Rex Salazar: The Omnissiah Chapter 14 (Early Preview)

Chapter 14: He Tends His Flock

Valus exchanged a look with Ryza-Tal, then inclined his head. “Very well. The observation will proceed.”

Ryza-Tal’s optics narrowed slightly. “We have already logged the primary causes of injury.”

“I’m sure you have,” Rex replied, “but numbers don’t show me where the next accident is going to happen. Seeing it will.”

The overseer looked ready to protest, but Valus lifted one mechadendrite in a small, sharp motion that silenced him. 

They passed rows of hammer presses, open troughs of molten slag, and conveyor lines that shuddered under each load. Rex kept an even pace, scanning each station. Some workers glanced at him briefly before returning to their tasks.

The outer platform came into view. Rex paused at the threshold, giving the floor one last look before stepping onto the bridge. Heat rose from the cooling slag channel beneath. Two workers crossed along the far edge, each carrying a crate, taking care with every step.

An older worker stood at the far end with a broom cut short. His back was bent from an old break. A strip of tape sealed a crack in his mask filter. He dipped his head as Rex approached.

Rex stopped. “How long have you been here?”

The man’s eyes shifted between the Council and Rex. His voice was rough from years of exposure to the dust. “Forty-three years. Started sweeping slag by the east trench. They moved me here when the trench wall cracked.”

Rex kept his tone even. “How would you describe that time?”

The man blinked, taken aback by the question. “Describe it?” He shook his head. “Work’s never stopped. We do what we can to earn our keep. We lose people, we keep the line moving. We have Medicae, but if you’re lucky, you get a shot and a bandage. If you’re not, they give you a cloth and get replaced. The bridge here has taken more men than I want to count. I pray every time I cross it.”

Rex studied him for a moment. “If you could change one thing about this place, what would it be?”

The man looked stunned. “I… I don’t know. Anything that would keep families from getting that knock on the door.”

Rex gave a single nod. “That’s a good goal for everyone. I plan on making some changes around here.”

The old man’s eyes seemed to water as he got back to work, whispering. “Praise be the Omnissiah for your mercy…”

Ryza-Tal stared at him but said nothing. Hearing such complaints from the serfs was… uncomfortable.

The council saw that their Omnissiah was expressing emotion toward the conditions of their factory. They followed, staying silent as they watched him closely. Whatever they thought of the idea, none of them spoke against it. That was enough for now.

After speaking to the old man, Rex walked across the metal grating that formed the main pathway through the factory floor. Workers wore improvised braces of leather and metal on limbs damaged by previous accidents. Rex noticed most kept their eyes down. They focused only on their tasks. A moment’s distraction could cost them fingers or worse.

As Rex moved deeper into the factory, a woman at a stamping machine caught his attention. Her left arm ended at the elbow with a crude metal cap covering the stump. She worked efficiently despite her disability.

Rex stepped closer. “How long have you worked here?”

The woman froze. Her good hand gripped her tool tightly. “Twenty-three years, Omnissiah.” Her words came out shaky.

“And the arm?”

“Taken five years ago. The press malfunctioned.” She nodded toward the machine. “The same one. They repaired it. Put me back on it the next cycle.”

Rex examined the press with a hand, and his nanites detected the machine’s remaining flaws. A simple upgrade to the system would prevent future accidents. “Does it still malfunction?”

“Less often now.” The woman kept her eyes on her work. “I learned its rhythm. I know when to pull back.”

Ferris-Keph stepped forward. “Her adaptation honors the machine spirit. A commendable symbiosis.”

“While good for her, that’s not going to help anyone else who is sent to work here in the future.” Rex crouched beside her workstation. “What would make your job easier?”

The question surprised her. She paused and glanced toward the council members. “Something to hold the material steady during positioning, I suppose.”

Rex nodded and reached toward the machine. His hand glowed blue. Nanites flowed from his fingertips. They reformed part of the feed mechanism into a guide system that kept hands away from dangerous areas. “Try it now.”

The woman tested the modification cautiously. Her eyes widened. “Thank you, Omnissiah.” She pressed her forehead in reverence.

The council members rushed forward, murmuring prayers and making the sign of the cog over their chests. Ferris-Keph knelt beside the machine, running reverent fingers along the modified components.

“The blessing of the Omnissiah upon this holy instrument of production,” Ferris-Keph announced. He pulled out a small etching tool and carved Rex’s symbol into the side of the machine. “All shall know this machine bears your divine touch.”

Rex watched with growing unease as several tech-priests began to chant around the now supposedly sacred stamping machine. He suddenly realized the implications since the other day. Every machine he would upgrade and fix with his nanites would soon become an object of worship. He had no doubts his followers would make them bearing his mark. Just like the toaster, it would receive prayers.

The thought of factories filled with machines all branded with his symbol made him uncomfortable.

Rex turned toward the machinery at the far end of the floor. The overseers noticed immediately.

"Omnissiah, that section is currently undergoing realignment," one of them said. He positioned himself in Rex's path. "It would be more appropriate to observe Line Two instead."

Rex kept walking. "What's on Line Four?"

The overseer glanced at his companion. "Loader assemblies. Standard operations. Nothing that requires your direct attention."

"Then it won't take long."

The overseers exchanged looks but stepped aside. Valus followed without comment. Ryza-Tal's mechadendrites twitched as they moved deeper into the restricted area.

Line Four appeared functional at first glance. Workers maneuvered heavy plates into position while mechanical loaders transferred materials between stations. Rex watched the nearest loader complete its cycle. The hydraulic arm extended smoothly, gripped a crate, then retracted.

A hiss erupted from the joint. Dark fluid sprayed across the floor. The worker operating it jumped back, shaking droplets from his sleeve.

Rex approached. "How often does that happen?"

The worker hesitated. His sleeve was stained with old burns. "Every third or fourth cycle, Omnissiah. Sometimes more."

"Show me."

The man activated the loader again. It extended without issue, but when the arm retracted under load, the same joint erupted. Fluid hit the floor in a wide arc. Some of it steamed.

Rex crouched beside the machine. His hand pressed against the hydraulic housing. Nanites spread through the system, mapping pressures and tolerances. The seals were degraded past acceptable limits. The pressure regulator had been bypassed entirely. Someone had removed it to squeeze more power from the loader.

He stood. "Ryza-Tal, pull the maintenance logs for this unit."

Ryza-Tal's optics flickered. "The logs are current. All prescribed rituals have been performed."

"I want the safety reports. Every maintenance request filed in the last year."

Ryza-Tal hesitated. His mechadendrites coiled tighter. "Those records are archived under secondary protocols."

"Then unarchive them."

A dataslate appeared in Ryza-Tal's hand. He input several commands. The screen filled with entries. Most were marked with red seals. Rex scanned the list. Twelve requests for seal replacements. Eight warnings about pressure buildup. Four incidents involving worker injuries. Every single one had been dismissed or deleted.

Rex looked up. "You knew about this."

Ryza-Tal straightened. "The requests were evaluated against production requirements. Shutting down the line for repairs would have delayed output by forty-three hours."

"So you just ignored them."

"We prioritized operational continuity."

Valus stepped forward. His voice carried the weight of authority. "Production must endure, Omnissiah. Mars survives because we do not falter. Delays compound. The entire system depends on uninterrupted output."

Rex turned to face him. "Production means nothing if your people keep dying to make it happen."

Valus did not flinch. "The workers understand their role. They serve the Machine God. Their sacrifice fuels the continuation of mankind."

Rex gestured at the loader. "This could be fixed in an hour. You're losing workers because you won't spend the time to replace a seal."

"Time is a resource we cannot afford to waste."

"Neither are lives."

The two stared at each other. The workers nearby had stopped moving. They watched in silence. Ryza-Tal's mechadendrites hung motionless. Ferris-Keph stood at the edge of the group, his expression unreadable behind his mask.

It was no use arguing more in the middle of the factory. Rex would save his tirade for the end.

#

The group moved deeper into the manufactorum, past hissing pneumatic presses. They rounded a corner to find the arc welding station. There, components for void shields were being joined together.

Thick power cables hanging from the ceiling. Six welding platforms stood in a semicircle around a central hub. Workers in heavy yet worn protective gear guided massive metal components beneath arc emitters that sparked.

"This is where we join the primary containment rings for void shield generators," Ferris-Keph explained. "Each must withstand the equivalent force of a small star during operation."

Rex nodded, but his attention was already elsewhere. His eyes tracked upward to the power couplings running along the ceiling. Something seemed wrong. "When was the last time you did  service in this area?" Rex pointed upward.

Ryza-Tal consulted his data-slate. "According to the logs, seventeen months ago."

The containment field generators were cycling erratically, indicators flashing amber instead of steady green. 

Two younger workers moved below, guiding a massive curved component into position beneath the welding emitter. The arc flared to life.

The power coupling above the workers flexed slightly with each surge. The welding station flared again, brighter this time. The workers stepped in closer to position a new seam.

"Everyone clear the area now." Rex started forward, his voice sharp.

The workers looked up in confusion. Valus turned toward him. "Omnissiah, what concerns you? This process is standard for void shield component fabrication."

A power surge shot through the coupling with a sharp crack that echoed through the chamber. Blue arcs of electricity danced across its surface. The plasma stream below destabilized, erupting in a bright flash that struck the walkway supports above.

Metal screamed as the supports gave way. The walkway tilted sharply, metal plates buckling. Three workers on the elevated platform slid toward the edge. One worker managed to grab onto a railing, but the other two slipped further.

Rex lunged forward without thinking. His nanites activated instantly, responding to his desperate need. Blue light erupted from his back and shoulders as the machines within him constructed mechanical arms, four of them. Two caught workers before they fell.

He planted a foot against a column and reached with his human hand for the third worker, who dangled from the railing. Rex stretched further until his fingers brushed against the worker's sleeve, then locked around his wrist.

"I've got you," Rex said through gritted teeth.

The walkway collapsed completely behind them, crashing down onto an empty section of floor. Rex pulled all three workers to safety, his nanite constructs setting them gently on solid ground before retracting back into his body.

For a moment, nobody moved. The rescued workers stared at Rex. Their protective masks had been knocked off, revealing pale faces streaked with sweat and soot. One man's hands trembled violently as he touched his own chest.

Nearby laborers backed away, as they made the sign of the cog over their chests. Worker after worker responding to what they had witnessed.

"Did you see that?" Someone whispered from the back.

"The Omnissiah's holy limbs," another answered with awe. "Just like the sacred texts describe."

Around them, workers dropped to their knees one by one. The Fabricator-General and his retinue remained standing, but even they seemed amazed the display.

"Unworthy," the older woman with an augmetic leg knelt awkwardly. "We are unworthy of the Omnissiah's hands."

Others echoed it, the sound becoming a low prayer that filled the space. "Unworthy of the Omnissiah's touch. Blessed be the machine that brings us closer to perfection."

Rex retracted his nanite constructs fully and stepped back. Blue light faded from his skin as the machines inside him returned to their dormant state. "Get up. All of you. Please."

They rose slowly, reverence in every movement. The man Rex had caught with his human hand stared at his own wrist where Rex had grabbed him. He touched the spot with his other hand religiously.

"These accidents shouldn't be happening." Rex turned toward the power coupling that had caused the disaster. It still sparked occasionally, damaged beyond safe operation. "That coupling should have been replaced months ago."

Ryza-Tal stepped forward. "The Mechanicum's resources are limited, Omnissiah. Certain operational risks are deemed acceptable when weighed against output requirements."

"Acceptable?" Rex gestured toward the collapsed walkway. "Three people almost died. How is that acceptable?"

The tech-priest's expression remained impassive behind his mask. "Flesh is weak, but the Mechanicum endures."

Rex felt anger building in his chest. "That 'weak flesh' is what keeps your factories running. These people matter."

As he spoke, Rex noticed something had changed in the workers' expressions. They were looking at him differently now, both with devotion and hope.