Chapter 14: Reading Memories
Scott was born. He was born in the cargo district of the lower decks.
His parents, and the clan he belonged to, were pipe repairmen.
As skilled laborers, their lives were such that they never had to worry about going hungry.
His parents were overjoyed at Scott's birth – a healthy baby was a rarity on the lower decks, and it meant the clan would have another strong young man in the future.
For this occasion, his parents even used their saved-up ration cards to buy some food they usually couldn't afford, just to celebrate.
They also took the swaddled infant to the chapel to seek the God-Emperor's protection and a Priest's blessing. It was clear his parents were very devout.
The scene shifted again. Scott grew up. He was now five years old. As a child born during a voyage of exploration, he never had any opportunity to leave the voidship; his entire childhood was spent aboard.
And it was in his fourth year that his life underwent a dramatic change.
This particular Warp journey encountered problems, leading to a Warp incursion in the section of the ship where Scott's clan resided.
The vile, profane power of the Warp breached the Gellar Field, and an unknown plague began to spread through various sections.
A large number of crew members started to go mad under the Warp's influence; some even began to mutate physically on the spot. Unfortunately, Scott's parents were among the unlucky ones infected by the plague.
At that time, Scott was outside purchasing rations and thus escaped the initial outbreak.
Such occurrences were commonplace within the voidship. When a situation like this arose, the affected section would be sealed off, followed by a purge team composed of Enforcers, crewmen, Priests, and psykers who would cleanse these sections.
Anyone who had gone mad or shown physical mutation would be killed, and their bodies would be completely incinerated.
Five-year-old Scott was old enough to understand. He couldn't comprehend why his devout parents were so mercilessly killed, no matter how much they pleaded their loyalty to the God-Emperor and their contributions to the Dynasty. It was useless.
Watching his parents' burning corpses, Scott saw a face. The people who killed his parents respectfully bowed to that person, and that person was none other than Rogue Trader Ludwig, who had come to inspect the situation.
Ludwig looked at the slain crew members without a flicker of emotion on his face, as if discarding a useless tool.
At that moment, the seed of hatred was planted in Scott's heart. However, Scott was lucky not to have been affected by the Warp. After being tested, he was thrown back into the section where he had originally lived. New shipwrights filled the section, and it was as if his parents and those who had been killed had never existed.
As the scene of his parents' death replayed constantly in his mind, his fragile psyche began to falter. Vague whispers started to echo in his mind from that moment on.
And as he grew older, these whispers became clearer and clearer.
Experiencing all this, Lucan knew Scott had been targeted by the Ruinous Powers of the Warp since childhood.
More and more knowledge that wasn't his own entered his mind. He inexplicably knew many secrets: where mutants were hidden on the ship, where heretics lurked, even the locations of xenos and profane treasures in nearby star systems.
With this profane wisdom, he climbed step by step to the position of Master of Discipline. He became the very person he had once despised, killing many guilty individuals for Ludwig, and many innocent ones too.
Lucan also saw Scott, during the conquest of a xenos species, presenting a profane artifact to Ludwig as a trophy – an artifact that could subtly influence a person's mind.
The subsequent scenes made it hard for Lucan to believe.
"Lord Ludwig, I once witnessed a ritual among a xenos species we conquered, one that can extend lifespan."
"A xenos ritual? Scott, what are you trying to say? Do you know that statement alone is enough to send you to the tribunal?"
"My Lord! You know that not all xenos technologies are unacceptable. The sacred rights granted to us by the Warrant allow us to utilize xenos knowledge to a certain extent!
Has the Dynasty not used its fair share of xenos technology? If one were to truly investigate, likely no Dynasty would be found innocent.
Your own body… I believe you are well aware of its condition. Rejuvenation treatments have their limits! The Medicae's healing techniques cannot cure all ailments. The Dynasty cannot be without your rule! Think of those blood relatives who only know how to fight for power and profit! Have you forgotten what it was like when you last returned to the capital world?
They actually dared to insinuate that you hadn't brought back enough wealth!
These people live comfortably on their planets, only knowing how to take from you. Such individuals will only lead the Dynasty to ruin."
Scott's words made Ludwig fall silent. He knew his own physical condition. Exploration was accompanied by countless dangers; accumulated injuries and years of toil had long since left him a spent force. And he had no children of his own. If he died, the next Rogue Trader would have to be selected from the direct bloodlines of various families.
He did not want to hand the Dynasty over to those incompetents.
"What is this ritual you speak of?"
"Blood kin. Using the power of the bloodline to extend your lifespan! Since those families wish to seize your power, you can summon the purest-blooded individuals from these families. Call it an assessment; I believe they will definitely send people over!"
"Are you saying I should use this so-called ritual to take their lives to extend my own?"
"I know what you're worried about! I know an uncharted place in the bottom hold, a place that will not be discovered by the Ecclesiarchy or anyone else.
I will help you dispose of those heirs who come. Some chaos may occur, but when you have recovered, you will be the one to quell it. And you will then have enough time to find a suitable successor."
Seeing Ludwig's silence, Scott knew he had succeeded.
"Ludwig… the Mongorte family, and this voidship… will all become my offering to the Gods," Scott had thought.
Lucan's consciousness began to return to his body. The memories, filled with a vast amount of negative emotion, gave him a splitting headache.
He was thankful that, unlike some tales of Space Marines eating brains, he didn't need to do that to acquire memories, but the limitation was that the other party's soul had to have already pledged itself to Chaos, or they had to be a psyker.
Looking at the dead Scott, Lucan didn't tell anyone what had just happened.
Ludwig hadn't been tricked at all; this whole assessment was a conspiracy… Unknowingly, the Rogue Trader had been corrupted.
No wonder the traitors had succeeded so easily; no wonder Scott's operational logs couldn't be found in the Cogitators; no wonder the defensive installations outside the Warrant of Trade chamber had all failed.
Only the Rogue Trader, possessing the highest authority on this voidship, could have orchestrated this so perfectly, leaving no trace.
It was just that no one had ever suspected the Rogue Trader himself.
Otherwise, how could a voidship like this fall into such a state because of a mere rebellion by some laborers?
Lucan chose to conceal this matter, not revealing it to everyone.
The fewer people who knew about this, the better. There were so many people on this voidship; once news of the Rogue Trader's corruption spread, it would be impossible to completely cover it up.
He would eventually have to leave the Warp and return to Imperial-controlled planets. Once such news reached the Imperium, the Inquisition, the Departmento Interno, and the Departmento Munitorum would likely swarm to him.
Especially those Inquisitors from the Inquisition – who knew what they might do? After all, their authority was terrifyingly vast.
Even a Rogue Trader, if branded a heretic, would find it hard to escape death.
Lucan's current strength was still insufficient. He didn't think a direct confrontation with the Inquisition was a good choice right now.
(End of Chapter)