Nolan found David engrossed in the construction project. The air thrummed with the barely contained power of the robot's work. Each large, metallic building component seemed less moved by physics and more by a magical spell.
David didn't just place them; he launched them. They sailed through the air, landing with soft clicks, perfectly aligned in their designated spots. He would then run a metallic palm over the hairline gaps between the materials, and in a blinding flash, they would fuse seamlessly, the disparate pieces forming one complete shape.
Nolan, a rare, genuine smile gracing his features, nodded to Connors, who was hunched over a folding chair nearby. Connors simply gave a distracted wave, his eyes glued to the data tablet he was studying. Nolan didn't mind the snub; the scientist was clearly wrestling with a complex problem.
He walked up to David, his cyan wolf eyes fixed on the robot's dazzlingly fast, efficient movements. The sheer speed and precision were hypnotic. "David, every time I see your construction technique, it's nothing short of a spectacular performance."
David turned his metallic head, the precise coordination of his palms and limbs never faltering. "Thank you for your praise, Lord. Is there anything I can assist you with?"
Nolan's grin widened, revealing the edge of his fangs. "It's nothing too big... You know about my 'miracle.' I just acquired a servo mechanical arm and a servo skull. I suspect the skull's system might contain some of the Mechanicus's technological knowledge, so..."
Before Nolan could finish, David turned his metallic head fully toward him, a flash of pure blue light flickering in his eye sockets. He gave a fractional nod. "Please wait a moment, Lord. The construction of this specific area is almost complete."
"Take your time. I'm not in a hurry." Nolan folded his arms across his chest and stepped back a few meters, giving David all the room he needed.
In the next moment, David's already swift movements accelerated further. The imposing pile of metal building materials around him began to shrink at an astonishing rate. Approximately five minutes later, the very last piece of material integrated into the forming wall with a low, final hum. The first enclosed space in the planned laboratory area was finished.
David took a single, measured step back. He hunched his metal spine slightly, the blue light in his eye sockets rippling as if he were taking a moment to appreciate his own masterpiece. Finally, he gave a shallow bow to Nolan. "Thank you for your patience, Lord. We can go."
Nolan nodded and turned to leave the laboratory. The two took care not to disturb the still-frowning Connors, who was now scratching at his sparse blond hair, looking every bit like a man cornered by an insurmountable equation.
Three minutes later, Nolan and David entered the base's main hall and approached the metal door of the lounge.
"By the way, there seems to be a slight problem with the servo skull. The quality of the Imperium's products can be..."
Nolan pushed the metal door inward, but his abnormally keen senses screamed a warning. His voice instantly died in his throat, and he went completely silent.
In a blink, Nolan's wolf pupils contracted to pinpricks. His tall body executed a violent, lunging side-step, narrowly dodging a sudden, heavy attack from inside the room!
With a dull, tearing sound of air being brutally displaced, the heavy, salvaged servo-arm slammed down where Nolan's head had been only an instant before, striking the metal floor with a deafening CRASH. The sound reverberated violently throughout the lounge.
Simultaneously, Nolan, his face hard and devoid of expression, had already twisted his massive body. His right hand flashed to his waist, drawing the plasma pistol. His finger was already tightening on the trigger.
Electric energy surged inside the muzzle, the unmistakable whine of superheated plasma about to erupt from the barrel, when the servo skull, suspended erratically in the air, shook its mechanical clamp with frantic urgency. Its mechanical voice was suddenly full of unconcealable shock and manic excitement.
"Omnissiah preserve me! An unknown Primarch? I swear upon the Omnissiah and the honor of the Mechanicus, this is a misunderstanding. A misunderstanding large enough to shake an entire Forge World."
"Primarch! Don't shoot! Don't shoot!"
"Surrender! I surrender!"
In that instant, two large, dark, reflective metal palms shot out from behind Nolan. David moved with terrifying speed, seizing the servo skull from the air. The heavy, iron-hoop-like shackles of his grip easily imprisoned the flying cranium. No matter how frantically the skull adjusted the thrust of its anti-gravity engine, it could not break free.
"A Man of Iron?! Machine God! Omnissiah! There is a Man of Iron here?! A fucking Man of Iron?!"
"Where are the Skitarii! Lord Primarch, go and call the Astartes!"
The sight of the Man of Iron seemed to drive the servo skull into a frenzy. Its optical sensors flashed an angry red, and it let out a fierce, almost hysterical shout. It only managed to calm down completely when Nolan, his expression utterly cold, once again pressed the muzzle of the plasma pistol against its forehead.
"I ask, you answer. Dare to speak one wrong word, and I will send you to the presence of the Emperor immediately."
Nolan's cyan wolf eyes locked onto the servo skull without blinking. He spoke each word with chilling clarity. "If I recall correctly... Reditus?"
"Imperium of Man, Adeptus Mechanicus, Tech-Priest on a Forge World, foundry technician, ruins exploration expert... Lord Primarch, I had so many titles... Oh, shut up, shut up!"
"Why did you become a servo skull? Did you upload your memories without permission? Or were you contaminated by Chaos corruption?" Nolan took a menacing step closer, his eyes narrowed. The muzzle of the plasma pistol was now barely touching the skull's forehead.
"My Lord Primarch, I honestly don't know... I only remember that I died exploring some ruins. I think I was killed by Necrons... When I woke up again, it was here and now..."
"Please allow me to explain! I thought I was reanimated by traitors or some xenos, so I tried to escape! I truly didn't mean to attack you!"
At this point, the servo skull named Reditus had its internal lights flashing desperately red. Its mechanical voice was filled with a mix of doubt and profound grievance.
However, Nolan, who was clearly operating with a plan, allowed a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth. He suddenly gave a very quick wink to David.
David understood instantly. His two metal palms slowly began to apply pressure.
In an instant, Reditus's white ceramite skull began to emit a horrible, high-pitched creaking sound. It sounded as if it would completely shatter into fragments in the very next second.
"Ah! Lord Primarch! Spare my life! I am absolutely loyal!"
"It is the Emperor! It must be the Emperor's blessing that allowed me to wake up and serve you!"
"For the Emperor! For the Machine God!"
Reditus was making a mechanical noise that was less a plea and more a full-blown howl.
Nolan's stern expression slowly dissolved into a broad grin, revealing his sharp canines. He narrowed his eyes and slowly lowered the plasma pistol.
David, just as swiftly, relaxed his metallic palms, releasing the servo skull.
Nolan's face was now gentle and welcoming as he stared at the servo skull Reditus, which was bobbing haphazardly in the air, clearly reeling from a massive shock.
He twitched his nose slightly and said with a smile, "See? Wouldn't it have been better to express your loyalty earlier? As for the misunderstanding of you attacking me, I'll let it go, for the sake of us both serving the Emperor."
"Thank you, thank you, Lord Primarch, for your iron heart that is as broad as a star and as deep as a black hole."
The servo skull Reditus's optical sensors, set within their metal frames, flashed a grateful red. The mechanical voice now sounded profoundly relieved to have survived the ordeal.
The next moment, David stepped forward. He bowed slightly to Nolan and spoke in a slow, measured tone. "My Lord, it is just a servo skull. It is not worth your effort. Allow me to crack its system. That would solve a potential hidden danger for you..."
"A despicable and eloquent Man of Iron!"
"My Lord Primarch! Don't listen to the slander of these... things! I can guarantee that a Tech-Priest of the Mechanicus cannot be replaced!"
"Moreover, my very soul is engraved with the blueprints and core ideas of countless powerful pieces of equipment! As long as you grant me enough time, I can restore them one by one for you!"
Reditus swore with dramatic solemnity as the skull violently jumped back and forth in the air.
Nolan licked his fangs slowly.
"There is an old Terminator power armor parked just outside this room. I need it completely disassembled. If you can prove your worth, I will seriously consider your future with my team."
"My Lord Primarch! I understand! I understand! I know everything!"
The servo skull Reditus's anti-gravity engine emitted a low, powerful hum. The white skull suddenly spun around and bolted out of the room without a moment's hesitation.
When the smooth curve of its ceramic skull disappeared through the doorway, Nolan and David exchanged a subtle, knowing smile.
Their palms quickly rose and connected with a heavy, satisfying slap.
"Happy cooperation, David."
"Praise the Omnissiah, my Lord. We are master and servant... We have an excellent tacit understanding."
Nolan, David, and Jessica, who had finished her intense physical training session, stood outside the room, watching a strange, subversion-of-cognition ceremony.
The white skull repeatedly flew in tight circles around the bulk of the Terminator armor, which had already been stripped of its thick ceramite steel plates. Waves of incomprehensible prayers were constantly emitted from its tinny speaker.
"Life is a vector, and the soul is the inducement of life..."
"Perception is the ability to acquire the value of knowledge, intelligence is the understanding of knowledge, perception is the basis of intelligence, understanding is the right way to understand, and understanding is the key to everything..."
"The Omnissiah knows everything and understands everything..."
At the same time, Reditus used a mechanical clamp to lift cans of lubricant, which went through the skull's bizarre blessing ceremony to become what he loudly proclaimed was "holy oil," which was then slowly sprinkled onto the exposed power armor components.
Then, Reditus, who had apparently regained control of the heavy servo-arm, began his professional performance.
One by one, delicate electro-fiber bundles were painstakingly disassembled, perfectly intact.
The automatic sensing system, the optical imaging system, the voice communication system...
The motion tracker, the threat detector, the auto-senses suite...
The complete array of complex systems was separated cleanly, without a single scratch, and placed with ritualistic care on a nearby metal rack by the servo-arm.
Several hours later, the formerly massive Terminator power armor was completely disassembled, reduced to a collection of hundreds of large and small mechanical parts, all neatly presented in front of the silent observers.
"This... perhaps my talent is merely that of a humble construction worker. The many rituals to appease the machine soul are truly beyond my logical thinking..."
Faced with such a shocking scene of delicate mechanical deconstruction, David's mechanical voice seemed full of genuine awe and a touch of professional humility.
However, the servo skull Reditus drove its anti-gravity engine swiftly over to Nolan. Its eyes flashed red with eagerness, and it said, in an almost flattering tone, "Lord Primarch, now you know my use, right? As for his rebellious speech, you'd better not listen... There was absolutely no machine soul in that Terminator. It was simply... very badly operated..."
Before the voice faded, Nolan smiled slightly and said slowly, "First of all, I want to thank you for your work and dedication, Reditus..."
"Uh, sir, you don't want to... shoot me?"
"Haha... I just want to say, you are officially welcome to join my team."
"At the same time, welcome to a new universe! A universe without the threat of the Warp!"