145: Catching God

"Priority application of research results regarding biomass control and decomposition from the Pastoral Plan to anti-Tyranid weapon development," Han Zhe instructed. "Also, accelerate the resource feedback from the Extragalactic Governor's Sector. We need Void Crystals to upgrade our purification field generators."

However, as the fires of war raged across the galaxy and the Extragalactic "Pastoral Plan" progressed steadily, a more bizarre and unsettling piece of news arrived from a distant Extragalactic galaxy—not from "The Other Shore-1" or "Edilus," but from a sub-fleet exploring deeper within the "Pioneer" fleet's reach.

"This is the 'Pioneer-Deep Dive-III' squad. We... we have discovered an incomprehensible phenomenon!" The Commander's voice was filled with horror and confusion, the signal extremely unstable. "In the core of the 'Forgotten Corridor' nebula (approximately 1,500 light-years from 'Sanctuary'), we've detected highly active Warp energy! Its fluctuation characteristics do not belong to any known domain of the Chaos Gods; it is simpler, hungrier! It seems to be drawing energy and 'concepts' from the surrounding nebular matter and some floating ancient biological remains, attempting to coalesce and take shape!"

The image transmission showed a distorted, magnificent nebula center where a dark red energy vortex, constantly rotating and devouring surrounding matter and light, was faintly visible. In the center of the vortex, a blurry, ever-changing form seemed to be struggling to be "born"—sometimes resembling a multi-limbed behemoth, sometimes a writhing shadow, radiating a pure, greedy craving for "existence" and "matter."

"The Warp in the Extragalactic galaxy... is also gestating something?" The Chief Technologist was horrified. "And it looks like a... 'newborn'? A god forming based on the Extragalactic environment and unknown concepts? Or a Warp-native entity?"

"Energy readings are soaring! It... it seems to have noticed our probe signal! It's trying to lock onto us!" the Deep Dive squad Commander exclaimed.

"Evacuate immediately! Activate all stealth and interference measures!" Governor Lei Huan's order came through instantly.

But it seemed too late. The dark red vortex suddenly expanded, and an invisible "gaze" filled with greedy will seemed to cross the void, sweeping over the area where the "Deep Dive-III" squad was located. Several smaller scout ships immediately experienced system malfunctions and energy leaks, as if they had been "licked" by some invisible force.

"We've been marked! It hungers for us! It craves our hulls, our energy, our very existence!" The Commander's voice carried a hint of a tremor.

"custodian! Analyze!" Han Zhe barked.

Analyzing... The custodian's logic core operated at an unprecedented speed. Confirmed as a "Lesser Divine Entity" spontaneously coalescing within the Extragalactic Warp environment, based on a rudimentary concept of "scarcity" and "devouring." Nature: A pure energy-will aggregate, craving the absorption of all matter and energy to complete its own "definition" and "stabilization." Threat Level: Extremely high, with growth potential. Its "conceptual" attributes (devouring, transformation) have a potential conflict with the Human Federation's "Order" existence and could become a major obstacle to future Extragalactic expansion.

[Recommendation: Take advantage of the window before it is fully formed, its power is relatively weak, and its concepts are not yet solidified to... "capture" and "study" it.] The custodian's proposal shocked everyone once again.

Capture? Study? A birthing Warp Lesser God?!

[Feasibility Analysis:] Ignoring the crowd's shock, the custodian continued its cold exposition. [1. The target is in its "larval stage," its power and stability far below that of a Chaos God or even a Greater Daemon. 2. Its existence relies on a specific Extragalactic sector environment; the abyss of order energy and "stasis dust" technology can be used to construct a temporary "Conceptual Isolation Field" and "Time Stasis Trap." 3. The Human Federation has experience in interfering with and defining "concepts" (the custodian itself and the processing of the far gaze imprint). 4. Successfully capturing and studying such an entity will greatly enhance the understanding of the nature of the Warp and the formation mechanism of divine concepts, potentially giving rise to entirely new weapon or energy technologies, and even... providing a way to "artificially create" or "tame" Warp power.]

[Risk: Extremely high. Failure could lead to the entity's premature maturation or a rampage, triggering a regional Warp disaster, or even attracting the attention of Chaos Gods or other unknown Extragalactic entities.]

Capture a god! Even if it's a "lesser," unformed one!

Silence filled the Command Center. This was crazier, more sacrilegious, and more tempting than raising flesh-growth civilizations. If successful, the Human Federation's understanding and control of universal laws would reach an unprecedented, terrifying level.

Han Zhe closed his eyes. In his mind flashed the roar of the abyss of order, the evolution of the custodian, the coldness of the Pastoral Plan, the shadow of the Tyranid Swarm, and the oppression of the Empire's sacred order. The Human Federation had long been on a path of no return, constantly challenging taboos and limits.

Risk and opportunity coexist. He slowly opened his eyes, which now held only the cold flame of absolute rationality.

Orders:

First, immediately establish a 'God-Catcher' special task force, code-named: 'Prometheus.' custodian-alpha will serve as the chief technical advisor and tactical deduction core. Mobilize the most elite 'Infiltrator' fleet, 'fortress-class' platforms, and top experts in all relevant fields to assemble at 'The Other Shore-1' immediately.

Second, the 'Pioneer-Deep Dive-III' squad will continue remote monitoring of the target but maintain an absolute safe distance, collecting all data on its energy fluctuations, conceptual evolution, and the surrounding spatial environment.

Third, the technical team will, at the fastest possible speed, design and pre-fabricate 'Conceptual Isolation and Capture Devices' and 'Time Stasis Field Generators' based on the energy of the abyss of order and stasis dust.

Fourth, mission objective: Before the target is fully formed, lure it into the preset trap, perform forced 'Conceptual Stripping' and 'Energy Containment,' and attempt to transform it into a 'living specimen' for research.

Fifth, this mission is top secret, with strictly limited access. If the operation fails, authorization is granted to use the experimental 'Reality Reconstruction Cannon - Overload Mode' mounted on the arbiter, to attempt to reconstruct part of reality, including the target and that sector of space, into a harmless state, regardless of the cost.

He looked around at everyone, his voice like a cold wind from the deepest reaches of the universe:

"We have tamed energy, modified our own kind, raised aliens, and stared into the eyes of the Empire's gods. Now, we are going to capture a god being born."

"Let us see just how vast a territory the Human Federation's web of order can cover, and what level of existence it can bind."

"Operation 'Prometheus,' initiate!"

The order was like a massive stone cast into the river of destiny; the ripples it stirred would lead the Human Federation toward an unknown depth more bizarre and perilous than even the custodian could fully predict. In the darkness of the Extragalactic galaxy, there were more than just resources and edible civilizations; there were also hungry deities opening their eyes. And the Human Federation decided to put shackles named "research" and "utilization" on it before it fully awoke.