“You are certain that she has what we need？” hissed Marduk to Darioq； shaking the explorator
like a rag doll。 “I sense no lie in her words。”
“I am not lying；” said the explorator emphatically。
“Quiet；” said Marduk； twisting her arm sharply； snapping the bone。
“I am certain；” said Darioq…Grendh’al； “but she speaks the truth。”
“You dare speak in riddles to me； magos？” growled Marduk。
“Explorator Daenae speaks the truth because she does not know that the knowledge is locked
within her brain unit。 Magos Darioq implanted it within her sub…dermal cortex without her
knowledge； for safe…keeping； before he ejected her from his service； and we do not need to take her
with us to extract it。”
Marduk’s scowl changed to a smile。
“Ah； Darioq…Grendh’al；” he said； “I think I might be starting to like you。”
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CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The body of Explorator Daenae lay face down on the floor； in a pool of tepid blood。 The top half of
her head had been removed and cast aside and her skull cavity was empty。
“You are done？” asked Marduk impatiently。
Darioq…Grendh’al sealed the bell jar； which now held the explorator’s brain； joining the others
that emerged from the back of his hunched； perverted body。 Viscous； purple…hued liquid filled the
receptacle； and dozens of needle…like proboscis connectors pierced the brain。
“One moment； while the neural pathways connect；” said Darioq…Grendh’al。 The gently waving
mechadendrite tentacles attached to the corrupted magos’s spine quivered； and the magos’s head
twitched to one side。 Darioq…Grendh’al uttered a low； mechanical groan； and a shiver ran along what
flesh remained of his once…human body as the explorator’s brain connected。
A veritable tidal wave of information flooded through Darioq’s consciousness as the neural
connections fired。
Memories； emotions and thoughts that were not his own flickered through his consciousness。
Neural pathways in the explorator’s brain that had been dead for almost forty seconds during the
transplant reconnected； and Darioq…Grendh’al plumbed their depths； driving towards the secrets that
he had locked there decades earlier。 Daemonic tendrils burrowed through the brain； re…forging the
severed brainstem； and the knowledge was released in a wave of data。
Eight hundred years of knowledge deemed unfit for study by the High…Magi of the Cult
Mechanicus： necrontyr； hrudd； eldar； borrlean。 Knowledge of xenos tech that had been lost for eight
hundred years was recovered in an instant。
Unannounced； a yearning dredged from the locked away depths of his brain…core resurfaced；
dragged from beyond self…imposed restraints： a yearning； a thirst； a need for knowledge； a yearning
that had long been restrained； castigated and repressed within the constrictive bounds of the Adeptus
Mechanicus。
The quest for knowledge and understanding would begin afresh； this time with willing；
supportive patrons that would not tether him/them with rules； regulations； outdated morals and
archaic beliefs。
“It is done；” said Darioq…Grendh’al。
“Good。 You have what you need to continue your study of the Nexus Arrangement？” asked
Marduk hungrily。
“It has all become clear to us；” agreed Darioq…Grendh’al。 “We have what is needed to unlock the
xenos tech device。”
“Then let us get the hell off this damnable moon；” said Marduk。
Kol Badar took point； leading the bloodied warriors through the labyrinthine corridors of the Flames
of Perdition towards their submersibles。 The Word Bearers moved swiftly； not wishing to linger
within the xenos…haunted wreck any longer than necessary。
Distant daemonic roars filtered through the darkened hallways as the bloodletters continued their
frenzied rampage。 Such summoned daemons had only a finite existence in the material plane。 If
their physical bodies were not killed； they might last a day before their substance unravelled。 They
were tools for the First Acolyte to use and discard as he saw fit； and they had served their purpose。
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Twice； the Word Bearers were ambushed en route； genestealers launching blinding attacks that
saw two more warriors injured； one sustaining a deep wound in his side that would have killed a
mortal man； and the other； one of the last members of Khalaxis’s coterie； had half his face ripped
off。 He stoically continued on； hurling aside his sundered helmet and gritting his teeth； refusing to
succumb to the pain in front of such vaunted warriors as his champion； the Coryphaus and the First
Acolyte。 Marduk had nodded his respect to the warrior； who had puffed out his chest and struggled
on； pushing through the pain； at the unexpected acknowledgement。
They had not encountered any enemy for more than fifteen minutes； and they picked up the pace
as they closed on the location of the submersibles； keeping a wary eye on the throbbing blister
screen of their tainted auspex。
The Flames of Perdition shifted suddenly； the prow of the massive ship dropping as it tore loose
from the submerged cliff。 The entire ship tilted； and Marduk lost his footing as the floor tipped
beneath him。
The Word Bearers were thrown to their left； smashing into the side wall of the passage as the
immense freighter lurched。 One of them tumbled down a side…corridor that was more like a vertical
shaft； fingers scrabbling vainly for purchase。 Marduk flailed for a handhold amidst the piping on the
left wall； but found none； and began to slide down the corridor…shaft behind the power…armoured
brother Space Marine。
Burias…Drak’shal held out his icon； his other hand grasping onto a side…rail as other Word
Bearers tumbled past。 Marduk reached and grabbed the proffered icon； fingers locking around its
barbed haft； and Burias…Drak’shal hauled him to safety。 With a nod of thanks； Marduk pulled his
body over the lip of the shaft； dragging himself forward on his belly。
The ship rolled onto its side； its nose still tipping； before it finally came to rest； settling into its
new position。
Outside； rocks dislodged from the chasm walls by the immense weight of the freighter dropped
down into the abyss； tumbling down into the darkness。
“Who have we lost？” growled Kol Badar； picking himself up from the ground； ripping his power
talons from the wall； which had been the ceiling。
“Darioq…Grendh’al？” said Marduk in concern。
“He’s here；” said Burias； pushing the daemon back within him as he picked himself up。
The corrupted magos’s mechadendrites had shot outwards； clamping to walls like the legs of a
spider； halting his fall。
“Rhamel is gone；” growled Khalaxis。
“Is he the only one？” asked Marduk。
“Yes；” said Kol Badar； looking around； “but the ship could fall at any moment。 We have to get
out of here。”
“Where is he？” asked Marduk； looking down over the lip of the corridor…shaft。 It extended some
fifty metres before disappearing into the gloom that even his augmented sight could not penetrate。
Khalaxis cursed。 “The auspex is gone；” he said。
“Brother Rhamel？” asked Kol Badar through the inter…vox。
A static…filled voice came back； though it was distorted and patchy。
“…amel… broken arm… faulty…” came the response。
“His vox is damaged；” said Marduk。
“He is not getting up there with a broken arm；” said Burias； assessing the climb。 “You want me
to go get him？”
“We don’t have the time；” snapped Kol Badar。
Burias looked over at Marduk； who reluctantly nodded his head in agreement。 Khalaxis stared
down the vertical corridor； his hands clenched around the hilt of his chainaxe。 Rhamel was
Khalaxis’s blood…brother； having come from the same cult…gang on Colchis before the hated
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Ultramarines’ cyclonic torpedoes had destroyed the Word Bearers’ home world ten thousand years
earlier。 Together； they had been amongst the last batch of aspirants taken from the obliterated world。
“Brother Rhamel；” said Kol Badar； “proceed to the rendezvous point。 We will meet you there。
Repeat； proceed to the rendezvous point。”
“…cknowledged… phaus；” came the stilted reply。
“Come；” said Kol Badar to the rest of the dwindling group of warrior brothers。 “If he makes it；
he makes it。 If not； then it is the will of the gods；” he said mockingly； with a nod towards Marduk。
Khalaxis stood stone still； looking down into the darkness。
“May the gods be with you； my brother；” said Khalaxis； before turning away。
The Word Bearers renewed their advance。 With the ship on its side； the way they had come was
foreign。 What had been familiar was now strange； and where before they had advanced easily； they
were now forced to half…climb through doorways that were horizontal； and half…leap across vertical
corridors shafts that fell away below them。
The power…armoured warrior brothers leapt these expanses with ease； but the progress was not
so easy for the bulky Terminator…armoured Anointed warriors； and Marduk ground his sharp teeth in
frustration at their slow progress； drawing blood。
Burias ripped a pair of thick support girders from the walls； and dropped them over one of the
expanses； and Kol Badar and his Anointed shuffled across them； though the girders strained beneath
their weight。
Last to come arduk swore。
“They will not take his weight；” hissed Kol Badar。
The corrupted magos； with his full servo…harness and plasma…core generator attached to his
back； weighed almost twice as much as one of the Terminator…armoured Anointed warriors； and
Marduk swore again； knowing that the Coryphaus was correct。
“We’ll have to find another way round；” said Marduk； his voice terse with frustration。
“Wait；” said Burias； a smile playing on his lean face。
Marduk looked up to see the magos traversing the gap； his mechanical legs hanging beneath him
in midair。 Half…mechanical； half…fleshy mechadendrite tentacles punched through the panels in the
ceiling； gripping tight as the corrupted magos’s four immense servo…arms extended out to either side
at full stretch； gripping the girders there。 With a surprised barking laugh； Marduk watched as two of
the servo…arms released their grips and reached forwards to grasp the girders further along； before
releasing its other arms； and repeating the manoeuvre。 Mechadendrites pulled free overhead before
punching through the ceiling pa