Herald of the Stars: Chapter Ninety-Nine (Patreon)

A huge thank you to: Stefan, SHADOUX9, focusx2, lars jonas karlsson, Huihai, Rory Daniels, and Alexander Colton. This chapter is for you.

Commodore Domelch de Búrca pulls a spherical holo-projector from her belt and tosses it into the centre of our circle. Air ripples around it with an odd afterimage as the anti-gravity effect activates and the device stabilises and hovers between us all

Data passes between Dolmelch and the holo-projector. It chatters in lingua-technis then begins to display a female and a male skeleton.

“Magos Issengrund and I have gone to considerable lengths putting together a subtle survival package for everyone on the small council,” says Dolmelch. “The list is extensive and while they are all standard imperial implants, they will be handcrafted by Magos Issengrund and have been highly modified to ensure quality and discretion. We will go through the list now and you can ask your questions as we go.

“There are two phases to these augments. The first will boost your survivability. The second will improve your mind. These overseer roles require far more data processing at high speed than a normal person is capable of.

“The first upgrade is a black skeleton.” The skeleton on the holoprojector turns a glossy black. Dolmelch extends a mechadendrite and starts pointing at the joints. “Aside from the increased robustness, a black skeleton does away with the evolution driven joints with more mechanically sound designs. It makes you less prone to injury and can increase your strength. This one has been modified further to armour the skull, throat, spine, and chest.”

Dolmelch grins, “It also comes with a height increase to two metres so that your body can house all the other implants I will be explaining today. You will lose about five percent flexibility and it will alter how you breathe. This will be uncomfortable to begin with.

“The skeleton has been altered to include the machinery required to produce sacred blood in the thigh bones, and a conversion field in the sternum. If you don’t already have them, warding electoos and the voidskin required to house it will also be grafted.”

The holo-projector image changes, filling in with the implants as Dolmelch talks about them. “Further survivability implants will include hyperweave subdermal armour, toxiphage, a complete bionic respiratory system, a secondary bionic heart and reinforced cardiovascular system, pain ward and a vitae supplement. Questions?”

Callen raises his hand, “Please could you summarise what these implants will let us survive and send me the details to look over in my own time?”

“Sure,” says Dolmelch, “I’ll send the data to all of you. Assuming the conversion field is down and you are naked, you will be able to shrug off small arms fire and function after receiving wounds from heavy weapons. Large calibre melta and plasma weapons will likely still be fatal, though you might survive a lascannon if you're lucky. You will also be able to breathe underwater and in highly toxic environments.

“Most poisons and toxins will be survivable. If you are unfortunate enough to be blasted into space while in the middle of a bath, you’ll have ten minutes to return to a safer environment. Last, you will heal from most wounds rapidly and, in the case of extreme trauma, your brain will be kept alive for eight hours. You could hold your breath for just as long if you really wanted to. It is highly unlikely you will ever bleed to death.”

Callen smiles, “Thank you, Commodore, that was most enlightening. It is good to know we will be so well taken care of.”

Dolmelch nods, “There is more one can do to ward off the weakness of the flesh and these will be made available to you should you wish to purchase them.”

Commander MacCrane says, “What is the convalescence time for these augments and the chance of failure?

“Ten to twelve weeks,” says Dolmelch, “and less than zero point one percent. You will be in the very best of facilities.”

“Thank you, Commodore. I have no further questions.”

“Anyone else? Good. Let us move on.

“Next is the custom cortex implant, teleporter beacon, vox implant, volitor implant, mind impulse unit, interkeratic implant, custom vocal implant and a potentia coil. These are a little more involved, so I will try to anticipate your questions.

“The custom cortex implant is, I believe, Magos Issengrunds greatest work. It will help you learn faster, never forget anything, multi-task up to three separate instances, and think at an accelerated rate. It will also help you interpret social cues, detect lies, and perform advanced mathematics with ease, anything from ballistic trajectories, to large data sets. The interkeratic implant will ensure you don’t miss any of these cues, regardless of lighting conditions or sudden flashes.

“What this means is that you will be more personable and charismatic, should you put the effort in, and be able to handle the absurd volume of work our responsibilities require. It will not change your personality, just help you be a better version of yourself. As such, these enhanced capabilities are not infallible, so you should still verify information properly and practise your people skills.

“To assist in making you as charismatic and empathetic as possible, the vocal implant has been customised slightly to not only permit for a louder voice, but to make the tones you produce more persuasive. Abuse of this privilege is a criminal offence. Before any of you think it might help you lead factions on this small council, the volitor implant prevents unnatural compulsions and will, in the worst case, knock you out to counter them. Most of the time it will just leave you dizzy, or feeling drunk, so you will know if someone is trying to pull a fast one on you.

“Governor Gunn, before you ask, a mind impulse unit enables direct connection with machines and the noosphere, a teleporter beacon allows your security to remove you from harm or reinforce your position instantly, and a vox implant lets you communicate with anyone on the planet or in low orbit with minimal delay who also has access to a vox device. A potentia coil powers your implants, though all of them are self powering to some degree, feeding off your body’s resources.

“To summarise, the second phase of implants means you are always connected to everyone and everything and that connection is incredibly difficult to circumvent. Additionally, you will be the best version of yourself that you can be.

“Once again, there are further enhancements available, should you wish to acquire them. Though, I must say, when you see the price, you will understand quite how generous the Magos is being here, so expect to lose them if you fuck up.”

I laugh, “Thank you, Dolmelch. I am delighted you hold my work to such a high standard and understand the warnings and responsibilities such gifts are entwined with. While you will receive a moderate salary for your efforts, implants like the ones I am offering, and access to more, like a rejuvenat gland, are your real payment.

“Normally, even an imperial inquisitor would struggle to get hold of the full range of what I am offering so do not underestimate their value. I could probably buy a feudal planet, like Marwolv before I arrived, for the price of one set. They are robust enough that after your death you can pass them on to your children and protégés and they will, so long as they are not directly damaged, keep on working with minimal maintenance for centuries.

“If I were you, I would use all my income to improve my capabilities and survivability. Few individuals in the Koronus Expanse will have as many options as you do and I will likely reconsider your placement in this small council if you are unable to take advantage of my primary speciality. I’ll be leaving behind a few replacement sets as well as a limited quantity of cybernetics for you to purchase. Prefect Luan Moggach will secure them.”

Luan nods, her blonde hair swaying from side to side. “As you wish, Magos.”

“Magos,” says Commander MacCrane. “I wish to say a few words about security.”

“Alright, we might as well cover that now.”

Commander MacCrane folds his large arms across his chest, “Master crafted cybernetics aren’t enough to ensure your safety. As such, each member of this council will be granted one battalion, paid for by the Magos. I will discuss with each of you what you need for your custom battalions as there is, for example, little need for tanks aboard a ship, or anti-air weapons inside a spire.

“While all our current company designs will be available there have been a few adjustments since the last re-organisation and these new lines may contain units that match your requirements.

“The experimental cyber mastiff company has been reduced in size to follow the standard three hundred and thirty-six heralds per company, but their mastiff allotment has been increased. Rather than using mastiffs as frontline assault units, it is now a mastiff riders company.

“The dogs are highly mobile and are ideal for hit and run manoeuvres, crowd control, and vertical terrain. They are not great in open ground. As such, a mastiff riders company should show great performance in law enforcement, urban fighting, and ship boarding.

“We also have two new company types in production, power armour companies and vanguard armour companies. In a power armour company, the special weapon teams, that’s five teams of six heralds, are replaced with power armour infantry. They are incredibly tough and versatile and, with the right equipment, can perform almost any role.

“Second, we have the vanguard armour. Vanguard armour is the new name for the armed version of the cargo loader. A vanguard armour company has five units of vanguard armour, usually the most senior member of each of the five special weapon teams, though all special weapon team members should be able to pilot them with suffcient skill.

“These units are not as robust as imperial knights or even tau battlesuits, at least for now, neither are they that agile. As such they are best deployed in areas rich in cover, or in smaller areas where they can overwhelm more standard troops without exposing themselves to long range heavy fire. Do not treat them like tanks on legs. They will likely be best in a law enforcement role, or in boarding actions, where their industrial origins can help cut through bulkheads, or displace rioters’ crude barricades.

“Last of all, you can use vanguard armour to replace the logistics mastiffs in any company where using a large quantity of dogs might prove problematic, like aboard a escort class voidship. Please note that this will double the cost of a company, as you would need fifteen of them, and most companies are highly attached to their dogs and are unlikely to want to give them up. The mastiffs are generally a better choice as they are not troubled by rough terrain and can swim if necessary. Their only weakness, unlike vanguard armour, is underwater and vacuum operations.

“Does anyone have any general questions about their personal security?” says Commander MacCrane.

Erin Oglivie clears his throat, “What are the deployment conditions for our personal battalion?”

“Their sole responsibility,” says Commander MacCrane, “Is your personal safety. They are not there to run errands for you, or guard your pet projects. Most of the time they will be based in and around your primary residence and place of work. They will also escort you wherever you go, though you won’t have thousands of troops at your heels, usually only thirty or so.

“The rest will secure routes and destinations in advance as well as protect your families, if you have them, as they go about their lives. They are also there to look out for unnatural influences upon yourselves and your staff, criminal infiltrators, and other threats. Above all, they will be loyal to the Magos, and only the Magos. You will only ever have a problem with them if you are doing something you shouldn’t.”

Erin shrugs, “Seems as heavy handed as it is useful. Who will ‘watch the watchers’, as it were?”

“Ah, I’ll field that question,” I say. “There is a tenth member of the council. A spymaster. They do not have a vote as politics has been deliberately scrubbed from their role. They are not here because they are not to be seen or heard and they are personally appointed by me. Their job is internal security and they will feed information to the appropriate parties when necessary and you likely won’t even know it is my spymaster. This information will usually go to Erin, as he is the Arbites Marshall, but that won’t always be the case.

“We also have military police for the Stellar Corps, internal affairs for the Arbites, naval intelligence for the monitor fleet, and the Marwolv Internal Auditors, or MIA, for the planet’s central administration. Everyone will be watching each other.

“This isn’t to foster paranoia and fear, merely ensure the most honest and efficient bureaucracy we can manage. These agencies, coupled with good education and living standards should keep corruption to a minimum.”

In truth, Logis Ronnat Caird is my spymaster. She is best placed to ‘follow the money’ as it were and having people look for a tenth member is a good deception. I also have a machine-spirit who no one knows about, except me, that crunches datasets to look for unusual trends and make predictions. That data is then forwarded to me in small chunks mixed into any official correspondence I receive. It doesn’t take actions on its own, it only provides data, so it’s really hard to notice.

“Sure boss,” says Erin, with a big grin on his face. “It’s nice to dream.”

I point at the agri-spire construction site, “It’s making dreams come true that lead to these grand constructions, you cheeky bugger.”

“I know, boss,” says Erin. He shakes his head, takes a steadying breath, and his face returns to a more serious expression. “I have no more questions.”

“Ah, if we are almost done with the meeting?” says Rune Priest Uurad Selkirk.

I nod.

“Then I have a more personal question, Magos. What led to your new appearance?”

This would be a good time to establish the correct narrative. Even if someone discovers the truth, by then, no one would believe anything other than my original story.