The on-board computer came to life.

[email protected]#$:!1:36] WARNING: PROXIMITY ALERT >

[email protected]#$:!1:36] WARNING: AUX THRUSTER INACTIVE >

[email protected]#$:!1:36] WARNING: MAIN ENGINE FAILURE >

[email protected]#$:!1:37] WARNING: POWER CELLS DEPLETED >

[email protected]#$:!1:37] WARNING: PROXIMITY ALERT >

[email protected]#$:!1:37] WARNING: PLANETARY GRAV WELL ENTERED >

[email protected]#$:!1:37] EMERGENCY DE-FROST INITIATED >

[email protected]#$:!1:38] REQUESTING ASSISTANCE FROM THE FAITHFUL >

For a long moment, there was only intense pain. It took her a few seconds to realise it was the aftereffect of emergency de-frosting. There were only two reasons the cryo-pod had released her. One being they had reached their destination and the other, which worried her the most, the pod had run out its life-span. She wasn’t sure which one was worse. For one they had failed and there was close to nothing left from the research on Station 37-4H. By the Blessed Saint of Hell, she had managed to save only a handful of people and those only two were from the scientific staff, with one yet to be ordained. To add to her problems was the fact that she couldn’t recover any of the cortex implants.

If she had reached Osiris, as she hoped, the priest could extract the relevant genetic template from her cortex and have the others resurrected into new hosts. All but Helix. The memory of how the medic had died stung her. He was Gen 3, just like her… It dawned on her; she was the last one. There would be no one to provide her with the compound Lucas had devised to keep the faulty code from taking over her. The new hosts would be Gen 11. She squeezed the syringe in her hand. Like everyone else for squad Demon, she had a single doze with her. It was the only one left, which meant she had a maximum of a year before she became an abomination.

She looked at the battered and scorched Mark 3 secured next to the pod. The experimental power armoured battle-suit had saved her life and had proven a great advantage against the Xith. But, although it provided quite a significant power boost, the oxygen fusion burner was far too vulnerable and unstable. At least she had her trusted Predator armour with her. She gently stroked the crimson and black plates before she donned the thing. No matter what awaited her, she was a Demon. She was Carthage, the Destroyer of Cities, the Walking Ordnance.

One by one the other five cryo-pods entered the defrosting stage.

[email protected]#$:!1:38] ESTABLISHING CONNECTION >

[email protected]#$:!1:38] ERROR: SERVER_ID OUT OF REACH >

[email protected]#$:!1:38] VOID_LINK_ARRAY EXTENDED >

[email protected]#$:!1:40] ERROR: VOID_LINK FAILED CONNECTION >

The confused men and women, she was tasked with protecting, gathered around her as she forced the door to the upper level open. The pilot section was as pristine as the day the flying piece of junk had been built. She would have been kinder if any of the control systems worked. However, I rudimentary check confirmed that they had failed.

[email protected]#$:!2:55] ERROR: SYSTEM REBOOT REQUIRED >

[email protected]#$:!2:55] ERROR: INSUFFICIENT POWER TO TRIGGER SYSTEM REBOOT >

“Well isn’t that great. We are stuck in a flying coffin.” One of the survivors of Security Group Nephilim chuckled.

Nia ignored the remark, aware that humans were prone to entering a state of hysteria in situations like this one. She would have too, if not for the strict conditioning she had received back on Osiris.

“Ordained Zhu, can you do something about this?” She turned to the thin man peeking behind her shoulder.

“I am a gene-forger, sinner, not a technician.” The man shook his head, resignation clear in his voice.

“So what? We burn and die, or we crash and die? I thought you Demons were supposed to…” The soldier spoke louder this time, voicing his anger.

“Jack, that’s enough.” The woman behind him pulled on his sleeve.

Carthage knew that the Church of the Third Hell taught the faithful to fear her kin. Honestly, she did not mind it. It was just how things were. She was a sinner in the eyes of every loyal subject of the Blessed Saint of the Garden of Hell. But to be challenged in such a way by a member of His Holy Armies. That stung and demanded punishment.

“No, Miss Floren.” Nia gave the woman a warning look. “I am very interested to hear what soldier of the faith Herzog has to say.”

The view-port was bathed in fire and the interior shook as the shuttle entered the upper layers of the atmosphere.

[email protected]#$:!2:58] WARNING: PREPARE FOR UNCONTROLLED PLANET RE-ENTRY >

[email protected]#$:!2:58] THE ROAD OF THE MARTYR IS A ROAD TO ETERNAL GLORY >

[email protected]#$:!2:59] THE BLESSED SAINT PROTECTS THE PURE AND THE FAITHFUL >

[email protected]#$:!2:59] YOUR SACRIFICE WILL NOT BE FORGOTTEN >