Astartes； genetic descendant of the glorified Primarch Lorgar；” intoned Darioq…Grendh’al。
Marduk turned slowly towards the daemonically infused magos； glowering within his skullfaced
helmet。
“What？” he said in a low； dangerous voice。
“Repeat： ‘This is the way that the explorator came； we must follow in his footsteps’ is
categorically false；” said the magos。
Marduk licked his lips。 If he did not feel like he had such control over the daemon inhabiting
Darioq’s body； he would think that the magos was being wilfully obtuse。
“What is incorrect about that statement？” asked Marduk slowly。
“Explorator First Class Daenae；” said Magos Darioq in his monotone voice； “originally of the
Konor Adeptus Mechanicus research world of UL01。02； assigned to cl4。8。87。i； Perdus Skylla； for
recon/salvage of the Dvorak…class interstellar freighter Flames of Perdition； which reappeared
within Segmentum Tempestus in 942。M41 and crashed onto the surface of cl4。8。87。i； Perdus Skylla；
in 944。M41 after being missing presumed lost in warp storm anomaly xi。024。396 in 432。M35； is of
the female gender。”
Marduk blinked。
“Well I am certainly glad that we got that cleared up；” he said in a deadpan voice。
“I am pleased to have caused you gratification； Marduk； First—” began the magos； but Marduk
held up a hand to stop him。
“Enough；” he impelled； the word laced with the power of the warp； and the magos fell silent
mid…sentence。
“Why don’t we rip out his tongue？” suggested Burias。 “Or his speaker box； or whatever。”
“The thought had crossed my mind；” said Marduk； before turning back towards the line of
docked submersibles。
“We are going in those；” he said to Kol Badar。 “No discussion。”
Though wary of possible attack and on edge having witnessed the profane mural upon entering
the mining facility； they had encountered no resistance as they penetrated deeper into the complex。
They had come across several shrines that appeared to venerate the four…armed creature that Marduk
recognised as xenos in origin； with crudely scrawled images of the beast in alcoves surrounded by
offerings of tokens； charms and coins。 He ordered these fanes destroyed； and the walls cleansed with
bursts of promethium from flamer units。
Though they faced no resistance； a growing crowd of humans； miners it would seem； were
shadowing their progress。 At first； just a few figures were seen ghosting their steps； ducking into the
shadows whenever warrior brothers looked in their direction。 As they continued onward they
attracted more of a following； until hundreds of miners were following in their footsteps； though
they still maintained a wary distance。 Marduk felt their anger as the shrines were obliterated but；
wisely； they did not dare to attempt to stop the actions of the Word Bearers。
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Not wishing to be slowed； Marduk ordered the warrior brothers to ignore the growing crowd that
shadowed their progress； pressing on with an increasing sense of urgency。
The interstellar freighter Flames of Perdition had settled on the ocean bed some eight kilometres
from the mining complex； and the last recorded location of the explorator he sought had been a
docking station of submersible maintenance vehicles。 Presumably； the explorator and her team had
commandeered a flotilla of the craft to investigate the submerged ship； and so Marduk’s progress
had led here； to the very same dock。
Half a dozen submersibles were docked here； held in place by massive locking clamps that
looked like giant； mechanical crab claws。 Each of the submersibles was the size of a Land Raider
and roughly spherical in shape； with an array of sensors protruding from forward hulls like the
antennae of inserts。 A pair of mechanical arms were under…slung beneath their bulbous chassis； just
visible in the dark water； and the monstrous insectoid limbs ended in powerful claws； industrialsized
welding tools and drills the length of two men。
Hundreds of onlookers watched from the shadows； crowding in around the gantries overlooking
the holding pool of the dock。 Marduk glimpsed hooded faces； eyes gleaming with feverish light and
their skin an unhealthy； blue…tinged pallor。 The tension in the crowd was palpable； and the warriors
of the Host kept their weapons ready； yet the miners made no move to obstruct them。
Four…armed stick figures had been scratched into the circular boarding hatches in the sides of the
submersibles； as well as phrases scrawled in what must have been the local Low Gothic dialect。 It
made little sense to Marduk； though he was schooled in dozens of Imperial dialects； but the general
message could be understood。 The scratching seemed to indicate that the submersibles were the
“carriages of the earthly gods”； and that to enter them would bring enlightenment。
Marduk was repulsed by the idolatrous pseudo…religious sentiments； but he had not the time nor
the inclination to “educate” these wretches of their misguided beliefs。 They would all be dead soon
enough anyway。
“You still maintain these people are not daemon worshippers？” asked Kol Badar； tracing his
finger along the deep gouges that formed the stick figure of a four…armed monster。 It certainly did
look daemonic； but Marduk was certain。
“I believe these people are held in the sway of xenos creatures；” he stated。 “A tyranid vanguard
species； perhaps。 I feel that there is some form of psychic control over these miners that draws the
hive fleet like a lure。 These deluded fools are worshipping a xenos creature； or a host of them； that
will be the death of them。”
“Worshipping xenos as gods？” asked Khalaxis； his voice expressing his disgust。 Marduk
nodded。
“A powerful foe； then；” said Burias with relish。
“Oh yes；” agreed Marduk。 “A powerful foe。”
Marduk peered at the small view…screen。 The submersible had no viewing portal； it was built to
traverse the deepest abyssal channels of the ocean floor； and at extreme depths even the most
heavily reinforced window would crumple beneath the tremendous pressure。 In its stead； the grainy；
black and white pict screen fed visual information from the sensor arrays on the exterior of the deepsea
vessel。
The interior of the submersible was cramped and hot； and the Word Bearers had needed to
commandeer four of them to fit all of the warriors accompanying Marduk。 The secondary locking
gate on the underside of the sub…docks slid aside； and the four mining craft descended into the open
water； powerful impeller motors whirring。
Burias sat at the controls of the craft； looking ludicrously large hunched over the dials and levers
that controlled the pitch； speed； depth； direction and roll of the submersible。 It was a simple control
system akin to that of a shuttle； and he had little trouble becoming familiar with it。 He grinned like a
madman as he discovered the controls of the exterior robotic arms； and in the view…screen Marduk
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could see the massive power…claw snapping； and the huge drill spinning； creating a small whirlpool
of turbulence。
“Burias； it is not a toy；” said Marduk。
The submersible struck one of the underside legs of the mining facility； and Burias looked
around at Marduk guiltily。
“Sorry；” he said； and stopped fooling around with the robotic arms to concentrate on piloting the
craft。 It wanted to turn to the left all the time； and he struggled with the controls to keep it steady。
It levelled out abruptly and swung around smoothly to port； its impeller motors whining as the
submersible powered forwards。 Burias swore。
“You seem to have got the hang of it；” said Marduk。
Burias held his hands up； removing them from the controls。
“I’m not controlling it；” he said。 “It is following an automated piloting route。”
He consulted the stream of data on a side…screen。
“It’s taking us to the downed ship。”
They could do little but watch the grainy pict screens as the submersible carried them away from
the mining facility； following its pre…determined route。
The ocean floor was jagged and uneven； and jutting spears of rock reared up before them； but
the submersible traversed the terrain carefully； rising above the smaller outcrops； and accelerating
beneath vast bridges of rock。
The undersea landscape was breathtaking； with vast cathedral…like spires of rock rising
thousands of metres up into the dark water。 Their vision slowly diminished the further they got away
from the glow of the mining facility； until they could see only what was lit by the powerful
spotlights on the prow of the submersible。
The lights of the other craft blinked； as all four of the submersibles travelled along the same line。
As they passed beneath yet another towering arched causeway； they came upon a sheer drop…off； an
undersea cliff that plunged down into blackness。 It was down this vertical wall that the submersibles
dropped； leaving trails of bubbles in their wake。
The sheer drop seemed to have no bottom。 The chasm must have been over two kilometres in
width； and it dropped away into utter darkness。
At last； something came into view； something immense。
“Gods of the ether；” swore Burias as they came upon the wreckage of the Flame of Perdition。
The Dvorak…class freighter was wedged between the walls of the chasm； its prow and stem
ground into the sheer walls of the drop…off； bridging the bottomless gap。
As the submersibles ploughed on through the clear water； impeller engines whirring； the sheer
size of the ship became apparent。 It was one thing to see battle cruisers hanging in space where there
were few reference points to give an indication of their sheer scale； but seeing this ship wedged
firmly between the two distant sides of the chasm was breathtaking。
A portion of the lower stern looked as though it had been sheared away。 It might have suffered
the damage as it struck the mouth of the chasm； or it might have occurred thousands of years before
the ship entered this sub…system； long before it had smashed through the ice crust of Perdus Skylla。
According to Darioq…Grendh’al； the ship had been lost in a warp storm anomaly for some six and a
half thousand years。 Anything could have happened to it in that time。
Warp storms were notoriously unpredictable； and time and distance became blurred within their
bounds。 The Flame of Perdition might have been drifting through the nebulous warp storms for
fifteen thousand years； twenty thousand years； thrown like a leaf on the wind through the ether。 Or；
equally as likely； it might have seemed to its crew to have been gone only a fraction of a second
before it struck the surface of the frozen moon； and plunged into the oceanic depths。
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During its time in the warp； and wherever else it may have emerged； the ship may have
encountered any number of daemonic and xenos entities； and it was highly possible that some of the
creatures remained onboard。
Apart from the shattered stern； the ship appeared to be in a remarkably complete state； and
though Marduk feared that its interior had been flooded； there was every likelihood that at least the
upper decks might still contain breathable air。
At such depth； and with its integrity compromised； what air did remain within the ship would
have shrunk to a tiny fraction of its previous volume； but if any man…made structu