Although it has experienced a long period of peace, the surface of Mars has never been peaceful. If you drive a vehicle by yourself, it is easy to get lost in the vast wasteland on the surface of Mars due to electromagnetic storms that may appear at any time.
Roglis would think of the forging complex in Ipluvian that he had spent a whole week trying to reach, and what supported him was only the most basic protein of the Mars complex, and if he could not successfully convey the entrusted information. There will be an idea of leaving a record of punishment.
Although they are Astartes, they are also apprentices here, but their status is more transcendent and they have higher system authority.
But that doesn't mean they don't have jobs.
In reality, being an apprentice never has it easy.
After leaving his small dormitory, Rogris immediately walked towards the exit of the magnificent temple.
Even if some people thought it was strange that an Astartes suddenly appeared, no one commented on it, because even the Tech-priests who rarely went out knew that this armored giant was obviously not easy to mess with.
Roglis thought over and over as he walked through the straight steel corridor and then walked into the Hall of Piety.
The decorative reliefs on the walls of this temple depict ancient machines and algorithms that date back to the first time humans set foot on the soil of Mars. The first tech-priests guarded the lost secrets of mankind carefully from afar. Terra is in a state of war.
Above the canyon walls are sodium vapor lamps shining with a faint orange light. The vast crystal dome where they are located covers the entire temple, isolating the harsh atmosphere.
Smoke and light drew interlaced stripes on the dirty sky. Low-orbit satellites shone about three thousand kilometers above his head. A huge surveyor scanning array was set up on its cratered surface, running at high speed. The orbit makes it ideal for multispectral scanning of the surrounding space.
Mars' second satellite, not yet visible, has a wider orbit and a longer path around the red planet.
"I hope you don't miss the last train,"
He muttered to himself, and finally reached the end of the pious palace and sat on the steel elevator embedded in the cliff - it led to a transportation hub that connected different foundry temples and factories.
The transportation hub itself is a vast complex of tunnels, glass, and iron bridges, with whirling turntables, blaring sirens, and thousands of people and cars flowing through it, along massive horizontal conveyor belts, or on board Mars. The silver train travels around with its twists and turns.
If there was a safe and reliable way to get around on Mars, this is it.
In fact, Roglis also has the authority to apply for a vehicle, but he doesn't want to do so today. He wants to travel in a more "down-to-earth" way - before leaving the temple, he wants to see more of the scenery and people on Mars. daily life.
From a transportation hub, people can reach anywhere on the surface of Mars in a few hours, which is much safer than even most aircraft.
Because of past wars, horrific electromagnetic storms will appear on Mars from time to time, and no vehicle can survive them.
Only rail transit covered by a protective cover can travel through the storm.
The technical sergeant then took the teleportation cableway that led to the silver train car and squeezed through the crowd of robed technicians and servants who were disembarking—in fact, everyone took the initiative to make way for him.
He hurried along the sweltering train and found an empty carriage. After entering, he immediately closed and sealed the door.
Astartes technical sergeants have the same authority as mid-level technicians on Mars and can obtain a separate riding space.
But it was just a separate space. There was only an ordinary metal bench and a window in the carriage. The window hole was filled with a flashing energy field, allowing passengers to see outside, but blocking the environment.
In the silence, the light on the door flickered, and the train began to accelerate from the transportation hub to the land of Mars.
Logris knew that during the terrible Long Night era, the Terran people regarded Mars as a terrible place belonging to invaders or ancient destroyed civilizations, but this concept has long been proven to be ridiculous.
This idea is said to have originated from a long-forgotten astronomer who discovered river channels on the planet's surface, which were later mistranslated as "canals", making people think of artificial waterways rather than natural creation.
The technical sergeant watched the Martian landscape fly past his eyes, forming an iron-gray afterimage.
Mars was once known as the Red Planet, but the iron oxide deserts that gave it its name have all but disappeared.
The technical literature he had read mentioned the terraforming of Mars many thousands of years ago. At that time, the Antarctic ice cap was melted by orbital laser cannons, releasing a large amount of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. This caused the temperature to exceed the freezing point and water could be in liquid form. exists and forms a reliable ozone layer.
Later, genetically modified plants were introduced to saturate the atmosphere with more carbon dioxide, oxygen, and nitrogen.
But all that visionary work was lost within a few hundred years, when the Cult Mechanicus spread like a virus across the surface of Mars and began building its vast forge complexes, continent-wide refineries, and weapons factories. , the environment of Mars is completely irreversible.
First the atmosphere was polluted like a dead world, then the mountains were hollowed out by miners and the planet's surface was covered with metal roads, strip mines and monuments celebrating mechanical glory.
Eventually, it became a point where it became impossible to survive outdoors without using a breathing mask.
While meditating, the train rushed through Mount Ascraeus. This shield volcano with a diameter of more than 300 kilometers is now the base of the Flame Titan Army. A magnificent golden door cut into the side of the volcano, two powerful war machines Standing on the left and right, their majestic bodies look small when viewed from a distance.
The Flame Legion, also known as the Fire Bee Legion, was a member of the three guardian legions of Mars in the past. Together with the Death Skull and the Storm Legion, it stood on Mars in the Age of Strife. It was one of the oldest and most respected Titan Legions.
When Mars fell into the quagmire of rebellion, the Flame Legion sided with the Empire and a fierce battle broke out with the defecting Death Skull Legion - and the two sides became mortal enemies that lasted for ten thousand years.
During the darkest days of the Horus Heresy, the Legion of Fire also defended the Imperial Palace and fought bloody battles against endless demons and rebels. To this day, it is the only Titan Legion to have the honorable mission of guarding the throne room.
Every time he saw these glorious divine machines, Rogris couldn't help but feel excited.
After the train passed the Flame Legion's station, it came to an industrial area.
The industrial area surrounds a volcano, with many metal complexes stretching out in disorder. Domes and spiers made of glass and steel use human ingenuity to resist the polluted climate of Mars. Countless refineries emit smoke columns that block the sky. and blazing clouds of fire that produced the raw materials needed by the various foundries.
Only the tops of the Martian mountains remain intact, although these highest peaks have been hollowed out and turned into temples or factories.
As the train traced a smooth curve to the east, Rogris glimpsed the vast sacred complex through the energy-shielded window.
Temples, shrines and reliquaries cover millions of square kilometers and are home to billions of devout believers.
"Perhaps I can find enlightenment."
He said this to himself.
