Prologue.
As we begin our Story, we focus on Members of an Anarchy Cultist faction who were either chatting it up in the background or were sitting around a campfire chanting a seance, in an old Russian style church, in the central region of a territory know as South Zagoria. When one member, flips on his walkie-talkie on the wrong channel at the right time.
"-rmy Command, please repeat your last?! Tovarisch Colonel, I've lost them!"
"Sshh~! Quiet everyone, there's something on the radio!" He barked in a harsh tone
Another voice is heard,
"It's alright Corporal, what was last Broadcasted?"
"da tovarisch komandir! Last transmission indicates the Capital, Novigrad, has Fallen! Massive waves of the infected overran all military garrisons there; U.N., Amerikanskiy, CDF, even the Russian garrison at Belozersk was taking out by those… things!"
"CHYORT! Okay, if this is what it's come too… This Sokol-1 to all scattered 3rd Battalion elements! As the last commanding officer of the Chernarus Movement of the Red Star, I hereby initiate the "Cold Soldier" Protocol and order all Sokol-1 elements to retreat east to rally point Odessa, in South Zagoria!"
"TOVARISCH KOMANDIR! First Company Complies, enroute!"
"Second Company here, Komandir, message received and understood; Moving to Rally point Odessa! But what are we to do if we encounter Survivors?"
"If they're deem worthy of the time of the Political Officers, then Capture for interrogation, otherwise all hostile combatants are to be given no quarter! We have neither the time nor the resources for prisoners, same can be said for Civilians, leave them alone for now & worry about your own men, Captain!" "Yest' Tovarisch!"
"These will be hard times Gentleman! But I have hope we can liberate our Motherland, Our Home! From this plague, Ura?"
Then many voices bellow out!
"UURRRAAAAA~!"
As the transmission fades, one of the group says, "Well… this should be interesting..." the rest laugh.
Chapter One.
The Story Begins
I didn't ask for this, any of this, First our Leaders sending us Fists first into a Civil war with our Brothers of the CDF and then the U.N. and Americans intervene to "stabilize" the region. blasted retarded Capitalist pigs just couldn't keep their collective snouts out of our business! I digress... then a short while after Russia started supplying us Armor and Equipment they learn of our deception framing NAPA for the Red Square bombing, they began shoving their weight around telling NATO basically "back off! They're Ours to deal with now!" Things didn't get any better when the Тisy Military labs created by accident a Pandemic-like Pathogen that they stupidly let out to fester into a Zombie like outbreak! Тisy was in an uproar as the more potent version of the early strain of the virus was outright turning people into flesh eaters as it touches them. While the Soldiers of the CDF desperately tried to fend them off, they could not withhold the floodgates of this nightmarish madness. While many fled in fear after seeing it was pointless a few others stayed... or more realistically I believe; couldn't leave due to being trapped in their holdouts trying survive.
Though thinking back now, just before the "outbreak", we were enemies; not just that but we were trying to tear our beloved country in two! But now I think about how it gives me great pride as how our Chernarussian Brothers fought till the end but unfortunately… it was all for naught. If you could see the Northern reaches of the vast acres of the complex now, you would see nothing… nothing but chard, irradiated ash and rubble. See there was a Power plant, a Nuclear power plant so powerful that not provided electricity to the complex but most of South Zagoria, located in the northern sector of the Military base. I, Myself and many of my men suspect that as the Disease continued to spread relentlessly and indiscriminately, some of the engineers were bitten, and while writhing in agony as their bodies fail to fight this invasive intruder in the bloodstreams, one worker must of pushed or elbowed the wrong button causing the core to go critical and… well… just think of Chernobyl and you get the idea.
As the Nuclear Fire raced to burn all in its path, it evaporated all the CDF holdouts and undead masses alike. While most of the base was destroyed in the blast, the Southeast sector containing the Motor Pool, Auxiliary Helicopter pads and Administration buildings were spared by the fire but were not so generously graced by the fallout and radiation. Those that did hold out long enough but were still trapped either chose to take the quick route or to succumb the airborne sickness than to rather face the masses of rotting flesh outside their posts. Now if present day is any indication, then it's obvious that some of the Zombies fled south, into the towns of our Region and thus the Infected continued to spread at an uncontrollable rate that not even the might of Russia & NATO could handle and then within a month Novigrad, the Metropolis of Chernarus had fallen to its own citizen turned into unending rabid beasts. Then we, ourselves, The Chernarus Movement of the Red Star turned our Retreat from the Armies of the living to the frantic running for our lives from the hordes of the Undead flesh munching freaks of nature! Most of our base camps in Zagoria were either destroyed by CDF & NATO during the war or decimated by the infected more recently.
Now two months in post-outbreak things are surprisingly calm as I move my Battalion and pull back eastward. With no word from our Political leaders, I find myself picking up more and more soldiers to fight under our banner. Not for the sake of Communism or our Red Star movement but for a sense of order, control and the hopes that sticking with us means survival at all costs. I am actually surprised as to who joined us and if this plague ends I wonder if they may go back to hating us again… for instance; we have a few thugs from the NAPA but mostly CDF.
Now I didn't ask for the rank Colonel, but as more of our leadership started to eat each other I took it upon myself to lead… but also I couldn't let someone else take the position cause if we survive this and the world heals I could become the next Lenin if possible. Heh, wouldn't that be nice? But now as I write in this journal in a abandoned home, I, formerly known as Lieutenant Romanov now Colonel am just sitting idle while columns of trucks, troops and armor past by moving ahead of our command element to push east on the main coastal road. Our Objective? Chernogorsk, state capital of South Zagoria and also annex Balota Airstrip for our choppers to land on. Things are starting to pick up again, a rookie scouting party ran into a scruff with a rogue element of a Savage survivors group up at Stary Sobor. From the description, mostly Americans, we'll deal with them soon enough...
Vasily Romanov looks up from the table he was writing on to catch a glimpse at a NAPA T-34-85 pass by followed by more Tanks & APCs. Then the door across the room opens and the Orderly Corporal steps in and Salutes.
The Colonel returns it, "Yes Corporal?"
"Sir, the Car is out front for you and a Helicopter with a Red Guard Squad is ready for take-off." He responds while remaining at attention.
"Good, good. Best we get a move on if we wanna take control of our new base of Operation, eh?" Romanov goes to stuff his Journal into his inner breast pocket of the trench coat he dons then goes to strap on his Ballistic vest and Russian field kit. Finally finishing up He grabs an old worn brown baseball cap next to His Red Star Beret that he also stashes in his kit and moves to the door and grabs his AK-74 Rifle.
As they leave the house the Corporal gets the car door where there's a driver waiting. He seems hesitant and Romanov notices, "Speak now or forever hold your peace Corporal Petrovsky, I don't have all day."
He gulped down the frog in his throat, "Well Sir, it's I'm curious as to why you are so adamant about staying close to the fighting when normally the Brass stays safely at the rear?"
"Because not two months ago I was a Lieutenant in a Army with a dying cause and was on run faster than the Nazis' falling back to Berlin with our forefathers hot on their heels. And now with with the old Commanders shot because they were trying to eat each other I was the only highest rank in the vicinity I took it upon myself to lead, as to why I stay close to the front? Well there is no front! We are surrounded", the Corporal glances behind him into the opposing forested hills, "Yes, surrounded. Mass hordes of the undead flank us to the side and rear wherever we go and what lays ahead in Zagoria are factional clumps of Bandits, Thieves, Decrepit Psychopath and God knows what other kinds of people we'll face shaped by this damaged world! There is no front, not yet anyway…"
Petrovsky stares quizzically at his superior, "Once we establish ourselves as a local power, we will start prodding at who's friendly and who's the ones we must purge from our homeland! We will have a frontline and a purpose in this world, for instances; if the rest of the world is as fucked as our little corner of the Caucasus then if we succeed here, with no government to follow, we could bring about a new era of the Communist Warsaw Pact! After all Mr. Petrovsky, as the wise man once said; 'If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything'."
Corporal Petrovsky stiffens up and salutes, "Da Tovarisch Komandir! We will win without fault!"
Romanov nods and then taps the Driver of his UAZ's shoulder, "Drive" and off they went in the opposite direction the Convoy & troops were heading.
The Drive was short and he was still close enough to hear Gunshots and Tank Cannons begin the rumble in the far east, Romanov guessed the front of the Column had reached Kamenka and was stomping resistance, Human or not, their orders were to reach Balota and the airstrip by Noon after all! After pulling into the driveway of a farmhouse, bypassing it then going the Barn that was serving as Communication Command post but was in the process of packing to move out with the rest of the convoy. Beyond that in the pasture field was three helicopters; a captured CH-47 Chinook recently acquired from an overrun U.S. Marine outpost that was being loaded with the CPs equipment and antennas. The second was your plain old Mi-8 Hip with a squad waiting for the Colonel and an Mi-24 as escort.
After conferring with the Comms Lieutenant with the maps and the status of the push at the front of the assault, Romanov walks up to the back of the Hip and shook the squad leader's hand.
"Are we to go hunting, Comrade Commander?" He yells over the sound of the rotor coming up to full power.
"A little of the sorts, Master Sergeant, we're heading to capture an Island that houses a Prison that will be useful to us moving forward!" he replies at the same volume. He sits near the back and looks to the cockpit, the copilot looks back at him and Romanov puts out a thumbs up & motions it upwards yelling, "TAKE US UP!" the copilot nods and informs the pilot. He then fixates on the troop of Soldiers between him and the cockpit, all checking on their weapons, mags and other gear. He then looks to his left out the back and sees the Tail Gunner with his legs hanging over the edge while loading a fresh belt into his 12.7mm DshK and yanks the charger handle readying for anything, and outside the Hind isn't far behind; taking a escort formation position.
Colonel Romanov leans back against his seat and sighs tiredly , "so this is how the Apocalypse War starts, huh?" he pulled his baseball cap over his eyes and tries to get some sleep.
What dark forces awaits the ragged battalion of underdog Commie Soldiers? Will the Local Factions be able to stop the Roar of the mighty Red Bear? And what horrors await Romanov and his team on what's called Prison Island?
TUNE IN NEXT TIME IN CHAPTER TWO~!