Short Term Road Trip

[Hiro Protagonist]

Rip Through The White

The sleek, black form of the Deliverator rocketed out of the gate from the Deeps into the stark, pale whiteness of the Nexus. Hiro had his left hand out the window, his brand new firearm loaded and primed, aimed at nothing. Literally. The music formed a sonic shield around their techno conveyance, and Okor was even beginning to bob his head a bit to the loud, cacophonous racket blasting from the car's surround sound speakers. People across the entire Nexus would have heard the din they were making, but the digital daimyo didn't care. He'd missed this car. Ohhh, how he'd missed it.

The last time he drove this car he'd done a chunker right into a dry swimming pool and hit the far wall like a Stuka unable to pull up. The adrenaline had pumped out of his ears as the blood drained from his heart, the whiplash of the impact alllmost as painful as realizing he was never going to drive one of these cars again. Oh, and the crippling debt to the mob he'd incurred. But now he was in the Omniverse. All was well. And he was fucking flooring it across the pearly Autobahn of their new reality.

"So, Okor!" Hiro half shouted above the cacophony emanating from every available speaker, before lowering the music to a more suitable level for conversation. "I feel like out of everyone I've met here so far, it's only you, my roommate, and that Deadpool guy that seem like alright people. I shared something from my world with you, why don't you tell me about where you're from."

The hunched marine was silent for a long moment, running a greasy gauntleted finger across the dashboard and leaving a trail of maroon rust. The seat around him was actually corroding lightly, his presence having an entropic effect on his immediate surroundings. The hacker-ronin was just about to reach for the volume knob and turn the music back up before Okor spoke.

"It is a tale thousands of years old, and...rather complicated. But as a token of mutual cooperation, I will tell you the, ah, short version." His tone was his usual dour timbre, although if it wasn't for the music Hiro would have sworn the marine's voice had grown more solemn. 

"What you call Earth is known as Terra in my universe. A being calling himself the Emperor of Mankind united the warring factions during the Dark Age of Technology, and created his sons to wage war on the galaxy with him as the orchestrator of a massive crusade."  Hiro made a noise indicating his comprehension, although Okor sounded almost sarcastic while mentioning this 'Emperor'.

"I'm guessing he wasn't such a great guy?" The hacker asked, expecting an answer in the affirmative.

"A tyrant, stuck in the ways of the past. Arrogance and shortsightedness blinded him to the truth of Chaos and the dark gods! Only through embracing the teachings of Nurgle and the Chaos of a vast, empty universe could humanity evolve beyond the chains of submission."  

Hoo boy. Okor was quite the preacher. He let the metal man continue on his explanation, noticing Okor's fist clenching and unclenching, lost in the moment and memories of millenia.

"The Emperor's sons saw what their brothers could not. Horus Lupercal, the Warmaster, led a rebellion against half of the Loyalist Legions. The Emperor slew him, but was mortally wounded in kind. Now he sits on a horrid mockery of a throne, rotting, festering, a prisoner of his own undoing. And the Long War is fought across stars and planets, the Corpse on the Throne drawing power from thousands of human souls each day, sacrificed to sustain his broken body."  

Okor turned to face Hiro, the hacker letting his attention drift from the featureless plains they were zooming across and letting the autopilot guide the wheel. "Jesus...that's....huh. That's pretty fucked up. And I thought Rife was bad."

The plague marine nodded sagely and finished. "I am Okor Paleblood, 14-4-8-7. Fourteeth Legion, Fourth Company, Eighth Squad, Seventh Marine. Our primarch is Mortarion, and we are the Death Guard. Grandfather Nurgle, the incarnation of nature, god of resoluteness, stoicism, and determination is our benefactor. We wage the Long War to free the Imperium from what it has become. For the benefit of all humanity, to free their shackled souls and let them ascend.

And now I am here." 

That was a fair amount to take in. An entire galaxy, consumed by war and conflict. Lotta moral greyness there, but he could understand Okor a bit better now. Shit, he must seem like little more than a babbling toddler to a warrior such as his traveling companion. Christ, what a perspective shift.

"....wow. Thanks for sharing, Okor. I can see why you want to help Darkshire, though. You really do fight for people."
Hiro went silent, the atmosphere a bit awkward as they neared the gate to the Pale Moors. "My story is a lot simpler. Just one planet. A man named L Bob Rife wanted to become something very much like your 'Emperor'. Tried to use that virus to do it, make everyone his mind controlled slaves. No freedom, just obedience. Me and a few friends got involved, and saved the day. And now I'm here. But I like it here. A lot more than my old world. I didn't have any purpose, any ambition. Here, at least? I can make a difference."

Okor coughed once, and gave a slow dip of his helmeted head. "You have the makings of a warrior, young Protagonist. But you allow your pride and fear to limit you. Embrace the fear. Death holds no meaning here. A place like this is strong with Nurgle's influence. A million events can unfold, yet nothing. Truly. Changes. Remember that."

They rode in silence the rest of the way, and the black chariot lassed throughthe heavy stone arch to the Pale Moors.