The experiment's success was only the first step. Real gains lay in interpretation.
Cairo transferred the received, astonishingly voluminous encrypted data packets into the workshop's more powerful independent analysis array.
This system he'd personally built—fusing Warhammer tech with local hardware—began running at full speed, cooling fans emitting faint whistling sounds.
Cairo walked before the analysis array's main screen, optical lenses locking onto scrolling decryption logs.
He activated logic core modules optimized for processing Mechanicum internal communications, beginning systematic cracking.
First fully decrypted was the "work report" from that ancient Warhammer universe ruin.
Sender identification was precisely that servo-skull he'd transmitted during the last experiment.
The report presented detailed binary code supplemented with structural scan diagrams, resource inventories, and precise work logs, showing the ruin's latest progress.
Logs showed the servo-skull strictly followed preset directives he'd previously edited, effectively organizing remaining Skitarii soldiers and servitors within the ruin.
They systematically cleared main passages leading to the ruin's core area, removing dust accumulated over years and partially collapsed obstacles; reinforced key support structures, assessed and repaired surviving partial efficiency of ancient force field generators; and according to Cairo's provided blueprints—optimized by him for cross-dimensional transmission characteristics—began constructing an isolated operational zone specifically for dimensional experiments.
Attached progress diagrams showed this temporary experimental site had completed basic structure construction and main energy pipeline installation, over fifty percent finished.
According to the servo-skull's calculations based on current resources and efficiency, by the time Cairo next attempted entity transmission, this site should reach basic safe operational standards.
Seeing this, Cairo nodded with satisfaction. Progress on the other side matched his original design expectations.
This meant his strategic vision for constructing bidirectional channels and obtaining Warhammer world resources had taken crucially solid steps forward.
A stable receiving end was prerequisite for larger-scale, more complex transmissions.
Next, he began parsing the data packet's second content section.
This part originated not from inside the ruin but from external communications relayed down by that Mechanicum escort frigate stationed in the ruin's orbit—accumulated backlog communications.
As the exploration vessel supporting Cairo's mission, though this escort didn't belong to him, it would follow his commands during exploration operations.
Before Cairo descended groundside exploring ancient ruins, commands he'd left the escort's captain were parking in low orbit, awaiting his return after completing exploration.
Though Cairo had "disappeared" briefly before, in the Mechanicum where research units routinely measured in years—even decades—short-term silence was far too normal.
So the orbital escort detected nothing unusual, merely speculating Cairo might have research breakthroughs and didn't want disturbances.
Therefore they simply compiled and sent down this information without other reactions.
These messages were organized and stored by communications servitors Cairo left in the ruin, unanswered.
Not until the servo-skull was transmitted back to the ruin did it follow Cairo's preset underlying directives, sending the orbital escort a reply: "Research entering critical phases, all normal, maintaining silence."
Most of this information held nothing worth noting—much just chaotic, not worth attention.
But among these chaotic external information flows, one message marked [HIGHEST PRIORITY//IMPERIAL REGENT'S OFFICE//REALM-WIDE NOTIFICATION] attracted Cairo's particular attention.
The message was concise and heavy: Thirteenth Legion "Ultramarines" Gene-Primarch, Imperial Regent, Roboute Guilliman, in the Battle of Thessala suffered critical injuries from traitor Third Legion fallen Primarch Fulgrim, life hanging by thread, now placed in stasis field maintaining final life signs.
Information-tagged reception timestamps, through rough spacetime coordinate conversions, roughly corresponded to shortly after Cairo was accidentally thrown into this cyberpunk universe.
This news caused Cairo to fall into silent contemplation.
Gene-Primarchs, symbols and cornerstones of Imperial power—especially Guilliman, renowned for exceptional strategic mind and organizational abilities—suffering such critical injuries carried impacts far beyond one legion's losses.
This was undoubtedly a heavy blow to loyalist faction camps, sharply reminding him that the universe he'd left remained deeply mired in never-ending warfare and betrayal. Situations hadn't improved, possibly sliding toward deeper abysses.
Though the Horus Heresy had ended, under Gene-Primarchs' management and rule, the Imperium would have nearly two thousand years of peace and golden age—but now the Imperium still faced comprehensive reconstruction.
However for Cairo, this meant in the Warhammer world he had sufficiently stable developmental environment, not worrying about encountering major events.
This was an era when the Imperium rebuilt traumas caused by the Horus Heresy. Major alien xenos species that would later become Imperial enemies hadn't yet appeared. Chaos forces cowered in the Eye of Terror licking wounds. The Imperium's truly golden age.
The Imperium envisioned by the Emperor and Gene-Primarchs during the Great Crusade era had genuinely appeared.
Not until two thousand years later, when the War of the Beast raised by Orks took the Imperium's last loyal Primarch, did this beautiful era truly end.
Sighing over the Imperium's future storms, Cairo quickly set these matters aside, beginning to synthesize all parsed information, formulating next-phase action plans.
Smooth ruin renovation progress was the greatest favorable news, meaning entity transmission experiments could be scheduled.
He preliminarily planned that during the next energy reserve reaching safe thresholds, attempting directional transmission of small-volume, low-mass objects.
Priority targets locked on usable combat servitors and Skitarii soldiers within the ruin.
These absolutely obedient, fearless automated combat units possessing basic tactical judgment would massively enhance his actual control over this location's workshop plus surrounding desert areas.
Whether executing high-risk area reconnaissance, resource point occupation and defense, or responding to increasingly complex threats possibly from Night City direction—they were more reliable, efficient, and easier managing than mortal mercs like Maine's crew.
However, in his value hierarchy, combat units always served as tools for higher objectives.
As a Tech-Priest, what he truly craved deep down were those large precision analysis instruments he'd left in the ruin, specialized material microstructure scanning arrays, plus that small plasma reactor providing energy for the entire research outpost and its critical components.
These equipment and energy cores were foundations for conducting deep scientific research, complex energy manipulation, and cross-dimensional technology cracking.
They could massively accelerate his reverse engineering of the dimensional transport device's own operational principles, plus parsing and fusion applications of this cyberpunk world's locally unique technologies.
With Mechanicum knowledge systems he mastered, rebuilding armed forces in this world might just be time and resource issues.
But recreating those highly specialized precision research equipment and high-efficiency energy involving multiple rare materials and extreme craftsmanship out of thin air—in this not-particularly-advanced tech world—difficulty was tantamount to hand-forging a Titan.
So during the next experiment opening dimensional channels, Cairo must make new arrangements for the Warhammer world, striving to complete dimensional transport parsing and stable channel opening as soon as possible, obtaining Warhammer world materials.
----------
Advanced chapters for $7 @patreon:michaelv1.
Every 200 powerstones = Bonus chapter!