//------------------------------// // (3) This is why we cant have nice things. // Story: S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Jumping the Gap // by Senseisteel //------------------------------// “We respect the freedom of our members and other stalkers. We believe the zone is open to all, possibly being the greatest gift humanity has ever received. It’s an opportunity to make a tremendous leap in our development and everyone needs to understand that.” Bear was sat cross legged in the thick grass giving the now armoured Twilight a lecture on Freedom ethics while he cleaned his RP-74 machine gun. He stopped when Sawdust emerged from the hatch wearing a hooded Flectar trench coat with matching trousers. “Bear; ready the truck.” Commanded Sawdust, his voice muffled by a full face gas mask. “Yes sir!” Bear blissfully replied, slamming down his wielding mask. He then jumped to his feet and made a B line for the nearby brick hut. Tuning his gaze to Twilight, Sawdust wolf whistled in approval of his handiwork. Twilight was now covered head to hoof in the finest armour the zone could offer, constructed from a mixture of military gear and cold weather clothing. “Fit well?” He asked. Twilight stretched each leg experimentally before giving an affirmative nod. Not soon after, the quiet air was suddenly filled with the low rumble of a diesel engine. A huge four door pickup truck rolled out of the makeshift garage and sped toward them before pulling a handbrake turn, stopping inches from where Sawdust and Twilight stood “Show off” Mumbled Sawdust. The truck itself was covered in green spray-paint and armoured plating. The tires had thick grips that were topped off with a layer of metal plates on the sides for protection. On one side of the truck’s cargo area there was pink spray-paint that read ‘Doom Buggy’. Bear popped open the driver side door and smugly strutted toward his partially disassembled machine gun then sat down again. “I keep telling you that I should drive” He laughed as he quickly reassembled his RP. “You may be good... But I’m better” Scoffed Sawdust. He led Twilight over to the passenger side before helping her into the seat. Once inside Twilight saw that the interior was allot more... homey than the exterior suggested. Furry pink dice hung from the cracked rear view mirror while the dashboard sported a warn leopard print cover. The doors along with the seats had fluffy camouflage covers that concealed the multitude of bullet holes that littered the original upholstery of the vehicle. Sawdust pulled himself up into the driver seat, throwing both his and Twilights weapons in the back before grabbing the wheel. The truck rocked softly as Bear hopped aboard, his body weighed down by his gratuitous selection of weapons and ammo. With a firm tap to the roof of the cabin, Bear signalled that they were ready to roll. Sawdust nudged Twilight with his elbow. “You ever gone off roading before?” Twilight stared at him with an eyebrow raised in confusion. “No? Well, hold on to your hood!” With that, Sawdust slammed his foot on the accelerator and launched the two ton Doom Buggy through the undergrowth. Through the chicken wire that covered the windscreen Twilight could make out little of the blurred surroundings that were now flying past at tremendous speed. “Attention Technical heading east via cargo railway” The radio built into the dashboard lit up with a croaky British twang. Sawdust whipped his right hand off the wheel, pulled his mask down and grabbed the microphone that was attached to the main body of the radio by a coiled wire. “Howdy ho~” Sawdust chirped. “You are aware that you are being followed by what looks like a Monolith hit squad?” “What?” Sawdust slammed on the brakes sending Bear hurling over the cabin, onto the engine compartment and off into the dry ground. “About a dozen men and two BTRs two hundred metres west.” the voice seemed oddly calm with the whole situation and was making zero change in tone or pitch. Sawdust turned his gaze to Twilight before pushing her into the passenger foot well. “Keep your head down. This could get messy.” His tone was grim and Twilight, even though not fully knowing the severity of their situation, complied. Shortly after exiting the truck, Sawdust hooked up with Bear and took up a defensive position in the shoulder high brush that lined the sides of the path. From Twilights perspective the silence seemed to last forever until Sawdust’s AK let out a rattle shortly followed by a monstrous roar from Bear’s heavily modified machine gun. The bursts of fire continued for the next ten minutes and were quickly accompanied by the return fire of the Monolith fighters. Slow but surely, the defenders’ fire drew closer and closer as Bear and Sawdust were pushed back to their vehicle, eventually rounds began to bounce off the truck’s armour plating causing it to shudder and rattle ferociously. “To the right! The right!” Bear’s fatigued voice screamed through the explosive cacophony. Before anyone could heed his warning, Twilight felt the entire truck rock as Bear’s body slammed into the passenger door and slowly slid onto the ground. Peering out of her hiding place Twilight saw that the passenger side window was spattered with his blood. “You’re dead mother fucker!” Sawdust cried as he emptied a magazine of his sidearm toward his aggressors. Between each pull of the trigger Twilight could hear a low pitched hum emanating from what sounded like the Monolithians’ position. *BOOM* A bright flash of light filled the cabin as the charged gauss round slammed into Sawdust’s chest and launched him into the back wheel arch of the truck, the sickening smash of shattering bones filling the air. As the dust settled a single hollow voice boomed to its subordinates. “Prepare the Heathens for processing. I shall deal with the Dark Spawn personally” The Monolith Preacher waited for his disciples to drag what remained of Bear and Sawdust out of the way before approaching the passenger side door. With a heavy swing the Preacher’s gloved fist burst through the reinforced window, showering the front seats in tiny shards of glass. Flexing his fingers the hollow Preacher slowly moved his hand round and jimmied the rusted lock open. Pulling back from the door the Preacher lifted his charged gauss rifle into his shoulder and prepared to breach. “Oi’ hollow head!” a croaky voice barked from an unknown location. The preacher stumbled back and began scanning the surrounding shrubbery. “I’m goin’ to give you one chance to get you and your brainwashed cronies’ arses out of here before I start shooting” “What is stopping us from dragging you up here and burning you at the stake Heretic” The preacher barked back, slamming his gauss rifle into his shoulder and taking aim. *Crack!* The preacher’s rifle slipped from his grasp, landing in the dry grass seconds before his body. Several gruff voices began calling to the mystery man. “Sector clear, all targets neutralised!” “Return to your patrols after you help me load these poor sods in the back of their truck. I’m going to take them to the Fort for a patch up.” The two back doors of the battle scarred pickup flew open and the unconscious bodies of the Twilight’s comrades were flung into a heap on the back seats. Twilight, still huddled in the passenger foot well, began to feel drowsy. Looking down she felt something run down her cheek and drip off into the small pool that had already formed on the petrol soaked foot mat. The unfamiliar taste or iron washed across her taste buds. “Why were these idiots this deep in Monolith territory unsupported?” One of the mystery men pondered while lighting cigarette. “They live out here” another, slightly gruffer voice responded. “They’re what are left of an old Freedom unit stationed in the Pripyat tunnels before the storms started.” “Think they were the only ones who outran the Strelok wave?” “Naa, most of Freedom and Duty were wiped out when the monolith started pushing” The pair continued their conversation as they strolled away from the armoured pickup, eventually fading from twilight’s earshot. Turning her attention back to herself, Twilight realised she was in no state to move. With her vision blurred and her body trembling, she attempted to call out to the men surrounding the vehicle. Unfortunately, as she drew her breath, she broke out into a shallow coughing fit, each outburst of air bringing up more and more of the thick substance she now knew was her own blood. Twilight’s vision went from bad to worse as darkness began to consume her surroundings, gradually turning the exotic upholstery into a black abyss that sucked the life right out of her. ______________________________________________ Twilights eyes fluttered open. The world around her shut out by thick synthetic fabric. “What do you make of her?” a broad voice boomed, engulfed in a thick German accent. “Give me two weeks” another German of a higher octave responded professionally. “Very well, I’ll have the artefacts here in the morning. I suggest you begin operating as soon as possible.” “Yes Commandant”