A Brand-New Warrior 14

"Guidos, you've worked hard," Guilliman said.

Guidos had been selected from among the Psykers willing to pledge loyalty to him, tasked with maintaining the Tech-Priest's avatar deep within Macragge's Honour.

This section of Macragge's Honour was kept under absolute secrecy. Even Loyalists such as Sicarius were not permitted to enter at will.

"To serve my master is my greatest honor." Guidos raised his eyes, their pupils entirely white, and spoke respectfully.

"It is an honor to have earned your loyalty. Let us begin. I need to know what message Cawl sent me so I can grasp the overall situation." Guilliman nodded.

Guidos nodded as well, then turned and walked into the depths of the darkness.

Guilliman followed him inside.

The farther they went, the more intense the heat became, while hidden machinery began to hum.

An oppressive Psyker pressure, profoundly unpleasant, bore down on Guilliman.

Guilliman endured the discomfort and followed behind Guidos.

Eventually, the two arrived before a massive door.

The door's structure was complex, composed of three interlocking layers of bonded tortoise-shell mesh, each a meter thick.

Upon reaching the door, Guidos stepped slightly aside while Guilliman moved forward for identification.

A red beam scanned the Primarch's pupils.

"Retinal scan passed."

After the retinal scan, all kinds of security devices extended from the steel walls.

They tested the Primarch's physical, psychological, and mental condition.

Only after everything had been confirmed without issue was Guilliman permitted to enter the secret chamber.

The two stepped into the room. It was filled with profound darkness, and nothing could be seen.

"Lights," Guidos called.

The mechanical equipment in the room hummed, then shifted into a deep rumble.

One white light source after another lit up overhead, revealing the room's outline.

The room's details became visible as well. Ten sealed panels were arranged at eye level on each side, while pipes firmly secured with metal nails hung from the ceiling.

"Cawl's Psyker communications are exceptionally dull, lacking the vitality that comes when a mind touches the vast void. I suspect he may be using machines to transmit them. Though I once believed such a thing impossible, I must admit that he is a master."

"You could say that." Guilliman shrugged. If he did not have the Database, Tech-Priest Cawl would undoubtedly be the most knowledgeable human alive.

He had lived for ten thousand years—truly lived for ten thousand years. That was unimaginable for any other life within the Imperium.

Human Perpetuals had either died in the Horus Heresy or vanished during it.

Based on the intelligence currently available, Cawl was the longest-lived being in the Imperium.

"His messages are simple, and will not suffer the corruption that often afflicts Psyker communications after the Great Rift opened. Cawl's message was neither interfered with nor maliciously altered. Such technology is invaluable to us now. The Great Rift has changed much and left the Destiny of our species hanging by a thread."

"This situation will change, Guidos. I promise you," Guilliman said.

"I believe that, my lord." Guidos walked toward a massive machine that occupied much of the room.

"By the will of the Omnissiah, initialize sequence."

Leaning on his cane, Guidos spoke the activation code.

A faint creaking came from the curved steel walls, followed by the shrill sounds of machinery.

Detection beams radiated from the walls, scanning the people before them.

[Identity verification passed. Astropath, Guidos. Please provide the second unlock.]

At the mechanical prompt, Guilliman stepped forward and allowed the beams to scan him.

[Identity confirmed. Primarch: Roboute Guilliman, Regent of the Imperium, Lord of Ultramar.]

[Identity scan passed. Genetic scan initiated.]

A horizontal green beam shot out from the wall, spreading upward and downward as it swept across the Primarch and Astropath.

[Genetic scan confirmed. Identity confirmed. Password confirmation required.]

As the voice spoke, Guilliman was enveloped by a Light Cone shield that blocked all sound from the outside.

Cawl had entrusted Guidos with the password, under absolute secrecy. Even the Primarch was not permitted to know that portion of it.

This measure was meant to prevent Guilliman's memories from being read, thereby compromising encrypted communications.

Cawl had once remarked, "Never underestimate Chaos. They are far smarter than we imagine."

Once Guidos had finished speaking his part of the password, the soundproof shield around Guilliman vanished.

A sound-shielding barrier rose around Guidos instead.

Guilliman spoke his portion of the password.

[Password verification passed. Primary systems activated.]

Along with the mechanical announcement, the metal panels on the walls slid downward one after another.

Behind each panel stood an illuminated reinforced-glass cabinet.

Every glass cabinet was filled with nutrient fluid, within which floated severed human heads.

Metal plates encased the necks of the heads, while orderly cables and pipes extending from small openings below connected them to machines above the cabinets.

The machines hidden behind the panels activated rapidly, their operating sounds becoming softer. The circuits engraved into the cabinet glass flickered with the same light, and the faces of those human heads began to twist in pain.

"My lord," Guidos said softly.

"Yes, you may leave." Guilliman waved a hand.

After giving another Aquila Sign, Guidos pulled up his hood and walked toward the darkness.

Guilliman paid no attention to his departure, instead watching as the room's circuits activated one by one.

A dull metallic sound rang out.

It was the Tech-Priest's voice, like brass grinding together, utterly devoid of emotion.

"Primarch."

"Cawl, how is the progress?" Guilliman asked.

The one conversing with Guilliman was Cawl's avatar, or perhaps one could call it his secondary personality.

Cawl converted relevant information into code and transmitted it. After Macragge's Honour received it, it was converted back into information.

The avatar used that information to speak with Guilliman.

Such technology had already touched one of the Imperium's red lines.

That was also one reason Guilliman trusted Cawl.

Without his protection, if Cawl's technology were exposed, being sent to the stake would be the least of his worries. He would likely be lobotomized, remade into a Servitor, and have his consciousness used by his enemies for all manner of inhuman experiments.

The Radical Faction Cawl had offended many Archmagos of the Conservative Faction. The conflict between both sides was irreconcilable. If not for the Imperium's continued existence, they would likely have gone to war in the name of the Omnissiah long ago.

"Progress on the Archmagos's end is proceeding well. New technologies have been put into use, and the Primaris Space Marines project is underway. The Space Marines will undergo four further enhancements: the Sinew Coil, Magnificat, Belisarian Furnace, and Heart of Guilliman."

"The Heart of Guilliman?" Guilliman frowned.

"Yes. The Tech-Priest drew entirely new inspiration from your technology. The Gene Engine within Super Soldier Technology will incorporate the Heart of Guilliman, granting warriors more possibilities. Your wisdom is so profound that it inspires awe, Primarch. The emergence of the Heart of Guilliman will be epoch-making. It perfectly suits the human physique and can easily transform humans into Supermen. More importantly, this unusual organ can be remotely shut down, crippling any Primaris Space Marines unwilling to obey the Imperium's commands. This will allow us to avoid, to the greatest extent possible, a repeat of Horus's betrayal."

"The Tech-Priest even intends to alter the Space Marines' surgical process, making the Heart of Guilliman the first organ implanted. That would increase the operation's success rate and allow for the mass production of Primaris Space Marines."

"The plan is insane, but it is indeed worth studying. I will have someone grant you more authority." Guilliman smiled faintly, utterly unconcerned by the consequences.

Even after getting recommended, it's still dead. Feels like there's no hope, but I'll still deliver the updates I promised.

Brothers, please keep reading. If you leave it sitting too long, it'll die, brothers.

Don't wait until I'm finished before coming to mourn at my grave.