“My
lord Explorator, all fleet ships report leaving N.L 44 and are making their
appointed speed towards the translation point.”
Explorator
Magos Arland Van Eck flashed his acknowledgement back via the pick feed to the
first officer of the bridge.
“How
long to the translation point?” flashed Van Eck to the real space navigator.
“360
seconds at …….Mark.” replied the navigator.
Van
Eck already knew the answer, as he did with most things about the fleets
activity, as the data scrolled constantly down his visual displays and flowed
in through his neural implants. Never the less, he was constantly monitoring
the bridge crew to make sure they stayed on their toes or whatever appendages
they used.
“Do
you wish to address the fleet before translation?” asked the ship’s Captain
Marcus Aronvold.
“If
I must” thought Van Eck and flashed an affirmative. After a brief moment,
images of the commanders of the other three ships which comprised the
exploration fleet appeared on the holo table.
“Captains,
before we make the translation to warp space in around 242 seconds, I wanted to
say…..for the love of the Omnissiah, no one get lost on the way” “that is all”
For
a second every captain stared at Van Eck before bursting out in laughter. Then
one by one their images winked out.
“Stirring
stuff” a voice said in his feed. A moment later Clementina Mercy, Magos Biologics
of the exploration fleet appeared on the holo table.
“I
hate making pointless speeches.” “Are your new charges ready for the
translation?”
“Yes”
replied Mercy simply. “You do realise if the Inquisition finds out, it will be
the death of us both.”
“You’re
not the first to say that to me.” commented Van Eck
“Yes,
who was the most recent one to say that to you?” “Your Mentor wasn’t it?” asked
Mercy. “What was it?” “If I don’t get rid of you, you’ll kill us both with your
heresy!”
“Something like that. Well it’s a good thing
that we’ll be well out beyond the Ghoul Stars should the mechanicum’s activities
become known to them” Said Van Eck
“I’m
not sure if I’d like to be the Inquisitor who asks Archmagos Cawl to explain
himself” said Mercy.
“I’m
sure the Archmagos has already vectored in the High lords finding out about his
creations” “There will be some threats and counter threats and there will be a
face saving gesture from both sides but I’m sure in the end the Archmagos will get
to keep his new army” replied Van Eck.
Captain
Aronvold chimed in Van Eck’s ear, “Lord explorator 30 seconds to immaterium.”
Van
Eck flashed his confirmation and watched as Mercy’s image flicked out as the Orationis
Enim Viatorem , the prayer for safe passage through the warp, boomed out over
the loud hailers.
And
now thought Van Eck, the journey truly begins.
 |
| Explorator Arland Van Eck |
Born on Ganymede, he had come to the attention of a recruitment aide for Dominus Ryal Voland who’s cyber forge was located on holy Mars. At the age of 22, his work with robotics and cybernetics had become known as some of the best in the system, if not the imperium. But unlike so many of his contemporaries his work was new and even revolutionary. Not some rehash of others work but an actual spark of ingenuity. So young Arland was offered a position of apprenticeship to Voland and after accepting, transferred his work to her forge on Mars.
It soon became obvious to Voland that Arland’s work, partially in cybernetics, bordered on genius. His work on the new cybernetic implants for Voland’s Skitarii soldiers increased the survival rate of those undergoing augmentation from 55% to over 85%. Arland’s new cybernetics not only increased the Skitarii’s chance of surviving their enhancement but increased their overall strength, speed and stamina. Voland certainly saw the commercial applications for these new enhancements and soon she was receiving orders for vast quantities of Arland’s new cybernetic designs from other forges both on Mars and forges from outside Sol.
Arland advanced at an astonishing rate through the forge hierarchy. His brilliance was recognised across the red planet and beyond and even resulted with an audience with the Archmagos during one of his brief respites from the assimilation of information. After the audience, Cawl offered Van Eck a place in his retinue but he declined, preferring to stay with his mentor. Not long after his 95th year, he was elevated to Magos.
 |
| Magos Biologic Clementina Mercy and her cyber Griffons Vulcan and Juno |
It had only been in the last few years that Van Eck had had time in his schedule to look back on his other love, robotics. Van Eck had been over to robotics engineering many times over the intervening years and have started looking into expanding the abilities of the Kastelan class battle automaton. Given the very limited available information on robotics, Van Eck’s work progressed at a reasonable rate but by his own standards, it seemed agonisingly slow. It was when he attempted to engage the Data-smiths with his ideas in reprogramming the Kastelans that he met his first impediment. The Data-smiths saw Van Eck as trying to give the Kastelans more autonomy which in their eyes was tantamount to giving them independent thought. Van Eck was called before the council of Magos Cybernetica to explain his actions.
After outlining his plans and achievements to the councillors, he was shocked when he was told that he was to cease his experiments immediately and destroy all his files and to hand the robots in his charge over to the Data-smiths for reprogramming.
Arland thought that either he or the council had misunderstood. He attempted to restate his intent but was cut off by the head of the council who told Van Eck if he failed to comply immediately he would face a charge of heresy.
Van Eck was appalled. He had no intention of stopping his work let alone destroying it! Didn’t these fools see how much the imperium would benefit improving the productivity of robots? Arland knew of the laws that forbid the creation and use of artificial intelligence but his work only expanded the capabilities of robots, it didn’t give them independent thought.
Dominus Ryal Voland was informed of the outcome of the council review and was directed to make sure that its edicts were carried out immediately. Ryal would normally have been part of the council but it was deemed that she could not be impartial in making a decision where a Magos from her forge was involved. Both Voland and Mercy visited Arland in his study early in the evening period and found him hard at work entering data into his personal cogitator.
“I hope you aren’t working what I think you are working on” said Voland looking as quizzical as it was possible to be for one with so many cybernetics implants hiding her face. Van Eck shrugged.
“The council has informed me of their decision and their required actions” said Ryal. “And they have directed me to ensure that they are carried out”
“You aren’t going to abide by them are you” said Mercy. It was a statement not a question.
“No” said Arland simply.
“Cawl’s balls Arland!” said Ryal. “Do you want to be executed for heresy!” “For the Omnisire’s sake these matters are serious.” “You can’t just ignore them and hope they will evaporate.”
“I refuse to be judged and dictated to by fools” said Arland.
“In your mind they may appear to be fools but they are powerful and not as foolish as you think.” “They do not make these judgements without reasons …..or ulterior motivates” stated Ryal.
Arland looked up at this. “Ulterior motives?”
“Arland, you are causing problems for a number of the council members, most of whom are many centuries older than you and have a vested interest in keeping the status quo.” “In a relatively short space of time you have made astonishing advances in areas that have been stagnant for millennia.”said Ryal. “And this in turn, has caused rumblings on Terra”. “Some in the Terran council are asking why these advancements could not have been achieved centuries ago and why it has been done by a relative novice and not by a senior member of the forges.” You have stirred the stagnant pool and the big old creatures living in it are not happy about it.” “And now these advancements in robotics, which are quite remarkable by the way, has given them the opportunity they were looking for” said Ryal.
“And there for your logical conclusion is……..?” Asked Mercy, her head mockingly tilted slightly to one side.
“I’m being manipulated” said Arland quietly. “They knew I wouldn’t stop my work and that would give them the excuse”. “Looks like I’m the only fool.”
Arland looked over at his onetime mentor “what do you suggest?”
Ryal looked at him for awhile and said “I think it’s time for a career change, because if I don’t get rid of you, you’ll get us both killed with your heresy”.
From
the observation dome Dominus Ryal Voland watched through her augmented sight
until the four ships were no more than tiny specks of star dust. The four ships
had cost her a reasonable fortune and many favours. But then, Arland’s advances
and discoveries had made her several reasonable fortunes over the years. The
Ark ship Sol Invictus she had had commissioned some years previous with the
thought that this day would come. She had been hoping it would take a little
longer to arrive though. The other three had to be purchased “off the dock” so
to speak. A necessity of haste. Still, it had taken almost a year to make all
the necessary preparations and assembled the small exploration fleet.
The
hardest part was assembling the crews for the ships and the astropaths. The Skitarii
and Sicarians had not been a problem. What had surprised her was when she had
called for volunteers to go on the expedition, every single one of the Skitarii
and Sicarian commanders had come forward. Ryal had forgotten how popular Arland
had been with the cybers because of the advancements he’d gifted them.
Another surprise
had been the data-smith Sylus Molt. Molt had requested to be included in the
expedition. He had brought with him two of his apprentices and six of his
Kastelan charges. Initially his request to be included had worried Ryal. She
had thought him to be an informant or an assassin for the council, all be it,
not a very subtle one. During the “interview” Ryal had asked why? Molt had just
said that he knew he had to. Further digging found that he was disliked by the
cybernetica almost as much as Arland for his “views”.
 |
| Domitar 13E "Mortis" |
But
it was the final item Ryal had managed obtain which was the one she was most pleased
with. Ryal had succeeded in securing the contract of the Knight Conrad
Heartland and his household. The retinue consisted not only Conrad and his
Knight Warden but also his twin daughters, Rose and Ruby who each guided one of
the smaller, but still deadly, Armiger Knights. Both were fiercely competitive
and their abilities belied their age.
Now
watching the trails of the four ships finally disappear from her enhanced sight,
Ryal Voland felt a strange sense of …..melancholy? But underlying this was also
a feeling of what she could only describe as dread. Ryal heard the doors to the
observatory open and the clicking of metal on metal as someone approached. She
turned to find the Archmagos approaching her.
“They
have finally departed” Cawl asked in a rough voice which came from one of his
Vox hailers. It was really a statement not a question.
“Yes
and thank you again for allowing Mercy to accompany him” said Voland.
“I
doubt even I could have stopped her once she had made her decision” grated
Cawl. “And besides, he needed a Magos Biologics to assist with the parting gift
that I gave him.”
Voland
looked up at the towering Cawl for a moment, not comprehending. And then it
dawned on her. “You sent some of your Astartes with him?!” “How many?”
“One
hundred.” “One hundred Steel Confessors, including three psykers” “Oh, and gene
seed” said Cawl. “And their war gear of course”
“By
the Emperor you took a terrible risk!” “The inquisition has ordered a lock-down on
the confessors until the High Lords have convened and made a judgement on their
fate” said Voland “but you know this!” “If the inquisition had discovered what
had occurred they all could have been arrested and executed!”
“Be
calm Ryal, no one but the three of us knew about the inclusion” said Cawl.
“And
one hundred Space Marines!” shouted Voland.
“Well
only one really.” replied Cawl “their captain, the other ninety nine were in
stasis at the time and so were not in a position to tell anyone anything.”
Ryal
just stared at Cawl and shook her head. She got the distinct impression he was
enjoying this.
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