Chapter 29: The Uncontrolled Psyker
"Where do these warriors come from?" Ian Hoffmann inquired.
"These are all loyal warriors of the Dynasty. Some were selected from among the soldiers, and others are sons from the blood-kin families of the Mongorte Dynasty. But without exception, they are all faithful servants of the God-Emperor, the finest soldiers of the Imperium," Verre explained.
Although Ian still held suspicions about these strange soldiers, he could find nothing overtly questionable.
Ian inspected the lower decks and also visited the bottom hold where the corruption had occurred.
While docked at Footfall, the Raiders had further cleansed the bottom hold. Everything related to the Warp had been incinerated. However, to make further use of the bottom hold's space, more extensive modifications would be required. If the bottom hold were to be completely repaired, the crew capacity of the Golden Ram could be further increased.
For now, the bottom hold could only be temporarily sealed off.
"My Lord, that's all there is. The warship will soon enter the Warp. Won't you please return to your quarters with me?" Verre suggested to Ian.
"It seems we haven't inspected the forge workshop yet, have we?" Ian pressed.
"My Lord, the forge workshop cannot be entered at will. If you wish to tour it, it would be best to wait until you have asked Captain Lucan and obtained his permission before I take you there!"
Hearing Verre's words, Ian had no choice but to return to the upper decks.
During the few days spent waiting for the warship to depart, Ian wandered around the ship like an idler, much to the fear of all the crew members. After all, the reputation of an Inquisitor preceded him, and everyone avoided him like the plague.
And a daily report on all of Ian's movements was delivered to Lucan.
"Have you spoken with the officers and heads of various posts?" Lucan asked Verre. "Tell them what needs to be said, and not what shouldn't be."
"It's all been taken care of. He tried to go to the forge workshop several times, but the Tech-Priests stopped him."
"Then let him wander! How are the warship repairs progressing?"
"The repairs on the Sword Rain are also nearly complete! If you wish, we can prepare to depart immediately."
"As soon as the maintenance is finished, we depart immediately! Every day we delay is another day the Dynasty's sacred assets suffer losses!"
"As you wish, my Lord! May all glory be yours!"
As the last batch of cargo was loaded onto the warship, under the astonished gazes of everyone in Footfall, the Golden Ram, accompanied by the other two frigates, detached from Footfall's starport.
No one had expected this flotilla, which had only arrived half a month ago, to have completed its refit already.
The most surprised were the Adeptus Mechanicus personnel. They had participated in the repair assessment for the Golden Ram. It had only been a few days, and it was already departing? Was it not suicidal to undertake Warp travel in such a state?
The viewports were sealed shut.
The warship's Warp engines began to power up. Conventional engines accelerated the ship to sublight speed, heading towards the Mandeville Point at the edge of the Fury system. This was one of the thinnest points between the Warp and realspace, a prerequisite for Warp travel.
A warship could not simply enter Warp travel anytime, anywhere.
The method of entering the Warp was itself an extremely dangerous act. The slightest miscalculation, entering too early or too late, could result in the ship's destruction and the deaths of all aboard.
This was why exploring unknown star sectors was so perilous. Since the Expanse was first discovered, countless Rogue Traders and other explorators had been lost or died in the Warp. It could be said that every safe and stable Warp route was paved with human lives.
"Eunice, how long will it take to reach Omiron II?" Lucan asked.
"This Warp route is relatively safe. We can reach it with just two Warp jumps."
"Very good. Target, Omiron. Begin entry into the Warp!"
The Gellar Field activated. Eunice, within the Navigator's Sanctum, began guiding the warship according to the star charts.
During the wait, Lucan also felt a bit nervous. Compared to the dangers of Warp travel, he really wished he could build a Starport sooner! Unfortunately, Chaos hadn't come knocking on his door recently! Perhaps after resolving this matter, he could ask Ian? The Inquisition always knew more than he did.
Fortunately, everything proceeded without a hitch, and the warship smoothly entered the Warp.
Though stable Warp travel still required caution, at least no major mishaps occurred.
When the warship breached a Mandeville Point and returned to realspace two days later, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
The warship once again engaged its conventional engines, heading towards Omiron.
"Purser! Report situation!"
"Warship systems normal, Captain. Just some confusion among the shipwrights who have never entered the void before. The Priests report that one young shipwright also experienced an uncontrolled psychic manifestation, injuring dozens of crew members. Fortunately, there were no fatalities."
"Awakened psychic powers? Could it be because of entering the Warp?"
"Perhaps. After all, the reasons for psychic awakening are myriad. Any circumstance could potentially activate a person's latent psychic talent. How do you intend to deal with him? These spontaneously awakened psykers are still an unstable factor and are illegal in the Imperium."
"Wait… no need to 'deal with him.' Take me to see him." An extra psyker on board? Wasn't this perfect for creating a Ghost operative?
If it weren't for the current shortage of Astropaths and Navigators, Lucan would have wanted to try this sooner.
Soon, on the officer's deck, Lucan saw the little fellow who had awakened psychic powers.
"Kneel! Before you is the God-Emperor's Rogue Trader, Captain Lucan Mongorte!" An Enforcer roughly forced the heavily bruised boy to the ground.
Yet, the boy still stubbornly lifted his head.
"What is your name?" Lucan asked.
"Are you Lord Lucan? My name is Norris… I didn't mean to hurt those people!"
"Are you new to this warship?"
"Yes… I don't know what happened to me. I suddenly felt a power surge within my body." Norris seemed very remorseful. Since he was old enough to understand, he had sometimes seen things others couldn't, heard things others couldn't, but he had always dismissed them as hallucinations caused by a life of constant high stress.
And with the uncontrolled psychic manifestation, the surrounding shipwrights had all treated him like a monster. Even those usually somewhat lenient Enforcers had beaten him brutally and brought him here.
"Norris, I believe what you say. But sometimes, some things are beyond our personal control. You have become a psyker, and psychic power is an extremely dangerous force. If left unchecked, it would be irresponsible to everyone on this warship. My officers have suggested throwing you into the void."
"Please don't! I work hard! I… I am loyal to the Imperium, loyal to the God-Emperor! I don't even know what happened!"
To save his life, Norris, who clearly didn't believe in the God-Emperor, now invoked his faith.
"I believe what you say, Norris. Therefore, I give you two choices. One choice is that I execute you as my officers have suggested. The second choice is a path whose outcome even I do not know. You might live, or you might die."
"I choose the second! I want to live! Even if there's only a sliver of a chance, I want to live."
"Very good. I am pleased you made the correct choice. Take him to the forge workshop!"
(End of Chapter)