My legs buckle, and to keep from falling, I press my shoulder against the wall. My breathing quickens, my gaze darts wildly around the small corridor. I clench my fists and control my breathing. Inhale, exhale. I feel an icy calm spread through my body. Did the System help? Thank you for not letting me succumb to panic… Confined underground spaces – brrr. I never liked dungeons… And here I am, not a game character, and I don't have that many supplies, only for a couple of days.
My thoughts race frantically, how can I get out of here? Crawl up the elevator shaft? But how will I get out in my suit? Is there anything at all upstairs, what if that upper room is the only one? I need to come up with something urgently… Another option is to try to get out through the ventilation, but it seems like a lost cause. And from what comes to my mind now, only the underground cave with a breeding ground of mutants in it and the sealed hermetic gates remain.
I really don't want to go to the mutants, but at first glance, there are more chances to get out through them; somehow they spread all over the Zone, which means there must be exits to the outside. On the other hand, there's an unknown path that I might not be able to open. And I could search for access codes to the gates here until I die of dehydration in a few days. If they even exist in this laboratory, and there wasn't a separate person on the other side who was responsible for opening them.
Okay, so it's decided. Caves… I'll quickly inspect the remaining rooms, maybe I'll find some usable pistol rounds or something like that. And then, after that, I'll start the descent.
Chekhov's office, same time.
"Well?" the leader of Freedom asked impatiently, rising from his seat as soon as Chert entered the office.
"Part of the mercenaries were destroyed, three who broke away from the main part of the detachment were missed," he reported slowly, sighing sadly and deeply. "We lost two of ours, three more are wounded, one – seriously."
"This is a failure…"
Laboratory complex X-18, third level, half an hour later.
The Poltergeist flew methodically and blindly through the lower level of the laboratory, bumping into various corners and walls. Its head, or rather, the place where the brain used to be, was empty. No thoughts, no memories, only echoes of past pain that pierced its entire mental body the moment it saw a living person. But, pausing for a moment, it immediately let go of everything. It was too late to change anything, and therefore… It would continue to live as it had lived. In its final resting place.
The next moment, it felt the same person intruding into its sensory field again. Strangely familiar, though infinitely alien and
even strange. It slowly descended the stairs, then began to carefully search for something. The Poltergeist, meanwhile, continued to fly around the laboratory, paying minimal attention to the human's actions. It was curious, but nothing more.
Then the newcomer, stuffing a scattering of old bullets into his pockets, bumps into it, and the energy mass, even through his suit, could feel how the human's facial muscles contorted into a joyful smile. He swallows, and the Poltergeist plunges back into memories. About how it used to be able to drink, eat, swallow… Distant times, so distant that they seem like a dream, a fantasy of the impossible.
"Help me, please," the sound waves from the stalker's mouth ripple the boundaries of his energy field, forming words. "The door on the upper floor is closed, and… I don't have the strength to turn the lock mechanism."
But the Poltergeist, which had frozen at one point until then, did not react at all and merely floated further down the corridor, past the stunned human, whose hope had just been shattered. Just like its own, the Poltergeist's, once. Now it didn't care in the least about others' problems and troubles.
Laboratory complex X-18, third level, same time.
After that incident with the Poltergeist, I had to spend a few minutes to calm down and continue searching the laboratory in a sober state. Unfortunately, the flicker of possible imminent salvation was ruthlessly extinguished by the mutant, and I, left alone with the gloomy laboratory, now had to finally decide what to do next.
There won't be enough food for long, water a little more – there's a set of disinfectant tablets with which moisture can be purified. But drinking it will still be dangerous. And I'm not sure that even an anti-radiation drug will help me survive a night in the embrace of the research complex. So, without precise guidance that the access code to those gates is somewhere here, staying here is like a slow and painful death. First, the food will run out, then the drink… If there were any other mutants here besides humanoids, I could stock up on their meat, but to eat altered human flesh… I won't even under threat of starvation.
Overall, I walked through all the accessible rooms of the laboratory again, and now I can confidently say that the test subjects really escaped into the caves. At least, no more living members of their tribe were seen. The fruits of my search are very modest – a small scattering of nine-by-eighteen bullets, old and stored improperly. I had to take them even despite my fears that I wouldn't be able to shoot them, it's better than just being left without ammunition. In addition, I found several pneumatic rifles, apparently for the self-defense of the scientists, but they looked quite pathetic. And, as can be seen from the lab itself, they didn't help their former owners at all. Expired medicine, long-rotted food and water. I didn't forget to grab the head of that bad mutant either. And that's all.
In total, a two-day supply of provisions, a few bullets for both pistols, and caves of unknown length, filled with various sub-mutants that will tear me apart at the first opportunity. The calculation is simple – if I don't perish from the mutants, then from hunger or radiation. Even if I manage to find a food source, even if I can overcome myself and resort to cannibalism, I won't live here long. The suit's energy supply won't last long, which means sooner or later it will stop protecting against radiation and chemical fumes… Well, whatever. I won't dwell on all this, but just look fate in the eye and go straight ahead.
"Hold on, creatures, the Executioner is coming for you!"
Caves under the laboratory complex, X-18, some time later.
Warriors literally ran along long-learned cave paths, emerging from one alcove and running into another. Somewhere they bent down to pass, and somewhere they pressed themselves against the walls, trying to squeeze through a narrow passage. And all this to get out to their native tribe as quickly as possible, to the largest and main part of the Cave – by the Styx River, which flows through their entire small settlement.
The tribe met the warriors who had left with the Great Shaman with concern. Children crowded behind their parents, comically moving their legs and jumping from one to the other, trying not to fall, while the adults themselves – silently peered into the grim faces of the arriving detachment. The Shaman was nowhere to be seen…
"Where is he!?" roared the Chief, stepping forward. He was much taller and bigger than the rest of his kin. He towered a good two heads over the tallest of his tribesmen, and his muscular right arm could rival even the paw of a pseudogiant. Baring his depicted maw, he shifts his gaze from one warrior to another, wildly rotating his small eyes. "Where is the Shaman?"
"Killed," the wounded warrior said, remaining in place. As soon as his answer sounded, the Chief looked at him with such a frightening expression that the rest of the detachment hurried to step aside so as not to be hit. The wounded man himself didn't flinch, continuing to hold his hand, which was bleeding dark blood. He felt that he would die soon… The moisture of life, as the Shaman liked to call this liquid during rituals, did not subside. "A terrible enemy has come to our lands, Chief. A faceless and black-skinned monster, armed with a thunder-stick. The Shaman tried to cope, but… The monster was stronger. We need to leave, Chief, while…"
A sharp whistle is heard, and a fist, clenched to white knuckles, descends from above onto the wounded man's head, crushing his neck and spine with a wet and unpleasant crunch. What remained of the warrior stood for a little longer, stuck to the edge of his palm, and as soon as the Chief raised his fist upwards with sticky streams stretching, it fell to the side. Then the head of the tribe looked at the remaining warriors, peering into their frightened faces, wide-open eyes, pale cheeks… The warrior had not lied, but the Chief was not going to let him get away with this mistake.
"I don't care how terrible the enemy is," he said in a loud and rolling voice so that his words could be heard by everyone. "We will avenge the death of the Shaman, our father and ancestor!"
"Revenge! Revenge! Revenge!" the unafraid kin chanted a single word, which echoed for kilometers through the cave network. The men uttered it grimly and with dark determination on their lips, the women – with slight apprehension that they would have to choose a new chosen one if the old one did not return from the campaign, and the children – with all the direct joy inherent in them.
And the Chief, who had long cherished the dream of going to the surface and showing all the inhabitants there who truly deserved to occupy a place under the Sky, distant and infinitely beautiful, which their people had long lost. Now, without his father-Shaman, no one could stand in the way of expansion.
Caves under the laboratory complex, X-18, some time later.
A strange rumble swept through the stone vaults, as if a whole crowd was screaming. Unfortunately, I couldn't make out what it was – the sound was too muffled, but it didn't bode well. And I've already regretted it several times while crawling here. It's cold, dark, and damp, with many branches in different directions, which sometimes narrow to the size of a needle's eye, and sometimes expand disproportionately. Once I even reached some kind of abyss, but I couldn't figure out how deep it was. The flashlight simply didn't reach its bottom. And the worst thing here is that it's incredibly difficult to orient yourself, and all sorts of passages twist and turn. Oh, by the way, it seems I've passed by this stone twice already…
The caves were… caves? Dark and very varied vaults made of a mixture of stone, clay, and earth. The ceiling was dotted with stalactites, at the tips of which drops collected, constantly falling down. From time to time, I had to go up, and then, conversely, go down. To avoid getting completely lost, I decided to leave marks for myself directly on the walls – I carved patterns with the tip of my knife. But everything here was maddeningly similar, so much so that I almost went crazy when I entered a passage that I had already been in, but the mark was missing… Either someone is erasing them behind me, or it's a complete copy.
In another alcove, I decide to finally take a break. I've spent at least a couple of hours here, and God knows how much progress I've made in finding an exit. At least I'll eat a little… I take off my helmet, about to sink my teeth into a pack of crackers, when the hollow sound of footsteps begins to be heard from around the corner. I quickly put my visor back on, put the food package in my pocket, and press myself against the adjacent wall, focusing my hearing and attention.
"Khra!" a strong and heart-wrenching cough is heard just a few steps away from me. I cautiously peek around the corner, turn on the night vision, and see three mutants heading towards me. Only these no longer had a hump on their shoulder.
Before they could notice me, I raise the fort and smoothly press the trigger three times, quickly taking out the creatures. After all, I'm not alone here… I need to pack up and go somewhere else; it won't be long before this part of the caves is filled with mutants. Although, wait. They came from somewhere, right? If I follow the trail, I'll definitely get somewhere, maybe even to the entrance.
I had to walk for a very long time, and constantly hide from the creatures patrolling the area, among which there were even juvenile ones. Of course, I could have easily shot them if it weren't for the limited ammunition. Until the situation becomes critical, it's better not to get into a fight. It's a shame I only thought of this now, and not then… After a couple
of hours, I managed to get to a real mutant village, and I was stunned by what I saw.
A large depression in the lowlands of the cave, the size of a medium sports stadium. High ceilings, ten to fifteen meters, some kind of farmland with several hundred mushrooms growing everywhere, and a full-fledged cave-underground river flowing from one end of the settlement to the other. There were no houses or other buildings in sight; apparently, the mutants live in numerous alcoves that pockmark the cave walls. So, the leader lives in the largest of them…
I carefully slide down, immediately moving aside and hiding behind a detached boulder. And I continue to observe what is happening. There aren't many mutants in their village right now; it seems they've gone in search of me. And those who remained were collecting mushrooms and looking after the young children. It's a shame they haven't lost all their nascent intelligence; otherwise, I could have easily outsmarted them by throwing a pebble.
I'm about to continue my journey when a truly huge mutant emerges from the largest alcove. Similar to its kin in all respects except for its size, the giant was of colossal height and had the broadest shoulders. Croaking something in a strange mix of Slavic languages to a couple of other mutants, it moves aside and waits for that pair to disappear into the cave. From where, in turn, they drag two weakly struggling stalkers? I can't see what's happening any better from here. And no matter what happens, these people are my way out of these caves, which means I won't let them be harmed.
Caves, the main square of the tribe, same time.
The Chief looked with disdain at the two worms writhing at his feet. Humans, as his father called this pathetic little folk. Strange creatures, weak, but dangerous, hiding under tons of rags and using dirty tools instead of honest strength. He despised them and didn't understand the Shaman's reverence for them at all. But now the old man was dead, and he himself would lead their people to prosperity. And before he gathered all his strength into a single fist, the Chief had to find out what was happening up there. And then they could have a feast…
He reached out his hand to the person lying on the ground, intending to grab him by the scruff of his neck, but thunder echoed through the room, and something hard hit his skull with all its might. The Chief took a step back, wincing from the severe pain and ringing in his ears, bent over double, clutching his head with his remaining hand and looking around his possessions like a wild animal. Frightened members of the tribe crowded closer to the cave vaults, not daring to come out between the sudden enemy and their leader. Whatever happened – this thunder was not for nothing.
"Come out, coward!" the Chief roared at the top of his lungs, still covering his bruised skull. "Fight like a warrior!"
"And you won't even call your whole people to battle?" a mocking voice was heard, echoing through the cave.
"Did you kill my father?!" the giant asked, boiling with anger.
"I did."
"Come out!" the Chief roared even louder than before, casting a feverish glance around until he saw him.
Suddenly, a dark silhouette emerged from behind a distant boulder. A short and scrawny creature, never seen by them before. Its body was covered in black skin, and its face was hidden behind something black, otherworldly. Something that cannot be looked into. Strange tubes were visible behind its head, and the alien itself held a small steel stick in its hand. A thunder-stick. This was he, the very enemy the warrior had told him about!
"I've come out," the enemy said, standing opposite the Chief at a pathetic fifteen meters. "What now, big guy?"
"Your thunder-stick is no threat to me," hissed the mutant, spitting saliva. "Neither yours nor others'! Nothing can harm me except my father, but you… You killed him, which means I am now invincible! And I will avenge you!"
"Ha-ha," the alien said haughtily and, reaching into a strange object, pulled out the severed head of the Great Shaman. Then, swinging with all his might, he sent it flying, and it landed on the cave floor with a soft thud, rolling and leaving a bloody trail behind it until it stopped at the Chief's feet. "I'm waiting."
Completely insane, he lunged forward, covering several meters with wide leaps until he was next to the strange monster. As quickly as he could, he raised his hand over the ugly head and brought it down. But the alien didn't wait for the blow, but merely stepped back one single step, as if mocking him. So quickly and elusively that the mutant didn't have time to react and began to fall forward due to the inertia of the blow. The Chief quickly took a small step forward to regain his balance, but it was too late. Cold metal pressed painfully into his wide-open eye.
"Your skull is tough, you fool," the monster's voice chuckled. "But what about your eyes?"
The powerful shot made the defeated mutant's head jerk back with terrible force. If it were an ordinary person in his place, he would have broken his neck instantly. Taking a few small steps back, the Chief finally fell to the ground, spreading his limbs in different directions. And the irrepressible monster, deciding not to stop there, took out a long object with a stone at the end and, with several wide swings, hit the mutant's neck until he separated the head. Then he lifted it by the long locks of black hair directly above his head, showing the entire tribe what had become of their leader.
"Run away, you sons of bitches!" the monster roared at the top of his lungs, and the mutants flinched.
Terrified creatures rushed into the dark caves, hiding from the monster that had come for their souls. None of them could even think of revenge. Not against such a terrible enemy. To deal with the Chief, the son of the Great Shaman himself, so easily? It was incomprehensible to their minds…
Caves, the main square of the tribe, same time.
Only after a few minutes, the tired stalker turned towards the people lying on the ground. And, looking them up and down, he asked:
"How are you, fellas?" his voice reached them as a rumble from behind the black hermetic helmet. "Do you know the way back?"