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Post date: November 15, 2023
By Yaroslav Soria
By Yaroslav Soria
The events take place in an alternative universe, where the Chernobyl nuclear disaster of April 26, 1986 did not stop in Pripyat but continued to spread further, step by step, engulfing the surrounding areas and, in the process, altering the planet's biosphere. Ruined cities, desolate stretches of land, and barren landscapes emerged on Earth. The soil became unsuitable for agriculture, and hunger gripped the world. Water and food became precious resources, leading to bloody conflicts. Humanity fragmented into isolated communities, fighting for the remnants of resources. Abandoned cities became the lairs of bandit groups, and aggression and violence became commonplace. Anarchy and chaos ruled the world. Familiar plants and animals gradually adapted to the new environment, possibly due to mutations caused by heavy doses of radioactive exposure. In this bleak time, hope and salvation seemed unattainable. Humanity carried the seeds of its own destruction.The remnants of humanity found refuge in the Metro, where settlements and sometimes entire underground cities gradually appeared between the grim stations. These metropolises became havens of hope, where people struggled for survival, exchanged resources, and created new rules and laws.
December 31, 2011, Kiev, Ukraine. The streets were, as always, dark and damp. Time-worn streets were utterly empty and desolate. Only the piercing cold wind carried memories of a bygone life across the snow-covered radioactive blocks that remained from the previous civilization.
At the same time, dozens of meters below ground, at Arsenalna Station, the largest of the surviving cities, Arsenal, was bustling with a festive atmosphere as New Year's Eve was just a few hours away.
Despite decades of living underground, people still held onto traditions and tried to live a semblance of a normal life. Children born below the surface had never experienced a real New Year's Eve, but after hearing the stories from the adults, they were eager to decorate the train cars with holiday ornaments made from industrial trash and train wreckage. Meanwhile, the adults continued to stand guard, following the news of a possible surface attack. One of the scouts had reported an unknown group of people on the surface, whose intentions and origins remained unclear.
In one of the train cars, a young family lived. Vitaliy, the father, was a military officer appointed by the local high command to oversee compliance with orders. Victoria, the mother, worked as a nurse at the local hospital, where she served as the head medic. Their eight-year-old son, Sasha, spent most of his time alone since his parents were extremely busy and couldn't give him much attention. Sasha was very proud of his father and aspired to hold a position like him in the future. The boy often sneaked into the barracks, a place his father strictly forbade him to go, saying it was not a place for games. But Sasha managed to slip past the guards to catch a glimpse of his father's work, just like he had done many times before. This time, like all the others, the young spy was caught by his father, leading to the same familiar dialogue:
Father: "And why am I not surprised to see you here again... What will your excuse be this time?" Vitaliy asked with a grin.
Sasha: "Dad, I'm sorry, but you know how important this is to me, and besides, you and mom never spend enough time with me, and I miss you a lot," the boy said, looking down at the floor.
Father: "Son, understand, we're not happy about it either, but work is work, and you're old enough to understand how important it is."
Sasha: "Yes, Dad," the boy replied. "But please, let me spend the day with you at least today. Let it be my New Year's gift."
Father: "Alright, but just for today." he said with a smile on his face.
Sasha: "Hooray! And what will be my first order?"
Father: "Soldier, your first assignment will be reconnaissance. Your task is to go deeper into the tunnel and find out what happened to Uncle Andrei, as he hasn't been in contact for a long time. Here, take this radio. You'll contact me when you reach the checkpoint."
Sasha: "Roger!" the boy replied and set off into the depths of the station.
The path to the checkpoint took approximately thirty minutes on foot, giving the boy plenty of time to observe the rats and get startled by every rustling sound in the tunnels. Upon reaching the location, he was greeted by emptiness. Only the blue light from a gas burner hinted at someone's past presence in the area.
"UNCLE ANDREI!" - Sasha shouted loudly, but all he received in response was his own echo.
"I need to report this to Dad urgently" he thought and hurried back to the station, completely forgetting that he had a radio.
The journey back seemed much faster, as adrenaline and the child's fear spurred him to run faster.
Before reaching the station, Sasha heard loud screams and gunshots. On that day, the boy's world was completely turned upside down...
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