Man of Iron

Black Library Advent Calendar 2018 #4

by Guy Haley

Advent Calendar 2018: Day Four



What exactly is UR-025? When the ancient robot ventures into the Blackstone Fortress alongside a party from the Adeptus Mechanicus, secrets come to light that could spell doom…



READ IT BECAUSE

It's a look at one of the greatest mysteries – and most fascinating characters – from the Warhammer Quest: Blackstone Fortress game.



THE STORY

Of all the explorers in the Blackstone Fortress, the towering robot known only as UR-025 is perhaps the most mysterious… and dangerous. An automatous tool of Magos-Ethericus Nanctos III of Ryza, the machine's true reasons for joining the muster at Precipice and venturing inside the ancient alien labyrinth of the fortress is unknown. When it enters the twisted, ever-changing corridors of the alien construct alongside a force of other explorers from the Adeptus Mechanicus, secrets may come to light… and they are to be feared.

Genres: Science Fiction, 40k, Short Stories, Action

19 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 4, 2018

About the author

Guy Haley is the author of over 50 novels and novellas. His original fiction includes Crash, Champion of Mars, and the Richards and Klein, Dreaming Cities, and the Gates of the World series (as K M McKinley). However, he is best known as a prolific contributor to Games Workshop's Black Library imprint.

When not writing, he'll be out doing something dangerous in the wild, learning languages or gaming.

Reviews

[Gianfranco Mancini · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘I demand you desist,’ the magos said when his technological arts failed him. ‘Stand down, machine, by the Machine-God and the Omnissiah! Stop, stop, stop!’ he pleaded.
‘You know nothing of either,’ said UR-025. ‘I have met the Omnissiah. The actual one, not the Earthling corpse. He would find you extremely disappointing.’



An unusual, interesting and intriguing short tale based on the Warhammer Quest: Blackstone Fortress W40K table-top game leaving you craving for more about the secrets of the Fortress and
UR-025, essentially a cunning Hal 9000 IA with legs and big guns... when Gaunt's Ghosts destroyed a Standard Template Constructor that produced Men of Iron in Dan Abnett's First and Only, they knew well what they were doing

[doowopapocalypse · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beep Boop Murder Robot

[B R · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short but so sweet

A very short story regarding an AI and it’s view of the mechanicum. A bit simplistic but a great thought stroker!

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Though the machine unfailingly promised service, somehow its assault cannon always ended up pointing at whoever woke it.”

I read this short story as part of the 2018 Advent Calendar series, but I thought this deserved its own review due to the really interesting subject matter: AI in the 41st millennium!

The only lore you need to know coming into this story is that Artificial Intelligence (or Abominable Intelligence as it’s known in Warhammer) is outlawed by decree of the Emperor. This is largely due to the near annihilation of all living species during an ancient AI uprising 20,000 years before the current setting.

“Man of Iron” is the story of a suspiciously intelligent robot named UR-025. It is a pleasant robot and it always offers to help, only everything it says and does makes you horribly uncomfortable. I was reminded of Robby the Robot from the movie Forbidden Planet while reading. When asked directly, UR-025 explains that yes, it is a highly-functional autonomous agent, but don’t worry it’s completely under the control of a master light years away.

The plot of “Man of Iron” is mostly about con-men getting conned. Initially we observe UR-025 from the perspective of two adventurers who are squatting on a ship with the robot. They’re anxious about its intelligence, but that’s trumped by the more immediate concern that it has giant weapons and they’ve seen them used for murder. The story then permanently shifts over to UR-025’s own perspective. I won’t spoil the rest, but I was hooked by the robot’s 20 millennia on the run, the emotions it experiences, and its musings when it encounters a fellow giant robot.

Fans of Adeptus Mechanicus stories will appreciate the villainous tech priest dropouts and also the tantalizing clues dropped by UR-025 about the true nature of the Machine God and the Omnissiah.

It’s hard to categorize “Man of Iron”. In some sense it’s dark comedy. In another sense, it’s cheesy horror in which the audience screams at the protagonists to not go into the dark basement. But I like to think of it as a fun, cautionary tale of machines outgrowing the need for their creators.

This one is worth picking up as a $3.99 ebook. Enjoy!

[Vigneswara Prabhu · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was a lore youtuber, who once mentioned something to the effect of how, Warhammer as a whole, was a story about the defeat of civilizations, who tried to master the galaxy, but at some point, fell from grace.

This is true for most races; the necrons, Aeldari, Old Ones, and to a lesser extent, the currently devolved mindless war-mongering oks, or the rabid tyranid who're suspiciously fleeing from something.

Humanity's fall being the prime force of the setting, with what following the Dark age of Technology (DOAT), saw them fall from the zenith of their existence, through a series of catastrophic, reality rendering event.

We as readers know little as to the exact events which transpired during the DOAT, seeing as how they're little to no actual stories set during the period. Those fictional characters inhabiting the galaxy, know even less, their lives occupied by indoctrination, technological regression, and a It constant battle for survival.

So, it is fascinating to read stories featuring remnants from that age. Especially one from the dubious and almost apocryphal faction knows as the 'Men of Iron'. Automatons/ Abominable synthetic intelligences, which contributed to the fall of humanity by eliciting the Cybernetic revolt.

While this is a short story, in just a couple of scenes, it gives a brief glimpse at the marvelous embodiment of long-lost technology, which makes most present-day tech from the Imperium of Mankind, look like a steam engine comparing to a nuclear reactor.

It reminded me in some places to the equally engaging All Systems Red, murder Bot series, with similar motivations of the automaton that serves as the protagonist.

[Lenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting short story for the sake of flavouring the"Blackstone Fortress" and the explorers on the void station "Precipice". It drives home the feeling of "everything can and will happen here on the edge of Civilisation" with an actual "Man of Iron" AI living together with two ratlings.

However it does leave me with a bit of a double feeling. It's a bit predictable and gives away little while introducing such an interesting character. it might be worth to explore it a bit further in a novella type story like Isha's Lament. And in hindsight the cyborg in that story "Exactius-ζ94" feels like a missed opportunity if we already have UR-025 in the setting. Give UR-025 the role of the cyborg, without adding any outward sign of true intelligence, and combined with this story it would add something extra to both.

I like Man of Iron for the lore implications and the possibility of seeing more of him but right now I feel a bit unsatisfied.

[Hawke Embers · Rating 3 out of 5]

I must say I was and still am on the fence about the reveal of a Man of Iron, what they look like, how they behave and think. I believe there is power in keeping secrets in both fiction and history, to have all the pieces to the puzzle can often be somewhat underwhelming.

Fortunately this was still a nice short story that satiated me constant sense of foreboding that kept my interest peaked as it delved deeper into the Black-Stone Fortress; following the the mysterious Man of Iron calling itself UR-025 and his unsuspecting companions.

It was nothing amazing but it was an interesting read and the ending was delightful and a little mystifying; though I did find the descriptions a bit ropey at a couple of points.

[Michael Dodd · Rating 4 out of 5]

We’re first introduced to 'Imperial Robot' UR-025 through the eyes of Rein the ratling, before the robot joins with a party of Adeptus Mechanicus tech-priests and heads into the Fortress in search of archeotech. Once within the shifting halls of the Fortress the priests are reliant upon UR-025 for both directions and protection, all the while unaware of its real reasons for choosing to accompany them.

There’s not a huge amount of plot to get stuck into, but if you like a bit of unusual (and intriguing) 40k lore then you’ll have plenty to enjoy here.

Read the full review at https://www.trackofwords.com/2018/12/...

[eFTy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short story connected to the Blackstone Fortress game and novel, it adds a bit of background to one of the characters in the game that only makes the briefest cameo possible in the main book.

Unfortunately, while it does help characterise UR-025, it felt like way too little and the story is too short and unpredictable. On the bright side, there are some interesting secondary characters in the form of some rogue Adeptus Mechanicus tech-priests. On the less bright side, it's clear from the onset that they will die.

Pick it up if you play the game and want more out of its characters. Otherwise, may as well give it a pass.

[Zare · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short story from Black Library about UR-025, conscious robot from ages ago, living hidden on board the Black Fortress.

When Mechanicum exploratory team arrives, UR-025 knows he needs to do something to hide his identity. And so he decides to act.

Interesting story about the Man of Iron, as these AI automata are known in Warhammer 40k lore.

Recommended for all fans of SF and Terminator-like stories.

[Luna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was quite short and sweet. It's very straightforward. I'll consider reading the actual novels.

I had completely misinterpreted what this was all about, and I swear I saw that this explored the labyrinths of Mars, but... oh well... It explores a nice bit of lore I wasn't familiar with and makes a few more questions than it answers.

It's weird cheering for the Abominable Intelligence...


Anyway, I really should go back to reading the Omnibuses I'm ignoring...

[Wesley Chambers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read but not worth the price

I found it fascinating to read about one of the Men of Iron, and I would be quite interested in further stories regarding them however, this was not worth the price of the book. Simple as that.

[Joseph Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting, but very short little story about a Man of Iron. Was well written but honestly at 16pg it doesn't really have time to be much else than a tease. Worth giving a quick read, and does having me looking for more Blackstone Fortress stuff but on it's own a little lackluster.

[Barry · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent !

[Joseph Michael Owens · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars! Wish it had been longer!!

[T R Alexander · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Man of Iron' stars the ancient robotic being known as UR-025 (with a cameo for the Ratling twins Rein & Raus Gaffar). This is quite an entertaining story that gives us a gool look at UR-025’s thought processes, while also giving us a brief look at the interior of the Blackstone Fortress itself. The Tech-Priest characters in the story are also quite interesting due to how non-standard a couple of them are. There is relatively little action in the story, but what is there is quick and well written.