Valerie and Jackie were then in the safe house on the upper level of Charter Hill, which they had acquired with their "settling-in allowance."
Jackie was animatedly planning new investments, gesturing excitedly at a holographic projection, while Valerie meticulously maintained the cockpit of her dark-red experimental power armor.
When the order came, Jackie slapped his thigh: "Ha! The big one is finally here! It's exhilarating to work with the Lord Magos!"
Valerie paused her movements, calmly sent a confirmation message, then looked at Jackie: "Don't get overly excited. The Lord Magos' summons doesn't necessarily mean an immediate departure."
Despite her words, she could feel her own heart beating a little faster.
Dimension exploration meant truly stepping out of this world, which she both hated and couldn't completely abandon, to face unprecedented challenges.
Morris, like a shadow, appeared silently at the laboratory entrance, standing still and waiting.
She was always the swiftest in carrying out Osiris' orders.
David Martinez received the news at his temporary residence in Night City.
He was engrossed in studying a set of basic data on genetic stability provided by Osiris, preparing for his mother's injury treatment.
The summons made his young heart skip a beat, filled with both a craving for unknown knowledge and a tension about the real trials he might soon face.
He instinctively looked at Lucy's avatar on his communicator, took a deep breath, and quickly packed his things to leave.
Even Margaret and Maria, who had just returned from a mission in Tokyo and were maintaining their respective knight mechas in a temporary hangar, learned of the summons through the Skitarii Corps' internal channel.
The two Knights were equally curious about the "dimension exploration" mentioned by the Lord Magos.
They both stopped their work simultaneously, looking curiously towards the main laboratory.
The flames that destroyed the Arasaka Fleet on Tokyo Bay seemed to still linger on their retinas, but the prospect of exploring unknown dimensions held a unique allure for them, warriors from a knight house.
Inside the laboratory, the atmosphere was solemn.
Maine's crew members instinctively drew closer, Valerie stood ramrod straight, her mechanical prosthetics slightly tensed.
Jackie, meanwhile, couldn't help but look around, trying to discern the details of each strange device.
David stayed close to Lucy, excitement barely concealed on the young man's face, while Morris silently blended into the shadows beside Osiris' figure.
Margaret and Maria did not enter the laboratory itself; their figures appeared in the observation corridor on the upper level of the laboratory, quietly looking down through thick protective glass.
They also wanted to witness this team, on whom the Lord Magos placed great hopes, as they prepared to venture into unknown realms.
Everyone thought this summons meant the official start of dimension exploration.
Tension, anticipation, and a touch of unease intertwined in the air.
Osiris' massive, dark-red mechanical body stood before the main console, his crimson optical lenses scanning the assembled group, collecting and analyzing their physiological parameters, micro-expressions, and posture data.
"Personnel are all present, Lord Magos," Morris reported in a low voice.
The laboratory was silent, save for the background hum of equipment. Everyone awaited Osiris' command to depart.
However, Osiris spoke, his steady voice breaking their expectations.
"I have gathered you here not for an immediate dimension traversal."
Everyone was startled. Not departing? Then why had they been so solemnly assembled?
Even Margaret and Maria in the observation corridor exchanged a slightly puzzled glance.
Osiris continued, his voice like cold metal scraping, devoid of any emotional fluctuation: "Dimension exploration, its potential risks far exceed what you can imagine based on the understanding of this world.
Spacetime turbulence, distortion of physical laws, extra-dimensional beings, and even conceptual erosion… any one of these is enough to instantly annihilate an inadequately prepared team."
His optical lenses scanned Maine's crew's cybernetics, Valerie's experimental power armor, and finally rested on David's still-young body.
"Your current equipment and enhancement levels might be considered elite in this world," Osiris' synthesized voice calmly stated this fact, then his tone shifted, with an undeniable judgment, "But on the scale of multiple dimensions, they are insignificant."
Osiris' gaze finally settled on David, his tone unchanged, yet clearly drawing a distinction: "As for you, David Martinez, your current enhancements focus on genetic and nervous system optimization, which lays the foundation for your subsequent study of the Adeptus Mechanicus knowledge system.
More in-depth mechanical fusion modifications can only proceed after you pass the assessment and evaluation."
Evidently, for the upcoming dimension exploration mission, neither Maine's crew and Valerie's existing combat equipment and enhancements, nor David's current learning foundation as an apprentice, met Osiris' "dimension exploration standards."
Maria watched the various forms of "mortals" below, and softly said: "Dimension exploration is fraught with peril. Without sufficient strength, it truly is no different from a suicide mission. I just wonder if they can withstand the… cost of Adeptus Mechanicus modifications."
She thought of the lower-ranking Priests and Servitors who had completely abandoned flesh and merged with machines.
"Therefore, before officially commencing exploration, you require a comprehensive, systematic upgrade and modification," Osiris' voice was utterly calm, as if speaking of something as ordinary as replacing parts, "Resources and technology here are limited, making it impossible to complete modifications that meet the standards. You will return with me to Neksum Forge World, where you will undergo Adeptus Mechanicus-standard enhancements in my private laboratory."
Return… to another universe? That place described as eternal war, profound darkness, and an endless thirst for knowledge?
Maine's crew members exchanged glances; they had briefly set foot in that Death World, and the memories left were filled with metal caves, red-robed modified humans, and a suffocating sense of an alien world.
Valerie and Jackie felt even more unfamiliar and shocked by this concept.
David's breathing quickened, but his eyes erupted with an even stronger light—this meant he would directly enter the core domain of the Adeptus Mechanicus for study!
Valerie steadied herself, ignoring Jackie's hand instinctively grasping her arm.
She looked at Osiris and calmly asked: "Lord Magos, how long will this modification take? What preparations do we need to make?"
She considered more practical matters, including how to arrange for Jackie, and adapting to a completely unfamiliar, reportedly strictly hierarchical environment.
David also looked at Osiris, his voice trembling slightly yet full of eagerness: "Lord Magos, will… will my modifications also take place there? As you said before?"
He was referring to more in-depth mechanical enhancements, not just the knowledge he was currently studying.
Osiris answered Valerie's and David's questions: "Modification time will vary depending on individual differences and enhancement plans, ranging from a few days to several weeks. No special preparations are needed; simply maintain a stable physical and mental state." His optical lenses turned to David: "More in-depth mechanical fusion requires you to pass the assessment."
He paused briefly, allowing the information to be fully processed, then added: "Neksum Forge World is one of the Adeptus Mechanicus' multiple Forge Worlds. It is a center of technology and faith, with strict order and clear hierarchy.
All your words and actions there must adhere to the Adeptus Mechanicus' regulations. Any transgression or interference with the research order will be severely punished."
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I genuinly believe myriad is a chinese word that snuck into english lexicon xdd
"But on the scale of myriad dimensions, they are insignificant."
He paused briefly, allowing the information to be fully processed, then added: "Neksum Forge World is one of the Adeptus Mechanicus' myriad Forge Worlds. It is a center of technology and faith, with strict order and clear hierarchy.