Outlooks

by Imperaxum

Alone?

The next morning, Rhia woke to find the Kriegsman standing by the entrance of the cave, facing the outside world. Yawning, she fumbled around for her pack and grabbed her autogun, rising to her feet. She felt good, far better than the past month, at least. The threat of invasion and being inducted into the PDF had been stressful beyond belief - but also oddly exciting, certainly the most notable thing to happen in her life of factory work.

Briefly, she wondered if that thought had been heretical.

"When'd you wake up?" she asked, ambling over to the Kriegsman.

He didn't turn, but responded gruffly, "After you fell asleep with finishing your watch, waited until o-four-hundred to get up."

"Wait, you didn't sleep at all?"

"No, I can miss one night. Your dedication at the watch is inadaquate, although you managed to stay awake."

"Damn that helmet . . ." Rhia trailed off, staring out the cave, eyes widening. "Emperor above."

The star of the planet stained the sky with hues of pink and gold, rising noticabley.

"By the Throne, I don't think that'll ever get old." Rhia breathed. The Kriegsman remained silent, though his helmet faced the direction of the rising sun.

After a minute, the Krigesman shook his head faintly, and turned back for the cave. "We'll carry torches to save the fire, but we should be heading for lower elevations." he said.

"Right, there's no matches left." Rhia nodded in agreement, then froze. "Wait. That was, well, clever." Joy lit up her face. "Hey, that means you want us to live after all!" she whooped.

The Kriegsman silent, bending over the fire and wrapping up a makeshift torch in rags from his pack. Rhia sighed, and went over to help.

~

Midday found the pair silently trudging through melting snow, always downwards. The air was thicker here, envigorating.

"I guess we didn't realize the air was so thin 'cause it was so clean." Rhia said, familiar wonder in her voice. "Wow. I never knew air could be like this!"

"This?" the Kriegsman said.

Rhia blinked. "Y-yes. This. You know, factories and all. Hive cities. It's like breathing in a really foul soup." She smirked grimly. "Eh, that was once good thing about the 12-hour shifts in the factories. I always volunteered to maintain the lower levels, usually got a gas mask with the extra crown or two. Cleanest air I could get back in the hive."

"Usually?"

Rhia frowned. "Uh, yeah. Sometimes they couldn't replace worn-out masks for weeks, one of the managers probably filched the replacement shipment. Then it was use a useless mask or go in the lower levels without one at all. I never volunteered then, but the regulars of the shift would always get picked anyway when nobody else would step forward."

"The lower levels were contaminated?"

"Yeah. A lot of the fumes just cycled through the old blowers and ended up down there."

The Kriegsman shook his head. "Denying workers proper masks for some crowns? Discraceful. A cowardly waste."

"Right." Rhia said, and coughed violently. "Eugh, there I go. Finally. Cleanest air in the world won't help me now." She stopped and sank to her knees, coughing wretchedly, with mounting pain.

"Rhia?" the Kriegsman asked, voice flat as always. Rhia still jerked in surprise at her name.

"Oh, wow, It's nice to hear that na- Ech!" she heaved and coughed again, specks of phlegm scattering over the snow.

The Kriegsman put a steadying hand on her shoulder, and with the other unclapsed his helmet and took it off, squinting at the unfiltered glare. "Will the gas mask help?"

"N-no," Rhia gasped between coughs, "probably not. Thanks."

"Look." the Kriegsman snapped without warning. "Down at the treeline." he said, any hint, imagined or no, of warmth in his voice utterly gone.

"Huh?" Rhia joined him behind a rock, still coughing intermittedly.

The Kriegsman pointed, and when Rhia squinted she inhaled in surprise. A speck of green, dull green, was moving indeed near the treeline - but off the ground.

"What is it?" Rhia whispered, sudden adrenaline blotting out her health woes.

"Xeno. Flying xeno." the Kriegsman replied tersely. "No signs of mechanical propulsion, though we're very far off." The Kriegsman reached into his pack and pulled out a small writing pad and stick of charcoal. He began to write furiously.

Xeno. Light green. Flying, no technology visible. Lower elevation. Possibly psychic? Wings, small ones.

The creature disappeared, and the Kriegsman put away his tools, grabbing his lasgun off the ground. "We're not alone."

"Probably just, eh, wildlife." Rhia offered, autogun clutched a little closer.

"Wildlife can be very dangrous." the Kriegsman observed. "More dangerous than a 'thinking' Orc or Eldar, at times."

Rhia sighed. "I'd like to believe the best of the world."

"Then you are fortunate to be in my company. That belief will get you killed, PDF." the Kriegsman said, standing up and slinging his lasgun back over his shoulder.

Rhia stayed on the ground, and sighed again. "Oh, come on. You just said 'Rhia'."

"Rhia." the Kriegsman repeated after a moment's hesitation. "We must be careful as we descend."

She smiled brightly, and rose to join him. "Thanks."

"That coughing." the Kriegsman asked as they started back down the mountain, sun high in the crystal sky, "will you be adequate?"

"Yeah," Rhia said, "I think I'll make it. My lungs can't be that bad, can they?"

"They said Vraks couldn't have been that bad, some of the Cadians I've met." the Kriegsman replied, without missing a beat.

Rhia stopped, a look of disbelief on her face. "Wait, was that a joke?"

He hadn't waited. As she stared at the back of the receding Kriegsman, Rhia smiled, and rushed after him. Progress had been made,

A small vial had dropped out of Rhia's pack in the rush. She had many like it, but this was the first in its particular package, and was named. Obscura it read.

Author's Note:

Wow, uh, that took a long time. Fear not friends, I'm about to make another empty promise on not procrastinating for the next chapter.

Oh, wait.

I'm sorry. Very sorry. I'm struggling along with this story, but it's a good way to break my writer's block on several unpublished ones I've been working on.

To be truthful I'm rather surprised by the relative popularity of Outlooks. Letting down even one reader is bad; 74? I'll trudge through this as best I can.

23 weeks. Feels bad, guys. Feels real bad.

But clicking that 'publish' button? Feels good, mates.

Comments

[nothing_to_see_here]

A krieg developing personality beyond wanting to rush head first into a machine gun nest? That is something new

[Shocks]

I imagine Rhia is gonna be like, "it's adorable!"

And the Kriegsman is just like

[Merchent343]

Good to see another chapter, although I wish the updates were quicker.

[PegaSeraph]

5297171 callin a xenos "adorable" might be heresy...

[PegaSeraph]

moar please! (but take your time)

[Drakar]

It's nice to see this story hasn't been abandoned.I am looking forward to future chapters.

[DerpKnight]

Really enjoying the story, cant wait to read more and love how ya mentioned Vraks

[Orkz]

Is bawss. And 'oo sex some squig'z 'arder den wunna da boyz?

[Hey its that Pony]

Could have sworn I commented on this before. But yes, please continue if you have more. This has been pretty interesting so far.

[Greatazuredragon]

Rhia sighed. "I'd like to believe the best of the world."
"Then you are fortunate to be in my company. That belief will get you killed, PDF."

He has such a shiny personality...

Very nice work.

[3-tap]

A small vial had dropped out of Rhia's pack in the rush. She had many like it, but this was the first in its particular package, and was named. Obscura it read.

Is this a fourth wall break?

🤔