Chapter 1.

Chad shouldered his blaster rifle, his bayonet shimmered in the unnatural green glow of the putrid fog that hit the worlds setting sun. He stood alongside his regiment at the Rock Creek battlements they too steeled themselves for another bloody battle. The hordes would be upon them soon.

The plague had started a month ago. The agricultural world of Achios had been slow to react. At first, the Planetary governor had censored all reports of a spreading pox, rumors of a plague so virulent that it could spread in a matter of seconds by so much as breathing the same air as the one that was carrying it. 

THe governor chalked it up to propaganda disseminated by one of the many rebel groups that infested the planet and were seeking to undermine his authority. This foolishness of the governor had cost him and it had cost all of Achios greatly.

Chad cursed his name the governor was one of the lucky ones. He at least had the chance of fleeing the planet and facing the Empires justice where his life could be spared. Others suffered much worse faiths of being quarantined in this plague-infested world and given the task of cleansing it of its sickness while the Empires battlefleets stood guard in orbit not letting any of them through until the planet was cleansed of its sickness or the potential hosts that could be carrying it. If they failed in this task then the fleet would be forced to bombard the whole planet from orbit, effectively killing the entire planet and making it uninhabitable.

Pushing these now meaningless thoughts out of his mind Chad could hear Commissar Galdor bark out words through his Gas Mask-covered face.

" Campany Ready! "

Chad adjusted his batteryless Tactical Headset. He could barely hear the order yet if he loosened his headset too much he feared becoming one of them, a gibbering, slathering, grotesque Zombie. Though it was but a rumor it was said that the plague could even travel through ones ear and infect the brain.

Even through his Headset, he could hear them kilometers away in the distance. It was a mindless beastly low roar of millions of different voices that screamed in a disorganized unison at them. 

Worst of all were the pained cries of the ones that still held on to some resemblance of their humanity but were out of some animalistic instinct driven onwards to eat the ones not infected. Through rotten vocal cords and pus-filled lungs the hordes voices could be heard coming ever closer and clearer. Some begged for death while most made beastly hungry noises.

The same cries could be heard over and over again the cries of the damned. Some cried out for an end to their suffering. Some begged for help. Some prayed to the Empress. But worst of all was the cries of the young children now turned infected who simply sobbed and wept for their parents.

" Mother, mother, I want my mother! Father, please help me it hurts so much! "

Chad gritted his teeth as he tried to get the cries of the damned out of his head. It was so miserable and frightening like something straight out of a nightmare, but he knew what those damn voices could do. Hearing your relatives, friends, family, lovers and all screaming out in agony as the infection dug deep into their bodies causing extreme agony as it forced them to attack others in a never-ending mindless hunger for flesh. 

Listening to these voices was enough to drive many into an incurable madness. Oh, how he wished that he could forget their pained cries and the stomach-turning sights of their grotesque transformations.

When Chad left his peaceful agricultural home world and joined the Empires military guard he was told of such a disease. The Empire called it The Weeping Pox.

Manuals described the zombies the pox created as weeping zombies with horns and protrusions all around their bodies. It did not do justice to the true horror of the plague.

Chad swore that if he ever got off Achios he would update the manuals. He distracted himself by reviewing the course of the infection in his mind.

It always started with pustules green and itchy. Sometimes these burst and spread the sickness then confusion set in and the infected acted delirious not knowing where they were or how they got there. Soon after came sepsis the victims body went into shock as the virus overwhelmed them.

Then calcification their very bones sprouted from their skins in monstrous horns. Hands mutated into savage claws incapable of complex manipulation. About all they could do now was hold a blunt object and swing. 

Muscular degeneration was next the infected's facial muscles permanently contracted into sickening forms as their lips rotted away. A kind of rigor mortis set in turning their gate into little more than a hobble and making them more resilient to blunt force trauma.

Finally, the near-dead victim rose the only words coming from their desiccated throats being ones of agony mixed in with pitiful sobs. Later as the infection set in deeper and the hosts lost their minds their cries then turned to beastly growls. They used these sounds to find other infected as they formed massive hordes.

Chad shuddered, he remembered when his own Lover had turned. After clearing a building of infected she had foolishly removed her mask to have a drink of water. With the plague still lingering in the air of the small room she had quickly gotten infected. He tried his best to save her but it was already too late. She attacked him savagely while crying out for him to end her own life. He would never forget the terrified look in her eyes.

He saw her and heard her pitiful cries praying for deliverance, but her mouth drooled, hungry for his flesh. He'd never forgive himself for putting a blaster bolt through her skull. Still, her memory and the hatred he now felt in his heart were enough to keep him sane.

The same could not be said for several of his comrades. The horde was in visual distance now, kicking up dust as they slowly ambled across the ash waste that once were fields full of wheat that fed countless millions across the Empire.

A few soldiers panicked and started ripping off their gas masks and hurling themselves off the battlements in maddened exaltation as a few others put blaster bolts through their own skulls.

Commissar Galdor and the company cut them down. Then Galdor ordered.

" Company hold! "

The horde was getting close only about a kilometer from the perimeter defenses. The Heavy Steel Citadel stood on a hill at the edge of the city rising almost a hundred meters into the air. It stood behind him watching over the ash wastes like an Impenetrable guardian of Steel and endless numbers of gun batteries.

Three terraces of defenses were staggered across its face with even more gun batteries moats and trenches guarding its rock creek base.

Chad stood guard on the lowest terrace a mere 15 meters above the plane. Commissar Galdor was with him, he was giving orders into his Tactical Headsets microphone.

Behind them and the citadel stood the capital city Achios. It was the worlds Capital as well as its namesake, now a shell of its former self. Its over 10 million inhabitants had dwindled to a mere hundred thousand after the cleansing of the infected that had plagued it. If the Citadel fell the City would do so as well and with it the last bastion on the planet.

Then the order finally came as Commissar Galdor barked out. 

" Company fire! "

The horde was only a hundred meters away now and had broken into what some might have called a run. A tide of the Zombies trambled over one another as they wept and roared out loud crushing their comrades underfoot.

Heavy blaster cannons and rifles opened up. Line after line of infected exploded into small pieces of rotting meat, but they kept coming.

Chad began shooting picking out targets as they grew closer and closer to the outer defenses. Despite landing headshots and seeing their bodies and limbs being ripped to shreds the Zombies wouldnt stop until their entire head was blown off their bodies.

Finally, the horde slammed into the first trench just below him. Soldiers fought back in desperation with bayonets as they were buried in a mass pile of rotting bodies. 

Chad saw men torn limb from limb as the zombies continued their incessant weeping and cries for forgiveness and death.

Explosions could be seen across the line. In their final acts soldiers had pulled the pins on their plasma grenades sacrificing themselves to take out as many of the planets former citizens as they could. Empress have mercy on them, Chad prayed.

Then through the loud sound of the battle and screams he could barely make out Commissar Galdors voice again.

" Flamers to the line! "

Then as zombies slaughtered their way through the first trench line and hit the barbed wire behind it, flamethrower teams rushed into position.

The survivors of the first trench tried to pull back before the flamers unleashed their flames, but it was too late for them now. 

Zombies and the clouds of putrid gas that they spread around ignited with a roar enveloping them and the fleeing soldiers in fire.

Zombies and men flailed wildly as they all were incinerated in the raging flames.

For a moment the horde was pushed back that was until the gunfire started. The first hit the promethium tank of a flamer. The soldier screamed as he was cooked alive. As more bullets and blaster bolts came flying in towards the defensive line of men and women all started to panic and falter.

The Infected werent supposed to be able to shoot. What was happening here who was this unseen enemy? 

Out of the mist from behind the horde arose a sight for Chads sore eyes. Hulking green armored marines wielding a mix of old assault rifles and newer blasters emerged. Spartans the Empires elite supersoldiers had answered their prayers. Old Spartan ones and twos by the looks of them. Maybe remnants of the lost battlegroup? 

He could barely make out their forms as they advanced. He wanted to weep with joy. From behind him atop a crate, he could hear Galdor say.

" Thank the Empress. " 

Then Galdor spoke into his headset and commanded.

" Captain signal the Spartans to stop their shooting! We cant have more friendly fire Incidents! Provide cover while they take up defensive positions! "

To his right, he could see a captain nodding in acknowledgment before a bolt took off his head.

Chads joy turned into pure terror as he realized the true horror of the situation. As Defenders focused their fire on the mindless zombies and heavy guns diverted their fire else were creating a safe path for their supposed saviors. The defenders soon realized their mistake as the infected Spartans started to enter the defensive lines and massacre the soldiers.

A spartan stood upon the trench gunning down the defenders mercilessly. Others used laser blades and knives to cut down the defenders. Some of the Spartans hands were so deformed that they simply used their claws or large blunted weapons and axes to cut down the Defenders. These were not the Empresses loyal soldiers.

By the time commissar Galdor had realized his mistake the entire perimeter defense had collapsed. Firing his pistol in desperation Galdor yelled out commands in a fearful tone of voice. 

" Damn it dont let them onto the battlements that is an order! "

Looking over the battlements Chad got a good look at the Infected Spartans as they scaled the wall with their weeping cannon fodder behind them. They were not the awe-inspiring noble warriors he had heard about in legends. No, these were but disgusting mutants caked in disease and flies. Tentacles and horns erupted from their once pristine armor.

Some had all too many eyes while others were cyclopean. Many of their eyes resembled that of insects. Chad recoiled as one set its gaze upon him laughing as it dug its claws into the rock crete. It hissed words at him as spit and slime flew out its drooling tongue that was altogether way too large for its maw. 

" I see you my little dinner! "

Chad shot it, but the bolt ricocheted harmlessly off its hardened skull merely leaving small burn marks behind. Unfaced the creature continued its ascent.

Chad shot again this time hitting one of the creatures many eyes. The blaster bolt went through its head and blew a hole in its other side. Green and black blood spewed from the wound but the creature didnt stop, it merely smiled more horrendously at him.

It was almost upon him now, nonetheless, Chad didnt falter and stood his ground. Setting his blaster rifle on full auto he shot the creature several times blowing tentacles and two eyes. His rifle started to glow from the constant heat produced by the bolts, standard issue blaster rifles were not meant for rapid fire. His laser magazine was about to run dry and then the creature grabbed a hold of his overheated glowing rifle.

The creatures flesh made a sizzling noise as it held onto his glowing hot rifle and then with a simple twist of its hand his painstakingly maintained rifle bent before his eyes. He shrieked and let go falling back onto the battlement. 

The scene around him was carnage. Zombies swarmed a man to his right while commissar Galdor was impaled by a Spartan to his left. Everywhere defenders were falling, some died horrific and bloody deaths others cracked and transformed into weeping zombies themselves. Their eyes bulged in fear as a horrific look of sadness and fear was painted across their faces.

Then he could hear the creatures horrific voice speak again. 

" Your determination is impressive little flesh bag. "

Chad turned to look at the infected Spartan before him. The giant held his bent rifle before throwing it away down the battlements. Then it spoke again.

" Lord Pestis might still have use for you yet little flesh bag. "

Horrified by the words, Chad gritted his teeth in rage and spoke with hatred.

" No, I will never join you! "

Chad grasped a hold of a blaster pistol next to him. Seeing the insignia on it that had a lions head encased in a shield he recognized it as belonging to commissar Galdor. Had he tossed the pistol there next to him on purpose, he wondered.

The creature immediately charged towards him intending to grab the pistol from his hand, but he was quicker. stepping to the side he dodged the creatures charge and sent three blaster bolts straight into its lower mouth. The bolts cut its head in two and caused it to fall lifelessly to the ground. 

As if enraged by his defiance the horde that was slaughtering the defenders around him changed their focus on him. From his left and right mindless zombies charged at him. While firing his pistol he backed away towards the citadel and managed to cut down 6 of the zombies before his pistol ran dry. 

Now empty gun in hand he started to run towards the Citadel. Climbing up the steep rock creak towards the next line of defense, he could hear the horde right behind him. His breathing was heavy and his vision inside the gas mask was blurry. 

Explosions went off behind him as bombers flew overhead dropping their massive payloads upon the horde and then something powerful grabbed a hold of his head and he was thrown back down the slope. 

Wooden ammunition crates broke as he fell upon them. Chad wheezed in desperation for more air as the fall knocked most of it out of his lungs. Thats when he realized the air he was breathing wasnt filtered anymore, his gas mask had torn.

In desperation, Chad let go of the pistol and covered his nose and mouth with both his hands, but it was too late he could already feel his body heating up as the infection spread.

" No, no no! No, this can not be! " He thought to himself as his shoulder blade erupted through his skin. His fingernails started to fall out and his lips rotted away. Pain, pain pain, he was in agonizing pain as his body started to turn into an unnatural form.

Then before his eyes, the Infected Spartan that he suspected had tossed him down the slope stood there with a smile on its hideous face as it spoke in a voice that sounded like ten insects speaking at the same time. 

" Welcome to the Horde. Now you can join us as we lay waste to this world. "

Realizing the desperation of his situation and feeling his mind falling into madness, Chad used his rotting hand to pull the pins on the 2 grenades attached to his waist and through rotting teeth and rotten lips said.

" Never! "

Then as the grenades exploded they blew his body in two. He felt but a little sting of pain before the ammunition crates underneath him ignited and blew up in a massive explosion that shook the entire hillside.