The great work ending

[templargdt]

I'm sure i just missed it but at the end of The Great Work what data was on the chips Kvo88 provided to Decimus?  Thanks.

[N1SB]

I think they were data on what Cawl has been working on, especially on Sothas, to be delivered to Guilliman, as an excuse for his absence.

 

And I don't think you missed it, I think it was interpretation from the context of the situation.  The whole reason Decimus was sent wasn't for Sothas per se, but it was why Cawl was out of contact with Guilliman.  In very typical Mechanicus fashion, Cawl's answer was lots of data of things he's doing that's more important than returning his boss's calls.

 

It's like a cocky answer, I thought.  It's like when the boss sends someone to tell you to return his calls, instead you send him an email with a giant spreadsheet of your sales figures that blow past your quota.  You kinda force him to concede, "Well...keep up the good work then, you bastard," and then you proceed to ignoring his calls.

 

Thus, I reckon it's a way for Cawl, Decimus and Guilliman all to save face.  Cawl shows why he hasn't shown up to meetings, Decimus completes his mission to get an answer from Cawl, while Guilliman at least has a reply that Cawl hasn't contacted him because he's working on important stuff, as on Sothas...in a very typical Cawl way.

[templargdt]

Ah, thanks!  I thought it was a pretty good book overall.