Under the explicit permission and arrangement of Rogal Dorn, Osiris met with several Space Marines of the Imperial Fists.
They were clad in the distinctive yellow power armour, their figures still imposing and massive, their bearing conveying the discipline and resilience characteristic of Dorn's sons.
However, under Osiris' precise sensors and the scrutiny of his deep understanding of bio-augmentation technology, subtle differences could not be concealed.
Their physiological signal profiles indeed showed a slight imbalance, inconsistent with the standard Astartes template, caused by the absence of critical organs.
More importantly, through brief interaction and behavioral observation, Osiris captured something beyond the raw data.
These warriors were, without exception, members of the "Emergency Conscripts" recruited in the late stages of the Great Heresy.
The scars of that desperate war were not only reflected in their missing Sus-an Membrane and Betcher's Gland but were also deeply rooted in their self-perception.
Osiris quickly realized that the problem was far from purely physiological. Within the Imperial Fists, and indeed the entire Astartes establishment, there existed an invisible yet tangible rift.
The veterans who had gone through the full nineteen augmentations and survived the Great Crusade or the early stages of the Heresy were the foundation of the Legion and symbols of its glory.
These "Emergency Conscript" warriors, rushed into existence with streamlined procedures to plug gaps in the front lines, despite being equally loyal and having bled on the battlefield, were never truly considered "complete" Space Marines.
This discrimination was not public humiliation or institutional injustice—Rogal Dorn would never permit such a thing. It was more like a subtle, pervasive atmosphere, an invisible wall. It manifested in a commander's subconscious prioritization when allocating the most glorious, critical assault missions; in the transmission of the Chapter's ancient traditions and internal rituals, where certain details were withheld; and even in the unspoken camaraderie and sense of belonging shared between old and new veterans, which was based on common, full experience.
Warriors from the "Emergency Conscript" background seemed always to be segregated by this wall. They were viewed as necessary "expendable assets," an emergency product of a desperate era, rather than true inheritors of the Emperor's perfect design.
This implicit exclusion undoubtedly exacerbated the psychological stress arising from their physiological deficiencies, potentially creating a vicious cycle of self-doubt. They fought, they sacrificed, yet they seemed permanently unable to truly integrate into the bloodline of the Legion they swore allegiance to and gave everything for.
No expression was visible on Osiris' mechanical face, but his internal data stream was rapidly analyzing this complex socio-psycho-physiological phenomenon.
What Rogal Dorn wanted to restore was not just two missing organs; he hoped to bridge this deep fissure within the Imperial Fists, a wound caused by the trauma of war and necessary compromise, ensuring all his loyal sons could achieve the completeness and dignity they deserved.
This undoubtedly added a new dimension and weight to Osiris' mission.
He not only had to solve the technical challenges, ensuring the safety and effectiveness of the implantation surgery, but perhaps he also needed to consider how to use this technical repair to help heal the invisible wound in these warriors' hearts.
What he was dealing with was not just a few individuals requiring surgery, but a heavy, inherited problem concerning identity, recognition, and honour, left behind by an entire era.
For Osiris, simply performing the surgery—implanting standard Sus-an Membranes and Betcher's Glands into these warriors—would not constitute a true solution. That would be merely a mechanical, superficial fix.
Given his core knowledge acquired during his participation in the original project, the technical difficulty of replicating and implanting these two organs was indeed limited.
However, his goal extended beyond that.
He acutely perceived that the problem was far more complex than the "missing" aspect itself. The prolonged absence of the organs, lasting decades or even longer, had already caused deep, systemic effects on the bodies of these Emergency Conscript warriors.
Their neuro-endocrine network had spontaneously formed a compensatory mechanism to adapt to this "incomplete" state. While this mechanism maintained basic physiological function, it also led to chronic dysregulation of certain hormone levels and subtle deviations in neurological responses. This could be the physiological root of some of their psychological issues.
The most critical factor lay in the Gene-Seed. The Astartes Gene-Seed is the core of their legacy, and the implantation of every organ is intimately connected to it, together forming a complete augmentation system.
Had the long-term absence of these two organs subtly influenced the Gene-Seed carried within the warriors? Had it caused an unknown "mutation" or "adaptive regression" in the Gene-Seed's expression or its synergy with other organs, deviating from the original design?
If the organs were merely added without addressing these deeper physiological imbalances and potential Gene-Seed issues, the newly implanted organs might fail to perfectly integrate with the body's already "deviated" system, potentially leading to new rejection reactions or systemic conflicts. This would be akin to forcefully stacking new bricks on an already skewed foundation.
"Mere implantation offers limited value," Osiris stated in the laboratory, facing complex physiological data models, explaining his views to the old partner connected to his body. "We must carry out three simultaneous tasks."
He brought up a three-dimensional projection, showcasing his comprehensive protocol: "First, Customized Organ Cultivation. We cannot use standard templates directly. Based on each warrior's specific current physiological map, especially the status of their nervous and endocrine systems, we must make micro-adjustments to the Sus-an Membrane and Betcher's Gland. This ensures that after implantation, they seamlessly integrate with the existing bodily systems, rather than forcefully overriding them."
"Second, Systemic Physiological Reset. Before and after the new organs are implanted, we must gradually guide the warrior's neuro-endocrine network from its compensatory state back to the 'standard balance' prescribed by the Emperor's original blueprint, using precise pharmaceutical regulation and biofeedback technology." He pointed to several key hormone level curves. "This is like calibrating a precise instrument; it requires patience and accuracy."
"Third, and most important, Gene-Seed Inspection and Reactivation." Osiris focused the model onto the microscopic level representing the Gene-Seed. "We need to examine the Gene-Seed of these warriors to confirm whether it has entered a state of 'dormancy' or 'functional limitation' due to the prolonged absence of the corresponding organs, or even experienced slight sequence expression shifts.
Then, through specific biological signal stimulation and the synergistic effects generated during the new organ implantation, we must 'reactivate' or 'calibrate' the Gene-Seed, restoring its complete function and ensuring the newly implanted organs are fully accepted and integrated by the Gene-Seed."