Chapter 264: The State of Nexum
The orders brought by Sigismund were like a stimulant injected into a weary body, causing several main furnaces in the core area of Forge World Nexum to glow again with relatively vigorous vitality.
Thick smokestacks spewed even denser columns of smoke into the sky forever shrouded in industrial haze, and the frequency of transport vehicles on the orbital network increased significantly.
The roar of forge hammers from the depths of the casting temples seemed to have gained a long-absent strength.
However, beneath this seemingly reviving scene, Fabricator Locum Casper Volks calmly analyzed a much grimmer reality through the dataslate in his private sanctum.
On the star map, the data stream representing the orders historically linked to the VII Legion had undergone a fundamental structural change.
It was no longer a stable, thick band of light exclusive to Nexum, but had split into dozens of slender tributaries, scattering toward those newly born Successor Chapters of the Imperial Fists in the galaxy, whose scales were far inferior to the original Legion.
Among them, only a part of these tributaries flowed toward Nexum.
Although the total order volume was more considerable than scattered requests before the split, it was a world of difference compared to the near-endless massive consumption and equipment demands spurred by the Legion fighting across the galaxy as the Imperium's main force during the Great Crusade era.
After the Horus Heresy, the Imperium no longer conducted large-scale wars of conquest. The Adeptus Astartes shifted to a more defensive and independent Chapter model, and their equipment needs naturally turned from supporting large-scale legion warfare to maintaining basic security and regional deterrence.
The scale of military demand for the entire Imperium had irreversibly and severely shrunk, reflecting on orders as a sharp reduction in overall scale.
"Every fifty years: one hundred suits of Mark IV Power Armor, ten suits of Indomitus Pattern Terminator Armor, and corresponding weapon accessories..." Volks' low, hoarse voice echoed in the sanctum, carrying a trace of imperceptible fatigue. "This is enough to keep the core furnaces warm, allow the Skitarii equipment update plan to continue, and prevent the starport from falling completely silent. But, it is far from enough."
His mechanical tentacle swept weakly across the floating data stream. Dim areas on the screen silently heralded the predicament—the stalled orbital ring expansion plan, the cooling secondary furnace clusters, and the new warship construction projects indefinitely postponed due to resource shortages.
"This bit of orders can only keep Nexum 'alive,' but cannot make it 'grow'." His low voice echoed in the empty sanctum. His sole remaining human eye turned to gaze out the observation window at the magnificent yet incomplete orbital megastructure. "Even less can it allow this star ring to reproduce the glory on the design blueprints."
Just then, the sanctum's visitor communication indicator lit up, showing Explorator Magos Joric requesting a meeting.
Volks' single eye flickered slightly, quickly concealing his exposed emotions. The charts on the dataslate also faded away.
His massive body adjusted to a more authoritative posture on his tracked platform, his voice regaining its usual shrewdness and steadiness: "Permission granted to enter."
The heavy metal doors slid open silently. A tall, dark red figure stepped into the sanctum, his silhouette appearing particularly solemn under the dim light.
Joric's steps were steady and precise, the faint sound of power joints operating rhythmically in the quiet space.
His crimson optical lenses swept over the interior environment, finally settling on the Fabricator Locum seated behind the adamantium desk. He then offered a nod of precise amplitude, conforming to Mechanicus etiquette, as a greeting.
"Fabricator Locum Volks."
"Magos Joric," Volks responded, his tone carrying a formulaic steadiness, but a trace of imperceptible scrutiny flashed deep within his human eye. "It seems you have adapted to your new identity very quickly. Is this visit regarding the production progress of your 'Ancient Logic Core'?"
"That is one of the purposes." Joric's voice was equally steady, but less deliberately smooth than Volks', carrying a bit more directness. "I wish to understand the specific progress of the project."
One of Volks' mechanical tentacles tapped lightly on the console, and a stream of pale blue production data emerged in the air between them.
"The review process has been fully completed," he said, his tone carrying the relaxation after finishing complex procedures. "The representatives from Mars, as you know, are always exceptionally picky.
"However, they ultimately granted approval. One of them even ordered a Cogitator array equipped with the core in a private capacity."
He paused slightly to let the weight of this news settle, then continued, "Currently, the designated production line has completed initial debugging, and the first batch of units has formally entered the manufacturing stage.
"If all goes smoothly, the first batch of products is expected to roll off the line within three standard months."
His gaze rested on Joric's emotionless optical lenses, adding, "This batch of products will be prioritized for installation in Cogitator arrays we provide to several surrounding Imperial worlds, as well as the new batch of Deimos Pattern Predator Tanks and Stormhawk Interceptors."
Volks' tone returned to prudence, carrying the calmness a leader should have. "We need to collect the most authentic battlefield data and user feedback from these frontline units.
"Although both I and the representatives from Mars are optimistic about its potential, the value of technology ultimately needs to be verified by the battlefield and practice. The final recognition of the market is the key."
Joric listened quietly. In his crimson optical lenses, tiny points of data light flickered like stars, as if synchronously processing every piece of information Volks provided.
Only after Volks finished speaking did he respond calmly, "I understand. Practice is the sole touchstone."
No emotional fluctuation could be heard in his voice, only a certainty based on the technology itself. He seemed to never doubt the essence of the "Ancient Logic Core" far surpassing conventional models and the superiority it would inevitably display after sufficient testing.
The topic naturally shifted to the current status of the Forge World.
Volks did not hide the current predicament. He waved a tentacle, highlighting the data stream representing the Imperial Fists' orders on the star map.
"The orders brought by Captain Sigismund indeed solved our urgent needs, allowing our most core production lines to run at full speed for a time. However," his voice lowered, "one hundred suits of Power Armor and ten suits of Terminator Armor every fifty years... this is acceptable for maintaining the basic operation of a Forge World, but for reigniting the industrial potential of the entire planet and allowing grand plans like the orbital ring to continue, it is undoubtedly a drop in the bucket.
"If the furnace fires are to burn as fiercely as in the Great Crusade era, we need more, more stable fuel. We need new growth points."
(End of Chapter)