"There are no gods, only delusion. There are no miracles, only progress. There is no prophecy, only innovation. There is no faith, only cowardice." - Imperial Academy of the Sciences motto
ITS Zweihänder conference room, Sirius system, 15/03/2545
Admiral Williams was sitting nervously in a large conference room on board the Zweihänder, a Dragonaur-class Juggernaut in orbit around Sirius I. His fellow admiral, Julie, was taking this far more casually than he was, resting her feet on the table while leaning back on her chair. They were temporarily pulled from their position to be personally debriefed by the Imperator himself on what happened in the other universe.
"Relax, Victor," she said casually. "I'm sure it won't be as bad as you think."
Williams looked at her.
"You think so?" He asked.
"Of course, we had no other choice in the matter, and it was for our survival. I'm certain the Imperator will understand."
"I hope so..."
A few more minutes of waiting later, the Imperator stepped into the room, followed by an imperial archivist. The two admirals stood stiffly and saluted him, to which the Imperator nodded.
"Greetings, admirals," The Imperator began as the archivist began to type on a tablet. "First off, I would like to congratulate both of you for your loyal service and achievements in the Riftjumper project."
"Thank you, sir," the two said simultaneously.
"Now, I wish to speak with the two of you individually to record your experiences and knowledge for the archives. I also wish to go over certain... situations that have arisen."
The two admirals glanced at each other nervously.
"Now then, Admiral Conner, please leave the room," the Imperator said as Julie left. "Admiral Williams, you control the Xi'an Battlegroup along with Admiral Conner, correct?"
"Yes, sir," Williams said as the archivist typed on their tablet.
"Please describe your experience within the other universe."
"Well, we have discovered a new alien race calling themselves the Aeldari. They seem to be very psionically sensitive and master wielders of their powers. We rescued a wounded one off of a planet in the system where we arrived, nursed it back to health, and returned it to their people."
"How many Aeldari exist in that universe? How united are they?"
"Not many at all, sir. They seem to be on the brink of extinction due to some unknown catastrophic event that we predict to be a disease, but my scientists are still trying to figure out why. They exist on habitat ships that they call 'craftworlds,' one of which I visited. From what I can gather, they operate like individual terrestrial nation-states."
"Does humanity exist in that universe?"
Williams grimaced.
"Humanity is, unfortunately, a highly xenophobic and spiritualist empire, dead set on eliminating every single alien lifeform in the galaxy, under the rule of an Emperor that I believe does not exist," he gives the Imperator a seal he recovered. "That represents the state religion that humanity believes in."
The Imperator looked over the seal for a few moments before handing it over to the archivist.
"Thank you for revealing this fact, admiral," the Imperator said. "Now, onto the topic of your actions."
Williams nervously nodded.
"You mentioned that you rescued a member of the Aeldari when you arrived in the other universe. Why?"
"I... I wanted to gather information from it, sir," Williams said.
"Did you reveal any information of your origin to it?"
"I... yes, sir..."
The Imperator raised his eyebrows.
"Really? For what purpose?"
"I wanted to build more trust between our species given humanity's reputation in that universe, sir."
There was silence in the room as the Imperator considered Williams' actions. He was a little upset that Williams divulged classified material to an alien being he had just met, but considering the circumstances, he felt like the admiral made the right choice.
"We're almost done, admiral," the Imperator said. "I need to discuss the situation with the crew of your fleet. I have received disturbing reports that over 11 percent of your crew had some type of bodily mutations or unstable mental state, including extra eyes, blue skin, bony spikes, and the need to increase stimulation or pleasure to maintain a stable mental state. Did you notice anything wrong during your expedition?"
"I noticed that some crew members were having hallucinations, but I disregarded them as stress-related. I did have them draw the figures they claimed to see, however."
Williams showed two drawings of figures that the patients had drawn. One was a blue, humanoid avian being wielding a staff. It was kind of weird to look at, it was like you were staring into the infinite dimensions and the essence of knowledge itself. The other drawing was of a humanoid with light pink skin and crab claws for hands. Its eyes were pure black and had pointed ears, and it was wearing a skin-tight outfit with its right breast exposed. It was simultaneously beautiful and horrifically ugly to look at.
"I assure you, sir, these beings should be disregarded as mere hallucinations, and these victims should be rehabilitated and reassigned."
At that, the Imperator stood up, as the archivist and Williams stood as well. He waved his hand against the rear wall and revealed the exterior of the Zweihänder, the backdrop of space with the light of uncountable amounts of stars illuminating the darkness. Williams walked closer to the Imperator, who looked at him.
"Do you know how I took power?" The Imperator asked him.
"Y-yes sir," Williams replied. "Y-you took power when you overthrew your father in a coup, sir."
The Imperator faced him fully.
"My father was an ignorant, hedonistic bastard who thought that humanity had achieved everything possible," the Imperator said. "He, like you, decided to ignore seemingly trivial incidents and brought humanity into a shameful path of hedonism and debauchery. Only when I overthrew him was humanity saved from its descent." He walked closer to Williams. "I want you to report any further incidents immediately. Am I understood?"
"Y-yes, sir," Williams got out. "What will happen to the afflicted?"
"They will be sent to medical facilities throughout the Technocracy, treated, and returned to active duty. Those who cannot be cured will be euthanized. Any other questions?"
"N-no, sir."
"Good. You are dismissed. Do not fail me, Admiral, you'll not like the results."
Williams nodded slowly as he made for the exit, feeling unease for the first time in twenty years.
Williams walked out and saw Julie sitting outside, still having a casual pose. She was browsing something on her tablet and appeared to not notice his arrival.
"Julie," Willams said, causing Julie to yelp and throw her tablet across the room. "The Imperator's waiting for you. Best be quick, he's in a serious mood today."
"Noted," she said as she calmed down from her shock.
"I mean it Julie, behave yourself in there."
"I'll be fine Williams."
With that, she went into the room while Williams sat near where Julie was sitting. After a few more minutes, Julie came out of the room, noticeably more concerned than before.
"So," Williams began. "Did the Imperator tell you the same things too?"
"Yes," she replied. "It's quite disconcerting..."
Williams shrugged.
"I don't think it'll amount to anything," he said. "But it's best to keep an eye out for further hallucinations and mutations. I don't want the Imperator on my ass for failure to properly manage my crew."
"But don't you care about how worryingly detailed some of those drawings are?" Julie asked. "It could be a side effect of traveling through the Shroud."
"No matter how detailed a person's drawing is, the beings depicted are not real unless someone documents them in the flesh, and a body is present for autopsy."
Julie sighed and shook her head "Victor, you're too dismissive of this. We've had crew members carving symbols into their flesh, uttering nonsensical words, and behaving like they're possessed. This goes far beyond mere hallucinations; it's like something is reaching into their minds and twisting them."
"Coincidence, and nothing more. Space travel is a stressful experience, even with our advanced technology, and our expedition is even more so. This is nothing more than mass hysteria, an extreme instance for sure, but nothing suggests that outside forces are the cause of this."
"No, there must be more to this than mere mass hysteria, it must be related to the Shroud somehow."
"Oh please," Williams scoffed. "Don't tell me you believe that there are entities in the Shroud that are doing this."
"I'm just saying that this behavior must be linked to our traversal through the Riftjumper gate."
"In any case, we aren't going to get much done unless we get back to our ships."
The two admirals then walked back to the hanger bay in silence, with Victor trying to find a rational explanation for this while Julie was trying to get Victor to listen to her.
ITS Guānxīng Jiàn, Tyson system, 5 jumps from the Iliad system, Segmentum Ultima
Researcher Daniel Song was piloting the ITS Guānxīng Jiàn (Stargazer) into the atmosphere of Tyson IV, a highly habitable continental world or even Gaia world that seemed to be designed to be as beautiful as possible. They were escorted by two Banshee fighters and two Wraith-class aerial hunter-killer drones. Inside the ship itself, there was Researcher Daniel, two other scientists, and eight Imperial Planetary Guard members for security against local fauna and hostile combatants, as this was in Imperium of Man territory. A destroyer, the ITS Fēng Bào (Storm), was stationed in orbit as overwatch.
"Pretty nice planet here," one of the scientists said. "Almost too perfect."
"All three of us saw the survey data," Daniel replied. "Someone terraformed this place."
"Why are we even landing in the first place?"
"The scanner detected abnormal energy readings on the surface," the third scientist said. "We're landing to investigate."
A few minutes later, the Guānxīng Jiàn landed two hundred meters away from the reading. The eight Planetary Guard members took point as they exited the ship, as Daniel and the two other two scientists walked out. Overhead, the Banshees and Wraiths maintained vigilant surveillance, their engines humming a haunting melody.
"Be advised," a Banshee pilot reported. "The Imperium seems to know we're here now."
"REPORTING TROOP BUILD UP," a Wraith reported. "APPEARS TO BE APPROXIMATELY TWENTY-FOUR INDIVIDUALS MOVING TOWARDS YOUR POSITION."
"Copy that, maintain a recon pattern, and alert us of further developments," Daniel said.
"Roger that."
"ACKNOWLEDGED."
Daniels checked the tablet he was holding.
"Two hundred meters, dead straight of us," he said.
With that, the team of eleven moved towards the anomaly.
A couple of minutes later, the team arrived at the location of the anomaly. It was an overgrown temple, which was constructed by the Aeldari some millennia back. As the team neared the temple, Daniel realized that the anomaly was located inside the temple.
"Secure the perimeter," he said to their guards, who nodded and proceeded to take positions around the temple. Daniels and the two other scientists then entered the temple, along with a single guard. The interior was dark, with small patches of light seeping through the holes in the ceiling. The light illuminated the walls, revealing magnificent instances of old Aeldari artwork.
"Document this," Daniel said. "I want a picture of everything for the archives."
"On it," a scientist said. As he heard the sounds of pictures being taken, Daniel continued to follow the anomalous signal further into the temple. He reached a staircase and went down a few steps before realizing that this was way beyond a simple investigation.
"ITS Fēng Bào, come in Fēng Bào," he said into his comms.
"Fēng Bào here, report."
"This shit goes way deeper than anticipated, requesting an archeological team on site, over."
"Roger that, dispatching archeological team. Be advised, the Imperials realized we're here, but they do not appear to possess surface-to-space weaponry, possibly due to the age of their presence here. The Imperial scout force is about over a day away."
"That far, huh? Copy that, requesting additional security on site for our excavation."
"Understood, dispatching Planetary Guard team."
The next day...
"Isha curse this heat..." Aemdaer muttered to herself as she along with four other rangers trudged through the foliage of this maiden world. Her squad was dispatched to this world to retrieve a relic from a sacred temple by one of her craftworld's farseers, but as always, they were less than specific on the details, much to her annoyance. They had been walking through the dense forest for three days now, all under the oppressive heat and humidity of the forest.
They continued walking when they heard a noise. It was an engine and by the sound of it, it was a Mon'keigh craft that was heading to the same destination they were. This gave the group a much-needed boost of energy as they rushed towards their destination in an attempt to beat the Mon'keigh there. A few moments later, they heard a voice.
"最后，这就是全部了吗? (Finally, is this all?)" The voice asked. The group stopped immediately. It was a Mon'keigh, they were sure of it, but they weren't speaking in High or Low Gothic. The group decided to sneak closer.
"是啊，挖掘工作进行得怎么样了? (Yep, how's the excavation going?)" Another voice asked.
"我们正在取得进展，这些新设备应该会加速我们的工作. (We are making progress and these new devices should accelerate our work.)"
"What are they saying?" A ranger asked. No one replied, mainly because everyone had the same question on their minds. The group slowed to a crawl as they neared the temple, trying not to draw the attention of the Mon'keigh.
They saw that the Mon'keigh had already taken over the ruins, their primitive equipment probing the structure and primitive lights casting a weak glow over the structure. Crates that were probably filled with more of their primitive equipment were scattered about, as their crafts landed and took off, each depositing Mon'keigh or more equipment. Mon'keigh troops akin to guardsmen stood watch on various positions around the temple, but they wore black armor with red stripes rather than green. A scream sounded from above, to which the squad looked up to see a Mon'keigh fighter flying over their location.
Mon'keigh in white robes circled the temple, lights flashing from their handheld devices while the fingers of other Mon'keigh tapped feverously on their tablets. More Mon'keigh brought out vases and small tablets, which were loaded into crates and then spacecraft.
"这个地方确实很漂亮, (This place sure is beautiful,)" a Mon'keigh in white robes said.
"确实如此，帝国出现在这里真是太遗憾了. (Indeed it is, shame that the Imperium is here.)"
"等等，你听到了吗? (Wait, did you hear that?)" A Mon'keigh trooper asked before las-fire sounded and las-bolts came at them. The Aeldari squad then looked and saw two dozen Imperial guardsmen charging at the new Mon'keigh, who returned fire with kinetic weaponry. Eighteen Mon'keigh soldiers were engaging the guardsmen, and they were doing quite a good job, eliminating a third of their aggressors within a few minutes.
"狂热的污秽! (Zealotic filth!)" A Mon'keigh soldier screamed at the Imperial guardsmen while firing at them. A las-bolt struck them in their armor, staggering them a little before they returned fire. Within another couple of minutes, the entire attacking guardsmen force were wiped out, and the site went back to a more relaxed atmosphere.
Aemdaer decided to sneak to the temple while the Mon'keigh were relaxed, thinking that they wouldn't see her crossing in the dusk light.
"嘿, 你! 别他妈的动! (Hey you! Don't fucking move!)" a Mon'keigh yelled to her, dispelling the idea. She immediately pounced on them, pressing her blade to its throat, to which the Mon'keigh's eyes widened in shock.
"Why are you here, Mon'keigh?" She asked the soldier. "Why do you defile our sacred sites?"
"W-we found an anomalous energy signal on this planet," they said in Aeldari. "We came here to investigate and document our findings. We just provide security, our scientists are in the ruins," the soldier said as they pointed to the ruins.
Aemdaer then pulled the Mon'keigh up with one hand and forced them to walk into the ruins, all while pressing her blade to its throat.
Daniel was analyzing the anomalous signal in a mobile display case along with his original scientist squad and the new archeological team. The object, resembling an ancient Egyptian ankh, emitted an astonishing amount of energy, capable of sustaining a small colony indefinitely. His fellow scientists diligently documented their findings, transmitting data to the Fēng Bào in orbit. Meanwhile, the archeological team carefully uncovered other artifacts and revealed murals hidden beneath foliage. The thought of this universe's humanity wanting to destroy them for the sole reason of being alien made them all sick.
The door suddenly opened to reveal a squad of Aeldari, their leader holding one of the guards hostage. The scientists all turned to face them in shock.
"W-who are you?" One of the scientists managed to ask.
"Give us the artifact Mon'keigh," the Aeldari holding the soldier captive said. "Or we will gut you all like the animals you are."
"I'm sure we can all work something out-" Daniel began
"For fuck's sake Daniel, just give them what they want!" The guard being held hostage begged him. Daniels then quickly unlocked the display case and gave the object to the Aeldari group, whose leader snatched it and kicked the soldier away from her.
"Now then," the Aeldari began. "Tell us why you're here in the first place."
"We found anomalous readings when surveying this world as a potential colonization candidate. We landed to investigate the readings. Please, we never meant to deface your temple on purpose, we'll leave as soon as possible."
The group of Aeldari stood silent, their expressions unreadable. It was then that a Banshee pilot and a Wraith both called Daniel.
"Be advised, we are detecting a large team of Imperials moving towards your location," the pilot said. "It appears to be reinforcements for the previous attacking team."
"CONFIRMING, LARGE AMOUNTS OF HOSTILE ORGANIC UNITS APPROACHING," the Wraith reported. "ADVISING IMMEDIATE WITHDRAWAL TO ORBIT."
"Copy, I'll get everyone to pack up the equipment and prepare for immediate evacuation," Daniel replied. "Maintain a holding position until the last ship departs, then make for the Fēng Bào ASAP."
"Affirmative."
"ACKNOWLEDGED."
He then turned to everyone in the room.
"Pack it up everyone, the Imperium knows we're here now," he said as everyone except for the Aeldari started to quickly pack up and make for the exit, making sure not to bump into the Aeldari on their way out. Daniel then turned to the group.
"I know that this place is sacred to you, but I think it's in all of your best interests to evacuate immediately. A large platoon of Imperial guardsmen are heading this way."
"We will not let the Imperium desecrate this site," the head Aeldari said.
"They out-number your group greatly and I know that your kind is a dying race. Let us assist. We'll deploy automated defenses around the perimeter to protect this site from Imperium incursions. Unlike our compatriots, we wish to preserve alien cultures wherever we find it."
Daniel then made to leave as the Aeldari pondered his words.
A few minutes later...
The sun was starting to rise over Tyson IV, giving the sky a warm orange glow. There were only a few ships present on the surface, many having evacuated back to the destroyer orbiting the planet. Daniel was looking at the Fury-class turrets, their autocannons scanning over the terrain, ready to annihilate any non-Technocracy human or non-Aeldari individual they detect. He looked over at the temple entrance and saw the squad of Aeldari leaving it, their leader looking at him. He nodded in greeting, to which she bore a look that was a mix of indifference and annoyance before she took off into the forest. He checked his tablet to get a gauge of the situation.
Almost all of the personnel present on the sight had evacuated with any artifacts deemed non-important by the Aeldari back to the Fēng Bào, while the last Fury turret had finished its deployment protocols. As for the rest of their equipment, he didn't care about it in the slightest. The Imperials wouldn't live long enough to figure it out anyway.
"Sir," a voice behind him said. Daniel turned and saw the last ship getting ready to depart, with a Planetary Guard soldier looking at him. "The Imperials are five minutes out, we should leave."
Daniels boarded the ship, and it took off, leaving the planet and leaving the arriving guardsmen to their fate.
Private Tiberius had been walking for a couple of hours now, cutting through the flora of the forest as they went. The previous team had reported the presence of heretical humans at a xeno temple before being cut off by las-fire and kinetic gunfire. They had not been heard from since.
His division was sent to investigate what happened and to purge any xenos and heretics they found. Around five minutes later, his division reached the xeno temple. At first glance, they could see that there were crates scattered across the area, with lights illuminating the walls of the temple. The bodies of the first team were scattered about as well.
"What in the Throne's name happened here?" Tiberius wondered out loud.
"Heretics, no point in trying to comprehend what dark actions they do," another trooper, Voss, replied.
The division then moved closer to the temple, noting that the crates were significantly more advanced than theirs. They took a few more steps before a drone suddenly flew in front of them.
"注意未知人员，准备进行生物扫描,(Attention unknown individuals, prepare for bio scan,)" the drone said in an unknown language as a cone of blue light washed over the division.
"What should we do?" A trooper whispered.
"Quiet," Tiberius whisper-yelled back.
A few agonizing seconds later, the cone of blue light turned red as the sound of alarms pierced the air.
"警告：检测到未经授权的人员，请采取在线安全措施. (Warning: Unauthorized personnel detected, security measures online.)"
Before anyone could react, three automated turrets emerged from the ground, their gun barrels spinning up. Half of the division ducked for cover as the other half got torn to shreds by the onslaught of bullets. Tiberius and the remaining guardsmen tried to take shots at the turrets but their las-bolts merely bounced off of the shielding. The bullets of the turrets tore through the cover that some of the guardsmen were hiding behind, which shredded them. Another turret brought its guns about to fire at them, to which Tiberius tried to reposition, but was gunned down after his fellow guardsmen were.
After the last turret stopped firing, and calm returned to the area, the nanites within the bullets began to deconstruct all of the bodies, including the bodies of the original team that the Planetary Corps engaged in combat with. The nanites took the molecular composition of the individual and deconstructed them, reducing them to their fundamental elemental components and making more nanites. The nanites then reconfigured into the composition and shape of the bullets compatible with the turrets. Drones then came and brought the rounds to the turrets and reloaded them, readying them for the next engagement. While some nanites formed bullets to restock the turrets, others formed land mines which the drones placed in strategic areas. The AIs of the turrets watch this with something akin to... satisfaction.
ITS Dominion archive room, Iliad system, Segmentum Ultima
Williams has been in the archive/server room for several days now, ever since he and Julie were delivered to their respective ships. He hadn't slept for the entirety of those five days, and although he could go two weeks without sleep on account of his nanites, the darkness under his eyes was showing due to his stress. There have been more cases of what the Imperial Health Authority deemed 蒙蔽心灵障碍 or Shrouded Mind Disorder. More and more crew had developed more intense hallucinations, disembodied voices that only they could hear, unsettling dreams of otherworldly deities, needing to feel more and more stimulus to maintain a stable mental state, he and a few security personnel had even suppressed a group of crewmen performing a "ritual." All of the affected crew had been reported and sent back to Earth for treatment.
Sighing, Williams brought up yet another personnel file. This one was a technician, only nineteen years old, and one of the crew members who were reported with Shrouded Mind Disorder. He had locked himself within his living quarters and refused to open for his fellow technicians. It was only when security personnel unlocked the door that they discovered the victim in malnutrition and a manic state with a symbol that the technician drew all over the room. The technician kept muttering the word "nine" as he was dragged away. He tapped an attached image of the symbol. It was an odd symbol; eight arrows protruding from the center of a circle.
An alert from his holographic display brought him out of his bored stupor. The voice of a panicked security officer came through.
"Sir! We have a- we have a situation!" The security officer tried to say as he and presumably a partner tried to restrain someone. "A medical worker has -oof- ma'am, we are trying to help you! Stop, stop it-" The sound of a shock prod activating and discharging appeared. "Just get to the medical wing, sir!"
Sighing again, Williams stood up and headed to the medical wing to see what the fuss was about.
ITS Dominion medical wing, Isolation ward
Williams casually walked toward the isolation ward of the Dominion's medical wing, passing by a security officer in his tattered security uniform, the white and black uniform was torn in some parts and blood was staining other parts, bandages covered his arms. As he reached the isolation ward, he noticed three medical staff observing the woman through a presumably one-way window. He also saw that Admiral Conner was also present, much to his surprise.
"Julie," he greeted. "Didn't know you'd be joining this... inconvenience."
"Inconvenience?" Julie asked, exasperated. "You consider every instance of this insanity an 'inconvenience?'"
"What do you consider this? Don't tell me you buy the 'outside influence' bullshit-"
"Look at her, Victor! Just look!" Julie yelled at him gesturing in the woman's direction. She was slowly rocking back and forth. "I read her dossier, she was fine yesterday with no prediagnosed mental disorders."
"How many of the Absolution's crew have been afflicted?"
"11 percent," Julie gritted out.
"Right... that's... suspicious."
"Suspic-" Julie's voice rose in incredulity. "Holy fucking shit, now you find this suspicious?!"
"I have locked myself in the archive room for five fucking days, filing information on the afflicted for the Imperator!" Williams defended himself. "What have you been doing for five days?"
"I've been scanning over brain activity logs of my crew, all of whom were perfectly stable with no pre-diagnosed mental disorders. Holy shit, sometimes it seems like I'm the only one who gives a shit about the fleet's crew! Brainwaves can't just vary sporadically off the charts without a cause, Victor!"
"Even so, there has to be a logical explan-"
"NURSE!" Julie yelled at the medical staff, all of whom had pressed themselves against the walls to avoid the argument between two nanite-enhanced admirals. "How stable is the subject?"
"S-s-she's likely s-stable enough for an interview, m-ma'am," the terrified nurse got out.
"Good," Julie then turned to Williams. "If my words won't convince you, hers surely will."
"And if it doesn't?" He asked while raising an eyebrow.
Julie just glared at him, as if to say 'Just do it.' Pursing his lips, Williams entered the airlock that separated the chamber from the outside. Normally this would've been used to quarantine crew with diseases, but it's also effective for its current purpose. He pulled a chair in front of the woman and observed her. She was in a sorry state, the once white medical gowns now had red stains in some areas and torn at the abdomen, her arms and legs were covered in cuts, and her torso had the same symbol he saw in the technician's file carved into her skin; eight arrows protruding from a circle. She was mumbling something incoherently.
"Ma'am," Williams carefully said. She shot up, fixing him with bloodshot eyes. "I'm going to ask you some questions if that's okay with you."
The woman nodded.
"When did all... this... start?"
The woman thought for a moment. "A-a week and a half ago, s-sir."
"Did anything unusual occur leading up to today?"
"I've been... having vivid dreams. N-no one's in them, s-sir, it's just... colors."
"Please, describe these colors in as much detail as you can."
"It's all different shades of purple and pink, shifting and blending. I look up and down, and I realize that I'm floating. It's all a combination of purples and pinks, but I'm not afraid. It's like I belong there amidst those colors. It's strange... but it just felt right."
Williams looked at her with intent.
"What else has occurred in these dreams?"
"I hear... melodies. Some were familiar, some alien, but all of them had, how do I say this, an ominous but alluring tune to them. They began about five days ago."
Williams recorded everything down.
"Anything else?"
"Y-yes, I've been feeling dull and bored lately, things that I once found entertaining I now find boring. The various novels I enjoyed reading, holo-chess, all of them seem mind-numbingly boring now. Fuck, I think even my sense of touch has been dulled," the woman carefully replied.
Williams then shifted focus to her wounds.
"Are you in pain right now?"
The woman shook her head, a disturbing smile creeping across her face. "These don't hurt, not at all, it feels good, I've never felt this good before."
"Um, what does 'good' mean in this circumstance?"
"It's like a 'rush,' like how when you're falling and you get that rush of adrenaline through your body, but it's... different. It's a euphoria that I cannot explain, besides that it makes me feel alive."
Williams was starting to get nervous, perhaps Juile was correct in thinking that something or someone else was behind this.
"One last question, ma'am, and I'll leave you be. What's that symbol on your abdomen and what does it mean?"
The woman remained silent and started mumbling something. Determined, Williams leaned closer to hear her better.
"Ma'am, we want to get to the bottom of this too, and we want to help you, but we can't do that if you don't speak-"
"Tell me, admiral," the woman suddenly spoke, her voice monotone but carrying an ominous tone to it. "Do you not tire of your rigid schedule? Do you not want to just... release? To indulge in your wants?"
Taken aback, Williams pulled his head away. For some reason, he felt like it was not the woman he was talking to that was asking him. The air within the isolation ward seemed to grow thicker, and an unusual pulse resonated through the room. He disregarded it as a trick of his mind, the effects of fatigue likely affecting his senses. Ignoring everything he felt, he pushed forward.
"Ma'am," he addressed the woman cautiously, attempting to dismiss the inexplicable unease enveloping him. "We're here to help you. What does that symbol mean?"
The woman's lips quivered as if she was trying to say something beyond her understanding. Abruptly, her demeanor shifted, her nervous expression vanished, and an eerie calm came upon her.
"That symbol," she uttered, her voice now laced with the same unnerving monotone, resonating deeper than before. "It signifies liberation, the freedom from constraints that bind the spirit. It beckons one to surrender to desires, to revel in every sensation imaginable."
Williams frowned, perturbed by her sudden change in demeanor.
Attempting to maintain his composure, Williams persisted, "But what does it mean to you personally? Why is it on your skin?"
"It calls for fulfillment, Admiral," the woman replied, her eyes now fixated on him with an unsettling intensity. "A yearning to transcend the mundane, the dull, to experience pure ecstasy unbound by limitations. Your desires... don't you feel the allure, Admiral?"
A chill snaked down Williams' spine as she spoke those words, and he felt like someone or something was trying to burrow into his mind. Having enough of this, he wanted out.
"Well, uh, considering your current state, I feel like I should leave and continue this some other day."
He stood up and made for the door.
Julie was watching Victor talk to the woman with a furrowed expression while crossing her arms over her chest. She had calmed down somewhat after her argument with him over what was going on. She sighed, it was out of character for her to have such an outburst, but Victor could be so stubborn sometimes. He calls himself a "man of rationality," yet he refuses to accept things that go beyond his concept of "rationality" to the point where he could be infuriatingly obstinate. He was a good person, she had known him since they were children, but fuck, was it frustrating to try and get him to accept others' opinions sometimes.
She turned to the medical staff, frustration threatening to overwhelm her.
"You," she snapped her fingers at a medical worker sitting by a desk. "Did you find anything on the subject that could cause her to behave like this?"
"I-I've been reviewing her medical records, a-admiral," the worker stammered out, a mixture of the sheer authority difference, her nanite augmentations, her sheer height due to said augmentations and her previous argument caused them to be somewhat terrified. "There's nothing in her history that would explain her behavior. No mental disorders, no trauma, nothing."
"Well keep looking," Julie demanded. "Dig deeper; past assignments, personal logs, crew interactions, anything that might be suspicious."
"Y-yes, ma'am."
Julie turned to another medical worker.
"You, any changes in her brain activity?"
The worker tapped their holographic screen, which displayed various lines that represented the woman's brain activity. "No abnormal changes so far, Admiral."
Julie sighed in frustration. Her investigation was reaching dead end after dead end, and this disorder was slowly spreading among the crew. Even some of the AI were experiencing some of the symptoms of the disorder. She rubbed her pointed ears absentmindedly, the ones that gave her species the moniker of "elves" by humans. She moved her hands towards the tips, a known erogenous zone for her species. This gave her a bit of pleasure, not enough to truly banish her frustration but enough to dull it. She continued for some time when she noticed that the medical workers were staring at her and her ear-rubbing with curiosity.
"Get back to work!" she demanded, embarrassed. She also stopped rubbing her ears and was thankful that none of the staff were Hesukari, as if they were, they wouldn't hesitate to berate her about being indecent in public.
Weird, she thought. I never had those thoughts for a long time. I wonder why now of all times. Fuck, my parents would've ripped me a new one if they saw me do that.
She was ripped from her thoughts when she saw the woman sit straight up, which caused Victor to sit back.
"Wait, what's going on?" Julie asked in confusion.
"M-ma'am," the medical worker who was looking at the woman's brain waves said. "I think you should see this."
Julie pushed the worker out of the way and saw that the woman's brain waves were surging with intensity. It was strikingly similar to the brain activity that she saw in other victims. She turned her gaze to the woman, her eyes fixed on Victor as if trying to bore into his consciousness. Thankfully, she saw him stand and head for the door.
As soon as he entered the airlock, she opened the second door. He stumbled into the observation room, a look of shock and confusion etched on his features.
"Well?" She asked him.
"I... I think you're right," Victor got out. "I felt like... something else was in the room, besides me and the subject."
"See, I told you there was something bigger than mental illness causing this," she retorted, frustration seeping into her words. Her pointed ears twitched in irritation as she thought about the various dead ends in their investigation. "Well, what do you think we should do?"
Victor stayed silent. "I... I think we should gather all of our information and send it all to the Imperial Science Department, in the meantime, I'll have every crew member submit weekly psychological tests. Have your crew do the same."
Julie slowly nodded and turned to a medical worker. "You, continue to monitor her, and report any behavioral changes at once." She turned back to Victor. "I'm heading back to the Absolution to get some sleep, my head is killing me." She rubbed the tips of her ears again, to which Victor raised an eyebrow.
"I didn't know you were that pent up," he teased, to which Julie looked at him in confusion before she noticed she was rubbing her ears again.
"Oh shut it," she said, embarrassed. "I thought I curbed that behavior years ago, I have no idea why I'm doing it again now."
Victor also noticed the pounding in his head and also decided to head to bed.
Information Data Logs
ITS (Imperial Technocracy Ship) Zweihänder: The Zweihänder is the flagship of the Imperator/Imperatrix, and is arguably the largest combat ship in the galaxy. Its length exceeds the width of minor planets and moons, it has countless amounts of rooms for military and civilian purposes, and it is a fucking bitch to upkeep. The Zweihänder has two hanger bays, each capable of constructing and repairing any size of ship, up to Titan class. Its weaponry consists of six hangers for strike craft and two battleship-class weapons, along with an ECM emitter to thwart enemy missile defenses and a munitions plant for increased orbital bombardment rate. Although there had been some attempts to fit a perdition beam cannon onto the ship, every simulation ran showed the cannon drawing so much energy, that every single electrical component suffered a permanent brown-out. Given the logistical costs of deploying a vessel of such size, and the non-zero chance of its destruction, it is only deployed during extended warfare and planetary bombardment.
R-67 "Banshee" Figher: Based on the old Earth Horten Ho 229, the Banshee is the Technocracy's signature fighter, both for atmospheric and space combat. It got its start during the War for Societal Unification, out-pacing, out-gunning, and out-maneuvering every jet fighter the enemy could employ. Two impulse thrusters give it unmatched speed in the vacuum of space, while advanced chemical thrusters give it unmatched speed in atmospheric conditions, and it is the atmospheric engines that give the Banshee its signature name. When the Banshee flies, a scream erupts that is akin to a person getting tortured. This has a significant negative impact on the mental health of the enemy, with one outpost of enemy soldiers surrendering after three Banshees flew over their location nonstop for three days and three nights. The Banshee possesses four autocannons, two beside the nose and two in the wings, and five missile launchers capable of holding air-to-air or air-to-ground missiles. The Banshee does not possess a transparent cockpit cover, as that is a potential weakness. Instead, the inside of the cockpit has a projection of the exterior via microscopic cameras covering the outside of the cockpit cover. It is the most successful fighter in human history, having more confirmed kills than any other fighter, and being the base for numerous specialized models. Hundreds of thousands of Banshees are produced each month, all to support the Technocracy's war machine.
HKD-88 "Wraith" Aerial Hunter-Killer Drone: Originally a remote-controlled aerial recon drone, the Wraith was equipped with only a heavy machine gun for self-defense and two high-powered cameras for reconnaissance duties to support the Punitive Corps and their armored divisions during combat. As such, it was heavily armored and shielded and had the same thrusters as the Banshee. It wasn't until farmers from the agri-world of Xin Nanming requested a modified version of the Wraith that the combat applications of the drone were realized. Xin Nanming is an agri-world in the Orphilia system, and it is infamous for its aerial predators that are strong enough to lift a cow or a human off the ground and fly away with them with ease. The Technocracy responded by augmenting surplus Wraiths with an AI and increased armaments (four autocannons) and sold them to the farmers, who reported staggering success of the Wraiths who drove the predators off or killed them outright. This caught the attention of the head of the Imperial Armed Forces, who petitioned for a military version of the Wraith. The Wraith was then outfitted with a sentient AI unit, increased shields and armor, and heavier armaments. The result was an autonomous, fighter-hunter drone that was as effective against hostile enemy aircraft as it was against hostile airborne fauna. Like the Banshee, the Wraith's engines also make a noise akin to a human in distress, but it is a wailing moan rather than a shrill shriek. Like with the Banshee, hundreds of thousands are "born" each month.
帝国行星卫队 (Imperial Planetary Guard): Contrary to the name, the Imperial Planetary Guard's purpose isn't solely the defense of planets from invasion. Members of the guard also act as law enforcement on various planets, security for VIPs and important heads of state, wardens for the Technocracy's various prison and re-education planets, and security for field teams against hostile fauna or combatants. They are armed with HT-988 assault rifles, LH-777 pistols, and armor made from neutronium that can deflect lower-caliber rounds and some wavelengths of laser weaponry, although the heat will still singe the skin. Every single citizen of the Technocracy, regardless of gender, is to be conscripted to the Planetary guard as soon as they reach the equivalent of eighteen Earth years. There, they will receive combat training, discipline, and adaptation to various environments. Conscripts will also be infused with nanites, not to the level of the Punitive Corps, but enough to make them above normal humans and members of their species. These nanites grant the individual increased stamina and reaction time, and also a minor healing factor. They remain for five years before either remaining in the guard, joining the Punitive Corps, or pursuing other careers. The number of troops deployed to a planet varies but is roughly the same amount since the majority of troops stationed on a planet are of the local population with very few outside reinforcements. (AN: Imagine a normal Guardsman with Tempestus training and equipment.)
AT-09 "Fury" automated defense turret: Originally intended to guard grazing farm animals on agri-worlds with prolific predators, the Fury-class turret has seen new life in the military as a cheap and effective security measure against hostile combatants. The turrets fire nanite-infused rounds that disassemble a corpse at the molecular level and create more nanites which form replacement rounds for the turrets that are reloaded via drones that the sentient AI of the turrets controls directly. The AT-09 turret is found everywhere, from ranches and farms on frontier agri-worlds and security for governmental buildings to deployment on the frontlines and the protection of archeological sites and historical buildings.
蒙蔽心灵障碍: 蒙蔽心灵障碍 or Shrouded Mind Disorder is the name for an anomalous mental and possibly physical illness first documented by Admiral Williams and Admiral Conner during their expedition into the alternate universe made accessible via Project Riftjumper. Symptoms usually range from mild to severe hallucinations, disembodied voices, long periods of self-isolation, mania, sporadic emotional outbursts, abnormal brain activity, "uncharacteristic behavior," self-harm, bodily mutation (extra eyes, feathers), and a desire to "amplify one's current sensation level." As of current documentation, standard mental health treatments are effective at combating the mental effects of Shrouded Mind Disorder, surgery, and gene therapy are effective in countering the physical effects, and keeping a "dream journal" is useful for one's acceptance of their new state and useful for acquiring further insight into this strange illness.