PasqalThe lean, hunchbacked man studies you with his piercing gaze. One of his eyes looks you up and down, the other has been replaced by a bulky augmetic, ancient and adorned with gold but is deactivated for some reason. He states in a dry voice, "The ghosts of nothingness have entered the deck of the Acgen tribe."
YOU"I greet your tribe. We come in peace."
PasqalThe man shrugs indifferently. His voice is tinged with sympathy: "It does not matter. You are ghosts."
YOU[Take a closer look at the man]
PasqalThe middle-aged man carries a potentia coil on his shoulders, after the manner of Tech-Priests. It is held in place by straps and is not connected to anything. Its weight has given him a hunched back. One of his arms has been replaced by an exquisite tech-scribe augmetic, but the quills and styli are incredibly dull as though they have been scraped against bare rock, and the limb's servo motor is dormant.
PasqalThe sight of the mangled augmetic elicits a pained grimace from Pasqal. "I am registering evidence of precious True Flesh being operated in unacceptable conditions. The markings indicate that this sacred metal was fashioned many centuries ago on blessed Mars. Putting it to such crude and careless use is an insult to the Omnissiah."
YOU[Take a closer look at the man]continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Who are you?"
Pasqal"The undertakers of the world that expired in the Great Discontinuing of the Cycle. The mourners holding an eternal requiem for the universe."
YOU"Do you believe the world has perished?"
Pasqal"This statement is true. The world ceased to exist a very long time ago. It turned to nothingness. To ashes. All that's left are these ruins. The last shard of the universe. Its cenotaph."
YOU"Do you believe the world has perished?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"What do you think destroyed the universe?"
Pasqal"The unthinkable was wrought. The Cycle was discontinued."
YOU"Do you believe the world has perished?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"What do you think destroyed the universe?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Is that why you call us ghosts?"
Pasqal"Yes. There is only nothingness outside this ship. Sometimes it spits out ghosts born out of the world's ashes, and they wander in. The sight of you saddens us, for we mourn you. Alas, there is nothing we can do to help you, since you do not exist."
YOU"Do you believe the world has perished?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"What do you think destroyed the universe?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Is that why you call us ghosts?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I see."
PasqalThe man sighs and makes a sign with his hand that is vaguely reminiscent of a Tech-Priest gesture to ward off evil.
YOU[Take a closer look at the man]continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Who are you?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Pasqal, what do you make of these people?"
Pasqal"Hypothesis: this primitive community is made up of descendants of low-ranking technomats who once serviced this deck. The name 'Acgen' derives from Category Ac-Gen. 'Ac' stood for the Acolyte category, which serviced the main decks. 'Gen' referred to service staff who were assigned general, as opposed to specialised, maintenance duties."
PasqalThe man looks at you and Pasqal with indifference. He does not seem to have understood a single word.
YOU"How do you survive here and what do you do?"
Pasqal"We hold a vigil for all of existence, and the spirits of the mechanisms give us water, food, and nutrient mix. We thank them for that with rites of machine servicing and maintenance. So commands the great entity."
YOU"How do you survive here and what do you do?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Who or what is the great entity?"
Pasqal"The supreme deity. The spirit of wisdom and revelations. It bears the name Marnat."
YOU"How do you survive here and what do you do?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Who or what is the great entity?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"You talk to us, your kinfolk do not. Why?"
Pasqal"I am the Fabricator General. My shoulders bear the sacred burden of leadership." The man shifts his shoulders, bent under the potentia coil resting upon them. "The others fear you, as ghosts can carry the living away into nothingness. But I am protected by Marnat's grace."
YOU"How do you survive here and what do you do?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Who or what is the great entity?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"You talk to us, your kinfolk do not. Why?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Have you seen anything unusual lately?"
Pasqal"The echo of an old crime was heard beneath the arching vaults of our home." The tribesman nods at you gloomily. "A ghost of nothingness walked among us, of like appearance to you but without a face. He spoke words that must not be spoken, and then penetrated the Chamber of Observus. And our abode was shaken by the wrath of the gods for days, and we felt as though we were drifting through nothingness."
PasqalPasqal lowers his head and says quietly, "That is him. My mentor. Amarnat."
YOU"What did he look like?"
Pasqal"His brow bore the mark of sorrow and past misdeeds, and his voice was like seeping sand."
YOU"What did he look like?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Was he alone?"
Pasqal"No, other ghosts walked with him, but he alone had a mind and a will. The others did his bidding."
YOU"What did he look like?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Was he alone?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"What is the Chamber of Observus?"
Pasqal"An abode of deities and mighty spirits, secluded from mortals." The man points toward the entrance to the lift shaft. "Down this great tube, they used to descend to the mortals. Now they have all retired to the house of Observus, the calm and keen-sighted, there to remember and mourn the world that once was."
Pasqal"The unit has given us a distorted description of the observatorium — the bay that housed the Hermetico's bridge. There, under a grand dome of glasscrete, the wisest hierarchs of the Adeptus Mechanicus would spend time in reflection and strive to discern the Omnissiah's guiding signs in the glitter of the stars."
PasqalPasqal hesitates, then adds worriedly, "Correction: this data is a hypothesis. An archive search yielded no confirmation of this data. My possession of it is an anomalous cognitive fluctuation."
YOU"What did he look like?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Was he alone?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"What is the Chamber of Observus?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I want to get in there."
Pasqal"Abandon this thought. Your kind can't go in there. The great tube was made for the travels of gods, not mortals. Only one who has the blessing of Pref, the great spirit who rules this deck, may approach the great tube. But even such a one will have tried in vain, for the great tube's spirits have sealed its gate and will only open it to those who know the divine word. And the rust wraiths ensure that humans don't steal the word. They'll make short work of any thief."
YOU"Who is the spirit Pref?"
Pasqal"The master of this deck, the second most important god after Marnat. Mortals cruelly betrayed his trust once, and he hasn't talked to them or protected them since. Pref only ever answers the shaman's invocations, and only occasionally at that."
Pasqal"The tribesman's profane speculations most likely describe an important machine spirit that remains awake. Requesting a conversation with the unit identified as 'the shaman.'"
YOU"Who is the spirit Pref?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Divine word? What divine word?"
Pasqal"Words command all of existence. The gods ruled the universe using words of power. There was a time when mortals, too, were granted knowledge of them, but that time died along with the world."
Pasqal"Hypothesis: the term 'divine word' refers to a command litany. A thorough understanding of the situation aboard the Hermetico will allow me to select the correct litany and recite it to the mechanisms that are still operational."
YOU"Who is the spirit Pref?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Divine word? What divine word?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"What are rust wraiths?"
PasqalThe man points at one of the motionless statues. "The ancient ones, the servants of the gods. They used to be the gods' great warriors; now they guard the peace of this universal cemetery and see to it that mortals don't challenge the divine order."
Pasqal"The Skitarii, the deck guard. These immortal servants are an elite detachment of the crew blessed with the most ancient and wondrous augmetic enhancements. They could survive in a sleeping state for centuries even." After a brief pause, a whisper comes from his vox: "Their presence here is unusual. Typically, the immortals only leave their storage chapel on special orders from the bridge."
YOU"Who is the spirit Pref?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Divine word? What divine word?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"What are rust wraiths?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"So how did the faceless ghost get in?"
Pasqal"He knew the secret. The spell was not of divine origin — its power surpassed that of the gods. It was born in the mysterious depths of irregularity, and soon after a mortal first uttered it, the world was no more."
PasqalPasqal waves a mechadendrite at him in annoyed dismissal and says impatiently, "The blessed Amarnat can command any mechanism on his ship. The indoctrinal heresy uttered by the unit is unworthy of attention."
YOU"Who is the spirit Pref?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Divine word? What divine word?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"What are rust wraiths?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"So how did the faceless ghost get in?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Your guesses are amazingly spot on, Pasqal."
PasqalThe Tech-Priest is taken aback. He pauses to think, then says with no great confidence, "This statement is false. Each of the hypotheses was logically deduced from our present situation."
YOU"Who is the spirit Pref?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Divine word? What divine word?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"What are rust wraiths?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"So how did the faceless ghost get in?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Your guesses are amazingly spot on, Pasqal."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I see."
Pasqal"Good. Don't seek to enter the gods' abode, ghost. It is no place for you."
YOU[Take a closer look at the man]continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Who are you?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Pasqal, what do you make of these people?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I must take my leave."
Pasqal"Farewell, ghost. I hope nothingness summons you back into its embrace soon."
end of branch
YOU"I see."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Your guesses are amazingly spot on, Pasqal."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I see."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"So how did the faceless ghost get in?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Your guesses are amazingly spot on, Pasqal."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I see."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"What are rust wraiths?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"So how did the faceless ghost get in?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Your guesses are amazingly spot on, Pasqal."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I see."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Divine word? What divine word?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"What are rust wraiths?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"So how did the faceless ghost get in?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Your guesses are amazingly spot on, Pasqal."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I see."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I want to get in there."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"What is the Chamber of Observus?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I want to get in there."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Was he alone?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"What is the Chamber of Observus?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I want to get in there."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I see."
PasqalThe man nods with a grimace of tragic sentiment.
YOU[Take a closer look at the man]continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Who are you?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Pasqal, what do you make of these people?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I must take my leave."continues where this line first appears above
PasqalPasqal's roar is like the blaring alarm of an extractor. "Fabricator General? I am registering heresy!"
PasqalThe man listens to the Tech-Priest's outburst without flinching. "The universe must have a Fabricator General — the supreme priest of the Omnissiah. There is none other to hold that title. Therefore, it is mine."
YOU"How do you survive here and what do you do?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Who or what is the great entity?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"You talk to us, your kinfolk do not. Why?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Have you seen anything unusual lately?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I see."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Have you seen anything unusual lately?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I see."continues where this line first appears above
PasqalThe name grabs Pasqal's attention. He says sternly, "I am registering a meaningful linguistic pattern. Requesting all available information on Am— on Marnat."
Pasqal"Marnat is a divine being of great wisdom. It was this great wisdom that discontinued the Cycle, and all who had partaken of it lapsed into nothingness. We never partook of the wisdom, which is why we exist. And I have nothing to tell you about it, ghost."
YOU"How do you survive here and what do you do?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Who or what is the great entity?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"You talk to us, your kinfolk do not. Why?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Have you seen anything unusual lately?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I see."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"You talk to us, your kinfolk do not. Why?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Have you seen anything unusual lately?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I see."continues where this line first appears above
Pasqal"I am registering multiple deviations from the Catechism of Maintenance and Operation in the actions of these units. Hypothesis: the breaches of sacred instructions do not stem from a malicious lapse into heresy. They are a consequence of the rite having been lost to memory. A grave heresy but not as profane." The voice from the vox is full of sorrow and reproach.
YOU"How do you survive here and what do you do?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Who or what is the great entity?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"You talk to us, your kinfolk do not. Why?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Have you seen anything unusual lately?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I see."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Who or what is the great entity?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"You talk to us, your kinfolk do not. Why?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Have you seen anything unusual lately?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I see."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I must take my leave."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I see."continues where this line first appears above
Pasqal"This tribesman's mind is full of the most unenlightened superstition. Why does this unit seemingly know less than some primitive barbarian?"
YOU"Is that good or bad?"
Pasqal"Neither. It just happened. But it was a grievous event. And we grieve."
YOU"Do you believe the world has perished?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"What do you think destroyed the universe?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Is that why you call us ghosts?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I see."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Right. Another zealot."
PasqalThe man shakes his head. "You find this hard to fathom, being ghosts born out of nothingness. I can understand. That is why we try to avoid talking to ghosts."
YOU"Do you believe the world has perished?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"What do you think destroyed the universe?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Is that why you call us ghosts?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I see."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I see."
PasqalThe man shakes his head. "You find this hard to fathom, being ghosts born out of nothingness. I can understand. That is why we try to avoid talking to ghosts."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Is that why you call us ghosts?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I see."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"What do you think destroyed the universe?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Is that why you call us ghosts?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I see."continues where this line first appears above
PasqalFascinated by the answer, Pasqal says quietly, "Let the Cycle be discontinued."
PasqalA wan, condescending smile graces the man's lips. "It was discontinued a long time ago."
YOU"Do you believe the world has perished?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"What do you think destroyed the universe?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Is that why you call us ghosts?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I see."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Pasqal, what do you make of these people?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I must take my leave."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Who are you?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Pasqal, what do you make of these people?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I must take my leave."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Pasqal, explain to the commoner that I do not care what tribe he is from, and that he should kneel in the presence of the Rogue Trader."
PasqalPasqal clicks his mechadendrite's claw, points to the tattoos covering the man's neck, and says, "Based on these markings, the unit has been identified as a member of Category 17 auxiliary staff. Requesting performance of appropriate salutatory ritual." A binharic trill accompanies the stern words.
PasqalThe sound of Techna-Lingua makes the man kneel humbly and whistle a reply as if imitating the language of the servants of the Omnissiah.
PasqalPasqal turns to you and remarks quietly, "That reply was in a binharic dialect. Primitive and crude... but correct."
YOU[Take a closer look at the man]continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Who are you?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Pasqal, what do you make of these people?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I must take my leave."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"We are here to look for someone."
PasqalThe man shrugs indifferently. His voice is tinged with sympathy: "It does not matter. You are ghosts."continues where this line first appears above
YOU[Say nothing]
PasqalThe man shrugs indifferently. His voice is tinged with sympathy: "It does not matter. You are ghosts."continues where this line first appears above
Entry point 2 of 2
Pasqal"What draws you here, ghost of nothingness?"
YOU[Take a closer look at the man]continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Who are you?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Pasqal, what do you make of these people?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I must take my leave."continues where this line first appears above