The magos’s words prompted another flash of memory in the mind of Corax. He saw a cylinder, glowing with silvery light, encased by a mesh of golden wire. A sequence entered his thoughts, and the primarch tapped in the code on the holograph.
Dozens of lights lit up on the central console, flashing in sequence as Corax entered the cipher. When he tapped the last rune, the strobing lights settled into a constant gleam. New messages flickered across the screen, announcing security protocol deactivation, granting access to the console’s contents. With a puff of escaping gases, lines appeared in the central spire of the machine, which resolved into panels that extended outwards and slid down into newly-revealed recesses. Silver glowed from within as an intricate wire cradle emerged from the depths of the device, just as Corax remembered. At the heart of the mesh was a narrow cylinder half a metre high. It was encrusted with suspensor devices that lifted it from the containing web, as if it ascended on the light itself. A bluish-green fluid trembled inside, freed from the stasis field that had confined it.
‘This is the true secret of the vault,’ announced Corax. Around him, the Raven Guard, Mechanicum adepts and Custodians gathered, attention drawn by the spectacle. ‘This is the gift of the Emperor.’
‘What is it?’ asked Agapito, voice hushed.
‘The source of our existence, commander. Living genetic material used to create the primarchs.’
THOUGH HE DID not have the expertise of the Magos genetor, Corax knew enough from his own experience and the memories of the Emperor to understand the importance of the discovery. The Emperor had explained to him many years ago how the primarchs’ genetic material had been used to create the first warriors of the Legiones Astartes. His Raven Guard were his genetic sons, in a way, as all of the Legions were of their primarchs. Each of the twenty had been created by the Emperor, unique with their own strengths and weaknesses. What the Raven Guard had was the blueprint from which each of the twenty primarchs had been first derived. It was pure, for want of a better word, unchanged by the Emperor’s subsequent experiments. The perfect specimen from which to extract gene-seed for future generations of Raven Guard, or to create a whole new generation of primarchs.
‘Surely you do not intend to remove this sample from Terra?’ said Arcatus. ‘I am no magos, but I understand enough history to know that the secret of the primarchs’ genetic code cannot be allowed out of this vault. What if it were to fall into the hands of Horus?’
‘The Emperor himself led me to this place,’ replied the primarch. ‘I need no further warning, nor license, from you. It is the wish of the Emperor that I return to Deliverance to rebuild my Legion with this technology.’
‘Is it true, lord?’ asked Agapito. ‘Does this sample hold the key to the future of the Raven Guard?’
‘Yes it does,’ said Corax, smiling at the thought. ‘An untainted source of gene-seed, but more than just that. If the magos and I can unlock its secrets, we can combine its potential with that of the Raven Guard gene-code. The primarchs were created from birth, while a legionary must wait until adolescence before implantation can begin. Imagine a generation of Raven Guard that combines the code of both, the superior growth of a primarch enmeshed with the abilities of a legionary. What would normally take a generation could be accomplished in months.’
‘What about training?’ said Arcatus. ‘What about proper education in the nature of Enlightenment? A legionary is more than just an enhanced body. He is forged in mind as well as flesh. These things cannot be rushed, their implementation is as much an important part of the process as the physical changes.’
‘I did not say it would be instant,’ said Corax, annoyed by the Custodian’s negativity. ‘You still fail to understand the full possibility. At present, only the smallest percentage of candidates are suitable for gene-seed implantation. If we can use the primarch material properly, that will no longer be the case. We could take any child, from the earliest age, and accelerate their development, as mine was hastened. Anychild. Our recruitment pool would expand from a few tens of thousands to millions.’
‘But each primarch was crafted by the Emperor himself,’ said Agapito. ‘A labour of many years by the greatest mind of mankind. We do not have such resources, or the time.’
‘Which is why we will not be creating a new generation of primarchs,’ snapped Corax, exasperated that his commander showed such doubt. He calmed himself, realising that Agapito and the others, except perhaps for Orlandriaz, could not comprehend the technical issues involved. ‘The tech-priest will aid me in isolating those strands of the material we require, and we will then improve the Raven Guard gene-seed with that information. A blend of primarch and Legiones Astartes: a warrior superior to a legionary, yet produced on an unprecedented scale.’
‘And I say again that such a weapon cannot be allowed to leave Terra,’ said Arcatus. ‘If the Emperor had desired such a thing, he would have created it himself. There is a reason why he fashioned the gene-seed of the Legions in the way he did. Unless you think you will achieve something the Emperor could not?’
The retort that sprang to Corax’s mind stayed there as he considered the Custodian’s words. Was he allowing himself to get carried away by the prospect of rebuilding the Raven Guard? Was it even possible to achieve what he had said? Given pause, he took a deep breath, considering his answer.
‘It may be that the Emperor chose to create the gene-seed with its current limitations for good reason, but the galaxy has changed,’ said the primarch. ‘It is equally ludicrous to suggest the Emperor granted me access to this facility without knowing my full intent. He has allowed us to enter this place so that we might make use of its contents. It is the will of the Emperor that we unravel the secret of this technology and use it in the fight against Horus.’
Arcatus had no reply to this and turned away without further word. Agapito remained, and he spoke with concern in his voice.
‘Whatever the rights and wrongs, I can’t say, lord,’ said the commander. ‘But Arcatus speaks the truth when he says that this is dangerous. We cannot let knowledge of its existence spread too far.’
‘What are you suggesting?’ said the primarch. ‘The only man on this expedition who is not a Raven Guard or Custodian is Orlandriaz, and the Sigillite vouched for his presence.’
‘If we return to Deliverance with this technology, it will not go unnoticed by those outside the Legion,’ said Agapito. ‘The fewer that know of its existence, the better. I think we must learn a lesson from the Emperor here. It will require facilities and technicians to perform the work to unlock the gene-secrets. If such a place is heavily guarded it will attract attention. We know there are still guild sympathisers on Lycaeus, and despite our best efforts they still have the means to know what passes in the Ravenspire. We must avoid rousing their curiosity.’
‘You make a good point, commander,’ said Corax. ‘I have been so focused on the retrieval of the genetic archive I have not considered how we should house it. Your plan has merit, I will consider it.’
‘And do you really think it is possible to create a new form of legionary?’ asked Agapito, his voice touched by awe. ‘One that is as good as any of us, in a fraction of the time?’
‘I do not only believe it possible, I guarantee it,’ said Corax. ‘With Horus poised to strike, we must retaliate in some fashion. Unless we have the means to perpetuate the Legion for the war to come, we cannot risk our current strength in such an attack. The Emperor has placed his faith in me and I will not fall short of the mark. The Raven Guard willhave a part to play before the matter with Horus is decided.’
‘I am sure of that, lord,’ Agapito said. ‘What of the Custodians? Do you think they will cause further problems?’
‘Arcatus overplays his objections,’ said Corax. ‘He must attend to his duties as he sees them, but I think he understands what we will achieve. I believe I have convinced our companion that we pose no threat to the Emperor.’