As the eternal crusade and its escort fleet entered the Sol System, the crimson planet—Mars—came into view.
As the headquarters and holy site of the Adeptus Mechanicus, its orbit was densely populated with massive shipyards, monitoring stations, and defensive platforms, its busyness and strictness second only to Holy Terra itself.
Almost as soon as the fleet was locked onto by Mars' sensors, a communication request with Mars' highest clearance identifier connected to the eternal crusade's bridge.
Sigismund gestured to accept the call, and a holographic projection appeared, showing an Archmagos of the Adeptus Mechanicus, clad in red robes and adorned with intricate cogwheels and skull insignias.
His voice, synthesized, carried an undeniable authority: "In the name of the Martian Council and the omnissiah, greetings to Explorer Magos Osiris.
We have learned of your successful restoration and mastery of certain precious technological legacies from humanity's Golden Age.
Such sacred knowledge can only unleash its proper and most powerful efficacy on Mars, in our hands, who truly understand and revere its sacred nature, to better serve humanity and the Emperor.
To spread it externally, to place it in the hands of mortals who have not been tempered by the fire of knowledge, is undoubtedly a blasphemy and waste of the Omnissiah's glory.
We demand that you immediately transfer all relevant technical archives and physical samples for proper safekeeping and further research by Mars."
Osiris was no stranger to this line of reasoning; his built-in logic core almost instantly felt an urge to refute it.
However, before he could organize his words, another communication, also bearing Mars' highest clearance identifier, forcibly cut in, occupying another communication channel.
The image of another Archmagos appeared, his red robes and insignias slightly different, his tone equally urgent, but his demands were diametrically opposed: "Magos Osiris, do not be blinded by the narrow-mindedness of the conservative faction!
The true value of such Golden Age technology, capable of reshaping the Empire's power structure, lies in its widespread application, in spreading the wisdom and glory of the Omnissiah to every corner of the galaxy!
And Mars, with the most complete industrial foundation, the largest missionary network, and the deepest technological heritage, is the only qualified executor to promote this great undertaking.
We demand that you immediately sign a comprehensive technology-sharing agreement with Mars, with us leading the effort to promote this sacred technology throughout the entire Empire!"
Watching the two Archmagos in the two channels before him, representing different factions within the Adeptus Mechanicus headquarters on Mars, with opposing views yet both attempting to seize control of the technology, Osiris' massive mechanical body emitted an almost inaudible, sigh-like hum from its servo motors.
The glow of his crimson optical lenses seemed to dim for a moment, as a data stream of emotions, a mix of absurdity and extreme helplessness, washed over his processing core.
He even felt an urge to cover his facial armor with a mechanical hand—if his body structure allowed him to perform such a human-like action.
Undoubtedly, the Adeptus Mechanicus headquarters on Mars had resumed their traditional 'academic disputes'.
When faced with new technologies capable of changing the status quo, internal factions, based on their respective research directions, thirst for power, and differing interpretations of doctrine, could never reach a unified opinion.
The conservative faction sought monopoly and preservation, the radical faction yearned for promotion and utilization, while more factions might waver between the two.
At this point, Osiris also fully understood which faction had directed the previous Martian fleet—which had not hesitated to declare him a heretic in order to forcibly seize the technology, and was ultimately repulsed—or rather, it was an unauthorized action by a certain faction without internal consensus.
He had witnessed this kind of internal strife and infighting far too many times.
Sigismund clearly saw through the situation; he snorted coldly, interrupting the potential continued argument between the two Archmagos: "This is the Black Templars' flagship, the eternal crusade.
Magos Osiris and the technology he carries will be presented directly to Primarch Rogal Dorn and the high-ranking officials of Terra for their decision.
Mars' internal affairs, please resolve them yourselves. Communication ended."
He gave the other side no more opportunity to entangle, decisively cutting off the communication link with Mars.
Silence temporarily returned to the bridge, leaving only Osiris' silent disdain for Mars' deeply entrenched bureaucracy and factional infighting.
After Sigismund's clear statement and the termination of communication, the fleet did not stop, continuing along its planned course towards Holy Terra.
Osiris' massive body stood before the bridge's observation window, his crimson optical lenses sweeping across the crimson planet and its vast orbital facilities.
His sensor array detected a fleet in a port area of Mars' orbital ring, completing its assembly and slowly moving towards the Mandeville Point, preparing for a Warp jump.
A premonition, based on data comparison and logical deduction, prompted him to make a request to Sigismund: "Scan that fleet that just departed."
The scan results were quickly returned, and after comparison with parameters recorded in the database, the conclusion was clear and unmistakable—the departing fleet, in both ship composition and appearance, was identical to the Martian fleet that had attacked them in the Death World system and was ultimately destroyed.
This result did not surprise Osiris; instead, it confirmed a previous speculation of his.
He calmly shared the analysis results with Sigismund, adding a concise note: "The temporal turbulence effect of the Warp. For them, the journey has just begun; for us, their destruction is in the past."
Evidently, this fleet had encountered one of the most perplexing and elusive phenomena of Warp travel—a time paradox.
In their timeline, they were just now departing from Mars, heading to the Death World to execute the mission of seizing the technology.
However, in Osiris and Sigismund's timeline, the fate of this fleet was already sealed, its wreckage perhaps still slowly cooling in the void outside the Death World system.
The Warp itself does not adhere to the linear flow of time in the real universe; such situations as 'depart today, arrive yesterday' or 'arrive first, depart later' are rare but not unprecedented.
Of course, a fleeting possibility also crossed Osiris' core thoughts: could certain activated ancient technological artifacts also be interfering with spacetime continuity behind this?
After all, humanity had created many incomprehensible powers during the Dark Age.
However, this thought was only a fleeting one.
Osiris had no interest, nor time, to delve into the complex reasons behind this.
His goal was clear and firm: to reach Holy Terra, meet Rogal Dorn, and present the two crucial 'cargoes' they had brought through hardship—the Warp Drive core and the Genesis Factor sample—to the Primarch.
This was the overriding priority.