NPCEogunn's mechadendrites do not stop rooting in his insides even for a moment.
YOU"Determinacy in amalgam individuals? Wait, is this related to your previous experiment?"
NPC"Naturally. This is part of my path on the Quest for Knowledge, just as the creation of Triasomata was, but I have taken a different approach in my current experiment."
YOU"Determinacy in amalgam individuals? Wait, is this related to your previous experiment?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"What knowledge are you seeking this time? Does it warrant this... self-excavation?"
NPC"I am seeking the limit, Rogue Trader. The limit that Ferrum Sanctum can withstand, but living tissue cannot. I am trying to perceive the extent to which reverse augmentation can be accomplished without killing the recipient. And I myself, as the bearer of a large number of implants, am the ideal specimen.
YOU"Determinacy in amalgam individuals? Wait, is this related to your previous experiment?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"What knowledge are you seeking this time? Does it warrant this... self-excavation?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Why would you reverse someone's augmentation?"
NPC"The gifts of the Omnissiah come at a price, one that not everyone can pay. Their machine spirits can rage and reject the flesh with which they have been joined, causing pain or even... indescribable agony. Sometimes the only way to end it is to extract the augment, which often carries the risk of death. My objective is to find a way to mitigate this."
YOU"The work of the Sector Bionica is suffering because of your research."
NPC"Oh, as soon as I obtain the answers to my questions, I will rise from this throne and restore the Motive Force to the compartment, rest assured. And now I beg another pause, Rogue Trader — I must excavate the heart implant. Nuncius, kindly monitor the functioning of the atrioventricular node, if you would." One of the flexible mechadendrites dives deep into Eogunn's chest, carefully extracting the augmented heart.
NPCThe throne's machine spirits instantly erupt in a cacophony of alarms. You count no less than thirty beats of your own heart before the pulsing organ is returned to its owner's chest. The ashen shadow of death slowly leaves Eogunn's face. "Praise the Omnissiah! Nuncius, this is what we've been searching for. A thirty-second interval is optimal for removing the organ without causing dysfunction!"
NPCIt is impossible to tell whether the servo-skull shares his colleague's excitement.
NPC"Risks of a fatal outcome? The risks are negligible when what is at stake is crossing the limit of death itself. Both of my attempts to create a Triasomata have failed, and so it is necessary to apply a different methodology." He turns his clouded gaze to you. "Your thoughts on this matter interest me greatly, my colleague — so let them flow freely."
YOU"Wait. You mentioned two attempts? There was another Triasomata?"
NPC"Deftly deduced from my deliberate vagueness in my last thesis!" Eogunn tries to smile, but winces in pain as the throne's manipulators, obeying the will of the ancient machine spirit, begin to return all the extracted implants to their previous positions. "You are correct — the one you and I created was the second attempt. The first was the starting point that whetted my thirst for the mysteries of the machine that is the organic body. A most fascinating story, Nuncius's telling of it most engaging!"
NPCNuncius's account remains a mystery to you, safely hidden behind the grin of your interlocutor.
NPCHis energy flagging, Eogunn sighs. "Yes, Nuncius, perhaps the story is indeed too long for our current circumstances. But enough of the lyrical digressions. I have since made significant progress in understanding the wisdom of the Omnissiah, and the failure of both triasomia procedures will remain merely another setback on the path to comprehension."
YOU"Wait. You mentioned two attempts? There was another Triasomata?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Elaborate on your thesis, Eogunn. Why is vanquishing death so important to you?"
NPC"Because if a machine as functional and multifaceted as the human organism ceases to exist — all practical meaning of it is destroyed." Eogunn's large hands grip the edges of the implantation throne, their knuckles white. "And I have dared to fathom ways of prolonging life precisely to preserve that meaning. The operational limits of organics can be overcome, the annihilation of flesh and mind averted, and function raised to the absolute. Death is what sustains the Imperium — this is true." He glances at the servo-skull. "But life is what propels it forward. This is an incontrovertible fact."
YOU"Wait. You mentioned two attempts? There was another Triasomata?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Elaborate on your thesis, Eogunn. Why is vanquishing death so important to you?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I would like to hear Nuncius's position."
NPCThe servo-skull is silent as always.
NPC"Yes, dearest colleague, you are certainly correct in asserting that death is the natural and inevitable cessation of life processes." The Genetor presses his lips together. "But is that not why the Omnissiah granted us the gift of reason and the ability to comprehend existence, so that we humans would submit to the natural way of things? You accept death as a fact, but I believe such fatalism is incomprehensible to a servant of the Omnissiah — do not machines strive for eternity in His image and likeness?"
YOU"Wait. You mentioned two attempts? There was another Triasomata?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Elaborate on your thesis, Eogunn. Why is vanquishing death so important to you?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I would like to hear Nuncius's position."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Well, I shall readily share my thoughts."
NPCEogunn nods briskly, sparing a look at the lines of data running across the data-slate. The mechadendrites, bristling with needles, begin to rapidly stitch together the wounds on his body.
YOU"It's not worth it. You can try to prolong existence indefinitely, but after a certain point, such existence can scarcely be called life."
NPCEogunn frowns, pensively tugging at a piston on his beard. "You differentiate between the concepts of 'life' and 'survival'? But where do you draw the line? Can anything outweigh the desire to live at all costs? I admit, I have not considered the question from such a perspective, but your strength of will impresses me. Perhaps I should show some fortitude as well, and consider my hypothesis from a different angle."
NPCA triumphant binharic hymn pouring out of the implantation throne's vox-transmitters interrupts the Manipulus's musings, signalling the completion of the procedure. Eogunn's anti-grav generator stirs to life once more, and the Genetor floats smoothly into the air. It appears that the gory experiment he just performed on himself has had no catastrophic consequences. Nuncius rises after him, a silent shadow.
NPC"And so, the experiment is complete, and I deem the outcome wholly satisfactory." Eogunn folds his arms over his sizeable stomach, giving you a polite bow. "Thank you for your so timely arrival, Rogue Trader. You have given me food for thought that will occupy my unquiet mind for a long time to come, and will surely grant me many revelations in the future. Now I must return to the laboratory and discuss the results in detail with Nuncius."
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YOU"Life is a duty, not merely a right. A person must live as long as they are able to bring benefit to the Imperium."
NPC"Looking at life through the prism of duty is wise. I must never forget the purpose of my ambitions. There is sound reasoning to that argument, more than a little." The Tech-Priest watches with deliberate nonchalance as the tips of the injectors plunge into his pale flesh again and again. "After all, every organism is a machine of the Omnissiah, and its purpose is to serve humanity."
NPCA triumphant binharic hymn pouring out of the implantation throne's vox-transmitters interrupts the Manipulus's musings, signalling the completion of the procedure. Eogunn's anti-grav generator stirs to life once more, and the Genetor floats smoothly into the air. It appears that the gory experiment he just performed on himself has had no catastrophic consequences. Nuncius rises after him, a silent shadow.continues where this line first appears above
YOU"You are right. Vanquishing death will be the triumph of reason and the triumph of being, born not by the will of chance but by the will of humanity."
NPC"It is extremely gratifying that you share my position!" Eogunn's sonorous, vibrating voice rings with enthusiasm. A discharge bursts from the galvanic cell in his abdomen, sending blue sparks scattering in every direction. "I hope you will share in this triumph with me, Rogue Trader. I will apply myself to my research with redoubled zeal."
NPCA triumphant binharic hymn pouring out of the implantation throne's vox-transmitters interrupts the Manipulus's musings, signalling the completion of the procedure. Eogunn's anti-grav generator stirs to life once more, and the Genetor floats smoothly into the air. It appears that the gory experiment he just performed on himself has had no catastrophic consequences. Nuncius rises after him, a silent shadow.continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Well, I shall readily share my thoughts."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I would like to hear Nuncius's position."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Well, I shall readily share my thoughts."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Elaborate on your thesis, Eogunn. Why is vanquishing death so important to you?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I would like to hear Nuncius's position."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Well, I shall readily share my thoughts."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Why would you reverse someone's augmentation?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"The work of the Sector Bionica is suffering because of your research."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"What knowledge are you seeking this time? Does it warrant this... self-excavation?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Why would you reverse someone's augmentation?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"The work of the Sector Bionica is suffering because of your research."continues where this line first appears above
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NPCA highly unusual goal for a Tech-Priest — in the eyes of the servants of the Omnissiah, human life rarely outweighs the value of augments. Something must have propelled him down this path in the past.
YOU"Determinacy in amalgam individuals? Wait, is this related to your previous experiment?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"What knowledge are you seeking this time? Does it warrant this... self-excavation?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Why would you reverse someone's augmentation?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"The work of the Sector Bionica is suffering because of your research."continues where this line first appears above
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NPCThe implantation throne stands before you in all its glory, illuminated with discharges of the Motive Force. A massive body is laid out upon it, and it takes you a moment to recognise it as Eogunn.
NPC"Nuncius, I am in complete agreement that any interference with the function of the galvanic abdomen will lead to acute hypertension, but I have the situation perfectly under control. A fatal outcome has been excluded as a possibility." Eogunn stares intently at the vid-screen attached to his neck. All his body cavities have been carefully opened — you watch the crimson-pink lump of his augmented heart as it beats in his chest, and you see the faint flickering of his galvanic cell through the whitish film of his peritoneum.
NPC"Yes, Nuncius, I am sure. Now propitiate the Motive Force with the offering of the Second Galvanic Hymn. Conducting the rite of voltage multiplication. Ten percent, steady. Twenty percent..." Eogunn's eyelids close, and his head drops limply onto his chest.
NPCA moment passes, and the Genetor draws a shuddering breath and startles back to consciousness. "Twenty percent: hypertension, momentary loss of consciousness. The Motive Force is surging uncontrollably, additional portocaval shunts are required to propitiate it and compensate for the excess pressure... Well, then. You were right, Nuncius. Abdominal extraction is impossible — this is an incontrovertible fact."
YOU"Is this some special kind of Tech-Priest self-torture?"
NPC"Not at all, Rogue Trader. I am careful to ensure that my pain level never exceeds borderline values — my objective is not to harm myself, but to learn!"
YOU"Is this some special kind of Tech-Priest self-torture?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Fascinating. I have never seen such operations performed on oneself before."
NPCEogunn smiles through the pain. "I must assume that you have never met a Genetor of my calibre, Rogue Trader. The procedure is utterly trivial, if one observes the rituals of vivisection and the operational covenants of the Omnissiah."
YOU"Is this some special kind of Tech-Priest self-torture?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Fascinating. I have never seen such operations performed on oneself before."continues where this line first appears above
YOU[Step closer] "I did not grant you leave to kill yourself!"
NPC"By the Machine God, be careful, Rogue Trader!" Grimacing with pain and exertion, Eogunn struggles to extend one of his manipulators to the numerous toggle switches on the apparatus. "The throne circuit is overloaded with galvanic energies and so the current is rampaging. If you interfere, the course of the experiment will be unpredictable!"
YOU[Flip the throne's master-switch]
NPCThe hairs on your body stand on end. A tingling, unbearably hot wave of voltage rushes through your nerves, and every muscle twists in a sharp spasm. A powerful pulse of energy propels you backward.
YOU[Flip the throne's master-switch]continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Incredible... How are you able to endure something like this?"
NPC"Your method of attracting attention is highly effective, Rogue Trader." Eogunn examines the bloody organ, which is being held up to his face by a mechadendrite. "That rash act almost cost me my spleen. Then again, I should have considered replacing it with a bionic equivalent long ago. Nuncius, log that thought." The flexible metal manipulator, obeying the Genetor's commands, reinserts the lump of bloody flesh somewhere inside his gaping belly.
YOU[Flip the throne's master-switch]continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Incredible... How are you able to endure something like this?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Why are you torturing yourself? You could have dulled the pain with stimulants."
NPC"Pain is merely the instrument by which living flesh alerts us to deleterious effects upon it. I am using this tool to receive the most complete and, thus, the most valuable information about the consequences of my procedures."
YOU[Flip the throne's master-switch]continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Incredible... How are you able to endure something like this?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Why are you torturing yourself? You could have dulled the pain with stimulants."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Your methods are highly original, Eogunn. What experiment are you conducting?"
NPC"I am currently engaged in a study of determinacy in the existence of amalgam individuals. Your presence will no doubt enliven the discussion my dearest colleague and I are having as I work. You have caught Nuncius and me about halfway through our disputation."
YOU"Determinacy in amalgam individuals? Wait, is this related to your previous experiment?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"What knowledge are you seeking this time? Does it warrant this... self-excavation?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Why would you reverse someone's augmentation?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"The work of the Sector Bionica is suffering because of your research."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Your methods are highly original, Eogunn. What experiment are you conducting?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Why are you torturing yourself? You could have dulled the pain with stimulants."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Your methods are highly original, Eogunn. What experiment are you conducting?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Incredible... How are you able to endure something like this?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Why are you torturing yourself? You could have dulled the pain with stimulants."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Your methods are highly original, Eogunn. What experiment are you conducting?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Should you break yourself, I will not fix you."
NPC"I appreciate your concern, Rogue Trader, but the experiment is completely under control. Moreover, Nuncius is carefully monitoring my condition. If you will excuse me, I will be able to continue our conversation in just a moment."
NPCSeveral manipulators dive inside Eogunn's gaping abdomen, extracting from its depths a small lump of maroon-coloured flesh. You see the Genetor's skin rapidly pale to parchment white — the only thing now keeping him conscious are the discharges of Motive Force crackling through his body. "Splenic extraction... Nuncius, this is, truly, fascinating. Blood flow has slowed, the load on the main arteries has fallen dramatically. I classify my current condition as pre-mortem. Viability minimal."
YOU[Flip the throne's master-switch]continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Incredible... How are you able to endure something like this?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Why are you torturing yourself? You could have dulled the pain with stimulants."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Your methods are highly original, Eogunn. What experiment are you conducting?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Eogunn, stop!"
NPC"Impossible. At the present stage, the process cannot be interrupted, not even at the behest of the Rogue Trader." The Tech-Priest shows no hint of surprise, as though he had been expecting your visit. "I will be ready to speak with you in approximately one minute."
NPCSeveral manipulators dive inside Eogunn's gaping abdomen, extracting from its depths a small lump of maroon-coloured flesh. You see the Genetor's skin rapidly pale to parchment white — the only thing now keeping him conscious are the discharges of Motive Force crackling through his body. "Splenic extraction... Nuncius, this is, truly, fascinating. Blood flow has slowed, the load on the main arteries has fallen dramatically. I classify my current condition as pre-mortem. Viability minimal."continues where this line first appears above
YOU[Do not interfere and wait]
NPCSeveral manipulators dive inside Eogunn's gaping abdomen, extracting from its depths a small lump of maroon-coloured flesh. You see the Genetor's skin rapidly pale to parchment white — the only thing now keeping him conscious are the discharges of Motive Force crackling through his body. "Splenic extraction... Nuncius, this is, truly, fascinating. Blood flow has slowed, the load on the main arteries has fallen dramatically. I classify my current condition as pre-mortem. Viability minimal."continues where this line first appears above
YOU[Step closer] "I did not grant you leave to kill yourself!"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Should you break yourself, I will not fix you."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Eogunn, stop!"continues where this line first appears above
YOU[Do not interfere and wait]continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Fascinating. I have never seen such operations performed on oneself before."continues where this line first appears above
YOU[Step closer] "I did not grant you leave to kill yourself!"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Should you break yourself, I will not fix you."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Eogunn, stop!"continues where this line first appears above
YOU[Do not interfere and wait]continues where this line first appears above