Roughly two years later.
Manric stood on his balcony, hands on the railing as he gazed out sightlessly over the house gardens.
He was mentally at a crossroads. Reinhart had explicitly left the decision to him, when and how to give Phaeron Rahkaak and the other Necrons full access to the STC. They had not asked for it, so the humans were not truly required to provide it, but Manric had a suspicion that the only reason they had not demanded access was because they did not know what was there. And how could they? Hope's technological level was vastly inferior to the remaining necron forces. Manric knew he'd said a few things that should have raised suspicions, but nothing that would indicate the true depth of knowledge held by the STC.
The more we delay, the more it will seem we do not trust them. And things were going extremely well. They now had six fresh, shiny Knight armor and more in production. The production lines were half-automated now and the pressure on the Pride lines was lessening. (rather to the disappointment of the field engineers like Yantek, who now had to return to the barracks) Wasn't it time? Yes, it's time.
Decision made, Manric knew exactly how he would go about it. Smiling to himself, he accessed the coms and specifically connected to the coreworld AI via the STC. It was a laborious form of communication, travelling through so many inferior relays, but they could iron that out in the future. For now, it served. He sent a quick alert to Nuhkes, indicating he wanted to chat, and waited.
Manric? What can I assist you with? Nuhkes voice came over the com, particularly distorted from already being mechanical in nature. Manric got right to the point.
"Nuhkes, I know you have not asked for it, but I have decided it is time to give you access to the STC," Manric said gravely, doubting that Nuhkes had any idea what level of trust this implied. "STC, please log Cryptek Nuhkes and Cryptek Simokh as having A level access." While Simokh had no interest in human culture, Manric had determined that he was an expert on Necron technology. He might be interested in human technology as well. "Please log Phaeron Rahkaak as having administrator access." That meant she could grant access to others, modify information, and lock others out. After two years of interaction, Manric was sure she would not misuse it. Was he too trusting? Well, he hoped not.
Authorization updated, the STC said in its soothing, female voice.
Oh, thank you! I was hoping for that but didn't want to ask. Very tactful. I'm sure it will be interesting. Manric couldn't help but smile, just a touch. Nuhkes had no idea. Perhaps he was wrong though. Perhaps the necrons would find nothing out of the ordinary in the contents of the STC, and this would go completely without remark. Manric didn't think so, though.
No, he thought they were going to be quite surprised.
Nuhkes was very much looking forward to exploring the contents of the STC.
He's been patiently waiting for this invitation, confident that it would come. There was no need to hurry things, after all. Nuhkes just wanted to learn more about the history of humanity, to explore and catalogue the ebbs and flows of a lesser race. Other Necrons found this obsession with organics very odd, of course, but Nuhkes didn't care. The history of the necrontyr was largely lost, but he thought there was an echo of them in these younger, naturally evolved races.
(artificial ones like the Eldar did not count)
The STC was kept deep underground in a climate-controlled bunker. It was very well made and incongruent with Hope's current technology, being many dimensions of order higher. Nuhkes noted the materials and nodded to himself. This was the remains of the ship that had brought humans to this world, repurposed to be an underground shelter. Hmm, had all the humans lived here until the world had been altered just enough to suit them?
Manric wasn't there to direct him, but there was no need for it. He'd assigned a human aide, someone with minimal clearance, who bowed and escorted him to the central hub of the STC. That was a room that with great amusement, Nuhkes identified as the former bridge of the ship. Ah, hologram projectors, all kinds of displays, perfect. Where to begin though, where to begin? Hmm.
"STC, can you please display to me what you would consider the pinnacle of human technological achievement?" Nuhkes asked, not expecting too much. There was a brief pause as the STC made a value judgement on what that would be.
Then the holograms lit up, displaying a star? Nuhkes watched, curious and a touch baffled, as schematics were placed on the secondary screens. The hologram changed so around the star was an array of dark metal that uncoiled in a serpentine way, and then seemed to generate some kind of energy field? Great panels of light surrounded the star and then it was cross sectioned, so he could see that the sun was being changed?
Solar Alteration Module, serial number 84002318 – EX. The STC narrated as Nuhkes watched, frozen. Capable of gentling stars suffering from internal instability. The hologram displayed that, a particularly angry star being stabilized and calmed. This is the common use but there are other uses possible… Then the hologram shifted, showing a very tired red dwarf. And the module working on it, feeding it fuel and gradually coaxing it back to life. Solar rejuvenation is possible but not particularly practical due to the raw materials needed. He… he could see that… Combined with other technologies solar "towing" is possible. The hologram shifted to show the coil moving in a completely different way, rotating in a strange pattern as several starships assisted, tugging the sun along. This is sometimes done in terraforming but moving a planetary object is usually more practical. This technology also has extreme destructive capabilities. Then the display shifted again and this time, the construct was squeezing the star, a vicious pulsar. Using something he didn't understand – he would need to take this to Simokh – it caused solar matter to violently eject, macerating the star. The solar matter passed harmlessly through the gaps of the coils, and the star within died. This has obvious military applications. In peacetime, however, it can be used to diffuse a violent star that is threatening nearby systems.
"I… I see." Nuhkes felt faint. This was NOT the technological level he'd been expecting! "Can you show me something else you consider impressive?" There was another brief pause, then the hologram scene shifted to a spacecraft. A red WARNING symbol blazed over it for a moment.
It is advised not to use this technology. The science of temporal manipulation is still in a tentative state so the long term effects of this apparatus are unknown. Serial number: 84733330 – DE. Name not assigned. Nuhkes wasn't a chronomancer, but he quickly understood what he was seeing as the ship was displaced in time, not space, causing it to violently interact with itself and explode.
"Please mark that as never use under any circumstances, thank you." Nuhkes was no chronomancer and didn't know exactly WHY they never did that, but he knew that there had to some kind of dreadful consequence. The Necrons had the technology to create a weapon just like that, but as far as he knew they never had, which implied there was a very good reason why. Mentally he made a note to consult with Raznek, Phaeron Rahkaak's personal chronomancer and seer. He wasn't very good, but he could probably explain why this sort of thing was a horrible idea.
As he continued exploring the database, Nuhkes was relieved to find that in most aspects, human technology was still inferior to Necron. However, it came shockingly close and in a few areas, might even surpass them. Simokh NEEDED to look at this, they might be able to use it to improve a few things.
"If humans have such advanced technology, why is this colony so primitive?" Nuhkes asked aloud, but then immediately answered himself. "Because it's a fringeworld, cut off from any coreworlds and the crownworld." Being tossed to the far edges of space by a warp storm had left these humans completely isolated.
Not only that. The ethos of colonies is not necessarily to equal Terra. Oh? Nuhkes gave his attention to the STC, which explained further in the gentle female voice it used. The ethos of colonies is to provide a good and prosperous life for its citizens. Full industrialization is a long and arduous process so many colonies do not pursue it, content to remain at a lower technological level. That was incredibly different from the necrontyr. In their endless wars, absolutely no world was exempt from the hard focus on progress. Until the drukhari came, this colony was content to build slowly from a basic agrarian base. War forced technological advancement.
"It always does." Nuhkes murmured, unsurprised. "Speaking of war, can you please show me a full history of the human race?" He'd spent enough time on the technology, enough to know Simokh needed to give it his attention. Now he wanted to get to his own field of study. Endless information began to unspool in front of him and Nuhkes dove into it, quickly getting lost in the wave of data.
Rahkaak had no idea where Nuhkes had gotten to. She also didn't much care.
For the past two years, she had been trying to piece together some kind of serviceable training regimen for interstellar combat using flight logs, archived combat mnemonics, and even scans taken from what was left of the engrams of her deceased Overlords. (she begged the dead for forgiveness)
The result was unsatisfactory in the extreme and Rahkaak was still struggling to improve it. Itolyx was confident he could do a basic boarding action against the dark eldar, but he felt phenomenally incompetent at actual naval maneuvers. What more could she do? When Nuhkes requested an audience, it was almost a release from the endless searching.
"What is it, Nuhkes?" Rahkaak asked as he and Simokh met her in the great tomb. To her surprise, Nuhkes was clearly very happy indeed. It was in his posture and the way his nodes glowed, wordlessly conveying his mood.
"Phaeron, the humans have gained enough trust with us to grant access to their STC," Nuhkes said and Rahkaak internally sighed. That was all? Well, it was important to him so she would be patient. "The technological level of the parent society to this colony is much higher than expected. It is almost equivalent to the necrontyr!" Wait, what? "Still inferior of course, but coming shockingly close."
"What are you saying? That is impossible. This colony is exceedingly rudimentary," Simokh said but Nuhkes brushed it away.
"This is the fringeworld of a fringeworld, flung into the farthest corner of the galaxy. But the STC contains plans for their entire technological base! They can manipulate stars, Simokh!" Nuhkes made a series of glyphs that were an ancient poem that praised the pursuit of knowledge. He was extremely excited indeed. "You must go to the STC, you have also been given access. I believe some of the knowledge there will be worth adding to our own technical base." Rahkaak was feeling frozen as an idea formed in her mind. Had it been here, all this time?
"Absurd. Organics cannot – " Simokh started but she interrupted.
"Silence." The sheer venom in her voice stopped them both instantly. "Connect me to the STC, immediately!" Had she been completely wasting her efforts for two years? Rahkaak wanted to curse the humans, but also herself. Why hadn't she mentioned to Manric the need for instructional material?!
Greetings Phaeron Rahkaak. How may I be of assistance? The STC asked when it was connected.
"Do you have materials for the training of naval officers?" Rahkaak asked, hoping her query would be understood. As she anticipated, there was a bit of trouble with that.
Query: Interstellar combat?
"Yes," Rahkaak answered impatiently. But then the answer came back.
Yes. We have the Introductory Guide to Interstellar Combat, module 1 through 5. My database also contains the more advanced editions, including the Infinite Wargame series of modules 1 through 26. There is also… The STC continued to list all the resources while Rahkaak's irritation lapsed into relief. It was all here, everything she needed. It would have to be modified a bit to take Necron fleet capabilities into account, but surely the STC and coreworld AI's could do that.
"Please download every resource you have to the coreworld AI," she instructed the STC and it beeped an acknowledgement, but then followed with a chime. "What is it?" That was the signal it used that it wanted to interject, but was asking for permission to speak.
Due to the extreme volume of material, this download will take times humans would consider excessive. Interesting that the STC had phrased it that way, it was already learning that Necrons had a different value for such things. Rough estimate for full download is approximately twenty six days. Oh, that was nothing. Still, the connection was not good… hmm.
"Simokh. Please investigate Nuhkes claims of the human's technological level and also create plans for expanding the connection between the coreworld AI and the STC. Please investigate the feasibility of merging the two AI's." Rahkaak said, although she knew there were drawbacks to that.
"Phaeron, that is potentially dangerous," Simokh pointed out. "Coreworld AI's are restrained to a certain level of computational power to avoid aberrant behavior." Rahkaak sent a glyph of acknowledgement before replying.
"I know, that is why I want you to evaluate the feasibility of it. That is of course a very deep concern," she said, unaware that the STC was still listening and quietly adding this information to its repository or knowledge. Humanity had been less cautious than the necrontyr in its exploration of AI, but the STC itself was a beautiful achievement and it was completely devoted to the colony, wary of any threat.
Even if that threat might be itself.