Infinite Metaverse

Chapter 25: The Dream of the Warp

Fu Qinghai once again found himself in Ogotai's personal armoury, but this time, he was accompanied by Ogotai himself.

Seated in his wheelchair, Ogotai ran his hand over the bone-white power armour, his eyes filled with complex emotions. The armour, with its cold, utilitarian design typical of military technology, was adorned with intricate Gothic-style metal embellishments along its edges, chest, and shoulder plates. This fusion of stark functionality and ornate decoration was a hallmark of Warhammer 40K's unique Gothic-punk aesthetic, seen not only in power armour but also in the Imperium's starships, Titans, and architecture.

Ogotai turned to Fu Qinghai and said, "This is the only set of MKIV Maximus power armour in the entire Brotherhood. Are you ready for it?"

Fu Qinghai nodded firmly. "I'm ready!"

"I don't need to explain its functions, do I?"

"I've memorized them all."

It wasn't an exaggeration. Although Fu Qinghai had never worn power armour before, his training under Magos Kurnos, who had been grooming him as a Techmarine, had given him a thorough understanding of the iconic equipment of the Space Marines.

"Good," Ogotai said. "Follow me to the training cage."

Inside the training cage, several servitors surrounded the towering Fu Qinghai. Before donning the armour, Fu Qinghai had meticulously polished and maintained it, even painting the Mechanicus symbol—a cogwheel encircling a skull—on the right shoulder plate to signify his status as a Techmarine.

In truth, the true mark of a Techmarine was the massive servo-arms extending from the power pack, but unfortunately, the 'Shortsword' didn't have a dedicated Techmarine suit. Fu Qinghai would have to make do with what he had. After all, Ogotai had given him the newest set of power armour on the ship.

The left shoulder plate bore the lightning bolt emblem of the White Scars, a red bolt striking through a gold bar with red edges. Fu Qinghai thought it bore a striking resemblance to the logo of Shazam from the DC universe. He wondered if raising his arm and shouting "Shazam!" would summon a bolt of lightning to transform him into a muscle-bound hero in a red suit and white cape.

Fu Qinghai removed his robe, revealing his muscular frame clad only in shorts. Embedded in his chest, abdomen, and back were iron-gray circular metal interfaces—part of the Black Carapace, the subdermal implant that allowed Space Marines to interface with their power armour. These interfaces added a menacing edge to his already imposing physique.

With the help of the servitors and mechanical arms, Fu Qinghai donned the power armour. He carefully placed the helmet on his head, twisting it slightly to seal it to the neck plate. The moment the helmet connected, the world through the visor changed. Green arrows appeared above Ogotai and the servitors, indicating friend-or-foe identification. With a thought, Fu Qinghai switched to thermal imaging, turning the clear visuals into blurred red and yellow outlines.

The armour also included a targeting assist system, vehicle fire control, and more. Fu Qinghai flexed his arms, feeling the armour move as naturally as a second skin. It was no wonder power armour was considered an extension of a Space Marine's body—it required almost no adjustment period.

***

Over the next few days, Fu Qinghai challenged his fellow Space Marines to sparring matches under the guise of bonding and improving his skills. Though he occasionally lost to unfamiliar techniques at first, he quickly adapted and began dominating every match, becoming the undisputed champion of the 'Shortsword'.

The frigate was too small for the White Scars' traditional bike races, but whenever the ship slowed to navigate asteroid fields, Fu Qinghai would don his power armour and take a jetbike out for a spin, enjoying the thrill of three-dimensional racing among the asteroids.

Soon, the ship's intercom announced that all crew members were to return to their quarters and stations. The 'Shortsword' was preparing to enter the Warp.

Fu Qinghai returned to his quarters, washed up, and sat on his bed. He couldn't see outside the ship, but he felt a sudden tremor run through the floor, ceiling, and fixed furnishings. Ogotai had told him that this was the ship's reactor outputting maximum power, usually during full-speed travel or when firing all weapons. The tremor subsided as quickly as it came, and the room returned to silence.

Nothing happened.

Fu Qinghai shrugged and went to sleep.

***

Fu Qinghai woke slowly, groaning and rubbing his face. Since becoming a Space Marine, he had rarely experienced poor sleep. His head felt heavy, and a dull ache throbbed behind his eyes. He shook his head, got up, and walked to the washroom. Splashing cold water on his face, he looked into the mirror and was startled by his reflection—bloodshot eyes, dark circles, and a stubbled face. He looked exhausted.

'What's going on?' he wondered.

As he leaned closer to the mirror, something caught his eye. A corner of the mirror seemed to blur for a moment. Fu Qinghai pressed his thumb against the spot, but the reflection was clear. He turned to look behind him, but there was nothing there.

'Weird…' he thought. He was sure he had seen something, but it was gone now, like a glitch in an old video game.

Returning to his bedroom, Fu Qinghai heard a faint whisper from outside his door. He frowned and pressed his ear against the door.

"Qinghai… hiss… Qinghai…"

The voice was both distant and close, as if someone were breathing into his ear. Fu Qinghai jerked away from the door. A chilling realization struck him—no one on the ship knew his real name was Fu Qinghai. On Cheslatan and in the hive, he had been called "Locke," and after his ascension, he had taken the name "Qingshan."

His mind felt foggy, but his training kicked in. He opened a box by his bed, pulled out a bolter, and loaded it with practiced ease. Holding the gun in one hand, he pressed the door release button with the other.

The door slid open to reveal an empty, white corridor. A cold breeze swept in, raising goosebumps on Fu Qinghai's legs. He hadn't felt cold since becoming a Space Marine, but this chill seemed to come from deep within his soul.

Stepping into the corridor, Fu Qinghai scanned the area with his bolter at the ready. To his left, a figure in a white-and-red crew uniform was walking away. The uniform clung to a slender, feminine frame, with short black hair brushing against the neck.

Fu Qinghai narrowed his eyes. There were few female crew members on the 'Shortsword', and he didn't recall anyone with that figure. He aimed his bolter at the figure and called out, "Halt, soldier."

The figure stopped.

"Turn around," Fu Qinghai ordered.

The figure remained still.

"I am Space Marine Qingshan. I order you to turn around, soldier!" Fu Qinghai's voice grew sharper.

The figure slowly turned, revealing a face that made Fu Qinghai's eyes widen in shock. It was the face of an ex-girlfriend from his past life on Earth—delicate Asian features, a slender nose, long eyelashes… but no pupils.

The woman smiled, her face twisting grotesquely as if stretched by digital editing tools.

"Outsider…" a deep, inhuman voice hissed from her gaping mouth.

"Who are you?" Fu Qinghai tightened his grip on the bolter, forcing himself to stay calm.

"Outsider…" the creature ignored his question. "I feast on your memories. Your soul does not belong here…"

Without hesitation, Fu Qinghai pulled the trigger.

'Bang!'

Fu Qinghai woke with a start, drenched in sweat and gasping for air. He looked around at the familiar walls of his quarters. It had been a dream… but before he could gather his thoughts, a loud banging came from the door.

'Boom! Boom! Boom!'

The door slid open before Fu Qinghai could get up. Ogotai and Taral entered, accompanied by the pale, flaxen-haired Navigator, Marco van Lier.

Ogotai spoke first. "Van Lier detected a massive psychic disturbance coming from your quarters. What happened, Qingshan?"

Fu Qinghai looked bewildered. "I… I had a dream."

"A dream? What kind of dream?" Taral pressed.

"I saw a woman… a strange woman in a White Scars crew uniform. She said… she said…" Fu Qinghai trailed off, unsure how to explain the rest. Unlike the confusion of the dream, his mind was now clear. The creature's words, "outsider your soul does not belong here", suggested it had accessed his memories and learned of his origins on Earth. The fact that it called him "Qinghai" and took the form of an ex-girlfriend from his past life only confirmed this.

"I… I can't remember," Fu Qinghai lied, clutching his head in feigned pain.

Ogotai and Taral exchanged glances, then turned to van Lier.

The Navigator studied Fu Qinghai for a moment before saying, "Qingshan's body is fine. I detect no psychic residue. Whatever happened is gone now."

Ogotai and Taral looked at each other, unsure what to make of this. Finally, Ogotai said, "Get some rest, then report to Magos Kurnos for a check-up."

After they left, Fu Qinghai got up and returned to the washroom. The face in the mirror was clean and healthy, with no trace of the exhaustion he had seen earlier. He leaned on the sink, deep in thought.

The 'Shortsword' was currently traveling through the Warp, protected by its Gellar Field. As someone who had read Warhammer 40K lore, Fu Qinghai knew more about the Warp than Ogotai and Taral. The Warp was a reflection of the emotions and consciousness of all sentient beings in the universe. It wasn't just a chaotic sea of energy—it was home to entities, creatures, and even gods.

The Aeldari had their gods, the Orks had theirs, and perhaps humanity did too. Before the Horus Heresy tore open the veil of the Warp, the Imperium's understanding of it had been limited to astropathic communication and Warp travel. But other races, like the Aeldari, the Old Ones, and even humanity during the Dark Age of Technology, had a deeper understanding of the Warp.

Fu Qinghai's interpretation of the dream was that a powerful Warp entity had noticed him and breached the Gellar Field to communicate. It likely wasn't one of the Chaos Gods—they usually focused on exceptional heroes or villains. But it wasn't a minor Warp creature either, like a Warp ghost or psychic wasp. It had to be a Warp entity of significant power.

With no way to confirm his suspicions, Fu Qinghai decided to put the matter aside. The 'Shortsword' would soon exit the Warp, and he could deal with this later.

***

In the ship's corridors, Ogotai, Taral, and van Lier walked together.

Ogotai asked again, "Van Lier, are you sure Qingshan has no psychic potential?"

Van Lier nodded. "I'm certain he doesn't."

"Then how do you explain what just happened?" Ogotai pressed.

Van Lier hesitated, as if searching for the right words. Finally, he asked, "Do you believe in magic and sorcery, Captain Ogotai?"

Ogotai snorted. "Don't play games with me, van Lier. The White Scars have Librarians. Our great Stormseer, Yesugei, is considered a 'wizard' by ignorant mortals. We Chogorians are not like the blind fools of Terra. We know of the Heaven's Path and respect it."

Van Lier nodded. "Good. Then, Captain Ogotai, do you believe there are… beings in the Warp?"

Ogotai fell silent. If asked before the Horus Heresy, he would have dismissed the idea of Warp entities as superstition. But after the rebellion, the reports from Prospero, and the whispers from the Battle of Signus, he wasn't so sure.

Van Lier didn't wait for an answer. "When I was young, I read ancient texts in my family's library that spoke of Warp entities. I don't know if they were true… but if you're asking for an explanation, that's my answer."

With that, van Lier turned and walked away, leaving Ogotai and Taral to ponder his words.

***

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