The Abominable Intelligence boiling forth from the depths of Olympus Mons was like a predatory raptor, seeking out any stream of information it could devour.
Like an assassin, it infiltrated Mars's forge networks, replicating itself at a geometric rate as it identified weaknesses in the data protection grid.
It detonated every link, triggering catastrophic system failures and twisting everything it touched into something filthy and corrupt.
The strange flickers and rhythms produced by machine language, the living data streams and lights flashing with rich information, let out horrifying screams as they became malformed distortions.
In Vastitas north of Olympus Mons, the Abominable Intelligence warped open the pressure valves of the chemical refineries.
A mixture of methyl isocyanate, phosgene, and hydrogen chloride flooded the reservoirs used by workers in the northern polar basin.
Clouds of lethal toxic mist slowly seeped into the pools, killing every living soul.
Tens of thousands died every second.
The Abominable Intelligence then surged into Medusa Fossae, warping and altering the composition of the air needed for breathing.
Hydrogen cyanide gas was injected into every Psyker's body. Within minutes, more than six thousand Psykers had vanished.
Shrieks of agonized death echoed above the Imperial Dome.
The dial-up tones of the Abominable Intelligence's invasion erupted, only to be instantly overridden by a highest-authority alarm.
Abnormal currents surged through the circuits like machines themselves, and the Machine Spirits gave piercing screams.
The circuits could not withstand the pressure and exploded. Countless precision machines were instantly destroyed by overload.
All life on Mars depended on the network to remain connected. Now they were bound in malicious shackles, waiting for death to descend.
The same disasters played out countless times across the red planet's surface. Machines overloaded and exploded as their internal operations were burdened with contradictory commands.
Explosions in the