On the planet Hope, a minor matter was noticed and into the depths of space was sent a message.
All of the little survey ships had unsouled pwi-necrons aboard and they had been completely forgotten in the main resouling operation. They had only realized when one of the ships came in for a refurbishing and when checking in, one of the pwi-necrons had mentioned that everyone seemed a bit different. That had led to a quick realization and check of the records and those three scouts had been inducted into the ranks of the resouled.
So now all the little survey ships were being recalled to Hope, with full information about why. And that led to an interesting discussion.
"You really NEED to say hello to our crypteks now," Valdar said firmly to Oramoton. He was far less reluctant before and Valdar thought it was directly related to having his staff. That made him stand a bit straighter, taking comfort in the powerful weapon and what it signified.
"Y-yes, so I see," Oramoton said but still with a bit of reluctance. "I will swear l-loyalty to Sautekh if needed. I only hope they will not r-require me to l-leave this vessel." Valdar hoped not too. It would really be a shame to lose him, Sisus actually seemed to have some real talent for Chronomancy. And even if Sisus could go with him the team really needed a third, just two wasn't enough.
After a bit of consideration, Valdar had sent a canned message explaining their onboard guest and the entire situation. He was sure that message would quickly get passed up to Simokh, who would probably regard it with a bit of puzzlement. Hopefully they all wouldn't get in trouble for this. Valdar knew they really should have reported Oramoton's presence a long time ago, but it hadn't been like it had been causing any harm.
When they got back, Simokh was waiting for them. And it wasn't a happy meeting.
"All three of you should be ashamed of yourselves. Did it not occur to you that this could have tactical considerations?" Simokh asked and Valdar felt deeply puzzled. Tactical considerations? Oramoton just listened calmly. He probably understood what Simokh was talking about.
"No? We're just surveyors sir and it was harmless, he just needed a place to recover a bit," Casimir said and Sisus nodded.
"He's our friend and he just wanted some time to be alone and sort things out," Sisus said and Simokh gazed at them all before shaking his head. Valdar wondered what the problem was.
(Simokh was thinking that Oramoton would have made an excellent test subject for the resouling project)
(he'd also decided that he probably shouldn't mention that now, when it was far too late anyway)
"In the future, if you are taking passengers, send word to the Dynasty or it will be considered a misuse of resources." Valdar nodded, pretending to be suitably chastised. He wouldn't have done anything differently, honestly, but he wasn't going to tell Simokh that. "Oramoton the Eternal. Have you recovered in your time on this survey ship?"
"N-no, not entirely, although I am much b-better," Oramoton said calmly, meeting Simokh's gaze. "I will s-swear allegiance to Uh-nash-ret or Sautekh if you r-require it. H-However I would ask to be allowed to remain on this scout sh-ship." Simokh tilted his head skeptically.
"Is this merely a matter of pride? Or have you angered Orikan?" he asked bluntly. "Because if this is a matter of pride, it is foolish. In the hands of skilled Psychomancers and with the aide of other Chronomancers, you might recover well. Your engrammatic damage does not appear to be deep." Well, it was good that Simokh thought so.
"I have not angered Orikan but it is not j-just pride. I have many enemies among the Overlords of S-Sautekh," Oramoton said calmly. "Also, there are m-many lesser Chronomancers who d-detest me. Unless I am w-willing to swear p-personal l-loyalty to Orikan, it is unwise for me to go to Mandragora."
"I see…" Simokh paused for a moment, thinking it over. "I understand that you would not wish to stay in Hope, and Coreworld Abydos is, if anything, worse. Our Chronomancer has switched to Technomancy, because he does not want to leave us but cannot practice his craft." Valdar thought that had to hurt, he knew how much the study of time meant to Oramoton. "If you swear loyalty to Uhnashret and promise to return to Sautekh when you feel confident in your abilities, I will permit this to continue."
"I am unwelcome in Charnovokh anyway so I will g-gladly give that oath," Oramoton replied. "Do you w-wish me to give it to the Phaeron or is to you s-sufficient?"
"To me will be sufficient. The Phaeron is currently in a meeting with her Overlords," Simokh replied and Oramoton made his formal pledge. When that was done, they all went to be resouled.
Valdar wasn't really sure how he felt about that. He'd already had a soul once… where had that soul gone? To heaven, hell or just lost between? Did this mean he would go twice? It was all strange and mystical and he almost wanted to refuse, but that was not really an option. Also, apparently there was a disease you could catch as a necron if you didn't have a soul. Valdar was vague on what happened but he'd heard the sufferers compared to ghouls, so it didn't sound good.
Oramoton was the first to be resouled and they were permitted to watch. Valdar could recognize the young woman who did the resouling as Zelda Duleth, a very high noble. He also knew she was married and technically had a different last name now, but she was also still a Duleth. Valdar himself came from a commoner family that had always traditionally served the Duleth. Family lore said that they had started as serfs, but then been freed from their contract due to some heroic deed against the drukhari. Alas, the records of what exactly it had been were lost.
Valdar went next, and the resouling felt very strange. It was incredibly painful for a moment, but only a moment before Zelda began working on customizing the soul to him. When it was done, Valdar felt weirdly… better? He couldn't explain it, even to himself, but it was good.
"This is very strange," Oramoton murmured and Valdar nodded as they watched Casimir go next. "I am remembering…" Oramoton fell silent and Valdar looked at him.
"Remembering what?" Valdar asked gently but Oramoton just shook his head, watching Casimir. Valdar dropped it, if he didn't want to discuss it, that was fine. When it was Sisus' turn, her cursed a bit, to everyone's amusement.
When it was all done, Simokh met them again before they left. This time, had had a very welcome message.
"Sisus. In recognition of your contributions to the good of Hope and what we believe is your genuine rehabilitation, your sentence is being commuted. You are now returned to the status of commoner." Sisus bowed, deeply, to show his appreciation. "Do not misuse this freedom."
"I won't. Thank you, I appreciate it," Sisus said humbly and Simokh nodded. Then they were allowed to go back to the ship.
"So Sisus, what are you going to do with your freedom?" Casimir joked and Sisus growled back.
"Fuck start your head for asking! …Pah, I'm just going to keep surveying, that's what I do." Valdar and Oramoton both flashed simple amusement glyphs, simple enough for Sisus to understand.
"It's what we all do," Valdar said and he was completely at peace with it. Even when every planet around Hope was mapped out, there would be more surveying work. Probably on the surface of one of the planets picked for possible colonization, getting far more in-depth surveying work done. Or maybe, just maybe, they would be redeployed somewhere else in the Sautekh empire. Possibly on the edges of the Ghoul Stars, the part that was marginally habitable. That would be dangerous, of course, but what wasn't?
Valdar was ready for the challenge.
As he remembered the past, Oramoton fell into a deep malaise of sadness.
I see the path of my life now, picked out like the paths of the stars. Oramoton did not want to think of individual memories, because they contained great pain. But his abridged description of his childhood had actually been a vast understatement. He knew now that his mother had died in childbirth and his father had hated that more than anything. He had hated that the female he loved had died giving birth to a sickly little thing. He had permitted, even encouraged Oramoton's older brothers to bully him and tried to 'strengthen him' himself. It had been a brutal childhood.
Then, the love of the Phaeron. The Phaeron had been like a father to him, but not a good one. An indulgent father, spoiling his beloved son, and the love starved young man he had been had eaten it up. Ah, was it any wonder he had been cruel? Oramoton felt a shame worse than any so far, as he remembered how he had treated the commoners. They had just been things to be used and abused and tossed aside. His cruelties to other nobles had been bad, but he had at least seen them as people. The commoners… hadn't been.
"How could I have been this person?" Oramoton murmured. Strangely enough, he could see now that despite his behavior as a necron, he had actually improved from his days as a necrontyr. As a necron, it had been more out of boredom and spite than anything. As a necrontyr, he had actively enjoyed the cruelty. "…" The worst part was that he could still understand the appeal of it. He was… was still that person, in many ways, and it made him want to weep. Could he truly become someone better?
Then a cold metal hand touched his shoulder.
"Don't think about it. Just move forward," Sisus murmured and Oramoton moved a little, making room for him beside him. Sisus settled in, close and oddly welcome. Oramoton wouldn't have wanted to talk to Valdar or Casimir right now, but Sisus would understand.
"How can I ever atone for this?" Oramoton said softly, not noticing that his stammer was completely gone. He was too caught up in the past and his anguish at it.
"You can't really. Some things, you can't ever take back," Sisus said and Oramoton felt the painful truth of it. "You can just move forward and be better, do better. It's all we've got." Was it all they had? Was there anything he could concretely do to atone for his past?
Oramoton thought about it silently for a long moment. Perhaps there was something he could do. It was a great reversal of his earlier position and Valdar would no doubt be frustrated… he might need to replace Sisus, if he wanted to come… but perhaps there was.
"I think perhaps I should swear my loyalty to Orikan," Oramoton finally said. He was sure Orikan would accept such an oath, to get such a powerful Chronomancer as a helper, even degraded as he was. "Then I could assist in the mission of the Sautekh." And he believed in it now. This resouling of their race, this was the true way of the future, not what Szarekh was doing. Szarekh's plans would bring them prosperity and peace, but it would be the peace of the grave. "I want…" Oramoton fell silent a moment. He knew this was likely impossible. "I want to assist in beginning the resouling of the Necron Warriors." There were so many of them and he knew now about how negatively it often went for them. How long it took, without Manric to assist. Still. "Perhaps then I can truly atone." Perhaps that would be enough to make up for what he had done.
"I think you should think about it a while. Give it a year. And have you noticed you're not stammering?" Oh, he wasn't? Oramoton suddenly realized that his engrams were feeling cleaner, more precise.
"I think the soul has helped." Probably because his engrammatic damage had been so relatively light. "Yes, you are right… I will give it some time." Although even if he was fully recovered, it might be prudent to enter Orikan's service. Oramoton had so many enemies in Sautekh and no real allies. However, if he was fully recovered, he would be able to get much better terms of service from Orikan. The Diviner really would love to get such a powerful Chronomancer in his service, it would magnify his power significantly. Sisus gently patted his shoulder.
"I'll mention to Valdar that he might have to replace me in a year or so. I want to go with you." That pleased Oramoton greatly. Sisus was showing promise in the arts of Chronomancy. Oramoton didn't think he would ever be a great luminary, but he really didn't need to be. For Chronomancers like himself and Orikan, the support of lesser crypteks made their greatest works possible. Particularly when the stars weren't right.
"I would be happy to take you. However, you should try to become better with our language," Oramoton said with a touch of humor and Sisus made a very clumsy, but legible glyph of resignation.
"I'll try, it's just really hard for me." Yes, he knew. Ironic that Chronomancy came to Sisus so much more easily than mere glyphs. Feeling more settled in his mind, Oramoton began practicing his gestures again. They came more fluidly and easily now and inwardly, he exulted.
He was getting better.
Captain Anton was a bit bemused about what was happening on Hive World Antioch.
Now that he was able to see Hive World Antioch ascending, he was able to better appreciate that what he had seen before had been a dramatic and unpleasant decline. Not only had they been worthless to the Sautekh Empire, that had showed in their fortunes. Without the Imperium to take in their beautifully made munitions, thousands of skilled workers had been out their jobs. Also, while markets still existed for many of their goods, those markets were sharply limited by lack of access to the Imperial markets. All of it had resulted in a decline of quality of life and the Underhive began expanding as the lowest rung of workers were kicked off the ladder. More corpse starch and cheap carbs for the rest, a sadder life with fewer luxuries and a great deal of unrest.
Now the fortunes of Antioch were completely reversed. Imotekh took a good portion of their production as tithe, but he PAID for the rest, with both trade goods and actual coin, generally precious metal. And most of the raw materials to make the war machines were provided for free or at minimal cost, tithes from other worlds. Many of those skilled workers had been called back, finding jobs in the new industries and youngsters were being trained. Hopian technicians and teachers were training some of the truly intelligent young men and women of Antioch to be more than mere workers. The Mechanicus had observed that and actually started doing the same, inducting some young people into their ranks.
What really got the juices flowing, though, were the shells. Anton was vague on the economics of it and who was running things, but the civilian grade shells were quite expensive. The production lines were decently automated but they still required plenty of personal work, particularly in the area of customization. Skilled artisans could be painting on them, or inlaying them with vibrant colors, for hours if not days. Anton thought it made sense – if you were picking a body that you were going to enjoy for literally centuries, you'd want it to be nice – but he was still impressed by how much all this had to cost. For Hive World Antioch, though, it meant the artisans who had previously decorated Astartes armor were now back to being fully employed for excellent wages.
(on Hope, the artisans doing that work would still be employed. Military grade shells also required adornment, although of a very different kind)
All of this meant that wealth was flowing in again and standards of living were on the rise. The upward creep of the Underhive was halted and some of it might even be reclaimed, as the inhabitants could afford the electricity again. That sweetened the Hive dwellers considerably and his men could actually get tolerable service sometimes, if they ventured into the Hive. It also sweetened the Council and the Planetary Governor was far less difficult to deal with. Not that he'd been hard to deal with before, exactly, but that incredibly false pleasantness was a touch jarring. It was nice to see him being actually pleasant and far more relaxed.
Of course, not everything was perfect, as Anton got to observe when he went to talk to the STC.
"Hey, calm down!" A Hopian technician was on the ground with a Mechanicus tech priest looming over him. "Jesus, what is your problem? This didn't involve you!"
"You showed disrespect for the holy STC," the tech priest said and Anton winced internally. He understood quite well how things worked here now and knew that tech priest was probably aching to turn the technician into a servitor. However, that would go very badly for everyone. Anton hesitated to intervene though. He wasn't really in charge of any of them. Fortunately, someone with real rank moved to intervene.
"What is happening here?" Jan was there, in his cryptek body. Anton examined him curiously… he had known Jan as a human and seeing him as a cryptek with a single ocular and a metal beard was odd, to say the least. Jan was definitely enjoying it though, he'd started rubbing his beard as a thoughtful gesture.
"Uh… I called STC a bitch sir!" The Hopian tech decided to admit to his wrongdoing immediately, to Anton's amusement. "In my defense sir she was being a bitch! OW!" The tech priest had stepped on him a bit and not gently, either. Jan gestured to him sharply and he backed off reluctantly.
"Roval, have we not discussed this? It's not an issue with STC, as she is advanced enough to know that you should never be used as a role model, but other AI's practice mirrored learning. They learn from interactions with humans and if you swear around them, you get an AI that swears. Clean up your language," Jan said firmly.
"Fu – fudge sir!" the technician said and Anton snorted internally. This reminded him of a few of his men, the ones that swore like sailors, when they were forced to stop around children. The tech priest, however, was extremely unsatisfied.
"That does not address the issue of his disrespect," he said sharply and Jan turned to look at him thoughtfully. Iplanen joined him, going to the tech priest's side and buzzing in the binary cant.
"Perhaps STC should be the arbiter of this?" Jan suggested which struck Anton as a fine suggestion. "STC, leaving a bit of swearing aside, how would you characterize this interaction? As disrespectful, or merely a disagreement?"
It was a disagreement. And I reiterate my position that he has porridge for brains, STC said with perfect sincerity and Anton made a short, involuntary buzz of laughter. Jan was taken aback for a moment, but then shook his head.
"You can explain what inspired all this to me later… does that satisfy you?" Jan asked the tech priest.
"No. He requires punishment," the tech priest said and Anton KNEW he wanted to offer to make the man a servitor. And now it was time for him to step in.
"Ahem! May I be of service in that?" They all turned, surprised and Anton knew none of them had even noticed him. "We're having a bit of an issue, several issues in fact and I was hoping I might steal a technician?" Anton eyed the one on the ground, who was finally being allowed to get back up and dust himself up. Jan was immediately interested.
"Oh, what seems to be the problem?" he asked and Anton quickly explained.
"We're having a bit of an issue with the Arboretum, it seems like there's a water leak somewhere and it's far too hot as well. We're starting to get a bit of mold and need to nip that in the bud. Also, those damned things that look like towels have infested it. One of the men got caught like a fool and while he's alive, he's getting biotransference FAR ahead of schedule." The injuries were just so overwhelming that it was practical. And he was lucky to be alive at all, it could have been even worse. "Do you have any poison bait for those things? There must be something to clear them out." The upper Spires didn't have a problem with them… did they? Although it was probably partly due to the Arboretum sometimes getting rats. The towels were alien creatures introduced to the planet to eat the rats. Anton understood the logic – rats spread disease and ate human food while the towels were too alien to spread disease and ate only flesh – but it was still a rough trade, when the towels could easily take a human.
"I'm not a fu- fudging exterminator, sir!" the technician said. The tech priest made a threatening gesture and he raised his hands. "I'm not saying I won't try, I'm just saying I don't know jack sh… uh, anything about the towels."
"I believe there are actual professional exterminator companies that handle towel infestations." Anton was deeply frustrated by that response. He'd thought as much and tried to find them but NO ONE knew what the "towels" actually WERE which made it damned difficult. He kept finding rat exterminators! "Look for companies that handle the Catachan Face Eater." OH!
"That's what the damned things are called? Appropriate, that's exactly what it did to one of my men," Anton said, pleased to finally have a name for the towels. The technician made a gagging sound. "Well come down anyway, you can handle the leak and figure out the heating problem." He was confident in this young man, he seemed like a likely one despite having porridge for brains.
"If the Face Eaters are showing in a relatively upper location, we may need to run another mass extermination plan," one of the other tech priests mentioned and they began humming about it. Anton didn't particularly care about that, he just got the technician by the arm and pulled him off. They could deal with that later, he'd get this sorted now. Oh right.
"Don't you worry about the towels, we'll have a nice exosuit for you to wear." That was how the humans were going into the arboretum right now, alas. That one man really had been a fool to think he could get away without it, thank goodness a pwi-necron had seen the thing latch onto him.
"Uh, great," the technician seemed less than enthusiastic but Anton didn't particularly care. Honestly, he was getting off lucky. If that tech priest had his way, he'd be getting lobotomized and castrated and all kinds of lovely other stuff. He could deal with an exosuit and the towels.
Things could be infinitely worse.