Faith and Betrayal
Revelation
+++++Begin Transcript+++++
+Frak you!! I don’t have anything to say to you!! I demand to know the reason for my detention and want immediate legal representation. You have no right! Who the frak do you thing you are!!+
Inquisitor Sand. And I do not think you understand the gravity of the situation that you find yourself in or you would have some manners. As for your charges, you stand accused of trafficking in Xenos and Heretical goods, aiding and abetting a known criminal, aiding and supplying known enemies of the Imperium, participating in acts to destabilize the Calixis Sector and associating with heretics, rebels and pirates. Do you deny your guilt?*
+I don’t have to answer your questions. Your intimidation tactics and trumped up charges don’t scare me. I’m done talking to you and demand a legitimate trial- take me to the Emperor and we will see who is the guilty one.+
Your request is denied and a plea of ineffable guilt duly entered to the record. I am the Inquisition and if that does not scare you then you obviously have something to hide. Questioning shall proceed. Discomforting stimulus will be employed to elicit a response if you continue to be intractable. What is your name?*
+Frak off!! Take me back to my cell…arghhhhhhhhh!! [pain stimulus applied for forty-two seconds]+
You are not in control here. You do not make demands. Your purpose right now is only to answer what is asked. Vern, increase the setting by six increments. Now, what is your name?*
+Swanson.+
Excellent Swanson. See that was not so hard. You continue on this path and you may find yourself still alive by the end of the day. Now, was the Scorpion with you at the safe house on Tranch?*
+Scorpion? Know idea who you are talking about…arghhhh!! [pain stimulus applied for two minutes thirty-one seconds]+
You deliberately test our patience in hopes of termination. Your lies will not succeed. Was the Scorpion with you aboard the Guncutter!!*
+Yes…yes…he was there but I do not know what happened to him when it went up in the explosion…[sob]…I saw a bunch of the crew vaporized right in front of my face. I didn’t see him though…He couldn’t have survived that…I was lucky to get out.+
Swanson, in what capacity do you work for the Scorpion?*
+I’m just a hired gun- a Mercenary. I act as his bodyguard from time to time.+
Now Swanson…both you and I know that is a lie. I know all about you as well as the nature of your work. Should I motivate you to answer my questions truthfully?*
+No! No! Wait! I’ll tell you!! I work for the Inquisition!+
Now Swanson, we are finally getting somewhere.*
+++++Transcript Ends+++
Ref: Inq/06598366/GS
Subject: Verbal Transcript of Pict-Recorded Document
Date: 793.M41
Location: Scintilla, Hive Sibellus, Tri-Corn out-wing G5VG77 within Ordo Xenos Wing
Sector: Calixis (Scintillan Sub)
Original Transcription: Savant Tokner, Ordo Xenos, Tri-Corn, M793.41
Additional Notes: <awaiting>
Thought for the Day: “Heresy Grows From Idleness”
+PICT-RECORDING FROM INQUISITOR GRAMEN SAND’S PERSONAL OFFICE WITHIN THE TRI-CORN- COPY TO BE ELIMINATED IMMEDIATELY+
>[RECORDING STARTS]
[Stationary Pict-Source] Narrow angle view of lavishly decorated office dominated by large sturdy wooden desk piled with several tomes. Several plush chairs are positioned in front of the desk facing it. Several framed certificates displaying academic accolades and scholarly memberships decorate the walls, as well as several framed photos. Sitting behind the desk is a handsome man with noble features wearing a red leather coat with gold trim over a fashionable white shirt. An Inquisitor Rosette hangs from a gold chain around his neck [Subject positively identified as Inquisitor Gramen Sand].
Sharp knock at the door.
VOICE [INQUISITOR SAND]: Enter!
Door opens and several individuals walk into the room. Pict-Recorder zooms in on each face. The first individual [Subject I] is a large muscular man [positively identified as ex-Guardsman Mir a.k.a “Red” formerly of the Cadian 701st]. Second figure is a thin man wearing the distinct red robes of the Adeptus Mechanicus and equipped with several bionic devices [Subject positively identified as Tech-Priest Vern]. Third subject is a short thin frail-looking man whose attire hints at underhive origins [Subject positively identified as Quint- former ganger and duelist). The last man is a stocky individual whose rugged features and skin tone show he is Dusk-born [Subject positively identified as Rasar- Assassin of some notoriety that specializes in long-range Assassinations]. All individuals are identified as Acolytes of Inquisitor Sand of a unit that he has designated as Cell: C2.
VOICE [SAND]: Thank you for coming. Please have a seat. There is much to discuss.
Sand’s Acolytes each take a seat in one of the chairs facing Sand’s desk. Pict-recorder zooms out to show view that includes Sand’s back and the faces of his Acolytes.
VOICE [SAND]: Acolytes, I congratulate each of you for your work with the recent successful mission involving the Scorpion. By stopping him from continuing his illegal and heretical operations you have done the Imperium and the Inquisition a great service. The journey for some of you going through these hardships of being wanted for trumped up charges has been a long one and for the rest of you I am sure that you have questions about what all this is about and I want to answer those questions for all of you but be warned that by learning what I am about to tell you will shed light on the matter but will also put your very lives at risk. The Inquisition is full of secrets and I am about to tell you some of those. At the end…I will give each of you a choice to continue on this path with me or to voluntarily withdraw. Those that leave will not be treated harshly, but will be rewarded for your loyal service though you will not be allowed to retain the knowledge of our conversation here or your experiences with me- you will be mind-cleansed and re-instated back into the Imperium in positions of worth due to your service to the Emperor and the Inquisition. I will ask each of you for your decision after I have told you the truth.
[Mir, Rasar, and Quint show subtle hints of surprise and slight nervousness on their faces; only the face of Vern lacks any response]
VOICE [SAND]: I am sure that all of you were surprised when you answered my summons and discovered that you were reporting to me inside of the Tri-corn in the section that is used by the Ordo Xenos. Your deductions are correct. A few months ago, when evidence came to light that I was being framed for the heretical operations on Akari Station, I petitioned to transfer to the Ordo Xenos. While I strongly believe in my work with the Ordo Hereticus, I have my reasons for this transition- the most important of which is that I think that it will be the best place for me to continue pursuing my areas of interest- ancient technology, both Xenos and human, which has long been of interest to me. There was some disappointed with my switch, especially from my mentor, Inquisitor Volk, as well as some opposition- namely from Inquisitor Xill, but I was able to garner enough support to be accepted to the Ordo which means that you now work for the Ordo Xenos.
VOICE [SAND]: [slight pause]…Unknown to you, as well as many others, including Inquisitor Volk, I have been a secret member of an Inquisition faction called the Revivicators. I was secretly approached by members of the faction during my time with the Hetaireia Lexis- long before I started serving the Inquisition. The faction was interested in me due to my medical and scholarly background and I later learned that many of my friends and professional associates, both in the Adeptus Mechanicus and in Academia, were members. While I expressed interest in the faction, and even stayed in touch with some of its members and attended a few meetings, it was not until later, while serving as Interrogator to Inquisitor Volk that I decided that I believed in the faction’s work and became a full-fledged member. The Faction is widespread throughout the Imperium and in the Calixis Sector we have our headquarters amongst the fleet of the Hippocrasian Agglomeration. The Sect of the Hippocrasian Agglomeration are Biologis that research the death of the flesh and ultimately the ways to slow its decay or halt the process. They are not all members of the Revivicators but a portion of their members are since we all share similar interests.
VOICE [SAND]: [another pause]…Now, I want you to know that Revivicationism has been labeled as a Radical Faction within the Inquisition and we have many enemies, especially those in the Ecclesiarchy. While our beliefs and methods might not be in line with the majority of Puritan views, I do not believe that that we are extreme at all, especially when compared to Xanthism or the Horusians- who we are commonly confused with. I will admit that like in any faction within the Inquisition, there are those that take their beliefs and doctrines to the extreme and venture into areas that are best left alone. The Revivicators, like any other faction, have had such individuals that have tread to the extreme and cost us credibility and brought us under persecution.
VOICE [SAND]: Perhaps a little history lesson on Revivicationism will help you understand our purpose. Unusual for a resurrectionist cult, the Revivicators have few ties with the Ministorum. Their focus is directed towards the transition of the soul to the Warp at the point of death. In particular, they study the means by which this can be slowed, halted and, ultimately, returned. This study takes them to battlefields and plague areas, to conduct their investigations on those close to death. They are also frequenters of tombs and mausoleums, hence a certain amount of disrespect for the practices of the Ecclesiarchy. Known as ghouls or ravens for their somewhat morbid practices, the Revivificators are also known to have learned much from the capture of various Eldar over the centuries. In particular, they find the principle of the Eldar spirit stone intriguing, and have on numerous occasions attempted to replicate the practice of capturing a departing soul. So far, such attempts have proved wholly unsuccessful, for Mankind’s psychic technology is far inferior to the psychic-engineering properties of Eldar Wraithbone.
There are also those that have read Van Hinkel’s Treatise on the Soul Theft Methods of Eldar Pirates, penned by the Inquisitor Lord in the late 39th millennium. This detailed manuscript contains Van Hinkel’s report on interrogations of captured Dark Eldar, as well as collating information from many other sources previously scattered in various libraries and data files throughout the Inquisition’s fortresses and stations. The least scrupulous Revivificators have attempted to repeat the torturous practices of the Dark Eldar, usually on heretics and other criminals, though not exclusively so. Few amongst the Inquisition know of the grisly dungeons staffed by telepaths and wired with arcane machinery for the detection and extraction of psychic energy.
Ultimately, it is the goal of the Revivificators to study the Golden Throne itself and perhaps alter its working so that the Emperor’s body might be restored. To this end, it is not only the passage of the soul to the Warp that the Revivificators study, but also the processes by which a corpse may be maintained in a state ready for such a reinfusion of the soul. Access to this knowledge and technologies means that Revivificators often live far longer than even other Inquisitors, the oldest being Inquisitor Lord Verinath, who was shot and killed whilst hale and hearty at the age of seven hundred and sixty three. Unlike ancient members of the Adeptus Mechanicus, which have a few members that have surpassed the age of one-thousand, Lord Verinath had limited bionic enhancements and the extension of his age was mostly due to advances in bio-engineering.
VOICE [SAND]: The Revivicators have members from all occupations in the Imperium, but a large number of our members are from the Adeptus Mechanicus and the Inquisition, who keep their membership secret to avoid sanction. The connections with high-level members of these organizations have made us privy to knowledge and information that most do not know and I am going to tell you one of these pieces of information- which upon learning was the reason I joined the Revivicators.
While many know that the Emperor’s body is slowly decaying away on the Golden Throne, there is another secret that none but a very few select members in the entire Imperium have knowledge of- In 999.M41 the Tech-Priests of the Adeptus Mechanicus responsible for the maintenance of the Golden Throne have discovered failures in the device that are far beyond their ability to repair (revealed in White Dwarf July 2008). The days of the Imperium are indeed numbered and unless we can find a why to revive the Emperor or repair the Golden Throne the Imperium and the human species is headed for extinction. You now see why this information can never be brought to light as it will no doubt cause panic amongst the masses and the leadership and it is essential for man-kind’s survival that the Imperium remain at a level of functionality in order to be victorious. I personally believe in the importance of the Revivicators’ work and want to put my knowledge and skills to use toward saving the Emperor and the Imperium.
Sound in background of door sliding open. Pict-recorder zooms out to reveal a figure walking from behind Inquisitor Sand toward the Acolytes. Figure is dressed in the red robes of the Adeptus Mechanicus and he prominently displays the seal of the Omnissiah with ornamentation that reveals him to be the high Mechanicus rank of Magos Genetor (Tech-Priests who specialize in the study of biology and genetic research). Surprisingly for a Tech-Priest of this high rank, there are not many bionics present but several genetic enhances are present [Subject positively identified as Magos Genetor Faust].
VOICE [SAND]: Gentlemen, this is my long-time friend and a ranking member of the Revivicators, Magos Genetor Faust.
VOICE [MAGOS GENETOR FAUST]: Thank you Gramen and well-met gentlemen. I want to thank you for your work in rectifying the situation with the man known as the “Scorpion.” He was a danger to the Imperium and to our faction. The “Scorpion’s” real name is Forlorn Gaul- Inquisitor Forlorn Gaul. In addition to being an Inquisitor, he was also a secret member of our faction. One of our most promising members that specialized in the acquisition and utilization theory of ancient and Xenos technology, we became aware a couple of years ago that Gaul was using his knowledge and Xenos technology for profit- mostly funneled through his black market company- the Talon Corporation. In addition, investigations revealed that Gaul was dealing with non-faction members of the Inquisition- members of a secret organization interested in keeping the Imperium functional through blind-obedience with the power to control the masses given to a select few. This organization we have since learned is called the Dominion. Do not concern yourself with the Dominion yet, just realize that while their overall goal is honorable, the methods by which they wish to obtain it are questionable and would place the Imperium in a position of peril.
When Gaul’s operations came to light, your Inquisitor was tasked by the faction to investigate and evaluate Gaul’s activities for possible sanction. I was amazed at the reports that we received on the Eldar-hybrid constructs that your group discovered on LV214; the fact that Gaul was able to re-create on such a minor level the effects of an Eldar Spirit Stone was promising as this has never been successfully done to that level before. Unfortunately the Deathwatch destroyed the specimens and we will not be able to study them to see how they functioned.
When Gaul became aware of Sand’s investigation into his activities, he began his own disinformation campaign which resulted in the framing and assassination of several of Sand’s Agents, including yourselves, as well as attempts on your Inquisitor’s life. Gaulis no longer a threat to the Faction and our secrets are now safe. I express my most sincere thanks to Inquisitor Sand and to each of you for your work in stopping this threat.
VOICE [SAND]: You now know one of the deepest secrets of the Imperium as well as the principles that you work for. You must decide if you will choose to continue to tread this path with me in support of the Faction knowing that there are enemies, both within the Inquisition and outside, that will use any means including death to know some of the information that you know now. Know that should your allegiances be known, you will be declared a radical by some and imprisonment and death are likely. If you, like me, truly wish to save the Emperor and the Imperium, then I offer a path with possibility. If you feel uncomfortable with what you have learned, believe that there is no shame in leaving, and as promised you will be rewarded for your service. What is your decision…
>[RECORDING ENDS]
by:
taddow