Dr. Creepen's Dungeon - S3 Ep113: Episode 113: The Chernobyl Diaries

Episode Date: February 15, 2023

Banish Dry January with a free case of exceptional beers from my good friends at Beer52! Simply go to www.beer52.com/CREEP and cover the meager postage cost of £5.95 to claim your free case now. Today’s fantastic offering is ‘Journal of a Spetsnaz Commando: In the Ruins of Chernobyl’, an original work by White Tigerr, kindly shared directly with me for the express purpose of having me exclusively narrate it here for you all. https://www.reddit.com/user/White_Tigerr/

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please contact Connix Ontario at 1866-531-2600 to speak to an advisor free of charge. BetMGM operates pursuant to an operating agreement with Eye Gaming Ontario. Welcome to Dr. Creepin's dungeon. The truth doesn't care about our needs or wants. Doesn't care about our governments or our ideologies or our religions. It will lie and wait for all time. And this at last is the gift of Chernobyl. June 18th, 1987.

This journal was given to me by one of my friends a while ago and I didn't get a chance to write in it. until now. I've tried to make entries as often as I can. To begin, my name is Nikolai Smyrano. I'm a sergeant in the Spetsnots or Soviet Special Forces, though my specific unit is classified. If I were to write too much in this journal and it was discovered, I have no doubts that I would be severely punished. I can't say much of my previous missions because they too are also classified, but our missions are mostly abroad in places like the Middle East and Central Europe. Currently we are stationed in northern Ukraine, though that is likely going to change soon.

As I sit in my cart writing this, the rest of the soldiers in our company are packing up and preparing for redeployments. Although the higher ranks have seemed quite agitated for the past few days, the rest of us are still in the dark as to where we're going. my friend roman says he's heard we're going to be briefed on the nature of our mission tomorrow i'm going to have to stop here someone's calling me june 19th 1987 early this morning we finally finished packing everything and our convoy began traveling west towards the end of the day we stopped and made camp for the night we were told that our destination was only an hour away and we would set off first thing in the morning. We were also told where we were going and why. Tomorrow we will be in Pripyat and then we will head on to our final destination, the ruins of the Chernobyl nuclear power plants. They say that our mission is to recover important documents that in the haste to evacuate were left behind by scientists at the plant. Once it started to get dark,

we set up our tents and started some campfires. The fact that we're going to Chernobyl certainly explains why we haven't stopped at any sort of town to rest instead of camping out in the wilderness. Anton was complaining, as we set up our tents, that it seems ridiculous that they needed this many men to retrieve classified information within our own borders. How important are those damn papers? I can't think of any that would be worth sending an entire company to retrieve. Special forces at that. This hadn't occurred to me. now that I think about it, and does seem rather odd.

It certainly doesn't seem like this many men would be needed, loaded with so much combat equipment, simply to retrieve some documents. At any rate, that's probably not the full story. But it's not likely that we'll be told anything else. Besides, in the Soviet Union, asking the wrong questions can land you in a world of trouble. Leonid, our squad leader,

overheard Anton's complaining, replied, your job is to follow orders, not question them. Now get the rest of these tents set up. I guess even though it seems odd, Chernobyl itself is certainly odd. After the meltdown of the nuclear plant, the plant and the area of land hundreds of miles wide was evacuated. Checkpoints were set up around the newly irradiated land to prevent anyone from going back in. After the tents have been set up, the rest of my squad and I sat around the fight. and talk for a while before turning in for the night. I suppose now is as good a time as any

to introduce the members of my squad. Leonid, a tall imposing man with cunning to spare, is our leader and the lieutenant. There's also Romano, tall lanky and piercing green eyes. He's my closest friend of the bunch. Then there's Yuri, who has fiery red hair and he, that he covers up with a cap or a helmet whenever he can. terrible camouflage he says

Anton a short stocky fellow who's often too outspoken for his own goods Mikhail Quiet soft-spoken rookie who was only recently assigned to Ascot And myself I would talk about them more but I think it's going to have to do with this evening I'm getting tired

Almost everyone else is already asleep June 20th 1987 Early this morning we packed up set out for Pripyat, passing through several checkpoints on the way. As we made our way through the checkpoints, each more heavily guarded than the last, I was surprised at the speed at which we were allowed to pass through. Roman, Mikhail and I all expected getting through the security forces around Chernobyl

to take out most of the morning, especially since we made a point of avoiding any people on the way here and hadn't even been told where we were going until we were almost there already. clearly there's more going on than we're being told but we act as if we don't know that since the secret police are far deadlier than any dangers I've ever faced when we got to the last checkpoint before we could continue into Pripyat we were outfitted with heavy radiation protection suits gas masks and a bottle of anti-radiation pills

to keep ourselves safe from radiation exposure as we suited up I overheard one of the guards who was bringing us of the equipment, complaining to his comrade, saying something about how, at the rate we were coming, they would run out of supplies for themselves. I waited for his friends to leave, and I stopped him. When I explained how I'd overheard him talking and asked what he meant, he jumped and turned to face me, eyeing me suspiciously. He looked awful. There were dark circles under his eyes, and he looked as if he hadn't slept in days. He turned to make sure that nobody else was listening, and he pulled me off to the side out of the earshot of anyone else. He said,

you are not the first group to come through here, you know. In fact, you're the fifth in the last two months. Yours is definitely the largest so far, though. Puzzled, I asked him. Did any of them tell you why they came? After all, they could have been research team studying the effect of the Chernobyl radiation. After a disaster of this size, it would be important to know what effects the radiation would have on the surrounding wildlife and people who were nearby.

He sighed and then said, Let me guess. You're here to get data that the scientists left behind because of the evacuation. Important, classified. Blah, blah, blah. Then, that's what they were here for, too, I asked, surprised.

He nodded grimly. Let me tell you something else. Of all four groups that came before you, none of them ever came back out. Before I could say anything else, he turned and headed back towards the guardhouse. Take care of yourself, Comrade, he called over his shoulder. Suddenly, Romain walked up behind me. You ready to go? he asked. Um, yeah, I think so, I replied.

What were you talking to that guy about? "'You look like you'd seen a ghost,' he said, frowning. "'I,' I started, then noticed Leonid staring at me. "'I wasn't sure if he could hear us, but I decided it wasn't worth the risk. "'I'll tell you later,' I said. "'I think we're moving out, anyway.' Right on cue, the truck's engine started up again, and soldiers started climbing in the back.

Later that morning we arrived at the outskirts of Pripyat, and pause briefly before driving deeper into the abandoned city. The whole ride was absolutely surreal. As I sat in the back of one of the trucks, looking out of the back, I marveled at the way nature had already begun to reclaim the city. The utter silence, aside from the sound of the trucks making their way through the desolate streets,

was unmered. I looked back to the inside of the truck of my squad mates. Roman was asleep, as were Yuri and Anton. Mikhail was still. staring out at the skyline of Pripyat, fixated on the crumbling building surrounding us. Leonard just sat there with an expression of indifference. I wonder if he heard that guard at the checkpoint talking to me. I really hope he didn't.

We'd both be in trouble, the guard for revealing sensitive information, and me for not reporting him. June 23rd, 1987. A lot has happened since my last entry. We made it to the heart of Pripyat and set up a more permanent base camp where we'll stay until our mission is accomplished. Tents were set up in an intersection clear of abandoned cars, but others, mostly offices, took up residence in some of the more intact buildings. Some of us were tasked with clearing out the building to make them livable, myself included. It took a long time, and by the time we were done, the sun was already starting to send.

cleaning out the buildings was more depressing than anything else really it was sad to think of all those people that were forced to leave with whatever they could carry thinking they'd be gone for a few days at most of course that wasn't the case could go on and on about all the things we found photos of loved ones children's toys that sort of thing but well that isn't the worst of it it's got me thinking the nuclear meltdown did this much damage I can't imagine the destruction of nuclear war with the Americans could cause. I don't think I ever really thought about that before. There's something else.

The further we've gotten into Chernobyl, the more uneasy I felt. Not just because of the atmosphere of this place, but something else. I feel like we are being watched. Nothing bad has happened to us, of course, but something feels off. I do know that there's almost certainly more to this mission than we're being told. What that is, I don't know. It doesn't have anything to do with what that guard told me, and that, well, he was just messing with me.

I guess we'll have to see. Nothing much else has happened. Romanne, Yuri and myself play cards all afternoon, while Leonid was meeting with the other offices in the apartment complex they're using as a command centre. I haven't seen Mikhail all day though When we woke up His cot was empty and his boots and rifle were gone

Well I'm about to turn in for the night And he still hasn't come back I think I'll ask Leonid about it in the morning June 25th 1987 It's been two days And we still haven't found Mikhail When I told Leonid about it in the morning

He had asked another squad to search the camp for him There's no sense sign of him anywhere. Yesterday they started sending out patrols every hour, each going further away from the camp in hoax of finding him. So far, they found nothing. I can't imagine why he would wander off, or how he could have gotten lost. The commander says he'll give it another day, and then he's giving up. He says we need those patrols out looking for a safe way through the pockets of high radiation surrounding the plants. That's what's kept us from getting this mission done, and getting out of it.

Apparently the higher-ups didn't think that the radiation around the plant would be in concentrated pockets, so much so that a couple of meters could be the difference between an irradiated suit and dying 30 days later from radiation poisoning. This mission is going to take a lot longer than we thought. June 26, 1987. Things around here have taken a turn for the worse. One of the patrols that was sent out vanished. When they didn't come back to space on time, another five-man patrol was sent out to look for them.

Of those five men that were sent out to look, only two came back. An hour after they left, they were spotted a block away, running back towards the camp. Both were visibly shaken, and one of them was crying. When one of the officers asked them where the rest of their squad was, the man who was crying just sobbed even harder, and his friend just stood there with a horrified. expression on his face, not saying a word. Neither of them would talk. This in itself was to put the whole camp on edge and it only got worse when both of them committed suicide soon after. The crying

man was the only one who ever spoke with anyone and the only thing that they were able to get out of him was that everyone else in his squad was dead. When they tried to get him to tell them how they'd being killed. He fell silent, started to say something, and stood up with his pistol, walked out of the tent. They followed him out and found him sprawled on the ground with a bullet in the side of his head. But what I do know is that there's something out there that horrified those men so much that they took their own lives because of it. I can only hope that my squad and I will fare better. When Leon is not around, Anton has talked about deserting. I don't know what the hell is going on here, but I don't like it.

I take one of these trucks and get out while I still could, if it weren't for the security around this place. They'd never let any of us leave this place alive once they found out that we ran off. Yerty nodded. That's the problem, isn't it? We stuck here until we finish this mission, or everything goes to hell. and I don't know about you guys but I'm sure there's a whole lot more to it

than they're telling us no one spoke for a while finally Romanne broke the silence well I'm going to get some sleep I have a feeling we're not going to get dressed for a while everyone mumbled agreement

shuffled off to their cards Romans right I think this is the last good night sleep anyone here is going to get for a while June 28th 1987. This is going to be a long entry. My hands are still shaking as I write this. I think it's morning, but I can't know for sure. The floor we're in as its windows boarded up, and we already barricaded the dogs. Everyone's nerves are shant, and our rations are probably going to

run out soon. Let me start at the beginning. Everything went to hell sometime around noon of yesterday. That morning we finally got underway and began the trip to the plant at around 0-600, with about half of us staying at the camp. It was cloudy, with dark storm clouds gathering on the horizon. The rest of us got our gear together and climbed into the convoy of trucks and armoured personnel carriers, waiting for us outside the camp. The first half of the ride was relatively uneventful. My squad rode in one of the APCs this time, one of the new models of BTR-80. It was buttoned up, so we had no view of the outside world as the eight-wheeled behemoth rumbled through the abandoned streets.

There's plenty of chatter on the radio, mostly just idle talk between vehicles. But inside ours, aside from the driver talking into his headset, there was only an awkward silence. Later on, it started to rain, and Leonid had Anton close the top hatch. We heard the tapping of raindrops on the roof of the BTR, become louder as the rain got heavier and heavier. After about a half hour, at least I think it was a half hour, I shifted uncomfortably in my seat and turned to Romain in an attempt to break the silence. Before I could even open my mouth, Leonid tensed up suddenly. I thought he was going to say something,

but when I looked at him, he was listening intently to his radio. It started out soft, and I strained to listen to whatever the person on the other end was saying. Whatever they were saying, it was mostly lost in the shouts in the background. I wondered what the commotion was about, and was about to ask when the words on the other end were drowned out in a burst of gunfire. Everyone in the vehicle turned towards the radio. On the radio, the sound of gunfire was becoming more intense, and the voice yelled to someone in the background.

Get the offices inside and put snipers on the rooftops. They must not breach the perimeter. We turned to each other, our eyes wide. My mind race. Who was attacking the camp? My first thought it was NATO or the Americans, but that seemed unlikely. My next thought was that it might be feral wildlife. It would have to be a fairly large group,

perhaps a pack of feral dogs, to cause such a commotion. My thoughts were interrupted by the sudden, worried talk between the rest of my squad. Quiet, roared Leonie. who turned to him in surprise. Laynett was by no means friendly, but he was usually unemotional and distant, using intimidation alone to get his way. Now he seemed worried and angry.

I could hear it in his voice. Whatever was going on, it was serious. At some point during all of this, the BTR must have stopped. What's the hold-up? Complained the driver, looking at the vehicle stopped in front of us. Might be an old bus blocking the,

the road or something, offered Yuri, distracted me. The driver frowned. This way is supposed to be clear, he muttered, shaking his head. I don't... Suddenly we all heard a lough crack of thunder followed by a long rumbling and vibrations we could feel through the floor of the BTR. This lasted maybe five seconds before it abruptly stopped, and we were left with nothing but the sound of the rain. The driver listened to his headset for a couple of minutes intently before turning to us. A building up ahead got hit by lightning. Apparently it set off propane tanks inside and brought part of it down. He's blocking the road, so we're waiting until the storm lets up to clear it.

Anton groaned. We're stuck here. The driver nodded. This is the only way that's not full of radioactive hotspots that we could find. We're just going to have to wait it out. I turned to Leonid, expecting him to say something to Anton, but he was still listening to the radio. I'd almost forgotten about it, and now, as I strained to hear what he was listening to, I could only hear static. I leaned closer, just as the static cut out and the sounds of gunfire filled the vehicle.

Everyone in the squad turned back to Leone's. He was too focused on the radio to pay attention to us, and I took a good look at him. He looked slightly pale. He was frowning and muttering to himself. I couldn't tell what he was saying, though. Romand nudged me and jolted me out of my thoughts. Do you hear that? He half whispered to me, his eyes wide.

I nodded uneasily. I'm sure they're fine. The gunfire is much less intense now. Sounds like they're just cleaning hells. Roman shook his head. Not that. He said. I listened closely, and with a chill,

I realized that, mixed in with the gunfire that lessened with each passing minutes, I could hear screaming. I can't write more now. I can hear them coming. June 29, 1987. Nothing much has changed since the last entry. We got through the day without incident, but if we can't find a way out of this place, it's only a matter of time until we're discussing.

discovered and overrun. Since today was mostly uneventful, I'll pick up from where I left off yesterday. For a while, nothing really happened. The gunfire gradually faded away, and the screams died out shortly after. Leonard took a deep, shaky breath and switched the radio off. The storm was still going strong, and for a long time no one said a word. Then Anton spoke up. "'So what in the hell was that?' "'Leynard regained some of his composure and said, "'I don't know, but I'm sure we'll find out when we get back to camp. "'We're not going back until we get the intel we need from the plans.'

"'Bullshit,' snarled Anton. "'I don't think you're high up enough to know everything, "'but you know something, and whatever it is, you could get all of us killed.' "'Anton was going too far. privately i agreed with him but he wasn't going to accomplish anything except make leonid angry leonid glared at anton you risk death on a regular basis this isn't any different now if you know what's good for you you'll shut up and stop asking stupid questions he replied coldly the hell it isn't yelled anton we don't even know what we're up against i open my mouth to tell anton to calm down before he got into the serious trouble. But before I could, Leonid whirl around to face me. Don't you dare say a word, he hissed. I know all about your little talk back at the checkpoint. If you don't want to end up

like he did, you'll keep your mouth shut. My heart jumped, and I fought down a surge of panic. He had heard us after all. I thought about asking what had happened to the guard, but deep down, I think I already knew the answer. Everyone else turned to me curiously, but thankfully they were distracted by Anton as he started yelling at Leonid again. He kept at it, and Yuri, Roman and I watched,

not saying anything. The driver was too focused on the top between the rest of the vehicles in the convoy to pay attention to the screaming match in the back, and he did his best to ignore us. They argued back and forth for what seemed like ours,

until Leonid yelled, Shut, Anton growled. Make me, you son of him. Leonid slipped his submachine gun off his shoulder, and Anton slammed his mouth shut. Nobody moved. Then, to everyone's surprise, he walked past Anton and looked up with the hatch.

Listen, he hissed. We all listened, and now I realized that, mixed him with the sounds of the storm, I could hear shouting and burst of gunfire. Laynett reached for the latch, but before he could open the hatch, the driver spoke up. So, orders from Captain Petrov. All personnel are to stay inside their vehicles. ACPs stay buttoned up and don't let anyone in, no matter what. Sit it out until he gives the all clear.

Laynett wavered at the hatch, then walk back to his seat. Anton burst out. See, we... Leonid cut him off. Once we were given the all-clear, I'll tell you what I know. If I hear one more word from you before then, I'll shoot your knee-caps off. Anton opened his mouth to protest, and Leonid flicked the safety off of his gun. Anton nodded and took a deep breath, trying to control his temper. For a while, the gunfire and shouts only got louder, though we couldn't hear them over the storm.

Over time the bursts of gunfire dwindled and became increasingly sporadic. The shouting gradually grew more panicked in tone and was mixed with piercing screams. At one point we could feel someone pull themselves onto the top of the BTR and start banging on the hatch, screaming and begging for us to let them in. Nonymous moved, partially out of fear of Leonid and partially for fear of whatever was outside. The screams from above were cut off abruptly with a wet thud, and something slid off the roof and hit the pavement. After work felt like an eternity, the sounds outside stopped, and the storm let up.

It sounded like the torrent of rain had turned into a light drizzle, and the thunder had almost completely stopped. By this point everyone was on edge. I felt relief wash over me, as the driver turned and said, All clear. Proceed with caution. Leonard strode to the hatch with his gun in hand and opened the top. He peered outside tentatively before climbing up the ladder, stopping when his whole upper body was outside the hatch.

Anton started to get up, but Yuri yanked him down into his seat. Are you crazy? Wait until he's ready to tell us. Are you trying to get shot? Anton muttered. He said he'd say he'd, say after they gave the all clear. He better not try and go back on the promise. And what will you do if he does? Beat it out of him? If he doesn't want to tell us anything, we can't make him, whispered Roman. I nodded. We want to know what's going on too, but if you can't keep your mouth shut, you'll never tell us anything. Anton glared at me.

And what do you plan to do? Master your death like a good little. little soldier. Do you think whatever's out there won't come after us if we're on our best behaviour? Roman countered. You'll get killed a lot quicker if Leonid hears you. Anton snorted. Oh, please. He's still sounding outside the hatch. No leaves dropping on us. I turned to Leonid. You still perched on the ladder, with only his waist and legs visible. While the others continued to argue in whispers, I got up and walked over to Leonit. sir what's going on up there i asked i waited no response i tried again sir what's the matter i asked still nothing i nudged him trying to get his attention instead his foot slipped off the rung and he tumbled down face first onto the floor my heart skipped a beat

I leaned down and turned him over. Sir, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to. Then I stopped. Lenid was dead. His gas mask was gone, and what was left on his chewed and gouged head was no longer a face. A lot of what happened after was a blur. We searched the line of vehicles in the convoy. The troops in the BTRs were protected well enough,

but the men in the trucks weren't so lucky. The cloth covering the backs of the trucks was torn to shred and their occupants had been horribly mutilated. Shell cases were scattered all over the place but few traces of whatever had attacked. All we found were puddles of a viscous, pale green substance. No bodies except for those of our men,

at least what was left of them, were ever found. Some of the bodies were missing arms and legs, others had been decapitated. Once we counted the dead, we realised some of the men had disappeared entirely. I was surprised nobody deserted on the spot when we were told we were proceeding with the mission. But then, it wasn't like we had a choice. Even if we weren't shot for treason, where would we go? None of us really know what was killing off our comrades. The officers are keeping silent

and anyone who saw anything that day didn't live to talk about it. Only Leonid was able to tell us anything and those secrets died with him. I was promoted to Sergeant and put in charge of my squad in place of Leonid. We used the BTR's main guns to blast away the rubble blocking the road

but by this time the sun had sent. After gathering all the equipment we could carry We loaded it onto the three BTRs in the best condition And drove until we were within sight of the power plant Everyone unpacked and holed up in one of the abandoned buildings We chose one with three stories and set up camp on the second and third We parked each BTR on a different side of the building in case we needed to make a run for it We did a quick headcount

We're down to 29 men now and after we set watchmen most of us were fast asleep. When we woke up, well, that's when I started writing the entry before this one. Not one of us has left this place since. The men can hear something, perhaps several somethings moving around downstairs. Hopefully, whatever it is,

will give up and go away so we can get this mission done and get out of this godforsaken housecape. I guess we'll see what tomorrow brings. June 30th, 1987. We made a break for it today. The men pried the boards from the second floor windows

and everyone got their gear together. Captain Petrov split us up into three groups. Our group was my squad, our group was my squad, our driver Sergei, and another squad that was also down to four men. On Petrov's signal, all three groups rappel down at once.

As soon as we hit the ground, it was a mad dash for the BTRs. Everyone in our group made it inside and locked the hatches behind them. Sergei hurried to his seat and started the engine. He turned onto the road and fell in line between the two other APCs. After about 15 minutes, the captain's voice crackled on the radio. Sound off. BTR 1, secure. Sergei leaned forward, saying,

BTR2, secure. Another voice, which I assume was the driver of the third BTR said, We've got everyone, but another voice in the background yelled, Hold him down, followed by the sounds of a scuffle, muffled shouting. The driver continued. There was a feral dog, I think. It attacked one of the men. It must have had rabies or something because another man's voice interrupted. This isn't rabies. Rabies doesn't do this to people.

Followed by a loud thud in a howl of pain. Get him off me. Get him off! Someone screamed. A violent struggle could be heard, followed by a pair of gunshots. BTR3. What is your status? Captain Petrov asked. There was a moment of silence. Then the driver spoke, his voice shaking.

BTR 3. secure two men KIA the captain didn't miss a beat dispose of the bodies I don't want anyone else

contracting whatever that dog had yes sir the driver replied not long after we finally reached the plant the fence topped with barbed wire and covered with signs

promising a painful death that anyone who tried to enter without authorization was crushed underneath the BTR's massive wheels. We drove up to one of the entrances, parking along the cooling pond that had once supplied the pond with water to cool the reactors. Everyone piled out, including two of the drivers, who looked less than happy at the prospect of being out in the open again. Captain Petrov

paced back and forth in front of us, seemingly lost in thought. All right, he said, turning to us. I want the perimeter secure before sundown, split up by squad. he paused then added and no one is to enter any of the buildings unless i order you to let's get moving despite the apprehension everyone felt soon became clear that this was probably the safest place to be although it was the heart of the exclusion zone the site was devoid of wildlife and the fences ensured nothing could wander in our patrol was mostly uneventful i had orders from my squad to repair the fence but the poles had been snapped off where they were buried in the concrete. All of us spread out and looked for something to block it instead. Sergei found a truck that still had gas and found the keys in the ignition. He started the engine, put the truck in reverse and promptly crashed into a guardhouse,

crushing the flimsy wood structure and puncturing one of the tires. The rest of us were shaking with laughter. As an annoyed and red-faced Sergei back the truck into the gap in the fence. It occurred to me, I couldn't remember the last time I'd laughed, or even felt particularly cheerful. I should have known it was too good to last. We trooped back to where we'd parked, found the rest of the men already there. All of them seemed distracted, and once I got closer I could see why.

The third BTR and its driver had vanished. Petrov was furious. He ordered a sweep of the compound, but we found nothing. nobody really expected to he's a coward but stupid enough to hang around after deserting some of the men broke into the plant and set up camp in some of the rooms the rest including myself are crammed into the last two btriks this mission just keeps getting better and better july first nineteen eighty seven at long last we finally got into the plant everyone went in with us this time so nobody could run off the plant was normal enough at first and as we got further inside we used the lights on our guns

well not everyone roman and three others had flamethrowers that someone found stashed in the back of one of the BTOs rather than have us fan out and search the park Petrov led the way deeper and deeper into the complex everyone trailing behind it He clearly knew exactly where we were going. Eventually we came to a halt in front of a massive elevator.

Surprisingly, when you pressed the button, the door slid open. Then they shuddered and stopped. It took six of us just to force one of the doors all the way open. We all piled in. Petrov pressed the button for sub-basement four, which was the lowest floor available. The doors slid shut. Romanne muttered The hell did they need this big of an elevator for

Heavy machinery maybe I replied Romain shrugged Could be whatever it was I bet it's above our pay great Just then the elevator came to a shuddering halt And the doors opened We trooped out and emerged

In a long corridor that in the darkness Seemed to stretch on forever My gun's light caught something on the wall next to me I walked over to it and saw that it was a switch labelled emergency power. I pulled it down and, to my surprise, the lights flickered and turned on. Petrov turned to me and nodded in approval. Goodfired, Nicolai.

They must have installed a backup generator. Everyone turned off their flashlights. You turned to address the whole group. Anything you encountered down here is extremely classified. If you so much as breathe at it, word of it to anyone, you will be disciplined. Everyone knew what that meant. In each of the rooms, you will ensure its contents are secure. Do not, under any circumstances, enter any of the rooms, unless told to do so. As we marched down the hall, Anton said, under his breath,

What the hell is going on in this place? Yuri sighed. At this point, I don't think anything would surprise me. We came upon sets of heavy steel doors that ran along the sides of the hallway, each with a viewing slot that slid open to reveal the contents of the room beyond. But Petrov's orders, each man went to a door. I stood next to one of the men as he slid the viewing slot on the first door open. I saw his eyes widened in shock before a long, whip-like appendage lashed out and punched through his visor. Blood spattered all. over the floor and walls, and he was pulled forward and slammed against the door. He yelled and struggled, but couldn't pull himself away.

Romand shoved past me and jammed the nozzle of the flamethrower into the slot in the door. He pulled the trigger, and a piercing, eerie shriek came from the room before abruptly falling silence. The man's face was released, and he slumped to the floor, cautiously appeared through the slings. The room was made of concrete It was empty save with the smoking charred remains Of something that, while burned beyond recognition, It clearly not been human. I slid the viewing slot shut shut,

turned to see Roman examining the unfortunate soldier. He shook his head. He's dead. I looked and almost threw up. He was a mess. The visor had shattered, with fragments embedding in his face. He had both eyes gouged out, and his face and neck were covered in bruises and punctures.

The whole hall was silent from him. Then Petrov spoke up. Looked from the side of the slot, not directly in front of it. Have someone cover you when you open the slot. Anton looked mutinous. That's all he's going to say. He snarled under his breath. He shot him a warning look, and he shut up.

Slowly, numbly, the rest of the men turned to the doors. I grabbed the viewing slot on the next door and looked to Romain, who had his gun trained on the door. He nodded, and I slowly opened the slots. Romance squinted at the opening and confusion. It's empty, he said. I glanced through the slot and saw he was right. The room was bare, except for hundreds of scratches.

that look suspiciously like claw marks. I tried to tell Petrov, but suddenly my voice was drowned out by a cacophony of screeches and whales from the rooms around us as the creatures inside were burned alive. When the awful noise had died down, everyone moved on to doors further down the hall,

I told Petrov about the room. He scowled and peered through the slots. All right, take your squad and clear the room, and be careful. I nodded. and called Anton and Yuri over. Roman and Yuri and I trained our guns on the door as Anton placed a small explosive charge on the latch.

He backed away and, on the count of three, pressed the detonator. It's of concrete went everywhere, and Anton slammed into the door twice, three times before the door swung inward and his momentum carried him into the centre of the room. He regained his balance and scanned the corners. Nothing here, declared.

looking relieved. Just then, something dropped from the ceiling and landed squarely on top of him. I charged into the room and body slammed the thing, knocking it into the wall. I looked up to see a man, at least something that had at one point been a man, scramble halfway up the wall before turning his head a full 180 degrees to look at me, hissed, revealing a mouth filled with uneven yellow teeth as sharp as knives. scrambled up the wall and across the ceiling before dropping down into the hallway, flexing fingers that sported short, curved claws.

Oh, no, you don't, roared Yuri, throwing himself at the creature and pinning it to the ground. I raised my gun, but Anton beat me to it, pulling himself up and putting a bullet in the thing's forehead. Its whole body stiffened, twitched once, it was still, a luminous yellow fluid seeped from the wound. "'Oh, Jesus,' said Yuri, as he pulled himself off of the body. I leaned closer, and fell sick to my stomach.

The flesh on the fingers and toes had been worn away to the bone, which had been honed into points. It was wearing a tattooed orange jumpsuit that was stained with blood. Behind me, I heard a dull thartant, to see Anton sprawled on the floor. I landed on my leg funny, he said, wincing as he tried to get up. All right.

Take it easy. I'll get a medic, I replied, stepping over the body of the creature and out into the hall. Most of the rooms were clear, and most soldiers were just standing around awkwardly while the last few rooms were taken care of. I found a medic, and soon Anton

had his leg in a splint and hobbled out of the room, using his rifle as a crutch. Petrov spotted him and jogged over. Frowning, he asked. Did something go out of him? No, sir, said Anton, sarcastically. This is exactly where I wanted to end up. I felt a strong urge to slap him,

but at the same time I couldn't help but smile. Don't worry, sir, I said. When he stops being a smart ass, that's when you'll know he's really hurt. Might be an improvement, said Petrov, scowling at Anton. At that moment, a man whom I recognise as one of the drivers walked up behind Petrov and tapped him on the shoulder. Sir, all the rooms are clear except the last one. The viewing slot is welded shut,

so we've got no idea what's in there. Petrov thought for a moment before reply. All right, round everyone up. Let's get this over with. He said something else after that, but I don't know what. I was too distracted to notice. I've gotten something, but What?

I tried to remember. As we gathered on both sides of the final door, I was still desperately trying to remember. I was jarred back to reality as the door was blasted out of his frame and fell forward onto the floor with a dull thud. I was squawed back away from the wall and positioned ourselves in the entrance, guns raised. As the dust settled, I felt my stomach dropped. Beyond the doorframe wasn't another room.

but a set of stairs that descended into darkness. The lights that lined the stairs were on, but extremely dim. Petrov glanced down the stairs before turning to us. Nigelai, your squad's got sentry duty. Make sure nothing gets up these stairs. Definitely don't go down there yourselves. The rest of you, come with me to the ground floor. We'll sweep the plant for any sensitive information.

After everyone else was in the elevator, After a later, Anton sat down in the hall with machine gun on his lap, eyeing the stairs wherever. The rest of us stayed where we were, squinting down the stairway into the inky darkly. After an hour or so, we were all much more relaxed. Anton had fallen asleep, and the rest of us sat talking idly, glancing at the stairs every so often to make sure nothing snuck up on us.

I took my Geiger counter off my belt and scanned the hall. The readout was 8.50 MSV. Not healthy by any means, but certainly not fatal. I aimed it at the stairs and it jumped to 1,100 MSV. Still not fatal, but if it was high at the entrance, it would probably get higher as one went down. Shouldn't the dosage be higher up here? I'm not complaining, but it's definitely weird, said Yuri as he peered over my shoulder. I shrunk.

Nothing good, that's for sure. A few hours later, peters. trove and the rest of the men returned. It was almost midnight and another squad took our place on sentry duty. That left my squad and three others, so we each took a different room. Say hello to your friend, Anton, I said as I dragged the corpse with a creature from earlier out of the room. Roman laughed. Very funny, snapped Anton as he crawled into his sleeping back. I walked back into the room and closed the steel door behind me, leaning Romance, flame-froar, instinct. But at very least, if something got into the room, it would wake us up. Later, as I curled up

in my sleeping bag, I remembered earlier. I thought that I was missing something, but what? I can wait, thought to myself as I started to doze off. Whatever the driver reminded me of couldn't be that important. Then it hit me. I sat up, scrambled to my feet and shook Ramon. awake. What is it? He said grogily, rubbing his eyes. Where's Sergei? I asked. Wasn't he with us? Romance's eyes widened. Yeah, he was, come to think of it. I haven't seen him since yesterday, but he couldn't have run off. We checked with the other squads, but we couldn't find him. None of them had seen him either. Whatever's happened to him, I don't think he's coming bad. And I don't think I were getting much sleep tonight. July 2nd, 1987. Screw it. Screw the whole

mission. We're getting the hell out of here while we still can. This morning Roman shook me awake. He looked as scared as I'd ever seen him. They're gone, he whispered. They're all fucking gone. What? I muttered, sitting up and rubbing my eyes. He shushed, going to wake the others. With any luck, whatever's downstairs while I'd notice. Head spinning, I rolled up my sleeping bag, slipped on my backpack and grabbed my gun. The man and I covered the door while Anton and Yuri packed up their gear.

What do you mean, everyone's gone? I whispered to Roma. Listen, he whispered. Yuri joined us at the door, and Anton holl over and leaned against the wall. We all stood still and listened. nothing it was quiet as the grey i don't hear anything said anton finally that's just it muttered romer maybe they're still asleep eerie said hopefully i glanced at my watch and my heart skipped a beat it was nearly mid-dney something was horribly wrong "'I don't think so,' I said. "'Keep your voice down,' Roman whispered.

"'I nodded. "'I opened the door and crept into the hall. "'It was deadly quiet. "'Let's check the other rooms,' I whispered as I edged down the hall. "'The others close behind me.' "'We searched the rest of the rooms, but there was no one. "'Sleeping backs, backpacks, and other gear were strewn around in the rooms "'where the other squads had been.

well I think we'll have to check downstairs I whispered we flipped on our tactical lights and edged towards the stairs now I wouldn't want to question orders but wouldn't it be better to go away

from the dark foreboding stairway muttered Anton I ignored him and began walking down the stairs why didn't they come after us whispered Yury I shrugged ours was the furthest room from the stairs but, well, I really don't know.

We finally reached the bottom of the stairs. I swung my lighter out. We were in what looked like a kind of control room, with monitors, surveillance equipment, and chairs lining the walls. At the end of the room was another even heavier metal door, which stood open. I walked the doorway and was half across the room when I stopped. A limp form was huddled in the door,

leaning against it. I took another step and heard clattering at my feet. I turned my light to the floor and saw a few shell casings at my feet. My heart pounding. I quickly scanned the floor and saw blood stains and more shell casings. Oh shit, whispered Yuri. As I looked round, I could see that the floor was almost literally carpeted with shell casings and blood. Every so often, my light would catch the outline of chunks of flesh.

and bodies, some human, some that were likely human or animal in origin, and their bodies were easing a viscous green fluid. I gingerly stepped over a gun with a severed hand still clutching the grip and looked up at the door. I shone my light on the body in the doorway. It was petrol. His gas mask layered his feet, the straps torn off. His suit was torn to shreds and one of his legs legs have been severed below the knee. We gathered at the door. For a moment, nobody moved or spoke. All right, I whispered.

Keep moving. Stay quiet. And... Without warning, Petrov shuddered, then jerkily pulled himself into a sitting position. We all jump back. I leaned down. Sir, I whispered before trailing off and falling silent.

His eyes shone on the light from our guns, not white, but a sickening yellow-green and devoid of pupils. He lunged at me, letting out a guttural howl. I swung the butt of my rifle and hit him square in the face. His head snapped back, and Yuri emptied a full clip into the thing that had been Petrov. He fell backwards into the floor, shrieking and convulsing. Raman swept a jet of flame over him. And I put round after round into his shuddering body until at last he was still. An awful snarl fixed on his face.

Anton fired into the darkness beyond the door. I wheeled round angrily, yelling. Petrot, it's dead. What? I stopped and slowly turned back towards the door. Howling and guttural cries rang in my ears. More glowing eyes appeared in the doorway, faint at first but growing ever closer as we watched. What are you waiting for?

Run! I screamed. We turned and fled. Across the room, back up the steps, through the hallway, into the elevator. No one looked back. We could hear them gaining on us. Anton was helped along by Yuri and I, but he was still forced to put weight on his leg as he jogged along, grimacing in pain.

Come on. growled Yuri, jamming the button. Behind us we heard the pounding of many footsteps from the stairs. The doors slowly slid open, and Yuri and Anton slipped through them. Then the door shut it and stopped. I squeezed through the doors and turned to see Roman, desperately trying to tear the flame thorough off himself, but his hands were shaking too much.

I can't get in, he yelled. I threw myself against one of the doors. and Yuri desperately tried to slide open the other. Anton leaned against the wall and fired over Romance's shoulder. The creatures that were once our comrades were hot on our heels. As Romand tried to force his way through the doors, the rest of us fired into the mob of monsters that forced their way down the hall. Bodies fell, some with too few or too many limbs,

others whose bodies look partially melted, some with freakishly elongated bodies and limbs, tall their heads grazed the ceiling, and countless other horrors I can't bring myself to describe. It wasn't enough. They kept coming, running, loping and crawling down the hall, making awful noises that made my hair stand on end as they echoed off the walls. At last, Romand stumbled through the doors, and I jammed the ground floor button. The door slid shut, and we listened to the thuds of the creatures throwing themselves against the doors and their howls of frustration as we

slowly ascended. All of us rushed out the doors as soon as they opened. All sense of caution abandoned. I rushed blindly through the corridors of the clarked, looking desperately for a way out. I don't know how long we ran through that maze of corridors. It might have been five minutes, maybe five hours, but eventually we made it outside. It was night, and our lights barely penetrated

the inky blackness. Everyone tried to catch their breath and process what we'd seen. Feeling slightly calmer, I said. Find the BTR. Stick together, don't let each other out of your sight. We're getting the hell out of you.

Everyone nodded, and we set out cautiously, our nerves once again on edge. And out-splash to our left, caused us to whirl around towards the source of the noise. Yuri fired around into the world, the darkness. Stop it, you idiot. It's me, came Anton's voice from around our feet. What happened? I asked, catching him in the light of my gun. He'd fallen into the cooling pond,

the water glittering in the light. It was a sickly bluish yellow colour and was no doubt incredibly radioactive. Anton frowned. I tripped over my rifle that I was using to support myself. Help me out, will you? there was no railing only a gently sloping concrete ramp that disappeared into the depths of the pond i grabbed his hand and tried to pull him up but anton led his good lego slack and started writhing around splashing water everywhere stop screwing around let's go i snarled grabbing both of his arms and trying to pull him up to his feet he was waist deep in the water still twisting and splashing around i can't He grunted.

My leg stuck on something. It won't budge. Yuri joined me, and we each grabbed one of his arms. Look, Anton, I don't have time for this. Get up and let's get moving before we attract unwanted attention. Anton frowned, angry. I told you. My leg.

Suddenly, he was pulled forward into the water, his head and torso going under. He thrashed around, desperate. his muffled screams barely audible above the water. Yuri and I held on as we were pulled forward, trying to make sure our feet didn't touch the waterline. A man grabbed onto his arm with Yuri, but it was no use. Yuri, use your gun, I yelled. Yuri grabbed his submachine gun and pointed it at the surface of the water

as it splashed and churned. What if I hid him? I don't... I cut him off. He's dead either way. Just do it. Yerry sprayed the water with bullets, and Raman and I fell backwards with Anton.

I watched as the pond rippled, something sank back into the depths. I turned back to Anton. He hadn't been underwater long enough to completely saturate his gas mask, and his suit wasn't torn, so he wasn't in any immediate danger. Unfortunately, his gun and pack were gone,

and after trying to help him up, it was evident that his good leg had been pulled out of his socket at the knee. leave me groaned anton i'll just slow you down no i said firmly we're not leaving anyone behind i expected him to argue but when i looked down at him he had passed out we made a makeshift stretcher out of the tent in yury's pack and carried anton while bromant took point after an hour or so of stumbling blindly through the dark we found one of the beaty arts the other one was gone god knows where but The other still parked, with the hatches unlocked and enough gas to get us out of Pripyat. Anton was still asleep, and Yuri soon followed suit. Raman and I stayed up and talked in hushed tones, unable to fall asleep. After a while, I thought of something that didn't make sense.

Why didn't they wake us up? I asked Roma. How did they forget us? Raman shook his head. Maybe they thought we were in a different room and assumed we'd disappeared like Serely Maybe they saw the blood all over the room And assumed we were dead Yeah, maybe some of them got dragged off

Before the rest of the guys found out Then they went after the bastards Only they bit off more than they could chew It doesn't really matter now, does it? I nodded No, I guess it doesn't We talked for another hour before Roman dozed off

well i'm exhausted the hatches are all locked so no one has to keep watch i better get some rest july third nineteen eighty seven we drove out of the plant and took the quickest road out of pripyat at dawn yury drove while i sat in the passenger seats keeping an eye out for any trouble we encountered nothing and the silence was almost works in spite of myself i got more and more nervous We were about halfway through Pripyat when a sharp hissing caused me to almost fall out of my seat. Yuri swerved on the road, almost crashing through a storefront before turning back onto it. I looked around wildly before realizing it was the radio. I laughed mirthfully, and Yuri joined in. My laughter abruptly died in my throat, put my ear to the radio and thought I could hear faint words coming from it. I fiddle with the radio and a man's voice, ragged and desperate, filled the BTIR.

We'll try again in 24 hours. Our location is. The voice was drowned out in a sudden burst of static. I turned to Yuri, my eyes wide. Someone else is out there. Other survivors, I said excitedly. Yuri nodded. We'll keep an ear out for them.

We can't leave our comrades behind. I got up and walked at the back of the BTR. Anton was doped up on painkiller. We didn't have many, but it was as good a time as any to use them. The Roman was sprawled out on the seat, half asleep. I noticed him away. We heard people on the radio, other survivors, I said. Romance eyes lit up, and he bolted upright.

I love meeting you people, said Anton dreamily, staring at the ceiling. Roman and I were in deep discussion when a yell from Yuri up front got my attention. We both rushed to the driver's seat. What is it? I asked urgently. Roman's jaw dropped. Is Mikhail? It was. Roman and I grabbed our guns and climbed out of the BTR.

He was huddled in an abandoned car, curled up into a ball and muttering to himself incoherent. His suit was stained and tattered, though he still had his. gas mask. His backpack was gone and he was missing everything except for his combat knife, which he clutched tightly in his hand. We stood for a moment, staring at him with uncertainty. I think he's gone off the deep end, said Roman quietly. I nodded. I would be too if I'd been in this hellscape alone for so long. Mikhail finally noticed us. He looked up and stared at me before he whimpered and crawled to the back of the car. It took a while but we eventually managed to coax him out with a candy bar.

He took him back to the BTR and I made sure to have my pistol out just in case. Once we got moving again we tried talking to him, hoping that maybe he wasn't too far gone. Once I took his knife and gave him some rations, he calmed down a little. In closer inspection, the lack of protection from the radio, radiation had taken its toll on him. His hair was falling out, and there were red stains on his suit where he coughed up blood.

He was lucky to be alive. He must have gotten one last decent-sized dose of radiation soon before he picked him up, since some of the blood in his suit was fresh. We never got a chance to talk to him or try to bring him back to sanity. An hour or so later, Roman and I were up front with Yuri, debating whether to head for the camp

or hunkered down for the night when Anton's voice floated from the back of the BTIR. He'd been given more morphine, but this time his dreamy, carefree tone of voice was tinged with fear. Mikhail, are you okay? Stay away from me, he said. Get back, he screamed, followed by rapid gunfire. We grabbed our rifles and raced at the back of the vehicle to find Anton, his face pale, a pistol in his shaking hand. Mikhail lay face down in a pool of his own blood. Nobody spoke for a second.

My stomach dropped and I fell for my pistol on my belt, but the holster was empty. Why did you take my gun? I asked, torn between confusion and a growing sense of anger. I asked, my voice rising. Uri knelt over the body and felt for a pulse. I stormed over and wrenched the gun out of his hand. Bullet casings were scattered around Anton.

I checked the pistol. The clip was empty, the barrels were still warm. I was filled with rage. I don't know what I would have done to him if it wasn't for Romano. He pulled me away, muttering something in my ear. What it was, I don't recall. I stared at the ceiling, away from Anton and Mikhail, trying to calm myself down before I could think of anything to say.

Something grabbed me, and I was picked up thrown into the wall with incredible force. I slid to the floor, dazed, trying to grab my rifle, only to find it wasn't hanging on my shoulder anymore. My vision was blurry, and I watched as the dark outline of something threw itself at one of my colleagues, where the Romano Yuri I couldn't tell. I tried to get up, but felt a searing pain in my wrist as I tried to push myself up. My ears were ringing, but I still heard muffled yelling in machine gunfire.

Bullets ricocheted off the inside of the steel compartment. I felt white-hot pain as one buried itself in my shoulder. And I heard other things. Sounds no human should make. Gutter all wailing that tripped every survival instinct in my body. And battered though I was, I tried to crawl away from the noise. I didn't get far before something else slammed into me. It hung limply over me.

and I tried and failed to push it off. The sounds around me faded. When I opened them again, my head was pounding, and I was covered in bruises. The lights were out, with the only light source being the now-open top hatch above me. The visor of my gas mask was smeared with blood. I looked up to see Yuri lying on top of me. He had deep cuts covering his body, and his neck was twisted at an un-nayette. natural angle. After several tries, I managed to push Yuri off of me and get to my feet.

My suit was absolutely covered in his blood. Everything hurt. My head was swimming and it was still hard to stand up. With difficulty, I pulled myself together and surveyed the compartment. Blood, bullet casings, and the contents of Yuri's and ice packs were spread all over the floor. A nasty looking creature with seven spider-like legs, an emaciated torso, and a grotesque, mischapen head, right near the top hatch, surrounded by shredded, bloody clothing. Romano, Anton and Mikhail were nowhere to be seen. As quietly as I could manage, I found my rifle, walked over to the body, and gingerly nudged it with my boots. No response. I put a few rounds into it just to be sure.

I didn't bother cleaning out the mess. I tried everything but the BTR wouldn't start. Took a long time for me to figure out what was wrong. It was out of gas. By this time it was late in the afternoon. I marked the way to the old campsite with one of the maps we'd have been issued with then buttoned up the hatches.

It's dark now. With a ruckus that we made earlier, things outside trying to get in. For the most part though, all I hear is movement outside, scratching or banging on the hatches. Well, sometimes I swear I can hear whispers. They're faint, but I can hear them.

I can't tell what they're saying, and to be honest, I'd rather not know. Tomorrow I'll make my way to the camp, see if there are any survivors, or at least a vehicle I can use. I just heard the whispers again. Come out, they say. It's not so bad to get some sleep.

I'm imagining things. I have to be. I don't think I can live with the alternative. July 4th, 1987. I made a new friend today. His name's Vassia. Well, it is now, anyhow, seeing as whoever named him before me

is most likely dead, and or, well, an unholy abomination now, so their opinion doesn't count for much. Basia is a husky, probably one of the last non-mutated animals in Pripyat. I guess he had enough sense to stay on the outskirts of the city. I sat out this morning for the camp, in almost every few blocks I had to deal with some new shambling horror.

After a few hours of walking, I stopped and listened. Without barks and whining could be heard from an alley off to my left. I briefly considered moving on, but decided to investigate. As I turned into the alley, I saw a wolf. It's back to me, advancing on a mangy dog, cowering against the wall behind him. It was clearly starving, and it had a deep cut that began at its snout and stopped at its tail.

It appeared fresh, and the glistening red wounds seemed to run right on top of its spine. The dog kept its head down alternated between wimpers and aggressive barks Neither did anything to deter the wolf As it continued towards its prey It was odd to see two normal Somewhat healthy animals in the city After everything it had happened

I thought to myself As if on cue The moment the thought entered my head The wolf's head and shoulders split vertically To reveal a huge mouth And huge spiked cheek lining the inside. A thin, a very long tongue emerged,

lashing about like a whip. Before I even thought about what I was doing, I flipped the safety off of my AK-47 and emptied a full clip into the beast's bat. It staggered forwards, oozing blood tinged with a sickly green. I fumbled for another clip on my belt as it stumbled towards me, snarling.

Just as I slid a fresh clip and chambered around. The dog rushed up to the thing and sank its teeth into its flank. I held my fire as they wrestled with each other. Eventually, I got a clear shot. I sent a burst straight down its throat. The wolf howled in agony, snapped its horrid moor shut and ran unevenly past me down the street. I plucked a grenade off of my belt and tossed it just behind it. I threw myself into the cover of of the alley and felt the explosion rattled my teeth and shake the ground ever so slightly.

I picked myself up and peered around the corner. In the worst place, there was a pulpy mess of red and metal fragment splattered across the streets. I turned and focused my attention on the dog. It sat there, staring up

at me. I reached out a hand, but it growled and edged away. Okay, boy, I get it. I'll stay away, I said, edging out onto the street. I walked for another two blocks and then stopped again. I turned to see the dog following me, keeping a good distance away. It stopped and sat, and when I tried to get close, it bared its teeth and grounded me. I backed off and kept walking.

This process repeated itself for most of the afternoon, but as the hours passed, he trotted closer and closer behind me. until, as the sun started to set, he was walking by my side. I settled down for the night in an apartment building on the highest floor. I barricaded the door into the room I'd selected, and pushed a bookshelf in front of the only window, just in case something tried to climb in. After offering the dog some meat from my rations, and talking softly to it for a while,

he let me pet it. I'm happy to have the company, even if he tried to lick my face, only to smear drool all over my gas-mask visor. I'll call you Vassia, I thought out loud. That's my brother's name, I added, turning to face, Vashya. It's a nice name, I think. Don't you think so? Vashir barked agreeably.

Tomorrow's looking up. If I could only forget about yesterday. Or the day before that, or the day before that. July 5th, 1987. I found the camp today. It was late in the morning when I saw it from the apartment complex where I'd stopped to rest. It was only a few blocks away. I checked it out through my scope.

It wasn't as bad as I expected. Despite the damage, there were clear signs of life. There were scorch marks on the pavement where bodies had been burned, and it looked as if the survivors had moved into the surrounding buildings. barricades made from wreck trucks, sandbags and crates surrounded the perimeter. I was well rested, too. After my encounter with the wolf, I hadn't encountered a single living thing, well, aside from Vassia.

On my way to the camp, the good luck continued. I didn't run into any trouble. When I got there, I crept into the camp, rifle in hand. I wasn't going to take any chances. Turns out, neither were they. As I opened the door to the closest building, I saw a group of men huddled around a card table with a map spread out on it, arguing in hushed tones and glancing down at the map every so often.

I stood in the doorway for a moment, unsure of what to say or do. Then Vassia trotted in and started running circles around the group, barking excitedly. The group turned in surprise, some of them fumbling for their sidearms. The man bent down to examine the dog before turning to me. His eyes widened. Nikolai, he yelled. Roman, you're alive, I exclaimed.

But something wasn't right. Instead of looking relieved, Roman looked suspicious instead. How can I be sure it's really you? He asked. I was confused. I wanted to argue, but something heavy slammed into the back of my head. And everything went black. I woke up in a bedroom with no windows and a heavy oak door that was locked.

It was a bookshelf packed with novels, all stayed approved, of course. So there's at least something to keep me occupied. The only other furniture in the room is an ornately carved wooden table with three chairs and a bed. There's a guard outside, I think. I hear footsteps outside every so often. I'm not sure why they're so suspicious of me. They took away everything but my journal, some pencils and my sleeping back. I don't know where Vosier is, but I hope he's safe.

I'll get some rest. Perhaps this mess will make sense in the morning. July 8, 1987. For the past few days, not much has happened. They took blood samples from me, for what I really don't know. Then they had a medic examine me while an armed guard stood in the corner. I'm still not sure why they are. holding me here. My patience is waning, but for now I'm somewhat content. I have steady,

if me, regar rations given to me, and a safe place to sleep. Bacier is in the room next to me. They didn't tell me when I asked, but I heard him barking and scratching at the wall earlier, so he's safe for now. If they decide he's too much trouble, I have no doubt they'll get rid of him. Roman came in in the afternoon to talk. It was more of an interrogation, to be precise. We sat on opposite ends of the table, him with his back to the door. I told him everything that happened after we separated, and he scribbled notes on a clipboard as I talked.

When I finished, he stood up and made to leave. Wait, I said, rising up out of my chair. Aren't you going to tell me how you got him? He regarded me with suspicion. I'm sorry, but I have work to do, maybe tomorrow. We'll see. He replied, turning towards the door again. I lost my composure and slammed my fist on the table.

Well, will you at least tell me how long you're going to keep me locked up in this room? Or why? I yelled, shoving the table away from me and stomping towards him. I stopped just inches from his face. You left me to freaking die out there, I hissed. I thought you were dead. We were exposed out in the open, with a BTR dead. I couldn't get back to the camp with much time to spare. Look, if it makes you feel any better, I tried,

but Anton was the only one who was conscious. He's downstairs. He replied, emotion entering his voice for the first time. Do you have him locked up to? Or am I just special? I snarled, my anger flaring up once more. No, he's not. I only had time to drag him into one of the buildings and set up camp before night.

They're more active then. I thought, if you weren't dead before, you would be then, he said. Look, if I'd known you weren't. He trailed off. I can see the guilt. his expression. I had no sympathy. How about Mikhail? I asked. No answer. I said, what about? I stopped at the feeling of something being jammed into my chest. I looked down to see a Roman's pistol, he said, coolly. Staring daggers at him, I retreated to the center of the room.

If it helps, you might be able to. of here tomorrow. I really hope you will be. We can talk more then, he said, looking at me with guilt, weariness, pity. Go to hell, I retorted, turning my back to him. I heard a sigh, and the door being closed and the bolt sliding back into place over the door. Reliving this in my head while riding it down is getting me angry all over again. I better sit and read for a bit to calm down. July 9th, 1987. A lot happened, or rather, I learned a lot today. It's all a little hard to process. Early this morning, I was shaken awake by Romand. You're good to go. Come downstairs. I'll explain everything. He said, oh, happy fucking day, I muttered, sitting up and following him

out of the room. I swear, you're sending more and more like Anton every day. Roman chucked. as we descended the stairs. My things were on a chair, and some notebooks and rations were on the folding table I'd seen earlier. Have a seat, offered Romanne, grabbing a ration pack and sitting himself next to me. We ate in silence for a bit before he finally spoke up. We thought you might have been dangerous.

He said quietly, not meeting my eyes. Like Mikhail. Wait. What? Anton killed Mikhail. If anyone's dangerous. It's him, I laughed. Romand slowly shook his head.

Anton didn't kill Mikhail. I wish he had. It took four clips of ammo to bring him down, but not before he got Yuri. And you, he added. I leaned back in my seats, my head spinning, I asked. And where did you bury him? Romand frowned.

What do you... He stopped. Oh, he said. No, you don't understand. That spider thing in the beat you. That was Mikhail. He, um, shed his skin almost, and knocked you out before we could even react.

Christ, it all happened so far. He sighed. We really don't understand how it works. our best guess is at the moment it's radiation exposure and possibly transmission of fluids obviously we're not going to test that theory but from what I can tell

the car was just exposed to less radiation over a long period of time than the ones at the plant it made the process a kind of slow burn I guess until he shrugged until we found him at exactly the wrong time I finished for him. He chuckled Riley.

Pretty much. We talked for a long time after that. He told me about how he'd barely made it to the camp, being attacked almost every step of the way. When he finished, I nodded. It wasn't easy for me either, but the attack stopped once I got a couple of blocks away. You guys did a good job of clearing out the area.

Roman Frout. We didn't. Going even a block from the camp alone is just asking to get jumped by something. Well, I guess I got lucky then, I said, grinning. Well, I think it might have been more than that, replied Roman, standing up. Follow me. I need to show you something. We walked into a hallway that led deeper into the building. After a few twists and turns, we arrived at a staircase leading down into what must have been in the basement.

As we made our way down the stairs, Romand started talking again. We have 17 people here. Our group has three non-coms, including you and two medics. The ward medic, Nienel. He used to be a surgeon before he joined up. He's the one who checked you out earlier. We've got no offices left, and non-coms don't really have authority here. Everyone pretty much has an equal say in what now.

next move is. What is our next move? I inquired as we reached the bottom of the stands. I entered a room with tables covered in folders, pieces of papers with notes scribble on them, and various lab equipment like test tubes and beakers. Getting the hell out of here. Problem is, we're almost out of gas,

and without vehicles, a group that large is bound to attract trouble. We're trying to reach out to the troops outside the city, but no luck so far with that. In the corner was the medic I'd seen earlier, bent over a table with a dead body on it. We walked over, and I suddenly felt sick. On the table next to it was another body,

this one bearing a humanoid figure. It was another of those monstrous creatures. Ninell has been studying the creatures we've encountered, and their connection to normal humans. Hopefully we can find a weakness, or perhaps a way to reverse the process of becoming one of them, but so far not much progress has been made. Romanne explained.

I looked closer. Both bodies had their chests cut open and their organs exposed. Nenele looked up from what he was doing. You remember Nicola, right, Ninell? asked Roman. Ninell nodded. I do. Come over here and I'll show you why we needed that blood sample from you. He motioned us over to a time.

table with more test tubes. He gestured to one tube with a small amount of blood in it. "'This is yours,' he said. He pointed to the one next to it, this one having blood that was slightly different. It had a very faint discoloration, the yellow-greenish tinge that I knew all too well. This one's from the thing on the table, I asked. Ninell nodded. It is. From the tests I ran, I found that this blood is a good deal more radioactive. I took a step back. Ninell added, It's not enough to be really dangerous.

As long as you don't swallow it, you will be fine. Now, Romance says you didn't encounter any other trouble after you found that dog, correct? I nodded. He continued. We did the same tests with the dog. It appears, I'm afraid, that the dog has most likely been turned. In rare cases we've seen creatures that still resemble their original forms, at least until they attack. I spotted.

But when I found him, he was getting attacked by one of those things. And he had plenty of chances to kill me, so why didn't he? Ninell nodded thoughtfully, saying, Well, from what we've seen, these things can be very territorial. The second one, though, that I can't answer. We think that you entered the dog's territory, so to speak. That's why you didn't run into anything once you met him, added Romano. Ninell rummaged through some notes on a table, pulling out a sheet and scanning it before turning back to us.

The body is the first to go. It mutates and deforms quickly after a large enough dose of radiation. Something in that process. I'm not sure what. Orts us their bodies so they can survive extreme radiation exposure. After that, once a dose that would normally be lethal is reached, their mind is altered and twisted until they become killing machines in mind as well as body. Raman spoke up in a worried voice.

I never did ask. Do altered humans keep their intelligence? Nell shuddered. I hope not. If they do, then... He was cut off by an explosion somewhere outside. Muffled. yells and machine-gun fire came from upstairs.

Roman swore. Something's breached the perimeter. Let's move. Ninell ran over to a radio set while Romand and I rushed upstairs. Here, the odd Roman, tossing me an AK-47 from a rack near the door. Ammoy is in the crates in the corner.

Pick a window and start shooting. A howling mob of mutated beasts made their way towards the building. men with HMGs and sniper rifles opened fire from the other floors, mowing them down. It was only then that I noticed some of them wore tattered uniforms. Others hazmat suits slashed to ribbons, evidence of the past failed expeditions into this radioactive hell on earth.

One of them, a woman with an axe lodged in her stomach and freakishly long arms and legs, climbed on top of a burned-out truck and launched herself up at the building. from the floor above I heard glass shatter and then screaming he cut off suddenly panic shouts and sounds of a struggle

I watched startled as a man was thrown from one of the windows above he landed at an awkward angle and even from where I was I heard his leg snap he desperately tried to crawl back to safety we desperately tried to keep the hordes off him

we got to him anyway and began tearing him apart. Someone put a bullet in his brain to stop the screaming. For an hour we held them off. There were just so many. Eventually we retreated to the second floor during a lull in the fighting, taking what supplies we could with us.

The stairs have locked off, but they'll find us before long. Nenell, Roman and Anton all made it. Ninell is still trying to contact the outside world for help. Still, I doubt you'll get any response. Not in time, anyhow. Our numbers have been cut down to 12, and four of those are wounded. We're screwed, and we all know it. Nothing to do but keep fighting, I guess. My shift on guard duty is up. If I'm lucky, I'll still be alive to make an entry in the morning. July 10, 1987.

I'm still here. How much longer, I don't know. At this point, I don't really care anymore. They broke into the second floor just after midnight. We'd already moved the wounded and most of our gear to the roof, so we didn't have to worry about that. As we made a fighting retreat to the next floor, I passed by the room where Vassia had been kept.

The door was open. I didn't think about it until I saw Vassia running towards me as I went up the steps. At first I was glad to see him. Then his skin started to split open at the wound along his back. I watched, frozen, as eight spider-light legs emerged, pulling the skin away as they did. Peeled away the skin on his face, exposing the skull.

I snapped out of it and raced up the stairs and into a hallway where the others were waiting. The thing, I'd called Vassia, followed. Everyone opened fire as he attacked. impaling one sergeant on the wall with one of his legs. He brought it back and the man fell down, gushing blood. He ran erratically among us before jumping up and tearing out the throat of the man next to him. All the while, the bullets only seemed to make him it, even angrier. Two more men died before a grenade finished it all.

I caught up with Roman as we retreated even further. Looks like you were right. I said glumly. That was the dog. Jesus Christ, Romanne replied. Hey, you didn't know. It's not your fault. I nodded, not really believing it myself.

At dawn, after we had been pushed back to the seventh floor, the roof was just above us. There was no more retreating. I was considering whether or not to shoot myself and get it over with, when Roman ran over to me, grinning. Do you hear that? He asked. I paused while reloading, and heard only the howls of the monsters coming out,

and the shots from them trying to stave them off. Yeah, that's the things that are going to eat us alive. One must just smile about, I replied. Not that, he said. Listen. Then I heard the steady whirring, faint but getting louder. I gasp all hell yes way, Romand said, still grinning crazily.

It's a chopper. We're getting out of here. I would. We're not going to time. At a time the helicopter touched down on the roof, though, I wasn't so sure. We had to get out onto the roof, and they were coming at us faster than we could shoot.

Their corpses formed a mound next to the stairs to the roof, and their living comrades spewed out onto it, crawling over their comrade's bodies to reach us. Behind us, the wounded. including Anton, and a few crates with Nienel's research were loaded onto the helicopter. Some of the men swept the rooftop with heavy machine guns mounted on the sides. Finally, the few remaining survivors, myself included, could get on board. As we took off, a few creatures managed to latch on to the bottom.

One of the men were sliding the side door shut when a thing with four arms and a worn officer's uniform crawled up and tried to force its way in. It latched itself onto the guy, ripping off his gas mask and clawing at his face with two hands, while the other two pulled it inside the copter. Get it off, get it off of me! He wailed as it tore into him. I charged into them, sending the pet tumbling out of the copter. I hurried to close the door, but not in time to miss the sickening crunch as their bodies hit the ground. It was quiet for a long time.

Until at last the pilot broke the silence. Almost out at the quarantine zone. It's a good thing you got picked up. The checkpoints on the ground are in lockdown. As for our actual landing, ETA, 15 minutes. Everyone cheered half-heartedly. A lot of time had passed since I'd been resupplied. There was enough fog cream I packed to help me forget for a little while.

I'd forgotten it was there. I was glad for it. I passed out just as we started to land. and I woke up in quarantine. They left our things with us, although they're going to have to decontaminate it once we're out of him. I couldn't care less. I'd like to sleep.

Sleep for a long, long time. Anything to stop me remembering what happened in the ruins of Chernobyl. And so once again, we reach the end of tonight's podcast. My thanks as always to the authors of those wonderful stories and to you for taking the time to live. listen. Now, I'd ask one small favor of you. Wherever you get your podcast wrong, please write a few nice words and leave a five-star review as it really helps the podcast. That's it for this week, but I'll be back again, same time, same place, and I do so hope you'll join me once more.

Until next time, sweet dreams and bye-bye.