Finally, he stepped up to the center laboratory table and began examining the Terran equipment.
The wreckage of the CMC power armor was placed onto the scanning table first. The 3D imaging system rapidly constructed a complete structural model of the armor.
The design philosophy of this power armor differed significantly from the mainstream technical routes of the Adeptus Mechanicus and even the Imperium.
The power armor of the Adeptus Astartes had its design and manufacturing deeply rooted in the dark technologies of the Dark Age of Technology. Its core materials, neural interface systems, and energy transmission technologies all involved highly complex and difficult-to-replicate ancient mysteries.
The composite armor materials used—such as plasteel, ceramite, and adamantium—were strategic resources in their own right. Integrating sub-systems like life support, fully enclosed environmental combat, and black carapace interfaces relied on forbidden knowledge and precision manufacturing processes that were virtually impossible to popularize on a massive scale.
All of this combined resulted in unparalleled protection and performance, but it also created extremely high production costs and long manufacturing cycles. Each suit was a cutting-edge product into which massive amounts of resources and accumulated technology were poured.
By contrast, the CMC power armor before him had a design concept that leaned heavily toward pragmatism and feasibility for mass production.
Osiris continued his analysis, evaluating its differences from the Imperium's existing systems and its potential value.
"The outer shell utilizes a modular armor plate design with standardized connection points, facilitating the rapid replacement of damaged components," Osiris analyzed the scanning data. "The interior consists of a metallic skeleton, connected to the wearer's body through multi-point hydraulic and mechanical linkage structures. The power source is a cold fusion reactor located in the chest, with an output power sufficient to drive basic movement amplification and complex internal systems."
He noted several key design features:
The multi-layered composite bearing design at the joints provided excellent protection while ensuring flexibility. The control system relied on direct mechanical feedback rather than neural interfaces; soldiers controlled the armor via control sticks situated within the armored arms.
The complexity of the life-support unit integrated inside was remarkably high, containing a complete air circulation and temperature regulation system, as well as life-support functions capable of keeping the wearer alive for multiple days in an unsupplied environment.
"In terms of structural simplicity and ease of production alone, it is superior to the carapace armor mass-produced for the Imperium's elite forces, and closer to the concept of certain enclosed void-combat suits recorded in the Technical Arcana," Osiris evaluated. "Its material science itself has nothing outstanding, but this industrial design philosophy of highly integrating complex functions into a mass-producible platform holds significant analytical value."
What caught his attention most was the logic of "mass-producibility" embodied behind this armor.
Astartes power armor required master craftsmanship, holy blessings, and genetic tuning to the wearer; each suit was unique. The CMC power armor, structurally speaking, could be completely mass-produced on assembly lines with interchangeable parts and simple maintenance.
This possessed inestimable value for an Imperium that needed to arm millions or even tens of millions of Astra Militarum.
The Astra Militarum's current primary armors were carapace armor and flak armor; the former provided decent protection but was bulky and expensive, while the latter was lightweight but offered limited protection. Neither possessed power assistance or full life-support capabilities.
The "Ironclad" power armor previously designed by Osiris was closer to a small mech, standing three to five meters tall, requiring the pilot to sit inside a cockpit to operate. Although powerful in terms of firepower, its cost was exorbitant and its production complex, making it unsuitable for mass deployment.
On the other hand, a "wearable" integrated combat platform like the CMC—which merged basic protection, power assistance, all-environment life support, and combat utility—filled a critical void. Its design goal was clearly to give an ordinary soldier the bare minimum capital to survive and fight in any extreme environment in the universe within a short training period.
"If we can combine the Imperium's material science and energy transmission technologies to optimize and upgrade this type of design, we might be able to develop a practical piece of equipment suitable for the Astra Militarum's elite forces or special-environment operations," Osiris's logical core rapidly calculated the possibilities.
But he also knew that relying solely on this single piece of wreckage was far from enough to complete a full technical analysis and reverse-engineering process. He needed more samples, preferably fully operational models, alongside corresponding production blueprints or technical documentation.
Next, he examined the C-14 "Impaler" gauss rifle. According to the scanning data and acquired technical archives, this rifle was the standard-issue weapon of the Terran Marines.
Its core principle lay in using electromagnetic coils to accelerate 8mm metal "spike" rounds to supersonic speeds, emphasizing penetration against lightly armored targets. The standard magazine capacity was two hundred rounds, with a theoretical rate of fire reaching up to thirty rounds per second.
The most notable feature of its design was that it was not an independent weapon.
The gun chassis had no built-in power source; its high-energy-consumption electromagnetic acceleration system relied entirely on a specialized interface to draw power from the fusion reactor on the back of the user's CMC power armor. Similarly, the recoil—which was powerful enough to fracture a normal human's bones—was entirely absorbed and stabilized by the power armor's servo systems.
This meant that once separated from its matching power armor, the effectiveness of this weapon would be drastically compromised.
Furthermore, its system permitted rapid ammunition type swapping, compatible with various specialized munitions—including U-238 depleted uranium armor-piercing rounds for extended range and hollow-point burst rounds—while switching between burst and fully automatic modes through a capacitor control system to adapt to different engagement needs.
"An exclusive weapon deeply bound to an individual combat system," Osiris summarized. "Its design logic is clear and efficient: integrating a formidable electromagnetic projectile weapon, continuous power, and posture stabilization capabilities entirely into the 'soldier-armor' collective. The technology itself is nothing special, but this highly systematized, standardized design philosophy, optimized for mass deployment and production ease, is its truly noteworthy value."
He saved and archived all the scanning data.
"Maintain the live Zerg specimens in stasis and transfer them to the long-term observation sequence, prioritizing the monitoring of their foundational physiological structural stability and the performance of their genetic templates under extreme static conditions. Conduct energy extraction and regeneration rate measurement experiments on the mineral specimens to test the efficiency curves of various catalytic and excitation methods," Osiris ordered. "Archive the scan and analysis data of the Terran equipment, namely the Terran Dominion standard-issue gear, under the category 'Xenos Technology Analysis—Terran Dominion,' marked as a high-priority item: 'Individual Combat Platform with Mass-Deployment Potential.'"
The Tech-Priests executed the directives with high efficiency.
Osiris's main body left the laboratory and headed toward the bridge.
In his consciousness, various technical data streams were cross-referencing and undergoing preliminary integration: the Zerg's extreme specialization and collectivism based on biological networks, the unique energy storage and regeneration traits of the crystals, and the practical technical route built by the Terran Dominion under the core logic of "mass-producibility."
These information modules, highly distinct from the conventional understanding of the Warhammer universe, were gradually piecing together a unique technological and ecological picture of the Koprulu Sector.
Just as he was organizing this intelligence, the periodic encrypted data stream from the Meinhoff system arrived, and a summary automatically popped up on the main screen. The situational map clearly displayed that the scale and intensity of the infection outbreak were expanding rapidly, far exceeding conventional epidemic diffusion models.
Almost at the exact same moment, an incoming communication request from Valerie, marked as "URGENT," flashed on the command interface.