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Post by Karcentric on Mar 7, 2013 11:54:02 GMT -5
“-You pick a bad time to visit here Mercenary,” she said as she held out her hand, “I’m professor Fossen, the science bunker sent me over here to help with the wounded, is any one in your group in need of medical attention?”
“If it is not too much to ask,” she continued acting timidly, “we are in dire need of healing artifacts, and many of the injured will surely perish without them. If you’d be so willing to retrieve some from the what the stalkers call the Concrete Bath Anomaly, I’d be more than happy to pay you double the normal rate.”
Karc locked eyes with the scientist his own hidden behind the visor of his helmet, she had extended her hand to greet him, allowing a few seconds to pass he shook her hand, "Fossen. Well maybe you can tell me what happened here, judging by the bodies down the road there aren't as many injured as there were dead, all I can gather is a flash of light and chaos."
"We have several reasons for being here, after all my employees have invested a lot of money here to help establish and expand the areas out here." Karc said, "Isn't there a medic here on base?" He added out of curiosity.
"Care to mark the location on my PDA?" Karc asked, despite what he knew of the area he still didn't know the areas by there local names. "Make it triple and we'll head there right away." Karc said, he intended to go out there but not right away, truthfully, he felt little towards anyone except those in his group. His interest was the old concrete factory and anywhere they could get good elevation over the surrounding area.
"Anything you can tell about the area, mutant hotspots to avoid? Stuff like that?" Karc asked as he punched in the coordinates of the anomaly. "We'll leave shortly, I'm sure these men could use a break for a little while before leaving."
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Post by blackpapermoon on Mar 8, 2013 23:06:26 GMT -5
“Ah, asking instead of demanding answers how refreshing,” Lisbeth replied warmly, “something that your… um… colleagues need to be more mindful of.”
“To sate your curiosity, I was a student of neural science before entering the zone,” she continued, “ the physician here although very skilled does not have near the expertise cranium trauma that I do.”
“As for the cause of the devastation I’m just as much in the dark as you,” the Asian explained, “most of my patients have had their heads blown open, the men indicate some kind of Monolithian attack.”
Taking a hold of Karc’s device she input the coordinates and marked them on his map. He was asking for an excessive price for the artifacts, but she had no choice but to accept his offer or it might look odd. After all funding for the bunker was at an all-time high, and this would help to stop any questioning of her ethics in the future. If they all died she would have to do is put on an act of morning and regret, should they live she would have to feign an apology and compensate them more for any loss.
“Surely you’ve heard of the dangers of this area? The hunters can only do so much,” she said, “but there are lives hanging in the balance, namely the group that came just before you did.”
The Mercs had put their packs down and where other wised engaged with other activates. Allowing the bandit to make his move, ever so gently he placed a drop of the clear liquid on each of their packs. The woman had warned him that any more than just that would cause all kinds of freaks to attack the station. The drop would be enough for anything downwind for two kilometers to go after them. Once the woman and the mercenary had finished their business Shade approached her.
“I thank you for your help,” he said handing her back the vial.
“-Just make sure the doctor get where he need to go as safely as possible.” She replied
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Post by nuclearstorm on Mar 8, 2013 23:59:13 GMT -5
Shade handed Giovanni his knife, telling him it is meant to kill. Giovanni reluctantly took the knife into his trembling hands. He attempted to speak but was frozen in fear. After sheathing the knife he went over to Yorick as he spoke to Ferret, barely regaining his composure. "Excuse-a me mister doctor sir."
"Yes, Giovanni?" The doctor replied.
"I don't want to continue on any more, it's scary and I'm hungry."
"That is your choice Giovanni, you are not required to join us."
Giovanni turned to Ferret, becoming slightly enthused. "Will you stay here too? I'm making pasta!" Giovanni immediately unpacked his cooking utensils, making pasta from scratch.
Yorick continued on with his conversation. "My apologies Lisbeth, Giovanni is a bit nieve, but his cooking skills are quite refined." Yorick gave a quick sigh. "I thank you for your complements, far too few men know of scientific pursuit in this area, as I'm sure you discovered. I greatly appreciate your help in delaying our pursuers, I fear what would happen should my research be disseminated before completion. You are welcome to join me once I have settled in, it would be a great asset to have another scientist such as yourself." Yorick exchanged PDA info with Lisbeth and also marked their destination on her map. "We will depart as soon as you distract the mercenaries."
Yorick beckoned Lilith over and led both her and Shade into one of the side rooms. "Giovanni and the mutant have both decided to stay. An esteemed colleague of mine will distract the mercenaries with a mission. Shade will use their conversation to plant a pheromone on their equipment to attract mutants. This will cause their simple mission to be perilous, and if we are lucky, our travels to be simple. As soon as Shade returns we leave, before their conversation ends." Lilith agreed and they waited as Shade went to plant the pheromone.
____________________________________________________
Shade returned successful and the group left quickly. The group rushed for a short while, attempting to gain as much distance as possible before the mercs had caught on. Soon, they were out of sight range and well on the road toward their destination. Encountering only a few minor mutants along the way, presumably due to the pheromones planted on the mercs, the trip was easy. Approaching the power station they easily evaded the electrical anomalies and entered. Having been cleared out multiple times beforehand there were virtually no dangers within, but also no significant technology for Yorick to use. Yorick had finally traversed the zone and acquired his own personal lab, but there was much work to be done before it could be of any use. Yorick turned to Shade's expertise and knowledge of the zone's economy and personnel. "Shade, might there be anyone interested in information that would be able to provide me supplies and manpower? There is much work to be done..."
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Post by blackpapermoon on Mar 13, 2013 21:27:57 GMT -5
"Excuse-a me mister doctor sir." The boy skittishly approached the group
"-Yes, Giovanni?" The doctor replied.
"-I don't want to continue on any more, it's scary and I'm hungry."
"-That is your choice Giovanni, you are not required to join us."
Giovanni turned to Ferret, becoming slightly enthused. "Will you stay here too? I'm making pasta!" Giovanni immediately unpacked his cooking utensils, making pasta from scratch.
“-Yeah I’m staying here, are you making more of that; what you call it… tortellini,” Ferret said as a thought clicked in his head, “you know Freedom could really use a good cook.”
Lisbeth gave Yorick an odd look after the boy had returned to talking with the Freedomer and both had left the room.
"-My apologies Lisbeth, Giovanni is a bit nieve, but his cooking skills are quite refined." Yorick gave a quick sigh. "I thank you for your complements, far too few men know of scientific pursuit in this area, as I'm sure you discovered. I greatly appreciate your help in delaying our pursuers, I fear what would happen should my research be disseminated before completion. You are welcome to join me once I have settled in, it would be a great asset to have another scientist such as yourself."
“-But of course it would be an honor to be a part of your research team,” she said giddy as a school girl, “most of the well-educated here are to concerned with of rules of ethics then scientific advancement.”
Shade watched the two trade PDA information as the boy and the white haired stalker leave the room . Yorick called him over to tell him what he already figured out. The assassin might not have a PHD but he could follow human logic well enough. He also assumed that the little Miss Lisbeth was more than an esteemed colleague, one he himself won’t mind sharing a bed with. If she where into his type that was, and clearly from her display she was not.
After the Mercs had left for their fool's errand they bid the Asian woman fair well and left the outpost. Any surviving bandits stayed at the station too fearful to continue, giving there where only one or two still able to go on from the lot of them. Shade lead the doctor and his niece along the railroad track until they reached the old radio factory. A few neutral stalkers stood watch in the tower paying the group no mind as they slid down the river bank. Due to the bridge being destroyed they were forced to sludge trough the murky water and climb up the other side of the bank.
With Jupiter to their backs they continued onward towards Zaton, hacking down the tall grass as they went. A constant vigilance was maintained for any anomalies that hid in the grass. A hill stuck out of the grassy lowland, the bandit climbed the hill to get a better vantage point of the area.
“- Preobrazhensky Bridge,” Shade call down, “we’re definitely in Zaton now.”
Leaving the hill they wadded the swampy waters and finally made it to a road. They followed the cracked concrete path until they reached the Iron Forest anomaly. But as they reached their destination Shade’s PDA went off, indicating contacts nearby. With caution the assassin brandished his firearm in anticipation of an attack. However a bandit dressed in the black and brown version of the mercenary attire. Shade holstered his weapon, for he knew this man well.
“-Arakcheyev about time you got your sorry ass up here,” exclaimed the man his arms wide in greeting.
“- Knuckles my old friend,” said Shade as they brotherly embraced each other, “I’ve told you not to call me by that.”
“-Old habits die hard, my friend,” said the other bandit before whispering into Shade’s ear, “Sultan has a job for you, meet him on the Skadovsk later.”
“-Right,” Shade gave a quick nod as they left the embrace.
“- I got that lab nice and cleared out,” said Knuckles, “so I’ll just take my leave, see you on the Skadovsk.”
The other bandit left leaving Shade to collect his payment.
"Shade, might there be anyone interested in information that would be able to provide me supplies and manpower? There is much work to be done..." Asked the old man before the bandit could say anything.
“-You mean besides the Mercs, ” the assassin said after a moment to ponder the question, “There is the fat bastard Sidorovich, if he can’t get what you need no one in the zone can.”
“You can set something up with him through Owl or Nibble here in Zaton,” he continued before changing his tone, “now about my payment.”
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Post by nuclearstorm on Mar 23, 2013 0:45:28 GMT -5
Yorick gave a grumbling response to Shade."Yes, yes, your payment is taken care of. Lilith wired it to your boss in dark valley." Yorick bid farewell to Shade. As he expected, the man was only here for the money, but such was humanity he thought to himself, too greedy for their own good. But not for long, at least, not if Yorick could accomplish his goals.
Yorick walked over to Lilith who had already begun moving some debris into a corner. "Lilith dear, continue cleaning up here. I will go see this Owl that Shade has mentioned and set up some trading for us."
Lilith sighed. "Yes, uncle. Don't be too long though, I don't trust the inbred farmers looking for gold in the zone."
Yorick laughed. "Dear, it is them who should watch themselves around you."
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Yorick entered the Skadovsk and walked up to the man behind the nearest counter. "Excuse me sir, I am looking for a man named Owl. Could you perhaps point me in his direction?"
Beard chuckled, responding loud enough for everyone around to hear, "Finally! Someone with some manners!" He then turned down his voice to a more private level. "Owl is just up the stairs to the right. Watch your back around him though. Name's Beard by the way, guess I'll be seeing you around."
Yorick nodded a quick thanks and headed up to Owl.
"Good evening sir, my name is Yorick. I come at the recommendation of a man named Shade. I will be setting up base nearby and would like to set up some trading agreements with nearby vendors and heard you were the man to see."
"Well... you came to the right place my friend, but before I can help you, I need to know what you can offer. Business is business after all."
"Of course, of course. I am here for research independent of the scientist group you are used to dealing with. I can offer much information, mainly scientific, and hopefully with time other services, but until then I need supplies and manpower."
"Information you say? Well... I guess I can find someone willing to pay for something special. Count yourself in. I have some extra supplies here and can have about 7 men within a few hours to help. However, I take all payments in advance."
"Sounds good. Hopefully this will be sufficient." Yorick handed Owl a packet detailing some of his old research that he had never released. Much of it simply dealt with medical practices, none of which ever authorized for use, but mildly revolutionary in their theories.
"Wow, this is some good shit. How did you get this kind of info?"
Yorick laughed. "I am the renowned Doctor Yorick, and this is my personal research. There is much more in it for you if the supplies keep flowing."
Owl grinned. "I see a bright future for us Doctor Yorick. Very bright indeed. Now if you will give me your PDA info I can send some men with supplies for you. Also, feel free to trade with me over PDA now."
They exchanged PDA info and Yorick left on his way, returning to Lilith. Walking back into the bunker Yorick found three men lying on the floor.
"Jeez uncle, took long enough." Lilith called out while kicking a fourth man in the ribs as he cried out in pain. "Had a small break-in. Inbred pieces of shit thought they could take me. Hah." She spit in the man's eye before puling out her knife and disemboweling him, letting him bleed out as she grinned.
Yorick sighed. "Do you always have to make such a mess? Ah well, I guess I should just be happy you can handle yourself. Anyway, we have supplies and men on the way. Let's get back to cleaning up this dump."
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A few hours later 7 men arrived. "Doctor Yorick? Are you here?" One of the men called out.
Yorick stepped out of a doorway, looking tired and sweaty. "Ah, finally. The help is here. Bring me those supplies and get to work clearing out the rubble in these rooms. Bring any useful scrap to me, and don't even think about stealing any as my niece will be watching."
Lilith walked around the corner, her shirt drenched with sweat and her armor off. Like this she seemed like a normal girl, and extremely beautiful to the men who had arrived. Seeing this in their eyes, Lilith glared and the men backed off. Still glaring, she commanded, "Alright boys we've got these rooms first." She pointed to a hallway. "Clear'em out. All scrap goes to Yorick."
The men began working while Lilith patrolled the rooms, ensuring no theft was occurring. As this went on, Yorick unpacked his new supplies and added them to his own. Already having his main lab room cleared out, he set up tables and covered them with notes, beakers, chemicals, and anything else you would expect a researcher to have. With each passing moment his smile grew as the lab neared completion.
Within a few days the lab was ready. Plenty of scrap metal had been scavenged, but nothing else of use. The majority of missing doors had been replaced, the outer gate had been fixed, and the initial rooms were furnished to the best that they could.
Yorick thanked the men for helping, offering them lodging should they need it. They all refused, returning to their other duties. Finally Yorick could resume his research.
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Post by Basil on Mar 23, 2013 8:47:07 GMT -5
A soft but cold breeze was blowing over the damp earth, rustling the wet grass and sending a few leaves dancing through the air. A group of five green-clad stalkers was making its way around an enormous pit in the earth, a pit obviously excavated by the enormous mining machine that towered above them. The wind whistled eerily in the machine’s rusted beams.
Almost like the howl of the dead, thought Adder idly. She glanced down into the reed-filled bottom of the pit and saw tell-tale green vapours rising from the shallow puddles there. She took her PDA out and marked the area on the satellite map. Anomalies present, possible presence of artefacts she noted next to it. With that done she slipped the electronic device back into her webbing and resumed the march. Her trusty – and much feared – VSS Vintorez hung down across her chest from its worn leather strap, ready to be used in case of attack.
“How far, boss?” asked the Freedomer behind her. The man had a bushy grey black beard and an old Wind of Freedom suit that bore the marks of heavy use.
“Only a few more minutes, Polecat”, said Adder, remembering the directions given to them back at the Skadovsk, “in that big office building over there.” The tall and gloomy mass of the Jupiter plant rose on the horizon like a monolith, its empty broken windows gazing into the distance like hundreds of dead eyes. Adder and her fellow Penumbrans had observed the building many times with their binoculars and had found no signs of life save for crows nesting in some parts.
“You sure he gave us reliable info?” said Polecat. Adder thought back to the Skadovsk and the drunken loner they’d met. The man had returned from a week-long trip in the Jupiter area and had been muttering on and on about dreadful mutants, mysterious phenomena and, most importantly, about a “witch”. Adder’s group had been exploring Zaton and had not planned on anything else until they heard that lone stalker mention “the little witch that controls fear”. Only one person in the Zone corresponded to that description: Balalaika. Adder’s heart had twisted with a mixture of fear and hatred when she’d heard the stalker muttering about the insane woman.
A few glasses of vodka and some tinned food had loosened the stalker’s lips. He’d told Adder that he’d run into a small female stalker while exploring an abandoned factory in the Jupiter area. When he had approached her, she had screamed at him and drawn a pistol, and while all this was happening he’d experienced fear the likes of which he’d never felt before. He ran away as fast as he could, leaving the screaming, demented little woman behind. He’d also given Adder the exact location on her PDA. With that done, Adder had ordered her group to head north, into Jupiter, to hunt down and kill Balalaika.
“Ugh…” muttered Balalaika as she started shivering again. She drew the dirty folds of her old sleeping bag closer around her and coughed. Her stomach twisted and grumbled angrily, sending pain through her abdomen. Her fever-ridden mind conjured visions of bread and tinned food, making the hunger even worse.
With a shaking hand she reached down into her sleeping bag for her canteen and brought it up to her lips. The water inside the battered aluminium bottle sloshed around weakly, and Balalaika took only a small sip before screwing the cap back on. This was all the water she had left in the world. She shivered and tried to improve her position against the wall. Her back was aching, but the fever, the coughing and the constant shivering made it easy to ignore. Three weeks ago Balalaika had entered the area around the Jupiter factory. It was mostly unexplored and few stalkers roamed its gloomy expanses, a perfect place for someone like her. She’d walked around for a few days, sleeping in abandoned factories and an abandoned railway station until the arrival of more stalkers had driven her out.
She’d retreated north, towards the Jupiter plant, and along the way had been attacked by a bloodsucker. The two had stumbled into a pool of water before Balalaika had brought Mr Stabby into the creature’s neck. With her gear and her clothes soaking wet and coughing up filthy water, she’d walked to the plant and set up camp in one of the rooms. A day after the encounter, she’d started to feel feverish. Her breathing had also become laboured. Thinking she’d caught a simple cold, she’d bedded down and waited, consuming her meagre rations. The illness, however, had worsened, and on the third day she was delirious and prone to painful coughing fits. On the fifth day, a stalker had stumbled into her room, and she’d chased him away.
It had been a week now, and she’d run out of food. Hunger assailed her already weakened body relentlessly, and each day she felt weaker. Water was also running out very quickly, and it seemed that the one thing that had kept her alive all this time was starting to fail her. The other day, a snork had come creeping into her room, and when Balalaika had tried to use the Fear Factor on it, she’d found herself incapable of using it. It simply hadn’t been there. In the end, she’d emptied her Stechkin’s magazine into the beast’s face, saving herself from a horrible death. But had it been worth it? It was clear from her current state that she didn’t have much longer left. The illness and the hunger would soon finish her off. With this grim thought, Balalaika rolled up on the floor and fell into an uneasy slumber.
“This is it”, said Adder, looking up at the building, “ready your weapons!” The Freedomers readied their guns and headed into the building. The lobby was deserted and filled with dead leaves and rotting junk. Chairs and falling chunks of concrete cast strange shadows on the walls. “Stay together”, she told her group, “you don’t want the little bitch catching you by yourself.” The Penumbrans nodded and headed deeper into the old building. They went up some stairs, checking closely for any traps. As they reached the second floor, they found a dead snork riddled with bullet holes. Adder knelt down beside it to have a closer look. With her knife she extracted a few bullets that had got stuck in the creature’s skull; they were 9 mm parabellum. Just like those Balalaika used for her machine-pistol. “We’re close”, she whispered. The Freedomers crept down an empty corridor, the floor of which was coated with a thick layer of dust. Boots tracks were still visible, one pair belonging to someone with small feet. As they neared one of the empty doorways, Adder heard a faint wheezing sound. Bringing up her VSS, she slid silently into the room. On the dirty floor she immediately saw someone huddled up in a sleeping bag. The dark shock of filthy hair left no doubt as to whom the stalker was. A nasty smile played across Adder’s lips. “Wakey, wakey”, she chanted before kicking Balalaika squarely in the stomach. The small woman let out a sharp cry of pain and rolled over, wild eyes rolling in her orbits. Good God, what the hell happened to her?, thought Adder. Balalaika’s face was pale and emaciated her grey-white skin slick with sweat. “WHAT?!” shouted the demented stalker before bursting into a coughing fit. Adder quickly realised what was happening. The little bitch has pneumonia…even better. “We’re the death squad and we’ve come for you”, said Adder, pointing her Vintorez straight at Balalaika’s face, “remember me?” “-You…” wheezed Balalaika. Adder saw hatred flash weakly in the girl’s eyes. It was almost as if the fire was dying out. Adder’s smile twisted into a smirk of cruel satisfaction as Balalaika’s expression went from hatred to fatigue and helplessness. “Old snake eyes”, said Adder with a sage nod, “a stalker at Zaton told me about your hiding place, so I figured we’d pay you a little visit and finish our business.” “Well go on, then”, rasped Balalaika, “I’m weak and dying. Fucking finish me already.” And with that, she took her pistol and her bayonet and threw them aside. Adder hesitated, expecting a trick, but nothing came. “Can’t use your fear magic, eh?” she said, “you’ve really gone downhill.” “Just fucking kill me already, you arrogant bitch”, spat Balalaika. Adder considered pulling the trigger right away, but a much better idea dawned in her mind. “Actually, you’re coming with us”, she said before grabbing Balalaika by the hair and pulling her upright. The small stalker didn’t even struggle, and only managed a weak rasp of pain. “You’ve killed many stalkers, and many stalkers hate your guts. I want an audience for your death, and I’m pretty sure there’s a few stalkers in Yanov who’d enjoy a good show. Polecat, grab her stuff.” Polecat nodded and scooped up Balalaika’s measly gear. The hated SVD and bayonet that had taken so many lives would make very nice trophies for Freedom. Balalaika didn’t even struggle when the Freedomers tied her hands up with duct tape. She muttered a little when they shoved her out of the door, earning a slap from Adder.
“Shut your mouth”, she said with a happy smile.
Deep down, Balalaika had always known that it would come to this. She’d killed many, sowing fear all over the Zone. She’d lived by the blade and the bullet and now the end had come. Wheezing and trembling, she stumbled along with the Freedomers. Her vision swam sickeningly from the fever that burned in her.
“Do…do you have any water to spare?” she rasped. Her laboured breathing was already turning the walk to Yanov into torture. After a while, the Freedomer called Polecat pulled a mess tin from his belt and poured some water into it.
“Here” he said, helping her to drink from the tin. Balalaika gulped and lapped the water avidly. She felt some strength return once she’d finished drinking. “Thank you”, she said. Adder stopped and turned to look at her with a look of surprise and scorn on her face.
“Balalaika saying thank you? What next, carrying our stuff? Helping us fight off mutants? Your good Samaritan bullshit won’t work with me.”
“Shut it”, retorted Balalaika, earning a slap from Polecat this time. The man’s big calloused hand hurt a lot more than Adder’s had. “Any more disrespect from you and I’ll cut your throat and leave you for the snorks”, he growled.
The group resumed its march and soon the tall hulk of the mining machine came into view. Clouds were gathering overhead and as thunder rumbled it started to rain. Adder cursed and lifted her hood over her head, the other Freedomers following suit. Balalaika was left exposed until she asked if she could have her poncho. Grumbling, Polecat extracted her poncho from her rucksack and threw it over her.
At least she would die dry.
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Post by Karcentric on Mar 24, 2013 3:54:32 GMT -5
Karc wasn't really interested in picking up the artifacts but the money would be good for what was basically a walk in the park, stretching the rest of his group was looking sleepy, they had marched from Red Forest with almost no sleep. Even Karc was feeling the effects of drowsiness were slowly washing over him in lazy waves.
Karc looked to Ibrahim, the man would follow if asked. But Karc knew his men's limitations.
"Ibrahim, I'm going to get those artifacts I'll split what I find with you later, get some rest and help Sejanus and his men find that artifact if possible. radio me if you need help, and I'll do like wise." Karc said, giving the man a pet on the shoulder before heading out, and crisp air helped a little but he would have to hurry.
Walking along the cracked road he looked at his PDA checking the direction he'd have to head, it wasn't far but mutants would be present and that would be annoying at the very least and at worst deadly.
A howl from some blind dogs nearby reminded Karc he had to move. Sliding the device into a utility pocket he started walking quickly towards the area Lisbeth had marked walking quickly with his assault rifle held casually he made good time at first but mutants seemed to be snarling and howling from every direction. Looking back he saw a large pack of dogs following, sniffing the air and following. Karc sniffed, he couldn't smell anything perhaps he'd stepped in something.
Quickening to a jog he widened the gap only to find that more mutants were following.
"What in the hell?" Karc muttered. The anomaly was coming into sight it was ominous looking yet still striking to behold, the area shimmered with heat and was surrounded by raising steam.
That thought was torn from Karc's when a blind dog threw itself biting his arm. Crying out in surprise he balled his fist up and struck the mutt over the snout making it let go and yelp. Drawing his 1911 he fired as the dog as it shook it's head from the blow.
It dropped and the blood pooled on the ground. Stepping back Karc fired on two more advancing mutts both collapsing in a crumpled, bloody piles. Despite this more advanced, firing more wildly and clobbering them as they got close he fought off the pack of dogs.
Sliding out the magazine he changed it for a new one and holstered the pistol. Resuming his pace towards the anomaly he was nearly there when a boar charged at him, dashing to the side to avoid the tusks he could hear several more running around in the under growth nearby. The .45 round of his 1911 would stop them after several body shots, but that would take time, so Karc drew his BFR it would stop the boars, and just about everything else in the zone with a shot, but it would also draw attention to his position every shot he fired.
Lining up the biggest of the mutants he fired, a central body shot that blew a hole the size of a melon out the back of the boar dropping it and it's gruesome innards over the ground, the reverberating crack of the shot echoed throughout the area, in the far distance he saw a group on the other side of the excavation pit stop. The horde of mutants scattered leaving Karc to gather the artifacts in peace. Picking his way around the anomalies he began looking around. The unmistakable snarl of a snork alerted Karc who looked up to see a beast leaping straight at him. Side stepping the beast rolled past only to roll into a burner anomaly, before it could attack gain it was already dead, two more beasts stayed on top the ridge, snarling, almost barking at Karc as he looked back up, another pack of dogs charged in through the bottom of the anomaly some being engulfed by the fiery pillars two others were more fortunate rushing at Karc snapping at him, at this moment the snorks also leapt one landed, rolling into Karc's leg dropping him down to a knelling position, the other snork landed wide but bound at Karc about to pounce. Swinging wildly battering mutants with his fists to a varying degree of success, Karc was able to draw his falchion and swung in wide sweeping strikes backing the mutants up and killing a couple of the dogs that were snapping at him, the two snorks were circling waiting for a chance to attack, one feinted an attack making Karc crouch slightly to prepare for the attack. The other snork attacked catching Karc off guard and crashing into him, but in the process it also landed on the falchion impaling it's throat killing it almost instantly.
The other mutant rushed in taking advantage of Karc being distracted, grabbing it by the throat it was trying to bite his hand and it's claws scratched harmlessly off the mask. Punching it with his left hand didn't stop the mutant at all. Something is driving these things into a frenzy. Karc thought quickly while trying to fend off the mutant, reacting quickly he pulled the latch off the concealed blade in his left sleeve and thrust his arm upwards slightly, the knife sprang out embedded in the mutants shoulder, quickly grabbing the short knife he stabbed it twice more, once in the side of the neck and again in the heart, or where he presumed it's heart was. It died relatively quickly, pushing himself up he kicked the lifeless corpse into the nearest anomaly and looked around while clearing his head.
It seemed that this place had been chosen to distract them, that much was clear but the constant mutant presence made Karc think something fishy was at afoot. Taking off his pack went through it, nothing seemed out of place he kept check looking the bag over, a small discolourment on the bottom of the bag made Karc suspicious while his bag wasn't the cleanest, something about the patch didn't add up. If this turned out to be some sort of mutant attractor he might be able to find out where it had come from. His eyes narrowed as he sumerised who might be responsible. With that finally done he collected 2 stone blood, 2 meat chunks and a soul artifact.Stuffing them in his bag he picked his way out of the area had a quick drink and ran for the scientist's bunker, he was going to talk to someone else other than Lisbet first to get the suspicious stain checked.
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Post by Basil on Mar 24, 2013 19:43:15 GMT -5
A gunshot sounded nearby, the sharp sound dampened by the rain. Adder froze and crouched, looking around her for the source of the disturbance. Through the rain she saw what appeared to be a stalker on the other side of the quarry. Shortly after spotting the stranger, the group heard growls and roars nearby.
"Shit", muttered Adder, "it looks like there's mutants nearby."
Strangely enough, the mutants seemed all concentrated on the other side of the quarry. A few loping silhouettes that looked suspiciously like snorks suddenly appeared near the other stalker. Adder hesitated. Should she go help the stalker? Dragging Balalaika along would slow them down, and the chaos of a fight might give her the chance to run away.
Adder's work was cut when a stupendously loud thunderclap shook the heavens. A sharp pain ran through her mind and, to Adder's dismay, the clouded sky started to turn an ugly red.
"FUCK, AN EMISSION!", she shouted. They were still several kilometres away from Yanov station, and there were no visible shelters in sight.
"Let's go to the old cement factory we saw earlier!", barked Polecat, "everyone move!"
"Come on, you!", snarled Adder, dragging Balalaika along behind her as the group broke into a mad dash for the cement factory. The building's decayed mass was visible in the distance, but would they reach it in time? Adder's head was already throbbing despite her helmet's psy-protection. She glanced back once to see what had become of the lone stalker, but the rain obscured her vision.
The Freedomers and their hapless prisoner rushed at breakneck speed towards the factory. A group of screaming tushkanos scuttled past them, ignoring them completely in their frenzy. Wet grass slapped Adder's trousers, soaking her legs to the bone within minutes. Behind them, Balalaika wheezed and slowed down, unable to keep up. Adder skidded to a halt and made a grab for Balalaika, but the small stalker slipped in a patch of mud and fell.
"FUCK!", snarled Adder. She tried to reach Balalaika, but another bone-shaking thunderclap made her double back.
"Yeah, leave me to die stupid slut!", rasped Balalaika, lying on her back in the wet grass. She stared up at the sky, now like a bleeding wound, and rasped an ugly and insane laugh. As the Freedomers' footsteps faded away, Balalaika closed her eyes. The sky and the earth shook and her brain began to vibrate in agony. She screamed once before everything went black.
Adder was gasping for air by the time they reached the factory. Polecat, who was ahead of them, turned into a rusted metal tower and hopped into a hole in the concrete ground. Adder followed suit, and the group found themselves in a small concrete tunnel beneath the factory. Exhausted, Adder slumped to the floor and took deep breaths, all the while cursing her ill luck.
"Fuck it, fuck it, FUCK IT!", she snapped, "we had her! After all this time she was at my mercy, and now the Zone's taken her. FUCK!"
"Bad luck, boss", said Polecat, taking a swig of water from his canteen, "but at least she's dead. She won't be bothering Freedom or anyone else in the Zone any more."
"Yes, but still", muttered Adder, whiping sweat from her brow. Anger was overcoming her panic. Anger at the Zone, anger at herself, anger at Balalaika. She swore and unhooked her own canteen from her belt, taking a long swig of purified water.
"Once the emission is over, we'll go back to where we left her", she said, "I want to make sure she's well and truly dead."
"...Anastasia..."
Balalaika stirred. All around her was darkness, nothingness.
"Wake up, Anastasia."
Balalaika groaned and opened her eyes. For a moment there was nothing but blinding white light, but her eyes quickly adjusted, and she found herself in a small room with a window. The room was sparsely furnished, with only a couple of chairs, a table and a stove. Fire crackled softly away in the stove and warmth permeated the small room.
It took Balalaika a few moments to recognise the place, and when she did, she felt tears building up.
"I'm...I'm home", she said in a small voice.
"In a way", said a strange voice. The voice seemed to come from inside and outside Balalaika's mind, and was completely devoid of gender. Suddenly she a painfully familiar figure seated in one of the chairs. She recognised his lined face, his salt and pepper hair, his pale blue eyes...
"Papa", said Balalaika. Tears ran wet down her cheeks, but she didn't even bother to wipe them away. "Am... am I dead?"
"No, Anastasia" said her father. The strange genderless voice seemed to emanate from him even though he didn't move his lips. "You are somewhere else. Between worlds."
"What happened?"
"You were caught in an emission and your Psyche was temporarily ejected from your body. Right now your body is lying in the grass near an abandoned quarry...but this is not important. What is important is what will happen next."
"What do you mean?", asked Balalaika, confused, "and are you really Papa? Only Papa called me Anastasia..."
"This does not matter, Anastasia. Now tell me...what have you done in the past?"
"I...I...killed", rasped Balalaika...or was it Anastasia? Who on Earth was she? Her sense of self, no, her very identity seemed to be slowly eroding. "I killed, I tortured, I stole...I survived."
"You are alone, Anastasia. Alone and dying. Your life has been nothing but suffering and hatred, and your identity was warped. First you were Anastasia Malenkov, the starving orphan. By fire you were scarred, and by fire Anastasia died. Balalaika took Anastasia's place, and with the Snake she warred. Balalaika's hatred and madness consumed her, and now it is time for Balalaika to die."
"What the hell are you talking about?!", said Balalaika. But now the name Balalaika meant nothing. Its meaning had been erased, lost in the ether of whatever plane this was. "Who am I? AND WHAT AM I?!"
"The mind is forever changing, stalker. Everything is impermanent..."
Not-Balalaika screamed as the room around her dissolved into Nothing. She saw her body slowly crumbling...
A short woman in muddied poncho awoke, gasping for air. Her lungs hurt, and she was cold and wet. Her skull throbbed with terrible pain.
"Where...am...I?", she rasped, turning over onto her stomach. Slowly she opened her eyes. Grey sky, wet grass, the distant rumble of thunder. Gingerly she tried to move her hands, but something was holding them tight.
"Help!", she wheezed. Her voice was weak, barely audible. Pressing her forehead against the wet ground, she dragged her knees beneath her and straightened. Once she was in a kneeling position, she got to her feet and looked around her.
The land was wet, gloomy, desolate. Where was she? What had happened?
The Zone, she thought, I'm in the Zone. This land is my home.
Slowly and clumsily, she began to walk. Her feet felt incredibly heavy, limb in her body seemed distant and sluggish, almost as if her brain was a rookie pilot unsure of the controls. As she walked, her headache subsided and her steps became smoother, less ragged. Breathing was still difficult, and within minutes of setting off she was coughing and gasping. She also felt dizzy. Was she ill? She vaguely remembered something about being ill, but it all seemed so long ago...
Throught some trees and bushes she caught sight of a road. She stumbled through the undergrowth, tripping on a root and scraping her knee. Finally she reached the road, and found it to be old and cracked. Nobody had driven down it for some time.
Such is life in the Zone, she thought, surprised at how familiar it sounded.
"Uaaarraaa", came a slurred voice nearby. With yelp, Not-Balalaika turned to see a filthy man a couple of metres away. Her heart missed a beat when she saw him slowly reach for a gun slung across his back. Without thinking, she flung herself forwards and headbutted the man in the stomach. Her attacker fell backwards and hit his head against the asphalt with enough force to knock a normal human out. This man, though, didn't even seem to feel the pain.
"Uuaaahh", he mumbled, reaching for his gun. Not-Balalaika scrambled to her feet and slammed her heel into her attacker's forehead. It took her six blows before his skull caved in with a sickening crunch. Coughing and shaking, Not-Balalaika reached for the knife the now dead man carried on his belt. After a few tries she managed to pull it out of its holster, and with grim determination she sawed through the stuff holding her hands prisoner.
Once her hands were free, she picked up the weapon the dead man had dropped earlier.
AKS-74U, she thought, recognising the compact rifle. She slung the weapon over her shoulder and proceeded to loot the corpse. She found some food, ammunition and a boxy object she recognised as a Detector. Memories of searching for strange and miraculous objects came to her, as well as a name: Cordon.
She also remembered people: a man named after a rodent...Ferret? Men dressed in green suits, men dressed in red suits...and the Snake. The Snake brought memories of hatred and fear, but she wasn't quite sure why. She remembered being sent to kill the Snake, and the Snake had used its cunning to foil her pitiful assassination attempt. After that, there was only hatred for the Snake, although she couldn't quite remember why she had hated the Snake so much.
Something growled nearby, and Not-Balalaika stood up and left, heading West along the road. Somewhere in the distance, she heard a shout.
"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!"
Adder was boiling with rage, her fists clenched so tight her nails were digging into her skin. She and her squad stood where they had left Balalaika only a few minutes ago, and instead of finding the insane stalker's corpse, they had found nothing. Nothing but a patch of flattened wet grass.
"Maybe a mutant got to her", said Polecat, examining the area.
"No...", said Adder, pointing to something in the grass. Footprints were visible, heading towards the road outside the cement factory.
"Wow", said Polecat, dumbfounded. Adder quivered with rage.
"How can a single stalker be so fucking hard to kill?", she snarled, "all right everyone, follow the trail, she's ill and weak so she can't have gone far."
"Do we take her alive?", asked one of her men.
"Shoot on sight", said Adder, "I want to see her die."
Not-Balalaika reached a squat concrete building that stood beside rusted railway tracks. Obviously an abandoned railway station of some kind. Feeling dizzier than ever before, she dragged herself into the building and lay down in a corner. Every breath she took brought pain.
She was most definitely ill and needed help. But where could she find help in this desolate lonely place?
As she pondered her situation, something on the floor near the door caught her eye. Something caught the light near the door, shining dully. Intrigued, she stood and went over to it. It was the fragment of a mirror. Carefully she picked it up, only to freeze when she saw the face reflected in it.
"How...?", she rasped, but the evidence was too overwhelming for words; instead of its usual jet black, her hair was now bone white.
"I...I am a ghost", she said.
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Post by Karcentric on Mar 25, 2013 8:10:51 GMT -5
Karc upped the pace as the sky turned crimson, showing early signs of an emission. Rain began to pour down making the ground slippery, but he didn't slow down.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck." Karc hissed as he ran, the lab came into view, the mercs guarding it had already gone inside. Slipping on the wet grass he crashed into the door and pressed the button on the intercom. The few seconds it took for someone to reply seemed to take ages.
"Yes?" The voice asked, making Karc angry.
"OPEN THE FUCKEN DOOR!" He shouted, banging on the door.
"Very well merc, stand clear of the door." The technician said.
Moving to the side, the door swung open, and Karc stepped in, covering the patch he wanted examined on his bag as the first door swung shut. The decontamination chamber filled with mist and faded away and the second door finally opened. Stepping through the mercs were sitting on benches just inside the entrance. Several stood and saluted Karc which slightly distracted him from his thoughts. And he saluted back not that it was necessary.
"What brings you here sir, apart from the emission of course?" One of the mercs asked as he sat down.
"This and that, got some artifacts to sell and I need something inspected." Karc replied, he was always uneasy at being properly addressed, since he'd started nothing in the zone and earned his title and position through hard work. With that he went in search of someone to verify his suspicion about the mutants being attracted to something on him or his gear.
Passing one room he saw Lisbet was looking over something, her back was to the door so she didn't notice the tall merc pass.
Going into the next room he addressed the man who was taking notes on something that looked like a mutated brain.
"Excuse me professor can I ask a favor?" Karc asked as politely as was possible.
The man spun around, lowering his notepad and pen and covered the brain. "Yes young man? What can I do for you?"
"Uhh, well you see, I believe someone put something to attract mutants to me, I was attacked while exploring the concrete bath anomaly, the mutants seemed relentless in their attacks. That and this," Karc said, showing the spot he thought was the source of the problem. "it might not be anything but this discolouration seems, different to the other marks."
"Hmmm, well I'll take some samples but chances are the decontamination chamber would of gotten rid of most of the residue. I'll take some swatches anyway." The professor went out and came back in, taking the samples he dripped an unknown chemical on the swobs and waited several minutes.
"Now if the swob reacts positively you'll find it will go red proving that an extracted pheromone may have been placed on you or your equipment." He said as they waited. One of the swobs began to react turning red, the others only had bare minimum reactions.
"Interesting..." The Professor said, "How did that get on your bag?"
"I wouldn't know but your tone tells me someone here might. Thank you professor." Karc said and went into the next room, taking the artifacts out of his bag and speaking.
"You better hurry back to the station immediately, lives depend on these," Karc said sarcastically, while it was clear the scientist hadn't put the pheromone on his bag. She certainly had access to it. "Strangest thing, the mutant's were more aggressive than I've ever seen. Now as we agreed, I'd like my payment now."
The boom of thunder sounded outside. Indicating that the emission was still well in effect.
Karc didn't really want to spend any longer than he had to in the bunker. Since he wasn't really comfortable in these confined spaces.
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Post by blackpapermoon on Mar 25, 2013 17:31:14 GMT -5
Lisbet sat with her back turned away from the door; she was busy monitoring the data that the emission was pouring in. Although she had not seen the tall Merc walk past she sure smelled him. To which when entered the room she was not at all surprised.
"You better hurry back to the station immediately, lives depend on these," Karc said sarcastically, "Strangest thing, the mutant's were more aggressive than I've ever seen. Now as we agreed, I'd like my payment now."
“-Perhaps bathing more often than one a year will remedy your situation,” She replied not looking up from her work and taking a drink from her mug, “since you will be stay here for a while why don’t you get cleaned off? I’ll give you your pay and see if I can’t help you with your mysterious mutant problem.” ____________________________________________________
Ferret could feel the blowout coming long before the warning sounded. The pounding of his head gave him more than enough time to get into the basement and get a comfortable position behind the stairs. Yanov was a very good shelter from emissions, for a normal stalker the commons gave enough protection from a blowout but not for the white haired Freedomer. Pulling his hood over his head, and rested his forehead his on his keens he waited for the emission to end.
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Post by Karcentric on Mar 26, 2013 0:13:24 GMT -5
“-Perhaps bathing more often than one a year will remedy your situation,” Lisbet replied not looking up from her work and taking a drink from her mug, “since you will be stay here for a while why don’t you get cleaned off? I’ll give you your pay and see if I can’t help you with your mysterious mutant problem.”
"Really, my mysterious mutant problem? I don't need help culling mutants, I can order a fire squad for that." Karc said knowing full well that this scientist was hiding more than she let on.
Stepping out to leave and wait out the emission he turned back and asked
"So why were there mutant pheromones from this bunker on my gear?" Karc asked. Stuffing the artifacts back into his bag he walked back to the other mercs, saying one last thing just loud enough for others to hear.
"Sounds like Professional and scientific misconduct to me..."
Karc smiled to himself, he would just as happily destroy the artifacts. Sitting quietly he proceeded to clean his gear, especially the spot on his bag that had been marked with pheromone. Taking out the sharp claw that had once been attached to the chimera they'd killed in Red Forest, he twiddled with it for a few moments before again remembering the strange artifact he'd found. The stone was the same size, but it's colour was darker. But it was still weightless.
The worthless thing still made Karc smile, it had saved his life in a manor of speaking, and he felt there was more to it than simply being beyond the laws of gravity. Shrugging he stuffed it away too.
Getting up he went back to where the technician was tooling around with some unknown device he was building.
Karc dropped a bundle of money on the counter and requested several upgrades.
Fiberglass Thermal Insulation - 5000 ru Constane Electroisolation Liner - 5000 ru Synthetic Alternatives - 7500 ru
Karc spends 17,500 ru on upgrades.
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Post by Basil on Mar 26, 2013 16:33:36 GMT -5
The trail went through a small patch of bushes before reaching the old road and vanishing. Adder cursed the emission again; the trail ended only a few metres West from the factory she'd taken shelter in. Had she emerged earlier she might have caught Balalaika again.
"I see nothing on the other side of the road", said Polecat, "and it looks like she might have armed herself."
Adder scowled as she examined the dead zombie that lay sprawled across the road's dark wet surface. It was quite clearly missing its weapons, and if Balalaika was the one who'd taken them (and it probably was her) then she was dangerous again.
"We'll have to be careful", said Adder, "she could be waiting for us, and now that she's armed..."
At least she's still ill and weak, she reminded herself. The thought brought a little comfort and confidence to her heart. Balalaika had been utterly defenceless when they'd found her, and maybe she'd be in the same state if they found her again.
"Let's go", ordered Adder, her hands reaching for the reassuring bulk of her Vintorez. With Balalaika on the loose again the Zone seemed more dangerous than ever before.
The white-haired girl otherwise known as Balalaika lay huddled in a corner of the old train station, her back to the cold concrete wall. Her mind reeled with fever and she shivered uncontrollably. The rain had ceased and a cold, wet wind was blowing over Jupiter. Needless to say, the station's open door let the wind in, and if Not-Balalaika hadn't been so numb from the fever she would have felt the cold gnawing at her bones.
I'm going to die here, she thought, alone, ill and without a single memory to cherish.
The wind rubbed her agonising lungs the wrong way, and Balalaika broke into a coughing fit. When the fit ended, Balalaika felt even weaker than before.
I have to find somewhere warm. And safe...
Something growled outside. The fear Not-Balalaika felt then was strong enough to rip her from her fever. Trembling and sweating she sat up and cast a fearful glance at the doorway. She remembered the thing that had growled at her from the bushes next to the road.
It must have followed me.
Without thinking, Not-Balalaika dragged herself up, her hands slipping on the wall. With shaking hands she grabbed her Kalachnikov, and with even shakier steps she went outside. The fever made her vision blurry, and all she saw were a few bushes, a rusted...shape, and nothing else.
Until something next to the rusted shape moved. Something grey and about the size of a dog.
Not-Balalaika stood stock still.
The thing growled.
RUN!
The small stalker turned and broke into a run, the adrenaline granting her strength and speed. Her tortured lungs fought for air and her head spun with fear and fever. Her stomach swayed and twisted, bile building up in her aching throat.
She ran around the station's platform. She could hear the thing behind her giving chase, its raucous breath, its feet crashing and rustling through the grass. Breathing was becoming difficult. Not-Balalaika knew that she wouldn't be able to keep the pace up much longer.
Shelter. Now.
Obeying this primitive impulse, Not-Balalaika dashed towards the closest thing that ressembled a shelter: a tall, indistinct building with bushes growing around its base. She could hear the beast panting right behind her, could almost feel its teeth trying to grasp her legs...
When she reached the tower she almost slammed into it. The wall she'd reached had no door, and despair seized Not-Balalaika's heart in its cold jaws. She turned around and saw the beast: an ugly dog-like creature covered in matted grey fur, its eyes glowing hungrily. It leaped at her, and Not-Balalaika dropped away.
Pseudo-dog.
Gasping raggedly, she scrabbled away from the snarling beast, kicking it away with her muddy boots. Her stomach churned at the sight of the mutant's teeth. Not-Balalaika's eyes darted up and down the brick wall in desperation. There had to be a door somewhere!
She rounded the corner, and there she saw a simple wooden door set in the otherwise featureless wall. The pseudo-dog had not given up the chase, however, and it reminded Not-Balalaika of its presence by leaping at her and biting down on her arm.
The small stalker tried to scream as she fell, but the only sound she was able to produce was a weak whimper. She hit the ground hard. The pseudo-dog worried her like a toy, twisting her arm painfully and biting through her suit's sleeve. Not-Balalaika grit her teeth and struggled with the beast. The pain flooded her world, red and raw.
She had no idea how the dead man's knife came into her hand. Perhaps she'd acted purely on instinct. In any case, the knife's dull blade stabbed down between the mutant's eyes, bone crunching as it gave way beneath the old steel. The beast let out a long rattle as its last breath left its body. Not-Balalaika felt the dead-weight on her arm, the jaws even in death refusing to release their hold.
With a whimper she grasped the mutant's wet jaw and forced it open. Her mangled arm hurt like the seven hells, and for a moment she wondered if the mutant had broken it. Slowly she stood, leaning against the door she had almost reached a few seconds ago. Her hand left a bloody smear across the peeling white paint.
Not-Balalaika tried the handle and the door opened with a squeal of rusty hinges. Dirt had built up beneath it, and Not-Balalaika had to put what little strength she had left into shoving it open. Once inside the tower, she closed the door. The room she stood in was dark and musty. Cobwebs heavy with dust hung from the ceiling, and wooden stairs lead upwards. Not-Balalaika had to drag herself up those stairs, every single step a torment.
When she finally reached the top floor, Not-Balalaika was exhausted. She dragged herself into a corner and let herself fall to the floor. And there she lay, too weak and too injured to move. She laid there and awaited her fate, too weak and injured to feel worried about anything any more.
Approximately forty minutes after commencing the search, Adder's group hadn't even come close to finding their quarry. Balalaika had vanished, seemingly, without a trace. Adder had felt only anger at first, but as the hunt progressed she had lapsed into gloomy resignation.
We'll find her eventually, she thought to herself. The Penumbrans headed South, towards Yanov station. Once there they bifurcated towards the station's doors, not giving the brick tower outside much attention. Adder banged on the steel doors of the station until someone let them in.
When Adder entered the station she was immediately surprised by how tidy it was. The last time she'd camped in it, it had been a filthy mess with useless furniture rotting everywhere. Now it seemed that someone had emptied it out and given the place a semblant of order. High tables lined the dingy walls and oil lamps added some light to the otherwise gloomy room. Adder didn't dwell long on the furnishings, however.
"Hello everyone", she said, "has anyone here seen a small, dirty girl with black hair and a poncho? You might have heard of her before. Her name's Balalaika."
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Post by blackpapermoon on Mar 26, 2013 22:30:35 GMT -5
Lisbet only smirked, and took another slip from her steaming mug. His little act would do nothing to hurt her from her position, the Mercenary guards at the bunker feared what she might do to them and Hermann and Ozersky where way to focused on their own research to take note of her actions.
“A big bad grown man making a scene,” she said to herself softly after he left, he had not even waited to hear the information she was going to give him, “this truly is a strange land.”
The envelope with his pay was securely locked away in a hidden drawer along with her personal batch of pheromones. Work on them had been suspended that project after one of her fellow colleagues and all of his bodyguard had been killed in a tragic experiment gone awry. It just so happed that he had stared to secretly started to investigate Lisbet for misconduct, too bad she had found out about it before he could finish his investigation.
Of course she had destroyed what little he had found and feigned grief to keep her cover. Still she should be careful becoming too cocky would make her become careless. She had seen him leave the room the artifacts still in his pack; she had agreed to pay him once she had them. She suspected that he might go off to destroy them, that was all right with her he was have risked his life for nothing not to spite someone who did not care. Just another idiotic stalker who had way too much luck. ____________________________________________________ Ferret had returned back up to the commons after the emission had ended pulling down his hood. Wail in more heavily populated areas he wore a hemp based cap that helped to cover his oddly colored hair. Place like Yanov made him jumpy namely because of the always present Dutyers, even at freedom HQ he got the cool glare of his fellows. Life as a mutant stalker was not a pleasant one at that.
He used his mutation to keep a close eye on the always changing territories in the red forest. He would help any of his comrades in Freedom and any neutral stalkers wandering about the woods but at the same time hindering Duty and the Monolith forces. He had heard many of the Dutyers say that the forest surrounding Freedom’s barrier was ‘haunted’ by some specter in Freedom colors. Those rumors stopped Duty’s rouge members from attack from the north. He was very careful not to insight any more hostilities between the two factions, all he would do was toss some of their equipment around give some spooky warning then if they were still feeling bold materialize in front of them. It was all rather juvenile but the tactic worked. It wasn’t his fault that Dutyer could be an overly superstitious bunch.
He was rarely at base any more only stopping to resupplied every once and awhile. Sometimes he’d be called to transport supplies to northern outpost like good old Yanov station. Suddenly there was a loud knock on the door and who should enter but Adder and few Penumbras. It was the Zone’s worst keep secret that she was on the hunt for the psychotic Balalaika. But even that did not stop the fearful whispers and clenching of fists when Adder announced,
"Hello everyone, has anyone here seen a small, dirty girl with black hair and a poncho? You might have heard of her before. Her name's Balalaika."
Ferret had his own reasons for being worried; just being near that bitches passive Psy aura was enough to give him a skull crushing head ach. Still he would offer his services to aid the search if possible.
“Commandant,” he greeted respectfully, “I’d like to help, you know I’m a good ‘scout’.”
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Post by Basil on Mar 27, 2013 7:23:14 GMT -5
"Ferret", said Adder, surprised to see the Freedomer here. She seldom saw him nowadays, and it was a wonder she didn't forget he existed. His appearance had changed somewhat, with his hair having turned white as a shroud. One of his eyes was also clouded. In her mind, he looked like a decaying old man.
"I suppose you are a good 'scout' ", she said, "but would your gift be of any use with Balalaika? I recall you having some trouble with her..."
Who hasn't had trouble with her?, she thought wryly.
After what seemed like an eternity, Not-Balalaika drifted from her daze. Her arm throbbed dully, but a quick examination showed that the bite seemed to have stopped bleeding. The fever seemed to have calmed down a little too. She tried to stand, but all strength seemed to have left her.
As she shifted around on the hard floor, she felt a strange lump on the side of her thigh. As she put weight on it, the lump crackled like plastic.
The bottle, she thought, a vague memory returning. She reached for the pouch in which the bottle was and unzipped it. With a trembling hand she pulled the battered plastic container out, and sw that it was filled with a transparent gel-like substance. The substance reminded her of something, but she couldn't tell what...
The Place beneath the ground, with water as pure as the morning sky.
Acting on instinct, Balalaika pulled back her suit's sleeve. The bite wound was ugly and jagged on her pale flesh. She uncapped the bottle and poured some gel onto the injury, smearing it out. She felt a soft tingling followed by a sharp sting. She hissed through clenched teeth and closed her eyes, but when she looked down at her arm again, the wound had healed.
Her eyes widened. How was this even possible? And how had she ended up with such a miraculous substance in the first place?
...The female stalker slowly dropped to one knee and took her Geiger counter out, putting it close to the water's surface. Not a tick. The water was completely clean of radiation. Balalaika cupped her hands and scooped some of the water out, finding it to be surprisingly cool. She then splashed her face with it, and felt her body regain some strength. After carrying out this small ablution, she took out a plastic bottle from her pack and filled it with water. Who knew? Maybe the water of this hallowed place could come in useful later on...
Memories of a strange place deep in the Zone. Clear water and untouched plants...and someone she felt was her but wasn't her. She also remembered a man closely associated with the Snake...
She smeared some of the stuff over her face, and the fever seemed to lessen somewhat. She took a look at the battered bottle, which was now almost empty of its miraculous content. She'd have to use the remaining gel wisely.
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Post by Karcentric on Mar 27, 2013 11:42:40 GMT -5
Karc simply muttered to himself, he didn't care enough to point out he could easily convince his superiors to have the guards revoked. But they were well paid for this and in the grand scale of things he had better things to worry, the emission was fading and Karc's suit was ready, the new lightweight suit was incredible they'ed shaved off at least half the weight. Taking the artifacts from his pack he went back Fossen's little room. "Here you go professor." He said, taking each artifact from the bag and placing them on the counter, the stone blood artifacts were pretty standard, as were the meat chunks but the soul artifact was a perfect example of the artifact and it's faint glowing core seemed to radiate a vibrant array of colours. Before the professor could grab any of the artifacts Karc swept them back into the bag, and held his hand out, the sum they'd agreed on was a lot of money to anyone. Reluctantly she swiveled on her chair and unlocked a drawer taking an envelope from it and counted out the sum. As she counted Karc spied several vials of liquid, but not knowing what hey were he disregarded them, and waited for his payment. She turned held out the wad of cash, extending the bag while grabbing the money, for a second they both held the goods, than letting go of the bag he nodded and pocketed the money. "Pleasure doing business professor, next time use more pheromone, it might attract something more dangerous." Karc said, as he walked away. His PDA showed a message. Mercs in Yanov and Zaton, reports of Balalaika confirmed by Freedom troops. Extreme caution advised, do not approach "Huh, whataya know." Karc muttered just as he was about to leave Fossen approached him asking him about the the pheromone and holding a vial. Karc gains 38,400 ru
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