Chapter II: Purple Haze

Erda slowly opened her eyes. She smelled, she tasted, dirt, but not just any dirt, this was sandy. With blurred vision she slowly pushed herself up off the ground. Her whole body ached. Every last tendon felt stretched and bruised. Blood poured from an open wound on her scalp. In her throat she also tasted like copper.

Wounded, feeling two broken ribs, she cringed and started to walk forward towards a city off into the distance. It was glowing, in the middle of a desert, like an oasis of electricity. It took a lot of effort, but eventually she came close enough to something that looked like a road, poorly paved, leading towards the city. Blood and vomit clogged her throat as she slouched down, eventually her body gave way and she landed on her hands and knees. She threw up blood, it stuck to the ground. Suddenly, she heard a noise, but was to hurt to move. Through the darkness came a vehicle. Two headlights, it was… some sort of small bus with beads in the front window, and colorfully painted. This vehicle pulled up beside her and stopped. Strange music played inside the cab and was lowered to a whisper as the side door opened with a metal on metal whoosh.

Erda's eyes looked on in a haze as a towering man, muscled, powerful, long black hair, solid green eyes, and a deep intelligent voice spoke. He wore denim jeans and a leather vest over his otherwise bare chest.

Purple haze all in my brain
Lately things just don't seem the same
Actin' funny, but I don't know why
'Scuse me while I kiss the sky

"It's ok travellor. I felt you coming through the warp... and it looks like it sure took a toll on your body...Well, I suppose that it's good to see you again Erda. This is... the third time we've met, but by your perception this is merely the first. That will... require... some explaining."

This man reached forward, and touched her shoulder. Some sort of electric pulse arced into his hand. His face, it contorted violently and he fell backwards against the bus. Erda looked at him, his nose bleed, but he smeered it away.

Purple haze all around
Don't know if I'm comin' up or down
Am I happy or in misery?
Whatever it is, that girl put a spell on me

"I see..." he started, now looking at her harshly, "So, some Orks are about to come to Terra. And as for you, you're suppose to be one of the three that helps me stop them. Well... this is coming from future me, not past me..."

"At least we aren't dealing with Nazis again..." he chuckled.

"Future you?" she asked, barely concious.

Help me help me
Oh no no... no

"Ah yes, he didn't have time to explain that part did he? Allow me to be blunt... I'm the Emperor. Well... the past him. And this is... Earth, 1967. Based on the Psyker Fragment the future me gave you, it looks like some far-out stuff is about to go down in New Mexico."

Erda looked at him, his soft smiling face. He was kind, she could tell, but... that face. Every single piece of propaganda art ever created depicting the Emperor, it flashed through her mind, it was HIM! It was him... and the year!?

Yeah
Purple haze all in my eyes
Don't know if it's day or night
You've got me blowin, blowin my mind
Is it tomorrow or just the end of time?

"1967?" she asked dully.

"Yep, 38,000 years in the past. And, if you think this is bizzare,I remember how you reacted during WWII, but from your perspective none of that has even happened yet."

That last part made her laugh, briefly, before she passed out again.

No, help me aw yeah! oh no no oh help me...