Chapter 400: Assessing the Apprentice
After finishing the affairs on Holy Terra and submitting the detailed report regarding the first-phase repair protocol for the Imperial Fists' Inductii warriors to Rogal Dorn, Ryo did not linger in the vortex of power.
His logic core clearly prioritized the various tasks.
In the interim, waiting for the Primarch's feedback and the slow churn of the Imperial bureaucratic system, he turned his attention to another arrangement that had long been on his agenda.
The Eternal Seeker of Knowledge once again sailed into the surging waves of the Warp.
However, this voyage to the Death World base did not rely entirely on traditional Warp navigation for the entire journey.
Whenever the ship's sensors detected an un-bypassable Warp storm turbulence zone ahead, or one that would take immense time to force through, Ryo would command the ship's control system to execute a brief and precise material universe surfacing sequence.
Briefly appearing in the void of the material universe, the warp engine at the rear of the Eternal Seeker of Knowledge would activate, its low hum replacing the eerie echoes of the Warp drive.
A stable warp bubble enveloped the hull, allowing it to skim through the material universe at faster-than-light speeds past the region obstructed by the Warp storm.
This not only effectively avoided navigational risks and drastically shortened the time required for detours, but it also provided Ryo with valuable data continuously collected on the compatibility and stability of various systems under the Warp-Warp Drive hybrid navigation mode.
There were two purposes for this trip. The first was to further plan and reinforce the ancient ruin base located on the Death World. As his backup base for dimensional exploration and vital research, its construction and security levels needed continuous upgrading.
The second was to complete the assessment for his apprentice, David Martinez, marking the end of a one-year study cycle.
When the massive hull of the Eternal Seeker of Knowledge finished its final short-distance warp jump and ultimately stabilized in low orbit above the Death World, Ryo did not have the cruiser attempt to enter the atmosphere.
A modified, hard-lined shuttle was catapulted from the cruiser's underbelly. Like a metal arrow, it pierced the thin atmosphere and landed precisely on the landing pad of the ancient ruin base.
Ryo's massive dark-red body passed through the shuttle's hatch, stepped onto the base's metal floor, and headed towards the core sector.
Ignis and several Tech-Priest apprentices, who had been notified, were already waiting there, respectfully making the sign of the cog.
"Report the base's operational status and the subsequent progress of the East Wing laboratory expansion," Ryo issued the command without pleasantries, his crimson optical lenses sweeping over the rolling data streams on the control nexus's main screen.
Ignis stepped forward and began to report in a modulated, flat tone: "Energy core output is stable, with a deviation value below 0.03 percent.
"The defense array has completed its third round of periodic self-diagnostics; all nodes are online.
"The newly added multi-functional environmental simulation system in the East Wing laboratory completed its final calibration last standard week and is now fully integrated into the base network.
"According to your plans, the next step recommends excavating a secondary storage vault beneath the rock strata on the north side of the ruins, to accommodate a potential future increase in materials or... samples."
While listening to the report, Ryo directly accessed the recent detailed logs and energy distribution records through a data interface.
All parameters were within preset ranges. The base was running well under the rigorous, if uncreative, maintenance of his apprentices.
"You are responsible for submitting the proposal for the site selection and preliminary structural design of the secondary storage vault," Ryo said to Ignis. He then turned to the other apprentices, inquiring about the maintenance status of their respective modules and their level of understanding of the foundational chapters of the Lore Mechanicus.
The Q&A process was concise and highly efficient, much like a system self-diagnostic.
Having handled the base's routine affairs, Ryo's gaze finally landed on David Martinez and Lucy, who were standing quietly at the back of the apprentice ranks.
"David Martinez," Ryo's synthesized voice rang out.
David immediately straightened his back and took a step forward, trying hard to keep his voice steady: "Lord Magos."
"Your one-year study period has concluded. Follow me." After speaking, Ryo turned and walked towards the designated biological research area within the base. David took a deep breath and followed.
Lucy watched his back, a faint, imperceptible trace of concern flashing through her purple eyes.
Inside the biological research area, various precision instruments hummed quietly in a low-temperature environment. The air was permeated with the faint smell of disinfectants and nutrient base fluids.
Inside a transparent isolation chamber, several sets of biological tissue samples from different dimensions and in varying forms were placed. Some samples exhibited obvious characteristics of artificial genetic breakdown or xenos contamination.
"Your assessment task," Ryo's mechadendrite pointed to the isolation chamber, "is to independently complete a genetic sequence stability evaluation on the designated sample (labeled Beta-7) within three standard hours, using existing equipment and knowledge. You must submit an analytical report regarding its potential mutation tendencies and possible suppression protocols.
"You are permitted to use basic gene-editing tools for verification procedures."
A servo-skull glided silently to David's side, projecting the detailed initial data and a list of requirements for the assessment sample from its eye sockets.
Looking at the complex data stream and that lump of biological tissue presenting an unhealthy grayish-white color, David's heart began to race involuntarily.
He knew this was no simple test.
The genetic chain of the Beta-7 sample was extremely fragile and carried a dormant code that was difficult to parse; any improper operation could accelerate its collapse.
He recalled his studies over the past year: devouring the vast, voluminous Adeptus Mechanicus biological tomes in front of a dataslate; spending countless tedious nights of practice accompanied by Lucy; repeatedly operating those precise yet cold instruments; and understanding that genetic coding, much like machine code, required absolute precision and logic...
Pushing down the nervousness in his heart, he walked to the operation console, put on the sensory gloves, and connected the neural interface.
His movements were a bit rusty at first, but they quickly became focused and steady.
The optical microscope adjusted its focus, the gene sequencer began to hum, and under his control, the micro-manipulator arms performed sample extraction and reagent addition with minuscule precision.
Ryo stood to the side, his crimson optical lenses locked onto every single step David took from beginning to end, recording his operational precision, the sequence of his logical judgments, and his response strategies when faced with sudden data fluctuations.
There was no evaluation, no prompting—only absolute observation.
Time ticked by, minute by minute, second by second.
Fine beads of sweat seeped from David's forehead, but his eyes grew brighter and brighter.
He identified a hidden atypical telomere wear pattern within the sample and adjusted his original analytical path. Utilizing an obscure catalytic reagent mentioned in Fundamental Xeno-Genetics, he successfully activated a portion of the dormant code and obtained even more critical data regarding its mutation tendencies.
When the three-hour time limit was reached, David submitted the report right on time.
The contents of the report were detailed, fully supported by data. Although the proposed suppression protocol was slightly conservative, its logic was rigorous, and it took full consideration of the current equipment limitations of the base's laboratory.
(End of Chapter)