17-11 Desolation

...I'm afraid I have to stop you.

The Marshal has ordered strict secrecy over New Lab Six's research. Even an inspection of research progress—

You are Alita Valueva? Director of this lab?

...Yes, sir.

Then you know that the Marshal has given her son, Anatoliy Svetlanov, full authority over the Kushkina Project.

And you must know that the Generalik has reached the end of his patience with your lack of progress.

I have already explained to the Marshal that energy supplies have been highly inconsistent since the beginning of the Originium vein crisis.

As the research progresses, its demand for energy grows... just as one cannot make butter from water, experiments cannot continue without the right conditions.

On the unauthorized transfer of energy—

That is exactly what I'm trying to say—

I've submitted a report on the matter to the Marshal, and personally overseen the shutdown of potential channels. It will not happen again.

Please explain it to the Generalik. I would be happy to submit a copy of the report for the Marshal to him.

Ah... I'm sure he would be very interested.

The Generalik's temperament is unlike the Marshal's. He wants to see New Lab Six's effectiveness and loyalty.

See those in your husband's lab, for example... the smallest of leaks has already ensured that they will never have the trust of the First Army again.

Do not repeat their mistakes.

......

Give her the letter.

Yes, sir.

Sir, this is...

Data provided by a friend of the Marshal's. The Generalik has instructed me to give it to you, so that the lab can improve upon Kushkina according to the concepts contained within.

Also, the test animal on the loose is causing panic amongst some of the civilians. The Generalik would like you to resolve this matter immediately, or at the very least find out the cause... do you understand?

I understand... please tell the Generalik that I will do my duty and complete the goals as quickly as possible.

Phew—

They're gone. You can come out now.

Thank you, professor. They would have been suspicious if they saw me.

I'm the one who should thank you, Marat.

You're taking a huge risk, helping me look for data while acting as the Army's science consultant. I don't know how to thank you.

I'm not just doing it for you. I'm curious why they're suddenly recruiting so many Infected all of a sudden, myself.

Did you find anything?

Yes.

They're using those Infected to provide 'energy' for the project.

Are you saying—

In the literal sense of the word.

Passphrase.

'Snow made from iron does not burn.'

You're three minutes late. Be careful next time. The ones inside are not as well-tempered as we are.

Not much we can do about it. There are fewer and fewer usables, and harder to acquire the goods. The higher-ups would rather those who are in less serious condition keep working.

They'll come down on us if quota's not met.

We should worry about ourselves. We'll end up like those in the truck if we get infected ourselves.

What's that sound—

Huh? I didn't hear anything.

Well, it's about time this old bucket got an overhaul.

Keep moving, don't waste time.

Phew... that was close!

I can't get any closer with all that jamming... not after I almost lost No.128.

Let me see... no, there's too much noise.

The drones start acting up within about 1km of this area. They can still fly, but real-time video is inoperable, and other preloaded functions are also disabled.

There's something really weird about this wall!

Good thing the patrols don't come around here, and we haven't seen any other locals approach. Do they all pretend the wall doesn't exist?

It stretches out from downtown. Who could fail to see it?

Military-grade ECM equipment is deployed throughout the wall. It far exceeds what a normal military facility requires to prevent accidental trespassing.

It's strange.

We'll be spending our entire stay dealing with this equipment, if we don't think of something.

I have some discoveries, or should I say, hypotheses.

I tried to use my Arts this morning, focusing on specific human signal bands to reduce workload.

I thought about giving up after several attempts came up empty before I discovered a band that periodically disappears before reappearing.

It occurs at regular intervals, with two iterations up to this point.

Did you see anything go through the wall?

I remember it. The searchlight followed it without setting off any alarms. I thought I was lucky, but it seems strange now that I think of it.

If the curfew was imposed in order to covertly transport something behind the wall—

If we want to use it to sneak in, we could lay in wait along its path.

Come back, Doctor. We need to plan our next steps.

This time, I need to be present.

Doctor!

You said you found an abnormal patient? Is he—

You came sooner than I thought, Tonya, but...

See for yourself.

No, no, doctor...

It's not the same as what happened to my sister...

The symptoms are indicative of an acute Oripathy onset.

But he had demonstrated similar symptoms as your sister when he first came. If your sister was in the initial stages, he was in the final stages.

Could the illness be... with Oripathy...

But people with Oripathy don't die so peacefully!

You're right. Oripathy patients often experience unimaginable pain when they die, as their bodies disintegrate.

I performed a comprehensive check before you came...

His vocal cords were not swollen, nor were there any scratch marks on his body. His muscles were relaxed, with no sign of painful spasms prior to death, nor any sign of disintegration...

But all these questions do not change the fact that he died from Oripathy.

This points to the possibility that his condition, and whatever is affecting your sister, is simply a variant of Oripathy.

...What's that sound, doctor?

What sound? I don't hear anything.

I think I hear my sister crying... is she calling to me?

Look at me, Tonya. Your sister is in isolation. I keep my eye on her every day and hum lullabies to put her to bed. She'll be fine.

She's still sleeping. Children her age need sleep to recover. Whatever you're hearing, it's not her... take a deep breath.

No, doctor, it's not that...

It was raining heavily that night. I ran through three streets to bring her to you. She was so light, like an empty basket...

But her head, pressed against my forehead, was burning, so hot it made my tremble...

I still don't know what she's sick with. It wouldn't even leave me with a speck of hope!

Why did it do this to her, to us...

What did we do wrong?

Tonya!

Go—

Doctor, we have to go! The soldiers have found this place! They're already downstairs. We'll need to take the emergency passage.

What about Nina?

In the incubator. Should we grab her?

...What's going on with Tonya?

Give me a hand and get her up. Nina cannot leave the incubator at this time. We can only pray they'll show mercy to a child.

Leave the rest. We can come back for it.

So light...

What about this one?

We have to leave him.

He might even buy us some time.

Let's go.

I left a sign for the others in the operating room.

Gah... they got away again.

Doesn't matter. Our primary mission is not to arrest people. They always get wind of things, like those 'musbeasts' in the underground layers.

Found anything other than the kid?

No.

Did you search every room thoroughly?

I—

—Found it!

There's a body in the operating room, but...

......

Take it anyway.

Be careful not to knock off any pieces.

I'm taking these meds too.

There's no date on them, who knows if they work at all. But suit yourself.

Better than nothing.

Doing this stuff every day... I don't want to wait for that factory scrip khuinya to get my sleeping pills.

That one again?

Yeah.

Something happened during fresh-air time? Refused to kneel, or—

Offered to take punishment for the others when boss was punishing the Infected.

Again... carry the suka up.

Hey, still breathing?

......

Zhopa, they're gonna kill someone if they go on like this.

The Generalik wants the Infected alive...

Tell the tupoi Luzhin to explain to the Generalik. I'm sure he could spin a bunch of flowery words, considering it was the Generalik who stuck him in our squad to begin with.

Watch your words. Luzhin is our superior officer, for now at least. The First Army's—

Honor? Discipline? As if there's any of that left in the First Army. Blyat, screw that svolotsch Generalik...

Bleh, keep an eye on 'em, and call a medic at any signs of trouble—those pizdets animal doctors do nothing well except clean up dead bodies...

But I bet this suka will last the night.

Shouldn't have defied us, eh?

I can take it... leave the others alone.

Hey, you asked for it. Don't say we didn't warn you.

I saw bandages on your arm while you were carrying me, and that wound on your head...

Did you defy your own superior, Ratkov?

Don't push your luck. I'm only here because I was ordered to keep an eye on you. Don't presume to question the Generalik just because we've talked a couple of times.

Sorry...

I just happened to see similar marks on you, which made me think... perhaps we're not so different after all.

What are you doing?

For you. Medicine powder made from a plant that grows only on the Northern Tundra. Works wonders on wounds...

How did we not find it when we searched you?

Survival wisdom that Ursus taught us... take it. I have enough for myself.

......

I know this medicine.

What?

I grew up in Zavorsk. One time I got a gaping gash on my leg that almost reached the bone. My grandfather poured this medicine over the wound, and it only took one night for the wound to close.

My family gave me a bunch when I enlisted. It came in handy in the two years that I spent on the border fighting bandits, before I was transferred to the First Army.

I didn't expect to see it here.

Zavorsk... it's near the Far North...

Yes. I haven't heard from my family ever since the Fourth Army's insurrection.

Most of my companions came from the Northern Tundra.

If I can meet up with them, I could ask them about your family—

There's no need.

I'm already breaking rules by talking to you like this.

I have to go. I can put in a request if there's anything you need.

You said your grandfather used that medicine on you.

The one who gave me the medicine said that only lumberjacks and hunters who live in the Northern Tundra forests know how to make it.

Your grandfather—

He was a lumberjack. So was my father.

While you joined the First Army. Good...

I know many children of lumberjacks. At least you aren't learning how to bury other children of lumberjacks.

You know how many soldiers have claimed those forests for themselves, backed by the rich and powerful.

They beat up and expelled those who lived in the forests, forcing them to leave the land which their ancestor had always lived, becoming homeless refugees, or willing slaves.

No doubt your father and grandfather will be proud of you, seeing you grow up strong and healthy, escaping such cruel fate with your family...

What are you trying to say?

My question for you is—whose son are you?

......

Your grandfather, the lumberjack from Zavorsk...

Did he heal your leg so that you can bend it to the oppressors, or stand with dignity like a true son of Ursus?

I have no requests for you to pass on. I only ask that you remember that you are a child of Ursus, like me, like all of us.

We will never bow to those who wield the whip. We fight for everyone who should not be whipped.

If the day comes when you want to find out about your father and grandfather, I... *cough* *cough*—

Save your strength...

I'll pretend I didn't hear any of that. Whatever you wanted to say, save it.

......

Wake up, boss.

Mm... what's going on...

Bozhe moi, your wounds... those monsters—!

Doesn't matter... how did you get out? I thought we were all locked up.

All the doors got unlocked for some reason.

We came to find you as soon as we got out. No soldiers along the way. Maybe something's gone wrong. Anyway, it's our chance!

But can you move? Your injuries—

Don't worry about me...

We don't have a lot of time, no matter whatever's happened with the Army. We need to move immediately.

Here, hold onto me.

Our people are all here... what's going on?

It's you—

I talked to my mates. The guys on duty will leave a gap. You have ten minutes to get out.

Thank you so much...

Ratkov, If I hear anything about your family—

Forget it. We all know it's a long shot.

What will you do? The general will undoubtedly punish you after we leave.

We will not submit so easily. Anatoliy no longer deserves our loyalty.

There is considerable discontent towards his behavior in the Army. He will pay for his outrages.

We've talked enough. Go, and don't waste this chance.

...Take care, Ratkov.

I will remember you, son of a Zavorsk lumberjack.

Hm...

You're awake?

Where are we? Nina—

The soldiers came to the clinic. We only had time to get you out.

We couldn't take your sister because she couldn't leave the incubator in her current state. I'm sorry.

Ugh—

Headache? It's normal after blacking out like that.

Is Nina still there? Did they take her? I have to—

I went back to the clinic when you were out cold.

...Doctor?

Nina wasn't there. They took her. The good news is that they took the incubator too. The bad news is... we don't know where they took her.

I understand you want to find her, and I'll do what I can to help, but—

Promise me this, Tonya. You have to stay strong, even if you don't find her... the rest of your family need you. They look up to you.

......

I...

You want to know what you can do? There's always one thing, and only one thing—

Find more evidence.

Doctor, you're sure that Kirill had the same symptoms as Nina when he first came into your care, only more serious?

If you believe me. There was a Cautus who could use healing Arts, who might have eased his pain at my request. No one else came into contact.

The Oripathy progressed rapidly. And what happened to him doesn't look like the result of pain relief.

Then I must find more evidence... and Nina.

I must find Nina...

What are you going to do?

What I had to do.

Target lost.

Target has left the surveillance area. Drone acquisition lost.

That means it's now within one klick of the wall, near your position.

The patrols have left. There should be a gap of about ten minutes along the road.

I'm coming over, Amiya.

Got it!

Watch out for the searchlights.

Do you see a grey vehicle?

Not yet!

Wait, I think—

I'm not there yet! Wait for me—

We haven't made a move yet. Stay safe, Closure.

I see it. Looks like a modified Infected tractor for use in the wilderness.

I've heard of military tractors ending up with the Infected after retirement. Not sure I've ever seen it go the other way.

We'll have to get closer to find out.

You'll fall out of comms if you get any closer.

Let's go in and figure it out from there.

Very well. I'll reestablish communications once you're inside.

Raidian out.

Guh...

The radio always goes out around these parts. Nothing to do when waiting for the door to open.

Didn't they say they were building a new base station? How's the signal still so lousy—

......

...From this vantage point, we can't even see how the door opens, or what sort of security measures are present.

We may have to get on the tractor before it gets swarmed by patrols and go inside with it.

No worries, I got you!

I think I'll need help too.

I can take Closure too.

Counting on you, Mon3tr.

(Hushed) Quiet now and stay focused. Wait for my signal.

Why's it taking so long for the door to open today, bratan?

Who are you calling bratan? I'm your baba.

You'll wait if you want to go in. They're still checking your creds.

Wasn't you here last night, baba.

Yeah, they reassigned everybody to the suburban factories. We're on three shifts a day now, don't even get to sleep.

Alright, you can go in—

*cough*—*cough*!

What's that—

...Woah, we got a lunatic trying to attack the wall!

Attack on the wall! Need backup at Zone A! Repeat, need backup at Zone A!

There was an explosion, someone's trying to force their way through—

There's someone else here? Did we luck into unexpected help?

No time to think about it now!

Raidian has rendezvoused with us. Let's use the chaos to get on the tractor—

—Close the door! No one gets in!

Attention—

Crossbows ready!

W-Wait! Don't point those weapons at me! I'm just delivering stuff!

Ugh, I'm gonna miss my next stop—

Hold it!

I'm sorry, I-I really can't afford to be late!

Looks like a twenty-four-man squad with potential reinforcements coming up. We need to get moving.

(Whispers) Come, Doctor!

Doctor! Give me your hand!

—That one's trying to get inside! Fire!

Stand firm.

Look out—

Closure—