzied dead. Heads exploded with each of his shots but there were too many of them to make a difference. 

The others fired too and the bodies piled up, but still the corpses continued on. Finally against the plate-glass windows and the wall that supported it they ran out of ammunition. Koleck dropped her shotgun and unhesitatingly drew her power sword. 

She was beautiful to behold, like a whirlwind of torment twisting through the room. The sword bisected torsos and severed limbs and decapitated heads effortlessly. The sound of dead flesh slapping the floor soon was a constant sound and it was joined by the others as they added their talents to the fray. 

Though their efforts were valiant, the river of plagued corpses did not abate. Instead the tide grew stronger and more insistent as time went by. Grenish Thyson, a large man committed to the Emperor’s will and strong as a grox fell to his knees clutching his chest, desperate for the life giving air needed to survive. In a panic he tore off the canopy from his chem-suit and gasped in vain for hope.

The others began to move more sluggishly as their oxygen supply came to an end, yet the dead did not slow but fell upon them without emotion or remorse. Blood and flesh poured from open wounds and teeth ripped muscle from bones, hands extracted lungs, intestines and hearts from still warm cadavers but the dead were not satisfied. 

Koleck refused to quit the fight but her body finally gave up unable to support her fierce determination any longer. Upon her knees the plagued surrounded her and hurled themselves upon her suffocating frame, tearing open her chem-suit and devouring her even before her heart quit beating.

Inquisitor Rafael V’haulston knew what kind of man he was. He knew that without him this plague would never have been dreamed of. He now understood the danger associated with dealing with Chaos. His chance meeting with Fabius Bile convinced him that living for the Emperor and watching over the weak was a lost cause. Fabius Bile had promised he would be rewarded for his help, but he never expected any of this.

Even as his oxygen supply failed and he fought with all his might he knew he was lost. He knew there would be no chance of redemption and he knew, even as the flesh was torn from his arms and face, even as he screamed his last breath, that this was the end.


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## Ambush Beast (Oct 31, 2010)

*I'm confused.*

Okay, I write a story and get comments requesting, yea, even demanding more, more, more. So I put the mind into overdrive and plunge into the depths of darkness in order to sate the thirst of the hungry masses and wait eagerly for the accolades, yea the comments of satisfaction to flow in.

N-O-T-H-I-N-G-! :threaten:

But alas, I have been here long enough to know how things work and I still love ya all.:biggrin:


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## wrycanion (Nov 14, 2011)

You were presented with a toughie: to continue that which was pretty terminally ended.  Well done. Description of Exterminatus in the beginning was a bit muddled and perhaps extraneous. A synopsis might serve you better than 4-5 paragraphs in this case. You were going for destruction with bodies. A straight up viral killer and a means to an end (forgive the pun) - all the stuff that comes after which I enjoyed.


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## Ambush Beast (Oct 31, 2010)

Description of Exterminatus in the beginning was a bit muddled and perhaps extraneous. A synopsis might serve you better than 4-5 paragraphs in this case. 

That could be the case. I thought about the short version in describing the virus bomb, but in the end I stuck with what I have now for two reasons,

1st, to build fluff and a new beginning to the second part, and 2nd, to build the story for the future. Virus bombs usually melt the skin and eradicate anything upon the surface of a planet, so in that context there would not have been anything left on Vadican Primary when the V.B. was through and thus no future story for you guys. 

I do really appreciate all of you guys reading, helps me feel like I have a purpose in life.


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## gothik (May 29, 2010)

serves the inquisitor right really...dealing with Fabius Bile has its consequences. just got round to reading this and loved it, as ever my fellow zombie fan u do not fail to provide the flesh ripping delight.

let us not forget that zombies are people too......zombrex anyone?


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## Ambush Beast (Oct 31, 2010)

*Thanks*



gothik said:


> serves the inquisitor right really...dealing with Fabius Bile has its consequences. just got round to reading this and loved it, as ever my fellow zombie fan u do not fail to provide the flesh ripping delight.
> 
> let us not forget that zombies are people too......zombrex anyone?



Thanks gothik, as ever you make me feel great about myself. Glad you liked it. 

Zombies are not bad, they are just a product of their environment.


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## andygorn (Apr 1, 2011)

I very much enjoyed this, Adrian.
The zombie-ness wasn't just "a shambling horde of creatures pull people down" - I liked the description of the horrors on display.


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## Ambush Beast (Oct 31, 2010)

*hello*

Sorry I haven't written in so long. I have been very busy with life and depression. lol So I thought I might put this out there for someone to look at while I'm in my hole. :suicide:


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## andygorn (Apr 1, 2011)

I've been struggling with depression as well, recently.
I won't say "I know how you feel" (because there is no way that I ever could know) but, for me, it was as low a point as I ever want to go again.

However, I've just re-read your story and it gives me hope:
Not hope that I might be able to type out anything as good as this.
But hope that people are still interested in reading + writing and that imagination is alive and kicking butt.

It might not help much but, speaking personally, even though you are 'down', your stories/advice/etc (and those of the other Heretics too) are a real source of happiness, courage and inspiration to me during my own troubles.

They also get me thinking about how to get back to being open to listening to the stories which occur to me (whereas I was blocking them out a bit before), which prompts me to try to write more things as well...hopefully stuff that yourselves might enjoy..?


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## gothik (May 29, 2010)

been suffering with that for over thirty years, ups and downs, darkness and light i know how well it can grip you and not let go...however writing, drawing and painting are my outlets now and my beloved x-box...well that and a brilliant partner and five animals who love me unconditionally..been a long time in coming this...anyway Adrian this was excellent, i enjoyed it and on the depression thing...you are not alone bro, you never are even if at times it feels like you are and no one understands, you have friends here and i am lucky to count myself among them AG same to you doors open if you guys want a virtual cuppa


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## Nazrax (Apr 23, 2011)

I really enjoyed this story. Felt gritty and hopeless just like I would expect. Well done!

I am sorry to hear about the folks here that are suffering from Depression. My wife has bouts of it and I know it is a difficult and terrible thing to deal with. You have my sympathy and best wishes. I can only hope that all of you keep fighting against it and that the outlets you have found- writing, painting, drawing, etc., keep you going and dealing with a difficult condition. 

Thank you for the good story Adrian. 



P.S.- Gothik, I am hoping to see more of your work on the Renegades storyline. I have enjoyed reading all of it and want more!


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## Myen'Tal (Sep 4, 2009)

Very cool story, good writing, sir k:. Only thing that kind of nagged at me was that you had a few different characters speaking on the same dialogue portion as someone else. Wasn't a common occurrence, I think the two I remember is when the Inquisitor is about to set down onto Prague. 

It's minor really, but thought I might as well point that out anyway.

I bid you all good fortune in your fight against depression, I hope you don't let life keep you down for too long:grin: and stay on top of it!


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## gothik (May 29, 2010)

Nazrax said:


> P.S.- Gothik, I am hoping to see more of your work on the Renegades storyline. I have enjoyed reading all of it and want more!


your welcome and if you want to contribute be it a long or short story then feel free...taking a beak for a little bit but will be back on it.


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