Chapter 387: Warp Engine, Activate
In front of the main tactical screen on the magnificent bridge of the "Eternal Crusader", Rogal Dorn's mountain-like body stood motionless.
His face, usually as resolute as carved rock, was now shrouded in a clearly discernible solemnity.
On the screen, the process of matter reconstruction in the Martian orbital testing ground had just ended, but the impact originating from having his technological cognition completely refreshed pierced through the void, triggering continuous tremors in the Primarch's mind.
He remained silent, his brain—far exceeding that of an ordinary human—processing the received visual information with extreme efficiency.
That was not any known manufacturing technology; not assembly, not welding, nor conventional construction based on existing laws of physics.
That was a process of directly converting energy into ordered matter, exceeding the comprehensible scope of the Imperium's current technological tree.
Only at this moment did Dorn truly realize on a deeper level the weight possessed by this Explorator Magos named Ryo.
He realized that his previous assessment of this Magos might have still remained on the surface.
The Genesis factor, the warp engine, and the matter reconstruction ability displayed just now.
Dorn's thought core calmly enumerated the technological achievements Ryo had displayed so far.
Every technology possessed the potential to change the current state of the Imperium, sufficient to trigger fierce struggles among various factions.
Yet Ryo had adopted a step-by-step strategy, gradually revealing these technological achievements, using them as critical variables to influence the power structure within the Imperium and the Adeptus Mechanicus.
"If Roboute were here to handle this matter..." This judgment naturally appeared in Dorn's mind, carrying a conclusion reached after an objective assessment of the complex political situation.
He clearly recognized that his brother, Roboute Guilliman, was more adept at handling such affairs requiring political coordination.
Guilliman could formulate a more perfect plan, balancing the interests and demands of all parties to avoid unnecessary internal conflicts while ensuring the effective promotion of the technology.
And Dorn knew explicitly that he had limitations in this regard.
A related thought subsequently arose: perhaps he should have adopted a more resolute attitude to prevent Guilliman from participating in that military operation back then.
From the perspective of functional division, Guilliman's management talents were more suited to remaining on Holy Terra to handle the Imperium's arduous internal affairs and conduct necessary coordination with the officials of various departments.
The task of commanding battles on the front lines should inherently have been borne by other Primarchs more suited for military command.
This line of thought naturally guided Dorn to think of Guilliman's current state—placed within a stasis field, his vital signs maintained by technological means.
The capabilities for life creation and environmental transformation displayed by the Genesis factor triggered a new possibility: could this technology be applied to treat the trauma Guilliman had suffered?
Once the hypothesis for this direction of technological application was formed, it occupied a specific position in Dorn's mind.
Even he, renowned for his rationality and stoicism, believed this direction was worth exploring deeply.
If the technology Ryo possessed could indeed solve the medical dilemma Guilliman faced...
Rogal Dorn took a deep breath, the cyclically filtered air on the bridge carrying a unique metallic scent.
He stared at the test ship on the screen, which had completed its engine installation and was awaiting testing commands, his gaze becoming even more focused.
What Ryo brought might not only be the technological means to solve the current predicament; it might also provide the possibility to solve even greater problems.
This realization gave him even higher expectations for the impending test and its subsequent developments.
Rogal Dorn forcefully suppressed his surging thoughts, like filing away chaotic documents into a drawer.
Now was not the time to be distracted, he told himself, his gaze refocusing on the test ship waiting for commands on the main tactical screen.
Technology verification concerning the Imperium's future allowed for no negligence whatsoever.
Through the encrypted communication link, he issued the command to the Martian orbital testing ground, his voice steady and clear: "Commence testing."
The order was swiftly executed. Inside the test ship, several strictly screened Tech-Priests personally designated by Ryo began to activate the newly "printed" warp engine according to predetermined procedures.
The geometric patterns inside the engine core lit up one by one, and a low hum was faintly transmitted through the hull structure even in the vacuum.
The goal of this test was clear and cautious: activate the warp engine, travel to the Proxima Centauri system approximately 4.3 light-years away from the Sol System, and return immediately after completing positional confirmation.
This distance was far enough to prove the effectiveness of faster-than-light travel, yet relatively close to facilitate monitoring and rapid verification of results. It was an ideal choice that balanced risk and demonstration effect.
Across the entire Sol System, countless pairs of "eyes" were focused here.
The observation fleets in Martian orbit, the surveillance platforms hidden in planetary shadows, and even the probes secretly erected by certain factions of the Senatorum Imperialis on Terra were frantically collecting every bit of data.
Just as the test entered the final countdown phase, several Ark Mechanicus vessels belonging to Forge Worlds like Graia and Lucius could no longer hold back and had already set sail ahead of time in the direction of the Proxima Centauri system.
They would wait at the edge of the target star system like referees at the finish line, ready to witness with their own eyes and record the moment the test ship arrived with their own sensors at the very first opportunity, ensuring the authenticity and unalterability of the results.
The Astropathic sanctuaries between the two star systems had also received highest-priority orders. The psychic spires were adjusted to optimal states. Once the test ship successfully arrived at the Proxima Centauri system and transmitted a confirmation signal, the psychic fluctuations carrying the message of success would instantly cross the vastness of reality straight to Holy Terra.
This attention did not come solely from the material universe.
The intense focus on this test in the material universe generated emotional fluctuations like tiny ripples, piercing through the veil between reality and illusion.
Within the surging waves of the Warp, that eternally burning Astronomican, supported by the Emperor's mighty will, seemed to sense something within its cold and majestic light.
The flame symbolizing the hope of humanity burned exceptionally fiercely at this moment. The pulsation of its light became more pronounced, as if bearing a profound anticipation.
This cold sun guiding humanity's navigational routes seemed to be casting its supreme attention toward this small sector of airspace in Martian orbit.
At the rear of the test ship, the light of the warp engine abruptly stabilized, and a force field that slightly distorted space itself enveloped the entire vessel.
The next moment, the test ship transformed into a streak of light and subsequently vanished without a trace.
There were no blinding exhaust flames, no explosive booms tearing through space. There were only faint, rapidly calming ripples in space where the engine had originally been.
The real-time data streams transmitted back to the "Eternal Crusader" and all observation points showed: the test ship had departed its current coordinates.
Warp engine, successfully activated.
Now, only the wait remained.
Waiting for the echo from four light-years away, waiting for that confirmation signal that would determine the future course of the Imperium.
The passing of every second felt elongated, pressing heavily upon the heart of every entity paying attention to this matter.
(End of Chapter)