Chapter 37: Greenskins and "Tombs"
Jacob and the others had discovered that every time they thought they had a handle on Omega, he would shatter their existing perceptions of him once again.
They had seen the playful Omega, the shrewd and capable Omega, the sly and cunning Omega, and the prodigiously talented Omega. Now, they were seeing the iron-fisted leader Omega, an Omega who could use lives as bargaining chips.
But the universe... it always has a way of kicking you in the jewels when and where you least expect it.
Just as Omega was waiting for the worker representatives to arrive for a meeting, to ask them what they thought of his ideas, bad news came from the "underground circle"—Greenskins had been discovered.
Who understands the feeling of having your resolutions and ideas crushed by reality?
Omega had only one thought in his head: he was going to go bayonet-to-choppa with the Greenskins. Not even the Omnissiah could save them today!
"Where are the Greenskins?! Come out and fight this young master for three hundred rounds!" Omega, having rushed to the underground, shouted, stomping his feet.
"What Greenskin is going to hear you shouting inside the outpost?"
"..."
Omega's thought: Hmph, Magos Laust, you are so annoying!
Of course, no Greenskin in the outpost could hear him. If there had been, they would have gleefully found a stick, impaled the "cowardly little humie git Omega," and roasted him over a fire.
Omega's mood soured even further. He felt that Laust had shown him no respect in front of so many people. He was, after all, the leader of the third "largest" faction on all of Teyedan. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him one of the "Triumvirate of Teyedan"... right?
Sigh. When it rains, it pours. The more upset you are, the more upsetting things happen.
Seeing that the other Magi were ignoring him, Omega pretended that nothing had happened and brazenly sidled up to the holographic platform where Laust was standing.
The good news: a small Greenskin tribe of about a thousand, with equipment comparable to a primitive tribe—stone spears, animal bones, and the like. Omega could crush them with a flick of his finger.
The bad news: they were Greenskins!!!!
[INQUISITORIAL NOTE: ORKS]
The Orks are a biological weapon created by the former masters of the galaxy, the "Old Ones," for their war against the Necrons and the C'tan—the War in Heaven. The Old Ones designed the Ork genetic code with a dual helix of plant and animal DNA. This gives them their tough, photosynthetic green skin and, most importantly, the ability to reproduce asexually, while still being able to think and act freely like animals. The Old Ones gave the Orks a robust physique and an incredible vitality, allowing them to withstand massive amounts of damage. Even wounds that would be severe for a human are just minor pains to an Ork, allowing them to continue fighting even when seriously injured, and even to fire their weapons for a short time after their hearts have stopped beating. Even more incredibly, if an Ork is decapitated, its head can be sewn onto another body, and it will survive and fight again.
Of course, the biological weapons of the Old Ones were far more complex than that. If that were all, the Orks would not have become one of the "scourges" of the material universe. During the War in Heaven, to make the Orks an effective "weapon," the Old Ones genetically engineered their DNA to include "techno-genes"—a vast amount of engineering technology recorded in their genetic code. This gene releases its encoded knowledge when an Ork is stimulated by external factors, allowing the Greenskins to unlock corresponding technology based on the enemies they face, from simple melee weapons to starships.
Considering that technology is often limited by materials, the Old Ones also gave the Orks a "WAAAGH! field," an extremely psychic power. In this psychic field, an Ork's thoughts can, to a certain extent, warp objective reality. This ability allows a Greenskin to make something work as a weapon simply by believing that it can be used for war. Even the most insignificant piece of scrap metal can become a deadly weapon that other races would find unbelievable. This ability also allows an individual Ork to truly become stronger, bigger, and more "WAAAGH!" when other Orks believe it to be so.
This ability can even affect other races in the galaxy. The most famous example is the legendary Commissar of the Imperium of Man—Sebastian Yarrick. INQUISITORIAL WARNING: Any discussion regarding how the elderly Commissar Yarrick could wield a Power Klaw large enough for a Space Marine with one hand while operating a Storm Bolter, also designed for a Space Marine, with the other, and why his augmetic eye could fire a laser, will be considered heresy! DO NOT THINK ABOUT IT!!!!
The outcome of the War in Heaven is obvious. The Necrons and the C'tan won, the Old Ones perished, and they were never seen in the galaxy again. But the Greenskins they created remained, spreading throughout the galaxy as an unchained weapon.
This was the Greenskin. With an enemy like this, who wouldn't have a headache? And Omega had a massive one right now.
Fight them? If he couldn't annihilate them all at once and a few escaped, the next time they met it would be gun against gun, cannon against cannon. And who could say there was only one tribe of Greenskins? They had only found one so far.
Don't fight them? It wouldn't be long before these Greenskins came looking for a fight themselves. Hiding was useless; Greenskins would just "think" their way to a solution. For them, the meaning of existence was "WAAAGH!" The word "WAAAGH!" represented war, fighting, fun, and all the positive things they could get from war. An Ork wakes up every day thinking about how to WAAAGH!, where to find a bigger WAAAGH! And you don't have to worry about them not being able to figure it out. As long as they "think" hard enough, their "power of thinking" (the WAAAGH! field) will lead them to the WAAAGH! they desire.
So, should he go to them, or wait for them to come to him? Omega felt like he had been forced into a very compromising position by reality.
Finally, Omega couldn't hold it in any longer. "Magos Laust, have you decided how to deal with these Greenskins?"
"Wait. We need to observe the area around the ruins to see if there are any other Greenskin tribes," Laust replied.
Omega's thought: Hmm! How much do you not consider me a part of the "leadership"? You didn't even tell me about the ruins! (ꐦÒ‸Ó) I'm watching you...
The Magi: ─=≡Σ(((つ•̀ 3•́)つ Busy! Why is this kid still here...
Seeing that the Magi clearly didn't want him involved, Omega left the outpost in a huff.
Omega's thought: How can I make the great Adeptus Mechanicus glorious again, how can I make humanity great again, with these parasites who only care about seniority and academic cliques! It's infuriating!
Rhea noticed that Omega's face was puffed up with anger when he returned from underground. She asked with concern, "Omega, is the Greenskin problem that serious?"
"Go ask your father! I don't know anything!" Omega snapped at her.
Rhea wasn't one to get angry over a single outburst. She could guess that Omega had probably been snubbed by her father again. She teased him in a soothing voice, "What could possibly make our brilliant Archmagos Omega so angry? Please, have mercy and tell us little priests."
"Hmph! You annoying cog-girl!"
"Yes, I'm an annoying cog-girl. Just tell me," Rhea continued to coax.
"..."
Omega said nothing and stomped over to his seat, sulking. Rhea and the others just watched him silently. Finally, Omega couldn't hold it in any longer and blurted out, "There really are ruins down there."
"Hey, they really found ruins!"
"There were signs. The further we explored, the lower the radiation, and the more suitable the environment for life."
"How did we not notice before?"
"It's unclear. But it's possible the ruins were in a dormant state, which is why the first survey team didn't find them."
"Hmm, that at least means the ruins have a large-scale terraforming function."
Hearing the news of the ruins, Louis and the others immediately began to discuss it animatedly. The chatter annoyed Omega. "What's there to discuss?" he said impatiently. "Those Magi have no intention of letting us participate! If I hadn't gone down there myself, they probably would have excavated the whole thing and we would still know nothing!"
"How could they do that!" Rhea complained.
See! "Tomb raiding" was a matter of utmost importance to a cog-head. A "great tomb" was enough to attract a fleet from Mars. To be excluded from the discovery of ruins right under their noses was something not even a daughter could tolerate.
"That's right!" Louis added.
Jacob said sourly, "Rhea, at least you can get a sip of the soup with Magos Laust. We can't even get a sniff." See? Jacob had never said anything so sarcastic before. This just showed how important this was to a cog-head.
Aedus added sarcastically, "Suddenly, I feel a deep chasm between myself and Rhea."
"I know, right? I don't even think Sister Rhea is as pretty as she used to be," Paul said.
Ganged up on by the others, Rhea snapped. She picked up a pile of documents from the table and threw them at them. "You've all gone too far! I'm on your side!"
Omega: "Are you?"
Jacob: "Maybe?"
Louis: "Perhaps?"
Aedus: "Shouldn't be?"
Paul: "Is it a delusion?"
Rhea: "Heh heh, today, I'm going to end all of you!"