Chapter 38: Physical Models and Grand Plans
The report's findings brought relief to the company commanders, though tempered by apprehension.
The data indirectly confirmed what they had suspected: the stronger a being's spirit, the greater its resistance to corruption. Space Marines were far more resilient, both mentally and physically, than the Imperial Army.
When the Mechanicum delivered their report, the sages remained unusually quiet. Sage Julius spoke with measured calm.
"Over a thousand followers of the Endless God from the Titan Legion have been eliminated. They lingered at the base for far too long."
Those present absorbed the weight of his words. Omega realized that, as they moved the library's knowledge, so many had died simply because they had remained at the site too long.
Alpharius, visibly startled, made an immediate decision. He no longer wanted to delve further into the nature of the Endless God. His voice was cold and final. "The cost was quite high. Today's meeting will be kept in absolute strictest confidence."
"The fleet will not linger any longer. Depart immediately."
...
Fifty spaceships quickly disengaged and entered the Warp a day later.
As they transitioned through the Immaterium, Omega observed the daemonic diagrams outlined in countless colors swirling outside their Geller fields. He immediately forbade the Mechanicum from studying such knowledge.
Having spent nearly thirty years with the Alpha Legion and having absorbed psykers into its ranks, Omega possessed some understanding of the relationship between psykers and the Warp.
He knew that the Warp, like the god fragments, could not be destroyed by ordinary matter weapons, antimatter weapons, or even theoretical dark matter weapons. He suspected that the strange effects of warp travel were somehow related to consciousness and thought itself.
In fact, this could be answered through a simple process of elimination: the Immaterium was not related to matter but to consciousness. This conscious space could affect spatial distance, compress it, distort it, traverse it in ways that defied conventional physics.
Psychic energy existed within the Immaterium, so Omega classified the Warp as a space of consciousness, filled with it.
After witnessing the extraordinary abilities of many psykers that seemed to defy all common sense, Omega still believed that the physical universe offered the most reliable explanation. He firmly believed that uncontrollable forces were too terrifying.
Only science and reason could properly control and empower such forces.
After completing the Immaterium jump and returning to realspace, Omega's fleet rejoined the separated elements of the larger force and resumed cleanup operations.
Although Alpharius was certain that the Eleventh Primarch was the Warmaster of the Rangdan, several months had passed without any communication from Holy Terra. The Emperor had apparently yet to reach a conclusion on the matter.
Omega reasoned that if the Emperor felt comfortable deploying Angron, a being with Butcher's Nails embedded in his head, rendered capable only of violence and rage, then the Eleventh Primarch would likely prove acceptable, regardless of his nature or background.
Omega had long suspected that the Imperial hierarchy viewed many Primarchs as tools, without regard for what those Primarchs themselves thought or desired.
While the Alpha Legion cleared out remaining Rangdan forces across the region, large teams of Tech-Priests sorted and classified the vast quantity of alien knowledge that had been acquired. The four tech-sages spent several months aboard the three strictly confidential Mechanicum warships, analyzing their prize.
Because the nature of warfare had shifted away from large-scale void engagements, Omega entrusted command of planetary operations to Company Commander Skol.
Omega himself devoted his time to studying the combined alien physics knowledge that the sages had translated and correlated with Mechanicum archives. Working with the aid of the bridge's Thinker Array supercomputer, Omega constructed an entirely new physical theory model.
He began with fundamentals: matter could be broken down into countless smaller units. Below molecules existed atoms and the periodic table. Below the atoms existed neutrons. Below the neutrons, quarks, gluons, and neutrinos existed. Below quarks existed even smaller microscopic particles and dark matter particles. Below dark matter particles existed gravitons.
Further subdivision continued until reaching the Planck scale and eventually the quantum state itself.
Each subdivision represented an order of magnitude, a continuous refinement of physical theory.
By leveraging both Mechanicum theoretical knowledge and Rangdan alien science, Omega elevated his physical model directly to the scale of gravitons. This breakthrough would have taken conventional Mechanicum researchers centuries.
The alien archives even included techniques and theories regarding spatial jumps, knowledge that Omega found absolutely fascinating.
The Mechanicum's own knowledge was constantly collected and refined from the STC templates of Mankind's Golden Age.
However, only the highest leadership of the Mechanicum understood the four fundamental forces of physics. The Tech-Priests themselves were experts in applied technology, completely unaware of the underlying physical models that governed their creations.
This limitation had severely hindered progress. The Emperor's prohibition on artificial intelligence research had compounded the problem; without advanced supercomputer assistance, advancement was inevitably slow.
In the interstellar age, Omega understood, scientific progress was nearly impossible without supercomputer aid.
The Mechanicum's technological advancements derived entirely from STC templates, with improvements made through empirical iteration rather than from first-principles theoretical models.
As Omega worked through countless formulas and transformations to construct this new theoretical framework, something shifted in his understanding of the universe itself.
He experienced a qualitative leap in comprehension, seeing connections and patterns that had been invisible before.
Alpharius appeared nearby at some point, observing Omega in this state of deep concentration. He studied the countless formulas filling the display screens.
Omega gradually became aware of his presence and greeted him. Alpharius picked up one of the formula derivation notebooks and chuckled. "Brother, you seem even more like a sage than Julius. Thank goodness you're not researching psychic powers. Ha-Ha"
He gestured to the formulas surrounding them. "The Cult Mechanicus typically studies alien mechanical technology, weapon structures, and principles. It's rather strange to find you so deeply focused on pure theoretical mathematics."
Alpharius admitted to himself that he had initially worried that Omega might be secretly researching the xenos' biotechnology or psychic knowledge, or even pursuing an obsession with powerful weapons. But now he felt more at ease. At least these countless formulas contained no living beings or psychic forces.
However, having been educated by the Emperor and Malcador in his early years, Alpharius had mastered Imperial physics well enough to understand some of what he saw.
"Several sages proposed to me today," he said, settling into a nearby chair. "They want to expand the Alpha Legion's Mechanicum significantly. They need a large number of Tech-Priests and dedicated planets for research in order to provide us with the best equipment and weapons."
Alpharius smiled knowingly. "Clearly, these men have made enormous gains from our discovery and wish to integrate the mechanical knowledge we've acquired rapidly."
Omega stopped his work upon hearing this. He rotated his chair to face Alpharius fully, then rose and paced the bright, technologically advanced bridge, lost in thought.
When he finally spoke, Omega voiced neither objection nor mere acceptance. He strongly supported the sages' ambitions and proposed something far grander.
"Perhaps it's time for the Alpha Legion to focus intensively on development. We haven't had the opportunity before due to constant large-scale warfare, but now the conditions are finally right."
Omega's eyes grew distant as the vision took shape. "Let the sages construct a forge world. Have them create nine industrially and technologically advanced planets, with dozens of auxiliary planets to support them. Build a complete system specifically for the Alpha Legion's production and manufacturing. The infrastructure we've seeded across our territory over the years can be activated immediately."
Alpharius's expression shifted to one of genuine delight. "A miniature version of the Five Hundred Worlds? How interesting!"
He had not expected Omega to accept the expansion proposal merely; instead, he had expected Omega to conceive of something far more ambitious. It suited his own ambitions perfectly.
The two discussed the proposal further, and the more they spoke, the more they realized the scope of what they were envisioning.
They would need to design political systems specifically for these worlds, implementing all the governance methods they had previously researched and refined.
The sheer ambition of it made them look at each other and burst into genuine laughter.
When the tech-sages arrived to discuss their expansion request, they were visibly stunned by what Omega and Alpharius proposed.
They had expected approval, perhaps encouragement. What they had not anticipated was that the Primarchs would not only agree to their growth but would exceed their wildest expectations with an enormous opportunity.
Sage Prit, who had observed the Alpha Legion leaving behind administrative structures on conquered worlds over the past decade, shook his head in amazement. "You two... You didn't have this plan in mind over a decade ago, did you?"
Omega laughed. "Do you want to do this or not?"
The sages replied unanimously and with fierce determination: "Of course we'll do it!"
Because the massive project required enormous numbers of personnel, even Imperial Army officers were drawn into the planning. These mortal auxiliary troops enthusiastically supported the development initiative; they needed sophisticated weapons and equipment to reduce casualty rates during planetary operations.
Thus, while continuing active combat operations, the Alpha Legion's leadership simultaneously discussed grand plans. Because all parties shared aligned interests and common goals, everyone participated with genuine enthusiasm and proactive commitment.
...
Three months later, after Omega and the other senior members of the Alpha Legion had finalized this massive strategic plan, the XXth Legion Alpha Legion received urgent information from Holy Terra.
[End of Chapter]