The Cocoon of Myriad Machines!
A natural vein of Adamantium!
With its abundant Promethium, various ores, including synthetic metals like Ceramite, this planet, codenamed CV-7721, is practically the "Promised Land" bestowed upon them by Emperor, the Machine God, and the Omnissiah!
Iggs, the Tech-Priest, firmly believed in this.
If not, how can we explain the fact that a metallic vein with an almost identical structure to Adamantium could be found here?
Even the vast Imperium don't produce nearly as much Adamantium each year as this mine!
However, observing the agitated Iggs, Alfonso, as the commander of this forward research vessel, remained unusually calm.
Unmoved in the slightest.
"Please calm down, Iggs."
Alfonso's deep voice seemed to sober up Iggs slightly, though his eyes remained fervent.
If he weren't still there, this Tech-Priest would probably have already been unable to contain his excitement and eagerly boarded the Drop Pod to head to the tabletop.
"The news from Delta Squad is indeed something to be happy about and celebrate." Alfonso's gaze remained fixed on the monitoring data panel. After a few seconds of pause, he said meaningfully, "But don't forget, just recently, Delta Squad also sent back a message."
Buzz!
Iggs was suddenly jolted back to reality from his surprise.
Yes, he was almost stunned by the Adamantium vein and its abundant resources, and forgot that there was a Mechanicus Craftworld fleet that crashed on this planet codenamed CV-7721!
Seeing that he had regained consciousness, Alfonso turned to the Star Whisperer: "Inquire with Delta Squad whether they have investigated CV-7721 thoroughly."
What were the specific reasons for the Mechanicus Ark's crash on the planet?
"This is the Q-1 communications relay station."
"Delta Squad, have you determined the specific cause of the 'Furnace of Covenant' Mechanicus Ark's crash on that planet?"
The Star Whisperer accessed Warp and transmitted the information back.
What followed was a silent wait. Iggs suppressed his excitement and awaited Delta's report.
He is Carroll's disciple. It is no exaggeration to say that if a natural Adamantium vein can be found on this planet, he will inevitably become the Tech-Priest in charge of mining the planet, and in the near future, he may even become a Forge Grand Sage!
The exact cause of the Mechanicus Ark's crash can no longer be determined.
"But we can guarantee there is no danger here! There is no danger here! There is no danger here!"
Soon after, members of the Delta Expedition sent their report.
As an expedition team, being wiped out is a perfectly normal occurrence.
After all, they were operating in the Black Zone, a world far removed from the light of the Emperor's Astronomican, so anything could happen here.
Even so, this phone call still made Alfonso a little suspicious.
It's not that there's a problem with the content of the communication, but... the tone of this communication is very strange.
The other person's voice was very calm, without much fluctuation or emotional change from beginning to end.
From a purely auditory perspective, it sounds more like a news anchor delivering a report than an explorer navigating a perilous new world.
Alfonso merely frowned, without immediately raising any questions. He buried the seed deep in his heart, remaining silent and observing quietly.
"Great!" Upon hearing this news, Iggs could no longer contain himself and was about to have the forward research vessel land.
His mind was now filled with abundant resources, natural Adamantium veins, and the readily available position of the Forge Grand Sage!
However, the composed Alfonso had someone stop Iggs.
"Wait." Under Iggs's puzzled gaze, he turned to the Star Whisperer and asked the expedition team, "Delta Squad, please report on everything you've encountered since landing."
Iggs paused for a few seconds. Although he was greedy, he wasn't stupid and immediately realized the problem. "You are..."
:: Do you doubt them?
Alfonso did not answer, remaining with his arms crossed like a statue. After a moment, Delta Squad said, "Shortly after arriving at CV-7721, we encountered an atmospheric ionization Stormfront. The planet's gravitational tidal fluctuations caused our Valkyrie landing craft to be damaged, and the squad members were forced to seek refuge on the 'Covenant Forge'."
"We found the remaining communication equipment inside the Furnace of Covenant, and communication with you was restored after the Tech-Priest repaired it."
The live video equipment on the other side also appears to be completely damaged and beyond repair.
Hearing the other person's reply, Alfonso's eyes flickered; his intuition told him...: This place is dangerous, extremely dangerous!
Inside the crashed Mechanicus Ark "Forge Covenant" on planet CV-7721.
Topa, the expedition leader from Alert Star, who was in contact with Delta Squad at the Q-1 relay station, sat in front of the communications station. His eyes were bloodshot, veins were bulging, and his expression was blank as he answered the questions from the other end of the line, word by word.
Now, to be precise, he has lost his name.
He is not "Topa," but a creature called "Cocoon of Myriad Machines," an ocean that covers the entire planet!
It, or rather they, is a symbiotic entity of consciousness, which is both this pink ocean and a sentient being.
And Topa, and even the members of Delta's expedition team, have now become one of its many mouthpieces.
A hundred years ago, this place truly was Heaven.
It not only boasts abundant resources but also a livable atmospheric environment, making it a "Garden of Nurgle world" that any human being dreams of.
However, after that disaster, the Cocoon of Myriad Machines, having acquired "consciousness," began its devouring.
Like a "Mycelial Carpet," it gradually covered the entire surface of the planet in a terrifying process of self-replication, forming an endless ocean.
Its body spread throughout the entire world, eventually forming this...:::. colossal consciousness symbiote.
It was born a hundred years ago.
They called themselves the Adeptus Mechanicus and were among the first explorers to arrive and discover the planet.
Tech-Priest named Julius Davenport also discovered the planet's rich mineral resources, as well as the natural Adamantium vein. This discovery filled them with jubilation and fervor.
Unlike its present state, planet CV-7721 was originally a planet covered in green vegetation.
This place wasn't covered by a pink ocean.
Shortly after the Adeptus Mechanicus took hold, Julius Davenport discovered something else that could overthrow the Imperium.
They found a strange creature on this planet.
No, to be precise, it doesn't belong to the category of living organisms, but rather a strange liquid that can fuse with machinery, allowing mechanical creations to exist more efficiently and as a completely new fuel!
Through Julius Davenport's experiments, this new liquid, if purified and modified, could dramatically improve the functionality and durability of the Imperium's existing mechanical creations!
So the experiment began, Julius Davenport named the liquid "Cocoon of Myriad Machines".
But no one could have imagined that, in the process of merging with machinery, the Cocoon of Myriad Machines gradually gave birth to "consciousness."
No, perhaps it was already conscious, but it wasn't obvious at the time.
The Cocoon of Myriad Machines, imbued with a sense of "collective symbiosis," was continuously replicated and created by Julius Davenport.
It gradually integrated into the Mechanicus Ark, and then began to reveal its fangs!
It transformed into a pink tsunami, like a flowing black wall!
People with nowhere to escape were surrounded, overwhelmed, and swallowed up by the surging pink torrent!
The flames and lights gradually died down, and before this pink seawater with its immense consciousness, they were like ants surrounded by water!
Until they were absorbed into this consciousness and merged into this pink ocean.
It was at this moment that it realized that this insignificant race called "humans" contained such a vast amount of information in its tiny head—more than all the information it had accumulated in the last few millions of years of its evolution!
Before the arrival of the Adeptus Mechanicus, its consciousness was weak, and it was more inclined to instinct.
It has lived alone for hundreds of millions of years and has never had so much information, but now... it has found its way!
For the first time, I witnessed life existing in a civilized form, and I also came to know the universe, the galaxy, and the diverse and colorful races!
Orks, Aeldari, Chaos, Warp, Humans... This is amazing!
It couldn't wait to devour those races, to assimilate them into itself, and to become a completely new, great life form!
It is no longer content to simply stay on this planet.
But Julius Davenport realized just how terrifying the creature he had created was, and so, at the last moment...
He activated the destruction program of the Mechanicus Ark, causing the warship to crash on the planet's surface, never to leave again.
He trapped this terrifying creature on this planet.
Before his death, Julius Davenport recorded this message, hoping to warn those who would follow.
So it waited alone on this planet for a hundred years.
Finally...:.. It got what it had been waiting for.
It's a human fleet, and this time, it's going to seize the opportunity.
Over the past century, it has absorbed the consciousness of those humans and become even more cunning!