[Writing] S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2121

[Freelancer Jack]

Discussion thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=12377748#post12377748)
The following is a Fan made Fiction of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R Universe. This is purely to amuse and entertain. Hope you enjoy it.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2121: Prologue

Previosly...
1981
The science center in what would become the Dark Valley begins construction.

1986
April 26: At around 1:23 in the morning, reactor number four of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant explodes, releasing dangerous radioactive materials over a widespread area, and forcing the evacuation of the nearby city of Pripyat and other settlements.
After the accident, groups of workers called 'Liquidators' are hired by the Soviet Union to build a containment building around the remnants of the Reactor 4. It was later nicknamed the Sarcophagus.

1987
Vehicle factory set up in the vincinity of the Agroprom Research Institute to build vehicles fitted for removing and treating irradiated soil.

1989
The C-Consciousness Project begins, led by scientists from The Group. The presence of numerous high powered antennae in the area, coupled with the lack of people and a functioning nuclear power plant provide the perfect setting for clandestine research into fixing humanity's flaws.

1991
December 26: The collapse of the Soviet Union. Several republics break away from the USSR, declaring independence, many projects are discontinued, in particular funding for Soviet military labs in the Zone. However, several project leaders are unwilling to stop their research and continue their research into the noosphere. The Ukrainian government is unable to control the situation, in part due to fear of international sanctions.

1998
March 6: Engineers working for a local contractor claim that six field Generators were built deep in the center of the Zone. Speculation abounds as to their purpose, with some suggesting they are used for some bizarre psychic tests.

1999
February 22: Concerned by unsettling reports about illegal experiments carried out in the Zone, the Ukrainian government performs an official investigation. After examining accounts and intelligence service reports about the tests held in the underground complexes, the state security service made an attempt to take control of the situation by sending a special commission into the Zone. Reports uncover disturbing memos by one O. O. Dobrynin.

2001
The Zone begins to attract attention. Rumours about strange phenomena within c.a. 10 km radius of the NPP abound, the city of Pripyat is often mentioned as a hot spot for sightings of unusual phenomena and strange creatures. After a bus full of foreign tourists disappears the authorities seal off the Zone completely.

2003
The Agroprom Institute begins working for the Group under the lead of Petr Strizh.

2005
Unnatural forces within the Zone begin to have an influence over a wider area. Significant changes in weather patterns are noted, including hurricane winds and tremors.

2006
March 4: Blinding light illuminates the sky high above the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. The incident lasted two full hours before subsiding, with witnesses reporting it disappeared as if power suddenly failed.

April 12 14:33 +2 GMT: Just over a month later, the skies are once again lit by intolerably bright light. The clouds evaporated from the sky, followed by a tremendous thunder crash, lasting far longer than normal. After the thunder faded away, there was an ominous silence, followed by a 6.9 Richter earthquake. The glow in the sky continued, spreading over the entire region, while deadly energy disturbances raged through the Zone, making any rescue effort impossible. Subsequent investigation turned up the fact, that the center of the explosion was a kilometer away from the nuclear plant itself, evidently the nuclear fuel dump going up.

June 10: The Zone abruptly grows five kilometers bigger after an emission which came to be known as the "Second Disaster". The zone today manifested, with the very laws of science being defied. Most of the military securing the perimeter perished, together with laboratories and their crews. Panic-stricken people from nearby villages were evacuated.

2009
September 28: A group of Kiev scientists succeeds in creating a special device for detecting anomalous activity at a distance of up to 10 meters. This winter, an expedition in protective suits and with detectors manages to penetrate the Zone 1 km deep and return without incident or injury.

2010
August 17: Expeditions further penetrate the Zone, one locates an abandoned camp of the first "stalker". They also locate first artifacts and observe the emergence of first blowouts.

2011
With news of the possibility to survive in the Zone leaked, amateur researchers, marauders and poachers begin to make their way into the zone, soon becoming known as stalkers, seeking artifacts in the dangerous environments. At first ignoring them, the government is soon forced to reevaluate their policies, as artifacts make their way into private hands.
According to one of the stalkers in Yantar one of his friends encountered some zombies who muttered what sounded like English, presumably remnants of a foreign tour group that disappeared in the Zone ten years earlier.

February 4: The government retaliates against illegal stalkers, during this campaign over 70 are arrested and ten trading posts closed down.

September 10: Clear Sky begins - Scar wakes up after being caught in the aforementioned blowout in the Clear Sky camp.

Early September: The Second Emission takes place as the Common Consciousness unleashes a massive blowout in order to destroy Strelok, Fang and Ghost as they retreat from the NPP. Faction wars begin when stalkers fight to redefine spheres of influence after the emission.

October 25: Inevitably, a skirmish takes place between a military patrol and a stalker group. Both sides suffer serious casualties, the army is authorized to shoot stalkers on sight.

2012
May 1, 5:30 +2 GMT: Shadow of Chernobyl begins - Marked One wakes up in Sidorovich's bunker after surviving a death truck crash.

May 12 until 25: Captain D. F. Maksimienko investigates the abandoned Agroprom Research Institute, revealing it as a front for The Group.
Strelok disables the Brain Scorcher and destroys the C-Consciousness.
Operation Fairway is executed by the Ukrainian Government, resulting in massive failure.

August 1, 9:00 +2GMT: Call of Pripyat begins - Major Degtyarev is sent into the Zone to investigate the failure of Operation Fairway.

2013
The Ecologists team submits a report that outlines the sudden acceleration of the zones expansion following Operation Fairway.
December, 11: Contact is lost with the Yanov, Zaton, and Pripyat Stalker outposts after an Emission.

2016
All radio contact with'in the zone is lost, along with orbital imagery and other electronic systems.
All contact inside The Zone is lost...

2020
Contact is lost with Moscow...

2025
Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and many communities in the Ukraine begin having an increased number of Animal attacks and maulings. Strange weather and Natural disasters are also reported. Rolling black outs are frequent, and violent.

2035
All of Europe and the Area around the Black Sea goes dark. All attempts at contact or investigation are meet with failure...

2050
India, Africa, The Middle East, and China begin reporting that they are Experiencing similar events.

2075
Northern Canada begins Experiencing a violent increase in natural disasters, as well as an increase in Sudden fits of insanity, and a violent increase in Wildlife mutation...

2099
The United States of America begins feeling the effects of The Zones expansion. Causing mass Panic...

2100:
All electronic Equipment world wide is crippled by emission. Resulting in breaking the worlds government...

2121:
A Blowout occurs, killing 32% of the worlds population. Those who where farther away from the center of "The Zone", or safely living in concrete bunkers suffer the least. Those without protection are killed instantly, turned into Zombies, or twisted into new mutated creatures. Anomalies are now rampant world wide, and the fragmented government of nations struggles to maintain power, Anarchy reigns in major cities, Small isolated communities are beset by the mutant hoards.

Oh, and I turned 21 today, so that's nice.

[Freelancer Jack]

Chapter one: The Marked Man with no name.

I don't have a name. Everybody Just calls me "Stalker", What we used to call the people that Became criminals by entering "The Zone of Isolation." The original zone was small, but now it covers everything. Here The emissions aren't as bad, But the Blowouts will still be deadly. I am one of the few That can survive standing outside during an Emission without dieing. Through it still hurt quiet a bit, If i'm hit derectly by a Emission I'll start hacking up blood or pass out. I can also sense where anomlies are, it's really useful for Artifact hunting.

Artifact's. No matter where you go their the same thing, I promise of infinite wealth and happiness in this wasteland. So worship them as religious items, others use them to try and gain god like powers, some just like how they look. They do not, they are a means to sell and make money. People pay top dollar for artifacts, even now when the whole world has the capability of getting them. But even If you want a Artifact, you need to go into an anomaly field.

Anomalies are just that, Anomalies in nature that bend the rules of reality. They can't be explained, simple right? They come in many shapes and sizes. Some will burn your skin of, or burn you alive, suck you in and rip you in half, make you go crazy, electrocute, crush, warp or any other random gruesome way you could think of to die. To find them is simple, throw crap at into a Anomaly field and it will set them off.

"...And reciting all of this to us will help us how?" asked Tank, as he hefted me up over the lip of the wall. I gripped my AK47 gripped tightly in one hand as I used the other to haul myself up.

"I keep repeating it because last week you almost fell into that gravity one reaching for that artifact." I said as we began walking across the roof of the small factory.

"I got a better question Stalker, Why are you always caring that AK? There are plenty of AR's around." Said Master as he Reached the edge of the roof and looked around to make sure it was safe.

I shrugged and looked up at the Sky, it was getting dark. "We should head in girls." Said Angel from the back of the group, her M1 Grande rifle draped over her shoulders as she rested her arms lazily on it's long stock and body.

"This building will probably ok," Said Commander, "It's made of concrete, we'd be safe in it." They all looked up at the dark and imposing building, It had probably been a apartment complex at some point. This whole place had been some kind of housing district at some point. or at least that's what their PDA's said. "Stalker, you feeling anything?"

I took a moment to think, my mind was empty and clear, I felt nothing. no bad feelings other then the impending dread that came before an Emission. "Yeah, I feel A wave coming in maybe a half hour, hour at most. We should head in and underground."

They all nodded in agreement and slowly entered the building, not wanting to get jumped by some raiders or bandits who may also call this place home. They found a basement and Jack slowly pulled out his pump-action Shotgun. Master let him take point and he slowly crept forward into the room. He clicked on his "headlight" and scanned the room. It was some kind of storage area, tons of Boxes stacked up in long rows that stretched beyond the range of his flashlight.

"Perfect for an ambush..." Muttered Major.

"Shut up Murry." Said the whole group as one.

I walked forward, checking my corners as I went, Clenching my shotgun tightly, but not tight enough so that I'd shake and it affect my aim. He could hear them now, Something was here. He could feel something unfamiliar, something twisted by the forces of the Zone. He heard scuttling, heavy breathing, low grunts and snarls. They were indeed here, somewhere. He heard A box fall over some where and didn't turn in the direction of the noise. He Did not so much hear or seem the next bit, he "felt" it in his mind. Something lounged out of the darkness to his left, He stepped back and ducked as it threw it's Right clawed hand at his head. then angled his shot gun at the thing and waited a split second for the beast momentum to bring it's chest into contact with the muzzle of his gun.
He pulled the Trigger once, the "BOOM!" of the shotgun firing snapped him out of his trance. The things body was hurled back ward into the darkness, it's shredded entrails trailing behind it as it's body ejected fluids from the new orifice that my gun had created.

"Hillbillies!" Yelled Travis as he, Tank, Master, Commander, Angel, Major, and Wolf all opened fire at the People pouring out from between the boxes and crates. I felt vaguely calm and detached, as if the world could not concern or harm me. I heard a noise and felt something again behind me. I ducked and two slimy, sore covered arms make a grab at where my head had been. I Fell onto my left knee and propped my shotgun on my shoulder and fired over my shoulder. My ears were ringing from the deafening "BANG!" next to my head, then the hot spray on the back of my hood and Jacket as the Persons corpse was tossed away from me. Another one jumped at me from above as I pumped my Shotgun, ejecting the spent shell. I was aiming up at it when I heard another shot and then say the things head explode into a blast of bone, blood, and brains. I launched myself off my other leg as the body flopped onto the floor where I had been and I fired at a Mutant as It jumped at Wolf, It was knocked off course in mid air and slammed into the wall next to her. Wolf Did a small jump and then stomped on the mutants head with both feet, crushing it like a rotten pine apple. I turned to look around the room for something else to shoot, but there were none left.

I panted heavily as I looked around at the carnage, these men and woman had attacked with nothing but their bare hands against 8 heavily armed people. They must have been insane cannibals.

"Got a survive." said Travis in his cold, slick voice. He walked over to the Hillbilly that was crawling away and howling in pain, one of it's legs had been torn off. Travis drew his pistol and shot the Hillbilly once in the back of the head. None of them cringed, or looked away. This was the harsh reality of the lives they led now. They each went out and collected things to set up a temporary Fortification and heat source.
They found the foreman's office and decided to make it their temporary base, it had a heavy metal door and a window that had a metal weave in between the glass to keep people from breaking in. They all unpacked their things and dragged a barrel into the room, they tore the top off, dumped the odd black liquid that was inside out on the ground and then filled it with magazines and some other flammable materials. I took a piece of flint and steel out of my bag and smacked them together until it lit the barrels on fire. the smoke drifted up into the ventilation shaft in the ceiling. Master went and barracked the door as the rest of them all sat down and started pulling out various things to keep their mind occupied.

As they all sat and tinkered, I watched them all trying to figure them out.

Tank was the easiest. Tall, muscular, and quick witted. He was a classic follower, He was with them because he needed a pack leader and they had needed somebody with a LMG. Tank had gladly provided them with the aid of his M60. Tank was also wearing a suit of armor that appeared to be from and Exo-suit but with all the Pistons and electronics stripped out, through, that didn't stop the armor from being Insanely durable.

Major was a short, fat ginger kid with a Neapolitan complex. He stood no taller then 5ft tall and had Ginger hair. When they had met him he had been fat, but time and constantly running for his life had changed that. He was a crack shot With his rifle, so they kept him around.

Travis was an antisemitic. He was racist and followed Nazi teachings. They barely tolerated him, the only reason they had not killed him when they had met him was because he could fix their guns and armor. He had Dressed himself out in a trench coat of an S.S officer and S.S officers hat, He had also adorned his chest with a few metals. He had a Sig-44 German Pistol and an ancient StG44 That he had modified to fire 5x56 rounds.

Master was a former US Marine, Through the army and marines were disbanded now. Master wore standered issue body armor and his field uniform, The Rank of "Spec. Private Issac Turner" stitched into his chest pocket. His helmet had a half-face gas mask and flip down night vision and Thermal vision goggles attached to his helmet. A necklas of dog tags hung around his neck. He had a M4 carbine with a under barrel grenade launcher and a scope. Master was brutal, cold, but fair.

Commander was slightly more level headed. He had the same brutal and uncaring attitude as Master but with Travis's ruthless Effectiveness. He wore slightly less heavy armor then either of them, wearing only a Skat-9M Military Armoured Suit, and had a simple 9mm Beretta and a M6 rifle.

Then there were the two girls,
Angel was a oddity and a crack shot with her rifle. She could knock the head off a Mutant at 100 yards with that rifle, and if they got to close she had a large machete clipped to her belt.. She was outgoing, loud mouthed, and liked to joke around. She wore a unzipped hooded Jacket with a Sunrise Suit underneath. Her dirty-blonde hair was cut to medium length to avoid getting grabbed or snagged on something, And she wore Bicker goggles.

Wolf was the poler opposite, She was quite, secluded, and kept to herself. She had brought a MP5 SMG and a Katana to the group. Her jet black hair ran down to her shoulders and over her CS-3a body armor. She didn't complain much, so they barely payed attention to her, Which seemed to suit her just fine.

I yawned loudly and felt tired, the emission was coming and It was a rough one. I decided not to fight it and lay my shotgun across my lap and lay back against the wall, waiting for sleep.