Metal and Blood : Prologue

Dust motes swirled through weak sunlight, illuminating a carpet, its colours dulled by age, a fine brass- trimmed wooden desk, and the wrecked carcass of a Servitor. This one in particular had its mechanical parts exposed, wires gleaming and occasionally sparking. Next to the carcass was a circular tank full of clear, blue-hued liquid that held a body inside, preserving the tissue to an extent greater than any of the methods used by the Adeptus Mechanicus. The body was, even in suspended animation, wrecked. A huge wound, still unhealed, gaped through the torso of the body, and a ribcage, working lungs and a part of a beating heart were visible. A wound that severe was surely incapacitating, so it was not surprising that it was in the tank. Its mouth was covered by a black mask, with cables and pipes going out to the tank's roof.
The Door opened. The shadow of what entered was a monstrous shape, with six times as many appendages as it should have. Then it entered the light, and it became clear that it was a mechanical construct of some sort, but it was far more advanced than any Servitor or Machination in any Imperial world. The technology used in the machine was far in advance of the Mechanicus, or any simple renegade Techpriest. The figure walked over to a construct on the other end of the room, which had a space clearly for the construct. The figure walked into the space and turned to face the inside of the room. Cables came to life and connected into the figure.
And the mind of Lord Technicanum Kardas left the machine and went back to the body.
The body awoke, bleary eyes opening to find the cool liquid of the Preservation Tank. Kardas awoke and the amp in the mask carried his voice outside the tank as two of his scribes, Tanya and a Servitor entered the room.
The scribes were two of his students, aged thirteen and fifteen. Kardas smiled behind the mask. He knew their type. Young, rambunctious and usually upright and proud, but cowed and respectful in the presence of such authority. Their robes were plain formal black, the kind worn by every one of his servants. Tanya, on the other hand, wore comfortable leathers and knee-high black boots, polished bright. A Laspistol hung at her hip in a holster, and a ten-inch Knife sheath strapped to the outside of her right calf.
Kardas smiled to himself. Tanya was his daughter, by adoption technically, but the true event was Kardas simply finding her on the streets and taking her in as his own. He smiled as scenes flew through his mind- Tanya just as she came in here, an expression of utmost gratitude and joy on her face as she hugged the living daylights out of Kardas. Then Tanya a few weeks later, filled out and beginning a training routine for herself, then Tanya as she was tending to his wound twenty years earlier, the same one that caused him to be in this tank. Tanya walked up to his tank and said:
"Hi, Father. How are you?" She put her arms to the tank, a testament that their bond had been unbroken, despite all the wounds that Kardas had suffered. Kardas reached out with his mangled limb that had once been an arm, and touched his hand to the glass, Tanya's cheek on the other side.
"I'm just fine, child." A small sad smile broke out on Tanya's face. "Now to business."
Kardas settled himself, or at least twitched a little to make himself more comfortable in the tank. One scribe opened his leather binder and took out a dataslate. Immediately Kardas began speaking, and the student's fingers flew across the slate, taking note of every syllable that came through the com.
"June 14th, of year 049, decade 3, century 5, M41. Priority-six meeting held, head of meeting Lord Technicanum Kardas. Subject of meet is the continuation of Experiment number Five-Zero-Six. Meeting issue number one.
"Recent advances in the Experiment showed that it is capable of far more than previous estimates. The Experiment, in the latest test, neutralised all enemies with no damage to itself. Posited solution is to continue advances onto the experiment. Meet resolved."

506 lay on its bed, looking up at the roof. A Techpriest had its back to it, and a Laspistol was at its side in a leather holster. The Techpriest, which had told 506 that he was to be referred to as -'Doctor'. He was currently tapping a syringe, full of some kind of chemical or another.
This was routine. Every day, genetic screening, behavioural tests, physical and mental tests, and sleep. All the time, 506 was being watched. The visible cameras were destroyed, but that hadn't stopped the heat sensors or infrared cameras that looked through the walls of the cell.
506 started drumming its fingers against the wall. 'Doctor' turned around and muttered:
"Will you cut zat out!"
506 stopped. 'Doctor' span around again and resumed his work with the syringe. 506 climbed up stealthily, and got up off the bed. 506's heightened musculature helped him to keep steady, and no squeaks from the mattress ensounded. 506 crept over to 'Doctor' and raised his arms. 'Doctor' kept working away with the syringes, and 506 grabbed 'Doctor's head and jerked it quickly sideways. 'Doctor' fell to the floor and lay lifeless.
506 kicked over the tray and bent down to pick up the Techpriest's Laspistol. There was one vent in the roof that was vulnerable. It was the same one that 506 had tried to escape from years earlier, but the noise that 506 had made trying to beat it out of place had alerted the guards, and 506 suffered with a non-lethal chemical that had caused him pain for months.
But today, all this was about to change. 506 lifted the gun and shot off the vent. It then climbed up and out, its muscular frame barely getting through the tiny vent. It emerged into a small corridor, hardly bigger than the cell it left, and filler with pipes, cables, vents and valves.
506 was out, but not yet free. Two guards were at the end of the hall span around and fired las-rifles at him. 506 ducked behind a pipe, and fired off two shots into the guards' skulls. Then it proceeded to move down the corridor.

Kardas closed his eyes and prepared his body to go into hibernation. As soon as it did, he disengaged his consciousness from it and flew towards his mechanical body. Cables, limbs, appendages, systems and a plasma reactor within the body awakened as the consciousness of Kardas entered. The construct around it withdrew and let the body move. Again, Tanya stepped forward and hugged Kardas, except this time his metal body could resist the force she applied. Kardas hugged back with two appendages that could be considered mechanical arms. The two embraced for a while, before Kardas pulled away with both affection and dignity. Tanya bowed her head with a smile.
Kardas advanced across the room, his scribes, daughter and Servitor following him. He advanced through his halls, through the master room and down into the grand hall. It was a room that was true to his name, with plenty of space, two small fountains and a large statue of the Emperor occupying the space between. The scribes dashed off to another wing of the building, and Kardas walked down the steps to the ground level and out the doors.
The day's sunlight flickered onto Kardas' mechanical body, illuminating it at an angle that highlighted all the technological wonders of it. Civilians were walking all the way throughout Kardas' Temple for an endless variety of reasons. The Temple was a factory, a church of technology, a temple for mechanics in all its aspects. No wonder then, that Kardas, being the Lord Technicanum, managed to get a private room, one of the better ones, inside it.
Kardas and Tanya walked through the masses of civilians on their way to the Manufactorum. Tanya drew looks from everyone, but not nearly as many as Kardas. He had twelve appendages, four of them hidden and equipped with plasma and las-weaponry, four being almost like regular arms and legs, and the rest being tiny multipurpose extensions that stuck out from his shoulders and below his armpits. Overall, he looked like a robotic, two-legged spider. Tanya, on the other hand, was the exact opposite with a glowing figure that attracted many.
Kardas walked along in thought as two Techpriests walked past. Weaklings, he thought, weaklings that didn't have the guts to wear that metal. There was so much power that could come from Technology, and it was their subservience to the Priesthood of Mars that stopped them from using that technology.
Tanya walked alongside her father, on a normal walk, with no armed and armoured bodyguards or official delegates, so she was glowing inside. She was a beacon of hope to everyone that surrounded her, and everyone else started smiling too, and the chatter of the streets became more friendly and sociable.
"Do you want to stop in somewhere?" asked Kardas. Tanya glanced at him, pleased. Usually he never asked what she wanted to do on their outings.
"I know this small place down in the slums, it serves great food and the people there are really friendly too. You want to go?"
"Only if you want to, child."
Kardas and Tanya walked off with smiles on their faces.

506 shot down the last of the guards in the main facility. They were all hired thugs with fancy guns, no trouble at all to take down. 506 briefly paused to scout that the room in front was clear, and advanced inside. It was a huge concrete hall with a few stairs and wrecked desks, cleared of the centre. In the centre of the hall stood the Captain of the facility's guards. He held a Heavy Stubber in his hands, which he opened up onto 506 with. In a barrage of bullets, capable of ripping a man to shreds, 506 ducked around a corner.
The Captain started to advance, the Stubber occasionally firing a few rounds to keep 506 at bay. Then 506 turned the corner and shot the Stubber with his las-rifle. It flew off to somewhere, and 506 dropped the lasgun and charged to meet the Captain in hand-to-hand combat.
The Captain had the height advantage over 506, but 506 was a machine, made for combat, so naturally the Captain didn't stand a chance. 506 slammed his palm upwards to the man's face, and was rewarded with a massive spurt of blood. Then it slammed its boot into The Captain's stomach, forcing him to double over. Then 506 picked up the Heavy Stubber and let loose a barrage of bullets into the Captain. He was dead.
506 walked around a corner, and saw a fire exit. 506 exited through it, jumped down 2 floors onto the ground from the outside walkway and climbed over the fence. 506 was free.