Warhammer: The Time Traveler

Chapter 385 Business Negotiation (First Update)
Inside the negotiation hall of the Martian Parliament, a torrent of binary data collided with unprecedented intensity.

The air was filled with the burnt smell of an overloaded processor and the fishy, ​​sweet odor of rapidly circulating coolant.

The Forging World Alliance, led by Vox, and the parliamentary delegation representing the Martian orthodoxy have launched a war without gunfire, but one that concerns the future.

The Great Sage Vox resides at the center of the Alliance, his multi-tracked chassis firmly anchored to the ground. The mechanical tentacles on his back are no longer idle, but rather like a swarm of snakes poised to strike. The cutting-edge data interface is tightly connected to the temporary array of Thinkers, processing massive amounts of legal documents and historical cases at an astonishing speed.

His speaker no longer concealed its power, projecting precisely encoded binary arguments directly into the space with amplified, metallic-resonant, and powerful sound:

"The current technology certification and production licensing system was established during the Terra unification wars, aiming to integrate scattered technological resources to serve the grand goal of the Great Crusade. Its historical merits are undeniable." Vox's opening remarks carried a steady, scholarly air, but then his tone shifted, becoming sharp and critical with the flow of data. "However, the Great Crusade is now history, and the Empire has experienced the turmoil of the Great Rebellion. This system has gradually become rigid, a shackle hindering the spread of Omnisiah's glory!"

He pulled up a series of data streams and pointed to the highlighted part: "Mars Standard Technology Certification Process, average time taken 35.7 standard Terra years."

For non-Mars-affiliated foundry companies applying for new technology production licenses, the rejection rate is as high as 62%, with 85% of these rejections due to "non-critical deviations from standard templates"!

"This is a stagnation of knowledge! A murder of productivity!" Vladimir, the sage of Gloria, roared as he entered the conversation. His binary code was filled with the heavy force unique to his forging world, like the pounding of a forging hammer: "Gloria optimized the heat dissipation efficiency of the Mark IV thermomelting cannon, but because its energy circuit layout differs from the Martian standard by three percent, it has been deemed 'non-standard heresy' and banned from deployment! Is this reasonable?"

Lucius's Sage Thorne added with a cold, surgical precision: "Data shows that in the last three hundred years, less than five percent of new technology projects have been independently developed and ultimately certified by non-Martian forged worlds."

This is not because the rest of the world lacks creativity, but because the existing patent barriers and licensing system systematically stifle the diversity of technological development.

We demand that each foundry world possess indisputable patent ownership of its independently developed technologies and have the right to limited technology sharing within the alliance, without requiring approval from Mars!

The Martian chief sage's response was like a cold code: "The standardization of technology is the cornerstone of ensuring the logistical support and equipment compatibility of the Imperial armed forces."

Any 'optimization' that deviates from the standard may bring unpredictable risks.

As the guardian of Omnissiah's will, Mars has a responsibility to maintain the purity and stability of its technology.

"Stability? Or stagnation?" Vox immediately retorted, his mechanical tentacles drawing a sharp wave in the air, representing his skepticism: "When the alien fleets are ravaging the borders, when the whispers of chaos echo through the warp, are we rejecting an improvement that could increase shield effectiveness by five percent because of a standard template established ten thousand years ago? Is this protection, or outdated thinking?"

He surveyed the Martian sages present, his human eyes gleaming with all-knowing light: "Sages, you all know the truth. We are gathered here today, ostensibly for the ownership of the warp drive."

But its emergence is merely a mirror, reflecting the rust and cracks that already permeate the existing technological chains!

“We are not denying Mars’s contributions and status.” Vox’s voice softened slightly, but the strength remained undiminished. “What we are asking for is ‘openness’ and ‘sharing’.”

The call is to break unnecessary monopolies and establish a fairer and more efficient alliance for technology development and promotion.

Mars can retain control over the research and development of its core artifacts, but it should no longer extend its reach into every workshop of every forge world, stifling every tiny spark of innovation.

The negotiations have entered the most intense core area.

The alliance's goal is clear: to break the absolute monopoly on technology certification and production licensing, and to establish patent sovereignty over the technologies of each foundry world.

Mars, on the other hand, steadfastly upheld the principles of "standardization" and "technological purity," refusing to back down. The clash over binary languages ​​evolved into a word-for-word struggle over countless specific technical cases and historical legal provisions.

Data packets flew like a barrage of bullets over the negotiating table, each parsing session accompanied by a massive computational load.

Several low-ranking priests were forced offline due to processor overload. Their mechanical bodies emitted piercing alarms as they were quickly dragged away from the scene by their attendant servants.

Just as the two sides were deadlocked, Chen Yu's calm remarks cut into this data storm.

“My lords,” he spoke through his megaphone in precisely modulated binary code, “what we are debating here is not merely the division of power.”

Everyone's data interfaces turned in the same direction as his.

Chen Yu's mechanical body projected a clear stream of data onto the negotiating table: "According to existing records, the non-combat loss rate of Imperial Navy ships due to subspace storms has increased by seventeen percent over the past century."

Supply delays in the Frontier World have increased by an average of thirty-eight standard days.

His optical lens swept across the Martian sages present, his code carrying an unquestionable technological authority: "The warp drive can effectively alleviate these problems. But if its rollout is delayed due to patent disputes, every standard year of delay means more Imperial worlds will be isolated, and more ships will be lost in the warp."

This statement brought a brief silence to the negotiation room.

Chen Yu continued transmitting data: "I support the proposal that each foundry in the world should have patent rights to its own technology. This is not only about fairness, but also about efficiency."

When each forging world can freely research and optimize its technology, the technological progress of the entire Imperial Mechanicus will experience a qualitative leap.

He paused briefly, letting the data stream settle in the processors: "As for the warp drive, it should serve as a demonstration—proving what breakthroughs an open technological environment can bring."

I suggest that this opportunity be used to establish a contribution-based technology-sharing platform, rather than continuing to maintain a rigid monopoly system.

There was a brief disruption in the data stream from Mars.

The chief sage's mechanical prosthetic eye blinked rapidly, clearly performing high-intensity calculations.

Chen Yu's intervention aptly shifted the debate from a purely interest-driven contest back to a fundamental consideration of technological effectiveness.

The data on the current state of the empire that he presented made any delays made under the pretext of "stability" seem utterly meaningless.

Vox promptly took over the program flow: "What Sage Chen Yu said is precisely the position of our alliance. Technological advancements should serve the needs of the Empire, not become a tool for maintaining privileges."

Faced with the irrefutable technical data provided by Chen Yu, and the unprecedented united front among various foundries, the Mars delegation showed signs of wavering for the first time.

The data streams they transmit are no longer as decisive as before; signs of weighing and calculation are beginning to emerge.

(End of this chapter)