|Alren — Veteran of Moebian 21st Regiment|
I walk alongside a dozen guards toward the workshop of the Beacon of Humanity. For the first time in a very long time, I feel content—truly content—and I feel the urge to defend something with all my heart.
Not because of an order. Not because of Propaganda. Not because of the preacher telling me that the God-Emperor demands my absolute loyalty. It is coming from within my soul—the desire to fight.
I, like many born in Tertium, joined the Imperial Guard to escape the tyranny of Atoma's nobles. But now, for once in my life, I want to protect someone from those in higher positions.
I have seen what His Holiness Kael has built—what he has offered—and I want to defend it. He is the light this planet needs. He is the guiding light the Imperium needs. He is truly the Beacon of Humanity.
And I will ensure his vision becomes a reality.
Watching people like me walk around with smiles… children laughing with Ogryn… The people from the Underhive. The scums of the hive. The beggars of the underhive. All of them working together, content and with hope in their eyes.
It awakens something inside me. A desire to protect the future I once believed impossible.
It has been one week since we arrived in the Sanctuary, and so much has changed. Sanctuary now stands as a massive outpost outside Tertium. According to the rumor, the Inquisition plans to destroy the Hive one sector at a time and replace it with Sanctuary.
I don't know the full plan, but I suspect they intend to rebuild Tertium—with Sanctuary as its center. A new Hive built around hope instead of misery. The thought alone makes me smile a little.
A new contingent of Mechanicus arrived with heavy tools to rebuild the fortress. I watch people work in harmony—without a single complaint. In fact, they seem eager to labor and fulfill their duties.
I understand the reason why. In fact, I want to join the labor if not for the direct request from His Holiness himself to come to his Holy Workshop.
His Holiness Kael ordered that workers receive larger portions of water and food, and real food at that—not the nutrient sludge the Administorum mass-produces. I still remember the taste of the fruit called apple… and I look forward to eating more.
When I return to the labor camp, I will receive a snack of my choice during my break time. I will pick apples again. There is another fruit called an orange, but apples… apples are sweet. Sweetness is a rare luxury in this world.
One Commissar grumbled that good food makes soldiers weak—but he couldn't do anything about it. The order came directly from His Holiness Kael, after all.
Because of this, the Commissars now train us twice as hard, and honestly? I prefer it. There's something about knowing a hot meal is waiting that makes training easier, even enjoyable. It's even better when you know they are delicious and fill your stomach.
I snap from my thoughts when we reach the workshop, and the door opens. His Holiness Kael stands inside wearing a strange blue surgical gown, with one of the Biologis beside a surgery table.
"Ah, welcome!"
His warm voice feels like a wave of energy washing over me. The preachers were right—the presence of the God-Emperor is comforting and divine. I expect to feel His warmth only in death… yet Kael gives something close.
"The reason I called all of you here is to enhance you with bionics."
He gestures to the Guardian beside him.
"As you can see, these cybernetics will increase your strength, dexterity, and speed. We need every advantage for the incoming war."
I nod at him in agreement. I can taste war in the air. As a veteran Guardsman, I know when battle approaches—and the scent of war grows stronger by the minute.
"The Commissars and Sergeant Major Marrow chose you as those worthy of cybernetic upgrades."
He steps aside from the surgery bed.
"So, please lie down. We will begin."
The first volunteer is a woman from the Heavy Weapons Squad. She and her team saved mine once. As she lies on the table, His Holiness and the Magos Biologis begin the procedure. The first thing he does is to inject something inside of her, and I watch her fall asleep.
When she is asleep, His Holiness starts to perform the surgery. I watch him cut into her body, putting something inside, and changing some of her body with machinery that I don't understand.
It is fascinating to see how he moves around. It is like someone creating art. He moves at such speed that he moves even faster than the Biologis—if such a thing is possible.
I've heard stories of Tech-Priest surgeries being messy, brutal affairs. But this… this is clean. Efficient. Beautiful. His Holiness works with such precision and confidence that it feels like watching someone who has performed these surgeries for millennia.
In forty minutes, it is done.
She wakes moments later—taller, nearly two meters. Muscled, sharp-eyed—reborn. Her eyes gleam brighter, sharper, alive.
"Next."
Without hesitation, I step forward.
I am ready to receive the blessing of the Beacon of Humanity.
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|Taldius Beta 221 — Macrotek of the Adeptus Mechanicus|
Ah~ What a blessing it is to work beside the Second Coming of the Omnissiah.
At first, I was ready to declare Hadron a heretek for claiming she had found a Second Coming of the Omnissiah. But upon arriving here… I heard them.
The Machine Spirits are singing and praying to Him.
They sing to Lord Kael. Every machine spirit sings the song to praise Lord Kael, the Second Coming of the Omnissiah.
After hearing all of them, I know that he is the second coming of the Omnissiah. He shapes metal with his hands. He bends machines to his will. He breathes life into his creations. And now? He blesses the fortress with a wondrous creation.
The first one is a heatproof gel that can absorb any heat-based attack to the point it can rival Ceramite. It can give this heat-resistance property to anything coated with this gel. In fact, I've ordered the servitors, low-ranking tech priests, and servants to mass-produce this gel using the machines that the Omnissiah created. According to the data, the coating process is already at 85% and should be completed in 21 hours and 10 minutes.
Such a thing should be impossible—but the Omnissiah has made it so.
Next, the Omnissiah crafted something the Inquisition adores: A medallion forged from a synthetic material of His own creation.
A medallion that vibrates and glows red in the presence of Chaos-touched individuals. It is sensitive enough to detect corruption within 10.2 meters, and can be extended by a sanctioned Psyker.
The material mimics the property of energy it absorbs, and the medallion already absorbs the Cleansing Flame of the Omnissiah, making it something that Chaos fears. The STC fragment alone is a monumental gift for humanity's war against Chaos, as this material can also absorb the Physics Null energy of the Blank Gene, making it a perfect weapon against Psykers and Chaos.
Truly, this is a blessed age.
And now I stand before His latest masterpiece. At its simplest, it is a massive forcefield generator capable of shielding the fortress. A barrier strong enough to withstand a sustained orbital bombardment—depending on the weapon type—even without severe damage.
But what fascinates me most is the nature of the barrier.
It uses Dark Matter to deflect incoming attacks. Weak attacks are reflected back at double their original velocity. Even the blessed Heavy Bolters cannot penetrate this barrier; instead, they will be reflected back.
There are two weaknesses of this barrier: the first is that it is not as effective against energy-based attacks. Lastly, while the barrier can block attacks from the outside and allow people to fire from the inside, it cannot prevent people from entering the barrier.
That makes it very weak against close combat.
This is where the Guardsmen and others will fight harder to make sure enemies cannot enter the barrier.
Truly… magnificent.
The Machine Spirits within are fiercely protective. They sing the Song of Protection and the Song of Destruction. They long to serve. They long to defend.
I place my hand upon the cold steel and listen to their hymn—
"Macrotek Taldius."
I pause and answer the Vox.
"This is Macrotek Taldius Beta 221. Report."
"A warp signal has appeared. Warp opening inbound."
"What is the signature?"
"Two Void Ships bearing the mark of the Salamanders."
"ETA?"
"Two hours."
"Very well. We shall greet them at the landing zone."
A pity. I wished to continue studying this sacred machine. I have not yet heard the end of the Machine Spirits' song.
But duty calls.
I turn to the adepts.
"Perform your duty."
Then I leave the blessed chamber, preparing myself to speak to the so-called Angels of Death.
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