Warhammer 40k : Space Marine Kayvaan

The reason is clear: the Adeptus Mechanicus controls the Imperium's technological lifeblood. They command countless Forge Worlds that produce the weapons, ships, and supplies that fuel the Emperor's wars across a million worlds. Without the Mechanicus, the Imperium would collapse into ruin. If they ever withheld their industry, the consequences would be apocalyptic. "I understand what you're getting at," Valyra said calmly. "It's precisely because of the Mechanicus' power that I've kept quiet all these years, allowing those robed fanatics to play their games in my territory."

"What are you talking about?" Kayvaan snapped, pacing restlessly, his agitation plain. "Are you seriously planning to provoke the Mechanicus? Do you realize how bad things already are? Why make it worse? And why am I just hearing about this now?"

Valyra raised a hand, signaling him to calm down. "What exactly do you want to know, brother?"

"Everything," Kayvaan said, exasperated. "Why have you changed so much? How have you lived for nine thousand years? What's the deal with our STC? And why are you antagonizing the Mechanicus? Honestly, you're even more of a machine than they are! You're practically their mascot!"

Valyra chuckled dryly. "What a flattering comparison. Fine, I'll explain. There's much to cover, but I'll keep it simple for your sake."

"Good. Start from the beginning."

"Let's start with my body," Valyra began. "I don't know if you remember, but I've been… different since we were children."

"Of course. You were always the one with her nose in books. You were smart—too smart."

"But I was still human," she said sharply. "Being a 'genius' doesn't mean anything in the Imperium. Geniuses grow old. They die. And in this age, they are crushed under the weight of ignorance. Especially those in science." Her tone turned bitter. "The Mechanicus is stagnant. They've strangled human progress with their blind devotion. You can't imagine the torment of living as a scholar under their rule. They don't study technology—they worship it. Worse, they persecute anyone outside their ranks who dares to innovate."

She paused, her mechanical hand curling into a fist. "Private research is forbidden. Civilians who attempt it are silenced—executed or assassinated. And STCs—those sacred relics of technological knowledge—are hoarded like treasures. The Mechanicus will stop at nothing to seize them."

"I know that," Kayvaan said flatly. "It's what they've always done."

"And you're not furious about it?" Valyra shot back, her voice rising with frustration. "This isn't just a monopoly—it's a betrayal of humanity. They've twisted knowledge into a religion and made curiosity into a crime. The so-called Machine God isn't real, Kayvaan—it's a lie they cling to because they're afraid to question."

Kayvaan shifted uncomfortably. "Are you sure about that? Some machines do seem to… defy logic."

Valyra sighed. "I'll admit there are mysteries we don't fully understand. But even the strangest machines aren't divine—they're the product of science lost to time. The Mechanicus refuses to see that. They revere technology instead of advancing it. Do you have any idea how much this has crippled the Imperium?"

Kayvaan frowned, but Valyra pressed on, her words flowing like a torrent. "Our technology has regressed because of them. Nine thousand years ago, in the Emperor's time, weapons and ships that are now seen as sacred artifacts were standard issue. Whole classes of voidcraft can no longer be built because the Mechanicus lost the knowledge to make them. Can you fathom it? Losing the tools of our own survival!" Valyra paused, her mechanical body still as her voice softened. "This is why I changed, Kayvaan. I refused to let the Mechanicus dictate my life or the fate of science. I became what I am to survive—and to fight back."

Kayvaan remained silent. Valyra was right about everything. In Kayvaan's view, the Adeptus Mechanicus wasn't an organization of scientific researchers at all. Instead, it felt more like a church of archaeologists. Their mission seemed less about advancing humanity and more about spreading their dogma across the galaxy. They scoured the stars for ancient Standard Template Constructs (STCs), claiming the knowledge stored within them. Once an STC was uncovered, it was used to mass-produce tools, weapons, or technology, which were then distributed to the Imperium. Then, they'd dive back into the endless ocean of ancient texts, investigation reports, and fragments of intelligence scattered across the void to hunt for the next STC.

But most of these efforts ended in failure. The rare times they did find an STC, it was often too damaged to be of use. Finding one in decent condition was almost a miracle for the Mechanicus. In thousands of archaeological ventures, unearthing even a single usable template was seen as the blessing of the Omnissiah. 

"You're saying that if this keeps up, we might regress to the Stone Age?" Kayvaan asked after a long pause. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully before shaking his head. "I don't know… It's hard to believe. The Imperium is so powerful. It doesn't seem possible that the Mechanicus—whatever flaws it might have—could lead to humanity's extinction. They've helped us sustain the war effort, haven't they? Destroy the Imperium? End humanity? It just sounds... ridiculous."

Valyra's voice was steady but firm. "What seems ridiculous to you isn't because it's impossible—it's because your emotions won't let you accept such a grim truth. Deep down, you know the kind of organization the Mechanicus is. You know their flaws better than anyone."

Kayvaan sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah, I know. So… how does this connect to your situation?"

Valyra hesitated for a moment, then her voice came through, slightly distorted by the speakers. "I have to protect the family's secret. This STC wasn't discovered by accident. Our grandfather unearthed it during an expedition, buried deep beneath a planet's surface. Somehow, it had survived countless millennia, shielded from storms and the ravages of time. Its preservation is nothing short of a miracle. You have no idea how precious it is. If the knowledge contained within it were fully extracted and shared with humanity, it could spark a golden age. The enemies of mankind would fall to their knees, and the glory of our past would return." 

Valyra's words, once filled with fervor, suddenly carried a trace of sadness. "But that dream is out of reach. Right now, all we can do is hide this STC. Keep it buried in the farthest corners of the galaxy."

"The gap between ideals and reality," Kayvaan muttered, shaking his head with a bitter smile. "The ideal is to save humanity. The reality? We're hiding underground like rats, clutching onto secrets."

"It's all worth it," Valyra replied fiercely. "Every sacrifice. The loneliness of carrying this burden. The pain of never being able to share it. The responsibility that weighs heavier than any mountain. Turning myself into this—this fusion of flesh and machine, no longer human nor fully machine—every agony I endure is worth it. It's all to protect this secret. You left home, brother. I never had children. My obsession with this research, my need for secrecy, left me with no one to trust. And even if there were someone I could trust, how could I entrust them with something so monumental? No, this burden is mine alone. That's why I connected my body to the machine. My mind is always linked to the STC. As long as the machine is maintained, I can protect this knowledge… forever."