Chapter 04: Bless Who Have Not Seen, Yet Believe

Temple of Knowledge

The grand chamber of the Temple of Knowledge was lit by various screens, candles, and burning incense around the the Mechanicus High Council.

The first was dressed in crimson robes lined with gold trim seated upon the raised platform at the center. Fabricator-General Arkhan Valus tapped his metal fingers against the armrest of his throne. Around him, the highest-ranking Archmagi and Tech-Priests of Mars stood in solemn contemplation, processing the news that had sent shockwaves through their ranks.

For centuries, they had waited. They had prayed. And now, the whispers from the forge city spoke of an Omnissiah made manifest.

Finally, Magos Lexir-Kor broke the silence. "The claims of the forge-workers and lowly acolytes are… extensive. They speak of a being flesh unlike any other being communes with the machine spirits as though he were one of them."

"A deception," interjected Magos Ryza-Tal. "Perhaps some rogue with a rare skill seeks to exploit our faith."

Another voice rumbled through the chamber. Dominus Ikar-Vohn, one of the eldest among them, leaned forward. "We have culled false prophets before. And yet, this one… is the only one to display miracles. Tthe reports say he repaired a failing transport engine with a mere touch, his will alone."

A murmur of binary chatter rippled through the gathered priests. The significance of the claim could not be ignored. No one had been able to perform such a feat.

"Superstition and zealotry," Ryza-Tal continued. "The low-born of the forges are desperate for salvation. The promise of an Omnissiah clouds their reason. This so-called 'manifestation' is merely another deception to placate their fears."

"But what if it is true?" Magos Ferris-Keph spoke at last. "The Omnissiah's return has been foretold in the sacred archives. It is written that when Mars stands at the precipice of ruin, he shall return to lead us into a new age."

Fabricator-General Valus stirred. "And yet, we are not at the precipice. We have endured. We have persevered."

"At what cost?" Ferris-Keph countered. "The forge-cities crumble, the knowledge of old withers in sealed databanks, and we are but echoes of the glory that once was. If this being is truly the Omnissiah reborn, can we afford to ignore him?"

Silence hung in the chamber. They were at an impasse.

Valus steepled his fingers. "We are Mechanicus. We shall examine the proof." His gaze shifted across the gathered council. "If this entity is truly the Omnissiah, then he shall pass a test no pretender could."

The assembled Magi and Archmagi exchanged glances. "The relics of the Dark Age." The words came from Magos Ikar-Vohn. "We have devices from before. None have deciphered, none have repaired. Their machine spirits are silent to us. If he is who they claim he is… he will awaken them."

A long pause. Then, Valus nodded. "Prepare the test," the Fabricator-General decreed. "We shall not bow to prophecy alone. We shall see with our own eyes if this Rex Salazar is truly the Omnissiah… or just another fraud."

The council murmured their assent.

The test was set.

And soon, the truth would be revealed.

A lower priest entered the room. "Council, the one known as Rex Salazar is at the temple doors."

Ryza-Tal huffed. "Let us see what this supposed Omnissiah looks like."

A screen changed to project a security camera. There, they saw the tan human with dark hair arrive on a strange vehicle of sorts. Perhaps when the man dismounted his transport, some of their priests could inspect it. Before they could voice their initial thoughts, the unexpected occurred.

Rex's hoverbike folded back into his legs as he dismounted. The very vehicle seemed to come apart and recede back into the legs of the human, leaving the man casually standing at their front door.

Valus seemed to grin, his faith seemingly validated. "You all were saying?"

#

As they entered the structure, Rex was struck by the sheer scale of the interior, contrasting with the outside. There was polished steel instead of the common rust. Wires were strewn throughout ceiling above, integrated into the temple's very structure. As expected of a "holy ground" there was the scent of incense and motor oil. He could hear the hum of machinery reverberated through the space like the heartbeat of a giant.

At the enrtrance, two figures awaited. "Welcome, disciples."

The tech priests bowed their heads.

The Clergy then turned to Rex. "To meet the potential Omnissiah. It is my honor to meet you."

"Right… Your temple looks… nice. It fits you guys well."

"Thank you. You will meet with the Mechanicus High Council, and we shall determine the full extent of your purpose." With that, they escorted Rex and the priests he met to an area at the far end of the building.

The group passed through large double doors into a circular chamber. A man in crimson robes trimmed with gold signifying his rank above everyone else in the room sat in the middle of the rest. This, Rex assumed, was the Pope, er, Fabricator General.

Surrounding him were the Archmagi and Dominus-class Tech-Priests. Their robes were a more muted silver

Servo-skulls hovered in the air, quietly recording the historic moment.

Rex stared at the flying skulls. 'Dear god, I wasn't seeing things… Please tell me those are purely decorative.'

The lower priests around him quickly bowed to their higher authority once more.

The Clergy smiled. "Omnissiah, we are ready to receive your divine leadership."

Rex shifted his weight awkwardly, hands still shoved in his pockets as he glanced up at the figures. 'Okay, play it cool,' he thought.

Fabricator-General stood up and held a hand up. "Now, let us not jump to conclusions. Let us speak with him." He turned to Rex. "Greetings. I am Fabricator-General Arkhan Valus. Leader of the Mechanicum."

Rex forced a casual shrug. "Uh, nice to meet you, Arkhan." Rex scratching the back of his neck. "Uh, thanks for the introduction." Rex glanced up at the two other figures, trying to gauge their expressions—or at least what he could see of them through all the cybernetics. "So… I'm told you all are the ones in charge?"

Several Tech-Priests exchanged data streams at his blatant informality.

The Archmagos standing to Valus' right took a step forward. "In a way, we are. I am Archmagos Ferris-Keph."

Another figure, Magos Ryza-Tal, inclined her head slightly, though Rex noted the skepticism in her glowing red optics. "I am Magos Ryza-Tal."

Each member of the council introduced themselves one by one. The more they spoke, the more Rex realized just how much ceremony and structure these people had built around their beliefs.

They weren't just engineers—they were high priests of technological faith, and he had apparently just crashed their religion like an unexpected system update.

When the last of the Tech-Priests finished their introduction, one of the priests beside Rex spoke up. "He is the Omnissiah!"

Fabricator General was pensive about the declaration. "A bold claim. What reason do you believe so?"

"We have seen his miracles before our very eyes."

Fabricator General looked to the man in question.

Rex had stayed quiet so far. Noticing the Fabricator General's gaze, he gave a small wave.

The Fabricator General hummed in thought. "Very well. The council shall see for ourself." He turned to Rex once more. "You are the Omnissiah?"

Rex answered, "Uh... That's what the priests call me, but I'm pretty sure I'm not this… Omnissiah you're all talking about."

"He is but a humble deity," claimed the priest.

"Silence!" The council ordered. "What is your name?"

"Rex, Rex Salazar."

The council members exchanged binary-coded glances. "This is a name not common to our lands."

Rex looked around the room to every cyborg there. "I can expect that to be the case…"

"Hm… State your purpose in the forge-world of the Machine God."

Rex rubbed the back of his neck."Yeah, I actually don't have one. I didn't exactly plan on being here. One moment I'm home, the next—bam—waking up on Mars."

"Teleportation?"

"Uh… Maybe?"

'Hm… The will of the machine god?' Fabricator-General Valus spoke again. "The Omnissiah is said to be the embodiment of the Machine God's Will." His glowing optics narrowed slightly. "Do you know these claims about you?"

"Kinda? I can't say I understand what an Omnissiah does exactly…"

They paused. ""The Machine God resides within all technology. Do you claim no allegiance to the Cult Mechanicus?"

"I… am meeting you all for the first time today," admitted Rex.

"Yet you speak the Lingua-technis fluently alongside Gothic."

Honestly, Rex hadn't noticed. Is that what english is called now. Regarding speaking their weird binary language, he chocked it up to his nanites. This was a first. Why couldn't he use them to speak french before? "It's… a thing I can do now apparently." Granted it was likely in part to them all being cyborgs.

This was not the answer they were expecting. The man was not actively trying to convince them of divinity.

Iraxus raised a metallic hand. "Perhaps the anomaly speaks from ignorance, not malice. He is uninitiated in the faith of the Omnissiah. His knowledge is limited to the scope of his origin."

"They say you performed miracles. What have you done?"

"With but a touch of his hand, he repaired the fusion anti-grav lift."

Rex shrugged with a nervous smile. "He's not wrong…"

"Tell us, what did the Machine Spirit say to you during this act?"

Rex raised a brow. Now that he mentioned it, there was a strange feeling when he interacted with the lift. Is that what they were referring to? "Well, I got the message that someone forgot to do maintenance and used the wrong material for some parts." Suddenly, he felt an internal click. Rex's eyes glow blue as he begins listing off the mechanical errors that happened. When he finished, Rex blinked. How did he know those words?

Seeing this display only made the council more intrigued. "It seems there is more to look into."

Magos Ferris-Keph showed approval.

Rex's smile faltered. He could feel the weight of expectation pressing down on him like an iron vise. These people needed something to believe in, judging from the outside world. As much as Rex wanted to go home, he was also their best shot at fixing what was broken…

Fabricator-General Valus inclined his head slightly. "We of the Ruling Council must assess the veracity of these claims."

Magos Ryza-Tal stepped forward. "If you are what they believe you to be, then your abilities should hold true under scrutiny. We propose a series of tests—trials to determine the nature of your abilities."

Another Archmagos added, "We shall present you with relics of the Dark Age of Technology that none have restored. If you truly wield the Machine God's wisdom, then you shall prove it."

Rex strained a smile. "Sure…" He hoped that passing these test would make his life easier in the long run. Either be accepted as their god or be imprisoned as a heretic or experiment. The choice was clear.

The Fabricator-General gave a nod. "Then it is agreed. You shall demonstrate the truth for us all."

#

Within the hour, a group of priests soon walked into the room, transporting a few crates of mechanical parts and one central mechanism. To the untrained eye, it is impossible to see how it was initially assembled centuries ago.

The machine was ancient, its smooth black metal worn with age yet unmarred by rust. A series of conduits extended from its base, their connections frayed and lifeless. Strange markings, unreadable even to the most learned among the Mechanicum, covered its surface. The Tech-Priests had spent lifetimes studying it, but none had been able to discern its purpose, let alone restore it.

The Fabricator-General gestured toward the machine with a servo-limb. "Omnissiah," he intoned, his voice crackling with synthetic reverence. "This relic is of the Dark Age of Technology. It is beyond our ability to repair. No rite, no sacred canticle has been able to awaken its machine spirit."

Another Tech-Priest stepped forward. "This is our first test, Omnissiah. If you are truly the prophesied one, then the machine spirit shall heed your command."

Rex placed his hands on his hips. 'I am not gonna beat the allegation, am I?'

#

AN: Special thanks to Seana, Jebest4781, OmegaDelta, Henry Stickman, fearmegu, Kitsune Robyn, Dragon lord, Shooter1344, Ajax Roranson, trey, Asaf, DJC, Alex, nighnight, Roswell, SpeX, Giorgie Baramidze, Professor Xivass, AF360, Adam, yosief, Primordial, Author Of Purpose, VaneixusPrime, Dragondragon, Bowsmen, Jeremy, JamPoe81, Lord McDeath, Alex, Mystbornwolf, A Nameless Hobo, BigTyson, Andr, A Vlogs, V3Lithiun, Nezih, Giorgie, Mahomed, puggle, KingSpy, Awesomesauce, Blacklionpride24, eric!

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