What do you want? I have to speak to Jack. It's about Vano's debt. Go on, then. OK. I'm just taking a walk. This ain't a public park, buddy. Take a hike. Do you know who could have stolen things from a personal box? No, but I have my own shit to worry about... You lost some material things but I could lose my life... Theft, deception... Man, what is the world coming to? I didn't see anyone, but whoever did it is long gone, I'm sure of it. Let's go see Zulu. Of course. We should pay a visit to Hawaiian on the way to buy my suit back. Let's go. I'd be happy to, but I don't feel like being caught by an emission with my pants down. Let's wait a bit. We'll need a suit with a closed-cycle respiratory module to get to Pripyat. Man, that sucks! My suit has one - you can stick your head into an oven and breathe just fine, but I pawned it at Hawaiian's. If only we could get it back - I'm broke and we'll need 5 grand... I could give you money for the suit. Just like that? Are you serious? Here, take your 5 grand. You're really saving my ass here, friend. I'll follow you wherever now! I'd give you the money but I don't have 5 grand. It happens to the best of us, friend... Believe me, I know. I'll think about it. Of course... It's your money, after all. So, will you give it to me or what? I'm putting a team together to go to Pripyat. Wanna join me? You helped me, friend, so I'll help you. I'd love to, man, but I can't leave here while I've got this debt hanging over me. That wouldn't be right, and besides if we ran into them on the way they'd shoot me down like a dog. Those bastards don't care who they kill... So, are you ready to head to Pripyat? I'm like more than ready and stuff! Well, come in. What do you want? You've paid the debt, now get outta here. They were arrogant bastards - I had to take them out. I paid the money, so you're not in debt anymore. Wow, thanks man! I won't forget this. Not great, they made me pay interest, too. That's not good... But they'd charge me even more, believe me. Thanks for your help! I won't forget this. I haven't been to see them yet. Hurry up before they make you pay more. I went to see them but they're demanding interest on the debt. What are they, crazy? I barely put that much together... Do you think you can convince them to forget the interest? You'll need a good weapon - force is the only thing they respect. What did you say about your debt? Well... I had an old suit that was starting to wear out, so I figured I need a new one. Soon as I thought that, I saw a brand spanking new suit for sale... It had a closed-cycle respiratory module and everything... I counted my money this way and that but came up short every time... Then Jack, the seller, said to me, "Don't worry Vano, you can pay me the rest later." I was like, "What a nice guy!" and all that... OK, and? I sold my old suit, got all my cash and brought it to him. Jack was like, "Well done, Vano, but what about the interest?" I thought, "Yeah, he's right... I need to get the interest to him..." I put together some more cash and took it to him. When I got there he said, "While you were out, more interest built up, Vano." Seems the interest grows so fast I can't catch up... I had to pawn the new suit and my weapons, too... So, what now? I want to pay him the money I've earned. There's nothing more important than Vano's reputation... But I'm scared. Could you go see Jack instead of me to pay my debt? OK, I will. The only thing is, when you go see him make sure to whip out a powerful gun or something. Show them you're not one to mess with and they'll give you some respect... I'll work it out. I'm too busy right now. I've had enough. So, can you go see Jack instead of me to pay my debt? OK, OK, don't shoot, I'll pay the debt... Err, sorry, I thought you were someone else... How did it go with the bandits? Hey man, it's good that you came! Hey. We have visitors... A stalker to see Shishak for a word... You come carrying gifts or you got business to discuss? Either way, spit it out, buddy. I didn't think you'd be back... So, what do you have for me? What else is there to discuss, stalker? What do you want? You tired of dragging your loot around or something? We can help you with that. I need to talk to your boss. Hey buddy, I ain't got time for this shit. Get outta my face, pronto! Do it now or I'll help you on your way with this here shotgun. OK, OK - I'm leaving. I'm here about the captive stalker - I want to see your chief. Hrm... Go on then, but you keep it clean and tidy or we'll put you in the ground in no time... Keep going straight and then through the passage in between the containers. Got it? Yep. I was just passing by, I'll disappear now. I'm here about the captive stalker - I want to see your chief. What else do you want? Screw off! OK... Lookit, sucker, you tryin' to insult me or somethin'? You brought enough dough for your punk ass friend, but you ain't paid us for safe passage! That's poor thinking on your part, ya feel me? How much are we talking about? I've gotta get to the base though, so keep that in mind. Oh, you really are a funny guy! This ain't no whorehouse, buddy, we ain't got no friggin' price list... Empty your pockets, bitch! OK, here it is. OK, I'm going. What?! You want to take all my loot? No way! I paid the ransom. There's nothing else to discuss. OK, stalker, we've earned our fee now. Time to go. Thanks, guys. See you next time. Wait. There could be more bandits hiding in cover. OK, time to go. The kid didn't make it, but we've done the best we could... Wait, we ain't done yet! Got ya! Come to Pripyat with me. I'd best stay here for now and make sure that Mitay stays out of trouble. Hey, stalker! Thanks a bunch for getting Mitay out! We were already starting to put a squad together... Here, take this as a token of our gratitude. Hey, stalker! Thanks a bunch for getting Mitay out! You're a beast, taking all those bandits on by yourself... Here, take this as a token of our gratitude. Hey, stalker! Thanks for helping get Mitay out! Personally, I didn't think that paying the ransom would work out too good... I'm sure you could use a little cash, so take this. You have our gratitude. Hey, stalker! Thanks for helping get Mitay out! I was right about the whole thing. You can never give in to bandits! You gotta put some heat on them... And you got the balls for it too. Here, take this - everyone got a piece so it ain't much, but we are truly grateful. So, how did it go with the ransom? Still working on it. So, what's up? When are you gonna put some heat on the bandits? Soon. Did you change your mind or are you having trouble with the bandits?... Oh well, do what you need to do but do it fast - we don't want them losing patience and wasting Mitay. I'll work it out. It'll be all right. I'm glad to see a pro like you, stalker! Man, that was a good guy we lost there... Poor Mitay... We couldn't save him - good friends we are! What can you do? Come to Pripyat with me. I only came to this place to keep my friends company, so I'll stay here with them. Hey, thanks for Mitay... We were just about to head over there with the ransom money. Things worked out real good, that's for sure... Hey, thanks for Mitay... How did you manage to convince them? Man, I've got a lot to learn from you... Hey, thanks for Mitay... I was right, wasn't I? Negotiation is the key to success! Hey, thanks for Mitay... I still think it's better to negotiate, but things worked out all right in the end, so it's all good. Back off - I don't feel like talking to you right now. OK, take it easy. Hello, Mr. Pro! Poor Mitay... He was just a kid... He had his whole life in front of him... What can you do? Great, we're all here. Grizzly told me about you... The plan is simple: the boys get in position to attack around the perimeter and I pick off the sentry from my position - that's the signal to begin the assault... Take note of our positions and do whatever you feel is best. I'm sure you've got your own idea of what to do... Ready? I'll keep that in mind. Let's go. Wait, let me think about it. You feel like taking a trip to Pripyat with me, Mitay? The scientists are looking to hire some people, how do you feel about working for them? What's the job? Guarding their bunker. Nah man, my bandit adventure was enough. I'll just sit tight right here and take it easy. Taking measurements in anomalies. Hrm... That's interesting. I've worked for the scientists before and since it's you asking - sure, I'll do it. Me, Grizzly and Torba will head for the bunker. Tell me how you got captured. Man, don't ask! It was my own fault. The bandits warned me about it but you know... They started demanding a share of my loot, but the Zone don't belong to nobody, so why should I pay them? Me and the boys told them where to shove it and it seemed like we got away with it. But the bandits turned out to be pretty crafty - they set up an ambush. So, when I was stupid enough to go looking for artifacts on my own they jumped out behind me and tied my hands together before I could even get my shooter out... So that's how it was. Thanks for paying the ransom for me! I won't forget it. Thanks for freeing me, stalker! I won't forget it. Thanks for helping to pay the ransom for me! Thanks for helping to free me, stalker! Thanks for helping, stalker... My friends will definitely reward you when we get back... Let's go to the base together, it'll be quicker that way. Let's go. You go, I'll drop by later. I've got some business to finish up here. Man, I thought I was gonna die here... Wow, did Grizzly and Torba hire all these people?! Holy cow! I ain't seen a shootout like that in my life! Can we get out of here now? Wait a minute, there could be more bandits around here. Yes. Let's go. Man, I thought this was gonna be the end of me... Wow, you took on all these bandits on your own! You da man! They won't believe me when I tell this story... Can we get out of here now? Wait a minute, there could be someone left around here. Yes. Let's get out of here right now. Thank you, stalker! Let's move before the bandits change their mind. Let's move. We gotta get out here, fast! We can't give in to the bandits' demands. This problem calls for a forceful solution. Exactly! I know a few fellas who'd be happy to help out... We'll pay you too if you don't mind going in as a team. I'm ready to go. Great! I know a group of stalkers who used to serve in a special police unit. You'll have to meet them at an agreed location after 1AM - they'll be waiting for you. OK. Torba's right. There's no point starting a bloodbath while they've got a hostage. We must negotiate. Hrm, you two might be right... Only thing is, if me and Torba go, the bandits won't want to let us out, seeing as we refused to follow their rules. They said they'd bury us alive next time they see us. Now, if you could act as a negotiator... Sure, I'll do it. Give me the artifact. Be careful. It's gonna be fine. We can argue till the cows come home... Our success depends on whoever drives this thing. I'll deal with the bastards myself. Man, I didn't expect that... Good luck to you. I'll be back soon. I agree, but I need some time to prepare. Stalker, help get our buddy Mitay out of trouble, would you? What happened? Mitay is in real trouble... The bandits have started putting their foot down and demanding a cut of the artifacts stalkers find. We told them to take a hike, 'cause we figured stalkers don't owe nobody shit, and that seemed to be the end of it... But they ambushed the poor bastard when he went hunting for loot on his own and now they're demanding a ransom. What are you going to do? Torba is suggesting giving them an artifact as ransom... I reckon we shouldn't give them shit. If we do, that means stalkers are working for the bandits... We should sell the artifact, hire us a solid crew and attack the bandit base. Let's deal with this a bit later. So, will you help us save Mitay? Torba still reckons we should give them an artifact as ransom. And I'm still insisting that we gotta attack the bandit base. We'd have to sell the artifact and hire some fighters to do that... We still haven't decided what to do. You ready? We'll give you the artifact to buy Mitay out with and we'll wait for you at the bar. You paid the bandits a visit yet? Not yet, I'm still getting ready. Yeah, but it hasn't come to much yet. I'll let you know when things become clearer. I was at the Oasis recently and I found an artifact there. You interested? Hah, you don't expect me to believe that, do you? I've heard a lot about the Oasis but I've NEVER heard of anyone who has actually been there. No offense, but I won't be taking your word for it. I have documents from the Jupiter plant. Yeah, take them all. Yeah, take the evacuation order. Yeah, take the meeting minutes. Yeah, take the delivery schedule. Yeah, take the note from the repair workshop. Maybe next time. Who could have stolen things from a personal box? Not my men, that's for sure. Could be someone from Freedom. If we had full control of Yanov things like that would never happen. Tell me about Duty. What exactly do you wanna know? What is it that you do here? Same thing we always do. Protecting stalkers from all kinds of vermin. You've seen how many mutants there are around here and these ain't the cute little puppies you get at the Cordon. For instance, I saw a chimera with my own eyes last night. It was getting dark, so we didn't chase it... Mutants ain't the only problem around here, either. We've also got to investigate and collect evidence from the abandoned laboratories before those Freedom morons get to them. What brought you to the center of the Zone? Are you kidding me? And what brought you here? I'm gonna venture a wild guess and say we're here for the same reason. The center of the Zone has always been an unreachable objective, a place where we were hoping to get answers to all our questions. We wanted to find out how the Zone was created and how it can be destroyed. That's why as soon as we heard the rumor that the Brain Scorcher had been disabled, we made a move for the center. And what did you find out? Plenty, but that's confidential. All I can say is that there is more to the Zone that meets the eye. Some of our people believe that the Zone is a tumor that must be removed at any cost. Given what I've seen, I'm more inclined to believe that the Zone is a living organism and we are nothing more than bacteria that live inside. Even if we combined the military might of every country on the planet, we still couldn't destroy the Zone. That's why we have to be smarter than that: we have to find the reason for the Zone's existence and eliminate it. What if you can't eliminate that reason? Well, if we can't then we'll have to think of something else, but there's still hope. We must do our duty and stay positive. How did you end up in Duty? That's a boring story and there's no heroism involved. As soon as the Zone appeared, Lenya, a friend of mine, decided to come here and check it out. I was a field officer at the time and Lenya was in the intelligence service. Now, we weren't suckers or anything, but we ended up in a real mess. We crawled for hours, wounded and bleeding, until finally Duty picked us up. I made it, Lenya didn't. I had no friends in the Zone, so I decided to stick around here, with Duty. Plus, I've had a thing against the Zone ever since. What's your relationship with Freedom like? Officially we're at war, but life in the center of the Zone has its own set of rules. There are few safe places here and neither Freedom nor Duty boast a lot of manpower. So what's the point of killing each other? That's why the unspoken rule is that we stay out of each other's way. This rule doesn't apply outside Yanov though: out there we're still at war and it's for real, too. OK, forget about it. Oh... OK. I wanted to talk about a member of Freedom called Flint. I don't care about Freedom people as long as they stay away from us. Flint, also known as Magpie, set up stalker hunters at Zaton, took all their loot and made off with it. So? That doesn't surprise me, 'cause Freedom is full of scum like that. There's something else: I met a stalker at the quarry. Before he died, he told me that Flint left him in an anomaly, took the loot and left. Ah, see, that kind of shit stalkers don't forget... even in Freedom. Thanks for that information - we'll make sure it's put to good use. I've got enough dirt on him. I mean, the jackass actually has the nerve to openly boast about doing things that I did. That'll deal a heavy blow to Freedom's reputation. Thanks for the information. We'll make sure it's put to good use. Never mind. OK, it's your choice. I have the PDA of your supply officer, Morgan. I agree. I'll think about it. I agree. OK. Let's have a look... So that bastard was doing business on the side and using our name as cover... If this comes out, our reputation will go straight down the toilet. How about I buy this PDA from you? I'll give you a good price. Will 4,000 do? That's a serious allegation. Show me the PDA. Here it is. It's fair to say I had my own suspicions about him... Now we'll address them fully. Thank you, stalker! I hope nobody ever finds out about this conversation. I have a modest reward for you - you saved Duty's reputation, after all... I'll hold on to it for now. Another one... Very interesting... I'll add it to the case file. Here it is. Thanks! Here's modest compensation for your efforts... Let me hold on to it as a keepsake. I met a group of fighters that want to join Duty. We're always looking for good men. They should pay me a visit and we'll talk. There's one thing though... They're former Monolith fighters. What do you mean "former" Monolith fighters? In my experience Monolith fighters fit into two categories: current and dead. I've never met any "former" ones. It looks like they were under someone’s control - because they don’t remember what happened to them after they left for the CNPP. Now they’re not aggressive at all and they simply don't know what to do. Well, if they’re not aggressive that's a good thing... I mean, I’d find them something that's easy as pie to do and I’d make sure they’ve got their heads straight, too. I’m just not 100% sure about them at the moment... Can you vouch for them? Yes. I trust them. Hrm... Trouble is, I can’t trust you either... yet. Sorry. OK, but remember that if they screw up, you'll answer for it. The fact is they won't make it to Yanov on their own. What you're gonna do is take my boys and lead them to the Monolith squad. They'll talk to them and if everything is cool, they'll be accepted into Duty. Tell me when you're ready to head out. No. I don’t trust them much. We don't accept just anybody into our faction. I'm ready to lead your people to the Monolith squad. Good. I'll send two people with you. Good. Let's do it later, something's come up. Hold it! You do what you want, but I won't let my boys out to get hit by an emission. I found the Duty founder's PDA. You interested? Let's have a look... So that's how it went down... I don't think the others need to know this. It would be better if nobody ever sees this PDA again. Let the legend of Duty's creation stay as it is. Will you sell me this PDA? Take it. Thanks. Here's your reward. I'll consider your offer. Take the Duty founder's PDA. Thank you! You have done me a big favor. Here's your reward. I need fighters to work for the scientists. Can you help? We're always happy to help the scientists. What needs doing? They're looking for people to protect their bunker. Of course, I'll send some of my boys. Of course, I'll send some of my boys. I'd be happy to, but they're already employing Freedom. Sending our squad there would only intensify what is a pretty heated situation already. I'm planning to make for Pripyat. Will you give me a few fighters for this mission? We're short on manpower as it is! Talk to Strider - he doesn't feel at home in Duty by the looks of things, so maybe he'll find what he's looking for with you. We're short on manpower as it is! I'm not sending anyone on a hopeless mission. Talk quickly, leave even quicker. What do you want? I'm listening. Glad to see you alive. I have documents from the Jupiter plant. I doubt there's anything interesting there. The plant was looted even before the stalkers got there. Although... hrm, there's some decent info here. I'd like to show these to someone. Sell them to me, would you? Yeah, take them all. Yeah, take the evacuation order. Yeah, take the meeting minutes. Yeah, take the delivery schedule. Yeah, take the note from the repair workshop. Maybe next time. Who could have stolen things from a personal box? I ain't a guard and it ain't my job to watch your box! My boys didn't take it for sure - they know better than that. Tell me about Freedom. It's a long story. What do you want to know? What is it that you do here? We're making sure that various officials don't conceal anything from the common folk. You know how it is: as soon as they find a new lab or some documents that shed light on the secrets of the Zone, they immediately organize a military operation and clean everything up better than a friggin' hoover. The only way of finding shit out is by getting there first. What brought you to the center of the Zone? Well, the boys felt like taking a stroll in a new place. Just kidding. It's an opportunity to find stuff that the world ain't seen before. Neither the army nor stalkers have been here before, so there's something new everywhere you look. Did you find anything? A couple of locked doors and some weird new artifacts. How did you end up in Freedom? Well, I was friends with Freedom leaders back when there was no Zone. Mind you, in those days they weren't leaders, they were regular hippies. So when I made a move into the Zone in search of artifacts and ran into familiar faces, I figured I might as well go with what I know. What do you think about Duty? They're idiots, that's what I think. I mean, why the hell would they want to destroy the Zone? It's not consuming precious resources or getting bigger... or anything. They could just sit there and study it to their heart's content - just think of how many scientific discoveries could be made... I mean, in the history of man-kind, no one has never been able to understand antigravitation, right? And in the Zone you've got ready-made antigravitation devices lying all over the place. It wouldn't hurt to kick their asses out of here, but it's too much hassle. By the way, don't be confused by our relations here at Yanov. We are at war... it's just that Yanov has been made neutral territory, if you know what I mean. OK, forget about it. No problem. I wanted to talk to you about one of your stalkers. Really? Go ahead. I hope you're not here to snitch on someone? Your stalker Flint is known at Zaton by the name of Magpie. Local stalker hunters are looking for him because he set them up and ran off with their loot. And you expect me to believe you? Just listen to the stories he tells at the bar. First he swindled those stalkers and now he's lying to you lot. OK, chill. I'll contact Beard and see what's what. If what you say checks out, we'll deal with Flint Freedom-style. Hrm... I was wondering how he managed to get that artifact so quickly. I guess half of his story was complete bullshit. I'll speak to my boys. If what you said checks out, we'll deal with him Freedom-style. Never mind. OK. I agree. I'll think about it. Take it. OK. I met a group of fighters that want to join Freedom. Well, we’re always open to good people. They’re welcome to join if they’re up for it. There’s a small problem - they’re former Monolith fighters. A "small" problem? I prefer to see Monolith fighters through my scope. Anything else is out of the question. These ones are peaceful. It looks like they were under someone’s control - because they don’t remember what happened to them after they left for the CNPP. They simply don't know what to do now. Sorry, but I'm still skeptical. What if you're lying to me on purpose? Well, maybe it wouldn't hurt to talk to them and find out what's what. I’ll send a couple of my boys with you. They’ll have a chat and we’ll accept your Monolith fighters into Freedom if it works out. How about you piss off? I can't believe you're suggesting that we accept all kinds of scum into Freedom. I'm here about accepting that Monolith squad into Freedom. My men are ready to go. OK, have them follow me. A bit later. Let's wait a bit. Emissions ain't healthy. I found the Duty founder's PDA. You interested? Well, as long as it's got something useful on it... Wow, that's real interesting. They keep spreading their bullshit propaganda throughout the Zone, but as it turns out their own history is full of crap. I'd love to give this a thorough read. Listen, I'll pay you well for this PDA. Take it. Thanks. Here's your cash. I'll think about it. Take the Duty founder's PDA. Thanks. Here's your cash. The scientists are looking to recruit some people. Can you send anyone? Well, it depends on the job. The scientists need their bunker protected. Of course, I'll send some of my boys. Of course, I'll send some of my boys. I'd be happy to help, but Duty is already there. We spend enough time together with those bastards at Yanov, so we'll pass, thanks. Will you give me a squad to go to Pripyat with? Talk to our new recruit, Strider. He ain't happy here, so maybe you can give him what he wants. If I had anyone to spare I probably would, but I don't - sorry. We've got enough on our plate here. So, what have you got to say? What's your business here? Good to see you, man! I've heard some good things about you in Freedom. What can I do for you? I found a strange item in the railroad tunnel. You interested? Hrm, nah. It's junk. It looks like an artifact but it ain't got any effects. We normally give that kind of crap to the scientists. I found a strange item at Zaton, you interested? What am I supposed to do with it? I'm not even that interested in normal artifacts, so you know... Show it to the scientists - they pay well for all kinds of junk. I'm looking for people to guard the scientists' bunker. You know anyone? You won't find anyone better than Freedom. You could also try to work something out with stalkers, but they're not exactly trustworthy. If they let you down, how are you gonna be able to find them later? I definitely wouldn't suggest you speak to Duty about it. Those fanatics are only good for purging mutants and that's it. I'm looking for people to collect samples for the scientists. You know anyone? Of course. Go see Loki - he'll be glad to help you with that. You could also try to work something out with stalkers, but some of them ain't too trustworthy. Someone stole things from my box. Do you know who it might have been? What is this place coming to, man? I doubt it was anyone from Duty 'cause they've got strict discipline in their faction, too strict for my liking. Nobody in Freedom needs your junk, so it's gotta be one of the stalkers. I met a Monolith squad recently. Wow, I've never seen any! Though I did hear some real bone-chilling stories from the boys. Something about the Monolith people being complete lunatics. Must have been a hard fight, eh? There was no fight. They're peaceful fellas. They told me it was like a veil lifted from their eyes and they regained control of themselves. They simply don't know what to do now, so I'm looking to get them into a faction or something. Wow, that's an interesting one. Well, stalkers aren't an option 'cause they'd probably shoot them down in view of their past encounters and all that... Try talking to Loki. Nobody will touch them if they put on Freedom uniforms. Who could be interested in the truth about the founder of Duty? I really don't know. It seriously depends on how different this truth is from the official Duty line. Show it to Loki, he'll tell you straight. I have the PDA of Duty's supply officer. You interested? Not in a million years. I know where to buy everything he sells a lot cheaper. There's nothing else there that could interest me either. Who could go to Pripyat with me? Pripyat? Wow! Well, I'd love to just drop everything and take off, but I'm real busy right now... Pripyat? Wow! You should ask Loki for some people. I reckon he won't turn a good man like you down. You come to chill? My drinks ain't nothing special but this is a welcoming and friendly place! I got all the shit you're ever gonna need. What are you after? You fancy some chow, a drink or feel like firing off a few rounds? I'm looking for people to guard the scientists' bunker. Can you suggest anyone? Talk to the stalkers. I'm guessing they would be happy to do some work for the eggheads... After all, that would give them an official permit to be in the Zone. I'm looking for people to collect samples for the scientists. Can you suggest anyone? I suggest that you don't get involved with inexperienced stalkers. They won't find anything and they might even lose something if you know what I mean. I met a Monolith squad recently and I wanted to ask you something. You know, every other person that's come across Monolith fighters I've met usually had a few extra holes in them and no pulse. You, on the other hand, look quite alive, so what is it you wanted to ask? This squad isn't like that. I talked to them, I didn't have to fight them. No way!? Yes way. They told me it was like a veil was lifted from their eyes and they don't know what to do now. They asked me for advice. Well, my advice is that they stay well away from stalkers, 'cause they've got too good a memory to let them live. I suppose you could try helping them join a faction, but I don't know whether Duty or Freedom would want to get involved in this. I have a PDA with the truth about the founder of Duty on it. You interested? I don't do gossip, remember that. If you want to sell information, Owl is the one to see. He loves that kind of shit. Then again, given the nature of your info, Loki or Shulga might be interested in it too. I've got the PDA of Duty's supply officer. You interested? I have a feeling that this PDA would mean problems with Duty and I don't need that. Try talking to Owl instead. I need medical assistance. Let's have a look... That's better. Who could go to Pripyat with me? Talk to Vano, a stalker. He's straight as an arrow, to the point that it gets him into all kinds of trouble. There ain't that many crazy folk around here, buddy, so you'll have to look elsewhere. You looking for medical supplies or just here for a chat? Someone stole things from my box. Do you know who it might have been? Do you know that stalker's name? I heard he's fairly new here... What's his friggin' name... Is it Snob? Snack... No, no. Something kinda dead... Snag, that's it! His name is Snag. Wassup, bro'? Hey. I've got important business to discuss with you. Cool, let's have a drink first to make sure we take this important business as seriously as we should! OK, let's drink! Nah, I don't feel like drinking right now. So, what's this business you mentioned? I'm planning to go to Pripyat via the underground passage that goes under the Jupiter plant. Nitro can get the entrance open. Hrm... Going to Pripyat underground... That's an idea... And that calls for another drink. Cheers. Ehh, this is good stuff. I hope you're not planning on tackling this mission on your own? No... That won't do... I'll go with you... and we're gonna need others, too. A couple of trustworthy people are always useful in this kind of thing... Nitro advised me to get a squad together... Yeah, that's a good idea... Let's have another drink to the success of this mission... Bottoms up! I can do it on my own, you know... I mean, at Zaton I took out a bloodsucker lair on my own... A couple of gas tanks and it's party time. Wow, respect man. Let's drink to always having a gas tank to hand. Amen! Trustworthy, huh? Well, this place is full of scum... I met a trader at Zaton but it turned out he was from Duty... Wow, so Duty's rotting from within, huh... What's the world coming to? Oh well, let's stop worrying about it and have a drink. I yield to your wisdom. Cheers. Mmm... nice, ain't it? A squad is a good idea, we need at least three people... You got anyone in mind? I'll find some folks... We're also gonna need suits with closed-cycle respiratory modules... Yeah, safety first and all that... About that: don't worry about me 'cause my suit is all good, but we will need them for the others and it may take a little work - those suits aren't exactly common around here. Here's to a successful search. Cheers. You know this weird fella called Noah? He locked himself in on a barge with all kinds of goodies... His version of hello is unloading both barrels of his shotgun on you. Yeah, I haven't seen him for a while. He and I worked together a while back. He was a good fighter... too bad he's gone off the deep end like that. Let's drink to him and his mental health! To Noah! I met Vano at Yanov some time back and he couldn't seem to pay off his debt to the bandits... Anyway, I helped the poor bastard out... Cool, the trip is sure to be more fun with him around, plus he can carry all the supplies. To Vano! You can say that again, brother! There's a military guy in the scientists' bunker... He hasn't got anything to do, so he might agree... Yeah, we could use an army type... Let's drink to the hope that he joins us. Let's. You won't believe it but I helped a Monolith squad the other day... Suddenly the loose screws in their heads tightened up or something and they didn't know what to do... So I helped them out and they're chilling at Yanov now. Hrm... Looks like this vodka went straight to your head, hah! Oh well, can't have too much of a good thing! True. OK, well that seems to be it - the main thing is to make sure we don't get lost underground... Don't worry - I've got the schematics. Cool. Let's drink another to the success of our mission. I'll drink to that! Ah, relax man... I found the Oasis the other day... That same one nobody else could get to... Wow, you're a real pathfinder, man. We'll find the way to Pripyat in no time with you around. Cheers. Cheers. Howdy! I think we've got enough people. We can move out. You sure? Another pair of hands wouldn't hurt. I'm sure. Let's go. You're right. I'll try to find some more people. Good. Let's roll, folks! Let's go. Fighters are good but have you made sure to protect yourself? You need a suit with a closed-cycle respiratory module before we go... I ain't dragging your dead ass anywhere - my beast of a cannon and ammo is heavy enough for me. Yeah, I got it. Let's wait this one out. Emissions ain't too healthy! Where can I find fighters to join our squad? Ask the folk around Jupiter... The guys who stayed at Zaton won't go to Pripyat for sure. We need fellas that ain't got nothing holding them back... They've got to be willing to join what is basically a desperate mission. Do you remember meeting anyone like that? Maybe someone owes you or you know someone who ain't settled down... We've got enough people now. There's no need to put a division together... We'll use small squad tactics. What do you think about Strider? Monolith people are usually fanatical, fierce fighters... I'm not sure about former members though. Strider looks calm on the outside, but appearances can be deceiving. Wow! Monolith armor. Where the hell did you get that? It was part of a set. This is Strider, a former Monolith fighter. I didn't realize there were "former" Monolith fighters. Oh well, we'll see what he's like when the real shit starts. What are your thoughts on Sokolov? That fella's got an interesting suit on him, scientific and all. I haven't seen one like that for a couple of years, at least. That's Sokolov, the co-pilot of the military chopper that crashed. Well, I can see he ain't no scientist by the way he carries himself. A good soldier will always come in handy. How long have you known Vano? We met at 100 Rads a couple of times. They say he's honest, optimistic and a good stalker... But he's way too gullible and that's a fatal flaw in the Zone. So Vano's along for the ride, eh? Great, we've got ourselves someone to carry all our supplies... Hah, relax man - I'm just kidding. Who could have stolen things from a personal box? Your things were stolen? That sucks. I don't know what to say. I haven't seen anything suspicious around here... If I find something out, I'll let you know for sure. We don't need no rats at our base. I heard there was some shooting around here recently... Ah, that was me. Some idiots decided to get together by the tower... They had an argument or something, started shouting and shit. I fired off a couple MG rounds and they bolted towards the substation. That was it for the moron convention, hehe. I've decided to hand over the Oasis artifact. A wise decision - please pass it to me. Here. Splendid, this miracle must be studied immediately... Oh, by the way, thank you for your services - here is your fee. Do you need help with something? Thank you - we already have a stalker squad working for us. Although... there is a theory, in fact it's more of a legend... Have you ever heard of the Oasis? I'll try to find the Oasis. Sorry, I have too much on my plate at the moment. No, I haven't heard of it. Then listen. Many people talk about it but it seems that nobody has ever seen it. It's like healing waters. If you walk in, your wounds heal and your energy is replenished. There are many rumors making the rounds, one more incredible than the next... Some claim to have seen it in their dreams... but as a scientist I am obliged to ask, "How do you know it really was the Oasis?" If you agree to look for it... Well, I can't promise you a massive fee, but if the Oasis exists, its discovery would help us make a giant stride in our research. I found the Oasis. Really?! It exists, then?! Please don't consider me a skeptic, but did you bring something back as proof? Yes, I found something that looks like an artifact. Pass it to me, quickly! Take it. Splendid, this miracle must be studied immediately... Oh, by the way, thank you for your services - here is your fee. I don't think so. It might be of use to me. That is extremely selfish of you. Not to mention dangerous. The exact properties of this artifact are unknown. What are you going to do tomorrow if you find your legs are paralyzed? Or your skin is turning green? I assure you that such objects are best handled by scientists - at the very least we strive to protect ourselves from them. Your scare tactics won't work on me. I'm keeping the artifact. OK, fine. Take it. No, I didn't. You didn't? So what do you expect me to study? Do you know what makes scientists different from others? The fact that for us any theory must be supported by facts! I need proof! OK, I'll go back there. I've spent too much time on it as it is. I can't go back now. If you don't care about your fee then think about new medical opportunities the Oasis would open up! If I am not mistaken, the Oasis is anomalous in nature... that's the way of things in the Zone. If that is so, it's the first ever anomaly with healing properties! What brings you here? Did you see the mercenaries who were guarding us? It's wonderful to see another intelligent person. How can I help you? Can you believe it? The mercenaries who were guarding us were killed right outside our bunker! Hermann, do you know anything about the Oasis? The Oasis? Hah. It's a lie, pure and simple. People like to believe in a cure-all panacea, so they make up these fairytales. Believe me, the Oasis is nothing more than a figment of someone's inflamed imagination. Many people talk about it. Too many. But none of them have ever been there. I stick to the scientific point of view: what hasn't been proven to exist, doesn't. OK, I see... Thanks. OK. Let's go. Cool... We'll be back before you can say "bloodsucker" - hah! We'll see. Cool... But let's wait for the emission to finish and then we'll go. Good day to you, stalker. I'm Uncle Yar... I guess you're tired from the road, eh... Have a bite to eat, since you're here. You chose a good time to show up, too - I need some help. At my age there are things I can't do on my own. Back in the day, though... So, feeling fresh? You feel like a walk now? You'd help an old man out... How's life? You look better by the day... What's the job? Easy as pie... The two of us make our way over to Kopachy - it's not far from here. The rest you'll see for yourself when we get there... Won't your Freedom friends help you? I don't want to bother them with this stuff... The two of us can handle it, no problem. Will you go to Pripyat with me? Nah... If I was younger... I remember I used to walk to Siberia and back, but I try to keep my trips short these days... Getting old, I suppose. Take care. Wait. If you're going to Yanov, maybe we could go together? Having someone to talk to is always nice... Thanks, I'd prefer to go on my own. Let's go to Yanov. Thanks for helping an old man out... Take this. If you have any questions - ask away. I'll answer as best I can... Why didn't you ask Freedom members for help? What's the point of getting the mercs angry with Freedom? We had one war and that was enough. This is a personal matter... No point involving them, you know? What happened here anyway? Some lads came here to kill me... You see, I was hiding in the bushes minding my own business when a mercenary squad showed up. Their leader was yapping away on his PDA about a central lab in Pripyat, an urgent order, this and that... Then I stepped on a stupid branch and alerted them to the fact that I was there. So I grabbed my rifle and made a run for it, but I always had the feeling that they'd come for me. That's the price we pay for eavesdropping nowadays. The main thing is don't be surprised at anything. Follow me quietly... If we keep it hush hush and don't move, things will be nice and easy. OK. We need to get out of here. We'll talk later. OK. I'm putting a squad together to go to Pripyat with. Wanna join me? Tempting... but no, thanks. The scientists promised me a permit to be in the Zone and they pay well, too. Sorry, but I'm going to stay here. Ready to take measurements in anomalies? We're always ready, as long as you cover us. Which anomaly shall we go for? Let's go to Fen. Let's go past Kopachy village to the Ash Heap. Wait, I've changed my mind about going now. We're ready all right, but we should probably wait for the emission to pass... OK. Measurements taken, let's move. I don't like hanging around here either. Where to next? Let's go to Fen. Let's go past Kopachy village to the Ash Heap. To the scientists' bunker. Wait, let me think. You ready to head back to the bunker? We're more than ready... Well, let's go then. OK, just wait a sec for me... I have a couple of questions. Ask them and I'll do my best to answer. I think that's it. I want to ask about the scientists' mission. Ah, the tunnel... There's something there, a strange artifact or something like that. That place is just too weird. At first it was really calm and then I could feel something in my head... It was also crawling with hamsters but don't worry about them - we'll deal with them easy. You've been there before? Yes. We didn't go far in - we were taking some measurements for Hermann when the hamsters came out in force. When we got back, the scientists got so excited about the results that I thought they were gonna take off. They wanted us to search the whole tunnel from end to end, but I ain't going in there! Now they've hired you and we're only there to provide cover. I see. Well, we've taken measurements before, so we'll manage. Where did you take measurements before? Well, measurements is a big word for a small job. We only did it once for real - the anomalous psyfield in that friggin' tunnel. Even that time, as soon as we turned the devices on, the hamsters started flooding out of every hole - Mace barely made it out with his bits in one piece. Don't you think that's strange? No, why would I? The Zone doesn't like nosy people, so that's normal. That's what Ozersky told me, and it checks out. Ask him if you want, maybe he knows something but ain't sharing it with the rest of us. I understand. I see. What can you tell me about the people who live in the bunker? Well, it's some group, I'll tell you... Two scientists, Hermann, the top dog around here, and Ozersky. They employ Novikov who handles the technical stuff and Garry is their guide. Then there's us - they recruited us recently to take measurements and do other science stuff. Oh, Garry also brought some army dude into the bunker the other day. That's about it. Can you tell me more about Hermann? Hermann is the boss around here - he's a professor from some institute, probably a secret one... He organized the expedition, so they dropped this bunker in here almost immediately after the Brain Scorcher was disabled. He was also the one to recruit Garry and us - he pays well and even promised us an official permit for entry into the Zone. Let's talk about something else. Can you tell me more about Ozersky? He's a good, friendly fella and he's the number two around here. Hermann does listen to his advice now and again, though. I don't know much more about him - Hermann is the one we deal with most of the time. Can you tell me about Novikov? He's like Einstein on vacation, man. He knows exactly what he's doing when it comes to installing technical things; in fact, he's better than just about anyone you'll meet. I don't know how he ended up here but you can tell he's no stranger to the Zone - he knows more about it than we do. Can you tell me about Garry? Garry is a great guy and he was one of the first to show up here. He told me the scientists were being dropped off just as he got here, so he joined them right then. He's been getting bored lately, 'cause he ain't one to sit around, but he can't leave before his contract with the scientists is complete. If you want to know something else, ask him yourself. Tell me about the army guy. Hah. Garry met him as he was running away from zombies. He was lucky it was Garry, too, 'cause most others would have taken him out for sure. He doesn't leave the bunker much anymore and I don't blame him. What are the mercs doing here? Those friggin' cutthroats are guarding the bunker. They showed up some time ago, had a chat with Hermann and stayed. I suppose Hermann ain't too pleased with them either... Their leader is called Black and he's got a personality to match. What can you tell me about this area? Well, there is an old military base not far from here... Then Kopachy village to the north of it, and a train station to the east of that, which is where stalkers hang out. Oh, there's also a train on the railroad nearby... That’s not a fun place, believe you me. Tell me about the old military base. Well, there's not much to say... Anything of value got looted a long time ago, so there's not a lot there now except mutants and zombies. There's also a small bunker there - enough to take cover from an emission. Tell me about the village. Well, it's not much of a village - just a few mounds, really. It was buried back in 86 to prevent it from emitting radiation. People don't go there 'cause it's not a healthy place and there ain't nothing of value there. Tell me about the train station. Can you tell me anything about the train? Well... Yanov station is worth a visit if you've haven't been there before. It's a good place to grab a cold one and catch up with other stalkers, plus it's the only other safe place besides our bunker in these parts. I see you're sporting new equipment? Yeah baby. We're now officially known as Iskra scientific research & investigation team! Don't be thinking that we forgot all about you now that we're scientists, haha! My "colleagues" and I have discussed this matter in great depth and our conclusion is... That you've earned this, buddy! If you find yourself in an anomaly or hit by an emission, God forbid, take a moment to send us a thank you note. We'll receive the message, trust me! Hey. Howdy. So you ready to move or shall we wait a bit? I thought I'd be left to rot in that tunnel as a brainless zombie! How can I help the man who saved me? Feel like stretching those legs a bit? Hey brother. We owe you and I won't forget that. I have a feeling we're done here and it's time to get the hell away from this place... So, what's the story with this tunnel? There's no dust there, not a single little bit of it. Hermann says it's because of the Tesla, but I have a hard time believing that. Ask the boss, I don't know what I can tell you and what I should keep quiet about. Tell me what you found while you were measuring the psyfield. I saw footprints on the ground. They looked like they were human, but who would be crazy enough to walk barefoot in that place? You mind kinda goes fuzzy and everything you look at starts assuming these weird shapes. It's that friggin' psyfield, you know what I mean? So what did you find underground? Not much, just a couple of dead hamsters. Heh... nothing you can't find everywhere else in the Zone. Are you OK? I'm all right, thanks to you! I'll give you a set of coordinates, as a token of my gratitude. Anything you find there is yours to keep - it's not much, but comes from the heart... How do you feel? Man, thanks a lot! Thanks to you... I'm lost for words. Take these coordinates of our stash - a token of our gratitude. You alive? Thanks, I won't forget this. Here, take the coordinates of our stash - you deserve them... Your brain still working? Man, the shit I saw when I was... That's gonna stay with me for life... So, back to the bunker? You betcha! Let's go, then. You go ahead, I'll see you there. Is your squad ready to head for the tunnel? Just say when. When. Let's move out. Wait a bit longer. I'll go on my own. See you there. I'll go on my own. See you there. No, we don't trust you and time is money, so either you go with us or we stay right here. In that case, let's go together now. In that case, you'll have to wait. No way... No point risking it during an emission. So, here we are. So... let's start? Yes, of course. Give me a second to get my bearings. What the hell do you want? I was just passing by. Well, keep walking then. OK. Relax, moron. None of your business! Oh... Hi... Nimble told me that you're a deceitful bastard. I figure you've cheated many a stalker... What are you talking about? I've never done anything like that in my life! Nimble's messed up in the head! What did you tell the bandits about me? Why were they waiting for me by the dock cranes? You must've taken me for someone else - I have no business with bandits! Nimble told me about you... I suggest you give me the shooter and make it easy for both of us. What could he tell you?! I don't have anything that ain't mine! Take a hike, buddy... Help me out, bro - I need a medkit! Tell me where you hid my stuff first! I'm sorry man, I really needed the money... I'll tell you everything, just help me! Honestly, I'm done with that shit, I've gone straight! OK, here. Thanks, man! I hid the stuff in my stash in the sewers behind the substation. I see. I don't believe you. You ain't getting a medkit. Take this. You ain't getting it. Thanks. I didn't think you'd help me... Who could I hire to protect the scientists? Duty, of course. Who else? They're the best fighters in the Zone, after all! Heavy assault guards - how does that sound? They're employing Freedom at the moment? In that case, I really don't know. I was going to suggest Duty, but they don't go well together. Who could I hire to take measurements for the scientists? Try talking to Shulga. They're not all rocket scientists over there, but he's got some bright fellas in his employ. Are they still paying Freedom to protect them? If so, I would advise against recruiting Duty... That's about all the advice I can give you on that. When we got into the underpass the elevator stopped working... Hah, you went down using the only operational generator... And it's the backup one at that. I barely got it working, so it did its job done and then died. You should be grateful it didn't go out halfway... That elevator doesn't have an emergency exit! Who could have stolen things from a personal box? Damn! I really don't know. What I can tell you is that if Shulga was running things at Yanov, that would never have happened. Can you break into a steel container? I'm not the guy, man. Metal ain't my thing... If you have any electronic issues - give me a shout. A group of peaceful Monolith fighters is looking for refuge. Who could help them? Are you serious? I heard they're animals... Well, stalkers won't give them the time of day, that's for sure... You should probably speak to Shulga. If the Lieutenant Colonel lets them join Duty, they'll be safe. They might even find something useful to do. Can you decrypt a black box? Let's have a look... This is gonna be some work. It'll take about three hours and it won't be cheap. I'll do the work and then we'll talk... go take a walk while I do this, so I can concentrate... Let's have a look... This is gonna be some work. It'll take about three hours and it won't be cheap. I'll do the work and then we'll talk... Meanwhile why don't you look for the components I need? You'll earn some cash and I'll charge you less for this job. What? I'm still working on it. Damn, this box is a friggin' nightmare... I'm done with your black box... A shitty job if I've ever done one... What do I owe you? 3,000, at least. Take this. I don't have that much. Well, I can give you a discount when you bring me the components. Well, don't be a stranger. Too rich for my blood... I'll think about it. I'll give you a discount. Only 2,850. I'll give you a discount. Only 2,700. I'll give you a discount. Only 2,550. I'll give you a discount. Only 2,400. I'll give you a discount. Only 2,250. I'll give you a big discount. Only 2,100. I'll give you a big discount. Only 1,950. I'll give you a big discount. Only 1,800. I'll give you the very best price for this. Only 1,650. Heh, obviously I don't know why you need the recording, but for what it cost you I sure hope it's gonna be useful. We'll see. I'm still working on the black box... Why don't you make yourself useful and get me those components? Senka? Back when I was making my way through Zaton he stuck with me and he's been with me since... He's a professional drunk with extensive experience... hah! I use him to run errands here and there... Who might be interested in information about Duty's founder? Shulga, of course... Duty remembers its beginnings. You know what they say: unless you study history, it will repeat itself... The main thing is that Freedom doesn't get its hands on this information, because they'd distort it, that's for sure. Not out of any malice, simply due to poor memory... I brought you tools. Great... So, which ones are for me? The ones for basic work. Great! Now I just need tools for fine work and calibration... The ones for fine work. Great! Now I just need tools for basic work and calibration... The ones for calibration. Great! Now I just need tools for basic work and also ones for finer work... None, for now. Cool! Some calibration tools and I'm all set. Cool! Some tools for fine work and I'm all set. Cool! Some tools for basic work and I'm all set. Wow! Where the hell did you find them? If you need any tools, I can get them. That would be awesome. At the moment, it's like working in the Stone Age. The only difference is that the soldering iron has replaced the shaman's staff... If I had tools, I could do some top upgrades and you better believe there'd be coin in it for you too... OK. I'll look for them. I've changed my mind. Good idea. I can do upgrades and you can earn cash... I have the Duty trader's PDA. You know anyone who would be interested in it? A trader in Duty? No kidding... Give the PDA to Shulga and he'll deal with it. Not a word to Freedom, you get me? They'll use one asshole to sabotage the reputation of the whole faction... I found some documents. They describe a way of getting to Pripyat. Let's have a look... Yeah, yeah, yeah... So, to summarize, there's an underground underpass designated Pripyat 1, which runs under the city of Pripyat, with one section that ends in a lock located in the Jupiter plant's transportation section. Impressive! Judging by the notes it has been sealed, filled with gas and the power to it has been cut. I suppose I could try to revive the generator and open the lock. Only... ...Only I ain't going through Jupiter without protection, and I suggest that you don't even think about going underground on your own. You'll need to have a couple of buddies with you, at least. You're all going to need suits with closed-cycle respiratory modules, too, otherwise you won't last a minute down there... Listen, Zulu lives in a tower not far from here - try talking to him. If you guys hit it off, he'll tell you how to put a squad together. You mentioned materials... Right, finding materials to use for working with radio equipment is damn near impossible around here. I've used everything I could find and there's nobody supplying any materials here, because you can make more cash selling guns... I heard there could be something left at the cement factory, though... I found the materials, here you go. I searched the cement factory from top to bottom! Wow, bro - I'm impressed! I'll make a note right here: free labor on all repairs and upgrades for my favorite stalker! I managed to find some of the materials you wanted. Here you go. Wow! Discounts galore for you, my friend! I can get the materials for you. That would be great! If you find anything like colophonium or capacitors, bring them to me... hell, I would even be grateful for some textolite. I can't promise you lots of cash, but you'll get a discount, that's for sure. What do you need the materials for? Well, I do work with shooters and equipment... I mean, a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do to eat... But my passion is radio equipment. You know that feeling when you put something together and it works? I remember I once built a jammer... It was real useful - I turned it on when the announcements by 100 Rads kept waking me up. Why would there be radio materials at the cement factory? Cement factory is just a name... It stopped making cement long before the Chernobyl disaster. They disassembled what they could and started using the building to make electrical appliances. I found some documents at Jupiter. Will you have a look? So... Nothing of interest here... just some administrative crap... Hrm... There's something of interest here and there, but I can't be certain of anything... We need the complete information. Try checking the places mentioned in the documents. I really need some friggin' materials. How am I supposed to work like this?... Oh, hello. What's up? Howdy! You need something technical done? Obviously, I don't have any materials, but I can still repair your kit and do minor upgrades. Oh, hey. Listen, I've been thinking... It turns out that all those materials I need are simply collecting dust at the cement factory... Just the thought of it drives me crazy... Hey! Did something break or have you put some dough together for an upgrade? Remember, you've got a lifetime discount! Hello, brother! How can I help you? Remember, you get the best prices possible from yours truly. Can you unblock a memory module? I think so... I've never done it before, so I'll need at least three hours. I'd be happy to give it a shot, though... Bearing all that in mind, I'll give you a good price - just 1,000. I can wait, so let's call it a deal! Great! I'll get to work and you take your time... I'll let you know when I'm done. I don't have that much. Well, come back if you still want the job done. You won't get it done cheaper anyhow. I'll think about it. I told you I'll be able to do it in about three hours. 1,000 is a great price, so I'd take it if I were you. So, did you unblock the memory module? No, I'm still working on it... Don't worry, I'll let you know when it's ready. Huh? You didn't get the module?... You must have missed Senka - I had sent him your way to deliver the module... Well, never mind. Basically, other than soil layer thickness and vegetation density readings, it also contained the coordinates of three radio beacons. I'll upload them to your PDA... Did you try tracking the chimeras down? The wounded one went to Zaton. Gonta's group is following it... Then again, I heard they're lacking an experienced hunter. If you help them out, I'll make it worth your while... The other one, the one that killed Fox... Well, I lost it. It was as if it just vanished... Poor Fox... He was a good man, but age sure takes its toll... Well, you dealt with one, the wounded one... The other one, the one that killed Fox... Well, I lost it. It was as if it just vanished... Poor Fox... He was a good man,but age sure takes its toll... What do you do? Well, I'm Trapper and until recently I hunted mutants that were a danger to stalkers... Nowadays, I take orders and give them to younger hunters. I train them and teach them hunting tactics... Tell me about hunting mutants... Well, mutants require different approaches... Burers and poltergeists require one, pseudogiants and controllers need another... And chimeras are a real special case. Tell me about burers. Burers use gravitation attacks... When at close proximity they'll throw you and when they're far away they'll try to throw something at you... Your best bet is to keep them at medium range from you and keep moving, unless you enjoy getting hit by something heavy... But be careful to conserve your energy! Burers can use directed gravitational impulses to yank weapons out of your hands and if you're tired it might just work. Tell me about poltergeists. There are two types of poltergeists. The first type sends items crashing into the enemy using gravitation, while the second type is the fire poltergeist that uses flames to burn its victims. Inexperienced hunters try to circle around them to evade their attacks... The trick is to know that poltergeists can't see or hear in the usual sense of those words and use that to your advantage. They sense objects that move in the gravitational field... So a seasoned hunter freezes as soon as he sees a poltergeist, fires and then freezes again, rinse repeat. Tell me about controllers. They use your own mind against you. When you're hunting a controller, it's important to use cover, because it must see you to affect your mind... Also, they're quite slow, so if your life is at stake, use grenades. Tell me about chimeras. They're very dangerous nocturnal predators. They try to get behind you under cover of darkness and leap on top of you. If you know there's a chimera around, keep checking your back and cover your friends' asses... Tell me about pseudogiants. The most difficult thing about hunting pseudogiants is killing them. They can take incredible punishment without so much as batting an eyelid... All I can say is that you may want to try using a shotgun at close range. Just remember that pseudogiant attacks can detach anything that's not been fixed to concrete. Attack it from above... and make sure that whatever you're standing on can withstand some damage. OK, forget about it. Why don't you hunt anymore? I’m getting old, man. That’s why Fox died... He was my partner and friend. We hunted many a beast together, shoulder to shoulder... Then we ran into these two chimeras by Zaton that haven’t been seen in the Zone for eighteen months... One knocked Fox to the ground before I could even get my shotgun out. When I wounded the other one, they ran off... I hope they burn in hell forever! Who could have stolen things from a personal box? Hrm... Don't know... That kind of thing just doesn't happen among the hunters. Piss enough people off and you might find them saving their ammo when you've got a bloodsucker getting close and personal. Desperate times call for desperate measures... Knowing what I know about bloodsuckers, I would think a couple of them were out hunting... But now that they've not got anywhere to come back to, they won't be a danger to stalkers anymore. You got any other work for me? Sure. A stalker squad went into the tunnels to the north of the plant the other day and ran into a mutant lair. They were all so shocked that none of them can even explain what kind of mutants they were, but two of the stalkers didn't make it out of there alive. After that the folks at Yanov got real scared about the whole thing, so they put together a 5,000 reward for anyone who's willing to deal with this lair. It's a dangerous job, so you decide for yourself... Will you do it? I'll do it. You're a brave man... Good luck. You'll need it. Not now. I don't blame you... I doubt anyone will have the balls to take on a whole lair of mutants. Same as before. Unidentified mutants in the tunnels to the north of the Jupiter plant. 5,000 reward... Will you do it after all? Stalkers are worried about the mutants in the tunnels at the moment... The mutants in the tunnels were mutated dwarfs. Now they're dead mutated dwarfs. I'm guessing they must have been burers. That explains why the folks at Yanov got all excited about the whole thing... Well, seeing as they're dead, the reward is yours! I'm guessing they must have been burers... The ones that killed two stalkers recently. That explains why the folks at Yanov came up with a reward for killing them. Well, seeing as they're dead, the reward is yours! I'm ready to deal with the chimera. Great. The hunter who found that bastard saw it just as it got dark. It was headed towards the ventilation complex. Chimeras are nocturnal and territorial, so it was probably going to its hunting grounds... I think that's where you should look for it come nightfall. Then again, it's more active when it's dark... Be careful and good hunting. The chimera is dead. Thank you... Thank you! You have avenged Fox and he can now rest in peace. Here's your money - you've earned it... There's something else. Take my shotgun. You brought me something a lot more important - some peace at last... I'm Trapper... There's no need to introduce yourself. What brings you here? Thanks for coming... I need a reliable and experienced hunter and you're the best Yanov has to offer. After all that has happened, I can't let the chimera escape again... I'm putting up all my savings for this : 10,000. I want to make sure the job is done right... Fox must be avenged! I'm begging you to deal with the chimera. If you don't want to rid Yanov of this mutant killer, then do it for the money... 10,000 is a lot of cash. What's the situation with the chimera?... Time is of the essence, for it could move on to new hunting grounds. Good to see you!... What's new? You got any other work for me? Of course... A group of swamp bloodsuckers has been spotted in Fen, behind the cement factory. They seem to be keeping to their swamp for now... But local stalkers want to make sure they stay there forever, if you know what I mean. The price for the whole group is 3,000. Will you do it? I'll do it. Great. Happy hunting... Not now. Up to you... There's still time to change your mind before other hunters take the job. Same as before... The group of swamp bloodsuckers in Fen, behind the cement factory. The reward is 3,000... You game? Nothing other than the bloodsuckers in Fen at the moment... I killed the swamp bloodsuckers. Now stalkers can relax a little. Here's your fee as agreed. Yeah, the local stalkers will be happy to be rid of those neighbors. They even put together reward money for it, 3,000 to be precise... Here, take it. Me and Gonta killed the chimera at Zaton. Thank you for that. The fewer of those beasts around, the better it is for us all. Now, if you could track down that other one... Thank you for dealing with the second beast, too. It's good to know that those chimeras won't take another stalker's life... Tell me how you killed the controller. Listen and learn, my friend, listen and learn... I went to my stash to pick up my loot and when I got there, I clocked a controller sitting right on top of it. So I grabbed a metal grate that was on the ground and used it to shield myself as I was sneaking up on it. By the time it woke up to what was going on, I'd pumped half a clip into the cocksucker's head. Just as it started trying to control me, I gave it a final bash with my rifle butt and that was that. Tell me about the artifacts at the quarry. Hah! There's not much to say, 'cause there's jack shit left in the quarry now. There's no point looking in anomalies Flint has looked in, everyone knows that. So it was you who left your buddy to die in the quarry! What?! You can't prove anything. You're just bullshitting... It's your word against the word of a Freedom member - good luck with that. We'll see about that. Nothing. Thanks, bye. Tell me the story about the bloodsuckers at Zaton. When I was at Zaton, bloodsuckers made life real difficult for stalkers. Stalkers kept at 'em day and night but it didn't help one bit. I decided to help them out, so I took my shotgun and went straight for the bloodsucker lair. After some quality time with yours truly the bloodsucker problem at Zaton is all but over. You probably don't even know where that lair is. Scram. What do you want? Go spew your horseshit somewhere else! Take a hike, buddy... It's your word against the word of a Freedom member - good luck with that. We'll see about that. Thanks, bye. Tell me the story about the shortcut to Jupiter. Well, the guide used to take a massive detour on his way from Zaton. I decided to go straight... so I did. I tried a few places and worked out the way through the anomalies pretty quick. So I sold that info to the guide and now he takes everyone that way. How about we ask Pilot who got him the maps? Scram. What do you want? Go spew your horseshit somewhere else! You can't prove shit. It's your word against the word of a Freedom member - good luck with that. We'll see about that. Thanks, bye. Tell me about your trip to the Oasis. I was the first person to ever get to the Oasis. It's free of mutants and anomalies - just peace and quiet, all 'round. Full of artifacts too, just take your pick and walk on home. Bullshit. I've been to the Oasis and it's nothing like that. Scram. What do you want? Go spew your horseshit somewhere else! Bullshit yourself. It's your word against the word of a Freedom member - good luck with that. We'll see about that. Thanks, bye. Tell me about your work with the scientists. I visited their bunker the other day. They were real happy and said, “you're exactly what we need right now, Flint!” It turns out they wanted their devices set up under anomalies. So I was like, “that's a piece of cake” - and I did everything they wanted easy. Getting those nerds to fork up the reward money was the hard part. Stop claiming the credit for other people's achievements. I did that, not you! Scram. What do you want? Go spew your horseshit somewhere else! Lies... You can't prove anything. It's your word against the word of a Freedom member - good luck with that. We'll see about that. Thanks, bye. Hey. You want to listen to my stories too? You want to ask something? What do you want? Buddy... shit... I'm dying... Take this medkit. Thanks friend... but it won't help... Listen... I was here with a member of Freedom... We found an artifact... I walked into a gas anomaly on the way back... If he had helped me, I could have made it... But... He took the artifact and left me here. He claimed he was going to get help... Find him. I want people to know that he can't be trusted... I'll find him. I doubt I'll be able to prove anything. Grab on to my shoulder, we'll get you to a medic. Shit happens. Bye. I have something for you... A Meat Chunk, here, take it. Thanks. Scientists pay well, but I care more about the permit. Thanks a hell of a lot, friend! Now I can finally make a move for Pripyat - I just need to think of a way to get there. A Kolobok, here, take it. Thanks. Scientists pay well, but I care more about the permit . Thanks a hell of a lot, friend! Now I can finally make a move for Pripyat - I just need to think of a way to get there. A Meat Chunk and a Kolobok, here, take them. Thanks a hell of a lot, friend! Now I can finally make a move for Pripyat - I just need to think of a way to get there. None. Is it boring around here? You mentioned your contract... Well, I signed up to do some work for the scientists, thinking it would be easy. What I failed to notice was that the contract only expires when all the work is done. The scientists promised to give me an official permit to be in the Zone at the end of it. I've completed every damn clause of the contract, except one little thing. I have to find all chemical artifacts in existence. Who could have known that you can't get Meat Chunks or Koloboks around here? If I could get those two, I would have headed towards Pripyat a long time ago, but I can't! I might be able to help you with those artifacts. That's a pity. Yeah... A Meat Chunk and a Kolobok and I'm off to Pripyat! What's so special about Pripyat? Nobody knows how to get there... We're in the Zone, after all, so you can't just walk straight there. They say it's a real treasure trove of artifacts... Either way, there've been so many legends circulating around Pripyat that I'm just plain curious. I'm putting a squad together to go to Pripyat with. Want to join us? Actually, I've been thinking of heading over there myself... But it would be on my own. Nothing personal, I'm just used to working solo... Hah, I'm actually setting out to Pripyat soon... But it will be on my own. Nothing personal, I'm just used to working solo... Welcome to boredom. Man, I really want to go to Pripyat! I just need to work out a way of getting to Pripyat and I'll be there in no time. It's good here! This is life like it's meant to be lived! It's good to feel safe, for sure. I just wish it wasn't so boring! I might be able to help you with those artifacts. Do you really know the way to Pripyat? I don't, but if it's full of artifacts like people say, I'm ready to find one right now. I mean, I'm a trailblazer like no other - I was one of the first to find the way to Jupiter. But I always work solo - I ain't got time to watch someone else's back. Will you take me to Jupiter? Of course. You ready to go? Yes. Not yet. Not during an emission. Will you lead me to Pripyat? I'll give it a shot for 5,000. I like it there! Deal. No, thanks. OK, it's your choice. I don't think I have enough cash. I'll give it a shot for 5,000... Let's just wait for the emission to finish. Can you lead me to Zaton? Nah, man - it's way too boring there. There's Pilot over there - he's the one you want for the safe but tedious work. Well, I can lead you to Yanov and for 3,000 I can get Pilot to take you to Zaton. What do you say? I agree. No. Up to you. I don't have enough cash. Well, I can lead you to Yanov and for 1,000 I can get Pilot to take you to Zaton. What do you say? Nah, man - it's way too boring there. There's Pilot over there - he's the one you want for the safe but tedious work - ask him after the emission. Well, I can lead you to Yanov and for 3,000 I can get Pilot to take you to Zaton... Once the emission is over, obviously. Well, I can lead you to Yanov and for 1,000 I can get Pilot to take you to Zaton... Once the emission is over, obviously. They say you made it through the tunnels?... I also came from Jupiter - I found a passage underground. I can take you back there for free if you need... I'm, you know, happy to provide any assistance required to the authorities. Long time no see! They say you made it through the tunnels?... I found a passage underground. I can take you back for free if you need... I'm, you know, happy to provide any assistance required to the authorities. Long time no see! They say you made it through the tunnels?... You won't believe it but I managed to get out of my contract and still get the permit... As soon as I did, I headed here and found a passage underground. I can take you back for free if you need... I'm, you know, happy to provide any assistance required to the authorities. Long time no see! They say you made it through the tunnels?... I found a passage underground. I can take you back for free if you need... I'm, you know, happy to provide any assistance required to the authorities. By the way, thanks for helping me complete that contract with the scientists... I've had a little look around here and found this - take it. I'm sure you'll find a use for it. Topol, why don't you protect the scientists' bunker? Well, we're employed to take measurements and collect samples. We're almost scientists at this stage. Plus, while I don't have anything against the job per se, I'm not sure I can handle the eggheads' new enemies. I don't feel like dying from a merc bullet. You're in the wrong place, buddy! And you better leave before we make it the wrong time, too. You looking for trouble or something? Get out of here before you find it! Get lost, buddy. Do that, and we'll keep it peaceful. What are you going to do now? We're going to Yanov station soon. Come with us, if you like. Yeah, that's on my way. I'll join you. Nah, that's out of my way. It's a good thing you brought them to us - they wouldn't have lasted long on their own. Thanks for making an arrangement with Duty. What are you going to do now? We're going to Yanov station soon. Come with us, if you like. Yeah, that's on my way. I'll join you. Nah, that's out of my way. You did the right thing, man. You helped those dudes and brought us reinforcements. Respect. Thanks for making an arrangement with Freedom. Do you know who could have stolen things from a personal box? I don't know - there's all kinds of folk around here... You could try asking Bonesetter, he knows almost everyone in this place... Let's go see Zulu. OK. I hope he's not going to shoot when he sees my old armor! We need to pick it up on the way... and return the one I'm wearing. Let's go. Wait. Emissions ain't healthy... Let's wait a bit. What happened? Well... We don’t remember how we got here. I remember that we were a Monolith squad... We had this burning desire to reach the center of the Zone. That’s where the Monolith is - it’s a meteor, that brought the beginnings of new life from other planets... I remember reaching the CNPP together... And then it’s all fragmented. I remember a bright light... cosmic cold... and a clear voice... Everything was just... perfect. I don't remember what that voice ordered me to do now. Several years of my life... just gone. The boys are the same... We don’t know what to do. We definitely need somewhere to take cover from emissions... and mutants, right? Do you have any ideas about where we would be safe? There's a stalker base not far from here, I can point it out to you on a map. I’m not sure that’s safe... When we were on our way to the CNPP, we were treated with suspicion... I think we actually killed stalkers afterwards. Do you know how people treat our faction right now? They’ll probably start shooting... Can you help us? Could you tell everyone at the stalker camp that we’re not killers anymore? Could you speak to them and get them to accept us? No problem, I'll speak to them the next time I'm at the base. Sorry, I can’t help you. What kind of help do you need? We need somewhere to take cover from emissions... and mutants, right? Can you find a place where we would be safe? OK. I’ll ask the folks at Yanov. Sorry, I can’t help you. You'll need a suit with a closed-cycle respiratory module to get to Pripyat. That's fine - I kept my Monolith armor and it comes with exactly that. The problem is that I can't be seen wearing it at Yanov. I'm putting a squad together to go with me to Pripyat. Will you join us? I'd go... I mean, I'm more than curious to find out what happened to us there. But I can't go now. I can't leave my boys here . They've been through a lot as it is. Yes, I'll go with you. I want to know what happened to us. I have my fingers crossed that we'll find the answer to that question in Pripyat. I just have to warn Loki, but I doubt he'll object. Yes, I'll go with you. I really want to know what happened to us. I hope to find the answer to that question in Pripyat. I just have to warn Shulga, but I doubt he'll object. Are you ready to go? Ready. Hello, stalker. Could you help us? Hello. Did you find out if we can go to the stalker base? No, I'm still working on it... Hurry up, 'cause you never know what could happen here. Hello. Thanks for helping us. Hello. How are things? Things are OK, the squad is in order, but I really want to know what happened to us. What are the mercenaries doing here? You should speak to Hermann about that. He deals with all administrative aspects of the laboratory. As far as I am aware, the mercenaries have made an agreement with Hermann concerning the protection of our laboratory. I am not familiar with the details of this arrangement. However, I must point out that they have proven themselves as reliable fighters on numerous occasions. What are you doing here? A rhetorical question, don't you think? We are researching. Are you interested in something specific? What is the purpose of your research? We have no specific objective in mind. We're scientific scouts, if you will. We are seeking to identify correlations in certain phenomena, develop theories and prove or disprove them. Some of our theories have no practical purpose as we know it. What do you know about the Zone? I can only hypothesize at this stage... I believe that the Zone was formed as a consequence of some new force. Electromagnetic fields, physical force or radiation couldn't have changed the biosphere so quickly. Obviously, some mutations can be explained by radiation... But, excuse me! An ordinary pig would need hundreds, if not thousands, of years to mutate into flesh! In the Zone the mutation occurred in a couple of years. It's as if someone directly altered the genetic information in individual animals. The thought of that is enough to send shivers down my spine. How long have you been in the Zone? No more than a week. It took tremendous effort to cut through all the red tape and organize this expedition. If it weren't for Hermann, we might've still been waiting on the borders of the Zone, while stalkers removed invaluable items from it. That's all I wanted to know. Ozersky, why did Hermann hire me to protect the squad during the taking of measurements? It was my idea. He didn't see the point, but I convinced him. My research indicates that the effects of our high wave equipment on anomalous fields induces a heightened state of aggression in nearby mutated species, as well as, boosts their activity levels. Long story short, they start looking for something to kill. Ozersky, I've got news. Yes? I'm listening. You were right. The mutants wouldn't let us rest for a moment while we were taking measurements, but as soon as the devices were switched off, things calmed down. What?! If... if my hypothesis proved correct, it is probable that mutated animals that acquired the ability to access informational fields can telepathically receive signals from outside... artificial signals... in which case... the unnatural similarity in mutations and these typical changes in cell structure... are not accidental... Could you be more specific? And could you actually make some sense this time? No! These are but my conjectures. Oh, how terribly rude of me! Thank you very much for your assistance in our research. What needs to happen for you to talk to Hermann about a suit? An area filled with a previously unknown anomalous plant has appeared near the edge of the quarry. I really want a sample of this plant, but stalkers refuse to go near the place. If I had one of those plants, I could speak to Hermann about rewarding you with one of the spare suits. I'll find the plant for you. OK, I uploaded the anomaly coordinates to your PDA. Maybe next time. Drop in if you change your mind. Here, I brought the plant you wanted. Now how about that suit? Great. Hah, Sokolov has actually let slip that the suit is for him. Well, it doesn't matter. I'll show Hermann the plant and he'll agree to hand over the suit in no time. Tell Sokolov to come and collect it. I can find some new guards for you. That would be kind of you. Please speak to Hermann about this matter since it falls within the scope of his responsibilities. I'd like to check my resistance to the psy-field. Hah, so Hermann sent you to see me? OK, let me explain this as simply as I can. In order to properly analyze your resistance to psy-emissions, I will need a scientific research complex and years of study. What I actually have is a field kit with a couple of dirty test tubes. It's impossible, then? Not so fast. We're not talking about a full analysis. For our aims we merely need to assess the resistance of your neurons to psy-emissions. A basic examination will do just fine. So... It seems that your head is in order. That is to say that you can be affected by relatively high levels of psy-emissions without losing consciousness. What about the hypothesis concerning increased mutant aggression? I have two theories about that. The first is that mutant aggression may be caused by the intrusion of several people into their territory, in which case that is normal behavior for most unmutated species, including humans. The other theory is that mutants are somehow capable of receiving the active emissions of our measurement devices. Clearly, the latter theory is far more intriguing. How could this be tested? The measurement device should be activated in an area where there was no previous mutant activity. Furthermore, in order to minimize the human intrusion effect, the experiment should be conducted by a maximum of one person. I brought the scanner. What results did you get? I don't know what your device will show, but I believe the hypothesis fully checks out. After I activated the scanner, it took all of five minutes for snorks to come charging at me. That's what I thought. For some reason, it is usually the most undesirable theories that prove to be right. In any case, it is a good thing that you tested this. Now we'll have to make sure any squad we send out to take measurements is ready for some rough stuff. I'm ready to try to confirm or disprove the hypothesis. I'm delighted that there are still people in the world who are willing to make sacrifices for the greater scientific good. The best place to conduct the experiment is the landslide on the southern edge of the quarry - that area is full of gravitational anomalies that mutants normally try to avoid. The device I am giving you has a built-in mutant detection sensor. When you return the device after you have completed the experiment, I will be able to track the effects of emission levels on mutant aggression. Are you prepared to do this? Yeah, I'll do it. Not at the moment. Is there any way I could get a scientific suit? That's against protocol. We have to account for every item of equipment we have. Then again, knowing Hermann, he probably ordered more than we need. I think that in certain circumstances, he could be convinced to part with one of them. Do you need any artifacts found? No, sorry. We don't send random people on artifact hunting assignments anymore. We signed a contract with an experienced artifact hunter, and whatever we may need, he gets it for us. I can find some new guards for you. That would be good. The Zone is never peaceful... Talk to Hermann about it - he's the boss around here. You're supposed to issue me with scanners for anomaly research. Take this. Three, as Hermann said. Take this. Two more, as Hermann said. How can I get a scientific suit? Hermann is in charge of inventory. But I'll save you the trouble of asking: you won't get anything from him. Try talking to Ozersky instead. On the one hand, he's a bit more laid back, on the other - he can influence Hermann. What brings you here? Listen, where did those mercs go? The ones who were protecting you? How's life? Listen... Someone gunned down those mercs who were protecting you. I didn't like them much myself, but that's going a bit far... CS-3a - cool! That's pretty good armor... Reminds me of the good old days... Can you unblock a memory module? Let's have a look... No problem. I've done this before... It won't take more than an hour. I'll do it for... hrm, 2,000. Deal? Deal. Good. I'll let you know once I've unblocked it. I haven't got that much money. Hrm. Well, you know where to find me. I doubt anyone can do a better job of this than me. I'll think about it. Like I said, I'll do it in an hour for 2,000. So, did you unblock the memory module? The hour ain't up. I told you I'd contact you when it's done. Yes, here it is. It's ready for you to access the information. I found a strange semi-artifact. You interested? Of course. Where did you find it? At Zaton, in the abandoned dredge station. Deal. No thanks! I'll look for another buyer. What are the mercs doing here? We have a contract with them for the protection of the mobile laboratory. In anticipation of your question, I will tell you that I had no choice but to recruit them. Due to some secret military operation, we were not given the appropriate protection for laboratory deployment. That fact coupled with stalkers suddenly going bonkers for artifact hunting and I had no other choice but the mercenaries if I wanted to keep the laboratory safe. What do you do here? We research various phenomena. What is the purpose of your research? We are conducting fundamental research. In other words, we are not here to test suits, invent new drugs or things like that. We are trying to find a logical explanation for the things we see in the Zone. If we uncover the secrets behind even ten percent of the phenomena we see here, that would give global technological development a massive shot in the arm. What do you know about the Zone? Not much, if I'm honest. We are just starting to understand the mechanisms that drive some of the phenomena we encounter, and unfortunately we're far from understanding the Zone as a system. This is particularly difficult by the fact that the Zone evolves over time. I don't mean the appearance of new anomalies or little things like that. I'm talking about more serious changes, ones that cannot always be spotted with the naked eye. The weakening of the magnetic field is an example of this. The saddest thing is that we don't know what this is all leading to. All that is left for us to do is to sit and wait. How long have you been in the Zone? Not long, about a week. That said, I did visit Sakharov's laboratory a few times. I still regret the fact that we failed to get this expedition off the ground faster. I told the people at the Ministry of Education many times that we must always have two fully equipped mobile laboratories ready to go at any moment... they just nodded their fat heads at me and that was it! Thanks to them we almost missed the greatest research opportunity the Zone has ever provided! I see. Is there any information on the scanners I placed in the anomalies? Which anomaly are you interested in, specifically? The anomaly by the parking lot. Yes, our devices indicate the presence of artifacts in that anomaly! Unfortunately, there are no signs of artifacts in that anomaly. Concrete Bath anomaly Bitumen anomaly Fen anomaly Ash Heap anomaly That's it for now. I'm listening carefully. Recent events have made it very clear that our research team is not sufficiently prepared to conduct proper field work. You, on the other hand, managed to deal with the controller on your own! That is quite astounding! What's your point? My point is that it would be only logical for us to at least attempt to recruit such a capable expert as you. Our science group is most positively in need of your assistance. We need to take measurements, position scanners... Go on... I am trying to find the correlation between emissions and the appearance of artifacts in anomalies. I have a theory that the next emission can be forecast using the number and quality of artifacts that appear. In order to make specific calculations, I will need to gather statistics. All we need to do is position a few scanners in the middle of anomalies of different types. Sorry, but I'm not interested. That's a pity. You could have served science. OK, I'll help you out. Excellent! You need to get the scanners from Novikov and position them in the anomalies marked on your PDA. When you're done, come back to see me - I have another matter that concerns scanners and measurements to discuss with you. I'll think about it and come back later. I put the scanners in the anomalies. Excellent! I already have the first results. I can't wait for an emission - it will provide us with the necessary statistical sample... I'm listening very carefully! When I got near it and got the scientific detector out, everything around me began to warp, as if it was being compressed. Then, after a while, dead stalker bodies dropped out of thin air! Then it stopped. That's incredible! Obviously, the information is devastatingly scarce and nothing can be deduced from that for certain, but we will enter this description in our records. We'll call the anomaly a Space Bubble! Looks like you've got new guards? Yes, they're quite nice. We feel very safe with them around. Thank you for your efforts - here's your reward. Have a look at these documents. Let's have a look... I won't ask how you got these, but this is simply incredible! Let me make a copy of this... Oh, by the way, here's your modest reward. What happened to your guards? I don't know, they just disappeared! I have connections in the Zone. I could find you some new guards. That would be wonderful! They will be given full scientific support and the latest technological developments in exchange for their work! You'll get a reward, too! Deal! I can't wait! I've changed my mind. That's a pity. It happens. Anything else? Our guards were killed! Gunned down right outside our bunker! I found some documents at the Jupiter plant. Would you like to have a look? That's interesting, but not very useful. Thanks for your efforts anyway. If you find anything else, bring it here. I was attacked by mercenaries while I was looking for documents. Here's their leader's PDA. Wow, and I thought that they were here to protect us. Looks like I'll have to bring this up to my superiors... Thank you very much, young man. Unfortunately, it doesn't contain any interesting information. There is something: we need to find out about the latest developments made at the Jupiter plant. I really need the technical documents concerning these developments. You should probably look for them in the administrative part of the plant. I'll look for them and bring back whatever I find. No, I won't be able to help you with that. I brought the documents back from Jupiter. That's interesting, but not very useful. Thanks for your efforts anyway. If you find anything else, bring it here. I was attacked by mercenaries while I was looking for documents. Here's their leader's PDA. Wow, and I thought that they were here to protect us. Looks like I'll have to bring this up to my superiors... Thank you very much, young man. I'll try to find the anomaly. I haven't got time. I'm here to see you about my participation in your research. I know that I speak for all of the team when I say that we would be delighted if you agree to serve science once more. What are you interested in? I would like to help with taking measurements. You're really willing to assist us in carrying out a full external scan? Yes, I'll help - tell me what to do. No, I need to think things over again. You mentioned positioning scanners. I am trying to find the correlation between emissions and the appearance of artifacts in anomalies. I have a theory that the next emission can be forecast using the number and quality of artifacts that appear. In order to make specific calculations, I will need to gather statistics. All we need to do is position a few scanners in the middle of anomalies of different types. OK, I'll help you out. Excellent! You need to get the scanners from Novikov and position them in the anomalies marked on your PDA. I'll think about it and come back later. The scanners in anomalies are transmitting information. All we have to do is wait for the results. You can place a few more scanners in anomalies if you want. We could always use extra information and as your reward, we'll inform you when artifacts appear in anomalies. I agree. Excellent! You need to get the scanners from Novikov and position them in the anomalies marked on your PDA. I'll think about it and come back later. Unfortunately, we have a rule which prevents us from assigning more than one task at a time to the same person. I'm sorry but we have to stick to it. Did you get the anomaly field measurement results from the squad I protected? Oh yeah, your measurements clearly got mutant's and zombie's attention. It took some time and effort to fight them off. Hrm, so you think they reacted to the scans? Interesting. Well, in that case, it looks like you're confirming Ozersky's hypothesis that mutants telepathically access various fields. I think it's worth discussing it with him. Here is your payment for the work you've done. You've earned it! Hrm, so you believe they reacted to the scans? Interesting. Well, in that case it seems Ozersky's hypothesis that mutants telepathically access various fields is confirmed by you as well and you should probably tell Ozersky about it. It's a pity about the stalkers. A portion of our modest funds will be used to pay compensation to their families. The rest is your fee for the work you've done for us. Thank you! Is there any way I could get a scientific suit? No! The number of suits is strictly limited and I simply cannot afford to give them away! What would you like to say to me? Have you by any chance seen the people responsible for guarding our bunker? Go on. You won't believe it but someone killed our guards, right next to our bunker! Do you need help? We're trying to collect a new type of samples at the moment. They don't have any anomalous effect on their own, but experiments we conduct with them produce incredible results! Keep going... Cut the crap and tell me what needs doing. OK... The stalkers who found the psy-field believe that it contains a mutant lair. I don't really believe them... I mean, no mutant other than a controller can survive in an intermittent psy-field! Don't worry, our boys will deal with the mutants. We need you simply because regular contact with psy-fields has reduced our stalkers' resistance to their effects. Let me get this straight: you want me to go into an unknown psy-field and get you a sample of something that might not even be there, and if it is there nobody knows what it looks like? Exactly! This mission is essential for science in general and for our team in particular. Your help would be invaluable. If you have any doubts, go see Ozersky. He will conduct the necessary analysis, which will identify your current resistance to psy-emissions. You can also ask our stalkers and they'll explain it all to you. So, are you willing to aid science? Yes. You don't know? Your stalker squad is dead. Given that you failed to show up at the tunnel the last time, it will be very difficult for me to convince the team to work with you. That was an accident. I believe you, but our sample collection team is made up of peculiar people - you shouldn't let them down. I'll speak to them again and I should be able to persuade them into changing their minds. But don't fail me this time, I'm waiting for the sample. Forgive me for this, but I must refuse. Your equipment is simply unsuitable for an intermittent psy-field - you will meet a swift and painful death, and I don't need that on my conscience. I got you the sample. Really? Show it to me, I can't wait to see it! I got your sample and as it turned out there was a controller in the tunnel. It tried to take over your squad and almost succeeded. I managed to kill it before it did. You're amazing! You killed a controller and saved the stalkers from a psy-attack... If I didn't know it was true, I would never have believed you! It's excellent experience and a fantastic sample. Your contribution to science is noteworthy indeed. Thank you from me personally, on behalf of my team and all the scientists of the world! Unfortunately the squad was attacked by a controller. I had to defend myself. The controller is dead, but so are the stalkers. A controller, you say? How terrible, who could have known? I mourn the loss of those brave boys... They were loyal servants of science. Even though they were not technically scientists, they did more for science than many professors! Thank you and please take this modest reward... Unfortunately the squad was attacked by a controller. I barely made it out. What are the mercs doing here? Getting in my way. But that's my personal opinion. At first they kept asking me to fix this or attach that... And then yesterday they lost whatever shame they had left and started asking how our equipment works. I simply fail to see how that's going to help them guard the bunker. What equipment modifications can you perform? You can see, this is a scientific complex... There's no Kevlar or weapons for spare parts here. What I can do is patch up body armor or modify it using one of my personal developments. As you can imagine, I've got plenty of top notch equipment to spare. Thanks to you and the sample you retrieved from the psy-field, Ozersky was able to come up with something to protect people from emissions. I converted his idea into something practical... that I can install in your suit if you want. Well, other than the usual upgrades, I can offer you filtering and psy-protection modifications. After all, you were the one who helped to make them happen... Ozersky and Hermann were happy like pigs in shit! Well, other than the usual upgrades, I can offer you isolation and psy-protection modifications. After all, you were the one who helped to make them happen... Ozersky and Hermann were happy like pigs in shit! I've got the full range of mods: isolation, filtering and psy-protection. A suit that has all of those installed will allow you to walk into any anomaly... And you might even be able to walk back out. By the way, thank you for participating in Hermann's research. Without that, I wouldn't have all these options for you. Tell me about your bunker. Hrm. What do you wanna know? What does the laboratory do? I doubt even Hermann and Ozersky can answer that question. Obviously they do all sorts of research... But the end result is measly at best. Then again, you could have a chat with Ozersky... I was able to come up with a couple of decent suit modifications on the basis of his theories. What do you know about the Zone? Nothing in a scientific sense, but I've got a lot of practical experience of the Zone. The only thing of value here is something that increases your chances of survival. The Zone doesn't care whether you're a bandit or a stalker collecting artifacts to feed his family. Only those who are best suited to life in the Zone survive here. How long have you been in the Zone? A while now. At first, I was hunting for artifacts just like everyone else, but my health was declining steadily until I realized I just can't do it anymore. Thankfully, I've got a brain cell or two, so it's not difficult to find work. I spent about a year with a faction made up of former scientists. They were good people... it's a pity they died in a blind pursuit of some hazy goal. After that I spent some time wandering the Zone and then I started working for the scientists. No regrets so far. That's all I wanted to know. I'm planning to go into the intermittent psy-field. You got any advice for me? What can I say? I doubt you're familiar with the informational-energy field theory... You can be sure that brief exposure to the psy-field is not dangerous... in the long run, anyway. But don't relax too much when you're in there. Those who underestimate psy-fields end up as zombies. Can you break into a steel container? That's not for me. I don't have the right equipment... And it's against our health and safety rules. Can you decrypt a black box? I can, but I'm not going to. I used to do that kind of thing... And I didn't like it. Too much hassle... I get enough work from the scientists. What's special about the CS-3a? Other than the fact that I designed it?... It's one of the best suits in the Zone. That's why you're wearing it, right? It's light, mobile and has solid army body armor at its core. I added the anomaly protection stuff myself... It's a pity that we had a shortage of materials in those days... But what else do you expect in the middle of a swamp... Still, all it would take is a couple of patches and you've got a real modern suit... I've got plenty of top notch equipment to spare, so that's no problem either. Do you work for Owl? No. He helped me get something the other day... A favor for a favor. Owl asked me to bring you detectors. Here they are. Good. I'll do some work with them and return them to Owl with the guides... Anything else is personal business between you and Owl. Oh! So you were the one selling weapons to bandits at Zaton! Shh... Are you crazy talking about that shit here? We don't know each other, you got that? Got it. How about I tell the commander about your little business on the side? And what are you going to tell him? You got nothing on me. I mean, you were the one who helped to take out the witnesses. You got no proof, and you'll look like an idiot accusing me of stuff with no evidence. I found a PDA on some dead mercs. It contains a contract to assassinate me. With you as the client. I've had enough of you... Listen, give me the PDA and I'll give you an excellent weapon used exclusively by elite Duty troops. So, how about it? OK, I'll take that shooter. Keep it. I don't need handouts from a backstabbing snake! I have another PDA with a contract to assassinate me. You're the client, again. Damn it... Friggin' mercs... can't trust them to do shit... Listen, let's put an end to this... Here's what we'll do. The mercs are going to stop looking for you and you're gonna leave me alone. In order to compensate your losses, I will lead you to Duty's secret warehouse where you can take all the weapons you can carry. OK, let's do that. Good, let's meet there. The stash is next to the quarry. I'm not going anywhere. You'll have to give me all that stuff right here. I don't have anything here! I'm not that stupid! Either we meet by the stash or you don't get anything. No, thanks. I don't need handouts from a backstabbing snake! I want to leave the Zone. You sure? There ain’t no way back. I’m sure. Let’s go. Actually... I’ll stay for now. Let’s have a look... Well, your liver is bigger than I'd expect, but that's an occupational hazard, right? Apart from that, you’re as healthy as a burer. It would be just about normal if it didn’t glow. It’s a scary thing, the way it is now. Go have a look for yourself... I doubt you’ll enjoy the visit though. OK, it’s your choice. "Former" Monolith fighters? Well, it’s your call... Will you vouch for them? "Former" Monolith fighters? No, thanks. The last thing I need is a rabid mob of fanatics. Hah. Good boy. You take care of your own, and that means you know you gotta keep my palms nice and greasy. So what have you got for me, an artifact or the 15,000? I brought an artifact. All right, which one? I don't have an artifact worth that much. Flame. Goldfish. Firefly. Snowflake. Hrm... None, for now. Well, I've said what I had to say. Now I wanna hear you talk. See ya. Of course! The intermittent psy-field still needs to be studied, and the sooner, the better. Let me ask, how certain are you of the relative safety of this venture? We most positively need your assistance in obtaining a test sample. So, are you willing to help science? I may be able to find a few good people to staff your new research group. Indeed? Such help would be most welcome and, I suppose, warrant a reward. All right. I will hire the right people. I'll think about it some more. Here it is. I found a controller in that tunnel. Then I killed him. You're amazing! You killed a controller and obtained what we needed... If I didn't know otherwise, I would never have believed you! It's excellent experience and a fantastic sample. Your contribution to science is noteworthy indeed. On behalf of me personally and scientists everywhere, please accept my sincerest gratitude! Here it is. I found a controller in that tunnel. I barely made it out. A controller, you say? How terrible, but who could have known? The important thing is that you brought us the sample and thereby made a noteworthy contribution to science. Thank you, and please take this modest reward. How do you like your new research group? Oh, just fine. Competent young men, I must say. Please take this. We appreciate your, err, human resources skills. Wassup, bro? Obviously, I’m glad to see you, but I wouldn’t mind being on my own for a while either. I’m here about the captive stalker. I want to buy him out. And I want respect for the bandits and our rules, buddy, but I ain't interested in unnecessary trouble either... 15,000 or a suitable artifact will do for now... I'm a fair man - I won't take more than I'm owed. Here’s the cash. OK... I respect what you’re doing. Take this loser and tell the stalkers that next time the price will be higher. I don't have that much on me. OK, you ain’t got shit, what else is new? I haven’t got anything suitable at the moment - I’ll come back later. Let’s have a look... Well, there’s nothing of strategic importance here, but it could come in handy. I’ll buy all of these at 500 per document. Deal? Let's have a look. Holy crap... This info would damage Duty’s reputation... a lot! I’ll buy it for 4000. Interesting. Well, I would be prepared to purchase it from you for 2000. Yes, but the price is the same as before: 2000. OK, see you. But that’s terrible! What on Earth could have happened to them? Hrm... Mutants are a possibility. I’ll have to ask Ozersky which type of monster it could be... Hrm. Nonetheless, the psy-field needs to be studied. This mission is essential for science in general and for our team in particular. We badly need your help with acquiring a sample. If you have any doubts, go see Ozersky. He will conduct the necessary analysis, which will identify your current resistance to psy-emissions. So, are you willing to aid science? I’ll think about it. Our research team, made up of local stalkers, recently found a psy-field that is highly unusual. According to our theories and the measurements taken, the nature of this field is such that it has intermittent psy effects, as opposed to emitting them permanently. Unfortunately, our research team is dead, and until we find a replacement, there's no chance of taking any measurements. Please wait... Would you be so kind as to give me a moment’s attention? What are the anomaly scan results? You got any other work for me? I’ve heard of it. Unfortunately, I have not been able to convince Hermann to equip a search team yet... I admit, the rumors about this phenomenon are too contradictory, but something tells me that the Oasis exists. My intuition rarely lets me down, so if you can find it and bring me proof of its existence, I would be extremely grateful. I would look for it, but I’ve already been to the Oasis. Hrm... Err... I think I must have misheard you. What did you say? I'm here to pay Vano’s debt. Yeah, I remember him. His debt ain't small and with the juice running it's up to 7 Gs. OK, here. Tell Vano he don't owe us anymore. OK. I don’t have that much. Come back when you do. Interest wasn’t part of the deal. What are you talking about? Do you take me for a sucker - lending out cash without charging interest? It’s 7 Gs and that’s the end of it. Think carefully now. I’ve got my shooter here and I don’t mind using it... Tell me, what is your corpse gonna do with all that interest? OK, OK, calm down chief! I’m sure we can come to an agreement. Just pay me 5 Gs and that’s his debt settled. Hah... shove that pea shooter up your ass, punk! It’s 7 Gs including interest. End of story. Did you forget me? I’ve still got the shooter. I prefer to shoot you down for free. I’ll think about it. 7 Gs, including interest. I ain’t up for any big jobs right now. I need to get my shit together... You know, I might even go home... find a proper job and forget these damn artifacts... I just don't know how I'd leave Grizzly... and Torba... We're real close now, always helping each other out... I don't know, maybe I just need to rest and get my head on straight... I ain’t up for any big jobs right now. I’m gonna work for the scientists and get my shit together... You know, I might even go home... Find a job on the outside... Ah, I don’t know. I need to just chill and get my head on straight... So, you ready to save Mitay? I hope you don’t mind working together with some fellas I hired... I have the PDA of Duty’s trader, Morgan. You interested? I have a PDA which proves that Morgan has links to the mercenaries. Actually... I’m gonna keep it. I knew that the desire to advance science and do good in the world would triumph inside you in the end! All right, here is the plan. A stalker research group will take the measurements. Your job is to escort them, that is to protect them and guide them through difficult terrain. Good luck. The stalkers are waiting for you outside. Howdy, stalker. Surprised to see an old man here? He-he. I came here with the boys for a change of scenery. I fix equipment and sometimes people too... Now that you’re here, what can I do for you? How did you get to Pripyat? Garry showed me the way. Those stalker fellas have been planning to come here for a long time, but they didn’t feel like dealing with the military. As soon as Garry said the army had taken off, I didn’t think twice about it. Have no fear, Uncle Yar is here! Hah! I need medical assistance. Let this old man have a look... There we go, you’ll live. If you get any swelling, just take a leak on it - I hear that helps. You look healthy enough to me! You must be pulling an old man's leg, hah... Welcome to my humble abode of pleasure and joy. You after joy, pleasure or both in equal measure? Well, the boys are always saying that I'm too kind, like a fairy godmother, so you best be happy about this... I ain’t gonna be so kind next time. Now get out of here, loser! I’ve been there already. The bandits are dead. Wow, you’re hardcore! Thank you so much! Here, take this money - it was meant to pay the debt off but now it’ll go to someone who actually deserves it. Wow, you’re hardcore! Thank you so much! Keep the money that was meant to pay off the debt. Now it’ll go to someone who deserves it! Our scanners registered unusual activity north of here... Judging by the received data, I expect that the anomalous formation there is unstable. Unfortunately, I can’t say any more than that from here. We need to conduct research in the field... The only thing I can say is that regular stalker detectors won’t be able to detect the anomaly - you’ll need a Svarog, one of our own inventions. Scanners continue to register unstable anomalous activity north of here. If you have something better than a regular stalker detector, a Svarog, for example, you could try to conduct research in the field. Only from the swamp anomalous area so far. Despite this, Novikov has already found a practical application for it. Thank you for the work you have done and we look forward to the second batch of results. Only from the anomalous area beyond Kopachy so far. Despite this, Novikov has already found a practical application for it. Thank you for the work you have done and we look forward to the second batch of results. Of course. I received the full results. To be honest, the volume of data that was produced is so great that it will take weeks if not months to process it fully. Despite this, Novikov has already found excellent practical uses for it. Thank you very much for your help. No, nothing like that has happened here. Hrm... I did see one suspicious guy very recently though. I went for a walk and on my way back I spotted a stalker leaving Yanov. As soon as he clocked me, he started being rude for no reason and said something about knowing where I live or some shit like that. I just ignored him at the time, ‘cause I thought he was drunk or something but now that I think about it, it’s pretty dodgy. Where did he go? North-east. I heard some shots being fired over there but that’s pretty normal around here. Ask Zulu - he’s in his tower day and night, so he might have seen something. North-east. He probably went to the substation. I see. What’s up, friend? How are you doing? I’m doing good. I mean, it ain’t easy but we’ll make it out of here. Together we can do anything! How are you doing? I’m not sure... I don’t feel great here. I have a feeling I need to move on. I might leave soon...don’t hold it against me. I wiped out the bloodsucker lair at Zaton. Completely. [continue...] [continue...] [continue...] [continue...] I need people to take measurements in anomalies. I need measurements to be taken in anomalies. Who’s that sleeping beauty? You found the artifact? You bet! There's nothing to do here - all we've got for entertainment is this backgammon board. This isn’t Pripyat... Man, if only I could complete this friggin’ contract, that’s where I’d be! [continue...] You can go to the quarry - that’s where Splinter died. Just before he passed on he told me that Flint stole his loot and left him to die in an anomaly. His name was Splinter. He walked into a gas anomaly and you ran off with his artifact. As you can see, he was able to tell me everything before he died. I’m not going to ask where you got this from. Let’s make this simple: I’ll buy this PDA from you for 4,000. I’ve long been curious as to what our supply officer is doing when he’s not at work... Let’s have a look... Wow, what a piece of shit! Not only was he selling them our weapons, he handed the warehouse over to Freedom!!! Damn, we’ll have to organize a friendly meet & greet team right away. Let’s have a look... I don't believe this shit! We knew about the warehouse and we even planned to pay a visit, but we didn't have a clue about the alarm because that scumbag didn’t say a word about it. Wait a second, I’ll warn the boys. Well, I’ll give you 4,000 out of pure curiosity. Well, he ain't exactly a storm trooper but he can handle a gun just fine. He’s always got a sour look on his face though, as if his rations ain’t nothing but lemons. I found a strange anomaly at the old cooling tower.