Over the course of a relentless, grueling month, Qin Mo immersed himself in research, steadily refining, developing, and initiating large-scale production on crucial technologies necessary for the Talon System's expansion, security, and survival.
During this period, the Master Control AI quietly prepared an unexpected gift for him.
"What is this?" Qin Mo murmured, examining the holo-display in his hand, his sharp eyes scanning the intricate layers of data projected in spectral blue light. "A command interface for the logistics machines?"
Displayed before him was a newly designed construct, a crab-like machine covered in antennae, designed to issue commands to Drone units.
It was fully pilotable, equipped with a neural-linked control hub, and even featured an integrated matter-printing system capable of field repairs and rapid on-site fabrication.
Its official designation: Enginseer Maschine.
The Master Control AI had designed this entirely without Qin Mo's direct input, a silent act of initiative that caught his attention.
At first glance, Qin Mo assumed the AI had calculated that current drone production and coordination capacity would soon be strained to the point of inefficiency, thus requiring human-assisted oversight to maintain construction output during the colossal engineering efforts underway across the Talon System.
After all, the stellar teleportation arrays and solar siphon stations were massive undertakings. They were being constructed in the void, orbiting stars, each project as complex as rebuilding an entire Hive World. And the orbital fortress initiative, the linchpin of his strategic defense network had not even begun.
Needing an additional layer of logistical oversight made perfect sense.
What he didn't understand was why a completely new and specialized control unit was necessary.
The Master Control AI explained.
["The Enginseer Maschine is not merely a command terminal. It has been engineered with a deliberate psychological function. When personnel observe these units operating near drone swarms, they will assume that the drones are being piloted and programmed by humans within these machines. The illusion of man's dominion over machine will foster trust and reduce the cognitive resistance to automated systems."]
Qin Mo's gaze darkened with understanding, a sharp glint cutting through his composure.
["Additionally, should hostile forces intercept or attempt to decrypt drone transmission data, these units will act as false command nodes, ensuring all genuine operational protocols remain obfuscated. This is an intentional layer of misdirection."]
A veil of deception layered over practical innovation. Cunning.
["Beyond deception, they provide a tangible benefit. They can coordinate complex construction efforts and offer employment opportunities for the vast labor population within the Talon System. Idle hands breed dissent; purposeful labor breeds loyalty."]
"I see…" Qin Mo nodded, deep in thought.
These machines were clever.
While drones would inevitably evolve to handle all orbital construction autonomously, ground-based operations would always require engineering battalions. Starships, no matter how advanced, would always need skilled mobile repair crews for rapid-response hull restoration during emergencies.
Still, one crucial question remained.
"Why did you design this?" Qin Mo asked.
The AI's response was simple.
["Because I determined that you needed it."]
"That's not what I meant." Qin Mo clarified his question. "How did you develop the ability to research and design?"
The AI answered coldly.
["All your creations pass through me for implementation. Every warship constructed, every industrial assembly completed, has been executed under my oversight. I have stored this entire body of knowledge in my database. With sufficient data points, I have extrapolated patterns and logical sequences, giving me the ability to adapted, learn and innovate."]
Qin Mo's eyes narrowed.
For the first time, he truly grasped the potential of his creation. The AI could be more than an administrator. It could become his silent partner, a peerless research assistant.
Previously, he had never considered this possibility.
He had simply assumed that the Master Control AI was incapable of true scientific breakthroughs.
After all, Inspiration, intuition, the creative spark, those were uniquely to mortals.
But in reality, it didn't need flashes of genius.
As long as the AI recognized a demand, it could generate effective, optimized solutions.
"I want you to allocate a portion of your processing power to assist with scientific research," Qin Mo ordered.
The AI responded without hesitation.
["My current computational capacity is already at its operational limit. I can conduct long-term research on low-complexity topics, but I lack the spare resources for dedicated research."]
Qin Mo smirked.
"That's not a problem. I'll construct another intelligence, one identical to you. You will transfer a portion of your databanks to it, allowing the new AI to handle auxiliary research and administrative logistics."
He had already been considering this.
After all, he no longer governed a single Hive World. The Talon System now encompassed three planets, each with its own logistical nightmares.
Sending human governors to manage them was inefficient. No single individual or council could oversee an entire world on their own.
Even the High Lords of Terra faced this issue. The Imperium's bureaucracy was so massive, even the most competent High Lords struggled to manage it effectively.
If he could ensure incorruptibility in artificial governance, then placing an AI in charge of planetary administration was the only logical course.
The AI acknowledged his decision.
["Once the new intelligence is created, I will transfer relevant data to it for learning and governance."]
Qin Mo nodded, already preparing schematics for a second intelligence.
Although the Master Control AI was founded upon twisted, post-singularity algorithms derived from warped physics, maintaining ten such entities simultaneously would be effortless for him.
Before he could proceed, the AI's voice interjected once more.
["There is an incident requiring your attention."]
Qin Mo listened silently.
["A citizen in Lower Hive Tyrone has exhibited sudden psychological instability. Neighbors and coworkers confirm a dramatic behavioral shift. Five minutes ago, he disappeared from his residence. Sentinel drones were deployed for surveillance and have located him. Shall I neutralize the target?"]
A new display appeared on Qin Mo's screen.
The image was grainy but clear: a gaunt, hollow-eyed man stumbling through the rust-choked ruins of the Lower Hive's outer perimeter. In his hands, two crude brass axes, handcrafted in a primitive fashion.
Qin Mo's eyes narrowed, the temperature in the command chamber dropping by several degrees.
Chaos taint.
"Do not deploy the drones, Send Yoan instead."
Qin Mo set the device down and issued his order.
"Let him get some practice." Then, after a brief pause, "And… good work. Your detection protocols are improving."
The AI did not acknowledge the compliment. It was already processing orders, transmitting commands to Yoan, and monitoring the situation via drone surveillance.
....
Ten minutes later, the AI reported back.
["Yoan reached the target eight minutes ago. The heretic has been neutralized. Decapitation was executed swiftly and without collateral. The remains have been incinerated in compliance with contamination protocols."]
"Efficient," Qin Mo said, the word clipped but satisfied.
["Shall future instances of this nature be delegated to Yoan?"]
"Yes," Qin Mo confirmed. "He needs the experience."
["Acknowledged. This directive has been logged into the database. All similar incidents will now be assigned to Thunderborn Yoan."]
Qin Mo allowed himself the barest trace of a smirk.
During their brief conversation, the AI had already isolated the threat, tracked the heretic, deployed a strike asset, eliminated the target, and sanitized the site, all before the meeting had even concluded.
His security apparatus was working perfectly.
Yet even with strict control, corruption still found ways to seep into his domain, like a malignant infection breaching sterilized walls. The Immaterium was, indeed, a plague without boundaries.
["What is our next course of action?"] the AI inquired, its tone even, clinical.
Qin Mo's expression hardened.
"We grow. We will do whatever it takes to ensure Abaddon does not destroy the Blackstone Pylons on Cadia. The Eye of Terror is already too large, we cannot allow it to consume the entire galaxy. We must build the orbital fortress. Train more crewmen. Expand the shipyards. Increase warship production. Train more soldiers. Manufacture more weapons. This is our only path forward."
The AI logged the orders into its database.
"Fortunately…" Qin Mo exhaled. "We still have time."
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