 The game begins as Garrett continues his life as a thief . However , he is ambushed while returning to his apartment after an early mission , and he determines that Truart , the local sheriff , is hunting him . Keepers take Garrett to hear a prophecy about the " Metal Age " , which he ignores . As Garrett leaves , one of the Keepers informs him that Truart had been hired to kill him , and he gives Garrett a letter that directs him to eavesdrop on a Mechanist meeting . There , Garrett overhears Truart and Father Karras discussing the conversion of street people into mindless " Servants " , who wear masks that emit a red vapor capable of reducing themselves and nearby humans to rust . Truart promises to provide Karras with twenty victims for the Servant project , not realizing that Karras is recording his words for use in blackmail . Garrett steals the recording from a safe deposit box , in order to coerce Truart into revealing his employer . 
