"Chapter 4 - The Authority"
"Hey Hangman wakeup." Someone said. "I saw you move so there is no way to feign your death."
Dmitry opened his eyes. He was in a large moving railcar and two people were standing in front of him. Was it a dream? The last thought in his head before he died.?
"Hey kid can you talk?" the voice said again.
Dmitry looked up from the boots of the man to his face. He was a big man with broad shoulders. He had dusty leather armor with a trench coat on.
"Water!" Dmitry pleaded.
"Water? Oh yes, Comrade Bonsai get the man water hurry."
"He is awake? Is he okay? Can I see him." A familiar feminine voice said.
"Yes, yes. Let's get him his water first though."
A man crouched in front of him with a large canteen.
"Take it comrade. Drink slowly." He said.
Dmitry didn't listen. He took it instantly and drank it all down.
"I guess we were right about Nazi prisoners not getting any water." Comrade Bonsai said.
The big man grabbed Dmitry and made him stand up.
"My name is Rusacov. That is now comrade Rusacov to you now. I believe you may know Vera?" he said.
Vera pushed comrade Bonsai away a little and hugged Dmitry. It was nice that someone was achually caring for him.
"What happened?" Dmitry asked.
"We heard that someone killed Nazi Commander Viktor Petrovich. That man is responsible for killing so many of my Comrades." Comrade Rusacov said.
Dmitry looked around. There was only him, Vera and the two men.
"What faction, at all are you guys with?" He asked Comrade Rusacov.
Comrade Rusacov sighed greatly.
"Now Comrade, you disappoint me. I will not tell you. You are smart enough to figure out yourself." He said.
"Dmitry." Vera said as if she had already figured it out. "Hello, Comrade!"
It took a second. Then he remembered. Back at his home station, the school had taught him history of Russia. The Soviet Union, the Red Army, Comrades.
"You guys are Reds?" He asked.
"More than just simple Red soldiers" Comrade Rusacov said.
"We are Revolutionaries."
"Revolutionaries?" Vera asked.
"Yes ma'am. You see we are simple Communists. We are allied with the Reds but are not there soldiers, Mercenaries. We do this, so we have free access though Hansa." Comrade Rusacov said.
"Do you have free access to every Red station?" Dmitry asked.
"Yes we do." Comrade Rusacov said.
"How many are there of you."
"There is only one of me. I am assuming you mean how many of us there are. We are few. There are a total of five of us. Comrade Bonsai, Comrade Fyodor, Comrade Maxim, Comrade Igor and then me. The other three are at Paveletskaya. It is the station we are heading to. We will regroup and decide what to do with the two of you." Comrade Rusacov said and walked to the front of the rail cart. Dmitry sat on a seat next to Vera.
"I don't trust them." She said.
"I need them. They will help me get to Park Kultary." Dmitry replied.
"Why are you going to a Red controlled station? A moment ago you didn't even know who said Comrades."
"If we had time I will tell you. Listen Vera, this is something I have to do alone. When we get to Paveletskaya, I will make sure you get back to Hansa safely."
"Excuse me?" She objected. "You come into my life, my father is killed and I almost got killed by a bunch of Fascists, only to be saved by a pack of Communists. You expect me to just go back to Hansa and pretend this never happened! No. I am going with you."
Before Dmitry could say anything, Comrade Rusacov yelled, "We are here; slow the railcar would you Comrade Bonsai?"
They stopped right in front of a Red checkpoint.
"Comrade Rusacov, is that you?" said a man.
"Yes it is I. Is that you Comrade Maxim?" Comrade Rusacov said.
"Yes. Let me gate for you. The others are at our HQ."
The gate to the station slip open and the man jumped in the railcar.
He noticed the two extra people.
"Is this the brave man who killed the Nazi bastard, or was it this lovely lady?" He asked.
"It was the man." said Comrade Bonsai.
"Ah, another solider. I am Comrade Maxim, second in command of the Revolutionaries." He proclaimed.
"Dmitry Volonsky."
"A pleasure Mr. Volonsky. And you are?" He said looking at Vera.
"Vera Porfirevich." She said.
"Lovely name." He turned to Comrade Rusacov. "I am ready. Comrade Igor would like to speak to you."
"Then let us go to him." Comrade Rusacov.
The railcar fired up again and they went though the station.
It was very small. One platform and two rail lines which one of them they were traveling on. The dimly lite light showed faded artwork on the walls and the floor was black granite.
"This is a small station and I don't see any Red soldiers" said Dmitry.
"Yes. The Reds don't like coming here. The station is small and right next door to the fascists." Comrade Maxim said. "Oh and there is an exposed area to the surface which lets in radiation, mutants and other unknown anomalies. Don't worry it's only a small amount of radiation, you won't get a second head like the people of the Fili line."
They stopped in front of a large tent and stepped out. Comrade Rusacov led them into the tent. It was bigger than most tents with many side rooms and a large flag of Che Guevara on the wall. Two men dressed in similar armor with the trench coat stood behind a table.
"Comrades!" one said. "You made it."
"Hello Comrade Igor" Comrade Rusacov Said.
"Was the mission successful?"
"Yes. Two Nazi killers are with us now."
Comrade Igor looked at Dmitry in his beaten leather jacket.
"Yes, he looks like the type." He said.
"You wanted to speak to me?" asked Comrade Rusacov.
"Yes. Would you mind if we talk in privet?" He said.
"Of course. Comrades, get Dmitry and Vera food. We will discuss about them later." He said as he and Comrade Igor left the tent.
"Hello." Said the other man. "I am Comrade Fyodor"
Comrade Fyodor handed them both some canned food and a fork.
"Pork and some beans I think." He said and walked to Comrade Maxim and made small talk with him.
"You will be in good hands with us Dmitry and Vera. Comrade Rusacov is a veteran of the the Hansa-Red Line War." Comrade Fyodor Said.
"Hansa-Red Line War?" Dmitry asked.
"You haven't heard of the War?" Vera said.
"I have not heard of the Hansa-Red Line War." Dmitry admitted.
"I think someone needs a history lesson." Comrade Maxim said. "The war started when many communist sympathizers in the metro gathered at Preobrazhenskaya Ploshchhad station and formed a communist government. Soon afterwards the station next to Preobrazhenskaya caught wind of this optimistic revolution and joined in. Then the station on the other side of the tunnel voluntarily joined and so on until most of the Preobrazhenskaya Ploshchhad line had fallen under the Communist's banner. As a result, The line was officially renamed "The Red Line" as it was already popularly known"
"The Red Line mobilized an army to take over the surrounding stations; however, the easy victory that the Communist leadership hoped to achieve remained elusive. Hansa, The Arbat Confederation, and other free stations joined together to form the Anti-Communist Coalition. The Coalition stopped the Red Line advance but was unable to break the Red Line's defenses. The war bogged down into a stalemate lasting for almost a year and a half. Much fighting occurred: massive army operations, encirclements, breaching encirclements, attacks, counterattacks, and more reprisal attacks, guerrilla excursions, and the continuing fortification of stations. Numerous atrocities were committed by both sides including the killing of prisoners, the massacring of civilians, and the utilization of flamethrowers. On occasion one side managed to take a station only to be pushed out the next day, resuming the stalemate. The war exhausted precious resources and drained the metro of its best manpower. Those who survived quickly grew weary of the conflict."
"As the war progressed, the Red Line leadership dropped its goal of spreading revolution to the entire metro and instead set their sights on capturing the Revolution Square from the Coalition. The Revolution Square was the station closest to the Red Square and the Lenin Mausoleum on the surface. Since these monuments held great symbolic value for the Communists, the station's defenders were determined to fight the Reds to the last man. Gathering a force at Okhotnyi Ryad, now renamed Prospect Marx, the Reds attacked Revolution Square which was heavily fortified. The Battle of Revolution Square became one of the bloodiest incidents in the entire war and was the scene of many heroic actions. Men who had taken several bullets to the chest kept on fighting. Soldiers voluntarily strapped grenades to their bodies to take out enemy gun positions. In the end, the determined Red assault was fruitless and the Coalition continued to hold Revolution Square."
"In the same manner, the Coalition's attempts to take Lenin Library to cut the Red Line in half were equally unsuccessful and fruitless. Despite concerted attacks, the Coalition ultimately could not penetrate the Communist defenses at Lenin Library."
"The long lasting war posed a major problem for both sides. The populace on both sides had grown tired of the endless struggle and started to voice dissent. Furthermore, desertion spread through the ranks of both armies. All too often, military confrontations resulted in both sides laying down their arms and deserting together. The patriotic fervor that characterized communist revolution slowly faded, weakening the Red Line Government's grip over its citizens. Likewise, trade between stations ground to a halt since caravan routes had been disrupted diminishing Hansa's wealth and influence. The politicians, who found themselves losing support from their both their populace and army, had to act quickly if they wanted to stay in power."
"In great secrecy at a neutral station, Comrade Moskvin of the Red Line, Prime Minister Loginov of the Hansa, and the Head of the Arbat Confederation Kolpakov drafted and signed a peace treaty. Under its terms, the Arbat Confederation gave the Revolution Square to the Red Line, and in turn the Red Line gave the Lenin Library to the Arbat Confederation. Additionally, Hansa would allow other factions to travel through its territory. The signing of the peace accords was no small achievement since the Confederation lost most of its influence in the north-west and the Red Line was cut in half. In the end, Hansa received the best terms from the peace treaty since the accords allowed them to secure the entire central ring of stations and dominate the majority of the metro's caravan trade."
"Both sides claimed that their leaders had made an extraordinary diplomatic feat and that they were the victors. The Arbat Confederation was severely weakened by the war, and at the time of 2033 the Arbat Conferation had declined into a mere Hansa satellite state. The flames of the Red Line Revolution were exhausted. The Red Line leadership consolidated their power over what was left of the Red Line, and the line became a police state under the desperate communist leadership. The true victor of the war was Hansa since the peace treaty's territory swap required all factions to travel trough Hansa's territory for trade and long distance travel. Hansa was able to achieve their goal of closing the ring and uniting the northern and the southern arcs of their territory. Ultimately Hansa would become the richest, largest, and most powerful faction in the metro. Some time after the war a fascist faction took over Chekhovskaya, Pushkinskaya, and Tverskaya and formed the Fourth Reich to oppose the Red Line and cleanse the metro of non-native Russians." Comrade Maxim ended.
Dmitry was speechless at the long lecture. Could all of this happen in the twenty years after the apocalypse? Before he could ask the question, the sound of the railcar flared. Comrade Rusacov came into the tent.
"Comrade Igor is not going to be joining us anymore." He said with a disappointment.
No one said a thing till the sound of the railcar disappeared into the tunnel.
"Comrade Igor is going to go home to Hole station. We know that it was recently attacked by mutants and our friend, Kamarov, gave his life there. He fears for his family." Said Comrade Rusacov
He looked at Dmitry and smiled.
"Well then. That means we have an opening." He said. "Dmitry. Would you like to join us? Join the Revolution?" He asked hopefully.
Dmitry was dumbstruck.
"I can't." He said remorsefully.
"Why not?" Comrade Bonsai asked
"Well I am not a Communist or even affected by the Reds."
"That doesn't matter even we aren't soldiers of the Reds."
"Well… I am um… on a mission." He stumbled.
"A mission?" Comrade Rusacov asked.
"Maybe we can help." said Comrade Maxim.
"Oh no, I don't think you can help." Dmitry said.
"Yes they can." Vera said.
She stood up and walked to Comrade Rusacov.
"You can. Dmitry and I are trying to get to Park Kultary." She said.
"That is a Red station. We can take you there. Is it business?" Comrade Rusacov said.
"No." Dmitry said.
"Please Dmitry tell us." Said Comrade Bonsai.
"I have to get from Park Kultary to Sportivanya."
The Revolutionaries paused.
"Why would you want to go to Sportivanya?" Comrade Rusacov said. "It is a Red fortification. No civilians allowed. You are either really dumb or you are a Nazi saboteur. I will kill any Nazi I see."
He pulled out what looked like a revolver from his coat.
Dmitry froze. He had lost his weapons when he was captured by the Fourth Reich.
"No!" He said.
"Then why are you trying to get to Sportively?" Yelled Comrade Rusacov
"I have to get to Emerald City!"
Everyone was silent.
"Dmitry. You can't get to Emerald City. One because it is a myth and two the Reds destroyed the station that leads to it." Comrade Rusacov said.
"No." Dmitry said. "There is still an entrance to the Surface. I could go up then go to through the Moscow University then to the stations below it."
"Only A fool will go up to the surface." Said Comrade Rusacov. "Or someone with plenty of ammo!"
He smiled then turned to his men.
"Tell me Dmitry. Why are you planning to go to Emerald City?" He asked
"A while ago my Station's line ran out of purified water. We can't grow any more crops and our pigs are dying of radiation. I need to get to Emerald City. They may have what we need." Dmitry Said.
Comrade Rusacov took a deep breath.
"Comrades. I vote we help Dmitry on his noble quest. Would we help him?" He asked
"I" Said Comrade Bonsai.
"I" Said Comrade Maxim.
"I" Said Comrade Fyodor.
"Then let us help him." Comrade Rusacov said. "Load the gear up and get ready to move out."
It was only a few moments till the Revolutionaries were ready to head out. Dmitry was given the standard leather armor and black trench coat. They even gave him a helmet with a gasmask. For protection he was given a Bastard Submachine gun. Not what he wanted but the Revolutionaries gave what they could spare. Vera was given a bulletproof vest and a black Jacket. For her weapon she was given a revolver. They didn't arm them well but the better weapons were in the hands of battled trained men.
"Load into the other railcar hurry!" Ordered Comrade Rusacov
Everyone piled in.
"Dmitry, Vera you two will have to hide from here on out. Once the Reds know that you are with us it goes to every station and will make breaching Sportivanya a lot harder. They will question us for bringing you with us." Comrade Rusacov said.
"What happens when we reach Sportivanya?" Vera asked.
"One step at a time." Comrade Rusacov said
The two were forced to hide under the gear.
"This is going to be a long ride." Grumbled Dmitry
He had been pushed under heavy cargo for about an hour going through Red station after Red station. They had traveled from Paveletskaya to Polkropotkinskaya station and then to Park Kultury. This station was Dmitry's intended station. Now he thought even if he did manage to take the railcar from Hansa he wouldn't have been able to go to Sportivanya. They were cleared to pass and only one Hansa station which were basically controlled by the Reds, then Fruenzenkaya. After that they were at Sportivanya.
It took another hour of check points and slow traveling in stations till they were at Sportivanya.
"Who are you?" asked a deep voice.
"We are the Revolutionaries. We were hired to deliver this equipment to your station." Said Comrade Rusacov
"Ok I'll let you in but talk to the Commissioner."
The sound of the gate opening and then the railcar moving meant they were almost there.
When the Cart stopped suddenly a voice rang out.
"I am Commissioner Zehnya. What is the purpose of your cargo?" He asked.
"We bring filters and other essentials." Comrade Rusacov said.
"We don't need supplies. The people on the Frontlines do."
"Surely you have been attacked before."
"No. We haven't seen any combat here. Why do you ask?"
"Ah. This will be easier than I thought!"
Then gunfire sounded around them.
"Go my men kill them all!" Yelled Comrade Rusacov
The gear was lifted off of Dmitry and Vera.
"Hurry off the railcart!" Yelled Comrade Bonsai
Dmitry stumbled out and landed on his chest.
"Get up!" someone yelled and he was rushed behind crates for cover.
Vera and comrade Maxim followed quickly. Safely in cover Dmitry could only hear small cracks of voices that were competing with gunfire.
"Shoot left!"
"Behind the crates!"
"Keep firing!"
"Man down!"
"Reloading!"
"GERNADE!"
A loud explosion ignited and Dmitry fell to the ground. The wooden crate was no more. He laid there for several seconds. His vision was blurred and his ears were ringing. He saw a figure walking toward him just as his vision got better. A young Red soldier. He aimed his weapon at Dmitry.