Space Marines

## Astartes Biology

Space Marines are considered some of the Imperium’s best elite forces, and the Grey Knights seem to have been some of the best of the best of their rare breed. Making such hyper-capable supersoldiers must have taken quite a lot of knowledge of genetics, biological process, and possibly even limited Warp manipulations; Zerxes can’t wait to begin analyzing the bodies under his care to find out their secrets. It helps that he has the expertise and abilities of three AIs (and yourself) to help them unravel the mysteries of the Emperor’s work, which is no small task.

### Completed

It is no doubt that a Space Marine is a marvel of bioengineering that nothing in the current galaxy can rival.

You can now say so personally after having seen the inner workings of almost every organ and every tissue contained within these demigods of war. Their genetics have been broken down and dissected countless times in Atlantis’ laboratories, while their strange warp energies have even been analyzed by verified Biomancer psykers. Everything about them seems perfectly designed for war and more.

### Rewards

Space Marine Autopsy Report

Esper program unlocked, Astartes biology understood, further super soldier research unlocked. Ability to create new Astartes, clone Astartes organs unlocked. Chance of ???, ??? and ???.

### Space Marine Autopsy Report

Though the Space Marine samples obtained proved to be quite complex and difficult to analyze at first , with recent advances in research tools they have become nothing short of enlightening, even to those among our ranks who had the privilege of working with astartes. It is even possible that we have more knowledge on the inner workings of astartes than most of the marines themselves save perhaps their apothecaries.

Simply put the data and information we have obtained from this endeavour is staggering and would definitely speed up research into making our own super soldiers , or just create our own astartes using traditional methods. However it must be noted that our work has been exclusively based on Grey Knights who as a specialised chapter may possess traits and mutations not present in other astartes.

(Astartes creation now available)

As a final note , while vat cloning astartes as has been suggested is not yet possible , the possibility still exists that the Esper program might be kickstarted earlier with the subjects being based on an Astartes template.

(Project Esper now available )

Without further ado, here is a full report on our research’s main breakthroughs and discoveries :

#### **Astartes organs whose mechanisms are now understood and can now be replicated :**

* **Secondary Heart**
* **Ossmodula**
* **Biscopea**
* **Haemastamen**
* **Larraman’s Organ**
* **Catalespsean Node**
* **Preomnor**
* **Omophagea**
* **Multi-lung**
* **Occulobe**
* **Lyman’s Ear**
* **Sus-an Membrane**
* **Melanchromic Organ**
* **Oolitic Kidney**
* **Neuroglottis**
* **Mucranoid**
* **Butcher’s Gland**
* **Progenoids**
* **Black Carapace**

**(These are the basic stuff in the fluff that are standard knowledge , you can check them on the wiki, the report will be mainly on the stuff exclusive to this quest)**

#### **Astartes Neurology**

The Astartes creation process seems to affect the nervous system far beyond was previously hypothesized.

The nervous system of the space marines , rather being insulated by myelin seems to use an artificial polymer as a more effective insulator which is what allows the reflexes and bodily responses of a marine to be x10 faster than a human.

Their synapses also do not use normal neurotransmitters as signal carriers , instead they mainly make use of chemical transmitters that are more resistant to degradation and have more specific receptors (which prevents drugs and neurotoxins from having much effect), this translates to the muscles and effector organs being stimulated for far longer than in normal humans.

There is an exception in the form of the marine’s equivalent to substance P ( responsible for transmitting pain signals in baseline humans ) which on the contrary is more easily degraded and reabsorbed, in effect making a marine feel less pain and making said pain more endurable.

Finally , the spinal cord is strengthened and enhanced by a gelatine material which absorbs shocks safely and hardens on direct impact.

(Research unlocked : Improved nerve fibers )

(Research unlocked : Super Soldier NTs)

(Research unlocked : Spinal enhancements)

#### **Brain**

Some of the following are most likely features exclusive to the Grey Knights owing to their psychic nature.

Brain autopsies reveal that a weird contradiction : The areas associated with higher processes such as logic and reasoning appear to be healthy, more than that having a neural density x5 times that of a human with the same applying to most other brain areas, however the areas we associate with emotions and instincts are significantly atrophied with age positively correlating with the degree of atrophy , to the point where they have become vestigial in older specimens.

On another note, the neurons themselves are remarkable in that they are smaller and thinner than normal humans but are flexible and above all self-regenerating. Marines have far more neurons and synapses than humans which seems to indicate greater learning ability.

Most importantly however is the discovery of a new type of neurons in the brains , aptly called Psykrons. Preliminary analysis and tests indicate they are responsible for processing warp energy and safely purifying it for use. They are found in connected clusters in all areas of the frontal, parietal and occipital lobes.

(Research unlocked : Psykrons )

(Research unlocked : Enhanced brain juvenants )

#### **Homeostasis**

Marines consume and burn a lot of calories daily and more when they are active, that produces a lot of heat which the marine’s sweat glands can’t handle most of the time. Instead a network of thin heat transporting vessels that run analogous to the circulatory system to transport it to a newly discovered organ called the Zerxian Thermus , which stores the heat and can convert to more useful forms of energy.

(Research unlocked : Thermus organ )

#### **Genome and Geneseed**

Perhaps most intriguing and mystifying is the Grey Knights’ genetic structure which is best described as a carefully connected patchwork.

For the most the DNA appears to be human, but with alleles and sequences that have never observed before and with most of the “junk” DNA sequences becoming active on some level. Curiously many of these sequences match those found in the DNA of Beta and higher psykers which seems to confirm a link between genetics and psychic potential.

However other parts of DNA appear to be of xeno origins with what appears to be heavily modified orks and eldar “DNA” among others identified. In addition we have uncovered a strange form of nucleic bases called XNA or PsiNA which match nothing occurring in nature and appear to have innate psychic abilities of some sort. We currently have no idea whether these were additions over the original state or even part of the original geneseed created by the emperor, other astartes specimens of a different chapter are required to confirm

Compared to that the discovery of genes useful for the treatment of many conditions or enhancing various physiological abilities seems mild

(Research unlocked : Grey Knight genome )

(Research unlocked : Gene Clinic upgrade)

## Improved Nerve Fibers

The Improved Nerve Fibers showed substantial modifications to their structures as well as the neurons themselves, allowing for shortcuts in transmissions. Apparently this also explains some of the recorded tendencies of Space Marine Librarians as well, somehow.