How much knowledge does a person need to become a Tech-Priest? Gamma wasn't sure, but as he flipped through the books, the formulas and information seemed so comprehensive that he felt he could go back and become a doctor on the spot.
Imagine all this knowledge scattered across tens of thousands of religious and philosophical books, and a single person mastering it all through self-study. "Genius" was no longer a sufficient word to describe such a mind.
"Praise the Omnissiah!" Gamma thought. "He brought me out of the cultivation pod, gave me an eidetic memory, and an indestructible body."
Another half-month passed. Now accustomed to his surroundings, Gamma decided it was time to do something important: corner Magos Lauster. Why? To ask for money. Who knew how Gamma had been surviving for the past month? Thirsty, he drank purified water. Hungry, he ate starch sticks.
It had gotten so bad that during a bathroom break, Gamma had a sudden, disturbing realization: what went in wasn't much different from what came out. He also had to fend off a scheming apprentice girl who tried to lure him into the laboratory with various baits. While others might be able to tolerate this lifestyle, he certainly couldn't.
Early that morning, fully equipped and with his large axe in hand, Gamma strode confidently toward the data hub.
The data hub was as busy as it had been a month ago. The more outgoing Priests greeted Gamma playfully.
"Good morning, Tech-Priest Omega."
"Good morning, Magos Randy."
"Ready to serve the Omnissiah so soon, Tech-Priest Omega?"
"I don't think the Omnissiah would want to see child labor, Magos Higgins," Gamma replied with a joke that made several nearby people laugh.
"Tech-Priest Omega is truly humorous. I look forward to working with you."
"Me too."
Each Priest had their own tasks, and after a few playful remarks, they all returned to their work. Gamma stood shamelessly at the doorway, his axe a head taller than himself, making sure everyone entering and exiting could see him.
Soon, the person he was waiting for appeared: Magos Lauster.
"Hmm? Why are you just standing there?"
"Good morning, Magos Lauster, I have something I'd like to discuss with you."
"What could you possibly want from me?" Magos Lauster didn't break his stride, and Gamma fell in a half-step behind him.
"It's like this, Magos, I'd like to consult you about something."
Magos Lauster said impatiently, "Don't beat around the bush; my time is limited!"
Gamma immediately blurted out his question: "Magos, as a Tech-Priest, do I get a salary?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, the noisy data hub fell silent. Lauster seemed to doubt his ears and asked uncertainly, "What did you just say?"
Gamma, mentally prepared for this, didn't flinch. For the sake of adding some industrial sweetener to his starch sticks and getting a change of clothes, he went all in.
"I'd like to know, as a Tech-Priest, what my monthly salary is."
Gamma noticed several Priests who were enjoying the spectacle were already connecting their data cables to each other, communicating in binary.
Gamma also understood the message in Magos Lauster's incredulous gaze: You freeloader, how can you ask such a shameless question?
Gamma remained silent, simply propping up his mechanical axe before using the bionic limb on his back to smooth the wrinkles on his red robe. This made Magos Lauster's face twitch.
"Priest?" he began.
"Hmm."
"Heh!"
"Future!"
"You also know!"
"I can take out a loan!"
"..."
"What a talent…" a Priest watching the spectacle couldn't help but exclaim.
Lauster, despite his mechanical heart, felt his blood pressure soaring.
"No loans!" he barked.
"Then what about living expenses?"
"None!"
"..."
"Magos, let's calm down and analyze this rationally."
"Are you saying I'm not rational?!"
"Magos, this body of mine needs sufficient nutrition to develop faster. The sooner it matures, the sooner I can perform my duties, which would be beneficial to the Temple."
"..."
"Likewise, living in the temple means I'll inevitably come into contact with other Priests, apprentices, and workers. Even though I'm not yet a full Priest, to outsiders, there's no difference. Therefore, my personal attire and appearance also represent the image of the Priests and the Adeptus Mechanicus."
"..."
"So I need money to meet my physical and living needs. This request is reasonable and consistent with the interests of the Temple and yourself, Magos."
"..."
"Well-reasoned and brilliant!" exclaimed one of the Magos enjoying the show.
"I second Tech-Priest Omega's statement," added the scheming the girl apprentice.
"Just thinking about gnawing on starch sticks makes my stomach hurt," someone else chimed in.
"Stomach ache? Cut it out. Weak flesh only hinders our pursuit of knowledge," scoffed a different Priest.
Magos Lauster replied coldly, "That makes sense, but I don't like it."
"Alright, Magos," Gamma replied, sounding helpless, and turned away.
Just as Lauster thought he was leaving, Gamma simply leaned his mechanical axe against the wall, then turned back and walked over to him. Lauster was about to tell him to get lost when Gamma plopped down on the floor and hugged his leg.
It startled Lauster so much that if his modified brain hadn't reacted in microseconds, assessing that Gamma's actions posed no danger, he wouldn't have stopped his weapons from automatically activating. As it was, he was completely caught off guard by the hug.
Gamma was blissfully unaware that he had just skirted the gates of hell. He felt his dignity had already died. He was about to face social suicide, but he wouldn't regret it; a diet of starch sticks and water was simply too terrifying for a soul from the 21st century.
"Magos! Give me a chance! I just want some living expenses!"
"Let go of me!"
"You promised!"
"Let…"
"No, I won't let go until you agree!"
"Electric shock!"
"Ah…"
The outcome was good. Gamma got the job he had longed for: piece-rate, daily pay, and a complimentary lunch—a good job that many workers in the 42k millenium could only dream of.
The next day, Adept Leia once again led Gamma out of the Mechanical Temple, through the slave workers' residential area, and into the Temple's warehouse district. Along the way, people constantly bowed and stared. Even the slave workers, who were accustomed to seeing Priests with all sorts of bizarre modifications—some with three arms and four legs, some with wheels instead of feet, some with long mechanical tentacles—had never seen one so short.
"'Tech-Priest Omega, this is where you'll be working,' Leia said, pointing to a row of Tech-Priests bowing before various weapons like lasguns, hellguns, hot-shot lasguns, and laser cannons.
Gamma thought, health is better than wealth.
"Father Jacob!"
"Adept Leia."
What a bright, metal forehead!
"Father Jacob, I've brought Tech-Priest Omega."
"Ah, so this is the rumored little Tech-Priest Omega. Tsk, tsk, tsk."
That's right, Gamma had become famous. Because of his childish outburst and his actual age, the Priests who enjoyed the show had bestowed upon him the nickname "Little Priest," and the video of the incident had spread across the communication network of hundreds of Priests in the Mechanical Temple.
"Greetings, Magos Jacob," Gamma said expressionlessly—though, with his mask on, no one could see his face. He wore a purification mask not because he feared low-level radiation, but because of the toxic fumes and "rad-dust" from the factory. Gamma intended to keep his original lungs for a few more years.
"'Haha, greetings, Little Priest. Come with me.'
So what exactly was Gamma's job? It was to "bless" newly produced weapons. It was a completely normal task for a Priest of his theological degree to "consecrate" or "bless" weapons. The belief was that machines had life and souls. To ensure every newborn machine operated normally, to ensure the machine spirit was pleased and didn't malfunction, and to ensure every human weapon could resist the corrupting influence of Warp evil forces, it was essential for a Tech-Priest to bless and consecrate new machinery according to Adeptus Mechanicus scriptures and rituals. Although Gamma wasn't yet a full Priest, his status was undeniable, giving him the legal right to bestow blessings.
Under the guidance of Father Jacob, Gamma received the necessary tools for the blessing: a board, pliers, a screwdriver, a spray bottle, holy oil, a bell, an incense burner, and a "ritual text." He was also assigned an empty workbench. Gamma arranged his tools, lit the incense burner, and, holding his breath, opened the "text" with focused attention. He realized it was actually a maintenance manual and began to read.
Lasgun: The standard Imperial laser gun. As the longest-serving, most widely distributed, and most numerous weapon in the Imperium of Man, it was the nightmare of the Xenos and the favorite of the Astra Militarum grunts.
Weight: 2.3 kg
Length: 90 cm
Power Pack Type: 19 Megathules (provides 150 standard shots) (rechargeable)
Firing Modes: Single shot, full auto