Edmund Latham

Herald of the Stars: Chapter Thirty-Two

This chapter is for Anthony Corcoran, many thanks for signing up.

The next two warp jumps proceed without incident. On the third, the warp currents drag us towards an angry, churning star, a system with a blue sun and a single planet.

We wait a week at the mandeville point, letting the light of the system wash over the ship for the long range auspex to absorb and process, giving a much higher resolution than if we’d waited five minutes before firing u...

Herald of the Stars: Chapter Thirty-One

After an emotional rest, I walk around the thunderhawk, directing a stream of nanites to sublimate the ice and level it out. Starting with the tail, I excavate the damaged craft.

With fewer immediate threats, I realise that even if the thunderhawk was destroyed, the gravity lift is still functional so we won’t be stranded on the planet. Ten minutes later, the thunderhawk is freed and I ask Mr Cygnus to fly into the lift column and have it extract us, rather than stress the damaged cra...

Herald of the Stars: Chapter Thirty

In celebration of my first, top tier Patreon, there is an extra chapter for everyone this week, across all tiers, including the public release.

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I dash over to Quaani and prop him up. He falls limp and I direct two servo-arms on my harness to carry him and his stave. Drawing my hellfire pistol, I fire into the servitor horde followed by a sweep from the flamer integrated into the harness.

“You...

Herald of the Stars: Chapter Twenty-Nine

The next morning, I sit on the bridge command throne and watch the screens. Quaani stands next to me. Both of us are smiling.

Landing on a planet is a mundane, though complex, procedure in the Imperium. I am incredibly excited. This ball of mixed ice and minerals represents survival and the chance for a better future.

Quaani points at the largest screen showing a top down view of the site. The image is meshed from multiple servo-skulls, floating human skulls fitted with sensor sui...

Herald of the Stars: Chapter Twenty-Eight

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The chapel is plain and even more warded than the navigator’s throne chamber. Beneath the floating altar in a recess cut into the floor is the speckled, blue and purple screen of a stasis field.

A blonde child lies behind the field, his hair at odd, floating a...

Herald of the Stars: Chapter Twenty-Seven

While on my daily walk, I reflect on the last four months. I spent the first month learning sufficient imperial cloning technology and designing, with the help of the research matrix, a generic servitor and its equipment and implants so that I can grow the clones around the implants, rather than hack up bodies like an ork mad doc.

In my spare time, I hunted down seven AI kill switches, but had to leave them in place until I could learn to repurpose them safely.

With the first batc...

Herald of the Stars: Chapter Twenty-Six

I don’t move from the bench for two days, my mind far too busy whirling with ideas and absorbing data. Eventually, I calm down and have E-SIM put me to sleep.

Good sleep puts everything in a new perspective.

I’m making dumb decisions.

I have not looked at a single mechanicus STC to compare my STC database to. I literally have no idea how good or complete the data I have is.

A query to Aruna nets me the maintenance grade STCs for Distant Sun’s components ...

Herald of the Stars: Chapter Twenty-Five

The first time I came back from the dead was a real shock, even if I knew it was a possibility.

The second time leaves me terribly confused.

Didn’t I get shot in the head?

I sit up and look about. I’m lying on a gurney under an automated medicae. Bright lights shine on my face, but do not blind me.

++Welcome back, operator.++

“Hello E-SIM. Why am I alive?”

++You never died, Aldrich. I did not think the eldar needed to know that though, nor could you...

Herald of the Stars: Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Four

I head back up the stairs. Aruna appears on a nearby screen as a cartoon cat, “Accelerating to six gravities. Artificial gravity systems online and compensating. Time to maximum acceleration, four hours.”

“That sounds slow to me,” I say, “though I suspect it’s the opposite.”

“The vessel is immensely heavy. That it moves at all should impress you, Magos.”

“Oh, it does. However, when I watch films, or play games, all this happens i...

Herald of the Stars: Chapter Twenty-Three

While Odhran prays, I quietly limp around the auto-temple, admiring the macabre and austere beauty of the frescos, carvings, and tapestries. Examples of important technologies lie in glass cases with holographic text popping up as I examine them, little labels and arrows pointing to specific points, often with an equation, rather than text. Fortunately I have E-SIM to explain why they are important, and better yet, understand them.

I was expecting nothing but guns and cybernetics, but t...

Herald of the Stars: Chapter Twenty-Two

A heavy gauntlet rips my weapon from me and yanks a canister from my belt. E-SIM talks Odhran through my janky weapon and he sprays every tyranid with it, he grabs my last nanite canister, and drives sedately from the vat room and back out into the corridor.

“Machine spirit, what’s in the other canisters.”

Odhran coasts through the tyranids towards the broodlord, spraying tyranids and kicking away any that get too close. The termagants struggle to hit him as he’s never whe...

Herald of the Stars: Chapter Twenty-One

Thoughts flit through my head. Half of them are curses, the others going through a loop of ‘why’, then I realise I’ve fucked up.

I left my warp-tap on.

Well, at least I can lure them all into my traps. Praise be my master baiting skills.

“What direction are they coming from?”

“Every direction,” growls Aruna from its perch on a barrel.

Ah, the vaunted six degrees of freedom space games are so proud of. Now I actually get to experience it for...

Herald of the Stars: Chapter Twenty

My heart accelerates as adrenaline pumps through me. How the hell am I supposed to win this!? The numbers are overwhelming, my defences are barely functioning, and my only support is an injured space marine.

“What’s wrong with the turrets? The ones in the vents are apparently doing fine.”

“Those aren’t turrets, but a fine laser grid. They have no moving parts and require minimal maintenance. The automated turrets are different. Many were damaged or depleted during the mu...

Herald of the Stars: Chapter Nineteen

“E-SIM can you get the codes from his implants?”

++No. The cyborg is unpowered, nor will it power up without a command from its organic processor, which has been critically damaged.++

“Anything else I should be searching for?”

++A vessel like this will require more than just codes to start it. There will be a physical key.++

“Dammit! I need more time. Ah! E-SIM what do I need to shut down the stasis field for good. Does it have a maintenance mode or will it r...

Herald of the Stars: Chapter Eighteen

I spend twenty minutes searching the thunderhawk for a screwdriver and two minutes rewiring the switch Mr Cygnus wanted fixed. By the time I’m done, Sergeant Odhran has been treated.

I approach the marine, trying to keep my nervousness hidden. Even though he’s injured, I would stand no chance against him, unless I can surprise him like I did the chaos marine I killed with my pipe, and for all I know, he could be just as nutty. These guys travel from battle to battle and think hypnos...

Herald of the Stars: Chapter Seventeen

I put my helmet back on and shake out my limbs, “Alright Aruna. Please forward the permitted route to E-SIM and the passcodes for those doors. Instruct two servitors to meet me at the warp drive with a gurney that can transport a space marine. Two should head to the hanger to power up the thunderhawk and inventory supplies. Six should head to an armoury and acquire weapons for the team and appropriate space marine wargear. The final two should go to the medicae facility, or other appropriat...

Herald of the Stars: Chapter Sixteen

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Aruna bats Explorator Epoloch299’s faceplate twice with its holographic claws, then hops off his body and struts out of the stasis field. It’s odd how the machine spirit can walk inside something that freezes time, and therefore light, but I’m probably missing s...

Herald of the Stars: Chapter Fifteen

I blink. I’ve seen a lot of weird shit since I got here, but this cat is officially at the top of the list. Not quite sure what is going on, I decide to remain polite and carry on.

“Hello. Pleased to meet you. What would you like to be called?”

The cat gets up, stretches, then turns towards me. The simulated iris shutters in the cat’s eyes close and open. It looks surprised, I think.

“This one is the machine spirit of Distant Sun, the vessel you stand upon...

Herald of the Stars: Chapter Fourteen

The blasts knock me to the floor, and fill my chest with shrapnel as my valiant armour fails. With me on the floor, E-SIM opens fire with the shuttles and absolutely shreds the hanger and everything in it.

Explosive rounds sweep across the room for a full twenty seconds. The five shuttles each spew over twelve thousand rounds.

The carnage is absolute.

Among the blasted remains are scattered the lucky few. The orks stir and moan, many too injured to stand. The tyranids have f...

Herald of the Stars: Chapter Thirteen

In celebration of my first, top tier Patreon, there is an extra chapter for everyone this week, across all tiers, including the public release.

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A battered door, stuck ajar, absorbs my focus. Move! Move! Move! I repeat over and over in my head.

A second mob of boyz, backed up by a trio of gretchin piloting scrap mechs with buzzsaws and flamethrowers for arms, burst onto my scanner, two hundred m...

Herald of the Stars: Chapter Twelve

After travelling with Bola and his crew for thirty minutes, I head for my own territory. Returning to my room, I hug a few meal packs and climb into the bath of metallic beads and have E-SIM put me to sleep until I have fully healed.

While the life-support module does a fine job of sealing wounds, repairing damage takes much longer, even more so for the fiddly implants shaken by the blast. Yes, they can take huge amounts of damage and still function, but there is no reason to delay retu...

Herald of the Stars: Chapter Eleven

In celebration of my first Patreon, there is an extra chapter for everyone this week, across all tiers, including the public release.

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With care and precision, I gear up, careful not to set myself or my equipment spinning. A few careful hops and pulls sends me out the canteen and navigating to the closest generator. It’s only five hundred metres distant, but the indirect route and low gravity turns...

Herald of the Stars: Chapter Ten

I debate my options with E-SIM for far longer than is necessary. Eventually, I calm down from my fight. I discard options that would let E-SIM safely draw more from the warp, or improve my existing modules. Instead, I chose two modules that will increase my strength and toughness.

Before I confirm, I read the chosen entries one last time.

Void skin: Replaces the dermal layer with a self-replicating, vacuum resistant material. Enables full function in a vacuum for 60 seconds and pa...

Herald of the Stars: Chapter Nine

I stare in disbelief. Where’s my super weapon? My ‘Nope’ cannon? The plans for the Astronomicon?

My hope.

Where did it all go?

I close the file in disgust, unwilling to look at it. I know I am being foolish, but when you’re stuck between demons, orks, tyranids, and Emperor knows what else, what you need is dakka - guns and ammo, not fancy containers for them.

Pacing around the canteen, I punch the occasional wall. My sore hands bring me back to reason. Rather t...

Herald of the Stars: Chapter Eight

I gear up, grab my nanite sprayer, and unlock the barricade. It takes twenty minutes to reach the drop off. A lot of noise is coming from the red-marked room.

“Where’s da ‘umie, grot? We be waitin’ here for two days. Boss wants a word.”

“Dat’s ‘cause yer missin’ two fingers, an’ a few other things as well, I bet.”

There’s a thump and a scream and Bola tumbles out the half-open door, clutching a bicorn hat to his head.

Where the hell did he find ...

Herald of the Stars: Chapter Seven

Returning to my room, I lie on my cot and stare at the ceiling. I’m still in shock. I talked to a fucking alien. Me, Aldrich Isengrund, 21st century British plumber, husband, and father of two, now a demon hunting cyborg.

It’s the dumbest shit I’ve ever heard and most of my days used to be spent trying to tune out of radio one call ins and boasting sparkys. I twirl my lanyard between my hands.

“Hey, E-SIM. What data is on this card?” Lists of files appear in my head. “...

Herald of the Stars: Chapter Six

The STC library is huge. The scanner tells me it’s sixty thousand cubic metres; shelves are jumbled and tumbled everywhere, all blackened with soot and thick with ash. At the far end, the deep black and actinic crackle of a void shield maintains the room’s atmosphere.

Here lies the remains of all humanity has ever, and likely will ever know.

Within the tattered room echoes eternal, horrid laughter, teasing the edge of my hearing and sending shivers through my mind.

Stick...

Herald of the Stars: Chapter Five

Leaping upright, I grab my pipe and water pistol.  I rush to the barricade and stare down the long, grey corridor. Beyond, a cacophony of pale white bodies twirls and prances in a grand parade.

All are naked and beautiful, dazzling beyond comprehension, yet my body shakes with fear and my mind thrashes in torpid desperation. E-SIM rumbles in my ear, drugs rush through me, and I spasm from an electric shock.

My thoughts claw upwards, pushing against the foetid desires swamping...

Herald of the Stars: Chapter Four

The corridors are dead silent. No banging and clanking of machinery, or the endless thrum of engines, just me. One quiet thump at a time. At the junction to the canteen, rather than head right again, I walk straight ahead. I pass multiple rooms and side corridors. Most  of the rooms are untouched, but a few have had their doors wrenched off and their contents scattered.

All these rooms contain suites, each four metres square, or forty-eight cubic metres, depending on how you measur...

Herald of the Stars: Chapter Three

I wake dirty and refreshed, then I remember where I am an all my joy flees, screaming bloody murder.

What I want to do is curl up and cry, the constant threat of imminent death, however, is a powerful incentive; instead, I pour a little water into a salvaged mop bucket, strip down, and try to get myself as clean as possible using my flannel and soap, then don the military fatigues as best I can.

Unfortunately, my belly and shoulders make this tricky, as I can’t button up my trou...