"What are we doing here?" Katya asked, walking behind me.
"I told you, we're going to a meeting. We can't just go up like that. Our rifles are good, but they haven't stood the test of time and might fail us at the worst moment. That's why I reached out to my comrades and asked for help," I replied.
We were walking along the communal tunnels. There used to be a lot of rats here, and few dared to enter these passages. But one day, because of the increasing danger, this section was completely cleared. However, the route was too inconvenient and never became popular.
"Do you trust them? After all, the Reds control almost all surface resources now. Only that new faction the ones who call themselves the Free still go out on their own," Katya said, glancing around.
"More than anyone," I answered. We had been through so much together, saved each other's lives so many times, that I couldn't even count.
I hadn't seen them in a long time. I wondered what they were up to now and how life was treating them.
A beam of light appeared in the distance. I raised my hand slightly, signaling Katya to be on guard there was no guarantee it was Vitya and Semyon. Caution never hurt anyone.
"Vadim?" A voice called from the other side of the tunnel.
"It's me," I responded, recognizing the familiar tone. We approached each other and, stopping at arm's length, shook hands firmly, patting each other on the shoulders.
"Ha-ha, long time no see! How've you been?" Vitaly asked, releasing me. I nodded at Semyon in greeting and hugged him as well.
"Good. We're managing it's not without its problems, of course, but things are settling down," I said.
"That's great. It's a shame you left us, but I'm glad things worked out for you. And who's this? Your girlfriend?" Vitya asked, nodding toward Katya.
Katya seemed slightly taken aback by such a direct question but quickly composed herself and gave a polite nod.
"And what if I am? What's it to you jealous?" she shot back sharply.
"Mmh," Vitya only grunted, clearly not expecting that response.
"She's one of the stalkers I'm training to go topside," I interjected to ease the tension.
"So now you're a commander too?" Vitya smirked. "Well, it's good you're teaching them the ropes, but is it worth it? Anything can happen up there on the surface."
"She can handle it. She's got courage," I said firmly.
"I'll take your word for it," Vitya nodded. "I'd love to sit with you, have a drink, reminisce... but there's no time. Here, take it just as you asked. A Kalashnikov and ammo for it. Four mags, that's the most I could get. I can't do more, you understand everything's accounted for, and you know how hard it is right now."
"Thank you," I said sincerely. What he had already done was a huge risk. For something like this, he could face serious consequences, yet he still went through with it.
"We're brothers," Vitya said, patting my shoulder, a shadow of sadness in his eyes.
"We've got your back," Semyon added, handing me a bag. "Here's a little extra, on top of what you asked for."
Opening the bag, I was surprised to find two gas masks, several anti-rad meds, and two grenades.
"Thank you, from the bottom of my heart," I said gratefully.
"Don't be a stranger," Vitya said with a slight smile. "One day, we'll sit down, have a drink, and reminisce."
After chatting for a little while longer, we parted ways they had limited time. I understood that perfectly and didn't want to hold them up any longer than necessary. They had already done far more than I had asked. When I had sent my message through a contact in the Metro, I hadn't expected much.
"So, are we ready to go topside now?" Katya asked, checking her gear.
"We're ready," I nodded.
********************
My health had improved, though not fully, but it was good enough to make the trip to the surface. While I couldn't handle too much strain, taking a walk and scouting the area for the newcomers was necessary. A bit more preparation, and we could move out.
The exit I planned to use was at Turgenevskaya. Everyone had abandoned the place after an explosion, part of a supporting wall had collapsed, causing destruction and leaving the area deserted. But there was still a passage, a narrow crawlspace that led to the surface.
"Show me your bags," I ordered.
All three of them, in unison, took off their backpacks and opened them. By now, they had gotten used to following orders in critical situations, it saved precious seconds.
Carefully, I unpacked the contents of their bags, making sure everything was neatly arranged and securely fastened.
"Now your weapons," I said, gesturing toward their rifles.
One by one, they handed me their firearms. I carefully inspected each one, checking the bolt, chamber, and safety.
"We're ready to move out," I told Petr once the inspection was complete.
"That's good. Well then, Godspeed," he said calmly, placing a hand on my shoulder.
Descending into the tunnel, I led them forward, keeping a close eye on the route to make sure we didn't miss the right turn.
"Sergey, want to hear a joke?" Igor asked, apparently tired of the heavy silence pressing down on our nerves.
I didn't stop him right now, we were in a relatively safe zone, and a little distraction wouldn't hurt.
"Go ahead," Sergey responded.
"What's the difference between fresh air and gold?" Igor asked with a grin.
"No, Igor, please, no more of these dumb jokes," Sergey groaned. "I was hoping you'd come up with something actually funny."
"At least someone has seen gold, but fresh air? No one," Igor shrugged, still smirking.
"You really need to work on your jokes," Sergey muttered.
"Alright, fine, here's another one," Igor persisted. "Do you know why there's no need for a weather forecast in the Metro?"
"And why is that?" Sergey asked with mild exhaustion.
"Because concrete is always the same shade of gray," Igor replied with a grin.
"You know, I think you really should put more effort into these jokes," I added with a smirk.
"Oh, come on, don't be so harsh! I'm trying, you know. Fine, last one. How do stalkers know they've found a new path?"
"By looking at the map," I replied flatly.
"If the mutants look surprised, it means no one's been there before you," Igor chuckled.
This time, I couldn't help but huff in amusement. Alright, I had to admit that one was actually funny.
"Enough talking. Keep your voices down," I said. "Even though the station near Turgenevskaya is considered neutral, that doesn't mean we can ignore patrols."
More and more stations had become isolated, with frequent blockades and strict security. It was a constant reminder that we were no longer one unified Metro, but fragments of a world that once was. Every community was now focused on survival alone, dividing into factions instead of coming together.
Finding the door that ran alongside the old electrical conduits, we carefully stepped inside. This corridor was supposed to give us a way around the station without drawing unnecessary attention. Paying patrols for passage was a waste these days, even bullets had become currency, as strange as it sounded. The only way to survive in this world was to have enough firepower and supplies. In a way, those with the means to produce ammunition were printing their own money.
Reaching another door, I carefully pushed against it nothing. It wouldn't budge.
"Looks like it's barricaded," I whispered, running my hands over the obstacle.
"Is there another way?" Igor asked, glancing around.
I pulled out my tablet and checked the map. As far as I could tell, there were no alternative routes. Maybe there was a gap we could squeeze through? Slowly, I scanned the corridor, looking for any weak points in the structure or ventilation shafts. In this world, sometimes a crack in the wall could be the only path to freedom.
"Let's go," I said, moving forward and stepping into a maintenance room.
Examining the point where the pipes met the wall, I noticed a set of large, heavily rusted pipes. Some of these systems hadn't been serviced in years since Soviet times, even. The metal was worn, covered in rust, and in some places looked like it could collapse from a single careless touch.
Putting in some effort, I started breaking one of the pipes. Murky liquid spilled out, leaving dirty streaks on the floor. After removing part of the structure, I had made an opening wide enough for us to crawl through.
"Get in," I said.
I went in first, with my comrades following closely behind. Crawling through the pipe, I noticed a small gap in the metal. It looked like a way out. Striking the weakened section with my hand, I widened the hole just enough to squeeze through. It seemed to lead to another maintenance room somewhere we could move unnoticed.
"Come on, follow me," I called, motioning them forward.
*Click.*