Chapter 129: The Vat-Grown Apprentices
Cultivating and conditioning his own assistants was a technologically viable and pragmatic path for Joric.
The core advantage was control. He could preset loyalty protocols at the genetic level and implant unavoidable control nodes during neural augmentation. This ensured that from the moment of their "birth," their fundamental purpose and core logic were to serve him.
This absolute loyalty, shaped from the root through biological instinct and mechanical compulsion, was far more direct and reliable than screening and grooming subordinates from a complex, uncertain social network.
Based on this philosophy, he formed a clear, phased implementation plan.
For the current phase, he would utilize the standard production lines available to him on Forge World Nexum to manufacture a batch of relatively basic, temporary apprentices.
These initial products were designed to solve immediate needs: handling data collation, routine equipment maintenance, resource allocation, and other foundational but tedious tasks, satisfying his most basic manpower requirements.
The longer-term, core plan was tightly linked to the Forge Ship soon to be his.
He planned to establish a dedicated, higher-standard precision production line aboard the NXS-07 cruiser. There, he would be capable of producing "High-Grade Apprentices" who had undergone more complex gene-editing and deep mechanical augmentation.
These customized assistants would possess superior professional capabilities, able to undertake independent research tasks and complex technical management, truly becoming the backbone of his core team.
Having finalized this strategy, Joric listed it as a priority execution item for his return to the Death World, and began preliminary planning of the required technical pathways, resource manifests, and design parameters.
This was not an overnight process, but it was critical for long-term stability and development.
The plan formed clearly in Joric's mind: utilize the Forge World's resources to produce a batch of basic assistants first, then return to the Death World base, and finally safely transit back to the Cyberpunk dimension.
He wasted no time. Leveraging his newly acquired Magos authority, he requisitioned an idle bio-conditioning facility on Nexum.
The entire conditioning process followed standard Mechanicus protocols.
In nutrient-filled incubation tanks fitted with neural interfaces, fifty bodies based on optimized genetic templates grew in synchrony.
Joric personally supervised the parameter settings at key nodes, ensuring each individual was implanted with foundational neural control protocols and knowledge-imprint interfaces.
One standard month later, this batch of "adjusters" completed their basic conditioning and entered the activation and evaluation phase.
The evaluation took place in a sterile white observation chamber.
Fifty individuals, fresh from basic conditioning, stood in orderly ranks. They wore uniform, plain clothing, their eyes holding the confusion and seeking of the newly born.
Joric's tall, dark-red form moved slowly before them, his crimson optical lenses scanning each face.
The evaluation results showed a clear gradient distribution.
Twenty-three of them were exceptional. They not only rapidly absorbed the imprinted basic mechanical knowledge but also demonstrated surprising aptitude in logical reasoning and pattern recognition tests.
Joric stopped in front of a dark-haired youth. The data-slate identified him as Unit-07.
"Explain the overload protection mechanism in a transmission system," he asked flatly, his synthesized voice devoid of emotion.
Unit-07 answered almost without hesitation, his eyes focusing quickly, his speech clear and fluent. "Magos. The basic mechanism relies on a thermal-sensitive alloy fuse-link. When torque exceeds the rated value by fifteen percent, localized temperature rise causes the fuse-link to melt, forcibly disengaging the power connection.
"However, its response has latency. I submit that adding a prediction module based on current-sensing to intervene before anomalous power climb is detected would, though increasing cost by five percent, prevent shock damage to the entire transmission chain."
This answer exceeded the scope of the imprinted basic knowledge, showing clear logical deduction.
Joric remained impassive but gave a slight nod, categorizing Unit-07 into the "Apprentice Group" on his data-slate.
Beside him, Unit-19, a focused young woman, nodded subconsciously upon hearing the question, clearly having arrived at a similar optimization thought.
This group of high-quality individuals was marked as the "Apprentice Group," the core seedlings of Joric's future technical team.
Another twenty-one met the baseline standard.
Their memory and execution were stable; they could accurately complete pre-set command sequences without error, but their performance in creativity and complex problem-solving was average.
"You," Joric pointed to one. "Repeat the safety protocols for the plasma cutter just stated."
"Y-yes!" The young man swallowed nervously, then recited the lengthy protocol verbatim, without a single error, but nothing more.
When asked, "If coolant leaks unexpectedly, what should be your first consideration besides the protocol steps?", he looked confused and ultimately shook his head.
These individuals were categorized as the "Overseer Group." In the future, they would supervise servitor gangs, manage warehouses, or execute other standardized tasks requiring basic judgment.
The remaining six were judged to have varying degrees of defects.
Unit-33 had insufficient neural interface stability; he twitched when receiving high-intensity data streams, the corner of his mouth still ticking involuntarily. Unit-41's metabolic rate was abnormal, unsuited for long-term void environments, his face exceptionally pale.
The most severe case, Unit-50, exhibited uncontrollable aggressive tendencies.
When Joric approached him, this relatively burly individual emitted a low growl from his throat, his eyes filled with hostility.
"Name," Joric commanded simply.
"You... enemy..." Unit-50's voice was garbled, words broken, more like a feral snarl than speech.
In previous behavior tests after being unbound, he had attempted to attack an approaching evaluation servitor.
The disposal of these defective units was swift and efficient, carrying the cold pragmatism characteristic of the Mechanicus.
Unit-33 and Unit-41 were removed. Their lives would be terminated, their healthy organs and tissues cryo-preserved as spare parts for future servitor maintenance.
The aggressive Unit-50, after necessary neural signal recording, was forcibly sedated and sent to the dissection bay.
His cranial structure was intact. After cleaning, preservation, and basic modification, it would be fitted with an anti-grav unit and sensor array, becoming a new servo-skull, continuing to fulfill its service duties in that form.
Having processed this initial batch of human resources, Joric lingered no longer.
He led Ignis, his core Skitarii escort, and this group of newly conditioned adjusters—whose fates were now divided—aboard his escort frigate once more.
The young apprentices followed silently and orderly, their eyes a mix of awe at the unknown and adaptation to their new identities, while the overseers looked slightly bewildered, simply obeying commands instinctively.
"Set course. Return to Death World Base," the command was given.
"Course confirmed, Magos," the Captain's response came through the comms.
The frigate's engines lit up the void once more, carrying Joric and his nascent, yet-formed staff away from Nexum's orbit.
This trip to the Forge World had not only won him a title and a ship but had also solved the initial manpower shortage.
Next, he would return to the starting point where the ancient transporter lay—the springboard to a wider universe.
(End of Chapter)