The Tech-Priest couldn't go against the Archmagos, so he wouldn't be able to get a piece of the relic, but Gamma still sent his female spy, Leia, to infiltrate her father and gather intelligence, waiting for the right moment to seize an opportunity if the Magos made a mistake.
The relic... ahem! Since the Ork matter didn't require his involvement, he planned to proceed with his arrangements for the future.
The workers were highly enthusiastic about his plan to risk their lives for a better future, quickly erasing the nascent signs of life in the settlement and transforming it into a military camp.
As long as they were physically fit, everyone, regardless of gender or age, began military training, with instructors drawn from workers who had military experience, including a few former nobles.
Gamma was curious about how these nobles became slave laborers and specifically asked about it. Although they came from different planets, the answers were largely similar:
Their Planetary Governor was executed for failing to pay the tithe, and these loyal cronies were packaged by the new Planetary Governor into a "blood tax" to become slaves, then sold to Archmagos Will. They survived until now solely due to their excellent physiques, honed in the PDF (Planetary Defense Force).
Gamma's curiosity was satisfied. Seeing that these individuals, filtered by the harsh environment of the Forge World, were by no means useless, he boldly delegated authority to them, letting them discuss and arrange training and management themselves. Professional matters were handled by professionals. He, "Little Gamma, knows himself well"; he was truly not good at fighting.
Since the settlement began military management, Gamma's tasks actually decreased. As expected of former military nobles, these few individuals organized the "large military camp" of hundreds of thousands of people in an orderly fashion. He only needed to assign them tasks based on the availability of weapons and supplies, which made Gamma feel incredibly foolish before.
With plenty of time, Gamma pretended to decrypt the storage device he had, but secretly resumed his "Human Tech-Tree Completion Plan." When he was tired, he would repair and replace the brains of his two "large robots."
According to intelligence from his "female spy," Magos truly were Magos. The Orks, which had given Gamma such a headache, were no match for the Magos with their extensive grave-robbing experience. They simply targeted and sniped the Ork chieftains in the Ork tribes, causing the Ork tribes near the relic to start fighting among themselves. Once a new chieftain emerged from the Ork tribes, they would snipe him again, repeating the cycle.
Magos: After so many years of grave-robbing, who hasn't encountered "zombies"? Which Magos doesn't have tens of thousands of human... ahem! Xenos lives on their hands!
The former military nobles under Gamma also had considerable military literacy. They proactively suggested using the Ork chaos for training. Seeing that the "Combat Engineers" (short for Worker Soldiers: Combat Engineers) had high combat willingness, he didn't stop them, only requiring them to thoroughly clean the battlefield after the fight, bringing back not just firearms but even the Ork corpses.
He wanted the Ork corpses, firstly, because he feared the Orks would multiply with each battle. This wasn't a baseless worry; the more they fought, the more the Orks would WAAAGH!, and the more they WAAAGHed, the faster the Ork spores would split and grow.
Secondly, because not long ago, the teams scavenging and collecting people outside found a small "Bio-Protein Reactor"—a machine that produced corpse starch.
After Gamma had the Priest dismantle and bring it back, it had been stored in the warehouse. This time, he planned to put these "carnivorous plants" to use. The population in the settlement was growing, and living off existing resources indefinitely was not an option. Not lacking food now didn't mean they wouldn't lack food in the future; he needed to prepare in advance.
The Temple and the Archmagos were already beating each other to a pulp. Gamma's high-energy detector, which he had made for fun, had already sounded four alarms, indicating that at least four "big bombs" of unknown models had been dropped on the opposite side of the planet.
They called them "big bombs" instead of "big bombs" because these Tech-priest, when they excavated a technological artifact they didn't understand, would habitually assume it was a weapon if they figured out it had significant explosive power.
Tech-priest: The principles behind a nuclear power plant and an atomic bomb are the same, so why can't their functions be the same?
While they fought, Gamma continued his work step by step. He was currently waiting to see if the Temple would dare and be able to blow up the starport.
If the starport was still intact after this general offensive from the Temple, he would take everyone from the settlement, along with a few Magos, to apologize to the Archmagos.
If the starport was blown up, he would continue to wait, wait until the Archmagos counterattacked and the Temple defended, wait until the Archmagos's armed workers rioted, wait until both sides were exhausted, and then it would be Gamma's time to appear.
The only thing he couldn't predict was whether a third or fourth party would enter the fray. Gamma wasn't worried about the Imperium of Man and the Adeptus Mechanicus escalating things; the worst outcome would be leaving Thedan Forge World. He feared attracting Chaos forces; the actions of those madmen were completely unpredictable, and they only wanted to hunt souls to sacrifice to their Chaos Gods.
Gamma's worries were not unfounded; among the collected refugees, there were already signs of cults emerging. He showed no mercy to these Chaos-worshipping cultists. During isolation, he had Paul arrange for people to drug their water and send them to meet their gods. Inside the settlement, they maintained a outwardly relaxed but inwardly vigilant stance, constantly guarding against cultists who might infiltrate.
The reason why cultists followed them back was that the teams Gamma sent out used names like "Lasgun Society" or "Wrench Gang," which sounded like worker armed groups. If they had known it was a large settlement led by a Priest, they probably wouldn't have dared to come.
However, there weren't many settlements led by Priests like Gamma's. Not counting what he hid underground, based on paper data alone, his was the largest. Otherwise, the Temple and the Archmagos wouldn't have targeted them a few months ago. Most areas were still chaotic, with cannibalism. These places provided fertile ground for these cults to breed and corrupt, and there was no guarantee they wouldn't pull off something big in the future.
As for why people in these cannibalistic areas didn't go to the Archmagos, who had food, it was because not everyone was foolish. There were always those who could see their own situation, and once a person tasted the feeling of being above others, how could they be willing to return to the past?
The more Gamma thought about Chaos, the more afraid he became, to the point where his fear of insufficient firepower resurfaced. But he had already emptied all the warehouses and factories within a two to three hundred kilometer radius. Now, there were several times more weapons than people. He couldn't possibly give everyone two guns, could he? Even he, an amateur, knew that wouldn't work. It seemed he still needed to let the professionals handle it.
"You all understand what I mean, right?" Gamma said to the six former military nobles, now "Combat Engineer" Legion generals, sitting opposite him.
After exchanging glances, a white-haired, burly old man sitting in the middle stood up and said, "Esteemed Magos Gamma, we understand your meaning. Actually, this problem is very easy to solve."
See? This is what you call professional! "Esteemed Magos Gamma," just listen to how different it sounds when he speaks.
Gamma: "..."
"Hahaha, no need to be so polite, Chief of General Staff Doug, tell me about it." The Legion Warmaster gestured for his top general to continue.
Gamma had established one Chief of General Staff and five Staff Chiefs for the "Combat Engineer" Legion. He crowned himself "Legion Warmaster," and all other military ranks and officers were left for the "Six Staff Chiefs" to discuss and promote themselves.
"If we could have air support units, our overall combat effectiveness would greatly increase."
Good suggestion, but don't bring it up again! This industrial zone doesn't produce aerial vehicles! Even if we could find them, who would know how to pilot them? Do you know how to pilot them?! You're truly disappointing, Staff Chief Doug...
Staff Chief Doug, still unaware that he had been "demoted," saw Gamma's expression and knew he had said the wrong thing. The little Priest's thoughts were much easier to guess than when the Planetary Governor was still alive, so he quickly tried to salvage the situation:
"Aerial vehicles are only a supplement; what truly determines the outcome of war is on the ground."
"Oh?" Warmaster Gamma's expression cleared, and he gestured for Doug to continue.
"The number of ground vehicles often determines the strength of an army's combat power."
Very well, Staff Chief Doug, continue speaking, and next time you won't even have the right to observe the meeting. I truly misjudged you!
Don't I want to give each of you a big tank so you can sit inside and ram people to death?!
You don't know how expensive "promethium" is until you manage a household. Where am I supposed to find so much fuel for you?
Doug looked at Gamma, whose face was red turning to black, and knew he had said the wrong thing again. But such a minor situation couldn't stump an old hand in officialdom like him. He forcefully tried to save Gamma's face, saying:
"But the users of any weapon are people, so the will of the soldiers is the dec..."
"Stop! I'll go find you fuel and aerial vehicles. Don't torture me with this bureaucratic nonsense anymore!" Gamma said, covering his face in pain.
A hint of awkwardness flashed across Chief of General Staff Doug's face, but these things were nothing to him; he had experienced far more embarrassing situations.
Gamma: Is the Imperial bureaucracy so demanding? How did they train lifelong, iron-blooded generals into this state?! It seems my Adeptus Mechanicus's academic authoritarianism still has its shining points!
He waved his hand, speechless, dismissing the Staff Chiefs. As they were about to push the door open and leave, Gamma suddenly asked, "Does anyone know how to pilot an aerial vehicle?"
"We are all proficient in piloting common Imperial aerial vehicles," Doug replied.
Alright, you guys are amazing...
Gamma then called his old comrades and began discussing where to find aerial vehicles and promethium.
Promethium is the general term for any form of fuel in the Imperium. It is most commonly extracted from the atmospheres of gas giants, mined from ancient organic deposits, or obtained through the processing of certain rare ice found only in ice worlds.
"Promethium is the lifeblood of the Imperium, coursing through its vast engines of war and commerce, expanding the Imperium of Man's domain with rhythmic regularity, like the beat of war drums. When it is sprayed, it burns away all impurity with the searing heat of our hatred."
—Confessor Galak of the Ecclesiarchy
"So there's no promethium reserve on Thedan?" Gamma asked with a frown.
"It's not that there isn't any, there is, but it's in the hands of the Temple and the Archmagos. The 'wild promethium' you're looking for doesn't exist."
"The promethium refinery is on those gas planets nearby, we use geothermal energy."
"I know that, but isn't the promethium we're using now also from the factory?" Gamma said.
Jacob spread his hands and said, "All this promethium is for testing newly manufactured vehicles, and it's not the quantity you need."
Gamma thought helplessly, "Alright, worst case, I'll be like a squirrel, slowly accumulating it from factory to factory. As long as it's useful at the critical moment and doesn't fail, it's fine. I wasn't planning a protracted war anyway."
"What about aerial vehicles?"
Louis smiled bitterly, "The closest ones are over a thousand kilometers from us. I don't think the Temple and the Archmagos would have missed them."
Gamma: "…"
"As for ground vehicles like Chimera Armored Cars and Leman Russ Tanks, there are quite a few in the warehouse. After all, this industrial area nearby was originally responsible for producing weapons and equipment for the Astra Militarum," Ed added.
Hearing this, Gamma rolled his eyes. What's the difference between having a car with no fuel and having no car at all?
After discussing for a long time with no results, a frustrated Gamma found a secluded spot to throw rocks and vent. This time, he didn't use his mech. He took out his "finely crafted flashlight"—the Lucius Pattern 98 Lasgun—and fiddled with it.
"What era is this? Atomic energy has been miniaturized to the size of a fingernail, and cold fusion is out. And you're still playing with fossil fuels? What are you trying to do?! Look at the gun!" Gamma wildly fired at rocks hundreds of meters away, venting his frustration.
Though he complained verbally, it was just complaining. He wouldn't dare to upgrade these vehicles with atomic energy. They were "thin-skinned and big-filled"; they'd blow up their own people before killing the enemy.
Besides, as a "mere Priest" now, even if he had the guts, he wouldn't dare to tamper with these vehicles, or he'd definitely be labeled a "heretic"!
The Empire's weapons and equipment are all built according to "Standard Template Constructs (STC)" designed and created during humanity's Golden Age of galactic colonization.
These STC technologies were meant to provide human colonies with technology capable of withstanding the harsh environments of the galaxy. Therefore, STC designs are large, tough, difficult to damage, reliable, and easy to repair, providing a high level of standardization from one machine to another. They can operate in any environment, with simplicity and efficiency being key considerations, outweighing concerns for form.
Even in the 4nd Millennium, many vehicles derived from STC systems still reflect this. They are massive, crude, yet extremely robust and reliable. After tens of thousands of years of war, their original design's reliability and excellence are still proven.
STC: "I made aliens scream two or three thousand years ago, and even with a limp now, I can still make them call me daddy!"
As followers of the Omnissiah, the Adeptus Mechanicus venerates all ancient human technology, believing these technologies to be sacred knowledge bestowed upon humanity by the Omnissiah. Therefore, Tech-priest are particularly keen on recovering technological knowledge— "archaeology" of ancient ruins—from long-lost worlds scattered throughout the galaxy.
Tech-Priest: "If you spend your whole life researching technology and one shovel-full unearths more, you'd dig too!"
Precisely because all this ancient technological knowledge is a gift from the Omnissiah—otherwise, how could there have been a Golden Age of Humanity—the Adeptus Mechanicus treats these technological knowledge and creations more like religious relics.
The Adeptus Mechanicus believes that everything involved in STC design reflects the will and divinity of the Omnissiah—whose ultimate incarnation is the Emperor himself (the Omnissiah).
Therefore, in the view of the Adeptus Mechanicus, any alteration to STC designs is a heretical act, a challenge to the will of the Omnissiah and the Emperor, which is unimaginable for all loyal servants of the Empire.
Gamma: "I humbly believe the Empire governs the world with 'loyalty'; all pure individuals must be loyal to the Emperor."
(The Emperor: "Who are you being sarcastic to, kid?!")
"Venerating the ancients" is one reason; another is that there are too many clever ones among the Tech-priest. No one knows what these "geniuses" actually added when innovating, for example: a certain Archmagos surnamed Kao…
Few normal Tech-priest are willing to go through the normal Mars approval process. So, within the Empire, there are many technologically advanced "three-no products"—no inventor, no origin, no production license (Mars approval).
A certain Archmagos surnamed Kao: "Young man, not everyone has the Emperor himself covering for them."
"Look at the gun!"
"I shoot!"
"I shoot again!"
As another battery was depleted by the Lasgun, Gamma's frustration had mostly been vented. He skillfully replaced the battery, looked at the Lasgun in his hand, and muttered to himself:
"Why can't vehicles be modified as easily as a Lasgun? What makes vehicles so advanced? Isn't it just multi-fuel engines that can burn any fuel? And an energy conversion rate of nearly 100%! The Lasgun battery's technology isn't low-tech either, alright!"
"Lasgun battery…"
"Battery!"
"Hmm!"
Gamma understood. Inventing a completely new technological creation faces too many problems, but if he used existing technologies to splice them together, wouldn't there be no problem?
Question: "This vehicle of yours has heretical suspicions!"
Answer: "Which part of this vehicle isn't produced according to the sacred knowledge of the Omnissiah? If your multi-fuel engine is sacred, aren't my Lasgun battery and electric engine sacred?"
Leia and Jacob, along with the others, waited anxiously outside Gamma's laboratory. Gamma had locked himself inside for five days. They hadn't broken in because every Tech-Priest's private laboratory is his most private place, and entering without permission is a great offense to a Tech-Priest.
Leia asked worriedly, "What exactly is Gamma doing in there?"
"I don't know. Before he went in, he said no one should disturb him unless enemies attacked," Jacob replied.
Louis said in a deep voice, "I've had soldiers cordon off this area to prevent anyone from approaching. Whatever Gamma is doing in there, no one will know except us!"
"Are you worried…"
"Who isn't worried? Or is there anyone among us who doubts Gamma's ability?"
"…"
"When he comes out, you must immediately prevent Gamma's creation from being exposed to others. I'll go ask Father to come over alone!"
Unconfident that they could restrain Gamma themselves, Leia decided to bring out Magos Lauster, the one he feared most. She was truly afraid that Gamma would drive his "heretical" vehicle onto the street and be seen by other Priests.
Jacob paced and said, "Talent sometimes really is like a curse; it curses everyone who possesses it."
Ed sighed and said, "Alas… we've burdened him too much. Gamma has taken on too much pressure that shouldn't have been his."
"So we must help him when he needs it, advise him, stop him, protect him!"
"Yes."
"It should be so."
"Right."
"I have my tranquilizers on me."
"…"
While the people outside the laboratory were still discussing how to "protect" Gamma from making mistakes, the laboratory door automatically opened with a rumble, and a Chimera Armored Car slowly drove out of Gamma's laboratory.
Thank goodness…
Leia and Jacob breathed a sigh of relief when they saw the Chimera, whose appearance hadn't changed. However, to be safe, Paul, Louis, and Ed quickly walked to the front of the Chimera and blocked its path.
Jacob and Leia, meanwhile, walked to the driver's compartment of the Chimera Armored Car and looked inside through the observation window.
No one! There was no driver inside this Chimera! Gamma, you still crossed the red line you shouldn't have!
Jacob began to regret explaining the mysteries of the machine spirit to Gamma. He had clearly emphasized the taboos repeatedly, so why did he still violate them?
With a grim expression, he gestured to Leia and the three in front of the vehicle to proceed as planned, then turned and shouted into the laboratory, "Gamma, come out for a moment! I have some…"
"Hey! Jacob, you're being very rude!" Gamma's voice came from inside the Chimera's driver's compartment.
Oh, so there was a driver after all, it's just that he was too short to be seen just now.
The misunderstanding was a bit embarrassing, but Jacob and the others didn't take Gamma's five-day-old creation lightly. They all climbed into the armored car from behind and began to inspect it.
No change! How could there be no change at all? But there was a strange sense of incongruity.
Gamma saw what they were trying to do. He didn't say anything, just watched Leia and Jacob touch and look at everything inside the armored car.
What exactly was this sense of incongruity?
As a Rune Mech-monk responsible for blessings, Jacob was more than familiar with the Chimera Armored Car. He was certain this Chimera was off! But he couldn't pinpoint what was wrong at the moment.
Louis whispered in Jacob's ear, "Jacob, do you see what's wrong?"
"Not yet… Wait! Why is this Chimera so quiet?!" Jacob exclaimed.
Gamma burst out laughing, amused by them. "You finally noticed!"
"Gamma, what did you do to this Chimera?!"
Gamma truthfully replied, "Nothing much, just converted it to electric."
"Electric? Gamma, don't you know…"
Gamma said, "Lasgun battery-type liquid metal energy battery."
"Ah? You…"
Gamma continued, "Universal electric engine."
Universal electric engine: Extremely high energy conversion efficiency, stable operation in various extreme environments; can be produced in various sizes and specifications as needed without changing the mechanism;
"This…"
Sitting inside the armored car, Jacob and the others looked a bit dumbfounded at Gamma, who was driving triumphantly down the road. They now felt that this little rascal was even more cunning than they had imagined, so cunning that they wanted to hit him.
But they all held back, because Gamma was now planning to drive the car to show off to Magos Lauster. Jacob and the others felt that this beating wouldn't require their intervention.
"This kid is definitely going to be a heretic in the future!"
The conservative Magos said, "Are you sure he isn't already?"
"Is that Lasgun battery sacred?"
"…"
"I'm asking you, is it sacred or not?"
"…"
"This wasn't built according to standard STC!"
"But that kid said he didn't change the vehicle's structure, only replaced some components."
"He's full of it!"
"But he said there's a Chimera Command Vehicle with added communication components."
"That's just an add-…"
"There's a Chimera Hellhound with replaced weapon components—a heavy flamer."
"But…"
"And there are those that only use the Chimera chassis: Hellhound, Basilisk, Griffon, Medusa Tank, Salamander Command Vehicle, Salamander Scout Vehicle, Hydra Flak Tank, Manticore, Trojan, Deathstrike Missile Launcher, Pegasus AAV, Pegasus Command Vehicle, Pegasus Armored Vehicle…"
"How did saying so many names in one breath not suffocate him?!" the conservative Magos cursed, completely losing his composure.
"Then, is it heresy for him to replace the Chimera's original sacred—Vulcanor16 Twin-Coupled Multi-Fuel Engine with a sacred Lasgun battery and a universal electric motor? Please answer me."
"…" The conservative Magos.
"What a talent…"
The above was the content on the Magos' encrypted communication network, and the "talent" mentioned by the Magos was currently being "executed"—Lauster the Executioner—by being hung from the turret of a Chimera Armored Vehicle.
Vehicle Name: Chimera
Crew: Driver, Gunner, Commander
Power Plant: Vulcanor16 Twin-Coupled Multi-Fuel Engine
Weight: 38 tons
Length: 6.9 meters
Width: 5.7 meters
Height: 3.72 meters
Ground Clearance: 0.45 meters
Max Speed (Road): 70 km/h
Max Speed (Off-Road): 55 km/h
Troop Capacity: 12 persons
Access Points: One, rear of hull
Main Armament: 2x Heavy Bolter
Secondary Armament: Heavy Bolter / Multi-Laser
Traverse: 360°
Elevation: -8° to 25°
Main Weapon Ammunition: 1000 rounds
Secondary Weapon Ammunition: 400 rounds or 10 rounds
Armor Thickness:
Turret: 150mm
Hull: 100mm
Firing Ports: 6, three left, three right
Although he was hung up and beaten by Magos Lauster, after Gamma eloquently debated "the Magos" and left them speechless, the Gamma-type Electric Chimera successfully entered production.
Gamma redeployed some trainees to resume the Chimera production line and the electric motor production line, bringing back idle Chimeras and mountains of Lasgun batteries from storage for modification.
The Lasgun battery production line would also resume production once the existing stock was depleted, as raw materials were plentiful.
A clear drawback of the Gamma-type Electric Chimera was its short range, about one-third less than the original Promethium-powered Chimera's maximum travel distance.
However, the Gamma-type Electric Chimera also had the advantage of being quiet, lacking the roar of the original multi-fuel engine.
With the successful experience of the Electric Chimera, Gamma pressed on and, in just one day, modified an Gamma-type Electric Leman Russ Tank.
The appearance of these two armored vehicles directly transformed the "Engineer" Corps from an infantry corps into an "Engineer" Armored Corps.
However, to solve the "short range" problem of these two vehicles, Gamma also modified a variant of the Chimera Armored Vehicle—the Gamma-type Chimera Power Supply Vehicle.
This power supply vehicle could only carry two drivers and was not equipped with weapons; the entire vehicle was a mobile, high-power Promethium generator.
The explosive increase in the settlement's military strength made Gamma arrogant. Not only him, but his "Six Staff Officers" became arrogant, and even the Magos now spoke of the Temple and the Archmagos with less deference in public.
"Lately, I feel terrifyingly strong!" Gamma said to Jacob and the others, feigning profundity as he looked at the steel torrent on the streets.
Jacob: "…"
Leia: "…"
…
It had to be Chief of General Staff Doug, seasoned by the Imperial bureaucracy, who could understand his leader's point. He walked behind Gamma and said:
"Our current strength allows us to contend with and defeat PDFs several times our number in a conventional battlefield."
"PDFs, huh?" Gamma said with a hint of disappointment.
Planetary Defense Forces (or PDF for short) are not under the direct control of the Imperium but are subordinate to local planetary governments. Conscription, training, armament, and morale are all handled by local Imperial officials, making their combat effectiveness and will to fight among the lowest in the Imperium. Only the elite among them can become part of the Imperium's official armed forces—the Astra Militarum.
Seeing that he had once again failed to curry favor with his superior, Chief of General Staff Doug deeply felt the immense decline in his flattery skills during his years transitioning from bureaucracy to the factory. But Doug never retreated, whether on the battlefield or in officialdom. He continued:
"As idle vehicles are successively modified and equipped to the troops, and as soldiers become more proficient in driving vehicles, our combat power will further increase. By then, an average Astra Militarum Mechanized Infantry Regiment will not be our opponent in a one-on-one situation."
Gamma felt a little better hearing this, but he still said with some reluctance, "What are we lacking exactly? Whether it's individual Hellguns and Hot-Shot Lasguns, or Lascannons and armored vehicles, our heavy weapon equipment rate should be higher than that of a typical Astra Militarum, right?"
To such a question, Doug, as an old soldier, answered truthfully and without reservation: "Individual combat quality is one aspect. They are professional soldiers of the Imperium; their personal military skills are not comparable to our Engineers who have only trained for a few months."
"Oh, you're right, I was taking too much for granted." Gamma was arrogant, but not brainless; he could still distinguish between reality and dreams.
Doug continued to explain to Gamma: "Another aspect is equipment. Although we now have armored vehicles, they are still too singular compared to complex war situations."
"Still too singular? Is that so…" Gamma said thoughtfully.
"Yes, we lack air support, and we don't even have long-range support fire."
"Hiss… Doug, you staff officers discuss what types of weapons we are still specifically lacking later. Make a list for me. You don't need performance indicators, but the functional use must be clearly written." Gamma suddenly lost his confidence; his fear of insufficient firepower resurfaced.
"Understood, we'll start discussing immediately."
Leia suddenly said, "Stop right there! Gamma, you can't keep going on like this, or one day Mars will come for you."
Gamma, now a mature and flexible Tech-Priest, said nonchalantly, "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. This time, after I build the equipment, I'll invite a few Magos to review it. If they say no, I'll just destroy it."
"Gamma, you need to understand the seriousness of the problem isn't with the Magos, but with the rules set by Mars," Jacob also said, looking at Gamma with a serious expression.
Knowing they were all advising him for his own good, Gamma patiently explained to Jacob and Leia, "I understand your concerns, but on one hand, we have this demand, and on the other hand, there's the definition within the faith regarding the prohibition against blaspheming sacred knowledge."
"Look, for example, for technological creations like Lasguns, data-slates, data-storages, and logging guns, which are also produced according to STC and have relatively low technological content, the Adeptus Mechanicus hasn't set strict rules limiting our modifications, right?"
"That's true, but…"
"Listen to me first. Is there a debate within the faith about whether a cold weapon like a dagger possesses a machine spirit?"
"Yes."
"This question has existed for a very long time, but Mars, since being enlightened by the omnissiah, has never made a ruling on this issue, is that correct?"
"Yes."
"According to doctrine, this dagger, forged with technology gifted by the Omnissiah, should have a machine spirit. But why hasn't Mars defined this for so long?"
"…"
"Firstly, if it were defined, the impact on the entire Adeptus Mechanicus and even the entire Imperium would be too great and involve too much. Secondly, if it were defined, it would go against the subjectivity of the vast majority of Tech-priest like us."
"…"
"What is our subjectivity? A life comprises a body and a soul. A living body is a necessary condition for the existence of a soul. So, what is a living body?"
"…"
"It must perform actions of ingesting to acquire energy, and actions of converting and releasing energy, to be a living body. A dagger cannot complete this series of processes; it doesn't possess a living body, so how can it possess the machine spirit that we subjectively understand?"
"But Gamma, don't forget those unconscious machine spirits," Jacob said.
"I know, Jacob. You told me about these, how could I forget? But these unconscious machine spirits are, plainly speaking, the basic properties of materials. The faith has never forbidden us from processing materials into various shapes."
"…"
Gamma finally concluded, "Even a 'simple' technology like the Lasgun, which is confirmed to be sacred technology and possesses a machine spirit, is indulged. This shows that as long as it's simple enough, the prohibition, in a sense, doesn't exist!"
Leia suddenly understood why her father had strung up and beaten this smooth-talking, shifty-eyed, cunning little brat who found loopholes and exploited them the last time. For a little brat like him, a slap was more effective than words.
"Louis, Ed, you two hang this little brat up for me!"
Gamma: "Huh?"
Louis and Ed: "Okay!"
Gamma: "Mm!"
Seeing the situation was bad, Gamma turned to run, but before he could act, a large hand grabbed his small arm—it was Jacob.
"Save me! Doug, quickly save me…"
Chief of General Staff Doug, an old hand in Imperial bureaucracy, was well-versed in the ways of court intrigue. At a time like this, he naturally chose to stand by and protect himself!
Unfortunately, Gamma's number one "loyal dog," Paul, wasn't present today. Otherwise, he might have possibly, perhaps, shielded Gamma. But Gamma had sent him off to work, so there was no one else to blame.
Although his body was subjected to the abuse of the "Oil Girl" and his spirit was struck by the betrayal of the Tech-priest, the brave and unyielding Gamma would absolutely not give up. He wanted to make 2K weapons shine anew and flourish in 42K!