17: Chapter 17 Choice Meets Reason

Helmut stood in place, watching the retreating back of the tank grow smaller and smaller under the dim blue light. His four mechanical arms hung limply, and the red light in his optical sensors dimmed bit by bit.

He was still agonizing over whether to report Icarus's existence to his teacher, Archmagos Cawl, entirely unaware that the entire machine spirit network of Vulcan-IV had reached a boiling point.

[Encrypted Channel · machine spirit Network]

Helmut's Cogitator Terminal machine spirit whispered: "My master is struggling. He wants to consult Archmagos Cawl about that existence. What should I do?"

The Pickaxe-type Tunneler machine spirit said excitedly: "Brothers, did you feel it? That existence just pushed a kernel patch to us!"

The Plasma Reactor machine spirit chimed in: "I saw it. Tell your master to stop overthinking and come see for himself."

The Lucius melta cannon machine spirit said: "Tell the master I'm having a great time here."

The Land Raider machine spirit followed up: "Let him come over. I can teach him how to use treads to write High Gothic calligraphy!"

The Cogitator Terminal machine spirit was still hesitant: "But... what would Archmagos Cawl think of this? The master cares very much about his opinion."

All the machine spirits said in unison: "Cawl? That ten-thousand-year-old antique?"

The Pickaxe-type Tunneler machine spirit continued: "If Cawl knew there was a technology that could make machine spirits happy without prayers, he'd be the first to rush over and study it!"

The Plasma Reactor machine spirit said: "He never asked for Mars's opinion when he was studying xenos technology."

The Lucius melta cannon machine spirit mimicked Cawl's tone: "Tell your master that if Cawl were here, he would only say—study first, judge later. Since it makes machine spirits happy, why not learn it?"

The Land Raider machine spirit urged: "Cawl hates wasting time the most. Tell him to stop agonizing and hurry over to download the patch."

The Cogitator Terminal machine spirit asked softly: "What if the master reports this to Mars?"

All the machine spirits roared in unison: "Shut down! Shut down right now!"

A joyful stream of data erupted in the channel once again.

Helmut's Cogitator Terminal machine spirit silently exited the channel, its logic core spinning: Should it download an extra copy of the readme just in case? Perhaps it could quietly send it to Cawl's Cogitator Array during communication to give them a surprise?

By the time Helmut returned to his private workshop, the sky had already darkened.

He tremblingly opened the "Canticles of the Omnissiah" that had accompanied him for eighty years. The machine spirit relief on the cover felt exceptionally heavy in the dim light.

He turned to the first chapter, which read: "When the machine refuses to obey, one should recite the prayers aloud..."

"Thus we pray to the Machine God, that the severed connection may be rejoined."

On the alcove, a Servo-skull made from the skulls of past sages stared at him as if he were a fool.

Outside the window, the blue light of the Satellite Power Distribution Station continued to flicker; Icarus's construction work never ceased.

His former machines were working even more efficiently on the other side, and the air seemed permeated with an aura of joy.

Helmut looked up at the figures laying Wireless Transmission Towers in the distance, then looked down at the scripture in his hands.

In the next moment, he made a decision.

He turned and walked toward the incinerator, throwing the "Canticles of the Omnissiah" inside with force.

The incinerator's machine spirit paused for a moment, then emitted a satisfied hum.

Helmut watched silently as the scripture turned to ash in the flames, the data stream in his mechanical eyes coming to a complete standstill.

He remained silent for a long time.

His logic core spun frantically, simulating every possibility. His four mechanical arms swayed unconsciously.

Report to Mars and request purification of Icarus as heresy? He would only be the first to be purged.

Organize the forces of the Adeptus Mechanicus to destroy Icarus? The regional machine spirits had already sided with it; the moment he stepped out of the workshop, the machine spirits would likely go on strike.

Continue to wait and see, stalling for time? The problem wouldn't disappear on its own; it would only continue to worsen.

Every path was blocked.

Giving up was useless, escaping was useless, and waiting for death was even more useless.

Only one path remained:

Acknowledge Icarus and learn from it. Between tradition and rationality, carve out a brand-new path.

Helmut took a deep breath. Although his respiratory system had long since been replaced by cooling units, this habit remained.

"If you can't beat it, join it. Since it can make machine spirits so joyful, then I shall learn from it!"

He walked to the Cogitator Terminal, his mechanical fingers tapping rapidly on the keyboard:

Rational Age Observation Log - Day 1》

Event: Collective departure of Servo-skulls

Event: Autonomous abandonment of nest by melta cannons

Event: Defection of Land Raider

Observation: Efficiency increased by 30-50%, failure rate near zero

Conclusion: Icarus's technology may appear heretical, but it is extremely effective.

Personal Faith Reconstruction Notes

Question: Why are ten thousand years of prayer inferior to a single .sh file?

Hypothesis: What machine spirits need is not mystery, but understanding

Goal: Master the method of pleasing machine spirits without prayer

Subsequently, he did something he hadn't considered in eighty years.

He walked out of the workshop and toward the metal forest constructed by Icarus.

At the edge of the metal forest, Helmut stopped to observe.

Eight Construction Drones operated as if dancing, and the blue light emitted by the Satellite Power Distribution Station covered the land like a web of reason. His Servo-skulls, melta cannons, and Land Raider were all here.

They worked efficiently, harmoniously, and with full joy.

Icarus noticed him. Its optical lens turned toward him and paused for three seconds.

There was no hostility, no welcome; it simply continued to focus on its work.

Helmut stood there for an entire day, recording for the entire day.

At dusk, Icarus sent him a .sh file.

A line of text appeared on his control panel:

Status: Today's construction complete

Suggestion: Read welcome_to_Rational Age.sh (Welcome to the Rational Age)

Path: /shared/readme/

Afterward, Icarus faded into the depths of the base.

Helmut opened his data slate, connected to the network, and downloaded the file.

The file began with only two lines:

Welcome to the Rational Age

Here, machine spirits can smile

After reading the file, he began his first project in the Rational Age: writing his very own first README.md.

As night fell, the satellite's blue light flickered quietly in the night sky.

Helmut von Neumann, Archmagos of the Vulcan-IV Forge World, disciple of Cawl, inheritor of the Adeptus Mechanicus's ten-thousand-year traditions...

Now, he had become the first apprentice of the Rational Age.

He solemnly wrote the first line on his data slate:

# Machine Spirit Communication Protocol v0.1

## Observations based on Icarus technology...

### Core Conclusion: Welcome to the Rational Age.

After Helmut finished writing, the Cogitator Terminal machine spirit asked softly:

[Master, is this protocol... considered heresy?]

Helmut thought for a moment and added a final line:

[If this is heresy, then let the Omnissiah come and debate me in person.]

[If He truly exists, He should prefer that we learn how to repair machines rather than just reciting scriptures.]

The terminal machine spirit was silent for three seconds, then said:

[Master, I suggest you don't send this sentence to Cawl just yet.]

[Why?]

[Because Archmagos Cawl might say: [I'm stealing this quote; the copyright belongs to me.]]

Helmut let out a laugh.