Warhammer: The Time Traveler

Chapter 374 The Time Paradox (Ninth Update)
As the "Eternal Expedition" and its escort fleet sailed into the solar system, the crimson planet—Mars—came into view.

As the headquarters and holy site of the Cult of Mechanics, its orbit is surrounded by massive docks, monitoring stations, and defense platforms, second only to Holy Terra in terms of activity and security.

Almost at the same time the fleet was locked onto by the Mars sensors, a communication request with the highest authority on Mars was connected to the bridge of the "Eternal Expedition".

Sigismund signaled to connect, and a holographic image appeared on the screen: a sage of the Mechanicus, clad in a red robe and adorned with intricate gears and skull emblems.

His voice, synthesized, carried an unquestionable authority: "In the name of the Martian Council and Omnesia, the god of all machines, I pay homage to the sage of exploration, Chen Yu."

We have learned that you have successfully restored and mastered some of the precious technological heritage from humanity's golden age.

Such sacred knowledge can only exert its due and most powerful effect on Mars, in the hands of those of us who truly understand and revere its sacred nature, to better serve humanity and emperors.

To spread it out into the hands of mortals who have failed to be tempered by the fire of knowledge is undoubtedly a desecration and waste of the glory of the god of all things.

We request that you immediately hand over all relevant technical files and physical samples for proper safekeeping and further research by Mars.

Chen Yu was no stranger to this argument, and his internal logic almost instantly generated the urge to refute it.

However, before he could formulate his words, another communication, also bearing the highest authority identifier on Mars, forcibly cut in and occupied another communication channel.

Another image of a great sage appears, his red robe and badge are slightly different in style, and his tone is equally urgent, but the focus of his appeal is completely opposite: "Sage Chen Yu, do not be blinded by the narrow-mindedness of the conservatives!"

The true value of these golden technologies, capable of reshaping the power structure of the empire, lies in their widespread application, spreading the wisdom and glory of Omnisiah to every corner of the galaxy!
Mars, with its most complete industrial base, the largest missionary network, and the deepest technological foundation, is the only qualified executor to carry out this great undertaking.

We demand that you immediately sign a comprehensive technology-sharing agreement with Mars, and that we take the lead in promoting this sacred technology throughout the entire Empire!

Looking at the two great sages on the two channels in front of him, representing different factions of the Martian Mechanicus headquarters, with opposing views but both trying to seize control of the technology, the servo motor inside Chen Yu's massive mechanical body emitted a barely audible, almost sighing hum.

The light from his crimson optical lens seemed to dim for a moment as a stream of data, a mixture of absurdity and utter helplessness, washed over his processing core.

He even had an urge to cover his face armor with his mechanical hand—if his body structure allowed him to make such a human-like gesture.

Without a doubt, the headquarters of the Martian Mechanicus has once again begun their traditional art—"academic disputes."

When faced with new technologies that could change the landscape, different factions within the organization, based on their respective research directions, desires for power, and different interpretations of doctrine, can never reach a consensus.

Conservatives seek to monopolize and preserve, radicals yearn to promote and utilize, while other factions may oscillate between the two.

At this point, Chen Yu finally understood which faction had instigated the Martian fleet that had previously dared to declare him a heretic in order to forcibly seize the technology, only to be ultimately defeated. Or rather, it was a faction's unauthorized action without reaching an internal consensus.

He had already witnessed far too much of this kind of internal strife and infighting.

Sigismund clearly understood the situation as well. He snorted coldly, interrupting the two great sages' potential continued argument: "This is the Black Sanctuary flagship, the 'Eternal Expedition.' Sage Chen Yu and the technology he carries will be presented directly to Primarch Rogue Dorn and the Terra high command for their decision."

Please handle your own internal affairs on Mars. End of communication.

He didn't give the other side any more chance to entangle themselves, and decisively cut off the communication link with Mars.

Silence returned to the bridge for the time being, leaving only Chen Yu's silent contempt for the deep-rooted bureaucratic and factional infighting practices of Mars.

After Sigismund made his position clear and cut off communications, the fleet did not stop and continued to sail towards Holy Terra along the planned route.

Chen Yu's massive frame stood before the observation window of the bridge, his crimson optical lens sweeping across the red planet and its enormous orbital facilities.

His sensor array detected a port area in the Martian orbital rings where a fleet was finishing its assembly and slowly heading toward Mandeville Point, preparing for a subspace jump.

A hunch based on data comparison and logical deduction led him to request Sigismund: "Scan that fleet that just left port."

The scan results came back quickly, and after comparing them with the parameters recorded in the database, the conclusion was clear and unambiguous—the fleet that was setting sail was exactly the same as the Martian fleet that had attacked them in the Death World star system and was eventually destroyed, both in terms of ship type and appearance.

This result did not surprise Chen Yu; on the contrary, it confirmed one of his previous speculations.

He calmly shared the analysis results with Sigismund, adding a concise note: "The time turbulence effect in the subspace. For them, the journey has just begun; for us, their destruction is in the past."

Clearly, this fleet encountered one of the most perplexing and elusive phenomena in subspace travel—the time paradox.

In their timeline, they are only now setting off from Mars to the world of the dead to carry out a mission to steal technology.

However, in Chen Yu and Sigismund's timeline, the fate of this fleet was already sealed, and its wreckage may still be slowly cooling in the void outside the Death World star system.

Subspace itself does not follow the linear time flow of the real universe. Although the situation of "starting today and arriving yesterday" or "starting later and arriving first" is rare, it is not without precedent.

Of course, a possibility also crossed Chen Yu's mind: Could there be some ancient technological creations that have been activated interfering with the continuity of spacetime?
After all, humanity created many incomprehensible powers during the Dark Ages.

However, this thought only passed by for a moment.

Chen Yu had neither the interest nor the time to delve into the complex reasons behind it.

His goal was clear and unwavering: to reach Holy Terra, meet with Roger Dorn, and present the two crucial "cargo" they had brought back through perilous journeys—the Warp Drive core and the Genesis Factor sample—to the Primarch.

This is the paramount task that overrides everything else.

(End of this chapter)