Author Information
Mark Mercer aka Mercer
Xenology of a Necrontyr
The small class merchant vessel left behind the coldness blackness of space as it docked in the dull lit docking bay of a large cruiser. The landing area grew hot as the thrusters of the craft settled it down, heating the metal landing plate a bright red and spreading light in all directions. The blast doors slammed shut and locked into place as blasts of steam exited from various orifices of the ship’s exterior.
Below a ramp dropped beneath the cockpit of the ship, small orange lights lining the ramp way along with black and yellow chevrons. The struts lowering the ramp way creaked as the grease run down them as it touched the metal floor. Two figures emerged down the ramp way as soon as it settled in place. Both were about the same height, one had scruffy looking hair and unshaven face. He wore mainly dark clothes, whether it was the color of these threads or just plain dirty it was unknown. The other man was alike, except he had a shaven head but still kept an unshaven beard.
Both of the dodgy characters looked around the small docking bay, servo skulls, former skulls of living humans combined with technology of the Adeptus Mechanicus begun appearing, floating in the air and surveying them and the ship. An unseen door way opened close by, lighting filling the door way like sacred entrance lighting up the darkness. A hooded figure walked from the doorway, various tentacle like arms could be seen appearing from its body.
“Mercenaries, I trust you have what we require?” uttered the robed figure in a dull voice.
The robed figure was much closer to the tatty mercenaries; the robe was black as night itself with a long hood covering much of the face. Only marking on the robe was a cog symbol with a skull in the center, each was opposite color to the other side of black and white, much like the yin-yang symbol. From its back four metal tentacles made from bundled cables with various appendages attached coiled around as if they had a mind of their own.
“Aye we have them, adept” muttered the one of the mercenaries.
“Them?”
“Yes, we got more than one. One is more intact than the other. So we want double payment for twice the bounty”
The adept stood silently, not doubt with the various gifts from the Machine God, some hierarchy within the Adeptus Mechanicus was communicating with him.
“Agreed, release your cargo and deliver it to where the servo skulls direct. Another adept will be present and give you your payment”
The adept then swiftly left the presence of the two mercenaries and disappeared back into the lit doorway.
“Lets get this delivered as this place and these things give me the creeps, man” muttered the second mercenary as the servo skulls directed them away from the ship.
A few short hours later the adept who had done the exchange with the mercenaries entered a dully lit operating room. The door was in the top left hand corner of the room, the wall on the adept’s right had an alcove in it, which spread back several meters. Within was some kind of stand and there were various scorch marks and bullet holes within the room. The wall directly opposite had a large screen on it, currently blank with darkness. Inserts into the walls in fitments of there own shape were various arcane operating equipment. In the center was a large slab like unit, which had an operating metal tray with an open plug hole for liquid drainage. A large circular operating light hung over it which brightly shone on the table and provided the light source within the room. It had various sockets in it which looked as if it could have electrical connections to. The wall behind the table was mirrored; a viewing room was behind it. The left wall where the door was is blank emptiness, perhaps to allow for additional storage.
The adept walked around the operating table, so his back was turned to the viewing room mirror. The door he just entered opened; two mindless servitors came in pushing floating panels which had some dark skeletal remains on them. The servitors were now as dead as those lying on the panels, there skin very pale, nearly dead while the electronic implants within there bodies are alive as they once were. One panel was left by the side of the empty wall while the other was put atop of the operating table.
One of the adept’s tentacle attachments plugged into a port down the side of the operating table he felt a shudder as his consciousness connected to the main frame. He pulled down his dark hood so he could see better, his right eye and parts of the right side of his skull had been replaced by electronic implants from the Machine God along with a bionic eye. His hair was long and dark and his face shaven and tidy. He pulled up his robe sleeves, his left arm replaced by a cybernetic replacement and a few implants on the right fore arm.
“This is adept Vinnies commencing operation on Necron subject 001 retrieved from Daminos. First test within firing range, a schematic scan will done while within the range. Now deactivating the phase field on the transport panels and activating within operating room 145”
Adept Vinnies wasn't talking to himself; the tentacle implant was recording optic vision and sound uploading to the main frame which is being viewed by many others of the Adeptus Mechanicus within the ship and across the galaxy. Two long tentacles from behind Vinnies’ back reached out with grabbing claws and picked up the remains of the Necron. In the light its remains could be clearly seen, its body was of unknown metal dull and worn but was still shiny. It also had no scratches on it and remained in perfect condition from the day it was created most likely. The Necron’s legs were both destroyed up to the mid thighs; its skeleton metallic body displayed a crushed pelvis and spinal column. Its left arm was destroyed up to the shoulder, which too was badly damaged. The right arm though was largely in tact except for a gaping hole in the lower fore arm.
Vinnies’ carried the damaged Necron through the air and extended his mechanical arms down the length of the range and place the skeleton in place. He then turned to the operating table; underneath he reached and pulled out a standard issue Imperial Guard Lasrifle. He looked down the scope with his left eye and fired hitting the Necron square in the head. He fired a few more shots at its body before zooming in up close with his bionic eye displaying perfect vision.
“Standard Imperial Guard Lasrifle has had little or no affect on the body of Necron subject 001”
Vinnies exchanged the Lasrifle for a bolt pistol and fired two shots, the first bounced off harmless while the other lodged in its chest and exploded a few seconds later as the shells were designed for.
“Standard Astartes issue bolt pistol has damaged the body, after two shots”
Vinnies retrieved the body with his mechanical limbs once more and placed it on top of the operating table. With a thought Vinnies turned on the blank monitor, its dark blue screen lighting the room with a contrasting blue to the white light of the large over head operating light.
“Schematics scan speculates a Necron’s body is as durable and as Astartes power armor. It is speculative that enough power from the Necron itself could match a Space Marine, however the limbs of the metal appear to be hideous, making movement slow. Schematics also reveal microscopic passage ways and tunnels within the entire body, along with various bacteria size insect like creatures. It’s possible these nanonites may be responsible for repairing damage to a Necron’s body, which from Imperial armies gives the term “Living Metal”.
Vinnies took a circular blade saw from the recess on the wall along with the other surgical equipment. He begun cutting across the Necron’s chest in a hail of sparks, he noticed on the chest a worn gold symbol was lit up from the shower of sparks. It was unknown exactly what it meant or was for. Once he had finished cutting a square shape on the ancient robotic Xeno’s chest he removed the cut, it felt a little heavier compared to the rest of the body and Vinnies commanded via thought for the scanner to investigate. Inside the Necron’s chest he could see the reason behind the reinforced panel, the system soon come back and confirmed his thoughts, the chest area was 80% denser than the rest of the body with a large source of catacombs for the nano’s within that area. The opening had revealed a dull green looking crystal shaped object, something similar to that of the green crystal a top of the powerful Monolith’s the mighty Necron’s use as war machines, though on a much smaller scale. He removed the crystal from the recess which was a snug fit it probably to minimize any movement from within the solid body. He also noticed five large passage ways from the central chest; it appeared to vent heat as four went from either side to the ribs which exited into the open within the rib cage, the other extended towards the head. No doubt when powered, this green crystal would give the Necrons the eerie green from their eye sockets and rib cages which many on the battlefield had reported.
The side wall screen sprung to life flashed red; there was some movement on the operating table. The screen zoomed deep into the Necron’s body, magnifying the right arm and showed images of the nanonites waking up and doing there work repairing the damaged body. Vinnies cancelled the emergency alarm and suddenly could hear a very faint noise over air wave frequency, it appeared that the nanonites were talking to each other and communicating repair! The nanonites then let out a pulse of energy as one, perhaps to “jump start” the green crystal; however it was futile as Vinnies had previously removed it. The nanonites then disappeared back to the catacombs and once again become dormant.
Vinnies watched and recorded with his bionic eye as the term living metal displayed its power before him as the forearm of the Necron flowed back until it was once whole and showed no sign of damage or any marks what so ever. Vinnies then saw something move out the corner of his eye, he turned and saw the damaged Necron on the other transport panel with its head turned staring at him with green glowing eyes, the green light from within casting a shadow of green on the wall as its body flowed and repaired what it could.
Vinnies then thought. Necrons often repair within the presence of others, the nanonites must have been sending out air wave signals to any other nanonites within the area to commence repair operation!
Vinnies stared at the Necron straight into its burning eye sockets. He could here commands for the hierarchy or Adeptus Mechanicus ordering him to engage the subject. This was the first time a live Necron had been captured; even capturing a destroyed Necron is rare. Many questions could be asked and many answers revealed.
“Speak Necron!” ordered Vinnies
The Necron looked at him blankly for a few moments and uttered something in its own language in a cold metallic voice with slight echo, its metal jaw creaking and its open skeleton like mouth on the extended jaw letting free the words.
“I do not speak your tongue ancient one. Communicate with me in the language of the Machine God and Immortal Emperor of Mankind”
The Necrons head turned to face the ceiling. No emotion on the its face as it stared blankly as if in deep thought, it then spoke.
“Monkeigh” it tone was once again metallic and with a slight echo, but also cold and arrogant.
It spoke and addressed the adept much like the vile Xeno race known as the Eldar.
“I am Adept Vinnies of the Adeptus Mechanicus. We seek knowledge from your race Necron.”
“Necrontyr” corrected the Necron.
“You have arrogance of the vile Eldar Necron, I should destroy you where you lie”
“You speak of the young race Monkeigh. They are a dying breed now, as you will be when you fall before us. We will harvest the galaxy”
“You know of the Eldar Necrontyr”
“Yes, I remember them of a long time ago”
“Indulge me Necrontyr”
“I shall seems you show marks of the Dragon”
“The Dragon?”
The Necron ignored Vinnies’ question on what the Dragon is and begun its long story.
“Before the stars bore life as it is now the Necrontyr existed. We marveled in technology and spanned the galaxy, though our lives were short from radiation by the nearby star. No matter how far we traveled from our own star, its curse would follow us and we lived short lives despite our great technology. We encountered a race you name as the Old Ones. They were much like the young race they created, arrogant, despicable, and would not help the Necrontyr to prolong our lives.
We waged war on them; they were not fit to live in the same galaxy as our race. Though they easily defeated us with their technologies and travel from what you name the Warp. At the height of our war our race made discovery, the star was alive! An incredible powerful essence inhabited it. After many years we constructed a star bridge and our first great C’Tan was born into our world! We gave it a body of metal and in return it slaughtered all the Old Ones and their inferior young races before it, feeding on their essences. We brought more and more C’Tan into our world.
Our race soon found more about this “warp” the Old Ones and the young race had a connection to. It was there source of power. We sought to destroy them via there power source, but even our powerful Star Gods feared the power of the warp.
The C’Tan made us an offer we could not refuse. Inhabit new bodies in there image free of pain and suffering and live forever. All our efforts were put into making us immortal, and when we did we discovered our star gods had tricked us. The gods consumed our ravaged bodies and our senses faded as our race became their slaves.
Our ancient enemy soon was destroyed, though we could not reveal in it. Our own freedom comes in the hope of the enemies Young Races. There connections to the warp had created monstrosities which feed on those our Masters hungered for. The C’Tan soon feed on each other, until only four remained, they abandoned us who gave them life and fled this galaxy behind our reach. To escape the power of the warp slept”
Vinnies’ was shocked at the amount of detail the Necron had remembered since the dawn of time, but he continued to ask questions. More of this unknown unstoppable race would be found out.
“The Eldar, how did you defeat them?”
“We did not, they defeated themselves. But we contained them which put them on the path of their own un-doing. They inhabited a large area of the stars in the west. We constructed powerful artifacts which kept there powers at bay, but our work was not finished due to the plague from the warp.
Though through out our time a handful of Necrons remained active, there are even spies within your greatest worlds. We had discovered the Eldar had created a powerful entity, which destroyed there own race and merged reality with the warp”
“The Eye of Terror! Is it your technology which holds back the great eye?”
The Necron did not reply, but instead turned away to face the ceiling once more. It was unclear to Vinnies if he would get an answer; its metallic face was void of emotion.
“I know that two of your Gods remain in this galaxy” said Vinnies’
“The Star Gods have scattered forever. Though those who worship them in their form remain”
“What do you mean Necron?”
“You know of three C’Tan Monkeigh. The marks of one litter your body. Our greatest Lords of our race resume the form of the C’Tan. If our Star Gods resided in this galaxy you would cease to exist already”
“Tell me about the C’Tan Lords Necron”
“Meaphet Ran is our greatest Star God’s name. Though it was it what tricked us into these bodies of metal and cursed us. The prophet of Meaphet Ran now takes its form, though it true form is never seen. Even now it infiltrates your hierarchies and has altered your genetics”
“You mean psykers?”
“No. Blanks”
Vinnies though for a moment and then realized the Necron must mean assassins of culexus. It means that forces of Necrons have been active longer than suspected and even changed the human gene pool.
“Tell me of the other Gods Necron”
“The Star God of Death inhabited our star, it killed us unknowingly before it was born into this world and willingly when it lived. We have no name for it, but the Young Race called it Kaelis Ra.
The Dragon is God of technology. It gave its hand to some for our weaponry; its very designs are located on your body. I do not know where the Dragon Lord Resumes, but Eldar speak of it on what you call a forge world”
“Blasphemy xeno, the Machine God is the only god of technology!”
“The Dragon is that god you very worship Monkeigh!”
The Necrons tone changed as if it could, perhaps it was trying to show irony that it believed the very Machine God Vinnies and all of the Adeptus Mechanicus is one and the same.
“Tell me, what do you seek?”
“We seek to harvest all life for our Star God masters”
“Why? Your masters have fled, abandoned you and tricked you”
“We hate all life. The Star Gods tricked us, thus we remain forever. Within our tombs which inhabit all worlds that belong to Monkeigh and Kork we think, we remember. Our minds now fractured, imprisoned, suffocated within these metal bodies. There-fore we seek our masters to entice them to return. We will offer countless essence of Monkeigh and of that of the ancient enemy. We will close the great Eye and wipe clean the vile Kork. When our masters return we will offer this to them, then we be free for our imprisoned bodies. We will live forever through our own powers and not bend to the will of the Star Gods!”
“You seek to wipe all life because you could not live and in hope your masters return to free you?”
Once again the Necron did not answer, but Vinnies did not an answer. He knew that Necrons wanted to destroy all life in sacrifice to their gods, real or not. Nothing in the galaxy would be spared before them, Mankind, Chaos or Xeno. All would be consumed. There fore Necrons are the largest threat to Mankind and must be exterminated.
Vinnies had heard enough. He was ordered to leave the room, his tentacle disconnecting from the com port and terminating the feed. As he exited the door five large Space Marines in black armour was outside, each with a metal hand. He knew them well. They was allies and they sought do the Emperor’s work as they entered the operation room.
