Chapter L: Night Feast in the Meadow

 In few months, the former forgotten backwater of the Zone, Meadow, had gone from being a nest for mutants to a bustling base for the Redemption faction. While still a fledling force in the area, the faction was rapidly gaining fame and reputation thanks in part to the deeds of its founders and in part due to its participation in the deadly operations in Cordon and Darkscape against the emergent hordes of mutants. Today would be a day of celebration for the faction, the very first time for rest in the hectic months past.

In the factory, a lot had changed ever since Boris first ventured to the Meadow. Vityukha, the ever resourceful ex-bandit, had found some old hospital equipment and brought it back to life, making a small office for himself in the administrative building. Some former renegade meanwhile had repaired a television, and while there was little they could watch from it, they had intercepted some stuff from the outside world and could at times watch some show for an hour or so, Stepukha had even built a small cinema for it from old benches.

The most substantial change however was in the form of a kitchen, Dimuha and Toshka had worked day and night to make the freezer captured from the nearby diner work, and alongside the stove they could now store and cook food on spot, a rarity in the Zone. Near it, someone had made a spot for campfire, because everyone in Redemption had grown so accustomed to eating next to a fire that it was a necessity. Now, it was used to grill a boar, a massive one caught just yesterday, and many hungry Redeemed had gathered around it.

As vodka and beer was being passed around, Boris and Dimuha arrived, the last ones to return from the expedition to Darkscape. Hip, Dima, and the two loners Anton Anomaly and Mark Garlic had returned earlier with the survivors of sawmill, ecologist Oleg Zakarov and free stalkers Polymer and Vadim Stranger. Vadim had already went back to Cordon, still shaken by the karlik attack, but Polymer and Oleg stuck around for the feast. The group around the campfire cheered when they saw the faction leader and his long-time companion return unscathed. They sat around the fire as well and were immediately given a slice of boar steak.

• Where's this from? That things still raw, Boris questioned Stepukha who had given him the steak, pointing at the roasting boar.

• Oh this is from the earlier one, we already ate one! Stepukha laughed, and Boris started eating eagerly.

• Well, now that we're finally all here, let us start this feast properly, because not only are we celebrating our victory over the muties, we are celebrating the beginning of Redemption properly! So let me raise a toast to Redemption, and Boris himself, who gave us this chance! Dima yelled, raising up and and holding hit drink high. Others yelled in support and raised their drinks, Dimuha smacking Boris in the back for good measure.

• To Redemption, and to Boris!, they yelled, followed by laughter and clinking of bottles. Boris finished his meal and emptied a bottle, grinning slightly to the crowd. Dima sat back down and looked at Boris, asking:

• I hate to ask these right now, believe me I'd rather be drinking like a sailor right now, but you said we'll be officially starting the faction today earlier. What do you mean by that?

• Well, we're all still using our original faction armour and we don't even have a patch to signify our allegiance. Time to change that. But I'll go through the changes tomorrow, in a more dedicated manner, we aren't running the Soviet Union here guys, I'd rather decide things while sober, Boris replied, prompting chuckles. Dima nodded, perhaps it was time to rest and relax for once. Dimuha pulled out a guitar and started playing a song from the Afghan war, Swallowing Dust. One of the former mercs went through his rucksack and found a harmonica, joining in.

• You know Dima, it's weird how we're technically faction leadership here, but we barely know the people in our faction beyond the day we spent here months ago, how about we share some stories?, Boris asked from Dima as the duo of musicians stopped playing, aiming his words more to the group.

• Excellent idea, I can start, I've got quite the story actually!, Stepukha replied with the eagerness of a true rookie.

• So about a year ago, a friend of mine I was a doing small time car jackings with told me that there's plenty of cash in the Zone. I set off here as I had some loansharks to pay back to, only had my granpa's sawn-off, this here, and a leather jacket. So I get to the Zone, climb over the government picket fence near Cordon and land on top of a goddamn boar. I mean really, I land spot on top of it, and it shits itself completely, felt like I was in one of those American rodeos as it started running and squeking all around Cordon.

• That is such bullshit, Vityukha commented, laughing, and a couple of the others so as well. Boris chuckled as well, but Stepukha protested:

• Hell no, I swear it on my babushka's life, that was my first experience in the Zone and I must admit, once I managed to drop off and kill the boar, I contemplated leaving right away. But some bandits who saw it were so impressed they took me in and that's how I got into Sultan's crew.

• I gotta admit, if that is true, it is the best entrance to the Zone I've ever heard, Hip said with a smile, and others gave agreeing grunts. A small lull descended on the conversation when everyone grabbed a bite of the boar, now perfectly roasted, and Boris enjoyed it with some canned tomatoes and pickles. Dima continued by telling the story of how they found that lab near Dead City with the orange anti-gravity device, and how he had found his KS-23 on a dead guard there. This time nobody questioned or doubted the story.

Next up to tell a story was Anton Anomaly, the loner veteran, who told them of the day when Brain Scorcher activated, many present having been far down south or outside the Zone when it happened. Anton had been in Jupiter, delivering packages from Barkeep to the corrupt officer Morgan's replacement, Quartermaster P. Milyakov. Shulga was preparing a expedition to fight the resurgent Monolith, and Barkeep was sending him the last batch of supplies through a set of neutral couriers, like Anton.

Suddenly the sky cracked open like if hit by the largest lightning bolt ever, and in the distance one could see the air itself look really grainy and irradiated over Red Forest. It was a spectacle almost close to emissions in sheer ferocity, the clouds looking like they boiled and the humming of the Scorcher louder than ever. The air grew heavy and distorted whispering filled everyone's minds. It went away in a short while, but no one spoke for a few minutes. Everyone knew what this meant for them. Shulga barged out of his office and started giving orders left right and center, and in less than a day the Dutyer's were off. Apparently they wanted to crush the Monolith before they grew too large, but no one heard of their contingent outside of one survivor ever again.

• Well, good riddance to them, one of the former renegades, Boris believed he was called Seryoga, said and continued: - I became a renegade because of them, bastards kicked me into the swamps for stealing an AK from their armoury. It's not my fault they left the door open, but instead of punishing one of their own, the urod who left it open, they punished me. Because of them I spent months avoiding everyone but the outcasts to survive, and I thank Boris for ending it, but I still have no sympathies for Duty, hell, I doubt they'll allow us to enter Rostok even now.

Many of the stalkers muttered agreeably, even Hip, who had had to duck for cover plenty of times when Duty took potshots at her during missions. Anton didn't say anything, and Oleg seemed a bit disapproving but kept a somewhat of a poker face. Mark was his usual quiet self, sticking to eating his salmon sandwich.

• Well, that's gloomy, how about we change the subject fellas. I really want to know if someone came for the same reason I did and I'm pretty sure you guys have so good stories on that too!, Vityukha commented cheerily, breaking the silence.

The campfire exploded to chatter with people telling stories of great adventures, others coming to the Zone to slay the most dangerous beasts, others to gain fame and glory and yet others to make fat stacks as they put it. Vityukha himself told that he had come to find the best possible artefact to put on top of his fireplace back home, but got a bit sidetracked. Boris observed the scene, his plate and bottles empty and his mood satisfied for once, hell, he didn't remember when he last had such a good meal. He was rather ready for bed already, it was already quite past midnight, but he still had stories to hear and tell. But first there was an announcement to make. He stood up, and everyone turned to look at him.

• So I might've said that we won't discuss faction things right now, but I want to do a few things right now, since I got confirmation for them. First of all, I talked with Hip and Polymer before we left Darkscape, and Hip agreed to become our very own Nimble once she has her trade network up, so let me raise a toast to that brothers!

There was an applause and cheers in the crowd in response to the news, Hip raising her bottle of Nemiroff to respond to Boris. She had gotten the idea to become a trader ever since leaving Freedom, and Boris was now giving her the chance to fulfill her idea, selling rare weapons to stalkers from Meadow.

• And another announcement too, Polymer has agreed to work as our technician until Darkscape is pacified and retaken by loners, so get your rusty gear to him for fix up while you can!, Boris yelled, followed by yet more drunken cheers and applauses. Polymer protested, laughing:

• No, please don't, I can only show you where to stick your rusty pieces of shit if you bring them to me!

• And lastly, we'll start first full-scale Redemption operations tomorrow, once we get rid of the hangovers of course, it is time the Zone gets to know who we are and why we are doing what we do! We'll show the Zone the true power of what it means to be on the road to redemption! So drink today brothers, tomorrow we have work to do but today we'll enjoy the peace a little longer!

A roaring applause followed, everyone had waited months for the faction to start operating properly and it was finally time for each member to prove themselves to the other factions of the Zone. As Boris sat down, Dimuha and the harmonica merc, Gleb Hawk, played a joyful song and the group around the campfire returned to storytelling and eating, the chatter and tall tales continuing well into the morning. The Redemption had existed for quite long as an entity, but now it was finally a faction properly, its members feeling that they belonged into it, and it showed well. As the stories kept on going, Boris leaned back and watched at the sky and moon shining through the gap in the roof. It was good to be home.