Chapter CXXII: Running for the Hills to Live Another Day

 Gloomy morning crept over the Generators area. The central generator, worn by the fang of time, still pulsed with the same energies that had caused numerous emissions. Yet it was weaker than before, the gigantic machine below it still recovering from the catastrophic outburst of energy it released month ago. The whole area emanated an athmosphere of despair, with the local flora runtish and feeble, grass almost the colour of dirt, the trees devoid of leaves and the bushes stunted and pitiful. The grey, thick clouds dominated the sky, barely allowing a single sunray to pass. Among the decimated landscape, mutants prowled and hunted each other, large pseudogiants devouring unlucky lurkers or pseudodogs before being mentally dominated in turn by controllers which used them for their personal amusement to fight other pseudogiants.

All this was captured in the lenses of binoculars held by Mark Garlic, one of the best hunters in the Zone. More than a month ago, he and his friend Anton Anomaly had been caught in the great emission that ravaged this land, but had been saved by a lone stalker that lived in these parts. Immune to the effects of emissions, the stalker had dragged the pair into his hut and slowly nursed them back to life over two to three weeks. Mark still bore some scars from the event, although those were but mere addition to his already impressive collection. Due to the long healing period, Mark was only now confident enough for a short recon trip.

The stalker, who called himself Tutor, had a base located in the area behind the Generators, known as North Hills mostly by Monolith, Sin and Belarussian military as well as those dozen or so stalkers who had stumbled upon the area. Still, some news travelled even there, and Redemption's journey had made its way to the Hills. Mark, knowing that there had to be a reason for this, was desperate to see his old allies, and had sneaked into the area to do so. Now, perched on the hill overlooking the War Lab complex, he waited. He was not sure how the stalkers of crimson and black had made their way here, but he would help them fight their way out. It felt good to be out once more, out from the old church surrounded by vast plains and hillsides that had served as his hospital over the past month. And soon, he'd see some action once more, he mused, as he adjusted his scope on a Monolith soldier standing inside a watchtower.

Inside the secret laboratory, situation was not quite as serene. The destruction of the space anomaly had caused a moment of great rejoice as the squad trapped there finally managed to get out. Embraces, handshakes and pats on the backs and shoulders were exchanged by everyone, especially Dimuha, Psoglav and Dr. Zakarov, and even Captain Orlov, despite his Dutyer status, was greeted warmly by the men of Redemption. Boris, having overcome the first wave of emotion, finally spoke to the entire assortment gathered there:

• I have absolutely no idea how you madmen made it here, but I must admit, throughout my stay in the Zone I have never felt so much pride for the community we built. You managed the impossible, and this only further proves that our cause is just! We have made heroes out of outcasts and villains. Thank you, all of you, from the bottom of my heart, the Redemption leader spoke, with the warmest smile any of them had seen so far on his face.

• Sincerely from me as well, we were losing hope in there. Nothing drains you faster than a void of nothingness, Sanyok added.

• Nothingness... And Dima's goddamn puns, Vityukha joked, and the crowd chuckled.

• And that is the most cruel and unusual punishment a man has to suffer, Orlov commented as well.

• I have tried to keep you all sane through my excellent linguistic abilities and this is all the thanks I get? Truly, artists of my magnitude never receive the praise they should in their time!, Dima protested in a theatrical voice that conveyed him being deeply hurt.

• Shut up, I brought you a cigar, Dimuha said with a grin and gave Dima one of his rare Cubans, which the Redemption captain snatched quicker than an eye could track.

As Dima had been pacified through a cunning use of nicotine and tobacco, Boris turned to look at the two mercenaries standing at the edge of the room and shaking their hands as well.

• Dushman sent somebody to save us as well? What's this, the old bastard grew a heart?, he prodded, and Dimka coughed ankwardly.

• Uh no... We were exploring lab X-9 when those subordinates of yours barged in and told us to come with them if we wanted to live. Between getting a bullet then or later, we chose later. Although right now it seems you guys are completely fine with sitting behind Monolith lines, chatting away like grandmothers, the mercenary commented.

• Ouch, you'd be chatting away too if all you had for four months were three people and a Dutyer. But fair point. Dimuha, how the fuck do we get out of this place?, Boris asked, turning to his friend.

• Uh... Good question, glad you asked. I believe the right term for it is that we're going to wing it, Dimuha replied hesitantly.

• WHAT? You putas dragged us all the way here on a whim, and then did not even take a moment to plan an escape route? Madre de dios, what fucking amateurs are these?, Sevka exclaimed angrily.

• Listen, warhound, you can either shut up or be put down, so choose for yourself. Zakarov had an idea anyway, Dimuha growled at the mercenary, who placed his hand on his weapon but backed down as everyone else but Dimka raised their weapons in turn.

• Fine. But if we get ambushed and rolled over, I'll make damn sure to put a bullet in your head before we die, Sevka hissed at Dimuha.

• Gentlemen, if you have all proved your masculinity now, I do have a plan. As far as we know, the laboratory itself is empty..., Zakarov begun, but was cut off by Boris.

• Actually, Oleg, it isn't. The lower floor is crawling with Monolith and Sin, we lost Micha there. The Monolith... They have managed to restart the C-Conciousness program.

As soon as these words left his mouth, the room temperature seemed to drop a dozen degrees and it was as if all the air had been sucked out of it. Zakarov turned pale as a sheet, Redemption soldiers either mourned for Micha or looked hesitantly at each other. The two mercenaries, Dimka and Sevka, looked more confused than disturbed. Dimuha and Dima seemed to hold a conversation over stares alone. Finally, Zakarov collected himself and spoke out:

• How? All the original scientists were dead, Strelok made sure of it. We even sent a SSU squad to verify it. Who are manning it?

• I do not know. I only saw one at a glimpse before Chernobog brought the space anomaly down on us. But we did theorize it a bit in the void. We believe they must be scientists who originally maintained the machines, Group members who survived the original raid by Strelok. They must have taught themselves successors. Would make sense how the Sin managed to use the emission machine and why mutant numbers have grown out of proportion, Boris explained.

• Can we blow them up?, Dimuha asked.

• No. Look, the entrance has been blown up. There must be another route there, but I don't think we have the time to look for it. Besides, I doubt you guys have that much explosives on you, the door to the chamber is thicker than Dima. All we can do now is flee and live to fight another day.

• I see. Well, I agree. We lack the means to do any damage to them right now, as this was strictly a rescue operation, Dimuha sighed.

• In that case, Doctor, how do we get out?, Dima asked.

• Yes... Our drones located a spot where we could possibly get a helicopter to come pick us up from. This was spotted as we were mapping out the areas that are now accessible thanks to the Third Emission. The area is mostly uncharted, but there is a lot of open space for landings. We need to first get out of this wretched place and find a route to that place east of here, but it is better than, ahem, "winging it", the ecologist said, giving a sly smile to Dimuha who scoffed.

• Even the scientists are just making shit up as they go, Sevka muttered to Dimka.

• Well, that is a plan at least. Let's get out of here, now, Boris commanded, and Redemption followed.

The small army of stalkers burst out of the War Lab complex weapons drawn and prepared for fierce combat. What awaited them was a Monolith squad hiding behind cover, pinned down from sniper fire raining down on them at rapid pace. The fanatics barely managed to shout their usual warcries when the weapons of Redemption boomed, and a storm of lead tore down on the vehicles and concrete fences the zealots had hid behind. Bullets wrecked the defenders, but it was clear that time was of the essence. Down from the bunker, alert signals begun to ring, and the sound of military boots and monotone commands rose from the depths.

• Men, get ready. We might need to fight our way out of here, Dima ordered.

• Or you could follow me and get out of here with your hides intact, a voice said, and Dima turned around, pointing his Val at the source.

It was Mark Garlic, dressed in his usual CBRN-suit, with a heavily modernized SVDS hanging on his back, still smoking from the rapid fire it had just spewed out. The free stalker seemed as calm, collected and taciturn as ever, but something in his eyes betrayed a small amount of relief.

• Mark! We thought you and Anton died! How the hell are you still alive?, Boris exclaimed, happy to see the hunter.

• Good to see you guys too, for once. But there is little time to explain, you stirred up a hornet's nest. Follow me, there is a gate not far from here that leads us out of here. Move!, the stalker commanded, and without hesitation, the men followed.

They passed by the minefield quickly, leaving the facility and its fanatical defenders behind. Boris gave it one last glance, vowing in his mind to return and dismantle the place stone by stone if the Zone would allow. It had stolen him a month of his life, and now housed a force so dangerous it could not be allowed to live. One day. But now, it was more important to survive. They raced across the twisted landscape, avoiding cracks in the ground and dodging dangerous and unpredictable anomalies. In the hill ahead, the most dangerous anomaly field the Zone had ever seen glimmered, the aptly named Meat Grinder. A pseudogiant corpse had been captured by the wall of gravitational anomalies, and now it was horribly torn and stretched across the entire field. It triggered chemical, thermal, electric and gravitational anomalies as it went, and the spectacle was almost mesmerizing.

Boris thanked his maker that they did not have to step a foot into that death trap, nothing could survive in there except maybe for Guide. Mark led them past the anomaly field, and a collective sigh of relief was released by the entire group. Among the many trees and bushes encircling the Generators area, a small barrier came to view. Next to it was a small guard post, with a body still left inside, dressed in a suit with red, green and white dots on it. At the corner of his eye, Boris could see the two mercenaries grow pale at the sight, but as he turned to look at them they had seemingly returned to normal. The suit of the corpse reminded him of the ones seen in Limansk months ago, but now was not the time to check its pockets.

• Here we are. Quickly, pass under the beam and head down the road. I'll plant a little surprise for our followers and catch up with you afterwards, Mark said and disappeared into the treeline.

The group continued down the dirt road into the woods, which reminded them of the Red Forest a bit too much. Still, the reunion still warmed their minds, and Dimuha soon explained the things that Redemption had underwent during Boris' squad containment to Boris and Dima, with Psoglav filling in the gaps on the bandit war. Orlov immediately started bickering with Valik and Stepukha whether a Dutyer could kill a stray dog with less than 200 bullets or not, and Sanyok soon begun to discuss the ramifications of C-Conciousness reappearance. Vityukha praised Vova's actions during his time as Redemption's main medic and checked on Leva's head wound. Reefer and Toha kept an eye on the trees while the mercenaries whispered inaudible things to each other.

The woods grew darker and the road became more and more overgrown. Dimuha was just explaining the rise of Shishak when a roar came from the forest and shook everyone up. Two figures appeared out of nowhere and reached for the group with extended claws, only repelled by a panicked burst of fire from Toha's pistol. The column of stalkers turned into chaos as everyone begun to fire at the trees and bushes. The distinct breathing of the mutants echoed from the flora, and suddenly a dark-skinned creature tackled Boris down despite his Nosorog. Boris could see the disgusting tentacles of the monster reach for his throat, saliva dripping down on his suit. For a mere second, the Redemption leader accepted his fate, but a bullet came from the bushes and struck the mutant into the head.

The beast collapsed on top of Boris, but Sanyok and Dima managed to move the mutant out of the way. Orlov struck the other bloodsucker into its throat with a knife as the beast tried to bypass him and go for Valik. The monstrous creature died on the spot, and Orlov gave Valik a triumphant grin. Boris looked up to the person who had shot the abomination. A figure emerged from the bushes, dressed in a worn and damaged trenchcoat, with a butchered SEVA suit underneath it. The man had a distinct, greyish-white eyes, a series of old wounds on his face and short stubble. In different situation, Boris might've taken him for a Sinner. His suppressed VSS rifle let out a thin line of smoke towards the sky, as the man spoke:

• Welcome to North Hills, Redemption. We have been waiting for your arrival.