Chapter LXXXIV: The Labyrinth

 The tunnels below West Yantar radar facility are surprisingly similar to the Sarcophagus of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, main exceptions being size and the lack of Monolith presence. The maze is a confusing place, the hallways and corridors twisting and turning with abundant radiation. Boris kept his Fort shotgun high as he continued on, him and Dima leading the group while Sanyok kept the rear covered. Kruglov was doing constant readings of the area, although Boris couldn't make heads or tails on what exactly was the nature of these.

If light could seemingly not survive in the tunnels, sound had no such issues. Muffled sounds of bloodsucker roars and snork wheezing carried over the tunnels. At times, Boris was certain that he heard quiet speech from the front, but it was not exactly clear if it was simply his imagination. The paranoia was creeping in, although having handled many labs during his career as stalker he soon collected himself. A dim light came from the end of the tunnel and they entered a railway station.

• Underground railway? Hell, if someone named Artyom shows up, I'm noping the hell out of here, Dima commented, prompting Boris to chuckle.

The sounds echoed in the large domed structure, and with them came a very familiar sound. The low growling and coughing of zombies. Only a few of them could be seen however, and Boris nodded to dispose of them quietly. Dima's suppressed rifle spat out multiple sub-sonic rounds, and the deathless watch of the puppets of C-Conciousness came to an end. The immediate threat destroyed, the group begun to inspect the area more.

For the most part, there was little to see in the large hall. Some rusty train wagons stood forgotten on the rails, and Boris surprised a lost zombie in one of them, the corpse receiving a swift swipe from his trusty kukri. Kruglov kept his devices hurring throughout and Zakarov observed the zombies closely. All Dima and Sanyok found in the meanwhile was a few bottles of water, a stale and moldy piece of bread and some notes from train staff. Boris soon realized that there was little to gain in the area and they crossed the hall, moving into yet another tunnel network. After few hundred metres, dozen turns and endless grey, dilapidated concrete walls, Boris heard the clear sound of a bloodsucker.

• Sounds like a tentacle demon up ahead, keep your gear ready. And Dima, keep your mouth shut for once, Boris whispered.

• Damn, what did he say, I could barely hear him. Or was it a rat squaking?, Dima muttered to Sanyok, who grinned slightly.

The squad moved slower now, everyone keeping sure to keep the noise to minimum. Boris cursed, for once, his choice of armour, as it made him as easy to spot coming as a pseudogiant painted bright pink. If I get out of this alive, I'll get myself something lighter for once, Boris thought to himself bitterly. Warm yellow light flooded down the tunnel, and Boris realized they were closing in yet another room. Judging it to be the most realistic spot for bloodsuckers, Boris nudged himself slowly inside and waved for the others to wait.

The room was indeed the bloodsucker's location. It was not alone however, as a roughly a dozen such beasts slumbered, standing up in the room. Their tentacles relaxed and tensed up as they breathed, but nothing seemed to indicate that they had spotted the group. Boris reached for a grenade and noticed that he only had the RGD-5 grenades left, a rather puny weapon for the mass of flesh and muscles ahead. It would have to do. Dima and Zakarov joined him behind a small barrier of rubble, their three shotguns prepared. Boris indicated his plan to them with his free hand, then showed to Kruglov and Sanyok to aim at the gap in front of their rubble barrier and pulled the pin off the grenade.

It spun across the air and landed to the concrete floor with a resounding clang. Boris could see the eyes of many of the monsters open wide, but it was too late. The explosion enveloped the abominations in its fiery embrace. The inhuman roar emerged from the flames, and a burning bloodsucker charged Boris, only to be cut down in seconds by Dima's pocket anti-air cannon. Zakarov's Saiga begun firing as well, joined finally by Boris' Fort. The hail of buckshot tore into the remaining mutants, and before they could form an united front or flee, they had all perished. Boris stomped on the head of the last survivors, gaining back the lost confidence in his Nosorog.

• Well, that was certainly impressive, Kruglov commented while cutting up samples off the mutants.

• Sucks to be them for sure, Dima quipped, getting an exasperated sigh from Boris and Zakarov.

• I didn't say you're allowed to speak yet, Boris replied, getting a smirk from Dima in return.

The computers in the room proved a futile source for info, dust having gathered in their insides and rats having chewed through their wirings. Sanyok went out of the door at the other side of the ruined room and came back a second later as others were still checking the gutted remains of bloodsuckers and computers.

• Hey guys, I think I might've found what we were looking for, there's some mad science contraption in a large room up ahead, Sanyok said in a bewildered voice.

The alliance of scientists and Redeemed moved into the next room enthusiastically, determined to finish the operations in the inhospitable catacombs. The tunnels were no more, the room they entered was a gigantic hall filled with old computer desks, cabinets and scientific equipment. Most striking of all however was the behemoth of a brain in the middle of the room, surrounded by wiremesh fences.

• Chyort, I thought I'd seen the last of these constructs, Kruglov murmured to himself aggressively.

• The Zone is like a crazy ex-girlfriend, it knows how to surprise you, and it's never pleasant, Boris replied.

• Or like Boris. Every time you're sure he can't get any crazier, he says it is time to do some incredibly stupid and convoluted shit that'll most likely get us all killed, Dima interjected.

Before anyone could say anything further, two large speakers on the walls cracked into life, the static soon replaced by a booming voice. The door slammed shut, leaving the group trapped inside the room.