OpticonSorry — Rogue Trader Dialogue Archive

Entry point 1

Pasqal"Requesting cessation of hostilities."

YOU[Point to Tarzus] "Help your brother."

Pasqal"The unit that called itself Tarzus Haneumann //is dead//has been disabled//. This material asset is beyond restoration or reuse as spare parts."

PasqalAfter a pause, Pasqal bows his head, and a binharic requiem pours out of his vox. "Despite his misconceptions, he was a servant of the Omnissiah."

YOU[Point to Tarzus] "Help your brother."

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YOU"Pasqal, what did you do to Tarzus?"

PasqalPasqal's confused reply comes from his vox in a rasp: "Unable... to fulfil... request. The Omnissiah granted me an epiphany, and I... muted the maimed machine spirit that was filling Tarzus's mind with fury. I do not fully understand the manner of my appeal to it. The situation perfectly mirrors the incident on Rykad Minoris where I appealed to the machine spirit of a malfunctioning mechanism and laid it to rest."

YOU[Point to Tarzus] "Help your brother."

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YOU"Pasqal, what did you do to Tarzus?"continues where this line first appears above

YOU"I am sorry that you had to kill a comrade."

Pasqal"I also //regret//have a negative assessment of// this event."

Pasqal"The Adeptus Mechanicus still accuse the unit identifying itself as Pasqal Haneumann of criminal theft of a unique identification code. Unlike Tech-Brother Tarzus, I am not authorised to immediately //arrest//execute// the unit, but neither am I authorised to drop the enquiry."

Pasqal"There are no apostates among us." The piercing voice from the vox-synth is more overwhelming than Tarzus's thunderous roar: "Tech-Brother Tarzus and the machine spirit that lived in his battle harness succumbed to the suffering that beset them. Their judgement was rash and erroneous. Now their torment is over. I declare them martyrs, and am requisitioning Tarzus Haneumann's neural augmetic for the purposes of preserving his blessed memory."

PasqalAs astonished Tech-Priests look on, Pasqal leans over the slain man's body and extracts the augmetic from his skull. His movements are as precise as they are respectful.

YOU"Ah... Pasqal?"

PasqalThe Tech-Priest makes an imperious gesture, stopping you from continuing.

PasqalWith each word, Pasqal's voice grows more powerful and majestic: "You saw the agony your Tech-Brother Tarzus was in. His unbridled, pain-spurred faith intimidated you, yet you were silent. Reverence stopped you from raising your voices to proclaim that the machine spirit with which his mind had merged was morbidly afflicted."

Pasqal"The imperative of reverence had paralysed your will, and you watched a tragedy unfold in silence. The Sixth Universal Law states that Comprehension is the True Path to Knowledge. Yet the procedural Cycle has robbed you of your Comprehension. Therefore — let the Cycle be discontinued."

PasqalThere is a clang as Opticon-22's knee presses into the floor. Crimson-hooded heads are bowed. "Let the Cycle be discontinued."

PasqalThe radiant light pouring out of Pasqal's visor grows dimmer. Static creeps back into his voice: "Let the Cycle be discontinued, tech-comrades."

YOU"Pasqal, there is one small point I'm not clear on — what just happened?"

PasqalPasqal's vox-synth crackles somewhat tentatively, "I decided to sustain my words with an excerpt from one of the blessed Amarnat's sermons, 'On Loss of Internal and External Function,' Verse IV. My analysis deemed it... appropriate."

YOU"Pasqal, there is one small point I'm not clear on — what just happened?"continues where this line first appears above

YOU"What is the reason for this act of genuflection?"

Pasqal"It has been a long time since the words of the Messiah of Discontinuing were last spoken //openly//over public communication bands//. We respectfully welcome wisdom's return."

Pasqal"So he is not forgotten after all."

YOU"The Messiah of Discontinuing? Is that how you refer to Amarnat?"

Pasqal"Following Archmagos Amarnat's partial //laicisation//removal from the chain of command//, that was the authorship attribution on a series of sermons on Discontinuing the Cycle that were disseminated across the Cognisance Fleet."

Pasqal"It was, in fact, a title used by many. In times past."

YOU"The Messiah of Discontinuing? Is that how you refer to Amarnat?"

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YOU"Is Amarnat's teaching not heretical?"

Pasqal"This statement is false. Contrary to what many servants of the Omnissiah //thought they knew//preferred to believe//, the Fleet's Supreme Conclave never //formulated//issued// an official statement on that decision."

Pasqal"Thirty-seven percent of the Supreme Conclave's members openly supported Archmagos Amarnat's views and //disappeared//were removed from the chain of command// under circumstances that were classified. The Supreme Conclave has not had a quorum ever since."

YOU"The Messiah of Discontinuing? Is that how you refer to Amarnat?"

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YOU"Is Amarnat's teaching not heretical?"continues where this line first appears above

YOU"Do you know where Amarnat is now?"

Pasqal"Data unavailable. No reports have mentioned Archmagos Amarnat since the incident on the Ark Mechanicus Hermetico which led to the //presumed destruction//disappearance// of that voidship."

Pasqal"My archive has no data on the Hermetico incident. The vessel was the blessed Amarnat's base of operations. Is it... lost, then?" Pasqal's voice is filled with anxiety.

YOU"The Messiah of Discontinuing? Is that how you refer to Amarnat?"

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YOU"Is Amarnat's teaching not heretical?"continues where this line first appears above

YOU"Do you know where Amarnat is now?"continues where this line first appears above

YOU"Were you among his followers?"

Pasqal"Negative. I had no contact with Archmagos Amarnat and was never a member of his //flock//disciples//retinue//. However, my analysis of the doctrine he outlined inspired in me deep //respect for//trust in// him."

YOU"The Messiah of Discontinuing? Is that how you refer to Amarnat?"

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YOU"Is Amarnat's teaching not heretical?"continues where this line first appears above

YOU"Do you know where Amarnat is now?"continues where this line first appears above

YOU"Were you among his followers?"continues where this line first appears above

YOU"I presume the conflict between you and Pasqal has been resolved?"

Pasqal"The data received provides a basis for calling the fallen Tech-Brother Tarzus's hypothesis into question. //Out of respect for//Due to lack of authorisation to indict// the followers of the Messiah of Discontinuing, we will not proceed with the //detainment//arrest//termination//."

Pasqal"The Omnissiah knows all, comprehends all. Thank you, Tech-Brother Opticon-22."

YOU"Pasqal, there is one small point I'm not clear on — what just happened?"continues where this line first appears above

YOU"What is the reason for this act of genuflection?"continues where this line first appears above

YOU"Now that the conflict has been resolved, you may remain aboard my ship."

Pasqal"Request denied."

Pasqal"The Kappa Thread supply line delegation is leaving Dargonus, expresses gratitude for the //hospitality//ceasefire//, and proclaims its intent to return to Footfall to resume performing its regular functions." The Tech-Priest looks over at Pasqal as if waiting for something.

PasqalPasqal's mechadendrite briefly touches the shoulder of Opticon-22, who bows respectfully.

end of branch

YOU"Clear off. Or I will spill yet more blood and sacred unguents."

Pasqal"Request approved."

YOU"I presume the conflict between you and Pasqal has been resolved?"continues where this line first appears above