Chapter 64: A Stab to the Heart
After confirming from the traitor Zola that the daemon had been telling the truth, that the mastermind behind the Nurgle daemon army was Rotigus the Rainfather, Omega already had a plan. According to his plan, Teyedan could not be saved, but their lives could.
The next step was to convince the Archmagos. That shouldn't be a problem; Veyl was not a stubborn cog-head.
Zola was gone. Whether he had found a way out or was just hiding somewhere, it didn't matter now. He would deal with him later.
Anxious and a little impatient, Omega muttered to himself, "It's a matter of life and death, and he's not even coming to say goodbye to his son? What kind of father is he?!" Omega was beginning to miss the days when he was the master of his own house in the settlement. He truly detested this feeling of not being in control of his own destiny. His current mental state was a perfect demonstration of "relativity," of how a day could feel like a year.
Just as Omega was about to lose his patience and go to Veyl himself, the tardy Archmagos finally appeared. The reason he was so late was that he had put Omega last on his list. He had first gone to see the Magi who had retreated from the city wall, to communicate with them about the current situation and to tell them what was happening outside, to let them know that it was not yet time to give up.
Putting Omega last was also to leave the final moments for the two of them, father and son. He was a son of Macragge who valued family. The end of one's life should be spent with family. At his age, he had not expected to have such an opportunity. Fortunately, the Omnissiah had shown him mercy.
"Oh, Omnissiah!" The Archmagos saw Omega looking at him anxiously from a distance and felt a pang of pity. His most excellent scion's life should not end at such a young age. He sighed inwardly: This is all my fault. I shouldn't have brought him here for my own selfish reasons. If he were still in the settlement, he would be safe now. Even without his current status, just by inheriting my talent, his future would have been destined for a greatness unattainable by others. I'm sorry, Omega. Now, I can only compensate for my mistake with a father's love...
With a heavy and guilty heart, the Archmagos slowly walked towards Omega. In a deep voice, he said, "My son..."
"Old man, what took you so long? Where have you been?"
"Huh?"
"What 'huh'? Come closer, I have something to say."
Veyl's thought: You ungrateful brat! What did you just call me?! But he still did as Omega said and walked over to him. And then he heard Omega say, "I've been possessed by a daemon. They want to kill you."
ε=ε=ε=┌(;ʘ∀ʘ)┘Veyl.
"Why are you so far away? They didn't succeed. Otherwise, how could I be telling you this?"
Veyl: "Oh."
"Come closer, I'm not finished!"
Veyl hesitated. The last time he had hesitated like this was at the welcome ceremony Omega had held for him. But if he didn't go closer, it would seem as if he was betraying Omega's trust, especially since the child was thinking of him even while being possessed by a daemon. So what if he's possessed by a daemon? Haven't I seen enough daemons lately? How can a father disappoint his child?
The Archmagos once again walked towards Omega, this time a little farther away than the last. He had prepared himself for any sudden attack, to protect his vital parts. And then he heard Omega say, "Zola is the traitor. He just gave me a dagger that can wound the soul and is coated with a deadly poison. He said that a single scratch would be enough to kill you instantly."
ε=ε=ε=┌(;ʘ∀ʘ)┘Veyl.
"Why did you run away again? I..."
"I believe you! I just feel more comfortable over here!" Veyl lied.
Omega decided not to tease the Archmagos any further. He didn't want him to get flustered and give him a plasma blast. "First, send someone to see if that traitor Zola is still in the hall," Omega said to the Archmagos, who was hiding from him.
The Archmagos thought: Omega doesn't look like he's possessed by a daemon. And he probably wouldn't say these things so suddenly. I'll find Zola first and then verify.
"Through the daemon, I've learned their plan. This opponent is no ordinary one. They will not rest until they have achieved their goal. But I have a plan that can save us all!"
Hearing Omega say he had a plan that could save everyone, Veyl's first reaction was not "Great!", but "It's over. My son really is possessed by a daemon." He couldn't go along with Omega's words any longer. He had to verify Omega's current state. It was his duty as an Archmagos, and as a father. He had already begun to summon the guards he had just sent away. He had sent them away so they wouldn't disturb his "father-son time." Who knew this little brat would give him such a scare every time.
Omega also saw the Archmagos's guards approaching. He said nothing, just gave Veyl a sharp glare, which made the Archmagos a little embarrassed. "Omega, that..." he began awkwardly.
"The dagger, right?"
"..."
"It's here. Should I bring it to you, or should they come and get it?" Omega pulled an exquisite dagger from his robes. Even in its sheath, it gave off an aura that made those who saw it feel as if they had been cut. Omega was completely unaffected. His soul was tough. He had even taken it out and played with it for a while.
Seeing the guards carefully take the dagger, Omega said impatiently, "Can you listen to my plan now?"
"Wait. First, answer me. How did you get rid of the daemon possession?" the Archmagos asked.
Omega's thought: I ate it.
"Didn't I say I have a high psychic resistance? The three daemons couldn't do anything to me, so they left. But in the process, I got their plan."
"Hiss!" went the Archmagos.
"Hiss!" went the guards.
"What are you pointing your guns at me for? Do you know who my father is?"
Veyl, who was being stared at by the guards: "..."
"Lower your... weapons."
The Archmagos said to Omega with a bit of helplessness, "Omega, do you know how incredible this is?"
"I don't know how to explain it either. It was just very simple for me. Maybe you can do it too, Father," Omega said, rolling his eyes.
Veyl thought: That's not an easy question to answer. Can I do it? I probably can. Maybe I should try... try my foot!
"Wait a moment. Lyra will be here. She's an expert in this field."
"Oh, fine."
In a short while, Omega saw Magos Lyra rushing over. The first thing she did was point at Veyl and yell, "Veyl, you shameless old bastard! Didn't you delete the inspection records? Why do you still know about my research on psykers?!"
Omega ⊙∀⊙!
Veyl quickly lied, "I deleted them! You all saw me! I found out about your research before."
"You're full of scrap-code!" Lyra continued to roar.
"Just check Omega first. After this, I'll delete everything about you!"
"Omega? What's wrong with Omega?" Lyra was confused. The message she had received was that the Archmagos had some questions for her about psykers.
Omega had a good impression of Lyra. He took the initiative to say, "I was possessed by a daemon. I drove it out later. Magos, you have to check me and prove that I'm fine."
"Hiss!" went Lyra.
The process is not worth detailing. Lyra treated Omega with the attitude of handling a rare specimen, checking him inside and out. Then she said, "No psychic reaction, no mutations. He should be fine. But I'm not an expert in this field. Inquisitor Griffin is."
"Can you listen to my plan now?" Omega asked, annoyed.
Veyl signaled the guards to remain on alert. "Omega, speak."
"First, the daemons' goal is to occupy the Grand Manufactorum. They want to sacrifice this world. Second, they are afraid you will blow up the Grand Manufactorum, and it has to be you who does it personally. Third, our opponent this time is the number one Greater Daemon of the master of those things outside. Our chances of victory are slim. My plan is to use the Grand Manufactorum to threaten the daemons, to let them let us leave. If they refuse, we will choose mutual destruction."
"..." Veyl.
"..." Lyra.
Just as the Archmagos was still pondering the veracity and feasibility of Omega's plan, a half-crippled Zola was dragged over, drawing the attention of the Tech-Priests who were recovering in the rear.
"Well, well, traitor. Where were you hiding?" Omega teased the incredulous Zola.
"He was fighting daemons on the front line," one of the guards who had brought him back replied.
"..."
Omega's thought: Are you sick...
Zola's thought: I was waiting for a chance to go over to the other side in the chaos.
"Then how did he end up like this?"
"He tried to escape when we were arresting him. He was trying to break through to the daemons' side, so we had to take forceful measures."
As the Fabricator-General's personal guards, they had all received the top-tier bionic modifications on Teyedan. Their level of bionic enhancement was no less than that of some senior Magi, and all of it was for enhancing combat power. Never mind a single Tech-Priest; even a few Space Marines would not get the better of them in a multi-on-one situation.
Zola, who had never thought his end would be like this, looked at Omega in disbelief. "Why weren't you possessed?" he asked, unwilling to accept it.
"You mean those three useless daemons? I slapped them a few times, and they ran away."
"Impossible!"
"Why is it impossible?" Omega retorted.
"They are the daemons of the Allfather! You are just..."
"I am a Tech-Priest of the Omnissiah!" Omega raised his voice, wanting to crush this traitor who had schemed against him. He wanted to kill him, and to stab him in the heart.
"The Omnissiah is just..."
"You blasphemer! How can you understand the greatness of the Omnissiah? He gave you everything, and you chose to betray him," Omega reprimanded Zola. "You are just a false believer who worships power. You are not worthy to question the Omnissiah. Today, this dark god gives you power, so you believe in him. Tomorrow, if he doesn't, you will spit on him and find a new master."
"Do you think he doesn't know your thoughts? Do you think the power he gives you is a grace? This power is just a chain around your neck, making you his slave. The Omnissiah has given us technological knowledge, allowing us to realize our thoughts and desires with our own hands. What a great gift this is."
"Traitor, tell me, after accepting this evil power, have you ever had a thought of your own?"
"Traitor, tell me, after accepting this evil power, are your actions still of your own will?"
"Traitor, tell me, after accepting this evil power, what have you ever thought of besides wanting more evil power?"
"Spreading plagues, gaining evil power, using evil power, spreading more plagues, gaining more evil power, using more... the moment you accepted it, you were already his eternal slave."
"Do you understand now what the Omnissiah has given us? It is freedom! The freedom of will! And you, you fool, have given up such a precious gift!"
The Tech-Priests in the rear of the hall, who had been watching Zola, all began to shout "Freedom!" after hearing Omega's words.
"Freedom!"
"Freedom!"
"Freedom!"
Omega's thought: What are you cog-heads shouting about? Don't be so weird. We are the conservative Adeptus Mechanicus. What freedom do we need? I just wanted to stab him in the heart! Stab him in the heart! You, Skitarii, what are you doing? Your brain is controlled by others. Why are you shouting so enthusiastically?
Although the idea that "freedom is the gift of the Omnissiah" did not conform to the traditional views of the Cult Mechanicus, you have to consider the current environment. Before the daemons, a group of cog-heads would have surely come to Omega for a physical debate. But after the daemons came, the other side's god really did give blessings, while their own gave nothing. What were these cog-heads, who were on the verge of PTSD, supposed to think? Wouldn't their faith be shaken?
Omega's theory explained why the Omnissiah didn't give the cog-heads blessings. He did. He gave them the greatest one—he taught them the skills, letting them play however they wanted.
Zola, who had been having a string of bad luck since accepting Nurgle's blessing, finally broke down. He found that Omega was right. This power was poison. Since accepting it, all he had thought about was how to obtain more blessings, more evil power. He shouted, unwilling to accept it, "Nonsense! What freedom? How do you explain the prohibitions?!"
Except for the sounds of battle at the entrance of the hall, the scene was silent. Everyone was waiting for Omega's answer. In the Adeptus Mechanicus, there were three things no one could avoid: kowtowing, modification, and prohibitions.
Seeing Omega's silence, Zola thought he had won. "What's the difference between you and me?" he jeered. "I'm a slave. What are you? A beast with a leash!"
Omega looked at Zola as if he were looking at an amoeba. "So pitiful, Zola. Why would you ask such a foolish question? The prohibitions were set by us. The Omnissiah gave us freedom, but we were not worthy of it. Was the lesson of the Dark Age of Technology not profound enough? What is called a 'prohibition' is in fact self-restraint, a lesson learned through blood and tears. It is because we have been hurt, because we know fear, that the prophets of a distant age recorded these experiences, these lessons, in the form of prohibitions. We are not worthy, but the Omnissiah still leaves his gift to us. He has not taken it back. He has not diminished it. The Omnissiah's love for us has never changed. He is full of hope for us. He is full of confidence in us. Like a sword prepared for a young son by his father. Like an ornament prepared for a young daughter by her mother. He is waiting for us to grow."