lcionline Chapter 390: Mechanical Temple of Endeavor City
Chapter 390: Mechanical Temple of Endeavor City
The ship arrived at the port and everyone disembarked. After waiting for a long time, the technical priest quickly stepped forward, his ochre-red robe the same color as the rusty dunes that covered the planet. The holy seal of chastity on parchment and blood wax showed that he was not corroded by harmful garbage code.
"Welcome everyone to the Crucible Starlink - Riza. The Council of Sages has been informed of the situation. Please go to the Mechanical Temple to attend the council.
As for the rest of you, Riza welcomes all major imperial organizations to settle in. As long as they provide sufficient currency, Riza will provide all services.
The currency referred to was naturally the Divine Emperor Coin, but unlike the general Hive World, those so-called Divine Emperor Coins were only the self-circulating currencies of their own world.
The currency made by the Mechanicus is very different from the so-called currency on the market, because they are really round coins made of metal, each of which has a microchip installed by the Mechanicus.
This makes it impossible to imitate most of the hive worlds, ensuring the stability of value. Although barter is a hard currency, the real high-end market still uses the Divine Emperor Coin as a means of circulation.
Ian did have some money in stock, but every time he arrived at a planet he would start giving alms and doing charity. He didn't have much currency in his hands, and even if someone gave him money, he couldn't keep it, and in the end he just gave it away.
As for the Zakli Think Tank, the chapter that uses the battle barge as its base doesn't have any industry, not to mention that it usually doesn't have much money to spend. If there are any problems, just write them an IOU and ask them to contact the sector's Ministry of the Interior.
As for the IOU in the Forge World, his opponent was buck-passing and haggling with the Ministry of the Interior, and the money he hadn't even covered was enough for the other party's gas money, so after a big battle, the cash-strapped people became a little restrained.
Ian and Zachley discussed it and found that the currency they had was just enough to change the ship's paint. If they wanted to replenish supplies, energy, and personnel, it would cost a lot of money. The agricultural world would have to transport dozens of ships of goods to just make up the money.
The technical priest probably saw that everyone was short of money. After all, some of them came to the Forge World without money to repair their ships, so he quickly recommended the loan service.
"It doesn't matter. If you are short of money, you only need to sign a contract with the order. Once the contract is signed, your ships and personnel will be returned to you. If you are lucky, you can even get a free renovation from the order."
There is no such thing as a free lunch in the world. If you really sign a contract, it will be like robbing Peter to pay Paul. Who knows what the final result will be.
Fortunately, Rebos stopped the technical priest who kept recommending business and took out a palm-sized flat cube of black crystal.
When the priest saw the logo on it, he immediately took a breath of cold air, and rubbed his extra mechanical arms back and forth like a money-loving person, and said more flatteringly than before:
"Made a black card, made a black card! Unlimited credit, unlimited credit! Oh, my integrated circuit board is going to overheat."
The technical priest opened his chest to dissipate heat. It seemed that this thing really caused him quite a strong stimulation.
“We provide them with the best possible service, all purchased items are accounted for, and materials, personnel, energy, and maintenance are all carried out to the highest standards.
I need to go and make arrangements for the black ships, you don't have to go with me, just take a good rest."
"110... no problem... 011... follow me."
The technical priest was overjoyed and immediately gave the order to mobilize the airships through the pager.
Because of the no-fly zone, everyone can only ride on Riza's own equipment. Those who don't have much money can take the orbital elevator, those who have some assets can take the transport plane, and the nobles naturally take the high-speed airship.
People like Rebos have a special identity and their currency is only digital, so they can use the portal provided only to internal personnel. After three seconds, the man with blue light flashes and reaches the surface of the planet.
Caroline, who was still thinking about catching up with him, retreated reluctantly. Ian had no choice but to stop paying attention to her schedule and focus on touring the Forge World.
Naturally, the technical priest introduced the situation of Riza to everyone with 200% enthusiasm. Everyone took three airships to overlook the land of Riza from the air and landed towards the brightly lit City of Endeavor.
My own translation
Skyscrapers, steel jungles, and colorful lights (cyberpunk). Unlike the depressing hive world imagined, the environment of Reza's Endeavour City seems advanced and unreal. Even the experienced Space Marines took a second look at those bizarre buildings.
The airship landed directly in the center of the city. As soon as everyone got off the boat, the receptionists of the major families came forward to greet the guests, hoping that they would patronize their shopping malls or other buildings.
"The Yidiel family is auctioning 22 treasures tonight. All of them have been identified by the Order as being harmless. One of them is over years old."
"The Steyr Sanatorium is a hospital that connects with major battle regiments. It has first-class equipment and perfect technology. It recruits high-level technical priests to solve various physiological and psychological problems."
"..."
The major nobles established their bases here, and the goods they sold were far beyond the reach of the small vendors at the star port.
The ownership of a hive world, safe routes to a certain star region, mining rights in a certain world, and even the recruitment of free knights, that is, warriors who drive knight mechas. (There are also free riders who leave the knight family for various reasons and travel the star sea with their own mechas.)
The largest of these naturally comes from the order's own industries, ranging from live ammunition weapons to energy weapons, from fingernail-sized projectiles to macro cannons hundreds of meters in length.
From the Carapace Armor that only elite combat soldiers can equip to the unstoppable Dreadnought Armor, if you really have the ability, you can even send out a Titan to support you.
Airdrop pods, boarding boats, landing craft, escorts, destroyers, cruisers, and even battleships are all under construction. As long as you have time and money, you can arm a huge army in Riza.
In the military factory, Ian and the nuns visited the outstanding products of the order. Hundreds and thousands of automatic robots of more than a dozen models were packed in boxes.
The technical priest proudly introduced it to everyone, hoping that they would wave their hands and book the entire factory.
"Your Holiness, do you need the latest model of automatic robots? We offer a special price. If you buy three, you will get an engine prophet for free. They are tireless and can escort your Holiness in his missionary work."
Caroline straightened her back when she heard this, looked at the priest and said calmly:
"The Battle Sisters will be able to protect the Pope's safety."
The technical priest was not surprised, he just twisted his mechanical body to examine the flesh and blood body.
"Oh, I see. How about each of the warriors of the Sisters buy two sets of spare power armor? As for weapons, Reza's plasma weapons are the best."
There was no substantial expression under the mechanical mask, but Ian noticed that the other party's prosthetic eye seemed to be focused on the "truth" in Caroline's hand.
"Your gun?"
Ian felt as if someone had poked him in the spine. He jumped over Caroline, patted and pulled the technical priest's limbs, smiled apologetically and pointed at the tall mecha soldier and said:
"Hahaha, of course, of course. Reza's automated soldiers are world-famous. Although the Battle Sister is the daughter of the Emperor, she is also a mortal. I have seen the Bishop..."
Ian faced to the side with the technical priest, stretched out his hands and waved them behind his back, signaling Caroline to cover up the "truth".
He suddenly realized that such divine weapons could not escape the eyes of two types of people: one was the person who was more aware of the majesty of the Divine Emperor, and the other was the technical expert in front of him.
The other party had touched more guns than he had seen. This kind of weapon was granted by the God-Emperor, but who knows? The Mechanicus... is notorious.
"Oh, really! That's an old model from Mars fifty years ago. Our Ryza's wet key is 1.23 times better than theirs, the energy conversion rate is 17% higher, and the plasma weapon failure rate is 45% lower..."
Ian nodded repeatedly and bought several sets with a wave of his hand. The technical priest was very happy and naturally took them to more military factories to check out more products.
Ian breathed a sigh of relief, thank goodness that the matter was covered up. However, he didn't know that in the dark corners, servo skulls of all sizes were hiding and staring at them.
On the other side, Zakli Think Tank led the members of the regiment to the sanatorium.
They entered in a line and handed in all their guns and knives to the technical priests for maintenance.
Then they stood on the metal platform, waiting for the mechanical arms extending in the air to be dismantled and the power armor welded to their bodies.
Lasers, circular saws, demolition pliers, and impact drills may look scary, but the robotic arms are also working hard to be gentle and careful.
The shoulder armor was covered with blood and rust, the chest armor was full of bullet holes, and the leg armor was covered with cuts. There was not a single good place on his body. The power armor with outstanding combat record was completely dismantled and soaked in the disinfection pool one by one.
Germs, stains, rust, the enemy's blood and one's own bloodstains all disappeared under the impact of ultrasound, and what remained were only brand new but broken suits of armor.
"Please continue to move forward to the next project, warriors. Your armor will definitely be repaired using the most advanced technology."
The technical priest urged everyone, but the warriors did not want to leave immediately. At least they wanted to see the final destination of the armor.
Those that could be repaired were immediately repaired by technicians using ceramic steel blocks mixed with refined gold powder. Only Rebos's black card could afford such a high price. That shipload of crops and even this small handful of refined gold could not afford it.
For those that are truly not worth repairing, the technical priests of the Restoration Order will perform a restoration ritual on the component, applying holy oil and lighting nano-incense to calm the restless machine spirits in the armor, and then dismantle it.
Shell maintenance, cable reconnection, energy filling, equipment modification, even the black shells on their bodies need to be removed and tissue culture performed.
Since completing the armor-bearing ceremony to become true Space Marines, they had never taken off their clothes so cleanly. Dozens of naked warriors were a little at a loss at this moment.
They are not shy about being honest with each other, but they have suddenly lost the armor that covers their bodies, as if they have lost an extension of their bodies.
"Please keep going, we will soon reach the last project."
The priest patiently persuaded everyone and led them into the pool filled with sticky nutrient solution.
The soldiers lay on their backs, feeling the sticky liquid wrapping around their bodies, rising and falling to soothe their tense nerves.
But the quiet atmosphere is not suitable for everyone, let alone them who are naked now.
Silent slumber had long since passed for them, and the sacred prayers of the Servo Skull could not change the oppression they felt.
(Only those who are heartless can live longer)
One soldier couldn't stand it anymore, he pushed others away and tried to get his equipment back, as if only in that way could he feel at ease and be a complete person.
Think Tank Zakli and Pastor Caesar hurried forward to calm the nervous soldier. At the same time, the technical priest came behind the soldier, pulled out a needle from the box on his thigh, and injected it into the soldier's lower back.
"Relax, it's okay. 58% of the warbands will have this situation. Do you need psychological intervention? The success rate is as high as 83%."
The powerful sedative took effect quickly, and some of the confused soldiers were left gasping for breath. The think tank and the priest shook their heads at the same time, silently supporting their teammates and continuing to walk.
...
And in the desolate land a hundred kilometers away from the City of Endeavor, a huge mechanical temple rises into the sky, drawing the thunder in the sky to form a wonder of heaven and earth.
Rebos was teleported to the bottom of the temple, sniffing the smell of ionized ozone, waiting to step into the temple. The only thing left was the engine oil and the nano incense that covered the smell of the engine oil.
"Boom!!!!"
The sound of the huge bell resounded thousands of miles away. The believers knelt on the steps outside the hall. The electric charges on their bodies began to jump and they chanted prayers.
"Ring the bell once! Push the lever and activate the piston and pump!"
Rebos walked into the temple. The dome was made entirely of mechanical components, including gears, springs, metal mechanisms, levers, hydraulics, and electrostatic charges.
"Boom!!!!"
"Twice the bell! Press the button, start the engine, ignite the turbine, breathe life into it!"
Hundreds of tech-priests prayed devoutly to the gears on the altar, which represented the emblem of Reza, an ornate variation of the R that paid tribute to the sacred gears and skull elements of the Martian ancestors.
Under the huge symbol representing Riza, a mechanical object larger than an ordinary transport ship slowly raised its head.
A hundred meters high, a hundred meters long, and a hundred meters wide, a person who could not be called a human being, a mechanical creation without any signs of humanity, a creature that needed six cranes even to move, looked at the uninvited guest.
The gear scepter in his hand was almost the size of a doorpost, and the smell of tar wafted in the air every time it moved.
Amid the cheers of the believers, the scepter struck the bronze bell that was larger than the general.
"Boom!!!!"
"Ring the great bell three times! Sing in unison, and praise the God of All Things!"
"Mechanic, the god who rules over machinery
The spirit of machinery and the sophistication of technology are superior to the mortal body;
Praising the spirit is your duty, caring for the spirit is your comfort, and comforting the spirit is the basis of your survival.
Without dogma, the spirit of the machine will not help...”
Rebos quietly watched the ceremonies of the order and watched them complete their worship of the God of All Things. He concluded that they were a group of believers who were even more ignorant than the state religion because their god had never appeared.