Chapter CII: Conversing with the Father of Sin

 Dry bones and sticks crackled as flames consumed them in the small room beneath the last hall of Limansk hospital. Inside, two men, both faction leaders, squatted next to the fire, hard eyes staring at each other. Boris Unforgiven felt uneasy more than ever, it was like trying to keep your focus around a controller. He felt his self-control slip away every second, as the Sin leader Chernobog struck his defences. Still, drawing his weapon would leave him vulnerable to the enigmatic lunatic's mind.

• Why do you wish to talk with me? I have slain many of your men, and I do not care for your mad plans. I have come here to end this, and end it I will, Boris growled.

• Ah, another stubborn one. Yet you haven't tried shooting your way out of this unlike so many others... Some who now serve me, actually. But yes, you have shown that you can listen. So listen, Chernobog commanded, turning his unsettling eyes to face Boris once more before continuing.

• My people, Sin, weren't always this powerful and numerous. Years ago we hid in the tunnels of Darkscape, seeking answers to who we were. Our leader, Veles, was weak. He sat on his ass, wasting our potential, dwelling in the past. I followed him blindly, he was the one to lead us out of the darkness when Vyraj first manifested itself. But he never got his answers. I did, however.

• Lemme guess, Vyraj spoke to you in a dream, made him his chosen, yaddayadda, Boris said snarkily.

• You take me for a simple fanatic. And you're wrong. My powers awoke without a single divine intervention. One day while traversing the Darkscape on routine patrol, I was caught up in an emission. I thought I was done for, but when the energies of the Zone hit me, I felt a surge of power. I think the experiments done to me by the Group scientists caused some quirk of nature to activate within me, and the emission did not kill me, only transformed me. I learned how to control others, similar to controller mutants but more powerful. I had heard of a stalker who had learned a similar power through some machine, but eventually offed himself.

• I see. And yet you began your tribal religion, despite knowing that your powers are not from some god?, Boris asked, puzzled by this mysterious creature.

• You know the famous saying by Marx, that religion is the opiate of masses? Well, I took it to heart. I wanted to contain the Zone, let it grow without stalker interference. For years I had seen them abuse it and destabilize it, and when Clear Sky and later Strelok struck the powerplant, the Zone went haywire. I truly believe that the Zone is a gift. But mankind is not deserving of it. Yet at least. And every foray into its heart causes more chaos, makes it more unpredictable. That is what I wish to prevent.

Boris was taken aback. The man he had believed to be a simple maniac, a psychopath seeking some divine power to justify his lunacy, now had sane goals and ideals?

• Why go through the entire Purifier shitshow then? Why are you going around talking about some ethereal Zone entity? Why all the smoke and mirrors?, Boris questioned in a demanding tone.

• Because I realized that while I could bend people to my will, it would only be temporary at best. Making them fanatical would be far more efficient. Among the original Sin, the outcasts of Darkscape, there was already a primitive but widespread belief in an entity called Vyraj, the supposed spirit of the Zone. This turned out to be C-Conciousness, but the name did not matter. Only the belief did. With my new powers, I could brand myself as a prophet of Vyraj, and thus make the sheep follow me without constant strain to my power.

• So you're one more powerhungry urod, using the "containment of the Zone" to abuse the populace of the Zone. Take a number, you've got a lot of people in line before you..., Boris muttered, simultaneously turning a knob beneath his wrist as stealthily as he could.

• You're wrong. All I ever wished was for the Zone to be free from stalkers. You people keep pushing it over the edge, ruining it like humans always do. Monolith could not hold you, but I will. I will cleanse the Zone with the emission to rival the First and Second Emissions, until only the defenders remain. Already larger entities than the simple Zone factions seek to worm their way in. If we do not stop this, the Zone may retaliate in a way we never expected. Millions may die if Sin cannot stop this, Chernobog continued his manifesto, not noticing Boris' actions.

• Why tell me this? It's not like I'm going to let you go.

• Because you're a man who understands sacrifice. You must understand, that in order to keep millions from dying and the Zone safe from outside influence, we must use the emission machine to destroy those who seek to corrupt and destabilize the Zone.

• And then what? More will come. The military will return first, and push their iron boot down your throat. Stalkers will always arrive, new factions will take the place of Duty and Freedom. You cannot break the situation in the Zone through emissions, the Second Emission did not wipe out the factions.

• This one will. It will be the mother of all emissions. And you can either stand with me and be on the right side of history, or perish in a storm of fire.

• Well, I'll take the third option. Kicking the shit out of you before you get to your wunderwaffe, Boris said and activated a blade on his wrist.

A black blade of Monolith warrior slid out and struck Chernobog in the chest. The Sin commander screamed in agony, and for a second his psychic control over Redemption weakened. Dima and Mark, with their psi-protection artefacts, resisted it for a second and raised their guns, firing wildly at the Sin leader. Some bullets hit, others missed by a margin as big as a pseudogiant's dung pile, but the damage was done. Chernobog staggered back, and when he saw Boris draw out his Tokarev, the mutated human let out a deafening mental shriek. The Redemption members were hit by the shock wave, sending them back, and during this brief period of confusion, Chernobog fled.

It took Boris and his men a few minutes to gather their strength, and they realized it was too late to pursue him. Dima got to Boris first. The commander was cleaning his wristblade.

• Here's your money, you asshole. I was so sure you'd never get to use that fancy gadget, Dima said with frown.

• Always a pleasure to do business with you. I gotta thank Kruglov for recommending this thing to Forester, apparently some ecologist badass has one, can't have the eggheads have all the fun, Boris replied, grinning while examining his bet winnings.

• So, what did our cult-pope want?, Sanyok asked, stretching his neck while he walked to his companions.

• Nothing good. He isn't completely insane, unfortunately. Looks like we have a power-hungry mutant to deal with, and I personally do not like this one bit, Boris answered, less amused now.

• Sooo, nothing out of the ordinary then. Good, you got me worried for a second, Dima quipped.

Boris scoffed and slid his blade one last time. They had been lucky this time, but it would not happen again. Chernobog had been arrogant, but now he knew that Boris could not be bargained with.