This is the Liber Astartes, PART II

[Aqui]

Why?  Why did you tell Ace we have access to a Rhino?

 

Because it would arouse too much suspicion if we tried to brush him off.  I'm not certain, but I think he has been observing us.  A few have.

 

And why would that be?

 

I think it has something to do with the Moderatii and the very device that Ace has been working on.  Look closer.

 

All looked at the object.  It was almost impossible to describe accurately.  Whilst it's structure was stable, looking at it gave the viewer the impression it was somehow changing.

 

I can't stand looking at it.

 

No one is asking you to.  In fact you'd be better off keeping an eye on Debonair.  He has suspicions about this tech.  It would be advantageous to know what he knows.

 

Agreed.

 

In the mean time the first voice continued we will give our help where it's needed.  The headaches are getting worse.  The new one will be here soon, and we need to find space to put it.

 

Put it?

 

You know what I mean. the first voice replied, his tone brooking no argument.  Let's just get this thing out of public view.

 

Ace stood there watching Aquilanus' face tick briefly as an internal conversation ensued.

 

"Wait here a minute, we will get the APC and put it in the back.  You might want to hold onto something though.  The designated driver is...erratic.

 

You'll pay for that remark, skirt wearer!

 

Ace watched Aquilanus step into a run.  He's up to something he thought.  Something serious is about to go down.  I'm not sure I want to be around when it does.

[Forté]

Us Wolves would never cause unwanted damage to things. And we don't smell. Erm...maybe forget the first one. Blame it on Arez. It's what I always do.

[Ace Debonair]

Ace watched Aquilanus step into a run. He's up to something he thought. Something serious is about to go down. I'm not sure I want to be around when it does.

It's a shame I'm still on a blasted crutch, Ace added after a moment's thought. I never was good at high-speed hobbling.

Well, I really was going to write Aquilanus getting a rhino in to move the cloning-thingummy-oven-or-whatever-the-deuce-it-is.

Since I have no idea what he's gone to get in it's place, we'll just have to wait and see what happens next.

Hopefully we still go to the Culinarium, though. Who's going to look for mad science down in the canteen?... That's rhetorical. Don't answer.

[Dosjetka]

Oi! You mad ruffians stay out of my kitchen! :lol:

[Aqui]

Ace watched Aquilanus step into a run. He's up to something he thought. Something serious is about to go down. I'm not sure I want to be around when it does.

It's a shame I'm still on a blasted crutch, Ace added after a moment's thought. I never was good at high-speed hobbling.

Well, I really was going to write Aquilanus getting a rhino in to move the cloning-thingummy-oven-or-whatever-the-deuce-it-is.

Since I have no idea what he's gone to get in it's place, we'll just have to wait and see what happens next.

Hopefully we still go to the Culinarium, though. Who's going to look for mad science down in the canteen?... That's rhetorical. Don't answer.

I'll have to re-read a few posts, as I've completely lost my train of thought!

I'll have something soon though

Oi! You mad ruffians stay out of my kitchen!

*Rattles pots and pans* Or what?

[Ace Debonair]

Oi! You mad ruffians stay out of my kitchen!

*Rattles pots and pans* Or what?

It's not our fault going to the Culinarium gives us all the ingredients for cooking up a fresh and delicious story with just a hint of plotting seasoned with herbs and impending catastrophe.

...Which is largely how I'd describe Culinarium food at the minute.

Not to worry Ludo, you won't have to choke down your disgust at more of my horribly bad food puns. Well, just as soon as Aquilanus serves us the next slice of his tale.

[ChaptermasterDemon7]

As CMD7 walked down the halls, he noticed all the automaton squads walking around. He wondered how they arrived here in the Liber, but simply shrugged and kept walking. He stopped and observed the Space Wolves cursing and snarling at the door, tilting his death masked covered head to one side. "What in the Holy Emperor's laurels has got them wound up?"  He walked around and entered the room from a back entry point, looking right at the massive machine contraption that Ace had been working on. "So this is what the Cullinarium's new oven looks like? I figured it would be more.... Cullinariumy than that. Oh well." He walked around, spotting Aquilanus and Ace walking away. Well, more like Aquilanus walking and Ace hopping away on crutches. "At least he is out of the Apothecarium now. Wonder if they will need any help getting this monster oven back to the Cullinarium?"

 

Just my 2cents worth.

[Aqui]

Nice CMD7, except Ace was left with the device

If it's okay, I'll write in that you encountered Ace after I walk off (as you mentioned seeing me leave) and are interacting with him. That way, there's no mix up.

Give me a couple of hours and hopefully I'll have something

[ChaptermasterDemon7]

Alrighty, didnt know Ace was left with the machine. 

[Aqui]

We need to hurry up.

I know. We've left it too long. The plan needs to be adjusted. We collect the device, Ace and CMD7. We then find the Moderatii.

I thought we wanted to keep this caper to ourselves?

We do.

Then why..?

The first and oldest voice sighed. It was tired, very tired. Look, we take the device to DAT. We explain about our situation, and propose a bargain.

Which is?

DAT wants to replace our lost members with simulacra. That is all well and good. But he wants them docile, compliant. He will not get that without our help. He does not know how to successfully remove enough of the simulacra's free will to succeed.

And we do?

We do not have to let him know any...shortfall in our knowledge. the first replied with a smile that chilled their collective blood. Even the Bahltimyr Reaver was unnerved.

He's going to be pissed when he finds out.

When we get what we want, we will be able to help him far more effectively. Surely you all feel...compressed. Reduced even?

If you mean, do you feel less than you did before, then yes, damn it!

That is because there is little room for us to grow into. There are far too many in here now. We are infringing on each other's personal space. Eventually, we will all either merge into one again, or...

Or?

You don't want to know.

Didn't think so

Aquilanus had reached the Rhino. It was battered, it's Chapter markings removed blasphemously with paint stripper. Attempts by each of his personalities had tried to make their own mark upon it, the results were garish, one attempt was severely disturbing.

It's been left standing for quite sometime. Will it even turn over?

One way to find out.

Searching for a hidden switch, Aquilanus managed to get the rear hatch open. It creaked loudly, making them jump slightly, his eyes darting about to see if anyone had been watching. It would seem not. Inside, the rear was strewn with rubbish, the bottles, old data slates with dubious content, and old sleeping bags. It was musty, but didn't smell as bad as the Culinarium after one of Ludovic's curry nights.

Right, let's get this thing started.

After spending twenty minutes beseeching the obnoxious machine spirit, the Steel Wing admitted defeat.

Blasted thing is sulking because we haven't visited it for so long!

So, what do we do? Promise it an oil change? Wait Reaver! What are you doing?!

"GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" The Reaver had taken control of their collective arms and voice, their face contorted into a snarl famed for making Tyranid Hive Fleets about face. The engine spluttered into live, it's idling made the chassis shake arthritically.

Good. We've wasted enough time. Space Wolf, you're up. And try not to destroy anything in our path. We're supposed to be incognito!

Who the Feth's he then? He asked puzzled, but clambered into the pilot seat.

Hold on to your Bolters!

After a spine numbing ride at breakneck speed, Aquilanus managed to find the spot where he had left Ace Debanair. CMD7 was also waiting. Both had a very bored look on their faces.

Another to have to deal with. The Dark Angel mused darkly.

Shut it Emo. Just because you have to hide your dirty linen, doesn't mean we have to! The son of Russ retorted.

Actually, we do. The Steel Wing silenced them both. Remember, we want the Moderatii to help us first. We will then help him. If he gets wind of our plan, no matter how small, he will prove..difficult to bargain with.

"Apologies Ace, we were held up by this Rhino's Machine Spirit. It can be...petulant."

Ace looked at him briefly. He didn't believe a word of it, but was in no rush to find out the real reason. CMD7 looked at them both bemused, but said nothing.

"Okay, let's get this thing out of here." Aquilanus opined.

"Where are we taking it?" CMD7 asked.

"To the Moderatii."

"To the Moderatii."

Ace and Aquilanus both paused, again looking for some clue as to what the other was plotting. Neither could discern anything concrete.

For now.

The journey was fraught. CMD7 had taken to stay in the rear with the device, the silence between Ace and Aquilanus palpable. It should have only taken a few minutes, but as the Liber was still being rebuilt, they had to follow detour after detour.

Eventually, they had to stop. Getting out of the Rhino to scout a way ahead, Ace, Aquilanus and CMD7 approached the blockage.

Ahead was the place. The epicentre.

Ground Zero.

"We don't know how we got here, but this isn't a co-incidence."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I checked the route we needed to take to reach DAT's private chambers. The route we actually took was wildly off. You do know where we are?"

Ace didn't need to look to know where he was. Ahead was a massive crater. Impossibly wide, it was easily able to contain the entire Liber itself.

Except it didn't. It was in the Liber.

"Of course. This is where he stopped all the typos from manifesting.

"This is where Ferrata fell."

"It's not possible."

"Why?"

"That place was the first to be sorted out. After all, we had a fallen Moderatii in that mess and we wanted to see if he was still alive. No, this is impossible."

"Indeed."

All three turned sharply, their boltguns aimed at the figure instantly.

DAT chuckled.

"I'm glad I can still illicit such a response from Imperials."

"Moderatii."

"So, 'Many man'. Where is it? And don't play games. I know you have it. The key to solving our staffing problem."

"And if we did?"

"I would be...inclined to ignore certain events that follow."

That wily old buzzard knows!

Knock it off! He's clutching at straws. He might have a corner piece to the puzzle, but we have one of the ones that goes in the middle.

"And if we accede?"

"You can proceed with your plan to give all of yourselves separate bodies."

Ace could not hide the shock on his face.

Aquilanus, with some reluctance, bowed to the Moderatii.

HOW THE FETH DOES HE KNOW THAT?!

It's just as well, he's not psychic, otherwise you've just confirmed his suspicions and given him the mother of all headaches. Pipe down. It's not a massive secret that our...condition has worsened since the Typo war. But the Moderatii needs us more than we need him.

Indeed.

The louder voice was confused. How so?

The others told him.

Ohhhhhhhh! Yeah, that'll wipe the smile off his face!

Round one to you Moderatii, but round two is ours!

Hope that hits the spot!

[ChaptermasterDemon7]

Umm, I thought we were on page 37? Where did it go?

[Aqui]

Umm, I thought we were on page 37? Where did it go?

There's been a problem with the site - around two weeks worth of posts are missing, hence the reason why page 37 no longer exists

[ChaptermasterDemon7]

Ah okay. I thought I was going crazy for a minute.

[Ace Debonair]

I'll concede, I thought Aquilanus had posted the same story again for a moment.

Well, I wrote all my stuff in-browser, so we're down a few stories where I'm concerned.

This is why getting close to Hall Eight is a bad idea, people.

[Reyner]

Hopefully someone saved a few stories...

 

That may be a good idea from now on. One poor bast to save all the stories as the TITLA Compendium.

[Aqui]

Hopefully someone saved a few stories...

That may be a good idea from now on. One poor bast to save all the stories as the TITLA Compendium.

I'll concede, I thought Aquilanus had posted the same story again for a moment.

Well, I wrote all my stuff in-browser, so we're down a few stories where I'm concerned.

This is why getting close to Hall Eight is a bad idea, people.

Like Ace, I typed my stuff in-browser. Hopefully, the missing posts can be recovered.

For now, I think that we should assume that they're lost

[ChaptermasterDemon7]

Like the other's, mine were typed in-browser as well so yeah.. Oh well.

[Ace Debonair]

This is, however, the perfect opportunity for some deja-vu stories.

[ChaptermasterDemon7]

Lol very true Ace. I might as well post my very rough IA in the Liber. I think this is the sixth attempt for me at it as I can never can be happy with what I type up and I keep changing it.

[Sun Reaver]

Great stuff! 

[Madwolf Shadowmane]

 

This story takes place well before the typo wars.

 

Several brothers from an unrecognized Chapter of Adeptus Astartes enter the halls of the Liber.  These Astarte are from the Hounds of the Hunt and have brought their history to be entered into the annuals of the Liber.  They appear to be of various ranks and are garbed in yellow over black power armor with pelts, feathers and bones. 

 

At the appointed hour, Spirit Seer Middlebear enters one of the many reviewing chambers.  He stands before the assembled Liberites and beckons forth his serf who clutches a dataslate for submission.  The Hounds perform their histories in a chant-dance.  Seer Middlebear begins his dance with the expectation of the dataslate making a translation.  After a few minutes of the nasal chant and ringing of bells, the Middlebear is ejected from the council via a boot to the face.  When revived several hours later the last thing he can recall is an inscription on the boot that hit him, “Property of one of the toughest critics in the Liber, Nightrawen.”

 

Seer Middlebear returns to the reviewing chamber with Iron Seer Blackjaw.  Middlebear begins his dance chant again.  Seer Blackjaw tinkers constantly with a dataslate in an effort to record the oral history of the Hounds.  After a few halting attempts the Iron Seer slams the dataslate on the floor and begins to stomp on the remains violently.  Both Seers are ejected from the reviewing chamber for wasting the Liber’s time and littering.

 

Seer Middlebear returns this time accompanied by a Bone Seer.  Middle bear does not attempt to tel the history of the Hounds instead the Bone Seer attempts to examine the assembled Liberites.  Instantly the two Seers are beat senseless with a spine flail.

 

A slightly battered appearing Seer Middlebear again enters the reviewing chamber.  With him this time is a War Seer of the Hounds.  Before Middlebear can begin his tale the War Seer challenges the each of the Liberites present.  He foams at the mouth and demands blood from each of those assembled.  Both Seers are thrown from the chamber by the ancient and mighty dreadnought Apothete.

 

Seer Middlebear enters again with an air of defeat.  As he prepares to begin his chant dance again.  Madwolf Shadowmane,  the Hound of the Hunt seconded to the Liber, enters the chamber, “Hold brother, try this.” As he hands over a dataslate.  The Liberites are finally able to review the history of the Hounds.  While not all of them agree,  the Hounds are recognized by the Liber.

Madwolf
 

[Dosjetka]

Nicely done, Madwolf :tu:

[Madwolf Shadowmane]

Thank you.

 

Madwolf

[Nomus Sardauk]

This is, however, the perfect opportunity for some deja-vu stories.

Good thinking brother, time to get to work!

---

As he walked towards the now-vacant memorial at Reyner's Wall SanguiniusReborn paused, he had a peculiar feeling he'd been here before, and recently at that. Looking towards the memorial he quickly strode over, his eyes quickly scanning the tributes left by the other Astartes.

"There. At the bottom on the left."

Following his other self's directions, SR's eyes fell upon the golden chalice, it's polished interior reflecting the crimson hues of the blood contained within. Picking it up he brought the vessel up to his mouth, taking a small sip of the scarlet liquid. There was no mistaking it, this was his blood, the Neuroglottis implant immediately recognising his own genetic makeup. He had been here recently, that was certain, so how could he not remember it?

Pondering this as he quietly stared at his image reflected in the blood, a tiny part of him in the back of his head whispering for him to drink it all, it desperately wanted to taste that sweet metallic tang again, to drink and drink until there was no mo- No. He quickly stamped that thought out, forcing that dark urge back down. He needed to find out what was going on here.

Returning the chalice to it's original position before the memorial plaque SanguiniusReborn turned and headed back towards the door, standing in the doorway he reached out with his psychic senses, searching for a psychic echo of his pass through before. After a moment he found it, the trail was faint, but it was there. Re-tracing his steps he set out into the endless corridors of the Liber.

"So, do you remember anything?"

"Not much, just little bits and pieces, nothing helpful."

"Well why do you remember bits and I don't?"

"No idea, might be because we're psychic, might be because of our split-mind, might be both. Either way it doesn't matter, nothing stands out or is paticularly clear."

"Tell me anyway, you never know."

"Eh, well I remember... A breeze? And... Wreckage, lots of it."

"Hmm..."

SaguiniusReborn thought for a moment, if there had been a breeze then it had to have been coming from outside, and wreckage? Where would there be a lot of wreckage at the moment? Suddenly realization hit him like a hammer, without a second thought he took off at a lightning pace down through the winding corridors and tunnels as he donned his helmet and activated it's vox.

"Any and all Liberites in the immediate vicinity of Hall Eight come in, this is Codicier SanguiniusReborn, has anyone experienced or witnessed anything strange in the area? Maybe a sense of lost time or deju vu, over?"

"You think we might not be the only ones affected?"

"It's more like a gut feeling, I just have this impression that whatever happened to us it occured back in Hall Eight and that we weren't the only ones there."

Suddenly a hiss of static interrupted the conversation, but quickly cut out as a new voice came over the vox-link.

"Codicier, I hear you, what was that last bit, over?"

(Writer's note: I've deliberately left the identity/identities of whoever's on the com unknown so anyone can use this as a way back into the story after the time/space disruption or whatever we're saying it was when the server crashed)

[Brother Argent]

Silver Phoenix (or at least one of the more sane parts of him) muttered to himself as he purposely strode down the forgotten and dusty halls of the Deepest Darkest Depths of the Liber.  Somewhere in these warrens of half rusted walls, flickering fluorescent lights and slowly decaying permacrete walls were two of the less sane parts of his being.  One, an orange clad traitor, had last been seen heading towards the Culinarium on the upper levels.  He would attend to that part of his psyche later.  The other, a some what elderly
and grumpy marine with a perchance for throwing his gauntlet at other Liberites, had fled back into the DDDotL.  It was for this extension of himself he now sought.  Left unchecked the older and, this version of SP considered, somewhat unhinged extension of his personality would have the whole of the Liber in an uproar.

 

 

            SP was just about to pass through one of the many decaying doorways when the whole world around him seemed to suddenly lurch, as if being dropped down a hundred feet
while, at the same time, being pulled across and forcibly relocated.  He staggered wildly, only being able to arrest his momentum by grabbing hold of one of the badly rusted handles that ran the length of the wall.

" Strange” he muttered as he re centred himself.  It was then he happened to catch sight of his reflection in a surprisingly well paced and convenient semi-reflective wall panel.

“ Even stranger…” his armour, whilst formally all silver, was now a strange pattern of golden yellow and a blue that he couldn’t help but feel had some kind of enchanting quality.  He went to move and it was only then he realised was now bound by chains from which hung a large sign.  Painted in bold black high gothic letters across its surface it read PENITENT.

“ Stranger still…” SP, weighed down under the lengths of chains began to shamble awkwardly down the hallway.  He would need to get a turbo lift which he knew was nearby to the upper levels.  Perhaps some his comrades knew what was going on.  He couldn’t help the nagging feeling in the back of his mind that this was somehow all Ace’s fault.  It might be paranoid of him but he always figured it was just healthy to blame Ace first, them find out if he needed to redirect his blame elsewhere later on.

 

 

He reached the turbo lift and thumbed the activation rune.  The lift soon arrived and he shuffled in.  He selected the floor he wanted and then waited whilst the lift took him up.  And waited. And waited.

            “ Why don’t we have any damn elevator music in this thing…?” he grumbled quietly to himself.   After several more minutes of waiting he looked up at the sign telling him how many floored left to go till he reached the desired destination.  It was then that he knew something was definitely up. Above the floor indicator was a golden, somewhat tarnished, plaque that boldy read: LIBER ASTARTES.  Or at least, that was what it usually read.  Indeed that was what it had read for the past five to ten years SP had been hiding out here in the Liber.  Now however the plaque read: LIBER HONORUM.

            “ Now that is just too strange…”

 

 

There we are.  Just my take on both the move and change of Liber as well as my Path of Penance.  That and I figured I had left it too long before trying to become involved with the rest of Liber for this.