Rather than soothing Maine crew's complex organic emotional fluctuations, Cairo's attention remained unambiguously locked on this experiment's core gains—data successfully recovered from the Warhammer world.
Mechanical tentacles silently extended like living things, precisely retrieving encrypted storage units Ignis delivered from servo-skulls just completing cross-dimensional traverses.
That loyal messenger's eye socket red lights gradually dimmed, entering low-power standby modes—quietly hovering aside like metal artworks awaiting next summons.
"Come on, old friend. Let's see what good news Ignis brought us."
Cairo's synthesized voice rang through silent workshops—more like his habitual externalized thinking rather than genuine conversations.
The instant storage units interfaced with main console ports, complex decryption protocols activated. Data streams on interfaces scrolled rapidly like unlocked chains.
His logic core operated at full speed, precisely parsing information streams from another world bearing Ignis' will.
Reports adopted standard Mechanicus data formats—methodical, content-rich, continuing her consistently rigorous styles.
"Reception procedures conform to preset parameters. Settlement zones didn't trigger system disturbances... Good."
Cairo browsed data while muttering quietly. Crimson optical lenses flickered steadily, seemingly verifying each step's alignment with expectations one by one.
Reports showed Maine crew's post-arrival reception and settlement procedures completely followed preset directives. Camp basic defense and life support systems operated smoothly—no unplanned fluctuations from these otherworld visitors.
As reports deepened, Ignis used precise data and objective descriptions outlining death world camp's solid defensive contours.
Regarding defensive force portions, she provided more detailed data and deployment specifics—core being that absolutely-loyal elite under Cairo's command: three thousand Skitarii Praetorians.
"Three thousand Praetorians... deployed per predetermined matrices."
Cairo's mechanical fingers unconsciously tapped control console edges, making rhythmic clicking sounds—as if conducting some simulations.
"These lads cost quite some effort... seems Ignis trained them well."
He commented to air—or rather, toward that servo-skull he habitually called "old friend"—though receiving zero responses.
Reports confirmed this legion completed strategic deployments around ruin peripheries, constructing multi-tiered, three-dimensional defensive systems.
These Praetorian soldiers far exceeded ordinary Skitarii. They were elites Cairo poured massive resources into, fusing Tech-Priest knowledge with Warhammer universe top-tier craftsmanship.
Their modification degrees exceeded standard templates. Physiological functions pushed toward mortal-bearable limits. Neural reaction speeds underwent special modulation, ensuring absolute execution under extreme battlefield environments.
Their loyalty stemmed not only from doctrinal indoctrination but deeper—from specific protocols directly linked to Cairo's will planted within nervous systems, guaranteeing unconditional obedience.
"Loyalty protocols operating stably... neural coupling efficiencies maintained above thresholds."
Cairo slightly nodded, satisfied with these results.
He recalled countless simulation cycles experienced designing these enhancement protocols. Now it seemed all investments were worthwhile.
Equipment-wise, they equipped weapons and armor forged fusing Cairo's personal technical insights with Warhammer top-tier forging standards.
Their power armor core outputs and structural strengths far exceeded regulation models. Built-in auxiliary systems tightly coupled with soldiers' enhanced nerves.
Primary weapons' lethality, ranges, reliability—all extremely optimized, sufficient handling various known heavy threats.
According to Ignis' assessments, under standard engagement conditions, one such Skitarii Praetorian soldier's comprehensive combat capabilities sufficed matching—even exceeding under certain specific tactical scenarios—Astartes Chapter's ordinary battle-brothers.
"Individual effectiveness benchmarking Astartes... though basic models, at least didn't waste that ceramite and auramite."
Cairo's synthesized voice carried barely-detectable fluctuations resembling accomplishment sensations.
This force both symbolized his martial power and represented his confidence implementing various plans within crisis-ridden Warhammer universes.
Ignis emphasized in reports—this three-thousand-strong Praetorian legion was Cairo's fundamental foothold in Warhammer worlds, absolute cornerstones executing his will, also most core, most-failure-intolerant military assets.
She specially noted—patrolling units and sentry positions Maine crew saw within camp's limited activity ranges were merely tips of this massive force's iceberg.
This resulted from her security secrecy and management convenience considerations, intentionally restricting visitor activity ranges to non-core zones.
True defensive focuses and main forces deployed at outer-perimeter critical terrains and ruin entrance depth positions, constructing steel barriers whose full scopes outsiders could barely glimpse.
"Prudent arrangements."
Cairo commented.
"Letting guests see what they should suffices. Trump cards—always keep some."
He closed Ignis' report interfaces. Workshops returned to equipment low-humming silences, yet calculations in his mind surged even more vigorously.
After digesting all information Ignis transmitted, Cairo's cognitive core began comprehensive, deep situation assessments and future planning integrations.
His tall frame turned toward main consoles. Gaze swept across dimensional transport device's stable operational parameters.
"Old friend, seems our 'key' has preliminarily taken shape."
He seemingly shared progress with servo-skulls.
Regarding dimensional transport technology, Maine crew's successful round trips marked most critical technical obstacles preliminarily overcome.
Empirical data showed—though transport processes still caused significant physiological and neural pressures on organisms and precision implants (evident from Maine crew members' post-arrival reactions)—channel stability and start-stop controllability had been basically verified.
"Energy consumption still too high... side effects on lifeforms also need optimization."
He pulled up transport process energy flow curves, muttering analyses.
Next research priorities became clear and specific in his mind: primary tasks were optimizing massive energy consumption structures, boosting utilization efficiencies. Core objectives—mitigating even eliminating functional disruptions and side effects transport processes caused on lifeforms and precision equipment. Simultaneously focusing on elevating channel stability during open periods, gradually extending sustainable durations.
All these technical improvements pointed toward one clear long-term objective—laying solid technical foundations for possibly-future large-scale material or organized-force cross-dimensional deployments.
At this moment, dimensional transport device's continuous low humming within workshops had become constant background sounds. Yet Cairo's perception systems never slackened. Operational parameters' minutest fluctuations and differences were precisely recorded, categorized, incorporated into analytical models for deep parsing.