Chapter 166: Planetary Governor
Based on this, his initial plan was quite straightforward and concise: systematically collect a batch of key technological samples with local characteristics, such as diverse schools of cyberware design philosophy, early prototypes of the Soulkiller program, and the data legacy of the Old Net architecture.
After that, having siphoned sufficient energy for the dimensional teleporter, he intended to depart for the next unknown world to continue his exploration.
However, as his research into interdimensional travel deepened, a more ambitious and forward-looking concept gradually became clear in his mind.
This planet, initially simply defined as a "transit station" and "resource gathering point," possessed potential value far exceeding that. It could absolutely be assigned a more critical strategic role.
Whether as a relatively "clean" isolated testing ground—used to safely conduct dangerous projects that were highly susceptible to Warp energy interference and thus extremely risky in the Warhammer universe, such as fundamental energy tests involving the nature of dimensions or combat verification of large-scale new weapon systems.
Or as a starting point, investing resources to gradually transform and build it into a highly concealed logistical support base fully under his control, and ultimately upgrading it into a standardized "Forge World" capable of continuously producing standard-issue weaponry, efficient servo-skulls, and even more complex war machines for him...
Regardless of the path, for Joric, it harbored immeasurable strategic value.
A stable rear base, unaffected by the cumbersome affairs of the Imperium or the threat of Chaos, was a dream for any individual aspiring to explore and accumulate power in the vast universe.
Therefore, he decided to adjust his strategy from "brief stay, resource gathering" to "long-term operation, deep development, and control."
However, to realize this grand strategic transformation, relying on himself alone was far from enough.
This required a large number of personnel—specifically, outstanding talents who possessed certain capabilities and were trustworthy to some degree.
The apprentices he had previously modulated using the Nexum genetic template, while having no issues with loyalty or plasticity, needed time to grow.
The indoctrination of knowledge could be completed instantly, but practical experience, on-the-spot judgment, and the ability to independently handle complex affairs—these all needed to be accumulated and settled slowly through actual work.
Joric roughly estimated they would need at least several decades of tempering before possibly meeting the basic requirements to stand alone.
He couldn't wait that long, and this batch of apprentices wasn't cultivated for this purpose anyway. They were merely for emergency use, handling related matters that required trustworthy confidants, not for managing a planet or even a world.
So, compared to spending a long time cultivating so-called "his own people" from scratch, Joric was more inclined to adopt an efficient and pragmatic "localized autonomy" management model.
The core of this strategy lay in directly recruiting proven top talents within this world, fully utilizing their profound understanding of the unique local environment, complex social operating rules, and specific technological systems to execute and manage the transformation and daily operations of this world.
Under this framework, he himself only needed to firmly grasp the highest decision-making authority, set clear strategic development directions and ultimate goals for the transformation of the entire world, and provide necessary, era-transcending technical support at critical junctures.
This model ensured his absolute control while maximizing the subjective initiative of local talents, achieving maximum management efficiency.
Guided by this clear management philosophy, although Maine's crew was the first local team he contacted and indeed possessed decent combat capabilities, they were decisively excluded from the "Planetary Administrator" candidate list from the very beginning.
This was not because their abilities were insufficient or their loyalty questionable, but based on Joric's calm and objective assessment.
Their thought patterns leaned more towards solving immediate, tactical-level problems.
Their behavioral habits were honed in street conflicts and mercenary missions, carrying strong traits of improvisation.
Their knowledge structure also mainly concentrated on combat, infiltration, and intelligence processing in specific scenarios.
These traits enabled them to be an incredibly elite tactical execution tip, but they were ill-suited for the macro-management role required to coordinate global resources, conduct long-term industrial planning, and drive systemic social engineering construction.
They fundamentally lacked the highly rigorous logical thinking and global perspective necessary for large-scale industrial transformation, precise cross-regional resource allocation, and building massive systems.
In contrast, Spider Murphy, who had achieved cyber-ascension and existed in pure data form, demonstrated extremely high compatibility in Joric's assessment system.
First, as a rogue AI, she possessed near-infinite life and powerful information processing capabilities, able to tireless handle massive amounts of data and complex instructions, perfectly meeting the basic requirements for efficient management.
Second, she possessed profound knowledge from the Old Net era and absolute control over cyberspace, which was crucial for managing and monitoring a technological world increasingly reliant on network connections.
Furthermore, her legendary status in this world and the network of contacts hidden under the dust of history could be reactivated at necessary moments, transforming into influence that could not be underestimated.
Most critically, rooted in the cognitive system of the Mechanicus, Joric firmly believed that managing a world with highly intelligent, logically rigorous "Machine Intelligence" far surpassed organic life forms susceptible to emotional fluctuations, selfish desires, and countless external variables in terms of efficiency, reliability, and behavioral predictability.
The expected loss in this management model would be significantly reduced, the error probability controlled within a minimal range, and execution capability fundamentally guaranteed.
Therefore, in the future blueprint outlined by Joric, Spider Murphy, this unique rogue AI, had been internally designated by him as one of the potential highest administrators of this Cyberpunk world, or at least its cyberspace and all key automated facilities.
She would be molded into an extension of his immortal will, becoming the central processor and supreme supervisor executing that massive and precise plan.
Of course, all these grand concepts currently remained at the level of strategic planning, belonging to long-term goals needing gradual realization.
"But for now," Joric's mind swept over the core data stream of Spider Murphy, who was cautiously exploring and familiarizing herself with the new environment in the independent cyberspace of the Badlands, "her primary task is to fulfill her duty as a junior trainer, giving a preliminary polish to those three network operators who possess some potential."
He closed the direct communication link with the internal local network, refocusing his massive processing power on the main console.
Bartmoss's neural structural model urgently needed deepening, massive amounts of data acquired from Mikoshi awaited deep parsing, a new round of complex calculations for dimensional teleportation theory was on the schedule... countless crucial tasks awaited his completion.
Recruiting and cultivating talent was merely one link in a long layout. He had to ensure every step he took landed precisely on the path leading to the ultimate goal, allowing no deviation.
(End of Chapter)