Chapter 1: Into the wild black yonder IC

Ignatio immediately accesses the noosphere to confirm that she had been initiated and raised to the full tech-priesthood, checking the logs for who had overseen this process and what notes they had made about her education and qualifications.

Lethia looked on with bored apathy.

The augmetic was a choice, not a medical necessity. Since no one was currently dying she found it hard to engage in the coversation.

What she did find interesting was Evengel herself. The tech-heathen was so unlike the dry and misunderstood tech priests that she wondered if following the omnissiah required a part of the personality to also be replaced with cold, hard steel.

Torian was not a trusting person. Nor was he the sort to allow greed to overcome his paranoia. Nonetheless, perhaps he had misjudged this person. Psychopathy being a trait he could admire in some, even. Evangel could be a useful ally and benefit to the dynasty, if some level of trust could be established.

Torian looked directly into her eyes, letting his paranoia churn in the background and rationalizing her negotiating position. "I accept, Evangel. Let my trust in you both be an act of faith in the Omnissiah and a step towards far greater work we may yet achieve together as we explore this sector. There is room in this dynasty for all those who might find mutual benefit. I will have my chef prepare a dinner to celebrate the occasion." He turned his attention briefly to Lethia. "Lethia, will you oversee the food and drink selections? My Cadre could use a proper meal after our recent battle, and our new xenos compatriot might enjoy a meal that isn't nutrient paste for the first time in... I couldn't say how long."

He regarded Evangel once again, with a ferocity in his eyes to match her own. "trust, mutual benefit, and alliance are rewarded heavily in this Dynasty. There will be events, tech, even discoveries you cannot imagine as we continue our efforts. You can be a part of them, even given relative freedom for your own experimenting. But treachery? Betrayal? Such brings harsh penalty in this dynasty. Have no doubt of this, Evangel - betrayal will only bring about your extended, agonizing demise, as your research and experimentation are purged alongside your body and processors. Be aware of these things."

Pyritefoolsgold wrote:

Ignatio immediately accesses the noosphere to confirm that she had been initiated and raised to the full tech-priesthood, checking the logs for who had overseen this process and what notes they had made about her education and qualifications.

Initially, Evangel had gone to the tech-priests to pass the basic examinations to become Technographer, and had earned perfect marks. Through an uncommon but occasional interpretation of the law (typically used by the scions of high-ranking tech-priests to avoid the "base" labor of the lower ranks) , she used these perfect marks to instantly access the examinations for the next rank, getting perfect marks in the Mech-Wright, then Enginseer exams. This got the attention of Hikari Rai, the Omnissiac Congregator, who decided to do the examinations for tech-priesthood herself.



She made her pass the standard MAGOS exams for all 12 specialties. She obtained perfect marks for biologis, alchemis, and logis, with her lowest mark being in the "factor" (human psychology) portion at 87%. So Priestess Rai ran a new, adaptive test (according to anti-cheating procedure Alpha-Rho 321), and again in all 12 specialities she did extremely well, proposing solutions beyond the typical, but still doctrinally sound.

By that point, some of the "flies" amongst her underlings had complained, and considering she had gone far beyond, granted her a rank of Tech-Priest Errant-a rank given to those without specific responsibility, or who fit poorly within the typical hierarchy. From a strict, technical standpoint, she had far exceeded the requirements.

thepooreconomist wrote:

Torian looked directly into her eyes, letting his paranoia churn in the background and rationalizing her negotiating position. "I accept, Evangel. Let my trust in you both be an act of faith in the Omnissiah and a step towards far greater work we may yet achieve together as we explore this sector. There is room in this dynasty for all those who might find mutual benefit. I will have my chef prepare a dinner to celebrate the occasion."

He regarded Evangel once again, with a ferocity in his eyes to match her own.  "trust, mutual benefit, and alliance are rewarded heavily in this Dynasty. There will be events, tech, even discoveries you cannot imagine as we continue our efforts. You can be a part of them, even given relative freedom for your own experimenting. But treachery? Betrayal? Such brings harsh penalty in this dynasty. Have no doubt of this, Evangel - betrayal will only bring about your extended, agonizing demise, as your research and experimentation are purged alongside your body and processors. Be aware of these things."

Excellent. And as for betrayal and treachery, I will make the same warnings to you. On a world in the shadows of the past, there was no need for me to assail the living to get what I desired. But the living far too often think to take what others have labored for. Through reciprocity, this relationship will be quite productive. I shall return to the transfer of this deck.

She returned to the decks to assist in the deconstruction. Evangel was your ally for now.

The two weeks of labor had gone well. The cannons where held in the vast, empty holds of the ship until such a time as they could be properly installed. The medicae deck was being installed, and while that would likely take several weeks it would go well.

Two reports came in in the meantime.

From Drives-Master Balfour Rankine came a report on the linkage between the space station and the ship, and on the lost communications.

"Inspection of the hitch-mechanism revealed abnormal random deformation in section C2 which prevented comm signals from passing. After significant analysis, we have come to the conclusion that it suffered Warp-Based Deformation, as no material phenomena can cause the deformation observed.



The current hypothesis is tied to the simplified nature of the linkage. Normally, towing linkages would be monolythic and rigid. However, our simplified linkage presents a small amount of elasticity. During warp-travel, such elasticity, combined with the inertia of the station, can create momentary gaps between the gellar fields.

Under current estimates, there is a 1% chance of detachement for our next jump. Thanks to the delay from the salvage, we where able to replace the broken parts. Due to the random nature of the deformation, we estimate ~ 1 week of analysis and labor for repairs. Without repairs, odds of in-jump breakage increases exponentially."



A second report came from your Carto-Artifex team.

https://www.worldanvil.com/w/segmentum-obscurus-the-calisota-sector-wendigobob/map/45e7db0f-2d7d-48ee-8804-18746c07dc3c

"Currently, the "golden path" as it has been named splits into two paths. The left path, going spinward, has an indeterminate end, as nothing in its direction lines up quite right.

The right path, going rimward, is the more likely candidate to reach our destination. It also leads us deeper into the star cluster we are currently in-which we propose calling the Crossroads Cluster. Three systems are readily accessible to us:

-AE 39107-Anomalous star. Navigator's divination suggests the anomalous star is ill-omened, with some form of psychic charge.
-AE 00998-Twin dull stars, deviations indicate either a large number of small planets, or a smaller number of large & dense planets. Some warp-turbulence divined.
-AE 03332-Single Vigorous star. Likely several planets based on deviations of the star.

The Magos was with Torian, as they were finishing their final inspection of their new, scavenged cargo.

"Lord Captain, I recommend that we actually detach the station while we explore these new systems in the nearby cluster. This will enable the station crews to carry out further salvage, and prevent unnecessary further wear-and-tear to the linkage between."

thepooreconomist wrote:

Torian was not a trusting person. Nor was he the sort to allow greed to overcome his paranoia. Nonetheless, perhaps he had misjudged this person. Psychopathy being a trait he could admire in some, even. Evangel could be a useful ally and benefit to the dynasty, if some level of trust could be established.

Torian looked directly into her eyes, letting his paranoia churn in the background and rationalizing her negotiating position. "I accept, Evangel. Let my trust in you both be an act of faith in the Omnissiah and a step towards far greater work we may yet achieve together as we explore this sector. There is room in this dynasty for all those who might find mutual benefit. I will have my chef prepare a dinner to celebrate the occasion." He turned his attention briefly to Lethia. "Lethia, will you oversee the food and drink selections? My Cadre could use a proper meal after our recent battle, and our new xenos compatriot might enjoy a meal that isn't nutrient paste for the first time in... I couldn't say how long."

He regarded Evangel once again, with a ferocity in his eyes to match her own.  "trust, mutual benefit, and alliance are rewarded heavily in this Dynasty. There will be events, tech, even discoveries you cannot imagine as we continue our efforts. You can be a part of them, even given relative freedom for your own experimenting. But treachery? Betrayal? Such brings harsh penalty in this dynasty. Have no doubt of this, Evangel - betrayal will only bring about your extended, agonizing demise, as your research and experimentation are purged alongside your body and processors. Be aware of these things."

Lethia, a connoisseur of delicacy and fine taste relished the task. She took the opportunity to personally sample everything in the stores, much to the chagrin of the cook staff, to find the perfect meal for the occasion.

Though she ate like a man from a famine riddled planet, her frame gained no visible weight. Once of the side effects of her navigator mutation was that she could not keep any weight on. No matter the amount of exercise, the pureness of her diet, or the amount of it she partook, she would always be a small and frail woman. She used it as a blessing and tended to ignore the cursed side of it.

The main course was a cut of catachan face-eater, a carnivorous and protein rich plant from said planet. It was sauteed with lemons, garlic and grox-butter.
Paired with this was gleece wine. Its tone and succor paired well with the dangerous plant.

Desert was a palovine sweetbread with a side of ploin juice.

Many toasts were made and the feast was well received by the attendees. Most of the non-command staff would never eat this well again save for the feast of the day of the Emperor's ascension.

The Crossroads cluster was-in cosmic terms-very small, with only 5 light years between the furthest stars. The jump barely required any effort from the navigators, and within 15 minutes you where already in the AE-03332 system.

System Map:

Valry gave her analysis:
The system has 4 planets. A gas dwarf with a few regolith moons. A low-density rocky world. Oh, at the edge of the inner cauldron, a verdant world, covered in green, large oceans, three continents. And another rocky world near the center, though its close enough to the sun tp be trouble.

After a few minutes, she came up with maps for the verdant world.

Hm...seems like there are some ruined hives. Completely overgrown, but you see those oddly regular elevations-mostly metal. They must be buried under the jungle. Very diverse floral biomes, might be decent biotics too.

Roderick was happy to be back in the saddle after being aboard the Astartes derelict. With the bodies stored and the macrocannons locked in for later incorporation, he was eager to get to the next system.

Valry's update drew him to the view screen on the bridge. Valry, is there any radio traffic or spore around the planet? Can you detect any satellites or outposts in its orbit?

Alexium sat in the Choir Chambers, surrounded by the haze of incense and dim lighting. After having properly chastised Seguro for once again failing to fill out his paperwork dilligently, threatening to leave him on the next abandoned hell hole they found - as well as having a private word with Griffone to ease up on Seguro - Alexium had them make ready to cast out into the this system.

Their breathing was in sync. Deep, diaphragmatic breathing that was let out in long breaths. When they got to their Seventh synced breath, Alexium reached out into the void.

This system was more or less barren... but there was something else from just beyond. A tingle. As one, they focused.

Torian swirled the wine around his glass, inhaled deeply, then took a sip. Delightful - Lethia had outdone herself in this selection. He was proud to see the cohort getting along and enjoying each other's company. He waited another moment, then stood, tapping his wine glass with his fork. He raised his glass in a toast: "To new allies, and the great things we may achieve together!". He drunk deeply and smiled at his assembled guests. It was a good night.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

He sat ensconced in his command throne, screens whirling around his and data feeds flowing. These moments were the most perfectly aligned he felt with his ship, as an organ to a larger being - the heart. "Affirmative. Keep digging into those scans, Valry, see if you can find anything more about those hives. Get us moving in-system, Cousin. Heightened readiness for evasive maneuvers."

It was not like Alexium to keep them waiting for their report. Torian would be patient. It must be something worth a delay.

Lethia stood near the command throne, having just entered the bridge from the navigators chambers. It was a quick and easy jump, so she wasn't too fatigued.

The verdant world was an interesting case. How old could this world possibly be?

"We should scour the libraries for any trace of this planet. They had hives, and those hives were getting supplies from somewhere. Records might be buried under the bureaucracy but the administrator has to have something somewhere, even in this astronomicon-bereft zone."

Looking over the data himself, Ignatio was pleased. "A hive world presents an opportunity for the discovery of archeotech and a likelyhood of finding usable resources. I will be quite interested to investigate further."

Turning to Torian, he suggested "If the Lord Captain has nothing more pressing while we descend toward the system center, this may present an opportunity to complete your electro-baptism, in anticipation of the readiness of the medicae deck."

With that, he made to leave the bridge. "I will personally take the opportunity to investigate the unique meltaguns we recovered the remains of on Glacea."

As Torian was making ready to leave, Alexium walked in. In their small hand was a glass of the fine wine Lethia had served with dinner. It was filled much higher than polite, genteel society would dictate. They were very glad Lethia had ensured that their dinner would be sent to them, otherwise they would not have eaten.

The cherubesque features looked concerned, but not pained. It was as though they were trying to decipher what they heard. They made sure Torian had a moment, and waited until the rest of the crew was present enough to listen.

"So..... ahem. Yeah. Just finished up doing some Astropathing with the choir, and got some odd feedback from outside of the system. This system is completely dead, psychically-speaking."

They took a sip of wine, allowing the tension to build slightly. That was when their features turned from concerned to extremely mischievous:

"Apologies, did I say 'odd' because I meant 'AMAZING.' We stumbled upon a... a... an Emperor-damned ADVERTISEMENT." They could barely contain their excitement.

"In 8,700 hours, there is a cross-species, high-speed Starship Race." At that point they stare directly into Roderick's soul.

"Officially named the '57th CENTENIAL FORMALHAULT LOOP.' Cost of entry is one artifact, and the winner takes home 50% of the assembled artifacts. Yes, ladies, gentleman, and non-binary xenos, we could increase the glory of this crew and Dynasty not by conquering worlds, terra-forming planets, or wiping out spider-aliens, no, but by winning a FUH-KING RACE. Assuming Roderick is up for it, that is."

They give all the other details, eyes glinting with excitement - focusing specifically on the beings prohibited from attending. Whomever was running this not only had knowledge and dealings with multiple - potentially friendly - xenos species, but they understood and apparently actively worked against the agents of Chaos.

When they were done, they took a breath and gauged everyone's reactions while sipping wine. Yes, there were very likely more pressing matters, but they cared little about them in that moment.

At the end of the first day, alarm klaxons started blaring indicating ship-contact.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--Wozwma2ZI

EVERYONE TO YOUR STATIONS!

As you all rushed to the bridge, you got a strange message from your Master of the Vox, Andallia Dawnsun.

Andallia Dawnsun:

Um...the ship is contacting us. They appear human. They tried a bunch of languages before starting an odd variant of archaic high gothic. Apparently they're asking for...directions? According to Mistress Mace, they're holding their distance, at the far edge of the system. Its quite odd. We arent too sure how to respond.

Torian jogged into the bridge nude but for a surgical gown. They had been in prep for the electro-baptism when the klaxons rang. Although nude, Torian appeared totally unphased by his appearance, immediately calling out a series of commands and requests for data.

"YELLOW ALERT. ARMSMEN TO FULL ATTENTION. COMMAND CORPS COMMUNICAE TO THRONE FEED 2. FULL SCANNER ATTENTION TO THE VESSEL. INCOMING SCAN REPORTS SHUNT TO THRONE FEEDS 4 AND 11. VOX TRAFFIC REPORT, THRONE FEED 3. RESERVE POWER TO WEAPONS INCREASE BY 10%. WEAPON SYSTEMS DATA TO THRONE FEED 6. VOX RECORD, FEED 8. CARTOGRAPHY, WHAT IS NEAR THEIR VESSEL? "

He continued as such until reaching his command throne, upon which the web of screens and command nodes engulfed him and the commands switched to pings and direct messages. Throughout the next ~10 minutes a series of retainers arrived, sprinting to the throne with parts of his clothing and dressing him as he continued his review. Eventually a retainer put light make-up and did his hair, leaving him dressed formally in a dark wool suit, with the badges and chains of his titles brightly shining after their recent polish. His archeo- and inferno pistols were placed into the hidden chest holsters in which they had dressed him. He pulled himself out of the command throne, to be standing in front of the throne, overlooking the bridge from his balcony.

"Patch them through, VoxMaster."

Alexium stood nearby in fine robes of purple with white and green embroidery throughout. The sash across their eyes was a deep purple, and they sipped heartily from what could only be described as a juice box.

"Archaic High Gothic, you say, Gorgeous Master of the Vox? Well, I am game." They spoke impeccable High Gothic, as well as Low Gothic, Battlefleet Cant, and of course Astropathic Sign.

A grainy video-feed started on the bridge's main vid-monitor showing a balding, messy, overweight middle-aged man with a grimace on his face.
(In high gothic)
"Hem, yeah, well you happen to have a decent nav..."
A second feminine, but rough and nasally voice spoke.
"Just ask them for directions dear!"

"I'm getting to it, I'm getting to it! Sigh. Hum, yeah, we kinda got lost on our way to the nomad market. We got the coordinates, but we aint able to figure out where we are now. You got a working navicomp?"

He seemed a tad sheepish and uncomfortable.

Torian stared into their eyes, face unmoving as he thought aloud to an assumed-to-be-listening Alexium. "Tell them we will offer them whatever assistance they require, and that they are welcomed by the Filianatus Dynasty. Do they require any urgent assistance? Inform them of our relative position, and that we could reach them in 2-10 days depending on urgency. If you wouldn't mind, give them some razzle-dazzle around myself and the dynasty. Let's try to make an impression."

After the attempt at razzle-dazzle, the middle-aged man looked even more uncomfortable.


"Look man, you're doing good in following the obligation of assistance, but we dont need THAT much."

A middle-aged woman suddenly appeared in the screen, with the same voice as before.

"Normally I'd invite you all to tea, but we are late. Can you tell us how distant we are from these coordinates?"

They sent a single set of 3d coordinates. They where simple enough, though using considering your usual reference point (the Sol system) they would be off by 26000 ly.

Oh, its delightfull, the Nomad Market's in the region. First time in...

60 years I think.

Ah yes. The Stryxis are a bit strange, but they are darling organizers of flea markets. People come from all over the region to buy and sell...pretty much everything and anything really. Remember Dick-Oh, and yes, this hunk is Dick, and I'm Gertie-thats where we got those little antiquities you like...

She appeared to reach for something behind the camera, and brought it forth. It appeared to be a representation of a mutant human with an unusually enlarged head, which bobbled around-probably on a spring-when the statue moved.

Ah, we where kids then. Time sure flies doesnt it Dick.

Sure does Gertie. Anyways, we're making a delivery there for a customer, and to do a bit of browsing. Like you, we're traders, going here & there in the outer rim. By the way, where are you all from by the way?

Magos Pulsanus' eyes darted over the contents of the image on the pictscreen, taking in every detail. These were the first humans they'd met in this region capable of spacefaring, and their manner suggested at least some degree of expected standardization. This was a very important meeting.

Then he heard the Lord Captain's orders, and immediately began moving, leaving the bridge as his servo-skull remained behind.

"I will consult the data-loom, Lord Commander," he said over the skull's vox.

A minute later, he had found his way to the secret chamber in which the archaeo-cogitator was stored, a packet of data ready to feed into it.

Shortly thereafter, his voice was heard again coming from the servo-skull. "I believe that these coordinates are not compatible with our own navigation systems. I have produced a hypothesis for their system's reference point, if they can provide their coordinates for the planet Glacea."

He registered irritation that they had not found a local name for the planet where they'd found the town of 'blackwheat'.

Roderick pivoted in the saddle when Alexium made the announcement about an intergalactic race, and Haast let out a whistling chirp from his perch above.

+++ Old Son, I find myself afflicted with the chubb at the mention of a good race. I'm going to have to borrow your Dolly as entry fee. Don't worry though, I'll win it back and get the rest of the set for your wee house you've got stashed away! +++

He looked from Alexium to the Lord Captain and back again. Dalmore honour dictates that we duel for that slight, but it doesn't specify what kind of duel. Drinks at my quarters later, but you're buying. Lord Captain, we must attend. Half of anything is a lot. Claymore and I will beat the other contestants like red-headed step whelps, mark me. Again, Haast let out another screech to punctuate his masters boast.

After receiving the coordinates, they responded:

That makes a hell of a lot more sense. Well thanks for your assistance. Oh, and if you're ever in Melnibone, look up Milliways Shipping, thats our company.

You received a data-transmission, pointing to a system far spinward.

Oh yes, you've been darlings! Stop by the market if you can, it should still be there for at least 6 months, they always have the strangest things!

And uh, good luck with your own trading. May the Gods of Chaos bless your God-Emperor. OK SLAVES! ANY LOLY-GAGERS GET THROWN IN THE REAC...

The signal suddenly cut off. Within 5 minutes, the ship had transited into the warp.

Lethia listened to the exchange perplexed and confused.

With their send off her analyzing went sideways.
"What do they mean bless your god-emperor? Heretics. Confused heretics if they expect any chaos-gods to 'bless the emperor'
She wanted to spi the words out, but was afraid the effort would torch her already dry throat.

Torian stood for a moment, contemplating. Perhaps he could attend this market and see what trades were available. Perhaps he would burn it to ash. Torian was never the most devout worshipper of the God-Emporer, but he was practical enough to know that all forms of chaos must be destroyed at the earliest opportunity. There was nothing to be gained from it - only lost. With his newfound zealotry kneeling before the Machine-God, truly his distaste for chaos had risen to hatred. Those people seemed pleasant enough, and willing to trade. It would be a shame to kill them, but perhaps unavoidable.

"Log that vox-signal in case we run into them again. Did we learn anything of their military capacity? Resume course into system."

Roderick let out a scoff after the comms cut out. What tosh. "Gods of Chaos bless your God-Emperor", those ignorant fools don't even know they're the enemy! He paused to contemplate the interaction. They were oddly pleasant though, for scum suckers. Hardly the raging lunatics we're used to dealing with on our side of the border...

Later, after the Lord Captain returned to the meditation chamber in preparation for electro-baptism, Magos Ignatio Pulsanus entered in order to lead him to the ceremony. He had been instructed to recite a prayer that he had previously memorized for over an hour to ready his mind for what was to come.

"Have you made yourself ready to undergo electro-baptism, Lord Captain?" the Magos asked. "Any final concerns should now be addressed, or dispensed with."

Torian breathed deeply, tasting the billowing incense and feeling it flow into him through his lungs. He knelt unmoving, eyes closed. He continued to focus on his breathing, repeating the mantra he has been told and divorcing himself from any feelings of anxiety or nervousness he felt. It was time. "I am ready, Magos"

[On the Bridge]

Alexium ignored their closest friend on the ship for the moment. The set duel sounded amazing, but something the odd couple had said had sparked something in their memory.

They snapped their fingers as the metaphorical light bulb went off.

"Ah, fuck my tits! Milnibone! We all thought it was a myth..." When they realized the others were likely staring at them waiting for an explanation, they straightened their robes and cleared their throat.

"I've heard of this place before, back in the Fleet during my days Spinward. We thought it was nonsense at the time - a system ruled by and dedicated entirely to Chaos, may those foul creatures eat shit and die, but one which didn't launch Crusades into the Emperor's Realm? Tosh we thought as well, Hot Rod. But now that it has been confirmed, we must proceed with extreme caution: it's said to be populated by numberless hordes - fielding a fleet larger than some sector fleets within the Imperium. Could be bullshit, but... I still kind of want to hit up that market for some odds and ends."

They smiled their cherubic smile as if to say without saying, Is that bad?

(Placeholder)

The Magos took him by the hand out to the ritual chamber of the engineerium, where the Omnissiac congreagator, Electro-priestess Hikari Rai, awaited beside the throne of ascension. The majority of the tech priesthood, those who could be pulled from their labors, were in attendance.

Magos Pulsanus turned to Torian. "You have asked to be baptized in lightning. In doing so you are accepting the responsibility of an initiate in service of the Machine God. It will be your duty to contemplate the Eight Mysteries and abide by the Eight warnings, as the Omnissiah taught us, for the sake of humanity. Do you clearly understand what you are undertaking?"

He awaited his answer, then turned to the gathered members of the tech priesthood. "Are you ready to assist this man in his duty as an initiate of the Cult Mechanicus?"

He listened for their rote acknowledgement, then turned back to the Lord Captain. "Torian Siegel, the Adeptus Mechanicus welcomes you with great joy. You may take the throne of ascendance, where the Electro-priestess will channel the very Motive Force through your mind, that you may experience the ecstacy of the Omnissiah and one-ness with the Machine God."

He led Torian to the throne and strapped him in, while the Electro-Priestess moved into position at his head.

"I have an expectation of the path before me that will doubtless prove incorrect. I cannot say that I perfectly understand what lies before me, nor that I have answers to the Eight Mysteries. I can say, however, that I have faith in the Omnissiah to guide my journey and focus my contemplations. I am ready for the first step."

Torian allowed himself to be guided to the throne and strapped in. He was silent in his anticipation.

Hikari Rai raised her arms, the great cabled arm-loops hanging from her arms as she wore her full regalia.

“The power of life flows only from the motive force!" She announced, splayed hands shedding bolts of lighting to the rods that stood to either side of her, as he eyes bled sparks in a powerful display of electro-stigmata.

“Omnissiah, by the mystery of the motive force, bathe this child in light! Give him the new life of electro-baptism and welcome him into the Adeptus Mechanicus!"

The congregation took up a techno-lingua prayer, filling the room in deep tones, like rolling thunder constant in the background.

Almighty Machine God, you sent your Omnissiah into the world to cast out impure teachings, to rescue humanity from a galaxy of darkness, and save our souls from the weakness of flesh, and commit them to everlasting storage within circuit and silica. We pray for this man. Set him free from ignorance. Make him a temple of your glory, and send your Motive Force to dwell with him."

The electro-priestess looked down into the eyes of the man strapped to the throne. Her lightning died down to her eyes, and she put her fingers together to bring them to points, and placed one on either of Torian's temples.

"You must not resist. Only through total surrender to the motive force can one walk with the Omnissiah and access his power!”

Once she was satisfied that he was ready, she hung her head back as the motive force flowed through her. Her eyes poured lightning into the air above Torian as finely-controlled electric currents pulsed into his brain.

In front of him, the room full of tech-priests each seemed to emit an aura, all blending together, and it was as if he could directly see the noosphere that the tech-priests connected with. He felt weightless, and then heavy, in alternating waves like one might in a primitive flyer taking a series of climbs and dives. And while he knew he had never experienced anything like this before, he had a deep sense of deja-vu, as if this event was so significant that he remembered it from the future.

Then it felt like his mind had dropped through a black hole. All sensory input became incomprehensible. Then, as if through cracks in the blackness, a series of images and memories flowed rapidly through his mind, along with a powerful sense that they were interconnected somehow, and that if he could but comprehend the way they were connected, he would grasp the true meaning of the universe.

With that realization came a profound sense of happiness, disconnected from any material fact. A sense of one-ness with the universe, a machine working in perfect harmony, as perceived from a single cog which somehow briefly grasped the enormity and majesty of the entire intricate work.

What anyone else saw was that his mouth and hands worked in repetitive, circular patterns, though restrained by the chair, and he stared blankly off into the distance.

Finally, the electro-priestess ended her ritual display, and pulled her hands away. "At the very dawn of creation the Motive Force flowed through the universe, the wellspring of all life. The power of divine lightning flows through us all, as we carry out the Omnissiah's work. As we were led out of the chaos of the Schism of Mars, we must lead this new initiate into his first steps in the Quest for Knowledge!"

As she spoke, awareness and comprehension slowly returned to Torian, and the Chief Chirurgeon, Biologos Tech-priestess Ossona Kistka, approached to examine him, one of her mechatendrites lashing back and forth with a small light shining into his eyes. "Alright, Lord Captain, follow the light for a moment... Yep, it looks like you've mounted a successful defense against the possibility of a tonic-clonic siezure," she whispered, giving him an encouraging smile. Then she quickly unstrapped him from the throne.

Iron and Metal wrote:

[On the Bridge]

Alexium ignored their closest friend on the ship for the moment. The set duel sounded amazing, but something the odd couple had said had sparked something in their memory.

They snapped their fingers as the metaphorical light bulb went off.

"Ah, fuck my tits! Milnibone! We all thought it was a myth..." When they realized the others were likely staring at them waiting for an explanation, they straightened their robes and cleared their throat.

"I've heard of this place before, back in the Fleet during my days Spinward. We thought it was nonsense at the time - a system ruled by and dedicated entirely to Chaos, may those foul creatures eat shit and die, but one which didn't launch Crusades into the Emperor's Realm? Tosh we thought as well, Hot Rod. But now that it has been confirmed, we must proceed with extreme caution: it's said to be populated by numberless hordes - fielding a fleet larger than some sector fleets within the Imperium. Could be bullshit, but... I still kind of want to hit up that market for some odds and ends."

They smiled their cherubic smile as if to say without saying, Is that bad?

"Was this all hearsay or was there anything concrete to back it up?"

She had a feeling that she already knew the answer, but it was good to know all the details. It seemed pretty obvious at this point that the system at least existed in some form or fashion, but was there really a whole system of chaos worshippers who didnt tear themselves apart along their many god-drawn lines?

"Captain, I dont like the idea of us being alone in a system full of that many chaos ships. It sounds like it would be us against a whole fleet."

--------------Bridge------------------------

"I like the idea no better, Lethia. Yet I share Alexium's curiosity. Perhaps the solution is to attend this market, not alone, but with our own fleet. Surely a deal could be reached with the Imperial Navy for first salvaging rights to whatever might remain after a scourging cleanse of the system in exchange for leading them to the system and joining the fight. I would love to see our mighty vessel in true fleet combat."

--------------Baptism--------------------
Torian looked with awe and wonder at the lightning sprouting from Hikari's every move. He saw the power, the devotion, the majesty. This is what he wanted. He welcomed the lightning into his very soul. As the priestess put her fingers to his temples, time stopped. He heard the whip-crack of the electricity jumping to his temples. He felt the scalpel sharp piercing pain of the electricity flow through him. He saw a flash from behind his eyes. Then, nothing. All ceased to be.

Torian looked down upon his body as if from an outsider. He saw all those around him. He felt the waves of electricity moving through the air. He watched as the plasma slowly moved between emitters, trickling like molasses. All present were as statues, yet he could feel their life. He could feel his own, but it felt like a stranger. He was no longer himself, but an observer looking at the true nature of things. He saw not only the individuals around him, but the flow of energies and information between them. Between everything. And the connection was beautiful. The way the patterns moved and engaged, like cogs in a machine. The machine of life and everything. He saw his own body and how it flowed and connected and intertwined with the machine. It was glorious.

Time began again. Too quickly. Images of the universe flashed through his mind quicker than he could process. Torian was a lord-captain who prided himself on his data-processing capabilities. He could process dozens of data-streams mid-combat and still coordinate the military power of thousands. He could analyse the trade-economies of whole worlds for the gain of his dynasty. Yet this was too much, too fast. He knew the only solution was to increase his processing capacity. He had to see this again, be able to examine these images - these truths - with all he could bring to bear. The scenes before his minds-eye flashed and flashed, accelerating into a blur. Beneath that blur, Torian knew, was the meaning of everything. If only he could grasp it.

As suddenly as the images had appeared, so they stopped. Gone. Yet he did not feel loss. He felt faith, and purpose, and understanding. This pursuit of truth, that was the driving factor for all of them. So too would he pursue it. With vigor.

He saw with his eyes once more, in his body again. The withdrawing hands of the priestess before him. His ears heard again, the crackling of the power in those hands. He began to feel his pulse and breath, joints and ligaments, bones and muscle. He was once again inside his flesh. It felt... insufficient.

He let himself be guided out of the catatonia. Once the straps were undone, he gathered himself and stood. He could feel the lack of motor control, the wooziness in his body. He did not let it dictate him. This was his body, and it would do as he willed. He looked at the priestess in front of him, and the chirurgeon beside. "Thank you, sisters. I will return to my chambers for contemplation and the revitalisation of my flesh-body. Thank you, too, Magos Ignatio. I would not have walked this path but for your exemplification of faith. May the Machine-God continue to bless you."

++The Bridge++

Ok, I've been able to scan the world a bit more now that we're in orbit. Got a better fix on the ruins. Overall, its incredibly verdant. There are a lot of large, shallow seas that are almost green. A lot of volcanism though-none actively errupting, but many emitting gas or heat.

As for ruins, we've got 3 clusters. One in the far north, and another a bit more to the south; both at surprisingly high altitude. There's a third close to the equator; its high enough that there might have been a space elevator there, but despite its height its covered in plants.

Map-AE-03332-02:

Alexium regards Lethia for a few moments before responding.

"As I said, we had heard tales of this place, only for it to have just been confirmed by our own ears and eyes just now. A Chaos worshipping husband and wife on a friendly jaunt to a system hosting a nice friendly market? Does that sound like the Chaos you know? Clearly there is something to the stories. In this case, I advise we assume they are all correct - and prepare for a major battle should we venture there, rather than underestimating the rumors."

Alexium nodded when Torian offered to nuke the place with the Imperial fleet when the time came.

+++

When they broke, the Astropath spent their time within the Astropathic Choir chambers. They all needed to train and meditate together. It had been too long, and the child knew that if they could bring their full potential to bear, they could accomplish wondrous tasks for the Dynasty.

So, their training began in earnest.

Three away teams where sent down to do a preliminary inspection of the ruins. A few hours later, reports started coming in:

North Ruin, Master at Arms Victoria Stein:

Ruins are substantial, pretty much at the summit of a mountain over 8000 meters. About 5 small hives. Nothing easy to recover I'm afraid; plants have completely submerged the ruins, eaten inside, and largely collapsed them. Theres likely stuff of value-the plants arent projecting acid or anything else; but it would be closer to mining that exploring.

Equatorial Ruin, Evangel:

"My first note, bring air reserves if at sea level. The oxygen level is about 37% in the atmosphere, and some of your crewfolk had to be isolated for oxygen toxicity.

The ruins appear to be a single large hive; damaged appears to be mostly superficial, and the superstructure seems sound. It may have been a space elevator, though considering the large craters to the north the associated station likely fell from orbit millenia ago.

The surrounding flora is more interesting however. For one, there isnt really any jungle-a number of smaller trees, but nothing like the massive ones elsewhere. In addition, I found a plant that really stood out from the rest of the flora, namely due to the unnaturally enlarged stamen. After further inspection, it appears to have had some genetic modification in the distant past, and is rich in a chemical precursor to what your databases call "Juvenats", life-extension chemicals. They appear to thrive in the high-oxygen environment, and must have been cultivated here in the distant past.


Midway Ruin, Lt Hecatomb Balder

Ok, so we had some issues getting down. Something tried to...bite us? It lost interest quickly, musnt like metal. Here's a pic:

Flying creature::

Hello, well, um, so there are a 4 small hives around a now covered pit mine. We're about 7000m of altitude. It doesnt look like they went very deep so there's likely plenty left. We also found about 50 stc-containers full or iron, copper, titanium and zinc. The facilities are completely overtaken by plants, and we saw some...lets say large critters lower-down fighting in the forest. Here are some pics.

Land creatures:

Returning to the ship as quick as possible. I dont like all this sky...

Lethia kept silent. She was void born, and disliked being stuck on the dangerous mudballs people seemed so concerned with.

Ships were so much safer.

Roderick perked up at the sound of the beasts that were hounding the third scouting party. It mad him yearn for the highlands of Dalmore and the hunts he used to take with his brother Hector...

He looked up at Hasst, which was sitting in shadows perched above the Captain's throne, surveying those below. We need to reconnect you angry bastard. It's been too long since you properly stretched your wings and scrapped for your food. He thought again about Hector and how he was always ready to drop a tournament at a moments notice and disappear into the mountains. He and the game keeper had carefully groomed and expanded certain sections of the estate to keep it as natural and wild as possible. Hunts were a good way to attract offworld nobles to House MacCoinneach and gather greater wealth and prestige. He swiveled in the saddle to address Torian.

My Lord, I'd like to request permission to descend with the next salvage party to the midway ruin. If there are beasts there, it may be good to assess their value as stock hunting purposes. If we establish a base here, we will attract the roaming nobility who will soon be looking for places to spend their crowns out here. If the stock is insufficient for that purpose, we at least have the resources gathered.

Torian listened attentively to the incoming reports. Ever since the baptism he has felt... disconnected... from his emotions to some extent. This was not new to him, and was rather welcome! It better allowed for his analytical mind to function at maximal capacity without such distractions. Nonetheless, he registered the twinge of excitement that ran through his torso when he heard that there may be the receiving station to a space elevator in relatively good condition.

"Granted, Cousin. I will attend as well - I would like to see these beasts in person, and get a feel for this world. Alexium, Lethia, I would value your attendance to assess the threat of taint in this world. Magos Ignatio, would you care to do some archeotech-hunting? Valry, keep comms open with all landing parties and engage in a deep-scan of all three landing sites, beginning with the midway ruin. Victoria, assign my cousin an honor-guard and hunting party, as well as security teams to hold a perimeter at the midway ruins and begin establishing a beachhead. Looter teams focus on the retrieval of the STCs at the moment. I will be at the docking bays momentarily to descend. Let nothing hinder our swift action."

Torian then walked with purpose out of the bridge, to don his recon equipment and move to the docking bays.

Lethia bowed and followed in tow. She would have her weapons and armor ready and prepped when the made dustfall.