//------------------------------// // Chapter 5 // Story: Remnant Shadows // by Merchent343 //------------------------------// Valera sat with Stepa around a small fire, inside of a cavern the ‘Changelings’ had left them in ten minutes ago. Apparently, they were going to be led by a small ‘team’ that was just now being gather; at least, that was what the insectoid things had told them. Valera was checking a few minor parts on his TRs-301. Being a NATO rifle, it was made to much better quality standards than, say, a AKM-74/2. However, it was much more jam-prone, especially after extended use. Which it was most certainly going to get in… What did he interrogate griffon say? Equestria, that was it. The STALKER quickly put the rifle back together, satisfied that it was in perfect working order: He might just need it. The Merc seemed content to rest his head on the wall of the cave and look at the fire; Valera was fairly certain that the former Mercenary knew that his weapon was in perfect order just by looking at its perfect finish. Valera knew that his other weapons were perfectly fine, not being used since he had gotten here. After three more minutes, several darkened shapes walked into the room, revealing themselves to be Changelings after a few seconds when they sat by the fire. “So… Are you the group we were told to expect?” Stepa asked. “Yes, we are.” A voice snapped. “I don’t know who you are, but we are told to let you do the job. We are just bringing you there.” The Merc nodded. “Good. Keep it that way. Let us move out.” After a few more grumbles, the Changelings all started filing out of the room. Valera and Stepa followed them through the tunnel, their steps echoing down it until they reached a room with a perfectly smooth floor. “Where are we?” Valera asked. “The teleportation room.” One of the Changelings said. “It allows us to magically teleport to another Hive.” The STALKER and the Merc rolled their eyes, Stepa letting out a sigh. “Right, magic. Next you’ll tell us that there will be flying ponies there, and rainbows everywhere.” “Yes to the former, no to the latter. Rainbows are hard enough to manufacture, or so I have heard.” The Changeling stated matter-of-factly. “Now wait until the magic works.” Valera rolled his eyes again. “Magic does not exist. Even in this dimension, or whatever it may be, it cannot possib-” Valera suddenly saw a massive flash of light blind him, and opened his eyes to find himself in a much different-looking room. Actually, it was the middle of a forest, but he digressed. “You were saying?” One of the Changelings said, smirking. “Shut the fuck up.” Valera said. “Let’s just get this over with. Just lead us to the point, and then tell us whom to kill.” One of the Changelings nodded and began to walk forward, leading them on a small path through the forest. It was well-traveled: A dirt path was worn half an inch into the ground, so Valera assumed that the Changelings must use it often. The walk through the forest was a nice chance of pace from the desert hat he had walked in just a short time ago. Even though he was still inside of his SEVA suit, and his only view came through a quarter of an inch of specially hardened glass, he was enjoying the fresh air that he was letting through his closed-cycle breathing system. His mapping system, detecting a teleportation much like that caused by some rare types of anomalies (the engineers of the system, whoever they had been, had really thought of everything), had instantly calculated the distance the sun had moved from where it would have been, and calculated their position as several hundred miles to the north, starting a new area on his mapping system. “Valera, you’re a lucky son of a bitch.” Stepa said. “I don’t know who you paid off to get this system that the data is coming though, but you did pick the right bastard.” The STALKER chuckled. “Just think of it: There I was, with eighty thousand rubles I did not need, and the Barkeep kept talking about a scientist team in the back. Well, I met them, and they were pretty damn happy that somebody could afford to buy and then test it.” “What happened to the team?” Stepa asked. “They went into the middle of the Army Warehouses, the ‘Bloodsucker Village’. I do not believe they are among the living anymore.” Valera stated matter-of-factly. Stepa winced. “Ouch. Did they hire bodyguards?” “Two STALKERs that they found at the bar. They were the only ones stupid enough to go with them into that hellhole.” “Fucking idiots.” Stepa stated. Valera could not argue with that logic, so he simply stayed quiet. They walked down the path for the greater part of an hour before reaching the edge of the forest. Ahead of them, the edge of a cliff loomed, and beyond that a city. “Hoofington.” One of the Changelings stated. “We have been informed that you have weapons, correct?” “We do.” Valera said, lifting up his TRs-301. “Our rifles.” “Are any of them long range?” It asked. Stepa nodded. “I have my SVUmk2, and Valera there has… A Vintar BC.” “Just a question.” Valera said. “Is every town name here a horrible horse pun?” “Manehattan, Ponyville, Appaloosa, Foal Mountain, and Pullmare. Does that answer your question?” One of the Changelings said in a sarcastic tone. Valera put his hand to his faceplate, shaking his head in the universal sign of dismissal. “I fucking hate this place.” “Cheer up,” Stepa said. “At least we’re getting paid.” “You’re used to that, aren’t you?” Valera retorted. “Quit whining and grow a pair.” Stepa shot back. Valera groaned. “Shut the fuck up so we can do this. You can get paid, and I can try to forget I am here.” “Who is the target?” Stepa asked, turning towards the Changeling who was apparently in charge. “A white unicorn, jet black mane. He’ll be walking down the main city street, which, as you can see, we can watch the entire length of.” The Changeling said. “That’s it.” Valera said. “I am insane. I am about to shoot a unicorn, working for a species of insects, and earlier yesterday I killed three birds who could talk.” “You’re taking it well.” Stepa said sarcastically. Valera groaned and, yet again, tried to figure out how he had gotten dragged into this. Finally figuring out he might as well do the job and get it over with, he slung his rifle and pulled his Vintar BC off of his back. “I will take the shot. My rifle is suppressed, and is much better than yours.” Valera said. “No, yours isn’t.” Stepa said, taking his backpack off. “Mind telling me why?” Valera asked with a bit of curiosity. Stepa grinned. “Just look what I found on a Monolith soldier by the Barrier.” Valera could only sit there in stunned silence at what he saw. There, sitting inside of his backpack, along with several other things that Valera did not even notice, was a Railgun. It was the rarest weapon in the Zone. Originally used by the Clear Sky faction in a different form, it was adapted by the fanatical Monolith faction in small numbers after Clear Sky was wiped out in the Second Great Emission. It used a series of superconducting magnetic coils to accelerate a 2mm-wide projectile to supersonic speeds, penetrating through any armor and often instantly killing the target. The best thing is that it was almost perfectly quiet – aside from a small noise most would simply dismiss, it made none while firing. The only disadvantage was a small blue trail of ionized atmosphere that would swiftly disappear, and even it was hard to spot unless you were looking for it. “What… How… Who did you pay off to get this?” Valera asked. “I told you: I killed a Monolith guy at the Barrier, and he had this on him, along with two spare clips. Thirty rounds in total.” Stepa said proudly, bring it out and unfolding the buttstock. “That ought to do the trick. You, Changeling, how fast can we get out of here?” Valera asked the apparent leader. “As fast as you can run.” It replied. Valera nodded. “Good. Stepa, you take the shot. I’ll look with my binoculars. Otherwise, we pack all of our gear on our backs.” He said, slinging his Vintar BC alongside his Chaser and his TRs-301. Together, the pair walked to the edge of the cliff. Looking down, Valera could see it was at least a thousand feet tall. True enough, they were staring right down the main road of the town. Valera lay down and put his binoculars to his faceplate, and Stepa did the same with the rifle. Together, they waited.