Upon receiving the news, Nareth fell into thought.
He knew that for an ordinary person staying on Sondheim VIII for more than ten days, it was almost certain death.
Even if they avoided the specters, they would be tormented to death by the planet's psychic phenomena.
Everyone landing on the surface would, within ten days, experience insomnia, terrible nightmares, and the constant whispers of specters, leading to collapse.
Almost no one could withstand such torment. Even if they did, they would fall into madness due to psychic hallucinations, seeing themselves as the xenos who once lived here.
As the hallucinations deepened, they would see themselves as xenos, and those around them as members of the enemy race, trying to kill them.
The maddened individuals would attack everyone around them.
Nareth remembered that in the future, when various Imperial factions discovered the precious minerals on this specter-filled world, they were not deterred.
Dozens of Rogue Trader families and Imperial factions fought a brief but bloody war for control.
The victors immediately began prospecting and mining.
However, the prospectors' camps were destroyed by the specters. Everyone was brutally dismembered, torn to pieces.
The specters vented their hatred on them.
The factions tried hiring psykers to protect the workers, but it only worked briefly. Ultimately, the psykers also succumbed to the persistent psychic phenomena, their minds becoming xenos.
One Rogue Trader even sent Untouchables.
They were unaffected, bringing a period of calm to the mines, but eventually died in "accidents."
As successive waves of personnel went mad and facilities were destroyed, operating capital was rapidly consumed, and they were finally forced to cut their losses and leave.
But Astartes possessed far greater willpower. Shadows of Order routinely tempered their will with the Thelema mindstate, created specifically for them by Nareth.
Now, even recruits had mastered at least the first level of the Thelema mindstate. Librarians were required to master all three levels.
Veterans with over thirty years of service, through continuous training, had also mastered all three levels.
Their will would not break. Certainly not within a dozen days.
Nareth, puzzled, reviewed the report.
'Isidor. Born into a worker family on Necromunda... Became an Order's Shadow in 849.'
'In his first ten years, he showed exceptional technical aptitude. He was sent to Mars in 860 for Techmarine training…'
'Abilities: Mastered Warp insight the third level of the Thelema mindstate, strong machine-affinity, repair speed 15% above average...'
Reviewing Isidor's file, Nareth noted that, as expected, he had mastered the third level of the Thelema mindstate. He had also, due to his excellent performance, been considered for the Fourth Chapter's Honor Guard. His confusion grew.
He then checked Isidor's activity logs, noting the final entry.
'... Last night, 21:49 standard, reached the end of the vein, 508 meters straight-line distance from the equatorial trench.'
'Today, after returning to camp, his six attendant servitors vanished. 3 minutes 7 seconds after entering the camp, he attacked his battle-brothers.'
'...'
Nareth leaned back, thoughtful.
Reached the sea, then went mad.
'In the future, the psykers succumbed to hallucinations, the Untouchables died in "accidents."'
'Could there be something else on Sondheim VIII, besides specters?'
'The equatorial trench area.'
He opened his comm, ordering Master of Chaplains Pat.
"You and Martin will interrogate Isidor." He paused for a second, then continued.
"He may have been affected by something."
"My Lord, even so, his will is not strong enough." Pat's voice was laced with burning anger.
After ending the call, Nareth leaned back, rapidly reviewing more information about Sondheim VIII.
'Hmm... the suspended churches all fell into the sea. That's strange.'
'The sea area is small. Without supernatural interference, the churches wouldn't all have fallen there.'
'Even stranger, the trench is too deep, like a bottomless pit, swallowing so many churches.'
He also thought that most natural psychic materials were crystalline. There were also similar psychic crystals. The only natural psychic metal he knew was adamantium.
The Katheri sword-smiths used an alloy forged from psychic crystals and other materials, not natural metal.
'The vein ends at the trench.'
'Perhaps the adamantium is not natural, but created by some unknown force related to the psychic phenomena on Sondheim VIII.'
At the same moment, in an interrogation room on the upper decks,
Pat and his deputy, the newly promoted "Solar High Priest" Martin, entered.
The moment Isidor saw them, his eyes flashed with hostility.
He growled in a sharp, xenos-like language, wanting to lunge at the two beast-like enemies.
Adamantium chains bound him to the electric chair.
Needles soaked in Catachan venom, piercing his clavicles and wrists, paralyzed him.
Pat stared coldly at Isidor. He then raised his hand, placing a candle made from hallucinogenic plants harvested from the first planet's jungles on the table.
He lit it. A fresh, calming scent filled the air.
The cold interrogation room grew warm and comfortable in the gentle light.
The "Hypnotist's" eyes turned from black to gold, narrowing.
He leaned forward, both hands on the black iron table. His golden, slit eyes fixed on Isidor's maddened gaze.
As psychic energy spread, he "Psychologically Suggested."
"Look at the candle."
Isidor's bulging, hate-filled eyes involuntarily turned to the candle.
Pat watched Isidor. His eyes gradually retracted. His body relaxed, leaning back.
The "Hypnotist" spoke again. "Tell me, what did you encounter at the sea?"
Isidor's eyes were vacant, as if in memory. After a few seconds, he spoke slowly.
"I reached the end of the vein with my servitors. After completing my records, I stood at the sea, gazing into the deep trench."
"I saw structures buried in the water, covered in green algae..."
"After some time, dark liquid suddenly rose in my sight. Inside it were countless numb faces. I immediately sensed danger and tried to ascend to the Thelema mindstate..."
He paused. "Countless wraiths roared in my ears. Xenos with long beaks surrounded me."
"I walked with them. Lived with them."
"I became..." A flicker of confusion and guilt crossed his eyes. "...part of them."
Pat and Martin's eyes flashed with anger. They exchanged a glance.
"We were attacked. I killed the enemy."
"I charged the enemy camp. Counter-attacked."
"Do you know what affected you?" The "Hypnotist" suppressed his anger, his voice calm.
"Affected..." Isidor repeated, confused. "No. I fought alongside my kin..."
Pat slammed the table. He knew he wouldn't get more information.
"Enough!"
"Martin, purify him. Make him clear-headed."
"Good." The newly promoted "Solar High Priest" walked to Isidor. He spread his arms, as if welcoming something.
A pure, bright light descended. Warm light fell on Isidor.
Black flames immediately erupted from him. He screamed in agony.
The screams lasted over a dozen seconds, stopping only when the black smoke cleared.
Isidor looked around, bewildered. "I..."
"You were controlled. You attacked your battle-brothers."
Pat's golden eyes fixed on Isidor. A dragon-like aura emanated from him.
Though Isidor, caught off guard and unable to ascend to the Thelema mindstate, had been controlled, it also showed his will was not strong enough, and his skills not proficient enough.
"I..." Isidor's eyes widened in panic, recalling what he had done.
He lowered his head, whispering guiltily. "I..."
Pat cut him off. "You were the first to attack your battle-brothers. We are all ashamed that your weak will has brought dishonor."
"You will be punished."
Pat and Martin turned and walked out.
Moments later, an "Interrogator" entered the room.
Martin edited his report as he spoke to Pat.
"Isidor will undergo interrogations to temper his will."
Pat's eyes deepened. "A firm faith is the strongest shield for the will."
Twelve minutes after the interrogation ended, Nareth had the report.
Reading it, he was more convinced something was wrong with the trench.
He immediately decided to lead a team to investigate.
.....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
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