Ten days later.
Segmentum Solar, the Solar System.
Aboard the Forge Ark, Iron Soul.
Ventilius, clad in the crimson robes of the Adeptus Mechanicus, strode quickly through the ship's corridors, clutching his Axe of the Omnissiah. A servo-skull hovered ahead, lighting his path.
As he passed a viewing port, he couldn't help but stop and look out.
Beyond the reinforced glass, a planet came into view—its surface composed of red rock, densely covered with countless metallic structures that shimmered with a silvery luster. Even from the Forge Ark in high orbit, the sprawling hive-factories were clearly discernible.
The Forge World, Mars.
The fourth planet of the Solar System, the heart and cradle of the Cult Mechanicus, the Imperium's greatest repository of technical knowledge, the holy land of the Omnissiah, and the technological wonder of the galaxy. Countless honors and praises could be heaped upon this world.
Ventilius withdrew his gaze. This view had remained largely unchanged for nearly ten thousand years; he had grown weary of it long ago.
His close friend, Belisarius Cawl, had sent word that he had urgent matters to discuss. Ventilius had to hurry.
Thinking of this, Ventilius felt a surge of curiosity. He knew Cawl had secretly rushed off because he discovered Xenos ruins, yet the speed of his return was unexpectedly fast—as if he had encountered an emergency and turned back immediately.
Then again, considering Cawl's idiosyncratic way of doing things, it wasn't entirely surprising.
However—
Ventilius came to a halt. In his field of vision, someone appeared who, by all laws of logic, should not be there.
"Are you... Archmagos Schyfer?"
Ventilius cried out in shock, "You are... completely resurrected?"
He remembered that due to his expertise in biology, he had often worked with Cawl to assist in creating one clone of Schyfer after another, attempting resurrection experiments that always fell short of perfection.
But through Ventilius's professional eyes, the Schyfer standing before him was no longer a mere copy; he had been perfectly and thoroughly brought back to life.
This was a miracle! Had the genius Archmagos Cawl achieved another technical breakthrough?
"Yes, but it is a long story. Go inside first; Cawl is waiting for you," Schyfer nodded, gesturing toward the laboratory.
Full of questions, Ventilius pushed open the laboratory doors and stepped inside. He stepped over messy puddles of machine oil, overturned servo-skulls, and several scattered bionic limbs on the floor before looking up.
What?
Cawl slowly turned his head. Looking at Ventilius—who had stopped breathing and fallen into a daze—he revealed a meaningful smile.
"Hello there, my friend."
Incredible.
The Cawl appearing before him had clearly and completely restored his biological body from ten thousand years ago. The vast amount of mechanical augmentations had vanished, replaced by a normal human body composed of organic matter.
"This is... truly astounding," Ventilius struggled to regain his composure. "What specialized technology did you use? Memory transfer? Brain transplant? Are you certain you are still the original you? I am—"
"Of course I am certain. Do you not know me by now? I am Belisarius Cawl; I am capable of anything."
"Fine." Hearing that familiar, arrogant response once more, Ventilius sighed. "After returning to Mars today, you called me here immediately. For what purpose?"
"It's simple. Because of an order given to me by a newly appeared avatar of the Omnissiah in this universe. Next, I need to establish an academic organization," Cawl answered frankly.
"Oh, just a new academic organization—wait, what?"
Ventilius was completely bewildered, his hand instinctively tightening around his Axe of the Omnissiah.
What did he mean by a "new Omnissiah"? Cawl, have you turned traitor?
Cawl looked at his old friend's reaction with satisfaction. Seeing through his thoughts instantly, he suddenly broke into a mischievous, boisterous laugh. He laughed until he was out of breath, like a childish youth.
Seeing this reaction, Ventilius breathed a sigh of relief. I see. I knew it. It was just a joke. Though, the joke went a bit too far.
Just as this thought crossed Ventilius's mind, Cawl snapped his fingers.
The doors swung open, and twelve fully armed Adeptus Custodes filed in, standing behind Cawl and appearing before his very eyes.
Ah? What is happening? You're serious?
For Ventilius, this sudden development was overwhelmingly persuasive. It was common knowledge that the Emperor's Custodes, who guarded the Sanctum Imperialis, could never betray him; their presence itself represented the Emperor's will. If it were not so, Guilliman would not have entrusted them to be Torchbearers in the coming Indomitus Era, spreading the technology of Primaris Space Marines across the galaxy.
However, the impact of this moment was simply too great. Ventilius's thoughts strayed toward an extremely dangerous direction: Has the Omnissiah descended from the Golden Throne? Why did no one notify me of such a massive event?
Cawl laughed again, seeing the exact expression he wanted on Ventilius's face. However, he did not forget the business at hand and began to explain.
--- Cawl explains ---
Half a Terran hour later.
"—I see."
Ventilius was beginning to understand everything, yet he still found it difficult to believe. "You mean to say that ten thousand years later, a new Omnissiah has descended upon the world again? And he has reached an agreement with the previous Omnissiah to work together toward the revival of the Imperium of Man?"
Could this be a lie?
But the twelve Custodes before him were the real deal, leaving him no room for doubt. Moreover, the ability Cawl had demonstrated—to easily modify machinery and create matter—was far too convincing.
"It is true," Cawl said. "He has issued a directive to steer the currently muddled Cult Mechanicus back toward a path of structure and progress. Of course, the fools of today still cannot comprehend His greatness; we must take it step by step."
"I called you here because I want you to gather the Archmagi you believe can be won over—be they Lords Dogma, Mechae Moribundus, Invictus Acquisitors, Data-Predators, and so on."
"We need to form an organization that can truly represent the future of humanity, gradually replacing the already decayed old Cult Mechanicus. We will abolish those stagnant systems and stop obsessing over digging through ancient scrolls. Instead, we will use reason and progress to revive lost technology."
"In this process, the ancient sages will also be resurrected by Him to walk alongside us."
"And the Omnissiah has already chosen a name for this organization that carries the future, based on the myth of the fire-stealer from Ancient Terra."
"Prometheus Labs."