This is a manuscript I have written of a story based on the popular fictional universe of Warhammer 40000. A short story.
The Diary
NOTE
OF ACOLYTE NEPHESTUS
Addressing
to your excellence Inquisitor Khulyo. I, your humble acolyte Nephestus handle
to yours truly this booklet that was retrieved from the world of Stygma, hidden
in the ashes of the ruined Fort Lugunshberg of the 24th PDF corps of
Stygma. I am certain that it will help you track the traces of dissidence,
rebellion and abnormal lack of faith the populace has shown in the events of
the current conflict and will help you reaching to the root cause of the taint on
this planet.
Before
you proceed, I must give you some information collected from studying this
world that will be useful to understand this diary:
—Stygma
is a planet slightly larger than Holy Mars. Its surface is close to Jollana
before its purging with similar atmosphere. However, the day and year cycles
are different. A day in Stygma lasts for 30 Terran hours. A week is 9
days but a year is shorter, just 297 Terran days. Hours, minutes and
seconds are still the same length as on Holy Terra. Humans, due adapting to
this time for thousands of years have managed to adapt physically and
psychologically to these lengths for generations.
—Regarding
the population of Stygma. We can notice that the colour of skin, hair
and their physical appearance in general are results of the exemplary
human resilience spreading across one million worlds, many with very diverse
biomes. Generations of living in a different world with different length of
day, different star, different atmosphere and different ecosystems have made us
humans adapted and change appearance beyond of what we see in our void vessels
or our homeland of Atoma Prime. Changes that wouldn´t really enter to the
Abhuman category yet (much less to the mutant category).
—Stygma´s
calendar system is as of the 297 days split in 3 months, corresponding to the
times of rain, cold, and dryness across the year. The months are Albidayue
(beginning of rain, also beginning of the year), Alwasayue (cold season)
and Alnihayue (hot season) with 99 exact days each divided in 11 weeks
of 9 days.
-Stygma´s
week is 9 Terran days, as mentioned above. The days are: Primerodenia,
Segundenia, Terciodenia, Cuatridenia, Quintidenia, Siextidenia, Septidenia,
Ochidenia, Findenia.
—Metrics
of space are the same but it is thought their kilometres are bloated.
—The
people of Stygma (or rather, their upper echelons) don´t bother to keep the
year, for each year is always the same, having lost the sense of progress
time ago. In the past, they even considered just removing the calendar in
general but it was deemed to be too extreme as there are still some farms and
products that take matter on the time and season of the year. Not to mention
they need to know when Sanguinala is (which they have adapted it to a day in
their calendar).
—Stygma
is a Civilized World with a population in the low billions before the
war broke out. Average temperature is 25ºC. Its location east some tens of
light years from Estaban VII. Its inhabitants work in different sectors but the
main industry is the manufactorums the size of towns where people work and
live.
—The
war on Stygma is still ongoing.
I
must warn to your excellence, however, that this booklet contains unexemplary, capricious,
gross and outright heretical behaviour on display in some situations condemned
by the Adeptus Ministorum.
For
your eyes only.
The
Emperor protects.
FINDENIA,
5th Alnihayue
Holy
God-Emperor forgive me for I have failed on my duty again! Today the mass
transport to our positions in the manufactorum made an emergency stop because
the disgraceful driver had a stroke. Such event is still not a valid reason for
reaching so late so once we finally arrived our foreman and enforcer were
waiting for us with a very unhappy face. We each in the team received five
lashes and demanded to compensate for the lost time. When the day was finally
finished I had just time to say hello to Venitta and the kids, eat a bit of
starch, pray and go to sleep but not before writing here. Because writing is
important. That´s what our labour tutor were teaching us in the scholar years:
to write, so we would have better memories and learn our tasks faster so we
avoid punishments as quickly as possible and be useful to The God-Emperor as
fast as possible. That´s why I try to write everyday, whenever I can.
Good
thing that at the end of the mass hour session I had personal time to confess
my clumsiness to our always faithful and reinvigorating allocated priest.
PRIMERODENIA,
6th Alnihayue
I
still had some dry blood in the back from yesterday´s lashes, but it was just
some scratch. Still, it´s a valid price for not being properly responsible
against the adversity.
This
day went better. For me at least. Markus from the mercury assembly line took
the two hour mid-day break and in his infinite foolishness started to make
snarky remarks about how our allocated priest was the father of half of the
children of the manufactorum. Little he cared, but our conversations and
actions are always monitored. Just as soon as we finished the break, I could
see two enforcers coming towards Markus and taking him away.
Markus said that because
many of the children doesn´t have the typical red/pink tone of our skin or the
red/orange/purplish hair so predominant in our world it surely should be
because the priest must have had intimate times between sermons with more than
just one woman. The priest indeed isn´t from Stygma. He is from a Shrine World
(that´s how he calls it) called Benediction and moved here many, many years ago.
“His” children apparently are the ones with more exotic skin tone like beige or
light brown and brownish hair. Whatever.
…
…now
that I think. Vento is brown haired…
No!
Come on! The sacred priests of the Ecclesiarchy can marry and everything but Priest
Julius has said many times his life is dedicated only to Him and Him only. He
doesn´t have time for other amenities…
…
I
need to talk with Venitta.
SEGUNDENIA,
7th Alnihayue
Was
thinking for all the twenty hours about Venitta potentially having an affair
with our holy Priest because some moron made idiotic rumours!
Venitta
swore me twice that she has NEVER been with somebody else in our marriage! Stupid
me! Although at the mass hour I felt like I couldn´t look at the priest in the
eye.
Anyway,
I was all the time concerned and I didn´t fulfil my quota so tomorrow I will
have to get earlier or face more punishment from the enforcers.
OCHIDENIA,
13th Alnihayue
I
saw Markus today at last. Well…kind of. We got rounded the people who were
sharing breaktime with him when they took him away and a supervisor and one
Techpriest showed us…him. Markus was now a new servitor. We were told that they
will keeping a closer eye on us to avoid heretical comments and thoughts. They
checked this diary as well but they saw what I write, a perfectly immaculate
servant of The God-Emperor and a model worker of the manufactorum. Nothing
else. Even praised my comments against Markus but double pressured me into
believing Venitta so I stop having such idle thoughts.
Anyway.
Markus…I don´t know…Facing such fate for ill speaking a bottom hierarchy member
of the Ecclesiarchy. Really?
I
remember five years ago when a group from a far area in the manufactorum
rebelled causing damages because they couldn´t live up with the conditions of
their lives. Few days later, the one hundred thousand people who work here were
gathered for a special lesson and they made us watch on the screens or directly
see the perpetrators of the riot…we could see how they were now reduced to
mindless servitors with a lead Techpriest seemingly proud of it.
Yeah…when
a Techpriest shows around it is never because of a good thing. Sometimes is
because someone is about to be turned up or improved due an accident like Jorr,
who lost his arm but because he was a model worker he got the chance to have a
cybernetic arm replacement…but now he can´t grab anything because the
cybernetic arm is actually a claw adapted to his tasks. Had been just some
rookie he would have been left to bleed out there like others I have seen
before.
And
if it´s not due labourers affairs, witnessing a Techpriest around is because an
entire machine has collapsed and severe punishment for mistreatment will came
some hours later after he leaves.
FINDENIA,
14th Alnihayue
The
group of work where Venitta works had a rat fight with the group before them in
the assembly chain process. It happened there were many delays and low quotas
and the supervisor accompanied with a couple of foremen and four enforcers came
to see what was the reason. My wife´s group and the other group were blaming
each other of the delays.
At
the end it was found that in the other group somebody had some self-made
stitches in where previously four of his five fingers were. Venitta said that
hidden in those dirty cloths that passed as bandages were some filthy looking
infected wounds. In any case, their assigned foreman recognized he had the
fingers intact a few days ago. They found rotting pieces of small meat and dried
blood stains in some of the cogs where the group blaming my wife´s group were
located. They confessed they decided to force stop the machine to try save the
poor guy but at the end the machine kept taking his fingers one by one into the
cogs; in this situation, another of his team members decided to jam the
apparatus with a steel bar and try to save his guy´s hand. All was for naught
as the fingers were torn apart from his left hand and the only thing they
managed was that the machine is malfunctioning.
Don´t
know what exactly the guy was doing to get his fingers severed. Something like
this happens everyday after all.
At
the end the dispute was settled. For interrupting the work and hinder the
quotas the culprit´s group was condemned to ten lashes each followed by working
without interruption for twenty four hours resting however they can.
TERCIODENIA,
17th Alnihayue
The
twenty hour work shift in the manufactorum finished without any problems today!
The fourth day in fact! Hard to believe but it´s possible! If everyone does
their duty it delivers! Well…there was someone who threw a cut wire to Wrench.
But nobody really likes Wrench. Poor sod is an outcast. He´s well a very mature
adult, but no married and hasn´t done his duty to bring children to The God-Emperor,
The Imperium and the manufactorums of Strughelm, or the whole Stygma for all
that matter (like my oldest son, who I´m planning in the next year, to inscribe
him into an exchange program for the Youth Assemblers with another manufactorums
in the city of Kullen in the Brown Wastes! Hope he can see the world!). I mean,
what kind of selfish person can keep to himself like that? Sometimes I just
pity him and his many wounds made at work but then I remember how he keeps
rejecting doing our God-Emperor´s will and I just go back to reality! We need people!
I am not going to be the one getting in the small holes of the cogs after all!
Or
maybe Wrench likes to feel young and loves to live in the lobby corridors of
the manufactorum like it is for all the singletons and adult youngsters. I
don´t know. I certainly don´t envy those times and thank The God-Emperor I
married Venitta and the manufactorum granted us the cubicle as it is for those
who marry and have children.
CUATRIDENIA,
18th Alnihayue
Today
somebody arrived five hours late. Jored to be precise. Said he felt sick and
took time to get in position. While the foreman saw it unnecessary to shun him
in public I still saw him being assigned to the forges´ area, which is a very
hot and specially VERY unpleasant place to work in. Many who get employed there
end looking like the cratered plateaus of Bura. Anyway, his nearby co-workers
got reminded that laziness won´t be tolerated (which seems to be endemic in
Jored´s group, after all, they come with petty excuses of illness lately).
Later
on, Jus decided it was a good day to forget to add water coolant to the pasting
machine so it stopped working for three hours and five of us had to repair it. While
repairing it, Jus got called into the foreman´s quarters and he came much back later
saddened that his two hour break was removed today, so he will have to work the
whole twenty hours with the empty stomach. Poor, poor guy.
QUINTIDENIA,
19th Alnihayue
We
are being attacked! Today everyone in the waiting station, in the mass
transport, Venitta…everyone! Everyone was talking about that some filthy xenos
have managed to arrive to our beautiful world of Stygma!
We
still are working and there are no exceptional measurements taken as for now. The
speakers repeated over and over that the shift continues and that everyone must
attend their tasks properly. So I just did that.
SIEXTIDENIA,
20th Alnihayue
I
saw constabulary forces on the streets before entering the mass transport. Some
sods despaired and said that the xenos are going to destroy us and kill us.
Weaklings! Nothing can abate the human spirit if we keep it pure! And in our
case as labourers is keeping working!
SEPTIDENIA,
21st Alnihayue
See
what I wrote yesterday? They announced jovially in the speakers that our local
Militarum, the Planetary Defence Forces got deployed IMMEDIATELY to the point
where the xenos came out two days ago and our lads have slaughtered them!
On
the other hand, our priest addressed his last mass as he said he will help the
local forces to invigorate them to victory in the battlefield. That means no
more mass hour at the manufactorum. A pity because that time was a spiritual
and physical relief (specially a physical relief!).
OCHIDENIA,
22nd Alnihayue
I
heard the aliens are appearing in other parts of the world now. Bah! I´m
confident they are going to be demolished!
ALL
the Planetary Defence Forces have been mobilized. Not because they can´t be
contained, but because as soon as this is over the better will be. The xenos
will be sorry for soiling our peace!
OCHIDENIA,
31st Alnihayue
We
were gathered around the break-zone to watch the TeeVee giving a special
bulletin. On the TeeVee they said that everything was going under control. In
fact, things were going even better! Regiments from other worlds came to our
aid! The Imperial Guard…oh, sorry! The Astra Militarum as they like to be
called came here! Two worlds with several of their best regiments came to our
aid fighting alongside our Imperial Guard of Stygma!
When
I turned my head to the screen I saw they were interviewing the general of the
so called Valhallan Ice Warriors. What a funny looking guy! He sported garments
as if his forces were going to fight in the icy poles or in the highest snowy
mountains of our planet…which wasn´t too far off, by the way, as later in the
evening when I watched the TeeVee with the family for the night starch they
said the scrawny and flabby Necrons (that´s how these xenos are called, what an
UGLY name!) were attacking across the Lucilius Mons Range, two thousand
kilometres from here the city of Strughelm (the closest front, in fact), and
these mountains, while not very steep, they reach up to ten thousand meters. Turns
out Necrons were in five other regions across the world but in very small
numbers. But yeah…what a funny floppy hatted man this Valhallan general was. His
skin was funny too, pale sandy coloured, very out of the ordinary, nothing like
the predominant red coloured tones our skin have overall in this world. And
that yellow moustache! But the funniest thing was his accent! That was some
strange words he was spouting:
“Fear
not! People of Stygma! For the Imperium and The Emperor is with you and with us
and we will drive off the xenos scum!”
After
this resounding and vigorous statement came the general of the other world
bringing regiments to fight with us, he came from a world called Praetoria. And
again, with funny looking skin and even funnier looking clothes and accent. By
the God-Emperor! What an accent!
“We
have fought these aliens! Know this, Stygma! They are called Necrons! They are
a scourge in the galaxy! As a veteran of ONE HUNDRED campaigns the Necrons have
no chance against the Hammer of the Emperor! Humanity stands! Today! Tomorrow!
And Always! They shall not soil this planet belonging to our God-Emperor of
Mankind! “
“All
hail the God-Emperor of Mankind! For Humanity and the Imperium of Man!”
Funny
accent. Indeed. But their speeches were so encouraging that for the remainder
of the day I worked with far more enthusiasm! Those twelve hours left of work
surely passed fast after knowing we were protected and that the Necrons would
regret everything for attacking us!
PRIMERODENIA,
33rd Alnihayue
More
news came on the TeeVee. We could watch them only when in breaktime, as usual.
This time there was an interview with only the Praetorian general stating that
the cowardly Necrons have taken advantage of difficult terrain and that they
are scared peeved garrisoned without any will to continue fighting. He said the
Valhallans are taking the spear-front for a final attack against the places
were the Necrons have cowered.
Oh,
yes! This cheered me up for the rest of the day. Glory to the brave Guardsmen
of the Imperium!
CUATRIDENIA,
36th Alnihayue
Loan-Zhu
is gone??! That is what I´m hearing among the murmurs in the manufactorum and
what Venitta heard as well. Also the kids said it too! How come? Our largest
and most powerful city is gone?!
But
I thought the Necrons were almost finished off a few days ago…
Either
way. It´s time to pray and go to bed.
QUINTIDENIA,
37th Alnihayue
Sirens
blared out across different parts of the manufactorum. I could hear faint
echoes arriving to my working place but they were definitely emergency sirens.
The foreman quickly came and demanded us to keep working.
So
I kept working. Nothing else to mind.
SIEXTIDENIA,
38th Alnihayue
The
overlord of the manufactorum left in his personal transport. I didn´t see him
but I saw his carriage from the dusty skylights we have in the
breaktime-cubicle. He´s the only person with his own personal transport out of
the one hundred thousand people in the manufactorum. No doubt it was him. That
vehicle is for his use only. Sometimes he might actually take some of his
underlings in there, when that happens, they come out sobbing and the foremen
come to us with anger in their faces.
He
was leaving. And hours later tension started to rise. Ambience in the large
hull of the assembly line was heated. If it wasn´t for the constant noise of
the machines working I would have heard constant bickering. Some said that they
removed the speakers´ power so no alarm would alter our job, others said the
xenos came to Strughelm already (which is difficult to think them being so far
off).
I
tried to keep to myself. These printed tags and bottles aren´t going to get
readied for the Sacred Unguent of Cleansing product alone!
SEPTIDENIA,
39th Alnihayue
Machines
stopped working in different areas. Not in mine, though. Our assembly line and
my work group continued with the job. But at sunset the lights started
flickering. It seemed power was offended and the Machine Spirit needed some
caring rituals. But that´s something I can´t grasp.
OCHIDENIA,
40th Alnihayue
Mass
transport came late. I was expecting another ten lashes or being sent to the
forges´ area. Instead, we found out no foreman was there to punish us. No
enforcers neither. Machines weren´t running. The only sound there was the
metallic footsteps of aimless servitors (like Markus).
FINDENIA,
41st Alnihayue
We
are leaving. I´ve heard very bad things going on and they sound horribly
offensive to the perfect human willpower and strength. I prefer not keeping
writing but we have to leave, it´s what everyone is doing. Good thing I
remembered picking up my diary and the graphite bar for this day was very
important to record for how shocking it was.
We
all six left the cubicle and the manufactorum at noon, off to the west border
of the city. Noticed that more and more people were crowding on our way to the
west side of the city. It seemed everyone was being led there. All I felt during
that time was confusion.
Then,
green lighting cut clean four large chimney structures! I could see them just
being cut clean and falling five blocks away where we were onto poor people
trying to run away. People screamed. Shortly after, more green lighting, one
after another. And then a half moon shaped thing with green glow inscriptions
flew over us! Those were the Necrons?! Explosions followed, maybe was the
Imperial Guard responding. We ran more than ever! Managed to get to the border
of the town, avoiding falling buildings being destroyed by the green rays that.
But when we finally reached the border and made some distance from the attack,
the worst came: We met a line of soldiers blockading the roads with their
transport vehicles. I saw them from a kilometre away. How couldn´t I? Spiffy
red coats! You can see that even if you are colourblind! White armour and those
white helmets…like the Praetorian general. They were Praetorians! From one of
the planets mean to save us! And now they were blocking our escape??
“Attention
to all! Return to your cubicles! By decree of the local governor and the
planetary governor a security cordon has been issued across the region of Luln.
Nobody from Strughelm can leave! Return to your cubicles and stay there!” Said
some Praetorian officer talking from the opened hatch of one of the vehicles
with a speaker.
“We
want to leave!” said the crowd
“Please!
Let us go! The Necrons are coming!”
“You
are using us as meatshields! You are doing that!” I could hear someone saying
that before explaining to a guy next to him commenting that “that´s what my
brother from the guard says…” and I couldn´t hear more. Too much noise.
“They
are baiting the Necrons into us?!”
And
I could swear I was feeling the crowd´s mood turning hostile.
Thousands
of people were crowding, more and more!
Aside
from the lords and oversees of the manufactorum, Ecclesiarchy priests and
rulers everybody else was probably gathering here. No vehicles, no planes, no
nothing! Not even the mass transports to leave the city! Nothing but our feet
to run away from the oncoming doom! And the crowd was just growing and growing.
At one point as the night fell I could easily say we could be in the hundreds
of thousands trying to leave across that avenue.
“Come
here!” Said Venitta. She grabbed me and I quickly grabbed the kids.
“Hold
to us! Don´t get separated!” I shouted to Vento while pointing to his younger
siblings to follow command. Pushing across the mass of people we managed to get
to an alleyway.
“But
we are going the opposite direction! Venitta!”
“Wait!
Maybe we can find a better place!”
And
good thing we decided to move away from the crowd that was pushing against the guardsmen
cordon…
“I
repeat! Return to your cubicles…I SAID RETURN TO YOUR SHANTIES BLOODY NOW!!” We
heard that last warning of the Praetorian officer so loud that it screeched in
our ears
And
then, the muzzled sound of lasgun shots. And right after, screams of panic and
pain. Followed by a stampede of footsteps running away.
More
lasgun shots followed. More screams, spreading to the adjacent streets…
I
put the kids in front and pushed them further to their mother. I didn´t want
them to see nor hear that. Even if in the manufactorum you could hear screams
of pain almost every week…but that wasn´t the point.
Venitta
actually led us right into a pipeline. And it was smart to find it soon because
others would later follow the same path. This pipeline was part of an abandoned
set of sewers from the old (now abandoned) local power plant.
Good
thing the outworlders didn´t get the blueprints of the city I guess!
Much
like Venitta, I also knew this place from when I was a child and sometimes I
went to scavenge and get some scrap from here (or run away from my father´s punishments).
I knew, if things were as I remembered, we could get out to the countryside,
already away from the cordon.
We
walked across the narrow tunnel. And walked and walked. Not minding the
detritus and possible ticks we would might get. We just walked.
Thank
The God-Emperor everything was as I remembered! We managed to get to the wastelands,
next to a pond, outside the city!
The
pond was filthy with chemical foam floating on the sides…but at least we
managed to wash off the grime accumulated in our faces.
We
rested a bit there…I noticed Nira crying and Filli too…and Milto…
I
threw a look at Vento. As the older brother he should be stronger and
collaborate with me in calming his siblings!
“All
will be alright” Said Venitta
But
we couldn´t stay there. Soon probably they would start patrolling. Probably. I
don´t know. I wished they were fighting against the aliens instead!
We
walked for at least five more kilometres westward until we couldn´t anymore. We
decided to rest in a dry meadow, hiding in the long weeds.
SEGUNDENIA,
43rd Alnihayue
We
kept walking for two days, resting wherever we could, trying to hide the best
we could, until we reach the town of Kripstrieg, around seventy kilometres from
the local border of Strughelm. We were hungry and tired. We couldn´t anymore.
Venitta was carrying Nira and I was carrying Filli.
In
the town there was still people, but aware they were in the frontline of the
invaders.
There
was also the Imperial Guard garrisoned there. Praetorians again indeed but
luckily from some other platoon.
I
knew this was going to be cordoned as well. It was a matter of time…But we
didn´t have energies. Thankfully the mass transports were still working. We
managed to get into one. Even though we were dirty and smelly, this wasn´t
different from the other people coming back and forth to the mines or other
factories around (or to the few farms that some operated in). So we were all a
mess anyway.
We
could rest in the mass transport. A bit. But it was rest. I could swear I even
fell asleep for a while as I think I had a dream about the Emperor´s Angels,
falling down and banishing the filthy xenos of the face of this world and also
giving a good slap to the extra-planetary soldiers for their lack of humanity.
TERCIODENIA,
44th Alnihayue
What
a horrible day! I can´t stop crying while writing this! Our second mass
transport today for moving westwards allowed only for two more persons, nobody
else could get it. And people in this village we were knew things were falling
apart for they were pushing and crawling to get into the mass transport (the
only one today!). I managed to push Venitta and she got into the transport with
all the other kids except Vento. Vento stayed with me even though he would have
loved to go with his mother. We both could only push the rest inside to make
sure they would be in the transport without being dragged away by other people
desperate to get in.
We
stayed. We watched the transport, leaving with people running behind it in a
vain effort to manage to catch it up.
It
was fruitless. Vento and I knew it and we were just staring at the transport
moving away, then disappearing behind the nearest hill.
After
that, we sat in a bench in the main square, staring aimlessly at the local
guardsmen stacking sacks and trying to fortify the town. At least we were away
from the Praetorian bullies and we could be around more familiar faces...if
that can be any relief. I know locals and many are jerks too.
CUATRIDENIA,
45th Alnihayue
Morning
came. After eating some starch in the local canteen offered by a nice priest
there a loudspeaker started speaking that the whole town had to be evacuated
and that the PDF forces would withdraw.
So
much for preparing just yesterday!
Of
course, we joined the caravan. We had hopes that maybe we would all meet again
in a safe place where all mass transports were being led to.
It
was really good that the person in charge of the PDF forces here had more
senses and decided to evacuate the commoners rather than using them as sandbags
like in Strughelm.
SIEXTIDENIA,
47th Alnihayue
At
one village, the caravan of troops and refugees like us made a stop again (like
the fifth or so since we moved). This time for longer. And sometime later a
speaker recently set demanded all civilians to gather near the plaza. We were
all packed.
They
were conscripting. They needed healthy people to join them. No buts or
questions, they needed more people. I guess some trucks that arrived along the
caravan were coming with more weapons and they had people to arm so all was
good.
…Vento
got conscripted…The 14th Stygma Planetary Defence Forces took him
but I stayed.
In
all honesty, I wished I went with him. I write this knowing Vento will surely
see the Necrons and have to fight them…but haven´t we seen them already? And we
could just run! At least he will have now a weapon to shoot them with. Me, I
won´t have anything but my fists and maybe some charred stick. I know Vento
will do it better than me, that he will survive…
Later
I got news that the Necrons seem to be everywhere. Everywhere! How many have
they killed already? Millions? Hundreds of millions? Billions and we are a few
left? Was Strughelm one of the last sizeable cities left? I´m confused! Don´t
want to think, but after the encounter with the Imperial Guard at the outskirts
of Strughelm it clearly left in my mind the painful prospect that the labourers
here were valueless. The numbers didn´t matter.
Yeah…Vento
now has finally chances to live, better than any. He is being trained and
readied to fight. In Stygma, the guardsmen are the only ones who leave the
planet and reach for the stars closer to The God-Emperor. The best of the best
of our people have the honour and chance to see the galaxy. Everybody else
stays here. Being in the Planetary Defense Forces is a very good career,
indeed…if only I could have joined him.
He
will be fine.
He
will be fine.
PRIMERODENIA,
51st Alnihayue
I
walked alone. I left both the village days ago and the caravan and I have met a
different landscape. Many places are reduced to ash, scores of land included.
Nobody around. I felt enough times that anytime we commoners were rounded up it
was to be sent to indicated places to hide the truth from us or to use us as
shields.
Then,
I saw some destroyed vehicle. It was the wreckage of one of the airplanes the
Imperial Guard use. I could recognize it was an airplane from the TeeVee
documentaries…Well, what it was left of it. Aside of the compartment area of
the airplane, nothing but greyed ash was left. Clearly impacted by the foul
Necron weaponry.
I
went inside, to scavenge something but before doing nothing I saw the red
colour of the uniform of a Praetorian guardsman. My surprise didn´t stop there
when the man coughed and opened his eyes! He was alive! But gravely injured.
“Hello?”
I asked timidly, while having memories in my head passing about some of his
comrades cordoning our escape and violently disregarding our lives!
The
Praetorian guardsman coughed two times more. The second time I could see some
phlegm of blood coming out from his mouth. And then he looked at me.
“You!”
He said in an authoritarian way, reminding me of the foremen and the enforcers
back in the manufactorum.
I
looked confused, as if I was trying to hide my intentions a few seconds ago.
“You!
Help me! NOW!” he said. The posh bastard had the courage to use such a
demanding tone even though he wasn´t in any position to demand anything. I was
having doubts whether to help him or leave him there while taking whatever he
could have of value.
I
kept looking at him. I wasn´t content with what happened with some Praetorians
a few days ago…even if he wasn´t there, I think. It seemed that these red
coated, pith helmeted grunts were all bred the same.
“Help
me! Are you deaf?! HELP!” he said, his eyes filled with anger but also with a
fading energy “Help me! damn IT!…damn…”
And
his energies faded at all. And you know? I left him there. I went into the
compartment of the wreck and I found some nutribars (turns out the Imperial
Guard gets some better food, albeit slightly better, than the starch we manage
to afford everyday we here the losers), and a canteen of water. All stained
with ash but still consumable.
How
many Praetorian soldiers came? Five thousand? Five hundred thousand? Five
million? A few bastards enforcing an unjust law didn´t represent them…or did
they?
God-Emperor
forgive me! But I want to live! I want my family to live! I did what I needed
to do! Why they were using us as bait?
SEGUNDENIA,
52nd Alnihayue
Today
while I was resting cowered in a ditch I saw a big line of moving dark shadows
on the motorway, an incredibly long line, interrupted from time to time by the vehicles
accompanying these interesting silhouettes.
They
were people. More Imperial Guard from another planet to support us! They
weren´t neither Valhallans nor Praetorians! They were new ones. I guess they
came later. Anyway, I went to them. I wanted to ask them for help. For food! I
got at the side of the motorway. Waving them, making gestures to ask them for
attention. But they were just staring to the line, moving like if they were the
limbs of a very long centipede, towards where the Necrons were raging war.
What
a strange people these were! All of them in grey dark tone long overcoat,
wearing intimidating rebreathing masks and helmets matching the fatalistic colours
of the overcoats. All of them. I saw the face of none of them. And they didn´t
even look at me even though I got as close as two meters from them. Nothing.
Grunts didn´t turn face to me, except maybe one, and when he did I felt more
insignificant than before. Were they people in fact? They all moved like one
entity, in perfect synchrony. They surely had a great training, that is for
sure!
At
last one of them, an officer of some sort most likely, as he was wearing a very
fancy hat and a well tailored uniform took attention on me. But he just shouted
in a muffled tone:
“Get
away of the line!”
And
I did. I walked away opposite from where they were going. I knew for sure that
at least I didn´t want to go back where the xenos were…
TERCIODENIA,
53rd Alnihayue
Holy
God-Emperor be merciful! While I was walking the deserted road I saw something
falling from the sky! It looked like an oversized shooting star! I could swear
it had an artificial shape, similar to a giant church incrusted on an ocean
ship.
That
thing fell with smaller fragments falling burning into the long plateau I was
leaving behind, surely smashing villages and wilderness many kilometres away where
I was.
It
was incredible…but as that was where the Necrons were coming to I just kept
moving away.
CUATRIDENIA,
54th Alnihayue
And
I kept moving, moving and moving, alone, stopping from time to time to take
breath and scavenge whatever I find edible in mass transport stops or the few
villages I found (scavenging and doing the same all the time…hasn´t changed my
life a bit, hey?). It has been already ten days doing the same. Where are you
Venitta? Where are you my children? I miss you all.
QUINTIDENIA,
55th Alnihayue
I
arrived to a town called Ank-Tor. And I met a very similar situation when Vento
and I met the guardsmen that took him away.
It´s
late. I can´t think of anything but The God-Emperor, my family and the Necrons.
I think I´ll just sit idle and see if the guardsmen notice me…
SIEXTIDENIA,
56th Alnihayue
I
am now fighting along with the 24th regiment of Stygma. YES! I´m
coming Vento! My son! In the central square they were taking people to join the
guard and I stumbled upon them. These ones weren´t picky as the 14th.
Good! After driving back the Necrons I might get to be closer to The
God-Emperor and, what the kark, maybe I might come back after some time as
Space Marine! Me and also Vento! Glorious! We wouldn´t need the cubicle, nor
the manufactorum. To hell with all that! Even the governor would bow to us!
Now,
time to sleep in this bunk bed. Funnily enough, despite being moist and with
the essence of five persons having used it before me, it´s still more
comfortable that the sleeping crevice where Venitta and I slept in.
PRIMERODENIA,
60th Alnihayue
Alright.
This is a very difficult place. Specially with my health, the guardsman life is
a very arduous one. But at the same time is turning to be more varied and interesting
than what I was doing in my job as manufactorum labourer.
We´ll
see the following days…if training is like this I don´t want to think how
engagements will be. Alas, they said as the 24th is a reserve
regiment formed by `lowly esteemed commoners´ we´ll be just providing support.
I don´t know what they exactly meant by that…
TERCIODENIA,
62nd Alnihayue
We
got to fire the lasgun. By The God-Emperor! It´s a great weapon! We set the
thing into auto and the practice dummy turned to splinters and small fragments
in two seconds! But they don´t have lasguns for everyone so some like me got a
stubber at the end.
CUATRIDENIA,
63rd Alnihayue
Seven
days have passed since the 24th dragged me with them. And by The God-Emperor!
no wonder why our forces get the chance to see The Imperium and explore our
rightful galaxy! They really deserve it after so many gruelling exercises! I am
finishing the days almost crying due the pressure! People are very silent…well!
We don´t have time to talk between each other, not to mention that is frowned
down by the mean drill sergeants! Good thing keeping a diary in your bunk is
allowed, if you keep it well hidden.
SEPTIDENIA,
66th Alnihayue
At
last! This day was lighter. After ten days of non-stop training and constant
berating we are ready, as one superior guy said (I don´t know the ranks, I just
know the guys better dressed are superior to us). We will stay here, in this
base, making routines.
The
second half of the day was rest…incredible! I don´t remember having so much
free time since the birth of Nira! Or when our section in the manufactorum was
demanded to have mandatory spine surgery for replacing it with a cybernetic
enhancement as the workload was making our backs cracking. Either way, free
time!
At
dinner-starch…sorry, dinner-nutribar (improvement here too!)! I sat with some
guys who were some weeks more veteran than me. They even saw the `Commissar´!
“…What
is a Commissar?” I asked timidly, shied away by my ignorance on the topic.
The
Guardsman in front of me answered “The Commissar is an as…”
“…astounding
person who does his best to keep us in good mood for the fight!” Interrupted
abruptly the Guardsman left next to him.
The
first Guardsman shrugged, like if he noticed he was about to say something
heretical.
I
remembered later about the weird regiment of men in gas masks marching at
unison. It tickled me the curiosity so I asked them if they knew about them.
They told me they are indeed a strange lot, their planet is called Krieg and
the 4th Planetary Defense Forces of Stygma corps was training with
them. One of these guardsmen had a cousin in that regiment. He has never heard
of him again since they went onto being trained by the men from Krieg. Scary and
strange.
OCHIDENIA,
67th Alnihayue
One
of the guardsmen came to me in the morning while I tried to scavenge for some
food (one nutribar sometimes isn´t enough). Guy looked lost in mind. I felt
intimidated at first as I feared he was going to call out but then he offered
me one of his nutribars. He dragged me and sit me in a makeshift bench behind
the barracks entrance. He sat next to me.
The
guy wasn´t from my region. Dark red skin tone and purplish colour of hair. Guy
was from the north regions, clearly.
“Eat
with me” He whispered.
I
started eating the nutribar without saying any word. He then silently offered
me water from a tin mug. I accepted it. But he kept staring at me without
almost blinking.
He
started talking, clenching his teeth, and with anger and madness in his eyes he
said “They have lied. You know? All that the Regimental Standard says. It´s all
lies! What were they saying about the Necrons? That they are some stupid,
crumbling xenos dressed as clumsy skeletons that pose no threat? HA! Garbage!
Nothing else! THESE are real Necrons!” he pointed at the greenish tinted
horizon “If Necrons are like these! I don´t want to know what an actual Ork
looks like!”
I
didn´t know what to say. We were demanded to read the Regimental Standard and
it seemed like a fine book. I trusted this time the information I got provided,
as it is sanctioned by the Administratum of the Imperium itself, so it is far
more truthful than any extract of information provided by just global
administrations.
Aside
of this event with the new friend, outside from time to time, when I could find
some silent moments, I could hear fainted explosions and missile barrages in
the far distance.
FINDENIA,
68th Alnihayue
They
are coming! They are coming! And there is no escape! All is burning! Green
lighting is hitting everywhere! Everything that gets hit is turned into ash! Vehicles,
walls and people! Nobody noticed me! All busy fighting. I escaped! I hid!
…
I´m
inside a locker in the barracks. I can hear screams, orders shouted on the comms.
All
while the shooting is getting more and more scarce.
I
hear structures collapsing…explosions, too.
I
think this is it. Oh, God-Emperor of Mankind, please grant me passage to be by
your side. Please!
…
…
There
is just silence now
…
I
got out the wardrobe…
…
I
am hearing some buzzing, it is increasing. I am writing this in one of the bunk
beds of the barracks, next to my previous hideout. Not a soul in here, but the
buzzing is increasing…
It…It
sounds like the buzzing of a million insects hitting on a metallic surface…I
must get out…
…
I´m
outside…just grey ash around…contorted grey figures scattered on the ground…
I
hear…I hear the buzzing, stronger. Much stronger!
….They
are gnats?! Dark clouds of dots flying in! Green lights!
Run
away! Run!
…
Went
inside the bunker again. In the same locker.
…
I
think those things are entering…Oh, God-Emp…
NOTE OF INQUISITOR KHULYO
Nephestus.
I read the “booklet” as you recommended me to do with the hopes of finding out
more clues to get us closer to the reason, at your apparent impression, of the
lack of faith in general of the population of the world of Stygma. While your
tireless research is appreciated I must communicate my ire for making me read a
diary of just some random casualty in this current war of a Necron Dynasty
expanding across this planet and the neighbouring star systems.
As
I perfectly lectured to you and your other acolyte colleagues, you know this
war is costly, but my operation has been more related to investigate late
reports of heresy here.
The
truth behind the heresy I have noticed is indeed in Stygma, more specifically
in its biggest city and seat of the planetary governor: Loan-Zhu. There, also
lies a Mechanicus Reliquary.
In
Loan-Zhu I already traced the root of heresy and it is there where riots have
been happening and where Necrons have stricken the most. Reason? The Mechanicus
brought 4 terran months ago some “materials” that are attracting (and
infuriating) the Necrons. I got ear of this situation and I felt necessary to
delve into it furthermore.
No, there isn´t any Chaos
influence. Just typical attitude of weak-minded individuals who aren´t faithful
enough.
Why
am I telling you this? To make you stop sending me “clues”.
I
came to get reports of the 14th Stygma PDF regiment, one of the last
Astra Militarum regiments located on this world with less than seventy five
percent casualties as the last war report goes on. I reviewed the dog-tags of
the fallen and the notes of the missing written by those who are still alive,
and I couldn´t find the name of this Vento, the son of the author of this
diary, meaning he´s still in the regiment, fighting or garrisoned (14th
Stygma PDF is on reserve fortifying a rear stronghold in the region of Gerillia
at the moment).
So
no Chaotic influence, as I said. What there is, however, is secret interests
from the Adeptus Mechanicus…But I will stop here for as you must know, they are
a key organization in our most sacred Imperium and it wouldn´t be a good idea
to openly debate them for their expeditions on some Tomb Worlds retrieving some
artifacts of Necron origin…
…In
fact, forget what I just said and just swallow it. We can´t do too much without
causing more harm than benefit to the greater Imperium.
Now,
as for you, my esteemed acolyte, you made me lose precious time by
investigating this scripture, and as such, you will have to take a penitence
path for the following days which I´ll let you know in what consists when we
meet face to face again.
We
are going to speak later thoroughly about this you and I.
Our Emperor deliver us. A morte perpetua. Domine, libra
nos.
Inquisitor Khulyo
END
