The Emperor's Voice

Vito walked through the dim, deep streets of the Mid Hive. It was not because there was no light here, though neither the sun nor the sky could reach this place.

Natural light was a privilege enjoyed only by the upper Imperial nobility.

The Mid Hive's light all came from human creations: neon shop signs and streetlamps set along the roads. These artificial lights brought illumination to the place.

Vito watched the people around him. This was where most of the Hive City's residents lived, caught between the prosperous Upper Hive and the chaotic Underhive.

Here, one could find the mingling of two kinds of Imperial life, as well as the obvious marks of transition. As one descended by rail elevator and through the spiraling aerial streets, everything around them began to change.

In the upper reaches of the Mid Hive, one saw enthusiasm, ambition, and arrogance. The people there might not hold high office, but their lives were still very close to those of the Imperium's powerful elite.

They were technicians, administrators, members of the Governor's Palace, and senior clergymen. Life there could truly be called civilized.

But farther down, the brilliant sunlight and fresh air vanished, replaced by pungent industrial fumes and unpleasant shifts in temperature.

Vito walked to the edge of a skyway and looked down. Layer upon layer of streets and buildings surrounded a deep shaft, while countless Imperial ships and aircraft moved back and forth through the abyss at its center.

At the very bottom of that abyss lay the Lower Hive—or rather, the dark Underhive.

Fortunately, while this place could hardly be called civilized, the Imperium's power still held it under control.

The young Inquisitor Vito turned his head. He had heard the booming voice long ago. It came from several Servo-skulls floating before a statue of the Emperor.

Scarlet robes and white clerical caps looked utterly out of place here, yet the priest still recited and preached with commendable passion and noble fervor.

"Within the endless darkness of the galaxy, there is only Him! Lord of Mankind, King of the Golden Throne! Only His light can save us! Only faith can shield all living souls from destruction!"

The young, impassioned priest recited the Imperial Creed, whose words he had long since memorized.

Whenever Vito saw them like this, he could not help but smile mockingly. After all, the Imperial Creed had come from... well, as an Inquisitor, perhaps he should not discuss that matter.

And of course, he absolutely could not tell them. The people of the Imperium were not especially good at accepting or understanding new ideas and theories these days.

You would most likely be branded a heretic, or a traitor, a bastard—anything, really, depending on your luck. At best, you would get a severe beating. More than half the time, it would be execution.

"Suffering is prayer, faith is redemption! Have faith in Him! It is through His light that we have received the voice of great truth!" The priest's voice was greatly amplified through the Servo-skulls. Everyone could hear him clearly, along with that intensely passionate and stirring delivery.

The devout Imperial believers loudly praised the Emperor, endlessly chanting lines from the Creed until their voices were hoarse, as though they truly intended to make the old man on the Golden Throne of holy Terra, tens of thousands of light-years away, hear them through sheer volume.

Vito shook his head with a bitter smile. He looked toward an Ecclesiarchy priest standing beneath the statue beside the fiery preacher. He was younger, perhaps an apprentice.

"Priest." Vito walked up to the inconspicuous young apprentice, whom no one else seemed to notice. The apprentice looked up at him in surprise. "No, sir, I'm only an apprentice. I was assigned to assist Brother Endis with his preaching."

Vito smiled warmly. "Every priest starts as an apprentice, including that very passionate Endis. What is your name, young priest?" "Kadon, sir. My name is Kadon."

Vito leaned against the ventilation pipe beside Kadon and looked sideways at the fanatical congregation. "It seems your work has been quite successful, Kadon. My name is Vito. Vito Constantine."

Kadon nodded slightly and looked at the enormous, absurdly thick collection of Imperial Creed texts in his hands—heavy enough to smash an Ork's skull open with a single blow.

Seriously, could the Emperor really have come up with that many sayings for you?

Vito smiled helplessly and folded his arms. "Your church is up above, isn't it? I saw that grand cathedral when I arrived. Of course, there are churches in the Mid Hive too, but they are not nearly as beautiful."

"You saw Saint Kaan Cathedral? Indeed, every time I see that vast cathedral and its hall large enough to hold tens of thousands in prayer, my heart swells with emotion." Kadon spoke proudly, his eyes shining.

Vito continued to smile. "Indeed. But the ones in the Mid Hive are not nearly as good. I've been down here for quite a while and have not seen many at all, especially farther down."

Kadon nodded slightly and sighed helplessly. "Yes. In fact, this place you see is already the edge of our preaching grounds. We will not go any farther down." "Why? Is spreading the light of truth too exhausting?" "No, we do not mind laboring for the Imperium's faith. But the Lower Hive is too dangerous, and the people there do not accept the church's faith."

Vito considered this for a moment and rubbed his chin. "Would you mind telling me about this so-called non-mainstream faith?"

Kadon shook his head and closed the Creed in his hands. "I'm sorry, sir, but I do not know either. The archbishop forbade us from discussing or contacting the ideas and members of the Lower Hive's heretical churches, so I know nothing about them."

"That is also why the church does not permit us to cross the boundary and enter the Lower Hive to spread the Emperor's faith. Whenever I think of it, I regret that the poor people there cannot hear the voice of truth."

"But I have heard that faith in the Lower Hive is also very strong. Though the way they worship the Emperor is very different from ours, many older priests insist they are heretics—shameless traitors who worship the Chaos Gods."

"Followers of Chaos?" Vito raised a brow. "And the Adeptus Arbites and the Planetary Defense Force have done nothing to purge them? They have simply allowed that faith to keep spreading through the Lower Hive?"

Anton nodded in confusion, clearly unable to understand it himself. "I don't understand either, but the archbishop forbade us from discussing anything related to it. My apprentice friends in the Administratum and the Governor's Palace say they are forbidden from discussing it as well."

Vito leaned against the wall and turned to look at the frenzied believers. Then he stood, smiling as he tossed a gold coin to Kadon. The young priest stared blankly at the coin, then looked up at Vito with a serious expression. "Sir, we cannot accept money in private. As the Emperor said, greed is the beginning of betrayal."

"But the Emperor also said that true wealth should be used for the right cause." Vito smiled as he covered his Bolter with his coat. Kadon looked at the weapon and seemed to suddenly realize something. His eyes widened, and just as he was about to speak, Vito stopped him.

There were always many rumors among the people of the Imperium. They said that Inquisitors disguised themselves as all sorts of people, infiltrating ordinary Imperial society to observe and listen for betrayal and heresy, then erasing their source.

Like ghosts lurking nearby. Though that sounded utterly absurd, the tale was indeed widespread among Imperial citizens. Mothers often used it to frighten disobedient children. But sometimes... such rumors were true. For example, right here and now.

He smiled and made a quiet gesture. "Keep this secret for me, all right, child? Do not tell anyone that I was here, or what we spoke about—not even your elder priests. For the Emperor."

The believers' clamor and the Servo-skulls' loudspeakers completely drowned out their conversation. No one could hear what they were saying, nor would anyone notice them. At least, that was what he and the young priest believed.

Kadon nodded firmly. "For the Emperor, sir." "I swear I will use the gold coin you gave me for the right cause." "I'm sure you will, child. Now, let us each go and do what must be done—the right thing."

Vito waved and departed, walking toward the end of the dim street. Kadon knew where he was going. He clasped his hands and gave a standard Imperial Aquila Salute.

"May the Emperor bless you."