Aureus, Iron Fortress.
Third standard month, 941.M30.
Within the silver spire at the top, Nareth stood by the window, his hands clasped behind his back.
'As expected, obtaining the construction machines for the STC is not so easy.'
Over the past two months, using diplomatic opportunities, Nareth had "corroded" two of the thirteen consuls. The "Pleasure," Maria, had also taken control of one consul.
After grasping the situation on Aureus, he learned that the consuls had clearly defined areas of responsibility. The Mechanical Consul, Anthony, controlled the construction machines for the STC.
But Anthony rarely appeared in public, and without resorting to force, it was difficult to subdue him.
A flicker passed through Nareth's eyes. He thought to himself.
'It's time for the "Dream Stealer," Tierney, to act.'
A standard hour later, Tierney extended the wings of his Yeld pattern Dominum Armor. Hundreds of plates of finest custom alloy shifted.
Camouflaged, he rose silently amidst the layered fortress.
Following the runes on his tactical oculars, Tierney rose slowly, approaching his target.
By the Black Emperor's command, Maria Kulnikova, the honored guest of Aureus, had confirmed the whereabouts of the rarely-seen Mechanical Consul, Anthony. He would be resting at his fourth residence, one of his five, for the next five hours.
Over the past two months, Tierney had familiarized himself with most of this iron fortress.
Overall, it resembled the hive city in far northern Vostroya, where cold permeated every corner.
Unlike the natural cold of his homeland, this iron fortress was composed of countless bunkers and high-walled defensive towers.
Only Tech-Priests and the renowned Techmarines of the Astartes Legions could construct such a military fortress.
As Tierney pondered, he had already ascended over five hundred meters, reaching the upper levels of the iron fortress.
His gaze swept over an area marked by a band of yellow fluorescence, within which was a weapon resembling a Basilisk autocannon.
'The Aureans are changing their deployed weapons.'
Tierney had walked many worlds, but even on Terra and Vostroya, he had never seen an iron fortress like Aureus's.
Every day, some section of this fortress would have its deployed weapons changed.
For Aureus, with its Forge World-like productivity, producing the weapons was not difficult.
But changing the weapons system of a major fortress is a massive systemic undertaking, involving energy distribution, the impact on defensive systems, and many other factors.
Yet the Aureans' iron fortress seemed more like an assembled model, adaptable and flexible.
'No wonder my Lord wants me to acquire their complete construction templates.'
As Tierney pondered, the rune count shrank to under one thousand. A defensive spire, resembling a hive tower, rooted in the layered bedrock, came into view.
The "Dream Stealer" twisted his lithe form and carefully floated down onto the spire.
The sensors of the Yeld pattern Dominum Armor continuously captured various readings of the surrounding steel: temperature, shape...
The cogitator array drove the suit's mimicry system to replicate those readings.
Tierney silently climbed, reaching the spire's apex.
The distance between him and his target had shrunk to within a hundred meters.
Tierney stopped ten meters from a porthole. The "Dream Stealer" could already see faint, glimmering light.
He crouched slightly, bringing the whole porthole into view.
Tierney's eyes flashed. Spheres of light appeared in his mind's eye, their layered arrangement emitting dense scanning beams.
'The Aureans possess advanced technological capabilities. Anthony is a high-ranking official. The security sensors in his room might detect me.'
'Sneaking into the room is too risky.'
As the "Dream Stealer" pondered, he focused on a glowing cluster.
Through "Superior Observation," the valuable object appeared to be a metal key.
'The key to the STC.'
'Brought from Terra, it follows an ancient commemorative form.'
Locking onto a target, the "Dream Stealer" activated his psychic vision, gazing at the figure wearing it.
Clusters of light suddenly bloomed before his eyes: a gray dream, an explosion in a forge claiming the lives of four technicians and dozens of laborers; an orange memory, a young boy, Anthony, sitting before a holographic screen, looking up at it...
The "Dream Stealer" quickly reviewed Anthony's entire world, filled with learning, labor, machinery, and technology.
'Pure!''
'Like a fully mechanized priest of Mars.'
Among the many glowing clusters, the "Dream Stealer" saw a shining red cluster – Anthony's ideal:
To fully utilize the construction machines, build mechanical wonders, and create a better future for humanity.
'My Lord will guide you to realize your ideal.' Tierney whispered silently.
The "Dream Stealer" then identified his other target.
Within a brilliant, shimmering silver cluster: a massive silver sphere.
Around it, cables thick as serpents coiled.
'The STC construction machine.'
The "Dream Stealer" straightened, standing steady on the spire's surface.
Tierney gently raised his hands. Since becoming a "Dream Stealer," his "theft " range had increased to one hundred and twenty meters.
The range of "theft" had also expanded from physical objects to non-material domains like memories, dreams, and ideals.
Tierney, the "Dream Stealer," had already attempted it. He could even steal a thought a target was about to act upon, causing them a brief moment of blankness.
But he couldn't retain the stolen thought, and he had to perform the corresponding action himself in the target's stead.
The "Dream Stealer" clenched both hands simultaneously. The silver cluster flew to his right, absorbed into his spirit-form.
He now knew the location of the construction machine, its encrypted identity codes layered upon his mind.
In his left palm appeared a silver key, the size of a person's hand.
Tierney pulled a mandrake-flower-shaped key from his waist with his right hand, a key the size of an Astartes's hand.
The Czechk Key, bestowed by the Black Emperor.
A key named after Rosicky, Forge Lord of the Shadow of Order.
Tierney pressed the two keys together. The Czechk Key enveloped the silver key.
After eleven seconds, Tierney pulled his hands apart and returned the Czechk Key to his waist.
The "Dream Stealer" gazed at Anthony. With a subtle flick of his wrist, the silver key silently returned to Anthony's belt.
The "Dream Stealer" slid silently away, departing the spire.
He rapidly descended to the mid-levels of the iron fortress, entered a hidden altar, and, holding the Czechk Key in both hands, recited his prayer.
"Black Emperor of the Shadow of Order..." As he recited the second line, black mist rose, and an intangible, ethereal gate opened.
A wind sprang up within the altar. The mandrake-flower-shaped Czechk Key shot through the ethereal gate.
In the fourth layer of the Kingdom of Disorder, Nareth sat high on his throne, turning the key in his hands.
The Czechk Key was a key-making technology he had directed the Forge Lord to excavate from a world that would have been named Orphea.
In his memory, this was originally called the Orphea Key, a unique key mastered by the Archons of Orphea.
The cogitator engine of the Orphean Key could analyze unknown situations and provide solutions for the user.
Now, having collected the key data from the Mechanical Consul, Anthony, it could be replicated and authenticated.
Nareth then returned to the real world and handed the Orphean Key to a "Artisan" ordering him to replicate it.
....
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