Alex raised his hand and used the back of his tactical glove to wipe away the water droplets on his mask; the mask's anti-fog coating made a slight rubbing sound.
"Old friend," his voice came through the breathing mask's speaker, with a characteristic electronic distortion, "your humidity control system here needs an upgrade."
32's projected lips curved slightly upwards, and the holographic image rippled with data.
32, while gently stroking the mechanical cat perched on her shoulder with slender mechanical fingers, pointed with an extended mechanical tentacle towards the assembly line blinking with indicator lights in the distance: "The current production capacity has reached its design limit, and the embryo cultivation cycle has also been compressed to its physiological limit—on average, each embryo only needs three months to develop into a standard adult.
Currently, the production line can output two hundred units per hour, with a stable qualification rate of 93%, but unless the factory is expanded, production cannot be increased further."
Accompanied by 32, Alex's military boots stepped across the grid floor, slick with condensation, his metal heels clinking against the surface.
They were inspecting the A3 section's cultivation pod array, which was synchronously entering the awakening procedure.
The entire area echoed with a low mechanical hum, as indicator lights on thousands of cultivation pods turned from blue to green, and the nutrient solution circulation system began to emit regular sucking sounds.
Thousands of servitor skulls darted and flew among the cultivation pods like a swarm of mechanical bees, their red-glowing mechanical eyes constantly projecting scanning beams, precisely monitoring each pod's vital signs, neural development progress, and knowledge infusion completion.
These floating mechanical constructs shared information in real-time via data links, ensuring that every embryo developed into a qualified adult according to the preset growth curve.
This scene was like a massive and precise human production line, where cold mechanical structures and warm living bodies formed a bizarre yet highly efficient combination.
However, the products here were not simple industrial parts, but human individuals with complete consciousness—although their consciousness was strictly regulated and shaped from the moment of their birth.
When a certain embryo completes all its development and knowledge infusion procedures, its cultivation pod will be like those in front of Alex right now: the pale green nutrient solution inside the pod is quickly drained by the suction system, and the data cables connected to the embryo's body automatically detach, making a slight "click" sound.
Then the pod door's hydraulic device activates, and with a hiss of air pressure release, the door slowly opens, "spitting" the adult body, covered in nutrient solution mucus, onto the transfer platform.
The newly born individuals are then sent by conveyor belt to a centralized cleaning center, where an automatic spray system thoroughly cleans and disinfects them, while also performing basic physical examinations.
This area also has a brief adaptation zone, allowing these newly born individuals to gradually adapt to the external environment.
Typically within one to two hours, these "products" can establish a basic self-cognitive framework and initially master the infused professional knowledge system.
Monitoring systems show that they instinctively begin to exhibit preset obedient behavior patterns, responding appropriately to commands.
After the final stage of simple conditioning and skill testing, these "products" can be assigned to various production positions according to the different professional skills they have been endowed with.
From assembly line workers to low-level technicians, from Skitarii recruits to basic Priests, they will all become standardized, qualified labor for this vast industrial system, fitting into the Empire's production machinery like precise gears.
"By the way, are we employing child labor here?" As he walked among the giant cultivation pod arrays, Alex's boot soles echoed crisply on the metal grates.
He looked up at the adults who were just "born" and sent to the production line, saying half-jokingly, "Even though these guys look like adults, they don't even have three days of adaptation from leaving the cultivation pod to entering the factory, do they?"
32's mechanical eye flickered a few times, emitting a faint hum.
She knew that Alex was using a dark joke to alleviate the oppressive atmosphere here—after all, the scene before them was exactly what you'd find in an old-school sci-fi movie villain's lair.
So she played along, responding, "It's not so bad! You should see those clone pilots in the neighboring Star District; now that's what you call truly 'living like mayflies, flourishing in spring and withering in summer'!"
"Clone pilots don't live past a month, do they?" Alex smiled knowingly; they both understood what the other was referring to.
However, jokes aside, Alex quickly brought the conversation back: "Seriously, if we were to expand the factory, how much could you improve efficiency?"
32's mechanical tentacle traced a holographic projection in the air, displaying a dense production schedule.
"It depends," her electronic voice carried a hint of helplessness, "all my production lines are currently fully booked.
If you want me to expand, I can't even squeeze out the capacity for production equipment—unless you can order new equipment from other Forge Worlds."
Rostov III is, after all, not an orthodox Forge World.
Although 32 has been desperately laying out large intercontinental factories on this planet, so far, the factory coverage on the planet's surface has barely reached 30%, far from meeting the production needs of the entire Sub-Sector.
Not to mention the bewildering variety of goods Alex requested: from Astartes Power Armor to knight titans components, from Skitarii equipment to Astra Militarum standard weapons, to civilian products, and even the most resource-intensive Titan assembly lines.
Speaking of Titans, ever since receiving official authorization from the Adeptus Mechanicus, Alex can now openly produce Warhound-class Titans and their variants.
However, the manufacturing process for such behemoths as Titans is extremely time-consuming; a Warhound-class Titan, from parts casting to final assembly, often occupies an entire production line for several years, or even decades.
What's more problematic is that producing one Titan means temporarily shelving other weapons and equipment production plans—this resource-crowding effect makes 32 wish she had a few more mechanical brains every time she adjusts the production schedule.
However, the Titan production plan had to continue to advance.
This is not only because Titans themselves are irreplaceable strategic weapons on the battlefield, capable of providing necessary combat power supplements for the Rostov Sub-Sector's Titan Legion, but also because in the political ecosystem of the Empire and the Adeptus Mechanicus, Forge Worlds with Titan production capabilities often possess greater say.
32's processor rapidly calculated various production scheduling options, and her mechanical tentacles continuously adjusted parameters on the holographic projection.
She knew that for the Rostov Sub-Sector, maintaining the Titan production line was not only about military strength but also an important political bargaining chip.
A Sub-Sector capable of independently producing Titans would gain a completely different status and voice within the Adeptus Mechanicus and the Imperial bureaucracy, which was crucial for future development planning.
"I'll find a way to optimize the production line crowding issue," 32's electronic voice carried a hint of helplessness, "but in the short term, it's really hard to squeeze out additional capacity to expand the Life Womb Factory."
The mechanical cat in her arms projected a light shimmering with data streams, displaying the real-time load of various factories—almost every production line was operating at full capacity, some even overloaded.
Unless Alex could convince other Forge Worlds to provide key equipment, rapidly increasing clone production under existing conditions was an almost impossible task.
"Speaking of which, I do have an idea that might solve the problem." 32's mechanical tentacles excitedly traced several holographic projections in the air, and data streams flowed across her crimson robe.
She enthusiastically explained her plan to Alex, her electronic voice unconsciously raising a few decibels: "Didn't you have Griya Forge World build an Orbital Ring before?
Can we build one for our planet too? I remember we discussed this plan, and you even promised!"
A detailed Orbital Ring design plan immediately unfolded in the projection, and 32's mechanical fingers quickly pointed out several key nodes: "We can make some adjustments based on this—while building the Orbital Ring, directly order a complete set of Life Womb production equipment from Griya.
Let them pre-install and debug the equipment on the Orbital Ring, so that once the Star Ring is built and transported into place, these new factories can immediately begin operation!"
Several mechanical cats also seemed to be infected by their owner's excitement, happily circling on her shoulder.
32's holographic image leaned slightly forward: "This will not only solve the problem of equipment transportation and installation but also minimize the construction period.
Once the Orbital Ring is in place, the new Life Womb Factory can immediately begin production, wouldn't that kill two birds with one stone?"
Alex looked at his friend's sparkling mechanical eye, gently stroking his chin.
He fully understood 32's obsession with "rings"—it had almost become a recent fixation for her.
However, in fairness, this plan did indeed solve multiple problems simultaneously.
The Orbital Ring design in the projection was still slowly rotating, and the nodes labeled "Life Womb Module" glowed with an inviting blue light.
"Hmm… I'll consider it," Alex finally said, his voice thoughtful.
He knew that this decision not only concerned production efficiency but also involved a new round of political maneuvering with Griya Forge World.
But seeing 32's expectant look, he was already calculating in his mind how to persuade those stubborn Tech-Priests.
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