Chapter Ten: Let there be Light
Date: 782.M30
Location: Project Beacon a.k.a. The Hollow Mountain a.k.a Restricted Zone Everest
Malcador was an old man, a very old man. He had lived for millennia and seen much. The end of the Golden Age, the countless horrors of the Old Night and now he was both architect and witness to the next stage of human history. The Age of Imperium was coming and he was helping usher it in.
These thoughts drifted through the Sigillite's mind as he wandered the topmost layer of the amphitheater-like structure that was known as the Hollow Mountain. A good chunk of Mt. Everest and the surrounding Himalazia's had been hollowed out to provide a location for the next stage of the Great Work to begin.
Ancient Vaults were being carved out of the deepest bedrock to contain the most horrific artifacts of the Old Night. Psi-War ruins had been rediscovered and were being rebuilt as a massive center of Psyker training and housing. A massive chunk of Eurasia was being prepared for the construction of one of the largest terrestrial structures in human history. All of these projects were under Malcadors perview and were parts of the greater overarching plan he and his Liege had crafted over the centuries.
Yet the prime project within the tallest of Terras peak worried him more than any other. A massive Psychic device was being carefully constructed within Mount Everest. Huge quantities of man-power, arcane lore and beyond priceless relic from before the Fall of the Federation were being used in the construction of titanic machine.
Malcador has taken more direct control over most of the governing of the Imperium along with oversight of the numerous secondary projects while the Emperor devoted himself to finishing the Primarchs and modifying the work within the Hollow Mountain. This had not been the first time the Emperor had thrown himself into a project obsessively but some of the Emperor's behavior had worried Malcador.
The Message had seemed to restore parts of the Emperor and the once disturbingly stoic Ubermensch seemed disquietingly human. When Malcador had first met Revelation he had seemed inhuman and more akin to a machine than man in both temperament and behavior. When the idea of the ritual to cast aside what was left of his humanity to empower the Primarchs was first discussed Malcador could not help himself from thinking "What will be different?"
Malcador had at first believed he had been accurate in his prediction. With the Emperor barely if at all changing in mindset or behavior. When the contents of the message from the so-called "God-Emperor" was revealed to Malcador he had been both horrified and strangely relieved. The future he had been shown and how close they had come to it had brought genuine fear to the Ancient Sigillite yet it confirmed something he had long suspected and hoped. Below millennia of trauma, stress, and fear was a genuine human heart and a good one at that.
The Emperor of Mankind had tried to discard his humanity many times but now it had returned to him full force and the effects were startling. Major changes to the Primarch project had been made. Certain inbuilt weaknesses had been discarded, countless genetic defects were being corrected and the maturing fetuses had been linked psychically in a incredible display of warpcraft. Yet despite what seemed to be great leaps and bounds being made worries creeped into Malcadors mind.
The Primarchs were being perfected, not as weapons but as humans. Perfect humans meant to conquer and rule. Such things had been attempted before throughout history. Malcador had seen the records and the Emperors own memories of the events. The results had been horrific and the Emperor's "Sons" were leagues beyond the various Gene-Tyrants of the distant past. Even if a galaxy-buring civil war was averted and Chaos was thwarted they may be stuck with a whole new host of problems created by entitled self-declared heirs to the Imperium.
Contingencies for that eventuality were being developed and Malcador could only hope the progeny of the Anathema inherited his love of humanity and desire to protect and shepherd the species. The Last Priest was to apparently be involved with this effort to humanize the Primarchs, along with the Assa-Matrari. Another thing the Emperor had drafted up to hopefully ensure the functionality of the Primarchs. Maternal Figures to help raise the Primarchs into healthy functioning humans. Psychological profiles had been written upon the ideal mothers for each Primarch based and a search was on to find these women before the Primarchs finished gestation.
The other project worried him even more, for there seemed to be far too few contingencies in place in regard to the machine within Everest. Last-Minute Changes to the design had baffled even the greatest minds of the Terrawatt clan and Malcador had to draw upon the full brunt of his considerable intellect and knowledge base in order to understand.
The Warp-Beacon aspect of the machine had its projection elements modified to allow for more concentrated amounts of psychic energy to envelop the galaxy at the cost of efficiency. It appeared the Emperor intended to sacrifice broadcasting radius in exchange for a stronger radiant effect.
Slightly more understandably the Astra-Telepathica nexus had received upgrades in order for much larger and focused psychic linkage. Malcador theorized that these psi-uplinks were to allow secondary beacons to be created or allow other beings to power or influence it. Lastly and perhaps strangest of all the Deep-Warp linkage now allowed for excess psychic energy coming from the beacon or being focused on to it to be injected into Warp in a strange patterned bursts that would inevitably lead to some form of God-Forging.
These changes worried Malcador, especially the fact that Terrawatt Warp-Sages were changing their estimates on how much Energy the so-called Astronomicon would take to operate. The original design would have already been intensely draining upon the operator but the changes increased the required Psychic power significantly. A truly massive amount of the Emperor's power was going to be dedicated solely on keeping it lit and that drain was only going to increase once the Emperor left Terra.
The machine had already been a dangerous gamble on the Emperor's part that required a solid chunk of his psychic power but this seemed less like a gamble but more of a mistake to Malcador. Especially with a certain trend Malcador had noticed. Ever since the Emperor had returned from the beacon his psychic power seemed dimmer. Not enough for a normal human to detect and not enough for most psykers but Malcadors warp-senses were some of the sharpest in human history.
A light temporary dimming would be little to worry about but the lessening of the Emperor's power had not ended. If anything it had gotten worse. In the few years since the message Malcador had noted an approximately 1% decrease in his Leiges power, and with no sign of this downward trajectory stopping. He had tried to bring it up with the Emperor on numerous occasions and had gotten vague non-answers that typically could be summed up as "It is not something to worry about and it's under control"
These worries plagued Malcadors mind and nothing could put them to rest. Had they dodged a bullet with the message from the future or had they simply exposed themselves to other dangers? Malcador had walked about a quarter of the circumference of the amphitheater that formed the peak of the Astronomicon as he mentally debated his worrying thoughts. Within hours the Emperor would arrive from Luna and the next step would unfold.
Malcador shut his wizened eyes and simply hoped that he was wrong and all would go smoothly. Eventually an Adept entered the chamber and reached Malcador. He brought various tidings for the Sigillite to mull over. Two more highly probably Assa-Matrari candidates had been found. Initial reports from Uriah about Orioc were worrying and Chaotic taint was suspected. The last preparations for ignitions were going smoothly and the Emperor had left Luna along with highly classified Cargo. Soon the Master of Mankind would arrive and the next step upon the Shining Path would be taken.
Final nervous preparations were made and eventually, the private shuttle of the Emperor made Vox contact. The Auric Aquilla was inbound and additional menial servitors were requested for unloading extremely precious cargo. In a scene that mirrored the incident on Luna the Emperor of Mankind arrived within the Hollow Mountain and was greeted by Malcador.
Yet much to Malcador's surprise the Emperor was not accompanied solely by his Custodes. The minute the Dropships doors opened Malcador could sense them. Twenty Infant Demigods had come with their Father. The Sigillite simply raised an Eyebrow as he knelt before the Emperor "My Lord, why have you brought them?" asked Malcador in a slightly worried voice.
The Emperor simply smiled as twenty Gestation Capsules were emptied from his vessel. A Capsule marked I was moved by the servitors in between the Emperor and Malcador. Both peered at the sleeping fetus and Malcador realized his Masters intent. The Primarch floating inside was not a fetus any longer but an infant ready to be born.
"You intend to bring them into reality with the Astronomicon?" Malcador was shocked at first but soon the Emperor's logic dawned upon them. The Lighting of the Astronomicon would mark the beginning of a new age, the Age of Imperium. The Primarchs would be born with it forever binding them in the myth-forms of the Warp as champions of humanity and wardens of the Shining Path. This would dissolve any claim real or imagined the Ruinous Powers had to the Primarchs and break countless chains of fate bound around the infants and their destinies.
The Emperor quitely responded "We will need every advantage possible in order to survive the coming storm. The Eldars Fall has damned the galaxy and the Warp has reached levels of horror never before seen, except perhaps for during the height of the First War. Chaos will hunger for more and feels entitled to my Sons. I will not allow the petulant abominations to claim any more of my children or species." Malcador nodded in agreement and watched his Liege leave to make his own final preparations.
. The finishing touches were being made and within a few months, the Astronomicon would be lit. Custodes patrolled the ever-growing macro-structure of the Himalazia and helped oversee the construction and security of the future site of the Imperial Palace. Officials ranging from high ranking adepts to old Terran Nobles wandered the secure zones of the site. They had been summoned to be witness to what the Emperor's messengers had simply called "The next step in Unity"
Malcadors agents transported hundreds of collected Psykers into the great Chamber. They ranged from simple telepaths who had been rescued from lynch mobs by Imperial forces to powerful reality renders sworn to the Emperor's service. All had been hand-picked to be the first of there kind. The first Astropaths. The great amphitheater was built to house a Million humans and only about a thousand seats were filled with Psykers but Malcador could glimpse possible futures where legions of Psykers were brought forth to be bound to the Astronomicon.
Terrawatt Sages scurried about through the inner workings of the great machine, working to ensure everything was in proper order. The last work-colonies had been emptied months ago and now all that remained was fine-tuning and last-minute checks. The Emperor himself oversaw some of this to ensure his exacting specifications were met.
Similarly, Genewrights monitored the Gestation Capsules of the Primarchs. No side-effects of the new Gene-Alchemy or the psychic binding had been detected but the disciples of Luna kept a wary eye out for any last-minute changes. Seven Assa-Matrari had been selected so far and Primarchs I, IV, VI, VIII, XIII, XVI, and XVII would be welcomed into the world by mother figures. and hopefully their brothers Matrons were not long to be found.
These and countless other preparations were being made as the scheduled day of ignition approached. The Emperor had secluded himself in order to prepare himself and all save Malcador and Valdor were forbidden from him. The Right and Left hands of the Emperor were both busy with countless duties both involving and not involving the Astronomicon.
Thankfully Uriah Olathaire and Arik Taranis both assisted with external duties and keeping Terra calm. Uriah had lead a diplomatic delegation to the antarctic city-state of Orioc were the worst fears had been confirmed. Chaos worship infested the faith of the isolationists and they must be cleansed. The Lighting Bearer was then sent at the head of a massed force of Imperial Armies and had reduced the glacier-capped city to ash and dust.
Soon the dawn of the final day approached. Everything was set and the Astronomicon would be lit. The twenty Infant Primarchs had there gestation capsules set to ring the central altar of the Amphitheater. A literal mountain of Machinery had been built in and around this single focal point to control and bind a massive amount of psychic energy. Soon the Emperor would light the Beacon and the next stage of his Great Ambition could be undertaken.
Malcador accompanied by Valdor and the Tribunes journeyed deep into a hidden natural cavern that had been discovered during the initial construction period of the Astronomicon. The Emperor had appeared to expect its discovery and had named the strange cave the "Place of Leng" and used it at as a mix of personal quarters, laboratory and meditation chamber.
The Five entered into the cavern and Valdor felt a familiar shiver run up his spine. Custodes could not feel fear or existential dread and were virtually immune to insanity causing stimuli yet still that slight instinctive shiver still existed among the Golden Legion and was there only indication that he was experiencing something that would traumatize a mortal man. The Cavern was a place where the Material Universe had been warped by things beyond human imagination and it was filled with the planet shattering psychic energy of the Emperor of Mankind.
The Emperor meditated mid-air in the chamber. A Corona of golden psychic energy flickered around him and the chamber was filled with a miniature psychic star. The Emperor's form was semi-disconnected from the physical and Malcador could barely peer past the wall of energy to see the ever-shifting form of the being known only as The Emperor or Revelation.
Malcador reached out with his mind to the Emperor and used his Soul-Bound link to pass through the inferno to touch his lieges mind. Instantly Malcador knew something was wrong. The Emperor's psychic power had waned massively, instead of the almost imperceptible decreases since the message he had lost nearly half of his power. Still far beyond any mortal but a shadow of his former glory.
Genuine fear entered Malcador's mind, something had crippled his liege and humanity, nay reality itself was damned if the Great Plan could not move humanity further on the Shining Path. The Emperor pulled himself out of his meditation when he felt Malcador's presence and began to consolidate himself. Both the Materium and Immaterium hummed with energy as the Corona solidified around the Emperor's body.
The Emperor in all his golden glory soon stood before them and the Custodes knelt unison. Malcador began to speak in a worried whisper "My Lord, we need to delay, You could not provide the needed spark without crippling yourself. What is happening to you?" The Emperor placed a steady hand on Malcadors and softly replied "All will be well my Old Friend."
With Malcador and the Custodes following the Emperor strowed out of the Place of Leng. He walked with power and purpose as his advisors desperately trailed him. Both Malcador and Valdor desperately spoke "You can't do this Sir, it will break you. " The Emperor shook his head "All will be well my Old Friends, all will be well."
Using a minor bit of telekinesis Malcador kept up with the Transhumans as he begged his Master "At least reduce the initial radius, from the Segmentum Solar to a more manageable area, a thousand Light Years or so?" The Emperor stopped suddenly and looked at malcador with confusion "The Segmentum Solar? The Astronomicon will have an effective radius of at least 50,000 light-years."
Shock struck the Sigillite, the Emperor intended to not only light the Astronomicon with his reduced power but extend it to its full range even with the Warp Beacon modifications. The galaxy would be covered in an aura of intense radiant power but it would be far more taxing than the original already rigorous cost of powering the psychic beacon. At full power, the Emperor would barely be able to do such a feat, yet not it seemed an impossible, nay suicidal endeavor.
Telekinetic energy suddenly rippled and Malcador brought his own psychic might to bear. He stood before the Emperor and the Custodes and spoke in a shaking voice "I do not know what madness has possessed you my lord but I will not allow you to doom yourself or the Imperium. This is suicide, and I don't know what has caused this but I swear to you I will save you."
The Custodes drew their Spears and leveled them at Malcador, yet they did not strike like they would have any other to threaten there Master. For his words spoke true and the Custodes were paralyzed by the conflict between there directives. They must serve the Emperor and follow his will no matter the cost yet they must protect the Emperor's life above all else.
The Emperor slowly approached Malcador like a beast tamer trying to soothe a panicked creature. Psychic power flared in warning and Malcador prepared to unleash his full might to incapacitate the Master of Mankind. Before the Sigillite could even react the Emperor had crossed the distance and placed his hand upon Malcador's forehead.
"Your courage and devotion is admirable Old Friend yet you are mistaken. This is no folly." Malcador responded frantically "Something is weakening you, I worry you will not survive the ignition." A soft chuckle met that and the Emperor wore the amused expression of a benevolent king "What is the first lesson that is taught to the Warp-touched?" "To suppress and control their power?" said Malcador almost quoting an old Golden Age text from when Psykers were impossibly rare and the warp was calm.
Energy pulsed from the Emperor's palm into Malcador's mind, a vision plucked from the Emperor's own mind entered Malcador.
*A Psychic Corona of familiar power and nature burned in the Warp. The Players of the Great Game circled it, ever watching for even a moment's weakness. *
*Diving into the Anathema-Star, past its bulwark inferno of willpower and sanity. Protected by his link to the Emperor he plunged deeper into the star. *
*Deeper and Deeper until the laughter of thirsting gods could no longer be heard he surfaced in the Stars Heart. The mind's eye nearly blinded by its radiance. Hidden behind a Star's corona was a Galaxy. *
*A Quintillion Souls shone before him in a mimicry of the Material Galaxy. All bound together in an eternal song of revelation and sheltered within Galactic arms born of fallen sons.*
*At the center was a mass of psychic power greater than anything ever seen. A Super-Massive flame that linked the million million martyrs surrounding it*
With a great shuddering gasp Malcador slammed back into reality and barely caught himself on his Force-Staff. Psychically-imbued golden tears trickled down the ancient Sigillites face. The Emperor comforted his stunned friend and spoke "The best place to hide something is in plain sight. I am sorry you did not realize the truth sooner Malcador. I am still adapting to my new capabilities and I did not realize the truth would be hidden even from you."
After helping to steady Malcador the Emperor continued on his path with his entourage close behind. Malcadors mind churned, the sheer power the Emperor had displayed was virtually impossible. The only psychic phenomena he had seen of that caliber was when the the Eldars insanity had ripped open the galaxy and then it had only been a split second shade of the Emperors current might. A new golden age just might be in there grasp, and the grim darkness of the future may yet be avoided.
Eventually they reached the Chamber of the Astronomicon. Malcador and the Custodes watched as the Emperor walked onto the center of the Altar. As he did machines wirred to light and thousands of Psykers began to sing a meditative chant. The Twenty infant Primarchs slept in there capsules as the Emperor began to summon his power.
Slowly golden light started to pour of the Master of Mankind, an aura of majesty filled the chamber as he slowly rose in to the air and spread his arms wide. Raw psychic power coalesced around him in a sphere of golden light. It grew greater and greater as focused and linked with the great machine below him.
Every being with a hint of psychic potential within the room could feel there soul be enraptured by the Emperors Power. The air hummed and the mountain began to vibrate as the Emperor's form started to blur and the golden light became brighter than Sol. As the cascade of energy reached its climax a single sentence could be heard across Terra, a single Psychic phrase that echoed in a billion minds
"Let there Be Light"