Worldbuilding Prompt #813 - A Journey To Monument

This post was inspired by a writing prompt in the Worldbuilding Community - Worldbuilding Prompt #813 - Last-Minute Trip

Enjoy !

Image created by AI in NightCafe Studio

Piard Gallant hadn't expected the door-com to page him to announce a visitor. Even less had he expected that visitor to be a full Major, in the tan uniform of the Advanced Strike Brigades. He'd felt like his heart had stopped. It meant only one thing.

With a sad face, the Major had explained that his brother Varlo had fallen in battle. Piard was his only living relative, so the Major handed him a white box, and told him a ship was ready to take him to Monument that evening.

That had been the biggest shock. He'd nodded dumbly, and followed the Major, clutching the box that held all that was left of his brother.

Now, a mere two days later, he disembarked from the cruiser at Monument Central Spaceport.

He was it's only passenger.

He was greeted by a figure in white enamelled ceremonial battle armour, faceless behind the closed visor of his helm. A Griever, one of the guardians and guides to Monument.

The world before him was an endless plain, covered in white structures. Pyramids, arches, plazas and mausoleums stretched as far as the eye could see, and beyond. In the black sky above, a huge moon, it's surface carved into the likeness of the Emperor, tidally locked, always looking down on this monochrome planet.

Bowing, the Griever asked in a hollow voice "You are here to lay the bodybrick of Varlo Gallant ?"

Piard nodded. He didn't trust himself to speak.

Opening the box, he took out the ash white brick and handed it to the Griever. Embedded in the top was a silvery metal disk. It bore his brother's name, rank, unit and dates of birth and death. The tag he wore in life, that in death had incinerated his body and generated the brief flash of a force field that compacted his bones and ash into this brick.

Monument gained it's name for a reason. Each pyramid or monument commemorated a battle or campaign, going back tens of thousands of years. And each monument was constructed with the bodybricks of the fallen heroes from all across the Empire. Billions of them, maybe trillions. So much death, so much glory, so many memories.

As he followed the Griever, he saw that the man walked with a slight limp; each of his order were chosen from the bravest and most decorated veterans, too old or injured to be able to serve on the battlefield, but continuing to serve on this world.

"Sir, why have I been brought here ? I thought the Fleet bought the bodybricks here and that was that."

The Griever turned his blank face slightly. "You are correct. Normally the fleet brings the bodybricks. Did they tell you how your brother died ?"

Piard was confused. He shook his head, "No... just that he'd fallen in battle. I... I don't understand."

The response was long in coming. Before it did, the pair turned through a gap between two blocky chapels, and Piard saw they were in an area of new construction. Grievers were reverently placing bodybricks onto a massive nearly complete pyramid. As each brick was put in place, a brief light flared and fused it to the structure.

As they saw this, the Griever finally told Piard why he was here.

"Your brother fell at the head of the 466th Advanced Strike Regiment as they air assaulted the Slavers in the attack that broke their defence on Garlin's World. The Empire lost two million men in that campaign. Without your brother's action, many more would have died."

The nameless, faceless white-armoured figure raised an arm and pointed to the top of the almost complete pyramid.

"You brother is to have the place of ultimate honour, as the capstone of a monument composed of two million of his comrades. It is only right that you do us the honour of placing his bodybrick there."

Image created by AI in NightCafe Studio