A Light Not Extinguished

Chapter 9: Old Soldiers

"We have found similar constructs to the ones on Cadia on El'Phanor, Danth and Aginax. All the signs point to the possibility that these 'Pylons' are part of a wider network, constructed by someone or something to sever the connection between our dimension and the Empyrean. It would appear that even in their dormant state they emit a strong psychic-nullification effect just like the Cadian Pylons- if properly fortified they could become invaluable assets."

[ENCRYPTION BYPASS]

"It is predicted that if the Pylon Network is fully activated, roughly 80% of Aeldari Empire territory in realspace will be subject to complete denial of psychic phenomena. The strategic advantage we can gain from this is immeasurable- research on reactivation of Pylon Network has begun under the codename SILENT KNIFE."

[ENCRYPTION END]
-Excerpt from report written by Psykana Militant adjutant, addressed to Iron Mind UR-001

***

M24, 201

Deep Space Containment Cell AT-5

Not all human psykers have the willpower to master the powers of the Warp they were gifted with at birth. Humanity's evolution into a psychic species will be a long, unstable one, especially with the Aeldari feeding the Child of Excess. Countless psychics have had their bodies destroyed by the unstable energies they channel, or even worse their luminous souls eaten by the savage predators of the Immaterium. Being a psyker is not an easy thing; one must be ever-vigilant of the dark powers that seek to turn you into food or a puppet.

As more and more natural psykers began to appear amongst humanity during the Age of Conquest, these cells became a necessity, for a psyker who has lost control is very dangerous indeed. Some of the most dangerous ones are incarcerated in the prison moons of SHEOL, while the others who are struggling with their curse/gift are sent to containment cells in deep space. Despite the efforts of the Federation, more of them perish each year, as the turmoil in the Warp further intensifies.

Floating in pitch black darkness speckled with pinpricks of light, Containment Cell AT-5 was a foreboding place to visit. The size of a large asteroid, it was shaped like an octahedron, coloured like the blackness of the void so that it was near-indistinguishable from its surroundings. The nearest star was dozens of lightyears away, exactly as its builders had intended it to be.

Inside, cubes hung within a vast space, connected by walkways and suspended by antigrav levitators. Battle automatons diligently patrolled the walkways, controlled by the Iron Mind in the facility. In its domain it was nigh-omnipresent; it saw through the eyes of the robots that guarded the cubes, the sensors lining the walls, the turrets loaded with phase-iron dust rounds and the drones that slowly flew across the ceiling, looking for any miniscule flaw to repair.

This is both a prison and a hospital for the unfortunate souls within; treatment of them varies, those with mild symptoms of Warp sickness are allowed freedom of movement in their cells while those on death's door are bound in stasis sarcophagi, bodies pumped full of psychic inhibitors.

Orochi-17, warden of the facility watched as the medical team made their daily checkups. Trained psychics from the Psykana Militant that mostly consisted of biomancers and telepaths, these men and women tried to help the patients in these cells every day, albeit with mixed results.

"Signs of daemonic possession imminent." Orochi-17 warned dispassionately as the patient they were tending to, a young boy, convulsed on a medical stretcher while the medical team tried to repulse the possession. Benjamin Fennard was only 13, but the first manifestation of his psychic powers had already killed three people, which saw him being transported here. "Please disengage immediately, Medics."