Chapter 6: STC Built
"Intel suggests potential unknown viruses below. Activate sealed life support systems!" Damon commanded the assembled Marines.
Compared to the equipment the Imperium provided its grunts, the CMC series combat suit was equally mass-produced in the StarCraft universe, but its integrated life support system allowed soldiers to fight continuously in hazardous environments, even enabling construction and survival in hard vacuum.
Damon glanced at Purser Verre beside him. The humans of this world gave him a completely different feeling...
The voidships here were astonishingly large, and everything exuded a thick religious atmosphere.
They clearly possessed a high level of technology, yet their treatment of ordinary people was outrageously harsh.
Even the tyrant Mengsk from his own world would provide sufficient equipment for the soldiers under his command.
"Switch ammunition! Enemy protection levels are low; no need to prioritize armor penetration. Switch to Explosive Rounds! Maximize damage radius!"
"Yes, sir!"
As the elevator reached the lower decks, Verre immediately led Damon and his squad towards the sounds of battle.
Plague-ridden traitors were assaulting the defensive line formed by the Enforcers. A pale green, dense fog formed wherever large groups of rebels gathered. Compared to the rebels' inaccurate shooting and suicidal charges, this toxic miasma created by Chaos sorcery was the most lethal threat.
"Weapons free! Weapons free!!"
Damon decisively gave the order to attack! The enemy's dense formation didn't even require careful aiming.
The C-14s, now loaded with Explosive Rounds, had an effect similar to bolters, instantly causing widespread casualties. Each time an explosive round accurately hit an enemy, the resulting fiery explosion cleared away both the target's flesh and the surrounding toxic fog.
Fire proved remarkably effective against Nurgle's plagues! With the forceful intervention of the eight Marines, the momentum the traitors had just built up was instantly shattered.
The deadly fog also began to dissipate under the cleansing flames. Let the flames purify everything!
In just over ten seconds, Damon's squad had emptied their magazines. The smell of roasted meat filled the enclosed space.
"Sir! We don't have enough ammo to sustain this for long!" one of the Marines reported to Damon.
"I know. The Commander will resolve this issue soon."
Meanwhile, the Enforcers holding the line cheered. They knew the ship had a new Captain. The disappearance of the Rogue Trader had cast a shadow over their hearts.
But when they learned that these powerful warriors belonged to their new Captain, Lucan, hope rekindled within them.
And the slain cultists transformed into Psy-crystals, flowing into Lucan's possession.
Seeing the 500 Psy-crystals instantly appear, Lucan breathed a sigh of relief.
"If I wasn't afraid of all the crew dying off... I'd really want to just farm this spawn point..."
Just then, Engine Seer Pavian arrived on the bridge.
"My Lord, the chamber has been cleared for you. The servitors have already moved the metals you requested inside. Why exactly did you require these materials?"
"So fast? Let's go, come with me! Perhaps the Omnissiah is about to reveal Himself!"
Led by Pavian, Lucan arrived at the now-emptied chamber where the two SCVs were waiting.
In the short time available, Pavian had already thoroughly studied the structure of these machines, yet he still couldn't find the principle behind why the SCVs could so easily repair the Warp Engine.
To him, the SCV's construction wasn't complex; after all, it was just a common engineering vehicle from the StarCraft universe.
Yet, somehow, these two creations, from which he couldn't even sense a machine spirit, were capable of performing incredible feats.
Approaching the SCV, Lucan opened the construction options.
Seeing that the required resources were met, Lucan directly initiated the Barracks construction.
The Psy-crystals transformed into an invisible force that flowed into the two SCVs. Receiving their orders, the SCVs drove towards the prepared pile of metal.
"SCV good to go, sir!" one of them reported audibly.
Then, a scene akin to a miracle occurred...
Clang...
The Omnissian Axe in Pavian's hand dropped to the floor. At this moment, he felt the heart that had long been replaced with a bionic implant begin to pound violently again.
The huge pile of metal actually began to melt and reshape in the SCVs' manipulators. A massive metal building started taking shape at incredible speed.
"This... this is impossible... It's a miracle... This is definitely not something mortals can achieve! Could it be that the avatar of the Omnissiah he spoke of... is the Captain himself?"
Everything happening before his eyes had completely shattered his understanding... Everything he had learned before seemed like a joke. But if one substituted Lucan for the Omnissiah, it all seemed to make sense!
"10 minutes? Much longer than in the game, but completely acceptable!"
Lucan quietly watched the Barracks gradually take form in the SCVs' hands.
Ten minutes passed quickly. Soon, the SCVs stopped their work, and a brand-new Terran Barracks stood before Lucan.
With the Barracks built, Lucan checked the items it could manufacture.
[Marine, Full Equipment Set including Ammunition]10 sets/minute
[Firebat, Full Equipment Set and Ammunition]15 sets/minute
[Marauder, Full Equipment Set and Ammunition]15 sets/minute
[Medic, Full Equipment Set]15 sets/minute
[Ghost, Full Equipment Set and Ammunition]
(Armor strength of equipment can be increased based on the quality of metal input)
The first three only required metal for mass production. The Medic equipment also only required metal. However, the Ghost, in addition to metal, required the consumption of one psyker. Seeing this requirement, Lucan temporarily gave up on Ghosts. Psykers were not common commodities, and the psykers currently on this voidship had more crucial roles, like maintaining the Gellar Field and navigating out of the Warp.
Lucan ordered the servitors to load all the excess metal into the Barracks' hoppers.
Soon, sets of CMC combat armor and C-14 rifles were being rapidly produced, flowing out like on an assembly line, along with crates of ammunition.
"Is this... is this a sacred STC?! Could you truly be the avatar of the Omnissiah!!"
Creating finished products from simple resources – wasn't that precisely the effect only an STC could achieve?!!!
It was known that any useful STC could impact the entire Imperium. The Adeptus Mechanicus was willing to pay terrifying prices for every single STC fragment.
Once, two Imperial Guard troopers discovered an STC for a combat knife, and their reward was an entire planet.
STCs also varied in quality. Some could produce powerful vehicles or equipment, but the required resources and time meant mass production was impossible.
But Lucan's Barracks could produce a full set of CMC armor and weapons in just 10 minutes, and that was with only one Barracks! If the number of Barracks increased, a single day's output could arm an entire regiment, with no upper limit!
Pavian dared not imagine the rewards such an STC would bring if reported to the Imperium. Perhaps, if given the chance to submit it, he could secure a position directly on Mars!
And the Lucan before him possessed the ability to mass-produce such STCs... Unheard of! To create such a holy artifact so effortlessly – if he wasn't the Omnissiah's avatar, what else could he be?
"Great Omnissiah! Your faithful servant, Pavian, offers you this binary hymn in hope that you might hear! The Flesh is Weak, Machine Ascension! Please grant me the chance to serve by your side!"
Looking at Pavian kneeling before him, Lucan didn't explain anything. Since Pavian regarded him as the Omnissiah, why refuse? Pavian's loyalty level right now was probably comparable to directly summoned units like Damon and Connie.
This was one advantage of a universe with gods: inexplicable events could be attributed to miracles, and demonstrating miracles could rapidly secure loyalty.
(End of Chapter)