Cognitive bias

As the Fabricator-Sage studied Iax, Iax was also carefully observing the Sage before him.

Biometric scans clearly informed Iax that the "person" before him was incomplete. Nearly seventy percent of his body consisted of mechanical structures, and even the remaining biological portions contained a degree of genetic contamination.

Essentially, even if Iax disregarded those mechanical prosthetics and replaced them with natural flesh and blood, this being still could not be classified as human by his criteria.

At most, he was a humanoid life-form.

"I assume you are the Sage those Adeptus Mechanicus personnel mentioned earlier."

Iax had a clear understanding of the Adeptus Mechanicus. Its members were humanity's experts in machinery, but they also harbored an abnormal aversion to bodies of flesh and blood.

The flesh is weak. Ascend through machinery.

That was a phrase the Adeptus Mechanicus personnel of those days had often discussed.

To mechanize themselves and escape the limitations of flesh and blood, members of the Adeptus Mechanicus often subjected themselves to extensive modifications.

Although Iax found the database's descriptions of Adeptus Mechanicus personnel deeply baffling, he had to respect humanity's choices.

But this Sage, who was not "human" even at the most fundamental genetic level, clearly fell outside the scope of Iax's respect.

When the other party failed to respond, Iax slowly raised his arm. Its structure began to change, the metal casing flowing like liquid as a weapon of unusual design emerged on his left arm.

"Answer me. Are you the Sage?"

The Fabricator-Sage spoke nervously as he watched Iax's display of aggression.

He struggled to convey his nervousness on a face that was only one-quarter flesh. His biological eye, which resembled one afflicted with severe cataracts, twitched wildly, laying his inner unease bare.

"Yes. If there is no second Sage in this Hive City, then you must mean me."

"Creation left behind by antiquity, blessing of the Omnissiah, I am Fabricator-Sage Vashur Carmen. What do you require of me?"

Iax slowly lowered the weapon muzzle aimed at Sage Vashur.

"I came seeking answers. Tell me, do you consider yourself a true human?"

Vashul froze for a moment at Iax's question. He had imagined countless possibilities, but this question had never occurred to him.

He had not been born into some wealthy or powerful family. Centuries ago, he had been nothing more than a child from an ordinary household in another Hive City.

His parents worked fifteen or sixteen hours every day, toiling endlessly in workshops filled with toxic air.

He had also had two siblings.

During a public screening conducted by the Adeptus Mechanicus, he had been discovered to possess an aptitude for machinery and selected by one of its priests.

After that, he studied diligently every day, voraciously absorbing that dry, obscure knowledge.

Memorizing those binary texts left his head spinning.

But whenever he saw the order's priests in their immaculate red hooded robes, working with books and machinery at tasks that did not look remotely exhausting, and continually receiving praise his parents had never known—

Vashul's heart filled with anticipation.

Again and again, his hopes for his future life rekindled the enthusiasm worn away by his studies.

After more than a decade of study, Vashur became a Gearhead, which already made him a distinguished member of the Adeptus Mechanicus in other people's eyes.

Only then did Vashur discover that this was merely the beginning.

He studied even harder, and over the long course of his education, Vashur unexpectedly revealed a talent for mechanical technology itself.

Repair and construction techniques that others needed repeated practice to master seemed exceedingly simple to Vashur.

Before long, the local order recommended that he continue his studies on a larger Industrial World on another nearby planet.

Over the next hundred years and more, Vashur continued to improve his mastery of mechanical technology.

Then the Great Rift opened, and Vashur, by then a Senior Tech-Priest, was dispatched in response to the Imperium's call for aid.

More than a century of life in the Adeptus Mechanicus had taught Vashur very clearly that relations between the Imperium and the order were far from harmonious.

Naturally, thankless, grueling assignments that might get someone killed went first to those like him, who had risen from common stock and had no powerful backing.

But Vashur had to go. Defying the order could very well bring him a gruesome end.

After all, a single mechanic held no importance to the order.

In the end, the Imperium lost the battle for Vigilus.

His status granted Vashur priority evacuation rights. After all, even a mechanic required decades or centuries of training and was considerably more valuable than an Astra Militarum soldier.

Yet that experience greatly enhanced Vashur's record. While repairing equipment for frontline troops, he was even fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of the legendary Imperial Regent, Roboute Guilliman.

Guilliman had stopped by the emergency Maintenance Center while inspecting the frontline troops and checking on the state of their equipment.

Another towering figure accompanying Guilliman drew Vashur's attention even more strongly.

It was the legendary Archmagos, Belisarius Cawl.

At the time, Vashur had not yet been covered in mechanical prosthetics as he was now. His fervent gaze had even drawn the Archmagos's attention, the reverence in his eyes unmistakable.

No one in the Adeptus Mechanicus could deny Belisarius Cawl's contributions to the Imperium and the order.

Vashul even felt that he bore some resemblance to another great man he had read about in history books during his spare time: Malcador the Sigillite.

After that encounter, Vashur seemed to gain a sudden insight into technical matters, and the speed of his improvement became astonishing.

Only after nearly two hundred years of waiting did he receive this opportunity to be dispatched to this hidden world and granted the title of Fabricator-Sage.

Once this assignment was completed and he returned, he would be dispatched to another world as a sage in his own right, responsible for an Industrial World with at least thirteen Hive Cities and a population exceeding ten billion.

For this mission, Vashur had brought the only ancient technological artifact he had accumulated over his centuries of life, hoping to carry out the order's assignment flawlessly and achieve a true rise in social standing.

As the experiences of his entire life flowed through his mind, Vashur looked at the immense ancient machine before him, standing over four meters tall, and spoke hesitantly.

"Although I do not know what definition of humanity you are using, I believe I meet my own criteria for being human. And I have lived a complete life."

Iax visibly froze for a moment at his answer.

"Your own definition of humanity?"

Clearly, this answer went beyond anything Iax had anticipated.