Early 36th Millennium, dawn of the Plague of Unbelief
High orbit over Abalus
Onboard the Artemis, voidship of the League of Black Ships

Attalus and Sergei trod side by side down the enormous corridor of the Artemis, their immense size filling most of what would have otherwise been considered a spacious passage. The Artemis was fastidiously clean despite its age and had been kept in order similar to the Veiled Strike. Every fixture had a working lamp and the deck was clean, while the numerous control tags and identification plates were in mint condition and easily readable.

Behind the two trailed a long line of menials in blue coveralls, each either loaded down with a heavy pack or hauling along a wheeled cart loaded with gear. On their carts were cutting machines, portable power generators, arc welding devices, and cables as well as a number of mini-production devices which would produce fasteners on demand to meet the project's needs. And among those carts were several closed containers.

I know we have been assigned to conducting repairs on the outer hull but Sergei packed more than enough arc welding devices for every menial he brought with him, Attalus noted. He summoned the detailed uses of those devices into his consciousness. He packed the model which can most easily and quickly be converted into an Arc Weapon, the ideal weapon to use against heavily augmented Tech-Priests. The insulated void-suits for performing these repairs in the void will also double as effective armour. Thoughts continued to churn in the Techmarine's mind. Is he planning to pirate this ship or taking precautions against any moves against one or both of us?

"Did you have a chance to peruse the book I gave to you?" Sergei asked as he continued down the corridor.

"Not yet," Attalus lied. "I glanced at the prose format and concluded it did not contain any technical specifications and put it down for later use." The churning thoughts in his head became a landslide as he considered the book. Both of us can be executed for possessing that. "In Defence of the Future: A Logical Discourse". That book advocates toppling of both the Ecclesiarchy and the Mechanicus so that science and innovation will rule the Imperium and Humanity will rule the Galaxy. Why didn't I kill him when I had the chance? Attalus paused in his thoughts. You know why. You need what he and the Technomats Guild have to offer. The Void Spectres need what he has to offer.

"Something not in the book that I believe you should mention to Matthias is the identity of the individual who gave it to me," Sergei said, interrupting Attalus' thoughts. "He was a Magos Biologis, incredibly gifted and knowledgeable in the art, and his name was Quintus Maximus. Said that he actually wrote the book. Said that he had been born on Holy Terra and that he planned on sending copies of the book back to the Sol System."

I need to change the subject before he says something that will make me kill him, Attalus decided. "Have you contacted them about reviewing the planned repairs regarding the Gellar Fields? If they do not grant you access to the procedures you hope to learn, then I will ask for access."

"Ask?" Sergei said with a mechanical laugh. "My menials tell me it is easier to beg forgiveness than receive permission."

We're all going to die, Attalus quickly decided. He contemplated his situation for a moment, then reached a conclusion. If I'm going to die while killing Tech-Priests who originally hail from forge world Vichka, the slayers of my Brothers, I will thank the Emperor for His Graciousness.