|
Post by Karcentric on Feb 5, 2011 22:25:07 GMT -5
Karc nodded while listening to the plan before thinking, "Midas doesn't seem like one to venture after something he doesn't understand. At least from I can remember about him anyway. If he seeks something he's more likely to send someone else." He said "If the rumors are true, an assault on his base is suicide he has a small army of rogue mercs with him, as well as stalkers looking to make a name and a some quick cash for themselves too. Either way, blowing up his base will sure look pretty."
"I assume you know these folks?" Peregrine muttered to Karc "I'm not exactly keen on fighting mercenaries after the encounter we just had." As they neared the construction site.
"These shady looking chaps are with us." Karc said as Schwarz and Four walked towards the group. "Schwarz, Four meet Peregrine, Spinner, Vorona and Renegade and vice versa." He said pointing each stalker in turn as he said their name.
"It's interesting what you say about that Witch by the way." El said, "It sounds just like Balalaika for the most part, I'm intrigued about that thing with controlling fear."
Once everyone was ready the group moved towards Yantar, stopping at the burner tunnel, Karc looked to the rookie stalkers especially Renegade. "To get through here unscathed you'll need something to throw into the tunnel. Some bolts or some debris and chuck into the tunnel ahead of you, you might also notice artifacts bobbing about, if you feel confident and you can get it without becoming a barbecued stalker go ahead. They'll keep you warm in this weather, as well cleanse your body of radiation, but you'll feel more lethargic."
Picking up a handful of old cement pieces he threw them into the tunnel igniting three anomalies. Renegade jumped back slightly at the sudden ignition. Watching as Karc navigated the tunnel to about the middle of the tunnel where he was waiting for the rest of the group.
|
|
|
Post by Zeno, Lord Camelith on Feb 6, 2011 21:03:31 GMT -5
As Peregrine and his group moved away, Skomorokh cautiously poked his head out from his storage container. Seeing nothing he emerged from his hiding place and quietly followed the group.
As Skomorokh approached the corner of the warehouse he heard a low growl from behind the corner. He stopped dead in his tracks, drawing his Skorpion. The growling got steadily louder, then three pseudodogs walked casually around the building and turned to face him.
Fast as lightening, Skomorokh raised his machine pistol and pulled the trigger. The first three rounds hit the ground directly in front of the beasts, then the stream of lead stopped. Skomorokh glanced at his firearm. A spent shell was stuck between the bolt and the frame of the gun.
"Shit."
Skomorokh turned and ran as quickly as he could, the mutant wolves snapping at his heels. As he sprinted, Skomorokh looked wildly around for someplace to take shelter. A ladder leading up to a crane cabin caught his eyes, but a downed helicopter sat between him and sanctuary.
Skomorokh went all out, his boots pounding against the cracked asphalt. One of the Hind's rotors was touching the ground and Skomorokh adjusted his direction so that he was running straight at it. Running deftly up the rotor, Skomorokh jumped from the helicopter and onto the ladder. The impact winded him slightly and he watched as the pseudodogs snapped and growled below him.
Climbing quickly up the ladder, Skomorokh sat down and caught his breath. A blue chest on the other side of the cabin caught Skomorokh's attention and he moved towards it. Opening the lid, he saw an armored vest like the ones normally warn by mercenaries. It was different than the ones he had seen before, however, in that the material it was made of seemed significantly stronger and it seemed to have ceramic trauma plates installed as well as night vision optics. Removing the vest from the chest, he saw that an LR-300 lay beneath it along with several boxes of 5.56 ammunition.
Picking up the assault rifle, Skomorokh checked it over then loaded it. Standing up, he took aim at the pseudodogs. The 5.56 rounds tore through the wolves hides and left them laying in rapidly growing puddles of blood. Turing back around, Skomorokh picked up the armored suit and strapped on the vest, gloves and other armored parts, leaving behind the Merc-Faction colored fatigues.
Sliding back down the ladder, Skomorokh broke into a quick jog to catch up with Peregrine and his group.
Skomorokh Found: Reinforced Suit LR-300 Check.
|
|
|
Post by Basil on Feb 8, 2011 11:51:53 GMT -5
Spinner did the same as Renegade and grabbed a handful of cement fragments from a collapsed concrete wall nearby. As he approached the tunnel, he could feel the heat rising steadily and unnaturally, challenging the low temperatures that reigned at this time of year. The area around the tunnel was also free of snow and ice due to the heat generated by the Burner anomalies.
Wiping perspiration from his brow, Spinner carefully made his way into the tunnel, following Renegade. Out of curiosity he took a small chunk of concrete from his little supply and threw it at an area distorted by heat off to his left. As soon as the little chunk reached the spot, a column of fire burst upwards with a savage roar. The concrete chunk was instantly blackened and crumbled into smaller particles when it hit the floor.
"Scary", said Spinner, who had never encountered Burner anomalies before. He cautiously followed in Renegade's steps, but as he walked through the tunnel his eye picked up an unusual glint. He turned to look and saw a spherical object lying on the floor next to a Burner anomaly. The strange object emitted a comforting red glow, and Spinner decided to try his hand at artefact hunting. He very cautiously approached the artefact, throwing a chunk of concrete in it's general direction and triggering the Burner anomaly next to it. The anomaly was far too close to the artefact for Spinner to grab it safely, but the stalker was not going to give up so soon. He looked around him and saw a scorched wooden rod lying on the ground nearby.
He took hold of the rod and used it to catch the artefact. The Burner was triggered again, burning the tip of the rod to cinders, but Spinner was able to bring the artefact back to his eager hands. With a smile, he grabbed the artefact and left the tunnel, emerging safely on the other side. He held the artefact up to the sunlight and admired it's strange beauty.
-----------------------------------------
Balalaika cautiously emerged from the building she'd been hiding in. She observed her surroundings for a while to see if the coast was clear, and smirked slightly when she saw Skomorokh run past without seeing her. He seemed to be headed towards the Burner tunnel.
"I guess now would be a good time to shift out", said Balalaika to herself before leaving the building and climbing down from the metal platform. She landed softly on the snow covered ground and, SVD in hand, set off after Skomorokh.
|
|
|
Post by blackpapermoon on Feb 9, 2011 15:55:53 GMT -5
Vorona watched as the others as they made their way a crossed the anomalous area and now it was her turn. By this time the woman had seen a pattern and could find the burners most of the burner on just site alone, however she still picked up a handful of small rocks just to be on the safe side. Slowly she made her way to the other side of the tunnel only stopping a few times to pick some artifacts.
"So where where do we go now," she asked after packing away the warm glowing objects. She would hold on to one of them and sell or trad the other two once they got to an area that was safe enough to permitted such things.
Vorona gains Fireball x 1 Droplets x 2
CHECK
|
|
|
Post by Διμι on Feb 11, 2011 15:04:15 GMT -5
The soft, heavy snowflakes drifted lazily into the burner anomalies, each evaporating with a small puff of steam just before making contact. Spinner appeared to have found a mysteriously glowing red object in the anomaly field. Even as Peregrine came closer, he could feel the warmth rising from the glassy red ball. This, he realized, must have been the same artifact the shards of which were embedded into the lining of his suit.
An eternal source of heat, Peregrine thought, no wonder the scientists still attempted to do research in the Zone despite all the dangers and hardships they would have to face.
The road wound ahead of the group, seemingly into nowhere, and a chilling wind blew through the small valley, making the anomalies sputter slightly. The trees here seemed to be even more dead and twisted than the ones Peregrine had seen earlier. Whatever it was that lay ahead was not going to be a pleasant place, he thought apprehensively. He turned around to look back through the tunnel, but all was still, and the anomalies lay undisturbed. Whoever they had encountered in the Wild Territories had stayed there, at least for the time being.
"So where where do we go now?"
The question interrupted Peregrine from his musings, and he consulted the glowing screen of his PDA for a moment. The map seemed to blur and lose definition scarcely two miles to the north, just over a small swampy territory labeled simply "Yantar".
"We've got a small distance to travel to Yantar Lake and the scientists holed up there, as I've heard." he turned to Karc, who gave another brief nod. "We can rest up a bit there. I've no idea whatsoever what lies in the forest to the north, so it's up to our mercenary friends to show us the way."
|
|
|
Post by Karcentric on Feb 12, 2011 19:00:05 GMT -5
Renegade was still shaking from the experience with the burner tunnel, being so close to intense flames and heat caused suppressed memories to flood back into his mind, reminding him of when he was attacked.
Stumbling out the other side he found a small sphere similar to Spinner's, only it had a hair line crack in it, laying on the ground, as soon as he picked it up he felt a weariness spread throughout his body, wrapping it carefully he placed it in his pack anf found the weariness faded quickly.
Looking back into the tunnel as each member made their way through, most collected artifacts while Karc who came through last casually ignored them, glancing back to see if they were being followed.
Schwarz looked at the Fireball artifact Spinner had collected, "A fine example of a fireball." He said.
"We've got a small distance to travel to Yantar Lake and the scientists holed up there, as I've heard." Peregrine said turning to Karc, who gave another brief nod. "We can rest up a bit there. I've no idea whatsoever what lies in the forest to the north, so it's up to our mercenary friends to show us the way."
"Indeed, they had some trouble here a couple of months ago, one incident involved Balalaika, no really knows what happened. The scientists are keeping tight-lipped about the details of that, and the other setback was the death of an old colleague of old mine Vasily. He was the head scientist in Yantar for a long time. Another mystery with sketchy details." Karc said remaining silent for a short time as they walked before continuing, "Either way, they'll be relieved to see some new faces out this way, and a little reminder they pay the best for artifacts out of anyone in the zone."
Passing the final bend, the lab came into view, the old structure surrounded by a rickety wall was a welcome sight to Karc, who beneath his helmet gave a relieved sigh, the scientists had increased security ever since the attack.
Increasing pace slightly the group headed for the gap in the surrounding fence.
"We'll rest here briefly before heading north for the base. We'll figure out the best way to take once we get inside." Karc said as they neared the entrance to the lab and pressed a button on the intercom, It crackled into life and the familiar voice of Sakharov replied.
"Hello? Whose that?" He said with a pause, "Mercenaries, what may we do for you today?"
"We are escorting a group to our base, some of them would like to do business with you, sell some artifacts and maybe purchase new items." Karc replied. Ever since Balalaika's first display of the Fear Factor entering the lab was harder than normal. After about 30 seconds the first door swung open.
|
|
|
Post by Zeno, Lord Camelith on Feb 19, 2011 22:44:11 GMT -5
Skomorokh frowned slightly as he walked up to the underpass. It was filled with heat distortions. He could see round and tear shaped artifacts, laying still or being pushed about by their anomalous energy. Occasionally one would wander into an anomaly and send up a jet of flame.
Kneeling, Skomorokh picked up a piece of broken asphalt from the road and tossed it into the underpass. It triggered several anomalies as it skipped along. Picking up several more pieces, Skomorokh stood up and began to walk towards the tunnel. A slight crunching of snow under a boot caught his attention, however, and he swung around, gun raised.
"Well, Comrade." he said to Balalaika, "It's good to see you're in one piece."
|
|
|
Post by Basil on Feb 23, 2011 12:14:00 GMT -5
"It takes a lot more than grenades and guns to kill me", said Balalaika with an insane smirk. "Now to go through that tunnel." Balalaika took several rusty bolts and nuts out of her pocket and tossed them into the tunnel as she moved forward. She triggered two anomalies before getting safely to the other side, where she turned around to look at Skomorokh, ho was still at the other end of the tunnel.
-------------
The Wild Territory had been an eerie place, but Yantar easily beat it in terms of gloominess. Even with snow all over the landscape, the twisted trees stood out like the black and frozen hands of winter demons, and the ominous shape of the factory in the distance looked like some cursed castle of old. Spinner took his AK-74, keeping it ready should the group run into anything hostile. It was noticeably colder here than in the Wild Territory, and Spinner shivered as they descended into the dried lake and headed towards the scientist's bunker, a squat, grey building surrounded by a metal fence. They went past a crashed helicopter, obviously a recent event, which made Spinner uneasy.
The entrance to the compound's fenced perimeter was guarded by heavily armed stalkers who eyed Spinner and his companions suspiciously. As Karcentric spoke into the inter-phone, Spinner couldn't help but notice the fearful and tense atmosphere that seemed to hang over the compound.
"Hey, Karc, what happened here? I mean, crashed helicopter, guards...I thought the scientists were friendlier than that?"
He paused before he remembered another tale he'd heard.
"Was it the Zone Witch?"
|
|
|
Post by Διμι on Feb 23, 2011 14:02:51 GMT -5
"There's only one being in the Zone I've seen so far that looked like he was capable of single handedly shooting down helicopters." Peregrine muttered morosely, recalling the huge shape of Lieutenant Rurik of Duty. Someday, he thought, he would have to confront him. It seemed as if there were amends to be made with Duty where his brother had been concerned. He dimly heard Spinner moan something about the Zone Witch again as he eyed the carnage around them. There was no doubt about it, the compound had been recently attacked.
The group walked through the airlock as the brief decontamination process ended. The scientists eyed them suspiciously at first, but Karc's presence seemed to evoke a familiarity to them, and the small rag-tag stalker squad was quickly escorted to the guest quarters.
Peregrine sat down on a cot tiredly. They were nearly halfway to their destination, he thought. Still, he had scarcely any idea of what he was truly getting into by attacking Midas' empire. The violent, brutal presence of the monster within seemed almost comforting in context. The group above all needed rest before spanning the last leg of their journey, he thought as he flipped the lid on his bedside chest, only to stop in surprise.
A weapon lay on the bottom of the chest, apparently forgotten by its previous owners, although the mere possibility of such a weapon being abandoned left Peregrine in shock. It was polymer VSS Vintorez, with a visibly lengthened barrel and doubtlessly a host of other modifications. The loner picked the gun up, holding it in his hands. The weapon was light, yet perfectly balanced, as if it's barrel had been specially weighted. Underneath the gun lay a small pack with several magazines of ammunition.
The young loner looked around, but no scientists appeared to be taking offense at his occupation of the specific cot. The only reasonable explanation appeared to be that some experienced stalker had once visited, only to forget the gun there. Peregrine quickly pocketed the ammunition, stripping the pack clean before slinging the weapon over his shoulder and exiting the room, eager to try it out. However, before he could make his escape Peregrine was stopped at the exit by a burly man in an ecologist suit.
"The compound is in lockdown." he informed "you may not leave the perimeter without your entire group's assent and accompaniment. The gates are locked."
Peregrine flashed an innocent smile "I was just planning to go up to the roof, to get a better view of things." he explained meekly. "I won't stray anywhere, you have my word."
The scientist nodded in consent. "Watch yourself out there, there could be a million snipers all over the place these days. Quite frankly, I'm scared to even set foot out there with new horrors around every corner."
The loner nodded before stepping into the airlock. The scientist pressed a button on the wall, and the door closed, locking Peregrine out of the bunker. Several seconds passed, and the external door swung open, revealing once more the grim white surface of the unforgiving land outside. Peregrine wasted no time, eager to try his hand at the new weapon. He climbed the icy rungs of the ladder up to the flat helipad atop the bunker and sat down on a crate. Even in the small Big Land circles of the loners that had escaped the Zone, Peregrine had learned of Yantar's swamps fame for the hordes of zombies that stalked them. These creatures, he was told, were mindless beings, husks of once intelligent individuals, their brains now fried to a crisp, now able to do little more than shamble around and moan. It would not take long for one to make itself known, Peregrine mused.
His expectations were soon met, as a figure became visible through the fog hovering over the swamps even in sub-zero temperatures. The loner quickly lined up the optical sights on his rifle with the creature's head and fired.
Peregrine watched in surprise as the bullet arced, hitting the figure in the knee instead and nearly tearing its leg in two. He had forgotten the 9x39mm cartridge's propensity for bullet drop, and had not aimed a notch above the head. To his horror, the figure gave a very human scream as if fell into the steaming swamp waters.
The young loner turned towards the compound gate, but as the scientist had said, it was locked with a heavy chain. There was only one way out. Peregrine stepped back several steps as he contemplated the incredible task. Finally, he took a running leap into the air, his feet aiming directly for the top edge of the fence encircling the compound. The soles made contact, and the loner almost felt himself lose his balance on the narrow band of metal as his leap carried him further still. He hit the ground with a roll and rose to his feet, unscathed. The figure was still splashing violently, unable to rise, and Peregrine quickly sprinted through the shallow marsh, his boots sinking slightly in the muck.
It was a soldier, and an experienced one at that. He wore a heavy SKAT armored suit, but the armored panels had scarcely protected the flesh and bone beneath from the heavy round of the VSS. He was crying and gasping for air, and Peregrine saw that he would have to carry him to the bunker. There was no way this man would ever walk again without timely medical intervention.
Peregrine bent over to examine the man's lapels. "Dimitri Baranov..." he muttered in inexplicable shock. Something in him seized up, and he felt a familiar presence rise in horror.
The loner slowly pulled off his white gas mask and fur-trimmed hood, exposing his head to the elements. Peregrine's hazel eyes, now shining with a possessed light stared evenly and malevolently into those of the soldier, which were slowly going wide with disbelief.
"Remember me, Captain?" he whispered in a voice that was not his own. On the ground, Dimitri jerked in shock, his hand darting to his sidearm. With near superhuman speed and force, Peregrine grasped the man's hand, twisting it until he heard five distinct pops. Dimitri screamed in pain the PSS dropping into the waters below. The loner scooped the sidearm up lazily, turning the weapon on its owner.
"Weren't expecting me back so soon, were you?" he continued calmly as he fired through the man's elbow without even looking just as Dimitri attempted to draw his knife. The soldier screamed in pain, but the cry was quickly drowned as Peregrine slammed a boot into his neck, pushing it underwater. Finally, he released, and Dimitri came back up, sputtering for air, his eyes red. Peregrine searched him nonchalantly, coming up with 50,000 rubles amongst other small valuables.
"Malygin..." he muttered, his gaze clouded from the pain and inability to move "You'll get your dues, mark my words, you'll..." the rest of his sentence was drowned by a loud roar. Peregrine turned away from his captive to behold three snorks emerge from the shallows, foaming at the mouth to behold their prey. The mutants already showed signs of partial decomposition from long exposure in the swamps, something that seemed to inspire even more terror and convey greater ferocity. The leader growled loudly at Peregrine, stepping forward to prepare for the leap.
The loner felt as if he ought to have been terrified by the monsters' advance, almost a calm, musing thought. He raised the PSS, sending a bullet through the lead snork's cranium. The other two beasts retreated several steps, gazing cautiously at the possessed loner and the man lying in the waters.
"I'd finish you here," he said quietly "but the beasts want their fill, and killing them to deny it would be unjust. After all, justice is something both of us want to uphold, isn't it?" he glanced at the cowering snorks as the Captain's eyes dilated even more in terror "Besides," Peregrine turned away and pulled his hood over his face again "they're better at what they do than I am."
"Malygin!"
The loner walked slowly back towards the compound wall and jumped up, hooking his fingers over the edge. As he pulled himself over the fence, Peregrine heard the roars of the snorks and a scream. A sick contentment welled up within him. He had just left a man to die for no reason whatsoever, other than that dictated by the malevolent entity within him. And he had liked it.
He waited in silence for the ecologists to open up before walking through the airlock once more. The decontamination removed any traces of what had happened. He now had some money to spend, he thought, and the path ahead was anything but safe in comparison to what the group had already experienced. Sitting down on his new cot, he pulled off the still-pristine white suit before cleaning off the small specks of dirt and blood on the waterproof fabric with a cloth. The kombez could certainly use some modification for the road ahead, he thought.
Peregrine stood up, rolling the suit up and pulling on his old jacket instead. The ecologist mechanics were reputed for their abilities, and this seemed almost too good an opportunity to pass up. He walked over to the counter, putting down the suit and the 50,000 rubles he had pocketed from the Captain's pockets.
"I need a suit to last me through the forest." he said simply.
The technician laughed "You won't be getting very far with this much armor on you, that's for sure." he took the money and picked up the suit gingerly "Thankfully, that's something I can help with, for a price of course. I'll ask an assistant to give this back to you once I'm done. Go get some rest in the meantime."
Peregrine nodded before muttering a brief 'thank you'. He had little idea of what 50,000 could do to a suit, but any upgrade would improve his chances of survival drastically. He curled up tiredly on his cot and drifted off.
|
|
|
Post by Karcentric on Feb 24, 2011 13:17:40 GMT -5
"Hey, Karc, what happened here? I mean, crashed helicopter, guards...I thought the scientists were friendlier than that?"
He paused before he remembered another tale he'd heard.
"Was it the Zone Witch?"
Followed by a remark from Peregrine.
"There's only one being in the Zone I've seen so far that looked like he was capable of single handedly shooting down helicopters."
"Both of you a correct. However details about the helicopters here a sketchy and the only person who could give a proper, in depth recollection of that story is one individual you don't want to meet on your own. As for Rurik, he orders any helicopter flying over or near Rostok shoot down even the military will detour around, one of those wrecks in the Wild Territory, the one with the ruined rear is his handy work." He said, yawning. Pulling off his helmet and laying his pack on the floor he sat in the corner of the room allocated to them and promptly drifted off into a half sleep.
Renegade on the other hand went to see Sakharov holding the Fireball artifact in the bag he'd wrapped it in, placing it carefully on the counter he asked gingerly. "How much can I get for this?"
"Well let's have a look shall we?" Sakharov said, unwrapping the Fireball and turning it over in his aged hands before placing it down again. "For this we'll give you 3,000ru."
A slight jolt of comfort surged through Renegade's body, 3,000ru was a lot of money to him. He waited as the artifact was taken away and a small wad of money was delivered into his waiting hand.
"Is there anything else?" Sakharov asked.
"Eh... no thank you, and uh thanks." Renegade said, carefully pocketing the money as he walked back to the room and also choosing to lay down and rest.
Karc woke bleary eyed to see Peregrine wander in and slump onto his cot, looking around he room was silent so he dozed off to sleep again.
Renegade gains 3000ru
Check
|
|
|
Post by blackpapermoon on Feb 28, 2011 11:59:11 GMT -5
Vorona sold the two droplets and made a nice tidy sum of 2600 Rubles. After pocking the money she found an unoccupied cot and laid down kicking off her boots. The lab was very warm and welcoming to her tired body she just wanted to rest but a thought kept nagging at the back of her mind. There had been a lot of talk about Balalaika, the Zone Witch or the Queen of fear as she was also called. It was clear that she had some kind of …gift…but where and how did she get it and where there other people who had mutations?
“Karc,” asked Yeva unsure if he had the the answers she was seeking, “How did Balalaika get her …abilities? Are there any others like her?”
Check
|
|
|
Post by Zeno, Lord Camelith on Mar 3, 2011 3:35:03 GMT -5
Skomorokh stood and watched as Balalaika carefully made her way through the anomaly field. Once she had made it across, Skomorokh kneeled and picked up a handful of small rocks and pieces of asphalt. Walking up to the edge of the underpass, Skomorokh took a deep breath then threw a stone in front of him. The rock passed directly through a heat distortion in the air, and triggered the anomaly. A jet of red flame shot upwards and Skomorokh shielded his eyes from the intensity of the blaze.
After the column of fire receded, Skomorokh continued forward, tossing the gravel as he went. When he reached the other side, he turned to Balalaika and said, "Well Comrade, where does your road go from here? I'm going to follow them north, I've heard rumors of wealths of artifacts in the Forest and work with the Mercenaries in the Dead City."
|
|
|
Post by Basil on Mar 3, 2011 10:07:06 GMT -5
Balalaika turned to look at Skomorokh. Mercenaries and artefacts eh?
"Ha! There's always artefacts in the Forest. I spent some time there, not a pretty place. Everything's out to kill you, there are patches of radioactivity strong enough to make you glow in the dark and grow a third arm, and there are...things."
Balalaika had seen and heard a lot of strange things in the Red Forest and the area around Limansk. Strange anomalies, shadows with a will of their own, voices, dancing lights and disembodied footsteps. Of course those things had unsettled and scared her, who wouldn't be disturbed by such events? Skomorokh, on the other hand, seemed filled to the brim with the optimistic (and slightly insane) enthusiasm for exploring unknown areas. Balalaika's face grew darker as they followed the path of the other group. They were obviously going to Yantar, and Balalaika was not welcome there.
As they arrived over the hill and into Yantar, Balalaika looked distastefully at the place. It looked exactly the same as the last time she'd been there, save for the helicopters she had brought down during her escape and the snow covering the ground. She could clearly see guards posted at the entrance to the scientists' compound.
"Hmph, Yantar is still a dump", she said. The place was still heavy with the stench of death and terror, even though the old factory didn't have its aura of madness any more. "Welcome to Yantar, by the way", she said to Skomorokh. "I hope you enjoy your stay."
Staying clear of the scientists' bunker, Balalaika followed the earthen road that lead along the top of the dried lake's bank and towards the factory's gate. As she neared the factory and the trees and bushes that surrounded its walls, she saw what clearly were the corpses of several stalkers on the road. Cautiously, she approached them. They had all died violent deaths, although not deaths caused by humans. They bore the marks of a savage attack: one of them had half his face missing while the others all bore bite and claw marks. One of them had also been partly devoured, and the snow around his corpse was red with his blood.
"Hm, mutants", said Balalaika. She looked at the snow around the corpses and saw non-human tracks in them. However, they didn't look like anything she had ever seen before. "And not the known kind either..."
She froze when she heard the blood-curdling shriek of some horrible creature nearby. She stood up, grabbing her Stechkin just as a nightmarish monster emerged from the bushes. It came on all fours, but rose up on its hind legs as it observed Balalaika and Skomorokh. It was white and hairless in appearance, although it seemed to have a kind of pale grey mane around its shoulders. A rat-like tail extended from the base of its spine, and its two front paws were almost like human hands save for the horrible claws they ended in. Its eyes were black and beady, and its mouth was wide and filled with horrible, shark-like teeth. Two atrophied ears were visible on its head, and two slit-like nostrils were also present, trembling as the creature smelled the air. Its mouth and chest were soaked with the blood and flesh of its victims. The thing gave a chittering growl before springing forth and charging towards Skomorokh and Balalaika with frightening speed and agility.
"MOTHER OF FUCK!", said Balalaika, spraying the beast with lead. To Balalaika's horror, two more similar beasts emerged from the bushes and charged after their companion, their mouths open in frighteningly toothy rictuses.
Balalaika's Fear Factor was triggered by the threat posed by these monstrosities, and, thankfully, it seemed like her power had some effect on them as they skidded to a halt in the snow and whimpered in confusion and fear. Balalaika took the opportunity to shoot at them again, killing one of them by putting several bullets into its face and body, but the influence of her power did not seem to last long, and the creatures soon attacked again with renewed viciousness.
And so Balalaika ran towards the nearest tree, leaping upwards, catching a low-hanging bow and scrambling up into it. The weight from her SVD and AW50 slowed her down, but the adrenaline pumping through her body enabled her to get to the top of the tree. She looked down and swore shakily as she saw one of the horrors climbing up after her with terrifying ease.
"Get the FUCK away!", she shouted, emptying her Stechkin's magazine into the horror's face. The bullets ripped the thing's skull apart and sent it tumbling down to the ground, but what had become of Skomorokh?
|
|
|
Post by Karcentric on Mar 6, 2011 2:59:31 GMT -5
“Karc,” asked Yeva with a level of uncertainty, “How did Balalaika get her …abilities? Are there any others like her?”
Looking up from where he was laying and rubbing his eyes to clear the blurry vision, pushing himself up to a kneeling position he answered.
"I don't know, last time I had the misfortune of seeing that crazed bitch she tried to blow me up." To illustrate the point he shone his light over the scars running along the right side of his face.
"There are others, if you mean afflicted by the zone that is. Everyone has heard of Adder, Freedom's 2IC she has snake eyes and rumors say she can see in the dark like we see during the day. There's plenty of rumors of all sorts flying around, it's best to cross check them, if a lot of people all say the same thing, it's probably worth remembering."
At that moment one of the scientist technicians walked in placing Peregrine's suit of armor on the foot locker at the end of his bed.
"As for how they happen, if I was to guess... I'd say it was something to do with blowouts, the psi and radiation emissions probably fuck with peoples body in some manner." Karc said with a shrug, standing and walking out of the room.
The technician looked to Vorona, "He was close, most mutations are formed by neurological damage or scrambling, often triggered by blowouts, but not necessarily. A loner came in here a few months ago after he'd been subjected to an unknown energy source, and his body was slowly disintegrating, but he'd gained the ability of psychokinesis or more commonly known as telekinesis. So in short, if the subject your talking about is Balalaika, her gift was gained due to her surviving a blowout while in insufficient cover. However that wasn't all. But I'll get in trouble of divulging any thing about that. Good day." He said, nodding to Vorona and promptly exiting.
|
|
|
Post by blackpapermoon on Mar 24, 2011 8:06:06 GMT -5
Vorona sat on her bunk taking in the information that she had just received, it seemed like that scientists here did more than just study the Zone's mutations. She was smart enough to read between the lines to understand what the technician meant by not divulging anything. If this Balalaika was as dangerous as the rumors said, than it was no surprise that the Ecologist wanted to keep any involvement with her mutation under wraps. However they had unleashed a monster upon the Zone’s stalker populous, they should have to find a of putting it down. Yeva laid down but sleep would not come to her. The metal rooms of the bunker, remained her too much of the compartments of ship that she had lived on before all unfortunate events that had happened to her. The memories that came to had haunted her since the pirate attack that had taken her father’s life. She could hardly wait for daybreak to come.
|
|