Warhammer 40: Doom

Chapter 107 Machines are Dangerous
Amidst the intense attention, the Iron Man's armor reflected a stream of light, and the virtual image of the digital life came to life.

The Emperor looked at them, these machines that had destroyed humanity's glory, now standing before humanity once more under Doom's command.

He didn't say a word, his gaze not lingering on the smart machine, but he reached out and put his arm around Doom's shoulder.

"The celebration has ended!"

The Imperial Guards' shouts were unified and coordinated as they announced the end of the welcoming ceremony, abruptly halting the fervent atmosphere that had reached its climax.

The golden-armored warriors are an extension of the Emperor's will, and their words all convey the Emperor's thoughts.

The crowd knelt, bowed, and then silently left.

The Emperor did not respond directly to Doom. He turned and walked up the steps: "Come in, we need to talk about this."

His expression seemed warm, but there was an unspeakable contradiction between his brows.

This is a serious question.

Artificial intelligence, which is strictly prohibited in the human empire, has appeared in the most sacred place, and we must face the consequences it brings.

The high-ranking officials of the Empire and Nur still wore warm smiles, but they were no longer as genuine as before.

However, the mechanical sages from the Martian mechanical god cult, clad in red robes, had an unusual gleam in their eyes.

The emperor stood at the highest point of the palace gate, looking back at the gradually dispersing crowd. With a gentle wave of his hand, golden spiritual energy fell into the crowd like golden phosphorescent powder.

The evacuating crowd will only remember the return of the original gene, forgetting the existence of the intelligent machine.

Doom saw what he did, and while outwardly remaining calm, inwardly labeled the Emperor's actions as those of a "fraudster."

A ruler who deceives or alters memories to fool the people contradicts the education he received.

However, Doom did not say much, nor did he express any angry accusations.

What he did in Nur, though relatively enlightened and just, still concealed secrets that could not be made public beneath its glorious exterior.

The rulers are never different; they simply make the people believe that everything they see is radiant and hopeful.

It's simply a matter of finding a balance between reality and ideals.

"His troubles are greater than anyone else's combined."

An old, wise voice rang in his ears. Doom looked in the direction of the voice and saw Makado smiling at him on the far right of the group.

His eyes held expectation, but also a deep plea, asking Doom to calm down and understand everything the Emperor had done.

Doom nodded to him and walked forward with a normal expression.

His performance caught Macardo's eye. The returning Primarch, the King of Warriors, was also wise and insightful, not just someone who was full of anger but lacked foresight.

He possesses both wisdom and strength, is willing to listen to different opinions, maintains a neutral view on unfamiliar things, and his character surpasses that of many who are merely superficial.

"We need to have a serious talk."

The Emperor caught up from behind and solemnly addressed Doom, leading the group to a side hall.

He and Doom went inside, while everyone else and the machines waited at the entrance of the side hall.

The two leaders negotiated inside the hall, while in the waiting hall outside, the two sides were clearly separated, each standing in a position that represented their respective stances.

Led by Horus, representatives of the Imperial Guard and Space Marines stood at the entrance of the hall, awaiting the conclusion of the negotiations.

Harlan's Night Guards and Iron Machines stood at the entrance of the waiting hall, facing the Imperial personnel from afar, ready to evacuate at any moment.

The Doomsday Warriors in black armor and the Mechanicus members in red robes stood on either side of the two sides to prevent a sudden fight from breaking out.

All parties remained silent, the tense atmosphere like a gradually tightening bowstring, ready to unleash a thunderous storm at the slightest touch.

Inside the side hall, the atmosphere wasn't as tense.

The Emperor brought out a bottle of wine, a precious wine from ancient times, to entertain Doom's arrival.

"Try it, this red wine from Earth's past is wonderfully fragrant and delicious."

They sat in chairs with wine glasses on a small table in the middle, like old friends who hadn't seen each other for years.

When the emperor was alone with the two of them, he would hold a wine glass in his hand, lean back in his comfortable chair, and even cross his legs.

To live up to the Emperor's expectations, Doom raised his goblet and sipped the crimson wine, finding it indeed as exquisite as he had described. "Machines are dangerous," the Emperor said slowly, looking at Doom after a moment of contemplation. "The betrayal of intelligent machines has utterly destroyed humanity's glorious past."

He leaned back in his chair, his eyes filled with nostalgia, his voice a little hoarse: "I have existed among humans since the Neolithic Age, hiding among the crowd and witnessing this race go from the savagery of the primitive age to the glory of the starry age."

"At that time, I had a kind of expectation, an expectation that humanity would continue to be glorious. I was also worried, worried that humanity would be destroyed by the Four Gods."

Doom listened quietly, like a faithful listener reciting the words of an elder.

“I told my immortal friends about the threat of the warp and the darkness of humanity’s future, but no one believed me.”

"So I broke away from them and, alone in that glorious age, prepared to face the threat of the four gods."

“I did foresee the destruction.” The Emperor sat up from his chair and laughed self-deprecatingly. “Back then, I wasn’t powerful enough to foresee the ultimate destruction brought by the Four Gods, but I didn’t see the devastating blow that the intelligent machines would deliver to humanity.”

“Child.” The Emperor looked at Doom, a hint of lingering fear in his eyes: “You didn’t experience that era, the most insane and terrifying era.”

Doom remained silent, listening quietly and occasionally taking a sip of red wine from his glass.

“I…” Pointing to his chest, the Emperor’s voice was filled with deep pain and regret: “I watched helplessly as humanity and machines shattered the glory they had built together, turning it into ruins and dust.”

"But I am powerless to help..."

He sighed deeply: "We can only watch helplessly as humanity slides into an inevitable abyss."

"Therefore, in the newly established human empire, I have explicitly banned intelligent machines. Even if we have to give up the convenience they bring, we must take precautions against them."

"Humans will live a painful life, but they will definitely survive."

“My child, you are a great being, and you should be able to understand my predicament.”

The emperor raised his wine glass, savoring the unique acidity and mellowness of the red wine, as well as the rich aroma that comes from years of aging.

His eyes, however, were fixed on Doom, hoping that the man he had been waiting for most could understand everything he had done.

Doom listened to the Emperor's account, nodding repeatedly, and understood why the creator of this empire so deeply abhorred intelligent machines.

Having not lived through the era in which the emperor lived, Doom would not criticize him or deny everything he did.

Doom was merely a bystander in history; the past was just words written on paper, words unable to bear the bloodshed of history.

He also felt the Emperor's love—a love that was not directed at any individual, but extended to the entire human race.

Everything the Emperor did was for the sake of humanity, so that it could survive the ultimate destruction foretold by psychic prophecy.

Doom also realized that he and the Emperor were essentially the same kind of people.

They all regard chaos as the ultimate enemy, and everything they do is for the extreme evil lurking deep within the warp.

"What about the remaining omnics?"

Without any emotional eloquence, Doom and the Emperor calmly and peacefully explained their views to each other.

Let's set aside all political maneuvering and deceit, and have a calm and heartfelt conversation.

"If it weren't for the help of loyal omnics, could we have won?" Doom asked the Emperor in a soft voice, a being who had lived through human history and experienced everything firsthand.

"The omnics' vicious betrayal destroyed humanity's glory; yet some omnics remained loyal, protecting the continuation of human civilization."

The emperor remained silent, gulping down the red wine—this is an undeniable fact.

The battle between the betraying Omnics and the loyal Omnics is even more brutal.

Loyal AI machines fought on the front lines, giving the unprepared humans a chance to catch their breath and develop forbidden weapons to deal with the machines.

“I agree with you that you treat all machines equally and take preventative measures to avoid machine rebellion again.”

Doom did not completely reject the Emperor. The human empire was too large, and if it were to reintroduce intelligent machines, humanity could not withstand a second omnic rebellion.

"But I also have my own principles. The machines that are loyal to humanity are willing to give them a chance to continue their loyalty."

Doom's voice remained calm, yet firm and unwavering: "Just like my father, he was willing to give me the opportunity to stand before you."

"I am also willing to give loyal omnics the opportunity to continue to dedicate their loyalty."

(End of this chapter)