Interrogation

At last, the doors of the caisson opened, and I was met by two types, looking at me attentively from behind a post, which I was tempted to call a parapet. The façade of this administrative and protective piece of furniture was adorned by a skull, which had already become a sort of "our own, safe" trigger.

- Terentius Alumus, welcome to the Fortress of the Inquisition Imperatorius Claytus. Do you have luggage with you? - The type pointed to a metal crate.

- Xenotech, dismantled," I answered sparingly.

- Danger, maliciousness, degree of interaction with warp? - both came up, and the light and wind of the immaterial began to swirl around them in an orderly fashion.

- To the best of my knowledge, zero. Xenotech, judging by the data of the discoverer and concealer of the find, from the Ancients, is purely a technological object. A gateway to the deepest layers of warp, dismantled," I voiced.

- Code? - asked the somewhat relaxed guardian, averting his eyes from me to something hidden by the bar.

- Hmm, hard to answer," I admitted. - The memory damage from the war creature...

The rumble of turrets emerging from the ceiling and cyborgs falling out of the false panels interrupted my speech. After admiring the guns pointed at me, I stared questioningly at the guards.

- Codification of possible invasion level "demonhost," Inquisitor, - tensely, but evenly answered the guard, seeing that I do not jump up, not spitting and not spitting words insolent.

- I understand, until the degree of danger is identified, please do not use any means of coercion, I am ready to follow all the instructions," I said.

- Acceptable," I nodded.

- I would also like my former mentor and friend, Maximus Decimus, to be present," I said as I took out my tablet, but could not contact anyone.

- Blocked communication, standard," the guard replied to my questioning glance. - Apparently you have suffered a great deal of damage indeed, Inquisitor. The number? - he asked, and I called out the number beside my name.

The guards contacted Maximus, who, having understood the situation, undertook to bring the "necessary escort. For ten minutes I looked at the fiercely overcorrupted cyborgs-"servitors," judging by the data extracted from the tablet. Some kind of human-based biorobots, with varying degrees of personal and cognitive integrity (depending on the field of application and the original data of the "servitor").

Finally, after ten minutes, a man appeared, looking as old as Teryoha was. He wore leather armor, concealed by a sort of long cloak. His palm rested on the hilt of some weapon concealed by a cape, and his face was adorned with luxurious and lush mustaches, which pointed to Maximus (even the previous passenger of my present body couldn't help noting this outstanding detail in his diary).

Accompanying Maximus were two obvious space Marines, no taller than Claudius, wearing gray-metal armor with bronze decorations. The wind and light enveloped all three of them, and the strongest (though ridiculously weak) background came from one of the armored men. A Librarian, perhaps, I thought in passing, nodding to Maximus.

- Greetings, Terentius," he said after ten seconds. - Cancel the alarm, we'll proceed to the auditorium for the proceedings. You're not going to resist, are you?

- No, Maximus," I answered.

- The only thing, ter, place this relic around the brought xenotech, - with these words Maximus threw me a roll of twisted chain. With trinkets, I noted, looking at the obligatory skulls.

The chain, it must be noted, emanated light of immaterial much stronger than the Librarian, but I did not really care, so I just tied it around the container. And when I turned around, I found Maximus in a more relaxed posture: his hand had left the hilt of his weapon, and his smile less strained.

- What happened to you, Ter? - he inquired, quite charitably, making an inviting gesture and walking beside us, while the spacemen followed behind us.

- Deeper layers of warp, some effect which I could cope with, but I lost some of my most fundamental memories," I answered.

- Such as? - He inquired curiously.

- The codes at the entrance to the Fortress," I gave the closest example. - And, for instance, who controls Adeptus Mechanicus from separatism... Many things, it's easier to say that I remember.

- About the cogs, the answer is simple, us. - Maximus replied. - You may proceed as directed," he said, pointing to the fortress-like gate, which swung open to the side as we approached.

Hmm, well, it's silly to rush in with those two bunglers at my back, I rationally thought, and stepped inside. The gates rattled shut behind me, grinning at me with another winged skull. It's reasonable, but I hope it's not a prison, I hoped, looking around.

And, apparently, not a prison, but an auditorium, in the sense not of listening, but of listening. An interrogation room, in short: gray steel walls, floor and ceiling, a high-tech chair in the center with a bunch of wires and decorations, and a strip of transparent material on half the wall, where a couple of elderly stumps were now staying, soon joined by Maximus.

- Sure you're not a demonhost? - one of the pensioners asked Maximus, nodding nonchalantly in my direction.

- Unless it's Tzeentch himself," the former mentor blurted out.

A draught of light and wind swept through the auditorium as he said this, and the lights flickered, to which Maximus grinned evilly under the condemning gaze of the third fart.

- All right, colleagues, I see no point in competing in wit," he hissed with a judgmental look, turned to me, and continued: - Born Terentius Alumus, proceed to the fixture in the center of the hall and sit in it," he gave out, which I did. - Put the hoop on your head. The bracelets on your wrists," he continued, which I did, and the chair hummed and flashed with lights. - So, I'll begin, colleagues. Are you Terentius Alumos, Inquisitor of the Ordos Malleus? - he asked.

- I don't know," I answered honestly, "I suppose I am.

- Answer the questions only..." the interrogator began to raise his voice, but was interrupted by Maximus.

- My brother Constantine," he proclaimed with a sneer, literally dripping on the floor. - These are not your usual heretics. A warp-damaged memory. Explain to me, for crying out loud, how he's going to answer yes or no to you if he can't remember? He answered the question honestly, but the question itself is incorrect. Terentius, do you wish for the demise of the Imperium of Mankind?

- No," I answered honestly.

- Do you wish for the expansion of the influence of the Destructive Forces, their rise, their amplification, and any other phenomena good for the products of chaos?

- No.

- Are you ready to serve the Imperium of Mankind for the good and prosperity of it and the human race?

- Yes," I answered honestly.

- And one last question, the medics will deal with you next. What do you, Terentius Alumus, think of our God, the Emperor of mankind? Do you honor him, do you pray to him, do you keep his covenants?

- Not a God, but a man," came out of my mouth, which I tried to correct. - Great, no doubt, but..." My recitation was interrupted by the chuckling of the old scribblers.

- Inquisitor, - diagnosed Constantine. - Colleagues? - he asked a question, to which the colleagues nodded. - Terentius, you are recognized by the commission of three Inquisitors in the person of Maximus, Ordo Malleus, Vasily, Ordo Xenos and Constantine, Ordo Hereticus as a victim and not an accomplice, willingly or unwillingly, of the Pernicious forces, as confirmed by the astropathic report from the planet-enemy Tallorum. Your further fate will be decided by the medics, who will determine your suitability to stay in the ranks of the Holy Inquisition.

That was the end of the interrogation, and they sent me to the medics. But I shouldn't have relaxed! These ghouls in white coats had dragged the soul out of me, not so much by examinations as by tests, conversations, and other Jesuit stuff.