Weather Control Device

The base vehicle deployed, and Loci's heart surged with excitement.

"I command: Construct the power station."

"I command: Construct the ore refinement center."

"I command: Construct the planetary control tower."

One by one, Loci's commands were issued, and the newly activated war base immediately began operating at full speed.

Efficiency is productivity, and productivity is everything. The war base, working at full capacity, deeply shocked the Imperium's people, who were accustomed to the efficiency of the Adeptus Mechanicus.

The initial stored nanobots, under the control of the AI, rapidly constructed an antimatter power plant. Endless energy was transmitted through thick cables and wireless power transmission facilities.

At the other end, another portion of the nanobots formed the refinement center. Mining vehicles, each the size of a Rhino, were produced and, guided by scanners, drilled into the ground, heading straight for the liquid minerals in the mantle.

Whether it was hard rock strata or scorching magma, they were nothing before the mining vehicles' disintegration field drills.

After these behemoths burrowed underground, they would preliminarily separate impurities from the mineral deposits. The processed minerals were then directly teleported to the refinement center in cargo holds for the next stage of casting.

In just a few hours, the area covered by the force field had transformed into a steel jungle. Tall vehicle factories spewed smoke, which was then recycled by floating drones for secondary material recovery.

No material was wasted; all waste from one production cycle was recycled and fed into the next.

Loci arrived at the expanding surface, where the air carried the scent of steel. The air purification system was operating continuously, transforming the toxic atmosphere into clean air breathable by humans.

"Everything is starting to move," Loci said.

With just a simple command, the entire world had changed.

"It's truly incredible. It would take the Adeptus Mechanicus at least fifty years to terraform a death world, requiring vast amounts of manpower and resources. Only a few important worlds are granted the privilege of such a transformation."

Hill removed his helmet, bent down, and knelt on the ground, feeling the temperature of the surface.

The Iron Hands were in a state of fervor, their Iron Father muttering mysterious prayers as if praying to the Omnissiah.

"What exactly is this Omnissiah you believe in? This is the crystallization of human intellect; what does it have to do with divinity?" Loci asked the Iron Father, Willand, with great curiosity.

"This... My Lord, the Omnissiah is the faith of the Adeptus Mechanicus of Mars. The Adeptus Mechanicus believes that all technical knowledge and mechanical creations are manifestations of the Omnissiah's great power. One of the heads of the Imperial double-headed eagle belongs to the Adeptus Mechanicus."

Willand spoke with a grave tone, mentioning the Adeptus Mechanicus with extreme caution.

"I know you don't believe in machine spirits, but please refrain from making such statements in front of outsiders, especially those from the Adeptus Mechanicus. Those fellows possess extraordinary power and influence. Your words could attract unnecessary trouble."

Loci had never seen the Iron Father so cautious. It seemed the Adeptus Mechanicus was even more influential than imagined.

Loci felt a pang of nostalgia. In his time, Mars was a symbol of knowledge and progress.

Numerous technological advancements and theoretical innovations were proposed by Martian scientists. But now, this holy land of knowledge seemed to have devolved into a temple of superstition.

"Furthermore, Mars strictly prohibits the use of Abominable Intelligence. It is a red line. Once discovered by Mars, they will dispatch punitive forces to eliminate the Abominable Intelligence." Loci easily understood Willand's meaning; he was referring to the ship's onboard AI.

"Can you answer me, what is the difference between AI and machine spirits? You firmly believe in the sentience of machines but strictly prohibit the existence of AI. Isn't that contradictory?"

Willand fell silent. This was not something that could be answered in a few words.

"Iron Father, there's no need to be hesitant. This is Macragge, not Mars. The reach of those tech-heretics does not extend to the Five Hundred Worlds."

Hill interjected to smooth things over, advising, "My Lord has sworn an oath to protect Loci. As long as he remains within the Five Hundred Worlds, no one will be able to harm him."

"The entire galaxy is in chaos right now. Special times call for special measures. Now is not the time to dwell on this, so..." Hill wore a half-smile. "There are only machine spirits on board, no AI."

"The Five Hundred Worlds remain eternally loyal!"

The Ultramarines, as expected of the most unique among the Adeptus Astartes, excelled in the political arts that most other Astartes did not. Hill clearly conveyed Guilliman's stance: the Five Hundred Worlds only had machine spirits, no AI.

All beings within the Five Hundred Worlds were loyal, a fact that needed no external validation or recognition.

As for whether Mars believed it, they were welcome to come to the Five Hundred Worlds and question Guilliman directly, to see if the Primarch's sacred short sword was sharp enough.

When the Warmaster instigated his rebellion, if the forces of Mars had not been involved, the traitors would likely have soon run out of supplies. It was certain that some individuals on Mars had sided with Warmaster Horus.

The discussion about AI was quickly set aside. The most important task at hand was to rapidly increase production on this planet and help Guilliman assemble a new armed force.

Before the vehicle factories began mass production, Loci decided to improve the planet's terrible environment.

The toxic substances in the air, if utilized properly, could also be very precious resources.

At the central location of the war base, atop the hundred-meter-tall technology center, a hemispherical structure surrounded by regularly spaced spherical generators was rapidly constructed by nanobots.

The massive spherical generator at its center emitted an electromagnetic hum, and simultaneously, energy from the base's antimatter power plant was rapidly drawn.

It was a terrifying amount of energy, enough to level the planet's surface. As this energy was channeled into the core of the Weather Control Device, dark clouds quickly gathered in the sky.

The clouds covered nearly the entire sky of the region. Even from orbit, the cloud cover spanned hundreds of thousands of square kilometers.

The violently turbulent atmosphere generated a lightning storm far exceeding natural limits. The lightning, stretching across the horizon, could be seen with the naked eye even from hundreds of kilometers away.

The toxic substances in the air were ionized and decomposed by the lightning in this planet-wide storm. Subsequently, rainwater washed them down, absorbing them as it fell to the ground.

The power of nature was now in human hands. Loci, using the might of the Weather Control Device, was altering the planet's atmospheric composition at an incredible pace.

The radioactive materials dispersed in the air were collected efficiently and stored uniformly in nuclear material warehouses by the mining vehicles. The acidic substances causing the air's toxicity were directly sent into the production line.

Nothing was waste; it was merely a misplaced resource.

Oxygen generation plants were absorbing greenhouse gases and releasing oxygen. The entire planet's atmospheric composition would be regulated to be the most suitable for human habitation.

In just another week, humans walking on Mustafa would discard their breathing masks and enjoy air sweeter than that of a garden world.

"Is this the technology of the Golden Age? The revival of a death world accomplished in mere days?" Hill marveled.

Although this world was within the Macragge system, considering the cost and benefits of its transformation, the Primarch did not intend to convert it into a garden world.

"It's not that simple. Next, I need to construct magnetic generators at the planet's poles. This planet needs its magnetic field altered to contain the improved atmosphere."

As long as there was sufficient energy, chemically produced water was merely the combination of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom.

Outside, a torrential rain, unprecedented in the planet's history, began to fall. The rain washed over the planet, soaking its parched flesh.

In some low-lying areas, lakes and rivers started to form. Although these waters still contained harmful substances, with the operation of the filtration system, clean water sources would replace the polluted ones.

"This basin will become an ocean. It will regulate the planet's atmospheric circulation and become the cradle for much life."

As Loci spoke, a landmass covering one-sixth of the planet's surface was transformed into an oceanic region.

The massive engineering machinery produced by the tank factories would dredge the waterways, and then all the rivers would flow into this ocean.

Mustafa's drastic changes naturally did not escape the Macragge system's impenetrable surveillance network. The lightning storms that swept across the entire planet could be observed even with the naked eye from neighboring worlds.