Maine's crew reappeared on the wasteland workshop's rune-carved circular platform.
Spatial transitions weren't smooth shifts but nearly-brutal reality replacements.
One second—their senses still retained death world's dry air filled with metal and ozone scents, plus underfoot hard rock's unique textures.
Next second—familiar workshop scenes forcibly invaded vision, accompanied by violently-churning internal bodily chaos.
Return processes mirrored departures—even seeming more unbearable from previous "experience."
That sensation of being thoroughly disassembled by invisible forces, consciousness floating in void, then forcibly re-kneaded and reshaped—no matter how many times experienced—challenged physiological and mental endurance limits.
This far exceeded simple dizziness or discomfort but stemmed from existential-level violent disturbances, causing massive impacts on nervous systems and precision implants.
Platforms immediately filled with suppressed, pain-tinged groans.
Bodies lost control collapsing. Metal cyberware colliding with platform surfaces—making chaotic, heavy sounds.
Rebecca's heavy bolter nearly slipped from hands. She instinctively clutched it desperately, yet gun body slamming against leg armor brought vibrations—negligible amid current chaos.
Pilar's prized long arms tangled like suddenly-disobedient tentacles, momentarily preventing him using them for support.
Falco's shades hung crookedly on one ear. He attempted straightening them yet discovered arms uncontrollably trembling slightly.
Sasha and Kiwi slid down back-to-back. Their electronic warfare cyberware interfaces flickered unstable noise from intense neural signal interference—obviously temporarily unable processing any complex information.
Dorio—relying on far-beyond-ordinary core strength plus enhanced tendons—hadn't completely collapsed but stabilized postures kneeling on one knee. Bronze facial muscles taut, temple beading fine sweat—obviously also fully resisting internal violent imbalance sensations.
Cairo's tall dark-red figure had long stood silently before main control consoles—as if never moving.
His crimson optical lenses calmly, one-by-one swept across Maine crew members temporarily incapacitated on platforms.
In his sensor vision, various vital sign parameters cascaded clearly through data streams beside vision: heart rates generally exceeding safety baselines by over fifty percent, adrenaline levels spiking, neural electrical signals showing characteristic chaotic waveforms, muscle micro-control unit feedback universally malfunctioning...
All this data pointed toward one conclusion: severe spatial transfer stress reactions.
However, data equally clearly showed these disruptions fluctuated within predictable ranges, not touching dangerous critical values possibly causing organic failures or permanent neural damage.
He privately noted this marked preliminary successes in physiological tolerance for live cross-dimensional transport experiments—though accompanying side effects were indeed significant and severe.
In his logic core, series of new data entries were rapidly generated and archived: individual post-transport consciousness recovery time differences, limb basic coordination loss degrees, major sensory system disruption duration...
This precious empirical data from differently-modified individuals would be incorporated into his massive analysis databases, used for further optimizing transport protocol energy output curves, phase stability, plus future specific buffering measures targeting different biological components and implants.
Maine was first—through stubborn willpower forcibly resisting bodily discomfort—struggling attempting standing.
His modified left arm—integrating master-crafted plasma cannons—first exerted force. Mechanical knuckles scraping against platform's cold metal surfaces made tooth-aching "creaking" sounds, barely supporting portions of his weight.
One leg still uncontrollably trembling slightly, yet he gritted teeth attempting making the other leg follow.
Dorio closely followed. Her enhanced tendons burst with power, maintaining stable single-knee-kneeling postures—only breathing somewhat heavy, exposing her not entirely unaffected.
Rebecca completely abandoned immediately-rising plans, directly sprawling spread-eagle on ground. Chest heaving violently, gulping workshop's familiar air mixed with engine oil and static electricity scents.
Her green optics unfocused—as if still struggling reassembling fragmented visual signals mentally.
Pilar, Falco, Sasha, and Kiwi were between both states. They needed extending arms supporting each other or relying on platform edge's cold rough walls barely maintaining postures not completely collapsing. Everyone's faces clearly wrote physiological pain plus extreme mental exhaustion.
Only Morell—benefiting from Cairo's deep optimizations and systematic reinforcements targeting spatial disturbance tolerance during modifications—performed most stably.
She didn't make any sounds like others—only silently moved like merging into backgrounds toward platform edge shadows.
Those enhanced compound optical lenses swept familiar workshop environments at extremely high frequencies, rapidly confirming safety situations while internal systems parallel-conducted rapid self-checks.
Though her system logs equally clearly recorded violent impact signs—sensor readings once spiking to warning lines during transport processes, neural interfaces experiencing brief data packet losses—her recovery speeds and stability far exceeded all companions.
"Boss... Boss..." Maine's voice was abnormally hoarse, carrying obvious weakness. He raised his head. Gaze struggling focusing on Cairo. Eyes mixed with post-survival daze, shock toward unknown experiences, plus traces of unanswered confusion. "That place... that world..."
Cairo's synthesized voice rang steadily, interrupting his unformed inquiries. That voice held zero consolation or explanatory implications—only purely conclusive statements: "Experimental sample recovery complete. Vital signs stable. Preliminary determinations—transport experiments achieved preset objectives. You require time recovering physiological functions. Return to strongholds for rest. Maintain standby states, awaiting subsequent physical data collection and deep analyses."
His words concise and clear—like input directives, undeniable.
Maine opened his mouth, seemingly wanting asking more. But intense exhaustion deep within bodies plus Cairo's emotionless attitude made him swallow words already at lips.
He glanced at similarly poor-condition, staggering crew members around. Ultimately only nodded, difficultly gesturing everyone following him departing.
Dorio reached out forcefully pulling Rebecca—still sprawled on ground—upright.
Falco timely supported Pilar—unsteady footsteps, nearly falling. Sasha and Kiwi continued mutually supporting.
The group staggered, silently shuffling toward workshop exits.
Their backs appeared especially exhausted and heavy—not merely physiological overdrafts from high-intensity transport but violent impacts on inherent worldviews from merely three days' otherworld experiences.
Imperial vast territories, Mechanicus' unique faiths, death worlds' harsh environments, plus their own insignificance and powerlessness in those unfamiliar lands—all transformed into heavy burdens weighing on hearts.
Cairo's attention didn't linger long on their departures.
To him, Maine crew's instrumental value in this mission was already realized.
They—as precious live samples—verified preliminary feasibility of bidirectional transport, successfully bringing back critical liaison tokens plus data carriers Ignis prepared.
As for their current psychological states and worldview impacts—within his current assessment systems—belonged to non-core variables requiring observation but not immediately investing extra resources for interventions.