MTLNOVEL Chapter 21: chapter 21
Chapter 21: The Killing Code
Captain Ventanus had returned.
He brought with him a cohort of Mechanicus Skitarii—heavily augmented warriors who now resembled machines more than men. They were placed in a secured chamber, shielded against radiation to ensure the safety of those taking refuge.
"I am Magos Mir Edwi Tauren," a female adept of the Adeptus Mechanicus introduced herself. She was the analytical mind behind this contingent of Crusaders. "A senior tech-priest, formerly assigned to the research divisions of Calth and Numinas."
"It was our cohort that intercepted your transmission. Before my superior perished, he relayed the data to Macragge's Glory and issued an early warning."
It was difficult to detect emotion in the speech of the Mechanicus, their voices often stripped of warmth by mechanical augmentation. But Bucky sensed a subtle trace of sorrow—grief buried beneath the monotone.
"But it seems there's little left to analyze now," Ventanus remarked, attempting levity.
Tassa was tending to his wounds. The Astartes captain bore numerous bruises, the result of his power armor shielding him from worse injury. His superhuman physiology had already begun healing the minor fractures in his limbs.
"It's been a grim day. I've lost many battle-brothers. It feels like a nightmare," Tauren admitted.
Ventanus nodded solemnly. "Forgive me, Magos, but I thought you of the Mechanicus had no use for dreams."
Tauren did not react. Most of her body had long since been replaced by intricate machinery. "Even the most augmented of us still dream, Captain."
"The Word Bearers have committed an unspeakable betrayal. The XIII Legion, the Five Hundred Worlds of Ultramar, and the Mechanicus have all suffered grievous losses. Our warships burn, and our people die."
She gave a small nod, remembering someone who had died in her arms not long ago.
"What assets do you have—forces or information—that we can utilize?" Ventanus inquired.
The Mechanicus were not traditionally frontline warriors, but underestimating them was a mistake. Each Tech-Priest possessed relic technologies, and their augmentations often concealed terrifying capabilities.
"We have approximately three hundred Skitarii Crusaders, some mobile weapons, and light armored units," Tauren responded. The number was within Ventanus's expectations. "However, as our signal spreads, reinforcements may arrive."
"But Captain, I am curious. Calth's Noospheric grid has been corrupted by the taint of the Warp. Even the Cogitators linked to it have been compromised. As far as I am aware, the thinkers in the Global Museum were connected as well. So tell me—what transmitter did you use to send your message?"
Tauren's cybernetic eyes gleamed with intrigue. The signal's pattern was subtly different from standard Mechanicus or Imperial frequencies. She suspected lost technology—or worse, tech-heresy.
For the Mechanicus, all knowledge beyond their control was deemed heretical—unless, of course, it was in their possession. Then, it was merely recovered technology.
Ventanus made no attempt to hide the truth. He would need the Mechanicus if they were to reclaim Calth's Noosphere.
"Our transmitter was supplied by that man," Ventanus gestured to Bucky, who stood quietly in the corner.
"A standard mortal," Tauren observed, scanning him with her cybernetic optics. She found nothing remarkable—no augmentations, no signs of rejuvenat treatments, no enhanced physiology. Just an ordinary human.
"No… in fact, too standard," Tauren mused.
The Imperium was vast, and humanity had long been shaped by its many environments—gravity shifts, radiation exposure, psyker anomalies, and more. It was rare to find someone completely unmodified. Even the most basic rejuvenation treatments were accessible to middle-class citizens in the hive cities. Those too poor to afford them often bore mutations due to the harsh conditions of the lower levels.
Mutation was inevitable, and the Imperium was ruthless in purging the unclean.
Tauren dismissed her thoughts. Some Tech-Priests engineered genetically "pure" test subjects to eliminate variables in their experiments.
Now, her focus shifted to the transmitter in Bucky's possession. Her augmented vision flickered with data streams as she analyzed it. This was no mere Imperial device. It was an artifact of the Dark Age of Technology, beyond the capability of the current Mechanicus to replicate.
"Tell me, mortal—do you have knowledge of Standard Template Constructs? Every STC should rightfully belong to the Adeptus Mechanicus."
Tauren leaned in close. Enhanced as she was, she towered over Bucky. Her lips—part flesh, part metal—were nearly at his ear as she spoke in a slow, deliberate tone.
Bucky remained silent. Should he tell this tech-priest that his ship was built from countless STCs?
If she learned the truth, she might very well burst a hydraulic seal from sheer excitement.
In Bucky's time, augmentation was common. But exposing one's enhancements so blatantly—leaving mechanical components visible and disfiguring the human form—was seen as crude.
The highest level of augmentation was indistinguishable from flesh. The Stone Men, for example, were constructs that surpassed humanity itself.
A perfect creation, superior to its creator.
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"Both the surface and orbital space are locked in battle. We have confirmed that half the fleet has regained operational status and is retaliating against the enemy," Ventanus assessed. "The ground war is also at a standstill. The Word Bearers are entangled in multiple engagements, unable to gain the upper hand."
Aruk, leader of the Skitarii Crusaders, adjusted his failing cybernetic eye. "So what is your plan, Captain?"
"Our weapons array has fallen to the enemy. The chaos-corrupted data must be purged, and the installation retaken."
The orbital defense array had the firepower to obliterate enemy forces on both ground and in space, but it had been overrun and was now being reprogrammed by the traitors.
Bucky had attempted to use his AI to cleanse the corruption, but the process was too slow. The only viable option was to physically secure the array—eliminating all hostiles in the facility.
"I can teleport you onto the orbital platform," Bucky admitted, "but your numbers are too few. The enemy has fortified their position. You cannot reclaim the weapons array alone."
Ventanus grimaced. With reinforcements from the Legion and the Primarch, they could have overwhelmed the Word Bearers in orbit.
But when he attempted to contact Macragge's Glory, there was no response. Not even the servitor-automated acknowledgment.
A sinking feeling settled in his chest.
The flagship was likely under attack.
With no reinforcements coming, they had only one option.
"You need to retrieve the kill-code my superior compiled before his death," Tauren stated. "In his final moments, he devised a program capable of purging the corrupted data. To prevent its contamination, he hid it within an isolated cogitator at the starport."
She withdrew from the transmitter's server, data scrolling across her augmented vision. She had reviewed countless logs, traced endless transmissions, and found the final legacy of Magos Hearst.
Her mentor. Her superior. Her lover.
She had held him as he died.
And now, his last creation might be the key to turning the tide of war.
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(End of Chapter)