NunciusThe body to which Nuncius is connected is a crude parody of a human being sewn together from various body parts. The hands, with their long, graceful fingers, appear to be a woman's; the angular feet suggest they came from a man of low birth; and the powerful torso, with its well-developed muscles, might have belonged to a soldier or an aristocrat. Beneath the translucent pale skin lies a network of dark tubes running through the muscles and ligaments. When you peer into the gaping trachea, you see the quivering folds of the vocal cords with wires attached to them. It seems they have been trying to make Nuncius speak.
YOU"Nuncius?"
NunciusThe cadaver jerks convulsively on its wretched bed and goes still. The servo-skull seems to react to your presence, but its machine spirit is utterly adrift. A thought occurs to you: perhaps praising the Omnissiah and a litany of maintenance will help the sacred machine regain its functions?
YOU"Nuncius?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU[Take possession] "I am your new owner, Nuncius."
NunciusYou tear the servo-skull out of the cadaver. Its visor flickers, signalling a change in escort protocols.
end of branch
YOU[Leave it] "Farewell, Nuncius."
Nuncius"Err-or. Requessst-ed des-igna-ttion not re... kh-kh-kh... cog-nised. Own-er not as-signed. Kh-kh-kh... Com-mencing con-ser... kh-kh-kh... va-tion." The servo-skull falls silent and no longer responds to commands.
end of branch
YOU[Leave]
NunciusThe skull's eye sockets stare blindly back at you.
end of branch
YOU[Examine the servo-skull]continues where this line first appears above
YOU[Examine the body]continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Eogunn is dead. I am sorry."continues where this line first appears above
YOU[Leave]continues where this line first appears above
Entry point 2 of 5
NunciusThe servo-skull's machine spirit is weakened, but still responds to the diagnostic litany and reveals the contents of the skull. It contains only a control micro-cogitator, an Imperium-standard set of manipulators, and an autoquill for log-keeping. A translucent, opalescent liquid oozes from the hoses connecting the skull to the body. All organic components are completely absent — the Haemonculus must have removed them in the course of his monstrous experiments.
YOU"Nuncius, can you hear me?"
NunciusThe cadaver's slit throat lets out a few squelching wheezes, coming together to form recognisable words: "Err-rrr-orr. Re-quessss-ted dessss-igna-ttion no... rrr... cognised..."
YOU"Nuncius, can you hear me?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Unit, specify your designation."
Nuncius"Stan-dard... mmmhhh... ser-vo-sku-ll mo-del one-sev-en... four-ze-ro-ze-ro... one. Sys-tem status: stand-by. Err-rr-orr. Re-ques-ess-ting re-pair rit-u-al." The skull twitches, trying to take flight, but clamps keep it securely bound to the flesh.
YOU"Nuncius, can you hear me?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Unit, specify your designation."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"One-seven-four-zero-one, how many components did the xenos extract from you?"
Nuncius"Z-ero."
YOU"Nuncius, can you hear me?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Unit, specify your designation."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"One-seven-four-zero-one, how many components did the xenos extract from you?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Open access to the latest log entry."
Nuncius"Khhh... Not au-tho-rised. Ac-cess den-ied." The trachea expels a few gelatinous clots of blood, after which the words become clearer: "Authorisation of unit Eogunn Februs required."
YOU"Nuncius?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU[Examine the servo-skull]continues where this line first appears above
YOU[Examine the body]continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Eogunn is dead. I am sorry."continues where this line first appears above
YOU[Leave]continues where this line first appears above
YOU[Leave the skull alone]
NunciusThe cogitator hums quietly inside its bone receptacle.
YOU"Nuncius?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU[Examine the servo-skull]continues where this line first appears above
YOU[Examine the body]continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Eogunn is dead. I am sorry."continues where this line first appears above
YOU[Leave]continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Open access to the latest log entry."continues where this line first appears above
YOU[Leave the skull alone]continues where this line first appears above
YOU"One-seven-four-zero-one, how many components did the xenos extract from you?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Open access to the latest log entry."continues where this line first appears above
YOU[Leave the skull alone]continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Unit, specify your designation."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"One-seven-four-zero-one, how many components did the xenos extract from you?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Open access to the latest log entry."continues where this line first appears above
YOU[Leave the skull alone]continues where this line first appears above
Entry point 3 of 5
NunciusYou are unsure what mechanisms are embedded within the skull, but even without the necessary expertise, you can clearly tell something is wrong. A viscous, opalescent sludge oozes out of Nuncius's eye sockets, dropping to the floor in globs.
YOU"Nuncius, can you hear me?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Unit, specify your designation."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"One-seven-four-zero-one, how many components did the xenos extract from you?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Open access to the latest log entry."continues where this line first appears above
YOU[Leave the skull alone]continues where this line first appears above
Entry point 4 of 5
NunciusThe skull-topped structure looks like nothing more than a hideously disfigured corpse with hoses and wires attached. Dark tubes wriggle sluggishly beneath the skin like fat worms. The body is so ravaged that it is impossible to discern any practical intent behind these mutilations.
YOU"Nuncius?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU[Examine the servo-skull]continues where this line first appears above
YOU[Examine the body]continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Eogunn is dead. I am sorry."continues where this line first appears above
YOU[Leave]continues where this line first appears above
Entry point 5 of 5
NunciusThis body, unlike the other three, is devoid of modifications — at least those noticeable to the naked eye. The neck ends in an off-putting tangle of tubes, and mounted on top is the now familiar servo-skull. The Haemonculus's creation shows no signs of activity, but the human chest is rising and falling steadily, a semblance of life still lingering in the cadaver.
YOU"Nuncius?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU[Examine the servo-skull]continues where this line first appears above
YOU[Examine the body]continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Eogunn is dead. I am sorry."continues where this line first appears above
YOU[Leave]continues where this line first appears above