Seven o'clock in the evening found Nolan walking through the front door with his aunt, whose flushed cheeks and cheerful mumbling betrayed her excellent mood. The return of her restaurant business had lifted her spirits considerably, and Nolan had allowed her to indulge in some celebratory drinks over dinner.
Between the two of them, Nolan and his aunt had worked their way through quite a bit of alcohol. Unfortunately, their celebration resulted in getting his aunt thoroughly drunk. He guided her stumbling form up to the bedroom and helped her lie down, then filled a glass with ice water and set it on the bedside table within easy reach.
After heading back downstairs, Nolan retrieved the six million in cash and tucked it safely under his bed. His mind buzzed with restless energy, neurons firing too rapidly for sleep to come easily. The pleasant warmth of alcohol still flowing through his system only made the decision easier.
He would run another simulation.
Settling cross-legged on his bedroom floor, Nolan whispered to the void, "Emperor, grant your blessing."
[Simulation starting...]
[Current identities available: Catachan Recruit, Krieg Grenadier, Kasherzin Sergeant Major.]
[Please select your insertion identity.]
[Declining selection will result in random descent.]
[Identity selection declined.]
[Simulation starting...]
[You have entered the Warhammer Universe]
[Time Period: M41]
[Location: Segmentum Ultima, Ultima Sector, Planet Tyran]
[You have materialized in the cabin of an Endeavour-class light cruiser...]
[You find yourself wearing an Imperial Commissar's uniform, black greatcoat lined with crimson red.]
[Before you can assess the situation, a flustered mortal officer bursts into your quarters.]
["Report, Commissar! We're approaching the garrison planet!" The officer snapped off a hasty salute, breathing hard from his rush.]
[With no context for your current circumstances, you channel your best imitation of Commissar Ciaphas Cain's mannerisms and rise to return the salute.]
[After a moment's hesitation, you carefully probe for information about your assignment, phrasing your questions indirectly.]
[The mortal officer shows no suspicion. He assumes you're simply testing his memory and attention to detail.]
[Through his explanation, you learn that you're bound for a fringe world called 'Tyran' to be stationed at a Mechanicus exploratory outpost, performing forward observation duties.]
[You are the newly assigned Imperial Commissar for this light infantry regiment.]
[The somewhat overeager mortal NCO standing before you is your adjutant, a Star Army sergeant named Lawrence, originally from the ocean world of 'Pearl Moon.']
[The name 'Tyran' triggers a vague familiarity in the back of your mind, but given your unfamiliarity with the current situation, you choose to remain silent and observe.]
[You ask Adjutant Lawrence to escort you on a tour of the ship, citing a need for fresh air after being cooped up in your cabin.]
[Lawrence agrees cheerfully, though he can't help but wonder why you seem so different from your usual stern demeanor.]
[Perhaps the Commissar doesn't handle void travel well? Lawrence muses to himself.]
[Day One]
[Under Lawrence's guidance, you conduct an inspection of the regiment.]
[You meet Regiment Commander Drakos of the 358th Star Army Regiment for what is technically the second time, though the first for you.]
[Commander Drakos is a powerfully built man capable of firing a standard-issue bolter one-handed.]
[You find yourself envying his impressive strength and combat prowess.]
[After a moment's consideration, you ask Commander Drakos if you might visit the practice range to familiarize yourself with the bolter.]
[Commander Drakos expresses enthusiastic approval of your martial interests, his opinion of the new Commissar rising considerably.]
["Welcome to the 358th Regiment family!" The jovial Commander claps you on the shoulder in a gesture of camaraderie.]
[Day Two]
[Your right arm is now encased in a plaster cast and immobilized against your chest in a sling.]
[You spend most of the day confined to your quarters, alternating between staring at the walls and occasionally leafing through the Munitorum-issued Imperial Guard manual.]
[Boredom weighs heavily on you, matched only by your growing hunger.]
[You dispatch Adjutant Lawrence to the galley to fetch some food.]
[A short while later, Commander Drakos appears at your cabin door looking thoroughly embarrassed, carrying a plate of steaming Tauros steak.]
[He offers you a sincere apology, admitting he shouldn't have let you attempt firing the bolter without proper preparation.]
[Commander Drakos rolls up his sleeves to reveal what lies beneath his uniform: both arms have been replaced with mechanical augmetic prosthetics.]
[The sight of the Tauros steak goes a long way toward helping you forgive Drakos's earlier oversight.]
[You and Commander Drakos reconcile, your working relationship now on solid footing.]
[Day Three]
[Commander Drakos introduces you to the five company captains under his command.]
[He thumps his barrel chest confidently and assures you that his soldiers are brave warriors drawn from planets across the Imperium, men who will never retreat in the face of the enemy.]
[Day Four]
[The Endeavour-class light cruiser enters orbit around a blue world, its surface dominated by vast oceans.]
[At Commander Drakos's bellowed orders, the entire regiment begins preparations for planetside deployment.]
[You seek out Commander Drakos to voice certain concerns that have been troubling you.]
[You explain that you have a strong premonition about the fringe world 'Tyran,' a sense that an unprecedented battle awaits you there. You request permission for the 358th Regiment to deploy with maximum heavy weapons and vehicle support.]
[Commander Drakos doesn't hesitate. He immediately orders the entire regiment to offload every piece of heavy equipment the Endeavour-class cruiser can spare, including five brand-new Basilisk artillery pieces and three Leman Russ battle tanks still undergoing repairs.]
[You're both pleased and somewhat puzzled by Commander Drakos's immediate trust in your judgment.]
[Seeing your confusion, Drakos offers an explanation with a rueful smile. The last time someone mentioned a similar premonition to him, he'd dismissed it out of hand. The result cost him both arms, killed the previous Commissar, and reduced the regiment's strength to a single company's worth of survivors.]
[Day Five]
[The 358th Regiment establishes itself at the Mechanicus exploratory outpost, which occupies a solitary island in the middle of a storm-tossed ocean.]
[You're surprised to discover the base possesses formidable defensive capabilities.]
[Four massive laser turrets protected by void shield generators anchor the defenses, supported by numerous smaller-caliber gun emplacements and reinforced bunkers scattered throughout the installation.]
[A Mechanicus pioneer team formally transfers garrison duties to you before preparing to depart aboard the Endeavour-class cruiser.]
[Thinking quickly, you channel Commissar Cain's legendary persistence and somehow convince the team's Tech-Priest to delay departure and construct additional defensive fortifications.]
[Week One]
[The exploratory outpost remains quiet and secure.]
[Faced with nothing but restless ocean waves stretching to the horizon, you begin to doubt your earlier premonitions. Your days are spent watching Adjutant Lawrence reel in increasingly monstrous-looking fish from the surrounding waters.]
[Commander Drakos offers encouraging words, reminding you that a quiet garrison posting would actually be ideal. After all, most of the soldiers in the regiment have reached an age where they're eager to return to their homeworlds and start families.]
[Week Two]
[Strange dark shapes begin appearing in the waters surrounding the outpost.]
[Adjutant Lawrence, who has been enthusiastically fishing since your arrival, nearly gets dragged into the ocean by something enormous that took his bait.]
[You lead a squad down to the shoreline to investigate.]
[You manage to kill one of the strange creatures as it attempts to infiltrate the shore.]
[You stand over the corpse of the horrifying thing, easily over three meters in length, and feel ice run down your spine.]
[It's a Lictor gene-stealer with a black carapace covering its back, a vanguard organism of the Hive Fleet.]
[The Tyranid swarm has arrived.]