Warhammer 40K in a box

Chapter 537

The deep hum of the communicator echoed in the somewhat empty office, interrupting the scratching sound of the pen nib across the data pad.

"Although they didn't provide advanced content, they did provide all the core principles and construction methods. Ferrus said the material was clean, with no traps or deliberately missing parts, so it was a solid foundation." 32's report was concise and clear, just like her way of handling data.

"That's good, as long as there are no problems." Chen Xi relaxed a little, dipped her quill pen in ink, and continued to review the documents in front of her.

After reviewing a document, he put down his quill pen, leaned back in his large chair, and continued to ask 32, "What exactly is the project doing now?"

"They are building the core framework of the Psionic Knight's spirit bone." 32's answer was concise and to the point. "Ferus and his team are using these basic technologies to try to construct the main structure of the Psionic Knight's spirit bone."

She said this was the top priority and the only thing she could do at the moment.

32 paused, then added, “Although Ferus also took the opportunity to optimize the production line’s efficiency, in the eyes of this Primarch, it probably doesn’t count as work at all.”

"I understand." Chen Xi picked up the power letter opener on the table and then played with it. "Basic technology has its advantages. At least we don't have to worry about those bean sprouts planting mines for us."

Once the framework is in place, we will have the foundation to research bone-based technologies that belong to humanity and are not controlled by others.

He felt a pragmatic satisfaction with the research progress and nodded, saying, "Thank you for your hard work, and please thank Ferrus for me as well."

"You're being too polite with words. What's that saying again?" The synthesized voice of 32 rose slightly, simulating a lighthearted and teasing tone, "For the Emperor! For Ohm Messiah!"

Once the slogans were shouted, the communication seemed to be coming to an end.

"Wait a minute," Chen Xi stopped turning the letter opener, suddenly remembering something, and asked 32, "I asked the Lin Guang family to send someone to assist with the research, have they arrived yet?"

“Oh, you asked about that! The person has arrived; it’s Maria ‘Radiant’.” 32 answered quickly, but there was a clear hint of confusion in his tone. “While I can understand your idea of ​​having the Nearl family send a knight to participate in the research, Maria does indeed have remarkable talent in mechanical construction and knight maintenance, as the records clearly show.”

However, she was just an ordinary Muggle, and no psionic energy could be detected on her.

What role could she possibly play in the Psionic Knight project? It seems... a bit out of place.

“32,” Chen Xi tapped the handle of the letter opener lightly with his fingertips, making a dull tapping sound, and looked out the window at the sky. “Let me ask you a question: Has your team understood the operating mechanism of the Psionic Titan now? How does it drive and use psionic energy?”

Of course, she knew the answer to question 32. She immediately and confidently replied, "The core is to extract the power of the bound psychic through the 'Ciricrux Anima' device, and then have the untouchable pilot guide and release it in a specific direction."

“Yes.” Chen Xi’s voice was deep and clear, as if stating a cold fact. “The technology used by the psionic titans is exactly the same as most of the psionic technologies used in the Dark Ages.”

Essentially, they treat psionicists like firewood to be burned.

In the eyes of humanity at that time, all psionicists were merely a consumable resource, no different from... a single bomb in your magazine.

Chen Xi paused for a moment, knowing that 32 could understand what he was saying, and continued to explain: "That is precisely why if you directly use or imitate the Ciricrux Anima device, you will inevitably follow the same old path. Unless Kaul can use his Great Sage power to completely transform it into a psionic amplifier, allowing psionicists to use it directly as pilots of psionic knights."

At this point, Chen Xi's tone carried an undeniable air: "So, for the psionic knights you are developing, psionicists are still being used as batteries."

In this situation, does it still matter whether the final pilot of the psionic knight is a psionicist?

In fact, the ideal situation might be that she is not a psionicist.

If it weren't for the fact that Untouchables are so rare and need to be prioritized for delivery to the Silent Sisters, and considering that their presence might interfere with sophisticated psychic research, I would have directly sent several Silent Sisters to serve as test pilots.

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the communication line, with only a faint background noise from the electrical circuit.

Clearly, 32 was pondering what Chen Xi had said.

“…You’re right.” 32 had to admit that Chen Xi’s words made sense: “Under the current technological path, whether Maria is a psionicist or not does not affect the current core framework construction and driving principle verification stage.”

Her mechanical talent might actually be more helpful in understanding structural adaptability; my previous judgment relied too much on the 'psychic' label.

"I understand." Chen Xi's tone softened as she prepared to end the call.

“Wait a minute,” this time it was 32’s turn to make a request, “Since you mentioned the Silent Sisters… once the core framework is built and we enter the power system integration and actual drive testing phase, could you arrange for one of them to come over?”
After all, according to the original design blueprints, the control core of the 'Ciricrux Anima' device theoretically relies on the presence of an untouchable to safely release the extracted psionic energy; we need an untouchable to conduct the testing.

Chen Xi's gaze swept over the mountain of tasks piled up on the table before finally settling on the communicator: "I understand. Keep a close eye on the project's progress, pay attention to any key milestones or unexpected situations, and communicate with me anytime."

Regarding the Silent Sisters, I will try to coordinate and see if we can send one over as soon as possible.

"Understood." 32's response was crisp and clean, and the communication was immediately cut off.

The buzzing stopped, and the office returned to silence, broken only by the low hiss of the ventilation system.

Chen Xi put down the communicator, leaned back in her chair, and rubbed her furrowed brow.

The complex and intertwined historical entanglement between Hathor and Feralas, the inevitably long development cycle of the Psionic Knight project, and the hidden crises and opportunities within the vast legacy left by the Emperor…

The game of chess he intervened in, spanning across the galaxy, was incredibly complex, with each piece carrying immense weight, and each move requiring meticulous consideration, a long period of time, and unwavering patience to advance.

He cast his gaze out the window at the boundless sky, where the enormous shape of the orbital star ring stretched across the heavens, with countless tiny white dots darting through it.

This bustling scene made Chen Xi sigh. The road ahead is long and there are many problems. He can only sort things out step by step.

(End of this chapter)