globalwarmth
ruining the weather.
- Location
- Polar ice caps
Huh a local favorite.
It seems Magos going to wake up with a gem somewhere in his body. Wonder how that hammer space interacts with the build gun
Tech-Atheist (WH30K/Celestial Forge v3 SI)
- Thread starter acerak
- Start date
It seems Magos going to wake up with a gem somewhere in his body. Wonder how that hammer space interacts with the build gun
Chapter 11
The ripples are being felt. A mixed bounty has been gathered.
Take your gifts, immigrant.
My eyes opened, then closed. A sense of duty pried them apart once more, and I sighed as I forced myself to sit upright.
Then I did my utmost not to scream.
It was a tingle of sorts that ran through my body. Not unpleasant, but certainly odd and worrisome. I had drunk another cup of the Chalcanth last night and I feared that my luck had finally failed.
I focused my mind on what had happened, not necessarily relieved when I realized I had gained more from the Forge.
The first thing was knowledge on how to make…big crystals? Oh, magical crystals that could shoot various kinds of energy. I wasn't entirely clear on how I could make them, but I hazarded a guess that some time spent on theory would let me use the Warp to do so.
Secondly, I now knew alchemy. Well, a form of it, focused on making pills primarily. A repulsive feeling echoed in my mind when I suddenly understood that it was about cultivation, though I couldn't identify why I felt that way.
The third was an odd bit of meta-knowledge, focused on making the maintenance of personal equipment drastically faster.
I swung myself to get out of bed when I noticed that my right hand was clutched around something. A canteen. The small thing was curved and fit in my grip perfectly, made of some light brown metal with no scratches on it. As I stared at it, the details flooded my consciousness. Apparently, this canteen could supply limitless water as long as it was given a source of "mana". Did that mean…?
10 minutes later, my curiosity was satisfied by the full canteen sitting on the workbench in front of me. The Warp could indeed be used to power it. I had initially been uncertain, since I had no way of knowing how to even send the energy into it, but simply modifying my Warp energy generator to push out more energy, then holding the bottom of the flask in the purple-pink-blue swirling orb was enough to make it work.
Should I have taken a sip? I almost did, but something convinced me otherwise. How sure could I be that there was nothing wrong with this water? Running the Warp scanner on it revealed no lingering trace of the Empyrean on either the water or the flask, but the risk-avoidant part of my mind insisted. Supernatural forewarning or merely irrational panic? Even with my knowledge, I couldn't be sure of its safety.
I ultimately opted to dispose of the liquid. I wasn't in dire need just yet, a bit more testing might help. Though what tests would satiate an irrational gut feeling?
My mind turned to the knowledge of cultivation alchemy residing within. I could see how a simple concoction would yield a dozen easily swallowed tiny balls that could seal a deep gash in less than a minute. A slight twist in formula would make a person's veins burn for hours, leaving anyone without an iron will writhing in agony but ultimately unharmed.
What I lacked, however, was the cauldron and ingredients. The first would only take a few hours at most to obtain, assuming a normal furnace couldn't be refigured to work.
The second half of that was much harder. Even the most basic pills required ingredients that were clearly supernatural. The most basic healing pill required two things: pearlgrass and the stem of the windflute. Pearlgrass, known for its luster, was only found on the "pitch-black seafloor". Windflute, a peculiar plant with multiple holes in its stem (hence "flute"), made its home upon the "driest and craggiest of peaks".
The quotes were palpable. A real shame the Sanguine Spear lacked an ocean and that particular kind of mountain within its hull, but I presumed that was because the Mechanicum didn't think all ships were meant to have such things.
Lastly, I now had-
Ping!
I raised my tablet in my hand and checked the message.
…A meeting with Ramirez in 30 minutes?
++++
Ramirez's office had not changed since last we spoke inside it. Dust was absent, the lights were as strong as ever, and even the amount of work seemed the same, going by the few papers upon it.
The atmosphere, however, had been dragged down severely, all courtesy of the man himself. He sat in his chair and barely gestured for me to sit.
"You called for me, sir?" I asked.
He was looking at his monitor, then scoffed, and turned to me. "Magos Acerak. Are you doing well?"
"Yes, sir."
"You sure? Nothing has come up that should be reported?"
I hesitated, feeling the air press down on me. No one asked questions like that unless they had a damn good reason to suspect you had messed up. The only question was what he was going to accuse me of. "Nothing comes to my mind, sir."
"Really? Interesting. Just as interesting as the conversation I just had a few hours ago with Captain Abraxis. He was recently at a party on Terra proper and he heard the most interesting thing." He leaned in, not breaking eye contact. "Apparently, a great many captains might have been unaware of a whole extra communication system aboard their ships. Can you believe that?"
"…Not unless there's something specific to it, sir."
"So, if I asked you about a system that lets tech-priests and magi communicate separately from any of the ship's normal systems, you would agree that such a thing is inconceivable?"
"Oh, uh, no, actually. The Sanguine Spear probably has such a system. I'm 30% sure."
"Only 30?"
"I haven't seen the full details, but I did use-" I froze.
"Sorry, what was that?" His voice was slightly sarcastic and angered. "I think I just heard you say you had used this supposed system."
"…I, uh, think I did, sir," I responded meekly. Instinctively, my head bowed a bit to let my eyes escape.
"Details. I want them. Now."
"About which part, sir?"
"Start with your use of it. How did it happen?"
"The cogitators in the Mechanicum workshop are set up to send and receive messages. I was informed that a message had arrived. I was only told that because whoever normally read them wasn't available."
"And what kind of messages did you send?"
"The ones I got were asking for technical advice. How to fix things and all that. So, I sent some advice."
"From other ships."
I vaguely recognized that it wasn't a question. "Yes, that's right. They clearly weren't aboard this vessel."
He leaned back. "So, you received these…messages. You read them and send messages back containing technical knowledge only. Is that right?"
"Er, yes, sir."
He was silent, making me look up to see what he might be doing. His own were focused on the room's corner, but I could tell he was thinking. "Magos Acerak, are you an idiot?"
I remained silent as he locked eyes with me once more.
"No, really, I need to know. Because if you admit it, I can at least make it an official note in your file! What the fuck were you thinking!?"
I looked away again, an ugly grimace of defeat on my face.
"Do you realize what you were doing, Magos? Sending and receiving illicit messages aboard any ship, not just a warship, is incredibly dangerous! It takes very little effort to track such a message to us, all they would have to do is estimate where it came from! And even assuming that doesn't happen, there could have been some kind of technological trick that would escape you and damage the ship's systems!"
"Sir-"
"NO! NO! DO. NOT. INTERRUPT ME." His index finger was slightly bent as he pointed it at me. "You must always consider the worst case when you lack knowledge! What if it had been an enemy ship? Could you guarantee that you wouldn't fall for someone lying to you, Magos? Could you guarantee you didn't say anything secret or otherwise harmful to someone you have never met? No, you can't because you are a painfully naive idiot, perfectly exemplified by this case!"
The only sound in the room was his own heavy breathing, all else felt muted. I glanced his way a few times, but waited for whatever he would say next.
What could I hope to say? Every word that rang in my ears was devastatingly accurate. I had totally failed to consider who I was communicating with. That it all seemed so earnest when not directed at me was irrelevant, someone somewhere would undoubtedly try elaborate schemes to do their dirty work. For a person who grew up being told to never reveal my information to strangers, this was a disgrace.
My heart couldn't take it anymore. "What happens now, sir?" I murmured.
"Now…now you get to praise the Emperor that your luck hasn't run out."
"I don't understand, sir. You're not going to…punish me?"
"Oh, make no mistake, I dearly want to. If we had the normal tech-priest contingent aboard, I'd call for you and your superior to be sacked and sent back to your kind in disgrace. If you were a member of the rest of the crew, a few months in the brig is the bare minimum I would ever accept. But you're alone and not under my command. Not fully. There's a whole institution that will come to your aid if I try even the most reasonable of punishment."
I had the feeling that last line was born of experience.
"And on top of all that, you're clearly so brilliant that you managed to keep the vessel in better condition than it has been in years. Moreso than I realized if you were able to help your peers aboard an entirely different class of ship."
I furrowed my eyes at that. "I'm not sure I quite understand. Sorry, sir."
He sighed, leaned back, and partially threw his hands up in disgust. "You don't even- Fine. Let me explain it to you." The words were slower, the tone mocking. "You were speaking with some of your kind that were tasked with repairing the Sentinel of Cythic. That vessel is a battleship, the kind commanded by admirals as their flagship." My confusion must have shown, because he continued. "The kind of admiral, by the way, who happened to learn of what you did for his tech-priests and wants you to take over their efforts."
"…Forgive me again, sir, but I still don't understand. Why-"
He held up his hand. "I'm not answering more questions on this matter. I don't even want to look at you for some time. Captain Abraxis has ordered that you go and see to their problems as well. The details of your assignment will be made clear to you by tomorrow at the latest. Reach out to Singh if it hasn't happened by midday. Is that clear?"
"Yes, sir. I have a concern about the Sanguine Spear, can I at least ask about that?"
"If you're going to ask about managing two ship's worth of work, that will be in the assignment details."
"Thank you, sir."
"Dismissed. And remember," he added as I stood up and went to leave, "I shouldn't hear a word from or about you."
I nodded and exited, any satisfaction about my recent work or curiosity about my latest acquisitions curdled by my horrendous security failure.
The rest of the day passed at an agonizingly slow pace, leaving my mind ample time to smear the harsh rebuke across my conscious thoughts over, and over, and over. I did my best to concentrate on the last gift the Forge had bestowed on me, because it might just alleviate a problem that had just been shoved into my face. Namely, appearing appropriate when dealing with members of the Mechanicus. I failed, unfortunately, in channeling my thoughts into this curiosity.
Dinner was an…affair. By then, the emotional impact had lessened noticeably, but I couldn't muster the will to give Nigel even a token grin.
As I lay in bed that night, sleep was unable to take me into its clutches for many hours. Eventually, Ramirez tired of repeating himself in my thoughts and let me rest.
Perks Earned
Magic Cooking Pot (Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild): A simple iron pan that can magically light a fire underneath itself when set up. Even when off of a fire, it will heat items placed in it to the desired temperature. All meals and elixirs cooked on it will receive a boost in quality, and can provide a variety of beneficial effects, depending on the ingredients used. Magically provides a comfortable temperature nearby when in use.
Demonic Augmentation (Hellgate: London): You can successfully graft demonic parts onto yourself to gain an increase in mana reserves as well as gaining the ability to more easily cast certain spells based on the demon's type. You also learn to craft demonic focus items that, while weaker than augmentations, also don't have to be grafted onto your body.
Beta'd by sarf.
Take your gifts, immigrant.
My eyes opened, then closed. A sense of duty pried them apart once more, and I sighed as I forced myself to sit upright.
Then I did my utmost not to scream.
It was a tingle of sorts that ran through my body. Not unpleasant, but certainly odd and worrisome. I had drunk another cup of the Chalcanth last night and I feared that my luck had finally failed.
I focused my mind on what had happened, not necessarily relieved when I realized I had gained more from the Forge.
The first thing was knowledge on how to make…big crystals? Oh, magical crystals that could shoot various kinds of energy. I wasn't entirely clear on how I could make them, but I hazarded a guess that some time spent on theory would let me use the Warp to do so.
Secondly, I now knew alchemy. Well, a form of it, focused on making pills primarily. A repulsive feeling echoed in my mind when I suddenly understood that it was about cultivation, though I couldn't identify why I felt that way.
The third was an odd bit of meta-knowledge, focused on making the maintenance of personal equipment drastically faster.
I swung myself to get out of bed when I noticed that my right hand was clutched around something. A canteen. The small thing was curved and fit in my grip perfectly, made of some light brown metal with no scratches on it. As I stared at it, the details flooded my consciousness. Apparently, this canteen could supply limitless water as long as it was given a source of "mana". Did that mean…?
10 minutes later, my curiosity was satisfied by the full canteen sitting on the workbench in front of me. The Warp could indeed be used to power it. I had initially been uncertain, since I had no way of knowing how to even send the energy into it, but simply modifying my Warp energy generator to push out more energy, then holding the bottom of the flask in the purple-pink-blue swirling orb was enough to make it work.
Should I have taken a sip? I almost did, but something convinced me otherwise. How sure could I be that there was nothing wrong with this water? Running the Warp scanner on it revealed no lingering trace of the Empyrean on either the water or the flask, but the risk-avoidant part of my mind insisted. Supernatural forewarning or merely irrational panic? Even with my knowledge, I couldn't be sure of its safety.
I ultimately opted to dispose of the liquid. I wasn't in dire need just yet, a bit more testing might help. Though what tests would satiate an irrational gut feeling?
My mind turned to the knowledge of cultivation alchemy residing within. I could see how a simple concoction would yield a dozen easily swallowed tiny balls that could seal a deep gash in less than a minute. A slight twist in formula would make a person's veins burn for hours, leaving anyone without an iron will writhing in agony but ultimately unharmed.
What I lacked, however, was the cauldron and ingredients. The first would only take a few hours at most to obtain, assuming a normal furnace couldn't be refigured to work.
The second half of that was much harder. Even the most basic pills required ingredients that were clearly supernatural. The most basic healing pill required two things: pearlgrass and the stem of the windflute. Pearlgrass, known for its luster, was only found on the "pitch-black seafloor". Windflute, a peculiar plant with multiple holes in its stem (hence "flute"), made its home upon the "driest and craggiest of peaks".
The quotes were palpable. A real shame the Sanguine Spear lacked an ocean and that particular kind of mountain within its hull, but I presumed that was because the Mechanicum didn't think all ships were meant to have such things.
Lastly, I now had-
Ping!
I raised my tablet in my hand and checked the message.
…A meeting with Ramirez in 30 minutes?
++++
Ramirez's office had not changed since last we spoke inside it. Dust was absent, the lights were as strong as ever, and even the amount of work seemed the same, going by the few papers upon it.
The atmosphere, however, had been dragged down severely, all courtesy of the man himself. He sat in his chair and barely gestured for me to sit.
"You called for me, sir?" I asked.
He was looking at his monitor, then scoffed, and turned to me. "Magos Acerak. Are you doing well?"
"Yes, sir."
"You sure? Nothing has come up that should be reported?"
I hesitated, feeling the air press down on me. No one asked questions like that unless they had a damn good reason to suspect you had messed up. The only question was what he was going to accuse me of. "Nothing comes to my mind, sir."
"Really? Interesting. Just as interesting as the conversation I just had a few hours ago with Captain Abraxis. He was recently at a party on Terra proper and he heard the most interesting thing." He leaned in, not breaking eye contact. "Apparently, a great many captains might have been unaware of a whole extra communication system aboard their ships. Can you believe that?"
"…Not unless there's something specific to it, sir."
"So, if I asked you about a system that lets tech-priests and magi communicate separately from any of the ship's normal systems, you would agree that such a thing is inconceivable?"
"Oh, uh, no, actually. The Sanguine Spear probably has such a system. I'm 30% sure."
"Only 30?"
"I haven't seen the full details, but I did use-" I froze.
"Sorry, what was that?" His voice was slightly sarcastic and angered. "I think I just heard you say you had used this supposed system."
"…I, uh, think I did, sir," I responded meekly. Instinctively, my head bowed a bit to let my eyes escape.
"Details. I want them. Now."
"About which part, sir?"
"Start with your use of it. How did it happen?"
"The cogitators in the Mechanicum workshop are set up to send and receive messages. I was informed that a message had arrived. I was only told that because whoever normally read them wasn't available."
"And what kind of messages did you send?"
"The ones I got were asking for technical advice. How to fix things and all that. So, I sent some advice."
"From other ships."
I vaguely recognized that it wasn't a question. "Yes, that's right. They clearly weren't aboard this vessel."
He leaned back. "So, you received these…messages. You read them and send messages back containing technical knowledge only. Is that right?"
"Er, yes, sir."
He was silent, making me look up to see what he might be doing. His own were focused on the room's corner, but I could tell he was thinking. "Magos Acerak, are you an idiot?"
I remained silent as he locked eyes with me once more.
"No, really, I need to know. Because if you admit it, I can at least make it an official note in your file! What the fuck were you thinking!?"
I looked away again, an ugly grimace of defeat on my face.
"Do you realize what you were doing, Magos? Sending and receiving illicit messages aboard any ship, not just a warship, is incredibly dangerous! It takes very little effort to track such a message to us, all they would have to do is estimate where it came from! And even assuming that doesn't happen, there could have been some kind of technological trick that would escape you and damage the ship's systems!"
"Sir-"
"NO! NO! DO. NOT. INTERRUPT ME." His index finger was slightly bent as he pointed it at me. "You must always consider the worst case when you lack knowledge! What if it had been an enemy ship? Could you guarantee that you wouldn't fall for someone lying to you, Magos? Could you guarantee you didn't say anything secret or otherwise harmful to someone you have never met? No, you can't because you are a painfully naive idiot, perfectly exemplified by this case!"
The only sound in the room was his own heavy breathing, all else felt muted. I glanced his way a few times, but waited for whatever he would say next.
What could I hope to say? Every word that rang in my ears was devastatingly accurate. I had totally failed to consider who I was communicating with. That it all seemed so earnest when not directed at me was irrelevant, someone somewhere would undoubtedly try elaborate schemes to do their dirty work. For a person who grew up being told to never reveal my information to strangers, this was a disgrace.
My heart couldn't take it anymore. "What happens now, sir?" I murmured.
"Now…now you get to praise the Emperor that your luck hasn't run out."
"I don't understand, sir. You're not going to…punish me?"
"Oh, make no mistake, I dearly want to. If we had the normal tech-priest contingent aboard, I'd call for you and your superior to be sacked and sent back to your kind in disgrace. If you were a member of the rest of the crew, a few months in the brig is the bare minimum I would ever accept. But you're alone and not under my command. Not fully. There's a whole institution that will come to your aid if I try even the most reasonable of punishment."
I had the feeling that last line was born of experience.
"And on top of all that, you're clearly so brilliant that you managed to keep the vessel in better condition than it has been in years. Moreso than I realized if you were able to help your peers aboard an entirely different class of ship."
I furrowed my eyes at that. "I'm not sure I quite understand. Sorry, sir."
He sighed, leaned back, and partially threw his hands up in disgust. "You don't even- Fine. Let me explain it to you." The words were slower, the tone mocking. "You were speaking with some of your kind that were tasked with repairing the Sentinel of Cythic. That vessel is a battleship, the kind commanded by admirals as their flagship." My confusion must have shown, because he continued. "The kind of admiral, by the way, who happened to learn of what you did for his tech-priests and wants you to take over their efforts."
"…Forgive me again, sir, but I still don't understand. Why-"
He held up his hand. "I'm not answering more questions on this matter. I don't even want to look at you for some time. Captain Abraxis has ordered that you go and see to their problems as well. The details of your assignment will be made clear to you by tomorrow at the latest. Reach out to Singh if it hasn't happened by midday. Is that clear?"
"Yes, sir. I have a concern about the Sanguine Spear, can I at least ask about that?"
"If you're going to ask about managing two ship's worth of work, that will be in the assignment details."
"Thank you, sir."
"Dismissed. And remember," he added as I stood up and went to leave, "I shouldn't hear a word from or about you."
I nodded and exited, any satisfaction about my recent work or curiosity about my latest acquisitions curdled by my horrendous security failure.
The rest of the day passed at an agonizingly slow pace, leaving my mind ample time to smear the harsh rebuke across my conscious thoughts over, and over, and over. I did my best to concentrate on the last gift the Forge had bestowed on me, because it might just alleviate a problem that had just been shoved into my face. Namely, appearing appropriate when dealing with members of the Mechanicus. I failed, unfortunately, in channeling my thoughts into this curiosity.
Dinner was an…affair. By then, the emotional impact had lessened noticeably, but I couldn't muster the will to give Nigel even a token grin.
As I lay in bed that night, sleep was unable to take me into its clutches for many hours. Eventually, Ramirez tired of repeating himself in my thoughts and let me rest.
Perks Earned
Magic Cooking Pot (Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild): A simple iron pan that can magically light a fire underneath itself when set up. Even when off of a fire, it will heat items placed in it to the desired temperature. All meals and elixirs cooked on it will receive a boost in quality, and can provide a variety of beneficial effects, depending on the ingredients used. Magically provides a comfortable temperature nearby when in use.
Demonic Augmentation (Hellgate: London): You can successfully graft demonic parts onto yourself to gain an increase in mana reserves as well as gaining the ability to more easily cast certain spells based on the demon's type. You also learn to craft demonic focus items that, while weaker than augmentations, also don't have to be grafted onto your body.
Beta'd by sarf.
- Location
- England
But don't. Seriously. Why would you even consider doing that in W40k?
He has xianxia alchemy, the endless flask, the magic pot, and the demonic smoothies.
I bet he can use them to brew mana potions.
Last edited:
globalwarmth
ruining the weather.
- Location
- Polar ice caps
Noo, overlooked the Vframe!
Specially since cultivation alchemy is heavily interested in impurity removal.
A good cauldroning ought to minimize demonic content. Pair that with the runesinks and it'll be reasonably safe
Specially since cultivation alchemy is heavily interested in impurity removal.
A good cauldroning ought to minimize demonic content. Pair that with the runesinks and it'll be reasonably safe
- Location
- England
Yeah, sure. 'Safe' until the first time an explosion blows some of his clothes off and he has to explain why some parts of him are green warty and or covered in slime. Well, it's 30k not 40k so he might be able to get a few words out before they call for the flamers.
Alsor Daechir
Self designated potato.
- Location
- Probably hiding in a corner playing an idle game.
Ah yes fire the lasers more! But honestly a good point. Though there could be issues caused by the laser stopping too long when it pivots to a different direction while doing so.
globalwarmth
ruining the weather.
- Location
- Polar ice caps
If that level of precision is an issue he could just upscale the sink too. Chunkier box would require a bigger font that is friendlier to laser or even a cnc drill bit.
Additive methods could be interesting too.
Print the wards as a sticker for electroplating or as-is. Then protect the runes under epoxy and/or a second box
globalwarmth
ruining the weather.
- Location
- Polar ice caps
Man, if I landed in 40k and managed to weasel myself a civilian posting I would be a fucking doormat on purpose.
People without background or connections don't live long as the squeaky wheel in a totalitarian state just coming out of a civil war.
Chapter 12
Do not be satiated by fooling children.
Take your gifts, immigrant.
Clip….Clip.
Two cuts caused the wire segment between them to fall, though it was promptly arrested and lay limp on a thick bundle of power cables below it. I snatched the loose piece and pulled it to my side. "The new segment, please."
"Here you go."
Fresh piece in hand, I stripped the cut end of one piece of the wire that was still good, frayed one end of the new segment, wrapped them together, placed the cover, and applied a heat gun to make it hold. Doing the same for the other was trivial, and I was done in a matter of seconds.
"Gallak, try it now," I said into the comm-bead in my right ear.
"Turning it on in three…two…one….we have connection. Turning on the dishwasher…on. Fume vents…on. Stove and oven lights…on. Okay, all three are active, we're good."
"Alright. Let's move on," I spoke both into the comm-bead and to the woman standing next to me.
Jux-9A6 was a short tech-priest, barely even coming up to my nipples. Tan-white skin covered a body that, like mine, was untouched by any visible markers of our profession. She wore the same red robes I did, but hers seemed more form-fitting, making her shape distinct while my own could come across as a domed cylinder if one wanted to be uncharitable. Her eyes were, to my surprise, yellow, and even stood out in the dark. It certainly made for an interesting effect when her hood was pulled overhead.
"Where to next?" she asked.
"That would be…Living Quarter Epsilon," I answered, looking at the map that had been sent to my tablet. The Sentinel of Cythic's hull was notably longer than the Sanguine Spear's, but not much taller in its command tower. Accordingly, there were more things one would find running along the spine, such as a trio of macrocannon batteries in the middle with hab-blocks above and below said batteries. The Spear only had a single battery on each side in comparison.
I had only just now consciously realized that the Imperium didn't seem to use the spinal portion of its ships to host its hangars, but instead the blockier portion near the rear, closer to where command lay.
As we continued, Gallak appeared from the right side of the T-intersection of hallways. We didn't have to walk too long, just five minutes or so at a fairly sedate pace. Once we arrived, however, we couldn't even try to walk faster – the population density was absurd.
"Did we arrive when everyone changes shifts or something?" I asked over the rush of the crowd flowing around us endlessly.
"Yes, it's been eight hours or so!" Jux answered, though it was hard to hear.
"It'll be over in a few more minutes, just wait it out!" Gallak commented. Sure enough, the crowd thinned soon after. We were able to move faster now, making it past the entrance for the living quarters.
"Where do we start first?" Jux asked.
"Uh…I think we don't actually have any issues reported in any particular person's room, so the cafeteria is closest," I answered. "This way."
When we arrived in Cafeteria Alpha, it was a packed room. Nearly every seat had been taken as people ate and chatted amongst themselves. Heads turned as we entered but turned away soon after since the people seemed used to the idea of red-robed technologists going anywhere they wanted.
"What's on the list, Magos?"
"First one is the two broken refrigeration units in the back," I replied. Then, a thought occurred to me. "Actually, I think you and Gallak should handle this by yourselves."
"T-that soon?" he mumbled.
"Yeah, I think so. I don't think any of these will be that big of an issue, so you should be able to handle them just fine. I'll still be here if you run into an issue, but…y'know, try to figure it out before you ask for me."
++++++
"So, where are we at?" I asked as we sat in the Sentinel's Mechanicus Quarter.
"Well, the most frequent complaints are solved, so that's something," Jux answered. "On the other hand, it wasn't exactly what the admiral wanted fixed first."
"I don't really think that matters," Gallak replied. "Magos Acerak said yesterday that there was no expectation for the ship to go and fight any time soon, so fixing the things that bothered the crew first means we don't look like we're doing nothing."
Gallak Rhossus Beta appeared to be an Arabian man. His skin was brown, but his nose and mouth were covered by a somewhat bulky looking metal piece with a pipe attached to the bottom that led into his chest and an internal device that acted as a replacement for his lungs. It was hidden nicely by his own robes; I hadn't seen it until he revealed it. His height matched mine, or perhaps he was slightly taller. I wasn't entirely sure.
Jux nodded at his analysis. "I pray that you're right, I'm just so…tired of constantly getting told to fix something small. Why would anyone send a dozen messages for something as uncritical as lighting in a hallway?"
"Eh…I think that does matter. That hallway has narrow stairs that someone might trip on if they can't see as well. I personally felt sick and weak just looking at it before we replaced everything, though I still think they need to add more lighting to the area," I responded. "But I get it. It's not really interesting work and sometimes, people aren't grateful for our efforts. "
Just then, the door behind me opened. We all turned our heads to look at who was coming in through the heavy metal door.
It was Xavier Gradis and Rallum-Lyra-Rallum. The former was a slender man with soft edges to his East Asian face, standing barely above a meter in height. The latter was much taller, easily towering over even six-foot me, though his exact origin was harder to deduce given the large metal plate covering all of his face except a small circle over his right eye.
"Oh, hey, you two are done as well?" I asked, waving my hand in greeting.
"We are, magos," Xavier answered. When they were close enough, the two half-bowed in respect to me.
"Nice. What was the issue with the turret cabling?" I asked Rallum.
"It was as you said, the insulating coating upon the inner wires had come off and the metal elements were in contact with each other. It might have even caused an electrical fire."
"Alright, and what about the, uh, plasma vial issue?"
"My apologies, magos, we were not able to get to that today," he answered.
'Or did you simply refuse to even go near it because you felt it was beyond you?' Out loud, I replied, "Yeah, sure, that's fine. We have plenty of time, I think. What's left, then?"
Jux began looking at the list. "Nothing minor now, unfortunately. Everything listed needs your expertise." She handed me the tablet she had been using.
I looked over the remaining issues. "Hmm…alright. We should be able to get all of this done by tomorrow."
"You really think so?" Xavier asked in his raspy voice. "Do you know the answers already?"
"No, I don't. Until I look, I can't be sure. However, nothing seems that severe. Well, maybe the plasma reactor in the worst case, but everything else is somewhat minor, I suspect."
"…You surprise me with how confident you are, Magos. N-Not that there is anything wrong with that, of course!" Gallak commented.
I shrugged. "It's like I was saying earlier, a lot of this is just intuition. Once you have some feel for these things, you'll be able to make such statements." Some feeling brushed against my consciousness, a thought that mocked me for lying so boldly. "Anyway, since we're done, I suppose we're all free to do what we want. So…yeah."
In hindsight, my exit was clearly flaccid, but at that moment, I was mostly interested in getting dinner. It was a long way away since I had to be flown back to the Sanguine Spear. Why they didn't just let me eat on the battleship itself was beyond me, but I doubted Ramirez would take a message kindly. Perhaps he'd even been the one to tell them to make me that much more miserable by keeping me hungry a bit longer.
++++
The vast room was filled with four lines of massive vials made of thick, internally blackened glass reaching up high with a dome that almost touched the ceiling. The housing, so to speak, consisted of a metal sleeve around each vial at the top and bottom, with four supporting and dirty red-brown pillars which clasped and held the vial in place.
I found it difficult to make out any of this, but my mind filled in the details. Bright lighting from my flashlight dashed along the cold machinery in this dark cavern as I moved my hand. Two other circles were doing the same, each belonging to a different tech-priest.
"You have the portable generator, Rallum?" I asked.
"Yes, Magos. Just a moment, please." The man responded from behind. I heard him wheel the boxy thing towards my left before its annoying squeak stopped. I heard the quietest of electrical thrums, then squinted as my eyes adjusted to the new lighting that came on in strings that ran along the walls of the room.
That light came with fresh noise, the irritating kind. "Is it really that loud?" I asked Rallum, gesturing to the generator while shutting my flashlight off.
"Give it a few minutes and the machine spirit will comport itself. It enjoys throwing tantrums," he answered, though his admonishment held no heat.
"…Right," I said to myself. Turning back to the room, I could see its full scale as the depth of the lighting Rallum and Xavier had strung up made itself known. My right index finger pressed up against the button on the comm-bead inserted into my ear. "Jux, how far away are you and Gallak?"
After a moment, the device came to life. "Another four minutes, Magos."
Sure enough, the pair arrived in four minutes leading their own separate trains of servitors. I was only a bit less bothered, in part because there was drastically less in their appearance which made me think 'human'.
All of them bore smooth plates over their faces, with small cameras looking like the beadiest of beady eyes. Their right arms had been replaced with cybernetic ones with flat, barely flexible digits, while their left arms were still flesh, though the muscles bulged and the coloration was…off. From the torso down, they bore four metallic double-jointed legs. It reminded me of a bust stand, but no bust stand ever made odd creaks or sounds like they were venting steam.
I was just glad that Jux and Gallak were willing to handle commanding the servitors, as I had far less experience with such a thing. The few that I had encountered on the Sanguine Spear, I had avoided to the best of my ability. "Alright, let's get started then."
The issue with the vials was one I was aware of, as it had been part of the original message which I had been sent, the one I had responded to which landed me in hot water with Ramirez.
Essentially, plasma would leave residue on its container, though it was more accurate to say that it glacially turned the container's inner surface into the sticky, opaque residue that I could see now. When used under automated control, the vials would not have needed replacement for another century because normal protocols didn't allow for excessive power generation.
If you wanted to store far more plasma in a readily usable state, removing those limiters was necessary. This would ensure that energy-intensive actions could be taken far swifter than normal. For example, if power was the bottleneck on recharging a naval-grade energy weapon (or, as the Imperium called them, lances), then more plasma on hand would ensure those weapons could be fired faster. But if the limiters weren't in place, then some intelligence would have to monitor the generator at all times. A tech-priest would have the ability to ensure nothing went wrong, since the necessary reaction times would be difficult to sustain for any normal person.
I assumed that this was precisely the setup at the time, but no one had said anything or left any notes. I couldn't claim to read others perfectly, but it did seem like the four tech-priests obeying my instructions were genuine when they said they had not found any warning or note talking about this. Regardless, my task was to bring this generator back to normal, controlled operation. There was no point in throwing accusations or indicating suspicion at this time.
The first step was to remove two of the supporting pillars. At Jux's and Galla's orders, servitors approached each of the vials in the nearest row in groups of six. Two of them bent their mechanical digits until their hands resembled screwdrivers. The squeaking of metal on metal filled the air as they slowly began to remove the screws of the bottom sleeve. Two others began to climb like monkeys up the pillars with incredible dexterity. With nothing more than augmented grip strength, they pulled their bodies up until they reached the top sleeve, then began removing the screws for the same pillars being touched below.
When the screws were out, the servitors holding on at the top of each vial held their respective pillars to prevent them from falling. At the bottom, the pair which were unscrewing stood up and grasped the pillar, then pulled it out. The final duo moved forward now, taking hold of the bottom of each pillar, then walking backwards as the other two "fed" the pillar towards them. From the top, the servitors slowly climbed down in sync with their counterparts. The net effect was that the pillars were eventually resting in unthinking hands. Their resting point for now was along the walls of the room.
The second step was to remove the sleeves at the top and bottom. This time, however, the servitors all gathered around the leftmost vial. Another pair went up while cold hands undid the sleeve screws at the bottom. Before I had the knowledge granted to me, I would have said all four pillars had to be removed, but I knew now there were hidden seams which permitted some clever contortions to open up the sleeve and let the inner vial be removed.
Lastly, the sealant between the vial and the floor and ceiling had to be cut through or weakened. This was a thin dark-gray ring with the consistency of tough rubber, compressed slightly by the pressure from the vial. For this, the servitors at the top jammed the end of their metal arm into the substance, then yanked outward, prying it away like someone tearing apart monkey bread. There was no need to do the same at the bottom, it would be ripped away as the vial toppled.
The other servitors had not been idle. Some had begun to scale the remaining pillars, though they held on with one arm and let their other one hang free once they stopped climbing up. The rest lined up at an odd angle relative to the pillar, not straight up or to the side.
With everyone in place, the top-most servitors swung back by their arms slightly, then began kicking the vial. The first few appeared to do nothing. Then the vial began to move, tilting towards the opening and the servitors on the floor.
Slowly, gently, ominously, the vial kept tilting.
For a brief moment, I had the image in my mind of it falling catastrophically, crushing the servitors before erupting into a burst of glass splinters and powder that would maim or kill us all.
That was not to be the case. Even as it fell, the servitors along the sides below the top reached out and grabbed it as best they could. They could not halt it entirely, it had too much mass for that, but each hand slowed it down. Still, it came down faster than I would ever have considered safe.
But the servitors at the bottom held. In unison, they raised their arms and caught the vial. The first ones to bear its weight appeared to buckle, but it was temporary as they sluggishly passed the vial towards the ones farther away. The reason for the odd angle was made clear, and I finally had visual confirmation of the subtle genius of spacing the vials in such a manner - it was compact enough while also letting individual vials be replaced as needed since they could be taken out or brought in diagonally.
As the servitors trudged away, I let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding onto. "I wonder why no one bothers with a machine specifically for removing such things," I remarked.
"What do you mean?" asked Jux.
"I had a sense of panic when I saw that vial coming down. I know that's how it is done, but there is a difference between knowing it and seeing it happen. I would feel safer if there was some machine meant to specifically hold vials and move them around," I explained.
"I…don't share your fear. Sorry," she said after a moment.
"Hmm. Anyway, I assume you can handle this?" I asked everyone.
"Ah…would you be willing to look over the installation of the first? Just to be sure we have it correct!" Gallak asked, panic clear in his voice.
"Sure, I'll watch the first one."
As he and Jux went off to escort the servitors, I sighed. This would be a slow process.
Despite their positions, the tech-priests were remarkably incurious, though "fearful" was perhaps a better descriptor. I had found the replacement vials in question, held within the Mechanicus stores, this morning. If they had looked and found them before, they could have moved the replacements closer. Now, the fastest method was going to be literally taking them directly from storage on the long journey to their exact destination.
"Xavier, how do we get to the controls?"
"It's below us, magos. This way," he answered, leading me towards the wall closest to the door on the left side. A panel I had not noticed before slid to the right, revealing an elevator. Rallum followed closely after. The elevator door slid closed and the car began descending.
"How did you do that?" I asked Xavier.
"There's a wireless receiver inside that verifies one's identity. I have access and I ordered it to begin moving," Rallum answered.
The car stopped after a few seconds. When the door slid back, I turned my flashlight back on and ran it into the dark. Machinery and cogitator banks revealed themselves along the walls, but the room was much smaller than the one above it, just enough space for a dozen people at once. A few wires were visible here and there.
"Is it dead? I assume we need power here as well," I pointed out.
"Correct. My apologies, let me get a generator-" Rallum began.
"No, hold on. Just take the one above and ask Jux to get one when they come. They have access, yes?" Xavier suggested.
"Yes, that's what I was going to do."
Rallum was back in a minute, dragging the generator out of the elevator and rolling it to the side. Xavier and I shined lights where he requested as he hooked it all up over the course of a few minutes. "All yours, magos," he said as he stepped back, turning on the lights as he did.
"Alright, here goes nothing…" I said apprehensively. Finding the power button, I turned the mainframe on and waited for some awful noise or sparks. Instead, I was greeted by an electrical thrum, then…nothing.
"Ah, there are no screens or terminals. You will need to use the slate," Xavier explained.
Turning around, I reached into my robes and unclipped my build gun. Pulling it out, I quickly selected the tablet I had stored within and materialized it in my hand. Turning it on, I handed it to Xavier to let him handle the connection configuration. While he worked, I put the gun back in my robes.
When he handed it back, I took a look at the screen. "Xavier, it-"
"…what?"
"No, nothing," I muttered. But I knew I hadn't hallucinated the fact that a login prompt had been present before I was automatically taken into the system, with my own account. The only way that would be possible was if… "Well, anyway, let's take a look."
Gallak's voice suddenly resonated in my ear. "Magos, we've returned. Are you coming back up?"
"Yeah, I'm coming," I answered. Leaving the tablet where it was, I joined Xavier and Rallum in the elevator.
Carried on the shoulders and backs of the servitors was another vial, just as large as the one from before, but unmarred by even a speck of debris or dust. They stood unmoving as we stepped out of the elevator, and I could see the sealant for the bottom opening applied already.
Putting the vial in was almost as simple as reversing the process: the vial upright, maneuver it into place, apply the top sealant, refit the top and bottom sleeves, and then reattach the supporting pillars. The hardest part was getting it into position.
Long, durable ropes were strapped to the "underside" of the vial. The servitors moved forward, then bent towards the front so that the bottom-most point of the vial contacted the ground at its resting place. Then, the servitors who could no longer stand beneath the vial moved to the side and grabbed the ropes from either side. They stepped back in unison, then began to pull.
At an agonizingly slow rate, the vial began to tilt upwards. As the servitors in the back were free of their burden, they too joined the effort to hoist the giant glass construct upwards by pulling their own ropes. What started off slow went faster with each moment.
In 30 seconds, the vial had been put into its right place. I was not the creator of such a procedure, and I had to marvel at how someone had so perfectly deduced the amount of force needed to ensure the vial was uprighted without a powerful impact against the ground.
"Good. It seems like you know what to do. Or at least, the instructions to the servitors are clear enough," I said, speaking loudly for all to hear. "Rallum, Xavier, let's go back to looking at the mainframe. Jux, Gallak, you can deal with this."
One elevator ride later, I was looking at the tablet once more, trying to determine which bits of code I would need to touch. The problem was increasingly clearer by the minute, making me sigh multiple times. The morass of files, logs, and directories was strewn throughout in the same way that a messy teenager might keep a pigsty of a room. Sure, whoever was responsible undoubtedly understood what they were doing, but no one else could ever hope to even come close if they feared doing something irreversible.
Eventually, Xavier asked, "What is the problem, if I could ask?"
"Well, someone must have thought they were the only one to deal with the reactor, because everything here is poorly organized and maintained. There's no notes or instructions on how someone else might deal with anything here, not even something as basic as how to interact with the mainframe." I groaned. "Fuck. We're going to have to do this the worst way possible."
"…How's that, magos?" Rallum whispered.
"I'll have to create something that simulates the active system and inputs, then see what the cogitators spit back out. I can track the changes from what I expect and the actual output," I explained.
"There's no way to do that already?" Rallum asked.
"Like I said – someone's personal room." The bitterness in my voice was impossible to fully mask.
I could have done this on the Sentinel of Cythic, but going back to the Sanguine Spear was preferable for two reasons. Firstly, it meant I could spend the required time dealing with any issues on my home ship, though I almost never had a serious issue come up these days. Secondly, I found it soothing to program alone and in the quiet of the Mechanicus room.
After nearly seven hours, I returned to the battleship and descended to the level of the reactor's mainframe and cogitator banks. Only Rallum was with me this time, though even he seemed a bit worn down. The rest had already retired for the day.
"You can go eat or drink something if you want, I'm going to be here for a while. Just come back once you're done. Or leave me a way to contact you," I offered.
"Thank you, magos. Do you want me to return after a set time?"
"No, I'll message you."
Once more bereft of company, I turned on my simulator, then plugged its generated values into the governing software. The fans buried somewhere inside each cogitator whirred louder and faster but complied, eventually blasting me with garbage. I stopped everything, tracked down the first issue, and began restoring the code.
Someone else might have asked why I didn't just copy the reactor's mainframe programming from the Spear and use it here. What would confound such an attempt would be the need to replicate all the various parameters which were ship-dependent. Not just ship-class or ship-category dependent, literally down to each ship. Every vessel had its own issues and quirks when being built since tech-priests and magi would follow standards that were often idiosyncratic. Add to this the mess of tangled data and software, and you couldn't cleanly replace anything.
I fantasized briefly about strangling the person who had made my life so miserable, then spent the next three and a half hours hunched over the tablet muttering and cursing to myself as the problems went away until I was down to just a handful. These were absolutely bizarre – they were atypical in the sense that I could never simulate them consistently. Where they appeared, they were impossible to understand.
When a hunch struck me, it was appropriately like a slap to my face. I pulled my Warp sensor out of my build gun and aimed it squarely at the cogitators around me.
Nothing but noise on the right and ahead. But reading the ones to the left found one rack with a notable Warp energy presence. It was more than enough to play havoc with the unprotected machinery, but not enough to warrant an "exorcism" or anything more serious.
The simplest test was to simply shut down and disconnect that rack from the mainframe so that it wasn't used. With the rack hidden from the software's view, I ran the simulation multiple times and found no errors.
To be safe, I ran the simulator a few dozen times before messaging Rallum to come and let me up. I apologized for keeping him up so long, but he blearily waved it off.
As I headed back to the Sanguine Spear, I made a note to build a version of my Warp sink that could work on more metals than just Adamantium, or perhaps all metals overall. It wouldn't be possible to do one for all possible materials, not with my current understanding at any rate.
++++
"I have to confess, I'm quite impressed. Though I'm not sure if I should be."
I looked at Captain Wenck in confusion. "I don't follow, captain."
The rectangular man regarded me for a moment, his blue eyes trying to pierce my robes. When that failed, they darted to the right, taking in some of the bridge where officers chatted or worked quietly. The environment seemed more relaxed than the one on the Spear, but the layout and technology were nearly equivalent. If he'd looked to his left, he'd have set his eyes upon the giant Imperialis Armada logo painted upon the wall.
He spoke after a moment. "I assume you know about the state of the ship prior to your arrival?"
"Not particularly. I apologize, I was only told the issues-"
"It is fine. I am only glad that we no longer need those infernal portable generators, my mind is finally at peace no longer having to hear them at all," he interjected, snarling towards the end slightly. "I am sick of having to effectively beg other ships to give us generator fuel and spare ones when ours break down. I know they are comrades, but it is disgraceful nonetheless."
"I can understand your view," was my neutral response.
He grunted. "I was pleased when I heard that Mars would send some of its people to our ship once more and deal with all the broken pieces and systems. I want my ship to be capable of moving under its own power once more, not needing to be tugged like a pet as it has been for months now!" The disgust in his voice as he uttered the last few words was palpable.
"And you were disappointed by their performance," I stated.
"Yes, obviously! I am not a man who understands what your kind do, I freely confess that. The science and technology under your kind's purview is simply beyond anything I could hope to learn or even give an iota of care about. But it was so, so clear that those four tech-priests sent to us knew nothing!"
"They are beginners of their craft; I won't deny that. Though I do agree that they shouldn't have been sent by themselves."
"So why did your fabricator-general do it? Do you have any explanation for yourselves, magos!?" He controlled his anger to turn his accusation into a half-whisper, though some officers nearby did glance our way.
I raised my hands helplessly. "I-I wish I did, but I can't tell you anything. I haven't been in contact with Mars recently, nor do I expect such contact any time soon. Perhaps they intended for these four to just handle the small things before the actual experienced magi and tech-priests came along."
His right foot stepped back and he turned his head away and down for a bit. "That would be logical, but I was personally informed by Admiral Penketh that this wasn't the case. We were promised swift repair and recovery!" He looked like he would explode on me, but he just sighed instead. "Regardless, I want to thank you for dealing with our ship with such speed."
"Thank you. Do you require more from me? If not, I would ask you to speak with First Lieutenant Ramirez and inform him that my work here is done."
"I will certainly do that. Do you want to take those tech-priests with you? They don't seem capable enough to be independent."
"They're not that bad, in my opinion. Their issues have more to do with confidence because they've never done practical diagnostic and repair work prior to this. I've done my best while I was here, and I think they are diligent, attentive students. I don't mind responding to their messages asking for help, but I do think anything further would require another agreement between the Sentinel and the Spear. My first responsibility is to the latter, of course."
Wenck nodded. "I will do just that, then. For now, I suppose you can return to the Spear. Thank you once again for your efforts."
Perks Earned
Jumper Technology Activation (Stargate Atlantis): This isn't so much an item as an upgrade for any item that you've bought with CP or personally made; its user interface will now only work for you and those(if any)you specify. You can change the lock on an affected device just by giving it new orders, but for any given individual this access is all or nothing. The upgrade will also prevent the interface from being bypassed unless it is physically removed, replaced or destroyed.
Finger of Silver (Macross): While other kids were building tinker-toy creations, you were fiddling with your dad's car and doing a better job than him. By purchasing this, meddling with machines and OverTechnology is as easy as breathing for you. By getting your hands on something, you can easily figure out how it works and how to copy its inner workings, provided that it wasn't just bullshit magic. The more advanced something is, the harder it may be... but with time and effort, you just might succeed. (Author's Note: I am treating this like it works on anything machine-like, so something like the Aeldari tech base wouldn't be applicable)
PDA (Subnautica): Loaded with an emergency intelligence and more data capacity than you could ever use, this is a survivor's second most powerful tool (after his or her brain.) The AI may get a bit . . . quirky . . . over long deployments. Your version is basically indestructible. Contains basic construction blueprints.
Black Thumb (Mad Max Gauntlet): You have the skills of an expert mechanic, able to keep vehicles running even in the most inhospitable conditions. Repairing and tuning up engines is your bread and butter, even while they're still operating. You also have a feel for how to upgrade cars in more esoteric ways; hey, it takes skill to add that many spikes and not hurt the handling! (Author's Note: Imperial vehicles are automatically valid, xeno vehicles require study)
Beta'd by sarf.
Take your gifts, immigrant.
Clip….Clip.
Two cuts caused the wire segment between them to fall, though it was promptly arrested and lay limp on a thick bundle of power cables below it. I snatched the loose piece and pulled it to my side. "The new segment, please."
"Here you go."
Fresh piece in hand, I stripped the cut end of one piece of the wire that was still good, frayed one end of the new segment, wrapped them together, placed the cover, and applied a heat gun to make it hold. Doing the same for the other was trivial, and I was done in a matter of seconds.
"Gallak, try it now," I said into the comm-bead in my right ear.
"Turning it on in three…two…one….we have connection. Turning on the dishwasher…on. Fume vents…on. Stove and oven lights…on. Okay, all three are active, we're good."
"Alright. Let's move on," I spoke both into the comm-bead and to the woman standing next to me.
Jux-9A6 was a short tech-priest, barely even coming up to my nipples. Tan-white skin covered a body that, like mine, was untouched by any visible markers of our profession. She wore the same red robes I did, but hers seemed more form-fitting, making her shape distinct while my own could come across as a domed cylinder if one wanted to be uncharitable. Her eyes were, to my surprise, yellow, and even stood out in the dark. It certainly made for an interesting effect when her hood was pulled overhead.
"Where to next?" she asked.
"That would be…Living Quarter Epsilon," I answered, looking at the map that had been sent to my tablet. The Sentinel of Cythic's hull was notably longer than the Sanguine Spear's, but not much taller in its command tower. Accordingly, there were more things one would find running along the spine, such as a trio of macrocannon batteries in the middle with hab-blocks above and below said batteries. The Spear only had a single battery on each side in comparison.
I had only just now consciously realized that the Imperium didn't seem to use the spinal portion of its ships to host its hangars, but instead the blockier portion near the rear, closer to where command lay.
As we continued, Gallak appeared from the right side of the T-intersection of hallways. We didn't have to walk too long, just five minutes or so at a fairly sedate pace. Once we arrived, however, we couldn't even try to walk faster – the population density was absurd.
"Did we arrive when everyone changes shifts or something?" I asked over the rush of the crowd flowing around us endlessly.
"Yes, it's been eight hours or so!" Jux answered, though it was hard to hear.
"It'll be over in a few more minutes, just wait it out!" Gallak commented. Sure enough, the crowd thinned soon after. We were able to move faster now, making it past the entrance for the living quarters.
"Where do we start first?" Jux asked.
"Uh…I think we don't actually have any issues reported in any particular person's room, so the cafeteria is closest," I answered. "This way."
When we arrived in Cafeteria Alpha, it was a packed room. Nearly every seat had been taken as people ate and chatted amongst themselves. Heads turned as we entered but turned away soon after since the people seemed used to the idea of red-robed technologists going anywhere they wanted.
"What's on the list, Magos?"
"First one is the two broken refrigeration units in the back," I replied. Then, a thought occurred to me. "Actually, I think you and Gallak should handle this by yourselves."
"T-that soon?" he mumbled.
"Yeah, I think so. I don't think any of these will be that big of an issue, so you should be able to handle them just fine. I'll still be here if you run into an issue, but…y'know, try to figure it out before you ask for me."
++++++
"So, where are we at?" I asked as we sat in the Sentinel's Mechanicus Quarter.
"Well, the most frequent complaints are solved, so that's something," Jux answered. "On the other hand, it wasn't exactly what the admiral wanted fixed first."
"I don't really think that matters," Gallak replied. "Magos Acerak said yesterday that there was no expectation for the ship to go and fight any time soon, so fixing the things that bothered the crew first means we don't look like we're doing nothing."
Gallak Rhossus Beta appeared to be an Arabian man. His skin was brown, but his nose and mouth were covered by a somewhat bulky looking metal piece with a pipe attached to the bottom that led into his chest and an internal device that acted as a replacement for his lungs. It was hidden nicely by his own robes; I hadn't seen it until he revealed it. His height matched mine, or perhaps he was slightly taller. I wasn't entirely sure.
Jux nodded at his analysis. "I pray that you're right, I'm just so…tired of constantly getting told to fix something small. Why would anyone send a dozen messages for something as uncritical as lighting in a hallway?"
"Eh…I think that does matter. That hallway has narrow stairs that someone might trip on if they can't see as well. I personally felt sick and weak just looking at it before we replaced everything, though I still think they need to add more lighting to the area," I responded. "But I get it. It's not really interesting work and sometimes, people aren't grateful for our efforts. "
Just then, the door behind me opened. We all turned our heads to look at who was coming in through the heavy metal door.
It was Xavier Gradis and Rallum-Lyra-Rallum. The former was a slender man with soft edges to his East Asian face, standing barely above a meter in height. The latter was much taller, easily towering over even six-foot me, though his exact origin was harder to deduce given the large metal plate covering all of his face except a small circle over his right eye.
"Oh, hey, you two are done as well?" I asked, waving my hand in greeting.
"We are, magos," Xavier answered. When they were close enough, the two half-bowed in respect to me.
"Nice. What was the issue with the turret cabling?" I asked Rallum.
"It was as you said, the insulating coating upon the inner wires had come off and the metal elements were in contact with each other. It might have even caused an electrical fire."
"Alright, and what about the, uh, plasma vial issue?"
"My apologies, magos, we were not able to get to that today," he answered.
'Or did you simply refuse to even go near it because you felt it was beyond you?' Out loud, I replied, "Yeah, sure, that's fine. We have plenty of time, I think. What's left, then?"
Jux began looking at the list. "Nothing minor now, unfortunately. Everything listed needs your expertise." She handed me the tablet she had been using.
I looked over the remaining issues. "Hmm…alright. We should be able to get all of this done by tomorrow."
"You really think so?" Xavier asked in his raspy voice. "Do you know the answers already?"
"No, I don't. Until I look, I can't be sure. However, nothing seems that severe. Well, maybe the plasma reactor in the worst case, but everything else is somewhat minor, I suspect."
"…You surprise me with how confident you are, Magos. N-Not that there is anything wrong with that, of course!" Gallak commented.
I shrugged. "It's like I was saying earlier, a lot of this is just intuition. Once you have some feel for these things, you'll be able to make such statements." Some feeling brushed against my consciousness, a thought that mocked me for lying so boldly. "Anyway, since we're done, I suppose we're all free to do what we want. So…yeah."
In hindsight, my exit was clearly flaccid, but at that moment, I was mostly interested in getting dinner. It was a long way away since I had to be flown back to the Sanguine Spear. Why they didn't just let me eat on the battleship itself was beyond me, but I doubted Ramirez would take a message kindly. Perhaps he'd even been the one to tell them to make me that much more miserable by keeping me hungry a bit longer.
++++
The vast room was filled with four lines of massive vials made of thick, internally blackened glass reaching up high with a dome that almost touched the ceiling. The housing, so to speak, consisted of a metal sleeve around each vial at the top and bottom, with four supporting and dirty red-brown pillars which clasped and held the vial in place.
I found it difficult to make out any of this, but my mind filled in the details. Bright lighting from my flashlight dashed along the cold machinery in this dark cavern as I moved my hand. Two other circles were doing the same, each belonging to a different tech-priest.
"You have the portable generator, Rallum?" I asked.
"Yes, Magos. Just a moment, please." The man responded from behind. I heard him wheel the boxy thing towards my left before its annoying squeak stopped. I heard the quietest of electrical thrums, then squinted as my eyes adjusted to the new lighting that came on in strings that ran along the walls of the room.
That light came with fresh noise, the irritating kind. "Is it really that loud?" I asked Rallum, gesturing to the generator while shutting my flashlight off.
"Give it a few minutes and the machine spirit will comport itself. It enjoys throwing tantrums," he answered, though his admonishment held no heat.
"…Right," I said to myself. Turning back to the room, I could see its full scale as the depth of the lighting Rallum and Xavier had strung up made itself known. My right index finger pressed up against the button on the comm-bead inserted into my ear. "Jux, how far away are you and Gallak?"
After a moment, the device came to life. "Another four minutes, Magos."
Sure enough, the pair arrived in four minutes leading their own separate trains of servitors. I was only a bit less bothered, in part because there was drastically less in their appearance which made me think 'human'.
All of them bore smooth plates over their faces, with small cameras looking like the beadiest of beady eyes. Their right arms had been replaced with cybernetic ones with flat, barely flexible digits, while their left arms were still flesh, though the muscles bulged and the coloration was…off. From the torso down, they bore four metallic double-jointed legs. It reminded me of a bust stand, but no bust stand ever made odd creaks or sounds like they were venting steam.
I was just glad that Jux and Gallak were willing to handle commanding the servitors, as I had far less experience with such a thing. The few that I had encountered on the Sanguine Spear, I had avoided to the best of my ability. "Alright, let's get started then."
The issue with the vials was one I was aware of, as it had been part of the original message which I had been sent, the one I had responded to which landed me in hot water with Ramirez.
Essentially, plasma would leave residue on its container, though it was more accurate to say that it glacially turned the container's inner surface into the sticky, opaque residue that I could see now. When used under automated control, the vials would not have needed replacement for another century because normal protocols didn't allow for excessive power generation.
If you wanted to store far more plasma in a readily usable state, removing those limiters was necessary. This would ensure that energy-intensive actions could be taken far swifter than normal. For example, if power was the bottleneck on recharging a naval-grade energy weapon (or, as the Imperium called them, lances), then more plasma on hand would ensure those weapons could be fired faster. But if the limiters weren't in place, then some intelligence would have to monitor the generator at all times. A tech-priest would have the ability to ensure nothing went wrong, since the necessary reaction times would be difficult to sustain for any normal person.
I assumed that this was precisely the setup at the time, but no one had said anything or left any notes. I couldn't claim to read others perfectly, but it did seem like the four tech-priests obeying my instructions were genuine when they said they had not found any warning or note talking about this. Regardless, my task was to bring this generator back to normal, controlled operation. There was no point in throwing accusations or indicating suspicion at this time.
The first step was to remove two of the supporting pillars. At Jux's and Galla's orders, servitors approached each of the vials in the nearest row in groups of six. Two of them bent their mechanical digits until their hands resembled screwdrivers. The squeaking of metal on metal filled the air as they slowly began to remove the screws of the bottom sleeve. Two others began to climb like monkeys up the pillars with incredible dexterity. With nothing more than augmented grip strength, they pulled their bodies up until they reached the top sleeve, then began removing the screws for the same pillars being touched below.
When the screws were out, the servitors holding on at the top of each vial held their respective pillars to prevent them from falling. At the bottom, the pair which were unscrewing stood up and grasped the pillar, then pulled it out. The final duo moved forward now, taking hold of the bottom of each pillar, then walking backwards as the other two "fed" the pillar towards them. From the top, the servitors slowly climbed down in sync with their counterparts. The net effect was that the pillars were eventually resting in unthinking hands. Their resting point for now was along the walls of the room.
The second step was to remove the sleeves at the top and bottom. This time, however, the servitors all gathered around the leftmost vial. Another pair went up while cold hands undid the sleeve screws at the bottom. Before I had the knowledge granted to me, I would have said all four pillars had to be removed, but I knew now there were hidden seams which permitted some clever contortions to open up the sleeve and let the inner vial be removed.
Lastly, the sealant between the vial and the floor and ceiling had to be cut through or weakened. This was a thin dark-gray ring with the consistency of tough rubber, compressed slightly by the pressure from the vial. For this, the servitors at the top jammed the end of their metal arm into the substance, then yanked outward, prying it away like someone tearing apart monkey bread. There was no need to do the same at the bottom, it would be ripped away as the vial toppled.
The other servitors had not been idle. Some had begun to scale the remaining pillars, though they held on with one arm and let their other one hang free once they stopped climbing up. The rest lined up at an odd angle relative to the pillar, not straight up or to the side.
With everyone in place, the top-most servitors swung back by their arms slightly, then began kicking the vial. The first few appeared to do nothing. Then the vial began to move, tilting towards the opening and the servitors on the floor.
Slowly, gently, ominously, the vial kept tilting.
For a brief moment, I had the image in my mind of it falling catastrophically, crushing the servitors before erupting into a burst of glass splinters and powder that would maim or kill us all.
That was not to be the case. Even as it fell, the servitors along the sides below the top reached out and grabbed it as best they could. They could not halt it entirely, it had too much mass for that, but each hand slowed it down. Still, it came down faster than I would ever have considered safe.
But the servitors at the bottom held. In unison, they raised their arms and caught the vial. The first ones to bear its weight appeared to buckle, but it was temporary as they sluggishly passed the vial towards the ones farther away. The reason for the odd angle was made clear, and I finally had visual confirmation of the subtle genius of spacing the vials in such a manner - it was compact enough while also letting individual vials be replaced as needed since they could be taken out or brought in diagonally.
As the servitors trudged away, I let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding onto. "I wonder why no one bothers with a machine specifically for removing such things," I remarked.
"What do you mean?" asked Jux.
"I had a sense of panic when I saw that vial coming down. I know that's how it is done, but there is a difference between knowing it and seeing it happen. I would feel safer if there was some machine meant to specifically hold vials and move them around," I explained.
"I…don't share your fear. Sorry," she said after a moment.
"Hmm. Anyway, I assume you can handle this?" I asked everyone.
"Ah…would you be willing to look over the installation of the first? Just to be sure we have it correct!" Gallak asked, panic clear in his voice.
"Sure, I'll watch the first one."
As he and Jux went off to escort the servitors, I sighed. This would be a slow process.
Despite their positions, the tech-priests were remarkably incurious, though "fearful" was perhaps a better descriptor. I had found the replacement vials in question, held within the Mechanicus stores, this morning. If they had looked and found them before, they could have moved the replacements closer. Now, the fastest method was going to be literally taking them directly from storage on the long journey to their exact destination.
"Xavier, how do we get to the controls?"
"It's below us, magos. This way," he answered, leading me towards the wall closest to the door on the left side. A panel I had not noticed before slid to the right, revealing an elevator. Rallum followed closely after. The elevator door slid closed and the car began descending.
"How did you do that?" I asked Xavier.
"There's a wireless receiver inside that verifies one's identity. I have access and I ordered it to begin moving," Rallum answered.
The car stopped after a few seconds. When the door slid back, I turned my flashlight back on and ran it into the dark. Machinery and cogitator banks revealed themselves along the walls, but the room was much smaller than the one above it, just enough space for a dozen people at once. A few wires were visible here and there.
"Is it dead? I assume we need power here as well," I pointed out.
"Correct. My apologies, let me get a generator-" Rallum began.
"No, hold on. Just take the one above and ask Jux to get one when they come. They have access, yes?" Xavier suggested.
"Yes, that's what I was going to do."
Rallum was back in a minute, dragging the generator out of the elevator and rolling it to the side. Xavier and I shined lights where he requested as he hooked it all up over the course of a few minutes. "All yours, magos," he said as he stepped back, turning on the lights as he did.
"Alright, here goes nothing…" I said apprehensively. Finding the power button, I turned the mainframe on and waited for some awful noise or sparks. Instead, I was greeted by an electrical thrum, then…nothing.
"Ah, there are no screens or terminals. You will need to use the slate," Xavier explained.
Turning around, I reached into my robes and unclipped my build gun. Pulling it out, I quickly selected the tablet I had stored within and materialized it in my hand. Turning it on, I handed it to Xavier to let him handle the connection configuration. While he worked, I put the gun back in my robes.
When he handed it back, I took a look at the screen. "Xavier, it-"
"…what?"
"No, nothing," I muttered. But I knew I hadn't hallucinated the fact that a login prompt had been present before I was automatically taken into the system, with my own account. The only way that would be possible was if… "Well, anyway, let's take a look."
Gallak's voice suddenly resonated in my ear. "Magos, we've returned. Are you coming back up?"
"Yeah, I'm coming," I answered. Leaving the tablet where it was, I joined Xavier and Rallum in the elevator.
Carried on the shoulders and backs of the servitors was another vial, just as large as the one from before, but unmarred by even a speck of debris or dust. They stood unmoving as we stepped out of the elevator, and I could see the sealant for the bottom opening applied already.
Putting the vial in was almost as simple as reversing the process: the vial upright, maneuver it into place, apply the top sealant, refit the top and bottom sleeves, and then reattach the supporting pillars. The hardest part was getting it into position.
Long, durable ropes were strapped to the "underside" of the vial. The servitors moved forward, then bent towards the front so that the bottom-most point of the vial contacted the ground at its resting place. Then, the servitors who could no longer stand beneath the vial moved to the side and grabbed the ropes from either side. They stepped back in unison, then began to pull.
At an agonizingly slow rate, the vial began to tilt upwards. As the servitors in the back were free of their burden, they too joined the effort to hoist the giant glass construct upwards by pulling their own ropes. What started off slow went faster with each moment.
In 30 seconds, the vial had been put into its right place. I was not the creator of such a procedure, and I had to marvel at how someone had so perfectly deduced the amount of force needed to ensure the vial was uprighted without a powerful impact against the ground.
"Good. It seems like you know what to do. Or at least, the instructions to the servitors are clear enough," I said, speaking loudly for all to hear. "Rallum, Xavier, let's go back to looking at the mainframe. Jux, Gallak, you can deal with this."
One elevator ride later, I was looking at the tablet once more, trying to determine which bits of code I would need to touch. The problem was increasingly clearer by the minute, making me sigh multiple times. The morass of files, logs, and directories was strewn throughout in the same way that a messy teenager might keep a pigsty of a room. Sure, whoever was responsible undoubtedly understood what they were doing, but no one else could ever hope to even come close if they feared doing something irreversible.
Eventually, Xavier asked, "What is the problem, if I could ask?"
"Well, someone must have thought they were the only one to deal with the reactor, because everything here is poorly organized and maintained. There's no notes or instructions on how someone else might deal with anything here, not even something as basic as how to interact with the mainframe." I groaned. "Fuck. We're going to have to do this the worst way possible."
"…How's that, magos?" Rallum whispered.
"I'll have to create something that simulates the active system and inputs, then see what the cogitators spit back out. I can track the changes from what I expect and the actual output," I explained.
"There's no way to do that already?" Rallum asked.
"Like I said – someone's personal room." The bitterness in my voice was impossible to fully mask.
I could have done this on the Sentinel of Cythic, but going back to the Sanguine Spear was preferable for two reasons. Firstly, it meant I could spend the required time dealing with any issues on my home ship, though I almost never had a serious issue come up these days. Secondly, I found it soothing to program alone and in the quiet of the Mechanicus room.
After nearly seven hours, I returned to the battleship and descended to the level of the reactor's mainframe and cogitator banks. Only Rallum was with me this time, though even he seemed a bit worn down. The rest had already retired for the day.
"You can go eat or drink something if you want, I'm going to be here for a while. Just come back once you're done. Or leave me a way to contact you," I offered.
"Thank you, magos. Do you want me to return after a set time?"
"No, I'll message you."
Once more bereft of company, I turned on my simulator, then plugged its generated values into the governing software. The fans buried somewhere inside each cogitator whirred louder and faster but complied, eventually blasting me with garbage. I stopped everything, tracked down the first issue, and began restoring the code.
Someone else might have asked why I didn't just copy the reactor's mainframe programming from the Spear and use it here. What would confound such an attempt would be the need to replicate all the various parameters which were ship-dependent. Not just ship-class or ship-category dependent, literally down to each ship. Every vessel had its own issues and quirks when being built since tech-priests and magi would follow standards that were often idiosyncratic. Add to this the mess of tangled data and software, and you couldn't cleanly replace anything.
I fantasized briefly about strangling the person who had made my life so miserable, then spent the next three and a half hours hunched over the tablet muttering and cursing to myself as the problems went away until I was down to just a handful. These were absolutely bizarre – they were atypical in the sense that I could never simulate them consistently. Where they appeared, they were impossible to understand.
When a hunch struck me, it was appropriately like a slap to my face. I pulled my Warp sensor out of my build gun and aimed it squarely at the cogitators around me.
Nothing but noise on the right and ahead. But reading the ones to the left found one rack with a notable Warp energy presence. It was more than enough to play havoc with the unprotected machinery, but not enough to warrant an "exorcism" or anything more serious.
The simplest test was to simply shut down and disconnect that rack from the mainframe so that it wasn't used. With the rack hidden from the software's view, I ran the simulation multiple times and found no errors.
To be safe, I ran the simulator a few dozen times before messaging Rallum to come and let me up. I apologized for keeping him up so long, but he blearily waved it off.
As I headed back to the Sanguine Spear, I made a note to build a version of my Warp sink that could work on more metals than just Adamantium, or perhaps all metals overall. It wouldn't be possible to do one for all possible materials, not with my current understanding at any rate.
++++
"I have to confess, I'm quite impressed. Though I'm not sure if I should be."
I looked at Captain Wenck in confusion. "I don't follow, captain."
The rectangular man regarded me for a moment, his blue eyes trying to pierce my robes. When that failed, they darted to the right, taking in some of the bridge where officers chatted or worked quietly. The environment seemed more relaxed than the one on the Spear, but the layout and technology were nearly equivalent. If he'd looked to his left, he'd have set his eyes upon the giant Imperialis Armada logo painted upon the wall.
He spoke after a moment. "I assume you know about the state of the ship prior to your arrival?"
"Not particularly. I apologize, I was only told the issues-"
"It is fine. I am only glad that we no longer need those infernal portable generators, my mind is finally at peace no longer having to hear them at all," he interjected, snarling towards the end slightly. "I am sick of having to effectively beg other ships to give us generator fuel and spare ones when ours break down. I know they are comrades, but it is disgraceful nonetheless."
"I can understand your view," was my neutral response.
He grunted. "I was pleased when I heard that Mars would send some of its people to our ship once more and deal with all the broken pieces and systems. I want my ship to be capable of moving under its own power once more, not needing to be tugged like a pet as it has been for months now!" The disgust in his voice as he uttered the last few words was palpable.
"And you were disappointed by their performance," I stated.
"Yes, obviously! I am not a man who understands what your kind do, I freely confess that. The science and technology under your kind's purview is simply beyond anything I could hope to learn or even give an iota of care about. But it was so, so clear that those four tech-priests sent to us knew nothing!"
"They are beginners of their craft; I won't deny that. Though I do agree that they shouldn't have been sent by themselves."
"So why did your fabricator-general do it? Do you have any explanation for yourselves, magos!?" He controlled his anger to turn his accusation into a half-whisper, though some officers nearby did glance our way.
I raised my hands helplessly. "I-I wish I did, but I can't tell you anything. I haven't been in contact with Mars recently, nor do I expect such contact any time soon. Perhaps they intended for these four to just handle the small things before the actual experienced magi and tech-priests came along."
His right foot stepped back and he turned his head away and down for a bit. "That would be logical, but I was personally informed by Admiral Penketh that this wasn't the case. We were promised swift repair and recovery!" He looked like he would explode on me, but he just sighed instead. "Regardless, I want to thank you for dealing with our ship with such speed."
"Thank you. Do you require more from me? If not, I would ask you to speak with First Lieutenant Ramirez and inform him that my work here is done."
"I will certainly do that. Do you want to take those tech-priests with you? They don't seem capable enough to be independent."
"They're not that bad, in my opinion. Their issues have more to do with confidence because they've never done practical diagnostic and repair work prior to this. I've done my best while I was here, and I think they are diligent, attentive students. I don't mind responding to their messages asking for help, but I do think anything further would require another agreement between the Sentinel and the Spear. My first responsibility is to the latter, of course."
Wenck nodded. "I will do just that, then. For now, I suppose you can return to the Spear. Thank you once again for your efforts."
Perks Earned
Jumper Technology Activation (Stargate Atlantis): This isn't so much an item as an upgrade for any item that you've bought with CP or personally made; its user interface will now only work for you and those(if any)you specify. You can change the lock on an affected device just by giving it new orders, but for any given individual this access is all or nothing. The upgrade will also prevent the interface from being bypassed unless it is physically removed, replaced or destroyed.
Finger of Silver (Macross): While other kids were building tinker-toy creations, you were fiddling with your dad's car and doing a better job than him. By purchasing this, meddling with machines and OverTechnology is as easy as breathing for you. By getting your hands on something, you can easily figure out how it works and how to copy its inner workings, provided that it wasn't just bullshit magic. The more advanced something is, the harder it may be... but with time and effort, you just might succeed. (Author's Note: I am treating this like it works on anything machine-like, so something like the Aeldari tech base wouldn't be applicable)
PDA (Subnautica): Loaded with an emergency intelligence and more data capacity than you could ever use, this is a survivor's second most powerful tool (after his or her brain.) The AI may get a bit . . . quirky . . . over long deployments. Your version is basically indestructible. Contains basic construction blueprints.
Black Thumb (Mad Max Gauntlet): You have the skills of an expert mechanic, able to keep vehicles running even in the most inhospitable conditions. Repairing and tuning up engines is your bread and butter, even while they're still operating. You also have a feel for how to upgrade cars in more esoteric ways; hey, it takes skill to add that many spikes and not hurt the handling! (Author's Note: Imperial vehicles are automatically valid, xeno vehicles require study)
Beta'd by sarf.
- Location
- Australia
I suspect they are suspicious, but that is outweighed by the obvious competence displayed by the protagonist. He's also 'obviously' still a member of the Mechanicum; because who else could do all that he has done. They cannot afford to not make use of him; at least for now. But the tolerance for mystery I believe must be wearing down quickly with all he's displayed.
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Is there any particular opposition from anyone to me just, uh, removing that Valkyrie Frame perk? I know it would be ironic when I asked for some faith from you all, but I've reflected on the matter, and I think the combination of its ability to scale and its symbolic inconsistency with the kind of fic I want to write. I won't reroll the points, they'll just be considered lost.
I mean, it's your story man. That said, Kirill has a point that the core could be extremely good for a tech-priest impersonator in 40k, and absent the support structure of... the UN I think it was from the original setting, I wouldn't even say it'd be all that overpowered in 40k, not for a good long while at least.
globalwarmth
ruining the weather.
- Location
- Polar ice caps
ah, kinda disapointing but author comfort comes first.
other option is nerfing the improvement speed, it is not that fast in the original anyway. you are left with basicaly a good brain-machine interphase and a duplicate of the build gun capabilities.
other option is nerfing the improvement speed, it is not that fast in the original anyway. you are left with basicaly a good brain-machine interphase and a duplicate of the build gun capabilities.
- Location
- Europe
Well, he's a male and not a spirit either, so that could maybe give some user problems, in terms of compatiblity.
And if it's also the most basic one...
It seems more like one of those Aeldari warmachines, driven by spirit stones, you know.
At least you might have a fix for the aging, just add in a Ranma 0.5 gender curse. 😂
View: https://youtu.be/9AudJDPIiqc?si=Uk3kurragnI2w65s
Yes, sometimes you just have to alter the angle of attack.
Could maybe be used for countering dream attacks by the four, if the gender problem can be fixed.
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Morgomir
Not the robot you're looking for
- Location
- Belgium
Just curious. Is the inter-ship communications system being used by the MC/Mechanicus just via satellites in system like a long range vox? Is this something original? I'm imagining it couldn't work when the two ships are in different star systems. Or is this how you would see the in system noosphere? Because he lacks implants the cogitator/computer interfaces with the local noosphere?
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It was posted over on QQ. That might be what you are thinking of, as the start of this was just reposting what they had here before adding on the new chapters.
So, just to be clear, the valkyrie frame associated with the perk in question is a clarketech supercomputer with mental interface, force-field projection, hyperspace inventory/arsenal, and self/user/inventory upgrading ability from an original quest on SV. Not the frame from Warframe.
Battle Action Harem Highschool Side Character Quest (No SV, you are the Waifu) Original
No SV, you are the WiFi. I'm pretty sure that this quest title started that rather awkward trend of No SV, you are x. Sorry. I'll fix this up later.
forums.sufficientvelocity.com
If by the ability to scale you mean tech upgrading aspect of the core, then keep in mind that it's limited by complexity of hardware it working on. WH30k tech has extremely complex, advanced and optimized components (for all that they can be combined in simple-looking ways, with simple tools). So no crazy upgrades in relevant time spans.
Symbolically, I'm not sure that you mean exactly. If it's armor/weapons, well he doesn't need to manifest them to benefit from core abilities. It would be too conspicuous.
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