Afterward, Rovi signed the cooperation agreements with the two men on the spot.
The "Heavy Machinery Deep-Tilling Agreement" and the "Purified Water Transport Memorandum."
A straightforward exchange of benefits was settled.
The atmosphere in the lounge eased considerably.
After a little more small talk, Rovi judged that it was about time and rose to visit the Seed Vault Supervisor's office.
He reached out and rang the doorbell.
"Enter."
A voice filtered through an audio processor came from inside.
Rovi pushed the door open and entered.
The office was steeped in a steampunk aesthetic.
The surrounding walls were covered in glass specimen jars containing plant roots and stems of every shape.
A broad metal desk stood in the center of the room.
Behind it sat a Tech-Priest dressed in red robes:
Gear Beta.
The supervising Priest's body had undergone extensive modification.
His lower body had been replaced by a compact tracked chassis connected to a data port in the floor.
The left half of his face was entirely metal.
As Rovi entered, the red multispectral microscope lens serving as his left eye extended and retracted, constantly adjusting its focus.
Several servo arms protruded from his back, simultaneously operating three Augur Arrays and a Dataslate.
"Rovi Dann."
Priest Beta's lens locked onto Rovi with a series of buzzing zoom adjustments.
"Priest Alpha mentioned you. He said you were a mortal who understood 'logic aesthetics.' That is rare."
Rovi bowed slightly and performed a textbook Gear Salute of the Adeptus Mechanicus.
"Praise the Omnissiah. Priest Alpha also spoke most highly of your erudition."
Rovi approached the desk, took a document from inside his coat, and offered it with both hands.
"This is the Eastern Granary's supply requisition for next quarter, along with the clearance certificate for last quarter's surplus. Please take a
look."