Chapter 15: Discovery

"Sami? Well, I don't really know much about that place, but I'm pretty sure they share the same sentiment about killing daemons. From what I know, they're… um… much more primitive than what you guys would consider. I don't know if they're winning that fight though. Father used to tell me about tribes migrating southward, running from something. Of course, they were captured by the Ursus military and their fates were… not great. But, they must've had a reason to run." Voxlog recording by Katya Kerenov. Voxlog data distributed through noosphere.

Among the many sectors of Clad in Ire are specialized facilities for different purposes, each a tool to further the goals of House Decimbrus. A manufactorum creates the crew's weapons and vehicles with whatever scraps and materials they can sacrifice to its masters. The bridge, to control the other facilities and efficiently stream orders for the ship's day-to-day life. Or the research bay, where xenos weapons and artifacts are studied to understand, and then decided on whether to destroy or utilize.

But some facilities are more special than others, in different regards.

Delta coiled down a steel beam from the second floor, settling herself down on the main area. Around her were numerous vats of green liquid, each having a different xenos specimen for observing. Dead, of course. She wasn't risking a prison break with the types settled within, merely useful for losing herself in thoughts. Not after last time's incident.

The room itself was massive, but not unoccupied. Various other alive specimens were in glass containers, servitors created to feed and care for them, and tech-priests experimenting and recording data. Such was the personal room for one of the highest ranked tech-priests on the ship—who also had incredibly friendly relations with the Lord-Captain. It facilitated more requests being successful and special rewards, albeit this was accidental on Delta's part because of her… infatuation.

Tubes and valves were equally distributed throughout the room perfectly, each to regulate the various gases and liquids needed for experiments. A refueling cage for 8-CT4V—with the servo-skull itself currently inside—hung from the high ceiling. Other servo-skulls hovered around the location or in their cages, each regulated for one task in particular. Likewise, various ledges for containers and trinkets that could only be accessed by an agile tech-priest were in disarray, haphazardly organized but all easily accessible to Delta and her assistants should they need one of them.

One section of the room was entirely separated and guarded by lexmechanics and glasscrete. Within its walls contained entire towers of data shelves, to the point the room could be counted as a separate chamber since it expanded outwards. The second was Delta's personal workshop, where her experiments could go uninterrupted. At the moment, it held just one, with a ruined Grox clone singed in its own ash heap. The third floor was her personal area, where only she had the access key to allow others to come in. Or, if she feels the need, she can drag someone in to talk to—Faust being the poor soul who was the most kidnapped. Another section held most of the xenos or animals Delta collected, but she had other things in mind than visiting them.

Delta slithered towards a few tech-priests in the middle of a dissection of one of Tellus' animals on a grand table. A wild burdenbeast identified from one of Katya's descriptions. Its large bulky frame was splayed and opened up, allowing more of the xenobiologists to continue to poke around and detail their findings. Various musculature and meaty red insides designated it as a mammal. Important work, but not what interested Delta at the moment.

She continued onward, humming to herself as she swayed side to side in her stroll. She passed by a few tech-priests exchanging data, taking a small peek through the noosphere and absorbing the data before discounting it. History of the ship's internals was not that fascinating for her to be studying, especially right now.

Before she could arrive where she wanted to, she was alerted to the main room's door having a request prompted. She instantly connected to the camera interface above the hatch before being delighted.

Faust was here! Next to him were Rulk and Katya, side by side. She hadn't calculated Katya arriving so early, nor Faust or Rulk being here, yet she was absolutely fine with these results. Delta scurried towards the hatch, opening the first set of reinforced doors before opening the second set to the outside world.

Faust was slightly distracted by conversing with the other two; a perfect opportunity as he hadn't the chance to notice Delta coiling up, ready to launch herself.

"That's not the problem, it's just that Delta has the tendency to–"

Katya and Rulk both took a sidestep at what was about to happen. As if on instinct, Faust ducked just as Delta soared over him, with her tail trailing behind her. He crouched back up, dusting himself off as Delta herself recovered.

"...try and tackle me," Faust finished. "Good evening, Delta. When will you ever give up on doing this bothersome task?"

Delta grumbled as she slowly crawled over. "With a 62% succession ratio, I am unlikely to stop. You were lucky this time." Delta sighed, presenting herself to look professional. "Rulk, Katya."

Katya loosened up, nodding, "Delta."

Rulk shook his head. "Tech-priests…"

Delta slightly glared at the Navigator before returning to the front. "I had only called Katya here for her weekly check-up, so forgive me for being… excited about your sudden visit." Delta giggled as she leaned towards Faust. "To what do I owe my lovely Lord-Captain this sudden chance encounter?"

Faust stood his ground, maintaining his stoic facial expression. She could see his lips quivering as they tried not to smile. He took a deep breath. "A progress report on the Originium you collected. It's been… some time since. I'm not expecting any substantial results."

Delta's mind shifted gears as she sat on her tail. "I was on the cusp of doing just that before you arrived. It has been 3 weeks, 4 days, and 12 hours since we've given any detailed reports. Perhaps you would like to enter my laboratory for further analysis?"

Faust grimaced at the idea. "That's not needed."

"Oh?" Delta snatched Faust before he could take a step back. "But I insist!"

Faust struggled against Delta's mechadendrites as she forcefully dragged him inside, trying to yell for help, only to be muffled by her hands. Rulk and Katya gave nervous glances to each other before following them inside.

Only after Delta had reached a certain sector had Faust been released.

"Don't do that…" Faust huffed as he was gently placed down, straightening his suit. He stroked his chin at the sight of what was inside.

The Originium was in an experimental sector separated from the rest—Sector 3 being relegated to the most hazardous or unknown substances. Since Originium was both, it allowed for practically anything to be tested on the substance. Whether that be explosives, how durable it was, or plain hazardousness using a vat-doll to be sacrificed in the pursuit of knowledge.

The room also had glasscrete walls, as was standard per sector on the off chance something wildly uncalculated was happening behind the scenes. Such occurrences happened too often for Delta's likings, and while she had warned other individuals, her… credibility was always challenged due to her reputation. Still, she had no problem with seeing fools hurt themselves when she had already warned them.

This was besides the point of the glasscrete, as its simple design allowed for visitors to look inside with no need to be in specialized gear to enter. There were already a few tech-priests inside, cataloging and figuring out what to do with the Originium piles. Katya had already distributed the information that it could be used as a fuel source, perhaps a promethium substitute, but more testing was required on that field.

The crystals themselves revealed little info. Basic descriptions such as Originium consisting of layers or its wide usage in their technology failed to pique her interest. But there was another interesting tidbit Katya had almost relayed. Supposedly, there was a device that could be crafted from Originium. It was challenging information to retrieve from Katya, as if she had an aversion to the idea of sharing that knowledge—not to mention she had closed herself off after it. Nonetheless, Delta was too persistent to give up, and now would be the perfect opportunity.

"Katya," Delta said, cocking her head to glance at the woman.

"Yeah?" Katya replied, her eyes narrowed at the sight of Originium.

"Tell me again what the device is called that uses Originium?" Delta asked again. Not because her memory had lapsed, but because she felt it was crucial for Faust and Rulk to hear it from the Ursus' mouth.

Katya slightly tensed up as she saw Faust and Rulk turn towards her, one in curiosity, the other in suspicion, respectively. She awkwardly fidgeted with the hem of her uniform, "O-Oh that… um… I'm not really in the mood to speak about that. Couldn't we just… forget about that?"

Rulk approached her, placing a gentle but firm hand—not that it dissuaded Katya from being tensely cautious. "Please do not withhold information about something we should know. This device," Rulk rasped, "How does it work? Does it shift reality, or perhaps, does it slice into another realm for power? This is need to know informat–"

"Rulk…" Faust sighed.

"...Yes, Lord-Captain?"

"Let her have some space."

"Of course, Lord-Captain…"

Rulk sidestepped, glancing one last time before backing off entirely, letting Katya slightly relax. Faust rubbed the bridge of his nose before regarding Katya. "Katya, I understand you have some… issues on speaking more , but Delta, despite her actions, is very unlikely to forget about new technology. I would appreciate a retelling of what you know, for my sake."

Katya clenched her fists before placing a hand on the glass. "I don't know if I should really… tell you. It's different to how your version of Arts works, Rulk. And from what I've seen aboard, I'm not exactly sure everyone would be fine with that."

"You have mentioned that multiple times, but never truly given me the proper explanation," Rulk said. "We are in a safe… safer space. Right, Delta?"

Delta shifted to be seated on her coils, a dataslate already at the ready and her full attention to the conversation. "Absolutely. I handpicked each of my assistants and subordinates to be within this room. No information shall leave without my express permission unless they wish to risk servitorization; I've made sure of it through the Noosphere inside here."

Katya tilted her head at the unfamiliar word, but ignored it for now. "I'm not sure how to really… explain it. It's different for each person and some people don't even use theirs. Arts is… a power anyone can just command using Originium, but it has to come from your own self. Bloodlines or family history being the most common form. Of course, you need an Arts Unit to summon that power, but it's completely possible for anyone to do it."

Faust crossed his arms. "And this Arts Unit does what, exactly?"

"...Anything. It can be used in battle, to heal, to transform. It really depends on the user and the device's purpose, but it's very versatile when you can switch Arts Units. Though I'm not really sure how each one is made; I only know it requires Originium to function."

Rulk grumbled, "And what is the risk of using this device?"

Katya raised a brow. "Risk? I… don't understand."

"Downsides. Accidental malfunctions. A price to be paid in blood, soul, or mentality. Surely, one would have to face potential consequences to use the device."

"I can't say I've ever heard of a Caster accidentally blasting himself. It's probably happened, but not enough to really be thought about. I mean, maybe it's the fact Originium is the only way we can use it? But I wouldn't really consider that a risk."

Rulk shook his head. "There is always a consequence."

Katya shrugged. "I don't know if there is. I'm not an Originium researcher. I'm just me. But that's about all I know."

"Sounds too similar to sorcery for there to not be."

"...Sorcery?"

"He means psychic powers," Faust said. "What he uses in combat."

Rulk grumbled again, "Must I remind you that is the power of my eye and not power I can will to exist?"

"Eh, same thing, really."

"No, no it is not."

"Is… is that what you used to melt that thug while we were fighting for the void shields?" Katya asked, eyes widened. "You can just summon power out of thin air?"

Rulk instantly glared at Faust at lightning-speed. "And now you've confused the poor girl. You will explain to her the difference. Now."

Delta's gears within her mind churned as she put the conversation at the back of her brain, connecting dot after dot of information with each other. She was currently deep in formulating hypotheses about how Originium, with its versatility, could be a highly useful resource even with the consequences of it spreading. It'd be a "worse" Orkoid infestation, but rather than greenskins showing up eventually, it could be much, much more useful as a resource. Though, if Originium had a different effect on the strains of abhumans here compared to humans, could Arts even be used by the Imperium at large?

Unlikely, but not without testing first; Delta wouldn't dismiss the idea that easily. It could be incredibly useful if no consequences could be formed from using its power. Yet, if Originium was the initial catalyst to casting Arts and Oripathy meant a substantial amount was inside an individual… what stopped an Infected from casting Arts? If each individual could produce an Arts of their own, then shouldn't Katya be able to do that?

Ah. That's what she's been keeping from me. Delta hummed to herself as she lost herself in thought, some puzzle pieces clicking into place. Just a hypothesis, but one with a 82% chance of possibility. But why?

Delta looked up from her dataslate to further observe Katya at this current moment, the other half of her mind reviewing notes simultaneously. Slight undertone of worry in her posture. Mistrust created from previous occupation and faction still lingered. Strong Imperial culture from some individuals aboard clashing with a completely different outlook on humanity. A dash of alienation as a strain of abhuman. Much, much more outnumbered and outmatched in differing skills by individuals around. And those were just surface level observations.

Delta internally snapped her fingers. That's why. It's too risky to reveal such crucial information. Faust, brilliantly charming as he was, probably had as much of an inkling as Rulk did concerning Katya's innate abilities.

The Xenarite processed her innate findings, then continued in her hypothetical research. She retrieved the information about the mended but abnormal scars on Katya's flesh, unlikely to have been done naturally via medicae. They were done with the same methodology each time, suggesting a repeated process. If that's the case, then healing via Arts must have been a possibility for the individuals of Tellus. This led to the ultimate point: could Katya heal herself or others?

Delta wagered a 43% chance on that with a 5% margin of error. There could be several factors that might explain the Ursus' old wounds, including someone else healing her, an unrelated device, or a miscalculation on Delta's part. Yet, she would not have survived in her previous hostile environment without being healed—which that part was statistically improbable because of the abuse taken.

So then, who was Katya, really? A baker as a background, but someone who had some crude combat training from a father with military experience. She knew a wide arrangement of information, but only at surface level compared to a more precise description. And, she could cast Arts but was afraid of the potential consequences—as a psyker would fear the consequences of their abilities getting out.

Delta's initial thought was a spy… but that bizarre conclusion was thrown out immediately for a number of reasons, with the topmost being a genuine disposition around Faust's closest members. Perhaps her family history would give insight, but Delta doubted such a subject would come easily without a gentle touch of empathy. Delta rarely had that for others, so she couldn't be the one to collect that data.

Delta scratched at her arm, trying to reach any conclusion that could be useful. Unfortunately, the only conclusion she found was that she didn't have enough information to truly piece out an identity.

Delta heard the laughter of Katya, Rulk, and Faust as they were in the midst of conversation, their initial explanation of psykers and witches now long gone. It was lighthearted, especially because the Lord-Captain was enjoying himself. He was at… ease.

Delta sighed. Did she really need to confirm her theory about Katya? As a magos of the admech, xenarite of ancient, lost technologies, and genetor who sought truth in the biomechanical, the answer was yes.

Yet, the other side of Delta remained unconvinced. She had the power to pry that info with an iron grip, but she herself was in a similar position long, long ago. Where mercy was not a possibility.

Delta suppressed her shudder, struggling to banish the memory of how close she was to being turned into a mindless cog of the machine god for a mistake. Granted, it was a colossal mistake, but it would have cost her had someone not saved her.

Delta smiled warmly in reminiscence, and, for no reason at all, snatched Faust again as she coiled tightly around him.

"And that's when Rell had– gah! Delta!" Faust shouted as his story was interrupted, squirming in resistance.

Delta giggled, "Mm, five minutes, Faustie. That's all I ask."

Faust's eye twitched, but with a resounding sigh of embarrassment, he let himself stay put. He glared at Rulk and Katya, who were struggling to keep their snickers in. "If there's something funny, spit it out."

Delta concluded Katya's powers could remain in the air of mystique, for now. It would build more trust to have her naturally speak her mind, rather than reveal it for all to know. Not that Delta wouldn't question her in privacy about it, but that also remained in the air. That being said, it wouldn't stop Delta from figuring out how to create an Arts Unit if possible. It would definitely take some time to work out how to manipulate it, more so to even see if she could use it, but she had all the time in the world to figure it out.

As for the potential of it being tech-heresy… well, if the abhumans here had invented it, then it surely couldn't be heretical. Right?

Glad you guys like Brogg. I was hoping I did well on that department. Now, its Delta's turn. I also still haven't read Babel! I NEED to but I've been a little stressed recently, so I haven't had the time. I also wish I could pull on the banner, Bastion, but I may or may not have spent all my Orundum and Originite on the r6 events (I got all of them though, so it was a little worth it as a previous R6 enjoyer). Response time, at least to the one not about Brogg.

RandomSoviet: That crackfic sounds so unexpected that it intrigues me. As for the viewer, eh, that stuff happens. I just hope he actually read it and changed his mind, but if not, oh well.

And now the good question. When and where does this take place? I know the where part wasn't asked, but I may as well say where it is since it's a little confusing on the exact location. I was tempted to do it via the story, but honestly, I already did, so I don't mind elaborating. The where is kind of obvious for the entire world but not so much on the exact location as I detailed it in Chapter 12: Auger Array. If you look for the official map of Terra, the Clad in Ire crash landed above Columbia and west/southwest of Sami. It'd also be a few weeks of travel towards Ursus' border, though that doesn't mean Ursus wouldn't have tried to scrounge up wreckage outside its territory (I.e Katya being far out). And the "when" is a little less on the nose, but it's been highly hinted at. I don't really see a reason not to give some info out, so i'll say definitively that it's way after the Victoria arc into the 1100's, but I'm less inclined to say exactly when. You can probably tell if you look back into previous chapters though. Also, yeah buddies, this is a late stage event for the readers who haven't noticed that yet. P.S. Arknights has a timeline on the wiki–use the gg one, not the fandom. However, a handful of events (IS4 or the R6 events) aren't listed in it. Anyway, that's all I've got for today. Roseblade out, and next time, FINALLY some threat management.