Chapter 87: "Don't Go, I'm Afraid"

In the ceaselessly humming forge hall, materials like fine gold, ceramic steel, and plastic steel were being consumed and reshaped, representing power in this vast structure.

The usually bustling hall was now sparsely populated with a few tech-priests.

Most of the sages from Mars had already returned to their transport ships. Some biologic sages and food scholars remained, stationing their vast academic forces on the ring of Barbarus. In the name of the Emperor, or perhaps in pursuit of knowledge, they chose to stay and reshape this peculiar planet.

Hades stood silently next to the workbench of Master Smith Enrike, watching him write a letter of recommendation.

On the thick parchment, black encrypted text filled the page. Sneaking a peek, Hades deduced it was a binary encrypted language, encrypted with at least three keys.

Enrike wrote with utmost concentration, his quill trembling continuously. This was a script demanding extreme precision. Unseen to others, a hidden laser on Enrike's arm was also imprinting encrypted text. This was the caution unique to the Cult Mechanicus.

Every tech-priest recommended to Mars would carry a unique letter, detailing their genetic code and the Mars seal of the Master Smith who recommended them.

The Mechanicus would grant different encryption keys and writing techniques based on the legion. This ensured only the Master Smith of the legion could write such letters, preventing impersonation.

As Enrike wrote, he thought, "After all the twists and turns, isn't Hades still ours? What about Galo or Barasin? In the end, it was I, Enrike, who spotted him!"

Despite recent unpleasant events, the rational tech-priests of the forge remained calm. Educated in the Martian doctrine, they were surprisingly tolerant of the concept of "deities."

Their interactions with the Mechanicum sages helped them recover quickly after the incident. However, the demand for promethium fuel and explosive weapons had greatly increased.

After the incident, other squad leaders had forgotten about the recruitment for the forge. When the Mars transport was about to leave, only Hades came forward to enlist.

"See? This is the manifestation of the Omnissiah. The one we in the forge wanted the most has come!"

As if fearing Hades might change his mind, Enrike's writing sped up, becoming so fast that even the enhanced vision of an Astartes would see only afterimages.

Hades watched Enrike write, silently categorizing and locking his important memories into his left brain.

Then he saw it - the eerie Mechanicum sage walking silently in the corridor.

"That... Master Smith?"

"Hmm?" Enrike asked, still engrossed in his writing.

"I once encountered a Mechanicum sage on the fourth floor of the *Endurance*, on the left side."

"He was alone, with no servitors around."

Distracted by his encryption, Enrike responded offhandedly, "You must have seen wrong. Sages are usually accompanied by many, at least one tech-priest from their legion."

Hades blinked, then emphasized, "I'm sure of what I saw. A lone Mechanicum sage met me in the corridor and then left."

Enrike's writing hand trembled, stopping abruptly. "Damn, the laser made a mistake. I have to rewrite."

But now wasn't the time for writing.

Enrike looked up, staring intently at Hades, "Is what you said true?"

"I swear by what I saw."

Enrike's mind raced. A lone Mechanicum sage? Impossible.

The technology on the *Death Guard* was provided by Mars. They hadn't developed any other tech. And if they had captured xenos tech in previous battles, it would have been reported to Mars.

The tech of the Barbarus system was surveyed and assessed by the legion's tech-priests and the Mechanicus together.

There was no need for the *Death Guard* to inspect these Mechanicum sages, who held the latest tech.

And a sage who evaded the forge's surveillance would expose himself to a neophyte? Highly unlikely.

Enrike's gaze shifted to Hades's left brain. Rumor had it that the tech in this neophyte's brain was a gift from the Emperor.

Could those mad sages be after it?

No! Absolutely not! He couldn't send him to Mars, never to return!

Mars wasn't just a part of the Imperium. It had its own complex factions, with sages pulling strings. Enrike's own education on Mars had been a semi-closed course provided by the pro-Emperor faction.

But it was likely a sage had set sights on Hades.

Mars had its own sphere of influence. More of a collaborator than a subordinate to the Imperium, it had vast autonomy. The Imperium's influence barely reached its governance, let alone a single legion!

Enrike stared at Hades for a long moment before finally speaking, "Hades, were you recommended to go to Mars, or did you volunteer?"

Caught off guard, Hades replied, "I volunteered."

Enrike sighed, "Hades, I'm afraid you can't go to Mars."

Hades's eyes widened in surprise, "Why?"

Enrike hesitated, then said, "Because I'm afraid for you."