The Zone: Life and Death

Antechamber

[Audio enabled]

*The Stalkers huddle together in the small room, unable to will themselves to move. Virtue remains on the ground by Enigma and Nimbus, breathing, but otherwise unmoving.

The sounds coming from the halls of the NPP before them are disturbing. The air around them threatens to crush them into dust at any moment. A deep rumble seems to come from somewhere far inside the plant, the throbbing sound mimicking menacing laughter. The longer they sit, the more danger they seem to be in – yet moving into the hall seems like an instant invitation for death.*

Phantom: We can’t wait here forever! I don’t want to leave him behind either, but we can’t stay here much longer… they can smell us here!

Gremlin: Then we’ll kill them as they come. Besides, we don’t even know that there’s even anything in here at all – you’re letting your imagination get away with you.

Phantom: Haven’t you been listening!? There are all kinds of things in here – in the walls next to us for all we know!

Gremlin: You’re imagining…

Phantom: You know as well as I do what happens when there’s enough human presence in the same location. As much as I hate to say it we’d be better off moving – maybe even splitting up.

Jargon: No! We’ve made it this far together, we stay together.

Phantom: I can’t stay here any longer! What if Kateryna is still alive somewhere?

Gremlin: Phantom…

*Phantom gets up and walks straight to the doorway leading out of the small room into the hall beyond. He pokes his head outside, looking down both ends of the hall. Then, after taking a deep breath, proceeds down the hall to the right.

Gremlin attempts to shout in a whispered voice:*

Gremlin: Phantom! Get your ass back here you idiot! Phantom!

*Phantom glances back with a sorry look in his eyes.*

Phantom: I can’t. I’m sorry.

*Phantom continues down the hallway until he’s nothing more than a fading silhouette in the fog.*

Gremlin: God dammit! That’s the last thing we need right now. Why the hell would he go and…

Jargon: I’ll follow him. We’re better in pairs if we split up, if he gets into trouble he’s dead unless he has a buddy with him.

*Gremlin is reluctant but cares enough for the safety of his friend that he eventually waves his hand in dismission.*

Gremlin: OK. Do what you need to do. Please just get back here as soon as possible.

Jargon: Don’t worry; I’d rather not move more than a few inches in this place alone if I can help it.

*Jargon gets up and heads through the doorframe, looks down both sides of the hallway, then proceeds in the direction Phantom was headed.

Gremlin looks back at the group to assess the situation.*

Gremlin: How is he?

Enigma: Still unconscious, but I think he’ll be OK.

Nimbus: I hope he wakes up soon… this place is really starting to give me the creeps.

Gremlin: Me too.

*The Stalkers are silent for a few minutes, trying not to pay attention to the chorus of unnerving noises echoing throughout the plant. They can hear various banging noises, metal clanking, and what sounds like growling and hissing from an unknown source.