Research Station

Research stations are found throughout the Imperium in almost every situation, locale, or environment. Though many are on otherwise inhabited planets, they are invariably isolated or secluded from the general population, making contact only to restock supplies or take on replacement staff. Most social interactions at any given facility are bound with scripted and rote language, the original meanings of which might be long lost.

Control and predictability govern daily life at a research station, which can include extended families of expert fabricators who spin and polish massive crystalline lenses, or of brute haulers transferring the vats of ink necessary to transcribe daily findings. All understand that the security and the progress of the station’s research program require very strict scheduling to ensure optimal results. Time not spent on duty, such as for meals or sleep, is measured and monitored. Sites like these are very similar to manufactorums or forges, in that the master timetable dictates every quality of life. While this can vary considerably, there is generally one constant: regardless of individuals’ wants and needs, the research always takes priority over them.

Whatever the project is, "everyone"—from the lead Tech-Priests and administrators down to the lowliest scribes and indentured labourers—believes that their efforts contribute to the continued greatness of the Imperium. They believe this despite the fact that, "unknown to most working at them", some stations dance precariously on the thin line between sanctioned research and abominable tech-heresy.

Though Tech-Priests and scholars are often the core of these stations, there are also guards, codifiers, and support staff who make sure that the station as a whole runs smoothly. Regardless of what a person’s role is within the strata of the facility, virtually everyone claims understanding of the basic nature of the work. This comprehension is often poor at best, however, with little or no bearing on any real functions within, due to the gossip and hearsay prevalent on any world or merely mirroring the stagnating technological understanding across the Imperium. Information is commonly mangled and distorted not only from one generation to the next, but also from one research assignment to the next.

Instilled in all of them is a drive to make sure that the work continues; they are all in a perpetual state of analysis regarding their tasks and the time it takes to accomplish them. As a result, they are incredibly focused and punctual, and largely dispassionate about anything save their own specific assignments. This segmentation of tasks, however, often makes the project as a whole largely undecipherable, as those who began the experiments are often long dead and the purpose of the research has either been diffused or lost entirely. In its stead is a misplaced reverence for the hypothesised outcome, and researchers eliminate anything that contradicts that desired result, regardless of what is actually found.

While the Machine Cult and the Astra Militarum both have significant numbers on many stations, other agencies provide staff and also draw personnel from them. The Adeptus Astra Telepathica operates many facilities to study the tides of the Warp, and no matter the type of research, the massive transcription and data sorting required can lead many to positions within the Adeptus Administratum. The dark and remote locations, as well as some of the highly dangerous researches, also generate the "deformed" and shunned Mutant. Some of these might in turn become subjects for research, a future only slightly better than the torch.