Dietrian's voice was louder, drowning out the screams.
"He also entered a mentally stable state."
"Does that sound like you're mentally stable?"
The prophet still did not look back.
"Didn't you hear the scream?"
"I can hear it."
Ursus interrupted him.
"Very bitter music."
"I was definitely aware of the pain response to vocalization."
Dietrian immediately argued.
"I believe this shows-"
"No."
Talos shook his head.
"No, don't give me this crap, Dietrian. I know you still have humanity. This isn't a vocal pain response. It's screaming, you know, what Lukovus thinks of you."
Right, no one can imagine this kind of screaming and being as truly transcendent as you say... You understand fear and pain, I know you do, whether you wear power armor or not, you are one of us
.”
"It was just screaming."
For the first time, there was a hint of slight displeasure in Dietrian's voice.
"Relatively speaking, I've got him into a mentally stable state."
"What if you unlock the stasis lock on the machine?"
Dietrian stopped, feeling a little guilty.
"Uh...then this thing might kill us all."
"Stop talking about this thing. This is Markarian, the hero of our legion."
"The hero you want to murder."
Talos turned and looked at the Tech-priest, the sword shining with the light of electronic life in his hand.
"He has died twice! Foolish hope that I will allow you to play your games with his body, but he will not come back to us! I understand now that it would be a mistake to even try, for this
You violated his last wish! You locked him in the pain of eternal death. I will not allow you to play with his body now. He deserves better than this."
Dietrian hesitated again, carefully considering the possibility of placating the captain in this disturbing rage, and during the brief pause, the screams did not diminish in the slightest.
"This guy... Macharion, can still serve the Legion. Through the application of torture and the right amount of pain, he will become a devastating presence on the battlefield."
"I have rejected that path."
Talos still hadn't disabled his sword.
"I cannot tolerate the physical abuse of him, I've had enough."
"But I can control-"
"Enough is enough! Throne of Fire, this is why Vandrod lost his mind! Infighting, quarrels...the Talons are killing each other with blades in the dark! I probably don't want my brothers to put me at the base of this idiot.
Take your seat! I'm here now, Dietrian, and the Cursed Echo is my ship! We may be on the run, we may be doomed, but I won't die without a fight, and I won't accept this disgusting
Insult end my life! Do you understand what I mean?"
Of course, Talos knew that Dietrian certainly didn't. To the Mechanicum-Priest's auditory receptors, it all sounded meaningless, and any behavior based on emotion-based chemical processes would be cleared and ignored.
"Yes."
But he still gave in.
Talos smiled, and surrounded by fearless screams, he let out a lament.
"You are a terrible liar. I even wonder if you still remember what it means to respect and trust another soul."
With his back to the Bishop, he climbed onto the coffin with one hand, buzzing as the power sword swiped past the stasis field.
Talos gazed at the precious metal image of Macharion cast on the iron coffin—his master, his true master before the reign of Vandrod.
"How different it would be if you were still alive..."
Talos's whispers are like poetry.
"do not do that."
Dietrian voiced his last objection aloud.
"This action violates our oath to the Eighth Legion."
Talos ignored him at all.
"Forgive me, company commander."
He raised his sword, the tip of the sword facing the carved pattern.
"etc."
Ursus suddenly spoke, but did not stand up.
He struck the deck with the blade of his axe, making a clicking sound.
"I heard something, a rhythm, a rhythm from the soul."
Talos turned to Dietrian.
"What does he mean?"
The tech bishop was so confused by the exchange that he shrugged and sent out a string of negative codes.
"I need to clarify. You are asking me what your brother's words mean. Do you want me to give you some inspiration?"
"Talking to you is really a waste of time."
Talos slipped from the iron coffin, his boots hitting the deck with a thud.
"Usas, tell me carefully."
Ursus still beat the ax with a soft, sonorous rhythm.
"It's screaming, listen... Talos, listen to this rhythm."
Talos glanced at Dietrian.
"Bishop, can you think carefully about what he might be saying? All I hear is screaming."
"I have sixteen slave processes that perform continuous diagnostics."
At this time, Ursus finally raised his head, and the bloody palm prints on his face blocked the dim light in the room.
"The rhythm is still there, Talos."
"What rhythm?"
"...Rhythm, Macharion lives."
Talos turned and walked towards the coffin.
"Dear Bishop, can you explain to me what the resurrection ceremony of your order actually consists of?"
"That technology is prohibited from being leaked."
"Of course, you don't need to go into details, just tell me simply... vaguely."
"That technology is prohibited from being leaked."
The prophet almost laughed.
"You are like a broken repeater now, Bishop. Don't force me to fix you. I just want to know what you did to my company commander there."
"Well...it's a drug that combines synapse-enhancing pulses and electrical life-sustaining drugs. It's mainly a combination of chemical stimulants and invasive physiological stabilizers."
"Sounds quite complicated."
Talos had been unfamiliar with his craft for a long time, and he couldn't even understand some of the terms the bishop spoke.
"It's been a long time since you've stopped playing pharmacist."
Ursus' smile can be seen in his tone.
"Do you want me to find the Skinner?"
Hearing the confused brother joking, Talos couldn't help but laugh.
"That sounds a lot like several of the methods we use in torture, Dietrian."
Talos' words made the Mechanical Bishop a little uncomfortable. He twisted his neck and replied:
"Not so, this - Markarian has always been a troublesome project, and awakening him requires extraordinary effort and concentration."
"But he's awake now."
Talos pointed at the machines.
"Since he is awake, why should he maintain this ritual?"