Chapter 284: Leave No Survivors
After driving away the Adeptus Arbites personnel, Inquisitor Karras turned his gaze to Maine's squad.
He walked up to Maine. His previous purely commanding tone was dialed back slightly, replaced by a more prudent, official posture.
"Given the severity of the situation, and this place's connection to the Adeptus Mechanicus," Inquisitor Karras said, "the Inquisition requires your assistance to ensure the purification operation can be thoroughly executed, avoiding any subsequent... technical legacy issues.
"At the same time, I wish to establish direct communication with the Magos behind you.
"This matter has broad implications. I need to personally brief the Mechanicus on the situation and clarify the absolute necessity of the Inquisition's actions to avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings."
Maine looked at the Inquisitor, knowing the other party was both requesting assistance and probing the Mechanicus's bottom line regarding this matter.
He didn't say much, once again contacting Joric on the distant Forge World of Nexum via the encrypted link.
The moment the communication connected, Maine could clearly sense the displeasure coming from the other end of the channel.
Obviously, multiple requests for instructions on the same mission within a short period had caused Joric's dissatisfaction.
Maine didn't waste time and immediately gave a brief report on the current situation, highlighting the Inquisitor's intervention and his intention to speak directly.
"...Understood. Put him through." Joric's synthesized voice carried a trace of impatience at being disturbed, but he quickly judged that direct communication with the Inquisitor was the most efficient solution at present.
Maine temporarily opened communication privileges to Inquisitor Karras.
"Greetings, Lord Magos," Inquisitor Karras spoke first, his tone maintaining the formulaic respect due to a Mechanicus Magos. "I am Inquisitor Karras Walker.
"The current situation is that within this factory under your attention, conclusive signs of Chaos corruption have been discovered, marked by the 'Eight-Pointed Star'.
"According to Imperial Law and the duties of the Inquisition, the highest level of purification protocols must be executed immediately to eliminate future threats.
"To this end, the Inquisition formally requests the assistance of your action squad and hopes this move will receive your understanding and support."
The other end of the communication was silent for a moment, leaving only the faint static of data streams.
Subsequently, Joric's steady yet icy voice rang out again. This time, the words were issued directly to all members of Maine's squad, the command so clear it sent chills down their spines. "Maine, and everyone else, listen well. The Inquisitor possesses the highest authority to handle incidents of this nature. Your next task is to fully cooperate with the Inquisition's actions.
"Abandon your pointless sympathy and hesitation. The core of the purification protocol lies in being 'thorough.'
"You will eliminate the targets pointed out by the Inquisitor. No omissions are allowed. No survivors are to be left.
"Any form of mercy at this moment is the greatest betrayal to the Imperium, to the Omnissiah, and to your own safety. Execute the order."
The communication was cut off cleanly and decisively.
Dead silence fell within the channel.
Rebecca opened her mouth to say something, but ultimately just let out an irritable "Tch."
Pilar twisted his long arms uneasily.
Dorio's fists clenched and unclenched. Valerie remained silent in the Iron Guard cockpit.
They all understood the decisiveness in Joric's words, and understood the cruel laws of this universe that this order represented.
Although their hearts were filled with immense incomprehension, repulsion, and even a momentary urge to disobey the order, the instinct to obey cultivated over a long mercenary career, and the ingrained habit of following the "Boss's" orders, ultimately overpowered their personal emotions.
They were now the blade of the Mechanicus; wherever they were pointed, they must strike.
Maine took a deep breath of the air thick with machine oil and blood, turning to Inquisitor Karras. His voice sounded somewhat stiff from deliberately suppressing his emotions. "We have received the Lord Magos's explicit directive. Maine's squad awaits your deployment."
The Inquisitor nodded slightly, expressing satisfaction with the "efficiency" and "rationality" of the Mechanicus. He said no more, raising his hand and waving it forward.
"Operation commence. Purge all sources of contamination. Leave no one alive."
Under the operation of the Inquisition soldiers, the heavy factory gate slowly opened once more, revealing the darkness behind it that seemed to devour everything.
Following the Inquisition's forces, Maine's squad stepped into this factory that had already been sentenced to death, about to execute a cold and ruthless slaughter that they extremely resisted in their hearts, but had no choice but to carry out.
The heavy factory gate opened completely. The Planetary Defense Force soldiers, like a gray tide, surged into the factory's main workshop area in a standard skirmish line formation, silent and efficient.
The hum of lasguns and the occasional roar of Promethium flamers instantly replaced the noisy protests of the workers from before.
Maine's squad followed Inquisitor Karras, a small team of elite Tempestus Scions, and that silent Imperial Fists Astartes, not participating in this peripheral "cleanup" work.
Like a sharp spearhead, they bypassed the main area that was turning into a slaughterhouse, advancing rapidly deep into the factory along a relatively secluded maintenance passage.
Inquisitor Karras clearly had a specific target.
His sharp gaze swept across the passage walls, pipe joints, and the floor, seemingly searching for some specific trace.
Maine and the others followed behind him, only able to see the receding figures of the Planetary Defense Force behind them, and hear the unsettling sounds faintly echoing from the end of the passage.
"Halt." The Inquisitor suddenly raised his hand.
He crouched down, swiping his finger across a barely noticeable, slightly viscous dark stain on the ground, and brought it to his nose to sniff.
His face grew even gloomier.
"This way." He unhesitatingly turned toward a branching pipe. At the entrance of this pipe, a crude scratch, somewhat similar to the symbol Mower had found but even more twisted and messy, was carved into the metal wall.
Maine and the others felt a chill; they had completely overlooked these details before.
The team moved quickly through the narrow pipe. The Tempestus Scions led the way, their movements precise and lethal. Any panicked worker suddenly appearing from lateral maintenance bays or vents would be instantly turned to charcoal by hellguns or plasma weapons.
The Astartes warrior, acting as a mobile fortress, walked in the middle of the formation, providing absolute protection for the Inquisitor. The oppressive feeling brought by his massive body moving in the confined space was insurmountable.
The Inquisitor stopped occasionally, inspecting traces that seemed meaningless to Maine—an oddly colored puddle, a few scratch marks on the wall that looked like unconscious clawing, or even a small pinch of ash of unknown composition.
He was like an experienced hound, tightly tracking an invisible "scent" in the air.
"The source of the contamination is trying to move deeper. It is seeking more complex structures to hide itself," the Inquisitor said in a low voice without turning his head, sounding as if he were muttering to himself, yet also explaining to Maine and the others behind him. "It is cunning. It knows how to use these ignorant mortals as cover and shields."
They finally arrived before a heavy blast door located at the very bottom of the factory, marked "Core Reactor Pre-Processing Area."
Scattered on the ground outside the gate were the corpses of several workers. Their deaths were gruesome, but they hadn't died from gunfire or fire; it looked more like they were torn apart by some immense force.
The air was thick with the smell of ozone and an indescribable scent—cloying yet filled with decay.
The Inquisitor carefully inspected the gate's control panel, which bore signs of violent destruction and corrosion from some acidic substance.
"It went inside. And it has grown stronger, or... more impatient." Inquisitor Karras stood up, looking coldly at Maine and the Imperial Fists warrior. "Prepare for a true battle. The thing inside can no longer be called 'human'."
He waved his hand, and a Tempestus Scion stepped forward, placing a melta-charge on the gate's hydraulic lock.
A searing flash of light burst forth. With an ear-piercing tearing sound, the heavy metal blast door collapsed inward, revealing the profound darkness behind it, flickering with unstable ghostly light.
The surface cleansing of the purification operation continued behind them, while the true hunt had just begun.
Maine gripped his Volkite Charger tightly. He knew that what they were about to face might be the true reason why Lord Magos Joric had ordered them to "leave no survivors."
(End of Chapter)