A series of unintelligible electrical sounds buzzed from Vik's mouth, as if trying to express his frustration through the crackling hum.
"Don't be angry. Consider this STC a gift," Qin Mo said, walking towards the chamber where the white metal sphere was kept.
"Tell me about the Creator God! That's the reason I'm here!" Vik demanded, following closely behind. As they passed by the iron giant, he glanced at it briefly, thinking how, from the perspective of the Inquisition, the condemnation of the Tyrone system wasn't entirely unjust.
To dare use something as forbidden as an iron giant...
However, Vik remained focused on his own goal. He sought knowledge of the Creator God, so he didn't dwell on the iron giant's secrets.
Upon entering the chamber, Qin Mo picked up the metal sphere and handed it to Vik. Then, turning to one of the guards, he remarked, "The iron giant's weak spot isn't in its head. You should switch your shoulder cannon to rapid-fire mode and aim for its torso, trying to melt through the outer shell."
The guard who had been wounded by the iron giant nodded. "My bio-processor couldn't identify its weak point, so..."
"Not every enemy can be analyzed. It'll do you good to practice fighting formidable foes. You and the others should train more rigorously," Qin Mo advised.
"Understood." The guard saluted and accepted the order.
In truth, Qin Mo's so-called STC excavation was just a ruse to test Vik's resolve. His real purpose was to train the guards using the iron giant, while simultaneously enhancing the iron giant with combat data from the guards.
Over the past year and a half, Qin Mo hadn't just been waiting idly for the Mechanicus to finish constructing a space fortress and teleportation devices—he had been very busy.
"Now fulfill your promise," Vik urged from the side.
"Alright." Qin Mo nodded, sitting on the platform where the STC had originally rested. "Tell me what you know about the Creator God. Didn't you contact the Servitors?"
Vik nodded and recounted the information he had learned.
"About a month ago, I made contact with the Servitors. They were curious about me, and I was curious about them. After I told them about the Mechanicus, they suddenly became very friendly.
"They said that the Servitors worship a Creator God, much like our Omnissiah, and this god's domain is in machinery. It created the sacred construct known as the Logistics Machine, which allows even the lowliest inhabitants of the Underhive to have food and water."
"But when I tried to ask more about this Creator God, they suddenly went silent. I followed their rituals for ten days and nights, worshipping alongside them, but learned nothing more."
Having finished, Vik stood quietly, awaiting Qin Mo's response.
After a moment of contemplation, Qin Mo replied, "If the Servitors' beliefs haven't changed, then the Creator God they speak of is me."
Vik was stunned for a few seconds before letting out a mechanical-sounding laugh, his gears whirring in amusement. But he stopped after a few moments, realizing that Qin Mo might actually be telling the truth.
The many creations within the Tyrone system were unlike anything found elsewhere in the Empire—more stable, more intricate. Even a servo-skull's energy readings from a teleportation device were bewilderingly complex.
These wonders could, of course, have been produced by a multitude of powerful STC templates, but if the Tyrone system truly possessed so many advanced STCs, its Hive World would be second only to Mars.
Vik ultimately concluded that these technological marvels had been developed, not discovered.
After a moment of reflection, he asked, "So you're saying... you're the Omnissiah?"
"No, I never claimed to be the Omnissiah, nor have I ever admitted it to the Servitors. You asked, and I answered. That's all," Qin Mo said, shaking his head.
Vik nodded thoughtfully.
With his business concluded, Qin Mo rose and began walking out of the tunnel.
Vik glanced at the spherical STC template in his hands, then followed Qin Mo out of the tunnel as well.
Once they reached the open ground outside, Qin Mo gestured for Vik to use the STC. "This is your reward. Since you came to this system without hostility, played the political game with the Inquisitors, and even had Inquisitor Chak pass along information about Horst's impending arrival, you've earned it."
Vik nodded in acknowledgment. It was true—he had deliberately leaked the information about Horst to Chak. Without that tip, Chak, who was quite low-ranking within the Inquisition, would never have known who Horst even was.
Yet Vik was surprised that Qin Mo had figured it out.
"Thank you," Vik said sincerely, walking to an open area to activate the STC.
The STC template immediately scanned Vik's biological information, verifying that he was an authorized user. It then vanished from his hands, transforming into a cluster of blue light that converged on the ground, forming a square box.
The box detected the presence of metal nearby and began assembling a metallic room in front of Vik, along with industrial equipment inside.
As more of the structure and equipment materialized, the metal in the surrounding area diminished. But just before completion, the process halted.
The spherical STC projected a message: "Program error."
"Hold on, let me fix that," Qin Mo said, somewhat embarrassed, as he approached the STC and picked it up. Upon inspection, he realized there were minor flaws in its internal structure.
It was no surprise, given that he had hastily crafted the device. A mistake was inevitable.
Closing his eyes, Qin Mo manipulated the inner mechanisms, repairing the STC and enhancing its reliability.
The STC resumed its work, finishing the construction of the room and equipment.
"This STC is designed to produce synthetic crystals, the kind used in laser rifles. The principle is to alter the atomic structure of materials. The advantage is mass production, but the quality of the crystals depends on the materials used. With the kind of resources found on the surface of the Underhive, the crystals will only be passable," Qin Mo explained, handing the STC back to Vik.
"Omnissiah... This is nothing short of a miracle," Vik murmured in awe, extending all his mechanical limbs to carefully store the STC within his body. His heart had been modified to hold objects securely, and the STC was locked safely within.
Having received the gift, Vik gazed at Qin Mo, a complex emotion flickering in his eyes. "I can't accept this without offering something in return. Is there any way I can serve you?"
"You could become a great sage of the Mechanicus, like Belisarius Cawl. You may only be a priest now, but I'll help you. The next time the Inquisition comes after me, you could arrive in a mechanical ark to lend a hand," Qin Mo said with a smile.
"For the Omnissiah." Vik bowed, offering the Cog salute—a gesture distinct from the Empire's more common Aquila.