Skhalax City, an enclave of Mars located on Terra, was originally the location of the Adeptus Mechanicus construction team used to rebuild Terra after the Horus Heresy, but the Adeptus Mechanicus did not withdraw after the reconstruction work was completed.
, instead, a brand new industrial city was built with this, and now it has become the private residence of the founding generals of the past generations. It is the third largest building on Terra after the Royal Palace and the Ecclesiastical Palace. It is composed of the Skitarii, the Titan Legion and the Imperial Guard.
Military guard.
After entering the atmosphere, the shuttle began to accelerate, shuttling between Terra's thick clouds, its engines singing at optimal output.
Through the portholes, Soshyan saw the sewage rivers from the forge, a rainbow of red, blue and orange flowing to the brown land. Perhaps these sewage rivers outside Skhalax City are the only surface water bodies on Terra.
Surrounding the sewage river, which seriously exceeds the standard of heavy metals, are densely packed shacks. In Terra, where resources are tight and the gap between the rich and the poor is extremely huge, nothing will be wasted. Even the treated wastewater carries heavy metals.
Countless collectors and scavengers made a living from the few resources that could be recycled, forming huge shack areas.
Of course, severe pollution will also make it difficult for most of them to live longer than forty years.
Soon, the huge and glorious Mechanical City appeared in Soshyan's sight, with a strong Mechanicus style as always. The huge furnace reflected the sky red, and the huge chimney spewed thick smoke, shrouding the city in gray.
Lord, countless roads and tracks form a standard grid, dividing the city into countless tiny pieces, and connecting the largest foundries and the smallest garbage stations together.
As the shuttle rapidly descends, a huge shadow engulfs everything around it, with sheer steel cliffs rising tall, carrying hundreds of winding pipes and cables that cling to every building like vines in a rainforest.
The same extends above the head, exuding unparalleled power.
The sound of squeaking pistons, the roar of exhaust gases and the ruthless grinding of huge machine gears can be felt even through the thick glass, the roar of the distant transportation airport and the throbbing of the underground.
The sound filled the air, like the heartbeat of the city, and Soshyan could even feel his bones vibrating with the endless forges of the city.
The shuttle descended to a height of one thousand meters, passed through metal towers, and sailed along the curved air channel under the huge Arch of the God of All Machines.
On the suspended door frames and in the open structures, Soshyan saw countless servants working like ants in an ant nest.
Their bodies are like withered leaves, with not much flesh left on them, and they are almost the same as robots.
Among them, Soshyan also saw a group of people turning huge gears, dragging huge iron chains, or climbing up the grand procession steps with a staggering pace. They didn't know where they came from, and they didn't know what task they were going to complete.
They are not servitors, but they have a similar status. Terra Prison is always overcrowded, and a considerable number of them will be sent here as slave labor. They are sentenced to 10-30 years of hard labor as the Machine God to repay their debt to the Emperor.
If the debt can be completed, then they will be free - of course, this probability may be less than 0.001%.
With a slight tremor, the huge shuttle parked on the apron at the core of the city. This was not an area open to the public, but the Forge General's private hangar.
When the shuttle door ramp slowly lowered, the huge silhouette of Soshyan in Terminator armor appeared in the smoke.
In the sound of heavy footsteps, he stepped out of the shadow of the shuttle, and in front of him, in the huge apron passage, stood an entire phalanx of mechanical guards.
They are composed of cyborg fighters and huge combat robots wearing red carapace. The black and white symbols of Mars are engraved on their chests. The weapons in their hands are very different from the conventional Skitarii.
Strictly speaking, the Praetorian Guard is the oldest military organization of the Adeptus Mechanicus. Before the outbreak of the Horus Heresy, they were the main type of military force of the Adeptus Mechanicus on Mars, and they were also the most numerous type.
After the flames of the Great Rebellion completely tore apart the Adeptus Mechanicus, the Mechanicus Guards became an echo of an ancient era.
But as the nominal leader of the Adeptus Mechanicus, the Forge-General still maintains his own Praetorian Guards and can deploy them anywhere except the palace at any time.
The leader of these imperial guards is a sage standing behind a black mechanical throne.
There are not many human traces visible on this sage. His rickety figure is more like some kind of combat robot. The armor on his back is covered with various sensors, and there are four servo skulls floating above. It is bright red.
The robe represents its extremely high status in the Adeptus Mechanicus. Two of the three arms have been replaced with mysterious weapons. The other hand holds a mechanical battle ax and there are two metal tentacles behind it.
It is constantly swinging, and its head is carved into a dog-like shape. There are green visual devices in the eye sockets, making it more like a mechanical wolf, and its lower body is almost completely connected to the mechanical throne.
.
The Mechanical Throne is also an honor that only senior sages in the Mechanicus are eligible to receive. It looks like a combination of a pulpit and a church. It floats half a meter above the ground with the help of anti-gravity equipment. It has many tentacles.
And there are hidden weapon ports.
"Welcome, Chapter Commander Soshyan Alexei, I am Abdel Kader Buller, the First Mechanical Division of Skhalax, and I am here to welcome you on behalf of the Forging General."
The other party's voice is like a tape recording, but the voice doesn't seem to actually come from the throat.
Hearing that the other party was the Mechanical Division or the First Division, Soshiyang was a little surprised. It seemed that Tirian had indeed done enough.
You must know that this is no idle position. As a high-level part of the intricate power network of the Mechanicus, the Mechanicus Hall is the absolute highest level next to the highest-ranking people such as the Director of Foundry and the Deputy Director of Foundry.
Behind Soshyan, all his Terminator Guards also walked out of the cabin.
"Thank you very much to the First Mechanical Department of Buhler. General Foundry must have been waiting for a long time. Please lead the way."
"Patience is a virtue."
After saying this, the guards lined up neatly and moved out of the way, without any instructions. They just completed everything in silence.
Then, the team of Astral Knights, escorted by the Mechanical Guards, passed through long passages and heavily guarded arches, and finally arrived at the Forge Temple. However, the place where they wanted to meet was not here.
After passing through the magnificent temple, Soshyan came to a secret side hall, and all his guards stayed outside.
When the heavy door opened, in the dimly lit hall filled with statues and murals, the huge Forge General was looking at Soshyan.