On the bridge of the Ishimura, still orbiting Earth in the Resident Evil world, Marcus had assembled Isaac, Wesker, Jill, Carlos, and Tyrell. So far, Marcus had selectively granted Psionic abilities only to these five individuals, choosing not to widely disseminate this power among the crew. His reasons were twofold: first, he needed to further refine the terms within the Psychic Contract to effectively restrain any potential opportunists who might emerge later. Second, a practical opportunity was required to test these nascent Psionics users, allowing Marcus to accurately assess their combat capabilities. And now, those four trade ships, each harboring an unknown number of insidious Tyranid Genestealers, presented a perfect proving ground.
"New mission already?" Isaac mumbled as he stepped into the Captain's room, having already surmised the reason for Marcus's summons.
"That's right," Marcus confirmed, his voice firm. "This time, you'll be journeying to a new world to undertake a relatively challenging mission." As he spoke, he transmitted crucial information about the Genestealers directly to their RIG Systems. "There are a few spaceships, and an unknown number of these monsters are hiding inside. You will need to cooperate with other troops to eliminate them."
"Genestealer?" Isaac murmured, flipping through the received information alongside the other four. The data wasn't extensive; it was a concise summary compiled by Marcus based on his prior knowledge, supplemented with the structural schematics of the trade ships.
A few minutes later, Wesker, who was the first to finish reading the data, exclaimed, "Five generations of cyclical reproduction, coupled with unparalleled intelligence and stealth – truly a perfect organic biological weapon." However, Wesker's interest was more piqued by the Tyranids mentioned in the data. After all, if such "perfect creatures" were merely vanguards, how immensely powerful would the true main force prove to be?
"Perfect? I only see filthy, evil monsters," Jill scoffed from the side, clearly disgusted. She had noted that the data explicitly mentioned how normal humans affected by the Genestealer would give birth to deformed offspring, then devote themselves entirely to their care, perpetuating a twisted cycle of reproduction. The mere thought made Jill's stomach churn.
Ignoring the two squabbling individuals, Isaac and Carlos turned their attention to Marcus. "A new world? Do you have any information about it?"
Marcus nodded, then transmitted additional information concerning the Imperium of Man. This particular data packet was far more substantial. "You all go back and prepare. Use this time to thoroughly commit this information to memory. Isaac, you'll go with Jacob and forge a batch of powerful weapons and equipment. Gather back here in three hours."
Upon receiving their orders, the five departed the Captain's room to commence their preparations. Although the primary force for this Tyranid Genestealer cleanup mission would be the PDF Soldiers, it would still be an arduous undertaking for those who had not experienced truly high-intensity combat. As for weaponry and equipment, candidly, the tools on the Ishimura, nominally designed for mining, were surprisingly potent. Whether it was the Plasma Cutter, capable of stripping almost all flesh from a Slasher in a single shot and creating small gravity traps, or the Contact Beam, boasting ultra-long range, immense power, and the ability to produce energy spiral projectiles – both were excellent weapons for combating the relatively 'squishy' Tyranid Genestealers.
Three hours later, back on the bridge, the five individuals, now fully equipped, stood before Marcus. "Are you all ready?" Marcus casually inquired, surveying them in their highest-grade engineer suits. "How did you find the information? Anything you want to say?"
"Honestly, it's incomprehensible," Isaac replied, reflecting the general sentiment.
"A very dangerous world," Wesker added, his voice deep and contemplative. The other three offered similar, varied answers. Even after meticulously reading the information Marcus provided, they still struggled to fully grasp the sheer darkness and pervasive bloodshed of the Warhammer Universe, subconsciously believing that such a world couldn't truly exist. It had completely transcended their understanding. The Resident Evil world, by comparison, was merely a place with more viruses and monsters, and it hadn't even plunged into any major, world-ending crises. While Dead Space was certainly more dangerous, most of its Blood Moon manifestations remained dormant, posing no immediate threat. Only the Warhammer setting was different. Every minute, every second, ultra-high intensity wars raged between various races across the galaxy, and countless humans or xenos perished at every moment.
"Don't worry too much," Marcus reassured them, observing their expressions. "Such a world, comparable to a cesspit, is actually a minority within the vast Imperium. And your mission this time is only focused on a few ships the size of the Ishimura. Besides, the main force of the operation is the local Planetary Defense Force."
After thoroughly explaining the intricacies of this operation, Marcus prepared to initiate the crossing procedure. Currently, Marcus was unable to cross with only a few specific individuals; he could only choose to transport the entire Ishimura. In the preceding few hours, he had already issued the highest alert order to all crew members of the Ishimura, preparing them to respond to any emergencies. Simultaneously, for safety's sake, Marcus had also transferred various virus samples and substances like the Mycelium – which might attract the attention of a certain Evil God in the Warp – onto the Blood Moon. This journey was also an experiment for Marcus, to observe what would happen if he brought hundreds of people to the Warhammer Universe at once. If anything truly went wrong, Marcus was prepared to immediately return the Ishimura to the Resident Evil world. He did not believe that the corrupting power of Chaos could cross between worlds.
"Attention all Ishimura crew, the crossing procedure is about to begin. Countdown ten minutes," an automated voice resonated through the ship. All crew members who heard the broadcast immediately ceased their tasks and, according to the pre-arranged plan, gathered on the bridge. This also allowed Marcus to observe them for any signs of Chaos contamination.
When the countdown ended, Marcus opened his system panel and pressed the crossing button. Accompanied by a blinding flash of white light, the Ishimura, which had been suspended in Earth orbit, suddenly vanished. Only the massive Blood Moon remained, silently suspended in its original position.
Due to his remarkably robust physique, Marcus was the first to regain consciousness. He intensely scrutinized the crew members before him; if any abnormality were detected, Marcus was ready to immediately cross back. Next, Wesker, whose physical condition also far surpassed that of ordinary humans, regained consciousness. Then came Jill, Carlos, Isaac, and the rest of the crew, one by one.
"Report overall ship status," Marcus commanded, having scanned the bridge and confirmed that no strange creatures had appeared, nor had any crew members sprouted unusual horns or tentacles. Several engineers, along with Isaac and Jacob, diligently checked the ship's systems and finally came to a definitive conclusion: "Everything is normal." Even after repeated checks, the conclusion remained unchanged.