Day 21
Purilla strode through the massive Grand Hall of the Planetary Governor's palace, her eyes drawn to the countless displays of wealth and affluence. The hall itself was a long corridor, nearly a kilometer in length, wide enough to drive a column of superheavy tanks through and tall enough that she could have thrown a stone upwards with all her strength and only gotten around halfway to the top. Gilded statues depicting heroes and saints lined the crimson carpeted floor and hanging from the wall were massive tapestries crafted of the finest silk that portrayed Monstrum's past governors with almost as much definition as a pict. As they were arrayed in order from first to last she was given a, somewhat harrowing, insight into exactly when the governor's family decided to maintain… closer bloodlines.
She felt a spike of amusement, almost like a barked laugh, that was not her own and a soft smile found its way to her lips. Tide did not always make his presence known to her, but he was always just a thought away for her. Whether or not that meant he was always present and watching, but merely silent, or simply could drop everything to 'speak' with her at any time she wished wasn't something she had asked about yet.
Some, mostly those without psychic abilities, might have found the idea of having someone in her head constantly or near-constantly as disturbing or even concerning, but Purilla was used to it. One of the few fond memories she had of her time when she was being trained as a psyker was the presence of the minds of her brothers and sisters. The life they each had gone through, the ardor of the Black Ships, the hardship of their training, that and their abilities to know one another's true feelings had given them a sort of fellowship that Purilla had found herself missing after she was sanctioned. In a way, her new relationship with Tide was like that one.
She waited for a moment, wondering if Tide would speak, but he refrained from doing so, seemingly content with letting her know his amusement. He probably didn't want to distract her from her mission.
Tide's capabilities were truly amazing, once he had explained them further. While she had difficulty understanding the concept of Neural Phsyics, especially since it seemed wholly separate from psychic abilities, he had explained some of his more mundane powers as well, though calling such abilities 'mundane' was beyond simple understatement. To be able to manipulate genetics on such a level and with such ease was incredible.
She still remembered that strange feeling of shifting and reforming that her arm had undergone when she first become what Tide called an Altered, one who, by his own words, was 'infected with the Flood' but not overtaken by it, as most of the population in Malum currently were. Unlike them, however, her lungs had not been changed to produce additional spores, as Tide did not want her infection to be detected.
That memory was disturbing for her in a visceral sense, something Tide had assured her was a perfectly normal reaction to have and apologized profusely for, but taking the wider point-of-view the capabilities were endless. An Altered or one of the forms Tide created himself were essentially walking arsenals and hidden ones at that. If he wished, Purilla realized Tide could likely have spread much more quickly simply by taking control of every Altered like he had briefly with her and sending them after the rest of the population.
That he hadn't was reassuring to her and made her feel that his apology and claim that he didn't like doing such things were both sincere.
According to Tide, things appeared to be coming to a head on Monstrum. Ellen was preparing for her attack on the Orks, the Sisters of Battle were coming to Malum, and the traitors, who she was shocked and appalled to learn were controlled by a chaos cult, were on the move.
She'd been concerned when learning that the Sisters were heading towards Tide's center of operations, but he had reassured her that he would be fine. Still, Purilla wasn't sure.
Tide's position was a precarious one. If an Imperial ship managed to arrive, whether in spite of the Warp Storm or because it had ended, Ellen was likely going to commandeer it in the name of the Inquisition. If it had the ability to perform an exterminatus…
While Purilla wasn't certain Ellen would go that far, she wasn't certain about a lot of things with the Inquisitor these days. Ellen had always been ruthless and, though she had never ordered such an act before, it wouldn't be beyond her.
She couldn't allow that to happen, but Ellen had left her and Vidriov behind in the palace as she went to war, apparently no longer needing their advice. The people of this world, at least those not infected by genestealers or corrupted by the horrors of Chaos, were innocent and deserved a chance at a better life. The universe itself needed Tide to stop the pain that had been carelessly inflicted upon it, to save… well, everyone. Everything.
So it was that she had concocted this scheme and gotten Tide onboard with it. She wondered if he had a similar plan, but hadn't wanted to involve her, as he had admitted that having a Planetary Governor as an Altered would be of immense benefit in the long run. He'd agreed to her idea fairly quick, though that could have been due to how quickly he seemed able to think. Or rather, how he was able to slow time for his own thoughts thanks to Neural Physics.
She was so lost in her own head that it took a subtle mental prod from Tide to get her attention back on her own surroundings. She found herself at the end of the Grand Hall, faced with a door that could have given an ordinary hiver vertigo simply from having to crane their necks up to look at its top, but was relatively small compared to similar portals she had seen on some warships and other immensely opulent constructs.
The door depicted the massive, embossed face of Selvik Monstrum himself, shiny and golden. Despite the bat-like proportions of the governor's face, the angle anyone would be forced to view the depiction from, not to mention some expertly subtle craftsmanship, made the man's appearance seem impressive, noble even. It was an impressive door and utterly impractical.
She did not go through that door, which would only open for great events and court. While she was the member of an Inquisitor's retinue and some would consider her mere presence deserving of such pomp, she knew well that Ellen's goodwill was quickly running thin and she had no desire to be the reason it ran out by making a fuss over them not opening an eyesore of a door.
Instead, she took one of the side entrances, passing by the silent, if glowering, palace guards that stood sentry outside it. Their surface thoughts made it quite clear they felt disdain for her, but whether that was because they knew of her status as a psyker or they disliked the Inquisitor she purportedly served, she did not know.
The chamber that Selvik held court in was just as impressive as the Grand Hall had been. Twelve columns, each made of solid marble and all thick enough that twenty men working together couldn't have wrapped their arms around their base, were spaced along the sides of a grand, Imperial-red carpet itself as wide as the Grand Hall had been and actually a continuation of what had only appeared to be the floor within the hall. Dozens of braziers, each wrought from black iron and lit with roaring golden flames, were placed between each column, though most of the light was provided by the ceiling's lights, though these were no less excessive than anything else in the chamber.
One could easily have made the mistake of thinking that they were outside again, as the ceiling of the audience chamber was not only a hundred meters high, but a masterwork painting designed to depict a clear night sky that, according to local legend, possessed the same stars, which doubled as the lights providing illumination to the entire chamber, that would have been seen from the center of the Imperial Palace on Holy Terra. Purilla doubted that was actually the case, but the view was impressive nonetheless.
Imperial architecture is many things, but subtle certainly isn't one of them, Tide commented silently and Purilla wondered what kind of aesthetics a being like Tide might have preferred. She'd have to ask later.
The massive audience chamber was almost entirely empty, save for a few dozen servitors cleaning it and the one other human swiftly approaching her. The man was tall and thin and he walked with a noble's gait, though a noble approaching a superior, rather than an inferior. The uniform he wore was that of a servant, but the finery indicated a high-ranking one, similar to a butler.
"Lady Purilla Olivia, welcome," The man said, bowing his head. His old age was obvious, despite what had likely been many rejuvenation treatments, indicating he was reaching the end of a very extended lifespan. Three centuries, at the very least. "The governor is awaiting you in one of the side chambers. If you would follow me?"
"Of course," Purilla replied gracefully even as she reached out and brushed the foremost thoughts of the man's mind. Unsurprisingly, he was nervous to be greeting a psyker, though he physically hid it well.
The man turned on his heel and departed from the main carpet. She followed and they made their way to a side chamber, one much smaller and, relatively, nondescript.
Through the door, Purilla saw the governor, sitting hunched over a cup of some kind of hot drink. He glanced up with small eyes and smiled at her, his bat-like features drawing back in what could easily have been mistaken as a snarl.
Purilla imagined she felt something small and light crawl from its hiding place between strands of her hair. She might not have imagined the near-inaudible buzzing of small, insectoid wings as the creature Tide had called a 'Tick' took flight, unseen and unnoticed.
"Welcome, Psyker Olivia," The governor said, sitting up slightly straighter, though he did not rise. "I am told Inquisitor Ellen sends you with a message."
Like she had for the butler, she reached out once more and felt the mind of the man before her. She had half-expected the governor to try and send a body double instead, but likely the knowledge that a Psyker was being sent to deliver the message had killed such a plan in its crib. This was the genuine article.
"Yes, if we might speak in private?" Purilla said, giving the butler a look. The butler, in turn, looked to the governor.
"Of course!" The governor said genially and waved the butler out. His mind said this action made him slightly more nervous, but not scared. He likely had people watching them outside the room, waiting for any sign of psychic attack. He was also unaware of the fact that Purilla could sense the tensing minds of twenty palace guard on the other side of a secret entrance into the room.
"Inquisitor Ellen is unhappy with the current predicament, as I'm sure you can imagine," Purilla stated. A part of her wanted to look around at every flicker of shadow and mote of dust in the expectation of viewing the tick's flight, but she restrained herself.
"So I can," Selvik said, looking genuinely sad. "My world is under siege for the first time in millennia."
"Indeed," Purilla said, while mentally asking Tide, How long?
Already done.
There was no change in Selvik's body language or mental state to indicate his becoming an Altered. Just like that, her mission was successful.
I don't think telling him 'the Inquisitor's annoyed' is much of a message.
I know, Purilla replied. I'm just going to tell him some recommendations for keeping order in Deimos.
Then by all means, he's looking at you.
"Ah!" Purilla said, shaking her head. "Apologies, sometimes I get lost in my own thoughts."
"Do you now?" Selvik asked, a somewhat forced smile on his face. There was a spike in his nervousness at her explanation.
"Now, where were we?"
Vidriov listened to the noosphere, feeling the sacred data in the air all around him. Entering so deeply was almost like floating in an ocean of numbers and code, a place where holy logic reigned supreme. It had its own dangers, of course. The temptation to remain within this place forever, this realm that must have been something like what the Omnissiah Himself dwelled in, was strong. To exist among machine spirits and to leave behind the weak flesh of his form in totality.
He could not, however, as doing such a thing was nothing short of the highest of heresies. He rarely allowed himself to access too much of the noosphere of any world, even one where its waters were relatively shallow like Monstrum. This was a rare and even self-indulgent pleasure, but a necessary one.
He entered a section of the noosphere even more secure than the rest of it, a place where only the three highest ranking members of Monstrum's priesthood had access, including himself.
A string of numbers, words of the lingua-technis, were transmitted to him a moment after he arrived.
Inquisitor Catherine Ellen - Reconsidered beliefs on Organism-04? The question came from the planet's highest-ranking tech-priest, Magos Zalum, personal tech-priest of the planetary governor. The way he spoke was a further emulation of the machines they held sacred, an attempt to remove anything but the bare essentials, though Vidriov personally felt it was an insignificant improvement, if one at all.
NegativeVidriov responded in the same language. Remains opposed to anything beyond low-level study.
Not unexpected, another source said. It was Logis Calarn Alpha-4-3, who was the leader of the tech-priests attached to the Order of the Cleansing Rains. She lacks vision.
If he had a form in this dataspace, Vidriov might have nodded. Instead, he sent a code of confirmation, one also sent by Zalum.
Question - Inquisitor Catherine Ellen – Plans to delete hostile elements?
Monstrum Urban Cohorts will be deployed to eradicate the orks outside Deimos, Vidriov replied. I calculate the likelihood of success as approximately 76.541%. Army will continue on to deal with other ork elements in the north, before proceeding to deal with genestealer and traitor elements.
Estimation – Likelihood of success against all ork forces?
48.764%, Vidriov answered.
Estimation – Likelihood of success against genestealers, assuming successful eradication of ork forces?
12.312%.
Estimation – Likelihood of success against traitors, assuming successful eradication of ork and genestealer forces?
0.037%.
Estimation – Likelihood of success in previous estimations if Organism-04 deployed in support of Imperial forces?
Against orks: 99.999% - Against genestealers: 99.98% - Against traitors: 87.068%
Conclusion - Inquisitor Catherine Ellen – Grossly incompetent – Alternative – Traitor.
Agreed, Calarn said. After a long moment, where Vidriov knew they were waiting for him, he replied.
Agreed.
Something must be done, Calarn spoke. She has lost control of the Adeptas Sororitas and over 58% of the planet. She will lose the rest of it if we do not act.
Estimate – Deimos fully blessed with Organism-04 timeline?
Approximately two weeks following initial deployment. Vidriov had run simulations thousands of times already. The rate of spread of Organism-04 was… unprecedented. Assuming additional vectors added to initial deployment, timeline decreases up to 23.412%.
Confirmation – Deployment should begin immediately.
Calarn sent a code of agreement. With the Omnissiah's blessing, it will not be too late already.
With the Omnissiah's blessing, Vidriov agreed.
Canoness Praxiah stood atop the foremost Chimera, gazing solemnly upon the cheering crowds of Imperial citizens that surrounded the Order of the Cleansing Rains as they rolled through Malum's streets. At her side was Colonel Marcus Agrippa. The rolled through abandoned quarantine checkpoints as they made their way towards the camp where the regiments of PDF under Agrippa's command were mustering.
Technically, the arrival of Praxiah and her Sisters in Malum was a violation of that quarantine, even if no one was trying to stop them. However, from a simple conversation with Agrippa himself, whose straightforwardness in getting his troops ready before their arrival she could appreciate in a leader, especially on such short notice, the man had claimed no knowledge of any plague outbreaks.
Certainly, there were no signs of disease or similar maladies afflicting the people of Malum. These were no plague victims, but healthy Imperial citizens, gladdened by the arrival of the Sisterhood and stalwart in their faith to the God-Emperor. In fact, if anything, they seemed even more healthy than the common people of Deimos or any other hive Praxiah had ever seen before. As sure a sign of the God-Emperor's work as any. It was for that reason that Praxiah had rescinded the standing order for her Sisters and their Order's servants to keep their breath filters and helmets on at all times and why her own helmet was tucked under her arm, allowing her to breathe the, somewhat, clearer air of Malum's surface.
"According to reports and long-range surveillance, the transport lines leading to Janus were damaged by the initial Ork assault." Agrippa had ceded command of the overall forces to her upon her arrival. Another welcome surprise. While it was only right, being not only the higher-ranking officer, not to mention his senior in experience by a wide margin, she had encountered plenty of stubborn leaders in her time that were too convinced of their own tactical and strategic brilliance that they refused to give up their command without further persuasion. Ever since she'd arrived, he'd personally started providing her with the also surprisingly in-depth information of the composition of his forces, suspected enemy strength, and all manner of other little details that, while small on the face of it, painted her a vivid picture of suspected resistance.
The man clearly had the makings of greatness within him, as the sheer attention to detail would make even the most skilled Administratum clerks seem slow-witted. Perhaps not necessarily as a general, as she had not seen him operate under the different kind of pressure an active battlefield could create, but certainly as a leader of some kind. However…
"How was this 'long-range surveillance' conducted?" Praxiah asked. While she had already violated the quarantine, she had good reason and knew just what kind of person Ellen was. Marcus Agrippa did not have that reasoning and should have obeyed the Inquisitorial order if he was a loyal servant of the God-Emperor.
"Seismic activity was detected by Tech-Priests manning the augurs at the tunnel to Janus and several explosions were detected by sentries posted to the lower spires. Power running along the lines from Janus was subsequently lost, though our own generators remain functional," Marcus stated, showing no signs of her suspiciousness. "We haven't been allowed to send anyone to investigate the tunnels properly, so the exact damage is unknown, but the destruction was viewed as being great enough that most of the railways would be shut down somewhere around halfway between Janus and Malum. Whether the traitors still have operational rail transport that can get them near there is unknown, but I'd wager they do."
"How far can our own transports get us?"
"Unknown," Agrippa admitted with a grimace. "We'd need to send out scouts to confirm. A servoskull, at the very least."
Praxiah nodded. "I'll have one of our Order's Tech-Priests send some out as soon as we've arrived. No insult to your city, but our equipment is likely more advanced than what you have on hand."
"None taken," Agrippa nodded back to her. "We suspect the damaged sections to be a two day's march out."
"Good. God-Emperor willing, our transports are in better shape than theirs."
"I had the enginseers working on them after I first heard you were coming," Agrippa said. "They're not exactly ahead of their maintenance, but I've been told the machine spirits are actually rejuvenated due to the… break in traffic between cities."
"The God-Emperor works in mysterious ways," Praxiah said and she thought she might have seen the makings of a smile on Agrippa's lips out of the corner of her eyes, but it was gone in an instant, his face once more a professional mask. "How soon can we leave?"
Agrippa glanced at her, seemingly surprised by her question. "Canoness, with all due respect, you and your Sisters just completed a march I'm told kills most of those who take it from the arduousness," Agrippa said, his mask breaking again, this time with a look of what seemed like genuine concern in his eyes. "While I do not doubt the ability or fervor of the Sisters of Battle, with all due respect, I can't imagine you're in top form."
Praxiah leveled a stony gaze at him, one that could make lesser humans cower. Yet Agrippa stood his ground.
It was true that her Sisters were tired and it was also true that they would gladly fight regardless of that. However… She could not fault Agrippa for wishing all their forces to be in top shape. They would be assaulting a hive city, after all, and that was no small task. With only eight regiments and a single Order of Sisters, their task was a great one.
"Very well," Praxiah allowed finally, returning her gaze to the distant grounds where she could see countless lightly armored men and women scurrying about fields of hastily erected tents and other facilities, readying themselves for war. "I will allow for four hours of rest before we depart, if only because it will take at least that long for the first reports from the servoskulls to return."
"Yes, Canoness."
