Chereads / Imperia: Return of the Empire / Chapter 22 - Another Number

Chapter 22 - Another Number

The last thirty minutes had been burnt out of her mind. There were no blurry memories, no fluttering of color. Memory is a fickle thing, not being able to remember from amnesia is different from being incapable of doing so. The moment the indoctrination process began, her mind had been overwritten.

Tiny changes here and there, adoration and undying loyalty added a little bit of everywhere. Essentially nothing really changed, just their perspective. The majority of their personality and their memories intact.

Tanya's eyes fluttered open, only to be forced to shut her gates as soon as bright lights flooded in. Her eyes squeezed shut to the point that tears rolled down her cheeks. "Oi…"

"Where am I?" She went to move her arms and legs, the stiffness reminded her of stone. She wiggled her toes, they were barely responsive. It was as if someone had used muscle relaxants on her. That's when it dawned on her, the last thing she remembered was a mountain.

Furrowing her brows and placing her partially sleep hand against her face. It felt weird, like a warm water balloon slapping her in the face. For some reason her face cringed unexplainably at the feeling.

Looking around she seemed to have found herself in a medical facility, but hardly recognized the architecture. While she knew she was on Veskar, it all look reminiscent of the Imperian Architecture of the Ancient Empire which once united the Galaxy as one. The only reason she knows of it is due to the Galactic Museum of Venith IIa.

Her eyes traced over the ovular lighting emplaced within the dark off-black, bluish, panels. It didn't take long until she was able to freely move and observe the room. It was a long room which was approximately fifty meters in length and twenty meters in width. It was a rectangular room with numerous medical beds on one side and miscellaneous medical related things on the other.

Sitting up into a cross-legged posture, she realized she felt no pain. This was relatively unusual, unless it was just delayed. Glancing down, she noticed that she was wearing just a plain white hospital gown.

Her eyes centered on her bare legs as she swallowed her saliva. She had a strange taste in her mouth, clinging to the back of her throat. It was familiar, but the idea was vulgar. 'Someone use me as an onahole while I was sleeping?' The thought was clearly disturbing her, as her face was filled with distraught.

Luckily she didn't feel sore anywhere except for her chest where she had been shot prior. As she removed the hospital gown, she was at a lost for words. The once battle scared chest and lower torso was in pristine shape. It was if she was put through a toy factory to be refurbished.

The shock was written all over her face, momentarily erasing the thoughts of what she had assumed happened while she wasn't conscious.

A distinctive hiss came from the door as it slid open and vanished into the wall's pocket. Her eyes snapped to attention and she shifted her body towards the presence.

Tanya half expected her heart to freeze, instead it felt warmer. Her negative thoughts were clouded by incessant positive toleration.

Vycter's eyes weren't as cold as they were before. In his eyes she could recognize her own reflection of value. Not that she would remember her being seen as expendable. She had an odd feeling this gaze of his was cherishing her.

Despite this a toughened, stern, expression took over her face. She gave the air of discipline which most of the runaways and low ranked deserters lacked.

It was clear she wanted to inquire why he was here. He was long thought to be dead when his ship had lost structural integrity. "Senior, Price?" A short pause faded in, "Why are you here? How are you here?" She didn't sound excited, but she started to blush.

The only thing she remembered of this man was that she hated him for taking her sister's affection lightly. The Vycter she remembered was a vicious sociopath that simply did anything he wanted for entertainment. This included how he saw the Space Marine Corps.

"Why wouldn't I be here?"

That's when her thoughts went blank, her fingers traced her lips slightly and stared at him. She couldn't feel anger towards him, but the look she was giving him was astonishment. 'Had he used me while I was sleeping?' Her chest felt as if it was tightening, as if a giant was grasping her torso and squeezing with all his might.

She was finding it hard to breath. As if she was trapped in a room running out of air. 'Since when did I have asthma?' She bent forward, considerably flexible as her face was almost meeting the mattress in front of her.

The girl flung herself forward, clung to the end of the bed, and puked at the foot of it. The taste was gone, replaced by the bitter taste of acids and a vegetarian lunch. Her vomit was abnormally green and gave off a grassy scent. It kind of reminded one of a hairball with its density.

Vycter stared at the mess on the floor for a few moments before massaging the bridge of his nose. "I guess that was to be expected?" His voice sounded uncharacteristic as she remembered him, it was as if it sounded sympathetic.

Wiping her mouth with her forearm, she tossed the hospital gown aside, shamelessly sliding off the bed. Checking beneath her mild bust, she noticed the brand was gone from below her tit, she couldn't help but smile.

However that smile only lasted for a mere moment before her stern expression return and fire formed in her eyes. She looked like she was about to burn him with her gaze.

Even though he knew she couldn't possibly try to harm him due to the conditioning she had gone through, Vycter himself felt a shiver go down his spine.

"You're supposed to be dead," Her voice was reminiscent of a growling alpha from a pride of lions. "You are courting death by not reporting in with central command!" She pointed at him with accusation of desertion being implied with her words. She wasn't far off.

"Oh-oh-oh. Might, oh mighty." Vycter blatantly let a bellowing laugh, mocking her sternness.

That's when she noticed his uniform, he was dressed in a off-white with a bluish tinted double breasted tunic. Her eyes travelled down to a pair of black cargo pants and some battle armor boots. Remembering the girl from earlier, her eyes darted over to the number on his shoulder.

It was the number eleven in the form of roman numerals. "You started it."

The conclusion was well founded, she couldn't even bring up the whole idea of her sister being heart broken, despite the abuse she had gone through because of him. He didn't affirm nor deny that he started either when she caught on.

"Welcome to the Beginning of a beginning of my Grand Imperium," He had his arms out like he was ready to embrace her should she come running to him. Instead, he was met with a suspicious glare.

Vycter's jaw settled and he let his arms fall to his sides. "Hum," her glanced towards the vomit on the ground, then towards the girl who was standing in the nude. "Wanna have some fun?"

The facial expression on Tanya's face was frozen the way it was, ignoring the question. Her brows were pointed downwards in an angry formation. However her eyes showed temptation, she still had a will of her own after all.

She then turned her head away from him and stared blankly at the wall. "Nope, I'm good." She had no idea where she was going as she shifted her body away from him and began quick hastened towards the door on the opposite end of the room.

Just as she was close to the middle of the room, Vycter had carelessly dawdled over to a nearby bed, picked up a neck pillow and chuckled it after her.

Without a second to spare, she roundhouse kicked the pillow into the table next to her, sending various empty plastic vials to the ground. Flinching as they landed, expecting them to shatter like glass, she blinked a few times. "Shiiiiiiiit."

FADUMP!

Like a pebble skipping across a pond, Tanya found herself barreling and bouncing across the room after a much larger body rammed into her. Her face was dumbfounded as she hadn't expected him to ram her in the side and thrust her across the room.

She slid the rest of the way and laid there for a few moments as her body recovered from the shock. She literally sounded like a squeegee moving across a flat glass surface.

Tanya was far from amused as she found herself getting to her feet before the man as he was standing in front of her. She went to give him a roundhouse kick, much higher than before. However right before her foot could come in contact with the side of his head, her body came to a halt. Everything felt like pins and needles and she found herself locked in place until Vycter dismissed her foot and gave her a light shove with two fingers. She was sent stumbling back before landing on her rump.

"What was that…?" Tanya didn't understand why her brain, let alone her nerves, forced the breaks on her movements. Her heart beat faster and louder than a locomotive.

Pointing to the counter which had a blue-grey double breasted tunic, shoulder cape and cargo pants on it, Vycter didn't answer her question. "Get dressed." His voice sounded like an order as he began to walk towards the door.

As if by remote, she did exactly as she was told. Her body wasn't listening to her objections until she found herself already sliding on the new uniform. Moments afterward, she noticed an number appear on the shoulder from a nearby mirror. It was a nine in roman numerals. "What the hell does this mean?"