Bure was linked to the podium's lectern。
'We've found their nest；' he said。 'They resist。'
As I watched； two soot…stained prospector pods powered in towards us； firing small arms from their open hatches。
Bure nodded to one of his tech…adepts； and the shriek of multi…laser blasts rang through the hull。 One pod exploded in a ball of light；
the other tumbled away； shredded and burning。
I realised there were men on the ground too： miners in armoured work…suits scurrying forward and firing at the translithopede。
Bure increased magnification； and we saw that some of them carried pallets of mining charges； hoping to get close enough to breach
our hull。
'Stalkers；' Bure said。 It was evidently an order。 There was a clank and a thud as hatches opened somewhere below us； and then new
shapes began to move into view on the screen。
They were combat servitors。 Heavyweight and burnished silver； they strode on powerful； backward…jointed legs； puffing black exhaust
from their upthrust smoke stacks。 Cannons in their upper limbs jerked with pneumatic recoil as they systematically targeted and cut
down the cultists。
'Stalker 453； left and target；' Bure murmured。 They were all slaved to his direct control。
One of the stalkers retrained its weapons and gunned four more cultists down。 The charge…load they had been hefting exploded in a
bright flash that blacked out the display for a second。 When the holo…image returned； the stalker was already pacing on after new
targets。
'Stalker 130 and Stalker 252； fan right。 Opposition in cover behind that stalactite mass。'
'Oh great Emperor；' said Aemos suddenly。 'Some of them are unarmoured。'
It was true。 A good many of the men assaulting us wore no shielding or environment armour。 Their clothes were charred to black rags
and their flesh was blistered and raw。 Some force was keeping them active and functioning in this great infernal depth where no living
thing should have been able to survive unprotected。 Not the pressure； the extreme heat； not even the toxic； corrosive atmosphere was
stopping them。 The taint of the Lith had transmuted them into denizens of this underworld。
The wave of stalkers strode forward inexorably； and the translithopede followed them slowly； its impelling lines of adamantium cilia
dragging it across the cavern rock。 The multi…lasers fired again； destroying another vehicle … a large ore transporter that had been
attempting to crash itself into our machine。
The mighty plasma screw churned again and ruptured apart a curtain of massive dripstones。 Drizzles of dust obscured our picture for a
few seconds。
When it cleared； we saw the true horror； and realised the ultimate； blasphemous fate of Cinchare minehead's population。
The blasphemy was huge； a writhing mound of baked； raw flesh and cooking bone。 One by one； the tainted workers of Cinchare； even
Bure's corrupted brethren from the Adeptus； had come down here to willingly contribute their organic matter to this mass。
As the translithopede came into view； it rose up； forming a great； rearing worm of red ooze and blackened meat fifty metres high。 A
ghastly mouth； big enough to swallow a prospecting pod； gaped wide in its cresting head； and it belched a vast ball of flaming gases at
us。
The translithopede shook； warning hooters sounded； and the picture was lost。 One control station below exploded； throwing its servitor
to the deck。 Smoke billowed through the chamber。
'Such power。' Bure marvelled； emotionless。 The whole machine lurched again； more violently； and we stumbled； despite the internal
gravity systems and inertial dampers。
The screen image restored； jumping； for a brief moment； enough to see that the blasphemy seemed to be coiling itself around us。 The
hull creaked and protested。 Minor explosions rang out from lower decks。 Plated seams bulged and several rivets flew out like bullets。
'Bure！'
'I will break it！ I will cast it out！'
'Bure！ In the name of the Emperor！'
He wasn't listening。 All his efforts were focussed on the mind…impulse link driving the translithopede； on the orchestration of his
stalkers as they rallied to counter…attack the monstrosity。 His confidence in the supremacy of the Machine over all things was blinding
him to the very real possibility that the formidable Cult Mechanicus had just met its match。
I turned to Medea and Aemos。
'Come on！' I cried。
WE WERE HALFWAY down the translithopede's main companionway； heading towards the rear of the great machine； when a still more
violent impact shook it。 Without warning； the inertial dampers failed and we tumbled as the burrower was rolled onto its side。 The
glass mantles of the gas lights smashed； and weak flame sputtered and danced along the walls。 There was a further series of terrific
impacts。
We got to our feet； now forced to use the curving wall as a floor。 The pulsing shriek of the multi…lasers was by then a constant noise
outside。
Red warning lights were flashing in the arched dock…bay。 Our pod had been torn from its cradle by the latest impact and lay crumpled
on its side； reclining against part of the roof arching。 But the oxide…red pod was still safely locked in place。
Medea and I jumped down from the dock's inner hatch onto the ceiling； but Aemos called after us。
'I can't make that jump；' he protested。 I knew he was right。
'Then seal the hatch and get back to help Bure！'
'The Emperor protect you both！' he shouted as the hatch closed。
Power cables that had once lain on the deck now dangled like ropes。 Grabbing one each； we began to rappel up towards the pod in its
cradle。 We were halfway there when the world seemed to shudder again and the translithopede righted itself violently。 Medea and I
went sprawling； loose debris skittering all around us。 I had barely enough time to dive and heave Medea aside before our own wrecked
pod came crunching back down the wall； slamming sideways onto the floor。
Another lurch and the deck tipped the other way； out of true by about twenty degrees。 The unanchored pod began sliding across the
deck towards us。
'Get in！' Medea yelled。 'Get in！' She had the side hatch of the red pod open and dragged me halfway inside。 A moment later； and the
translithopede rocked back thirty degrees in the other direction。
The loose pod immediately squealed back across the deck and crashed into the wall bulkheads。 I was dangling by my hands from the
open hatch。
'Crap！ Get in！ Get the hell in！' Medea wailed； fighting to hold on to me。 I grunted and swung my legs up so that my toe caps caught the
door sill。 With a further effort； I managed to pull myself up； and Medea slammed the hatch。
There was still more shaking and rocking。 We clambered in to the seats of the pilot station in the low cockpit； and strapped on the
harnesses。 Medea was keying the pod's drive ignition when the translithopede inverted again and left us hanging in our seats by the
safety straps。 The pod was now locked in its cradle on the roof。
'This'll be fun；' Medea laughed aggressively。 She had sent a remote command to open the dock…bay's shutter doors。 Then she powered
the pod's engines to full thrust and disengaged the cradle lock。
For a dizzying second； we dropped； upside down； like a rock。 Then she hit the thrusters and looped us。 We missed the dock…bay roof
by a hands…breadth and flew out through the opening shutters even as the entire translithopede rolled over again。
THE BLASPHEMY HAD wrapped itself around Bure's great subterranean bur…rower with constricting coils。 It thrashed and shook the
machine； and I could clearly see the armoured hull beginning to buckle and crumple。 There were smoking sockets where some of the
multi…laser batteries had been ripped away。 The stalkers were converging on the wrestling giants； strafing the Chaos worm with
furious barrages。 The remains of several lay crushed where the translithopede had rolled on them。
Medea banked us around； trying to speed…familiarise herself with the control layout。
'What do we do？ I take it you've got a plan？'
I shook my head。 'I'm working on it。' Bure's pod was unarmed … I know this because I checked feverishly the moment we were
airborne … and there was nothing that might be turned into an offensive weapon apart from a mining laser under the chin of the cockpit。
A mining laser with fierce cutting power and a range of about five metres。
'Take us deeper into the cavern；' I said； consulting the display on the pod's geologicae auspex。
'Away from the fight？'
'We can't engage that thing… so we find the Lith instead。 And that return has got to be it。'
There was a pulsing cursor on the screen： big； unmistakable。
Cultists on the cave floor blasted at us as we zipped over them and headed off down the long； volcanic cavern。 Spumes of pyroclastic
wrath detonated up from the lava lakes and threatened to envelop us。
Then we saw the Lith。
It had been buried in a plug of obsidian jutting from the cavern wall； but serious excavation work had been done to reveal it。
Heavy mining pods and anti…grav drill platforms sat on the ash slopes below it； and the ground was covered in fragments of obsidian。
It was； as Bure had described； a perfect decahedron four metres across； dark green and glassy like water…ice。 It glowed with an inner
light。 Even from a distance； it felt malevolent。 I sensed an unnerving tickling at the edge of my psychic range。 Medea looked sick。
'I don't want to get any closer；' she said suddenly。
'We have to！'
'And do what？'
I wondered if we could cut it with the mining laser。 I wondered indeed if that would do any good。 I doubted we would make much of
dent in it even if we power…dived the pod at it。
Yet； the cultists had shaved splinters from it to promulgate their evil。 It was vulnerable… unless it had somehow allowed the splinters
to be removed。
We certainly couldn't move it。
I could feel it now； whispering in my head。 There were no words； just a murmur that chilled my spine。 Insidious； slow… slow like
eons of geological time； slow like a glacier or a tectonic plate。 It spoke softly and without haste； gently unfolding its seductive
message。 It had no need to rush。 It had all the time in the galaxy…
The pod yawed wildly。 I started and looked around。 Medea had lost partial control because she had turned to be violently sick over the
side of her seat。 Her skin was blanched and she was panting and sweating。
'I… I can't…' she gasped。 'Don't make me go any closer…'
She had reached her limits。 I leaned over and put my hand against the side of her head。 'Sleep；' I said softly； using the will。
She sank into merciful unconsciousness。
I took the controls。
I was no flier like Medea Betancore； and for a moment； I thought I was going to dive us nose…first into the lake of bubbling magma as
I fumbled with the actuators。
But Medea's late father had trained me well enough。 I swooped low over the pool of molten rock； creating a Shockwave vortex in the
brimstone； and banked around a massive anthragate column that rose up into the jagged roof。 There was just a last wide lake of fire
between me and the ash shore where the Lith was exposed。
It was whispering again； but I shook it off。 I had trained my mind hard to resist the ministrations of Chaos and its psychic wiles。 This
was how it turned weak minds。 This was how it had polluted and t