Chapter 278: The Enforcer's Request
The elevator finally stopped steadily at a relatively tidy transfer platform in the Mid-Hive.
As the gate opened, outside was no longer the suffocating darkness and filth of the Underhive, but the relatively ordered corridors of the Mid-Hive area, which, though worn, still maintained basic order.
The wounded were quickly taken away by the medical personnel waiting there. Just as Proctor Atkins was about to bid farewell to Maine's squad, the data-slate on his arm suddenly emitted a rapid communication request alert.
He connected immediately. After listening for a few sentences, his brow furrowed tightly, and his expression turned extremely ugly.
Ending the communication, he turned to Maine, his tone urgent and tinged with helplessness. "Captain Maine, the situation has changed. A large-scale riot has broken out at the 'Standard Uniformity' parts factory in Mid-Hive Manufacturing Sector 7. Workers have occupied parts of the production line, and the situation is spiraling out of control.
"Most of our forces are tied up clearing remnant cultists in the Underhive and dealing with gang wars in several other blocks. We cannot mobilize enough manpower to suppress it in a short time."
He took a deep breath, his gaze sweeping over the reassuringly excellent equipment of Maine's squad, especially the two silent Iron Guard prototypes. "The production line there is crucial and cannot be stopped for long.
"I implore you... no, on behalf of the Vesta Prima Adeptus Arbites, I request your assistance to quell the riot and restore production order as soon as possible."
Maine frowned slightly.
Suppressing a worker riot? This was starkly different from the type of mission he had anticipated.
He glanced at his team members and saw similar hesitation on their faces.
But he did not refuse immediately. Instead, he said in a deep voice, "I need to ask for instructions."
He connected to the dedicated communication link with Joric again and briefed the situation. "Lord Sage, the Adeptus Arbites requests assistance in suppressing a Mid-Hive factory riot, citing insufficient police force. Please instruct."
There was silence on the other end for a moment, then Joric's steady synthesized voice rang out, devoid of any emotional fluctuation. "Assistance approved. The 'Iron Guard' project requires test data in more environments, including public security scenarios dealing with low-intensity, high-density crowds.
"Pay attention to collecting performance parameters of the units in confined spaces and under restricted firepower conditions. Primary objective: restore production order."
"Understood." Maine ended the communication and looked at Proctor Atkins. "We have permission to assist. Lead the way."
Guided by another team of Enforcers, they took a dedicated armored transport vehicle and quickly traversed the complex passages of the Mid-Hive.
Soon, they arrived at the incident location—the "Standard Uniformity" parts factory.
The factory gates were tightly closed, but through the observation windows and vents high up on the walls, moving figures could be vaguely seen inside, and noisy shouting could be heard.
Outside the factory, more than thirty fully armed Enforcers had already assembled. Wearing uniform black carapace armor and holding riot shields, shotguns, and shock batons, they formed a tight blockade line, facing off against the factory interior.
Several armored vehicles equipped with water cannons and sonic dispersers were parked nearby.
An Adeptus Arbites commander with higher-ranking epaulets approached. After a brief exchange with Atkins, he looked sharply at Maine's squad. "Thank you for your support.
"The rioters inside have damaged production equipment and taken management personnel hostage. They must be cleared out as soon as possible. Your heavy equipment is perfect for forcibly breaching their defense line."
With an order from the commander, the heavy metal gate of the factory was slowly opened by the external console.
The scene inside instantly came into view for Maine and the others.
There were no fierce mutants or fanatical cultists as imagined.
Gathered in the factory's main workshop was a dense, endless crowd of people.
Most of them wore oil-stained gray or blue work clothes. Their faces were haggard, and their eyes held a mixture of anger, fear, and a desperate hopelessness of having nowhere to turn.
In their hands were production tools like wrenches, iron bars, and cutting torches. A few held crude laspistols or homemade explosives obtained from unknown sources, forming a sharp and blinding contrast with the well-equipped Enforcers outside.
They shouted vague slogans loudly, mostly things like "We want food," "Stop overtime," "Against pay cuts." The voices were loud due to the sheer number of people, but couldn't hide the weakness originating from the bottom of society.
When the factory gate fully opened and external light flooded in, illuminating the workshop interior, it also clearly displayed the appearance of Maine's squad—this "reinforcement"—to those workers.
Burly bodies covered in dark red Ceramite and Plasteel, Volkite Chargers and Plasma Cannons flashing with dangerous light, two Iron Guard prototypes standing like metal giants emitting low energy hums...
All this formed an almost absurd picture of extremely disparate power balance against the crude tools in the workers' hands and their frail bodies.
Time seemed to freeze at this moment.
Maine felt his blood seem to freeze slightly along with this stagnation.
The excitement on Rebecca's face beside him froze, her hand gripping the Plasma Cannon control lever loosening subconsciously.
Pilar stopped his habitual fidgeting, his pair of long arms hanging somewhat unnaturally.
Dorio's clenched fists slowly unclenched, her brows furrowed tight. Even Valerie and Jackie inside the cockpits fell into silence.
Too familiar.
This scene, this stance, this suffocating sense of confrontation... how similar it was to their experiences in Night City!
Except, back then, they stood on the workers' side.
They were mercenaries storming corporate gates for unpaid wages, street kids forced to fight bloody battles with Arasaka security forces for survival.
They were once members of those "rioters" holding crude weapons, facing the elite armed forces of corporations.
And now, wearing Power Armor and cyberware more advanced and powerful than corporate security, holding terrifying weapons capable of instantly vaporizing flesh and blood, they stood on the side of the Adeptus Arbites, on the side of the order maintainers (or rather, oppressors?), aiming their guns at these ordinary people struggling for the most basic rights of survival.
"Fuck..." Rebecca cursed in a low voice. Her voice lost its previous bravado, leaving only an indescribable irritability. "What is this..."
Pilar adjusted his goggles, his tone dry. "Hey... guys, do you feel... like we're on the wrong side?"
Dorio looked silently at the familiar despair in those workers' eyes. Her powerful body felt a sense of powerlessness at this moment.
She used to be someone who made a living with her strength and knew deeply what it tasted like to be pushed to desperation.
Falco pushed his sunglasses and scanned those workers. Data streams showed that the vast majority were pure humans without any modification, with weak life signals and malnutrition.
His voice came through the internal channel, carrying a trace of imperceptible fluctuation. "Targets... primarily unarmed civilians, holding low-level tools. Threat level... extremely low."
Valerie sat in the Iron Guard cockpit, looking at the terrified yet stubborn faces of those workers returned by the sensors. She remembered several employee protests she had participated in suppressing while at Arasaka. Back then, she was a corporate agent watching coldly from the sidelines, and now, she seemed to have become the party executing the suppression with her own hands.
The feedback from the machine via the neural link felt exceptionally heavy at this moment.
Jackie looked outside through the Iron Guard's viewport, murmuring, "Damn... this feels worse than fighting mutants..."
Maine stood in place, not issuing the attack command immediately.
The Volkite Charger on his left arm felt like it weighed a thousand pounds.
Joric's order was to restore production order and collect test data.
The Enforcer's request was to purge the rioters.
Logically, they should execute the order.
But emotionally, a resonance deeply rooted in the streets of Night City, belonging to the mercenary Maine, was clashing violently in his chest.
How should he choose? Execute the Sage's order, fulfill the promise of "assistance" to the Adeptus Arbites, and crush this insignificant resistance with powerful force? Or...
All team members looked at Maine, waiting for his decision.
The workers inside the factory also seemed awed by this "army" that suddenly appeared and far exceeded their comprehension. The shouting gradually subsided, leaving only nervous panting and the subtle sounds of tools clashing.
The air seemed to solidify into a physical entity, pressing down so hard people couldn't breathe.
(End of Chapter)