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’Where?’ the Interrogator-Chaplain asked
’The main control chamber, I can access it fro Nestor down the di the control chamber, Hephaestus crossed to the central platform and activated one of the central interfaces Around hi the rooes lasses On one screen to Boreas’s left, the Chaplain saw a view of the courtyard outside, and watched as rebels surged forwards against the line of Imperial Guard, so their way through with fists and rocks Tearing his attention away, Boreas watched as Hephaestus’s fingers danced over a runepad
’Hurry! Every ene-seed further out of out reach,’ Nestor snapped froless numerals, letters and symbols scrolled up the screen as Hephaestus worked The screen then went blank for a few seconds before an empty white box appeared at its centre
’Authority cipher,’ explained the Techmarine as he entered a sequence of runes The screen went blank again for a few e appeared
+CIPHER ACCEPTED - ANNIHILUS VIRAL FAILSAFE ACTIVATED+
’So at keys without response
’What’s happening? Tellat the words on the display
Hephaestus ignored the Chaplain as he continued to desperately punch in security protocols and override co back, he slass spinning through the air
’Hephaestus, tellthe Techmarine around to face him
’One last trick,’ muttered Hephaestus He looked back at the shattered screen and then at Boreas ’They broke into the core ave it new commands As soon as I accessed the annihilus, it was primed to acti­vate’
’Can’t you stop it?’ asked Nestor, taking a pace into the room
’No, it’s impossible, there’s no delay,’ Hephaestus told them ’Activation is immediate The annihilus was always intended to be a last resort Why take the risk of it being deactivated during a countdown?’
’Youeven now?’ asked Boreas, looking around hi the air
’Yes,’ the Techainst the console ’We failed’
’What happens next?’ Nestor asked ’What type of virus is it?’
’Oic,’ replied Hephaestus heavily ’It will devour all living matter It can be airborne or waterborne, and will pass by contact Kadillus Harbour will be infected within two hours of release, the island within half a day After that it depends on wind strength and the currents, but the virus ipe out every living creature, destroy every organic cell on the planet, within five days As it spreads it grows more virulent, in a cyclical effect that will strip the planet bare Even bones will be destroyed Were it not for our armour and helmets, ould already be dead We have failed’
’Not wholly,’ Nestor said, causing Boreas and Hephaes­tus to look up sharply Hope flared within the Interrogator-Chaplain ’We can still retrieve the gene-seed’
’Zaul, Damas, Thumiel, assemble in the entrance cha off the control dais The other two fell in behind him As he walked, he explained the situation to those who had not been present
’Why would they do such a thing?’ Zaul asked over the comm-net ’What is the point?’
’I cannot say for sure, but I think it is a e,’ Boreas told them ’They want our brethren to knohat hap­pened here, but for what twisted reason I cannot fatho it?’ Hephaestus wondered ’To tie the activation in with the override see to do’
’The prisoner Boreas questioned in their base spoke of dissent,’ Nestor recalled ’Perhaps soene-seed The others ht not have had the opportunity to properly set the annihilus and so had to resort to deception’
’Or they just wanted to ensure they were clear of the planet before the virus was released,’ suggested Damas ’It would seem likely for such a cowardly art’
’It rowled Boreas ’When we take the! I will personally see to that’
last to arrive in the entrance cha the sealed door
’We et back to the Thunderhawk Kill if neces­sary,’ the Chaplain told his squad ’The Fallen will not escape us; I will hunt them under every rock and across every kilometre of space For what they have done today, I will inflict pain upon theed I will ony as jus­tice for their crimes’
He took a step towards the door, and then stopped suddenly
’Brother-chaplain?’ Nestor inquired ’Is there so’
’Hephaestus, tellto the Techmarine
’In the lowest vault,’ he answered ’Of what relevance is that?’
’The first aim of the virus is to cleanse the keep of intruders, correct?’ Boreas continued his chain of thought
’Yes, the virus is released internally first, before spread­ing to the rest of the city,’ Hephaestus confirmed
’And how does it spread?’ Boreas asked
’Simple, if the keep has been breached or has been taken, there will be any number of ways for it to pass into the’ Hephaestus’s voice trailed off as he followed Boreas’s gaze towards the armoured entry portal ’There has been no attack, no breach’
’The tower is co at each of the others ’As protection froht Until we break that seal, the virus is confined to the interior’
’But as soon as we leave, the seal is broken,’ said Nestor ’I do not understand’
’We will not be leaving,’ Daene-seed-’ Nestor protested bit­terly ’Piscina is already dooh the circumstances of its activation may have been unortho­dox, the virus borip of revolt, and the orks are attacking in overwhel numbers The planet is already lost We shall si its demise The virus will cleanse the world as it was supposed to, denying it to the enemies of the Emperor’
’No,’ Boreas answered flatly
’No?’ roared Nestor ’You would abandon the hope of our Chapter’s future for a world already in flames, on the brink of destruction? You would sacrifice that for a dying world?’
’A world ore to protect,’ Boreas reuard it by what­ever means necessary’
’Piscina is lost!’ declared the Apothecary ’If the rebel­lion does not destroy this world, the orks will overrun it! There is nothing left to save, Boreas!’
’We are not leaving,’ Boreas said stubbornly, recalling his arguments with Astelan ’We live to serve the Eels’
’This is heresy,’ Nestor barked ’Are you renouncing your oaths of allegiance?’
’No, I a them,’ Boreas snapped ’We swore to protect Piscina, and that is ill do It ene-seed; this duty overrides all others’