Inside the New Earth Island Airport's port authority building, due to the building's excellent sealing and self-circulating air purification system, the indoor air quality was quite good, allowing Alex to finally remove the respirator that made him uncomfortable.
When he took the mask off his face, the metal buckle made a slight "click," a sound that seemed exceptionally pleasant at that moment.
This made him let out a long sigh of relief; after all, if he had to wear a respirator all the time, unless there was a special need or a quirk in that regard, no one liked to have something hanging on their face.
The sticky feeling of the rubber seal pressing against his skin, and the humming sound of the filtration device operating, all made him feel annoyed.
Not to mention that his voice would become muffled when speaking with it on, and eating and drinking were incredibly troublesome.
It was really too inconvenient.
Of course, in the Warhammer World, there are multiple solutions to this problem.
Although this The Galaxy / Milky Way is full of dangers, humanity's tech tree has also developed various solutions for harsh environments.
For example, like Ovilia just now, she could deploy a purification force field through some device or a specialized servitor skull, using force field technology to solve the air pollution problem.
The mechanical constructs floating around her deployed a force field barrier in the air, isolating all harmful substances.
This technology is quite simple for the Imperium; the palaces of some top nobles and wealthy individuals living at the top of Hive City spires use this technology, otherwise, even living above the stratosphere, the pollution of the Hive City atmosphere and the thin air above the stratosphere would be quite unsuitable for survival.
Beneath those gilded domes, nobles enjoyed air as pure as a Garden World, while thousands of meters beneath their feet, hundreds of millions of commoners struggled to survive in toxic smog.
Luxurious facilities like the top-level palaces of those Hive City nobles and private spaceports all had such force field technology at work.
These facilities were usually meticulously maintained by red-robed Tech-Priests, ensuring that the privileged dignitaries would never feel a trace of the outside filth.
Even New Earth Island Airport itself had such force field generators operating.
These massive generators, hidden within the building structure, operated constantly, emitting an almost inaudible hum.
These force fields were primarily used for air isolation in open spaces, preventing precious oxygen from escaping into the void of space, blocking the intrusion of external harmful substances, and when necessary, these force fields would also act as shields, or simply as multi-functional shields.
When the airport was attacked, these force fields would immediately transform into energy barriers strong enough to withstand laser cannon fire.
However, generally speaking, such force field generators are quite large devices; one that could be used by a single person was undoubtedly a Mechanical Sage's private collection.
Those exquisite devices were often shaped like religious artifacts, their surfaces covered with binary prayers and Adeptus Mechanicus runes.
Because of this, for individuals, not wanting to wear a respirator, a single-person force field generator is a good choice, but it also means needing a very generous wallet and a good relationship with the Adeptus Mechanicus.
After all, the Adeptus Mechanicus never easily gives their technological treasures to outsiders.
Moreover, such a piece of equipment could very likely be more expensive than a suit of Power Armor.
In the black markets of certain Forge Worlds, a palm-sized personal force field generator could be traded for an entire company's standard equipment.
Meanwhile, fully enclosed Power Armor often offers very good protective performance in many situations.
Those heavy armor plates can not only withstand bullets and lasers, but the built-in life support system also allows the user to survive in various extreme environments.
Furthermore, a relatively ordinary Power Armor is not expensive; a non-Astartes Power Armor might only cost tens of thousands of throne gelts to buy a set, and even simpler versions can further reduce the price.
These simple Power Armor suits are quite common in the middle levels of Hive City, and many security companies and private armed forces purchase them.
Of course, correspondingly, this relatively cheap, stripped-down Power Armor might only be similar to crisis combat suits in general sci-fi works and does not possess the powerful defensive capabilities of Astartes Power Armor.
Their outer shells are usually made of cheap alloys rather than adamantium, and the hydraulic systems at the joints often emit an irritating noise.
However, a truly excellent Power Armor is still quite expensive.
Those master-crafted pieces inherited from the Great Crusade Era are each priceless treasures.
Because things like master-crafted Power Armor and relic armor, their value can no longer be measured in throne gelts.
These pieces of equipment are often preserved in the reliquaries of churches and are only brought out for the most solemn or critical occasions.
Rogue Traders measure their wealth in profit factors, and generally speaking, one profit factor might be equivalent to the wealth that an entire Imperial World can generate.
Similarly, there is also Power Armor so expensive that its value needs to be measured in profit factors.
Certain legendary battle armors, rumored to have been personally blessed by a Primarch, are valuable enough to buy a small fleet.
However, the above options are for those who are relatively wealthy; the vast number of ordinary commoners in the Imperium are not so lucky, or do not have so much money to bear these expenses.
For them, just surviving today is already the Emperor's grace.
They might not even be able to afford a good respirator, only able to acquire one by salvaging loot from corpses, or simply assembling one themselves from scraps.
In the black markets of the Hive City underhive, makeshift breathing devices cobbled together from scrap metal and plastic pipes are commonplace.
Don't find it incredible; this is how the common people at the bottom of the Imperium live in the Warhammer World.
Every day is a dance with death, and every breath of air could bring a fatal disease.
Moreover, this is a necessity for their lives; without a respirator, they could very likely contract lung rot or other fatal diseases within a short time due to inhaling large amounts of toxic and harmful gases, leading to death in a short period.
Workers in factory districts often cough up black blood clots before they are thirty years old.
The Imperium's medical technology is quite advanced, making it not impossible for a person to live a thousand years, but the average lifespan of the Imperium's common people does not exceed 40 years.
This ironic contrast is a true reflection of the Imperium's current state.
Of course, if one is lucky enough to live in the mid-hive or similar areas of a Hive City, and there are Adeptus Mechanicus temples or sanctums nearby, then things are relatively simpler.
At least there, obtaining basic bionic modifications is not out of reach.
The Adeptus Mechanicus's bionic transplantation technology is very advanced, even capable of transforming people into a cyberpunk style, with not enough human content to fry a plate of brain matter.
Those modified humans, with over 90% of their bodies replaced by machinery, are often regarded as semi-sacred beings by the followers of the Adeptus Mechanicus.
And non-combat bionics are not expensive for the Adeptus Mechanicus; transplanting an artificial lung capable of resisting harsh environments for an ordinary human might only cost a few hundred throne gelts.
This artificial organ, replacing the lungs, can automatically filter toxins from the air, allowing the user to no longer need additional breathing apparatus.
This is roughly equivalent to half a year's salary for an ordinary mid-hive clerk; if one is truly willing to save money, it would take about one to two years to save enough.
While it would require a frugal lifestyle, it is at least a visible hope.
If the cost of a lung transplant is too high, one can also replace their face and directly install the respirator on their face, which is much simpler and also saves money.
People whose faces have been replaced by metal masks are common sights on the streets of some mid-hives, their breathing always accompanied by a mechanical hiss.
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