Step into a universe where technology is nothing short of mind-blowing: the Warhammer 40,000 realm, where the stakes are colossal, and the powers are jaw-dropping! Picture this: enormous Blackstone Fortresses that can decimate entire solar systems with a mere gesture, the Aeonic Orb cradling the colossal might of full-blown stars, and the Speranza—it's a towering titan the size of a continent—capable of manipulating black holes to unleash mayhem across the cosmos. Talk about cosmic firepower!
Yet, amid this galaxy-conquering arsenal, a tantalizing mystery lingers. In the hyper-advanced 41st millennium, chaos reigns supreme, and not even the most enlightened races have unraveled the secrets lurking within the universe's darkest enigma—a black hole. Sure, the Imperium's mighty forces might let us down from time to time, but the jaw-dropper is: neither can the sublime technological geniuses known as the Necrons crack this cosmic code!
The truth unfurls in the pages of the riveting Warhammer 40,000 novel Archmagos by Guy Hayley. Here, the legendary 10,000-year-old dominus of the Adeptus Mechanicus, Belisarius Cawl, embarks on a cataclysmic journey to a Necron tomb world teetering on the edge of a black hole's event horizon. As Cawl delves into these massive celestial beasts, an eye-opening revelation caught me off guard!
Beware! Spoilers for Archmagos lie ahead:
Belisarius Cawl, the galaxy's sharpest mind, ponders the gaping knowledge void encircling black holes. Even at humanity’s technological zenith during the fabled Dark Age of Technology, black holes remained an elusive conundrum. Shockingly, neither do the Necrons, fearsome mechanical warriors with technology so advanced, it's practically mystical, understand this ultimate enigma.
For those not steeped in 40k lore, Necrons are the living embodiment of annihilation, having vanquished entire star god races way before the Emperor's era. Their weapons exceed the boundaries of comprehension, yet, when it comes to black holes, they’re as baffled as we are today.
Here's what the great Belisarius Cawl, the "galaxy's pre-eminent mind," admits about these extraordinary voids:
"Nobody really knows what these things are, even me. If we were to fall within, would we be destroyed, or would we emerge in some other place? I have never come across a satisfactory answer from any species. I doubt our ancestors at the height of their technology understood them. Some ancient Necrontyr records I... came into possession of by completely legitimate means, say they believe them to be the graves of their mightiest star gods. Maybe that is true. Why not? If a star can birth something with the power of a god, then why wouldn't an astronomical body like this harbor similar secrets?"
Reading this part of the book anchors the surreal and inconceivable Warhammer 40,000 universe to our own. Here, in the cosmic dance of uncertainty, even 40,000 years into the future, the black hole conundrum remains unsolved—a puzzle to perplex the greatest minds, just as it does today. From theories of black holes leading to other universes to the potential emergence as some fantastical 4D bookshelf, the possibilities are endless.
Engage in the 40k community chatter, where guess what? A roaring debate thrives amidst the fanbase. But then again, wasn’t that always part of the fun in this thrilling Warhammer odyssey?