Once the cultivation process enters the automated operation stage, Osiris no longer needs to monitor it 24 hours a day.
After confirming that the vital signs of the first 20 selected individuals were stable and that the culture tank system was operating normally, he handed over the daily monitoring tasks to the Mechanicus team of Dorne's Spear.
These technical priests will be responsible for recording data, adjusting nutrient solution ratios, and reporting any abnormalities promptly.
After completing the handover, Osiris turned her attention to the other thirty candidates who were eliminated in the lottery.
These people, after completing all the training, lost the opportunity to become Astartes simply because of the randomness of the lottery.
According to the traditional practice of most Astartes Chapters of the Empire, such eliminated individuals are usually classified as "failures".
No matter how excellent their performance was in previous training, if they failed to complete the final transformation, they would be considered unqualified products.
Although different battle groups have different ways of dealing with such personnel, they all essentially follow the principle of "making the best use of resources".
The Black Templar's approach is quite representative.
They mechanize the eliminated units, transforming them into servo skulls or more complex fighter servants.
These modified individuals will continue to serve the Chapter, and some will even be assigned to Astartes recruits who have successfully advanced in the same period as live targets for training.
This arrangement not only solves the problem of disposing of those who are eliminated, but also provides new recruits with targets for practical training.
The Space Wolves Chapter employs even more extreme selection criteria when choosing Iron Priests.
Only one person can pass each selection; all other candidates will be transformed into machine servants.
Ironically, the command of these machine servants on the battlefield belonged precisely to the sole passerby.
In contrast, the Ultramarines Chapter's approach was relatively mild.
They would incorporate candidates who failed the transformation into the Altramar auxiliary army, allowing them to continue serving the empire in their mortal form.
This arrangement at least preserves the integrity of the eliminated individuals as independent entities.
Looking at the general practices of the various warbands in the Empire, the tolerance for those who fail to be reformed is generally low.
In the Astartes' value system, successful transformation is the absolute standard for measuring an individual's value, and those who fail to meet this standard rarely receive the respect and treatment they deserve.
It is against this backdrop that Osiris' act of accepting these thirty eliminated contestants, in a way, provided them with new possibilities.
As participants in a novel gene-editing experiment, they were given at least a second chance—although this chance came with extremely high risks and uncertainties.
Within the research system of the Mechanicus, being an experimental subject at least preserves the integrity of an independent biological individual, which is undoubtedly a relatively better outcome than being transformed into a machine servant who has lost its autonomy.
Osiris retrieved the detailed files of these thirty people from the observation room next to the laboratory.
Each person's training data, physiological indicators, and psychological assessment reports are clearly displayed on the screen.
His processing center began to assign appropriate experimental groups to each person based on this information.
Some will be used to test the stability of the gene seed, some will participate in compatibility experiments, and others will try to activate gene sequences that are usually dormant.
Meanwhile, the thirty eliminated contestants were placed in a special waiting area.
Most of them remained uncertain about their future. Some whispered among themselves, trying to guess what the so-called "important task" was; others remained silent, sitting quietly in their assigned beds; and a few showed obvious unease, pacing back and forth in the room.
A cyborg priest entered the waiting area and began conducting basic physical examinations and collecting biological samples from everyone.
The process was quiet and efficient, without any unnecessary explanations or communication.
The candidates cooperated in completing the various checks, but the confusion in their eyes did not disappear.
Osiris observed the situation in the waiting area through the monitoring system.
In his logical assessment, these eliminated individuals were quite valuable as experimental materials.
They undergo rigorous selection and training, and their physical fitness and mental resilience far surpass those of ordinary humans. They are able to withstand more complex modification procedures and provide higher-quality experimental data.
With the final medical examination report uploaded to the database, Osiris began to develop a detailed research plan.
The thirty eliminated candidates were escorted away from Dorne's Spear and transferred by transport ships to the cruiser "Eternal Quest" which was docked in orbit.
The biological laboratory inside the warship is ready, and the equipment here is more sophisticated than that in the fortress.
In the preparation room next to the laboratory, Osiris' mechanical body stood in front of the thirty candidates.
They had just completed the transfer from the fortress to the warship, and most of them still wore expressions of confusion and unease.
The cold metal walls of the laboratory and the pervasive smell of disinfectant in the air amplified the tense atmosphere.
"You have failed the final selection." Osiris' synthesized voice rang out in the room without any euphemisms. "But now, you face two choices."
The candidates held their breath, their eyes fixed on the sage.
"The first option: participate in experimental research on the new gene seed, and you will become the first subjects to receive the improved gene seed."
This process involves risks, and the success rate is not 100%.
But if you succeed, you will still have the opportunity to become Astartes, albeit through unconventional means.
A suppressed murmur arose inside the room.
Some people's eyes were filled with renewed hope, while others showed expressions of doubt.
"The second option: refuse to participate in the experiment," Osiris continued, his optical lens sweeping across everyone's faces. "To ensure the confidentiality of the research project, you will be transformed into servo machines."
This will save your lives, but you will lose most of your autonomy.
This choice silenced everyone.
The modification of machine servants is commonplace in the Empire, and they all know very well what it means—they are still "alive" in theory, but will forever lose their sense of self.
"You have ten minutes to consider." After saying this, Osiris fell silent. His mechanical body remained still like a statue, with only the occasional data stream flashing in the optical lens indicating that he was still active.
The candidates looked at each other in bewilderment.
The first option offers the possibility of becoming an Astartes, but the risks are unknown; the second option, while guaranteeing survival, comes at the cost of losing oneself.
A young man from Necromunda was the first to step forward: "Sage, I choose to participate in the experiment. Now that we've come this far, I don't want to give up the opportunity to become an Astartes."
Then another voice rang out: "I also choose to experiment. Rather than living as a mere servant, I'd rather take a gamble."
Gradually, more and more people made their choice.
Ultimately, all thirty people chose to participate in the experiment.
For them, even the slightest hope is worth the risk.
Becoming a servant might save their lives, but it was far removed from the power and glory they sought.
"The selection has been confirmed." Osiris accepted everyone's decision. "The experiment is about to begin. Remember, this is your own choice."
Guided by the mechanical priest, the candidates began to enter the preparation area inside the laboratory one by one.
They will undergo basic physical examinations and then be assigned to different experimental groups based on their individual physical conditions and genetic characteristics.
Osiris turned and walked towards the main control console, where he began to review the detailed files of each person.
In his logical assessment, these voluntary participants in the experiment provided higher quality data than those forced to participate.
Their active cooperation will help improve the accuracy of experimental data and reduce resistance that may occur during the experiment.
With preparations complete, the thirty candidates are about to begin their careers as experimental subjects aboard the Eternal Quest.
Compared to their counterparts who were directly converted into machine servants, they at least retained a glimmer of hope—though that hope came with enormous risks. Under the Empire's harsh system, this was perhaps the best option.