Land of Shadows

The engines of the shuttle gave a dying gasp.

It was no longer the smooth, perfect hum of Necron technology, but an ear-splitting metallic scrape, like someone grinding bone with sandpaper.

Li Wei jerked awake from the pilot's seat.

He hadn't been sleeping deeply—or rather, ever since that library was crammed into his brain, he hadn't slept soundly once.

His dreams were entirely filled with green geometric shapes and visions of stars going dark hundreds of millions of years ago.

"Are we there yet?" Elena's weak voice came from the back.

The Battle-Sister was in very bad shape.

Although she had escaped that Dead Space of Exorcism that turned people into fools, prolonged malnutrition, psychological trauma, and that damned radiation were giving her a high fever.

She curled up in the corner of the copilot's seat, still tightly clutching that Aquila Pendant in her hand; it was the only thing she was still holding onto.

"We're here," Li Wei looked out the porthole.

"Why Medusa?" Elena asked, uncomprehending. "That's one of the worst places outside the Eye of Terror. Why didn't we go to Ultramar? Or even just a normal Agri-World?"

Li Wei sighed and held up four fingers.

First, this ship was "stolen property."

"Sister, look at what we're sitting in," Li Wei patted the console, upon which eerie Necron green light flickered. "This is xenic technology. If we fly this thing to any normal Imperial Defence World, or Ultramar, the Planetary Defence Orbital Cannon will blast us to slag in the first second. Only the Iron Hands... these tech-maniacs' first reaction upon seeing a xenic ship probably won't be 'fire,' but 'capture and study.'"

Second, Atticus was the only "ID card."

Li Wei pointed at the Space Marine. "We're two unregistered illegals, and we're carrying xenic tech. If this big guy doesn't wake up to vouch for us, we'll be executed on the spot as heretics. And on Medusa, he is a sergeant, and his word is law. On other planets, no one's going to believe a dying Space Marine was rescued by two mortals."

Third, the shadow of the Inquisition.

"Remember that Black Ship that blew up the planet? The Inquisition must be searching frantically for survivors right now to silence them. Medusa is an Astartes homeworld with a high degree of autonomy, and the Iron Hands are extremely xenophobic and despise the Inquisition meddling. That's one of the very few places in the galaxy the Inquisition's hands can't reach (or dare not casually reach). That's the best political sanctuary."

Fourth, and most importantly... Li Wei painfully pressed his temples.

"My brain." "The Necron data is eroding me. I need the highest level of cybernetic surgery to suppress it or extract it. Ordinary Imperial medical stations can't do it, and I can't even go to Mars (I'd get turned into a servitor). Only the Iron Hands... they have a morbid study of 'the combination of flesh and machine.' They're the only doctors I can find with the capability to perform this craniotomy and the willingness to make a deal with me."

Li Wei lowered his hand and looked out the porthole at the pitch-black cosmos.

"So, we have no choice."

The colorful hues of warp jumping had faded, replaced by the cold, pitch-black material universe.

And directly ahead of the ship floated a gloomy planet.

Medusa.

The homeworld of the Iron Hands.

It was not beautiful.

It looked like a massive chunk of burnt coal, its surface covered in thick layers of volcanic ash clouds.

Even in space, one could see those crisscrossing crimson fractures—active volcanoes erupting all over the globe.

And surrounding the planet orbited a massive, shattered debris belt.

It was the ruins of the ancient Telstarax Ring, looking like a broken crown casting a permanent shadow across the planet's surface.

"Is this... the Astartes homeworld?" Elena leaned in, looking at that hellish planet, a trace of fear flashing in her eyes. "It looks... like a dead star."

"For the weak, this is a death zone," Atticus, who had remained in a semi-conscious state, suddenly spoke up.

The giant opened his single eye.

After the long voyage, his wounds had scabbed over, but he was still too weak to even stand.

"Transmit the identification code," Atticus stared at the console. "Hurry. Unless you want to be blasted into atoms by the orbital cannon."

Li Wei did not dare delay.

His ship right now looked on the outside like a xenic vessel with Necron styling. Blundering into Medusa's air defense zone without hailing was pure suicide.

Following Atticus's instructions, he punched a complex Imperial Navy code into the communicator covered in Necron runes.

It was Atticus's gene-identification code and Chapter communication key.

Bzzzt— A harsh burst of static came from the communicator.

Following closely, a cold, emotionless voice—even more machine-like than the previous Necron Tomb Technician—sounded out.

"Unidentified craft. You have entered the Tenth Legion exclusion zone of the Iron Hands."

"Your ID code belongs to Sergeant Clan Atticus. According to records, this unit was judged missing/dead in the Atalos Prime campaign."

"You have ten seconds to prove your identity. Otherwise, we will execute elimination protocols."

Simultaneously, dozens of red dots instantly lit up on the radar screen.

Those were Medusa's famed orbital defense platforms.

Countless macro-cannons capable of tearing apart a cruiser had locked onto this tiny shuttle.

"Ten seconds..." Li Wei's palms were slick with sweat.

He looked at Atticus.

The giant took a deep breath.

He struggled to sit straight, facing the microphone, and roared in his signature voice that sounded like grinding rocks:

"Flesh is weak!"

"I am Atticus! Sergeant of the Third Tactical Squad, Iron Company!"

"I am bringing intelligence from the edge of the Eye of Terror, and... a 'sample' capable of strengthening our iron!"

"In the name of Ferrus Manus, I request landing clearance!"

The communication on the other end fell silent.

It was a suffocating silence.

It felt as if pairs of cold electronic eyes were scrutinizing this battered xenic ship across tens of thousands of kilometers of vacuum.

One second. Two seconds. Three seconds.

Finally, the communicator sounded again.

"Voiceprint match: 99.8%."

"Genetic-encoding logic is self-consistent."

"Welcome home, brother."

"Guidance beam locked. Landing coordinates: Clan Raukaan mobile fortress—'Iron Fist'."

"If you do not follow the flight path, the defense systems will open fire automatically."

Li Wei let out a long breath and slumped back into his chair.

"We survived."

"But that welcome sounds... really heartless."

"This is Medusa," Atticus closed his eyes. "We don't need heart. That only dulls the blade."

The shuttle was captured by a powerful tractor beam and began falling uncontrollably toward the atmosphere.

The process of entering the atmosphere was simply a disaster.

Medusa's atmosphere was filled with volcanic ash and charged particles.

The ship shook violently, its hull glowing red from friction.

Li Wei had to grip the handrails for dear life, feeling as though his brains were being scrambled.

Breaking through the thick clouds, the scenery of the ground finally revealed itself.

This was a gray-black wasteland.

No vegetation, no water sources. Only congealed lava flows, sharp obsidian peaks, and black ash dancing all over the sky.

Here it was even more desolate than the previous Necron tomb world.

Because a Necron world was static, while this place was volatile.

Sulfur gases erupted everywhere across the earth, and the crust constantly trembled.

And across that turbulent earth, a mountain was moving.

It was a massive mobile city forged of iron.

It rode upon treaded chassis miles wide, carrying magnificent factories, bastions, and monasteries upon its back. Countless smoke stacks spewed black smoke into the sky, and huge macro-cannon arrays pointed skyward like a hedgehog's quills.

Land crawler-fortress.

This was the base of the Iron Hands.

Because Medusa's geology was extremely unstable and could not support fixed cities, the Iron Hands built their monasteries into these massive mobile fortresses that endlessly roamed the wastes to escape volcanic eruptions and earthquakes.

"That's... 'Iron Fist,'" Atticus looked at that moving mountain of steel, a trace of fanaticism flashing in his eyes. "My home."

Guided in, the shuttle slowly landed upon a broad landing pad atop the fortress.

The wind here was fierce, mixed with volcanic ash, rattling sharply against the ship's hull.

Hiss— The airlock opened.

The outside air rushed in.

It was a scent mixing machine oil, sulfur, incense, and freezing cold.

"Put on your respirators," Atticus reminded. "The air here is toxic to mortals."

Li Wei fished two simple circulation breathing masks from beneath his seat, tossed one to Elena, and put the one remaining on himself.

Supporting Atticus, the three of them stepped down from the ship.

An honor guard composed of ten Space Marines was already waiting on the landing pad—if one could call it an honor guard.

They wore black power armor, every suit decorated with the insignia of gears and mechanical skulls.

Most striking of all were their hands.

Their hands (and even more of their limbs) had been replaced with silver cybernetic prosthetics. Under the dim sky light, those metal hands reflected a frigid gleam.

And in their midst stood an even taller, more terrifying figure.

He was barely recognizable as human anymore.

Most of his body had been retrofitted into a treaded chassis, a massive servo-arm extending from his back while he gripped a power cog-axe in his hand.

His face was replaced by a complex breathing mask and multiple optical sensors; only that single pulsating human carotid artery proved he was still a creature rather than a Necron machine.

That red-glowing auspex eye swept across the three of them.

First glancing at the broken Atticus with no pity, only evaluation.

Then Elena, directly ignoring her.

Finally, his gaze landed on Li Wei.

"Alarm," Karrg's vocoder emitted a harsh binary noise.

"Void field detected."

"Xenos data residue detected."

He raised that massive power cog-axe, pointing straight at Li Wei's head.

"Sergeant Atticus. Explain."

"Why have you brought back a living 'anti-psychic pollution source'? And his brain... is stinking with Necron filth."

The atmosphere instantly froze.

The ten surrounding Space Marines simultaneously raised their bolters.

At a single word from Karrg, Li Wei would be riddled with holes.

Li Wei did not move.

He felt the murderous intent from those gun barrels.

But he felt even more another emotion within Karrg's gaze—greed.

It was the greed of a technician looking upon unknown technology.

"He is not a pollution source, sir," Atticus walked forward with difficulty, blocking in front of Li Wei. "He is loot."

"This ship..." Atticus pointed at the shuttle behind him, "is what he hijacked."

"That Chaos battle-cruiser... is what he blew up."

"The stuff in his brain... is the live schematics of the Necron 'Dead Space of Exorcism' technology we've always been searching for."

Hearing those four words—"live schematics."

The red light in Karrg's optical sensor flared violently.

He lowered his axe.

That massive servo-arm reached out, winding like a snake with extreme agility past Atticus to hover right in front of Li Wei.

The sensor at the tip of the mechanical arm circled above Li Wei's head, emitting buzzing scanning noises.

"Interesting," Karrg's voice held a trace of mechanical excitement. "A Pariah. A mortal capable of carrying a Necron database without going mad."

"Flesh is weak... but your flesh seems to be a fine vessel."

Li Wei suppressed the urge to punch out that camera-eye.

He knew that right now he was meat on a cutting board. But he had to demonstrate value.

"I am not a vessel," Li Wei looked straight through his respirator into the iron monster's eyes. "I am a decoder."

He pointed at his temples. "The things inside here—only I can read them. If you slice me open, that data will immediately self-destruct. This is an anti-theft mechanism set by the Necrons." (He was lying, but he was betting the opponent wouldn't dare test it.)

Karrg stared at Li Wei for a full ten seconds.

The sensation of being evaluated as spare parts was hair-raising.

"Very well." Karrg retracted his mechanical arm.

"Take them to the 'Purification Hall'."

"Sergeant Atticus, go undergo reimplantation surgery. Your weakness (referring to the severed arm) needs to be repaired by iron."

"As for this mortal..."

Karrg turned, his treaded chassis roaring as he glided toward the interior of the fortress.

"Send him to my laboratory. I am going to give him a... comprehensive 'physical checkup'."

Stepping into the interior of the "Iron Fist" was like entering a massive, roaring factory.

There was no comfort here.

The floors were hollowed-out metal grates, beneath which were bottomless mechanical chasms where massive gears could be seen turning and pistons striking.

The air was burning hot, the noise so loud that speech was impossible without communicators.

Servitors were everywhere to be seen instead of servants.

Yet unlike the dazed servitors found elsewhere in the Imperium, the ones here were retrofitted to be extremely efficient, strong, and full of industrial aesthetics. They hauled artillery shells and repaired pipelines with the precise movements of CNC machine tools.

Li Wei and Elena were escorted by two Space Marines.

Elena had been shivering constantly.

The environment here was far too profane for her.

No cathedrals, no holy icons, only gears and machine oil.

To a Ministorum Sister, this extreme mechanical worship was almost equivalent to heresy.

"Don't be afraid," Li Wei whispered comfort. "As long as you're useful, they won't use you for fuel."

They were led into a massive medical bay—or rather, a modification workshop.

Dissection tables and mechanical arms filled the place.

Many wounded Space Marines lay upon the tables, not only without anesthesia, but watching while awake as apothecaries severed their limbs and replaced them with stronger cybernetic arms.

"This is... the Iron Hands," Li Wei watched the scene, deeply shocked.

These madmen truly carried "flesh is weak" to the extreme. They even loathed their own naturally healthy bodies, longing to turn themselves into pure machines.

Atticus was taken away.

Before leaving, he glanced back at Li Wei.

"Survive, mortal."

"If you pass Karrg's test... you'll get what you want."

Li Wei and Elena were pushed into an independent laboratory.

The door closed.

The room contained only a cold metal operating table, along with various probes and scanners.

"Now... let us begin." Archmagos Karrg glided out from the shadows.

Upon his multiple mechanical tentacles he held various bone-chilling tools: neural probes, bone saws, and some kind of tubing meant to extract cerebrospinal fluid.

"Pariah... your very existence is a paradox."

"Your soul is empty, but your brain is filled with the wisdom of xenos. I wonder... if I take your brain out and put it into a robotic body... will that trait of 'void' still remain?"

Li Wei retreated to the corner, shielding Elena behind him. "We had an agreement," Li Wei shouted. "I'm here to trade. I'm not here to be a guinea pig." "I can help you decipher that Necron data. I can help you improve your Bolters, your engines, even your bionic technology."

"But I have one condition."

"In this laboratory, there are no conditions." Karrg sneered, his mechanical tentacles suddenly lashing out to grab Li Wei by the neck and hoist him into midair. "Only data. And results."

The sensation of suffocation washed over him. Li Wei's feet left the ground as he struggled desperately.

The strength of that mechanical claw was too great; even a single finger could crush his windpipe.

Just when Li Wei thought he was going to be choked to death,

a red warning box suddenly popped up in his mind from the Necron database. It was the scan result for the Archmagos standing before him.

[Target Analysis: Iron Father-class Cyborg.]
[Core Component: MK-4 Logic Engine (Degraded).]
[Detected: Logic Plague Residue (Scrapcode Trace).]
[Source: Axis Data-link Contamination.]

Li Wei's eyes widened.

This Karrg... he had also been in contact with that dark magos Axis!

Or perhaps, while researching certain technologies of Axis, he had accidentally become infected!

Though faint, a time bomb was hidden within his seemingly perfect mechanical logic.

"Cough, cough... Your... logic engine..." Li Wei squeezed out a few words with difficulty. "Is running hot... right?" "Every time you... try to compute deep-layer code... you feel... phantom pain..."

Karrg's hand suddenly stopped. That red electronic eye sharply constricted. "What did you say?"

"I know... what's wrong with you." Li Wei seized this sliver of life, speaking desperately. "It's Waste Code... a chaotic virus... it's eating your logic." "I have a way... to clean it." "Using Necron... Anti-Logic Algorithms."

Karrg fell silent.

He brought his massive mechanical face close to Li Wei, mere centimeters away. Li Wei could even smell the scent of machine oil venting from his respirator.

"Are you... threatening me?"

"No." Li Wei looked at him. "I'm... making a pitch." "I'm your only... antivirus software."

Karrg's mechanical claw slowly loosened.

Li Wei dropped to the floor, coughing violently and greedily breathing in the air thick with the smell of machine oil.

"Prove it." Karrg turned around and walked over to a massive console. "If you can clean out the Waste Code residue in this console... I'll recognize your worth." "If you can't..." He pointed toward the incinerator beside them. "You'll go in there as fuel."

Li Wei scrambled up, rubbing the bruise on his neck.

He glanced at the trembling Elena in the corner, giving her a reassuring look.

Then, he walked toward the console.

On his retina, the machine was no longer cold metal.

It was a tangled, green stream of data. And within that green data, a dark red virus code, resembling a tumor, writhed.

"Piece of cake." Li Wei reached out and pressed his hand against the data port. "Watch and learn, old bucket of bolts." "Let me show you what you call... physical antivirus."