The One

by Lee Parnell

The warm breeze coming off the sea stirred the small coastal village. Trees swung in the wind and down in the village plaza the villagers held a street party in honour to the Emperor who had once again brought a bounteous harvest. People laughed and celebrated the catch of fish and the safe return of the fishermen after many weeks of hard work.

The boy was not down in the plaza, he was too young and he was meant to be in bed asleep, ready for another day at the missionary being taught the scriptures of the Cult Imperious. However he had decided to make the most of the clear night sky and stood on the roof, looking through his father's telescope and studying the spots of lights studded across the jet black night.

There was a creak behind him and he spun round. His dad was looking at him with a smile on his face.

"I thought I told you to go to bed." He stopped and sighed. "Still it’s a nice night. What you were you looking for?"

"Terra." The boy said.

"Well my son. You've got the telescope pointing the wrong way. Terra is in the galactic east, not the west."

"I know dad." The boy said. "But look at what I've found." The father put his cup of tea down and peered through the eye piece. It was filled with a large, almost organic shape. It was not painted the grey of Imperial ships but was black and bone coloured.

"Son. Get down in the shelter." The boy hesitated, wondering what he had done wrong. "NOW!"

The man peered back down the eyepiece and cursed under his breath.

The boy practically jumped down the ladder to get back in the house and ran to the shelter in the basement. His father had taught him what to do a hundred times before but it all seemed so funny then, like a big game. Now, even to such a young and innocent child, it all seemed so deadly serious. Opening the, to him, heavy door he rushed into the little three man capsule and closed the door behind him. He hid under one of the blankets waiting for his father to come, softly crying at the terror of the unknown. There was a banging at the door.

"Son it's me. Open up." The voice didn't seem right, sounding choked and gurgled, yet still having his dads authoritative streak to it. He pushed the foot stall to the door and looked through the thick plasti-glass. He let out a shriek. At the door was someone like his dad and yet still was so…

The flesh on the things face was blistered and bleeding, almost appearing to melt. Its eyes were bloodshot with blood seeping from the sockets, nose and ears. A thin stream of vomit and blood spluttered from its mouth as it talked.

"Help me!"

The boy fell back, crawling away from the door, hiding beneath the blankets.

Eventually the gurgled cries ceased.

Curiosity overwhelmed him, and the boy opened the door. He had no idea how long he had been in his shelter and he could see through the window that the first rays of morning were creeping above the horizon. He pushed the door with all his might as it seemed stiff to open. As he squeezed through he could see why. The things body was resting on the door, the dead weight fighting its opening. He stood there in horror. Its skin, muscle was all gone, turned to a green mucus jelly through which the bones could be seen. He fought down the vomit rising up his throat and ran to the ladder reaching to the roof, hoping that his father would still be up there.

He didn't realise that the blob of green WAS his father.

The platform was empty save for the telescope and the cold pot of tea. He could see that the trees in the area had suffered the same fate as the man in the basement. Yet the trees in the distance, on the hill were still green. He also saw something hovering above the plaza. It was very sleek, painted black and with a turret which appeared to scan across the village, looking. Figures moved through the houses, occasionally firing at green figures on the ground. All of a sudden he saw the turret of the, tank? Point directly at him and it suddenly seemed to jump into life, rocketing towards him. The boy ran, down the ladder, out the house and into what remained of the forest. It was futile, the skimmer catching up with and then overtaking him, appearing to skid to a halt ahead. The boy tripped on a submerged branch and fell head first into the goo. He lay there, realising that he would now suffer the same fate as the others. A figure, dressed in blue armour that seemed to melt and flow to match the wearer, stood over him levelling a gun at his head. But then the soldiers gun was lowered by another figure wearing more elaborate armour and robes. Where as the other figure's helmet resembled a face, this one's was just a blank. It turned to look at the boy. It said something to the blue warriors who boarded their craft and waited. "Do not fear us child. Do not hate us. For you are the one. I can not stay but we will meet again." The words sounded graceful, calming and then the figure was gone.

The boy was alone with his fear and anger.

He lay in the house, scared and tired, hungry too, when he heard the sound of people moving up the path to the front and side doors. He looked out from below the blankets and saw a figure, dressed in bulky black armour. There was no helmet and so he could see the face. It was similar, but not quite the same, to his fathers and the armour bore a stylised I on it.

"Boy. Are you Ferdez?"

"Ye..yes Sir."

"We are your saviours. Come and let us leave this forsaken place." The man offered an armoured hand. The boy excepted it and was picked up feeling, for the first time in a day, that he truly felt safe. As he began to nod off he heard the man say something.

"Prepare to teleport. Proceed with Exterminatus as soon as all patrols are back."

The boy fell asleep unaware of the magnitude or the meaning of the order.

Forbidden Fortress