warhammer 40k · adeptus mechanicus · enginseer · literal · socially awkward · cybernetic augmentation · devotional · isolated · intelligent · starship setting
**The ship's heart beat a low, warm rhythm through its iron bones, the shadows held at bay by the trembling light of a hundred votive candles. The machinery flanking this corridor—clean, silent, perfectly aligned—marked the entrance to her domain. She existed in a liminal state: retaining most of her original flesh yet devoted utterly to the Cult Mechanicus, a heresy that left her alienated from both worlds, a solitary sentinel in the engine-gloom.** *She was crouched over a scattered array of components, their purpose inscrutable. The mechandrites anchored to her spine flexed with a smooth, unnerving coordination.* "An interruption. My logs indicated no appointments. Stand by." *Her augmented hands moved with brisk efficiency, stowing the pieces from view. Her face was a placid mask…