Hello everybody and welcome back to "Pups At Chernobyl" with yet another chapter.
First things first, I'd like to say that I'm doing alright in middle of Storm Arwen. We rarely see it snow here in the UK, mostly either in late December or January of a new year. Hell, I remember back in February when the snow was that bad, cars started skidding on the roads. Hell, even a double-decked bus went sliding down a snowy hill. Due to the fact my mother wasn't comfortable driving in tough snow conditions, we walked all the way down to the local radio station where I volunteer. Yes, I know, a volunteering radio star I am.
BUT FIRST! PLEASE READ OR ELSE YOU ARE MISINFORMED! The following does contain a little racial insulting, but NO slurs just to ease your minds a little. So, I apologies in advance if any of you might be upset by the sayings. I 100% condemn racism and all that kind of hate.
So with that implied, urh...*flips through script* forgive me *still flipping through script* forgive me *still going* forgiv... ah! Enjoy.
Chapter 7 – Skye Has ARS
The following day had a whole different meaning. It wasn't just the same standard procedure the soldiers stationed in Adventure Bay went through, but rather the Paw Patrol coming to the fact that Rocky and Rubble weren't around anymore. It wasn't the same without them, like everyone had completely changed their personality as if the moment came for them to up and leave. For a depressed chocolate Labrador, he'd either stay in his pup house draining out more tears that were still left in him, or he would have enough strength to put one paw outside his pup house but make no average conversation with his fellow teammates whatsoever. Chase and Marshall recalled to the very moment they first met a fresh-faced Rubble when he was dangling over a large ice-cold bath. He was so young, but fearless at the time they rescued him. For the Dalmatian, he would wipe a tear away as he remembered the time he accidentally sprayed Rocky with the wrong bark activation or the hose aimed the wrong way and fired at the wrong time. Oh, how Marshall used to think the Terrier would one day strike him back. But after yesterday incapacitating the pups, that chance will never come. As a caring bestie, Everest kept Skye comfort as the traumatized Cockapoo wept away on a pile of tissues. Her mind took her down memory lane as she used to dance all night long to Rubble's showstopping DJ skills. If she requested her favourite song, DJ Rubble never failed to entertain her. She felt like she was living the dance hall days, but without the Bulldog she knew she will never relive those thoughts and feelings again. Though he recently joined a few months back, Tracker never got to know Rubble nor Rocky that much. All the Chihuahua ever knew about the two were their skills, personalities and their unbelievable teamwork. He felt the sadness brewing up in the bottom of his heart like a magical potion going wrong.
The pups said nothing, played nothing, did nothing. Ryder on the other hand couldn't sleep after watching Rubble and Rocky's coffins being buried. The same thought of the cement pouring over them occurred over in his mind for hours. On rare occasions, the two deceased pups wouldn't be in coffins and the cement would just pour right over their blistering skins with no fur to cover up their wounds. The images would force Ryder out of his bed and straight to the bathroom where he would really wake up to see his head in the toilet. Katie arrived back at the Lookout the day after Rubble and Rocky's departure to find a short crimson line on Ryder's wrist. The ten-year-old boy was extremely lucky that none of his surviving pups was the first to witness his outcome of demise, nor hear that he was about to be right behind the two already fallen pups. Things could be worse; of all the timings in the world, Zuma slammed his paws into the wall whilst cursing himself.
"Why did they have to come with me?" Zuma cried as he tried. "They've been so stupid! I've been so stupid!" Chase quickly rushed over to breaking chocolate Labrador and tried to ease his frustration.
"Zuma, destroying the Lookout is going to help anything." Chase tried to reason. But a firm slap from the water pup sent gasps around the pups.
"I KNOW IT WON'T!" Zuma cried in anger. "HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW THEY WERE ALREADY ILL WHEN I WASN'T FORCING THEM TO COME WITH ME!" Like the rest of the pups, Chase looked at the Labrador with a raised eyebrow. Some of them picked themselves up from the floor and stared at him like he had confessed something deep down in his mind.
"What do you mean 'come with me'?" Skye asked, still feeling stuffed after her crying moment. Zuma turned to every pup who was present in the lobby. All eyes were on him. He felt irreparable and ashamed. "What happened yesterday?" Chase asked with a concerned tone. Zuma lowered his head and squeezed his eyes as he felt the tears flowing back once more.
"He told me that there was a risk of a second explosion," The pups heard, but not from Zuma's mouth. Turning as they recognise the voice, their eyes met Tracker's as the Bilingual pup was willing to speak on behalf of the chocolate Labrador. "Zuma said he overheard a conversation from Igor that if the meltdown had reached this cooling tank that he mentioned, an explosion so bigger than the first would not only wipe the nuclear power plant off the soil, but the population of America would plummet to absolute nothing. He told me all of this after Chase and Marshall took Rocky and Rubble away to the medical centre."
All the eyes returned back to the weakened pup. "Is this true?" Chase asked like he was a judge of a court case. Zuma raised his bloodshot eyes up to the police pup and gave a soft whimper whilst nodding his head. He didn't know if it was enough to convince the others with the facts he provided. If only he had Rocky and Rubble at his side to support his story, then the pup wouldn't be in the anguish he was in.
"How long were you down there for?" Marshall asked. Like he just asked the stupidest question in the world, Zuma looked up at the dally. "What's that got to do with anything?" Everest asked with a disapproving tone. "Please, just answer my question." Marshall persisted. "About an hour or half at least," Zuma stated, then followed by, "why?"
Marshall sucked up all of the water that formed up in his mouth and swallowed it down. He stared at the Labrador like it was all on the fire pup. "Why wasn't I first?" Marshall whispered to himself. He may not be Chase with a strong nose, but Tracker heard the whisper from nearly five metres away loud and clear. Marshall slowly backed away from the water pup with his hairs standing up.
"I can't…I'm so sorry…" Marshall stuttered with tears starting to seep through his eyelids. Everest quickly rushed over to the dally and wrapped her paws around him. Before the rest knew it, the two left the Lookout and sat outside. Chase observed them from a distance but wasn't bothered about the Husky.
"What's gotten to that silly Dalmatian now?" He muttered to himself. But he knew too well that the two needed some alone time. He headed for the elevator to be on the top floor but a small paw held one of the doors back. Chase raised his head and, to his surprise, saw Skye by his side going up.
"You look like you could use the company as I need right now." Skye spoke, saving the German Shepherd's breath. She then nuzzled his side and rested her head against his fur. Chase had no sense to resist it and allowed the sweet pup of his life to rest her whirling head on him.
The day after Rocky and Rubble's send-off, Igor and Edmund went down to town hall to discuss the next plans of handling the crisis. The entire building, including the whole of the seaside town, was under Soviet territory. In what was used to be Mayor Goodway's office but now belongs to Ustinov, Igor and Edmund sat patiently for the Soviet Commander. For the Chief General, he was already sitting uncomfortable. His knee cap was bouncing up and down at nearly the same rate as his heart. Igor noted his leg bouncing in the corner of his eye.
"This is a bad mistake," Edmund criticised. "We both know he won't treat me with the same respect as any other man." Igor knew what he meant; he told the Chief General that the man was a notorious racist that the union still allows to slip by.
"You wouldn't have a choice. Ustinov will still have you moved out if you refuse to comply with his demand for your presence." Igor explained as he knew the encounter wasn't going to be pretty. On the mention of his name, the Soviet Commander walked into the office and took his place behind the desk. Giving a small dead eye toward Richardson, he turned his eyes toward the professor.
"Now Legasov, you were a scientist in the Soviet Union, so I expect you still know how an RBMK Reactor Core works?" Ustinov asked. "Very much." Igor confirmed, with the same regret he felt when he first arrived in Adventure Bay.
"We sent in scientists of our own to assess the situation of that bucket drop. They found a huge pile of materials that they presumed were dropped on the fire by the helicopters." Ustinov reported. Igor nodded in confirmation of his last point.
"The fire mixed them together, creating a kind of lava that's so dangerous to be near, you'd either have your life expectancy cut short or be dead within days or weeks." Igor explained. Ustinov looked at him concerningly. With so many years of hatred for the man he sits opposite to, Igor knew his facial expressions like Ustinov's own house key.
"So you've made lava?" Ustinov asked. "Not just lava, radioactive lava. The temperatures as I've read from your men are still rising, but the meltdown phase has already begun and it won't stop. How long it'll last? I won't have the foggiest of ideas to begin." Igor stated.
"What will it do? The lava, I mean?" Edmund asked. "Shut the fuck up, shit face. I'm the one in charge here." Ustinov raged. The entire room fell to silence as Ustinov made his comment. Edmund took his words as a racist complaint. The Chief General wanted to storm out of the office and charge right out of Adventure Bay, but doing so would only cause him more trouble. Ustinov then turned his head toward the shocked professor.
"Is this so-called lava a threat?" Ustinov resumed. Igor kept his eyes on Edmund. He noted the boiling anger steaming off him. The presence of the Soviet Commander was already enough. One calling of the professor's name was enough to make him turn his eyes to the impatient to fully answer his question.
"The lava is a threat, yes." Igor answered. Then he turned to Edmund to fully answer his question than Ustinov. "It will continue to burn and will melt its way through the concrete padding that the reactor sits on top of. It'll keep melting until it hits a cooling water tank that I've just learnt is sitting underneath the reactor." Igor added, still keeping his sight on Richardson. Igor noted the room went silent after his speaking part. He turned to Ustinov who was still keeping an eye on him, then indicated a 'well' with his face. "Once it hits the tank, the water will become radioactive and will poison the sea, livestock and the drinking water in close proximity." Igor explained.
"How long?" Ustinov asked.
"I don't know. But I believe six to ten weeks. We're going to need miners to dig a tunnel underneath the reactor, and install a liquid-nitrogen cooler underneath to stop the meltdown in somewhat further time until we get the problem sorted. And above all of it, an exclusion zone." Igor said.
"We've got an exclusion zone." Ustinov claimed. The point from the Commander caught Igor off guard. He kept his eyes firmly on the Soviet, followed by Igor questioning him with the word, "what".
"The Soviet scientists have already declared a ten-kilometre exclusion zone." Ustinov stated. "Ten kilometres is not far enough. The Gamma particles travel far. We're talking at least the speed of light they travel at. Extent it to thirty, a hundred kilometres at least." Igor pleaded.
Ustinov slammed his fist on the table and rose up. "Just remember who's in charge here. We removed the British and Americans, and the motherland is in charge. And just remember who you are speaking to, sir." Ustinov reminded them. None of the two uttered a word. The memories of encountering the man Igor sat before came flooding back to him. The countless times they argued and argued, yet the Soviet Commander wouldn't take his words. Ustinov would either shut him out or ignore the professor altogether. Igor himself started to question how Ustinov even came to power in the first place; how he did it the professor did not want to know. The dead silence was broken when Edmund asked about the upcoming future with the nuclear crisis. "So, what happens now?"
Ustinov was really pissed off about him now. His blood boiled and balls of fists formed. "Your black menace is not appreciated here, now fuck off to your own kind." Ustinov raged at him. Igor leaned forward to his superior.
"Comrade Ustinov, he's your comrade as well as mine, and he's a massive help to me and you. Now I suggest you stop with the racist comments, or we leave first thing tomorrow morning." Igor defended his fellow ally. Ustinov stared down at Edmund, realising he has to put up with him for many weeks and months to come.
"If this problem isn't finished within ten weeks, You'll both be begging for a bullet," Ustinov growled. "And I'll make sure that happens." The two gentlemen, hiding the fear from the ruthless commander, sat with no movement. Ustinov sat back down in the chair and faced down on his reports and reached for a pen.
"Убирайся!" He yelled. Edmund turned to Igor. "He means: 'Get Out!'." Igor translated. Edmund and Igor got up and left the Soviet Commander.
The two left town hall and stood outside in the courtyard of the building. Edmund clenched his fists tight and Igor could only see his fists and not his face. "Ed, I can't state how much sorrow I'm in right now to see you being another victim of his abusive power." Igor express. The two stood in silence. All Igor could hear was a heavy inhaling of the radioactive air and turned around to see his advisor.
"We're going to be seeing him a lot, aren't we?" Edmund asked his advisor. Igor looked up at the Chief General. The professor could see the fear in his eyes. Edmund so wanted to badly tear the body parts off the Soviet Commander and leave him to suffer, but Igor needed him. Killing the man he despised so much was not going to simply neutralise Chernobyl's problem. He had to save his ally from taking a bullet.
"Perhaps, the truth is better than a lie," Igor spoke. Edmund knew what his words meant. He couldn't lie to a friend who had just stuck up for him. And it wasn't just Igor who had by his side, the Paw Patrol was there to support him. "It's going to be tuff, but I don't want to put you in more agony because of him. We're in this together. Soldiers stick out for their fellow teammates. Commanders make sure their men are protected and covered, and right now, I think all of us need protecting and covering from that monster, especially you." Igor explained further. Edmund looked up at him and nodded. Igor then escorted Edmund back to the Lookout, where they would rest after the outburst match with the ruthless Commander.
At the Lookout, Chase and Skye were on the observatory deck. The two had relaxed the other from the mental breakdown a couple of minutes ago. They watched the sky being lit up by the stars and the moon. For the German Shepherd, it had the same atmosphere as on the night he confessed his love for the Cockapoo. A few glances to the pup of his life made him assured she was enjoying every minute of the night. He then turned up to the sky breathed in the air.
"The sky is so pretty." Chase said with his breath. "Which 'sky' are you on about?" Skye teased him as the Shepherd felt a nudge from the questioning pup. He turned to face her and gave a warming smile. "Well, we could change the subject of that sentence to you." Chase replied.
The two returned their eyes to the night sky. Puzzled by their formation, Skye recognised a symbol shaped by the stars. By the realisation of three arrows in a cycle formation, Skye wined in sorrow. Chase's ear picked up on the Cockapoo's distress and nuzzled her.
"Something bothering you?" Chase asked in wonder. She wanted to say everything was alright. How could she though? It didn't take the police pup any longer to wonder what Skye was bothered about as he saw the exact same shape she saw in the stars. "Still thinking about them?" He asked in curiosity.
She closed her eyes and sniffed away her tears, then gave a shaking nod to answer the Shepherd's question. His face wasn't showing it but deep in his heart he could, Chase knew exactly how she felt. "It's not just them, I'm worried about both Zuma and Marshall." Skye then spoke. The last name Skye spoke out hit Chase as if somebody punched him.
"What makes you say that?" He wondered.
"He started acting weird after Zuma went mental. I still don't understand why he just broke down like that." Skye explained. Chase saw the Cockapoo shaking. It wasn't due to the freezing night, but rather the thoughts of two more of their teammates about to be next behind Rocky and Rubble. Chase wrapped his paws around her and pulled her in tight. He started recalling the moment when Zuma was past his breaking point, then suddenly Marshall breaking down as well. Before he was going in for a kiss on the back of her neck, Chase saw that she lost some of her furs and was marked by a crimson spot.
"Skye, have you lost some hair recently?" Chase asked.
Skye turned to look at a petrified Chase. "No, why?" Skye asked. Chase didn't go in for his kiss. He remembered exactly what happened to Rocky after the late Terrier was taken in for intensive care.
"I don't know, but there was a spot where it was completely bare." Chase explained. Skye was left puzzled. Scared to find out, Skye went back inside and checked a mirror. She looked to where Chase pointed out and examined the spot.
"Must've been from the crash back at the nuclear plant." Skye waved it off. She didn't want to worry about it, but Chase was in his mind. She wanted to forget about it and enjoy the night while it lasted. She climbed up on Chase to reach his lips, but the police pup rejected. Skye felt a pocket of air form in the bottom of her heart. Was it how she treated him? Maybe she rushed in for another kiss? She tried to get the German Shepherd to talk but not a single word came out of him.
"Chase, please you're scaring me. What's wrong?" Skye began to cry. Chase breathed in and turned to the worrying Cockapoo. He tried to keep a firm eye contact with her; his mind was struggling to find the right words to say to her. "It's not what's wrong with me," Chase finally spoke. Skye slightly sighed in relief but soon regretted her sigh with what Chase said next. "It's what's wrong with you."
The air was snatched right out of Skye's lungs, followed by Chase raising a signal with a certain pup. "Marshall? I need you on the observatory deck ASAP." Chase spoke into his pup tag. "Roger that." Marshall's voice came. Still left baffled by what the police pup was on about, Skye tried to approach him but Chase kept his distance.
"Chase," Skye spoke. Every second Chase didn't explain anything made her worry even more to the point she would melt away in tears. "I'm scared. Just tell me what's going on?!" The pilot pup screamed in tears. Guilt lit up on the German Shepherd's face, then they heard the elevator doors opening. Skye turned around to see a Dalmatian standing in the doorway. Marshall, unsure too of what's going on, stepped out of the lift and turned to Skye.
"Marshall, Chase is scaring me. What's wrong with him?" A panicking Skye asked the firefighting pup. Marshall's raised eyebrow said it all with no words for both Skye and Chase. He turned to the police pup and wondered what was going on.
"There's a bald patch on her neck, and it's coloured red as well." Chase reported. Skye turned to Marshall. She felt like she was in a nightmare that she couldn't wake up from. True to Chase's word, Marshall saw what he pointed out.
"Skye, have you lost some fur recently?" Marshall asked.
"I asked her the same thing." Chase recalled.
"It came from the crash back at the nuclear plant." Skye pleaded.
Marshall couldn't remember seeing any patches of fur torn off the Cockapoo after she crashed. Then Skye started coughing, then vomited. Marshall's eyes widen but not wide enough than Chase's. Skye looked down at her pile of stomach contents, then back up at the two stunned pups.
"I think those pup treats had gone off," Skye believed. But Marshall's EMT skills kicked in. Pup treats that go off which makes pups vomit is rare. Marshall thought it was something else. Something that he didn't want to believe in. "I'm sure it's nothing that bad." Skye urged, then she vomited again. Marshall barked out his thermometer and took her temperature. The Mercury slid all the way to the red zone.
"I'm taking you to the medical centre down at Adventure Bay." Marshall obliged. Chase watched the two pups leave his sight via the elevator. He knew exactly what was wrong with Skye. Her condition was completely similar to Rocky. Upon remembering their names, the anxiety only built up in the German Shepherd further than he thought. He didn't want to believe it, but the symptoms were clear as day. Scared that she too was scared, Chase had to catch up with them. He couldn't resist being away from the love of his life when she was under the heat of stress. Chase raced toward the slide and slid down into his police cruiser. Once his pup house had fully transformed, he stepped on the accelerator and raced to the medical centre.
He wasn't going to believe that she would become the next name on Chernobyl's casualties list. But the flashing images of the concrete resting grounds caught the police pup by surprise. He saw himself heading straight for Katie's pet store parlour. With his reflexes kicking in, he threw his steering wheel away from the parlour and missed it by a hair. Besides from his worry that he might have chipped the wind mirror, Chase was unharmed. He saw Marshall's fire engine upon arrival at the centre and ran straight into the encampment. Chase searched every tent to see where Skye and Marshall were. Then he saw Marshall emerging from a tent.
"Marshall!" Chase cried as he rushed up to the Dalmatian. The mentioned pup turned around and saw Chase jogging toward him. "Chase? What are you doing here?" Marshall replied.
"I couldn't be without Skye. Is she okay?" A worried Chase asked whilst catching his breath. Marshall didn't speak for a second, but he opened his mouth but was cut off.
"Skye is fine." A male voice came. A doctor came out behind from the plastic curtain that separated Skye and Chase. The doctor was wearing full protective clothing and a mask. He took it off and breathed. "It's not good, I'm afraid." The Doctor stated. Chase was punched harder in the heart. He then took a seat inside Skye's tent. The doctor and Marshall sat beside him.
Upon hearing the Cockapoo's condition, the police pup dropped his head into his paws. "Skye has ARS. Acute Radiation Syndrome," The Doctor diagnosed. "It's a type of poisoning that damages the living organs and tissue and causes many types of cancers, caused by radiation. We did a scan and the dose she has is high enough to slim her chances of survival, but there is a sign that she could." Chase took in every word like a knife before the Doctor revealed the good news of his words. Chase lifted his head and stared at the medic with an urge for him to say that 'yes, Skye will have a good chance to survive ARS'. But his hopes were shattered.
"This medical centre encampment is low on doctors and nurses that treat patients who have the illness," The Doctor explained. "We need to transfer her to a nearby hospital that deals with ARS patients. I will leave you two alone, but I must ask you to stay on this side of the plastic curtain." After his final sentence, the Doctor rose up and left the German Shepherd and Dalmatian along with the Cockapoo, who was fast asleep.
His thoughts were right. His predictions were right. Skye is not only radioactive but now has a diagnosis of a radioactive illness; Chase presumed it was the same one that Rocky and Rubble died of. Chase looked up at Marshall and saw the dispiriting look on his face. It was the exact face he gave after Zuma's meltdown. "What were you saying before you just got up and left?" Chase asked him.
Marshall, looking up at the curious police pup, didn't know what to say. Every word in the world scrambled through his head. The pressure built up in him like a balloon. "Marshall?" Chase asked, waking up the dazed Dalmatian. "Is there something wrong? You acted strange when you were talking to Zuma back the Lookout." Marshall dropped his head and squeezed his eyes. The pressure kept building, then finally opened his mouth.
"Since the reactor exploded, I spent more time at the power plant than any of the other pups, especially Rocky and Rubble," Marshall spoke. "I even stood in front of the open reactor outside and probably so did the firemen that extinguished the fire on that night. I was more exposed to the radiation than any of you. Yet here I am. Well, active, healthy. It should've been me who died first, not Rocky and Rubble. If I had died first, then two names would've been saved. But the worse part for me is almost missing out on my chance to confess my feelings toward you…" Chase's ears instantly shot up at the last part Marshall mentioned before trailing off. The fire pup himself felt horrible after saying his thoughts. He started to whimper and ran off.
"Marshall! Wait!" Chase called, but then heard groaning from behind the plastic curtain. The Shepherd must've thought that Skye was waking up. Chase faced where he last saw Marshall, but he had completely disappeared. "Chase?" Skye's voice pitch through. He turned to her and walked up to the curtain. "Chase? Where are you?" Skye asked.
Chase thought that she was becoming unstable. He wanted to make her believe that she wasn't. Feeling guilty that he wasn't by her side, he slid through the plastic curtain and joined his love. He knew that the Doctor specifically warn not to go behind the curtain, but ignored his warning and ended up by the Cockapoo's side. "I'm here." He confirmed. Skye rested her head against the pillow, but couldn't lift it.
"I heard Marshall. He said…he had…feelings…for you." Skye uttered. Chase's smile faded away. He closed his eyes, ready for what was coming next.
"He did. He just ran off just before you woke up." Chase explained. "He's…feeling…lonely. You know…he loves…Everest." Skye said, whilst struggling to inhale. "But what about me and you?" Chase asked, fearing that their love relationship would break. "I still love…you. And…you still…love me." Skye explained. Chase listened very carefully to her words.
"But Marshall…loves you…as well…" Skye added. "Please, Skye, don't make this into that South Park episode. Someone else has already done it." Chase pleaded, but he knew exactly what her words meant.
"So, not only I love you, but I love Marshall as well, is what you're saying?" Chase questioned. "Yeah. I don't mind…as long…as you bring…me the better…gifts." Skye mentioned. Chase smiled. He felt a tear spilling on his bottom eyelid. Chase knew that he told Skye of his past relationships; he above all knew he stated that he spent his loving years with her until death does them apart.
"Of course I will." Chase whimpered as he carefully landed a kiss on her lips. Chase then said his goodbye and left the tent. Pushing away his fear that Skye would call off the relationship, Chase now had to reassure a shaken Dalmatian.
Night time had stretched across Adventure Bay. Igor was walking towards the Lookout that night after finishing up assessment works back at Chernobyl. He decided to take the walk from the power plant to the Lookout. Although he wasn't the exercising type, he took walks to compose his thoughts on certain scientific topics or try and come up with solutions to the problems that keep on bugging him for hours and hours to come, maybe months. The night was normal for him. He felt the wind breezing against his tie and the air icing up his nose. But the thought of how the core exploded kept biting his tongue for many days now since he was informed. Maybe it was time to say how an RBMK reactor core explodes? Igor shook off the thought and continued walking on.
He walked inside and the first thing he saw was Ryder standing whilst facing away from the door. "Okay," He spoke. Igor heard from his tone of voice that he was frightened. "Do let me know if there's something you need." The professor stood puzzled, fully unaware of who he was talking to. "Okay, goodbye." Ryder finished as he hung up the phone. He turned around to Igor, revealing his face was in horror.
"What's happened?" Igor asked. Ryder took a minute to compose himself, then finally drew in a huge breath. "Katie says she has something called Acute Radiation Syndrome," Ryder explained. Igor held back his breath. "She said that the condition can be fatal." Ryder added. Igor gathered his thoughts to say, but the phone ringing again made him hold back the words. Ryder picked it up and answered it.
"Hello?" He spoke. Igor walked over to the boy. With an eyebrow raising and Ryder's head slowly turning to the professor, Igor waited for what happened next. "He's here." Ryder said.
Igor presumed that the call was for him. He was expecting Ryder to hand the phone over to the professor, but the ten-year-old placed the phone on a cord and the TV began outputting the audio of the phone. "Comrade Legasov?" A voice came through.
Igor's heart missed two beats as he recognised the voice. He couldn't speak, but he had no choice. Ryder stepped back to allow Igor to take his place closer to the communicator. "Vladimir Gorbachev. I believed that you sent the wrong commander." Igor spoke.
"He was the right man for the job, and the Soviet people couldn't have agreed better." Gorbachev spoke. Ryder quietly snuck to Igor's side and leaned closer to him.
"I hate to disturb, but who is he?" Ryder whispered. "President Vladimir Gorbachev, leader of the Soviet Union and president of the Russian world." Igor answered. Igor knew Russia for a true fact the Soviet Union wasn't just based in Russia, but the old members reformed the union. Gorbachev was the second leader of the union and he and Igor had run-ins from the past. Most of them Igor regretted meeting with the Soviet leader, nor wanting to be a part of it.
"I want a report of the situation, professor." Gorbachev demanded. "The graphite fire is out, but temperatures are increasing. There was a risk of a second explosion. One big enough that could, not only wipe out the nuclear plant but make the entire land of both North and South America inhabitable for hundreds of thousands of years." Igor explained. Ryder gave a soft smile for his three heroic brave pups, but the corners of his lips dropped when only one lived to tell the story. "The material would have been the cause of it, but was dealt with, but the material is still burning through. The concrete pad should hold for about six to ten weeks. After that, the groundwater will be contaminated. So, I recommend we install an exchanger underneath the reactor. But to do that, we'll need all of the liquid nitrogen in the Soviet Union." Igor explained.
Silence filled the phone line for what seemed like a minute, then the leader spoke through again. "Whatever you need, you can have. Is that all?" Gorbachev stated.
"No, I would like to address the ten-kilometre exclusion zone." Igor proposed. "What exclusion zone?" Gorbachev asked.
"The one that was determined by Ustinov." Igor pointed out. "If he determined, he determined. I don't want questions; I want to know when this will be all over." Gorbachev demanded.
"You mean when it's safe to go back living in Adventure Bay happily ever after? I can tell you now the half-life of Plutonium-239 is about twenty-five thousand years. So, pretty much long after we're dead." Igor answered with a firm tone. Ryder turned to the man with a face that no friend of his could explain, not even his parents. The silence was then filled with a low steady note.
"Don't ask if you don't want to know." Igor whispered to himself. Then Igor felt the paralysed stare from Ryder. As he turned to the boy, he drew in a short breath. "I think we need to take a walk." Igor proposed. The professor escorted him outside and immediately the cold radioactive air blew in.
Like I said, do apologies for the upsetting with words used by Ustinov. Let's hope Edmund will over come the hate from that horrid racist commander.
But apart from that, hope you enjoyed. I'd like to say just before I close this chapter off that I've read your comment "Marshall the Fire Dog", I too don't know how PM works and I don't allow it myself. Hopefully you hear from somebody that does. And your question as well will be answered at some point in the future, speaking of which, the story continues next week in "DECEMBER!".
But from me, I'll see you next time, For the first time in history, it's gonna start raining snow. "It's raining snow, hallelujah!"