**Hampus The Red, Meta-Ridley's Ship, Hangar**

 Someone was yelling. Someone that Hampus knew he should listen to. Waves of consciousness came flooding back as Hampus realized where he was and who was yelling at him.

"-or I will break your arms and make you do two hundred push-ups! Initiate Hampus, **RESPOND**!" 

"Present, sir!" Hampus shouted, as he snapped to attention.

The man who yelled at Hampus, a giant of a drill sergeant with breath like a morgue and a chin as craggy as Scotland, glared at Hampus' previous inattentiveness. After an incredibly uncomfortable pause, the drill sergeant stepped back and addressed Hampus and his fellow Initiates.

"That's all you rats accounted for, then! LISTEN UP, MAGGOTS! You've been granted a _major_ gift from Lord Ridley just by being here! You boys are here to _prove yourself worthy_, in the name of Shadow Eternity! I do _not_ want you rats screwing this up! If you do, I will make damn well sure to keep your eyes intact so you can see what you look like _when I'm done gutting you!_ DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?!"

"Sir, yes, sir!" The Initiates shouted.

"Good! Your current posting will be in the _engine rooms!_ When the engineers ask you to clean out the engines, you damn well better be in the reactor with your own goddamn toothbrush by the time they stop speaking! _If_ you do well, you will be given the glorious opportunity to be the first off the ship and into the meat grinder! Failure to comply with orders will result in _immediate_ termination! DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?!

"SIR, YES, SIR!" The Initiates howled.

"_Diiis-**missed**_!"

Hampus and the four other Initiates he was with scattered. _Oh, dammit!_ Hampus thought, _I don't even know where the engine room is!_ His mind aflutter with all the lovely things his sergeant would do to him if he failed, Hampus hurried along through the halls. If he was lucky, he'd reach the engine room without trouble. Of course, Hampus was _never_ lucky.