Marcus wasn't particularly concerned with the choices of these few people. After all, he alone could easily sweep through the entire Ishimura. The reason he didn't simply force them all onto the Sanctuary and keep them under strict watch was twofold. Not only did Marcus intend to complete the system's assigned task, but he also had his sights set on the Ishimura itself!
He had previously discovered a crucial function on his system panel: upon completing all tasks in a given world, anything that conceptually belonged to him could be stored in his system warehouse. His weapons, equipment, and even the psychic disaster energy source all operated under this principle. So, if he cleared all the Necromorphs on the Ishimura and effectively occupied the entire vessel, it was highly probable that the Ishimura would also conceptually belong to him. This would allow him to store it in his system warehouse and, astonishingly, bring it to other worlds! The implications were immense. It didn't take a genius to imagine the colossal impact a faster-than-light capable spaceship, one that didn't even need to enter the Warp, would have if introduced into the Warhammer universe.
Furthermore, Isaac, as an engineer, would undoubtedly be invaluable in helping Marcus repair some of the Ishimura's damaged components, at the very least preventing the ship's condition from worsening. Hammond was a tough, capable combatant, proven by his ability to survive on the Ishimura for an extended period armed with just a pulse rifle. As for Daniels, Marcus was well aware of her hidden agenda, but he wasn't bothered. With his interference, it was no longer possible for her to retrieve the Red Marker as in the original plot. And the USM Valor wouldn't bomb the Ishimura with nuclear weapons before securing the Marker. This meant they would inevitably send soldiers to board the ship, providing Marcus with an opportune moment to also acquire the USM Valor.
Back in the flight lounge, Marcus reopened his system panel and summoned more Tyranid Warbeasts. Under the astonished gazes of Isaac and Daniels, a Biovore and a Lictor shimmered into existence out of thin air.
"Space technology!?" Isaac, the engineer, couldn't help but exclaim, clearly mistaking Marcus's summoning for some advanced form of spatial manipulation. Daniels, on the other hand, observed the Biovore and Lictor, noting the apparent variety of these "warbeasts." Any force capable of producing such diverse bio-engineered creatures was certainly not to be underestimated; CEC, in particular, remained highly suspect in her mind.
Marcus merely shook his head, offering no explanation. Then, he led Isaac, Daniels, and his host of Tyranid 'Pokemon' deeper into the Ishimura. Due to severe hull damage and rampant Necromorphs, many doors on the ship were emergency-locked. Following the original game's path would have required long, frustrating detours. But for the Spore Beast, a few well-placed Spore Mines were enough to blast any door wide open. Isaac, the engineer, watched with a slight wince of heartache at the casual destruction.
Along the way, the tyranid warriors cleared their path, the biovore provided lethal ranged support from the rear, and the Spore Beast diligently dissolved any lingering Necromorph remains. Even those Slashers lurking in dark corners were relentlessly hunted down by the lictor and venomthrope, dragged out, and reduced to puddles of slime.
As they approached the tram control room, a faint cry for help echoed from behind a secured door. "Is anyone there! Help me! I can't open this damn door!" The frantic shouts were punctuated by the terrifying roars of Slashers.
"It's a survivor! Open this door quickly!" Hammond urged, his anxiety palpable as he looked at Marcus.
Marcus waved his hand, and the Lictor beside him immediately spat a ball of psychic energy, obliterating the tightly sealed door into dust. A panicked survivor, clad in an Ishimura uniform, stumbled out from behind the wreckage. But upon seeing the equally terrifying Lictor, his legs instantly gave out, and he collapsed. Behind him, a Slasher roared and lunged forward. The Lictor fired another psychic energy ball, instantly blasting away more than half of the Slasher's body. A waiting Spore Mine rushed forward, completely dissolving the remaining flesh.
"Hey, calm down, calm down," Hammond soothed, helping the terrified survivor to his feet. "Tell me, what's your name, okay?" Seeing normal humans, the survivor finally began to compose himself. Perhaps due to extreme fright, it took a moment for him to collect his thoughts. "I, I am Niles," he stammered, "a junior miner on the Ishimura."
Isaac and Hammond, having finally encountered their first living person, immediately began to pepper Niles with questions about the Ishimura's state. Marcus, however, didn't linger. He continued walking forward on his own. From behind him, Niles's voice, still trembling, called out, "Don't go! The ship is full of those monsters now, they... they can't be killed at all!"
Marcus stopped and pointed to the thoroughly annihilated Necromorph remains. "It's these twisted monsters that should be afraid." Niles was speechless, having just witnessed a Slasher's body half-vaborated by a ball of green energy.
"I'm going to take him to the Sanctuary," Hammond said, his tone firm as he looked at Marcus.
Marcus nodded casually and, as an afterthought, tossed a pulse rifle to Hammond. Hammond, grateful, caught the weapon, then supported Niles as they headed back the way they came. The group had already cleared dozens of Slashers on their path here, so they would be safe for a short while.
"Let's go," Marcus said, beginning to walk again. "The tram control room is just ahead." Isaac and Daniels immediately followed.
"Nicole must still be alive," Isaac muttered, trying to reassure himself. "Niles just said he saw her in the medical bay not long ago."
Marcus glanced at him, choosing not to reveal the grim truth of Nicole's fate. It wouldn't be too late to tell him after Isaac had helped repair the Ishimura. After a short distance, the small group arrived at the tram control room. Isaac immediately stepped forward to inspect the damage to the tram system. Marcus, meanwhile, opened his system panel to check the Necromorph cleanup progress.
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The cleanup progress was still very low, primarily because most of the Necromorphs weren't in this area. The vast majority of Slashers were roaming in densely populated sections such as the crew deck, hydro-ponics, and medical bay. The fastest way to reach these areas was to restart the tram operating system.
"A broken tram is blocking the tunnel. We have to move it, and we need to go to the maintenance bay to get the data board to restart the tram operating system," Isaac reported to Marcus after his inspection.
Marcus reached out and clapped Isaac's shoulder. "Go. I believe you can do all of this."
Isaac looked confused. "Aren't you coming with us? I'm just an ordinary engineer; how can I fight those monsters?" Marcus reached out and handed another pulse rifle to Isaac. Incidentally, along the way, Isaac had also managed to assemble his signature weapon—the Plasma Cutter.
"I need to clear the surrounding Necromorphs, Mr. Isaac," Marcus said, shaking his head. "Miss Nicole is waiting for you to save her. Moreover, Miss Daniels will also go with you."
Daniels, called out, was internally highly reluctant but nodded in agreement.