Chapter 14: The Charter and STC

With no way to fathom the warp drive’s principles, Chen Xing eyed the STC—guarded zealously by the Mechanicus. Acquiring one… near impossible.

Sigh, shipgirl life hard, tears fall.

As she sulked, Tyranids in the wreck made a find.

Rippers slithered unclosed vents to a private chamber near the bridge.

Emerging from grilles, dazzled by opulence.

They circled, spotted a special corpse.

Noblewoman in lavish garb, wrinkled face, pricey augmetics.

Chest cavity blasted, head intact.

News flashed via synaptic net to Chen Xing.

“Found the captain?”

“Yes, Honored Lord,” Onyx replied. “Heading to captain’s quarters—private space. Hope for valuables.”

“Got it,” Chen Xing pondered. “Extract her memories.”

“As you wish, Honored Lord.”

Captain found, mostly intact—Chen Xing rubbed hands, grinned.

Zoanthropes extracted memories from dead or alive via neural synapse link—irresistible.

Tyranid intel and adaptive tactics thus.

Hour later, captain’s door forced.

Zoanthrope floated in, four warrior escorts.

Onyx resided within.

Chin lifted—warrior hauled corpse.

Rippers scuttled, clacking.

Tendril extended, tip bone-spike.

Pierced skull.

Neural filaments from porous spike linked dead brain.

Psionic pulses reanimated cells—zombie-like.

Captain’s brain reactivated, memories dumped.

Corpse trembled, limbs twitched, eyes rolled—grotesque zombie.

Final memory read, tendril withdrew.

Onyx digested data, eyed lavish saint statue.

Controlled zoanthrope drift.

Suspended corpse spasmed, hands input code, biometric lock.

Unlocked.

Clunk! Clank!

Machinery whirred.

Saint statue abdomen opened.

Stasis-held golden scroll revealed.

Corpse retrieved, offered reverently to zoanthrope.

“The rogue trader’s Warrant of Trade?”

Onyx via zoanthrope eyes gazed at Emperor or High Lords-signed relic.

Granted rights, hereditary, dynasty potential.

But from Elizabeth Loon’s memories—last of line.

Death voided it.

Yet… Onyx smiled. “Stella Loon” could inherit nicely.

“Your devotion noted,” to dangling corpse. “Now offer all treasures to my Honored Lord.”

Corpse raised head, dull eyes.

Zoanthrope led to opposite bulkhead.

Adamantium vault door scarred by fire and cuts.

Blood pooled—others’ or similar.

Corpse authenticated, opened.

No vault—under rising wooden desk.

Small safe opened.

High-tech storage device—Dark Age secrets.

“STC fragment—your guarded prize?” Onyx to pale pupils. “Family destroyed for it—worth it?”

No answer, corpse swayed.

Onyx lost interest.

Tendril retracted—corpse dropped, rippers swarmed.

Crunchy disappearance.

“Withdraw!” to warriors. “Escort to Honored Lord. Aaaah, soon entering Lord’s body, merging… this thrill… um ah~”

Chen Xing stargazing in pod—sudden chill.

Flipped limbs, floated anew.

Conjured virtual chips, crunching.

[Host, eating like this—you’ll be otaku.]

“So what,” conjured happy water. “Won’t gain weight.”

[Not weight—lifestyle!]

“Yeah yeah,” Chen Xing careless. “Oh ho, Onyx brought goodies: Warrant of Trade, and… holy, STC fragment?!”

Meanwhile, black-tech device on chitin pedestal.

Tendrils plugged ports.

Bio-current activated perfectly.

Lights on—data dumped.

Virtual pod: Chen Xing eyed flashing blueprints, chips dropped.

Tiny pink hand rubbed eyes, confirmed.

Hiss.

Warp drive STC copy!

Effortless gain!

But… she couldn’t read it!

Past life: corporate drone, uni consumable.

Overworked to death.

Warp drives baffled Mechanicus—how could she?

No choice… seek help.

Deep breath.

Chen Xing linked hive mind—all-in.