Expansion on Chapter 17 of Liberation:
"Colonel Melnik, sir!" Artyom sounded loudly, standing tall and holding his head high, arms rigid by his sides.
"You've finally made it back, Artyom. And all in one piece? Good." The old stalker towered in stature over the pair as he closed the distance and stood at ease in front of them. He was attended by another Ranger whom Artyom didn't recognize. Melnik's eyes wrinkled at the corners as he shifted his gaze to the newcomer and displayed a welcoming and genuine smile. It was a rare sight to see the man smile so warmly and Artyom wondered if it was only because of the guest he had brought. "And you must be Aleks."
"Yes, Colonel. Aleksandrya Dmitriyev." Aleks tensed up noticeably, coming out from behind Artyom's back and standing firmly in a similar fashion.
"Hunter told me a little about you – a refugee from the Reich?" Melnik revealed his knowledge with a sigh, as if he knew her whole story. His smile had faded into one more of pity, and then his expression steeled as was usual.
"Yes, sir." Aleks cleared her throat. Artyom turned only his eyes in her direction without moving his head and saw her grasping at the cartridge around her neck, seemingly not wanting to part with it.
"Let's talk more in my office. Artyom, go with Ulman for now. I'll send for you in a little while, I still want to hear your report." Melnik gestured to the hallway and to Ulman respectively.
Aleks looked over at Artyom with an expression of uneasiness but thanked him in short before following Melnik out of sight.
"Please, have a seat." Melnik gestured to a padded chair as he circled around the back of the desk and let out a long exasperated sigh as he sat down in his own chair. "I will admit I don't have all the right words for this kind of situation. This is not a normal occurrence for the Order. Hunter's disappearance has left a void in our ranks, one I'm not sure we'll ever be able to refill. Although, his tendency for recruitment hasn't' led us astray yet."
Aleks nodded her head slightly, not knowing if she should try to explain herself or just wait for Melnik to come up with questions.
"Let's start with what you know about us first, then Miss Dmitriyev." Melnik steeled his expression, holding out a hand as if to physically accept her answers with it.
"You can call me by Aleks, sir." She leaned forward in her seat slightly, readying her next response.
"Aleks, then." Melnik smiled again. "Well?"
"Hunter told me a lot about the Polis Rangers; like that many of you were in the Army before the Great War - Spetsnaz, military police, and the like." Aleks hesitated, not knowing if Melnik wanted her to run down the entire history of his own organization. "You support the protection of Polis, but the Kshatriya are the station's guards, instead the Order conducts stalking missions, diplomatic excursions, reconnaissance, and squad tactical assaults in necessary areas."
Melnik nodded with a satisfied grunt.
"You, sir, were always the one in charge from the first day people took shelter in the Metro, and Hunter joined you within the year, but that was before many of the stations were organized as they are now. You didn't really know each other from the time before, but he proved his worth to you and became one of – became the best Ranger your Order has in its ranks." Aleks corrected herself with emphasis, staring Melnik straight into the eyes but with no certain intent.
"You are correct, there's no denying it, our families were friends but we had not met. So, it seems he took to mentoring you in some way, is that right?" Melnik looked her over thoroughly, making his own assumptions about her appearance and attire.
"Without Hunter I would still be a vagabond in Kitai-Gorod, or maybe worse." Aleks didn't want to entertain the thought, although she hadn't considered any alternate fates before and was suddenly intrigued by the succession of visions running through her mind. Being taken under Hunter's wing had been fulfilling and exciting, and she never wanted to picture her life without him. At least she hadn't ever had to, until now, when she was forced to accept his possible death at the hand of the mysterious Dark Ones.
"He explained that you had left the Reich with one of its guards?" The Colonel had shuffled in a pile of papers for a relatively clean sheet and began scribbling something onto the page that Aleks could not see.
"Yes, sir." Aleks seriously didn't want to relay any information about her escape from Reich to the commander of the Spartan Order, but his eyes probed her for further divulgence. "I left Tverskaya after some… disagreements with my mother. I had worked as a seamstress with some other women. One of the shift watchmen, Andrei Ivanovich, helped me to leave there and came with me after his family had been killed in a purge."
Melnik gave a low grunt to show that he had listened fully, while also expressing his horror for the Reich government. He made another scribble on the paper and dotted the end of it.
"I had been in Kitai-Gorod with Andrei for about eight months until Hunter arrived, I suppose he was just passing through for the evening, and I drew his attention when I instigated a fight with some of the bandits at the bar." Aleks perked up with pride, hoping that Melnik would be impressed the same way Hunter had been. She remembered their first meeting fondly, the images of the memory playing in her mind. "He came up to talk to me just after that. That was a bit more than two years ago."
"You don't say?" Melnik's eyes widened with amusement, and Aleks was satisfied with the reaction. "Is it fair to say that he visited you often? No doubt had you along on some of his patrols?"
"Yes, sir. He visited at least once every two weeks, or so. Sometimes less, sometimes more. We spent most of our time keeping tabs on the bandit clans at several stations, interrupting their schemes, practicing stealth, nothing too dangerous." She wasn't about to delve into every account of her adventures with the veteran Ranger, particularly not the times where she had gotten involved in his assigned duties, as he had reinforced how much trouble he would be in if Melnik had ever found out about it –though the Colonel didn't seem to be upset.
"You'll forgive me for asking but was your relationship with Hunter… would you consider it… enough, to be put down on paper? You don't have to go into detail… but –" Melnik kept his eyes on his desk, perhaps on purpose because he didn't seem to actually want to know the answer.
"Yes… sir." Aleks' face flushed, hoping he would change the subject, wishing she could sink right through her chair into an endless abyss rather than elaborate. "We were, um… involved. Battle partners, but… more."
"Alright, then. I apologize; it just has to do with his last will and testament, everyone's family members are on file. Arbitrary paperwork, you know." Melnik cleared his throat uncomfortably and shifted the papers aside, bringing himself to look up at her as he changed the subject. "Well, if you don't mind, I would like to ask you about Artyom as well."
"W-what about him?" Aleks' heart pounded, was she about to be in trouble for capturing a Ranger and delaying his return to the base? Was Melnik going to ask details about their journey or their shared connection to the missing Stalker? Would he tell her to stay away from him because he was the 'Savior' of the Metro and it would be inappropriate to associate with him after this?
"How did he make your acquaintance, specifically?" Melnik had his pen poised over the paper again.
"He came to Novokuznetskaya from the surface three days ago; I have a sentry posted there to keep watch on the bandits or any other factions passing through. He's the radio operator." Aleks began uncertainly, just now deciding that she would try to hide the full existence and purpose of Roten Spaten from the Colonel. It's not that she feared a conflict, but it was her duty to protect her soldiers and the citizens from any form of threats, and she didn't think that Melnik needed to know every minute detail about her business with the Revolutionists. She decided to make a direct tie back to Hunter and the Order's connection to her situation. "Hunter had last visited me about six weeks prior, he seemed very fearful to go to Exhibition, so when I heard nothing but rumors of the Dark Ones, their annihilation, and the discovery of D6… I knew something was wrong when he didn't contact me. I-I signed the note… I had promised, just like with Artyom."
"Hmm," Melnik let out a somber breath. "Did he ask you to come here in person?"
"Yes, Colonel. He wanted me to speak to you, he had some things saved for me, and he wanted me to-" Aleks gripped the arms of the chair nervously, was this the pinnacle moment that she and Hunter had both envisioned? Was she about to be invited to officially join the Order? Is this still what she wanted now that Hunter had disappeared? Or would Melnik disapprove of the idea and ask her to leave?
"To become one of us." Melnik finished for her, though he didn't sound very sure. "And do you share that desire?"
"I fear for my home station in my absence. But I owe Hunter my whole life." She said quietly.
"That's all then?" Melnik asked, but then went on talking without waiting for any further answers from her. "I have no objections, really, as Hunter's endorsement carries a lot of weight – whether he is still with us or not. In fact I wondered why you had not come to us sooner, not even for a meeting? He expressed to me his fondness of you, you know, how important you were to him. And I kept his secret, I suppose you and I both did."
Aleks could feel the prick behind her eyes and could only nod her head slightly in response, the hot lump of emotion in her throat making it hard to speak and breathe. Somehow, hearing someone else talk about her relationship with Hunter was not comforting, but made her feel even worse inside. If only she could pay the Colonel with her soul right now, just to bring Hunter back with instantaneous magic. She would give up all notions of joining the Order, even her dreams of leaving the Metro and searching for Emerald City, just to embrace him one more time. Yes, she was sure that even if she could merely exchange her existence for his, then she would do so. His visage flashed before her eyes momentarily and she clutched at the cartridge on her chest.
"Anyway, we must look forward to the future, and focus on the present." Melnik finally spoke again, breaking the spell of their mutual daydreaming. "All those who join us undertake a mission, a test of merit if you will. You will be assigned a partner, and if you fulfill the task well under supervision, then you may begin official training with us and earn your rank – though you may be able to test ahead further than a normal recruit."
Aleks blinked her eyes a few times, slowly bobbing her head and taking in his instructions. Here it was, the complacent moment where she would fulfill her promise to Hunter, if only he were here to see it happen.
"If you truly share his wish, to carry on his legacy, then I will assign you to my daughter – Anna. She is the Captain of our sniper squad, the best there is, and is quite comfortable with surface excursions. I will send for her now and then she can show you around the base and to the barracks and common areas. You'll be issued a uniform and everything else that comes with the title of recruit." Melnik had already reached for the phone as he laid out the terms.
Aleks was completely unsure what to say, was there no paperwork to be signed, nothing further than the signatures inside her cartridge capsule? Maybe she had expected more fanfare, more conversation about what was expected of her, but perhaps there was no need for that with the Order. Or perhaps she was allowed to skip all of those steps because of her connection to their best Ranger. As the Colonel had said, she already had the blessing of Hunter's praises so perhaps there was no need for the usual formalities and interviews that might take place with a normal applicant.
"Melnik here, send Anna up to my office to prepare our new recruit." Melnik said succinctly and hung up the phone, looking back at Aleks with some kind of sympathy before setting aside the paper he had been taking notes on. "Do you have any questions to ask of me?"
"Did you want to see the cartridge?" Aleks asked nervously, clutching at the pendant again with one hand.
"No, you can hang on to it. As you can see, I already understood Hunter's intentions. Do you know, I was the one who suggested it to him?" Melnik gave that warm smile again, which comforted her to know she didn't need to give up her memento but also got her wondering what details Hunter had told the Colonel of her – evidently enough to gain her access to D6 and an audience with the commander of the Order. "Anything else?"
"What if…" Aleks hesitated, not sure how Melnik would react to her indecision, "What if I choose not to stay?"
"That is your right, I suppose." Melnik slumped in his chair slightly, his disappointment showing through his furrowed brow. "I would harbor no malice against you, but we could certainly use more experienced soldiers in our ranks."
"I promise I will do my best," Aleks bit her lip, "And if I must leave, I will send you other recruits. I have... a network."
"Accepted." Melnik twisted his mouth into a flat smile and stood up from his chair as there was a knock at the heavy metal door to his office. "That'll be Anya now. Enter!"
The door creaked aside and a sturdy young woman with dark hair and strong features stood perfectly centered in the arch, saluting starkly. She wore a heavy orange-colored jumpsuit which Aleks recognized as hazard protective gear, likely connected to Melnik's comment about her being comfortable with surface missions.
"Colonel Melnik, sir. You sent for me?" Anna said coldly. Aleks got a very clear impression of her character from her intonation and immediately recognized the similarities between Anna and her father.
"Yes, I want to introduce you to our new recruit." Melnik came around the desk and stood next to Aleks who quickly got to her feet and turned to face Anna in the doorway. "This is Aleksandrya Dmitriyev, she is Hunter's… well, she's joining us on his request. Give her the tour and get her gear issued out under my order. You can have a look at her weapons competency before you bring her to the barracks. Understood?"
"Yes, sir!" Anna now fixed her steely gaze on Aleks who suddenly felt very intimidated. "Come along, Dmitriyev."
"Yes, Captain. Thank you, Colonel." Aleks turned her head to address the tall commander standing next to her and suddenly realized an opportunity. "And, about Artyom, sir, it wasn't his fault – the delay, it was all because of me, so… please don't admonish him because of it. He acted very professionally, even when we met the anomaly. I wouldn't have made it here without his help. Okay." She convinced herself to finish up awkwardly when she caught the confused and abhorrent expression on Anna's face.
"Don't you worry about Artyom; he's not in any trouble." Melnik confirmed with half a smile, giving Aleks a pat on the shoulder as his sendoff and permission to leave. "And don't be afraid to come to me if you have any concerns."
"Thank you, sir." Aleks turned back to Anna and walked off after her lead, touching the capsule around her neck once more and letting out a contented sigh. She had fulfilled her promise to Hunter, and whether he ever returned or not, somehow she felt lighter inside.