NOVEL NEXT Chapter 86: Chapter 82: Mars
Pluto, painted in crimson and pale hues, rotated slowly in the vastness of space. High above, sporadic white flashes illuminated its skies—a sign that the planetary defense system was functioning properly.
Six enormous satellites, equipped for transmitting and receiving signals, orbited Pluto slowly.
Thousands of indicator lights flickered constantly; each light that glowed signified the receipt of a signal from a distant star system.
Amidst the billions of faint starlike lights, one of the smallest flickered on, swiftly picked up by the Astropathic Choir stationed on Pluto.
The wayward traveler had returned.
The star gate opened, creating a passage into the subspace. Waves of psychic energy surged, shimmering with breathtaking ripples of blue and violet, interwoven with streaks of magenta light.
Small ships were the first to emerge from the subspace tide, followed by the colossal frame of a transport ship revealing itself bit by bit.
+05-97qe, welcome back to the Solar System.+
+Please proceed to Mars as per the trajectory issued by the Astropathic Choir.+
Tiny vessels detached from the massive transport ship, resembling grains of sand falling from a giant whale. The behemoth, engrossed in loading and unloading vast quantities of cargo, paid no heed to these minuscule crafts.
A sea of red swept past the window. The unending crimson wasteland stretched far and wide, with ochre-colored sandstorms raging, stirring up clouds of red dust. In the distance, there seemed to be patches of green, but they were too far away for Hades to discern clearly.
Occasionally, small mechanical creatures dotted the boundless red landscape. Compared to the well-organized constructs of the tech-priests, these creatures seemed like wild tumbleweeds of the wasteland—exposed wires snapped, liquid dripped from broken limbs. What were they?
The ship moved swiftly across the land, and the scenery changed rapidly. Soon, those strange sights were left behind.
The marvel built within an active volcano—the Magma City—flashed by. Then came towering plateaus, shattered and distorted rift valleys, and sunken canyons.
Silver and white industrial giants consumed the red landscape.
Blackened, polluted wastelands clung to the city's edges. In these areas, scattered mechanical creatures skittered between heaps of waste.
Factories. Factories. Everywhere were factories. Small, servant-like tech-drones climbed over the silver shells of these buildings, their tiny manipulator arms busy adjusting circuits and making repairs.
The city's outskirts housed warehouses crammed with weapons, ammunition, and raw materials. The city's port was here as well, bustling with activity. Countless spacecraft took off and landed, forming dense swarms that appeared chaotic yet adhered to an underlying order, resembling schools of migrating sardines in the ocean.
A straight, golden avenue cut through the city. Geometrically trimmed trees lined both sides of the road, offering barely sufficient shade to the unending streams of people.
The shadows of Titans occasionally loomed over the city. These elegant yet brutal war machines served as a warning to the populace and a testament to the city's rulers' dominion.
Two or three obelisk-like structures disrupted the city's orderly skyline. Towering arrogantly above their surroundings, they drew dense crowds, who gathered and knelt at their bases in reverence.
These were the Machine Temples, the Techno-Sanctuaries, or the Engine Reliquaries—centers of faith that sustained the entire Martian society.
Pilgrimage ships hovered above them in silent prayer. Golden-robed devotees sang binary hymns in high praise.
Praise the Omnissiah!
Glory to the Omnissiah, embodiment of truth and bringer of the Flame of Hope!
The hymns gradually faded. Ignoring the fervent worshippers, the small ship followed its programmed course toward a solitary structure on the city's outskirts.
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Mars — Techmarine Training Base.
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Hades swore this was the most bizarre tech-priest he had ever seen.
Countless cables arched to form a tall, curved spine that towered two heads above Hades. The priest's bulky, bloated form, cloaked in a crimson woolen robe, protruded with geometric shapes that rose and fell rhythmically beneath the fabric.
In stark contrast to the massive body, two unnervingly slender primary limbs extended outward. They gleamed with a silver-metallic sheen, yet the ends were eerily human-like, gripping the recommendation letter Hades had just handed over.
With just a glance at the letter, the priest raised his glowing, cerulean eyes to fixate on Hades.
"Greetings, Hades of the Death Guard," a grating yet exceptionally clear synthesized high Gothic voice rang out.
"Praise the Omnissiah. As an individual, I extend my congratulations to the 14th Legion for recovering its Primarch."
The Primarchs—exquisite creations of the Omnissiah, manifestations of divinity, and the most intricate machines ever conceived by His hands. With the discovery of yet another Primarch, Gell Jordan felt the dwindling 12.7% of his organic components begin secreting dopamine.
The Great Crusade would triumph, and truth would once again walk among them.
"You may address me as Priest Jordan. My disciples and I will be responsible for your training, which will last a minimum of thirty standard Terran years," the tech-priest declared.
"Initiate Techmarine Hades, your biological key has been registered in the base's systems. You now have access to Gamma-level chambers and knowledge."
Gell Jordan's focus rested on Hades' left cybernetic brain. If it could adapt to the Sigma-309 serial communication protocol—or its variant, the 309k protocol—Hades' learning period could be reduced by at least 23%.
It would be efficient to upload the training material directly to Hades. Preliminary diagnostics of his electronic left brain revealed anti-persistence and waveband attack capabilities. There was a 97% probability that Hades could receive Jordan's data transmissions seamlessly.
Yet, Priest Jordan's circuitry and logic gates returned a binary "0": denial.
Direct binary transmission to a Techmarine without clearance, as well as operating without explicit permissions, violated the accords between the Legions and the Mechanicus.
From prior behavioral analysis of Legion Astartes, Jordan reasoned it would be prudent to wait until Hades had a preliminary understanding of the Omnissiah's doctrines before querying the functionality of his left brain.
"Initiate Techmarine Hades, for the remainder of this Martian day, you may rest. A detailed curriculum of the knowledge you must master has already been delivered to your quarters by a servitor."
"Starting tomorrow, you will embark on the path of a Techmarine. We shall glimpse the grandeur of the Omnissiah and feel the pulse of truth."
"Lesson One will focus on Reverence and Faith."
"Praise be to the Omnissiah. Praise be to the Machine God."
The tech-priest's voice, calm yet fervent, echoed through the chamber. Hades stared at him, unsure whether to echo the words or remain silent.
Fortunately, Priest Jordan seemed unbothered by Hades' hesitation. Choosing silence, the priest gestured for Hades to leave through the open door, his servitor waiting by it.
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An Unknown Underground Foundry
"He has arrived."
Binary whispers rippled through the air, overshadowed by agonized screams.
There was no need to mute the noise; the priest would not waste his precious time or effort here.
That liar... That liar!
The priest would ensure he paid for his deception.
The marked prey had stepped into the trap—surely a blessing from the Omnissiah.
A cruiser, primed for departure, was abruptly halted.
Be it through war or deceit, no one could escape his calculations.
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Author's Notes:
Happy reading! ; )
By the way, the faith and understanding of the Mechanicus doctrine vary greatly among priests and have no fixed standard. Writing about the Mechanicus often requires significant creative liberties due to the vast and complex lore.
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