Chapter 98 Space Hulk
It would take a full six months for a human warship to cross the entire Gulf of Damocles, assuming that the subspace flow of the current navigation route is stable.
And this navigation path does not entirely rely on subspace travel. In fact, it only takes about a day to feel several light years. Why is it felt time? Because one day in subspace travel is equal to 12 days in the physical world, but this is not completely absolute.
On the road to subspace navigation, the more stable the subspace is, the less time it consumes. In some areas, it can even reach 1/1, but in any case, it feels extremely fast for people traveling. Generally speaking, subspace travel They are all calculated according to the time in subspace, if that thing is really accurate.
Warp travel within the same sector is about 5-10 days, and across sectors it will take 30-60 days. Several years of subspace travel means that the crew will travel across the entire galaxy, so this can also be seen as Damocles. How huge the bay is.
Of course, not all of the six months will be spent in subspace. In fact, it is quite uncertain where the flow of subspace will be stable. When encountering many "turbulent" places, the Imperial warships need to leave Mandeville Point for subspace. Lightspeed engines sail to reach the next place.
It also means that about 80% of the time during travel is in the real universe. In other words, subspace is a bit like a highway, but this thing is as fast as instantaneous movement.
In addition to being huge, the Gulf of Damocles is also as dangerous as the subspace. On the way, Alan Bayer has seen several light-year-long star clusters and several black holes with strong gravity. In the huge physical universe, Natural creations remain deadly to humans.
The universe is vast and empty, but it is definitely not quiet and peaceful. With human beings' current ability to sail at sublight speeds, it only takes a few days to move within the solar system. Of course, this refers to the distance away from the light of stars, which is about 500-600 astronomical times. The unit is about 70 billion kilometers. For Alan Bayer's previous life, it would take hundreds of thousands of years to cross such a number, so the universe seemed empty.
But now even the worst transport ship on the Bordero can reach the moon from the earth in three hours, and can break through the atmosphere and land on a single plane. Even going to Mars only takes about a day, let alone the number of seconds. Kilometer long Imperial cruiser itself.
And it is this kind of mobility that allows humans to see the true veil of the dark universe for the first time. If you really have to use one word to describe it, it is probably the dark forest.
In the Mandeville Point caused by the gravity fields and gravitational forces of several planets, the Bordeaux broke through to the material world amid the fluctuations in subspace. The battleship reported how long the voyage took in real cosmic time.
The captain looked at the star map and then said to Alan Bair. "We arrived in the Partoria sector. There are no special imperial territories in this place. It is mainly an Imperial Navy base built by the Imperial Navy. Kabbah is nearby, and this sector is basically a hive world."
"If there are no problems, our current supplies can still be used for a long time. From this point of view, most of the situation is not bad."
Alan Bair climbed up from the floor of his exclusive battleship bridge. Don't get me wrong, it's not that he likes the bridge, but that he doesn't like sleeping in warehouses, and the bedrooms prepared for the Astra Militarum are a bit small like those for raising pigs. kind.
It is also stuffy and full of strange smells. Under such circumstances, the noisy bridge is not necessarily more unacceptable than the command room, and subspace travel does require heightened vigilance at all times.
"Captain, what's our next step?"
The captain touched his thick Imperial Navy hat and sighed. "Mandeville Point is under the control of the navy, and they have placed an entire base the size of a planetary belt in that area to ensure that no heretics cross the empire's lands."
The captain looked at the star map. "It will arrive in a few days. We have enough supplies. Next, we enter the subspace at the naval base, and then replenish it in the local world when we pass by the void area called the Elora Curtain. We will dive into the subspace for a long time again and try Walk to the vicinity of the maelstrom once and return to your hometown.”
Alan Beyer said. "Don't plan too carefully. In this dark universe, we must be prepared for the possibility of being slow. Any aliens and heretics will hinder our progress."
The captain nodded, but he also retorted. "But we can trust that nothing evil can interfere with our path within the control of the Imperial Navy's base. At least the next time we start the subspace engine, we will be beside our trustworthy compatriots."
Alan Bayer sensed the captain's inexplicable desire to compare. Of course, he didn't say that the Imperial Navy was useless or had poor combat effectiveness, but he was worried that they would wipe out this dark universe.
"No, Captain, I agree that the rest of the journey will be smooth. We are just passers-by in this sector. When the subspace engine is started, we will completely leave the Gulf of Damocles."
The captain's desire for comparison was satisfied. He raised his chest and spoke like a big rooster. "Of course, you are enjoying the escort of the best sailors in the empire, sir. I promise to complete this voyage in about half a year, even if it is long enough to be the first time for me."
Alan Bayer nodded, and then opened the thick windows on the battleship. The dark and boundless void looked quiet and strange. The light of the stars seemed insignificant in the boundless universe. The speed of the spacecraft was completely lost without a comparison object. It is hard to see, and it is not difficult to feel, how far away the concept of civilization is from them now.
Just like in the case of sea navigation, the so-called morals and rules become blurred when the standards of civilization are lost. If the ship loses power and stops in the void, will the loyal soldiers of the empire become executioners?
The vastness of the void provided countless emotions as energy to the gods, and in the end those malice blossomed on humans. Death, war, murder, betrayal, turned into all unspeakable situations. After traveling for a long time, my thoughts became messy. The number of meals counted was two meals a day. A few hours after Alan Bayer finished his eighth meal, the captain shouted.
"It's Kabbah, it's Kabbah, we're here!"
The bridge made various noises, pulling Alan Bair out of his comfortable state. The illusory shadow of Kabbah had appeared on the monitor. It was a rectangular, irregular thing standing in the void, like a floating cathedral. , with pointed towers and countless cannons, and Alan Bair opened the ship's window and watched with the naked eye the huge satellite-like creations illuminated by the stars in the distance coming and going in and out of various imperial warships.
The greatness of mankind has established a continuous and terrifying war machine in the void, tens of thousands of miles long, blocking the blood vessels of countless traitors and aliens, that is, their supply lines.
Only then did Alan Bayer understand why the captain had such trust in it. This was a miracle of the God Emperor and one of the greatest creations of mankind. Although it did not have the ability to sail in the void, it was absolutely powerful and sturdy.
"Captain, I take back my previous uncertainty. No enemy of the empire can destroy this thing. With it erected in Mandeville Point, this route will be so strong and stable."
Alan Bayer rarely has such a good evaluation of an object. After all, the wars he experienced taught him that nothing in this world is completely solid and indestructible, and there are many such things in history.
The captain also found it helpful to the Imperial Guard's admiration for the navy. After all, people often teased them about the navy's inability to log in to fight. Although the current system of the empire does not allow any legion of the empire to have the ability to cross galaxies and occupy planets at the same time, in many cases In the eyes of the Imperial Guard, the Imperial Navy is a weakling that lacks the ability to engage in close combat.
In the eyes of the Imperial Navy, the Imperial Guard is a rough guy lying on the ground.
In addition to such contradictions, the empire's various intentional estrangements between the Navy and the Imperial Guard are also part of the reason. Generally speaking, the Imperial Guard and the Imperial Navy have always been in a state of competition where they can cooperate with each other but are dissatisfied with each other.
It is also a weirdo like Alan Bair who has different views on "honor" that is so friendly to a navy captain. However, the empire is so big that there will be many Imperial Guards who have good relations with the navy, and there are sector commander-level The characters also have control over two departments, so the seemingly fragmented empire system does not have a fatal impact on the overall combat effectiveness.
The captain turned on the communicator and communicated with the huge base opposite. "Imperial Navy Base Kabba, please reply, Imperial Navy Base Kabba, please reply, we are the Imperial Bordero moon-class strike cruiser, affiliated to the Pangia sub-sector, Gondva system, Third Fleet."
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The communicator quickly responded with a sizzling voice. "Enradicia sector, Imperial Navy base, Partoria system, Kabbah base reply, Kabbah base reply."
the captain replied. "We arrived at the Gulf of Damocles due to a subspace error. I have the approval of Commander Qi Fan, the commander-in-chief of the eastern part of the Gulf of Damocles, and we are carrying the 4th Skadi Regiment and the 113th Fraxia Regiment to the Maelstrom area. Nearby Pangia sub-sector ”
"If you need a copy of the document, we can provide the original after docking, so we request a docking, request a docking."
The other person answered. "Yes, the Loyalist fleet is always welcome, and I personally wish you the Emperor's blessing on your journey back to your areas of service, sir."
Maybe it was because they heard the commander's approval, or maybe they were really paying tribute to this expedition that spanned the entire extreme star field. The attitude of the Imperial Navy was very good, and it made people feel a little warm.
The captain saluted the communicator. "Thank you for your blessings, and may the Emperor and his saints bless us."
The communications soldier said. "Your Majesty the God Emperor, our Kaba base is indestructible and extremely strong. No alien or heretic creation can be as huge and strong as it. You can completely resupply and rest here. In fact, we have control of the next step. They need to pay tolls to the Empire for supplies on most shipping routes.”
"So we are providing supply services to all the passing navies of the Empire, and the officers can enjoy a short vacation."
The captain nodded. "Thank you for your kindness, but we need to rush..."
Alan Bair suddenly pressed against the captain's mouth, inserted his fingers into his wrinkled skin, and then said to the communicator. "Fourth Lieutenant Colonel Skadi would like to express his gratitude to your commander. We will settle here and provide supplies. In fact, we have experienced several battles and killed a lot of titanium and so on. Now we need to rest."
The communicator answered. "To the Emperor and his old man, entry into the port has been approved. Enter from warehouse No. 4."
The communicator was turned off, and the captain covered his face. "We have to go back quickly, instead of enjoying, what are you doing?"
Alan Bayer wiped his fingers. This old guy's face was so greasy... "Well, rest is also important, isn't it?"
The captain sighed. "Okay, but this is not a trip. I really don't know how a guy like you can create so many miracles."
The captain could not deny the greatness of the young man in front of him, but he also could not understand why he had worked hard for the Empire for fifty years without any success, but this guy in front of him could become one of the most loyal heroes of the Imperial Guard in just two years.
But he will never be jealous, because no one who has participated in the war he has experienced will think that he is a loser. On the contrary, everyone feels that Imperial Guards such as the Skadi Fourth Regiment should have people's respect and admiration.
The battleship slowly drove towards the huge base in the distance. The captain hummed a tune. The soldiers of the fourth Skadi Regiment prepared their luggage to enjoy the prosperity and fun in the space port. The staff counted the supplies and thought about how much to apply for. .
In this dark and terrifying universe, it is actually not that cruel. The empire is a little bit better, and the few humanity still shines in this universe.
The captain looked at the growing base, and his heart was filled with joy. Safety and comfort are rare things in this world.
But as the psyker navigator suddenly shouted. "Captain, it's so big...so big!"
The captain and Alan Bair asked in confusion. "What's so big?"
The navigator shouted crazily, his slightly mutated body constantly shaking due to his long navigation career. "It's...the subspace haze, it's approaching, so big, so big!"
After a moment, a violent light, dark green light appeared like the crazy energy collapse before the collapse of the star. The distorted space and time in the Mandeville Point represented that something broke through the shield of subspace and reality, which was as big as a planet. A huge creation made of terrible metal and rock, with the huge Mao Ge Goge rock skeleton unique to Green Skin standing on it.
Millions of kilometers of things directly crushed the Kaba base into powder, turning it into a huge light that was so bright that it was unimaginable. Even through the battleship's thick glass that prevents cosmic radiation and strong light, it was dazzling. The huge base The stored oxygen, food, promethium energy and tens of billions of Imperial men and women all died, becoming part of this moment of light.
"I*!" Alan Bayer yelled, because that huge thing was a space hulk, and a space hulk was a huge mixed mass formed by the fusion of spacecraft and wreckage lost in subspace.
They drift in space, going in and out of the warp, and over thousands of years, they continue to gather countless metals and planets, and eventually there are often genestealers, cultists, greenskins and the like stationed on them.
What destroyed the Kabbah base was a terrifying war-modified object called the Okogu Giant Machine, which was also a kind of space hulk, and the countless garbage cannons on that war-created object were aimed at the remaining empires that had not been destroyed by subspace teleportation. Battleship.
the captain shouted. "Emergency avoidance!"
This world is like this. It seems that the gods want to destroy everything that is good, comfortable, and reassuring... (End of this chapter)