impossible to turn back time. The villages where people once lived were now abandoned. In the year 2000, the Chernobyl nuclear power plant finally stopped working. So much effort and all to no avail. Some of the cars were turned over, some of them were dismantled, and God only knows where the radioactive metal went.
– Look, – Romka pointed his finger at one of the wagons with a spray-painted ouroboros. The drawing was fresh, clearly recently stencilled.
– We need to search him. Maybe there is a hint or a type of transition to the next level, – Nikita suggested. – The main thing is not to linger, here the background is high, and the save function is not provided.
They carefully approached the rusty train. Climbing the stairs inside the car, the guys entered the compartment. There, on a pile of old newspapers, lay a half-decomposed corpse. He seemed dried up, as if from under plaster, and his eyes turned from glassy to yellow and looked tenaciously at uninvited guests. There was no one else in the car. The body was not even covered. Next to it, the round sign of the project was again revealed. After examining the compartment on the top shelf, there was a map with strange marks, two more dry rations, a flask of water, a pistol with two clips and two cans of stew.
– Khabar, – Nikita chuckled, still cautiously looking sideways at the corpse.
– Grab this and let’s go. We need somewhere to stay for the night. It’s already getting dark, – Romka said tensely.
– I support.
Quickly leaving their prey in backpacks, the guys briefly examined the rest of the compartments and hurriedly went to the station. Strongly strained the inscriptions “It’s infected here.” Having entered the station building, the guys thought for a while, and after choosing one of the service rooms, they barricaded themselves there, stopping for the night.
Having opened a can of stew and biscuits, the guys examined the map with curiosity. Roman tried to remember the general arrangement, trusting more to a friend who understood the situation better – the game experience affected, which turned out to be most welcome.
– Do you know the places marked with a cross? Roma asked, seeing the marks with a red felt-tip pen.
“Uh-huh,” he picked up the stringy meat from the can with his finger and chewed it. – I think, right here, – Nikita pointed to the blue circles with his finger. – There are some caches. And red, maybe tests or clues. It only annoys me … – he fell silent, chewing on the stew.
– Why did they leave us like that without explaining anything? Romka guessed, and after waiting for an affirmative nod, he added. – They put their lives in danger. It doesn’t really look like a game.
– Maybe I’m wrong, but… apparently the project is just a cover. Remember, we were given painful injections? It doesn’t really look like the game we signed up for. Paranoid, – Nikita chuckled.
– Could you take us out?
– From the Chernobyl exclusion zone? Easy. But I’m afraid we won’t be allowed to leave the area so easily. We also need to find out what kind of chips they implanted in us and try to take them out of action.
– Maybe then we should find ours and try to get out?
– It will be the most reasonable. It is unlikely that anyone else knows the way, and it will be easier for a company to cover each other.
Having finished the stew and washed it all down with water, the guys once again checked the locked door and, having made a kind of bed for themselves, fell asleep, insanely tired from a busy day.
– Chapter 7-
Compassion is with you forever
Denis peered tensely, trying to find the source of the noise. Ira and Masha stood immediately behind the shoulder of a classmate, trembling with fear. Their faces were frozen in the expression that people have when they are waiting for the verdict of a doctor or the verdict of fate. But there was no verdict. To the left of Denis, a slight creaking and a quiet rustle were heard. The classmates turned around. Not noticing anything dangerous, Denis shifted his gaze further and was suddenly dumbfounded: a meter away from them in a deep green ravine filled with water, a huge fat centipede was sitting. In the background, in fact, something crunched – like a stone in a children’s sandbox, only in a multi-ton metal bag. The sound was like giant footsteps. It got louder, then quieter – and from time to time it subsided.
– I’ll shoot! – Denis repeated a little more confidently, feeling how the weapon was being hardened.
– You will miss, – a mocking voice was heard from the darkness, which belonged to Vlad. – Danchik, lower the barrel just in case.
Everyone exhaled. Joyfully racing each other classmates hurried to Vlad. Soon a silhouette became visible in the darkness, and soon the guy himself. Lily walked a little behind, holding a backpack by the strap.
– How are you here? Denis asked, not hiding his joy.
– Woke up in a well. And you? Vlad replied calmly.
– An accident because of one fool, – Irina responded angrily, looking contemptuously at Masha.
– And what’s next? Does anyone have a mobile? – I ignore the excellent student, asked Maria.
– No, everything was taken away. Someone was taking you. Have you checked if they had walkie-talkies or… well, at least something, – Vlad looked at the schoolchildren in turn.
“No,” Denis said guiltily. – Only took the machine gun when they heard footsteps.
– It is necessary to examine, maybe we will find, – suggested Lily, who had been silent until that moment.
– So smart? Here you go, – Masha snapped. – I don’t go there anymore.
Vlad and Lilia looked at each other and seemed to agree on something. Turning to Denis, Vladislav clarified:
– Can you show me the way?
– Yes, let’s go, – the plump man readily responded and led to the skeletons of a minibus, next to which lay two employees of Ouroboros.
Maria and Irina stood for some time, but as soon as the main group moved some distance away, they suddenly felt fear and rushed to catch up with their classmates with all their might. Vlad and Lilia were checking their pockets to the fullest, putting aside all the finds. Stepping aside to a fallen tree, the company settled comfortably.
– Map, – Lily unfolded the found sheet. – The bad news.
– Were they good before? – Ira sarcastically clarified.
– We are in Chernobyl, – ignoring her, the girl continued. – I don’t know where exactly, but… there are some marks.
– Let me see, – Vlad held out his hand and accepted the card, began to study with interest.
– Did you find anything else? – Masha pushed Lily, as if she wanted to vent her anger on her.
“Open your eyes,” she dismissed, continuing to examine the many marks.
Denis quietly sat next to him, holding his stomach, which constantly made rumbling sounds. I really wanted to eat. As soon as the fear receded, uncontrollable hunger returned. I wanted to eat something. Better than fried potatoes. Or dumplings? And chips. With cheese sauce. Nervously swallowing the saliva that had come up, Denis froze in anticipation. He did not like everything that was happening, and the only thing he considered right was to entrust more wise and experienced comrades. And were they his comrades? He looked at Masha. Selfish, arrogant and beautiful. If it wasn’t for the nasty feeling of superiority, she might not be such a bad person after all. Ira… Irochka… Irina… first love. Grandmother always said that the first love is almost never