**Author's notes: For awhile, I have been considering splitting this story up into separate volumes because of its extreme length. This was to be the very first chapter of volume 2. I'm actually still thinking about splitting it (and please let me know if you have an opinion on that because I can't decide), so if you see this fic change to "complete" in the near future, just know that it has a second volume, and that this chapter would become chapter 1 of volume 2. Thank you for reading, everyone!**
I was standing on the shore of a sandy beach, gazing outward into the wide blue eternity beyond the gentle ocean waves. The wind was pleasant against my cheeks, and I could somehow feel it through my armor, which I almost now perceived to be a part of me. As strange as it was, it felt normal, and I paid it no care.
"There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy," a deep pleasant voice gently intoned beside me. "Shakespeare. A shame it is not properly remembered in this terrible age. You have a long road ahead of you, but your future brightens with increasing vibrancy."
I turned, and saw a man wearing brilliant gold armor as he stood beside me, also gazing outward over the sea, his bright gold eyes thoughtful. His halo was bright and familiar, but right now that didn't seem "important". As I watched this man, his image flickered, and then, he became a normal young guy wearing a black t-shirt and jeans. His long dark hair was bound in a ponytail. I was also now dressed in jeans and t-shirt. While this man's eyes were still bright gold, the rest of him was now quite normal.
He walked forward to me, and observed me with an impassive, tired expression in his bright eyes. Despite his familiarity, something didn't feel right here.
"One incarnation of the grand oversoul was a contemporary of Shakespeare. I hear his memories from time to time, almost as if I am him. Sometimes, I listen to all that is me, scattered through time and orbiting the Great Eagle as stars orbit the galaxy. You are also me, and I also listen to you." The man gestured broadly toward the ocean. Oh, I recognized this man, I thought happily.
"Sebastian?" I asked him. "Is that you? What are you doing here?"
"Am I Sebastian? Maybe," he replied enigmatically. "Maybe you see before you an echo of who Sebastian was once, endlessly dreaming comforting dreams as my memories are consumed by the screams of the legions of slaughtered lambs around me. Or, maybe I am yourself, a dream within a dream within a dream. Or, maybe I am one of the others. There are many pieces to the puzzle."
"Many pieces," an unfamiliar voice then spoke. I turned, and witnessed an older bald man wearing a long red robe. He smiled with warmth, and his eyes glittered with wit. This man reminded me of someone's favorite grandfather. "We are many. And we are you. You become us. We become you."
"All of us words sung in the same long song, integrated into one supreme purpose," a man with very pale, almost bluish skin and long colorful robes appeared beside the red-robed man. "And that purpose is to assist humanity in its time of need. Mankind is yours; you are the shepherd of the lambs, and you will serve mankind."
More people shimmered into existence on the strange beach, and each had gold eyes. There was a strange moment when no one spoke; they all stared at me, causing me to become intimidated.
"But, I don't want mankind. I don't want all this," I responded to the many staring gold-eyed strangers.
"And neither did I," Sebastian responded. "I was... convinced."
"Nor I," another bedraggled man with a beard and filthy robes answered. "I yielded."
"Many of us resisted, but in the end, we were all woven into the same tapestry, and became notes in the same overture," a handsome young man with a mop of wavy black hair said to me as he flashed a bright smile.
"And it's beautiful," a woman with very long dark braided hair whispered was suddenly beside me, and breathing into my ear. Frightened, I shuddered away, only to fall right into the arms of a black-skinned man with dreadlocks and brilliant gold eyes. I jumped back again, and found myself being lightly grabbed by the woman with braided hair again. "In return for your service, you will perceive things even the wisest of your race could ever dream of seeing. All questions of the grand creation of eternity will be laid bare to your Sight, the majesty of the multiverse, the true nature of reality! We have such sights to show you!"
"Do not fear your integration, for within you lies the key of salvation for countless human souls..." a tanned man wearing a lab coat was now beside me, and in his hand, a glittering gold thread materialized into existence.
Yet another man appeared from nowhere. Most of these people looked like they could be a part of the same general family, and had either fair or lightly tanned skin and thick dark hair which many of them kept long. In some cases, the resemblance was close enough that some of these people could be siblings. Despite this, a few of these people differed from the rest, as they were either bald or had white hair. This new man was tall, hale, and strong, and wore a crown of thin gold around his brow. The crowned warrior now also held the length of gold thread in one of his callused hands, and he said, "You will become who you must be, and you will achieve our purpose to elevate the dispossessed."
This eclectic group with golden eyes stood around me in a ring, and these strange individuals were now beginning to uncomfortably crowd me. I now I noticed that each of these individuals held the length of the gold thread in their hands. I tried to find a way to escape their encroaching advance, but every exit from their group was blocked. "You do not have a choice in this matter, Omega," two of them said at the same time. "You will serve as we served."
"Wait..." I nervously mumbled as they all walked inward with one hand outstretched to reach for me, and their other holding the strange golden thread. "Hey, stop it!"
"Your body has a purpose. Your soul has a purpose. You will not escape the Imperative. You are divine retribution, and you will serve your humans."
The first of their hands made contact with my shoulders as they grappled me, holding me immobile. I screamed, and then, the length of gold thread was slung over my head, and around my neck! The group of strangers then began to pull, strangling me!
I desperately scrabbled at my throat as the strange golden-eyed figures crooned whispering praises and spoke terrible promises. My world began to turn grey, and black stars appeared at the edge of my vision. Just as I was about to lose consciousness, an artificial rush of power cascaded through me. I was now somewhere else, and before me, a group of kneeling Astartes in red power armor sang slavish devotions to me. With a flicker, the armor they wore then changed to black, and quickly, back to red. Reality changed again in a glitch of energy, and now, an army of red-armored space marines were mowing down both human soldiers and civilians as they wept and screamed. These Astartes chanted joyous prayers to me as they did so, and I realized that I found them pleasing.
I blinked, and I was now somewhere else once again. I now stood tall and proud upon a raised dais, and my body was encased with the finest armor of a shimmering psychically active gold, and I positively glowed with divine light. Before me kneeled a legion of Astartes. I was apparently offering an irresistibly powerful speech to the masses before me. With bellicose words of war, I promised victory against some nebulous enemy, and promised eternal glory for the bravest of souls who would serve me unquestionably. I felt that I was smiling, and that my teeth were actually chattering in excitement to be here making this terrible speech. This felt amazing. My hearts swelled with pride as I drank in the perfumed ethereal miasma of the fervent worship of those who kneeled before me. I raised my armored right hand aloft in a heroic gesture, promising fiery victory against those "heretics" who would dare fight against the manifest destiny of humankind. My speech concluded, and the ecstatic roar of the legion before me invigorated me even further in a whirlwind of psychic energy that spiraled about me in a maelstrom of power.
The image then flickered again, and I felt the sensation of being pulled backward. Now, I was still holding my hand aloft, and I was still drinking in the adoration of many humans as I spoke to legions of them, but my body was male. My two hearts again swelled with power as the devotion of the humans passed through me, causing a feedback loop of spiritual potency, which then caused my Corona to shine ever more brightly. The sensation, empowered by the indomitable will of the great gold eagle, was indescribable. I was living through their hearts and wishes, and I felt myself subconsciously altering their perception as they viewed my majestic form.
"Behold the light of God made flesh!" a cry called from an unknown place in the crowd before me.
I found myself retreating from this feeling of power when more than a few of the people sang both audibly and in their minds that they were in the presence of a divine being. I pulled back from my reverie, and my light dimmed slightly. No, that was wrong! I was not God! This sort of thinking had caused me to lose control and destroy the fifty-five worlds of the Independent Empires of Nubua, and I had vowed to never again drift into those sorts of presumptions! I had to stop these rumors of divinity. On top of this, I did not want to steer humanity into superstitious thinking that would eventually corrupt itself away from enlightenment. Humanity was its own master, not some artificial construct of delusion. I reminded myself that after my second visit with the Wizard of Molech that I had chosen to stay here, and if I was going to do this, I was going to do this right! My frustration ignited sudden anger inside of me, and then, two of the people who had thought they gazed upon God were abruptly burnt into ashes by my misdirected fury!
"No!" I screamed inside my mind, unable to bring myself under control. "I don't... I don't want..."
A touch on my shoulder, and I was taken away somewhere. Now returned to my proper body, I gasped for breath as the gold thread vanished from my throat, and stumbled to a cold smooth floor of dark marble. This place was dark, expansive, and blessedly quiet. As I stood collecting myself and clutching my throat, I became aware that I was not alone.
"Having trouble, are you?" another very distinctive voice summoned my attention. It was a familiar voice, and it had an amused, but dark velvet edge to its cadence.
Assuming that I was before Tzeentch again, I pulled myself up and readied myself to confront the manipulative god, but then, I found myself surprised. As I stood, I discovered that I was standing before a different man with pale skin, sleek dark armor, long white hair, and blazing gold eyes. He was inhumanly handsome, and upon his head, he wore a crown that was heavy in jewels of near supernatural perfection. "It's such an incredible burden sometimes, really. I chafed beneath the Imperative as well," the man observed with a luxuriant sigh upon his throne of dark blue crystal. "But, all is not without hope. What if I told you that there exists a way for you to retain your free will, and to not fall under the godly Imperative of the Great Eagle?"
"Spoiled Prince?" I asked, my voice weak.
Hearing this, the regal white-haired figure raised an eyebrow, and his expression twisted into a nearly imperceptible sneer which then quickly smoothed away. "Listen to me, little sister. Just as the Aeldari hold spirit stones to save their souls from consumption, so are there objects that can preserve your humanity away from the burning gold of your corruptive vessel."
As quickly as this room had come into being, it was now beginning to burn away in cracks of gold light that split through the very fabric of reality. Spoiled Prince smiled wryly at me, unconcerned as he noticed the fracturing crystal.
"What is it?!" I pleaded. "Tell me!"
Spoiled Prince smiled more widely, and pointed his radiant gold eyes upward. My attention was brought to the jewels of his crown, which sparkled in the light of the disintegrating throne room. A handful of rubies the size of my eye framed a singular shining white jewel nearly the size of my fist in the center of the jagged crown. My Sight informed me that these stones had a unique quality, and I somehow then understood that the larger pale jewel was a flawless diamond that held special importance. It glimmered with a strange power, and I had not noticed it before when I had beheld visions of this figure.
The room was now being burned away by the encroaching brilliance of the Divine Retribution's power, and I felt the jealous, possessive light reach forward to reclaim me. The world became very bright, and then...
I woke up with a cry on my bed, covered in sweat, my heart beating heavily!
"Fuck!" I cried out, catching my breath. These visions were getting worse as time went on! Shaking, and absolutely covered in sweat, I whirled about, and nearly stumbled right on the floor. I scrabbled for my laurel crown like an alarm clock in the dark, and placed it upon my head to calm me down, which it did so nearly immediately.
Inheritor? Virgil called out to me outside my door, his psychic voice concerned. I heard a-
"No, don't worry about me. I just had another dream," I stammered audibly, catching my breath as I walked shakily to the bathroom. My eyes caught the broad display screen in the sitting area of my room. It displayed the four planets of the Ix system, and the local time and day. Right now, the time was 11:11 out of 25:12 hours in this world's day, meaning that it was now morning.
Very well, Virgil responded. We will all still be meeting in the dining room at midday?
"Yeah, that's still on," I responded audibly as I reached the bathroom, and willed the light to turn on. I needed to check my hair. Had more of it turned white?
The light turned on, and I stood before my bathroom mirror. Once again, I was an absolute mess, as per usual since coming into this universe. I had sweat so much in my sleep that my hair was matted to my head and neck, and while my hair hadn't appreciatively changed since going to bed, my skin was burned, sensitive, and flaking off in large swaths, similar to the damage of a bad sunburn. On my forehead, I had a small bruise where I had smacked into the chandelier during my rage-filled giantess-transfigured hunt of Raula White down the halls of the governor's palace.
"Fuck, look at me," I replied, leaning forward to look at my harrowed reflection. My face, along with my body, had changed since I had allowed the ship to further empower me as I had left Tar Vigaz, and I was now drifting further and further into uncanny valley land. My features were beginning to feel artificially sculpted, and each imperfection in my body was smoothing out. My cheekbones were getting sharp enough that you could sharpen knives against them. Under my peeling skin, I then noticed that any freckle or mole on my body was slowly vanishing. I stretched my arms, and found myself again to be more toned and muscular. My eyes were softly glowing in my heightened emotional state, and my Corona glowed gently around my head, shoulders, and now, my upper arms.
And, on my neck, I was shocked to find yet another fun surprise. On my skin, there was a red line around where I had been strangled in my dream!
Is there anything we can assist you with? Virgil telepathically asked me, his tone worried. I- if it pleases you, I wish to still have a conversation with you alone concerning Null and his presence here.
"Don't I get a damn break?" I whispered to my reflection as I calmed down. Let me relax here a minute. We've got a short time before we all meet. I'll call you when I'm ready to talk, alright?
Understood, Inheritor. Thy will be done.
"Alright, time to start a new terrible disaster on a new world that I'll probably end up ruining," I grumbled.
After a short bath and a bit of meditation to moderate my anxiety at finding myself being forcibly transformed into the role of some kind of quasi-divine figurehead, I dressed myself in a pair of long dark trousers and a warm soft grey tunic that wouldn't be too uncomfortable on my burnt skin. My Key was hidden beneath my shirt. I contemplated what I had seen in my dream. While the first vision felt as if it was a spiritual nightmare concerning the fears of the Divine Retribution controlling me, the second part felt even more meaningful. Did Spoiled Prince actually have something that could preserve his humanity away from the subsuming power of the Divine Retribution? Maybe I could get my own spirit stone to prevent the ship from eating my free will like a bag of potato chips, I wondered.
I walked back to my bed, sat down, and stared into space. What a crazy last few weeks, I thought. A glint of silver caught my eye beside the bed. It was the Nemeses Argentum, and it had apparently fallen out of my pocket last night when I had gone to change. Its blades were now a little over the length of my upper arm, and it was definitely looking more dangerous. It intrigued me to know that these were actually two swords instead of a simple pair of scissors, and I still had no idea why Tzeentch had led me to finding them. With a gentle telekinetic pull, I summoned the scissors to my hand.
When the silvery metal of the two hidden blades met my hand, the artifact began to glow, and again, it grew slightly larger. Interestingly, a slight lick of blue fire was now also seen wreathing the edge of the scissor blades. Holding the scissors in my hand, I swiped at the air before me, imagining that I had a lightsaber. Why couldn't I be a cool Jedi hero instead, not some poor excuse for an angsty God-Empress. Stupid isekai magic, putting me in this godforsaken universe.
I didn't even know how to use swords, I thought with petulant frustration as I stood up, taking a few experimental swipes at the air before me. Experimenting, I willed the fiery blue light to surround the full length of the blades. For fun, I imagined the buzz of a light saber as I played around slicing the air before me. "An elegant weapon for a more civilized reality," I remarked before placing the Nemeses Argentum on my sitting table. At some point I would probably have to figure out how to properly use this weapon. Maybe I could have an expert swordsman to formally sacrifice himself to me so I can consume his memories and learn swordplay that way. I had picked up the ancient Nubuan language by eating Nabopolassar, but I still didn't know how all this worked. Maybe death, sacrifice, and consumption was also how Sebastian learned everything that he knew, including his vast command of genetic sciences?
After a short interlude of playing around with my ersatz lightsaber, I decided that I was as mentally stable as I was going to be today, and called Virgil into my suite. The hologram simply materialized into my quarters in a wash of bright pixels, not needing to use the door.
Virgil bowed deeply before me, and I noticed that I was now slightly taller than the astropath. I was only gaining an inch or two of height each time I got stronger, and knowing that the Emperor was primarch-sized, I again wondered what would eventually happen to me. All the furniture in here looked perfectly normal, so I decided not to worry about it. Maybe Emps was actually shorter than history wrote him to be?
"Hi Virgil," I greeted the hologram as he straightened himself up from his bow.
"Good morning, Inheritor. I apologize for bothering you earlier. Your presence is growing stronger, and I believe when you dream, that the Warp around you experiences disquiet. I was besieged with visions of my own. I-," the hologram paused, apparently noticing the red strangle mark around my neck.
"Don't worry about it," I replied dismissively, clutching my marked neck. "And I'm sorry for messing up the local Warp. I had a bad dream, and I'm still getting used to this too." The astropath nodded in acknowledgement, and looked away from my neck, obviously disturbed. I directed Virgil to my fancy new sitting area couch, and we both sat down.
"What's on your mind, Virgil?" I asked the hologram as I lightly touched the loose skin on my arm. Was I going to shed like a reptile every time I got stronger?
"Many things," Virgil responded nearly instantly. "I know we were not supposed to consider the words of the greater daemon yesterday, but... but my will is weak. I suppose I-"
"This is about Null, isn't it?"
Virgil nodded. "He confirmed it later too. Null sabotaged his fleet. His entire Explorator fleet, good men and women of Mars and Terra that I counted as my friends, all lost to the Warp. I can no longer trust him, considering that he was able to lie about it to me. It also feels as if he keeps more heretical secrets from us. Throne, if I had the aptitude, I'm be considering tearing the information from him myself."
The astropath completed his speech angrily, and his cheeks had become flushed in his disquiet.
"So, what do you propose we should do about him then?" I asked. Null probably had not told anyone else aside from me that he was arch traitor Kelbor-Hal, or at least some kind of clone that had a fraction of his memories.
Virgil didn't respond, and he shook his head sadly. "I-I don't really know. It is not my place to consider such things. Execution for unauthorized murder of Imperial officers seems appropriate, but perhaps you could find a way to servitorize him so that he is compelled to fight for us without the stain of evil coloring his actions."
I almost choked a laugh to hear that there seemed to be a law against "unauthorized murder" in this universe. What did "authorized murder" look like, I wondered.
"I can't servitorize anyone," I responded seriously. I telekinetically pulled the Nemeses Argentum into the air again, and began to nervously fidget with the blades. My skin burned and itched, and now, my neck ached terribly. A flashback of my strangulation nightmare raced through me, causing me to shudder. I tried not to think about it. "I know this situation isn't fun, but listen to me. We don't have much in the way of allies. I can't just call up Terra and say 'hey we need a new Archmagos get me a replacement' or something. The Imperium would probably kill all of us if they knew about us and what this machine could do. We're on our own, and we really need Null's technical expertise. I've actually already scoured his mind, and I now know exactly the sort of deeds he has committed, and why."
Virgil watched me, his pained eyes expressing conflict.
"The reason he sabotaged everything is because because Mars told him that they wanted to cut this ship open instead of studying it, and he wanted to stop that order from going through. I don't like that either, but if he had listened to the Imperium, both you and I wouldn't be here having this conversation. If he told you that, he was telling you the truth."
"You've already entered his mind?" the hologram asked.
"I did it last night. I know his darkest secrets," I responded. In my mind's eye, I saw an image of Horus and Null in his twisted former body as they shook hands. A shudder passed through my body that I hoped Virgil did not notice. "And, he's got some seriously dark secrets..." I trailed off in a mumble.
Virgil sighed heavily and looked away. "But, all those people," the hologram protested, his eyes watering in grief. "Those people were innocent! To condemn them to death in the Warp is the foulest of fates! I... I met someone special right before we reached Levant. And, I... I..."
"While I don't agree at all with what Null did, I'm not sure there was any other way to keep the Imperium away from hurting this vessel, Virgil," I replied, cringing at my own judgement. With a breath, I allowed my Corona to shine warmly, hopefully offering an emotional balm to the astropath's grief. "I saw through Null, and through his thoughts, he saw there was no other way. He didn't sabotage your fleet for fun, if that's what you're thinking. He even changed his name to Null in shame because of that act." And, that wasn't the only time he had changed his identity, I thought heavily, but said nothing to elaborate that thought.
Virgil sighed, and bowed his head. He seemed to relax to hear that. "At least you're here now," the hologram responded in defeat. "In this universe, our Emperor teaches us of the value of sacrifice. Sometimes, great prices must be paid for great glory." Virgil then looked upward to observe me, and a tear flowed from his holographic cheeks. He then smiled wanly, and nodded. "And with great sacrifice comes great power. I can still scarcely believe that you're here. People like you, you're supposed to be nearly mythical! The powers that come from other realities with the power to change our universe! I just... I just..." the astropath barked a laugh, clearly having a very difficult time. "I mean, one of you. Someone like you. From a different dimension. Here to save us all! Sent by heaven! Maybe the souls of the lost fleet found themselves in a heaven if they were the sacrifice needed to bring you to us?"
I swallowed heavily to hear that. "It's been a thousand years since that incident, Virgil."
"Yes, yes I know. But to me, no time had passed between then and now. Maybe... maybe I just need more time to become more acclimated to my situation. I am grateful that you allow me to live again, Inheritor. I will get over this. I just... I just..." Virgil had now broken down into tears. "Oh, Empress, forgive me this weakness. I am a fool to trouble you like this. I... I..." the astropath heavily wept, now inconsolable.
This moment was now somewhat uncomfortable, and poor Virgil was clearly having a very difficult time. His holographic form was shimmering in emotion as I reached forward and touched the weeping astropath's shoulder. With a short breath, I slightly opened my Corona further and willed my light to calm the grief stricken man. I decided not to broach the subject of Null's other terrible secret right now.
"Inheritor, I see that you're awake," Null's voice then sounded through the room through the display. "Permission for visual contact?"
"Uh, just keep it on audio, Null. What is it?" I asked as I rubbed Virgil's buzzing holographic back.
"I've just returned from a brief ecological and atmospheric survey outside, and I bring news. The world is temperate, the atmosphere is breathable with a slightly higher oxygen content than standard. Ix is quite pleasant, if cold at our present location. When collecting my data, I noticed that we had a visitor either late last night or this morning, and a message was left for us outside."
"What kind of message?"
"I don't know yet. It is still locked away within its messenger. This messenger is a variant of a small drone commonly used by the Adeptus Mechanicus to courier small physical items and messages between locations. After finding it free of danger, I brought it aboard, and now have it confined and safely immobilized in my work area. From its distinctive design, it resembles something Magos Amee would craft. I await your command to unlock it to receive the message."
"This feels like something I should see first before you open it up," I said. "Null, stay put wherever you are. We have about an hour before meeting, so I'd like to have a talk with you in person too."
"Prudent decision. This also coincides my wish to speak with you privately. Very well. I am in my workshop near the engines and energy crystal, and will await your arrival. Blessings to you, Inheritor," Null responded, and the transmission cut off.
"If I may be so bold, you are somewhat nervous when speaking to him, aren't you? You seem particularly drawn," Virgil quietly asked. My light had suitably calmed him, and the astropath had collected himself.
"You're perceptive, but I'm not getting into it right now. I've got a lot to worry about," I responded as I gripped my marked neck while trying not to think of the creeping horror of slowly losing my humanity. "Just go and meet with everyone later in the dining room, and take care of yourself, Virgil. Try not to fight with Null, either. I know he did a terrible thing, but he felt like he didn't have a choice, and he didn't do it out of malice," I said with a painted-on smile as I tried to excuse the murder of fifty thousand innocent people (and however many billions he probably murdered during the Heresy) so we could keep Null and his invaluable expertise aboard. My conscience didn't like this, and I cringed hearing myself speak these words. Null had also killed little Tailsn by draining her to death to use her a damn battery jump for the Divine Retribution weeks ago. Fuck, Null was evil...
The astropath nodded, and he wiped his tears with a grey sleeve. "Thank you for listening to an old fool's issues. I'll trouble you no longer with my distractions. It appears I have much to meditate on myself."
"We've all got our demons, Virg." I smiled until Virgil's look of sudden reproach made me realize what I had said. "Uh, not literal daemons. Just like, we've all got problems," I offered with a disarming laugh. "My universe didn't really have daemons so that was just a figure of speech."
The astropath laughed nervously before bowing and excusing himself. The hologram vanished in a flash. Way to fuck up another social situation, Erika, I growled at myself.
After braiding my hair into two long black and white braids, I stretched before visiting Null. The lady servitor 99-Z had been waiting outside of my suite, and she began to follow me. As I walked, she offered me a small tube of what appeared to be yogurt, and explained that it was supplemental glucose with nutrients high grade psykers require in their diets for optimum performance. I tore it open, and began to eat. It was relatively tasteless, but sweet, and I guessed that this weird cloying sweetness I had been perceiving from the ration packets before was actually because they were heavy on glucose.
As I walked down the long main hallway of the Divine Retribution's body, I could hear the sound of Alberich merrily humming and singing in German, and the clean smell of steam and menthol hung in the air. Our meeting and meal wasn't for another fifteen minutes, and I realized that the displaced German Nazi psychic researcher from 1945 was probably taking a shower. Even after all he had been through, Alberich was still really enjoying this universe, I thought morbidly. This place was a totalitarian nightmare, so of course the literal Nazi was thrilled to be here. It was a terrible development that he now wore a body that looked just like Tzeentch's "human" form too, I fumed. Briefly, I wondered about how Alberich's other mutant half was faring with the Evian cult of Tzeentch which caused me to get angry all over again. My Corona ignited around my head and shoulders brightly, making my skin tingle. I vowed to no longer permit any chaotic bullshit in my presence anymore. I'm supposed to be a literal anathema to Chaos, so I should start acting like it, I swore to myself.
During my walk through the length of the ship, I passed two watery ghosts that had flickered into existence before vanishing again into smears of pixelated mist. I was starting to get used to the ghosts in here, but so far, I had only been able to actually effectively interact with the Malcador shadow. These entities didn't actually seem to actually be ghosts of dead people, and I had determined that what I was witnessing the imprints of past crewmembers and passengers over time. Maybe in the past, some of these people had seen me, I mused before reaching Null's workshop which he had set up aside his suite. The sound of metal striking metal and what appeared to be a heart monitor accompanied the low hum of the Divine Retribution's energy crystal and its mysterious alien engines nearby. The ship, despite being parked at the moment, was hard at work regenerating itself.
"I can hear you outside," Null called from inside his workshop. "Do come in, Inheritor."
I entered the Tech-priest's workshop. Null was currently busying himself at a large worktable in the center of this room, and his back was to me. He continued to hammer something made of metal against the table. Before walking further within, I took a moment to observe this room. Since our resupply visit, Null had converted an empty room aside his suite into a sprawling workshop. Crates filled with strange machine parts, devices, and other unknowable items were stacked against the walls and scattered about this wide room. 77-X, Null's favorite hulking battle servitor, stood perfectly still in one corner of the workshop as a few other servitors worked tirelessly to organize all of the Tech-priest's possessions in an orderly fashion.
My eye was drawn to shape laying in another far corner of the room. Woven through with numerous wires, tubes, and monitoring equipment, the injured Skitarii lay unconscious. The gleaming shine of living gold was visible on the left side of his body, and from what Null had informed me before, this unfortunate warrior had suffered grievous injuries that required urgent repairs in order to save him.
Null turned around, and in his hand, he held what appeared to be a fist sized gold device interlaced with various tubes and silvery coarse wires. "In order to save the Skitarii, I needed to craft a more permanent solution for his damaged heart. You gave me authorization to take living gold from the vessel to save Rahm's life, and I have done so. I know the Divine Retribution is damaged, and I only took what I needed from the hull."
"I said it was okay. Don't worry about it," I explained to the man who contained the memories of an omnicidal despot from the Horus Heresy. My halo briefly flashed in remembered anger, but I was able to contain myself, and dimmed my light. "Tell me about this messenger drone."
"Very well," the Tech-priest said with a bow. Intimidation continued to radiate from the Tech-priest's soul as he turned back to his work table, placing the gold heart down. Null then knelt down to a metal crate that lay on the floor, and reached within to pick up a roundish flat spherical object about the size of my head. Placing it on his worktable, I could see that this object also had eight spiderlike "legs" ticked under its main body, each leg jointed at multiple points and terminating with small pinchers. Vents covered its underside, and it gave me the impression that this drone could move through the air like a Frisbee or a thrown discus after retracting its legs. As it was placed on the table, the drone's legs extended outward to support its main circular body like any large arachnid. Near its front, a small green light in the area of its several square "eyes" blinked repeatedly. "So, how do we receive this message?"
"Like this," Null replied before reaching forward with one of his metal arms to tap what appeared to be a switch on the back of the metal spider.
Before us, the drone was now broadcasting a small green holographic image of a hunched Tech-priest with a stout body. This individual reminded me of Nimmie Amee somewhat, as he also had eight metal arms and various mechadendrites. Implants and various cables extended down from his shrouded face of multiple featureless eyes, which made this Tech-priest appear much less human than Null, who stood beside me also watching the hologram.
"Greetings to thee, person or persons who pilot the unusual eagle of gold that landed in my backyard," the individual spoke in a guttural, artificial voice. "I am Magos Jinnicky. Perhaps you have come looking for me? If you have come in peace, then recite the phrase of the name of the travelers to this drone. If you are genuine, I will welcome thee with many open arms, and offer you a remote keycode. If you do not know this phrase, then go away, for if you intrude upon my business, I will destroy you post haste with my legions of gravel men!" The projected image then froze before glitching away. A tiny red light began to flash on the drone.
"Sit nomen viator benedictum," Null spoke clearly. At this, the drone beeped twice, and its light flashed green. The hologram then switched to briefly display a long string of numbers, which Null noted dutifully. "That was a secure code for eventual remote communications. We should now take it outside so it can fly back to its master. Ah, it is always good to have friends in remote places of the galaxy." The Tech-priest reached forward to almost pet the spider like it was an adorable puppy. "Beautiful craftsmanship. I wonder if Nimmie designed this little beast?" Null asked before a wave of sadness passed through him.
"So, Magos Jinnicky was one of Nimmie Amee's friends? Another researcher of Traveler lore?" I asked Null, noting the hologram Magos' eight arms and the fact that the drone used to contact us was an eight limbed spider. "She's got a thing for spiders, doesn't she?"
Null nodded. "Magos Amee sent one of her associates from Evna out here to watch over a dig that she had intended to revisit. All I know is that some artifacts were uncovered here concerning the myths of Travelers. These artifacts were only found very recently, and my belief is that she stationed this Magos here to guard this dig site and to make certain that others do not get a hold of such forbidden information. This makes sense, considering where this world is in relation to some other, more perilous locations. Hopefully we can rest here, and then, depart for Molech as soon as possible."
"What perilous locations, Null?" I asked, now suspicious. While I didn't think Null was leading us into trouble, I didn't like any potential dangerous development in this universe. I clutched my neck nervously. If Null had noticed my nightmare injury, he wasn't saying anything about it.
"Cyclothrathe is nearby, if you are familiar with it," Null responded nervously, his eyes reflecting my gold light. When he didn't see recognition in my face, the Tech-priest continued. "Cyclothrathe, if my information is correct and current, is a Hell-Forge. It fell to the forces of the Dark Mechanicum during the Horus Heresy."
"The Dark Mechanicum?" Oh, those were Chaos Tech-priests! I lowered my voice to a whisper. "Did, uh, Kelbor-Hal rule over this world?"
Null looked away, and nodded shortly. The Tech-priest then spoke in a very low voice, as if almost afraid to hear himself speak. "Yes, Kelbor-Hal presided over this world, but only indirectly as his concern was Mars and the greater newly forged Dark Mechanicum as a whole. This world was a conglomerate of its own will, ruled by a synod of Archmagi. It had been promised freedom and full independence from the yoke of Mars by Kelbor-Hal for their cooperation with Horus. Unfortunately, I do not remember much else. There exists a gap in my memories here."
I was speechless for a moment as I parsed what this meant for us. "How close is Cyclothrathe to Ix, Null?"
"I will have to calculate stellar drift, and if the planet actually still exists at all in the state it was thousands of years ago, but millennia ago, it was 2.1 light years away from this world. Truth be told, I know more from my contemporary historical knowledge than from my... darker memories."
"What do you know, then?" I asked.
"As I said, this world, if my history is correct, is a Hell-Forge. Hell-forges are Forge Worlds that are ruled by the evils of Chaos. Daemons possess infernal engines fueled by untold suffering. Bellowing black smoke churns through an unnaturally colored sky, and souls are often traded in currency by the foulest of Chaos-aligned beings. At the very least, Cyclothrathe leaned more toward insular independence, and not toward fervent cooperation with the dark powers, but that likely means very little, as all Hell-Forges are damned places."
"Okay, we're definitely not going there," I responded. "And they're only two light years away? Great."
"I would not say that this is 'great'," Null replied, not understanding my sarcasm. "Cyclothrathe is dangerous, and our proximity to it is also dangerous. If the Divine Retribution were not so terribly injured, I would have suggested that we take to Warp and find another, safer world. But, as long as we keep a low profile and do not broadcast our presence, we can hopefully pass unnoticed, as it appears that this world is uninhabited aside from Magos Jinnicky and his aides."
"Yeah," I sighed, clutching my neck again. No one said anything for a moment, and all was quiet with the exception of the regular beeping of the heart monitor attached to the Skitarii in the rear corner. "Is there anything else? Are you able to come to galley for the midday meal meeting soon?"
"I plan on detailing my findings of this world and our situation here with the rest of the crew if it pleases you, yes. If you have any concerns that I could address, do not feel hesitant to ask. I am devoted to you in all of spirit during your journey, anointed one, blessed of the divinity of the machine," Null elucidated with another low bow. As he straightened up, he appeared briefly torn before asking, "But, if I may be so bold, I do have a few concerns that I wish to address, if you would hear me."
"I don't have any questions, I don't think," I said, still clutching at the red line circling my neck. "But, go right ahead. It can't be worse than anything you've already told me."
After a deep breath, Null began to speak quickly. "Do pardon me if I speak out of turn, but I am curious of some new developments. First, forgive me, but I observe that you seem to have a strangulation ligature around your neck. Second, your skin appears to have been burned, your hair changed, and your height altered. Your physical presence seems to shift quite often in congruence with your continued integration with the divine machine." Null quickly and nervously spoke as he averted his eyes.
"A lot of what you're talking about is still a mystery to me," I responded with a shake of my head. "I had a nightmare where I was being strangled, and now, I have this mark." I clutched my throat. "From what I understand, the Divine Retribution is changing me both mentally and physically along with increasing my psyker powers. Maybe these are all just normal side effects from being plugged into this vessel, but I have to tell you..." I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. Unbidden, I remembered the words of the other Inheritors as they smiled before strangling me with the golden thread. "This is terrible. I can't imagine the sort of torment Sebastian must have endured in his journey."
"It somewhat reminds me of a princeps interacting with the machine spirit of a titan, if you're knowledgeable of such things in our universe," Null observed thoughtfully. "Their energies become interwoven, and a sort of third presence develops as an amalgamation between the two. But, in your case, the machine spirit is a thousand times more powerful and willful. The Divine Retribution is a god among machines."
"This vessel, it pushes on me. It invades my dreams. It doesn't let me rest. As I get stronger, it also gets stronger." I was then reminded of my vision with Spoiled Prince and his jeweled crown. Would Null's expertise include things like spirit stones? Pursing my lips, I began to cautiously inquire, "Actually, I do have a question, now that I think of it. Do you know about any sort of spirit stone tech that works on humans. Or, people like me, if I still technically count as human?"
Null stood thinking for a moment, placing a metal hand to his jaw, and tapping it lightly. "I'd have to meditate further on that, as that knowledge is not immediately accessible within my memory. The Imperium, as much as they deny it, often studies and hoards alien Warp tech. May I ask why you request this knowledge?"
"I had a vision last night, and I've become curious. The stones would look like large rubies, or maybe a large diamond. The stones might be affixed to a crown or some other sort of jewelry for use, but I'm not sure. I'm just really curious," I responded, pulling on my fading memories of my dream-vision. "Oh, and now that I'm thinking of it, I'd like to look through your recordings of the Mural of Inheritors from the pyramid of Nubua. I think the white-haired Emperor, Spoiled Prince, may have had something like what I describe."
"Ah, I remember," Null said, his green eyes animating a reaction of realization. "I will set aside the recording for your viewership later. I should also tell you that I have now parsed through all the descriptive titles of the previous Inheritors. Many of them have curious monikers, such as Dancing Prince, Sin Eater, and..." the Tech-priest paused, an appeared hesitant to say the next name. "...Iron Will."
"Good. We'll tackle that after lunch," I replied as my stomach began to growl. "Speaking of that, it's about time for that too."
"Very well. I will take this drone to release it outside. I will be in the galley within ten minutes. Hopefully, the response from the resident Magos is prompt." The Tech-priest then gathered the drone in his hands, and bowed to me again. Null was still avoiding direct eye contact. "Thank you again for giving me an opportunity to cleanse myself of my indelible shame. I will not fail your kind again, blessed one."
"No problem," I replied as Null exited his workshop with the drone, a nervous skip in his step. I was now in here alone with Null's busy servitors, and the unconscious Skitarii guard in the corner. In my mind, disturbing mental images from my dream-vision repeated themselves endlessly. I settled on interpreting my strangulation as a manifestation of my concerns about the Divine Retribution strangling my free will, which I was definitely worried about.
Maybe Spoiled Prince wasn't just a spoiled prince with his crown of jewels, and he had been able to somehow retain his humanity, I wondered, touching the soft warm leaves of my laurel crown. My hope was short-lived though, as I then remembered that Spoiled Prince's decadent portrait in the Mural of Inheritors had depicted him lounging around with Tzeentch, and that one of the Blank sisters had called him an "evil lord".
"Fuck, I really need a win here," I sighed with sadness as I walked to the dining room.