An Encounter on the Road

The sky over the Boros River was gray and hazy. Dust rose from the dry ground beneath the roaring engines of countless transport vehicles and airships. Through the busy flight paths in the atmosphere, moving starships could just barely be seen in low orbit.

A long-building storm was about to break. The shifting air pressure affected everyone's mood, making the gloomy sky seem increasingly ominous.

Complete removal of unknown interference estimated in 20 hours and 09 minutes. Comparison indicates a greater than 95% probability that the interference source originated from the Warp.

Matter deployment function restored. Teleportation array affected and currently undergoing repairs.

Lox, riding in an off-road vehicle bound for Numenas, had finally received some limited good news from the Cogitator.

Much like what they had encountered while traveling through the Warp, the interference affecting the Cogitator originated from the power of The Empyrean. In the form of Chaos Scrapcode, it disrupted the stability of any entity possessing AI-like qualities.

If it had been an ordinary electronic virus, the Cogitator would have needed only the time of a single logical operation to completely erase it. In the world of data, a true artificial intelligence possessed power as incomprehensible as that of a god.

Yet the enemy was not an electronic virus. It was difficult even to define what sort of existence it was.

The news eased much of his tension. At the very least, the starships in orbit could now provide support to Lox and the others on the ground.

Since it was a vehicle belonging to the mortal auxiliary forces, the two Astartes had no choice but to cram themselves into the rear cargo bed. They hunched over with their knees pressed to their chests, filling the tiny space.

Tassa the Salamander occupied two-thirds of the space, forcing him to squeeze the Iron Father into one corner of the compartment. The mighty physique bestowed by Vulkan even flattened one of the wheels on the side.

He gave the Iron Father an honest smile, trying to say something to ease the atmosphere.

"It's quite warm in here."

Wayland was speechless. This was an open-air cargo bed, and he stuffed his steel prosthetic limb into the gap between his legs.

Black raindrops finally began to fall, striking their power armor like bolter rounds and bursting into tiny wet marks. The earthy scent that preceded a torrential downpour filled the air.

The storm had arrived!

The dry road was covered by countless raindrops, which quickly gathered into a shallow layer of water and sprayed high beneath the rapidly spinning tires.

Sergeant Herlock personally drove this vehicle of the 61st Company, speeding along the highway toward Numenas. Though the veteran did not know exactly what had happened, he could see from Lox and the others' expressions that something extraordinary was afoot.

"Looks like something big is about to happen. Old friend, let's go a little faster."

The veteran murmured so softly that he was nearly inaudible, speaking to the vehicle beneath him as he floored the accelerator and pushed it to maximum speed.

In the dim sky, the clouds grew denser and denser, nearly turning day into night. Only a few dragon-like bolts of lightning occasionally tore across the heavens, followed seconds later by rolling thunder.

Suddenly, Wayland, seated in the rear cargo bed, turned his helmet. His electronic eye had detected a peculiar object moving at astonishing speed.

"A Land Speeder. Ultramarines!"

On the flat road behind their vehicle, an open-topped special craft glided above the ground on anti-gravity plates. Its roaring engine gave it a speed far beyond what mortals could endure. It had been fitted with a turret, and its weathered cobalt-blue armor revealed its identity.

Thermal imaging showed that two Ultramarines were piloting the Land Speeder. The externally mounted turret was highlighted in Wayland's vision. The instant it entered his sight, the Iron Father had the means to destroy it.

"Stop them!"

Seeing that they had encountered two Ultramarines, Lox immediately signaled the sergeant to slow down and flashed the lights to tell the approaching Land Speeder to halt.

A piercing horn echoed along the road, drawing the Ultramarines' attention.

"Slow down, Seraton." From the passenger seat of the Land Speeder, Ventanus, 4th Captain of the Ultramarines, used his helmet's communicator to signal his companion to reduce speed.

The Land Speeder slowed.

"Those two are... our battle-brothers?" Seraton had also noticed the vehicles ahead slowing to signal them. In the cargo bed of one vehicle, two Astartes wearing Ultramarines power armor were crouched together.

The Land Speeder promptly decelerated. They followed behind the convoy and pulled over with it at the roadside.

Ventanus jumped down from the speeder hovering above the ground. He removed his helmet, revealing a brilliant smile. "Brothers, where are you headed?"

Lox opened the vehicle door as well, while Wayland and Tassa climbed over the cargo-bed railing. The vehicle suddenly sank on one side, steel groaning under the strain.

The two of them removed their helmets as well. Everyone immediately saw that the particularly huge Astartes had skin as dark as charcoal, while his eyes shone crimson like subterranean fire.

This was...

Ventanus was momentarily at a loss for words. Some of his battle-brothers indeed had dark skin, but this one...

He was clearly not an Ultramarine.

"Greetings, brother. Salamanders—Tassa."

"Iron Hands—Wayland."

The two no longer bothered pretending. Trying to bluff their way past an Ultramarines captain was pure wishful thinking. They were not like those disguise-loving bastards of the Alpha Legion.

Ventanus was merely stunned for a moment, then said nothing further. He keenly sensed the heavy aura around the two Astartes and realized there might be more to this.

"My Ultramarines brother, we have brought extremely important intelligence. You must immediately use every possible means to relay it to your Legion's high command."

"At any cost."

The Salamander and the Iron Hand spoke in unison.

"The Word Bearers now arriving in space are traitors. They and several other Legions have betrayed the Emperor. The Ultramarines are in danger."

As the words fell, Ventanus even suspected that an old injury to his Leman's Ear had not healed.

"The Word Bearers are traitors? How is that possible?"

Along the roadside, troop carriers, cargo vehicles, artillery pieces, and tanks rumbled onward. They braved the heavy rain to fulfill the Legion's assembly order. Mortal auxiliary soldiers riding in the passing transports saw the Ultramarines standing by the road and erupted into cheers and laughter.

A self-propelled artillery convoy stretching for dozens of kilometers extended beyond sight. The Shadowswords, Hellfires, and other machines produced by the Adeptus Mechanicus were even more deafening.

Yet such a lively scene could not warm Ventanus's heart. It was as if someone had poured a bucket of ice water from Fenris over his head. For a time, Ventanus did not dare believe the news was real.

The Legion had betrayed them.

To the Ultramarines, those were utterly unfamiliar words, words that were forbidden even to mention. He had heard of a warrior named Hill who had been confined and investigated merely for proposing hypothetical tactics against Astartes. At this very moment, he was supposedly being personally held to account by the Primarch.

There had never been a precedent for civil war among the Astartes. They were all warriors of the Emperor, so why would they slaughter one another?

"By the names of Ferrus and Vulkan, we swear it, brother. Our words are true. The betrayal on Isstvan V has already destroyed the Iron Hands, Salamanders, and Raven Guard. We went through great hardship to reach this place for no other reason than to tell you."

Swearing by a Primarch's name was the most solemn oath any Astartes could make.

Ventanus's caution led him to temporarily believe the two battle-brothers. He had to notify the Primarch and the Legion's high command as quickly as possible.

"We just wasted forty minutes going to the spaceport, but the officials I needed to see were not there. The nearest place with advanced communications should be the Universal Museum."

Ventanus wasted no words. He quickly returned to the Land Speeder and signaled Seraton to proceed at full speed.

"Those veterans know where the Universal Museum is. We'll go on ahead, brothers."

The Ultramarines vanished from Lox and the others' sight in the blink of an eye. Lox felt as though a great weight had temporarily lifted from his heart. They had passed the information to the Ultramarines; the Word Bearers' betrayal should be stopped.

The group continued on their journey, and before long, everyone was stunned by the enormous figures in the fields beside the road.

A colossal column of Titans marched in a line, their heavy footsteps shaking the ground as they advanced slowly amid escorting Adeptus Mechanicus speeders and other ground vehicles.

The Titans moved in vast groups, enough to block out the natural light. What little light remained was intercepted by these god-machines, casting broad, deep shadows.

Strange light fell upon the Titans' upper cockpits, radiating a profound killing intent. A full forty-seven Titans marched toward the assembly point with footsteps like earthquakes.

There was awe in Lox's eyes, but even more familiarity. In his time, Titans had simply been weapons of war. Compared to other dangerous weapons, Titans were rather "gentle."

But in this era, these colossal machines undoubtedly possessed terrifying deterrence and combat power.

They surpassed almost any ground unit. Whether super-heavy tanks or superhuman soldiers like the Astartes, all were as fragile as paper before Titan-class firepower.