After a comprehensive technical upgrade, Osiris not only updated his main weapon system but also systematically optimized the detection arrays and auxiliary equipment across his entire body.
At this moment, three newly acquired servo-skulls hovered silently in a triangular formation beside him, their multi-spectral sensor arrays continuously scanning the surroundings.
These precise devices integrated high-precision scanning, deep space detection, real-time data analysis, as well as combat assistance and defensive functions, forming a complete mobile sensory network.
The servo-skull, modified from the skull of a former classmate, had also undergone significant upgrades.
It was now directly connected to Osiris' spinal interface via a set of high-strength data cables, serving as his external, dedicated computational core, specifically responsible for processing complex cross-dimensional calculations and spatial topological analysis.
Under the escort of this special team, Osiris stepped into the long-silent orbital dock.
The escort duty was handled by Sekhmet's personal Skitarii Corps detachment.
These elite warriors wore heavy power armor, with intricate mechanical prayers etched onto the armor's surface, and the optical sensors on their helmets flickered with a steady red light in the dim environment.
Their equipment standards and combat proficiency were second only to the Titan Legions' direct Mechanicum Skitarii Corps within the Forge World.
The two differed only in functional division and ceremonial status; their actual combat capabilities were comparable.
Sekhmet herself moved like a silent war machine; her every step precisely maintained the optimal escort position behind and to the side of Osiris, ready to respond to any potential threat.
This magnificent construction facility, once a symbol of the Great Crusade's ambition, now appeared vast and dilapidated.
On the kilometers-high dome, nearly a third of the lighting units had failed, casting large shadows across the metal floor, which was mottled with rust.
The air was filled with metallic dust from oxidation, the pungent smell of dried lubricant, and the cold, unique scent of prolonged disuse.
Occasionally, the distant clanking sounds of Servitors at work echoed hollowly through the vast space.
Sekhmet made a gesture, and the Skitarii Corps immediately fanned out to form a cordon.
The joints of their power armor emitted almost inaudible hydraulic hisses, indicating their excellent state of maintenance.
Osiris continued forward, surrounded by his escort, as the scanning beams of the servo-skulls danced in the darkness, transmitting real-time details of this sleeping giant into his sensory system.
Under the direct command of the Archmagos overseeing the construction, this orbital dock, dormant for many years, was undergoing a slow and difficult restart process.
Several teams of cleaning Servitors moved slowly along the main passages, their worn brushes constantly scraping away decades of cosmic dust, leaving intricate cleaning trails on the metal floor.
Engineering Priests, clad in dark red robes, piloted maintenance platforms, traversing the colossal structural framework, meticulously inspecting the operational status of the dock's foundational systems.
Sporadic welding sparks occasionally flashed in the dim space, like brief fireflies in the night, illuminating the ongoing repair work in certain areas.
The entire restart process was still in its most basic stage—restoring power supply, ensuring structural stability, and activating basic life support systems.
The air resonated with the low hum of equipment restarting and occasional system alert sounds, which were exceptionally clear in the vast dock.
Despite the slow progress, these initial operations at least restored a minimum level of vitality to this industrial behemoth, forgotten for decades.
In the center of this somewhat cluttered scene, the unfinished hull of a lunar class cruiser hung silently within the dock's stabilization field, like a sleeping metal giant.
This was a standard cruiser originally planned for the Seventh Legion's exploration fleet.
In that glorious era of the Great Crusade, this fleet had not yet received the formal designation of "Imperial Navy"; it was only after Guilliman's military and political reforms that the void fleets composed of mortal soldiers were unified into the Imperial Navy's organizational system.
Due to the sudden outbreak of the Great Heresy, the construction of this warship was forced to halt over a century ago.
What was now visible had only completed the laying of the main keel and approximately forty percent of the primary structural assembly.
Over two-thirds of the hull's surface still lacked armor plating, exposing a complex network of internal pipelines, unfinished structural frameworks, and system modules awaiting installation.
Several key weapon platform bases were empty, and unconnected energy conduits dangled at the engine interfaces.
To complete construction according to the original design would require an enormous investment of resources equivalent to rebuilding half a secondary Forge World, which had been the main reason for the long-term stagnation of the project.
However, for Osiris, this "unfinished" state ironically offered a rare convenience for modification.
The ship's initial design was for a mortal-operated exploration vessel, fundamentally different from a forge ship intended for Tech-Priests.
He planned a complete reconstruction.
The primary modification was the addition of a complete forge module, specifically a shipborne miniature forge system.
This standard configuration allowed a forge ship to autonomously produce various equipment, from individual weapons to large machinery, essentially meeting the regular production demands of the Imperial industrial system.
The weapon systems would also undergo a comprehensive upgrade.
Compared to the Imperial Navy's relatively conservative armament, Adeptus Mechanicus warships typically carried more powerful weapon systems.
For example, the Nova Cannon, a heavy weapon considered rare in the Imperial Navy, was only a standard configuration in Adeptus Mechanicus fleets.
Other critical systems, such as the Augur array, void shield generators, Geller fields, and Warp engines, though not yet installed, Osiris had reached an agreement with the Archmagos overseeing the construction that all would utilize high-performance versions supplied internally by the Adeptus Mechanicus.
In Osiris' blueprint, a dedicated laboratory located in the ship's core area was given the highest priority.
This highly isolated research space would feature a multi-layered protective design, with special anti-scanning and anti-infiltration materials filling the space between the inner and outer hulls.
The laboratory's interior would be equipped with a completely independent energy system, including a dedicated plasma reactor and multiple backup power sources, ensuring its operation under all circumstances.
Independent life support systems, an internal communication network, and a data processing center would make it a truly self-contained research fortress.
The core mission of this laboratory was to conduct sensitive research that could not be disturbed by external forces, particularly in-depth experiments concerning the dimensional teleporter.
Considering the unpredictable risks that experiments might entail, the laboratory also incorporated emergency isolation protocols and multiple security lockdown mechanisms.
Its structural integrity was sufficient to withstand internal medium-scale explosions, and it possessed the capability to emergency jettison the entire laboratory unit from the ship.
Aside from this core laboratory, the rest of the warship's space was also meticulously planned.
The Skitarii Corps barracks would occupy three consecutive decks in the mid-section of the hull, equipped with complete training facilities, armories, and barracks systems.
Adjacent new recruit training facilities, equipped with artificial womb arrays and gene-modulating equipment, would continuously replenish personnel for the Skitarii Corps.
Equipment maintenance workshops would be distributed at key positions fore and aft of the hull, ensuring quick response to equipment maintenance needs in all areas.
Standing on the dock's observation platform, Osiris' servo-skulls continuously scanned the unfinished hull, transmitting real-time data on structural integrity, spatial distribution, and system integration to his cogitator core.
Although what lay before him was still just a colossal metal skeleton, with exposed cables and unsealed compartments appearing chaotic, in his logical deductions, a clear future vision of the ship had already taken shape.
A mobile base integrating research, military, and production functions—an exploration platform capable of transcending dimensional boundaries.
Every pipe routing, every armor seam, was precisely formed in his mind, awaiting the translation of blueprint into reality.