Hey Guys, new chapter; new arc.
We are still not in the Young Justice timeline. Everything started on 4 July 2010. Our Tech-Priest arrived on 9 November 2009.
This means we have six or so months to blaze through before we get to the series we all know and love. Season 3 is coming out, so there is that.
So I think it important to go through the six to seven month gap that occurred between Roanoke and Independence Day, and the effects of Roanoke Island have changed the world and the members of the Justice League.
So here is the beginning of that new arc.
I call it 'The New Children of the Adeptus Mechanicus'.
Hope you enjoy it.
Chapter 11
The Justice League and the Tech-Priest stayed in the dark cave under Wayne Manor till the crack of dawn and the early hours of morning.
The young Adept wanted to hash out an agreement, and not a handshake or verbal agreement either; he wanted a treaty and he wanted it in writing.
If it were another fifteen year old boy, they probably would have laughed. But Cardsharp was no ordinary boy, and the Justice League have experienced the consequences of underestimating him.
Red Tornado was gone; and based on Batman's detailed records, there was no evidence of a backup. It seems the robot's death was quite permanent.
The world had already begun to rename Roanoke Island as 'Roanoke Crater'.
The original Doctor Fate, Kent Nelson has passed away. Succumbing to a combination of age and stress.
Selina Kyle's life ended at the hands of the Dark Knight himself. Something which weighed heavily on Wayne's heart despite many saying it was the right thing to do.
Now the Justice League's personal secrets along with whatever data Batman has collected over the years was in the Tech-Priest's control. One thought and it was over for them.
But it was more than that; the Tech-Priest hid the data in little servers in the darkest and most remote corners of the Internet. The information was encrypted with systems never encountered and set to a timer. If Cardsharp was killed, or failed to provide a renewal code every 24 hours, the data would be released automatically.
The Justice League had little choice in the matter.
It was a very simple treaty, regardless it still had teeth.
The Justice League and its agents will not affect, influence or otherwise interfere in the internal structure of the Adeptus Mechanicus.
The Justice League and its agents will not detain, arrest or otherwise interfere with the belief system known as the Cult Mechanicus or its members.
The Justice League will not seize nor attempt to seize, nor otherwise acquire nor assist others in acquiring, information or secrets held by the Adeptus Mechanicus.
The Justice League may on occasion, and at the request and consent of the Tech-Priest, provide support to the Adeptus Mechanicus and operate within Adeptus Mechanicus jurisdiction.
The Adeptus Mechanicus will have sole and absolute jurisdiction with regard to all matters associated with Chaos. The Justice League will be obligated to obey all Adeptus Mechanicus directives for all future matters relating to Chaos, the Warp or a combination thereof.
In exchange, the Tech-Priest will on occasion, and only when convenient, provide support as a consultant at the Justice League's request and maintain any confidential information that may have been 'provided' by the Justice League to the Adeptus Mechanicus.
Further to this, the Tech-Priest will enforce rule of law and conduct 'hero work' in Adeptus Mechanicus jurisdiction, a deputy of the Justice League if you will.
The Adeptus Mechanicus will abide by all conditions emphasised in the Justice League – United Nations Charter. In particular the Tech-Priest will not kill nor otherwise be complicit in murder or death of another human being. There seemed to be a glaring exception with regard to any future Chaos incursions, the Justice League attempted to force an argument, but after what they saw on Roanoke Island, they had to relent.
In short, if the Justice League left Cardsharp alone to his own devices, the Tech-Priest will not release their secrets, abide by their laws, and agree to help out on occasion. It was only many months down the track would the members of the Justice League begin to view Cardsharp's willingness to abide by their code of no killing as suspicious. It never occurred to them that the technical wording of the Justice League's requirement left much room to manoeuvre.
It was signed by Wonder Woman also known as Princess Diana of Themyscira, Daughter of Hippolyta, with a flowery signature from a pen.
It was counter-signed by Tech-Priest, also known as Senior Acting Tech-Priest Cardsharp of the Holy Forge World of Mars, Apprentice to Master Rune-Priest Kyriz, with a barcode generated by a mechanical digit.
Underneath his 'signature' was a symbol: a human skull in the centre of a cogwheel; the official seal of the Adeptus Mechanicus.
Thus the Treaty of the Bat Cave was created.
The formality settled there was only the question of jurisdiction.
Naturally, the Justice League wanted Cardsharp close, somewhere they could keep an eye on him.
But the Tech-Priest had other ideas, it conducted a search on the Internet, looking for the perfect home.
And thus a venue was chosen.
0o0o0o
The Roanoke Incident was what it was called.
The Chaos Incursion, the Martain Fleet, the Guardian's Trial, the crashing of the Watchtower, all of it fell under the simple heading.
But it was a heading known to few, the arrival known as Tech-Priest, the revelation of the Martian Fleet, a bridge to a dimension where war was the sole purpose of existing, the Trial of the Guardians…All of that was deemed classified 'Top Secret' by the United Nations Security Council available to only a select few people in the world.
And to Lex Luthor.
"Thank you Secretary-General." Luthor leant back in his chair as he spoke with the leader of the United Nations over the phone. "It was a privilege to help out….of course…of course…Look all we had to do was state our case and the matter was solved. I hardly had to do anything…I appreciate the support….Thank you sir…try and get some rest….Yes, I will too."
Luthor hung up the phone and gazed at the ceiling. "Well last night is one for the history books."
It was like something out of a really crazy science-fiction film.
His eyes were weary with sleep, and wanted nothing more than to write off the day and go back to bed. But unfortunately he had to make a call.
Luthor reached for his computer and dialled in the security code. After several seconds of waiting six separate screens appeared, the individuals identities obscured by bright white light.
"We're here." L-1 started.
"Is this line secure?" Luthor asked.
"Of course." L-1 replied matter of factly.
"Things took a turn." Luthor spoke into the terminal. "But everything is okay. The Justice League appears to be suffering serious backlash from the disaster at Roanoke."
"What I am more concerned about is how quickly things have derailed." L-2 seemed rather concerned. "Earth seems to have been thrown into the spotlight sooner than we anticipated, and we have attracted far too much attention from parties too close to us."
"The Martians are worried." Luthor explained. "They seem convinced that we want Mars. But under Green Lantern supervision a diplomatic agreement is to be hashed out."
"I doubt that will hold them at bay for long." L-2 remained unconvinced.
"I agree." L-1 continued. "Things have taken a turn for the worst and we are unprepared. You should have warned us about this Klarion."
"Oh don't even start with me Vandal!" The member known as L-7 shouted. "Or should I call you Victor Adger?! I told you keeping those relics were a bad idea! I told you to destroy them!"
"You did not tell me those relics were portals to another universe." L-1 rebutted. "Further to this, you probably should have mentioned that you are not from this universe."
"We all have secrets Savage." L-7 growled. "How about this? I will tell you everything about me, if you tell us all about your 'Scandals'."
If there was hidden meaning in those words, the only one who picked up on it was L-1 who went abnormally quiet. When he did speak, it was both calm yet resigned. "Your point is conceded."
"There is no such thing as complete trust." Luthor accepted. "This group has always been one of convenience."
"This bickering is pointless." L-2 interrupted. "What interests me is this new arrival, Tech-Priest. Klarion, can you shed any light?"
"About him specifically? No." L-7 spoke as if he was gritting his teeth. "But Tech-Priests are the job title associated with someone who is part of the Adeptus Mechanicus, a sub-organisation of the Imperium of Man. They are responsible for maintaining and building all of the Imperium's advanced technology."
"Excuse-moi." L-6 soothed, clearly interested. "Advanced technology, you say?"
"Yeah." L-7 sighed. "Don't get your hopes up though, they are a bunch of religious cyborg whack-jobs who have lost more technology than you'll ever know….No offence."
"How is that possible?" L-6 asked.
"Remind me to tell you about the Men of Iron sometime and a little diddy called the 'Horus Heresy'." L-7 shooed the issue away. "All you need to know is that Tech-Priests treat technology and science the same way you would religion and they absolutely without a shadow a doubt hate A.I."
"Yes." Luthor thumbed is chin. "Red Tornado's death. While you said that this Tech-Priest brought down the Watchtower, the Justice League is claiming that the android sacrificed itself to save them."
"They are lying their asses off!" L-7 hyperventilated.
"Let them have their fantasy." L-1 concluded. "The Light will reveal everything in due course. Still this Tech-Priest has potential, whether it be as an ally, a source of information, or a source of technology. Where is the Tech-Priest now?"
"Beats me." L-7 shrugged. "I took off quick smart after it was all over."
"I see." L-1 sounded disappointed. "I want everyone to keep your sources open. If this Tech-Priest was not destroyed in Roanoke, he is bound to appear again."
"If we do find this Tech-Priest, what is the next step?" Luthor clarified, "Do we make contact? Or do we acquire him for research or just dispose of him?"
"No! You can't kill him!" L-6 interrupted. "I have so many questions to ask him! Cela pourrait être une opportunité dans toute la vie!"
"Do not let personal interest take precedence over the Light's goals." L-1 decreed. "In answer to your question, let us make contact. But if he does not agree, dispose of him."
0o0o0o
The Global Financial Crisis of 2008 was one of the worst economic disasters in Earth history. Many suffered at its hands.
People lost jobs.
Families lost homes.
Cities died.
States went bankrupt.
Countries suffered.
The city of Detroit was not dead yet, but it was on its last legs.
The State of Michigan was solvent, but that was not sustainable.
Detroit was a majestic city, the heart of the automotive industry of the United States of America. But looking at her now, you would hardly recognise the glamour. Many companies made uncountable machines of unending uses in the hay day. Now it was a ghost town.
It was in mid-November 2009 when Cardsharp was dropped off in the defunct industrial sector of Dearborn via the aptly named 'Bat Plane'. All he had with him was his Omnissian Power Axe, his trusted Servo-skulls, his still broken eradication ray and his faith. There were hundreds of factories in Detroit, most of them were abandonded; from the General Motors Assembly Plant in Pontiac to the Volkswagen Assembly in Sterling Heights. All were vacant, all were abandoned...all were ripe for the taking.
Tech-Priest set up shop in a production warehouse/factory along the Rouge River that belonged to a manufacturing company known as 'Ford'. It was initially meant to build motor vehicles, but Tech-Priest knew it could easily be retooled for anything. It was close to Interstate 94 yet secluded, it was compact yet open spaced. It was a perfect strategic point.
After checking records, the company's liquidation was a fiasco. Thousands of people were redundant, corporate executives were living a decadent retirement and the banks were left holding the debt. What was left of it was absorbed by Wayne warehouses and the machine spirits left behind were effectively forgotten, lost in the bureaucratic nightmare.
Cardsharp looked around the empty factory, with blown in doors, broken windows, graffitied walls and dusty floors.
It was perfect.
The Tech-Priest felt he should say something, and his mind turned to a passage from the Holy Bible, one of the many things he downloaded from his brief contact with this Earth's Internet.
The Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 16, Verse 18 seemed fitting enough.
"Upon this rock I will build my church," Cardsharp whispered, "and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it."
0o0o0o
Fun fact, Tech-Priests do in fact sleep. Most of them sleep in a 'standing' position held upright by in a recharge bay, though some have been known to sleep in a bed like most of the 'fleshies'.
Senior Acting Tech-Priest Cardsharp has been having significant trouble sleeping. It was nothing new to the Adept, sleep was frequently lost upon him after Kyriz's death.
The Subsector Marxian Campaign was an experience, even for the most veteran soldier. Cannons firing, bombs exploding, lasguns blasting, men screaming, daemons laughing…it was horrible thing to witness.
So Cardsharp found on this quiet Terra, in the absence of all those terrifying sounds, it was next to impossible to sleep.
The silence…the eerie, deafening mind-numbing silence…
Cardsharp had difficultly resting, and when he did, it was only to dream horrible things from Subsector Marxian and more recently Roanoke Crater.
So he kept himself busy with work, resting only when he had no choice.
His very first project; reinforcements. Tech-Priest created help out of the old automotive vehicles and other machines that were abandoned. They were disassembled and rebuilt as a worthy creation of the Machine God.
Before he was baptised as a Tech-Priest and assigned Master Kyriz, Cardsharp recalled making several hundred robots in the Mondus Gamma Forge Temple of Mars. Even without the STC available, he could easily recall the process of making them.
The Omicron Upsilon-09 – Labour Droid was a standard labour robot used all across the galaxy.
A three meter tall basic automaton with four insect-like legs, a single large red eye, two large heavy duty arms capable of lifting 300 kilograms and two small mechandrites capable of fine motor skills. Special runes and blessed parchment graced the legs and chest of the metal behemoth granting it strength and power.
It looked like a large spider walking upright and dressed as a mummy.
It took one car, one 'computer' and two industrial motor arms to make one. Thankfully there was an overabundance of those materials and no one was interested in monitoring them.
In less than a week the Tech-Priest had fourteen Labour Droids up and running.
0o0o0o
For the first time in a very long time, Cardsharp felt content. The factory in Detroit was advancing ahead of schedule. The linked Labour Droid servants he created quadrupled his efficiency allowing him to facilitate greater construction.
Now this gutted factory was fast looking like the Manufactorums he had encountered, not as great as the great metal behemoths of Holy Mars, but it was beginning to feel…homely.
The Tech-Priest already managed to restore basic power, and the assembly lines were running. Now they just had to be put to work. But such an activation would result at an excessive and unnecessary cost to his host nation; in violation of the Justice League Charter. Besides, the infrastructure was incapable of supporting Cardsharp's inevitable projects. So he needed to generate his own power. He needed a FWPN (also known as a Forge World Power Network), the word used in modern day earth would be a fusion reactor. A proper FWPN can power an entire world, but Cardsharp only needed one to power his small little bastion. It would be a walk in the park.
But that did not mean it would be cheap. Such an endeavour, even on a tiny scale would be an expensive enterprise…if you did it the legal and bureaucratic way. However, there were certain methods around such technicalities. A few well placed orders and infiltration of several corporate systems, Cardsharp managed to locate the parts for a rudimentary FWPN.
Again technically in violation of Justice League Charter, but those corporations were linked to Wayne Enterprises… and Bruce Wayne would be reluctant to cause problems unless he wanted the whole world to know of his night-time activities. Besides the corporation and its subsidiaries were too busy and wealthy to notice the disappearance of a few thousand parts, especially if you manipulate the stock to indicate that no such parts existed in the first place.
The parts arrived sporadically in various locations in Detroit over a course of two weeks.
Twelve hours later, a water-distillation facility was constructed.
In twenty-two hours a radio-frequency heater (basically just a very large microwave oven) was up and running.
Two days later a rudimentary electo-accelerator (also known as a particle accelerator/collider) was built.
Four days later, sixteen small fusors were created.
Three weeks later, the final panel to the hydro-fusion reactor was ionised on.
A further week was required before he turned it on, praying to the Machine Spirits may be tedious but were worthwhile and highly beneficial in the long run. The Tech-Priest was giving life to new creations of the Machine God, he had to be precise and careful so as not to offend the Omnissiah.
He ran through every ceremony taught to him by Rune-Priest Kyriz. Every rune was scribed meticulously and every liturgy was chanted perfectly. The rituals of initiation for new machinery had to be followed strictly with the Cult Mechanicus.
Remember what Master Kyriz said, Cardsharp sweated, to break with ritual is to break with faith.
A Rune-Priest is trained in the arcane branches of scientific lore such as intuitive mechanics, speculation, and improvisation and are famous for their lateral thinking. It was not uncommon for a Rune-Priest to be called in to solve problems when strict logic and standard procedure fail.
Building a Manufactorum from the ground up was a Rune-Priest's speciality.
By the end of it, every square inch of the facility was blessed with Holy Oil and prayed too.
++ With thy Spirits sated and blessed by thy lord and creator, the Machine God, ++ Cardsharp reached for the control panel, ++ I give thee the spark of motion and life. May these humble and measly efforts to appease thine Machine Spirit be satisfactory; for thou art Holy and Mighty. In the name of the Omnissiah ++
The Tech-Priest, dialled a few buttons and fed the reactor with the energy to hopefully jumpstart the reaction.
The soul of the Machine God surrounds thee.
The power of the Machine God invests thee.
The hate of the Machine God drives thee.
The Machine God endows thee with life.
Live!
There was nothing.
Nothing….nothing…still nothing…
Nothing…. Cardsharp sighed slightly dejected. ++ Forgive me Machine Spirts, for my work is unbecoming of your grace and glory. Take pity on my failure and grant me another chance to prove myself worthy of your service ++
Master Kyriz would know what to do. Cardsharp looked through the structural blueprints wondering where he went wrong. Perhaps the Machine Spirit is displeased with the relay node 421-6A, its copper composition is insufficient to the rest of-
Then everything.
The Tech-Priest nearly jumped, which considering his bulk, was a feat in itself.
The reactor hummed to life with sound of crackling electricity. Lights flicked on as if by the Omnissiah Himself, machines and factory components jolted into action. The entire Manufactorum came to life.
Gone was the Ford River Rouge Complex.
It was reborn as the Manufacotrum Filus Detroitus.
++ Glory to the Omnissiah ++ Cardsharp bowed to his latest creation; the heart of Manufactorum. ++ Thank you, Machine Spirits for thine mercy and favour ++
The Tech-Priest ensured a linkage back to the Detroit electrical network, ensuring a surplus of power to bridge the shortfall caused by his creations. It was the least he could do for the city of Detroit. For now at least.
Now the real work can begin.
0o0o0o
It was mid-December 2009 when winter began to roll into Michigan.
The Tech-Priest had never experienced snow, much less the cold before. So seeing an entire city covered in white was a new experience.
It was also a new experience to see the homeless.
Tech-Priest was not naïve, he knew homeless people existed where he came from. He just never saw it on the Holy Forge World of Mars. The Cult Mechanicus always insured every person had a place, otherwise it was a waste of resources.
But there are many hive worlds in the galaxy, and there were many wars being fought. But it was the first time the Tech-Priest saw it with his own optics. In the Subsector Marxian Campaign there were no civilians, there were only loyal Imperial Guard, and the dead. But seeing it here, on Terra itself…Surely such a horrid thing must not exist on the shining jewel of humanity, regardless of what universe you are in?
The Tech-Priest then recalled there is a Wayne Enterprises owned subsidiary, one specialising in hospital equipment including beds.
Surely a few hundred will not be missed, Cardsharp thought.
0o0o0o
Christ it's cold. Thomas Dobbs shivered in the alleyway, his overcoat acting little more than window dressing. Although as dressed as a homeless man can be it is never enough. As he sat in his alleyway next to an old shopping cart and huddled under old blankets, linen and whatever he could use Dobbs rubbed his hands into his chest trying to keep warm. Winter is always the worst time to be outdoors, especially at night. Surviving the Christmas season is a challenge to say the least.
Granted there used to be soup kitchens, churches, even kindly folks who will let you spend a night or two. But that is over now, thanks to the GFC, funding for soup kitchens has stopped, churches are closing and people are moving. That normally left room for squatting in houses, but as there is no electricity there is little heat, and the abandoned houses were falling apart around them due to lack of care. On top of that, living on the street is a selfish game, you got to look out for number one. That meant fights; and Thomas Dobbs was no longer in his prime.
So on top of living on the street in winter, you can add old and hungry as a well.
It's a rough life, but it was nothing new. Dobbs has been on the street going thirteen years; made it back then, he can make it now…hopefully. But age is cruel, and each winter gets steadily harder each year. One of Dobbs' friends, an elderly man called 'Jamie' died of exposure last winter…perhaps this winter is the one where he finally bites it.
Until his thoughts were interrupted by a slow mechanical breathing, like the ticking of a clock. Dobbs looked up at the source.
"SWEET JESUS!" Dobbs sputtered.
"No. I am Tech-Priest." Its voice was mechanical and monotone. The monstrous thing stood in the dark, a single gleaming red eye in the shadows, and the outline of many limbs surrounding him.
"WHATEVER YOU ARE, TAKE WHAT YOU WANT JUST DON'T HURT ME!" Dobbs placed his hands up in surrender. He silently cursed, what little he had was to help him survive, if it was taken now he would surely perish before the new year, much less before spring.
"Relax." The figure slowly approached. "I'm not going to hurt you."
"THEN WHAT DO YOU WANT?!" Dobbs yelled, his body still running on the adrenaline.
"I am trying to help." The figure drew closer draped in a large red robe that obscured most of its bulky and inhuman form.
"W-what?" Dobbs blinked, his breathing slowing. "Help?" It pulled something out of its robes and placed it in front of Dobbs to see. It was a metal badge with the letters 'JL' with a star in the centre. It was a Justice League badge. "Are you Justice League?"
"No." The figure responded, perhaps a little too forcefully. "Merely an affiliate."
"A Justice League affiliate in Detroit…huh." Dobbs really did not know what else to say. The only time Justice League ever came to Michigan is when they are travelling over it or through it.
"Why are you on the streets? Why do you not seek shelter?" The figure spoke. "You will freeze to death if you stay out here."
Dobbs rolled his eyes. "Don't you know anything man? Houses are falling apart, charities are closing. There is no shelter to seek."
"I see." The figure went quiet. "Perhaps the Adeptus Mechanicus can assist."
"The Adept-what-now?"
"My organisation." The figure replied. "You are welcome to stay the night. You can stay throughout all of winter if you wish."
Dobbs has seen and heard many things, being on the street will do that. He also knows when something sounds too good to be true. "What do you want for it?"
"Nothing. Call it community service." The figure called Tech-Priest began to shuffle his bulk away, so much so Dobbs wondered how he did not hear him coming in first place.
"Yeah right pal. Nothing in this world is for free." Dobbs called after him. "How do I know you are not some creepy serial killer hoping to turn me into a lampshade?"
"I can assure you I am not a creepy serial killer hoping to turn you into a lampshade." The Tech-Priest sighed, its metal limbs spawning out of it back glided against the floor swiping snow out of the way. "My facility is located in Dearborn in what you would have called the River Rouge Complex. All are welcome. The choice is up to you."
Dobbs watched at the large red-robed thing shuffled its way out of the alley and around the corner.
"Pfft….as if." Dobbs chuffed. Almost an hour passed before the quiet cold of the night began to creep back in to his chest, and the snow fluttered through the sky. As the adrenaline left his body, he felt it more than ever. The Tech-Priest, or whatever he was, was right freezing to death was a very real possibility.
"Ah screw it." Dobbs reached for the trolley and began to pack, if he was going to die he might as well die warm.
0o0o0o
Dearborn was a trek in the snow. It took almost seven hours to get there, and the cold had permeated to the bone, but at least walking kept the blood flowing.
As he approached Dearborn, specifically the old abandoned factory he saw a few familiar faces. Some he has not seen in months, others in years. "Clark, Spit, what you doing out?"
"Same as you I guess. Heading to the factory at Dearborn?" Clark waved.
"Really the weird guy called you too huh?"
"Guy my ass!" Spit spat on the ground (hence the name). "We were both accosted by a floating skull! A friggin, floating skull!"
"Bullshit." Dobbs scoffed. "Have you been on the sauce again?"
"Nah he ain't kidding man." Clark thumbed his jacked. "I saw it myself. A floating skull hovering in the air asking us why we don't seek shelter. It then told us to head to the abandoned factory."
"That explains Johns and…holy balls is that Jonas?" Dobbs pointed over to two other people in the distance, both huddled in coats and driving their own shopping trolleys.
"Yeah." Clark smirked. "You should have heard Annie's; she saw a friggin metal spider. Nearly gave her a heart attack. Shit, it nearly gave me a heart attack from listening to it."
Dobbs frowned. What the hell is going on?
"Hear it was some new Justice League member." Spit drizzled as he spoke. "Ever since that Roanoke disaster there is talk of damage control and new membership."
"Nah, this guy said he was not Justice League." Dobbs recalled the strange red-robed…thing.
"Well whatever he is, he sounds like a total…Woah." Clark trailed off.
Dearborn was always quiet at night, even more so once most of the factories closed down. So seeing one large metal structure in the void with both lights on and machines running was definitely out of the ordinary.
Dobbs, Clark and Spit kept moving, getting closer and closer, until they went around to the main entrance.
And what they saw was gentle light.
What they felt was warmth.
Holy, sweet Jesus and Hallelujah! Dobbs smiled. "It seems Christmas came early."
An entire factory floor was cleared of all things mechanical. In their place was rows of beds, lined up perfectly one after the other. On the far right there were a series of bathrooms and showers. Up the back was a bench filled with prepacked food and meals. And microwaves to boot!
On the factory ceiling there were heat lamps joined together in a number that rivalled if not exceeding the beds. Up close it would have felt like the sun, but on the ground it was like a warm summer breeze.
People were already moving in, several dozen so far and Dobbs was sure there were more on the way. Something like this will not stay secret on the street for long. The sounds of conversation and laughter echoed around the metal building.
One by one they came in, their eyes wide with disbelief. The more seasoned survivors kept their eyes peeled for potential exits, waiting for the illusion to drop.
A woman with ruffled dark hair walked out to greet them. "Hey fellas what you doing?"
"Annie, there you are." Clark waved back. "Wow, this place is nuts."
"Yeah tell me about it, ever since that….spider thing," Annie shivered, "I had to see it for myself, convince myself I wasn't crazy y'know?"
"I get ya." Clark gazed up embracing the warmth.
"Where's the guy who runs this?" Dobbs looked around. "This Tech-Priest or whatever?"
"Right here." A familiar monotone voice replied. They spun around and Dobbs recognised the familiar form of the red-robed…thing. Flanking either side of it were two floating skulls; one had several metal instruments dangling below it, and the other one had a friggin Gatling gun for a mouth. Everyone's voice died mid-conversation. The hum of the lights above being the only source of noise.
"Hey man," Clark nodded, "thanks for letting us use this, place…uh sorry I didn't get your name."
"I am Tech-Priest." The figure's face was enshrouded by the red hood, a single red eye in the dark. "This facility and all the surrounding areas are property of the Adeptus Mechanicus. You are currently in Shell D of the Manufactorm Filus Detroitus."
That was a mouthful, Dobbs thought, I doubt I could pronounce half of what he said.
"Well I'm sure Tech-Priest, I speak for everyone when we say thank you." Clark wiped his eyes. "It's been a long time since we have had such kindness, even if it is a short while."
"You are welcome. But it does not have to be a short while." The Tech-Priest shifted its bulk slightly, metal snake like appendages slithered across the ground. "You are welcome to stay all winter and beyond should you wish."
"And what if we choose not to?" Someone called out, likely one of the more suspicious veterans. The Tech-Priest made no indication he heard him save for a slight shift in its hood form.
"The door is always open. You are welcome to leave anytime." The Tech-Priest continued. "I only have three rules."
Several murmurs echoed around the factory; what they always feared…nothing is for free. Dobbs almost let himself feel hope.
"First, while you live or take advantage of this Manufactorum's facilities you will not conduct any illegal activity including the taking of narcotics. Whatever you previously had to do on the street to survive I will overlook. But that part of your life is over now. You are free to live without fear of hunger or exposure." Tech-Priest's red eye shone brightly. "Second, you will not cause any trouble whatsoever nor will you interfere with my work or the work of the Adeptus Mechanicus. I expect civility in this Manufactorum and from those who inhabit it."
The arrivals, the homeless and the outcast with no place to go seemed to churn in relief. Everything he said was not only managable but much desired. Practically everyone on the street did not want trouble.
"Thirdly and finally," the Tech-Priest continued, "there are several factories around you. They are Adeptus Mechanicus property and are completely off limits. You will not approach, let alone enter them under any circumstances. I do not care if a war breaks out or the apocalypse has arrived. You. Do. Not. Enter. My. Facilities. If you wish to communicate with me, you may use one of the relay points," the Tech-Priest gestured to a panel on the factory wall which looked like a closed-circuit radio, "or you can seek the attention of one of the servo-skulls or automata that you will find throughout the Manufactorum." The robed entity gestured to one of the floating skulls and then to the rather large and lumbering metal creature with eight limbs that just appeared out of the dark.
Walking spiders indeed…. Dobbs voice caught in his throat.
Not a sound was made except for perhaps Annie who merely whispered "Fffffffffffffuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuccccccccccccckkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk….."
"Anyone who is caught violating these three rules will be dealt with severely." The Tech-Priest's voice dipped with growling harshness as if to emphasise some horrible point. "Any questions?"
…that's it? Dobbs blinked. No crime, no trouble and stay out of his business. That's the deal of a lifetime.
A wave of relief washed over the arrivals. Shelter in exchange for good behaviour and being left alone...there were no complaints to be found.
"Umm…" Dobbs risked a chance. "I do have one question." He could feel the heat of the looks of his fellow street survivors glaring at him.
"Which is?" The Tech-Priest prodded, its voice returning back to its normal monotone.
"There's a lot of beds and we are grateful." Dobbs continued. "But I know for a fact that there are more homeless people than the beds provided. What happens when more people inevitably show up?"
Tech-Priest shrugged indifferently, clearly he was expecting another question. Dobbs' query was legitimate and quite simple. "More room will be provided in due course. Additional areas of the Manufactorum can be easily converted into liveable areas. Until then rule three applies; do not approach any other part of the Manufactorum apart from this structure, Shell D. Any other questions?"
The silence said it all, that and lots of nodding heads.
"Welcome to the Manufactorum Filus Deroitus." The Tech-Priest turned and shuffled out of the factory into the cold.
0o0o0o
Sorry if I got Detroit completely wrong. I have only visited the city once and it was very brief. Hopefully it does not offend.
In this version, I see major automotive companies like Ford and General Motors and indeed most other businesses being butchered during the GFC and most of them being absorbed into the major conglomerates like LexCorp, Wayne Enterprises Inc, Ultimate Computer Corporation, and Queen Industries.
Hopefully see you soon.