built into the left hemisphere of his brain…unit registered and recorded the flow of data。
The information was quickly processed and Machion…Dex blew out a slow intake of breath；
impressed。 With a click of a button he dismissed the stream of information from the screen。
“Deactivate weapon hardware；” he said； and the heavy flamer units went off…line； their pilot
lights cutting out。 They turned away from their targets and retracted back into their housings。
Machion…Dex cleared his throat and leant forward to speak once more into the vox…unit。
“Access granted； Tech…Magos Darioq。 Welcome to Kharion IV。”
Magos Darioq stood stock still； his features hidden in the darkness beneath his hood as the blast
doors were opened。 Steam from the disengaging lock mechanisms vented around him。
“Revered magos；” said the procurator； bowing his head and touching his fingers to the symbol of
the Adeptus Mechanicus； “your visit is most unexpected。”
Darioq remained motionless as his four companions jerked into motion； marching suddenly
forwards。 Each of them stood almost two and a half metres in height； and their massive shoulders
were twice as wide as the procurator’s。
8
Machion…Dex’s eyes flicked between the intimidating figures in alarm。 He had thought them
combat servitors； but he saw now that their movements were arrogant and self…assured； far from the
ungainly； stilted gait of a servitor。
Robes were thrown aside and archaic bolters raised； and before the skitarii warriors’ targeting
arrays registered a threat； the first of the weapons began to roar。
Fire burst from the barrels of the ancient weapons。 The sound was deafening； filling the enclosed
space and echoing painfully off the walls。 Fully half the skitarii were destroyed in an instant as high
explosive shells tore through their bodies； ripping them apart in bloody explosions of armour and
flesh。
Machion…Dex stumbled backwards； falling to the ground； his face a mask of horror as he gazed
upon the massive； augmented beings。 Their armour； inscribed with heretical symbols and litanies；
was the deep red of congealed blood； and they fired with controlled discipline； eliminating each
target with practiced efficiency。
The remaining skitarii brought their hellguns to bear； energy capacitors humming as the
weapons surged into life。 Electric…blue las…beams stabbed from the barrels of their guns； knocking
one of the towering warriors back a step； searing holes through his robe and leaving smoking black
impacts on his armour。
Two more of the skitarii were cut down； one of them spinning as a bolt slammed into his
shoulder and exploded； severing its arm and leaving a gory head…sized hole in its torso。 A bolt round
detonated in the brainpan of the other and its head exploded； spraying blood； brain matter and
splinters of skull in all directions。
A las…blast struck one of the warriors in the helmet； jolting his head backwards。 With a snarl of
anger； he ripped the skitarii apart with his return fire。
The firefight was over in seconds。 The acrid smell of gunfire rose from smoking； silent barrels；
and two of the giant warriors moved in to inspect the kills。 One of the skitarii； who had been cut in
half by a burst of gunfire； was still twitching。 His movements were halted as a heavy armoured boot
slammed down on its head； crushing its skull like a nut beneath a hammer。
Machion…Dex lay on his back； his breath coming in short gasps as he stared up at the terrifying
figures。 Each was massive； their every movement filled with power； and their inscrutable； Heresyera
Astartes helmets extensively modified to make them all the more fearsome in appearance。 One
had been fashioned in the likeness of a snarling daemon； and others had fierce sets of curving horns
and tusks that gave them a brutal； barbaric look。
One wore no helmet at all； but its true face was far more terrifying than any of the helmets。 The
left side was a mess of scar tissue and augmetics； and its skin was so pale as to be translucent； blue
veins could be seen within its flesh。 A lidless； baleful red orb had replaced its left eye； and an
infernal glyph of the ruinous powers was emblazoned prominently in the centre of its forehead。 The
figure snarled down at him； lips pulling back to expose sharpened teeth。
“Area secure；” growled one of the warriors； and the one standing over Machion…Dex nodded； not
taking his eyes from the procurator。
“The location of the target will be found here； Enslaved？” he said over his shoulder； his voice
filled with power and authority。
“That is correct； Marduk； First Acolyte of the Word Bearers Legion of Astartes； genetic
descendant of the traitor Primarch Lorgar；” replied Magos Darioq in his monotone voice。
“Then let’s get this done；” replied Marduk。 He stepped towards the cowering form of Procurator
Machion…Dex； and looked down at the terrified man。
“Do you need this one？” he asked over his shoulder。
“His continued existence is not required in order to retrieve the information held within the
logic…centres of this installation；” replied the magos。
Procurator Machion…Dex gasped and began to scramble backwards； desperate to get away from
the image of death looming over him。
9
Marduk’s bolt pistol was levelled at the procurator’s head and he froze。
“No；” begged the man。 “Omnissiah； protect your servant。”
Marduk smirked。
“Your profane god does not heed your ay； heathen；” said Marduk。 “You have devoted your
entire； pathetic； worthless life to the worship of a false deity； a silent； profane image of the
unbelievers。 I will show you the path to the true gods。 In death； you will bear witness to the glory of
the true gods。 They will feed upon your soul； and you will cry out in your torment。 Embrace it； little
man。 Embrace your damnation。”
He shot the procurator in the head； and blood and gore splashed across the grilled floor。 “Glory
be to the true gods；” declared Marduk。
Marduk stood with his arms folded； deep in the bowels of Kharion IV。 He stood upon a grilled
gantry within the hollowed core of the asteroid； a massive pillar of machinery rising from the
roughly hewn floor before him； glittering with lights and dials。
The magos stood before the humming pillar； fluid leaking from the severed input…jacks in his
spine。 He was connected to the pillar by the one mechadendrite tentacle that had been re…grafted to
his body； and his pallid； dead lips twitched as he extracted information from the heart of the
installation’s data…library。
At last； the flexible tendril was retracted； and Magos Darioq jerked spasmodically as the
connection was severed。
“Well？” growled Marduk。
“I have disabled the automated defence system that protects the installation；” said Magos
Darioq； “and initiated the self…destruct mechanism； so that our presence will not be transmitted to
the god…cogitators of Mars。”
“Good；” said Marduk。 He grabbed the waving mechadendrite tentacle with a violent motion and
gave it a solid wrench。 It was ripped from the magos’s spinal column； writhing in his hand like a
serpent。 Darioq touth。
“You have the information we need？” asked Marduk； ignoring the mixture of blood； oil and
protein…fluid that dripped from the thrashing mechadendrite onto his boots。
“That is correct； Marduk； First Acolyte of the Word Bearers Legion of Astartes； genetic
descendant of the traitor Primarch Lorgar；” replied the magos。 “I have identified the location of the
one in whom the forbidden knowledge of xenos tech devices is installed。 With this knowledge
obtained； Darioq will be able to unlock the xenos tech device。”
It onic essence growing within the magos that he had begun to
refer to himself in the third person。 Marduk found this amusing； but at this moment he was
concentrating fully on the words of the corrupted magos。
That the magos had not been able to unlock the device himself was infuriating； but it seemed
that he could do little other than find the one of whom it spoke。
“Where？” snapped Marduk in impatience。
Beneath the surface of Perdus Skylla； tens of thousands of people surged down access tunnel 25X1；
a never…ending stream of humanity； desperate and fearful。
They were crushed together like animals being led to the slaughter； and the air； stale and hot；
was filled with shouts and curses。
Mothers clutched wailing children to their chests； and men barked at each other； pushing and
shoving。 Some stumbled and were trampled underfoot； while others were pressed against the
rockcrete walls； crushed by the relentlessly driving push of humanity。 Others fainted； overcome by
the heat and the lack of oxygen。 The crowd was so tightly packed that； unable to fall； their limp
bodies were carried along in the suffocating press。
10
The stink of sweat and oil was heavy； the turbines of the labouring air recycling units unable to
cope 。 The rockcrete ceiling； above which was half a kilometre of
solid ice； pressed down oppressively。
The access tunnel was some forty metres wide and bisected by barriers and rockcrete pillars。
Beyond these barriers； traversing down the centre of the corridor； was a sunken area of open space
in which wide…gauged tracks were embedded。 People pushed； shoved and cried out as they were
carried along the platforms on either side of the rail tracks。
With a blast of solid displaced air； a high…speed automated carriage sped by； gushing
superheated steam and making the access corridor reverberate as it screamed along the slick； steel
tracks。 Knocked back a step by the force of the conveyance； people covered their eyes and gazed
ruefully at the mirrored sides of the carriage as it passed。 Only the wealthy guild masters and their
staff had the funds and access privileges to use the highspeed conveyances。
It was a two hundred kilometre journey to Phorcys； the sole starport off Perdus Skylla within
five thousand kilometres。 Access tunnel 25X1 was the only link between Antithon Guild and
Phorcys； unless one wished to traverse across the frozen surface of the moon。 Few ventured up to
the inhospitable surface of Perdus Skylla other than outcasts； those unlucky enough not to be born
into any of the great guild…houses； or who had been exiled from them for serious infractions。
Twelve other mining guilds were connected to Phorcys； each of the proud guilds situated around
the starport like the points of a compass and connected by artery tunnels like the spokes of a great
wheel。
Most of the people of Antithon Guild had never left the hab…blisters deep in the ice other than to
commute to the mining facilities some five thousand kilometres below。 Fewer still had been to
Phorcys； and few amongst the tide of humanity had any real understanding of the distance involved。
To them； Antithon Guild and its environs was their world and universe； harsh and uncompromising；
but familiar and safe； and they had no need to know of anything beyond its boundaries。
Or at least it had been safe until the first of the sirens had begun to wail and the pict broadcasts
had declared that Perdus Skylla was being evacuated。
No reason for the evacuation had been issued from the guildmaster general’s office； and the
twenty…three million strong population of the moon had been in shock。 Shock had quickly
descended into pa