**Author's note: Absolutely massive chapter! More Oz universe references hidden here!**
The Tower of Reason stood like a thin corkscrewed metal spire near the periphery of the megopolis of Evna. Designed under the Imperium's typical style of harsh brutality, it reached an impressive nine hundred meters into the sky as if in defiance of the more frivolous populace of the independent city that stood around it. It was often called "The Screw" by the locals, who had, over the years, begun to craft urban legends concerning the mysterious red-robed figures that conducted their business inside. Were they wizards, aliens, or maybe even oligarchs having risque parties behind closed doors, neighbors would whisper and gossip.
Null reflected on the strange history of this tower as he waited nervously for Magos Nimmie Amee to properly receive him again. The Archmagos paced nervously, his metal footsteps echoing down dark metal hallways of gently spiraling metal. He had not told his traveling companions about the nature of this odd tower, nor what it had been built against. In a superstitious way, he had hoped that by keeping the Scion mostly ignorant of it that she would not bring disruption to it simply through proximity. Trouble seemed to follow the young Traveler woman around, and it felt as if the Chaos God of Fate was nipping at her heels. Like any youthful creature, she needed time to learn how to regulate her abilities, and he hoped that the psychic modulation crown that had been gifted to her would aid in that. He would have to ask Nimmie about that artifact as well, as it appeared to have been sent by someone who held knowledge of the Scion's identity, and who had access to unfathomably rare artifacts from the Dark Age of Technology.
And that someone, he knew, could actually be Nimmie herself, he secretly smiled, thinking about her again. She had the means and guile to procure something as awesomely esoteric as that crown. Had her voracious hunger for knowledge brought her to the same strange places it had brought him?
Null stopped, and peered out one of the small rectangular windows facing outside. He was eleven stories up, and from here, he had a great view of Evna's city center. This tower had been here a very long time, and the blackstone pylon that served as its core had been here longer still. Very few people knew of the true origins of this structure. The Archmagos began to contemplate the unique history of this far-flung frontier world.
Thousands of years ago, a handful of battered ships filled with Imperial refugees fleeing a forgotten war found themselves in this mostly empty area of space after being blown off course in the Warp. On the edge of the galaxy, star systems were at least fifty light years away from one another, and habitable worlds were very rare. Low on air and food, the refugees were happy to find a habitable world, even if it was remote.
Just out of reliable range of the Astronomican, the refugees were unremembered by the rest of the Imperium, but the settlers did the best they could. They were content that their new world had good air, plentiful resources, a stable sun, and the local wildlife wasn't too hostile. They busily constructed homes, and gradually, built small settlements that became cities as they settled into their new world over generations. They had originally named their world "Ev" after an amiable nickname given to their first leader, Governor Evoldo.
Governor Evoldo, while an externally gregarious and a charismatic leader, was secretly thought to have a touch of madness behind his smiling face. It was Evoldo, it was said, that had chosen the site of Evna on a whim when he witnessed a grand black tower in a dream, and the very next day, a scouting party had reported the discovery of that very same tower. The land around the strange structure was relatively flat, and was close to the shore of a narrow sea with plentiful edible sea life. Nearby, healthy forests ringed the land, providing good hunting and excellent lumber. It could not be argued that this was actually an ideal place to build a city.
Temporary shelters were set up as the local forest was logged, and work hastily began on more permanent structures near the black tower. When explorers were sent to see if they could delve within the odd needle-like structure, they found no doorways. The tower appeared to be a solid piece of black stone-like metal. After a year living in the shadow of the tower (and an outbreak known by some scholars as Cholera), whispered rumors began to spread of a "metal devil" that stalked that tower's shadow at night, cursing those who would build on his sacred ground. The Governor, seeking to quell any frivolous superstitions, then announced that Evna would now be the capitol city of this planet, and that he knew with absolute certainty that this land would deliver great wealth to the people of Ev.
What had happened to the Governor after his decision to build on Evna's site had been a source of speculation to local scholars for millennia. Evoldo was seen leaving his home in the shadow of the tower with his ten children and his wife late one night. The Governor reportedly refused his normal guard, and his family placidly followed him as they walked wordlessly to the tower. After many hours, and before dawn, the Governor returned, and proclaimed that he had made a remarkable discovery, but at the same time, had suffered an incredible tragedy.
With glassy eyes, Evoldo claimed that he had uncovered great treasure at the base of the black tower. When asked where his wife and children were, he shook his head, and said, "they are lost" repeatedly. Strangely, no one questioned or spoke against the Governor, and all records of Evoldo's lost family were also promptly lost.
Evoldo mutely led a group to the black tower that same morning, directing his people to an incredible treasure hoard that had somehow been missed by the many parties that had been sent to study the structure. The cache was filled with flawless jewels, most of which were perfect emeralds. The Evians celebrated their good fortune, but the Governor was never the same.
Shortly after this incident, Evoldo was stricken with grief, and threw himself into the sea. There were rumors that he had sacrificed his family to the mysterious metal devil that lurked in the valley, but these whispers were ruled foolish superstitions, as no evidence of any "metal devil" was ever uncovered. After Evoldo's death, a steward was appointed to the land, and life continued.
The jewels that had been uncovered by Evoldo, along with a fearsome weapons cache of unknown alien make, were of rare and flawless quality. The stunning jewels were traded for vast wealth with their local neighbors. With their shrewdness, the people of Ev soon saw their wealth grow, and Evna itself became known as "The Land of Emeralds" due to the absolutely stunning quality of the green gems sold there. There was a brief discussion that they would name Evna "The Emerald City" but this was decided against when one of the settlers claimed that another Imperial city of wealthy prominence held that designation, and that to be confused with it would not be wise.
Pirates, of course, were attracted by the promises of easy wealth guarded by a sparse populace. Many corsairs attempted their roguery, but the strange green weaponry wielded by the Evian people kept their fortunes safe. Alien mercenaries, happy for a bed and a good meal, also sold their skills here, and Ev was defended time and time again.
With intelligence, shrewd business acumen, and a healthy dose of luck, the world of Ev swiftly developed beyond the trading of fine jewels, broadening their capital to include precious minerals, entertainment, and manufacturing. Towns became sprawling cities, and the people were happy. Despite being mostly human, the Evians were known to be very open to trade with xenos, and they grew wealthier still because of this.
Their indiscriminately open trading and immigration practices inevitably landed Ev into trouble centuries into its settlement, as a minor Chaos incursion caused by a group of Chaos Undivided corsairs warred against the populace. A passing Adeptus Mechanicus Explorator fleet traveling with a small group of Inquisitors heard Ev's call for aid, and swiftly rushed to help the beleaguered human populace. While the day was saved, and the cultists killed, the Evians found their exotic weaponry confiscated, and many of their population "reeducated". The xenos population was driven away, or forced into hiding.
The process of formal Imperial annexation began, but unfortunately, this process was delayed time and time again by the sheer inconvenience of the location, and the stubbornness of its people. There was some pushback on the renaming of the world, as it appeared that there was already an Imperial world named "Ev", and it was decided that "Ev II" was not a desirable name. The designation of the planet was changed to "Tar Vigaz", which meant "The Land of Jewels" in a lost local language. To get around the naming forbiddance, the inhabitants eventually named the cluster of local planets allied to Tar Vigaz the "Conglomeration of Ev", so in the end, everyone was happy.
After many exasperated intelligence reports and cost estimates, it was decided that the world of Tar Vigaz would not be formally annexed, but instead, a permanent satellite Imperial presence would be permitted to remain on that world, but would not govern. Two presences were constructed: The general Imperial Embassy, and the Adeptus Mechanicus outpost, both in the city of Evna. The followers of the Omnissiah opted to build their center of operations around the strange black tower (which was now understood to possibly be a blackstone pylon by the Tech-priests) that had always been treated with superstition by the locals. The Tech-priests actually enjoyed this fearsome reputation, and named it the "Tower of Reason" in a moment of humor. The blackstone pylon served as the core of a spiraling tower as it was slowly built upward, and soon, it was eagerly housed by Tech-priests from Explorator ship who had volunteered their aid against the corsairs from the earlier confrontation. The Imperial Embassy lasted all of two years before a mysterious fire burned it to the ground, and no resources were sent to rebuild it. All that remained was Evna's Tower of Reason, and because of the local superstition that still surrounded that structure, it remained intact and untouched.
Time passed, and the tower began to resemble a sharp screw pointing up from the ground as it was altered by its inhabitants. An uneasy truce was reached between the Adeptus Mechanicus, and the eclectic local population. Both stayed out of each other's way, for the most part. The Imperium received periodic reports on the happenings in this remote region of space through the outpost, and valuable intelligence was picked up by listening Wheeler servitors who tirelessly patrolled the streets, quickly gliding above the populace on elevated rails.
Years later, the Tech-priests stationed at the Tower of Reason even aided in the construction of the planetary rim mines to protect against piratical activity. The control of these mines were given to the Planetary Governor, and the Master of the Tower. Each mine was fitted with a massive thermonuclear charge that would cause percussive, explosive, and electromagnetic damage on any unauthorized vessel attempting to enter the proximity of Tar Vigaz. It worked beautifully to keep any unfriendlies away, and had even managed to destroy a small fleet of Orkish pirates who didn't understand that the mines weren't "happy fun balls" as they actually attempted to play some sort of sport game with the mines. In rare instances, the mines had also been utilized to keep others within, which was another bonus.
Null grinned at the memory of hearing the story with the sporty Orks playing mine football in space, told to him a thousand years ago over tea and laughter. The Tower Master herself had come up with the design for that deterrent system, and her name was Magos Nimmie Amee, a savant of innovation, and an inspiration to all those who possessed minds that leaned toward lateral thinking instead of stagnant repetition. Null himself was (as best as he could remember) around her age, and he and her had worked together on Mars. It was Null's glowing recommendations that sent promotions and projects her way, and he delighted seeing the woman explore on her path to knowledge as he worked on his own endeavors.
He admired her greatly, and eventually, his admiration turned unexpectedly into a fondness that most of those who follow the Omnissiah could not usually feel toward their peers. Even he was confused by it, as night after night, his mind would wander toward imagining holding her closely, and how they would function together as a couple traditionally wed as unaltered fleshlings. Initially, he thought that he was malfunctioning, and submitted himself for examinations, searching for any kind of electronic flaw or taint, which none was ever found. Sparks would race through him when he saw her that had nothing to do with mundane electricity, and then, he knew.
Eventually, Null became tired of suppressing these feelings, and summoning his bravery, he spoke to her. To his absolute joy, he discovered that she had felt the same way for him! Life became very happy. For a time...
The two then happily worked as a unit on Mars. Together, they were a powerhouse of intelligence and innovation, and they began to bravely excavate new information from mysterious places hidden beneath the rubble of old Martian civilizations. One of the last things they discovered before their separation was an ancient dataslate detailing the notes of mysterious beings known as "Plane Walkers", beings who came beyond the boundaries of their universe to cause great change, both for good and ill. The slate spoke of a brilliant starship in the shape of a gold eagle that carried these enigmatic Travelers through the stars on their divine errands, bending fate along as they went. The slate mentioned a Traveler that had been named "Red Voice", and that he had lived on Mars during an indeterminate time in the past.
This information was the extent of it, however, as the dataslate promptly sparked and caught fire after they had pulled the data from it, which was strange. Magos Amee had been injured as well, losing one of her left arms.
Soon after, Null was "offered" the honor of becoming an Archmagos, and given a lead position on an Explorator Fleet that would be studying dead worlds within the Halo Stars. Magos Amee, who had suffered injury from the exploding dataslate, would be placed under observation. Afterward, Null had been assured that she would find more appropriate work for her genius elsewhere before he was scheduled to depart.
Null knew what that was about, he thought with sadness as they were parted. He had never forgotten her, even when he had forsaken his name and title. Afterward, Null had gone on to head expeditions to both the Halo Stars and the Ghoul Stars, excavating and studying alien civilizations with his team of Tech-priests, Skitarii, and other loyal followers. Over time, he had kept his artificial eyes open for any mention of beings known as Travelers, and for any news concerning his beloved Nimmie. For many years, he had not even known that she still lived, until he happened to visit this world a thousand years ago on his way over to Levant with his Explorator fleet. She was overjoyed to see him, and they exchanged stories. Null promised her that he would keep in touch and visit if it was feasible, but the worsening Warp weather around Levant made that impossible.
And now, he was here again, a thousand years later!
He had been initially thrilled to see her when he arrived at the Tower some hours ago, very curious to see how she had chosen to mechanically modify herself (if at all). She had come out of the topmost floor of the tower to greet him personally as he stepped off the flyer, and the Archmagos was nearly stunned into silence by what she had become.
The Nimmie that he had once known a thousand years ago was a moderately tall and modestly-altered Magos, as she held a similar conservative philosophy to Null's own concerning self-modification. A thousand years ago, she only had four arms, and only three utilitarian mechadendrites sprouted from her torso and back. Nimmie had always been one for practicality, and like Null himself, she did not modify her body unless it was deemed absolutely essential for her work. Other followers of the Omnissiah, especially those of vaunted stature of Magos rank and above, were often disorganized piles of whirring technology, heavy and cumbersome. It made little sense to Null to pile on appendages that had very little practical use and impeded movement, especially for those who were Explorators, and others who might value maneuverability in their work. A lesser number of exceptionally crafted appendages was better than a greater number of arms that would only see very limited use. Null momentarily bristled as he remembered meeting Belisarius Cawl. That Archmagos was now, according to the last rumor he had heard many years ago, some kind of monstrous metal amassment of superfluous bells and whistles wrapped in a big red garbage bag. Unfortunately for Cawl, there was probably no way for him to modify his body enough to cure him from being a vain prick.
Times had indeed changed, Null thought solemnly. Magos Nimmie Amee was now two and half meters tall, and this height was measured while she was stooped. Instead of her comely face of three glowing animated eyes and finely crafted metal jaw implants, Nimmie now had eight eyes of various animations and styles, and numerous implants along her lower jaw that made her appear like some kind of fanged xenos. Eight long metal arms reached like thin spider legs from her torso, and even her trunk was heavily reinforced to host eight multi-jointed and prehensile mechadendrites of different use and craftsmanship. Her midsection had been lengthened, which caused her posture to lean forward, which gave her somewhat of a malevolent presence. With her eight spindly arms, she now had the vague appearance of some sort of frightening alien arachnid. She was terrifying!
Maybe she needed to look this way to intimidate the local fleshlings, Null had rationalized. Many of her alterations had seemed cosmetic, but it wasn't his business to worry about such things, so he just let it go. She probably had a good reason for all of this, the Archmagos hoped.
Nervous again, Null passed his fingers over the warm belt that sat on his waist under his robe. That was a whole other bucket of bolts, really. The Archmagos was genuinely worried that he did not know the full function of the belt that was melded to his body. Right now, it seemed to be regenerating his lost armature, both of the mundane sort, and incredibly, his small amount of secretly integrated necrodermis. Even one of his thinner mechadendrites had regenerated one night, building matter from whatever energy source the belt held in its core. The most worrying issue was that he could not seem to remove it. If it seemed that he could still fully trust Nimmie, he would have to bring this up with her.
Null pulled his hand away from his midsection when a low-ranking Tech-priest escorting two servitors passed him along the hallway, and he nodded a greeting at the young man. And now, each of the Archmagos' four arms were gripped in a fist, and he clenched his metal-boned jaw beneath his facial implants. This populated planet made him nervous, and coming here almost felt like a mistake after seeing all the disruption the Scion was bringing to it just by existing, but they urgently needed supplies if they were going to get to Molech, which was still halfway across the entire damn galaxy.
The moody Archmagos exhaled, finding himself impotently angry again. He needed to get a handle on himself. A little difficulty now and again wasn't so bad when he thought about it, really. Erika was who she was, after all, he reminded himself again. Maybe all Inheritor-godlings are difficult in their youth, he contemplated. Like little children learning their boundaries, they would be difficult. Was the Emperor himself so difficult to be around early in his time here? Was he as moody, hot-tempered, and emotional as she is right now? What about all those other Inheritors on the Nubuan mural? What were they like, and what had happened to them? Spoiled Prince must have met with an ugly end if his laurel crown somehow ended up in Erika's hands, and not in his tomb, wherever lost corner it happened to be in the galaxy. He would definitely have to ask Nimmie about that crown.
The Archmagos felt himself getting too emotional again, and he took a deep breath to calm himself. Emotions are useful. Emotions are good, he said to himself. I am not like the others, for understand the synthesis of the human and the machine into a beautiful union, each complimentary to the other. And I am also better, because I am chosen, for I travel with the future leader of humanity!
Null then grinned widely under his facial implants. He still couldn't believe it! He couldn't wait to detail his recent events with Nimmie! She would be overjoyed! This all still felt like an incredible dream somehow. Even if that other mutant copilot was somehow a Traveler too, she was a magnitude above that filthy bird man. She would inherit the galaxy, just like Virgil had said! The fact that Virgil had even come back to life (in a fashion) was also wonderful! What an unexpected bonus!
Null was now shaking in excitement. A real live Inheritor! A real one! Just like the creature sitting on the Golden Throne on Terra, but fully mobile and fully alive. He knew it for certain now! Just as she had chased away the corruptive evil infecting his circuits with that distinctive radiance, she would do the same for humanity. She had to! Even when she had started talking about how she was planning on deserting them, and going back to her dimension, she couldn't be serious. No! She couldn't be! Absolutely not! She was here to help humanity! It was her duty as one of her kind to help us here, not to run away! Humanity would die if the Emperor fully died and she ran off! She was the Omn-
"Magos Amee will see you now," a servitor rattled out behind him before a slowly opening vertical portal causing Null to jump straight up in alarm, his anxious thoughts interrupted. "This way," the machine-thing said, directing him toward the door.
Null took another deep breath, and steadied himself. With a mental nudge, he activated Jiminy, who fluttered out of one of his pockets to perch on the windowsill out here. Emotions are important, but not if you become an unstable wreck, he reminded himself as he was led through the tall metal door. If this was a trap, he had programmed his homunculus to find a way back to Erika.
This room was a large half-dome, at least five meters in height and many across. The dark metal of this chamber was slightly curved to hug around the blackstone pylon, but the material of the core itself was not visible in this room. Null could perceive that there was a mild electric charge racing through all the metal of this room. Not enough to cause injury, but enough to startle anyone walking in here wearing dry robes. Various machines of strange use hummed and buzzed, and two mindless servitors were set about in mindless tasks cleaning the electronics with thin rags. A broad table with two long benches sat waiting for him. It seemed out of place, making him believe that this room had been hastily set up as a meeting place.
A door opened on the far right side of the dome, and Null heard Magos Amee's distinctive metal steps echo into the room.
She was intimidating, Null thought as he swept in a low bow before her spidery figure. All eight of her eyes were smiling, which was a good sign at least. "Pleasure to meet with you once again, Magos Amee. It has indeed been too long," Null spoke to her in warmth.
"Call me Nimmie, Null. Such formalities from you are not required," she said in a whispering, sibilant artificial voice. Null straightened up. "I'm sorry that I was not able to properly receive you earlier, old friend."
"Official responsibilities are a priority; I understand completely," Null said as he watched Nimmie make her way to the bench at the table. The Magos now moved with an almost preternaturally smooth grace. "We have much to discuss. It has been a long time. And now, we get down to business."
Nimmie clapped her eight hands together, and then, all the servitors filed out of the room, and he was left alone with the metal spider woman. The door clanged shut, and Null couldn't help but feel a lick of fear through his circuits.
"Your slightly elevated blood pressure and cortisol levels are demonstrating to me that you are afraid, old friend. Did you come to me with bad news? Your last assigned world was destroyed in a Warp rift, and now, you come here with the Wicked Witch of the East riding a gold bird. I believe you must have quite the explanation for me."
"Well, er..." Null stammered, feeling all of Nimmie's eyes focus on him. Would she believe him? Would she speak to anyone unsavory concerning this? The Archmagos abruptly then felt like a fly hopelessly captured in a web now that he was trapped in this room. He had walked right in here!
You can trust her, a strange intuition alighted in his mind, not quite words, but a strong feeling nonetheless. It was a deep seated feeling, and then, somehow he completely trusted her.
"Nimmie, how have events transpired out here?" he decided to ask. Best to start at the beginning.
The Magos did not respond immediately, and her eyes fell. One of her arms shook for a moment.
"This would take quite awhile to explain, as it has been a very long time, Null. A thousand years! When we saw the Warp rift on Levant blow open three months ago, I hoped that you had not been on it, as I had not heard from you in a long time."
"Three months?" Null blurted out. "Omnissiah! To me, it has only been two weeks. What is the approximate Imperial year?"
"Three Vigaz standard months, mind you, but still, three months ago to our perspective. 9.383.000.M42, we estimate, but time here has been quite fuzzy! We cannot get any sort of confirmation. The Warp has been greatly disrupted here with the formation of Levant's rift to the north on top of the loss of the Astronomican to us to the south. Our astropathic choir cannot reach many of our close allies due to psychic noise. Only one battered Imperial ship has made it through to us to detail the horrors of the Great Rift, and its captain has already succumbed to madness. More time may have actually passed in the rest of the galaxy, or less. I cannot give you a good answer. These are perilous times."
Null sighed. "Forgive me. I have only experienced approximately two weeks, but they have been very eventful weeks."
"Perhaps only two weeks have passed in the rest of the galaxy, but here, three months. Care for some tea as you tell me your story? I do admit that I am ever so eager to hear your excuse as to why you travel with Evanora." Nimmie clapped her many hands once again, and the door briefly opened to display a familiar tea-service design servitor. It walked up to them, ready to hear what they wished.
"Yes," Null responded. "Just black tea for me. No sweeteners, of course. Nothing impractical."
Nimmie's eyes narrowed as she listened to Null's order, and a few of her animated eyes seemed to smile. "The usual order for me," she said simply as the servitor then dragged itself out of the room. "Despite these difficulties, it is good to see you again, old friend."
Friend, Null thought sadly. He should have expected that, but it still dampened his spirits to hear. "I have a tale to tell you, my dear..." Null then extended an arm, and opened they keyboard upon it. He began to type, and on the curved wall of this space, the words, "I must be completely assured of privacy, for some unorthodox events have taken place" appeared.
Nimmie nodded, and spoke aloud. "This room is sealed within a lock that prevents all electronic surveillance. No remote information, electronic or esoteric, can breach the barriers of this chamber. I have taken every precaution. Your screams wouldn't even echo in the Warp as I tear you to pieces." She punctuated her terrifying words with a snap of her metal jaw. The spider Magos then extended long claws then sprang from her eight hands, which then scissored at the air, causing sparks to fall! "You are at my mercy, I am afraid," she hissed in a synthesized evil voice.
Instead of screaming, Null actually began to laugh. Yes, this was the Nimmie he had known. Relief began to filter through his circuits. "Is that all?" he asked, smiling under his facial implants.
Nimmie paused, and then burst into musical laughter. She then held four of her hands to her face demurely as her eight eyes all flashed with a rainbow of amusement. Her laugh was still the same, after all these years. "I could not help myself! You should've seen your face coming in here! Like a terrified young fleshling getting his first implants! Omnissiah, I haven't had such a delightful laugh in all my years, and I've had many."
"Nimmie, it's so good to see you!" Null laughed in relief.
"So, this room is actually sealed, unless..." the Magos held up one hand, and then, the door opened again with the tea-serving servitor. "Unless we're getting tea deliveries. Now, tell me a story, Chopper. It has been a long time. What brings you here, and what events have transpired to bring you into my clutches."
Two cups of tea were poured for them by an elegantly designed servitor in the shape of a young slender woman. Null waited until after the tea servitor had left, and then eagerly began to describe his history on Levant, and the discovery of the gold eagle under one of the Necron pylons, which happened to be close to Evanora's manor. He skirted over the part where he had been responsible for the loss of his Explorator fleet, and simply said that the 99th Explorator fleet had been "tragically lost in the Warp". He detailed the destruction of the statue of Amniach (now named Am'Erika) and the flight of the Divine Retribution. Null also did not quite detail his knowledge of Travelers just yet, wanting to gauge just how much Nimmie knew on the subject before continuing.
"We of the governing body of the Conglomeration of Ev have had knowledge of the one known as the Wicked Witch of the East. Planetary Governor Langwidere and Evanora have held a tense friendship for many years, communicating over untested xenos devices that I always told her to stay away from. Shame no one ever listens to me."
"Evanora and the Planetary Governor? They knew each other?" Null asked, sipping his tea.
"Oh yes. Langwidere, over her many years and isolation, has become bored. In the last two hundred years, she has told me that she has struck up conversation with the woman known as Evanora of the East, who dwelled within the planet of Levant. Coincidentally, this is the very same world you were stationed, the one that was lost to a Warp Rift. Thousands of light years away, and I still find myself entangled with you, Null!"
Null found himself blushing for the first time in years. "I had no idea. Evanora and I were not on excellent terms. She lived in a manor near my base of operations there. Truly, if I had known that there was a way to contact you through any method, I would have found a way to convince the Wicked Witch to offer whatever tech she owned to communicate across the disrupted Empyrean."
Nimmie softly laughed. "Do not trouble yourself with that, old friend. What is more important is that now you have told me that the infamous Wicked Witch is gone, and that another soul exists in her flesh. Do explain this strangeness to me. What has happened? And this uncanny creature that is not Evanora is now somehow the captain of the gold eagle that none of your adepts and Skitarii could cut into? It still feels as if I am missing vital parts of the story. Enlighten me."
Here goes nothing, the Archmagos thought, wringing a set of his hands together.
"D-do..." Null stammered as he began, still worried about being heard concerning the terribly taboo topic he was about to bring up. He prayed that he could truly trust Nimmie, and that she would not report this back to Mars. "Do you remember that dataslate we found in the ruins of the Giant's Staircase on Mars? Near the foot of the Brass Font?"
"I do," Nimmie instantly responded, her eyes shimmering in multicolored interest. "If I remember correctly, what was on that dataslate eventually caused our separation. The Fabricator General personally assured me that it was because we were becoming too close and that it was distracting to our work. I always suspected something else."
"I as well," Null said, nervously clutching his teacup. "Do forgive me if this sounds strange, but I, over the years, have been quietly researching the information we retrieved from that dataslate so long ago. My studies have led me to interesting places. My dear, have you ever heard of an interdimensional soul called a 'Traveler'? Or perhaps a Plane Walker'?"
Nimmie sipped her tea. Her jaw and lower facial implants retracted just like Null's had, and he could see that her artificial skin was bone white, and her lips were just as pale, and her teeth, a bright silver. "I may have heard a thing or two," the spidery Magos said with a sly grin. All eight of her eyes flashed gold in mirth.
"So, as I said before, the woman you have seen in Evanora's body is not Evanora. Near the end of Levant's lifespan as I labored to keep the blackstone pylon network operational, mysterious power surges and dimensional instabilities began to plague the local area. It felt as if space and time were pulling themselves to pieces over Evanora's manor. This wasn't daemonic, per se, but it was something even more wildly extradimensional. On one violently stormy night, the Wicked Witch's soul escaped this Materium, and in her place, she drew what is called a 'Traveler' into her flesh."
"Fascinating," Nimmie cooed, folding a set of her long fingers together, and placing her teacup on the table. Half of her eyes shifted to a pale blue, and the other half, a sea green.
"These Travelers, according to their nature, are uniquely resistant to the corruption of the Immaterium since their souls are not native to this universe. Slightly out of phase with the laws of reality, they wield immense power. These Travelers even originate from a reality where our lives, our entire histories, and our very fates are transcribed as mere books and games! Just imagine! Our tribulations are simply a game to them! In a strange way, one could even argue that these Travelers are literal gods fallen from heaven, because what they write, we live." Null was slightly losing himself in his excitement again as he spoke. The whole topic was difficult to talk about without emotion.
Null caught his breath, and continued: "The woman who you saw in the hotel room is the Traveler soul that lives within Evanora's purified vessel, which is now being altered by her foreign energy. The gold eyes, the aura of power and domination! You saw it! It is she who powers and pilots the Divine Retribution, the name of the gold eagle you witnessed here! She came from the universe of gods, and now, she is here!"
Nimmie's eyes were bright. She appeared very interested. "This is incredible! So, you tell me now that you're in possession of a living Marii-Suze? Truly?"
"Yes, I am! Her soul coming into this universe from a divine reality of gods who write our fates crippled the stability of the pylon network on-" Null stopped speaking. He had not mentioned the term "Marii-Suze" to Nimmie!
"Astonishing! Absolutely astonishing! Maybe there is hope for this tortured reality yet?" the spidery Magos spoke with an excitedly girlish giggle. Nimmie then quickly stood up, and walked to a nearby desk. With a short beep, he heard the sound of a lock disengaging. The Magos' head then turned a full 180 degrees to playfully scold at the Archmagos as she rummaged through what appeared to be a solid metal safe. "Don't look so surprised, old friend! You forget that I was, and still am, also quite curious, even dangerously so. So yes, I know! The Plane Walkers are mysterious beings from beyond our time and space, sent to humanity in times of need, or summoned, depending on the sources read. Of course, you must know of the most famous Marii-Suze, don't you?"
Null did not respond right away, and Nimmie began to walk back to the table. She was holding two clear flattish rectangular boxes gently in three of her hands. Two documents of differing sizes and colors were visible within, but he could not discern what they were. "Of course. He's on Terra," Null answered.
"Indeed he is. And what is he commonly known as?" Nimmie sat down, her eyes smiling. She placed the clear boxes beside her on the table. He now recognized these parcels as extraordinarily valuable stasis filing systems, of which he knew only a few to exist! The boxes on Mars held ancient precious documents from the Horus Heresy in a timeless lock, and the science on how to create more had been completely lost. As such, they were incalculably valuable. Nimmie apparently was in possession of at least two! What had she been up to here?
"The... the Emperor of M-mankind," Null finally answered with a slight stutter as he observed the clear stasis boxes. Each held a single piece of paper. What secrets had Nimmie uncovered?
"How curious that you do not say Omnissiah, old friend. But, I forgive you for that," Nimmie said, her eyes smiling. Despite all her new appendages and eyes, she was still very beautiful. The Magos took a deep breath before speaking again. "I have been most dangerously curious upon the topic of Travelers because, like you, I am a fool, and I dig into dangerous information too readily. I have devoted the last thousand years here to my research and study of these enigmatic beings from beyond time. I have learned much! Using well placed mercenaries, cat's paws, and paid scoundrels, I have continued in my search for information relentlessly, searching for any hint or mention of Traveler lore. And now, you bring one to my doorstep. I don't know whether to yell at you or kiss you!"
Null blushed again, flustered. "W-well, do not trouble the woman. She's still adjusting. And the vessel we ride in..."
"And that glorious piece of machinery as well!" Nimmie clapped her hands joyously. "From what I have read, not all Inheritors flew under the Great Eagle, but many did! Since you are riding aboard that legendary craft, I know that your Traveler captain holds the Key as well! Is she actively consuming souls about her now? Is she truly an anathema to Chaos?"
Null sipped his tea, and swallowed, stunned by the wealth of information that Nimmie apparently possessed. This was not how he expected this meeting to go, and the Archmagos was actually quite embarrassed at his own lack of knowledge. "Her name is Erika. And... and yes. She consumes souls. I have seen it happen. The woman is now slowly growing in power, and I can tell her Warp shadow is growing heavier. She... she has a talent for getting into fights, as I'm sure you are now aware."
"Oh yes, actually. That entertainment you had me attend to with Word Bear?"
Null nodded.
"I had a good laugh at that. And, before you ask, we've been investigating the group of people known as the Family of Liberty for recent Chaotic activity. Word Bear and these suspected cultists do not get along. Harry probably wanted an excuse to kill the hooligans who keep driving away his business."
"Why do you permit such a loathsome individual to remain here? You're the controller of the Wheelers! To let such a foul creature live within this city does not make sense!"
"Harry has been around for a long time, and he is friends with many of those in high society here, including the Sinclair Family and the Planetary Governor herself. He also exists as an example of the true independence of this world, and as long as he does not cause trouble, or any sort of chaos, we must allow him. You must remember, Tar Vigaz is not under the yoke of the Imperium. At the very least, he is under perpetual surveillance. That is the least we can do."
Null sighed. She was right. This world only had an Imperial presence, and currently, it was limited to the Tower of Reason. What a fitting name, he thought grimly, lightly shaking his head. "I do not like it."
"Yes, yes, that I can tell. Times have not been easy, and considering recent events, we need all the hope we can get here on this world. You tell me that you successfully activated the Warp dampening pylons of Levant. That is remarkably impressive. Perhaps you can offer this humble Magos some assistance? I'm sure you know all about the formation of the Great Rift by now?"
"Unfortunately, yes I do. I did not believe it when I heard of it. Humanity's travails grow ever numerous."
"So, as you know, Tar Vigaz has been independent and stable for quite a long time, as our methods of quelling Chaos through my Wheeler security system and various minor psychic dampening systems have been very effective. Normally, Tar Vigaz experiences a favorable Immaterial wind that breezes off the furthest light of the Astronomican, bathing us in anti-corruptive energies, despite our great distance. While we often could not see the light itself, we still felt its warm ethereal breeze, and Chaos found it difficult to manifest. Now, that protection has been removed, and in the last three months, this world finds itself in a difficult position." Nimmie shook her head sadly, chattering her metal jaw. "We now look toward another solution, and it is one I would like to share with you. Perhaps you would like to do us a favor concerning your expertise? The blackstone pylon we have here has a unique anti-Warp quality, and we were wondering if it could be used to modulate any sort of nastiness that might arise here."
"You wish to activate this pylon to shut out the Warp? That is a noble goal, and it would solve many problems easily at once," Null replied. He wasn't sure if he could aid these people, as it depended on what technology and materials they had access to. But, it would definitely be effective against the Warp. If they had the time and the means, they could conceivable operate this pylon effectively, and all they'd need was a few psykers to act as power sources. He could also leverage his help into getting the supplies the Divine Retribution needed for its long journey. Null nodded, and offered, "I'll see what I can do, but before I offer my assistance, I have requests for you, if you would humor me."
"Of course," Nimmie said, her spidery eyes smiling again. She drummed her metal fingers on the clear boxes.
"I and my crew require a large amount of supplies on a short notice. We need food, quality food if this can be attained. Not simple Skitarii rations. High quality psyker rations, and some Astartes rations as well. Medical supplies, of course. We also need items such as furniture, blankets, toiletries, that sort of thing. The Divine Retribution was bereft of such items when we finally gained entry, so we've all been tolerating rags and dust, which is not good."
Nimmie nodded, and said, "Of course, old friend. Wherever your mysterious road leads you, I will help you, because to help you, helps humankind. One year's supply of rations for your eclectic crew can easily be given to you. I can even arrange for delivery tomorrow."
"And, that is not all," the Archmagos added slowly.
Null took a big breath, and dug into his satchel, recovering a small metal box about the size of an apple. "Mars does not know that I live just yet, and I would like to keep my survival somewhat secret for now, considering my current situation. I don't know how long I'll be on this planet, but I would like for you to test something for me." The Archmagos opened the metal box, and inside, was a bloody handkerchief, along with a few long black hairs. "This is from the Traveler woman, the Marii-Suze. This is her blood, and here are three strands of her hair. I'd like to have a test run on it to determine lineage."
Nimmie looked at Null, her body completely frozen. "You speak of bloodline?"
Null didn't answer that, and said, "Could a test like this be run anonymously? I know the genetic information exists in secret places, but getting to it may be difficult. Would this set the Inquisition upon us?"
"You underestimate me, old friend, for my research into Travelers goes far beyond casual," Nimmie answered softly. She then reached for the topmost temporally-sealed clear box, and turned it over so it was now visible. It appeared to be an old photo portrait of two people. "Look. But say nothing."
Null gently took the box, and examined it. It was a photograph, and it depicted a smiling man with long dark hair as he held his arm around a beautiful woman. The woman had an enigmatic beauty about her, with light eyes and a warm smile, her fair skin framed by a mane of wavy brown hair. They stood next to a table that held a familiar gold sculpture of a familiar gold eagle. With a start, Null realized that the sculpture wasn't the only thing that seemed familiar!
In the man's hair, a crown of laurels was seen, and his gold eyes seemed to shine through the photograph. Eyes that he now saw every day through the Inheritor woman he traveled with!
Startled, Null nearly dropped the box before a mechadendrite from Nimmie's back latched onto the priceless artifact.
Nimmie held her mechadendrite upon the box as Null trembled, absolutely overwhelmed at what he was seeing. "Is-is-is...?" was all he could stammer out.
The Magos nodded, answering his question. She then pointed at a corner of the photo where a slight discoloration lay. "A single tear fell here. A moment of sorrow from long ago. And a male fingerprint as well. I'm assuming we're matching your sample against this tear, am I correct?"
"How long have you had this?" Null said, gazing at the photo under its clear stasis lock. The man was, aside from his eyes and gold laurels, a normal man. His skin was lightly tanned with a muscular build, and only seemed to be of a normal human height. His attire was also obscenely modest for who he was, as he wore an unremarkable short-sleeved black shirt. The woman had her arm wrapped around his shoulders affectionately, and her light eyes danced with happiness. She wore a modest dark dress, as if she was an average Imperial wife from an average world! If Null didn't know any better, he'd say that this was a simple casual photo of a handsome married couple. The sculpture of the gold eagle they stood beside was an absolutely perfect smaller scale model of the Divine Retribution, right down to the sharp gold feathers on its wings! "D-does anyone else know y-you have this, or who it actually is? Who is the woman?"
Nimmie shook her head. "No one knows. But this man..." Nimmie lightly tapped her mechadendrite next to the head of the man.
"D-don't even speak of it," Null said in a tight whisper. "Just, for me, do the test. Test the blood and hair. Find me, and tell me. I'll help you with this pylon. I'll do whatever I can."
Nimmie nodded quietly. The Magos then glanced upward at Null, her many eyes narrowing in thought, and shifting colors. She took two breaths before speaking again, as if considering deeply what to say. "And, I have something else. Something unusual. Do tell me if you recognize it, old friend. It was found near an ancient ruin on Ix, a blasted world close to Cyclothrathe along with this piece of art by a treasure hunter, and delivered to me. Along with it, I discovered a single page of Traveler lore, detailing the actions of a Traveler known as 'Spoiled Prince'."
Null now recognized the name of Spoiled Prince. He was the direct predecessor of the Emperor according to the mural on Nubua, but that was all that he knew. His portrait was especially vain compared to every other Inheritor, and the Scion herself did not have a good feeling concerning him. Her own gold laurels had come from Spoiled Prince's head, which reminded him...
"Nimmie, did you have a wreath of gold laurels delivered to our penthouse at Sinclair Plaza?" the Archmagos asked quickly before she could show him the second box.
She turned her head in a quizzical manner. "I thought you brought that gold laurel crown yourself?" the Magos asked, confusion in her synthetic voice. "I witnessed it through my servo skull. It is quite an impressive piece!"
"You didn't send it?" Null asked, now suddenly very confused. Who else would know about Travelers aside from Nimmie? Someone obviously knew something! And someone had the means to transport the crown of Spoiled Prince to the Scion, knowing exactly where she was at the exact time! The Archmagos nervously cleared his throat. That meant that someone else entirely had sent the wreath to them. A sense of danger passed over his circuits, and he decided that this was not something that he wanted Nimmie to be involved in, so he shook his head and said, "Ah, never mind. What is that you have here?"
Nimmie took back the photo of the familiar man smiling with the woman as she offered the Archmagos the second stasis-locked object. It seemed to be a painting, or a drawing in colored pencil done in the style of the old remembrancers during the Horus Heresy. It was also familiar, he thought, holding it gently, puzzled why it was causing such a heavy emotional (and nostalgic) reaction in him.
Nimmie studied him expectantly, her many eyes blinking with many clicks, and cycling through many colors. This man was a Tech-priest wearing lush red robes. He was minimally altered with only one metal cheek, and had pale grey eyes and a severe countenance as if he was upset at whoever had drawn his portrait. He had a shock messy white hair that fell in a long part from the right side of his head. Null then recognized this second image, and it somehow startled him even more than the first!
It was a portrait of himself!
"What is the meaning of this?" He asked Nimmie, his voice confused. "This... this is me, but I do not remember sitting for any portrait. Why was this found in a ruin with a portrait of... of..."
Nimmie silently watched him, and somehow, Null knew that she was experiencing a great amount of excitement. This confused the Archmagos, as Null lacked psyker abilities. Perhaps in his age, he was learning how to better read the strange body language of those who followed the Omnissiah?
"I don't know. You tell me. We don't know how old it is, and our best guess is that long ago, a courier of Mars carrying various archives crashed on that world, scattering many disparate artifacts. Your youthful portrait here was one of three things that held stasis locks. Someone thought your portrait was valuable enough to seal inside this lock. I'd be flattered!"
Null turned the portrait around, looking at its back. "And what is this string of numbers?" he asked, observing a long and seemingly random line of numbers and symbols.
Nimmie once again bustled in excitement. "I have a theory. Read them out loud, my friend."
"Tell me what your theory is before I read anything." Null said, looking away from the code.
"It is a wild theory, and I hope that you'll humor me on this, old friend," she said with excitement. "You seem to be more important than you realize, at least to someone. That code written there may be part of something that unlocks hidden secrets within you. You may hold hidden knowledge, deeply encoded by another Magos! Tell me now, don't you find it peculiar that you don't properly remember your years as a fleshling?"
"Many of us don't remember our pasts! Fleshling years are often superfluous years!" Null said defensively.
"But, you yourself have admitted that you had blind spots in your memory! Tell me, how long have you been interested in Travelers?" Nimmie asked, now broiling over in excitement.
"No, I am not entertaining this, Nimmie! I'm shutting this madness down right now! You have ambushed me with something malevolent, and I do not care for it!" Null growled, gripping the portrait. "I will now forget that you have brought such a thing up, but, in turn you will relinquish this portrait to me. It is of me, so it is mine!" Null scolded, standing up. The lights briefly flickered.
"Curiouser and curiouser," Nimmie remarked as she observed the glimmering lights, not upset in the least. "I was going to give it to you anyway, old friend. No need to be upset. It is a rare portrait of a man I once loved far in my colorful past. I have other more recent images of you, anyway."
Null felt his anger cool, and he sat back down. Nimmie took both the box that held the Scion's samples along with the sealed container that held the picture of the familiar man with the unfamiliar woman. She did not attempt to take the portrait with the code, and he remained holding it. With a click, the photo with the couple was sealed again inside the safe behind her. "Very well, old friend. Let us forget unpleasant matters, and let us begin with saving Tar Vigaz from Chaos!"
After instructing the Archmagos to stay quiet on the topic of Travelers while in public along with other risque things that might get them into trouble, Null was guided to an elevator at the side of the structure, and he and Nimmie stepped within. Jiminy fluttered into his pocket once again, settling in to save power. The Archmagos placed his stasis locked portrait within his satchel, and went onward, still bristling with emotions. How in the Warp did she have that odd portrait? No portraits of him existed! Null didn't even remember sitting for this! Perhaps it was done from a pict-cap? To the Archmagos' dismay, he determined that his furthest memories were clouded. The elevator began to slowly glide downward.
When was that portrait created, and why was it found with a picture of... of...
As the elevator ground down, Nimmie smiled at Null, her many eyes glowing. "I'm happy you are here, my friend. I'm happy to see you alive and well, and even more happy to see that you somehow have corralled the woman you travel with. Tell me, does she have a specific honorific I should be aware of? No one can hear us in here. Damn thing is so loud it drowns everything out."
"Scion, we call her. But, sometimes she is called Inheritor, and other times, she is rarely called Empress, but she does not like that. That last one seems to upset her."
"Truly? Perhaps that is a good sign. Humility entwined with incredible power is like slow heat that tempers metal. Let us hope she develops as a sharp enough sword for humanity."
"Poetic. You always had a way with words, Nimmie," Null said, feeling his anger cool as they made their descent. The Archmagos shook his head, exasperated with his own behavior. Having a healthy set of emotions was good, but losing one's temper was not. "I apologize for my reaction. I-I have not had an easy few weeks. I very much missed you. I truly had no way to contact you on Levant. The Warp was-"
"I know, I know. You were cut off. No communications over bad weather. And with the tragic loss of your fleet, you could not have visited. But you're here now, yes?"
Null thought back to the fate of his fleet, likely torn to pieces and lost completely to the Warp, and swallowed. "Yes," the Archmagos replied solemnly
They emerged at the base of the Tower of Reason, which was underground. Nimmie wrapped a mechadendrite around Null's gold arm, and he gratefully took it.
"Do you remember the history of this place in regard to the city of Evna, Null?" Nimmie asked as they walked beside busy adepts and servitors going about their errands. Some were attending to screens that displayed street corners, and others steered Wheelers down streets, chasing lawbreakers.
"It was a place of superstition, as the madman who founded it was rumored to have sacrificed his family to the metal devil that lived here for wealth."
"Very good!" Nimmie said happily. "My personal theory is that old Governor Evoldo was a psyker, and in a quirk of his ability, we were the metal devils he witnessed. Perhaps he saw into the future? Reality is stranger than we know!"
"But, what about the cache of jewels, the peculiar 'green weapons' the archives speak of? If there was no way to get within the structure, how were they found? To me, that speaks heavily of xenos activity swimming around this pylon, which is of alien make."
"Ah, a pity none of these xenos weapons remain so we could study them. The Inquisition ended up confiscating them before we properly settled down here, and they refused to communicate with us. Silly, silly," Nimmie replied as she came upon a large and very wide door guarded by two very large Skitarii holding plasma rifles. A quick swipe of a keycard, and they were through.
They were now facing a large section of the naked base of the pylon. Faint green lights and buzzing machines of mysterious technology all took unknowable readings from the sealed structure before him. "And here we are. The base of the Tower of Reason. We've been studying it for a very long time! If we could find a way to shut out the Warp, we would not have to worry about silly cultists any longer, for their prayers would be immediately silenced. Would make my job far easier."
Null gazed at the shimmering surface of the blackstone pylon before him. It was... strangely beautiful? He felt drawn to it, and as Nimmie began to chatter, he took a few steps forward.
All the machines in the room began to buzz and rattle with energy as Null approached the pylon. Lights grew brighter, and a small alarm began to beep.
"Null?" the Archmagos heard Nimmie beside him, and he knew that she was nervous about something. But, it wasn't all that important. He knew that there was a secret here, and he wanted to uncover it. Null always wanted to uncover secrets. It was his imperative, his passion, his life.
"Great wealth," Null whispered, feeling his metal rush with tingles of energy that seemed to originate from his scant areas of necrodermis. "Secrets. Technology. Weaponry, too. All ahead. A veritable hoard. Just waiting to be discovered..."
He continued advancing toward the pylon as Nimmie now tried to stop him. He ignored her and remained walking as alarms began to chime out. "Energy surge! Coming from the pylon!" an adept shouted within the room. Others began to file into the room, but no one else tried to stop him.
Null stopped just before the surface of the blackstone pylon. It was beautiful. An intuition told him to touch it. Touch it, it almost seemed to say. He felt a rush of energy from his belt.
And so, he touched the pylon with his gold hand.
An outline of green in the shape of a very tall doorway began to appear on the pylon itself. Alarms wailed. Null stood entranced at the scene as the blackstone the mysteriously withdrew, and just as quickly as the feeling had happened, it was over.
Null now stood surrounded by adepts and Skitarii as Nimmie shook him back to awareness. Before him, carved right out of the blackstone itself, was another room.
The wide room was tall, and about ten full meters cubed. It was filled with precious metals, jewels, mysterious pieces of art, ornaments, and even weapons! Piles of emeralds and other jewels lay strewn like seashells across the floor!
Disoriented, the Archmagos came back to himself. "What?" Null finally quietly asked as the cheering began around him.
"You unlocked it! How have you done this?" Nimmie asked Null, absolutely overjoyed! She embraced the Archmagos, and even offered him a short kiss on his face after retracting her facial implants. Null was very disoriented as the spidery Magos began to speak with excitement again: "We knew there was another cache of wealth around here somewhere, but we could not uncover it! We did not know it was directly within the pylon! Oh, Ogun, how I adore you, you cantankerous old genius fool!"
"What?" Null asked again, confused as an adept joyfully picked up a flawless emerald that stood just within the threshold of the mysterious vault. His belt felt very warm, and now, the Archmagos felt the strange sensation that he was being watched...
...Thousands of light years away, in another part of the galaxy, the Nome King's senses were directed to his staff. "What?" he asked, watching the staff brighten. The mad Necron King was slightly disoriented by this happenstance, and gazed at the staff like a child watching a butterfly.
"Your majesty?" his chief Steward said, offering a metal hand to guide his monarch to the shuttle. They were in orbit of the Bone Kingdom of Drazak, and were preparing to visit Roquat's long-suffering brother Valgûl in a request for military assistance in an assault against Gir'Auda, the Equerry of the Old Ones.
The Nome King then became very angry once again, as he immediately sensed that one of his hidden caches of wealth was being plundered! And for the second time! Through the staff's link to the belt, he knew! It was the alien that held his stolen belt! With pinpoint accuracy, he then knew exactly where the thief was!
"My emeralds!" Roquat hissed in his insane fury, his green eyes blazing with fire. "They're stealing my emeralds!"