Chapter LXVI: An Unexpected Reunion

 The sky crackled and flared over the Red Forest, as if taken over by a particularly aggressive and red batch of aurora borealis. Of course, aurora borealis did not appear this far south, but the Zone does have its own deadly variant in the forms of emissions and psi-storms. Boris and Dima had no time to ponder over the similarities between the Northern Lights and Zone storms. They sprinted through the forest for cover as fast as they could, sheer panic overtaking their thinking.

The pulsing skies above struck them with psi-emissions, one after another, each pulse hitting them like a mental hammerblow. Boris could feel his brain bowling, his vision turned blurry and world around him started to lose colours. At times the trees and the ground took a yellowish hue, at times they lost all shades other than black and grey. It was clear time was running out for the pair. Only real formulated thought in Boris' head was to reach the partially collapsed tunnel near the drawbridge, it was their only hope.

• Dima... the tunnel... we gotta move, he managed to weakly whisper to his companion. Dima nodded, looking like he was about to vomit.

Gruesomely twisted trees and partially dried up bushes passed by as the two Redeemed hobbled forward, losing their grip on sanity with each pulse striking them. The voices howled inside their heads and all around them, some belonging to dead comrades, family members or perfect strangers, others belonging to creatures that would've fit right into H.P Lovecraft's books by the sounds of their screams and pleas. Join us, the voices yelled, others simply howled hysterically.

The tunnel mouth came into view, but the danger was still not over. From his left, Boris heard a very distinct and recognizable voice. An almost mechanical, inhuman tone spoke of the holiness of the Monolith, not too loudly but audible enough to get carried over the storm. Boris was certain that this was not some apparition inside his head, there were Monoliths manning the bridge outpost. Dima had spotted them as well, but in their delirious state they could do little more than hope to not be spotted. Zone, or some other entity, seemed to smile on the pair that day, and they made it inside the tunnel.

Boris collapsed from sheer psychic drain. Psi-storms were like being hit by a controller, 20 times in a row. Dima's SEVA suit had saved him from most of the trouble, but he was bleeding from his nose and breathing heavily, his voice raspy. Boris crawled up to a nearby campfire behind some BTRs and with shaking hands, lit a small but potent flame between some old dried branches. There was something healing about the tiny firebrand gnawing at the wood, and they could feel their heartrates slowly drop down. Boris felt an aching in his side, the wound from earlier had not enjoyed the sprinting. He pushed it aside, there would be time to heal properly later on.

The Monolith chanting reached its peak as the storm did, it seemed like the cultists worshipped it as a manifestation of their man-made god. Dima listened to their prayers intently for a while, then turned to look at Boris. He spoke:

• Is it just me or have the emissions and psi-storms been increasing as well? First the Monolith returned, then the massive increase in mutants, then Sin and now the storms are becoming increasingly frequent? We should've never raided the power plant.

• I agree. We made this mess. The Zone is growing increasingly unstable, and it is our fault. We can't blame ignorance, Clear Sky operations and Strelok's raid should've shown what happens when you mess with the plant. It falls upon our shoulders to fix it as well, or die trying, Boris replied, staring grimly at the fire. Dima grunted agreeingly, then searched his pockets for a while and dug out a cigarette triumphantly.

• Well, all the more reason to continue this habit, it's not like I have many years left anymore with your company, he said, and Boris chuckled. The storm was dissipating outside. The voices faded away into the netherrealm, waiting for their next chance to be released.

The Monolith squad outside was attacked by a group of bandits before Boris and Dima could prepare an ambush on them, so the pair used the distraction to sneak back into the trail unnoticed. Judging by the extremely loud hardbass coming from the bridge after gunfire ceased, the bandits had won. Dima looked back and then to Boris.

• Can't imagine how you survived among those degenerates for so long, fucking hardbass for real?

• Didn't really have much of a choice in friends back then, Boris grunted back.

The path winded through the forest, showing a safe route through the multiple anomaly fields scattered among the trees. If there was one good thing about the psi-storm, it was that it had driven the mutants into hiding for a short time. Through this safe window, the pair made it to within eyesight of Forester's tower and the mine of Red Forest. Boris was about to step into it when Dima stopped him abruptly.

• A mine, he whispered as loudly as he dared. Boris looked confused.

• Yes, that is where we are heading, did the psi-storm damage your neurons or something?

• No, urod, there's a mine at the mine entrance. An explosive. Leg touch metal, leg go boom. Got it?, Dima explained, frustrated. Boris looked down and saw an old Soviet era landmine few centimetres from where he stood, hidden very haphazardly.

• Blyat, he said and very slowly passed the mine, landing on solid ground. Dima did the same and now they had finally reached their destination. The mine seemed as inviting as a Soviet gulag, being dimly lit, full of gases rising from the Dead Canary anomaly and strange roots descending from the roof. But this was where their contact was located according to the very helpful and now deceased Sin squad.

They kept their flashlights off to avoid being spotted and only ran their nightvision. Through the black and white illumination filter, Boris managed to see a Sin guard ahead. He clearly had not spotted the pair as he relied on a weak flashlight, and fast as lightning Dima placed a suppressed 9x39mm round into his head, piercing the skull and dropping him to the floor. No one seemed to have heard the shot or the subsequent tumble, and the two Redemption leaders rounded a corner, only to see a squad of Sin members sit by a campfire.

None of them had their weapons drawn, and they seemed deep in prayer or meditation. Boris hesitated for a second, he preferred to at least give the enemy a fighting chance, but then he remembered the men slayed ruthlessly by Sin earlier that day and his RPD sang a tune for the Sin squad in the form of high-calibre bullets. They never stood a chance, barely reacting to them as bullets tore them to peaces.

One of them was only wounded, and as he lay there, slumped, Boris closed in and kicked his rifle aside before the zealot could reach for it. He placed his kukri on the fanatic's throat, pinning him to the ground with his knee. Dima appeared beside him, holding his FNP to the wounded man's head.

• Who were you hunting? And why?, he questioned in his most authoritarian voice.

• Hunting? We weren't hunting anyone, we were setting up base here. But another squad was hunting one of the arch-infidels, those ones who raided the sacred plant, I believe he was called Stitch, the man replied, despite his fanatism clearly scared by Boris.

• And why were you hunting him for?, Dima asked.

• I believe Chernobog wants him, Rogue, Strelok and those two mercs, Boris something and Dima Lard captured or killed. The Zone is increasingly unstable, and while we kind of want that, it is not ideal. It's their fault we're in this situation, their raid caused everything to collapse and escalate beyond all control. And now Futility has reappeared...

A sudden explosion at the mine entrance caused the man's ramblings to come to an end. Boris' grip slipped and the Sin member dived for his weapon. Dima fired his pistol, but the shot went wide and hit the floor. The usually reliable FNP suffered a malfunction, causing Dima to curse angrily. The Sinner managed to spray Boris with bullets, hitting his armour, but most of the bullets simply dented or crushed on the armour. Boris raised his kukri and prepared to rush the zealot to protect Dima, but two shots rang out from behind them and the Sinner left the mortal plain. The pair turned around, Boris holding the kukri and Dima pointing the new arrival with the still-jammed pistol.

• Boris? Dima? Didn't expect to see you here, Stitch remarked, lowering his rifle. His smile faded as he continued:

• It seems that we may have caused a bigger mess at the power plant than we expected. A lot bigger.