Reassignment

"I've got some good news and some bad news."

The Castellan of Bastion-P stood before the bullpen, sweeping his brown eyes across us.

"The good news is that Sanctioner Karleton passed his exams and is now a Probator."

Well-wishers surrounded me, shaking my hand or slapping me on the back. Everyone likes it when a local boy makes good. The Castellan let the celebration go on for a few minutes before holding up his hand for silence.

"What's the bad news," asked Swift, a grizzled veteran of twenty years.

"The bad news is that Probator Karleton has a new assignment. Voidport just lost a probator to a heretic cult and needs a replacement," he looked at me. "You are booked on the 0730 rail to Voidport."

The Castellan walked up to me and shook my hand. "Your father would be so proud. Congratulations."

Voidport was the most significant transport hub on the planet, host to several factories that produced ammunition and weapons that sold across the entire Imperium. It was also ten thousand kilometers away from everyone and everything I knew.

The congratulations continued as I cleared out my desk and locker. Most of them had known my father, who had been the Castellan of the Polar district for sixty years before a lucky shot by a ganger laid him low.

I shouldered my bag and stepped outside. The twin suns hung low in the sky, their light glancing off the glaciers surrounding the Polar district. I pulled my greatcoat tighter and headed home to pack.

#

I awoke early the following day, made arrangements to move the contents of my hab to Voidport, and headed to the train station.

The terminal was bustling, even at this early hour. I made my way to my appointed gate and approached the conductor. "Probator Karleton," I said, "I believe I have a reservation."

The conductor checked his data slate. "There you are. You are in car 2, compartment C. I'll have a servitor bring your luggage to you."

I dropped my two cases to the ground. "How long will it take to get to Voidport?"

The conductor scratched his chin. "About thirty-two to forty-eight hours, depending on track conditions, time at stops, that sort of thing."

I slipped him a five-crown note. "Enjoy your trip," he said, pocketing the money.

My compartment was small yet comfortable, sporting a bed, desk, and a fresher. A plastic-covered card on the door informed me of meal times and the location of the evacuation station I was to report to in case of emergency. A servitor opened the compartment door and brought in my cases. I stowed them and lay down on the bed. The train pulled away from the station, and I began my journey to my new home.

At noon, I made my way to the dining car. I chose a booth near the car's entrance and looked at the menu. A server came to the table moments later to take my order. I ordered a grox steak, potatoes, and a glass of amasec. I then sat back and looked out the window.

I looked up as the door opened, and four people entered the car: three men and a woman. The first man was tall and slender with spiked green hair. The second was short and fat, with greasy black hair and an augmented eye. The third was average height, with a shaved head and blue eyes. The woman was slender, with red hair, green eyes, and a scar on her chin. All of them wore loose-fitting crimson robes. Instinct honed over several years of the streets of the Polar District nagged at me, telling me that they were trouble.

They stood in the to-go line booth across from mine and began talking with each other, stopping to place their orders. I could only make out a few words, mainly concerning Voidport, bad bosses, and zero-G football. My food arrived, and I tucked in, ignoring the group and the nagging suspicion that something was amiss.

Their food arrived, and they took the parcels and made to leave. As they exited, the black-haired man bumped into a passenger entering the car. Bristling, he raised a fist as if to strike the unfortunate passenger. The woman held him back, whispering something in his ear before apologizing to the passenger.

As they left, I noticed something in the doorway. I quickly reached out and grabbed it. It looked to be a purity seal: a piece of parchment topped with a seal of green wax. I stood up and called out to the passenger. "Is this yours," I asked, indicating the seal.

She shook her head. "It's not mine," she replied, "Maybe it belonged to that group that just left."

I pocketed it. "I'll make sure it gets returned," I said and sat down to finish my lunch.

By the time I finished lunch, no one had returned to claim the seal, so I decided they hadn't realized it was missing. I paid my bill (leaving a generous tip) and quickly returned to my compartment.

Once there, I took out my find and studied it. The parchment was thin, covered in words written in a shaky hand. As I read the words on the seal, I felt like something vile had brushed my soul. The symbol of Khorne embossed in the wax sent a shiver up my spine. I was dealing with Blood Cultists.

I hated cultists with a passion that went beyond that held by most Emperor-fearing individuals. A few years back, followers of Nurgle managed to contaminate one of the Polar District's water reservoirs. The resulting plague wiped out twenty percent of the population, including my mother and older sister. I had to find out what they were up to and stop it.

From the card in my compartment, I remembered that Probator Singh was Lex's representative on the train, residing in Car 1. Figuring that two against four was better odds than my going it alone, I headed toward the front of the train. When I arrived, I found the conductor standing outside, talking to a passenger. He dismissed the passenger as I approached.

"What can I do for you, Probator?"

"I was looking for Probator Singh."

The conductor scratched his cheek. "Probator Singh is looking into something of importance in Cargo Car 2. Is there something I can help you with?"

"Can you tell me anything about these passengers," I asked, giving him a description of the four cultists.

He thought a moment. "They boarded the train two days ago at Spirax Station. Any particular reason you're asking about them?"

"One of them accosted a passenger in the dining car."

"I can have Probator Singh talk to them when she returns," he offered.

"Sure thing," I said and returned to my compartment.

I pulled a portable cogitator from my bags and pressed the activation rune. I hacked into the train's manifests, pulling a list of all who boarded at Spirax Station. Luckily, the four cultists were the only ones to board there, along with various bits of cargo destined for Voidport.

I needed to get into their compartment to search for clues, but how to ensure that all four of them would be elsewhere? I looked at the train's itinerary and noted an evacuation drill scheduled for twenty minutes from now. That should give me the time I needed.

The manifest said that the cultists were in Car 10, compartment D. I found a servitor storage unit near the forward entrance to Car 10, which gave me a good vantage point. I squeezed in next to a servitor that smelled of sweat and machine oil and waited.

Moments later, a klaxon sounded, and the conductor's voice came over the vox. "Attention, ladies and gentlemen, this is an evacuation drill. Please go to your assigned evacuation stations and wait until you are cleared."

I cracked open the compartment door and waited for the cultists to leave. After a moment, the cultists clambered grumpily out of their compartment and headed for the evacuation station on Car 9. I waited a few heartbeats before leaving my hiding place.

I pulled an electronic lock pick from my pocket and pressed it against the lock. After a few moments, the pick beeped. I opened the door and slipped inside. Tacked up on the wall was a map of the Voidport District. A large circle was drawn on the map, most likely the target. A hastily scrawled timetable sat on the desk. I took a few picts with my dataslate before letting myself out and relocking the door. I then made my way to the evacuation station at Car 9.

”This isn’t your station,” said a bored crew member when I presented my ticket.

”I was in the rear observation car,” I lied. “I thought one station was as good as another.”

I looked around as the crew member tapped on her dataslate. I didn’t see the cultists among those still waiting to be cleared, which was worrying.

”You’re cleared to return to your compartment,” she said, returning my ticket. “We apologize for the inconvenience and hope that you enjoy the rest of your trip,”

“There was a group of four people in crimson robes,” I said, flashing my holoseal. “I don’t see them here.”

Her bored expression turned to one of apprehension. “They were cleared a few minutes ago. I assumed they went back to their compartment.”

I hadn’t passed them in the corridor. They must have gone to check on whatever cargo they had brought. The manifest said that their cargo was stored in Cargo Car 2, so I headed forward.

I stopped at the door to Cargo Car 2 and peered through a small window. Cargo of various sizes and shaped were stacked in rows throughout the car. I didn’t see the cultists in the immediate area, so I eased the door open and slipped through. As I entered, I heard a soft moan to my left. Up against the wall lay a bloodied body. I crept up to it and rolled it over. She had been badly beaten, one eye swollen shut, her lip split. Dried blood caked her nostrils and ears.

”Probator Singh, I presume,” I whispered, removing a wad of cloth that served as a gag. “I take it the cultists got the better of you.”

”Lured me into a trap,” she wheezed. “They’re towards the back.”

I drew my Tzarina pistol from its holster. “I’m on it,” I said and crept towards the back of the car. I heard murmuring voices and the clack of runeboard keys. I drew up alongside a stack of wooden crates and peered out.

The four cultists were there, working feverishly. The blonde was typing away at the runeboard, while the other three were connecting wires to what looked like an oversized cogitator. As I wondered what their end game was, I heard a familiar voice behind me.

”I’d advise you to hand over your weapon,” the conductor said. He called out to the cultists. “Look what I got here, another Probator.”

As he reached over me to grab my weapon, I threw my head back as hard as I could. I briefly saw stars, but was rewarded with the crunch of snapping cartilage. The conductor dropped to the floor and I put a slug into his leg to keep him out of the upcoming fight.

The three men leaped up from their work. Green hair pulled a stubber from beneath his robes, the black haired one pulled a homemade shock maul, and Baldy drew a knife. I dived behind a stack of pallets as a stubber round whined over my head.

I fired off a shot at Green Hair, hitting him in the chest. He spun and fell to the ground, dropping the stubber.

Baldy dove to retrieve the fallen stubber, only to receive a bullet to the brain.

A shadow fell over me, warning me of the remaining cultists's attack. I rolled to the left, the cultist's shock maul striking the ground beside me. I fired two shots. One went wide and the other struck him at the juncture of his neck and shoulder, taking him out of the fight.

I raced towards the last cultist. She was still typing away and looked up at me.

"You're too late," she explained, smiling up at me.

"Disarm it," I ordered.

"I can't undo what has been done. Blood for the Blood God."

She opened her hand and a dead man's switch fell to the floor. A high pitched whine emanated from her. I leapt back, trying to get out of range when her body exploded and the world went black.

I came to lying in a bed, wrapped in bandages. My left arm and both my legs were in casts. Everything hurt.

"Ah, you're awake Probator Karleton," said a voice. I turned my head to see a woman in a Castellan's uniform. "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Kai Orso, Castellan of Bastion-V."

"Where am I," I croaked.

"The main hospital in Voidport. You're to be commended for thwarting those cultists."

"How? The cultist blew herself up before I could do anything."

"Probator Singh was able to pull the emergency cord and stop the train. A bomb squad was able to Disarm the device.

"The doctors say you'll be out of commission for a few months. I'll check in on you from time to time until you're healed. I look forward to working with you. Welcome to Voidport."