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“He is rather large, yes.” You muse, measuring out a few more arcs and making a line with your quill.

Korash-22 shoots you a strange look that you don't quite parse.

“Despite that, he's a strangely comforting person. I feel more assured in my work, knowing that he is looking out for me.” You continue. “...even if that work is... ah... keeping a big plate safe.”

Korash-22's expression had changed further, one eyebrow going up. You still weren't quite sure what he was trying to convey to you. At your final words, he scoffed lightly. “Nonsense. Tis a holy relic. It's best kept in the guard of someone who... pardon my candor, but someone who does not have anything more important to do. The time of a priest should not be wasted on such trivialities, that's what we have apprentices for.”

“No offense is taken.” You reply. “Do you think of me as an apprentice, then?”

“No, you're someone who seems to be tripping her way into becoming an initiate. Even better, in our example.”

You smile a little. “So what is your interest in Corvus Lictor, if not spiritual? Properly entombing and consecrating the machine would not serve a practical purpose, would it?”

“You forget that I am a historian, girl.” Korash-22 smoothed out the map. “Merely studying the site of such a machine would be my honor, though I would be remiss to imply that Corvus Lictor serves no purpose. From your description, it is remarkably intact, the strength of the STC evident yet again. It may yet be restored to full functionality. Or at the very least, made part of other machines, such that it's legacy is carried on.”

“Ah, so still a practical feat.”

“I honor the gods in my own way.” Korash-22 rolled his eyes. “Machine God and Emperor all. Beyond what soothes the mind of a lector, I think to advance our position not just through faith, but the steel it preaches about. Nothing more. Restoration is equal to discovery and manufacture when it comes to honoring the machine. You would do well to remember that, if you continue to stumble.”

“Does Odrev have the industrial capacity for such a feat?” You glance up, pausing in your measuring.

“Don't be silly.” Korash-22 shook his head. “It would need to be transported off world, or somehow made better use of here.”

“Better use of?”

“There is many a titan that has ended it's life honored as a holy power generator.” Korash-22 waved his hand. “There are many uses for a particularly powerful and oversized plasma generatorium.”

You frown, slightly. “It seems like such a shame for a machine like that...”

“Even titans must cease their labors sometimes.”

“Mmm.” You move the compass a few more positions, making a line with the edge of a bone and dragging the quill along it. “Done.”

Korash-22 leaned in curiously, then frowned. “This is your entire route?"

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>>6035051
“Yes.” You nod, gesturing to the map. Across the topological map, you had drawn a series of rough lines- plotting every single minute turn you had remembered the convoy making in that time would have likely been pointless and confusing to read, so instead you have opted to draw straight lines across average sections. It wasn't perfectly accurate, but it was also representative of the actual route Cad had taken you across the floor on. Looking at how your remembered position diverged from the buoy lines on the map only confirmed that, although the actual distances were only estimations based on your memory of your rough speed and travel time. “From the elevator and across the floor...”

“I see that.” Korash-22 leaned closer. “You are sure of the positions?”

“I was distracted or asleep at several points...” You concede, taking a step back so that the Magos could lean over the map, tracing the lines with one of his augmetic fingers. “I am fairly certain it is accurate to within a kilometer of each point."

Korash-22's expression was strained as he traced along your route, his finger trailing off into the scrap piles that lay to the east of the route. “And your encounter with the titan?”

“You are roughly there, sir.”

“...that can't be.” Korash-22 sputtered. “We looked there. Surely you must be off."

You think for a second. “I'm sorry, Magos, but at worst, I would say this route would be off by... five kilometers?” Glancing to the side again, you retrieve the compass again and measure out a circle that would intersect the edge of the path you had drawn, five kilometers across. “If it was off, that would put it's location anywhere within this area.”

“But that can't...” Korash-22 stroked his chin. “...the spirits work in mysterious ways indeed.”

“So what will you do?” You ask.

“Search the area more thoroughly.” Korash-22 admitted. “Probably concentrate the skitarii I requisitioned in one place, then consult with a transmechanic as to the possible nature of sensor distortion from a malfunctioning augur array.”

“That is a more plain statement than I would have expected from a Magos."

“Perhaps I'm different than other Magi.” Korash-22 chuckled weakly. “There is a large amount of electromagnetic radiation in the foundations, it is not unreasonable there could be gaps in our data.”

>"If it helps, I could go down there myself? Retrace my steps?"
>"...you know, I have a certain... connection with Corvus Lictor. I think."
>"I wish you luck."
>Ask him about something else while you're here.
>[Write-In]

Pardon the lengthy delay. Part of why I was struck so off-guard by the last thread ending was that I was dealing with some stuff that would have caused delays anyway. We're back, now.

>>6035052
>"...you know, I have a certain... connection with Corvus Lictor. I think."
>Ask him about something else while you're here.
>[Write-In]
"Perhaps we could illuminate one another's paths, as much as I have enjoyed 'tripping', what should I expect if I continue here? I have done a... lesson?Assessment? Activity? With Artisan Trisa-Cant-8."

>>6035052
>>"...you know, I have a certain... connection with Corvus Lictor. I think."

>>6035052
>"If it helps, I could go down there myself? Retrace my steps?"
>"...you know, I have a certain... connection with Corvus Lictor. I think."

>>6035169
+1

>"...you know, I have a certain... connection with Corvus Lictor. I think."
Writing.

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“...you know, I have a certain...” You search for the words. “...connection with Corvus Lictor. I think."

Korash-22's head twitches minutely towards you, internal augmetics briefly whirring. There's a flash of white in the corner of your vision as he looks at you. “Is that so?" He says with forced calm.

“Ah.” You pause. Perhaps it was not wise to bring that up around such a secular techpriest. “I apologize. That was too forward of me.”

Korash-22 jerks slightly - in surprise this time, you think - and glances to you. He clears his throat carefully. “Not at all. I've been known to, when I hit a dead-end in my studies, make the occasional spiritual appeal for answers.” He glanced upwards, then added. “Or when it seems trivial, but don't tell the lectors that. If this keeps up, you might just have to make an appeal to Corvus Lictor on my behalf.”

You nod. “Of course, Magos.”

>"...you called me an initiate before. If I continue, uh, ‘tripping’, what comes next?"
>"Are priests with your beliefs common?"
>"I didn't even know the Mechanicus could make an appeal without a machine to pray to."
>[Write-In]

>>6035954
>>"I didn't even know the Mechanicus could make an appeal without a machine to pray to."

>>6035954
>"I didn't even know the Mechanicus could make an appeal without a machine to pray to."

>>6035954
>"I didn't even know the Mechanicus could make an appeal without a machine to pray to."

>>6035914
>too long tooo boring>>6035954 not enough options or orr rolling ops..

>so

SCP thread's? n e 2..

4 2

106 vs 096

go.

>"I didn't even know the Mechanicus could make an appeal without a machine to pray to."
Writing.

“I didn't even know the Mechanicus could make an appeal without a machine to pray to.”

“Data-meditation involves nothing more than a cogitator. It's quite common.”

“But a cogitator is a machine.” You frown. “And machines had to generate the data in the first place.”

“This is true.” Korash-22 allowed. “However, data in it's purest form is untethered from anything that is not one's mind.”

Your brow furrows. You could see how that made sense, at the very least in the sense that when you performed your own calculations, the information was rather firmly stored only within your mind... but wouldn't you still have to read it or gather it from somewhere...? “I'm not entirely sure I understand.”

“Perhaps that is to be expected.” Korash-22 turned away. “Regardless, if one lacks... ah... sophistication, you can make a crude appeal to the Omnissiah themselves. Think of it as... ah, attempting to draw the spirits back into a vessel they had fled. Yes, that's it.”

“So you would have me make a similar appeal to Corvus Lictor?” You say.

“Er- well, yes, that is what I'm saying.” Korash-22 demurred slightly. “I spoke out of turn, perhaps, there is really no reason to...”

>"I understand, Magos. I was merely curious."
>"Is it possible for you to teach me this?"

>>6037473
>>"I understand, Magos. I was merely curious."

>>6037473
>"Is it possible for you to teach me this?"
Speak to the lobot

>>6037473
>"I understand, Magos. I was merely curious."

>>6037473
>"Is it possible for you to teach me this?"

>>6037473
>"Is it possible for you to teach me this?"

>"Is it possible for you to teach me this?"
I'm realizing I narrowly averted "Is it possible to learn this power?" by inches in retrospect.

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“Is it possible for you to teach me this?” You learn forward.

“Oh, ah... it's a delicate ritual, Lebesnati, it varies by the focus involved, and there's no knowing that...”

“Does that mean it's possible?”

“It is, but to a layperson, it might as well be...”

“Tell me the steps, Magos. I will progress through them.”

Korash-22 looked nervous. “I do not wish to give the impression that this would be easy or even permissible. You are not even an ordained techpriest.”

“Would it be heresy?”

“Of course it's heresy!” Korash-22 snapped. “Is it not heresy for one of the laity to perform the rites of the Fabricator-General on Mars Itself? Of course it is!” He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I apologize. You are merely trying to gather knowledge.”

“I meant no offense.” You reply impassively.

“I know.” Korash-22 sighed. “What I am trying to say is this: this is not a simple rite. One does not do this without preparation, as it does not even have any guarantees. It is a very delicate rite, and a very secure rite. I would never guarantees- guarantees that you could not provide to me in a scant few days. One does not simply jump from initiate to priest in a few scant weeks.”

“And you could not do it for me? Or assist me?"

Korash-22 was silent for a few moments. “In theory I could.”

>[Logic/Strain] “You need to find Corvus Lictor through this interference. I want to know more about Corvus Lictor. We stand to gain more if we cooperate.”
>[Intuit/Strain] “Please, Magos. Tell me what I need to do.”
>[Logic] “If you cannot teach me, then point me to who can.”
>"I will not force your hand, but if you ever reconsider..."
>"I feel like I perhaps overstepped my bounds at some point in this exchange."
>[Write-In]

>>6038898
>>"I will not force your hand, but if you ever reconsider..."
>>"I feel like I perhaps overstepped my bounds at some point in this exchange."

>>6038898
>[Logic/Strain] “You need to find Corvus Lictor through this interference. I want to know more about Corvus Lictor. We stand to gain more if we cooperate.”

>>6038898
>>[Intuit/Strain] “Please, Magos. Tell me what I need to do.”

>>6038898
>[Logic] “If you cannot teach me, then point me to who can.”

>>6038898
>[Logic/Strain] “You need to find Corvus Lictor through this interference. I want to know more about Corvus Lictor. We stand to gain more if we cooperate.”
Bentus did you know you're a recurring character in a (pretty good imho) quest? >>6038980

>>6038898
>"I will not force your hand, but if you ever reconsider..."

>[Logic/Strain] “You need to find Corvus Lictor through this interference. I want to know more about Corvus Lictor. We stand to gain more if we cooperate.”
Writing.

>>6039756
Bentusi have wares if you have coin. Frankly it's just good taste to have Homeworld references, though tragically I don't read many quests when I'm actually running one. I have to be sort of careful with my media intake when I'm questing, or else I get distracted too easily.

>>6039891
Great example today, actually. Lately a friend has been streaming Andor for movie night, and so today I have three short Star Wars bits and am now out of time to write the update. So, uh, push that to tomorrow.

>>6040029
>three short Star Wars bits
Elaborate

>>6040259
I wrote three short shitpost-esque things for various Star Wars things about the length of a quest update, all of them related to obscure shitposts or campaigns I'd played in the past. I have a few notepad documents that I'm usually writing in on the side. A lot of times I find it difficult to focus on writing the quest if there's something else I've been thinking about, so it's good to keep the cobwebs clear.

I swear I'm working on the update and not just mainlining Elden Ring. It's actually turned out to be quite long so please bear with me.

>>6040903
I can't believe Bentus is fucking DEAD

>>6043855
How could you come into this thread- my own thread and say that to me.
I am so sorry this update is spiraling out of control. We might be on track for the longest update I've ever written. At first it was because the DLC was out but it's been three days and I haven't touched it because I've been writing.

>>6045756
>spiraling out of control
A recurring theme for your intentions with this 'one shot'. You consistently deliver though, so I'm keen.

>>6045849
It may not seem like it, but it's actually given me a ton of good insight into prep and the things that are valuable to prep for a quest (versus say a tabletop campaign) and the things that didn't matter. The first one hundred updates of this quest were buttery smooth sailing thanks to some new stuff I'm trying out behind the scenes.

>>6035053
Welcome back Bentus, just caught the thread now.

>>6045756
Your sacrifices are not in vain.

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“He agreed to that?” Trisa-Cant-8's face was contorted in something resembling confusion.

“Yes.”

“Korash agreed to that?" She asked again. “Korash-22? Not his half-brother I've never heard of, or a vatgrown replacement that escaped it's tank and started running around?” She caught the look on your face. “Er, sorry...”

The corner of your lip twitches. “I don't believe it was an apparition, no.”

Trisa-Cant-8 ran a hand back through her hair. “I'm sorry, I don't believe it. Korash hates taking students. He hasn't done it in years! Honestly, I'm not even sure why Alpha keeps him around.”

“Is that so strange?” You frown. “I doubt he needs to.”

“Well.” Trisa-Cant-8 paused. “This is true. A Magos is not actually required to take any students, that is what we have lectors for. Any Autohistoria at this temple would learn and work with him, of course, but...” She rubbed her temple with a hand and sighed, her cheeks briefly puffing up against the fit of her respirator. “Look, don't be surprised if he was just talking big. He may forget about you almost immediately.”

“Do you trust his word so little?”

“No, and that's what confuses me.” Trisa-Cant-8 sighed. “Korash is a respected Magos, but he's definitely a solitary one. He's always preferred to be cooped up with his prissy little histories playing socialite rather than actually advancing the Quest like the rest of us.”

“Is history not part of the Quest?” You frown. If there was another Quest beyond the Quest for Knowledge, you were probably about to embarrass yourself.

“It- well, it is.” Trisa-Cant-8 sighed. “But Korash has always been... choice about his discoveries. He is obstinatus. Non-collaborative. No less brilliant than any other Magos- certainly he's a more enlightened priest than any who actually teach in this temple. But this is a place of learning, not study. And in such a sacred place, to... be consumed mostly with paper and books...”

“I thought paper would count as a technology.”

“The lectors would praise you for that line, A-4. Keep it in mind for later.” Trisa-Cant-8 sighed. “Forgive me for my petty disparagement. If nothing else, him sponsoring you will prove to be a good thing socially, yes? He has many friends.”

You nod, slowly.

The source of her disdain for him wasn't entirely clear to him. Korash-22 certainly had an odd field of study for a techpriest, but...

...was her disdain for him because he still had a mouth? That might be a shame, you rather liked your lower jaw. Or. Actually, perhaps that was it. Korash-22 was noticeably light on augmentations for a techpriest of his rank. That combined with his inclinations...

You decide to venture something. “I've noticed that he seems to be sparingly augmented for a Magos.” You say idly.

>>6051255
“Yes!” Trisa-Cant-8 turned to glance at a nearby flashing rune on a cogitator, mechadendrites thrashing behind her in agitation. “It's just not natural. He rarely gets upgraded- not even subtle ones like me, just not augmenting himself. I tell you, he trusts too much in his own flesh, he's just like a Genetor, except even they still improve on themselves!"

“...do I count as augmented or no?” You tilt your head in thought.

“You are very much augmented, A-4.” Trisa-Cant-8 turned back and raised an eyebrow. “Perhaps not... conventionally, but needless to say you are not dissimilar to someone with high-grade cortex enhancement, or perhaps redesigned neural architecture.”

“Thank you?”

“You're welcome.” Trisa-Cant-8 sighed. “Okay, first of all- bring that cable around. If that idiot is going to fail to train you on even the basic fundamentals, I might as well.”

---

“You are sure about this?” Korash-22's earlier hesitation and discomfort had vanished as soon as it came. He fixed you with a look from across the table, eyebrow raised questioningly, looking almost amused at the situation now, as if he was unsure of whether he was in on the joke or not.

“I have nothing to lose.”

“Except time.” Korash-22 turned towards his desk again. “Of which those not blessed by the machine have in limited supply.”

You glance up at the ceiling, towards where you imagined the hive towers might be. “Time spent idling away in this place, contributing nothing but keeping a plate safe. It's not like I'll ever get to where I belong.”

“I thought I said your willingness to sit on that thing was an admirable trait of yours.” Korash-22 raised an eyebrow, carrying a small wooden box in his hands. He lifted the lid, pulling out a small ornamental cogwheel cast in steel. The workmanship was surprisingly rough, the intricate symbol blunted at the center where the mold has obviously overrun. “Eh, what's one more clumsy apprentice running around? Come here.”

You step away from the table where Korash-22 had lain out the charts, closer to the open space at the side of the room- near to the Magos' private shrine.

“Kneel.” Korash-22 nodded in front of him.

Reaching down, you lift the hem of your skirt and sink onto your knees, tucking the end under your legs. Steadying yourself, you look up at Korash-22, who was not even taller than usual compared to you. Despite that, the hunch of his back let the two of you look each other in the eye.

The cog symbol dangled loosely from the palm of his augmetic hand. It hung low as he held it out towards you, then gently pressed the symbol against your forehead with a thumb.

>>6051256
“Tankborn series A, unit number 414, designation Lebesnati, you stand on the precipice of the great cog of the Omnissiah. The chains will only tighten from here. There is time to free yourself now, but make no mistake, should you continue down this path, the chains will bind you to the cog. It will purge your weakness - and with it, your flesh - and you will belong to Him forever. Do you begin this endeavor with a clear mind?”

You hesitate for a second. This wasn't what you had planned for yourself, but...

No. The moment had passed.

“Yes, Magos.”

“Very well, then repeat after me: here, I take upon the solemn duties of one who follows the Omnissiah's laws..."

“Here, I take upon...”

---

“Magos, may I ask a question?”

“Of course you may, A-414.” Alpha-Nought-5 answered without turning.

“What are those wheels in your shoulder for?”

“Hmm.” Alpha-Nought-5 made a strange sound, one partially done by his human mouth, but also with his vox-speaker. “What do you think they are?”

“They appear to be wheels...” You hesitate. “But they aren't gyroscopes... I think. They seem to engage at arbitrary times, but I cannot say what their function is."

“That is a good answer.” Alpha-Nought-5 nodded. “It is better to admit when one is ignorant. Revelation: they are augmetic devices known as data wheels. Each one contains several reams of high-yield crystalline storage medium, allowing me to transcribe several million standard-sized logs to them instead of my standard memory.”

“So they extend your memory?” You frown, peering closer at one. “They seem incredibly large. My brain and it's extensions will contain sufficient capacity for my memories for at least three hundred Terran years. Do you really require so much?”

A bark of static that you were beginning to realize was Alpha-Nought-5's closest equivalent to a laugh came from his vox-caster. “These wheels alone could contain several thousand years of high-grade digital memory, but no. Their purpose is to record the input from my augmetic sensors array and memory buffers in the short term, pending decanting to an external data reservoir.”

You unwind his words in your mind for a moment. “They contain temporary sensor data?”

“That is correct.”

“Why are they so large, then?”

“They must contain vast quantities of data. Tell me: do you know my specialty as a Magos?"

“...storage?” You glance at the oversized data-wheels.

“You are partially correct. It is observation. I specialize in measuring instruments. The analytical engines in this forge - such as the ones currently being used to process your plate - were built by me. My body contains vast quantities of blessed augmetic sensors, and they require local short term buffers for their logs.”

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>>6051259
“What is there to record?” You glance around the forge. For maintenance, everything had been shut down. The small oil spritzer in your hands was probably the most complex machine in the room that was functioning. Even with your own powers of observation, there didn't seem to be much worth remembering at all.

“There is much to be seen that's hidden to the weak and unaugmented eye.” Alpha-Nought-5 turned back to his own maintenance duties. “Thermal essence, radioactive particles, even the psychic signature of living things.”

The oil rag in your hand pauses. “It's possible to detect such a thing with a machine?”

“All things are possible with the machine, A-414.” Alpha-Nought-5 droned. “It is called a psyocculum. My personal research into the pattern has allowed me to rediscover techniques that allow accuracies up to ninety-four percent in identifying psykers and those tainted by warpcraft.”

“...ninety-four percent?” You frown. “What's the baseline?”

“Forty percent based on instinctual revulsion alone.” Alpha-Nought-5 turned to you. “You can tell many things by the frequency and spectra of such readings, even beyond whether someone is merely tainted by the Warp or not. Emotional disturbances, a lack of faith, inferiorities of the spirit are all laid bare- the instinctive flesh reaction of ‘wrongness' can be quantified and measured, to borrow the analog term. We can see whether those around us are less than human.”

“...are you referring to me, Magos?” You try not to let the disappointment show on your face.

Alpha-Nought-5's wheels spun quickly for a moment as he looked you over. “No, initiate. I am not. Whatever psychic traits you may have, they are no different than those of any other person I have ever sampled. To me, at least, your humanity has never been in question.”

---

“Sacred geometries?” Trisa-Cant-8 grimaced behind her respirator, reaching up and gripping the great bronze chains hanging from the foundry gate with leather gloves. “That's what he's teaching you?” She pulled down with a grunt, servo-arm whining softly as it ripped the chain through it's mooring, exposing red-hot bronze to the air.

“Yes, what of it?” You frown, struggling to throw your share of the chain behind you with the same ease.

“Nothing.” She shrugged. “It's just that it's...” With a grunt, she heaved the mess of chains back, sending the lengths of metal spilling behind her. “Parlor tricks! Mystic communion that only exists as a parlor trick to impress guests.” Rather than let yourself be dragged with the hot metal, you simply let go, the metal clattering across the floor as the foundry gate opened and oozed molten metal down the spout. She turned back to you, waving a finger in your face. “It's superstitious nonsense that has no meaningful convergence with the Omnissiah, and don't let any of these illogical whelps imply otherwise.”

>>6051261
“...did you not study them when you were an initiate?” You ask, tilting your head.

“I-” Trisa-Cant-8 grimaced. “Yes. I did, once. But just because I was stupid and believed whatever my masters told me as an apprentice doesn't mean we should be filling the heads of initiates full of junk.” The finger in your face beckoned you to follow as she turned away, walking over to the casting basin where a few initiates clumsily tried to manage servitors by pushing their arms towards the correct basins with long metal prongs.

“Shouldn't I believe what my teachers say, rather than doubt them?” You tug gently on your gloves as you follow, making sure the thick forge leathers stayed put. You were grateful for Cad's jacket in this place- it stood up to the abuse far better than the forge-issued leathers did, and it fit better, too. Trisa-Cant-8 said it was something about it being natural fibers.

“You'll find one day that not everything a techpriest says is true.” Trisa-Cant-8's voice was dry, even without accounting for dehydration. “Especially if they're outside their field. And depending on who you ask, not even inside their field. That goes double both ways for Magi who rarely have anyone who isn't also a Magos tell them they're wrong anymore.”

“And what about you?” You ask, following.

“Oh, you should trust everything I say implicitly.” Trisa-Cant-8 hefted a hammer, holding the shaft out to you. “Artisans only make, so the only time we'll tell you ‘no’ is when it's physically impossible. Also, I'm a genius and you have to do what I say anyway. Now, I want you to hammer this one out by hand today.."

“My endurance is not the highest.”

“The flesh is weak, yet willing. I want you to show me you understand how annealing works.” Trisa-Cant-8 folded her arms. “Begin.”

---

“Stop.”

The piece of chalk came to a stop, lingering for a moment on the floor as you carefully lifted it from the laminated practice floor, stepping back so Korash-22 could lean in to examine your work.

He hummed with satisfaction as he stepped around the outline you had drawn. “Perfectly symmetrical, just as your first one.”

“My control over my fine motor function is precise.” You carefully flip the rod in your hand over, chalk still delicately clamped on it's end so you could draw on the floor without bending over. “Although these are fundamentally copies of the forms you have already shown me.”

“Is that not what most learning is, at it's core?” Korash-22 asked. “Copying something from another, with greater understanding each repetition? It is that which connects us, student to mentor, from now to the beginning of knowledge.”

“...that doesn't feel like what the Quest is supposed to be, though...” You frown.

>>6051264
“The Quest is for discovery.” Korash-22 turned to you. “There is no sense is discovering something twice. The Omnissiah gave us all, and we have discovered it again. To do so a third time implies a gross failure on our part, which would behoove us to swiftly and decisively rectify.” He paused in thought, then swept his hand across the symbol you had been drawing on the floor. A bounded circle, criss-crossed with binharic symbols, perfectly symmetrical in everyway. “Take this symbol for a moment. Does it serve a function in the Quest?”

“I would say so, Magos.” You allow the butt of the rod in your hands to rest against the floor, leaning it into the crook of your arm so you can fold your hands in front of you.

“Then what does it do? What machine is this?"

“...it's a ritual.” You shuffle slightly in place. “...is that not why we're doing this? To connect with the spirit of Corvus Lictor?”

“It is, but this...” He gestured. “This is not a machine. It is, at best, a distinction. A ritual to connect with the machine, a step.”

“A cog?”

Korash-22 smiled genuinely for once. “Yes, a cog. Steps upon steps that lead to outcomes. Nothing is unimportant, especially something that does the work of the Omnissiah. Even when that thing is not a machine. Now, draw the octograms.”

“Ah, yes. A question: should it not be a hexadecagram? For the Sixteen Universal Laws?"

“Eight.” Korash-22 held up a hand. “Eight laws and eight warnings. Eight by two. A binaric pair, which is in turn part of a continuous binaric series. The way we use symbols can lend them power.”

---

“Yeah, it's rough up here, buddy.”

You stop, hands deep into the network of pipes and oil exchanges that ran up past you and down behind you. The spaces in the rafters were a maze, a thousand corridors and gangways run across exposed chamber roofs and ventilation ductwork. Where a new chamber had been erected, a new walkway had been thrown down by servitors and a few bored acolytes, welding it in place and making room for a new outgrowth of supply and evacuation pipes.

There were greywater, blackwater, freshwater, medical saline, motive force conduits, even the rare pipe of pure floodstream supply that always seemed to be in high demand, despite you never seeing an outlet pipe for it. They grew up around the walkways at random, forcing you to brace against the railing and shove your hands deep into the tangle in order to reach what you had been sent for: Junction Kappa-25-40-Sinister. K-2540-Left. Or in other words, the hot water supply to the private forges of Adept Holizer Fest, who complained of a lack of hot water.

That had struck you as strange mostly because he was apparently a specialist in furnaces, but you were here to gain ‘experience with the practicalities of everyday prayer and rites’, according to Korash- rather, the grouchy enginseer he had thrust you upon for the ‘trivialities', as he put it.

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>>6051265
“Uhuh.”

You pause and turn on the railing, peering down the hallway with a frown. There was an actual wall and floor here, thankfully, but you didn't recall any upper chambers nearby for someone to be holding a meeting in. There were plenty of initiates and acolytes who stole their way up here for a moment of privacy away from the peering eyes of their masters, of course, but the voice sounded far too old to be that of even an acolyte.

Turning, you swivel your legs around and slip off the railing, tugging your jacket down around your midriff. By now, you were used to the curious sensation of it hanging a few inches above your ribs. It had an oddly girlish air to it that you found surprisingly tasteful, even with a scribe's robes.

Or an apprentice's robes.

You frown at the thought, pushing it from your mind as you draw closer to the corner, the voice echoing down from the hallway further on.

“Well, I'm looking for someone to sell me a girl.” A slightly soft, even man's voice came.

You stop. Maybe this was something you shouldn't investigate. The sound of vermin crawling in the pipes next to you made you glance over, and you mentally noted to relay to the maintenance technomats that T-2502-Right needed to be checked for holes later.

“No, not like that.” The voice continued with a sigh, though one that carried with it a surprising wistfulness. “It's like- apparently there's some guy here who sells hot girls who are really good at stuff? Oh, and guys, I guess. I'm always in the market for that sort of thing, especially because recently I found out you have to actually pay the Tithe?”

...wait, did you know that voice...?

Stepping forward, you gently grabbed a pipe and peeked around the corner. Kneeling in the dust and grime, his suit still well-kempt if but for a few wrinkles and a cape he'd clearly slept on at least once already... was that idiot from the mess hall. What had he said his name was? You were drawing a distressing blank on the subject, which made you fear that something was wrong.

...actually, did he ever even tell you?

“Yeah, wild, I know. Anyway, the last two guys I hired went missing and I found the third one crushed under the ledgers, so I think I'm gonna need a specialist for this one.”

Something squeaked.

“I thought trained from birth, too, but apparently this is way better.”

You shake yourself out of your brief reverie and focus again on the distant figure. He was still as powerfully built before, though at some point he had retied his hair, pulling the dark dreads around his face into a more practical bunch behind his head. Glancing down, you noted the slow buildup of dust and grime on the cloak he held at his side, despite what appeared to be his best attempts to keep it clean, the rat he was talking to like it was an old drinking buddy, and the dust and water stains on his expensive shoes.

Wait, what?

>>6051266
You focus back on his hand, leaning further out of the corner to look at the man. In it, a black rat sat obediently, staring up at the man with beady eyes, though it's gaze wandered all over the room as he spoke to it. Every few seconds, it would look to move off his hand or wander elsewhere, but each time he would gently reach out and twist it around so that it would be looking at him again. Occasionally, he'd gently sit it up so that it looked him more in the eye, though it never did for long.

“No, I haven't thought about how I'm gonna pay for it, yet.”

It was shockingly well-kept for a feral rat, actually. It appeared to have kept itself clean despite the oily, chemical conditions up here. Actually, if you knew any more about rodent care, you'd swear it had been given a bath recently. However, you also knew nothing about rodent care. It wasn't a topic that scribes were expected to be versed in. In fact, you didn't think anyone was.

The rat stood up on it's haunches and made a few squeaks towards the man.

“Sorry bro, I don't have any grapes-"

You pull back around the corner. Actually, you think you were fine not knowing.

Why was he even up here?

---

“Initiate!”

You keep working, ignoring the grouchy lector shouting behind you. Some of the apprentices in the room would hopefully attend him quickly. He was a harsh taskmaster with anyone who was late, though you had the advantage of memory in that regard.

“Initiate. Initiate!" A hand grabbed your shoulder, digging it's augmetic fingers into your skin and spinning you around.

You winced at the feeling of your skin gently bruising from the rough contact, though as it was on your shoulder and not your thigh or chest, you at least didn't feel as if someone had punched you in the face. The screwdriver in your hand would have scored deep into the brass panel you had been screwing back into the wall, had you not yanked your hand back at the last second before he grabbed you.

You stammer slightly from your disorientation. “Y... yes, lector?”

“Accusation: You are performing the Sacred Rite Of Motive Force Temperance!” A face full of optics and breathing apparatus loomed in front of you, clicking and gently humming with the effort of operation. A dozen glowing green optics, normally zoomed out to the utmost extreme to see to his delicate work now retracted back, allowing the old instructor to fix you with the full weight of his derision.

“Ah...” You pause. “Yes, lector. I am?” You open your left hand, showing him the fuse you had just swapped out from beneath the cover.

“Reminder: You were charged with performing the Rite Of Engine Lubrication And Maintenance!" The old man hissed steam, gesticulating at the ancient lathing array that took up most of the room. "The first two holy steps of the Rites Of Maintenance And Repair have not been obeyed in this forge! You insult the machine by valuing it's lesser cousins over it!”

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>>6051268
“Ah, lector...” You glance at the engine. It was an old design, reliable and simple as all true STCs were. It was also tough, which was why they would even trust someone like you or other initiates to even touch it, much less work on it's sacred mechanisms. “It is already done?”

The optics twisted and spun a moment. “You dare? You dare claim such things?"

“Claim... what?” You tilt your head.

The lector's voice raised to a screech, making you wince. “Extrapolation: To perform such a rite takes an average of ninety three point four standard sweeps to properly and reverentially disassemble, oil in all ways and reassemble this most sacred and holy machine! I assigned you this task forty standard sweeps ago. Conclusion: The probability that you have executed this task at such a skill level as to rival that of a most holy disciple of the Omnissiah means that you, a lowly initiate-” He seems to have forgotten that you weren't exactly an initiate again. “-are either lying to me, or have against your better judgement bribed or extorted your fellow student to do this work in your stead out of sheer sloth.” He leaned in closer, hissing not like a wrathful man, but a pressure release valve. “And you will tell me who.”

“Er...”

>You actually had gotten someone else to do it...
>The procedure had several steps that didn't seem to do anything. In the name of improving, you omitted them.
>It was only a complicated procedure if you were worried about getting it wrong. You memorized it instantly and had executed it exactly as you were told.
>The procedure took a lot less time after you had made some changes to the lathe itself...
>[Genolysis] Using the hoists took too long, so you had simply lifted the heavy gears yourself.

So sorry for the delay on this one, folks. As you can see, it's quite a bit longer than usual, though honestly a part of me wonders if I should have broken my 'no choices that aren't important or character choices' rule and split it somewhere in the middle. Also, happy Freedom Day to those who celebrate it. We'll probably allow two days for voting both due to the length and also because half of the voters will probably be with their families instead of here.

>>6051269
>It was only a complicated procedure if you were worried about getting it wrong. You memorized it instantly and had executed it exactly as you were told.
Every other option is outright heresy, and our 'unconventional' augmentations and shaping have removed much of the weakness of our flesh and mind.
Welcome back Bentus, I praise your deliverance, my #1 fave quest.
Also, hell yeah we aren't a mutant freak, we're an augmented superhuman, AND we're apprenticed(?) to a well connected Magos, and on good terms with other seniors, though perhaps not all, as this lector seems highlight.
I think it was my idea in the first place to get that noble lost, but I feel guilty thinking he doesn't know his way out. Hopefully a maintenance team has found him and escorted him out.

>>6051273
Good to have you back Bentus.

>>6051269
>It was only a complicated procedure if you were worried about getting it wrong. You memorized it instantly and had executed it exactly as you were told.

>>6051269
>[Genolysis] Using the hoists took too long, so you had simply lifted the heavy gears yourself.

>>6051269
>>It was only a complicated procedure if you were worried about getting it wrong. You memorized it instantly and had executed it exactly as you were told.

>>6051269
>It was only a complicated procedure if you were worried about getting it wrong. You memorized it instantly and had executed it exactly as you were told.

Great update!

>>6051295
To be fair, it's only heresy if you get caught. This is just what A-4 did- there is a difference between the two.

>>6051269

>>It was only a complicated procedure if you were worried about getting it wrong. You memorized it instantly and had executed it exactly as you were told.

Welcome back Qm

>It was only a complicated procedure if you were worried about getting it wrong. You memorized it instantly and had executed it exactly as you were told.
Pretty much a landslide there, A-4 is a very diligent and exacting technomat it seems.

>>6053451
it beats the scary looking alternatives

You stare at him a moment. “Lector, that task takes me-” You stop yourself from saying ‘at most’ as you would normally. “-a minimum of twenty minutes in suboptimal working conditions to perform this rite. I am experienced in it at this point.”

“Within a mere three duty periods?” The lector's optics narrowed on you.

“I have memorized the procedure.” You say levelly, walking over to the lathe. “As you are aware, steps twenty through forty three are intended to be done progressively with the execution of steps nineteen and forty four, but they can also be done simultaneously. The primary delay I have seen in my fellow... initiates is that they mispronounce the incantation of obeisance before replacing the cam, requiring them to begin again from step thirty three. I have not forgotten the pronunciation, and I paid attention while you taught us it. That is all.”

The lector shot you a suspicious look. “Unit A-414, is it not? Your memory is prodigious for someone so... lacking in augmentation. One of your... ‘gifts’, then."

“Yes, lector.” You look up at him. “A gift that will hopefully allow me to match your instructions exactly.”

“Pah...” The lector spit slightly behind his vox-grille, impressive since you were fairly certain he did not have a mouth anymore. “Call the overreach of genetors whatever you wish, initiate. They pale next to the machine in the end, you'll see if you ever reach augmentation...” He grumbled something, turning away.

You curtsied after him, your expression still impassive as he stalked across the room to chastise another initiate. Straightening, you turned around and began to once again loosen the covers on the Motive Force conduits. Dogma-Xi-3, lector and harsh taskmater, though you were sure he had the best interests of the Mechanicus at heart by being so exacting in his demands on the initiates. At least, you hoped so- otherwise he would be devastated if he realized that his method of castigation was inherently inefficient.

---

“That's because they're regular humans, Leb.” Trisa-Cant-8 turned, tossing the freshly worked metal onto a bed of metal mesh, dissipating the heat of the worked piece without tempering it. “Regular humans don't have augmented memory, they have to learn the normal way."

“...I don't know what the normal way is.” You glance over.

Trisa-Cant-8 took a breath to reply, then let it out. She shrugged, turning to pick up another piece of metal with the tongs. “You're getting good at this.” She nodded at the finished blanks in the mesh basket. “A servitor would be faster, but that's not the point.”

>>6054624
“It's just repetition.” You lift the simple forge hammer, wincing at the weight and heat. You'd stood the heat of the forge for ten minutes without a break today, nearly double of when you'd started. That was... not very impressive. But it was better. “I will improve with time if nothing else, even if I do so without learning anything I'm supposed to."

“What makes you say that?” Trisa-Cant-8 dropped the blank onto the anvil in front of you, turning up the passive heating of the worktop again. “Have you gleaned nothing from your lectors?”

“I do learn things.” You grunt, raising the hammer and bringing it down on the blank with a thud. It barely changed with the impact- but again, the key was repetition. “But I learn rites and procedures. I feel very little closeness with the machine, only... doing things to it.”

“That's what you do, in the beginning...” Trisa-Cant-8 shrugged. “We can't develop a greater spiritual appreciation for something we haven't done before. That's how you get technomats- people who can't see the deeper spiritual meaning to things.”

You frown slightly, but instead of replying you focus on lifting the hammer again, keeping up the rhythm of beats with each rebound off the metal.

“Well, what do you feel a connection to? You said ‘little’, not ‘none’.”

You pause and think for a moment.

>[Augmenticist] The mechanical counterparts to yourself- the ways that people changed themselves to be beyond human, and yet... somehow more human. Like yourself.
>[Artisan] What you were doing now, working metal and circuits. Making things, for destruction and building- after all, you'd stood before one of the mightiest weapons ever conceived.
>[Datasmith] You had only worked with a cogitator once- calling it ‘communion’ would be an insult to the practice. Yet, you thought about it far too often...
>[Medicae] Paradoxically, the thing nobody had taught you. The thing everyone ignored- flesh and bone, but it was the stuff from which you were built.

>>6054626
>[Medicae] Paradoxically, the thing nobody had taught you. The thing everyone ignored- flesh and bone, but it was the stuff from which you were built.

Self-interest in the genetors and saving the driver Errat's life:

>Your hand tightens slightly on the bandage. You just didn't know. That was the problem, in the end. You just didn't know. You felt like half a person, your mind unfinished- worse than unfinished, it was like you had been shot full of holes and never mended. What you desperately needed was to know, but that more than anything else was denied to you down here. Your heart felt cold in your chest, giving you a rush of shame as you realize that your own problems have made you hesitate while a man suffers in front of you.

>Did you even believe in anything? All you had was the faintest hope that you weren't worthless. That you shouldn't have just laid down and let the corpsegrinder pull you under- hope?

>“Emperor...”

>The word came suddenly, welling up in your chest and feeling warm on your lips.

“Emperor, I... I need...”

>A part of you wished you had some kind of rosary with you to pray with, but instead you narrow your eyes, search for the words, and say more calmly and quietly.

>“Emperor. I need your guidance to preserve this man's life. He doesn't deserve to die like this and I don't know how to help him.”

>You were surprised by how easily you said it. You were surprised by how much you meant it. It wasn't poetic- in fact, it felt so stilted you would worry that you words were empty if you didn't feel the growing warmth in your chest. More words were spilling out, both before you could consciously register them and also carefully considered.

>“Omnissiah. I need your blessing in this place, to protect me from evil and to fulfill my vows. Emperor and Omnissiah, god of machine and man alike, ruler of both halves of me, help..." You trail off, unsure of how to conclude it.

>>6054626
>[Artisan] What you were doing now, working metal and circuits. Making things, for destruction and building- after all, you'd stood before one of the mightiest weapons ever conceived.

>>6054626
>>[Datasmith] You had only worked with a cogitator once- calling it ‘communion’ would be an insult to the practice. Yet, you thought about it far too often...

>>6054874
>[Datasmith] You had only worked with a cogitator once- calling it ‘communion’ would be an insult to the practice. Yet, you thought about it far too often...
Our calling, our 'gifts', our very being seems destined and dedicated to the communion of data. It is well we caught the attention of Korash, for if anyone can guide us to the higher planes of thought required to transcend time as we feel we must, it would be the autohistoria.

This >>6054874 is also a very good write-in. We were not born into pristine purity, nor were we condemned to existence as a servitor. We are an outsider to all, but no further from one than another. There is a key connection we hold to the human, the mundane. It is truly a blessing that we have been granted such powerful organic cognition, I can only hold myself in awe of the potential capabilities of our fully realized form.

>>6054626
>>[Medicae] Paradoxically, the thing nobody had taught you. The thing everyone ignored- flesh and bone, but it was the stuff from which you were built.

>>6054626
>>[Datasmith] You had only worked with a cogitator once- calling it ‘communion’ would be an insult to the practice. Yet, you thought about it far too often...

>>6054626
>>[Medicae] Paradoxically, the thing nobody had taught you. The thing everyone ignored- flesh and bone, but it was the stuff from which you were built.

>>6054626
>[Datasmith] You had only worked with a cogitator once- calling it ‘communion’ would be an insult to the practice. Yet, you thought about it far too often...

>>6055705
Datasmith and Artisan are super tempting also, Lebesnati's work on the axel welding and the engine repairs in the field was art in motion.

>>6054626
>[Medicae] Paradoxically, the thing nobody had taught you. The thing everyone ignored- flesh and bone, but it was the stuff from which you were built.

Rolled 2 (1d2)

Well I think that's about all the votes we're gonna get. Not wild about rolling off on this one, but here we go: 1 for Medicae, 2 for Datasmith.

“...I like cogitators.” You mumble, turning your attention back to the hammer.

Trisa-Cant-8 let out a sigh. “Cogitators. Of course.”

“What?”

“Oh, nothing, I'm just surprised at myself for thinking that the human calculator would be interested in anything else.”

“That's not true.” You frown. “I like... maintenance.”

“Maintenance?” Trisa-Cant-8 raised her eyebrows.

“...yes.” You glance away. “How would I be able to say for sure? I haven't worked with anything important yet. I like cogitators, though. I'm curious about the noosphere. Some days I swear I can get close enough to touch it, but...”

Quality gained: [Ritual Datasmith] Through rote and long practice, you've begun to fill your mind with the sacred numerology of the Omnissiah. With that, you are starting to see the links between numbers, and they move in your head much in the same way that you think they move in a cogitator. Fulfilling every individual step can be tiring, though it builds your endurance. Your Conditioning has increased by 1. Now if only you had an interface port...

Trisa-Cant-8 sighed. “Well. I guess I can't blame you too much for wanting to enter the higher states of thought.” She glanced at you. “...don't get too excited, though. That's years away, for you.”

“I won't.” You say evenly. “Besides, that is a question for many tomorrows from now. Today, at least, I have a prior engagement.”

“What, a prior engagement with a maintenance duct?” Trisa-Cant-8 did something approximating a deadpan, despite her mouth being covered and the din of the forge.

You were heading to...

>"No, I have an exclusive reservation in the mess. My presence has been requested again by the Magos Delectica."
>"Amos wants my opinion on nutrient paste, if you must know."
>"I've been summoned about my future as a reliquary keeper. They say they've finished their data-meditation. Today I find out about the plate."
>“They'll tell me if I have to keep using a brass plate as an apron.”

>>6057940
>"I've been summoned about my future as a reliquary keeper. They say they've finished their data-meditation. Today I find out about the plate."

>>6057940
>"I've been summoned about my future as a reliquary keeper. They say they've finished their data-meditation. Today I find out about the plate."

>>6057940

>"I've been summoned about my future as a reliquary keeper. They say they've finished their data-meditation. Today I find out about the plate."

>>6057940
>"I've been summoned about my future as a reliquary keeper. They say they've finished their data-meditation. Today I find out about the plate."

>"I've been summoned about my future as a reliquary keeper. They say they've finished their data-meditation. Today I find out about the plate."
Writing.

>>6057940
No more grox steaks? Shame

Holy shit it's taken three days. Is this what being responsible and taking care of myself and making sure I get enough sleep feels like? It feels unproductive, I hate this.

>>6059451
Naaah, just give it a bit.

“I've been summoned about my future as a ‘reliquary keeper’.” You glance at Trisa-Cant-8 and shrug lightly, letting the weight of the hammer bring it down onto the blank again. "They say they've finished their data-meditation. Today I find out about the plate."

Trisa-Cant-8 made a noise of approval. “About time. It's obvious enough to me that it's the real thing, since it would be a terribly strange thing to fake, but it's good to know you won't be servitorized for attempting to con the temple any time soon.”

You spare her a look, then turn back to your hammering. “I'm only hoping it's something that actually... moves me forward instead of holding me in this stasis pattern."

“Don't count on it being quick.”

---

It was not quick.

Unlike before, none of the spaces in the reliquary were vacant, and that ever-present golden light lit up the crisscrossing support spires with it's constant transfer and exchange. Honestly, at this point you were wondering if it was some kind of byproduct of noospheric transmission. Golden shoals of light was about how Trisa-Cant-8 described it, but obviously you lacked any noospheric capabilities yourself, so that couldn't be what you were seeing.

The techpriests gathered were heavily augmented - some almost as much as Tobias had been, making them likely high-ranked in their prospective fields, maybe even Magi. Undoubtedly, the ones with attendants were likely themselves Magi, though the ones who attended alone were more suspect. Alpha-Nought-5 had no attendants as always, however, so even a lack of attendants did not necessarily mean a lack of rank...

A mousy-haired techpriestess stood at the head of the assembly, though despite your own position in the wing nearby, you couldn't get a great gasp of her features behind her augmetics and her hood. She held what appeared to be a dataslate to her chest, though you weren't sure since she hadn't looked at it once since she rose to the front of the room to begin speaking.

“Data: topological analysis of the surface of the artifact reveals a pattern of micro-pock marks most consistent with the shearing of brass blanks with a transonic cutting array. Cogitator-assigned analysis of the distribution of pockets indicates a specific alloy of bronze correlated to the Forsarr Sector, most notably the Forge World of-”

“Must we conduct this meeting by flesh-voice?” One complained, hacking slightly with the rasp of an augmetic respirator.

“Because we invited someone who cannot connect to the noosphere yet.” Another one of the Magi responded, gesturing to you.

“Then why not just wipe off the oldest unit we have and throw it in her? Omnissiah knows we have enough of them.”

“She is barely an initiate, much less an apprentice.” He sounded weary of the topic already. “If we gave them out to every initiate, then there'd be more noospheric interfaces in technomats than the ones who actually ascended to swear their vows.”

>>6061551
“Interjunction: It would not fatigue you so much if you would simply implant a vox unit already.” A different magos, wreathed in smoke spoke.

“Why would I?! Noospheric communication is faster, more direct and more honest!" He rasped, then groaned. “Omnissiah save me from the weakness of my flesh!”

You shouldn't say anything. They were not genuinely asking you a question. You shouldn't-

>Say nothing.
>"I... wouldn't be averse..."
>[Write-In]

>>6061552
>Say nothing.

>>6061552
>>Say nothing.

Bentus?
You there?

>Say nothing.
Writing.

>>6063036
But of course?

>>6063159
Sorry, just wanted to make sure you were okay.
Had too many QMs just vanish.
Call it stupid trauma if you will, kek.

>>6063456
No worries, anon. I'm probably one of the slower QMs when it comes to writing, but I'm rarely taken out for an extended period of time unless it's a power outage. In fact, most of my delays are me making a conscious effort to not overexert and burn myself out in the long term.

“Yes, quite.” You recognized this magi- the Cybertheurgist who had sent you to the kitchen, you believe. “Ah, Logis, if you would...?”

“Yes, of course.” She cleared her throat again. “As the plate is ornamental, it is theoretically possible to replicate the original engravings, especially if the counterfeiter had access to a high-quality hololithiogram of the original item. The presence of the noospheric data identification crystal layered between the plate's composite layers is strong evidence for the plate's originality. In addition, the exact metallic composition is of elements common to the Forge World of Kiavahr, where the Legio Vindictus is based. Examination of their records indicates that a Warlord-class Titan by the name of Corvus Lictor was indeed amongst their ranks once.”

“Is the name currently in use?” Asked one of the attending priests.

“While the last engine bearing the designation Corvus Lictor was recorded lost in M36, between .530 and .600, the name has finished it's mandatory mourning period and is ready for reassignment to a new engine, should the Marshal will it.”

You can't help but feel the slightest rankle of irritation at that. They hadn't even properly confirmed that Corvus Lictor was still destroyed, how could they be thinking about reassigning it's name? After so much loyal service, they just tossed the name aside? It could still be repaired! You shrug off the irritation as quickly as you came, but it left a sour taste in your mouth thinking about it.

“That's around the time of the engine war." Korash-22 noted from his position near the middle of the assembled Magi. He spared a moment to shoot you a smile before turning his attention back to the meeting.

Another magi spoke. “Query: statistical possibility of a replica?”

“One-point-zero-two-seven.” The Logi replied. “Additional commentary: it would be a very poor racket to go through such trouble to make a replica, as it could only ever be sold once, even should the original article never be found.”

“We may be overthinking things.” The Cybertheurgist spoke up again. “There is one simple test that can be performed to ascertain it's legitimacy that we seem to have overlooked: has anyone just gone to the wreckage of the actual titan and seen if the plate is missing?" He turned his head. "We- no, not you.”

You lower your hand.

The Logi looked slightly embarrassed. “Ah, we- statement: information regarding it's exact location has not been forthcoming. Eyewitness reports have not proved reliable as to the place where the plate was located.”

That wasn't true? Had nobody told her that your memory was perfect.

“It's an engine of war the size of a foundry, how could you be missing it?” An irritated and shockingly thin and lanky techpriest spoke, leaning back on a strange, squishy chair, mechanical mandibles clicking.

>>6064655
“It's the hive foundations, errant vox transmissions are heavy down there." A rotund techpriestess spoke up. "It's a wonder auspex works at all.”

“Then we search by hand, we have plenty of skitarii.”

“And risk inciting one of the local interference storms?” Another spoke up dryly. “The horror of temporarily losing vox. If only we could ask-”

“He has more pressing matters to attend than the recovery of a historical artifact. Managing the reliquary has always been the duty of this sacred temple, not the Cult at large on Malignax.”

“Everyone knows that a titan that does not wish to be found can hide itself, why is this a surprise?" The reedy techpriest from before spoke up, hacking slightly to clear his throat. “Sleepers are just a layman superstition for angering the machine spirits with their ignorance. The solution is to soothe or break it, and as we are no heretics, we shall soothe it.”

“An excellent point, Info-Executioner." Alpha-Nought-5 interrupted the proceedings for the first time. “However, Magos Autohistoria Korash-22 has such proceedings well in hand, and all our attention would be better focused to the actual matters of this meaning. Do we accept this single unit of a brass and bronze plate, noospherically tagged and engraved with heraldry commemorating the construction of the Warlord-class Titan Corvus Lictor into our reliquary, acknowledging it as a holy relic of the Omnisisah?”

Silence reigned for a split second, and the chorus of golden light in the room bloomed briefly before setting.

Then a series of ‘Ayes’ rang out. Some were enthusiastic, most were level in a way that only a vox-casted voice could be, while others still were dreary or even negative. You strain to hear any ‘Nays’ or ‘Nos' or whatever the Mechanicus used to vote no, and you swear there may have been a few, but they were easily drowned out in the din.

“Verdict achieved.” Alpha-Nought-5 droned. “The article is processed and admitted. All hail the Omnissiah.”

“Shall we move it into the keeping of the reliquary?” Another techpriest - you think he was a Magos judging from his level of augmentation - spoke up. He glance down at you. “Unless, of course, our young initiate has any interest in continuing to act as it's living reliquary?”

“Ah...” You pause. “Is that within my say?"

“For a number of artifacts, ah... no. For a mostly ceremonial one with great history, it is an honor that can be bestowed.” He gestured to the display cases that lined the hall still. “It would quite the opportunity for anyone with aspirations of becoming a reliquarist. We mean no presumption, of course. We generally rather the keepers of our sacred relics be either willing or servitors.”

>>6064656
You weren't quite certain how to process that last segment, but you were fairly certain he didn't mean to have you transformed into a servitor. For a second, the thought tempts- after all, who better to care for it than you? On the other hand, to carry it around for years...

>"I would be."
>"I must admit to an interest in the reliquary."
>"I would rather focus on my faith."
>[Write-In]

>>6064656
>"I would rather focus on my faith."
Lebesnati is walking for the titan of course, so I think it's in keeping that we advance ourselves to advance the cause of the titan. And if we can advance further to assist Korash22 with the recovery then all the better.

Also getting that noosphere implant would be good, but I missed that vote.

>>6064657
>"I would rather focus on my faith."

>>6064657
>"I would rather focus on my faith."

>>6064657
>[Write-In]
"I cannot dispute or fully explain my bond with Corvus Lictor, so I cannot deny this honor. Similarly, I cannot allow myself to resign from the duty of locating, and restoring its glory. If there is some middle path, some way to do both, it would be at the expense of this great holy ground, and you have already given me so much, I cannot presume to ask for more.
Though, if you must force me to choose between honoring evidence of Corvus Lictor, or the Titan itself, the choice is clear. I am bound to walk for the Titan."

>>6064657
>>"I must admit to an interest in the reliquary."

>"I would rather focus on my faith."
Writing.

“I would rather focus on my faith.” You reply. “While holding such a relic is a great honor... it is ultimately not much of a... relationship with the Omnissiah. Not compared to what I can do in the forge."

There were a few murmurs of approval among the crowd, though you weren't sure if you had only impressed a few or you had impressed many - and the rest had simply forgotten to speak with flesh voices. “Well said.” The Magos spoke up again. “I understand you have sworn the first vows of the Machine God but recently?”

“That is correct, adept." You nearly hazard ‘magos’, but elect to use the more general title just in case. “I am to understand that I am formally an initiate, now.”

“That is also correct.” He nodded in agreement. “Too soon to see if you will better serve the Omnissiah as a technomat, too early to call you an apprentice.” He coughed. “Apologies, I forget our formalities-”

“Allow me, Metallurgicus.” An esteemed looking techpriest rose from his seat. His robes were longer than the other gathered techpriests, made from velvet instead of the normal spun fibers that even Magi wore. And yet, he did not seem especially more augmented than any other techpriest there. Beyond a rack of candles that bobbed behind him on a stabilizing arm, he bore no especially notable augmetics. He stepped forward from his chair, but not into the center of the impromptu meeting circle himself.

You had already greeted the council chamber at large once in this meeting, but drop into a brief curtsy as he stepped forward.

He nodded to you, then cleared his throat. “Tankborn series A, unit number 414, designation Lebesnati- speaking on behalf of this temple's reliquary, this unit takes from you the ceremonial founding plate of the lost Warlord-class Titan Corvus Lictor, giving thanks to the Omnissiah for seeing fit to return this relic of His to our hands. It shall be stored in our reliquary as is our right, but with thanks.”

You note that nothing in that language specified that you had a choice in the matter. Not that you were necessarily complaining. In lieu of having anything useful to say, you bow your head in acknowledgment.

“I would like to borrow it before it is placed into any stasis internment.” Korash-22 spoke up from across the room suddenly. “For historical analysis, if such a thing were possible."

“Good, good...” The reliquarist sighed, leaning back on his launches and slowly allowing himself to sink into his chair again. “It shall be so.”

You straighten up and move to step back from the center of the room, then stop.

>"...er, Forge Master: will I still sleep in the forge?"
>"Is it permissible for one of us to be an initiate? Dogmatically, that is?"
>Shoot Korash-22 a confused look.
>Step back.
>[Write-In]

>>6067444
>>Shoot Korash-22 a confused look.

>>6067444
>"...er, Forge Master: will I still sleep in the forge?"
Not the greatest opportunity, but it is an indirect show of faith and devotion that may be recognized by some in the 'audience'.

>>6067444
>>Shoot Korash-22 a confused look.

why are people trying b to make the girl a techie girl of this cult, All parts of their group are cyborgs even the bio ones

>>6067682
Read the room. What are you trying to do? Be contrarian?

>>6067444
>>Step back.

>>6067444
>>"Is it permissible for one of us to be an initiate? Dogmatically, that is?"
We've asked this before, but useful to get consensus from the audience.
>"...er, Forge Master: will I still sleep in the forge?"
>Korash-22
We can ask him later, no need to make it look bad now.

>>6067682
>>"...er, Forge Master: will I still sleep in the forge?"
to break the tie i'll change

I believe that's a"
>"...er, Forge Master: will I still sleep in the forge?"

>>6068673
Lock it in and write for your life, cherished bentoid.

>>6069100
“...er, Forge Master?” You glance over at Alpha-Nought-5. “Will I no longer be allowed to sleep in the forge?”

Alpha-Nought-5 stared at you for a moment, then seemed to remember what you were talking about. “Ah. Yes, of course, the matter of your sleeping arrangements. Space will be made available in the barracks, of course.”

You nod, then step back to the sidelines.

“...she was sleeping in the forge?” One of the adepts spoke up, making a few others glance over in interest.

“Ah, yes-" You lean out into the aisle again and look at his robes, but his augmetics weren't visible enough to make any conclusions about his rank. “...adept.”

“She has not let the plate out of the same place as her since she found it." The reliquarist noted with approval. “She is very dedicated, in a sophomoric way.”

“Protest: It is a sacred relic of the Omnissiah.” Spoke up another techpriest you recognized: Eraxus. “Must we constantly refer to it as if it's a platter you scrape nutrient paste off of?”

“It's not like ‘placard’ would roll off the vox any better.” The reliquarist responded wearily. “Too many relics are blessed by the Omnissiah with function and purpose, but not a commensurate name by His servants.”

“Perhaps we could call it just a ‘dedication’...”

---

“Ah, Lebesnati. A moment.”

You pause and turn, Korash-22 sparing a moment to glance behind himself before continuing onward with the rest of the departing adepts and Magi, a procession that filled most of the entryway due to the sheer bulk of some of the techpriests. “Yes, Forge Master?”

“The specialist that I mentioned before.” The broad-shouldered man lumbered to a halt in front of you. “I have finally received a reply to my communique. He has responded in the affirmative, and is willing to look into your case. He will be here in a matter of days.”

“It took that long for a reply?” You ask, tilting your head. “I didn't think that many would be so flippant with a request from one of your rank.”

“There are many variables.” Alpha-Nought-5 replied. “In this instance, some outrank even me. However, in this instance, he saw fit to reply in the affirmative. Someone will alert you when he is present."

>"...Forge Master, who would outrank you?"
>"I will look forward to meeting this man."
>[Write-In]

>>6069100
Oh, whoops. Didn't mean to reply. Although coincidentally I was listening to Fly For Your Life while writing this.

>>6069434
>>"...Forge Master, who would outrank you?"

>>6069434
>"...Forge Master, who would outrank you?"

>>6069434
>>"...Forge Master, who would outrank you?"
>>"I will look forward to meeting this man."

>"...Forge Master, who would outrank you?"
Writing. Also, apologies for the wonky closing times and delays lately- I've picked up a new long-term contract, so I'm still getting used to my new schedule.

You frown and tilt your head questioningly. “...Forge Master, who would outrank you?”

“The Fabricator-General of Mars, possibly.” Alpha-Nought-5 replied dryly. “Failing that, of course, the Temple Pluripraxis is only the center of learning in Hive Odrev. There are, of course, greater Mechanicum shrines in the upper spires, and across the rest of Malignax. I am answerable to the Magi who collectively control the factory complexes of this world, and we all in turn are answerable to the Archmagos Domina Scepta of the great Forge World Abraham.”

“...someone as important as that is coming to speak to me?” You ask, keeping the wariness from your voice.

“In this instance, no. I have no authority over this person- not even to make an appeal, for he operates outside of the bounds of the Cult, for he is not of it.” Alpha-Nought-5 turned and gestured towards the stained glass window occupying one end of the chamber. In glittering panels of glass was an icon of the Emperor - in his aspect of the Omnissiah - etched with noospheric runes that shown with golden light as the glow of the forges outside the temple filtered through. Whatever symbolism Alpha-Nought-5 was trying to invoke, it was lost upon you, though. “By the grace of the Omnissiah, a brief communication was arranged, and he was tempted to come and provide his services."

“Tempted?” You raise an eyebrow.

“To use another word would be inaccurate. He had no obligation to come, he came merely because we intrigued him. You intrigued him.”

“I'll take that as a vote of confidence.” You reply. “Just like how the Magos Delectica sees fit to continue using me as a test subject.”

“Perhaps he does because you do not yet have enough opinions on food to keep them to yourself.”

---

You found yourself still dwelling on those words as you stood in line, waiting for the mob of initiates in front of you to clear the line. Was he implying that you lacked discretion? That was impossible, you had the height of discretionary restraint. It was indoctrinated into the very core of your being to not betray the trust of your lord or their servants, how could Alpha-Nought-5 say that?

On the other hand, he may have been joking, but you weren't sure.

Glancing up as people began moving, you slipped past the pair of initiates in front of you, ignoring the instinctive recoil as you slid back one of them, rotating your torso slightly to make it easier for you to fit. Adjusting your robe from where it had bunched up at the maneuver, you made your way towards the counter.

“...eah, like the ones for wine?” A voice echoes.

As you get closer, you spot a tall, broad-shouldered figure, only the slightest wrinkling around the shoulders and the dust worked into the seams betraying where he had been all this time. It was that noble again.

>>6071181
“Nah, the pits are fine. I think they'll like that.” He leaned over the counter, speaking through the small window to Amos on the other side. The Magos Delectica was nowhere to be seen, but you could feel his presence in the kitchen even from over here. All you had to do was get close, he'd notice you.

>Hide behind a pillar or a reasonably large person and watch.
>Hang back and wait for him to finish.
>Walk up to the counter.
>"What are you still doing here?"
>[Write-In]

>>6071182
>Hide behind a pillar or a reasonably large person and watch.
This guy is super sus.

>>6071182
>>Hide behind a pillar or a reasonably large person and watch.

>Hide behind a pillar or a reasonably large person and watch.
Writing.

>>6071182
>Hide behind a pillar or a reasonably large person and watch.'

"Oh hi again, Forge Master."

File: Status 14.png (1.62 MB, 1920x1038)

1.62 MB PNG

Inhaling sharply, you immediately step behind somebody- somebody quite large, actually. You glance up, frowning, only to see the robed head of a person twice your size. Genebulked biceps the size of your head were visible even below the relatively loose fabric of it's robe, and their head was hidden behind a steady protrusion of augmetic lenses and respirator grilles. A skitarius... or, perhaps an adept who used to be one. Carefully, you peek around their side, eyeing where the strange man was standing.

“...actually, can rats even eat grape seeds?”

You furrow your brow. Did you even know his name? It seemed like something that should have come up, but you couldn't recall.

“Yeah, but an apple seed is poisonous, right?”

Something that now seemed glaringly obvious to you was that you hadn't received much of an education about the actual Customs Houses in the tank. You had no idea if this man was from another hive or offworld or... anywhere, for that matter. His Low Gothic was just as good as anyone else's, so he must at least be familiar with social customs. Though... you also hadn't needed to demonstrate much proper ettiquette to him before, either...

“Only if you crush them, yeah? Uhuh. Right, I see.”

...then again, this was a man who talked to rats, there was no telling what-

“Don't stress about it. I'll just pit them myself.” He said, nodding to the invisible presence of Amos behind the counter and turning away. In his hand a small napkin was clutched, wrapped up around something.

You jerk back into the shadow of the skitarius as the man's head turns and nearly locks gazes with yours. He was coming this way, and even if the skitarius was big enough to hide you now, it wouldn't matter once he walked past you and you were in plain view, and giant slabs to hide yourself in were in disappointingly short supply. Maybe one of the booths? No, a servitor?

>[Vigilance/Strain] Try to walk around the skitarius as he approaches, keeping him always just out of sight.
>[Conditioning/Strain] Try to squeeze yourself behind something too small for a person to be hiding behind it.
>[Intuit] Pull up your hood, put your hands in your pockets and look away like you're just a random person in the crowd.
>Panic and freeze up.
>[Write-In]

>>6073487
>>[Conditioning/Strain] Try to squeeze yourself behind something too small for a person to be hiding behind it

>>6073487
>[Intuit] Pull up your hood, put your hands in your pockets and look away like you're just a random person in the crowd.

>>6073487
>[Intuit] Pull up your hood, put your hands in your pockets and look away like you're just a random person in the crowd.

>[Intuit] Pull up your hood, put your hands in your pockets and look away like you're just a random person in the crowd.
Writing.

>>6074176
Oh, and it'll be in a new thread.

Archived: https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2024/6035047/

New thread: >>6075485

Y'know, it's nice to have a new long-term contract and to be making good money, but the new sleep schedule makes me feel like I pass out and wake up with a half-finished update I don't remember starting. That may be a sign of demonic possession.