I'm re-reading the Horus Heresy in preparation to start the sub-series Siege of Terra, and this is my review of Heralds of the Siege , book 52 in the series. Heralds of the Siege is an anthology, consisting of several short stories, and I'm going to review each one. Myriad is the first short story in the book, written by Rob Sanders, and it's all about my favourite faction, the Mechanicum.
I love a good anthology, and they don't always start strong but the first story in this one is amazing. I'm biased when it comes to the Mechanicum. I've always loved cyborgs in scifi, I love Mars (I call it Barsoom, naturally), and I'm a fan of the It absurdity that the cult of the Omnissiah represents. Myriad is about an Adeptus Mechanicus Princeps, which is the rank held by a mech (Titan) pilot. It doesn't actually have any real mech action, because the Horus Heresy is a pretty dark time for Mars, but you do see a Titan at the start of the story, and another at the end, so it's not devoid of mechs. The plot is all about stealth and subterfuge. It's a tense and foreboding story that'll have you on the edge of your seat throughout. Think Alien when most of the crew leaves the Nostromo, only with daemons instead of xenos. Actually it's nothing like that, but there's a feeling that both stories share.
In fact, I'd say the emotions in this story are the real story. Sometimes they're emotions you feel as you read, and other times it's the emotions you sense characters in the story are feeling. Sure, there's danger around every corner, there are events that seem suspicious, there's the profundity of ignorance about technology that the Adeptus Mechanicus themselves champion (despite the harm it does). That builds the plot. But the thing you'll leave the story with are emotions, and those are real in Myriad.
The rest of this review contains spoilers, so don't read it if you intend to read the book.
Just as the Horus Heresy was the start of traitor legions among the Imperium's Space Marines, it was also the start of daemonic corruption on Mars. The short story Myriad explores the Adeptus Mechanicus Tech-Priests and Princeps who fought against the rise of what would later be known as the Dark Mechanicum.
In the story, Princeps Kallistra Lennox (which looks and sounds an awful lot like "Princeps Linux", making her one of my several favourite Adeptus Mechanicus) is leading a band of Mechanicum rebels on a mission of sabotage. Once a pilot of Titans, Princeps Lennox now roams Mars to dismantle them so they can't be used by the legions of Horus.
I refer to Lennox and her crew as "rebels" but really they're the Omnissian and Martian loyalists. At this point in Martian history, though, it's the Omnissian faithful who are rebels in their own homeland.
The opening sequence of Lennox sabotaging the latest Titan is actually agonizing. You have no idea whether it's going to succeed, whether she and her crew are going to be discovered, or what the consequences would be if they are. Some people say that Warhammer 40,000 is best when humans are the focus of the story. I'm not sure why, but I think maybe it's because readers know humans are especially vulnerable, while Space Marines and Titans and things like that just seem like superheroes. I don't agree. I've seen plenty of Blood Angels get sawed in half by daemons or Tyranids. I don't know whether Adeptus Mechanicus count, but the characters in this story are unsure of what dangers they face, unclear about how to overcome them, and not even sure why all of this is happening. It's not fun to be branded a terrorist on your own homeworld, and I think the hopelessness of the situation comes through in this story. Lennox used to pilot Titans, and now she spends her days breaking them.
The intro is actually just an intro. It feels like it could be the whole story, but it's just the setup.
On the way back to base, Princeps Lennox and her crew pick up a call for help from an Adeptus Mechanicus scavenger operation. It's unusual for a stealth scavenger crew to broadcast for help, but when you find something too big to bring back on your own, you have to try. A little begrudgingly, Princeps Lennox alters course to assist. When they arrive on site, they find a single scavenger, and also a bunch of dead bodies. It seems that the scavengers had been attacked, when all of a sudden their attackers turned on one another and the problem took care of itself. Princeps Lennox helps the scavengers with their find (a Kastelan robot) and everyone returns to base together.
The remaining scavenger and the Kastelan are put into quarantine (making Ripley proud), but moments later an alert comes in that enemy forces are heading for the [secret] base. It stands to reason that a homing device has been brought into the base, and it's up to Princeps Lennox to find it before the enemy comes to knock down the doors. She only brought two things in from outside, and they're both in quarantine, so in theory it'll be easy to find the homing beacon. What she finds, instead though, could change the trajectory of the battle for Mars.
This was a great short story. I don't think it would make any sense to somebody unfamiliar with the Warhammer universe, or more specifically the state of that universe during the Horus Heresy. To be fair, it's in book 52 of an ongoing series. Requiring some specialised knowledge isn't unreasonable.
I love it because Princeps Lennox is methodical and resilient. She knows when to rely on specialists and superiours, and she knows when she needs to take control. The ending scene is awfully satisfying, whether you're into the Cult Mechanicus or you just like giant robots or you just hate AI or you love pondering strategy. I'd read this one again.
All images in this post copyright Games Workshop.