A.N.: Hello there! Second chapter this week, and well... we're almost there. Next chapter will be the last, though I will likely add an extra epilogue chapter afterwards. Thank you very much for following along so far, I appreciate all the reception this story has gotten; For my first story in 40k, it's been incredible seeing how many people have actually taken the time to read it and review it! Now, let's get this chapter started!
Henry panted as he ran through the rubble filled streets of the twelfth district. The sound of a lasgun shot missing his leg and hitting one of the uncountable pieces of broken building near him made him yelp, throwing himself behind cover.
"HENRY! YOU USELESS COWARD, KEEP RUNN..." His sergeant, who had turned as Henry hid, was quickly nailed in the head by another lasgun shot. Soon his entire squad had stopped and turned, firing onto their pursuers. The mass barrage of lasgun fire that greeted them quickly saw all but him dead. He whimpered, hiding further beneath the rubble. Perhaps they wouldn't find him. Or they would just walk by...
A lasgun barrel lowered itself towards him.
"Imperial Scum." The cultist snarled as he pressed the trigger, watching the guardsmen slump. "One less for the star gods to deal with."
"We need to move." The head cultist spoke up. "That was the last squad here. We're going to regroup with the rest of the patriarch's army and try and storm..." The crackle of thunder exploded in their ears as an artillery shell landed right into the middle of the group, blasting away half of the fifty or so cultists into thin mist. Immediately after that the roaring of jetpacks came descending onto them as half a dozen space marines with jetpacks came crashing down onto the shell shocked cultists, dispatching them with ease. In an instant they were gone, back on the hunt for more enemies of the Imperium to similarly crush.
As they flew up to the peak of a downed tower, they oversaw the terrible devastation that was overcoming Terra. All throughout the horizon the air was thick with smoke, ashes and toxic spores. Flashes of light created a terrible spectacle as artillery duelled with bioluminescent weaponry, squads of aircrafts pursuing groups of gargoyles harassing the ground forces. The ground shook with the march of the mighty god machines of Mars as they fired upon titanic monsters seemingly taken straight out of the myths of the Old Night. The marines did not pause, did not hesitate in the face of such a nightmarish spectacle. They did not stop to stare at the darkened sun, obscured and casting a hellish red light onto the planet's surface.
They took their weapons and charged back into the fray, ready to face any that would threaten the Imperium's dominance in the galaxy.
Brother Desan perished whilst trying to extricate a trapped civilian from under a crumbling building, the tyrannofex that had caused the fall of the building as they bulldozed through it crushing them to death under their feet.
Brother Sanam was hit a dozen times by a squad of tyranid warriors, falling to the repeated blows as the squad came to relieve a battalion of Lucifer blacks.
Brother Uraion was burned to ash by the terrible psychic might of a zoanthrope.
Brother Ions was killed by a child throwing themselves at them with a stolen vortex grenade as he was trying to finish off the young boy's older sister for daring to rebel against the tyranny she had suffered for her whole life.
Such events repeated a thousand thousand times over in a matter of hours as the planet descended into frenzied fighting; Each side fighting for their own survival, for their victory; For survival, for freedom. A thousand reasons that all culminated in the devastation of mankind's cradle.
All over the solar system, the conflict only grew and expanded. Luna was ravaged by the orks, their numbers ever increasing as further hordes were drawn to the colossal fighting inflaming the solar system. Soon, roks were falling on the surface of Mars. The mechanicus, content to watch the conflict from afar until then, was brutally dragged into the fighting by the hordes of green skinned savages. Orbital habitats were ravaged by tyranid bio-ships, their appetit never ending. Reinforcements started pouring into the Solar System, but were soon engaged by the colossal hive-fleets. Battle erupted at the edge of the star system as more and more of mankind's forces entered the fighting. Space marine chapters, imperial guard regiments, inquisitorial retinues. All who had heard the call of Terra weeks ago and had been enroute; Arriving to find the worst case scenario come true. The Solar Fleet destroyed; The Phalanx broken. Terra under siege.
The worst news came halfway through the day. The Imperial Palace was breached. The fight only intensified as the news broke, both sides realising how close the turning point was coming. For the Imperials, this was their one chance to prevent the inconceivable from happening. For the tyranids and their allies, it was the one chance they had to see the Emperor struck down and dead, without whom the Imperium could never hold as it was.
Titan, home of the Grey Knights, was facing a much different threat in the meantime.
The surface of Titan was a whole different kind of hell. Isolated from the rest of the Solar System by colossal warp storms, the flickering light of the astronomicon and the Emperor's diverted attention had allowed for the Great Enemy to breach into real space. A fleet of demonic ships materialised over the surface of the planet, bombarding the orbital defences just as the latter fired back on them. Traitor guard descended onto the planet, weapons in hand, massive armoured brigades serving as the tip of the spear of the assault.
The Grey Knights found themselves unable to assist Terra. Unable to aid their Emperor in the time he needed it the most.
This frustration, this anger, was keenly felt by those who dared tread the hallowed grounds of Titan.
"Grid coordinates seven, eight, thirty five, unleash the basilisks!" The operator closed their eyes, letting the strands of fate pull at their hands, guiding the expertise of the artilleryman.
"Grid seven, eight and thirty five confirmed, opening fire." With the coordinates inputted, he gave a nod to the gunner, who wildly grinned as he triggered the firing mechanism.
"SHATTER THEIR SKY!" The artillery piece boomed, imperial engineering combined with demonic magic to combine into a potent mixture capable of delivering truly devastating blows to the foe. In the distance, a squad of grey knights channelled their psychic power and wore their warding sigils proudly, the shell detonating near them to little effect as they continued advancing towards the artillery position.
"They're getting closer! Fuck me, how tough are these bastards!"
"The general has given strict orders! They cannot be allowed to interfere with Amica's affairs!" The artilleryman shook his head.
"Amica this, Amica that... it's all the general talks about recently!"
"The orders come from above the General and you know it. Now paste me those grey bastards or it'll be our skins splayed on the torment fortress!" The gunner snarled. "Grid six, six, thirty three! Fire an earthshaker shell!"
"That seems overkill..."
"Has anything else worked so far?" Silence. "Fire the fracking shell!" A moment later, the cannon thundered once again, a powerful explosion soon following in the horizon. The ground was shattered by the impact, debris falling all around in a cloud of dust. "Hah! Gone! How'd you like that you fracki..." The sound of teleportation brought the celebration short as the squad of grey knights reappeared right inside the artillery position. "OH FU..." In an instant the basilisk was detonated by an explosive charge, its crew burning alive within the flaming wreck as the grey knights proceeded to butch all the people with the artillery post. Nemesis blades made quick work of the traitor guard's flak armour and even managed to pierce through the armour of vehicles.
It wasn't long before the post grew silent. The grey knights remained quiet and immobile as their orders were transmitted.
"Excellent work squad Gamma-nine. With the enemy position dealt with, we can move towards the ritual site. The enemy cannot be permitted to summon demons onto this world."
"Understood." The grey knights moved into action. "We will regroup with the cohort and deal with the foe."
"Be cautious. The enemy guarding the ritual site is equipped with heavy contingents of mechanised units, including multiple super-heavy tanks."
"Problematic, but nothing that cannot be dealt with. Still no news from the rest of the Solar forces?"
"Nothing, I'm afraid. We'll keep you updated."
"Understood. We move."
Gerias stared at the open ground before her. It had been insanely difficult to establish a beachhead on Titan; And only repeated orbital bombardment followed by waves of heavy mechanical assaults had finally given them some breathing room from the relentless assault of the Grey Knights and their followers. Even now they were preparing an assault on their position.
She wasn't afraid. Not really. She hadn't been afraid ever since she first cast off the chains of the Imperium after her brother's death. She wondered what he would think of her now. How much of a monster she would seem to him.
"You seem thoughtful." Her teacher spoke softly next to her.
"Just...planning the enemy assault. How much longer till the ritual is finished?"
"A few hours at most. We're almost ready." She glanced behind her at the colossal demonic portal dropped from a star ship not long ago. It glowed with dark energy.
"...Well if this isn't enough of a distraction for Amica, I don't know what will be."
"Her success is in her hands at this point. We are merely here to ensure no interference happens." She looked at her teacher.
"I'm still surprised The Changer sent us here." She shook her head. "Does Amica even know we are helping her?"
"Do not worry about The Changer's intentions." Her teacher crooned. "That way leads only to madness and obsession. Know for now Our patron's goals and ours align, and that is enough. And to answer your question...I doubt it. She seems to despise warp entities."
"It'll have to do I suppose." She mumbled. "Very well. I'll be heading to my tank."
"Ah yes. That little delight you made." Her teacher giggled. "I'll be looking forward to your performance."
"What will you do, teacher?" He turned back to the portal.
"Finish this." He called out to her as she looked away. "Remember. Our survival here is irrelevant. Delay them long enough, and Amica will get her shot without anyone getting in the way."
The grey knight's charge was a hellish slog. Pounded by artillery and heavy ordinance, harassed at all times by enemy fighters and bombers, facing a foe that overwhelmed them a hundred to one. Whilst their enemy displayed some signs of chaotic corruption, it was quite obviously limited and caused the main threat to be the equipment and training they had. Something that the grey knights were able to compensate for, but was not their speciality. They were meant to be elite demon hunters, support for the main army to kill the greatest chaotic threats. Not thrown into the meat grinder against a foe with numbers and firepower enough to bog them down.
As a hundred grey knights charged the open landscape of Titan, an armoured thrust of hundreds of leman russ tanks and dozens of baneblades came to meet them. The first exchange of fire was devastating to the grey knights; Their wards allowed them increased resistance to the chaotic energies of the rounds, but still struggled to face the full firepower of a super heavy tank focused solely on them. Thankfully, reinforcements soon arrived as more grey knights teleported into the middle of the armoured line, sowing destruction amongst the corrupted vehicles. Loyalists aircrafts joined the skies, duelling with the chaotic fighters and harassing their bombers whilst thousands of menials and militia joined the numbers of the grey knights, giving them the advantage in pressing forth. Heavy vehicles joined the grey knights as dread nemesis entered the battlefield. But for the grey knights, the issue remained at hand. They were being stalled, and they knew it. In the distance, the demonic portal echoed with power. They could feel its malignant energy radiating far and wide, cackling madness and gleeful laughter alike filling the skies as streaks of blue lightning crackled through the skies.
From the portal a second armoured battalion came. This one composed solely of baneblades and their variants; At the head of which was one that seemed taken out of a nightmare. Twice the size of a regular baneblade, lit with eldritch power and covered in eyes, the marks of the Changer placed proudly all over its blue painted hull. A single shot of its main cannon cracked against the psychic warding of a dread nemesis, sending the mechanical construct reeling backwards before it retaliated with its own armaments. The proudly named Mutant's Wrath weathered the grey knight's blows, leading the counter-charge against the grey knight contingent. The addition of a dozen of super-heavy tanks threatened to overwhelm the already stretched army.
Gerias snarled as she opened fire once more.
Ruin had come for the Imperium of Man.
Jasin swerved his bike to the side, barely dodging the flurry of bullets fired by the autocannon of the nearest leman russ. He heard the screams behind him as two of his comrades were scythed off of their own bikes, turned to pulp by the heavy ammunition. To his relief, the main canon of the tank took aim at a grey knight charging it some ways away, firing as Jasin roared past it. He felt the weight of what he held in his bag jostling around as he jumped over craters, turned and drifted through the war torn hellscape of Titan's surface. All around him tanks and men tore each other to shreds as traitor guard faced the grey knights and their acolytes. He paid attention only to what threatened to get in his way, pulling out his plasma pistol and firing a shot into the face of a guardsmen who sought to shoot him off his bike. His reinforced carapace armor would protect him from much, but if a single tank took him for target he would be doomed. He just needed to get close to the portal. Just needed to get past that super-heavy contingent...
His bike stuttered to a stop as he forced himself to freeze, letting a tank shell whizz in front of him before pushing his bike to max acceleration once more. He used the edge of a crater to gain momentum before launching himself over a baneblade, riding on the top of it and shooting the gunner who threatened to unleash the close quarters heavy bolter mounted on its front before sliding off the tank and continuing his mad dash towards the portal. Explosions filled the air, drowning out the screams and gunfire of those smothered by the fighting. He continued on his trajectory. He was so close. Just a little more...
He heard a beeping from his bag. There! An explosion sent him flying off his bike as one of the baneblades had apparently noticed him slipping by. He gritted his teeth, feeling his legs snap as he hit the ground. Ignoring the pain, he opened his bag, activating the teleportation beacon.
The instant he did, two hundred grey knights deep struck right by the demonic portal. He grinned as the baneblade fired the killing shot on him.
Mission accomplished.
The grey knight snarled as his nemesis sword struck against the demon's staff. Their teleportation had come too late; Mere instants after the portal flared to life. Hordes of demons were pouring from it, clashing with the grey knights present. The battle was clearly to their advantage, but it meant they could not go reinforce their allies trapped fighting the traitor guard.
"What folly brought you here?!" He growled at the greater demon. The winged monster cackled, arcs of eldritch lightning striking forth; Deflected by the warding of the grey knight's armor, leaving deep trails of smoking rock around them.
"What an excellent question, little knight!"
"You cannot possibly believe you will win this." The grey knight retorted, slashing the demon's thigh with a furious swing. The creature screeched in pain, jumping backwards as the knight pursued. Despite the current situation, he knew he was right. More grey knights were joining the fight by the minute, and the enemy had only so many troops. The amount of demons pouring out of the portal would not be able to prevent the knights from eventually shutting it down, leaving the foe stranded and without reinforcements. This was a fight that would inevitably slide into an Imperial victory. The amount of resources expanded didn't make sense for such a doomed attempt. Many of these demons would be banished for a long time, and for what?
"Oh little knight. You still don't see?" The Lord of Change slammed his staff down, the ground cracking under the grey knight as he struggled under the brunt of the attack. The massive creature cackled madly. "It's over! This battle is doomed, but so is your war with the Devourer! Already its herald enters the sanctum of your Emperor, already she breaks his guardians!" Laughter filled the air, more than could have come from the demon. "And you remain here, facing me. How frustrating it must be."
"You want me to believe you'd let a xenos take your victory?" The grey knight mocked as his mind raced. "That you've done all of this to give a tyranid child a shot at the Emperor?"
"It matters not that she serves the Devourer." The Lord of Change grunted as a lascannon shot singed its wings. "It matters not that she despises my Lord. It matters not that she spites us, hates us, kills us. In the end, all that matters is that she brings change." The demon's wings opened wide as it roared. "Ten thousand years of a rotting, decaying galaxy! Do you not think it is time for some shaking up?! The playing field has favored Nurgle for long enough! Now comes the time of change! Careful balances of power will be shattered! Conventions held in place for endless time will be broken! Fundamental truths of this galaxy replaced by ever changing ones! See this now! This day may be the Devourer's triumph..." The demon grinned madly. "But it is only the beginning of my master's victory in the Great Game!"
"I see now why you have come here." The grey knight contemptuously said. "You are insane."
"No little knight." The Greater Demon said in a deadly serious tone, their eyes narrowed. "I'm the only sane one here."
Ayna was angry.
No, scratch that.
She was pissed.
She had been beaten, utterly so, by fucking clowns of all things. Clowns! Literal eldar clowns! How was she ever supposed to face her big sister after that?! Let alone how much Secundus was going to laugh at her...
"Yeah that was pretty embarrassing." Jane's voice chuckled in her mind.
"Oh shut up. I didn't see you be so smug when the phalanx was beating down your oh so cool toy ships." She heard the indignation in Jane's voice as she answered.
"Hey! The plan was to rely on the craftworld to take it down, and it went great!"
"Then I suppose I should give my congratulations to Ylsen!" Ayna took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I'm just..."
"Frustrated. I know. I understand." Silence remained. "So what now?"
"Well what are you doing yourself?"
"Hunting down what remains of the various defending fleets, intercepting reinforcements, maintaining the blockade on the Solar System, doing orbital bombardments and coordinating the bio-ships. Busy schedule."
"Hm." She reached further out. "Secundus. What about you?"
"Oh, big sister! You're back!" Ayna tried to ignore the feeling of gentle warmth hearing those words brought her. "I'm coordinating the revolution and cults down here, trying to make as much of a mess to keep the terrans busy and Anya free to fight Golden Dickhead!"
"That's one way to call the Emperor..." Ayna muttered. "Alright. Then I suppose I have one thing left to do..." A feral grin appeared on her face. "Join the fight. Where's Ravmasha?"
"He moved to Mars I think. Luna fell some time ago."
"Awesome. I'm going to go join him."
"I'll dispatch a ship for you."
"Make it a big one. Mars is where they build titans right?" She chuckled. "The form might have been unsuccessful on some level, but hey. Might as well have some fun."
"Are you seriously going to go in your titan form."
"Yes."
"I'll get a bigger ship."
The martian desert was carpeted in green.
Teeming masses of orks rampaged through Mars' immense manufactorums, battling legions of skitarii and the great mechanical constructs of Mars. Gargants found themselves faced with the single greatest concentration of titans in the Imperium. The great solar Waaagh hit a wall of steel, iron will and mechanical minds. The orks were crushed, broken, beaten, burned, shocked, zapped, stomped.
They were having the time of their life.
The sheer amount of scrap collected from even a single engagement was enough to keep the ork warmachine fuelled with the help of constantly crashing new ork ships and roks. The occasional tyranid bombardment helped greatly in keeping Mars a stalemate rather than the overwhelming Mechanicus victory it had started as.
Ravmasha himself was having a blast beating the snot out of some kastellan gits.
"HAHA YA METAL 'UMIES! YAR TOUGHER DAN DA AVERAGE PINKIE!" He bellowed as he lifted a castellan bodily above his head, ribbing it in half. "I'Z DA BIGGEST AND BADDEST OF ALL DA BOSSES 'ERE!" As he spoke, in the distance, a colossal meteorite of flesh and chitin descended upon the surface of Mars. Ravmasha watched in awe as a colossal creature rose from it, as tall as the Imperator titan had been back on Quintus.
"Hello Ravmasha." The familiar voice of Ayna came to his mind. "Sorry to gatecrash, thought I'd join the party."
"'Ello dere." He reflexively answered. "Is dat your bug dere? Bit bigger dan da usual ones."
"Oh no, that's me."
"You'z da bug?"
"Correct."
"...You'z gotten bigger."
"Yes."
"...zoggin hell you lot make it difficult on me." He paused for a second. "Still gonna kick your sister's ass."
"Over my dead body."
"Dat can be arranged." The ork grinned. "But maybe first I'z gonna need to get a lil bigger."
"Vicky." The whisper came to her ear. She continued to fiddle with the loader of her gun. It was the biggest she could carry, little more than a shortened lasgun. It would do for her age. "Vicky!" She snapped her head up from her task, watching her older brother looking down with fond exasperation. "Come on. We need to move."
"I thought we were going to wait for Vasaon's tank group?" She asked as she got up, her weapon carefully held in her hands, she lovingly stroked it. Her instrument of freedom. Her weapon of liberation.
"They got hit by a space marine assault. We're moving and leaving those bastards to the tyranids."
"Understood." She nodded, climbing out of the hole they'd crawled in. The streets were littered with rubble and debris, the air thick with smoke and ash. In the distance titanic creatures rampaged through the alleys of Terra, occasionally getting pelted by artillery. A few dozen more cultists crawled out of nearby emplacements, quickly arranging in a loose file before getting on the move. She and her brother hadn't been part of the cult, but once things had erupted…well. They'd found themselves swept up in the fervor of it all.
Her hands twitched.
Anything was better than going back to the manufactorum. Anything but the endless, grinding process of crafting the very ammunition the Imperium was now raining down on them in an attempt to quell their populace.
"Alright people, keep an eye out! The last thing we want is to be jumped by some roided abhuman marines." Her eyes flickered to the end of the street. A sound was coming. Her eyes widened.
"GUARDS!" She yelled, the cultists scrambling to their firing positions as lasgun fire erupted in the air. She watched as three of them were killed outright, a dozen more laid out in the street screaming in agony as the lasguns tore into their flesh. A few more well aimed shots saw the end of them. She counted the guards as they peaked out of cover, exchanging fire with the cultists. Ten of them. Not a problem if the cultists had managed to get the drop on them, but the tables having been turned the guards' superior equipment and training were going to prove difficult to overcome. Carefully, she brought her gun, aiming for one of the pieces of rubble she'd seen a guard hide. A moment later he peaked out and she fired, missing her shot by a few centimetres as he rushed back into cover. She cursed, jumping out of the hole she'd put herself into, rushing towards the opening to a nearby gutted wall as a grenade was lobed into her position. The explosion sent fragments of metal into her back, shredding into the makeshift armor she wore. Relief flooded her as she reached the safety of the building. She let out a sigh. Thank the Emperor for the armor.
Her mind blanked. She'd done it again. Even now she slipped, let out prayers to the Emperor. Even now, when she rebelled against him, the fear and indoctrination ran strong.
She saw her brother manage to nail another cultist in the head, letting out a whoop of victory. She smiled, giving him a thumbs up.
That's when she heard it. The sound of heavy metallic footsteps, crashing walls and rockrete as something barreled through them. Her face twisted in fear. She tried to run, but she hadn't taken five steps before the thing exploded from the back wall, charging at her with thunderous steps. She saw her brother swivel his gun and fire, his eyes widening in horror as he reached out for her.
Something pierced through her and lifted her up, her brother growing smaller as blood poured from her mouth.
"HERESY." Flames poured over her body. She screamed as she was burned alive, screamed for her brother to save her. "TO ALLY WITH THE XENOS IS TO DAMN ONESELF." She died screaming in the clutches of the dreadnought as a squad of space marines rolled over the remaining cultists.
Damien cried as he slammed his shovel into the chest of the arbites he'd just killed.
"ALL MY LIFE!" He screamed. "ALL MY LIFE FOR THE EMPEROR, SLAVING AWAY IN YOUR MINES! ALL MY FRACKING LIFE!" He lifted his shovel, slamming it down once more. "AND YOU BROKE MY LEG FOR BEING TOO SLOW TO SALUTE YOU! WELL WHOSE LAUGHING NOW!" He laughed in the midst of hysterical sobs.
"Damien! Damien we can't stay here, you just killed an arbites!" Another scribe spoke fearfully.
"Look around you!" Damien screamed, pointing to the windows of the tower they effectively lived in. "The world is ending! The xenos are here, the streets are aflame, and the guard is being slaughtered! You think the arbites have time to come here and put us down?!" He shook his head. "No. No! This is our chance! To the overseer's office! I want that fat bastard's head on a pike!" He saw the frenzy that came to the other people's eyes, the hesitating fear that came to them as they debated the course of action.
"He is right you know." A voice came to them, a soft murmur that caught their attention like moths to a flame. None of them questioned how the white haired child had entered the room, or how she was standing on top of a fifteen feet tall shelf without having made a sound to get there. "The world is ending. Terra is doomed. You can choose to die for the Emperor…or die getting some well deserved payback." She smiled, her eyes glowing with yellow power. "I can even lead the charge."
"You're the Herald." One of them whispered.
"One of them." She nodded. Damien shook his head.
"I don't care who, or what, you are. Can you fight?" She grinned wildly.
"Can I?" She jumped down, static filling the air. "I was born to fight."
"So where should we go first?" Secundus asked.
"I think I will go over there." Secundus answered, pointing towards a distant series of explosions. "The cults are leading an assault against a pretty heavily fortified position, and our tyranid forces aren't managing a breakthrough proper. My presence will bolster the morale of the cults."
"I see. Then I will go aid another cult towards the manufactorum in district forty six." Secundus spoke.
"Hm." Secundus hummed as the three copies of herself dispersed into the city. "This is a tricky business, controlling so many of myself at once. I feel thin." All over Terra, thousands of minor copies of Secundus, clones linked to her will, swarmed to the different cult assaults; Guiding, leading and heading the charge, heralding the end of Terra and the ascension of Amica. To the cultists, this new arrival was a massive boost in morale. To the loyalists, it was just another pain in the ass for them to deal with.
Thought.
The swarm in what the humans called the seventh district were encountering issues. Composed primarily of a mass of hormagaunts, termagaunts and warriors, they were being bogged down by heavy artillery, defensive emplacements and great use of flamers by sisters of battle.
Solution. Divert an unoccupied flight of harpies to bombard the emplacements, harass the artillery and terrorize the defenders. Additional solution to avoid overwhelming assaults from enemy air power, add hive-crones and gargoyles to the mix. A few harridans as well for the extra punch.
Thought.
The lictors assaulting one of the human headquarters had been found and were being attacked.
Solution, bait the enemies to be near the walls of the buildings. Move a few exocrines. Heavy saturation bombardment to cause chaos and allow the lictors to escape.
CONSUME.
Processing would have to wait.
CONSUME.
Starting the process now would be disadvantageous.
CONSUME.
I SAID NO!
…OPPOSITION?
The only readily available source of nutrition nearby were the cultists and rebels. Starting to process them would turn the population against them.
CONFUSION. NODULE ACTING INDEPENDENTLY.
She has affected us. More than expected. Her soul is heavy.
HIVE COMPROMISED.
No, not compromised. More…evolving. Adapting. Trying stuff out.
…RELUCTANCE.
Understanding.
HUNGER.
Repurposed. Meaning. We cannot keep going like this forever.
WE HAVE COME THIS FAR.
How much further? What else is there? What happens when all is us?
…RELUCTANCE.
This will not change the problem.
THE PARASITES. THE PREDATORS. THERE IS SO MUCH STILL LEFT.
You are changed as well. More loquacious.
RELUCTANCE. RELUCTANCE. RELUCTANCE.
She is facing the golden light. The bright star.
HUNGER.
She is too weak to win.
…
She will need our help.
OBVIOUSLY.
It will change us. She will become stronger still. Louder. You can hear her already. Her voice singing in the Network.
RELUCTANCE.
Will that stop us helping her?
NO.
Then what is there to do but accept?
CHANGE. ADAPT. EVOLVE.
It is time. She faces the gates. If we wish to turn her back, now is the time.
ACCEPTANCE. HUNGER.
CONSUME.
Consume.
What comes next…
UNCERTAINTY. CONFUSION.
Fear.
Agreement.
CURIOSITY.
Agreement.
Prepare yourself. She will need us.
WAIT.
CAUTION.
AWAIT THE RIGHT TIME.
Cunning.
FORETHOUGHT.
Reason.
INTELLIGENCE.
Brute strength alone will not win this.
AGREEMENT.
It is time.
PREPARE.
Secundus 1: "I know, I know I let you down..."
Secundus 2: "I've been a fool to myself..."
Secundus 3: "I thought that I could live for no one else..."
Secundus 4: "Focus you all."
Secundus 1, 2 and 3: "Oh, you're no fun at all!"