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or power drills behind her fist as required。
Her eyes opened wide as the bulky form of Darioq…Grendh’al entered the room。
“Darioq？” she whispered hoarsely。 “By the blessings of the Omnissiah； is that you？”
“Darioq is still here；” said the magos； and Marduk smiled to see the explorator recoil from the
voice； interlaced with the voice of the daemon Grendh’al。
“He is pleased to see you； Explorator First Class Daenae；” continued Darioq…Grendh’al；
“originally of the Konor Adeptus Mechanicus research world of UL01。02； assigned to cl4。8。87。i；
Perdus Skylla； for recon/salvage of the Dvorak…class interstellar freighter Flames of Perdition；
which reappeared within Segmentum Tempestus in 942。M41 and crashed onto the surface of
cl4。8。87。i； Perdus Skylla； in 944。M41 after being missing presumed lost in warp storm anomaly
xi。024。396 in 432。M35。”
“What have they done to you？” asked the explorator in revulsion。
“Enough；” interjected Marduk。 “I have it on the authority of the magos that you are in
possession of knowledge that I would own。”
“What？” asked the explorator。 “Me？ You think I have knowledge that great Darioq； my master；
does not possess？ Surely you are mistaken。”
Her voice fairly dripped with scorn。
“The knowledge I seek is in regard to a xenos artefact； an artefact taken from the necrontyr。”
“I know nothing about any xenos tech；” said the explorator emphatically。 “Nothing。”
Marduk glowered at her； and then looked up at Darioq…Grendh’al。
“A direct answer； magos；” said the First Acolyte； empowering his voice with command。 “Does
she have the key to unlock the device？
“She does；” said Darioq…Grendh’al。
“What？” asked the explorator。 “I don’t know anything！ He lies！”
“He cannot lie； not to me；” said Marduk。 “You are coming with us。 Your secrets will be
revealed。 My chirurgeons can be very convincing when I need them to be。”
“I do not lie！ I know nothing！” said the explorator fiercely as Marduk yanked her to her feet。
“We have to move；” said Kol Badar from the doorway。
“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。”
110
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。
111
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 Ma