Metro 2033: Dying Hope

Entry 2

So, Sophia thinks that the Reds and Nazis are going at it? Does not surprise me a bit, those two have been at each other's necks since World War 2 and it will never end. I am heading out to the outpost, my Tihar swung on my shoulder and my Tokarev in its holster. She has a cough, though it may be a cold.

Down here, if you are former military, you get a lot of respect for knowing how to manage a gun and stress. I have survived several encounters with bandits and a stray group of Trotsky Rangers by using the buildings as sniping cover. But do not stick around for too long else those cursed demons will find you and kill you. I have collected whatever ammo I can and try to sell it for food and iron pellets for the rifle. I also purchase filters for the gas mask for when I go above the surface. I am trying to get my firsthand an old tape recorder and some old records to play music on.

I am starting watch with one of my former military friends, a sergeant Ivan from intelligence. Once he was deep in conspiracy theories on the final war, now he only focuses on protecting the station at all costs. He is a good friend and someone I trust with Sophia.

I also saw two new recruits with Ivan, holding those small semi-auto guns and revolvers in their holsters. From the looks of them they were raw, just got their guns and learned where the trigger fingers were. Ivan was calming them down, telling them to fire in short bursts and always has one reloading while the other one is covering.

I shook Ivan's hand, whispering how long he gave the fresh meat a chance to survive. He said two weeks, as usual. I put two clips down on a week and spoke to the two recruits. Here in the metro, we deal in clean bullets since they are so rare. We fire dirty rounds as we call them, since the factories that made them are long gone. They know the weapons enough, but in a time of terror it would understand to them that they know how to use them properly.

We are moving out, time to end.