4/4
-----------
The AV descended with a dull thud onto the clearing outside the wasteland workshop. Before kicked-up dust fully settled, heavy cabin doors slowly opened.
Maine and his crew silently began unloading. The air thick with indescribable heaviness.
The just-ended mission had been too brutal, and that final beyond-imagination reversal left everyone shaken.
At this moment, they had a more visceral, more awe-inspiring understanding of the power that existence deep within the workshop controlled.
Cairo's tall dark-red figure appeared at the workshop entrance, metal boot soles making rhythmic light sounds against ground.
His crimson optical lenses slowly swept across everyone hauling weapons and electronic component wreckage, finally locking onto the unconscious augmented soldier Dorio carried down like a heavy package.
"An operation lacking necessary intelligence support and excessively reckless, resulting in avoidable resource consumption and equipment losses." Cairo's synthesized voice stayed level and emotionless, but the words themselves constituted stern rebuke. "This fully demonstrates your existing decision-making mechanisms and risk assessment capabilities have obvious deficiencies.
While working for me, if similar failures occur again, they will be considered serious waste of valuable resources."
His criticism stemmed not from anger but cold judgment based on efficiency logic.
To Cairo, emotions were distant, inefficient redundancies. He cared more about operational final results and input-output ratios.
Maine took a deep breath, didn't attempt excuses, just nodded heavily: "Our mistake, boss. We'll remember this lesson."
He clearly knew before established losses, any explanations seemed pale and powerless.
Cairo didn't continue this topic. His attention was already completely absorbed by this operation's "gains."
He walked to Dorio's side. A nimble mechanical tentacle silently extended from beneath dark-red robe sleeves, precisely coiling around the female augmented soldier's armor collar, effortlessly lifting her as if that heavy military-grade cyberware weighed nothing.
"Process these recovered items." He gave Maine simple instructions, then carried the prisoner turning toward the workshop depths.
Just as he passed those two light assault mechs hauled back together—supposedly completely paralyzed—something strange happened.
Faint humming and component resetting sounds came from within mech shells. Then they actually stood up themselves, taking slightly stiff yet abnormally stable steps like puppets controlled by invisible strings, silently following behind him, walking toward designated workshop storage areas.
The workshop's core zone was shrouded in constant, cold light.
Cairo laid the prisoner flat on the central custom metal examination table. Restraints automatically locked her limbs and torso.
Multiple mechanical tentacles carrying different functional sensors quietly descended from above, beginning comprehensive, zero-blind-spot deep scans of the body on the table.
Optical lenses, spectrum analyzers, deep biosignal probes...
Various scanning modes simultaneously activated. Massive data streams like roaring waterfalls rapidly scrolled across floating interfaces beside Cairo's vision.
"Identity confirmed: Lieutenant Morell, affiliated with Militech Special Projects Operations Division." Cairo quietly read aloud identity information directly extracted from her not-yet-completely-damaged military chip.
His consciousness like invisible probes effortlessly penetrated Militech's proudly-touted ICE, diving into that chaotic memory zone.
Countless memory fragments like shattered mirror pieces reflected harsh training, bloody mission executions, plus waves of neural pain from implant overload operations.
Cairo browsed these fragments with near-absolute indifference, precisely filtering valuable technical parameters and combat records while directly ignoring emotional fluctuations and suffering experiences belonging to the "individual."
Scan data rapidly constructed detailed 3D models of Morell's body. Every implant's precise location, specific model, and real-time energy flow pathways were clearly marked.
Analysis results showed she carried experimental-grade "Sandevistan" neural drive systems, version 5.4b. Under extreme acceleration states, neuron signal delays could suppress below 0.08 seconds, but cooldown cycles were too long—continuous use causing massive central nervous system loads.
The "monowire" implanted in her left forearm had crude launching mechanisms, resulting in effective range and strike accuracy both below standard levels.
Her body's existing enhanced tendons and alloy skeletal structures, though providing basic strength and mobility improvements, had rather poor energy transmission efficiency—approximately 17.3% pointless losses.
And those "Nightraven" mantis blades—their high-frequency vibration modes were adequate, but material toughness and energy conduction coatings had obvious defects, easily causing metal fatigue.
"Overall assessment:" Cairo's synthesized voice carried undeniable judgment tones. "This is merely a product forcibly cobbling together various laboratory-grade components. System integration severely lacking. Design philosophy riddled with shortsightedness and expediency, causing irreversible continuous damage to the carrier itself.
Its actual combat effectiveness falls far below theoretical expectations."
In his cognitive system, Mechanicum tech trees originating from the Warhammer universe might appear rough externally—even exuding primitive savagery—but their internal operational principles, profound material science understanding, plus mastery of energy and matter essence far exceeded this world's technological levels.
And this cyberpunk world's cyberware technology resembled more blind groping in unknown domains plus expedient brutal applications—everywhere filled with technical pitfalls and flaws.
His gaze focused on Lieutenant Morell's neural systems nearing collapse from excessive modification. Deep scans clearly showed her neurotransmitter levels extremely abnormal. Brain limbic systems already showing risk signs of organic damage—all typical early cyberpsychosis physiological characteristics.
"Projecting based on existing data models—under current load levels, if this carrier continues executing high-intensity combat missions or implanting stronger cyberware, her neural systems will completely collapse within twelve to twenty-four standard months. Probability exceeds 92%." Cairo reached ruthlessly cold conclusions.
This body might be precious experimental assets in Militech's eyes, but in his view—merely a short-design-life, severely flawed inferior tool.
However, this wasn't completely worthless.
Certain basic qualities this carrier displayed—systematized military combat skills, physical adaptability to Sandevistan systems, plus reasonably robust physical foundations—precisely provided an excellent "experimental embryo."
A clear conception rapidly formed and refined in Cairo's logic core: completely transform her, reshaping into a "Ruststalker" meeting Mechanicum standards.
Within the Mechanicum's vast, complex armed sequences, Ruststalkers were semi-mechanical assassins renowned for efficiency and lethality.
They equipped specialized Sicarian-series prosthetics and unique ball-jointed upper limbs. Relying on dorsal micro-fission reactor-provided surging power, they could burst into jaw-dropping extreme speeds and agility.
Their movement trajectories were eerily unpredictable. Instantaneous burst speeds could even exceed Adeptus Astartes mainline Space Marines, approaching Eldar's phantom-like nimbleness—especially excelling at high-speed pursuits and precision assassination missions.
Lieutenant Morell before him—in Cairo's view—resembled a clumsy imitation of partial Ruststalker characteristics, yet severely degraded and simplified into beggar versions due to grossly insufficient underlying technical capabilities.
She indeed possessed speed, was equipped with melee weapons, but overall completely lacked Ruststalkers' systematic design perfectly fusing all systems into seamless, highly efficient, lethal wholes.