Chapter 97: Accidents Happen When You're Bored
When Inquisitor Fenni found Omega, he was chasing Magos Laust, explaining that his Battle Automata were "completely fine." In fact, Laust hadn't asked anything about the suddenly appearing Automata Cohorts. This scene was purely a result of Omega's own guilty conscience. Because his Automata, if a certain hidden button was pressed in a specific rhythm, or if they received a specially frequency-encrypted code...
"I just upgraded the performance of the Automata. Although their appearance is a little different from the others, they are still controlled by the doctrina wafers."
"Although I've also upgraded the performance of the doctrina wafers, I haven't changed the framework of the Protector, Conqueror, and Aggressor protocols."
"..."
"I've also only 'slightly' optimized the content of the protocols, to make the Automata more flexible. But they will absolutely not perform any actions outside of the protocols."
"Alright, alright, I know. As long as you know what you're doing," Laust said helplessly. He was now wondering if he had been too strict with Omega.
"Hmm, I'm not explaining this to you because I have a guilty conscience. I just don't want you to worry," the guilty little cog-head said, not meaning a word of it. Just then, he saw Fenni striding over and quickly greeted her, trying to change the subject. "Inquisitor Fenni, what took you so long?"
Unfortunately, the diversion failed. "Omega," Fenni began, "what's with those Battle Automata?"
"Haha, I was just worried about the priests and apprentices. So I arranged for some Automata to be their bodyguards," Omega explained awkwardly.
"Phew... I thought you..."
"Don't worry," Omega interrupted. "I know the importance of the plan. We of the Adeptus Mechanicus are professionals when it comes to protective excavation. We'll definitely do our research before we make a move."
The Inquisitor, who now knew what cog-heads were like, just gave him a roll of her eyes and handed him the data-slate in her hand.
Omega took the compiled data from Fenni and eagerly began to read. The data was very detailed, recording the course of the Genestealer rebellion on Barratt from beginning to end. As he read, Omega also noticed that there was more than one recorder, as the writing style was clearly different. He didn't know what had become of these recorders, and could only hope they were well.
After finishing the data, and confirming that there were no weapons on Barratt that could threaten the Cogboy, Omega, for once, acted霸氣. He had the Cogboy fly its void shields directly into the planet's low orbit, hovering directly above the hive where the Planetary Governor's palace was located.
Having done this, Omega, who had worked himself into a frenzy, had originally thought he would experience a thrilling adventure. But it turned out that everyone was busy, and he had nothing to do. His backside had hardly moved from his mechanical throne.
Laust had taken Paul and a group of experienced cog-heads and had, by hacking into Barratt's still-functioning data network, infiltrated the deepest parts of the world's data network, to dig up any technical information from the bottom up, to deduce and find the world's advanced past, and thus, to find any lost technology that might exist on Barratt.
Command was handled by Aedus and the other Lexmechanics. By integrating and analyzing the data sent back from the advance teams, they predicted and arranged the next course of action, and dispatched the ready personnel and supplies on the ship.
Rhea and Louis had already gone down to the top of the hive. They were on site, collecting samples of the Genestealers and managing the technological relics found in the spire.
Jacob was also using his Techno-Magus's talent for bold hypotheses. He and a group of Tech-Priests were searching for legends of strange devices and lost cities in the myths and history books collected from the palace, to sniff out the scent of lost ancient relics and technology.
Everyone had something to do, except for Omega. It wasn't that he hadn't offered to help, but they had all told him to go back to his throne and sit tight. The implication was that the role of a ballast stone was to be a ballast. If he wasn't sitting on his throne, they wouldn't feel at ease. Omega had no choice but to trudge back to his mechanical throne and sit down.
"Why is this not what I imagined?" Omega muttered to himself, dejected.
The Inquisitor, who had been watching everything, really didn't know how to comment. She had also learned something new today. She had seen what a cog-head who was truly showing his skills was like.
As for the Genestealers, what Genestealers? Were you asking about the ash on the ground, burned by the Automata's incinerators? Or the paste on the wall, pounded by their fist-sized power fists? Or the fools who had shot themselves with their own ricocheting bullets, deflected by the Automata's defensive shields?
"I don't feel involved at all," Omega said from his throne.
"What? Your men are capable. What are you not satisfied with?" Fenni asked.
"Err... I just don't feel involved. I don't get the feeling of 'pew-pew, dakka-dakka'."
"..."
"Mama, are we going to die?" a tiger-headed little boy asked, his innocent question the cruelest of all.
His mother, who was carrying him on her back, heard his question, and tears dripped onto the ground. But she wiped them away with one hand and raised her husband's former weapon with the other. She forced a smile. "No, Mama will protect you."
"But I don't want to be protected by Mama. Daddy died to protect me—"
The mother, who had been trying to be strong, could no longer pretend. She fell to her knees and prayed with a pious attitude, "Great Emperor! Merciful Majesty! I beg you, look here! As long as this child can be saved! As long as he..."
But in the end, she did not attract the Emperor's attention. What she attracted were the Genestealers who were searching for survivors. The Tyranid genes gave these monsters a keener sense, allowing them to detect the sounds made by the hiding survivors.
The Genestealers did not hide their movements. Instead, they deliberately let out roars. They liked the smell of human fear, the terrified expressions, and the desperate cries.
The mother and son, hiding in the secret room, also heard the deliberate sounds of the Genestealers. The mother knew they were doomed. She did not point the gun outside, but at her child.
"Forgive Mama, okay?" she said, tears streaming down her face.
"Hmm. I'm going to find Daddy, Mama."
The sounds outside grew closer, but the sound of the trigger being pulled did not come. She couldn't do it. Even though she knew it was the best choice, she still couldn't do it. But she also knew she couldn't hesitate any longer.
"Child, forgive Ma—"
Crash!
"Roar! Enemy!"
"Enemy your ass! How do you like this move?!"
Zap!
The sounds outside made the mother instantly move the gun away from her child. She heard the sounds of fighting. She heard a human voice. Although she knew there was no force here that could resist those monsters, even if it was just a glimmer of hope, she was not willing to give up.
"The two of you inside, come out. It's safe now," a voice called from outside.
Although she didn't know how the other party knew they were here, a hero who could defeat those monsters must be extraordinary. The mother, her courage to live rekindled, squeezed out the last of her strength, little by little, moved away the debris blocking the exit, and, with her son on her back, walked out step by step.
When she came outside, she saw a few normal humans, a red-robed half-machine, and a half-naked blue man covered in "tattoos," and behind them stood three tall "giants." The former noble lady, seeing this scene, quickly greeted the red-robed cog-head, "Thank you for saving us, honored Priest."
The cog-head, who was bending over and examining a Genestealer, waved his hand and pointed to the Electro-Priest beside him. "Don't thank me. It was this blue master who found you, and it was he who saved you."
"Thank you, Blue Master!"
"Hahaha, it was nothing. This little guy is quite sturdy. Do you want to serve the Motive Force with your uncle? When you grow up, you can zap whoever you want, just like your uncle."
With his years of experience in recruiting, the blue master could tell at a glance that the tiger-headed child on his mother's back was good material for an Electro-Priest. His love for talent made him feel that he should settle the matter of master and apprentice early, before the bastards from the Fulgurite faction could snatch him up.
The cog-head's mouth twitched at his words, but he didn't want to offend these battle-maniacs, so he pretended not to hear and continued to fiddle with the Genestealer at his feet. The child's mother, by a mother's intuition, wanted to take her son far away from the Electro-Priest, but he had saved them. Her upbringing would not allow her to be so rude.
While she was still thinking of how to tactfully refuse, the child on her back was already attracted by the electric arcs dancing on the Electro-Priest's fingers. He asked curiously, "Really? When I grow up, I can go zap?"
"Of course!"
Omega didn't know that the poisonous hand of the Black... Brotherhood had already reached out to the children. He had let the Electro-Priests come down not only to let them vent their desire to zap people, but also because he valued their ability to sense the bio-electromagnetic fields of living things. This ability was very useful for both reconnaissance and searching for survivors.
The news of the survivors made the bored Omega happy for a rare moment. He had not yet found any technology or relics in the top of the hive that interested him. These things, which were good in the eyes of others, he really looked down on. No matter how prosperous a hive was, it could not be compared to a Forge World. So the "treasure hunting" was for others, not for him.
Just as the bored Omega was starting to think about whether he should sneak down, a small fleet of armed merchant ships and frigates appeared outside the planet of Barratt. He had thought it was a merchant who didn't know this place had fallen, but seeing the Inquisitor's ashen face, he knew the newcomers were not friendly.
"Omega, pirates are here!"