Interlude 21: Fabius and Jairzinho

O's common anatomy

Even before the war began, Fulgrim believed that the Laer could not possibly match the combined forces of the three legions. His prediction was reasonable and correct, and the facts proved him right.

Whether it was the Midnight Blade, the Emperor's Children, or the Word Bearers, every city they occupied was quickly transformed into a military base after being cleared out. Supplies rained down from the sky, giving the Astartes enough confidence to advance.

The Laer possessed advanced technology and savage physiques, but they had never fought against an enemy like the Legiones Astartes, and they could not understand the enemy's fighting will—was it conquest?

No, that was only a secondary objective.

The primary objective is extermination.

The Laer couldn't understand this, so they were killed, captured, and dissected. This is important because the Laer possess an extremely complex biological state.

They are incredibly diverse, a veritable raucous mix of species, aside from their shared snake tails. Some are powerful warriors, others possess spiky wings and venom-suppressing abilities, and still others even have gills capable of breathing freely underwater.

In order to figure out the enemy's weaknesses, Fulgrim ordered an anatomical study, led by Fabius Bile and Jairzinho Guzman of the Midnight Blade, to take place on the Pride of the Emperor.

--

If anyone asked, Jairzinho would say that working with Fabius Bile, the Apothecary and Emperor's Children, was a pleasure. Yes, he would say that, and he would readily cite several pieces of evidence.

Firstly, Fabius Bile is a highly professional Apothecary. His knowledge and achievements in biological anatomy are no less than those of Apothecary like Night Lords, whose training methods are more unique.

Secondly, he never complained. Whether he was digging his hands into the sticky entrails of the Laer or smelling their putrid odor, Fabius Bile never uttered a negative comment. He was so focused on his work that he didn't care about anything else.

Thirdly, he could perfectly understand Jairzinho's every intention, and their cooperation could almost be described as perfect—yes, almost, if Fabius Bile hadn't brought up a certain matter.

"I've heard, Physician Jairzinho, that you cured Lord Roboute Guilliman?" Fabius Bile asked.

He still held a huge scalpel in his hand, and his long white hair fell over his forehead, but it could not hide his sharp features and his persistent, cold black eyes.

He stared at Jairzinho, his expression showing a strong desire for the truth.

"Just a rumor," Jairzinho replied.

He really didn't want to explain or dwell on the issue, so he simply threw out a cold remark. At the same time, he still didn't forget about his work.

His hand moved steadily and swiftly through the Laer's internal organs, pulling the soft, large mass of grayish-black flesh from its abdominal cavity and placing it on a tray.

The cold white light of Fabius Bile's workshop illuminated it, making it look evil and ominous, like some kind of twisted monster.

"Rumors shouldn't make the Ultramarines talk about this often." Fabius Bile lowered his head and, with the same speed and steadyness, took out another clump of entrails, placing it on the tray as well.

His deep red surgical gown was stained with black blood, making him look very eerie.

"They..." Jairzinho looked up, his expression behind the isolation helmet becoming quite interesting. "They often talk about this?"

"Yes." The Emperor's Children nodded. "Therefore, I don't believe this is a rumor. You cured Roboute Guilliman, a noble Primarch. May I inquire about the process? Could you reveal a little about it?"

Looking into those inquisitive eyes, Jairzinho slowly but firmly shook his head. "I'm sorry, I can't tell you that, cousin."

Fabius Bile sighed regretfully.

"I understand," he said. He then threw himself back into his work, beginning to analyze the bones, muscles, and skin of the Laer with Jairzinho, trying to find out why they were so powerful despite their different shapes.

Two hours later, they left the body and moved on to another. This one was still alive, showing only faint signs of life. Jairzinho frowned, drew his blade, and intended to kill it before dissecting it, but Fabius Bile stopped him.

"Performance might reveal something new, Dr. Jairzinho," he said softly.

"Indeed, but—" Jairzinho lowered his head. "—It's dead."

Fabius Bile frowned, but said nothing. The autopsy resumed; this corpse was a Laer warrior. Highly muscular, extremely strong, and without any other species characteristics.

In some ways, it was primitive, a pure Laer form. It had a snake tail, four arms, a split jaw, and eyes with high-speed vision. However, as the dissection progressed, they discovered a completely new organ.

Located in the thoracic cavity, it was a gland that emitted a pungent odor. This organ was not present in any of the previously dissected Laer corpses, and Fabius Bile analyzed it for one hour and seventeen minutes using a genetic analysis instrument.

When the report results were finally presented to them, they were both momentarily surprised.

"This is..." Fabius Bile began slowly. "It's a self-healing organ, Physician Jairzinho. It releases a compound that, according to tests, can react with the skin and muscles of the Laer, covering the damaged areas."

"This is a self-repairing gland," the Apothecary concluded. "Its self-healing ability is even stronger Astartes'. But why did it fall into a near-death state? Why isn't this gland functioning?"

The Emperor's Children paced back and forth in his workshop, muttering to himself. Jairzinho turned and glanced at the corpse. Some of the marks left on it made him chuckle involuntarily.

"Perhaps it's because the area needing repair exceeds the gland's capacity, Apothecary Fabius Bile."

"Hmm? How did you know?"

Jairzinho didn't speak, but instead brought up another matter. "Not all Laer possess this organ, cousin; it clearly couldn't have been a product of natural evolution."

"You mean..." Fabius Bile's breathing suddenly became heavy.

He paused for a few seconds, then quickly returned to his workbench and began the next dissection. From samurai to commoners, from graceful dancers clad in blood-stained clothes and golden armbands, to laborers with thick arms and twisted waists to gain greater endurance.

After they had dissected all the existing specimens of the Laer, the two of them fell into a terrible silence.

"The individual differences between them are so great that they simply cannot be explained by medicine and science," Fabius Bile said.

The Apothecary, the Emperor's Children, solemnly removed his rubber gloves and silently changed into a new pair. His surgical gown was completely stained black, with some blood even staining his white hair, looking eerily like dirt or specks.

Jairzinho took over, but not with a statement, but with a question, "Are you thinking about what I'm thinking about, Fabius Bile?"

The Apothecary nodded solemnly, but a flicker of excitement crossed his eyes.

A few minutes later, Fulgrim strode in, his posture serious. "What is it, Fabius Bile? What could possibly warrant such an urgent summons, even requiring me to leave the tactical simulation table?"

Fabius Bile did not hide anything, but spoke directly about the results of his joint work with Jairzinho, his tone very calm, though fine beads of sweat rolled down his forehead.

"The Laer possess complete and identical gene chains, Primarch, but the internal structure of these gene chains has been modified. Just like us, Primarch, just like Astartes— "

"--Watch your words, Fabius Bile!" Fulgrim suddenly shouted, glancing at Jairzinho, his thoughts obvious.

"How could these Xenos scum possibly compare to the Emperor's wisdom?"

"I have indeed been very foolish in my use of words, my Primarch, but that's not the point." Fabius Bile lowered his head deeply, his voice becoming muffled.

"Every Laer is modified, that's the key point, Primarch. Their bodies are very much connected to their identities."

"What do you mean?" Fulgrim frowned deeply.

"Please come with me." Fabius Bile raised his head and led his Primarch to the dissection table.

"Look, this is the corpse of a Laer warrior. Look at its chest, Primarch. Do you see it? These muscles, these massive bones, and this tough skin. Now look at this corpse, this is the corpse of a Laer dancer."

The Apothecary pointed out the exposed bones to his Primarch with an air of familiarity, then handed him a research report. Fulgrim stared at it silently, lines of data flashing past his eyes. Fabius Bile, however, continued reading, showing no intention of waiting for his Primarch to finish.

"Look, it has thirty-two more bones and more muscle distribution than the samurai, yet the samurai is several times stronger. Does that make sense? Now look at another samurai; you see, its structure and skeletal arrangement are exactly the same as the previous one! If you still don't believe it, we have even more results waiting for your inspection."

"What exactly are you trying to say, Fabius Bile?" the Chemos asked expressionlessly.

"Oh, my Primarch," the Apothecary of the Emperor's Children took a deep breath. "They are perfect, my lord. Each of them was genetically modified at birth, enabling them to stride confidently toward their own perfection."

Jairzinho frowned, a sudden unease rising from the depths of his bones. He disliked Fabius Bile's tone; there was something terrifying hidden in the Apothecary's words. It was deeply concealed, but Jairzinho still sensed it.

"Perfect?" Fulgrim asked softly.

"Perfect!" Fabius Bile nodded repeatedly.

Phoenix laughed, then turned and gestured to Jairzinho. The physician wisely left without lingering. The workshop door slammed shut, and the smile on Fulgrim's face vanished completely, "What nonsense are you spouting, Fabius Bile? You're comparing a bunch of Xenos to perfection, to Astartes, and even in front of your cousin? Are you insane?"

"What? No, of course not, Primarch-- " The Apothecary hurriedly shook his head.

"--This is just a metaphor; you know I'm not good with words. I'm just trying to say that if the Laer have a way to improve themselves and make themselves closer to perfection, then could we borrow that method and improve upon it, making it our own?"

"Using Xenos technology?" Fulgrim lowered his head, looking at his Apothecary, his eyes as deep and dark as a dark purple gemstone.

Fabius Bile was one of the last two hundred Emperor's Children. Fabius Bile, working diligently in his workshop. He was a recluse, more rigid and dull than a robot.

As an Astartes, he didn't even care about rank or honor.

Fulgrim could probably guess the reason; he knew what had made Fabius Bile this way, and he was well aware that if he didn't intervene, Fabius Bile would remain in this terrible state until the day he died.

He was the one who rebuilt the Apothecary of the Emperor's Children, but he was not happy about it. When Fulgrim asked why, he compared Fabius Bile to a spider, saying that he was just weaving his own web in isolation.

Phoenix tried to persuade him, hoping that Fabius Bile could stay with his brother, but on that day, the taciturn Apothecary suddenly erupted with a fury that surprised even himself.

"My brothers are all dead!" the Apothecary roared that day.

"What are you thinking, Fabius Bile?" Fulgrim asked gently. "Are you trying to persuade me to agree to let you use Xenos technology to improve something?"

The Apothecary nodded, seemingly oblivious to the hidden implications and warnings in the Primarch's words. Or perhaps he was aware of them, but simply didn't care.

"Imagine, Primarch, if I could use this technology to improve the Gene-seed. Even if there's only a one in a thousand, a one in ten thousand chance, if I could improve it, then—"

"--Will Withering Disease or something similar never happen again?"

Fulgrim laughed, interrupting Fabius Bile, and continued, "Do you understand what you're saying, Fabius Bile? You're trying to improve upon the Emperor's creations, how arrogant. I personally don't dislike arrogance, but I dislike madness, and how far are you from madness?"

"I was merely following your teachings in pursuit of perfection," Fabius Bile said. "Is that a sin, Primarch?"

"No, this isn't perfect." Fulgrim shook his head.

"To pursue perfection with Xenos methods and technology? To use innate skills instead of acquired efforts? A perfect body paired with an unhoned, weak will is the most ridiculous nonsense I've ever heard, Fabius Bile. Leaving aside whether you can succeed or how blasphemous this is, just look around you, son."

The Apothecary stared at him blankly.

"Look!" the phoenix suddenly roared, its silver hair flying wildly and its eyes burning like fire.

"These Xenos have failed! They have been defeated by us. They will become just another race that fades into oblivion in the galaxy, insignificant like the other Xenos scum we wiped out! You think you can find perfection in a bunch of losers?!"

"But, Primarch— " Fabius Bile's face grew increasingly pale, yet he still did not give up. He continued to try to reason with them, though he himself could not explain why he was so bold.

Fulgrim was not easily angered and usually maintained his composure. That was precisely why his anger at this moment was so terrifying.

The Apothecary was filled with unease, but another voice was screaming within him. That voice wasn't his; it belonged to the dead.

Those were the wails of the Emperor's Children who died from the Withering Disease, and Fabius Bile had watched them die one by one, powerless to stop it.

"No buts," Fulgrim said firmly. "I don't want to hear you mention anything like this again. You need to understand what you're saying, Fabius Bile. What you just said is enough for me to kill you on the spot."

The phoenix turned around.

"Now, leave your workspace, go take a break, do whatever you want."

He strode away.

Under the cold light, the Apothecary, the Emperor's Children, clenched his fists little by little.

This chapter is 5k words long; I owe 1k more, which I'll pay tomorrow.