Warhammer: The Time Traveler

Chapter 117 Nexus Forges the World (Ninth Update)

Subspace travel is never absolutely safe.

Even on the most stable routes, the structure of reality is relatively weak, filled with energy turbulence and mental whispers that cannot be explained by conventional physical laws.

The frigate carrying Chen Yu was under constant pressure from its Gellér force field during the voyage, and the steady hum of the force field generator was the only background noise inside the ship.

Outside the ship's hull, there was a distorted and unreal scene, with colors and shapes that defied common sense. Occasionally, a huge and blurry shadow would slide close to the edge of the energy field, triggering a brief alarm from the detection array.

Chen Yu mainly stayed in her private cabin during the voyage.

His data interface is directly connected to the ship's main system, continuously monitoring navigation parameters and engine status. At the same time, a portion of the processing thread is allocated to repeatedly analyze recent data packets and intelligence updates received from the forging world Neksam.

Ignis stood guard outside the hatch, her sensor array in full-band monitoring mode. Although the Mechanicus ships rarely encountered direct attacks from subspace entities due to their specific technological taboos and protective measures, she still maintained the highest level of vigilance.

The seven-standard-day journey ended with the continuous roar of the warp engines.

With a violent spatial tremor, the frigate successfully detached from subspace and re-anchored to the physical universe.

The light from the star Nexus shone through the observation window, illuminating the bridge and revealing the massive forged world in orbit ahead.

From an orbital perspective, the planet Neksam itself is not completely covered by endless metal.

The vast, rust-colored and grayish-yellow barren landscape remains the main feature, interspersed with smaller industrial outposts and mining facilities, like stains on a rough canvas.

Most of the surface of Neksam remains undeveloped and pristine, with rust-colored wasteland as the main color, and only scattered mines and small facilities.

However, at the heart of this tranquil landscape, a magnificent circular casting complex reigns supreme.

This giant ring, with a diameter of over two thousand kilometers, is clearly visible even from orbit.

It consists of countless interconnected factory buildings, storage tanks and refining towers, and the whole structure has a dark metallic luster unique to mechanical engineering.

A dense network of roads and freight tracks extends outwards from the outer edge of the ring, and the massive array of energy sources and geothermal wellheads that power it are faintly visible.

At the geometric center of the circular structure stands the most striking main furnace tower.

This exceptionally thick metal tower is incredibly tall, its top even piercing through the polluted clouds in the lower atmosphere of the planet.

However, the operation of this vast industrial zone appears to be struggling.

The orbital sensors show that its internal energy signal output level is unstable and significantly lower than its design peak.

The number of aircraft and transport barges flying over the factory area is sparse, as if only the bare minimum of operations are being maintained.

The planned expansion area around the circular ring has been halted, leaving only an unfinished metal skeleton that casts a desolate shadow on the wasteland.

Only the top of the main furnace tower in the center continues to spew plumes of smoke, proving that this industrial heart has not yet stopped beating.

But this sole sign of activity only served to highlight the overall stagnation and desolation of the region.

This circular factory, together with its central tower, forms the still-beating, but already weary, heart of the Neksam foundry world.

Meanwhile, a massive orbital shipyard also floats in the planet's orbit.

Like the struggling ring factory on Earth, it speaks of the constraints and challenges facing this forging world. This magnificent star ring skeleton is a testament to the ambitions of the Great Expedition, and also a poignant symbol of its abrupt end.

The base of the star ring is enormous, consisting of tens of thousands of giant metal trusses and reinforcement modules, large enough to allow several capital ships to dock simultaneously.

At this moment, only about a third of the area on this magnificent base is covered by the dock deck and the complete interior facilities, with scattered lights and welding sparks flickering.

The rest is a naked, exposed metal skeleton, like the remains of a giant beast, silently floating on the track.

Some large construction equipment, such as giant gantry cranes and rail welding platforms, are like abandoned toys, quietly fixed on the unfinished structure, their surfaces covered with traces of cosmic dust and micrometeorite impacts.

The entire star ring is like an epic poem that was abruptly interrupted at its climax, filled with unfinished regrets and an atmosphere of decay.

Following navigation signals, the frigate slowly approached the completed area of ​​the star ring.

A massive starport extension pier, like a steel tentacle, guided the frigates into their designated berths.

The docking process was smooth and precise, accompanied by a slight hiss of pressure equalization, and the ship and the starport were successfully connected.

The hatch opened, and Chen Yu's tall, dark red figure appeared at the entrance to the connecting passage.

Behind him stood Ignis, who stood as solemnly as an iron tower, and a squad of rigorously selected and well-equipped Guardsmen.

Their arrival immediately brought a sense of solemnity to the busy but orderly environment of Star Harbor.

The space inside the Starport is far larger than usual, and its vaulted ceiling height has been precisely calculated to ensure that even the largest war titans can move around without having to bend over.

The air was saturated with a variety of distinctive odors: the scorching smell of high-temperature welded metal, the heavy, greasy smell of special lubricating grease, and the pungent ozone produced by high-voltage electric arcs.

These odors, when mixed together, constitute a distinctive environmental characteristic that is prevalent within mechanical teaching facilities.

The thick energy conduits and high-capacity data cables are neatly confined within the pre-set reinforced grooves on the wall, like static metal veins extending to the horizon.

The heavy conveyor belt system operates continuously, carrying components of different specifications and even partially assembled weapon platforms, emitting a rhythmic, low rumble.

Numerous machine servants are the main body of activity in this area.

They perform tasks such as material handling, area cleaning, and basic maintenance according to preset procedures.

Its movements are stiff and precise, lacking the fluidity of a living organism, and the monotonous electronic sounds accompanying the movements further enhance the dehumanizing atmosphere of the environment.

Several technical priests in red robes were already waiting beside the berth.

Their physical modifications varied, but their identification marks indicated that they belonged to the lower to middle ranks of the Casting World's administrative system, and their duties included receiving important arrivals.

The communication was extremely concise, with both parties using short binary code fragments and filtered synthesized speech to complete the necessary courtesy greetings and identity verification.

Given Chen Yu's status as a quasi-wise sage and his independent command authority, this reception was more of a formality following established procedures.

After completing the required docking document verification and access permission registration, Chen Yu and his escort team boarded the designated ground shuttle.

The shuttle smoothly detached from the starport docking arm, adjusted its attitude, and began its descent towards the surface of the industrial-scarred planet below.

(End of this chapter)