Chapter 396: The Inductii Problem
Rogal Dorn silently stared at the star map. Ryo's analysis regarding the Charter Fleets undoubtedly hit upon a vital yet often overlooked lifeline.
However, regarding this topic involving the fundamental operational structure of the Imperium, the Primarch did not engage in deeper discussion with Ryo.
He nodded slightly, acknowledging Ryo's suggestion for a phased, prioritized rollout, but immediately brought the topic back to technical details and the production schedule of the Crescent-class, no longer touching upon macroscopic strategic allocation.
This contained Rogal Dorn's deeper considerations.
He appreciated Ryo's technological capabilities and valued the revolutionary potential he brought, but he also maintained the basic political vigilance of a Primarch.
Ryo, regardless of his personal desires, was ultimately a Magos of the Adeptus Mechanicus, a technological authority gaining increasingly high influence within its ranks.
The symbol of the Imperium is the double-headed eagle; one head represents the secular Imperium, and the other represents the Adeptus Mechanicus.
After the Great Heresy, this symbolism became even more complex, but the essence of the Adeptus Mechanicus as an independent political entity had not changed.
Even after the Horus Heresy, when Mars suffered heavy losses and had to integrate more deeply into the Imperial system, the Adeptus Mechanicus was never a simple department or vassal of the Imperium.
It is an "empire within an empire," possessing its own system of laws, faith, military, and a nearly independent economic cycle.
Rogal Dorn might not be adept at, nor did he like, delicate political manipulations, but he was absolutely not ignorant of politics.
He deeply understood the principle that power requires checks and balances.
Allowing a Mechanicus Magos—especially one like Ryo who grasped core technologies—to overly influence or even dominate the Imperium's core logistical lifelines was tantamount to handing the Imperium's economic arteries over to the Adeptus Mechanicus.
This was not a personal distrust directed at Ryo, but an instinctive and necessary check against the massive entity that was the Adeptus Mechanicus.
He had to ensure a delicate balance was maintained between the secular power of the Imperium and the technological theocracy of the Adeptus Mechanicus; the over-expansion of either side could bring disastrous consequences.
Therefore, he could adopt Ryo's technological suggestions and push the application of the warp engine, but on the question of exactly how to distribute this "power," the decision-making authority had to remain firmly in the hands of the highest echelons of the Imperium—in his hands, Rogal Dorn, and (theoretically) the Senatorum Imperialis of Terra.
Ryo could provide options, but he could not be the one to make the final call.
"The production and initial deployment plan for the Crescent-class will be coordinated by me with the Departmento Munitorum and Naval Command," Dorn's voice returned to its usual cold hardness, concluding this summons. "Your next task is to continue perfecting the warp engine technology and ensure the Eternal Seeker of Knowledge is in optimal condition. The Imperium—might very soon have need for it to deploy."
This sentence was both an affirmation of Ryo's work and a clear boundary: technology belongs to technology, strategy belongs to strategy.
Ryo obtained the subsequent direction he wanted and clearly felt that invisible red line.
He bowed slightly, accepting the order without further words.
He had no intention of involving himself too deeply in the Imperium's power dynamics to begin with.
His goal was always knowledge itself, and using that knowledge to seek a better future for humanity.
As long as it did not hinder this fundamental goal, he was happy to see Rogal Dorn handle those complex political balances.
Rogal Dorn quickly changed the topic, shifting the discussion from macroscopic strategy to a much more specific issue that was closer to his inner concerns. His massive body turned toward Ryo, a barely perceptible heaviness in his sharp eyes.
"Ryo, there is another issue, concerning the future of my sons," Dorn's voice was low. "During the late stages of the Great Heresy, troops were depleted. In order to rapidly replenish our forces, the Imperial Fists—like many other Legions—had to adopt the 'Inductii' model."
He pulled up a series of complex biological data charts, pointing to two items highlighted and marked as "omitted": "To accelerate the maturation and adaptation process of the recruits, I ordered the omission of two of the nineteen surgical implantations—the Sus-an Membrane and the Betcher's Gland."
Ryo's database immediately retrieved the relevant information.
The Sus-an Membrane, implanted beneath the cerebral cortex, allows a Space Marine to enter a protective state of suspended animation when suffering fatal injuries, buying precious time for rescue; the Betcher's Gland can secrete a potent corrosive toxin and strengthens the oral and dental structure, allowing it to be used as a weapon of last resort in extreme situations, even biting through light metal obstacles.
These two are not core organs that directly determine combat effectiveness, but they are a part of the vital survival guarantees and extreme environmental adaptability provided to the Space Marines in the Emperor's design.
"Omitting them was a move of desperation at the time," Dorn continued, his tone carrying the responsibility of a Primarch toward his sons. "But this was not without a price.
"The lack of these two organs not only caused the warriors to lose the corresponding survival capabilities, but it also resulted in the regulation of other glands and nervous systems in their bodies being in a prolonged state of imbalance—a state they were not designed for.
"It could even—induce potential psychological issues, such as falling into uncontrollable rages more easily, or lacking necessary physiological protection mechanisms when severely wounded."
An emergency measure during the Great Heresy had now become a historical legacy issue plaguing the Imperial Fists, as well as other loyalist Legions that had adopted similar measures.
Gradually phasing out these warriors is a long process, and for these veterans who had survived the flames of war, it was not the most humane choice.
"If possible," Dorn's gaze firmly locked onto Ryo, "I hope to be able to complete their missing parts. Let them become—truly complete Astartes."
He paused slightly, stating his reason for choosing Ryo: "You are someone who participated in that initial project; you are the only survivor who understands the original technological route and complete design of the Emperor and Lady Astarte.
"Today's Adeptus Mechanicus might be able to replicate the organs, but they do not necessarily understand their original design logic and their delicate balance within the entire augmentation system.
"You are the best candidate to solve this problem."
This was undoubtedly a daunting and sensitive task.
It involved the most core biological augmentation technology of the Space Marines, its importance perhaps no less than the warp engine.
For Dorn to entrust this task to Ryo was both absolute trust in his ancient knowledge and biotechnological capabilities, and also implied a hope that this "outsider" would correct a deep-seated flaw within the Imperial Fists.
Ryo's optical lenses flickered slightly, rapidly accessing the massive, long-sealed database regarding the original Space Marine augmentation project.
A moment later, he responded, his synthesized voice still steady but carrying the absolute focus required for precision technology: "I understand, Lord Primarch. The implantation of the Sus-an Membrane and the Betcher's Gland is not an independent organ replacement; it involves the recalibration and integration of the entire neuro-endocrine network.
"I need to conduct specific sampling and analysis of the current physiological state of the Imperial Fists warriors before I can formulate a safe and effective reverse-implantation protocol.
"This requires time, and it also requires your authorization, so that I may access and study the warriors affected by this issue."