Just as the Forge World Alliance believed victory was secured and was preparing to finalize the terms of the new order, a new directive from the Eternal Crusade changed the negotiation landscape.
This directive, originating directly from Rogal Dorn, cast a crucial weight onto the tipping scales with its characteristic succinctness and clarity.
Dorn's proposal reflected his pragmatic style: uncompromising on principles, yet retaining necessary checks and balances in execution.
He explicitly demanded that Mars relinquish its absolute monopoly on production licenses and technical patents, a decision that entirely satisfied the Alliance's core demand.
However, at the level of specific implementation, the Primarch reserved a key function for Mars—Technical Safety Review.
Under the new framework, each Forge World would possess complete patent ownership over independently developed technology, no longer requiring certification from Mars. However, when these technologies were to be distributed across the Imperium or produced by other Forge Worlds, they must pass a safety audit conducted by an agency under the Martian Council.
Mars' new responsibility would focus on technical risk assessment, including reviewing potential safety hazards, compatibility with existing technological systems, and adherence to technical taboos such as Abominable Intelligence.
This arrangement both shattered Mars' long-standing technological monopoly and ensured the stability and safety of the Imperium's overall technological development. For Mars, while losing absolute control, it retained its voice in the field of technological ethics and security.
For the Alliance, they gained the long-awaited technological autonomy while establishing a necessary technical safety mechanism within the Imperial framework.
Dorn's decision demonstrated his foresight as a ruler of the Imperium. It was not enough to simply promote technological progress; it was essential to ensure order and stability during the process of change.
Under this new technological order, Mars would transition from the role of technological monopolizer to that of technical gatekeeper, while the Forge Worlds gained greater space for innovation and development.
In short, the "ownership" of patents was delegated to the individual Forge Worlds, but the authority to audit the "pass" for large-scale application remained in Mars' hands.
Mars could no longer easily stifle a new technology on the grounds of "non-compliance with standards," but it still held a veto right based on "safety and stability."
This solution poured a slight bucket of cold water on the Alliance's overly high morale but provided a much-needed shot of adrenaline to the despairing Martian Council.
For Mars, this was undoubtedly a huge concession, losing the power to arbitrarily monopolize, but they had at least preserved the core function of "Reviewer," maintaining their final adjudicating status in the technical ethics and security fields as the Mechanicum's orthodoxy. While their status had changed from supreme ruler to a powerful "gatekeeper," it was far better than being completely marginalized.
For the Forge World Alliance, although not the ideal outcome, they had achieved the most critical breakthrough—autonomy over technological patents.
Moreover, Dorn's will was absolute, and this proposal did indeed offer a workable framework, avoiding a complete split with Mars and the infinite continuation of internal friction.
Archmagos Volx, after receiving the directive, conducted a brief but efficient data exchange with the Alliance representatives. Finally, he responded on behalf of the Alliance: "We accept the adjudication of the Lord Primarch. This plan can inaugurate a new era for the Mechanicum and the Imperium."
Osiris had no objection. His primary goal was to promote technological development and break the rigid monopoly. Dorn's plan, while breaking the monopoly, installed a necessary safety valve.
While this valve being controlled by Mars might not be perfect, it was the optimal solution under the current circumstances for maximizing change while maintaining Imperial stability.
The negotiation scale finally found a new, relatively stable balance point. Mars managed to "kneel less awkwardly," retaining a shred of face and crucial power; the Alliance achieved its core objective, gaining unprecedented space for development for their respective Forge Worlds.
A storm that might have torn the Mechanicum apart was temporarily quelled by the forceful intervention of Rogal Dorn, and the framework for a new technological order was thus established.
With the new technological order framework established, the plan for the Warp drive's widespread implementation was formally put on the agenda.
Taking advantage of the rare opportunity of major Forge World representatives gathering on Mars, Osiris presented his preliminary design blueprints for a Warp drive-integrated, modified Lunar-class cruiser structure.
He proposed that all attending Forge World representatives and experts from Mars form a Provisional Technical Committee to pool their wisdom and optimize the design, making it the first standardized example for promoting Warp drive technology throughout the Imperium.
This proposal immediately received enthusiastic responses from all sides. Both the Forge World Alliance, which had just won greater autonomy, and Mars, which was attempting to reposition its value in the new order, were keenly aware that this joint design project for the "first Warp drive vessel" would be a hugely symbolic milestone.
It could demonstrate to the entire Imperium that the Mechanicum, having weathered its internal shock, remained a cohesive (at least superficially) entity capable of collaborative work for the future of the Imperium.
Consequently, all parties showed extraordinary zeal, determined to make this demonstration project the absolute best.
However, this "dedication" quickly manifested in a way uniquely characteristic of the Mechanicum—nitpicking Osiris' original design.
Osiris' design focused on the integration of the Warp drive and the adaptation of the basic structure, and it was admittedly not exhaustive in many detailed aspects of starship system engineering. This immediately gave the representatives room to critique.
"The energy transmission conduits lack sufficient redundancy! By Gryphonne IV standards, at least three backup circuits must be added to cope with wartime overload!" Vladimir, Magos of Gryphonne IV waved his thick, tool-equipped arm, his data stream filled with the heat of a forge.
"Absurd!" a Martian ship structure Magos immediately retorted, his vox-caster emitting a puff of cooling vapor. "Excessive redundancy adds unnecessary weight and complexity, affecting hull balance! The Martian database contains seventeen classic case studies proving..."
"Your database is ten thousand years old, relics!" Thorne Magos of Lucius inserted coldly, his optical lenses scanning the control system portion of the blueprint. "The navigation array and control system interface are too rudimentary. We must adopt Lucius' latest psychic-data conversion bridge; precision can be increased by at least twelve percent."
"Cost! Have you considered the cost?" another Magos, focused on economic viability, sent a sharp code burst. "Your precision components from Lucius cost enough to build half a macro-cannon!"
Osiris' mechanical body stood still in a corner of the conference room, his crimson optical lenses calmly observing the rapidly escalating "technical discussion." He did not refute any of the criticisms raised by the parties.
He knew his experience in starship system engineering was indeed inferior to these veteran Magos, who had been immersed in the discipline for hundreds or even thousands of years. His goal was to provide a viable solution; as for optimizing it to the extreme, he was happy to see the experts contribute their wisdom.