Day 299 of the 987th year of the 41st millennium
Eastern edge of Secmentum ultima
Above the orbit of Opel III
Frigate, class sword Hand of Judgment,
[Transcript: Vermilion-level access code]
Recorder: Inquisitor Korvin Hale Ordo Xenos
Location: Frigate, class sword Hand of Judgment,
Orbit of Opel III
Subject: Summary of the Battle of Hive Kathion
(Long sigh mixed with the sound of liquid being poured into a glass)
"On day 650 of the 986th year of the 41st millennium, I received a request for help from this planet regarding a mutant problem threatening the planet. But when I arrived, I found it to be more serious than I initially thought."
"It is the geenstealer cult and chaos cultists. Fortunately, their infestation on this planet is relatively mild in other hive cities, but the situation in Hive Kathion..."
"It was quite a crisis. Fierce fighting erupted in the under hive, lower hive, and upper hive. The confined spaces were brutally contested between the Genestealer Cult, Chaos Cultists, and the roughly equal numbers of PDF forces. It was horrific, and the prolonged wipeout lasted about a year."
"Finally, the nightmare of the Opel III ended... although the purge of the Genestealer Cult and Chaos Cultists in Hive Kathion cost us five valuable Deathwatch members.
Three Deathwatch members died bravely and honorably in their fight to kill the Genestealer patriarch, and two more died bravely and honorably during the battle to capture or destroy the hive city's main freight elevator.
And the battle for this main freight elevator was the primary cause of the massive casualties, whether civilians, brave PDF soldiers, or innocent loyal citizens.
Although the fighting in this hive city was short, lasting less than a year, it was incredibly bloody, brutal, and ferocious, resulting in the deaths of nearly 5 billion people." "But it also led me to something far more interesting than the remnants of those despicable Xenos hybrids."
"I'm talking about Vann Korvax, a young, idealistic, and innovative general who commands the pdf forces stationed at the Kathion Hive."
"While the foolish nobles and old-fashioned generals in this planet's High Council were preoccupied with bureaucracy, vested interests, inefficient strategies, and formalities, Korvax did something I'd never seen anyone dare to do before... He immediately 'seized' heavy equipment, including the massive number of Leman Russ tanks and armored vehicles destined for export tax to the Tithe."
"He ignored the restraining orders and threats of the death penalty from politicians who were more concerned with numbers on paper than lives. Korvax understood that if the Hive fell, those tanks would become mere scrap metal in the hands of a heretical army. He chose to risk the death penalty for immediate victory on the battlefield."
"His decisiveness in crushing the empire's corrupt bureaucracy for a greater purpose... that's what I admire. This man is not just a soldier following orders, but a strategist with vision and a heart strong enough to bear the sin of betraying the rules to preserve the stars. Even though under his leadership a massive number of PDF troops fell in battle, that's acceptable and understandable. Most of the PDF troops involved were conscripts drawn from terrified civilians and gangsters. To win with such minimal losses is incredibly fortunate."
"I have used my inquisitor authority to suspend all charges against him. A man like Vann Korvax is too worthy of being executed by those ignorant nobles. I will keep him by my side..." "Perhaps in the future, the work of Ordo Xenos will require someone like him who dares to cross the line between 'rules' and 'results'."
"My business here is finished. My next task is to travel to investigate anomalies in a few nearby star systems to protect the Empire and destroy those who dare to threaten it."
"End of recording... To the Emperor."
[End of recording]
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Day 299, Year 987, 41st Millennium
Upper Hive
Hive Kathion
Upper Hive
"Beep... beep... beep..."
The rhythmic beeping of a heart monitor was the first thing he heard. Eric slowly opened his eyes. The first thing that hit him was the blindingly bright light from a fluorescent bulb and the pungent smell of disinfectant mixed with the scent of rust and incense—the kind the Sisters of Battle and the priests in the church used in their rituals—making Eric wrinkle his nose slightly.
_Where... where am I?_ Eric's first thought was filled with apprehension and doubt. His hand instinctively searched for a weapon but found nothing but a coarse blanket and bedsheets. He knew exactly what he had done before waking up in this place.
He didn't know what he had thought or done in that situation—running through a hail of bullets to throw anti-tank grenades at a tank... But if he survived, it meant the tanks must have been destroyed, and the operation must have progressed significantly. And if he wasn't mistaken, he was probably unconscious and taken to a military hospital or something. And now he's survived.
_And that's the most important thing right now._
But right now, Eric felt his body was heavy, as if weighed down with lead. He could barely move. He tried to look around, bewildered. Actually, the room he was in was similar to the typical hospital rooms he'd seen in the modern world, except this room had a white ceiling and some Gothic-style wall decoration. There were tubes hanging from a ventilator or some kind of machine he didn't recognize, which looked more like torture devices than medical equipment, and those tubes were connected to his wrist, supplying medication or what he assumed was an IV drip.
_That machine is creepy,_ he thought to himself, looking at the machine connected to his wrist and the servitor mopping the floor in the corner of the room. Honestly, he felt quite disgusted and a little sorry for the person being used as a servitor. ...but he felt more uneasy about its appearance.
"You're awake, are you... sleepyhead?" A familiar hoarse voice came from the bed beside him. Eric tried to turn his stiff neck to look, and he widened his eyes in joy and surprise. His friend Livia was sitting there, leaning against the headboard. Her face looked haggard and covered in fresh scars, but her eyes were still strong. However, what made Eric freeze was Livia's missing left arm.
"Livia... I'm glad to see you again, and... your arm..." Eric tried to speak, but his throat was so dry that his voice was hoarse like sandpaper.
Livia shrugged her left shoulder and moved her remaining left arm nonchalantly.
"I'm still alive, you know... That's worth it. Don't make that face like you're about to cry, Erica. You were in a vegetative state for a whole year, you know? And you know, running through a hail of bullets to throw a grenade at that tank and destroying it was incredibly brave. It allowed the PDF forces to seize the main transport elevator of Hive City. You were so lucky that one of the radio operators ran and rescued you from the battlefield just in time before your condition worsened. You're also incredibly lucky that someone paid for your medical treatment, even though they didn't reveal their identity..." Livia said in a rather indifferent tone, with a hint of admiration for his bravery, but the impact of being hit like that made Eric a little embarrassed. That radio operator might have been Vann, and he really wanted to thank whoever paid for his medical treatment if he had the chance.
"One year!? I've been asleep for that long? And... what about the war?" Eric repeated in his mind, stunned. He didn't know if the war was over, and now he was probably in the rear. What was the situation like? Were there any risks? Eric's thoughts began to wander again. But Livia seemed to read the panic in his eyes. She forced a weary but sincere smile.
"It's over... We won. Those disgusting mutants have been driven out and finally wiped out." Livia replied in a soft, slightly tired voice. At that moment, a multitude of emotions overwhelmed Eric. Joy at surviving mixed with sadness at seeing his friend's condition, but above all, immense relief. Tears welled up in the corners of his eyes unconsciously, not from weakness, but from the pent-up frustration finally released.
"It's over... Maybe you'll get back to being a hairdresser, Livia, and maybe I'll get a better job too." He tried to joke a little, smiling cheerfully. If he was lucky, the news would mean he could live and work in the Upper Hive, a place with more job opportunities, where he could work in his area of expertise and avoid the hard labor of the factories he endured in the Lower Hive. Eric thought to himself, smiling before extending his trembling hand to Livia, even with the IV and some other tube restraining his arm. But he wanted to touch her, to confirm that his friend was still alive. However, as he moved to sit up, a cold sensation shot through his back… Eric froze, his hand outstretched in mid-air. He suddenly noticed that the hospital gown he was wearing was just a thin piece of fabric tied in a knot at the back, and the material was so rough and sheer that it was almost transparent in the bright light!
"Huh!!" Eric's face turned from pale to bright red in an instant. Shyness surged through him, overshadowing his earlier gratitude.
"The... why is this patient gown... like this?!"
He frantically grabbed the blanket to wrap around himself, almost pulling the IV line out. What kind of crazy patient gown was this? It didn't resemble the thin, typical hospital gowns he'd seen in Germany at all. It was even thinner than anything he'd ever worn, and so minimal.
"Hahaha! You just realized that, huh?" Livia laughed heartily, her shoulders shaking. He frowned at her laughter. What was so funny about this?
"But... it's too thin! And... what about the doctor... what about the male doctor? Will he see?!" Eric grumbled, burying himself under the blanket until only his eyes were visible. Honestly, if it were a female doctor or nurse, he could accept it... he shouldn't be complaining like this... Eric tried to reassure himself. Why was he making such a fuss about something like this? It was utterly ridiculous. Livia, seeing his reaction... Eric shook his head in exasperation.
"Why are you worrying about the doctor? He saved your life... You're the shyest woman I've ever met," Livia grumbled nonchalantly. Eric smiled, tears welling up in his eyes. Despite his embarrassment and inward grumbling, he tried to change the subject because he was starting to feel uneasy about the creepy atmosphere of the hospital.
"Thank you, Emperor... for keeping me alive. How can you be so sad? And are you in a lot of pain?" Eric asked, concerned and curious.
"Of course it hurts... but I'll probably just buy a prosthetic arm... As for that, I lost my arm in shrapnel wounds," Livia replied cheerfully, a small laugh escaping her throat. Eric chuckled softly along with his friend before realizing someone was missing.
"And what about Rosa?" Eric looked for his other friend. From the latest news he'd heard, Livia had told him she was in critical condition, and he wanted to know how she was doing and how worrying she was, because she was another friend he cared about just as much as Livia. But when Livia heard his question, her expression saddened slightly.
"Unfortunately, the doctors couldn't save her life...Erica...Rosa has gone to meet the Golden Throne and returned to Maria..." Livia replied with a sorrowful tone. Eric, hearing this, fell silent.
"Do you remember what you promised me?" Eric, not wanting the atmosphere to become more somber, quickly changed the subject. This should have been a time of happiness, a time when the war was over, and everyone needed to move forward, not be so sad. Livia rolled her eyes slightly.
"I know...you don't need to remind me, I haven't forgotten...and I think you might be interested in a liquor called Amazac," Livia replied with a slightly cunning tone. It made him a little uneasy, but he was still curious about what the liquor his friend mentioned tasted like. Then he suddenly wondered who was paying for his medical treatment? It certainly wasn't the central authority or the army, because they didn't seem to care much about their soldiers, judging by the state-of-the-art equipment, even with their advanced laser guns.
And if you look at the central authority or those who govern here, you can forget about that. Even the administration of the Lower Hive is so corrupt and exploitative of its citizens; imagine how they could possibly afford to pay for medical treatment for a low-ranking soldier like himself. Regardless, he will thank that mysterious person if he ever gets the chance to meet them.
But as he was smiling, a voice suddenly interrupted, and a figure walked in, instantly wiping Eric's smile away.
"Alright, visiting hours are over.../''''Patient progress report: condition has improved and they are conscious.\ The next step, now that the patient is conscious, is surgery to remove the implanted tissue regeneration substance in the abdomen." A fearsome-looking tech priest entered the room. He wore an old red cloak of the Mechanicus and had eight green artificial eyes. Tubes or wires protruded from his face, creating a terrifyingly elaborate beard. He could see parts of the skin that were connected to or had cybernetic implants. A backpack with bottles containing various liquids hung from his back, presumably the power source, and several machandrites moved periodically, the mechanical tentacles unsettling and horrifying to him.
"Good luck, Erica. I have to go now. And don't forget to thank yu893-9. He's been taking care of you for the past year." "Good luck, goodbye," Livia said in a cheerful voice before walking out of the room, leaving Eric alone with the tech priest.
"Goodbye," Eric whispered. Suddenly, the tech priest raised a hand modified with five syringes protruding from its fingertips, and spoke in a lifeless voice.
"Alright, first step: Inject a stimulant and a local anesthetic (the kind that doesn't cause pain but paralyzes instead)." The tech priest spoke emotionlessly before approaching the patient's bed. Eric was shocked by the tech priest's words. He had been told there would be surgery, so why a stimulant instead of an anesthetic? But it was too late. The tech priest plunged the needle into Eric's neck. Eric gasped, his eyes wide with terror. He felt the pain of the needle piercing his neck. He struggled, but his body was immobile. The tech priest then picked up a bag of blood and attached it to Eric's other wrist. Next, leather belts were used to secure his hands and feet to the bed. Suddenly, the tech priest unveiled a sheet, revealing numerous tiny robotic hands with gleaming small blades and a small chainsaw inside.
"Wait! Why haven't you given me anesthesia yet?!" Eric asked, panicked that he was about to undergo surgery without being anesthetized and while still conscious. Before he could move or speak, the tech priest simply turned around and replied, giving Eric an answer that only increased his anxiety.
"I'm sorry, but the person paying for your treatment hasn't paid for regular anesthetics and painkillers... Besides, keeping you conscious allows me to record the treatment results and other things more accurately." The tech priest replied in the same cold and emotionless voice, before applying antiseptic to the metal blades and thinly smearing it on the area about to be operated on.
And then the moment of pain began as the first sharp, small blade sliced into his left abdomen.
Eric tried to scream, but only a faint groan escaped his throat. The pain was unbearable, and tears streamed down his cheeks as he watched the robotic arms, fitted with blades, perform surgery on his body with merciless precision. Those eight green eyes remained indifferent to his tears, as if human pain were merely meaningless numerical data. He felt like a machine being repaired, not a "human" with feelings...
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Writer's Note: Okay, now there's more happiness and brightness, and less grim darkness.