Chapter 94: Ignis
A figure emerged from the shadows, walking slowly.
It was a humanoid entity almost entirely encased in metal.
She stood with the stillness of a statue, her height roughly matching Maine's at nearly 1.9 meters, radiating a calm, heavy pressure.
Her limbs were not covered in synth-skin but were purely functional metal prosthetics, their surfaces not smooth but etched with fine machining marks and the faint scratches of long use.
The joints were visibly robust, complex hydraulic pistons and multi-axis bearings hinting at a blend of immense power and precision.
Her torso was clad in heavy, dark-red composite armor plates, visibly riveted and layered, with reinforced plating over vital areas.
The robes she wore differed from Joric's loose vestments; they were closer to a uniformed combat-coat, fitted with reinforced pauldrons and a skirt of layered metal plates, designed for mobility as well as protection.
Her head was completely encased in a helmet of archaic design, its lines hard and angular. A cluster of optical lenses was situated on one side, tracking with her gaze.
Adorning the top of the helmet was a crest resembling half a precision gear, its edge sharp. It remained perfectly still even as her head moved, adding an air of timeless authority and inhumanity to her silhouette.
The appearance of this metal stranger immediately imposed a heavy pressure on the group.
Her design was a stark contrast to the sleek, bio-mimetic cybernetics popular in Night City. It was retro, hardcore, almost savage in its mechanical brutality.
However, the reason Maine's crew didn't open fire immediately—aside from her lack of overt hostility—was that hovering beside this metal figure was a familiar device: a servo-skull.
Its hollow sockets glowed with the same cold red light as the ones in Joric's manufactorum.
Just as the tension reached its breaking point, the metal figure stopped.
The voice that followed was distinctly female. Though processed through a synthesizer that gave it a metallic resonance, a soft, human timbre was still audible beneath.
Her voice was steady and clear, projected directly through the air rather than via comms.
"You are the guests?" Ignis turned to them. The optical sensors beneath her helm swept over the tense crew, finally settling on Maine, who stood protectively in the center. "I am Ignis, Marshal of the Skitarii Vanguard, sworn to Tech-Priest Joric.
"The Magos has informed me of your arrival. For the next few days, I will be responsible for your hospitality."
"Wait..." Maine frowned, stepping forward, placing his bulk between Ignis and his team.
His voice was a mix of confusion and intense suspicion, the questions tumbling out. "You say you knew we were coming? What the hell is going on? Where is this? And the Boss... what does Priest Joric actually want us to do?"
His questions voiced the thoughts of the entire squad.
Rebecca said nothing, but her grip on the massive Heavy Bolter was white-knuckled. The barrel wasn't raised, but her finger hovered over the trigger guard.
Ignis showed no emotional reaction to Maine's barrage of questions.
Her metal-encased head tilted slightly, her smooth faceplate scanning them.
The movement was unreadable—perhaps a detailed observation, perhaps merely a programmed response-routine.
In this delicate standoff, the servo-skull that had traveled with Maine's crew through the rift drifted slowly into the space between them.
The red light in its sockets pulsed at a steady frequency, internal mechanisms whirring.
Then, a voice they knew well, yet which sounded exceptionally distant here, emerged clearly from the skull's vocalizer, echoing in the cavern. It was Joric's voice—cold, stripped of all emotion.
"Explanation of causality," the voice began directly, skipping all pleasantries. "My origin point is this world. My transit to your reality was an accident.
"The primary objective of this transit experiment is to locate and stabilize a reliable path from my current position back to this world."
The skull paused, as if buffering data, then continued in that undeniable, objective tone. "As for why full disclosure was withheld: this was to prevent the introduction of unnecessary variables and complex emotional factors prior to mission execution, which could compromise the purity and accuracy of the experimental data."
Joric's voice was as direct as ever, treating everything as a variable in an equation.
"Your mission parameters remain unchanged. Survive in this location for a minimum of seventy-two standard hours—three days. Acclimatize to the environment. Gather baseline physiological and sensory data. Upon completion, I will reopen the dimensional fissure for extraction."
The servo-skull paused again, processing, then turned toward Ignis, emitting a burst of rapid, complex binary-cant.
The servo-skull beside Ignis immediately flew forward, engaging in a brief data-exchange with the one from the cyberpunk world, the small indicator lights on its side flashing rapidly.
Upon receiving the data, Ignis immediately performed a strange, solemn salute to the skull relaying Joric's orders, bowing slightly.
"The Magos's will be done. Data-packet received," Ignis said, her voice steady but carrying a clear note of reverence.
Its message delivered and hand-off complete, the servo-skull from the desert workshop fell silent, hovering in standby mode, its mission fulfilled.
Ignis turned back to Maine's crew. Though her metal face could show no expression, her posture seemed to soften by a fraction of a degree. "Queries resolved. Now, please follow me. Your condition requires rest and acclimatization. Temporary quarters have been prepared in the encampment."
Without waiting for further reaction, she turned and marched toward the tunnel she had emerged from, her steps rhythmic and heavy.
Her own servo-skull followed close behind.
Maine exchanged a quick glance with Dorio and Falco.
The situation was still shrouded in fog, but Joric's direct explanation and Ignis's "hospitable" stance temporarily dispelled the fear of immediate conflict.
"Move out. Maintain formation. Stay alert," Maine ordered in a low voice.
Regardless of the unknowns, following Ignis—who seemed to be "on their side"—was the only logical choice in this completely alien environment.
(End of Chapter)