Before the main tactical screen of the majestic bridge of the Eternal Crusade, the mountainous figure of Rogal Dorn stood immobile. His habitually stoic, rock-carved face was now covered with a clearly discernible layer of gravity.
On the screen, the process of matter reconstruction in the Martian orbital test zone had just concluded, but the shock stemming from this complete technological paradigm shift pierced the void, causing sustained reverberations in the Primarch's mind.
He remained silent, his prodigious intellect processing the received visual information with extreme efficiency. It was not any known manufacturing technique—not assembly, not welding, nor conventional construction based on existing laws of physics. It was a process of directly converting energy into ordered matter, utterly outside the understanding of the current Imperial tech-tree.
It was only now that Dorn truly grasped the magnitude of this Magos Explorator named Osiris. He realized that his previous assessment of the Magos might still have been superficial.
The Creation Factor, the Warp drive, and now the demonstrated matter reconstruction capability. Dorn's central logic calmly listed the technological achievements Osiris had revealed so far. Each technology possessed the potential to change the Imperium's current state and was sufficient to incite fierce competition among various power blocs.
Yet, Osiris had adopted a gradual strategy, unveiling these technological advances step by step, using them as key variables to influence the power structures within the Imperium and the Mechanicum.
"If Roboute were here to handle this..." The thought occurred naturally to Dorn, a conclusion drawn from an objective assessment of the complex political situation. He knew clearly that his brother, Roboute Guilliman, was far more adept at handling matters requiring political coordination.
Guilliman could formulate a more comprehensive plan, balancing the interests of all parties while ensuring the effective dissemination of the technology and avoiding unnecessary internal conflict.
Dorn was acutely aware of his own limitations in this regard. A related thought then emerged: perhaps he should have taken a firmer stance to prevent Guilliman from participating in that military action.
From a functional division perspective, Guilliman's administrative talent was better suited to remain on Holy Terra, managing the colossal internal affairs of the Imperium and conducting necessary coordination with various departments.
The task of commanding forces on the front lines should have been borne by other Primarchs more suited for military command.
This line of reasoning naturally led Dorn to consider Guilliman's current state—placed in a stasis field, his vital signs maintained by technological means.
The Creation Factor's demonstrated capability for life creation and environmental modification raised a new possibility: could this technology be applied to heal the grievous wounds Guilliman had suffered?
Once this hypothetical application was formed, it occupied a distinct place in Dorn's mind. Even he, renowned for his rationality and tenacity, deemed this direction worthy of deep exploration.
If the technology mastered by Osiris could indeed solve the medical predicament facing Guilliman...
Rogal Dorn took a deep breath, the recycled air in the bridge carrying its distinctive metallic scent. He stared at the screen, where the ship with its completed engine waited for the test command, his gaze becoming even more focused.
Osiris might have brought not only the technical means to resolve the current deadlock, but also the potential to solve a far greater problem. This realization filled him with higher expectations for the upcoming test and its subsequent developments.
Rogal Dorn forcefully suppressed his surging thoughts, like filing away messy documents. Now was not the time for distraction, he told himself, refocusing on the test vessel awaiting orders on the main tactical screen.
The technical validation that concerned the Imperium's future allowed for no oversight.
He issued the command through the encrypted communication link to the Martian orbital test zone, his voice steady and clear: "Commence test."
The order was executed swiftly. Inside the test ship, several meticulously screened Tech-Priests, personally designated by Osiris, began activating the newly "printed" Warp drive according to the predetermined program. The geometric patterns inside the engine core lit up one by one, and a deep hum faintly radiated through the ship's structure, even in the vacuum.
The objective of this test was clear and cautious: activate the Warp drive, travel to the Proxima Centauri system approximately 4.3 light-years from the Sol system, confirm the location, and immediately return.
This distance was far enough to prove the efficacy of faster-than-light travel, yet close enough for monitoring and rapid result verification, making it an ideal choice that balanced risk and display effect.
The entire Sol system, a myriad of "eyes" were focused here. The observation fleet in Martian orbit, surveillance platforms hidden in planetary shadows, and even secret detectors deployed by certain factions within the High Lords of Terra's Council were frantically collecting every bit of data.
Just as the test entered its final countdown, several Forge Arks belonging to Gryphonne IV, Lucius, and other Forge Worlds, unable to restrain themselves, set off early toward the Proxima Centauri system.
They would wait at the edge of the target system, acting as referees at the finish line, ready to personally witness and immediately record the test ship's arrival with their own sensors, ensuring the authenticity and inviolability of the results.
The Astropathic Sanctuaries between the two star systems had also received the highest priority directive. Psychic spires were adjusted to optimal status, ready for the successful signal. Once the test ship successfully arrived at Proxima Centauri and transmitted confirmation, the psychic wave carrying the success information would instantly traverse the vastness of reality to Holy Terra.
This attention was not limited to real space.
The intense focus on this test in the material universe generated emotional ripples that penetrated the veil between reality and illusion. In the surging tides of the Warp, the Astronomican, the eternal flame sustained by the Emperor's mighty will, seemed to sense something.
The flame, symbolizing human hope, burned with exceptional intensity now, its light pulsating more noticeably, as if carrying some profound expectation. The cold sun guiding humanity's path seemed to be casting its supreme attention toward this small patch of empty space in Martian orbit.
At the stern of the test ship, the glow of the Warp drive abruptly stabilized. A field that subtly warped space itself enveloped the entire vessel.
The next moment, the test ship vanished, turning into a streak of light that disappeared completely. There was no blinding afterburner, no space-ripping sonic boom, only a subtle, quickly subsiding ripple in the space where the engine had been.
The data streams transmitted in real-time to the Eternal Crusade and all observation points showed: the test ship had departed from its current coordinates.
Warp Drive, activated successfully.
Now, all that remained was the waiting.
Waiting for the echo from four light-years away, waiting for the confirmation signal that would determine the future trajectory of the Imperium.
Every passing second felt stretched, a heavy weight pressing upon the minds of every entity concerned with this event.