Chapter 117: Cawl: I thought for three days and three nights and still couldn't figure out how the surgery leaked
As the modifications to the Flesh Tearers proceeded with fiery intensity, Karna's relationship with the various sons of the Angel gradually warmed through frequent exchanges.
The various Chapters, while monitoring the progress of the Flesh Tearers' modifications, also gradually came to recognize the effectiveness of the surgery, and each accepted the Destroyer armament STCs gifted by the transmigrators.
The atmosphere of the entire fleet became exceptionally lively with the constant communication. A small revolution was quietly brewing among the several Chapters.
Just as the fleet had plotted its course and was about to depart for a nearby pioneer world controlled by the Adeptus Mechanicus, Cawl, having completed the allocation of industrial resources for Baal, returned to his flagship and felt as if the sky had fallen.
"Is this logical?"
The cogitator arrays tirelessly listed the data of the current Flesh Tearer warriors. Cawl's gaze was fixed on the modification details, which were filled with a sense of déjà vu, his brow tightly furrowed. He turned to the Primaris Alpha at his side, his voice laced with an undisguised confusion and unease.
"It is, of course, illogical." The Primaris Alpha nodded, a hint of helplessness in his tone.
They had only met these ancient warriors less than a year ago and had never revealed any information about the Primaris Space Marine modification surgery. He himself had never even entered their line of sight.
But—
He looked up at the surgical data again. The data before him filled him with a sense of absurd incongruity.
"Then what is this?" Cawl extended his right hand, a withered finger wrapped in a layer of synthetic skin, and pointed at a translucent anatomical diagram of a Flesh Tearer warrior. "This is a 'muscle coil,' capable of greatly enhancing an Astartes's physical strength."
"It is a 'muscle coil,' capable of greatly enhancing an Astartes's physical strength," the Primaris Alpha replied calmly, his tone unwavering.
"And this?" Cawl's finger moved to another part, his voice a bit more urgent.
"This is the 'Belisarian Furnace,' capable of granting a dying Astartes a second life. The ancient warriors have also developed a new application, using the slow release of stem cells to repair bodily damage to counteract the side effects of Destroyer-class weaponry."
Hot damn, they didn't even change the name.
Cawl's brain seemed to short-circuit for a moment. His finger again pointed to the mechanical device inserted into the chest's neural interface, his voice filled with disbelief. "And this?"
"This is the 'Magnificat Organ Regulation System,' designed to ensure the normal functioning of the new organs and to promote the secondary development of an Astartes."
"And the success rate?"
"One hundred percent. The gene-seed of the Blood Angels is sufficient to modify even a mutant. The genetic compatibility is very high."
The Primaris Alpha brought up his own investigation report, as well as the instruction manual that had already fallen into the hands of the various Chapters' Apothecaries. Cawl's gaze swept over the data, and a monstrous wave of shock crashed through his mind.
Yes, he recognized all of these organs. But it was precisely because he recognized them all that he understood the gravity of the situation.
"...Are you telling me," Cawl's voice was low, filled with a suppressed anger and confusion, "that the Primaris Space Marine surgical modifications I just completed on Pierdra, after less than half a year, have been replicated by Romulus and his men?"
He continuously reviewed the records from all over the warship, as well as every place the transmigrators had been since their first encounter. But no matter how he searched, he could find no anomalies.
"And they've also revised the surgery, removing the Warp-component while using technological means to replicate a Sinew Coil that can allow the implanted organs to function at full capacity, and then distributed it to the various Chapters?"
"Correct." The Primaris Alpha paused, then continued, "And that's not all. The manual also includes detailed instructions for the original nineteen surgeries, adapted for the different gene-seeds of the various Chapters. If an Apothecary were to read it completely, as long as he doesn't make a mistake and the genetic compatibility is sufficient, it would be basically impossible to fail."
Countless data points converged in Cawl's mind, and he was stunned again. He had found nothing. There were no possible issues on this ship. In fact, after the Drukhari invasion, there had been no record of any visitors at all.
Cawl shook the thick paper report in his hand, his heart filled with complex emotions.
As long as it wasn't tainted by the Warp, the Imperium's tolerance for genetic modification was actually very high. Not just the Magos Biologis, even many Chapters had their own genetic modification projects. According to the information sent back by his proxy, the Space Wolves were working on a "Wulfen Prime" project, trying to overcome the genetic disease of the Wulfen.
A genius idea. Why didn't I think of degrading the surgery to pass the review?
"Right, after undergoing this surgery, can the future Primaris Space Marine surgery still be performed normally?" Cawl hadn't forgotten that the million Space Marines in the current galaxy could all be directly upgraded to Primaris Marines in the future. If this modification had any side effects, then it couldn't be widely promoted.
"I have already replicated the procedure according to the instruction manual. The muscle coil and the Belisarian Furnace are in their complete state. Only the Magnificat Organ Regulation System cannot perform its original function. At that time, it will just be a matter of directly implanting the Magnificat," the Primaris Alpha reported.
The modification of the surgery was perfect. It had considered almost every eventuality.
But—
Wasn't this a bit too perfect?
Cawl clearly remembered that it had taken him thirteen hundred years to create this modification surgery, and he had only perfected it on Pierdra. And now, these ancient warriors had replicated and improved upon his results in just six months.
"I haven't cleared my memory recently, have I?" he asked, a hint of self-doubt in his voice.
Logically, if it involved memories of Romulus and the others, Cawl would not have chosen to clear them. Because these four were far beyond ordinary Astartes, even far beyond the Custodes. They were as unique as the long-lost Primarchs. But what if?
"Your last memory upload was nine years ago."
"Have you lost any memory?" Cawl asked again, his gaze fixed on the Primaris Alpha.
"...I do not know." Primus wanted to say no, but the leaked surgical data would not lie. He too was now caught in a state of self-doubt, a hint of confusion in his voice.
"Was it Arthur who performed the surgery?" Cawl asked.
"Yes," Primus nodded.
Although the military manuals, psychic instruction manuals, and Apothecary surgical modification manuals that the lords were now promoting were all formatted according to the Codex Astartes, you could still see their individual styles.
"Oh, a Dark Angel," Cawl said, a look of sudden realization on his face.
Any completely clueless problem, as long as it was related to this Legion, would become reasonable. It would be strange if it did make sense. It was supposed to be clueless.
"Then it's fine."
Cawl felt he could probably guess how the Emperor had pulled one hundred and eighty thousand Dark Angels out of thin air during the Unification Wars of Terra. With people of this caliber around, you would never have to worry about not having enough troops.
"Archmagos, do we need to stop them?"
"Stop what?" Cawl asked in return.
Aside from whether he even wanted to, Baal was now home to a fleet of seven Chapters, two Gloriana-class battleships, and over a dozen battleships. This was no longer a question of "can," but "can not." It was clear that the Explorator fleet Cawl currently led was not capable of destroying so many Chapters.
These ancient warriors were truly radical. From the very first time they met the Cadians, they had incorporated them as a solar auxiliary force. And now, they were directly spreading the Primaris Space Marine modification surgery and leading a large group of restless Chapters in an attempt to break the limits of the Codex.
Cawl leaned on his cog-staff. He felt he should pay Romulus a visit.
Why stop them? A smile appeared in his eyes.
Their goals were the same.
(End of Chapter)