Chapter 78: The Arrival of the Swarm |
'Chaos contamination.'
The black-clad knight stood silently among the crowd like a statue, his gaze fixed on the young man named Cornwall.
The Blade prevented him from taking action.
Arthur frowned, his grip tightening around the hilt of his sword. The weapon in his hand was ready to sever that head at a moment's notice, yet an image of an ongoing meeting surfaced in his mind.
"Gravitational Anomaly detected. Unknown bio-ships identified. Estimated count: 3.6 million."
The servo-skull broadcasted the cold data, leaving a heavy, somber atmosphere hanging in the air.
Everyone sat in the council chamber, staring at the dense cluster of crimson dots that had already breached the outer edges of the star system on the holographic display.
These red markers pierced through the asteroid belt at the absolute fringe of the Piedmont system. Their sheer density caused them to overlap on the unmagnified projection.
It was an utterly absurd number.
Romulus muttered softly, never expecting the Great Devourer to arrive so swiftly.
"Do their combat Organisms exhibit these physical traits?"
Cawl swiftly brought up an image displaying various Tyranid Basic Combat Units, including the Ripper Swarm.
"Correct, but those are merely the most basic forms. I will share a detailed biological codex, though do not take it as absolute truth. The specific Organisms within every Hive Fleet possess slight variations."
Hearing this gave everyone a slight boost in confidence, though it also left them wondering how these individuals possessed such intimate knowledge of Xenos from outside the Galaxy.
At the same time, Romulus felt a surge of surprise. Had Tyranid organisms already surfaced on this planet?
"During our most recent breakthrough mission, the Guard Militant discovered a Biomass Lair used to incubate this particular breed of Xenos."
Cawl displayed the population numbers of the Genestealers he had been monitoring before adding, "It has been confirmed that this correlates with the severe drop in Genestealer numbers."
"They are preparing for the swarm's arrival,"
Romulus stated with absolute certainty before issuing his orders. "Ready the Anti-Air Array. Have the fleet escort the Transport Fleet away from Piedmont's orbit. These Xenos target Biomass. Based on our investigation of the Forge World, we are not their primary objective."
The Forge World was currently overflowing with human flesh. Over half the sector's population had been herded together and crammed into the crevices of those massive machines through some unknown means.
If the Tyranid Swarm made landfall, their first target would undoubtedly be that easily accessible feast.
"Is it truly necessary to preserve this planet?"
Aglaia asked the group with a stern expression, deciding to drop the lingering issues concerning her master for the moment.
"If you lords are in agreement, I have the authority to issue an Exterminatus."
She bluntly offered to bear the complete responsibility for such a drastic action.
According to Imperial law, if she failed to properly resolve her master's heresy, her life as an Inquisitor was forfeit anyway.
"Denied!"
The proxy body sent by Cawl immediately voiced its objection. "This planet holds immense value to the Imperium, and even more so to its very future."
All eyes shifted to him, waiting for an explanation that could justify facing yet another catastrophic enemy.
Cawl swiftly brought up a full holographic projection of the planet.
The tectonic plates beneath the Forge World's sector were digitally stripped away, revealing a colossal installation that covered more than half the globe, its main structure extending deep into the planet's core.
"This world houses a Geothermal Computator left behind from the Dark Age of Technology. I require this apparatus to complete my calculations. It is a matter that concerns the future fate of the entire Imperium."
"But the blasphemous landscape of the Forge World remains. We have already confirmed that populations drawn from countless planets have been stuffed into the gaps of those machines. Archmagos, how can you guarantee that the answers you seek will not be tainted under such conditions?"
Aglaia pressed him with her doubts.
"Chaos lacks the capability to corrupt this machine because it is an AI, a completely unique creation of that era. Chaos has neither the power nor the right to breach an algorithm that continuously updates itself in rhythm with the very pulse of the planet."
Cawl replied without a shred of hesitation.
"..."
For once, Aglaia felt as if her brain could not keep up. The sheer intensity of her thoughts made her head pound, prompting her to press a hand against her feverish forehead.
She felt that if she were truly a qualified Inquisitor, she would have launched a Bipolar Torpedo at this accursed world right then and there.
Both the Bishop and the Superior were already regretting their decision to attend a meeting that seemingly had nothing to do with them.
"Archmagos, do you understand what your actions imply?"
It was no exaggeration to say that the destructive potential an AI posed to civilization was even more terrifying than Chaos. At the very least, Chaos hadn't shattered a thriving human empire into countless isolated factions scattered across the Galaxy.
Such a dangerous entity deserved nothing short of complete annihilation. It could never be allowed to resurface in the realm of humanity.
"Everything is merely a tool. The Omnissiah decreed that humanity must never meddle with the powers of the Warp or AI, simply because the vast majority of human individuals are entirely unfit to be their masters."
Cawl replied, his words carrying a profound underlying meaning.
"If you intend to finish these calculations, how long will it take, Archmagos?"
Romulus inquired evenly.
The Transmigrators were not particularly surprised by any of this. The cogboys committed heresy on a regular basis; Cawl borrowing the power of an AI was hardly a massive leap.
"If the total computational power of the entire machine were devoted to my service, it would only require three Terran Months."
Romulus continued to listen in silence.
He suspected there would be additional conditions, and he was not wrong.
"However, a blasphemous Chaos Ritual is currently occupying the vast majority of its processing power. While the ritual cannot corrupt the machine itself, it manages to hijack those precious resources away from me, despite my possession of the master control codes."
Cawl let out a long sigh. Even though he was speaking through a remotely operated mechanical chassis, everyone could vividly feel his palpable exhaustion.
It was the mental fatigue of knowing that the closer one got to success, the harder the resistance pushed back to crush them.
A technological heretic harshly critiquing a religious heretic.
"Therefore, our mission objective returns to the core issue of locating the Old Inquisitor,"
Romulus analyzed calmly. "Our current progress remains limited."
Daemonic sight could only categorize targets. Non-psychic races could not pinpoint a core source simply based on sample sizes. They had to search painstakingly. To make matters worse, the Forge World was now a dense, overflowing nightmare where countless human Souls were crammed into every single crevice.
Yet, they hadn't even managed to locate the Word Bearers.
Rameses had recently been delving into a project involving "utilizing the spatial misalignment between the Warp and realspace to deploy Daemonhost units for long-range reconnaissance."
If he succeeded, their investigation speed would undoubtedly skyrocket.
Besides, there were barely any living humans left on the Forge World—just heaps of flesh physically crushed together by machinery, Genestealers harvesting Biomass, and a colorful assortment of Daemons. They didn't have to worry about friendly fire from the Daemonhosts.
Under normal circumstances, this would be the absolute worst news possible. Yet, given their current requirements, it was actually somewhat beneficial.
"My apologies, my lord."
Aglaia's face flushed with shame.
Despite half a month of investigation and the assistance of Rameses, whose sensitivity to Chaos corruption was terrifyingly acute, they had only managed to dismantle a series of cult hideouts. They were still no closer to finding the Old Inquisitor.
"Do not rush,"
Romulus comforted the group, his tone as relaxed and confident as ever.
"We have secured complete control over the upper hive's Void Shield Emitter Zone, Anti-Air Fire Zone, and Ground-Based Heavy Artillery Zone. We have linked them together to construct a unified defensive line capable of instantaneous communication. Even if we suffer a Xenos assault, we can hold the line for a substantial amount of time."
"Furthermore, the Tyranids possess a natural instinct to seek advantages and avoid unnecessary losses. Just as we did against the Genestealers, as long as we project enough military might, we can force the two venomous beasts to turn their fangs on each other."
The human forces had reclaimed control of the upper hive's military installations, leaving the Genestealers with no choice but to resume their brutal conflict against the underhive cultists.
This was one of the few pieces of good news they had received since arriving on Piedmont half a month ago.
However, hearing this only deepened the group's collective sense of shame.
All of these achievements were entirely due to the tireless efforts of the ancient warriors.
They were the ones who provided the Ecclesiarchy with abundant logistical support. They pointed out the locations of every Community for the rescue teams. They rallied the massive crowds, providing the immense manpower required to completely secure those sectors.
Initially, the Transmigrators' only real motive had been a subconscious desire to save as many lives as possible.
Their intentions had been pure, but the execution had yielded even better results.
"The Great Crusade lasted for over two centuries, conquering a million worlds for the Imperium,"
Cawl stated out of nowhere, leaving it ambiguous whether he was mocking himself or the situation.
He shook his head and skillfully steered the conversation back on track.
"The Explorer Fleet will not depart. I will treat anyone who attempts to destroy this planet as an enemy."
He seemed to come to a sudden resolution before dropping an absolute bombshell.
"If necessary, I will deploy the Titan legions without any regard for casualties. If you are all willing to stay, and my calculations are successful, I can dedicate the entire production capacity of a single Forge World exclusively to your service for a hundred years."
Everyone's breath caught in their throats.
A single Forge World typically shouldered the manufacturing needs of several surrounding sectors. If all of that immense industrial output was funneled into a specific group, it would equate to a level of wealth that defied imagination.
No one in the room doubted the Archmagos's sincerity. The vast majority of them possessed enough clout that, even in death, they could cause an endless mountain of trouble for Cawl.
"And if you fail?"
Tyberos asked.
"If I fail, I will take full responsibility and reimburse all your losses, including Chapter Gene-Seed."
Cawl answered.
"The Carcharodons will stay."
Tyberos nodded in approval. With their reserves safely tucked away beyond the galactic fringe, they could absorb the cost of a complete unit wipe.
The group then turned their collective gaze toward the meeting's leader.
"We will stay as well."
Romulus had absolutely no intention of fleeing either.
By constantly interfering with fate and aggressively purging the cultists, they had started a powerful snowball effect. If absolutely necessary, they were fully prepared to Exchange Pieces with the Swarm and Chaos.
As long as this planet wasn't violently dragged into the Warp by the Sacrificial Ritual.
Rameses's recent brutal interrogations of captured Daemons had enlightened the Transmigrators. A Sacrificial Ritual of this sheer magnitude could easily tear open a localized Rift on Piedmont, one rivaling the scale of the Great Rift.
Therefore, if they wanted the situation to tilt in their favor, they absolutely had to prevent the ritual from succeeding.
Thus, the topic of discussion pivoted back to the critical issue of locating the core of the ritual.
They desperately needed an opening to break the deadlock.