The Raiding Party

[NeonLights]

With the van on the move, Cactus goes over his preparations. "Now would be a good time to check on my detector….. oh no. I don't have it, do I?" Cactus rifles through his pockets and gives his lab coat a quick pat down. "Did it fall out, or did I leave it behind?" Cactus quickly decides that if anyone asks, there was never any preparation regarding any detector. At the very least, his briefing on anomalies will soothe his perfectionist tendencies.

@NeonLights
_____ She poked through one of the bags of their supplies and produced a paper-wrapped bundle. She extended it to Cactus. "And for you, doc. It's a new model from the bunker."

_____Journalist referred to the hideout of the ecologists; Cactus's employer, and aside from a few mid-level technicians, people he had yet to ever meet in person. They were secretive even when working with their own helpers, by nature of the job, mostly. There was a certain, serious weight to the package that got the stalker's attention though, even before he pulled off the wrapping and found the display of a brand-new Veles detector.

Click to shrink...

Cactus reaches out and handles the package like fine porcelain. "Thank you, but what do you mean by new model from the bunker?" As he carefully unwraps the package, Cactus raises his eyebrows in surprise. "I have to admit, I'm impressed. Can't imagine that this was easy or cheap to acquire." Cactus will likely never come clean on how much trouble Journalist has saved him, but he does feel a favor is owed.

Regardless of whether Journalist sourced the detector herself or it was supplied by the party's employer, it means the mission is of serious importance. The latest and greatest isn't handed out on a whim.

It didn't stop Cowboy from staring at the detector in Cactus' hands in eager curiosity, all buttons and knobs and fiddly bits. He gestured vaguely in his direction as he leaned forward. "I hear of many stories about the energies around The Zone, all kinds of wild behaviours from the 'artefacts'. This thing can tell us what kinds of trouble we run into, for sure?"

Click to shrink...

Cactus nods and turns the face of the device towards Cowboy. "Wouldn't traverse the Zone without one. On its own, this acts as a Geiger counter and responds to anomalous activity, but can be actively used", Cactus catiously pushes a few buttons "to search for artifacts. Looks like the LED screen shows how close or far they are. As for the trouble it finds, there's a lot of that. Artifacts are highly radioactive, and the Anomalies that give form to them are an entirely different set of problems. I've heard minefield used as a descriptor, but that only covers part of what makes them dangerous and hideously lethal. If you're interested, I'm hoping to explain in greater detail in a bit."

_______________​

A little while later, Cactus turns to address the entire party. "Alright, since we're in the middle of a road trip I suppose now is the best time. I'm Cactus, and as you can tell by this stylish lab coat I'm an Ecologist. But before I get into the meat of what I specialize in, does anyone have any questions about the Zone they would like to ask? A line of inquiry from a documentary, a question if found footage is rumor or reality? Or if you just want to satisfy your curiosity. Either way, I'll likely be able to give you an answer."

 

[dryskim]

@Sushi @DB_Explorer

Bratok snugged the straps on his backpack down, then trudged over to help Huh-face-tus? the blacksmith girl and Journalist haul the raft into the river.

He was keenly aware of Draga's presence, but with Journalist hovering about, Bratok kept the civilities to a simple nod. She was a good person to have around, but she'd seen him at his best. Journalist had seen him at his worst. He trusted the American for her expertise and knowledge, but he did not trust her not to turn that knowledge into potential leverage.

That was the last thing he needed. Better to

"But before I get into the meat of what I specialize in, does anyone have any questions about the Zone they would like to ask? A line of inquiry from a documentary, a question if found footage is rumor or reality? Or if you just want to satisfy your curiosity. Either way, I'll likely be able to give you an answer."

Click to shrink...

Bratok looked to Cactus, who'd been rambling since they'd gotten out of the van. He had a question.

"What about the mutants? We are not that heavily armed and many of us have not been to the Zone before. How to kill them with most efficiency or... best tactics, would be good to share, da?"

 

[Project J]

The mutants.
Out of all the tales he was told by mama, none fascinated him as much as the stories of the monsters that roamed the wilds of The Zone. They were the first she told to Dimitri, of transfigured beasts both mindless yet with a mind of collective feral instinct that brought down unsuspecting prey, of both common animal and man. Dimi remembered bedtime stories of wondrous, violent nature, and as he got old enough to travel with her on hunting trips near the border, those tales solidified into a common theme:
There was a fine line between being the hunter and becoming the hunted, the best hunters knew where that line was, and how to shift it in their favour.

He had barely scratched the surface of the diary nestled in his backpack, but Dimitri was enthralled in his mother's writings. They were written in her voice, unmistakably, her turn of phrase, prosaic where she let her feelings through, but often also in language almost foreign to him.
Scribblings heavy with scientific jargon, technical shorthand, even casual military slang. The fables he had heard in bed as a younger boy were a far cry from the cold, intricate descriptions of the dispatching of mutants (and more surprisingly, man) written in the pages.

But Dimitri found a new fascination with reconciling the fairytales with the reality of his mother's journey, a past life she deigned to tell if she could help it. And for all his discovery, the theme of the hunt remained the same.

"The easiest way to kill a mutant is to hunt together." Dimitri murmured, recalling the first and smartest rule he knew. "The worst beasts in the wild are weak of body but strong in number, or strong of body and weak in number. For the first, we overcome their advantage to swarm and overwhelm. For the second, we distract and divert, to expose their weakness."

"Of course, I only know what I was taught," Dimitri grinned sheepishly. "I am not a cool guy like the others here, so if there are any special tricks, I let someone else speak."

 

[Sushi]

@NeonLights @dryskim @Project J
_____As was typical of her, Journalist listened, and waited. She was fine with letting Cactus talk, it seemed, and they had those few small tasks to keep them occupied pushing off. Young Dimitri's voice got her attention though - at once firm, confident in the truth of each word he said, at least at first. It was practical knowledge; not how many kilometers wide the Zone was, or the names of the weapons the Stalkers carried, but the sort of thing you learned once after a few bites or scratches drove the lesson home. "Yeah, that sounds about right," she said at last. "Most of them are territorial, too. You can prepare a little better for snorks or bloodsuckers when you know their usual haunts."

 

[NeonLights]

"He has the right of it." Cactus says as he motions to Cowboy. "Those tactics are the ones you should employ. And that applies to most of them, even the humanoid ones. Don't hesitate when it comes to it, whatever intelligence is left is shreds or actively hostile. " Cactus takes a thoughtful look at the man. He's looks younger than anyone else he has worked with. Yet he seems to know about the Zone. Could he be interested in learning more? Cactus hopes so. There's much to impart about the Zone and it's nature to a willing student!

"Ah, anomalies!" Cactus smiles with warmth. "A subject dear to my heart! Now let me tell you all about anomalies! After the Chernobyl Disaster there's place in the Zone where the laws of physics are greatly changed, more often for the worse. When the damage the fabric of reality is severe enough it forms disruptions called anomalies. Not only do the anomalies emit a powerful magnetic field, most of them cause effects that are visible. So while they cannot be disrupted, they can be avoided. They're also the source of artifacts, which are much coveted for their properties. Now here's what you should know."

And the knowledge he imparts is the culmination of years of work. From laying the foundations for students, explaining difficulties for employers, acting as an advisor for scouts and hopeful explorers, and much more. He goes over his encounters, of dangers and successes, trials and tribulations, errors witnessed and recorded. He pulls from oral histories, both academic and recreational, from wikis and books and videos. Lines from the abstracts of studies are taken and put together into a cohesive whole. The work of hundreds of scholars over thousands of hours, crunched down into a neat, brief package. The only breaks in the imparting of information is when he grumbles about ignoring interesting trivia, and when retreats into his mental library with an unfocused look on his face, only for him to refocus and continue.

 

[Sushi]

???​

@dryskim @DB_Explorer @NeonLights @PanzerWaffles @Wizard_Marshall @Project J @AlphaD
_____There was a prolonged moment of silence, almost as if the group had agreed to all hold a combined breath. Trees thickened overhead, the sun reduced to dull streams filtering down. The boat cut noiselessly through the river, rings spreading in its wake. Not even birds chirped above as the lack of sound stretched on and on. Then they could see it - fingers of winter sliding across the water, chunks of ice forming where there was once crystal clear water. Hunks of ice thumped into the boat's hull and shattered into pieces in their wake.

_____There was the skin-prickling feeling of static, like they had plunged into an electrically charged field.

_____"Anyone else see that?" Journalist said. Her breath fogged the air. Fresh snow descended from above. The banks, which had moments ago been verdant and overgrown, were now smothered with a thick layer of powder. The once-brisk breeze was now bitingly cold. The stalker raised her arm and pointed just past the turn in the river.

_____A ship. A sizeable one. It was made of wood, with the spire of a mast poking up, through the trees, tattered remnants of sail clinging to salt-caked rigging. Not a bit of the snow seemed to touch it, only blanketing the nearby harbor, the roofs of sheds that were becoming visible the closer they got. Journalist craned up her neck as the shadow of that vessel fell across them. It was beached in harbor - although how a vessel of its size had made it down the river in the first place wasn't entirely clear.

_____"Olena, where was the dropoff again?" Journalist asked, in a flat tone that sounded more irate than surprised. There was more quiet, even the hum of the engine dying down. "Olena, you with me?" She said, giving the young Ukrainian woman a shake.

_____"-ah! A ship, yes..."

_____"This ship?"

_____"I-I have no idea... I've never seen this before." The color had long ago drained from her face. Olena wordlessly steered the raft away from the wake of the beached vessel, turning, instead to an unoccupied pier that had some scant cover afforded to it by the nearby piles of scrap. As soon as the nose of the boat bumped against the wood of the docks, she all but tossed their bags out. "I'll drop you off here, as agreed. I'm sorry, I can't really help you with this. Good luck."

_____Journalist helped the rest of the crew climb on, and they watched the boat motor back the way they came, vanishing fast into a curtain of heavily falling snow.

Zone A​

_____"I don't know how to explain this in a way that will make the situation any better," she said. "But all we can really do is hope that your kit is aboard that crate. Even if it's not the same ship I remember being here... the Zone's fucky that way." Journalist glanced at her watch. "We should go, and quietly. Someone lead the way."

 

[AlphaD]

_____"I don't know how to explain this in a way that will make the situation any better," she said. "But all we can really do is hope that your kit is aboard that crate. Even if it's not the same ship I remember being here... the Zone's fucky that way." Journalist glanced at her watch. "We should go, and quietly. Someone lead the way."

Click to shrink...

"Fuckin' Zone. Two seconds in and we're already getting nailed by its bullshit." Anna muttered irately as she gratefully accepted Journalist's offered hand and clambered up onto the docks. "That's gotta be a record, right?"

The pinkette swung the pack that she had been wearing down to the ground and crouched to rummage around inside of it, pulling out the Beretta that had been supplied to her with one hand while another pulled out a magazine which she slid into her weapon with a soft click. Anna glanced around the area, her mood worsening by the moment when she realised a thick fog began to roll over them and now she can barely see jack shit.

"It's freezing out now too so let's get this done quick." The mercenary huffed as she stood back up, sparing a glance over to the white-haired ranger she once fought alongside with. "... It's been awhile since Belgrade but I promise you, I'm still as good a shot since the last time you've seen me and I imagine your senses are still as sharp as ever."

Though Anna may not have known her name back during Belgrade, her team had taken to privately calling her 'Bloodhound' behind the ranger's back with Sophie exclaiming that she had a nose like one. Personally though? Anna would've likened the ranger to a white wolf with how she and her ranger team had moved together that it had been a struggle keeping up with them.

The white-haired ranger held up an arm and the combined unit of mercenaries and rangers behind her paused and quickly crouched in the street, the tension beginning to racket as the white-haired ranger stared ahead at a ruined building. Her gun moved slowly, almost as if it were tracking—

The ranger's barked twice and an insurgent tumbled from the shadows, rifle spilling from his hands as he fell. How had she seen—

"AMBUSH! AMBUSH! GET OFF THE STREET—"

And suddenly her world was awash with gunfire and chaos.

Anna smiled sharply as she gestured for the white-haired woman to take point. "So how 'bout it then, ranger? Lead the way."

@Wizard_Marshall

 

[DB_Explorer]

Heph's foot crunched in the snow as she looked around what looked like a marina left abandoned and shoved in a freezer. It was one thing to hear about the zone and its weirdness, but it was quite another to see it in person.

She watched as the blonde pulled a handgun out of her luggage - she was actually somewhat glad someone had a gun. All of her luggage was tools. She hefted her bag onto her back with a grunt. "I know this is the zone and touching the wrong piece of whatever the hell will turn me to a pile of goo." She said looking around as her breath fogged in front of her. "But if it's suddenly snowing with different ships and shit... might be good to at least look around in some of these buildings. Be all sorts of stupid if the crates we want are just over there." She said as she waved at a nearby shack.

 

[dryskim]

The sudden cold front cut through Bratok's lightweight tracksuit jacket like a frigid finger down his spine. As the girl, Olena motored away, the bandit dug his sawn-off shotgun out of his bag and stuffed a fistful of loose shells into his pocket.

"I know this is the zone and touching the wrong piece of whatever the hell will turn me to a pile of goo." She said looking around as her breath fogged in front of her. "But if it's suddenly snowing with different ships and shit... might be good to at least look around in some of these buildings. Be all sorts of stupid if the crates we want are just over there." She said as she waved at a nearby shack.

Click to shrink...

"Could not hurt to be thorough," Bratok said, "I can go with the blacksmith, see if there's anything here worth taking."

@Sushi @DB_Explorer

 

[Cheburashka]

@DB_Explorer @dryskim

Draga shivered from the frigid blast, though wasn't surprised The Zone would greet them with such a cold reception. She flipped her cloak hood over her head, grateful she dressed warmly, even if only for the event her cloak would be a blanket inside an abandoned farmhouse while laying low. With their bookworm boatswain gone, the frosted wharf and salt crusted hulls of ships surrounded the group in the thick fog, and with a smooth clack Draga drew her Bagira. She used the pistol before, here in The Zone and back in Chechnya. It performed well.

The singer listened to Bratok and the waves below while she slid in a magazine and racked the slide. She knew the two needed more than just a sawed off for what was likely ahead while she spoke up. "I'll go with you two, as well, Bratok." Draga glanced at the blacksmith and wondered how she planned to lug an entire hardware store on her back through this. "And what of you, Miss Home Depot? What is your handle? It wasn't in the tools section."

 

[Sushi]

Zone D​

@dryskim @DB_Explorer @PanzerWaffles
_____Estelle glanced nervously about as the crew stepped onto the creepy, frigid dock. Hephaestus was the one that suggested moving - a woman that she knew better as Cecille, back in the real world. That seemed so very far away right now. "... that sounds like a good idea, yes. I shall accompany you all. Safety in numbers, oui?" She scurried in their wake. The four of them crossed a small path to a shack with a rotted-out roof, piled up high with wooden crates. There was a new-looking tan Camelbak laying upon the floor, slightly bulging as if packed full of supplies. Nearby, a large green backpack was piled against the "wall" formed by piled crates, with the top opened, as if someone had been in the middle of packing it up. Most of the other crates had been pried open, smashed, or rotted out, but a medium-sized metal locker upon the floor looked relatively unscathed, held together by a slightly rusty metal padlock.

_____"Ooh, I bet I can open that!" Estelle said in hushed tones. She scootched over and pulled a small leather pouch from her bag. Out of habit, the Frenchwoman turned her head and listened, an ingrained habit from fooling around in some rough places before.

_____Panting. The wet sound of a dog or some other animal nearby, plodding along just around the corner. Estelle pointed just back the way they had came, hunching near a section of wall as the sounds got nearer.

Zone A​

@Wizard_Marshall @Project J @AlphaD
_____"Heads up, people," Journalist said. She found a crate to press herself behind just as a trio of dogs came trotting around the corner, moving directly between their landing point, and the rest of their group currently rifling through boxes just a few paces away. It was a trio of mangy-looking hounds, big ones that came up nearly waist-high. They were lean, and marked with dried mud and matted fur. The lead one sniffed the ground in front of it and glanced around, a low growl emanating from clenched jaws. Journalist waved for Star, Athena, and Cowboy to join her in cover.

 

[Project J]

As they found their way on (relatively) dry land and re-equipped themselves, Dimi's wonder and curiosity was etched plain on his face. The stories and tales he had heard during bedtime, the exploits he had barely started immersing himself into in his mother's journal after her absence - they were here. He was here to witness the legends with his own eyes.
His hand drifted to the camera hanging from his neck, unbuckling the leather cover by instinct, scanning the fog with a practiced keenness. Bringing the camera up, his fingers rolled on the rings around the lens, surveying the skeletons of dilapidated buildings around them and the wooden bones of the ship jutting upwards into the sky a further ways away. He grumbled as his index finger slid the front lever downwards and the shutter clicked, reminding himself that his rolls of film were not on his persons yet, let alone loaded.

The growling in the fog ahead brought Dimitri back down to earth. Shuffling across the snow to catch up with the rest, he made out the sounds of multiple dogs before he even spotted them, hurriedly stuffing his camera back into its pouch. The hounds run in packs, their meals are fights to the death. A blade will keep up with a dog faster than the bolt of a rifle, especially this close.
As he reached for his knife, his hand brushed across his front pocket, giving him pause. The corner of a sandwich bag caught his attention - he had completely forgotten about it as he had stuffed it into his front pocket on the way out from the briefing in Kyiv, a large wad of boiled dumplings he had absent-mindedly decided to 'save' for later. Now lukewarm - but enticing enough as a distraction for a bunch of bloodthirsty and starving, mangy mutts? He weighed the bag in his hand, as well as his options.

He drew out his knife anyway, just in case.

 

[dryskim]

@Sushi @DB_Explorer @PanzerWaffles

Bratok shrugged as two more women joined their small shack looting expedition. While outwardly he kept up his stone-faced façade, internally he was more than happy to have a few extra hands - and especially guns, along in case things got dicey.

As they crossed the threshold into the dilapidated structure, it seemed that the dice had fallen in their favor. Two backpacks and a storage locker, ripe for the picking.

"Ooh, I bet I can open that!" Estelle said in hushed tones. She scootched over and pulled a small leather pouch from her bag. Out of habit, the Frenchwoman turned her head and listened, an ingrained habit from fooling around in some rough places before.

Click to shrink...

The girl seemed to light up at the prospect of busting into the steel container, if her eagerness brevet skill, then they were in luck. Bratok's plan had been less... subtle. And so far as plans were concerned, it started and ended with, "Bash it open with something sturdy."

"If there is a shooter in there," Bratok told the French thief, "Pass it along to Heph. Unless it is very nice shooter, in which case, pass it along to me."

Panting. The wet sound of a dog or some other animal nearby, plodding along just around the corner. Estelle pointed just back the way they had came, hunching near a section of wall as the sounds got nearer.

Click to shrink...

The joke died on Bratok's lips. He couldn't hear the dogs, but he could tell from Estelle's movements she was acutely aware of something he wasn't. He crept towards the doorway to get a peek. By then he heard the growls.

Some of the tension eased, though his heart was still hammering in his chest. Dogs. He could deal with dogs. They were something mundane, something... normal. Their was far too little normal out here in the Zone.

 

[Sushi]

Zone A​

@Wizard_Marshall @Project J @AlphaD
_____Dima heard the low growls give way to softer panting from the hounds. Even if they couldn't seem exactly where he stood, it seemed the scent of some food had gotten their attention.

Zone D​

@dryskim @DB_Explorer @PanzerWaffles
_____The Frenchwoman only snickered in response to Bratok. Her pick made quick work of the rusty old lock, and she carefully placed it upon the floor before tipping the lid open - and turning her face away as a small cloud of dust filled the space. "Phew!" She removed several objects from within and placed them on the floor - a pair of new-looking pipe bombs, a small box with what seemed like primitive electronics attached to a hinged lid, and a stubby, club-like gun. "Does this really count as nice?"

_____Bratok, and perhaps a few of the others recognized the shape immediately. It was an old Russian bolt-action rifle sawed down until it was nearly pistol sized. They called this type of gun an "Obrez," and it had something of a reputation for being a noisemaker more than an actual weapon.

 

[dryskim]

"Does this really count as nice?"

_____Bratok, and perhaps a few of the others recognized the shape immediately. It was an old Russian bolt-action rifle sawed down until it was nearly pistol sized. They called this type of gun an "Obrez," and it had something of a reputation for being a noisemaker more than an actual weapon.

Click to shrink...

Bratok's face fell as the chopped down Mosin was revealed. A glorified flamethrower.

He was almost insulted someone had the audacity to stash something so meager behind a padlock.

"...no."

 

[Project J]

Zone A​

@Wizard_Marshall @Project J @AlphaD
_____Dima heard the low growls give way to softer panting from the hounds. Even if they couldn't seem exactly where he stood, it seemed the scent of some food had gotten their attention.

Click to shrink...

"Well, I suppose dogs will be dogs."
Dimitri spoke a little prayer to nothing in particular as he cocked his arm back and let loose with a healthy underarm throw, almost as one would skipping a stone. The bag of dumplings flew much, much further than he expected for how densely he had packed it, sailing off into the fog. Had he thrown it too far for the hounds to catch its scent again?

If nothing else, it had bounced off something in the distance, a much more vigorous thud than he was expecting (that broke through the quiet and fog up ahead. Probably a window or wall. Dimi hoped he hadn't quite obliterated the bag itself - if they had to fight through a pack of dogs he'd much rather retrieve an intact meal afterwards.

 

[Sushi]

Zone A​

@Project J @Wizard_Marshall
_____A dog yipped. The hounds turned and shot off in the direction of the thrown bag, their panting fading into the distance as they padded out of sight. It was a good throw, and moreover had gone largely unseen, and it seemed that for the moment the immediate area was clear for exploration.

@Wizard_Marshall
_____Athena felt the back of her neck prickle. She had these feelings from time to time. Gut feelings. They almost always turned out to be true, somehow. People said it was something she had inherited from her mother, who had been much the same way. She had learned to trust her instincts over the years about such thing, and something about the Zone had put her senses more on edge than ever. A glance at her map showed the particular spot was marked "C," the end of a building that sat perpendicular to them, with a roof partly caved in from water damage. She had a feeling that something unfriendly to them was inside the building, yet, unaware of their presence yet.

_____Something threatening, yet not intelligent enough to act in ambush or surprise them...

Zone B​

@AlphaD
_____"Hey. Eyeballing that?" Journalist said. She moved to the mercenary's side and reached into her bag, pulling out a narrow strip of plain white linen with rusty bolts tied into it every six inches or so. "Take this. Toss it right where you're looking. It'll keep you from losing a toe stepping into that," the woman said, turning her head as the rest of the party rummaged through their newly-found loot.

Zone D​

@dryskim @DB_Explorer @PanzerWaffles
_____"I agree," Estelle said. She passed the pair of explosives gingerly to the bandit, turning to press the rifle into Heph's hands - better if more of them were armed, anyway. There was a small worn leather bag with cartridges for it that didn't look too rusty. The Frenchwoman turned her attention back to the cobbled-together device. "What do you suppose this is? It looks like a container of some kind."

 

[DB_Explorer]

"What do you suppose this is? It looks like a container of some kind." Estella asks as you take look over the ...well it was a gun.

A really shitty gun if everyones reactions to it was anything to go by. The literal hack job done on the rifle was also poorly done so it also annoyed Heph on a professional level. The blacksmith also took the bag of cartridge's and started loading the noisemaker.

Looking back toward Estella and the box in her hands. "Want me to take a look?" She offers. "If it's meant to contain something rather then do something." Heph stressing the emphasis on the two different roles for the box. "I'd rather not open it given what someone might want to contain in a place like this."

 

[Wizard_Marshall]

@Sushi @Project J @AlphaD

When Athena heard Journalist's warning, she was already following the other woman's instructions and moving into cover. She'd seen more than one soldier stop and look for the threat when they heard warnings. Not a bad reaction but sometimes a death sentence when you were out in the open. Once she was safely nestled against a crate, she looked over the damp wood and saw the threat, a trio of mangy dogs. She frowned. Wasn't the first time she'd encountered canines as a threat, so she knew a little more than the average person. While dogs had slightly worse eyesight than humans their sense of hearing and smell was greater, especially the latter. She thought for sure this was going to turn into a messy shootout but some quick thinking from Cowboy lured the animals away from them. Athena let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding and turned to Cowboy to give him an appreciative nod.

"Good work," she said in a low voice, being careful not to destroy his success by luring the trio back.

Zone A​

@Project J @Wizard_Marshall
_____A dog yipped. The hounds turned and shot off in the direction of the thrown bag, their panting fading into the distance as they padded out of sight. It was a good throw, and moreover had gone largely unseen, and it seemed that for the moment the immediate area was clear for exploration.

@Wizard_Marshall
_____Athena felt the back of her neck prickle. She had these feelings from time to time. Gut feelings. They almost always turned out to be true, somehow. People said it was something she had inherited from her mother, who had been much the same way. She had learned to trust her instincts over the years about such thing, and something about the Zone had put her senses more on edge than ever. A glance at her map showed the particular spot was marked "C," the end of a building that sat perpendicular to them, with a roof partly caved in from water damage. She had a feeling that something unfriendly to them was inside the building, yet, unaware of their presence yet.

Click to shrink...

Although the immediate danger had passed, Athena didn't leave cover just yet. The trio of dogs had reminded her that they were already in danger, and that she shouldn't let her guard down so easily. As she searched the area with her senses, she got one of those instinctual tingles - a feeling she couldn't explain but had learned to trust over the years. It had saved her team more than once from a hidden danger.

"I think I saw something around Point Charlie. I'm moving to investigate," she said to people near her. "Star can you back me up?"

 

[DB_Explorer]

Heph took a closer look at the container, thick stout welds on thicker metal. The robust hinged free to see to all the world - a poor design for anything meant to be secure. Certainly no puzzle box with the lone small eyelet for an absent padlock.

All told it was a robust, if crudely made, box - the only thing of note was the electrical contraption on top - not that she could tell if it was on or not... though tracing the wires seemed to point to it electrifying the inside of the box, and that was...interesting.

"So this is trying to keep something safe from the zone I'd say." Heph said turning the box over in her hands. "We could open it? Anyone got a stick?"

 

[AlphaD]

Anna frowned from her spot as she crouched behind some rotten crates. They had barely gotten off the wooden docks of this god forsaken place when she had spotted something odd and no, it wasn't the pack of rabid dogs that were blocking the path though it seemed that her colleagues had that situation well handled.

No, her focus was on the shed next to the dock. Specifically, a piece of an old tarp pinned beneath a pile of fallen crates emitting a fishy stench, one so foul and noxious that Anna had to fight the urge to gag as soon as she settled behind her chosen piece of cover. It was probably what attracted the pack of dogs here in the first place but she digressed.

The movement was quite subtle and if Anna wasn't paying any attention, she might've missed it completely. Knowing her luck it was probably a...

"... Stupid ass Zone and its anomalous bullshit." She swore under her breath as she squinted at the shed, her grip tightening on her pistol.

_____"Hey. Eyeballing that?" Journalist said. She moved to the mercenary's side and reached into her bag, pulling out a narrow strip of plain white linen with rusty bolts tied into it every six inches or so. "Take this. Toss it right where you're looking. It'll keep you from losing a toe stepping into that," the woman said, turning her head as the rest of the party rummaged through their newly-found loot.

Click to shrink...

"Yeah. You see it too?" Anna said, sparing the Journalist a brief glance. "Thought it was just the wind at first... might actually be the wind but I'd rather be called nuts compared to losing an arm or a leg to a fucking... I don't know... mini black hole or somethin'."

The mercenary reached out to take the linen strip that was offered to her, muttering a quick thanks as she did so. She eyed the distance between herself and the tarp before shrugging and tossing the linen strip towards the shed where she thought the probably anomaly originated.

"I think I saw something around Point Charlie. I'm moving to investigate," she said to people near her. "Star can you back me up?"

Click to shrink...

"Had it since Belgrade, ranger. Don't even need to ask." Anna replied distractedly with a backhanded wave even as she continued to stare towards the shed. "Hold your ass real quick though, thought I saw an anomaly in front of me. Journalist and I are checking it right now."

@Sushi @Wizard_Marshall

 

[Cheburashka]

@Sushi @dryskim @DB_Explorer

Draga returned her sidearm to her hip while she squatted beside the drab rucksack. Bratok commented a simple "...no." at the Obrez, which made her smile. The redhead began thumbing in cartridges into the piece and she narrowed her eyes. "Well, at least you now have a dog whistle, eh?" she commented at the blacksmith, then continued as the straps crumbled in her hands. Well, shit. What happened, here?

The ruck in actuality was less the deep green she liked and more so darkened from having been scorched, and she quietly lamented that the pack was utterly unusable. Still, she could tell the Fruit Punch that fried the bag wasn't there, which meant this had to be some sort of Zone trickery. Yeah, as if anybody was carrying this bag, anywhere, let alone here. Wonder what's inside?

With care she flipped open the pack, revealing a small bounty. A few 5.56 caliber cartridge boxes, a burnt vest of some former quality and a package laid inside. She went for the package, first, and after she brushed off some light grit read the name Sidorovich. This had to make it back to the trader as well as the description of the bag it was in, and with a few moments she wrapped the straps of her Vesmeshok in her hand to keep the cinch knot tight. The NATO bullets were still intact, but of no use at the present. Fuck, if I only had enough cash, I could afford something nice, she frowned. Even so, the ammo was hers, and she was hanging onto it for now.

The vest was trashed, with its straps falling off and its outer material scorched, though Draga knew the plates inside were the real gems. With a crackle she pried open the vest and to her approval both plates were as far as she could tell intact. Excellent! The vest itself was burnt to where she wouldn't use it, but Draga imagined a Zone technician could make a new carrier out of Army fatigues, a blanket and spare gear webbing for a wad of rubles and a bottle of vodka. Better keep the vest for sizing, though, she reasoned, and slid the thing into her stealth pack, which had been empty against her back until now. She looked at the tan Camelbak and sighed. I still have to get all my other gear, can't take that Western pack, there. Pity.

She produced her pistol again, then held it at a low ready while she turned to the others. "Any of you want to take a look at that nice bag there? Free real estate."

 

[dryskim]

@PanzerWaffles @DB_Explorer @Sushi

Bratok accepted the pipe bombs with a hint of trepidation and made sure to keep them stashed away from his Khattabkas. The last thing he needed was to blow his hand off because some asshole assembled them together improperly. When they made camp later, he made a mental note to inspect them thoroughly.

While he was doing this the girl, Heph, was poking at the little box with the electronic gizmos on the outside, saying:

"So this is trying to keep something safe from the zone I'd say. We could open it? Anyone got a stick?"

Click to shrink...

"All of those things you brought and you could not find room to pack a stick?" Bratok chuckled.

Outlaw was partaking in the favorite pastime of the Zone - looting. The backpack bore more fruit than the locked chest, in Bratok's opinion. Armor that could be repurposed, ammunition that could be traded or used, and a sealed package that piqued the thief's curiosity.

The chuckle died on his lips. He nodded towards the package for Sidorovich, though he couldn't see the label from where he stood, "What about the box? Are you not going to open it?"

 

[DB_Explorer]

"All of those things you brought and you could not find room to pack a stick?" Bratok chuckled.

Click to shrink...

"Customs didn't buy my excuses that it was for work - bastards." Heph replied as she turned the box over her in hands. "Suppose we could just open it then, can't be any less dangerous then those pipe bombs you got now."

 

[Sushi]

​

Zone D​

@dryskim @DB_Explorer @PanzerWaffles
_____Draga packed away her scavenged goods with a sort of practiced efficiency common to Stalkers, while Bratok kept an eye out like he was watching for the police during a liqour-store stickup. The risks weren't too different out here, bad people around every corner, waiting for just the right opportunity to pounce. Heph took her time looking over ever sparse detail the box had to offer before finally popping it open. The geiger counters all three of them wore immediately tick-ticked to life, as a small, amber-yellow gem, or rock, bounced out of the box, hitting the ground at a sharp angle before immediately correcting itself to a vertical orientation.

It was a foggy color, almost looking like it were made out of shadow and glass. The momentum of ejecting from the container had carried even after the small object corrected itself, and it went skipping at a happy pace fast out of Heph's grasp and across the floor, bouncing around the bend into the next building, and out of view. It had gone into an area parked as Zone E according to their maps.

_____Estelle glanced around with wide eyes. "An... artifact, I presume? I guess we should go after it..."

Zone C​

@Wizard_Marshall @Project J @AlphaD
_____Star's aim was true, and the small streamer went sailing through the air, right through where she had seen the distortion. well, almost. It stopped dead at a spot over the epicenter of where she'd seen the swirling dust, and she felt, as much as heard a sound that seemed much like a spooling turbine, the bits of white cloth whipping in the torrential breeze before it all scattered with a sharp bang, bits of metal zinging through the air.

_____"Vortex," Journalist said. "Good eye. You have to watch out for those gravitational anomalies. We'll have to find another way around." The veteran stalker tucked her hands into her pockets as Athena waved at them. Journalist gave Star and Dima both a push toward Athena. "Don't split up," she chided them. "You don't want to get separated out here." Their soft footfalls carried them directly adjacent point C. Journalist looked back at the way they came, and saw no sign of lingering hounds. She gave a polite tilt of her head for the two armed women to proceed.

_____The two of them lingered just a few paces away from the doorway to the building proper, observing from the shadow of the building.

_____Athena heard it first. The soft, shuddering breath. The scuff of boots against rotted-out wood and pitted stone. The shifting light cast a slowly growing shadow upon the ground, one which soon took a human shape. As far as Athena could tell, the person - or at least something that looked like one, was simply standing there, swaying in the wind, breathing noisy, haphazard breaths.