Chapter 46: The Plague Walkers are Coming
Today, the Grand Manufactorum of Forge World Teyedan received several unfamiliar guests. Among them were demigods and mortals.
"Welcome, honored Captain Uriel Ventris, Inquisitor Griffin, Admiral Alaric."
"Greetings, Magos," the visitors replied.
"The Fabricator-General awaits you in the grand hall. He has arranged a welcoming ceremony of the highest honor for you."
Ventris placed a hand on his chest, his etiquette flawless. "We are most grateful to the Archmagos. Let us proceed without delay."
"Of course. Please, follow me," the welcoming Magos replied.
The group followed the Tech-Priest, passing through rows of Skitarii, to the front of the Grand Manufactorum. The building itself, though not a single stone was out of place, exuded an aura of weakness, of brokenness, as if it could collapse at any moment—much like Teyedan itself.
Upon entering, they saw the mostly-machine Fabricator-General seated upon his throne. The hall was far more sparsely populated than other Forge Worlds they had visited. The Inquisitor, a step behind the Primaris Space Marine Captain, thought, It seems their losses were heavy as well.
Ventris led the group in a salute. "We pay our respects, honored Fabricator-General Veyl. Congratulations on quelling the rebellion on your Forge World."
"Hahaha, they were merely foolish rebels who failed to see the writing on the wall. A pity they managed to escape in the end!" Veyl's tone was tinged with resentment. He was, of course, angry. After paying such a heavy price, he had intended to completely annihilate the Temple faction and eliminate the threat for good. But who would have thought? A landing craft from the Martian explorator fleet had ignored his warnings and blockade, forcibly landing on the surface to evacuate the Temple's survivors. He was naturally upset with his "allies" who had just stood by and watched.
The men before the throne were all experienced individuals. They could hear the displeasure in the Archmagos's voice and understood the reason for it. But were they supposed to start a civil war with Mars? Fortunately, Ventris was prepared. He said respectfully, "The Lord Regent asked me to deliver a message: he will remember your contributions and sacrifices."
"You didn't... ahem! It is the duty of all loyal subjects. It is not worth mentioning."
Inquisitor Griffin thought: Just as the rumors say, the Regent's loyal hound.
"You are too humble, Archmagos," Ventris said. "Please allow me to introduce Inquisitor Griffin of the Ordo Malleus, and Admiral Frank of the Imperial Navy."
"Thank you for your arrival and your assistance. I will forever remember this kindness." An IOU from the Fabricator-General of a Forge World was not something one could get just by asking. Even the high-ranking Griffin and Frank were inwardly pleased, thinking they should put in a little extra effort in the tasks to come to make this kindness a reality.
After they had paid their respects, Veyl introduced the Magi by his side. The atmosphere warmed, and they began to exchange pleasantries, avoiding any serious business, as if they had all the time in the world.
If Omega had known of this situation, he surely would have dissed Regent Guilliman: No wonder you're not well-liked. Look at this inherited style. The other Primarchs are all working their asses off, and they look up to see you in your fine clothes, performing your hypocritical noble politics, your words so slick and polished, one套 after another. It's a wonder they like you at all!
But this was Warhammer. These hypocritical sons of Macragge would not be allowed to be so comfortable for long. While they were still feasting, the remnants of the Archmagos's forces were attacked by Plague Walkers.
"I told you, what we fear is what will come," Omega said,趴 on the city wall, observing the teeming horde of plague zombies in the distance through his telescope.
Rhea, who aspired to be a Biologis Magos, observed the zombies, who were dead but still moving. "This is not scientific..." she said, her voice muffled by her thick mask.
"What in the warp is scientific?" Omega retorted.
"..."
"How are the disinfection efforts coming along?" Omega asked into his comms unit.
Paul's voice came back immediately. "Spraying the entire territory. It will be completed in another hour."
"Good. Take your time, but don't miss a spot. The weapons and vehicles too."
"Jacob is already on it."
"Good. Is Douglas there?"
"Acknowledged, Priest Omega."
"Is the disease monitoring in place?"
"It is. We have already begun checking everyone's health."
"And this will be done daily from now on?"
"Yes. Any abnormal individuals will be isolated and controlled. Resistance will be met with immediate termination."
"Good."
"How is the food transfer?"
"It has all been moved underground."
"Hmph..." Omega let out a long breath. He had done all he could. Now, it was up to the Imperium to be competent.
"Ah... taste my lascannon! All weapons that can reach these blasphemous things, fire at will!"
Omega was annoyed by the sight of the plague zombie horde in the distance. The Poxwalkers, who still retained their self-awareness, were also annoyed by the sight of the "man-made cliff" before them. The "zombie"-frustrating drop could easily shatter their skulls, the only weakness of their blessed bodies. At this moment, these Poxwalkers were gathered together, cursing the creator of this chasm. (Omega: (▼ヘ▼#))
"These shameless cowards! To use such a despicable method to refuse the Allfather's gifts!"
"I'll strangle him with his own intestines, then resurrect him, then strangle him again!"
"Offer his soul to the Allfather!"
"So despicable!"
"We can't get across!"
"What if we can't complete the Prophet's mission?"
"The Prophet's mission must be completed! Let more people feel the love of the Allfather! Let the Rainfather descend upon this world! Offer everything on this world to the Allfather!"
Omega's low-tech defensive measure, which he had little hope for and had built mostly for psychological comfort, was surprisingly effective against the mindless walkers. This man-made cliff could be crossed by anyone with a brain and the ability to build tools, but the plague zombie horde clearly lacked this capability. They relied on their tough, hard-to-kill, undead bodies and the blessings of Nurgle. What use was a cumbersome thing like a brain?
From the wall, Omega had initially intended to thin their numbers while they couldn't fight back. But after a barrage of fire, the effect was less than ideal. Only a direct hit to the head could kill them; hitting anywhere else only maimed them.
"Cease fire! Cease fire!" Omega commanded. "You think you're tough, huh? You think I can't do anything to you? I'll have you know, I have ninety-nine ways to kill you. Just you wait."
After an all-out assault that failed to break their defenses, Omega was furious. He began to withdraw the solid-shot weapons from the wall and replace them with high-powered laser weapons. "Today, I will let you disgusting things know the grace of the Machine God, the wisdom of the Omnissiah. Can your numbers outlast my inexhaustible geothermal energy? All units, listen to my command! Three, two, one, volley fire!"
Omega's thought: I'll kill one for every one I can. My energy is free.
The plague zombie horde besieged the settlement for three full days. The weapons on the wall never ceased firing for a moment. The horde had tried to attack. They had tried to fill the chasm with their bodies to create a path, but just as they were about to succeed, tons of Promethium rained down from the sky, and a single spark sent them back to square one. In the end, they could only retreat the way they had come.
Omega's first battle against Chaos was a complete victory.
Although the plague zombie horde had retreated, Omega's mood was not good at all. Infected individuals had been discovered within the settlement, and their numbers were not small. The priests were baffled by the method of transmission. They had hypothesized various possible routes of infection, but all were later ruled out. The spread of the disease was illogical, and the locations of the infected were random.
Finally, a Magos suggested that it might be the "Plague of Unbelief," a plague that could be spread through thought. This disease would not only kill the infected but would also "resurrect" them, to bring more people into their ranks. And what was even more terrifying was that this plague was not just transmitted physically; it could also infect those who lacked complete faith.
"So all the infected are people without faith?" Omega asked.
The Magos nodded. "They are all despicable beings who have abandoned the Omnissiah. We should dispose of them without causing harm."
Omega's thought: Err... I don't believe either... what should I do? Why am I fine? Is high magic resistance really this broken?
Faith was no small matter. Omega didn't dare to openly oppose the idea, but he couldn't bring himself to burn several thousand people with a barrel of Promethium either. So he said, "But we can't be sure right now. Assuming it is the 'Plague of Unbelief,' if we act directly, in a place this small, with so few people, rumors will surely spread throughout the settlement. It might even cause the originally loyal believers to waver and become infected. That would just lead to a vicious cycle."
"This..."
"We can't act."
"But if we don't eliminate them, they will infect others!"
"Leave it to me. Even if it means paying a greater price, we cannot walk down the path of a vicious cycle. We must break it."
Omega decided to cast aside his "integrity" and do something he had wanted to do in his past life but lacked the ability, and in this life had the ability but lacked the "hardware." He was going to be the male lead of a "hentai," and not the pure love kind, but the... unspeakable kind.
The idea came to him as he was leaving the Magi's meeting, wracking his brain for a solution, when he suddenly saw a man with a shiny forehead.