Warhammer 40K in a box

Chapter 606 Warren's Actions

Deep within the Mariupol District Court complex, the private meditation hall of Judge Qasim Warren is shrouded in a shadow that seems to hang eternally.

This is a windowless, sealed room with walls made of thick alloy, completely isolating all external noise and leaving only near-absolute silence.

The sole ventilation system continuously emits a low, steady hum, filtering out any potential pollutants and leaving only purified, cold air carrying the scent of metal and ozone, which slowly circulates within the room.

Towering data racks and Thinker terminals lined both sides of the room, while piles of dossier and encrypted storage chips recorded heretical events and forbidden knowledge from the sector over the past few centuries. The surfaces of the pages and chips showed signs of wear and frequent use.

An old-fashioned holographic projector in the center was projecting a slowly rotating star map, in which the Medusa Galaxy was prominently marked in scarlet, surrounded by energy readings, tactical annotations, and numerous questioning symbols written by Warren himself, casting cool-toned lines on his face.

Judge Warren stood silently amidst the interplay of light and shadow, like a statue sculpted from steel and will.

He was dressed in a heavy black robe with the collar tightly fastened. The robe was inlaid with a scarlet "I" symbol, which symbolized the authority of the court and reflected a matte finish in the dim light.

His face was thin with high cheekbones, and his eyes were like the sharp edge of a tempered blade, seemingly able to pierce through all falsehood and pretense, his gaze filled with an undeniable coldness.

Decades of fighting against heretics and mutant forces have etched a profound skepticism and relentless scrutiny into his demeanor.

What drove him was not orders from his superiors, but an almost extreme belief—a persistent pursuit of the metaphysical qualities of "pure humanity" and unwavering loyalty to the Emperor's will.

At this moment, his long, slender fingers were gently stroking a newly declassified report bearing the logo of the Star Language Hall.

The paper itself was slightly rough, but the ink was clear and neat, recording the unusual psionic fluctuations that accompanied the news of the so-called "return of Feralus".

“Identification mode: non-standard…signal is ancient and not recorded…suspected of being deceptive…” He repeated the words in the report in a low voice, each syllable like an ice crystal falling into silence, clear and cold, particularly distinct in the enclosed space.

Sitting opposite him were two allies he had specially summoned to participate in the evaluation.

Martha Klöff, the judge of the Devil's Tribunal, was silent and enigmatic, her figure almost blending into the darkness of the background.

Her left eye was covered by an inconspicuous metal eye patch, and the edge of her right pupil shone with an unnatural pale golden light—a mark left from long-term direct exposure to the subspace, adding to her inhuman solemnity.

Her very existence is like a moving barrier, resisting the pollution of the non-material world.

The other is Tech Priest Erika-77, whose mechanical limbs are connected to various sensor probes and analysis modules, and the logic engine in his chest cavity continuously emits a low and rhythmic operating sound, with syllables as regular as a mechanical heartbeat.

He belongs to an extremely orthodox faction within the Cult of Mechanics, harboring deep skepticism towards any "organic miracle" or non-standard technology, and firmly believing that humanity can only survive by following the sacred technology of the Om Messiah.

“The chain of evidence is closing,” Warren began, his voice dry as a desert wind, yet carrying an undeniable authority.

"The real Ferrus Manus—the Primarch of the Steel Hand—was confirmed to have died in battle on Istvan V in the thirtieth millennium."

"His head was severed by the traitor Forgrim, a fact that has been confirmed by countless historical records and chapter annals, and is beyond dispute."

He paused briefly, then pulled up another optical file. The blue light screen clearly displayed Judge Chen Xi's resume, with several time points and mission records highlighted in red.

"And this Judge Chen Xi, whose whereabouts have long been a mystery, is closely related to several fringe technology experiments and unregistered alien contact incidents." "She appeared in Medusa almost at the same time as the so-called 'Ferrus'—" Warren raised his eyes, his gaze shining like an interrogation lamp on the other two, "Too perfect coincidences are often the most obvious flaws in an elaborate deception."

Judge Klöf nodded slightly; her voice was like a cold wind blowing through ruins, steady yet containing a hint of vigilance.

"The essence of the subspace is deceit and trickery."

“A powerful demon lord, or some ancient curse, is enough to weave an illusion that is indistinguishable from reality.”

"They steal the image of heroes and distort the perception of mortals."

"In my view, this so-called 'return' is more like a meticulously planned blasphemous ritual intended to corrupt the Chapter's pure faith in the Primarch and thus undermine the foundation of the Empire's beliefs."

The Erika-77's transmitter first spewed out a rapid stream of binary code, then switched to flat Gothic language, interspersed with subtle electrical noise:
"Logic verification failed."

"According to existing scientific doctrines, biological tissues cannot reorganize themselves and maintain their original form after tens of thousands of years."

"This phenomenon cannot be explained by any known technology."

"It is highly suspected that it involves the following taboos: advanced artificial intelligence simulation, abnormal STC template copying, or illegal soul programming techniques."

One of his mechanical appendages rose slightly, and the probe flashed a cold light. "A mandatory scan and analysis must be performed on this entity to verify whether it conforms to the Human Form Orthodoxy Standard."

"Any deviation will confirm its impure nature."

The three quickly reached a consensus through rigorous skepticism and logical deduction: the real Pherous had long since passed away, and the one appearing in Medusa now was most likely an imitation created by the judge Chen Xi using some unrecorded forbidden technology.

Warren even pointed out in the report that those descriptions of the entity’s “abnormally feminine features” might be a deliberate blasphemy and a malicious mockery of the Emperor’s sacred creation.

The "evidence" they collected—an inexplicable resurrection mechanism, physiological characteristics inconsistent with historical records, a suspicious connection to Chen Xi, and abnormal psionic signals—has been quietly circulated within the Tribunal's encrypted network, circulating only through the highest-authority channels.

The action plan was quickly formulated.

Judges have their own powers and resources and do not need to go through complicated political procedures.

Warren has begun secretly mobilizing the forces he needs: a strike force of loyal stormtroopers, a modified assault ship equipped with a silent engine, and a suite of equipment for "on-site verification" and—if necessary—"final purification," including a highly sensitive psionic scanner, a molecular-level analyzer, and heavy molten metal weapons.

All movements were carried out in the shadows.

The fleet's route was set to meander and jump through desolate star systems in order to conceal its final destination.

The operatives were only notified that this was a top-priority reconnaissance mission, and the target was labeled as "extremely dangerous and highly deceptive."

Qasim Warren firmly believed that he was not going against the will of the Empire, but rather fulfilling his most fundamental duty—to defend the purity of humanity with fire and steel—before the Emperor's enemies corrupted everything.

(End of this chapter)