Chapter 397: Repair Protocol
Under Rogal Dorn's explicit permission and arrangement, Ryo met with several Imperial Fists Space Marines.
They wore their iconic yellow power armor, their statures still imposing and majestic, their demeanor carrying the discipline and tenacity unique to the Sons of Dorn.
However, under Ryo's precise sensors and his gaze deeply versed in biological augmentation technology, some subtle differences had nowhere to hide.
In their physiological signal profiles, there indeed existed subtle imbalances inconsistent with the standard Astartes template, caused by the lack of critical organs.
More importantly, through brief interactions and behavioral observation, Ryo captured something beyond the data.
These warriors, without exception, were all "Inductii" conscripted during the late stages of the Great Heresy.
The brand left by that desperate war was not only reflected in their missing Sus-an Membrane and Betcher's Gland, but was also deeply rooted in their sense of identity.
Ryo quickly realized that the problem went far beyond the physiological level.
Within the Imperial Fists and even the entire Adeptus Astartes, there existed an invisible yet tangible barrier.
Those veterans who had undergone the complete nineteen implantations and survived the Great Crusade or the early stages of the Heresy were the foundation and symbols of glory of the Legion.
Yet these Inductii warriors, hastily produced through simplified procedures to fill gaps in the front lines, despite being equally loyal and bleeding and sacrificing on the battlefield just the same, were never truly seen as "complete" Space Marines.
This discrimination was not public humiliation or institutional unfairness—Rogal Dorn would absolutely never allow such things to happen.
It was more like a subtle atmosphere permeating the air, an invisible wall.
The subconscious priority given by commanders when assigning the most glorious and critical assault missions; the right to know certain details in the transmission of the Chapter's ancient traditions and internal rituals; and even that unspeakable tacit understanding and sense of identity based on shared experiences between veterans and recruits—
Warriors of Inductii origin seemed always to be alienated outside this wall.
They were viewed as necessary "expendables," emergency products of that desperate era, rather than true inheritors of the Emperor's perfect design.
This implicit rejection undoubtedly exacerbated the psychological pressure resulting from their physiological defects, possibly even forming a vicious cycle of self-doubt.
They fought, they sacrificed, yet it seemed they could never truly integrate into the bloodline of the Legion they had sworn allegiance to and given everything for.
Ryo's mechanical face showed no expression, but his internal data streams were rapidly analyzing this complex socio-psycho-physiological phenomenon.
What Rogal Dorn wanted to complete was not merely two missing organs, but a hope to heal this rift deeply etched within the Imperial Fists, caused by the trauma of war and forced compromises, so that all these loyal sons could attain the completeness and dignity they deserved.
This undoubtedly added a new dimension and weight to Ryo's mission.
He not only had to solve technical difficulties and ensure the safety and effectiveness of the supplementary implantation surgeries, but perhaps he also needed to consider how to use this technical repair to help soothe the invisible wounds in these warriors' hearts.
What he came into contact with were not just a few individuals needing surgery, but a heavy subject regarding identity, recognition, and honor left behind by an era.
For Ryo, merely performing surgery to implant standard-model Sus-an Membranes and Betcher's Glands into these warriors could not be considered a true solution.
This would only be a mechanical, superficial patch.
Relying on the core knowledge he had accessed when participating in the original project, replicating and implanting these two organs themselves presented limited technical difficulty.
However, his goal went far beyond this.
He keenly perceived that the problem was far more complex than the "absence" itself.
Organ absence lasting for decades, or even longer, had already caused deep-seated, systemic impacts on the bodies of these Inductii warriors.
In order to adapt to this "incomplete" state, their neuroendocrine networks had spontaneously formed a compensatory mechanism. Although this mechanism maintained basic physiological functions, it also led to chronic imbalances in certain hormone levels and subtle deviations in neural responses.
This was perhaps the physiological root of some of their psychological issues.
The more critical issue lay in the "geneseed."
An Astartes warrior's geneseed is the core of their legacy. The implantation of every organ is closely linked to the geneseed, together forming a complete augmentation system.
Had the long-term absence of these two organs produced some subtle influence on the geneseed carried within the warriors' bodies?
Had it caused the geneseed to undergo some unknown "mutation" or "adaptive degradation" deviating from the initial design when expressing itself or working synergistically with other organs?
If he simply supplemented the organs without addressing these deeper physiological imbalances and potential geneseed issues, then the newly implanted organs would likely fail to perfectly integrate with the body system that had already "gone astray," possibly even triggering new rejection reactions or systemic conflicts.
This was no different from forcefully laying new bricks upon an already crooked foundation.
"Simple implantation has limited meaning," Ryo elaborated his view in the laboratory, facing the complex physiological data models and speaking to the old companion connected to himself. "We must conduct three synchronized tasks."
He brought up a three-dimensional projection, displaying his comprehensive plan: "First, customized organ cultivation. We cannot directly use the standard templates. We need to fine-tune the Sus-an Membrane and the Betcher's Gland based on the specific current physiological profile of each warrior—especially the current state of their nervous and endocrine systems—ensuring that after implantation, they can seamlessly interface with the existing body systems, rather than forcefully overriding them."
"Second, systemic physiological reset. Before and after implanting the new organs, we need to use precise pharmaceutical regulation and biofeedback technology to gradually guide the warrior's neuroendocrine network from its compensatory state back to the standard balance prescribed by the Emperor's original design blueprint." He pointed to several key hormone level curves. "This is like calibrating a precision instrument; it requires patience and precision."
"Third, and most importantly, the detection and awakening of the geneseed." Ryo focused the model on the microscopic level representing the geneseed. "We need to examine the geneseed of these warriors to confirm whether it has entered a sort of dormancy or functionally restricted state due to the long-term lack of supporting organs, or even whether it has undergone minor sequential expression shifts."
"Then, through specific bio-signal stimulation and the synergistic effects generated during the implantation of the new organs, we re-awaken or calibrate the geneseed. This will restore its complete function and ensure the newly implanted organs can be fully accepted and integrated by the geneseed."