Day 38, Year 988, 41st Millennium
Radar Station near the Hive Kathion Airfield
"This report you sent regarding an unidentified object crashing near Hive Kathion... why should I concern myself with it?" Vann grumbled as he walked into the radar station.
The room was filled with HUD screens displaying various data streams and walls lined with cables and pipes. The atmosphere was thick with the scent of incense and oil—offerings to appease the machine spirits and ensure their efficient operation.
Today, he had intended to investigate the noble who had the audacity to file a petition opposing the military budget increase. Instead, he was wasting his time on this nonsense. It wasn't that he was being negligent, but the object was likely just orbital debris or a downed aircraft.
The chances of anything surviving a fall from that altitude were practically zero. However, upon reconsideration, perhaps he should send soldiers to investigate what the unidentified object was and determine if it posed a threat.
"Report," Vann said in an emotionless voice. He had to suppress his irritation for now and listen to the briefing, just in case there was cause for concern or danger.
"At 10:59 hours today, an unidentified object was detected entering the atmosphere. It descended at high velocity before crashing approximately 10 kilometers from Hive Kathion, sir," the officer reported the preliminary data. Since this information wasn't particularly special, Vann pressed for more details.
"I need more details..." Vann demanded, fixing the officer with a gaze so intense that the man immediately trembled with fear.
"Uh... based on data from radar and other detection systems, the fallen object appears to be an aircraft or some type of transport vessel. Furthermore, it does not match any civilian transport signatures we have in our system, sir," the officer reported with a trembling voice.
Everyone knew that those in power within the Imperium of Man—nobles and high-ranking officials—were often ruthless and capricious. Although Vann was not one to punish his subordinates indiscriminately, his soldiers still feared him. He tended to use... more creative methods.
"Your information is useful, trooper. Carry on," Vann said.
He then grabbed his vox-caster and walked outside to contact his subordinates immediately, intending to deploy a squad of veterans to investigate the crash site.
"Contact Veteran Squad 1... mobilize one squad and investigate the crash site at coordinates 888.9997...63...897. Inspect everything thoroughly and report back within 6 hours."
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Day 38, Year 988, 41st Millennium
Mid-afternoon.
"The story begins approximately 10,000 years ago, during the Great Crusade. It was a period in the early history of the Imperium of Man, spanning from roughly 798.M30 to the first decade of the 31st Millennium—a little over two centuries. The Imperium expanded its power to bring all human-inhabited worlds back under the rule of a single leader: the Emperor of Mankind," Arcas spoke with a resonant voice filled with immense pride.
Eric listened in awe. Yes, the history he had read was somewhat similar, but hearing it from this Space Marine made it infinitely more compelling. To unite all human-inhabited worlds through war within just 200 years suggested a leader of almost mythical capability. However, Arcas's tale differed entirely from the Ecclesiarchy's texts or the common history books Eric had found.
It felt far more real.
"The Great Crusade was a brief period in human history, a time of restoration, reunification, and rapid technological advancement after humanity had regressed into technological barbarism during the 5,000 years of the Age of Strife. It was a time when the Emperor of Mankind still lived among us in the traditional sense, leading his people personally. The era of the Great Crusade was the Imperium's Golden Age—an age of reason, an age free from detestable religion. An age where we were hailed as heroes and celebrities, not these 'Angels of the Emperor' or whatever they call us now. And most importantly, an age where the Emperor was not worshipped as a god like he is today." Arcas continued, his voice softening and tinged with a deepening sorrow—the sorrow of one who watched something they helped build crumble and rot before their eyes.
Eric was instantly struck with curiosity. A Golden Age of the Imperium? An age of reason? Technology? Advancements? The Emperor not worshipped as a god? Then why had the Imperium of Man become... this?
He wondered how good life must have been for people back then. In a sci-fi fantasy future—complete with Orks, Gothic architecture, and magic—replete with such advanced technology, the quality of life must have been far superior to the present.
_Why couldn't I have woken up during the Great Crusade?_ Eric thought with a pang of resentment. Even if he had to wake up and live in a female body, in an age of reason and technology, being a woman might not have been much of an issue.
_But then came the second question: Why did it turn out like this? _If Arcas said it used to be that way, how did he know? How reliable was this information? His growing curiosity drove Eric to risk asking the Space Marine again.
"My Lord... I do not know if the information you have recounted is true... It does not align with the records and historical texts I have read at all," Eric asked with a steady voice, despite a lingering fear that he might be meddling too much. However, after traveling together for a while, he realized this Space Marine was unlike others; he wouldn't kill him for a reason like this.
Arcas fell silent for a moment before replying.
"You are quite curious, aren't you? ...Very well. I am from that era... I was there," Arcas replied, his voice flat but laced with melancholy.
Eric could barely believe his ears. He wondered if he had misheard, because what Arcas said seemed utterly fantastical and absurd. It was practically impossible for any living being to live for 10,000 years, even if the being in front of him was a genetically modified human.
_So that means you're 10,000 years old?_ Eric thought skeptically. Perhaps this Space Marine had life-support systems or some device inside that armor, like Darth Vader in Star Wars.
That might explain why his armor looked bulkier and stranger than the other Space Marine armor he had seen. It might be an older model, and his views on worshipping the Emperor differed from other Space Marines and citizens of the Imperium.
"It is impossible for you to be 10,000 years old... You would be incredibly old by now," Eric mumbled softly.
Arcas, seemingly having heard him, chuckled slightly before answering.
"The story is far more complex than you think, and I will tell you later. And stop calling me old; I am only 156 years of age," Arcas said as he turned and removed his helmet, which resembled a knight's helm. He revealed a handsome face—mysteriously rugged yet youthful, despite a few small scars.
Eric was slightly taken aback.
_Why are all Space Marines so handsome?_ Eric complained inwardly. Every Space Marine he had seen was good-looking. But the next question was, if the Space Marine in front of him was only 156 years old, why did he say he came from 10,000 years ago? The story was getting more complicated.
Then, a thought popped into his head. Eric's eyes widened slightly, and all his doubts vanished.
_I'm really smart for figuring this out_, Eric praised himself with a touch of pride.
_This Space Marine must have time-traveled from 10,000 years ago to the present... That must be it_, Eric thought confidently. He was beginning to be certain that in a future world with Orks, aliens, magic, and advanced technology, someone must have invented a time machine.
"You do not seem very surprised, do you? Let us continue. The Imperium was indeed like that. At first, it was beautiful, prosperous, reasonable, and technologically advanced. Then it slowly declined into the decay you see today. Civil wars, rebellions, wars against Xenos, and ever-increasing conflicts—all occurring in the ten millennia following the end of the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy," Arcas continued. He seemed to loathe the name "Horus," his voice dropping to a terrifying low as he spoke it.
"The Emperor of Mankind desired to unite all of humanity under a single banner after the long night of the Age of Strife and end the conflicts between humans. Once united, the Emperor intended to begin the next phase of his great plan: to ensure humanity's dominance over the Milky Way Galaxy, which he saw as necessary for humanity to survive the relentless threats to its existence—Chaos, numerous Xenos races, and the fragile nature of humanity itself."
Arcas continued, this time speaking about the Emperor's desires. Eric thought someone on the Emperor's level must be incredibly ambitious, self-sacrificing, dedicated, and undoubtedly brilliant. But at the same time, it sounded like the Emperor was also a tyrant and a dictator. Genghis Khan's greatness couldn't compare to even a sliver of the Emperor's fingernail.
"To prosecute the Great Crusade and reunite the scattered human worlds under the single banner of the Imperium, the Emperor created the Space Marine Legions, which would become the core of the Adeptus Astartes, and the Imperial Army to serve as support and garrison forces for the Astartes. Special gene-seed production techniques were used to meet the massive demand for Space Marines for the war. This led to mutations and genetic flaws in several Space Marine Legions, which would be a factor leading to the great betrayal in the Horus Heresy."
Okay, it seemed he was learning a lot more about this future world today. But what exactly was "gene-seed"? ...It might be that... He'd find the answer later.
"These forces, with technological and military aid from the Mechanicum as stipulated in the Treaty of Mars, would bring the light of Imperial Truth to every human world encountered and enforce compliance with Imperial law under the new regime. At its peak in the early 31st Millennium—about 203 standard years after it began—there were 4,287 primary Expeditionary Fleets engaged in enforcing diplomacy and war to expand the Imperium's territory across the galaxy, plus over 60,000 secondary operational groups involved in occupation and support."
This time, it was truly staggering. A massive number of fleets set out to unite the stars in the Milky Way, using war or diplomacy to annex those worlds into the Imperium. He didn't want to imagine how vast those fleets must have been.
They must have been magnificent.
And a nightmare for administrators and logisticians.
"Another 372 Expeditionary Fleets were assembling or refitting in the Sol System or other central Imperial systems, or resupplying while awaiting new orders. In the final days of the Great Crusade, approximately 4.3 million Imperial artists and remembrancers were sent out with these fleets to record the deeds the Imperial warriors performed for humanity in the Crusade—in images, words, and music—as a memorial for future generations. Back then, Primarchs, Space Marines, and many heroes were like celebrities... Just imagine it... It is quite funny. Though I was not particularly famous, at least I had a few reporters interview me," Arcas said, his voice filled with joy and nostalgia as he painted the picture for Eric.
Eric chuckled slightly, trying to imagine a 3-meter-tall armored Space Marine being interviewed by a swarm of reporters. But the more he listened, the more he felt he wanted to try living in that era. However, considering he now had to work for Vann, his life was already significantly better, and he shouldn't be so ambitious or greedy as to ruin the good life he currently had.
"Finally, every Imperial Expeditionary Fleet carried units of Iterators—Imperial philosophers, orators, and propagandists—tasked with spreading the Imperial Truth to every human world and convincing their populations of the benefits of Imperial rule."
"The Great Crusade was under the direct command of the Emperor of Mankind until the great victory over the Xenos, resistant human forces, and a massive Ork Waaagh! in the Ullanor Crusade. Following the defeat of the Orks, which marked the Great Crusade's crowning achievement, the Emperor returned to Terra for reasons unknown. And you should know that many Xenos species are a threat to humanity; they deserve to be exterminated and should not exist in this universe. The same goes for humans who are obstinate and refuse to accept the Emperor's authority. Many alien species went extinct because of the Great Crusade, and that was what they deserved," Arcas said aggressively, his voice growing more fanatical before he paused to catch his breath.
Eric was stunned. Besides the Orks and those other aliens, there were many other Xenos species, but they had gone extinct at human hands... It was genocide. In his old world, he was familiar with news of genocide, but what happened in this future was literal genocide—wiping out entire species.
He imagined the brutal and harrowing slaughter.
But he didn't know if he should feel glad or sad that the Emperor had made those aliens extinct.
"The Emperor appointed Horus, his favorite son and Primarch of the Luna Wolves, as Warmaster of the Imperium. He gave him full authority to direct the Great Crusade as he saw fit, including the right to command the other Primarchs and their Astartes Legions. Do you know that when Horus was appointed Warmaster, my Primarch was extremely resentful of the Emperor?
"The Emperor also established the Council of Terra and the Imperial bureaucracy—the precursor to the Senatorum Imperialis of the High Lords of Terra and the Administratum—to begin transitioning the Imperium from his personal rule to a government that more closely served the needs of the common people."
Having recovered his breath, Arcas continued, his voice calmer and less emotional. Eric analyzed the information; it made sense that conflicts and resentment would arise from the Emperor sharing power with humans to rule themselves.
But he also felt frustrated and annoyed that the Emperor had appointed the Council of the High Lords of Terra. Although he wasn't directly affected by their administration, if those nobles had managed things more efficiently, his life would probably be much better.
However, those nobles had little effect on this world on the fringe of the Segmentum Ultima. So, the only people he could blame were those managing this Hive City.
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"Achoo!!!"
"Damn it, am I catching a cold?" Valen muttered to himself as he worked on paperwork in his office.
___________________________________
"The Emperor's willingness to delegate power caused great tension with some of the Primarchs, and eventually became a weakness that the Ruinous Powers exploited to corrupt nine Primarchs and their Space Marine Legions into the service of Chaos, causing the horrific civil war known as the Horus Heresy. This conflict ended the Great Crusade and the Golden Age of the Imperium. From that time until the present in the late 41st Millennium, the Imperium has known only stagnation, oppression, religious strife, and endless war," Arcas concluded, his voice conveying the deepest sorrow.
Now Eric understood why the Ecclesiarchy's records and Imperial documents didn't mention the names of the other nine Primarchs he had never heard of. It was because of this rebellion... That made sense.
_And what were the Ruinous Powers? _They might be the antagonists or something evil in this future world—who knew?
"And the tragedy occurred... I do not know why. Near the end of the Horus Heresy, I, who had not fully joined the war and remained on Caliban, the homeworld of the Dark Angels, serving alongside Lord Luther as usual...
"Speaking of Caliban, imagine a world filled with green forests and abundant nature. The people there had a feudal, medieval culture and lived by a knightly code. I was born there. Growing up, I heard the fame of a giant young man whom Lord Luther discovered while hunting beasts."
_No wonder he dresses like a knight_, Eric thought, glancing at Arcas's armor.
"I, a mere commoner, the child of townspeople with barely any status, saw the Primarch of the First Legion for the first time. Primarch Lion El'Jonson—full of skill, holding fast to honor, keeper of many dark secrets, and like a proud lion.
"At that time, I did not understand what was happening. Suddenly, the planet's orbital defense systems attacked the Dark Angels fleet returning from Terra... And what happened was terrifying; I have never forgotten it.
"Primarch Lion led the Dark Angels forces with him to battle and purge the Dark Angels on the planet. I saw the Primarch slaughtering new recruits mercilessly. No one listened to our reasons or excuses.
"And in a short time, a Warp Storm emerged and shattered Caliban. Many Dark Angels on Caliban were sucked into the Warp. Those who survived emerged in different times. Simply put, I arrived in the future because the Warp Storm brought me to this dark, decadent era ten years ago."
Okay, that's not what I expected at all, Eric thought. At first, he thought it was time travel via a machine, not through an unknown dimension.
"And I expect you will not recount what you heard today to others... Otherwise, you will surely be accused of heresy, tied to a stake, and burned like a witch. Hahaha!" Arcas joked and laughed softly, though what he said was more of a dark comedy. Everything he said was true; if anyone knew Eric knew these things, he would surely be killed and burned.
"Yes... my Lord," Eric replied. He was currently stunned by the information. The true story and history of the Imperium were incredibly grand. It was a tale of an era of hope and the Imperium's peak, an epic of loss and war beyond imagination.
_I don't even remember half of it... This stuff is complicated_, Eric grumbled inwardly.
Today he had learned a lot, including seemingly absurd things like time travel. It wasn't impossible; future technology could surely do it, but it seemed a bit far-fetched. It appeared that this sci-fi fantasy future had a profound and magnificent history, including the great tragedy the Imperium faced and its decline.
These stories made him a little sad. What he saw in the present was merely a shadow of something better.
"Be on guard. My Auspex sensors have detected life signs. They are heading towards our position. Get behind me," Arcas ordered, raising his axe into a combat stance. Eric's hand gripped his gun tighter immediately, even though he had no strength left, and he quickly hid behind Arcas, peering in the direction Arcas was facing.
In no time, the creature rushed in, intending to attack Arcas while screaming madly. But a massive axe cleaved it in two. Its upper torso flew backward, allowing Eric to see its full appearance. He immediately suffered a bout of PTSD.
The thing charging at them was a twisted mutant with both arms mutated into squid-like tentacles the size of human arms... That brought back terrible memories he wanted to forget.
For a split second, the memory returned—the time in the darkness while he was traveling back to Castra and Raul to find a way up to the Upper Hive. Suddenly, it emerged from the dark. He tried to fight but it was useless. Then, his arm was broken, he was choked and lifted off the ground, and mocked with the amusement and perverse sadism of that flayed-skin-wearing Chaos Space Marine. Even the person who could have helped him ran away (only to be attacked and immobilized). The feeling of ultimate fear upon knowing what terrible things would be done to him, and the shame, fear, and disgust when the tentacles spawned from the Chaos Space Marine's mutation molested his body.
"Stop daydreaming! More are coming!!! I cannot protect you forever!!!" Arcas shouted, making Eric jump. He quickly holstered his gun—he only had 5 rounds left—and drew his short sword, ready for combat.
_Stop thinking about that bad stuff, Eric... It was a long time ago_, Eric tried to comfort himself. Besides, at least his private parts hadn't been violated by those mutant tentacles.
"Aaaagghhh!!!" The screams and groans of several mutants grew louder as they appeared in his field of vision. But Arcas, standing in front of him, easily dealt with them. A single strike could kill one or two of them.
But even though Arcas was strong and could eliminate them efficiently with a single blow, their numbers seemed too great, and one mutant managed to slip past Arcas's defense.
"Die!" Eric shouted as he swung the short sword with all his remaining strength, severing its head from its shoulders in a single stroke.
"Oww..." Eric accidentally cried out in pain. It seemed swinging the short sword just now had hurt his shoulder and stomach. He quickly resumed a combat stance, hoping... that nothing worse would happen now.
But suddenly...
"Waaagghhhh!!!!!"
"Damn it!!!" Eric cursed under his breath as he heard the roar of Orks from a distance.