Chapter XLIV: The Tale of Boris

 As night crept over Cordon and wind swept away last few puffs of smoke from the funeral pyre, another fire crackled to life inside the Rookie village. In the dark, it brought a welcome sign of life in the otherwise gloomy athmosphere of the camp, and all over the decimated encampment rookies and veterans alike headed to the campfire. There was already a group of weary stalkers from various factions sitting beside it, and they welcomed the newcomers beside them.

Among the initial group that lit the fire were two long-time veterans of the Zone, Wolf and Fanatic, while on the other side of the campfire sat Boris Unforgiven, Dima Lord and Hip. Between them, two former bandits Dimuha Loaf and Vityukha Flop were preparing a few sausages. Opposite to them was a grizzled veteran ecologist, Anton Antipin, cleaning his dirty Armsel Protecta back to shape. Boris had taken off his helmet and was enjoying a bottle of fine Ukrainian beer, Dima was smoking a Cuban cigar Wolf had given him and Hip was half-asleep.

  • I hate to talk about these kinds of things just as we survived the last attack, but what do you think will happen next?, Wolf asked, aiming his words mainly at Boris, Fanatic and Antipin.

  • My observations point to the source of the mutants being Darkscape. The hypothesis is not 100% accurate, but in the Exclusion Zone, such things rarely are, Antipin said, not raising his eyes from the shotgun. Fanatic nodded and continued:

  • Agree, Polymer has been sending reports from Darkscape and says the only reason they are still alive is the fact that bandits in the gas station are taking the beating for them.

  • I think we'll need to send some help to them as soon as possible, if only we had men to spare, Wolf replied, a tinge of frustration in his voice.

  • I can take a few of my boys and go. They need the training and with my regular squad, we'll be able to deal with any muties that come my way, Boris volunteered and continued,

  • But not today. I'll need some rest, and I think the mutants have taken big enough battering to not be of issue for a couple of days.

Wolf and Fanatic nodded. Dima let out a long exhale, puffing smoke over the fire. Vityukha dropped a sausage into the fire, cursing like a sailor and prompting Dimuha to snort loudly. Hip woke up and gave them a lethal look. Wolf turned again to Boris as more rookies arrived around the fire and asked:

  • So I know you were a loner once, and then turned renegade, yet now you want to start a faction for Redemption? Since we now know we can trust you guys, at least as much as one can in the Zone, would you like to tell us your story? I'm sure the rookies could learn a thing or two.

  • I guess I could. But it'll be a long and not so pretty one. The things I did as a renegade, I did to survive, but they still haunt me. But you'll understand as I go on, Boris responded, letting out a long sigh and taking a sip of beer before continuing:

  • I was born in Belarus, Minsk to be exact, in the early 1990s, and led a life of chaos. I wasn't into drugs or alcohol but no matter what I did, things went to hell quickly. Worked as a mechanic, a store clerk, even a janitor at one point, until I landed a job as a guard. I guarded this one bank in Minsk, easy job, long nights but plenty of coffee and good pay. At the same time I was dating this woman, Lena, and we were supposed to get married. Well, one night, she comes to bring me something, I think I had forgotten my wallet home, something insignificant.

  • Well, that night, at the same time as she arrives, two big bastards storm in the second I let her in, and we both get a bullet to the head. She died there in front of my eyes, the bullet only scrathes me. I lose my conciousness for a few minutes, wake up to find Lena dead and draw my pistol, killing the two thiefs on spot. Turns out, one of them was a son of some crime lord and I get a death warrant placed on me. So I ran to the Zone as fast as my legs took me, and from here I kept sending money to Lena's parents since I knew they were struggling.

The rookies and veterans around the campfire were starting to get more into the story, and even Antipin had stopped cleaning his shotgun to listen. Boris looked around him, at the faces young and old, battle-hardened and newbies, and continued after yet another chug from his beer.

  • So there I was, moving towards the north as I knew I'd maybe make some cash there. I took the name of Unforgiven because I blamed myself for the death of Lena. But that Minsk crime lord tracked me down through that money connection to Lena's parents, in hindsight I had been far too naive. He paid Sultan to kill me, but he saw an opportunity to make some extra dough and made me a gladiator in the bandit arena. He must've thought I wouldn't last a week, but I killed to survive like a madman. Mutants, other stalkers, bandits, renegades. Mostly mutants as Sultan really wanted me dead.

  • So eventually I killed one of his favourite gladiators and he decided it was time to get rid of me. But some of his men aren't the brightest bunch, and they tossed me into the Swamps, where I became a renegade. I know not what happened to Lena's parents, and I haven't tried to contact them.

He took a break and emptied his bottle, massaging his eyebrows. One of the young stalkers broke the silence, asking quickly:

  • So what happened when you became a renegade? We know of your exploits with the emitter labs and with Strelok's group, but everything else is unknown.

Boris looked at him and smiled faintly. He started telling his story as a renegade, going through the rough early days and his shame and regret of killing other loners. Then he described his days with the bandits, Dimuha and Vityukha chiming in and adding parts to the story, the journeys they went together and the places they saw.

  • And then we outran a psi-storm, and this motherfucker puked inside his gasmask, Vityukha laughed, and many of the stalkers around the campfire chuckled with him.

  • Hey, you fainted there too, our little princess taking his beauty nap. Besides, we had eaten Boris' cooking that morning, so no wonder it came out, Dimuha struck back and more laughter ensued. It calmed down as Boris continued.

He told them of the encounter with Arkasha Panadol, and how the bandit technician built him an exoskeleton. Then he described the days he spent with Freedom, the friends he had made there and his encounter with the black-as-night bloodsucker. The rookies listened to that particular tale wide-eyed, and the crackle of the firewood spooked one of them, much to the amusement of many others. Boris told them of his entry into the mercs, and how Dushman had utterly baffled him before sending him on suicide missions.

Rest of the night went as Boris described his journey from Agroprom Underground to the depths of the Sarcophagus, and as he ended his story everyone was as if pulled into the story. Even Fanatic and Wolf were listening intently. Only Dima, who had heard the entire story before, was calmly smoking another cigar.

  • I have heard many tales during my years, and while I don't believe even half of them, I haven't heard anything like this and at the same time believed it to be true, Wolf finally commented.

  • I can't believe you are still alive and kicking, Fanatic added, and many around the campfire nodded.

  • Honestly? Neither can I. But as long as my luck lasts, I'll try to find my personal redemption. And help others do the same. Maybe I'll die tomorrow, maybe I survive another day, only the Zone knows, Boris said with a weary voice. The tale had taken his remaining strength.

  • And we'll do our best to keep him alive too, since I think the man deserves it after going through all that, Dimuha said, and Vityukha and Dima nodded, Dima continuing too.

  • Ye, sticking around with Boris might be unhealthy but my smoking habits will kill me faster than his stupid plans ever could, he said with a sarcastic voice.

  • Hey, that plan with Sultan was pretty good, you gotta admit, Boris protested. Hip laughed and said mockingly:

  • Nah, it was stupid as all hell. But it was funny, I gotta admit that.

Before Boris could properly answer, a figure in exoskeleton showed up. A loner by the looks, and Boris recognized that armour.

  • Anton Anomaly in the flesh! What are you doing here? Wolf asked, confused.

  • I received your message, but I see you've already dealt with the mutants. But there are other issues right now, he replied, exhausted from running, and continued.

  • The Agroprom military HQ got a weird message earlier today. The southern outpost here is wiped out.

  • By who?

  • Not who, but by what, Anton replied, with a serious voice matching his face.

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