On April 26, 1986, reactor #4 of Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exploded, releasing over 200 times the radiation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined, creating an exclusion zone spanning 30 kilometers from the power plant, and evacuating approximately 49,000 people from the city of Pripyat. The edges of the zone were heavily guarded by Ukrainian military, and research was conducted by scientists. In 2006, almost 20 years after the initial explosion, a second disaster occurred, killing or mutating anything within the radius of the blast. in 2011, 300 or more unknown individuals were reported to be living in The Zone. These individuals call themselves stalkers: scavengers, trespassers, adventurers, loners, killers, explorers, and robbers. Whether in search of wealth, glory, or just a clean slate, people are venturing into The Zone, and beginning a new life, the life of a stalker.
Chapter 1: TrespassingThe trees swayed gently in the quiet breeze. The only sound that could be heard was the distant call of a crow. Three men walked along a small dirt path, one leading, studying a map, another quietly sung, "Kинo: Группа Крови", walking to the beat. The one at the rear eyed the undergrowth suspiciously, shouldering his AKM. The leader reached the fence, topped with razor wire, a rusted sign sing read, "Увага!Радіаційна здійснюється площу!" ignoring the warning, they began to climb the fence, one by one. Using a pair of bolt cutters, they swiftly removed the razor wire, and hurried over. Before the last man could go over, a creature emerged from the bushes. It crawled on all fours, and wore the remains of a gas mask, the tube hanging limply over its lipless mouth. The hideous thing tore the man from the fence, and began biting him. He tried in vain to reach his rifle, and pleaded for his companions to help. The leader clambered over the fence, grabbed the gun, and shot the thing several times. They rested for a bit, horrified at how close they had come. The second man, the singer, quietly watched from behind a tree. It was too quiet. Suddenly, shouting voices, car engines, and gunfire filled the air. The Ukrainian military had heard them. In an instant, the leader was reciprocating fire. The guard clutched his wounded shoulder, drew his sidearm, and joined the fight. The singer crouched behind the tree and hoped for the best. Sweat beaded the lenses of his gas mask, obscuring his vision. From what he could see, the military was leaving, and his friends were nowhere to be found. He spotted something on the ground, beyond the fence. It burst, deafening him. The flashbang had caused him to fall over, his eyes and ears ceasing function. He sat against the tree for a bit, and waited for the ringing in his ears to die down. When he could hear again, he arose, and walked deeper into the zone, leaving the fence behind.