The Inquisitor's gaze swept over the tightly shut factory gate like a tangible force, as if it could penetrate the thick metal and see the souls trembling inside from fear.
"To ensure the cancerous growth of heretical thought is thoroughly eradicated and to prevent its further spread and contamination, I demand the Hive City's judiciary immediately provide full assistance to suppress this riot, which has been co-opted by heresy." His words carried absolute authority, brooking no doubt.
"All those involved in the riot, and their direct family members found to be connected, must be immediately arrested and escorted to a designated location for strict isolation and scrutiny. If necessary, purification procedures will be carried out to eliminate future troubles."
Just as Inquisitor Kairas Walker made his proclamation, Maine's gaze was involuntarily drawn to the towering figure behind him—a tall warrior clad in bright yellow ceramic steel power armor.
He stood like an iron tower beside the Inquisitor, silent as an ancient mountain, the black Imperial Fists emblem on his shoulder guard gleaming with a cold, hard luster in the dim light.
Although he made no movement, the immense body and the invisible oppressive aura emanating from the power armor itself seemed to make the surrounding air thick and heavy; his presence even surpassed that of all the soldiers and heavy weaponry present.
Inquisitor Kairas' gaze then fell upon Maine's crew, especially the two iron guard prototypes.
His eyes lingered briefly on the unique gears and binary runes on the iron guard's shoulder guards, a flicker of understanding in his eyes, before he looked at Maine.
"Your equipment bears the mark of the Adeptus Mechanicus." His voice was steady, his tone somewhat more cautious and mellow compared to when he spoke to the judiciary earlier.
"To see servants of the Omnissiah here is an unexpected development. It seems the production order here has indeed drawn the attention of the Forge World."
He paused briefly, his gaze sweeping over Maine and the others, and continued, "The Holy Inquisition is currently dealing with a confirmed incident of heretical contamination.
Given the alignment of our objectives, the Inquisition formally invites you to use the power of the Adeptus Mechanicus to assist us in eradicating this hidden danger."
This invitation caused a brief standstill at the scene.
The judiciary officials looked at Maine in unison, their eyes filled with obvious anxiety.
Count Gresham's right hand unconsciously tightened on the hilt of the saber at his waist.
Although the Inquisitorial soldiers' guns were still pointed towards the factory, their positions had subtly adjusted, deliberately avoiding the firing axes of the two iron guards.
At this delicate moment, Count Gresham stepped forward, his voice steady and strong: "Your Excellency Inquisitor, please allow me to explain the situation. The affairs of this factory have currently been formally taken over by an Adeptus Mechanicus action squad."
He turned sideways, clearly presenting Maine and the others, "According to Imperial law and tradition, this matter now falls under the jurisdiction of the Adeptus Mechanicus."
The commander of the judiciary standing beside the Count immediately nodded vigorously in agreement, while also quickly winking at Maine.
He then added, his tone very certain: "Yes, Your Excellency Inquisitor. The judiciary's current duty here is to cooperate with the actions of our Adeptus Mechanicus colleagues and provide necessary assistance."
Although Maine didn't fully understand the complex division of responsibilities among Imperial organizations, the Count's statement and the commander's almost spastic winking were enough to explain the situation.
He took a deep breath, recalling Sekhmet's usual cold, emotionless tone, and deliberately mimicked that unique Adeptus Mechanicus way of speaking, responding with a steady, flat voice: "Confirmed. We are here by order of Lord Magos to handle order and conduct equipment testing."
He didn't know what to say; at such a time, it was best to speak less to make fewer mistakes.
As he spoke, Valerie and Jackie tacitly controlled the iron guard prototypes, making their clearly etched gear holy symbols and binary runes on the shoulders more prominent under the lighting, the cold metallic gleam carrying undeniable authority.
Inquisitor Kairas' gaze lingered on the Adeptus Mechanicus insignia for a moment.
He tilted his head slightly, seemingly exchanging an imperceptible glance with the Imperial Fists warrior behind him.
The special status and autonomy of the Adeptus Mechanicus within the Imperium constituted an invisible impediment at this moment.
Without conclusive evidence that the Adeptus Mechanicus itself was involved in heresy, forcibly intervening in a matter already taken over by a Lord Magos clearly exceeded the scope of his current operation's authorization and would also cause unnecessary and significant trouble.
The scene fell into a stalemate.
The Inquisition's Stormtroopers remained on high alert, but their gazes and emotions towards Maine and the others had clearly become tense.
The judiciary officials nervously watched the Inquisitor's reaction, while Count Gresham maintained an outward calm, only his slightly taut face betraying his inner tension.
Just at this moment of stalemate, Sheriff Atkins' deliberately lowered voice, tinged with hurried gasps, came through Maine's crew's encrypted tactical channel. He had evidently accessed it via the temporary link established during their previous joint operation.
"Commander Maine, listen! You absolutely cannot let the Inquisition take over!" His voice was filled with urgency. "Their standard procedure... once an incident is classified as heretical contamination, these 3,027 workers in the factory, along with their more than ten thousand family members registered in the archives, will all be designated as 'potential contaminators'!
Do you know what that means? Arrests, and then large-scale... 'purification'! No one will come out alive!"
Maine felt his blood seem to freeze in that instant.
More than three thousand workers, more than ten thousand family members... merely for participating in a protest, or simply for being related by blood to a participant, they were all to be executed?
The brutality represented by these cold numbers far exceeded any corporate atrocities he had witnessed in Night City.
Arasaka or Militech would also suppress strikes and eliminate problems, but at least they would go through some formalities, not systematically and collectively erase tens of thousands of lives.
For the first time, he truly realized the extent to which the lives of the lower-class populace in this world could be devalued.
They were not treated as people, but as problematic parts that could be processed in bulk.
A mix of shock, anger, and powerlessness surged in his chest; his implant-enhanced muscles unconsciously tensed, almost making him take a step forward to immediately refute this absurd and cruel plan.
Valerie's calm voice sounded in the internal channel, interrupting Maine's impulsive thoughts. Her tone was steady and pragmatic, carrying the keen awareness of power structures characteristic of a former corporate agent.
"Maine, see the situation clearly," she reminded him, her voice exceptionally clear through the internal channel. "The other side can mobilize regular troops, and even nobles and the judiciary are so wary; this is definitely not an ordinary law enforcement agency.
The most important lesson we learned in Night City—don't easily challenge forces you can't afford to provoke."
She paused briefly, letting the weight of her words sink in: "We now represent the Adeptus Mechanicus, the face of Lord Magos. Rashly clashing with this level of authority is not something we can afford the consequences of.
Remember our current identity—we are no longer street mercenaries who can act on impulse."
Her words were like a bucket of cold water, dousing Maine's impending rage, but also plunging him into deeper struggle.