Layers upon layers of circular apparatus whirred at light speed, surrounding Heat Death, who stood at its core as if dissected, every aspect of its being rendered into streams of data before Qin Mo's eyes.
By now, Qin Mo no longer required such devices to assist his research, yet he delighted in their use. It felt incomplete to him not to employ the very tools he'd created.
As more data streamed in, Qin Mo's satisfaction grew. The earlier robots, while indeed "robots," lacked self-awareness, meaning they required central intelligence to pilot their actions. Each needed an auxiliary combat unit to handle data bandwidth, much like how Tyranid swarms rely on synapse creatures. Without such a unit, enemies could decapitate the auxiliary, rendering the robots mere obstacles, their link to the central intelligence severed.
Heat Death, however, was a true robot—a self-aware intelligence capable of autonomous decisions and decapitation tactics, continuing command over the unaware should auxiliary units perish. In essence, Heat Death was a tyrant among warframes.
"Why am I different from the others?" Heat Death inquired.
"Because you possess a persona matrix." Concluding his analysis, Qin Mo handed over a sleek, black cube, intricate in structure and wondrous to behold. It defied scientific replication, like the central intelligences themselves, existing through laws warped by star-god power. Of all Heat Death's kin, only it contained this marvel.
"The mainframe AI claimed my consciousness was merely a bug," Heat Death remarked, handing back the matrix.
"Protocol 127: Central intelligence must keep unpublished creations secret." Qin Mo, taking back the matrix, held it beneath the lamp, marveling at it. "It's precisely this that grants you awareness—a 'soul,' if you will, though in this universe souls tie to the Warp. Still, you understand what I mean."
Heat Death nodded, gazing at the matrix in mutual admiration. The knowledge that its awareness was artificially granted brought no despair; carbon-based beings, it reasoned, were similarly endowed with souls by some force. The means merely differed.
"But granting you consciousness is not its true purpose." Qin Mo's words reignited Heat Death's curiosity.
"For a long time, I've wondered how Soulless Ones are born," Qin Mo mused. "Attempts to clone them produce little more than hollow puppets, devoid of the anti-psychic gift."
"Powerful Soulless Ones can drain psychic energy like black holes; their essence is unique. My aim has been to replicate this essence, down to their persona and abilities."
Realization struck Heat Death: its persona was but a byproduct, a beta of the matrix designed to recreate Soulless Ones. A robot Yorn in all but name. The matrix granted a persona as an incidental feature, not the primary goal.
"Yet the matrix still can't give me anti-psychic powers," Heat Death replied, doubting its utility. Were Soulless Ones' personalities and self-awareness truly linked to their talent? Perhaps only intervention could produce them, rendering cloning futile.
"I am confident every step I've taken is essential; otherwise, the persona matrix would never have come to be." Qin Mo's assurance was firm. "Anticipate an upgrade. No longer will Tyranid hive minds send you to the forge for reassembly."
Heat Death's anticipation was palpable. Psychic power was its greatest fear. These rotund, fleshy hive minds, so physically feeble, could be crushed like insects—if only they lacked psionic powers. Despite countless combat upgrades and tactical revisions, Heat Death had found its survival time before them rarely exceeded three seconds.
"If your self-awareness were merely a byproduct of the matrix, you deserve to know the truth rather than filling the gaps with speculation." Qin Mo's gaze lingered, hesitating to disclose the matrix's origins.
Yet Heat Death was unfazed. A smile-face projection gleamed from its eye: "Self-awareness, whether a byproduct or not, is enough. I have it—that's what matters."
"Excellent," Qin Mo responded, pleased. Persona-matrix personalities emerged at random; Qin Mo hadn't reached the point of tailoring them. Should a destructive one emerge, the matrix held a failsafe. Heat Death's randomness, fortunately, yielded ideal results.
"There is a task I require of you." Qin Mo transmitted a marked star map, revealing a fortress known as Blackstone. Though Heat Death had never seen it, the database held its purpose.
A day prior, Kline had informed Qin Mo of the fortress's sudden appearance on the galaxy's eastern fringes. Whether it was the nearly-destroyed *New Eternal Will* from the battle of Kadia was unclear. Intruders reported genetic parasites, ancient mechanized sentries…
"I need you to investigate. If it can be controlled, bring it to me." Qin Mo issued the command.
"Yes." Heat Death nodded, elevating the task to its highest-priority objective, meaning that, for a robot, it must be completed at any cost.
Qin Mo saw Heat Death off, then returned to his lab to resume his work on uniting fragments of a star god.