Infinite Metaverse

Chapter 7: Calvin

In a small villa with a touch of Terran Baroque-style decoration but overall maintaining the simple and practical aesthetic of the colony, Fu Qinghai, dressed in humble clothing, sat on a maroon classical sofa. A servant poured him a cup of black tea.

"So, young Locke, you came to see me about the ship, didn't you?" Sitting across from Fu Qinghai was Calvin, a middle-aged man with unkempt brown hair, wearing a loose Imperial official uniform. His stubbled face was etched with exhaustion as he leaned back on the sofa, legs crossed, studying Fu Qinghai with a tired gaze.

"Yes, the deaths of Hidrick and his gang have spread throughout the colony. I assume you've heard about it, sir," Fu Qinghai said, looking directly at Calvin. "I want to know, what exactly is on that ship, Mr. Calvin?"

"What's on that ship..." Calvin took a sip from a bottle of alcohol. "I don't know how to describe it... Young Locke, have you ever seen angels fighting each other?"

Calvin stared blankly at the coffee table, his eyes unfocused, his expression a mix of fear and helplessness. "Those angels you look up to, those demigods walking among men, the Imperium's indestructible guardians... Could they really fall? Betray each other? Kill each other? By the Throne, I've never witnessed anything like that... anything like..."

Then he let out a self-deprecating laugh. "Hah, why am I even telling you this? You're just a kid from the lower hive."

"There are survivors on that ship, aren't there?" Fu Qinghai cut through Calvin's rambling and got straight to the point.

"Yes, you're right. There are survivors," Calvin said, taking another swig from the bottle, as if only alcohol could soothe his shattered worldview. "I've thought about it. When this is all over, someone will come to the colony. We'll just wait and see. Whoever it is, they'll rule this place—or maybe destroy it. Who knows?"

Calvin waved his hand dismissively. "This isn't something you need to worry about, young Locke. Coming to Cheslatan is the first time you've felt the direct rays of a star, right? Enjoy it. Keep eating the colony's free rations. Just stay away from that ship."

"That's my final piece of advice for you."

Calvin was right. Locke, who had grown up in the lower levels of the Hive City, had only ever known artificial lighting from the Hive's electrical systems. He had never experienced the light of a star before.

"Hidrick... what a bunch of reckless lower-Hive scum..." Calvin muttered under his breath, clearly drunk.

"Understood, sir. I'll take my leave now." Having gotten the information he needed, Fu Qinghai stood up politely and left.

Outside the villa, Fei was leaning against a bike, her long legs catching the eye. When she saw Fu Qinghai come out, she quickly asked, "Well, A-Luo, what did Calvin say? Did he tell you anything?"

"He didn't say much," Fu Qinghai replied seriously, climbing onto the bike. "But he said enough."

'''

The dim yellow light cast long shadows on the earth-toned concrete walls, stretching the room's furnishings into elongated shapes.

This was a much larger house than Fu Qinghai's single-room hut—a three-bedroom, one-living-room, one-kitchen, and one-bathroom home. It was Fei's house.

After her parents died of illness, they had left Fei some inheritance. This included the two-story house, a bike, some furniture and household appliances, a collection of sampling and analysis equipment, and a stack of documents on alien plants.

It wasn't a life of poverty—certainly better off than Fu Qinghai, a pure proletarian who didn't even own the single-room hut he lived in. It was just assigned to him by the colony.

The nights in the colony were dry and cool. In the kitchen, Fei was wearing one of her mother's gray linen sundresses, carefully cutting up a plate of fruits from Cheslatan. She looked like a diligent little housewife, the dress hanging loosely on her slender shoulders, her budding figure hinting beneath the fabric. The glimpse of her fair skin under her arms added a touch of warmth to the otherwise quiet room.

Fu Qinghai, however, was in no mood to appreciate the scene. He sat cross-legged on the carpet in the living room, barefoot, leaning against the sofa, deep in thought, weighing the pros and cons.

He was almost certain of one thing: the crashed ship wasn't just a military vessel—it had Astartes on board!

Calvin was an administrative official from the Expeditionary Fleet's Departmento Munitorum, not some clueless Hive dweller.

While Lazlo might call anything terrifying and incomprehensible a "demon," the only beings Calvin would refer to as "angels" were the Astartes.

These humanoid weapons of war, created by the Emperor using the genetic templates of the twenty Primarchs, were known as the Adeptus Astartes. Towering in stature, possessing immense strength, fearless in battle, and masters of killing, they were the Emperor's greatest weapon in unifying Terra and launching the Great Crusade to reclaim humanity's lost colonies across the galaxy.

They were also the true protagonists of the Warhammer 40K universe.

For the past millennium, the Great Crusade had been the central theme of the Imperium of Man and the galaxy at large. The Emperor, the Imperium's supreme leader, led the Space Marine Legions he had personally created, setting out from Holy Terra.

Using Warp travel technology, they marched steadfastly toward the lost human colonies scattered across the galaxy during the Age of Strife. Their mission was to reclaim these once-human worlds and to find the Primarchs, who had been scattered across the galaxy by the forces of the Warp, and integrate them into the Space Marine Legions created from their genetic templates.

Now, if the time in colony hadn't been disrupted by the Warp storms, Fu Qinghai was living in the era of the Horus Heresy. The Emperor had completed most of the Great Crusade's objectives, appointing his most trusted Primarch, Horus Lupercal, as the Warmaster to lead the remaining Space Marine Legions and Expeditionary Fleets in continuing the Crusade.

The Emperor himself returned to Terra, retreating to the depths of the Imperial Palace to work on his secret projects. In the events that followed, Horus, gradually corrupted by the Chaos Gods, eventually rebelled against the Emperor, plunging the galaxy into fire and chaos.

Loyalty and betrayal, rebellion and suppression—these were the themes of the era.

Whether willingly or not, Fu Qinghai would be swept up in this cataclysm of humanity. He couldn't remain untouched—the crashed ship carrying Astartes on Cheslatan was proof of that. It was proof that this war, where men died like dogs, had even reached this remote, insignificant colony.

"A-Luo, come eat," Fei said, placing a plate of oddly shaped, purple-red sliced fruits on the coffee table in front of Fu Qinghai. She then sat down on the carpet, mimicking Fu Qinghai's cross-legged posture.

Fu Qinghai picked up a slice and popped it into his mouth. It tasted somewhat like passion fruit from his previous life, but with a faint, strange tang. He wondered if Fei had cut up some of the alien plants her parents had been studying for him to eat.

"I know what's on that ship, Fei," Fu Qinghai said calmly.

"What is it?" Fei leaned against Fu Qinghai, nibbling on a piece of fruit, seemingly indifferent to the question.

"Astartes. Do you know what Astartes are?"

"Of course I do. I heard about them before I came here. Legendary, invincible warriors, the Emperor's superhuman soldiers, the guardians of the Imperium," Fei rattled off a string of adjectives, then gave Fu Qinghai a strange look. "Don't treat me like some country bumpkin. You're the one from the lower Hive."

Astartes were household names in the Imperium. They were the Emperor's greatest weapon in unifying Terra and the backbone of the Great Crusade. While they were widely known, few ordinary citizens had actually seen an Astartes in person. Apart from the mortal men who worked on their ships, for most Imperial citizens, Astartes were the stuff of legends.

After all, given the Imperium's vast population and military forces, the number of Astartes was relatively small. They were the elite of the elite.

Ignoring Fei's teasing, Fu Qinghai continued, "I suspect the Astartes on that ship are fighting each other."

"Oh?" Fei finally showed some interest. "Why would they fight each other? Did Calvin tell you that?"

"Calvin didn't say anything. I inferred it from his words," Fu Qinghai said, pursing his lips. "Calvin's in a terrible state right now. He's demoralized. He's probably never seen two groups of Astartes fighting to the death before. It's shaken him to the core. He hasn't received any information from Terra or the Expeditionary Fleet for a long time. He can't make a decision. He's decided to leave the colony's fate to the victor of the battle."

"Whoever that may be."

"Then how did you figure it out, A-Luo?" Fei turned to face Fu Qinghai; Her beautiful blue eyes fixed on him.

For some reason, even though the colony's most knowledgeable official couldn't make a decision, Fei inexplicably trusted Fu Qinghai, this poor boy from the lower Hive.

"I don't know," Fu Qinghai took a deep breath, "but I've decided to go to the crash site and see for myself."

"What? Don't go! Why would you go? Didn't you see what happened to Hidrick and his gang?" Fei panicked, reaching out to feel Fu Qinghai's forehead.

Fu Qinghai gently pushed her hand away. "I know, but I have to go. I need to find out what's really going on. I can't leave my fate in someone else's hands, sitting at home and praying for the best."

The superstitious religions that had begun to spread secretly within the Expeditionary Fleet hadn't yet reached this remote colony. Even if Fu Qinghai wanted to pray, he had no tools or object to pray to.

"But... but I promised my parents I'd protect you!" Fei's eyes welled up with tears.

'Who's protecting whom here?' Fu Qinghai thought wryly. He took Fei's small hand in his. "I also promised your parents I'd protect you. That doesn't contradict anything. The galaxy is cruel, Fei. If I don't seek greater power, how can I protect myself and you? By having you stand in front of me every time?"

Faced with Fu Qinghai's question, Fei was at a loss for words. She wasn't a delicate princess raised in a greenhouse. Even living in the middle levels of the Hive, she knew how cruel the universe could be. They couldn't spend their entire lives in this small colony, living a carefree existence.

"Besides, a small-scale battle shouldn't have lasted this long. It should have been over by now. Why hasn't anyone come to the colony? Something else must have happened on that ship," Fu Qinghai analyzed.

"I can't say for sure what that something is, but we can go and find out," Fu Qinghai said, turning to look at Fei with determination in his eyes.

'''

The next morning, before the star had risen, the colony was bathed in the faint light of dawn, peaceful and quiet. Fu Qinghai and Fei had already packed their bags and set off.

The natural landscape of Cheslatan's main continent resembled the American West from Fu Qinghai's previous life. The bike sped across the desolate landscape, kicking up a long trail of dust behind it. The occasional cacti and clusters of thorny bushes added a touch of life to the barren scenery.

Fu Qinghai sat on the back of the bike, holding onto Fei's slender waist tightly to avoid being thrown off by the bumpy ride. The morning sun wasn't too hot yet, and both of them had their heads and faces wrapped in scarves like desert nomads, leaving only their eyes exposed. Fei, who was driving, also wore a pair of amber-tinted goggles, looking every bit the capable adventurer.

Fu Qinghai's current appearance could best be described as... Lawrence of Arabia.

Hanging from the side of the bike was a long, pole-like object—a shock lance, used by Fei's parents for exploration. It was the only weapon the two of them had.

As he sat on the back of the bike, Fu Qinghai couldn't help but think: 'This second life given by the reincarnation world isn't bad at all. Not only do I have a handsome face, but I also start off with a beautiful childhood friend and a beginner's village like the Cheslatan colony, which is rare in the Warhammer 40K universe. And yet, here I am, still risking my life. It's like I'm spitting in the face of the reincarnation world's kindness.'

The bike was a bit old but still sturdy and reliable. The engine was a bit noisy, and the ride was somewhat shaky. The original design allowed for a maximum altitude of 3 meters, but Cheslatan's gravity was slightly stronger. To conserve fuel, the two of them flew at just 1 meter above the ground, essentially skimming the surface.

This was also why Fei was the one driving the bike. Flying at such a low altitude required dodging various obstacles on the ground, and the bike was fast. Fei was also more familiar with it, and Fu Qinghai had never gotten a motorcycle license in his previous life...

It definitely wasn't because Fu Qinghai was too scared to drive.

As the midday sun began to heat up the desert, Fu Qinghai and Fei found a shaded spot behind a large rock to have lunch before continuing their journey.

From the colony to the crash site, it would take a day and a half by bike. Assuming they didn't get lost.

Without satellite navigation on a colonized planet, Fu Qinghai and Fei had to rely on the colony residents' descriptions and a compass to adjust their direction several times. As they got closer to the crash site, they began to see scattered pieces of debris—likely parts of the ship.

As night fell, with the ship still far away, the two found a cave—a gap between two large rocks—and decided to spend the night there.

Lighting a small lamp, Fu Qinghai and Fei spread a blanket on the ground and slept in their clothes, the night passing without incident.

***

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