Warhammer: The Time Traveler

Chapter 366 Praying to the Emperor (First Update)
In a heavily guarded laboratory deep within the base, Chen Yu showed Sigismund the assembled warp drive core.

It sits quietly on the test platform, its structure precise and its lines sleek, but its size is indeed insignificant compared to the Empire's magnificent plasma reactors or subspace drive devices.

Sigismund examined the device. His battle-hardened face did not reveal much emotion, but the scrutiny in his eyes and a hint of doubt that could not be completely concealed were clear.

This is the thing that claims to enable travel at a thousand times the speed of light, freeing us from dependence on subspace and navigators.

This still sounds a bit... too good to be true.

“I know this is hard to believe, Lord Sigismund,” Chen Yu’s synthesized voice broke the silence, his crimson optical lens shining steadily, “but please consider everything we have done for this meeting.”

He raised his mechanical arm and pointed it out of the laboratory, as if it could penetrate the wall and point to the battlefield where the fighting had just ended.

"The green-skinned orcs were precisely delivered to my doorstep and underwent abnormal evolution in a very short time, as if an invisible hand was catalyzing them from behind, just to nip me and my research in the bud."

"The Death Guard's traitorous fleet has precisely laid an ambush on your inevitable route, attempting to prevent you from reaching here."

"And that perfectly timed, sustained subspace storm that sealed off the galaxy..."

His voice was steady, yet carried an undeniable logical force.

"And what just ended was the fleet from the Martian headquarters, the 'orthodox' fleet of our Mechanicus. They went so far as to declare us heretics in order to forcibly seize this technology. Why?"

Chen Yu's optical lens was fixed on Sigismund: "If this is just an insignificant or ethereal technology, is it worth so many forces, from Chaos to Aliens, and even within our own ranks, going to such lengths and at such high cost to stop it?"
What they fear—me, Chen Yu, or this barren, deathly world beneath my feet?

He paused briefly, allowing Sigismund to process his words.

"No, what they fear is the 'possibility' it represents; they fear that the Imperial army will no longer be subject to the treacherous storms of the warp and the scarcity of navigators."

The will of the Empire of Fear can be projected to every corner of the galaxy with unprecedented speed and certainty; the human civilization of Fear gains a more stable and autonomous interstellar route.

What they fear is the power the empire might gain from this, the power to break the current stalemate.

"All these obstacles, Lord Sigismund, do not prove the unreliability of this technology. On the contrary, they prove, in the most brutal and direct way, the real and undeniable potential and value of this technology to shake up the existing order."

They were afraid Lord Rogue Dorne would see it, afraid the Empire would possess it.

Chen Yu concluded with a resolute tone: "Sometimes, what your enemy is desperately trying to prevent you from getting is often exactly what you need most."

Sigismund was silent for a moment; Chen Yu's logic was impeccable. The more frantically the enemy tried to obstruct it, the more it confirmed the value and threat of this technology.

He looked at the unassuming warp drive core, the last trace of doubt in his eyes vanishing, replaced by an iron will.

“Your words are like a battle horn, dispelling the fog.” Sigismund’s voice was deep and firm. “Then, sage, how shall we safely deliver this… creation, capable of reshaping the future of the Empire, to Holy Terra?”

He looked around the laboratory, his gaze seemingly piercing through the walls to see the wreckage of the warships on the tracks.

"On the way here, we experienced warp storms, the blades of traitors, and..." He paused, not mentioning Mars directly, but his meaning was clear, "...internal obstacles. The way back will only be more dangerous."

The enemy already knows our objective, and they will not stand idly by while we reach Terra.

He looked at Chen Yu and asked the most practical question: "Does this item have to be escorted by our fleet, or are there other more secretive and safer ways?"
Should we split up to confuse potential interceptors? Or…

His gaze sharpened. "Do you still possess any treasures that, like before, can directly... 'clear' the waterway?"

Sigismund is prepared to pay a heavy price, whether it be fierce fighting or precious resources.

Ensuring the safe presentation of warp drive technology to Primarch Dorne is the paramount mission at present.

Sigismund's question went straight to the heart of the matter, but Chen Yu's response took him by surprise.

"Don't keep thinking about my treasures, Lord Sigismund." Chen Yu's synthesized voice carried a hint of almost human helplessness. "They are indeed keys that can open up new possibilities in desperate situations, but each one is unique, and once used, there are fewer left. They are the pinnacle of human wisdom before the Dark Ages, and their value far exceeds our lives. Even if we were to use them, they should be reserved for the moment that truly determines the survival of civilization, not consumed on the way back."

He abruptly changed the subject, the crimson optical lens flashing slightly: "We have a more realistic option. First, I can use this core as a basis to urgently build a light ship capable of carrying it. We can board this ship, activate the warp drive, and head straight for Holy Terra at a thousand times the speed of light."

However, Chen Yu immediately pointed out two fatal flaws in this plan, which made it almost unsolvable:

"First of all, while the speed is fast, the distance is an objective reality. The world of the dead is more than eight thousand light-years away from Holy Terra. Even if we maintain a thousand times the speed of light, it would still take us a full eight years to get there. Eight years, there are too many variables, we can't wait, and neither can the Primarch."

“Secondly, and more importantly—the star map.” Chen Yu’s mechanical finger traced through the air, bringing up a complex stream of star map data. “For millennia, the Empire has relied on star torches and warp travel. All star maps are essentially mappings of warp routes, their coordinates and paths heavily dependent on the navigator’s psionic perception for interpretation. For pure faster-than-light travel in the physical universe, most of these star maps only mark the relative positions of neighboring star systems and are full of subjective distortions. We can’t even determine the precise location of Holy Terra in the physical universe, let alone plan a safe route across eight thousand light-years. Blindly attempting faster-than-light jumps is tantamount to suicide.”

He paused for a moment, allowing Sigismund to fully understand these two insurmountable obstacles.

"Therefore, the first option is not realistic at the moment."

(End of this chapter)