A twin of Terra in the middle of nowhere.

Legend has it the planet was discovered during the height of the Great Crusade, when legions of Astartes were claiming much of the galaxy for the Imperium of Man, a fabled era when the Emperor still walked among mortals. By then the Imperial Expeditionary Forces had claimed so many planets they only bothered to name the significant ones and simply tagged the rest with denominations.

As an unassuming planet orbiting a far off, non-strategic star system, this then newly discovered world would have been assigned a generic label and fated for obscurity if not for a discovery; that its basic parameters were uncannily similar to the throne world. The planet was of similar size to Terra with almost equal amount of gravity and revolution length around its sun, and it even came with a single relatively large moon of similar size to Luna.

In an administrative council meeting whose official records had long been lost, a member of the attendees had playfully proclaimed the lost twin of Terra had been found. That unusual statement prompted others to do a double take and ask, ‘where?’

‘Nusquam.’ Someone replied.

‘Planet Nusquam? Oh, wait…’

Literally meaning nowhere in high gothic, the incident provoked a rare round of haughty laughter in an otherwise routinely dull meeting and the name stayed till this day.

* * *

It was early morning in the Nusquamese capital city of Acieslux and I was entranced by its sight. On a busy street of the megapolis I stood as an observer as a tsunami of people flowed like human waves around me.

Many thousands of light years away from the cradle of humanity, people made up of ethnicities I neither knew nor recognised flourished under an alien sky.

Over many thousand years of additional continuous evolution had subtly changed humanity in ways I could not properly pinpoint, every face around me seemed more defined and sharpened in features than the crowd from old Earth. Despite the slight difference in appearance, like their ancestors these people busied themselves with the hustling and bustling of daily life beneath the shadows of super skyscrapers, a scene I was familiar with.

While the cityscape of Acieslux would put every modern city I knew to shame, it was considered underdeveloped compared to the notoriously ridiculous hive cities of the Imperium where each literally housed billions of people.

The rowdy city centre at the ground level was crawling with endless streams of mundane vehicles, while the rich and powerful zipped around on levitating speeders overhead. The streets were dotted with countless business establishments, each filled to the brim with their patrons. Holographic sponsored messages looped endlessly at prime locations while floating advertising contraptions of all kinds dominated the overhead air space. Every usable space was either an advertisement or an imperial propaganda message, and I was dazzled by the whole ultra metropolitical sight.

In a way, I felt like a mediaeval person who was suddenly introduced to a modern twentieth century city. Yet in this overwhelming spectacle I found myself attracted to a particular scene. In the sea of flowing humanity was a little girl who wore a bright jacket piggybacking on the shoulders of her supposed father. My attention was glued to her carefree smile until the pair disappeared around a corner. Then it dawned on me that my old self would never care for such a scene. Just who was looking at that, me or…?

It is me, or you. It is complicated.

Syrine’s words rang again in my head, I felt a sense of nausea just thinking about that and recalled my psychic projection from the city centre to a place closer to my body.

The ground below me shifted and the crowd changed from workers rushing to work, to pilgrims gathered near the Sororitas monastery’s gate. I walked around and saw a bandaged Rutibor giving a speech to a huge crowd beneath my statue. A squad of battle sisters provided basic security nearby. I stayed for a while and listened to his story, about how my random act of kindness had validated his actions, but soon decided to end the surveillance session after experiencing embarrassment from hearing his overexaggerated praises.

The sensation of having a body returned and I opened my eyes to my current lodging, a nice room attached with a small living quarters inside the monastery cathedral located at one of the top towers.

*Beep*

A servo-skull floated over. My own personal servo-skull, a gift from Kryptorer passed to me by Kira. I was given the choice between a brand new, fully synthetic drone or one made with a real human skull, whose cranium was said to be retrieved from a favourite valet of his who had “died gloriously in service to the Omnissiah”. No prize for guessing my choice here, I named it Solace, the synthetic skull probe side kick.

With a flick of my mind, I connected to Solace and was updated on all the headlines of the major news channels. As the old saying goes, truth is the first casualty of war, and here was a world enslaved to a regime that was at war for ten thousand years.

I was not even sure what I expected but the truth spoke for itself; there were multiple major news channels and information portals but none were telling the full or real story. The Imperium’s information control machine was way ahead and in full control of the narrative, misdirecting and compartmentalising events while dropping smoke screens over crucial details. There was no mention of the missing Astronomicon light nor the appearance of a new psychic beacon anywhere, despite the fact a huge silver beam on the horizon could be perceived whenever I went psychically active.

Next I turned my attention to Kryptorer’s excavation progress updates. The process had turned out to be more difficult than he anticipated. From the report it seemed like it would need another few days for his teams to reach the buried entrance of the hidden vault. Progress had been severely hampered by complications of moving heavy breaching drills into position while complying to the demands of the Sororitas on working on their sacred ground in the inner sanctum, the place that started it all.

While I was very curious about the contents of the vault myself, deep down another part of me was dead worried of what we would, or would not find inside. I had tried to send my astral projection over, but this skill was still very new to me and the site proved too far for my amateurish control. In the end I could only wait for the result.

Would Kryptorer withdraw his support for me if we found little to nothing useful inside? How should I navigate this messy and potentially cut throat imperial politics now that the immediate threat was no more? You could say I am a worrywart but my mind could not help but wonder about the future.

It was still early in the morning so I redid a mental recap of what happened yesterday. I became acquainted with the senior primaris psyker Yehai Mei. The way she sort of freaked out when I imitated the psychic duo by bowing and calling her Mei “Jie” or elder sister Mei was low-key hilarious.

We got along fine and I learned about her story of almost dying to a sudden surge of psychic powers after arriving here. She was saved by a medically induced coma and the help of having Zaki, the null boy, being nearby to stabilise her symptoms. I never knew you could use a pariah like that. After that the rest of the day was spent on learning about the Chaos taint vetting and purification processes. It was a mixture of theories, practices, rituals and pseudo science, which I was able to distil into a simpler, more efficient process with insights that came to me naturally.

At the end of the day I was confident enough to request for trial runs. If everything went smoothly on the backend I should be able to put my theories to the test later today.

Feeling restless, I sat up from my bed and looked at the mirror on the wall. With my enhanced eyesight, the dim light of the room did little to obscure the reflection of a breathtaking girl staring back. My sight was locked onto the enchanting scene but I soon felt like being judged by a demigoddess and had to look away.

The Sororitas had provided me with the best stuff in their powers, everything from accommodations to food was top quality. But truth be told, my life since waking up has been a total mess.

Knowing neither hunger, thirst nor fatigue in the human sense, my daily life’s rhythm went totally out of whack. Baseline, fundamental questions like should I eat and drink normally was a mystery. I was also dead worried about the nonexistent need to frequently visit a toilet. The necessity to examine all these mundane issues closely made me feel like a newborn with an incredible sense of uneasiness.

I got up from my bed and walked towards my only possessions in the room, a collection of huge luggages in a corner which was brought over from the Fortress. I had since been taking stock of their contents in order to find out more information about myself. As far as I could tell, simple looking white robes were the most abundant item in the collection, more than enough for me to wear daily on a washing rotation. Guess these would be my default attire, like the black turtle neck sweatshirts for a certain infamous billionaire in my time.

There was a set of god tier quality self grooming tools that was identified by [Analytica] to be made of adamantium alloy, one of the strongest substances known to the Imperium and typically used to produce high grade military gear like the space marine terminator plates. I reckoned these tools might outlast some unfortunate empires. Then there were some tubes of ultra concentrated food that looked like toothpaste, some space age toiletries, bottles of perfumes, random trinkets and pairs of footwear.

As I was going through my stuff a familiar sensation crept up, it was the feeling of an acquainted psyker trying to contact me via telepathy. I accepted the request to converse.

+Morning, Lady Syrine.+

+Good morning, Tsalieh.+

+My Lady, sorry to disturb you this early in the morning but Throne Agent Herlindya will like to see you shortly for an urgent briefing. ETA forty minutes.+

+Noted, thank you.+

Herlindya Winsen, the quiet and nice looking brunette who more or less functioned like a secretary to Inquisitor Thaberus, would be arriving soon. While she always looked professional and reserved, I remembered seeing her go batshit crazy when Interrogator Amael got killed in a vision. It got me curious as I was not sure how far one could trust information glimpsed from a simulated scenario.

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

I hurriedly washed up and prepared myself, which admittedly was little to no work thanks to the passive ability of [Regalis]. Even with my superhuman perception I struggled to find minute flaws from my reflection in the washroom mirror.

Herlindya arrived soon after, looking tactical yet elegant in her dark inquisitorial attire. She was flanked by two people, one was a professional looking gunman armed with a lasgun while the other a hooded scribe. The scribe held up a device and did some scanning around before nodding to Herlindya. She nodded back, left her escorts behind and walked into my room, her heels clicking sharply on the marble floor.

‘Lady Syrine, morning.’ Herlindya smiled and bowed, as she did so a pleasant and uplifting scent drifted over. Perfume? As I wondered about it a flurry of information appeared in my mind. Scent Analysis: Aldehydes, Neroli, Bergamot, Lemon, Iris, Jasmine, Rosa, Orris Root, Lily, Civet, Sandalwood, Musk, Amber, Vetiver, Vanilla, Patchouli, Ethanol, Androstenone…

Just when I thought that was way too much information, further details were still coming in. Wait, was that… the scent of a man hidden beneath all the layers? Is she really having a relationship with the Interrogator as suggested by the vision?

‘Morning, Herlindya.’ I said while doing a double take on the pretty throne agent and she eyed me back curiously. While I normally would never busy myself with the personal life of others, in this case I yearned to learn if the vision was correct.

I decided to probe and casually asked, ‘by the way, where is Interrogator Amael?’ Caught off guard, Herlindya’s thoughts leaked for a fraction of a second and I caught glimpses of her memories about the passionate session she had with Amael from yesterday night. It was so abrupt I almost broke character but was saved by an old friend.

[Regalis] Action override-

From my deadpan surface reaction, it took an instance for Herlindya to dismiss the notion that I had any interest in her lover. She put her professional smile back on and said, ‘the interrogator is on another mission to root out the cults. Why the sudden interest in his whereabouts?’

My dear, I am so, so, so sorry about the privacy intrusion. Let me make it up to you by making your day.

I shook my head and smiled. ‘Nothing in particular, I had an epiphany because you looked extra charming today. It just dawned on me that you and the interrogator would make a nice looking couple together.’

Herlindya looked shocked for a second before breaking into a hearty giggle. ‘Lady Syrine, I never knew you could be such a sweet talker. Unfortunately time is scarce and we have to get down to business. By the inquisitor’s order I am here to quickly brief you on the latest developments.’

I nodded and she started her briefing.

‘Your request for the test candidates for purification trials have been expedited. For security purposes, we had prioritised those who are exhibiting extreme withdrawal symptoms after their metaphysical exposure. They will be arriving here later today.’

‘Can you tell me more about these symptoms?’

‘While individual reactions with sudden exposure to warp entities in close proximity vary a lot from one another, these are the individuals who practically became vegetables due to extreme shock. Such patients will usually just wither away if left alone but more often than not be administered with the Emperor’s peace to prevent possession risks.’

The Emperor’s peace is a fancy term for euthanasia.

‘So basically they are just people waiting to die.’ I nodded, somewhat relieved by a selfish notion that I could do no worse for them.

‘We have the means and methods to treat cases like these, just not the capacity to handle this many people.’ Herlindya clarified. ‘I was briefed on the method yesterday.’ I nodded in reply.

On paper the inquisition had three psykers versus the workload of 20,000 people, that was even before considering the slow and archaic procedures involved if we do it by the book. Even a humanist like me had to admit mass execution looked like a logical solution for such a hopeless looking scenario.

There might be a way out of this, but I had to test my theory first.

‘Up next, the Church is sending their representative over.’ Herlindya said while passing me her data-slate. ‘Junior Preacher Maylin Hadmayer, a local citizen of twenty Terran standard years old, recently sanctioned as a preacher. We had gone through her background and found little notes of interest.’

‘A new preacher?’ I looked at the profile picture on the device. Defying my expectation, she was surprisingly decent looking.

‘It appears so, her family was of average standing without powerful connections. You could say the Church had sent over a nobody, which is unexpected considering this is a very sought after position.’

‘Why do you think that is the case?’

‘We had gone through various theories. In conclusion, either the Church wanted to avoid heavy infighting or they are sending over a sacrificial pawn. Due to the extremely high profile nature of your case it should be the first.’ Internally I shivered at the unspoken implications on the latter.

‘What will happen if I decline their representative?’ I asked while handing back Herlindya her data-slate. She shrugged, ‘they probably will just elect a new person.’

Huh, I got a hunch if I refused this candidate, they might fall back to their usual demographic of grumpy or saintly old men.

‘By the way Governor Khatalina will be visiting shortly. May I act as your assistant in the meantime?’ Herlindya asked. It felt strange and I was still very new to being a big deal. But obviously I needed all the help when it came to real imperial politics so I nodded. ‘Much obliged. Please take care of me.’

Khatalina arrived soon after, the impeccable timing solidified my impression that all the VIPs on the planet were under tight inquisitorial surveillance.

I was seated in a meeting room when Khatalina stepped through the door. The governor was led in by Welminah and flanked by multiple advisors of her own, looking immaculate in her highly ornate and decorative formal outfit.

Khatalina wore a mainly purple regalia made from the finest looking materials, lined with golden embroidery and embellished with precious metals and gems; a golden sash on her body acted as place holder for various medals. Highly tailored, the regalia fit her perfectly.

Meanwhile I was back on my comfortable simple-looking sleeved white robe and the contrast between our attire stuck out like a sore thumb. Not sure about protocols, I simply stood up as she entered the room.

I really need the help of an etiquette expert.

‘My Lady.’ The governor greeted, her eyes widened upon seeing me after all these days. She looked a bit pale and I sensed a mix of intense emotions bubbling beneath her controlled visage.

‘Governor, how are you doing?’ I asked.

‘By the Throne’s blessings I am doing great. Pardon me, what I am about to request is against standard protocol but may I have a private moment with you?’

Totally at a loss of what would be appropriate, I glanced over at Herlindya and she returned a “do as you see fit” look. Well at least Khatalina was not considered to be a threat to me by the inquisition.

‘Very well, please give us some space.’

Everyone else complied, soon it was only the two of us left inside the meeting room.

‘So, Khatalina?’

Instead of replying, to my surprise Khatalina knelt down before me before stating what was on her mind. ‘By His blessings and your holy work, my world, my home and the homes of countless Nusquamese were saved from the brink of damnation. No words can convey my gratitude and the gratitude of my people to the Throne and you. Thank you, thank you, thank you.’ Khatalina said, her voice cracking with raw emotions.

Before I could say anything she continued, ‘and finally thank you for being alive and well, it worried me to death that you may never wake up from your injuries.’ Then she started crying.

While Khatalina looked like a fine lady in her prime, I knew she was well over seventy years old and could not push the mental image of a crying grandmother out of my mind.

This is … embarrassing.

On the other hand I was reminded of the fact my actions did save a whole world, a fact that I seemed to be trying to forget for some reasons. Then I sensed her thoughts on how she viewed me.

Saviour.

The governor was viewing me like she was a desperate damsel in distress, hanging from the edge of a failing skyscraper and looking at a superhero flying in. Being a ruler of a planet and all, I guessed it was very rare for her to come face to face with any peers, let alone a person who could potentially solve her problems.

I let her cry for a while before leaning down to hold her hands. On skin contact more of her emotions ran through me. I sensed her anxiety about the future, her shame on losing the control of her domain and the pain of losing family members. Was she ever close to Kaithan?

‘Khatalina, please rise.’

‘My Lady, before that, can I ask some questions?’

‘What do you want to know?’

‘Why has the Emperor’s light ceased reaching us? What was that psychic beacon you lit and what will happen to my world?’ Khatalina asked, by now her tears were running like waters burst forth from a failed dam, I felt the shivering of her smooth hands. This was a person who stood at the apex of an imperial world, almost losing everything twice and now faced a future of uncertainties.

‘I can’t answer all your questions and have no plans to do any changes beyond the necessary.’ In truth I had no plans at all, but that was beside the point.

‘So what comes next for Nusquam?’ She asked again.

For a moment I considered telling her about my memory loss but decided against burdening her with more reasons to be anxious.

‘As for what comes next, I guess it depends on what we will find inside the vault.’

‘Vault?’

‘Well, I can’t tell you much but …’ After that we continued to talk and chatted away. Well it ended up with her talking most of the time while I avoided giving out any critical information. The topics changed from the state of the planet to seemingly random personal stuff. It felt like a mix between a friendly chat between friends and a therapeutic session for her.

Eventually we stopped and Khatalina freshened up her makeup and expressed her gratitude again before leaving. As soon as the governor left the room, Herlindya joined me again. She eyed me inquisitively and I shrugged. ‘Seemed like she needed someone to talk to. I told her about the vault, was that wise?’

‘Hmm… considering the governor will know about that sooner or later, it is fine. Please consult us beforehand on revealing important information to anyone in the future.’

It was then Herlindya’s comm bead beeped and she answered it, through my transhuman hearings I heard the conversation.

‘Herlindya.’ It was Tsalieh the psyker.

‘Yes?’

‘That new preacher from the Ecclesiarchy is here. I lightly probed her mind, no issues found.’ ‘Affirmative.’

Herlindya turned to me. ‘That preacher is here.’

‘Should I meet her?’ I asked.

‘It is up to you. If you do please remember to keep confidential information from her.’

I remembered Herlindya mentioning that rejecting Maylin here might result in the Ecclesiarchy replacing her with a random old man. Bad cardinal or not, even when Roboute Guilliman became the lord commander of the Imperium with all his legit powers and legions of space marines, he also had to entertain and keep the Church around. Guess I had little choice in this matter unless I prefer to swap the new lady priest with an old man.

‘Send her in.’ I nodded.

A while later Welminah led a young lady in preacher attire into the meeting room, she matched the profile I saw earlier. The newcomer’s face lit up the moment she saw me, I effortlessly picked up her thoughts that were broadcasting like an open air concert.

SO BEAUTIFUL!

Maylin’s mind screamed while she froze still, eyes locked onto me. Welminah waited for the young preacher to introduce herself, and when it was not forthcoming she lightly cleared her throat, snapping Maylin out of it.

‘Blessings of the Throne upon you, I am Maylin Hadmayer, designated representative of the Adeptus Ministorum.’ She said nervously, formed her aquila sign with her hands and bowed.

Did the Ecclesiarchy really just send a total noob over?