Chapter 2
Welcome to Carolea
AN: Keep in mind that this was made before episode 30 came out. Plus, there is a forum about "What Can Survive in the Warhammer 40K" that I started ages ago. Which I forgot to close and let people know that looking for species, stuff and civilizations that have a high chance of surviving in this grimdark universe (not as grimdark as it once was).
Carolus, Rugu, Yuka and Joana have narrowly escaped the collapsing tunnel due to the battle that took place underneath. They ride their hovercraft across a world with overgrown ruins. This world, is Carolea. This world was once a major trade center with city landscape as far as the eye can see. Now, it is a world-wide ruin with overgrown plants that turn this fair world into a forest and swamp covered world and oceans flooded lower districts where colossal hydroelectric dams once stood. Factories that made many goods and military weapons now stand lifeless as many trees pop out of the walls and collapsed smoke stacks. Many solar arrays away from these factories are still running but many have been destroyed by time. Great war machines have fallen to decay with moss covered their metal exteriors that many would mistake them for large rocks in certain angles. Even the most luxurious buildings have fallen with many of their treasures have been looted or have decayed with time. Not even the military facilities with all their protective bunkers and anti-invasion infrastructure could withstand the ruthlessness of time as the bunkers are now flooded with either water, radioactive materials or hazardous materials where the greatest weapons were forged to protect the planet have been rendered useless. Many of the stone buildings can be mistaken for mountains or stone hills in a distance after many years of erosion. Once home to billions is now home to those willing to live on this world with only the smallest fraction of the original population.
Rugu asks as they ride through the ruins, "Can we have the radio?"
"Sure." Joana says while driving.
The radio switches on and it plays some ancient rock music from Earth, now Holy Terra, which is Footloose by Kenny Loggins.
"I love this song." Yuka says with a smile.
They continue to ride through for an hour until they came across an area where a few smaller buildings stood that now has crops growing on a their slanted sides and what used to be greenhouses with waterfalls pouring from the upper levels of the buildings that water the irrigation systems. A multitude of industrial-size greenhouses are filled with crops and a few medicinal herbs that support a small village in what used to be a market square that is now home to a few people willing to live among the ruins with multiple patchwork done to some of the buildings with a few flowers either growing in the cracks of the street or hanging from baskets. Not too far from this community, there is a large Hindu-style statue of a humanoid elephant with eight arms that can be seen from the main street to the north with holographic displays around the arms that stand tall over what looks like a hive-like city that is full of people and fully functional.
Back in the community, the four pull over at something that looks like an old Victorian-style brick manor house with wrought iron fences and a gate that has a sign over it. The sign says, 'Hearth Orphanage. Home to the Hestia Familia.' The manor house is old with many vines growing on it that stretches up to the third story and nearly to the fourth. Standing at the two newly painted white doors with a wet paint sign on it is a petite young woman wearing white and has a blue ribbon under her breast, has blue eyes, white skin and black hair with twin tails tied in white ribbons with blue edges. This is Hestia, one of the Founders that have taken on a form of a waifu from an anime; Is It Wrong to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?! (DanMachi).
"What happened!?" Hestia runs up to the children and has been worried sick. "I heard some sort of patrol went down to the supplies and start a fight!" she checks all four of them for any injuries, "Are you alright?!"
"We're fine, Goddess Hestia." Joana gives a more calm reply.
"Except we kinda have a run in with the Gangarella." Rugu gives an honest answer.
"WHAT?!" Hestia freaks out when Rugu said that.
"RUGU!" Yuka yells at him, "You weren't supposed to tell her that."
Carolus just sighs and shakes his head.
"You four are gonna tell me everything that has happened, right now." Hestia wants the full explanation of what happened on the supply run and sounds serious.
They're all inside as they're in the living room with a large fireplace with the banner of the Hestia Familia hanging over it with light blue wallpaper that have golden bells on it that go horizontal (top left to bottom right). At the center is a large, wooden, antique coffee table surrounded by two black antique couches with blue cushions and a matching sofa at the end. That is where Hestia is sitting with the girls sitting on one side and boys sitting on the other. The four explained everything to her about what happened during their supply run.
"So that's what happened." Hestia is amazed, "I'm glad the four of you are safe. Guess that means we won't do any supply runs in a while. But I also heard that the patrol you described have found a nest and are worshiping the Eight Pointed Star. Just glad you four didn't see what kind of horrors they've been doing. At least that problem has been solved. But I never heard of gangs being that far out from the city."
"Someone must've talked." Yuka says, "Someone must've told them about the massive cache of supplies we've been using to support our community."
Rugu looks at Yuka, "I didn't know we had money down there."
Joana laughs, "Haha! Not that cash as in C-A-S-H. Cache, C-A-C-H-E."
Hestia looks at Rugu, "Where you sleeping during our vocab lessons again?"
Rugu looks around with all eyes staring at him, "Maybe..."
"We'll talk about that later." Hestia turns her attention back at Yuka, "I don't think anyone did. Just keep in mind that the Spaceholm Public Library still has records of every known facility there is and must've come across the supply caches we were using."
"I didn't know we had more than one?" Carolus is surprised to hear such information.
"We had another one but that well dried-up nearly three centuries ago. But anyway, you four did get enough to keep us going, right?"
The four children hold up their cubes.
"That's good, but the biggest prize is that you four made it out alive and in one piece. That's more important." Hestia stands up, "Now come on, we still have a bit of chores to do before everyone comes back."
The four kids are helping out in the garden as they water and fertilize many of flowers that were originally from Earth. These flowers include yellow and purple lady slippers, jade vines, middlemist red roses, ghost orchids, and many more in a greenhouse.
"Why are we taking care of flowers again?" Rugu complains as he waters the roses, "This part of our chores sucks."
"Because they're endangered." Yuka explains as she puts fertilizer in one of the pots, "These are one of the few plants that survived in space after being removed from their home planet. Plus the Demeter Familia is paying ours to watch over them."
Joana hums a tune while happily waters the lady slippers.
"Do you think Hestia was mad?" Carolus asks after replanting the ghost orchids.
"You are the nastiest simp ever." Rugu says, "Can't believe you're in love with one of the Founders even when she raised you as a baby. Gross."
"I have to agree." Yuka speaks.
"Nevermind." Carolus just keep on replanting the ghost orchids while a bit angry.
Rugu continues to chatter, "As for me, I wanna join the military while I grow up. Killing those green-skinned abominations, those metal skeleton freaks and those psycho zealots."
Carolus looks at Rugu, "The Eight Star One or Bone God?"
"Yes." Rugu says with a hint of bloodlust in his voice.
Joana stops and asks Rugu, "Why not a scientist like you're mother was?"
"Screw that!" Rugu stops watering and cracks his knuckles, "I wanna fight! Keep those monsters away from the Coalition is waaayyy more important than some stupid scientific development."
Carolus just sighs and finishes. "Right." he stands up and takes off his green gardener gloves, "I'll be in the usual place."
"You're not messing with your Lego sets again?" Joana asks before realizing she's out of water.
"Why not? It's the only place that I can get some peace and quiet and not full of brash decisions." and he left the greenhouse.
Rugu asks, "Was it something I said?"
As Carolus left the greenhouse, he looks up in the sky and see three or four suns up in the sky with a gigantic, technological orb behind them. And all over, there are many different planets with many almost looking like moons all around at certain distances. After looking up at the sky, he then proceeds to his little sanctuary.
Over at the Imperial Palace of Holy Terra, the Captain-General (Kitten) is looking over a few screens about the latest communication.
"Hmm." he went as he looks through the data.
That is when Wamuudes, of the Fabulous Custodes, slides in on his grease. "Ooo~! Do my senses detected a bit of arousal coming from you, Kitten?"
Kitten turns to face Wamuudes, "What?"
"Did you discover something?"
Kitten looks back at the screen, "Weeellll... I do have some news from the most western parts of the Segmentum Pacificus. Some of the Black Templars have discovered entirely new solar systems that weren't there before." Yet his enthusiasm drops, "...and this was reported 190 years ago."
"Considering that the galaxy is now a chaotic mess done by that bastardized traitor of a bigger bastardized traitor, Failbadon, our glorious communications haven't been the same. Just hope that our less-erogonous poster boys of hatred are continuing to accept the new doctrines made by our Man-Emperor during that feeble, disgusting, baby-shrieking chapter master's visit, Helbitch."
"Helbrecht."
"Same thing."
"But last I checked, Reclusiarch Grimaldus is now the new high marshal. Back on task, the data says that the new solar systems are getting hard to get to due to the Night of a Thousand Rebellions that Chaos created which cause us to lose the Lions Deviant Chapter, the Thokt Necron Dynasty, the horde created by Ork Boss Wazdakka, and possible sightings of Tyranids. Which I'm afraid we don't have anything on these new systems as most of it is pretty scarce. Again, 190 years ago."
"So no other sexy news about these new worlds to give to our glorious overlords? The throne and the star?"
"No. But we still need some more resources here on Holy Terra. Since the galaxy is split in two, resources are becoming more scarce." then he turns to Wamuudes, "Which means you guys might run out of body oil before running out of food."
"[Unfabulous Scream] This is UNACCEPTABLE!"
"Good thing that we sent the order to whatever is left of the Inquisition to stop doing exterminatuses."
Kaldor Draigo appears, "HI FANFICTION! And greetings to all on the internet from the Ordo Draigo here on El Dorado!"
"[Double Unfabulous Screaming] What is Kaldor Draigo doing here?! HE SHOULD BE IN REHAB!"
"REHAB IS FOR QUITTERS!" then takes off by having rocket propulsion under his feet and crashed through the ceiling. "FLY DRAIGO! Be free!"
Little Kitten makes a call via his voxcom, "Can we get some help here? Kaldor Draigo escaped from his treatment again."
Outside of an office with a sign that reads, 'The Newly Formed Inquisition: Head Office', a letter can be heard opening through a creak in the steel door that has a skull with the Inquisition seal on it.
After opening and reading the letter, the head inquisitor screams, "WHAT?!"
Back on Carolea, Carolus is in the basement filled with all sorts of Lego sets with everything moving on their own in a tiny room next to the main basement. There are many sets including a few Star Wars ones, Lego City, DC universe, Marvel universe, Ninjago, Legend of Chima, Indiana Jones, and his newest edition, Harry Potter. Every vehicle and person are roaming about in a hive city-like environment that look like the planet during its hay day. Yet has a bunch of different environments made with some of the sets such as jungles, deserts, caverns and more all under two singular light bulbs above the room. The place has monorails and elevators that connect from one area to another in this five by four feet room next to a twenty five by thirty feet basement room.
Okay, it's more of a spacious closet, but still a decent enough space. Carolus then starts to construct stuff from Harry Potter such as the 9 3/4 train, Diagon Alley, Hogwarts, and many other locations. It didn't take long for the other Lego characters to appear and greet the new additions. Some of the Harry Potter characters then started to fly around on their broomsticks or board the train that is now connected to Gotham City with another identical train connected to a replica of the London Tames. Carolus seems to be at peace as he enjoys his creations coming to life.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!
That is until he hears the knocking at the door that cause everything to stop. He sighs, "Come in."
Hestia enters the room, "Hey, Carolus. I heard you got some new Legos."
Carolus tries to get everything back in order, "I did. But your knocking caused them to stop."
Hestia smiles, "Sorry, sorry. Let me help."
The two try to get the place back in place.
"I heard that you just stormed out after completing your potting." Hestia says as she puts the helicopter on the hospital roof.
"It's Rugu." Carolus says after trying to get the trains moving, "I know he's part Saiyan and Saiyans are warriors by blood, but I think there's enough killing. First George runs off and gets killed by some Krorks, Hoeldze is now lost somewhere in the galaxy, Hax-del gets his dead with many others by whatever else is out there or lost." Carolus takes a deep sigh, "We've lost a lot of good people trying to get to the Milky Way."
Hestia hugs Carolus and tries to comfort him as she is sad by the lost of many young people that have their lives ended in tragedy. "I know." she says, "I know."
"There's always been tales about the Milky Way like worlds full of riches, bizarre civilizations that people romanticize about. But I believe that they're all lies. Nothing out there but monsters in all shapes and forms." He turns to hug the goddess. "Now those monsters are coming here. I choose to defend this place no matter what I become in the future."
"Who knows what the future holds. Who knows in this dark future."
In a black void, one of the Deceiver Shards (the one held by Tahril) is making a call to another shard own by the Necrons of the Thokt Dynasty. He doesn't seem happy.
"Pick-up already." he's losing his patience, "For fuck sake, what does it take to get a call through? Fucking Failbadon and those Chaos nuisances."
The other shard finally answers while wearing a Necron-style hat with the Thokt Dynasty symbol on it, "Hello, Shard #105 in possession of the Thokt Dynasty, how can I help you?"
"Very funny, robo-hat." the Deceiver piece is not amused, "Listen, there is something I need to know about."
"The new solar systems that somehow got passed us?"
"No shit, moron. What juicy news you got for me, because shit has been moving forward in this new millennium."
"So far, the Necron guys and the green assholes still haven't gotten through the borders. Neither has those splintered Tyranids from whatever hive they spawned from. Same that can be said about those guys living in those solar systems."
"Well, at least that's some good news."
"Also including the Imperial's poster boys of hatred. What were they again? Black Marbles? Black Dragons? Black Talons?"
"Black Templars?"
"Yeah, those holier than thou bitches. In other words, nothing but a stalemate as it should be. Just hope that what they report doesn't make it to one of their emperors."
The Deceiver groans, "Still can't believe there are two of those golden pricks now." He smiles, "Good thing that Great Rift or whatever they fuck call it now is now keeping things in equilibrium again."
"Yeah no shit." the Necron shard agrees, "But I'll try to keep you inform about this section of the galaxy."
"Assuming I can still contact you. The Great Rift is good and all, but communicating with all the other parts have become difficult. Fuck, the only ones that got decent communications are those disgusting Chaos spawns since they thrive it. For the love of non-progressive in the galaxy, I absolutely REFUSE to use their services. YUCK!"
"Once again, yeah no shit."
"Anyway, let's see what the BIG FANCY BLUEBERRY has install in another five years."
"Good luck with that. Bad communications and all that."