971. M41-Holy Terra
Does anyone know how humans dispersed to so many different worlds? Who still remembers the people who tore apart their homeland, Terra, and dragged humanity into wild wars? Who can still recognize the ancient ruins of Terra, the destroyed countries and the names of the peoples who have long since turned to dust? There are impossible answers to these questions.
In the grim darkness of the distant future, humans rule more than a million worlds, but none is more important than Terra. This barren little world lacks minerals, food, and water resources, and everything requires never-ending external transport ships to supply.
But this still does not affect Terra from becoming the heart of Imperium, the home of the Emperor, and the last hope for human beings to survive in the cold and ruthless universe.
Huge cities covering the entire planet are stacked up layer by layer in complex structures. If an expert on the earth from the past came to the present, he would definitely find that the earth today has expanded several times during tens of thousands of years of brutal expansion.
Pure air has become precious, and only the top nobles can be lucky enough to breathe the fresh smell. As for others, they have to survive in the poor air that has been filtered and purified for tens of thousands of years.
The planet has also lost its stable weather. Thunderstorms and black storms once swept across the entire planet. But now, under the control of Adeptus Mechanicus's glorious holy artifact, this sacred place will only produce a divine rainfall at the most important moment.
The entire planet is dotted with large-scale Imperium institutions.
Administratum, Departmento Munitorum, Adeptus Mechanicus, Adeptus Arbites, Inquisition, Astartes Abbey...
These buildings overlook all living beings like mountains, performing eternal services for the Emperor within or behind the towering Ceramite city walls.
The poor Terra people are divided according to Hive City layers. Throwing away the Hive City spiers already in the atmosphere, the width of several kilometers in the middle is all the middle layer Hive City.
The people are struggling to survive in it, meeting their daily needs under the gaze of the glorious statue and the great the Emperor. They handle the simplest and basic tasks on Terra to make this huge machine run.
More fortunate families can raise knowledgeable children, and then get the opportunity to work in the Imperium department, obtain simple body modifications, and work until death in a position that will never change.
Joining the army, serving as a servant, serving as a clerk, or being valued by some big shots are all considered by middle-class people as a stepping stone to get rid of the upper class and move forward.
Further down is the suffocating and dark Hive City lower level. This is a place where management is out of control. No one can safely count the population of the Hive City lower level.
Even the current population data of Terra are just old records left behind by the M35. The complex and huge bureaucracy operates inefficiently, like rusty gears twisting slowly under the huge thrust of grinding out Mars.
Gangsters, mutants, and more dangerous hidden creatures are running rampant in the lower levels.
So much so that the intersection between the middle floor Hive City and the lower floor Hive City has dedicated personnel to conduct closed management.
Sometimes, Adeptus Arbites and Inquisition, those inhuman and indifferent killers, will go to the lower levels. Whether it is to defend the laws of the Emperor or to ensure the purity of mankind, they will not begrudge the weapons in their hands. Every time they go, they will represent a reshuffle of the lower level forces.
Under the lower layer of Hive City, there are ancient ruins. Various unspeakable ruins and sewer systems make up that dark area. No one can tell what is sealed in the deep underground.
But the more suffocating the place, the more it becomes a contrast to the glorious holy place.
The more dark and oppressive it is here, the more Terra's Hive City spiers shine with the divine light of ignorance.
The edge of the Imperial Palace, which is the size of a continental plate, is filled with the most powerful and wealthy families. They possess unimaginable political power and military force.
But above them, there is a Senate composed of twelve High Lord who have been granted power by the Emperor. They are fulfilling their obligations on this great and sacred planet and managing the huge Imperium of Man on behalf of the Emperor.
The nine permanent seats and the three non-permanent seats form the center of power of Imperium of Man. When you can interpret these, you can have a basic idea of which departments of Imperium of Man are the most important.
Administratum Chief, Ecclesiarch, Forging General, Adeptus Arbites Minister, Navigator Ambassador, Adeptus Astronomica chaired, Officio Assassinorum Grand Master, Adeptus Astra Telepathica chaired, Inquisition representative.
The nine seats are sacred and inviolable, and these positions have rarely been vacant in the long history of Imperium.
The remaining three seats are chosen from the powerful leaders of each Imperium faction.
Commander of the Sun, Astra Militarum Commander-in-Chief, Imperium Senior Admiral, Ecclesiarchy Terra Church Bishop, Battle Sisters Mother Superior, Captain-General of the Adeptus Custodes, Imperium Archives Minister, Charter Captain Spokesperson.
Now Senatorum Imperialis is held again. This Senatorum Imperialis chamber is so huge that there is a microclimate in the high dome.
Fabricator-General of Mars's body was transported by a heavy crane. His body occupied half of the conference room. In the huge mechanical structure, it was difficult to see where his head was.
The rest of the people's chairs tried their best to avoid opening his huge and complicated cables to avoid being killed on the spot by the strong magnetic current and lethal radiation rushing through them.
Although it is a meeting of twelve people, all of them know that Imperium's table of power will always have a thirteenth seat. The most sacred and powerful thirteenth seat will always belong to the great the Emperor.
Director Administratum held a piece of parchment in his hand. He stood up tremblingly. His body was covered with cables for life extension and Imperium's most advanced life-extending organs.
"Huh... here is...Holy Terra 972. M41. The 86,729,815th meeting..."
Administratum's breath became less and less, and then he suddenly fell to the ground, clutching his chest.
His alternate was ready, and the moment President Administratum was exhausted, he took up his words. However, the age and life-extending transformation of this new President Administratum were not much less than those of the previous one.
According to the frequency of death from overwork of High Lord, Chief Administratum should be able to survive for about five years.
"In this meeting, Commander-in-Chief Astra Militarum will deliver the first phase of the speech."
The new Administratum commander sat down, and then the old and strong general, who was wearing a military uniform and with medals that could be used to block bombs, stood up.
"Here is the list of recent Star of Terra awards. I have already written down their merits."
The Imperator Titan contaminated by Khorne is statistically larger than the normal Emperor-class.