Alexander Kontorovich
Predator
The novel based on the video game «Escape from Tarkov»
Chapter 1
Drip. Drip. Drip. The drips of water fall into the saucepan, already almost a third full. I have no idea where this pipe comes from or where its going, but theres water in it! Perfectly good water, in fact clean, even. I send a silent prayer of thanks to the unknown bungler whos to blame that the pipe joint leaks. If hed been a decent welder, Id have had to look elsewhere for my eau de vie So, thats one problem solved. Just one, and there are plenty more. And waters not the most important of them. Top of the list is survival, then finding something to eat. Everything else comes after that.
Looking back, I remember those beautiful books with vivid covers showing burly, virile, for some reason always bare-chested men with one arm thrown around a sexy blonde (why were they always blondes, I wonder?), and the other holding a heavy machine gun. In the background, all sorts of bad guys would be flung around in unseemly poses. And everything always worked out alright for those heroes. They always found a stash of useful loot at just the right time, and their mandatory special forces training meant they always knew the right moves. And need I mention their ability to hit a gnats eye from 100 meters with any type of weapon? Of course not!
Yup, those literary heroes had it good. Shame that Im not in a book, and not ex-spetsnaz (Theyre never maimed or shellshocked either, mind). I dont have the massive muscles, or ten years of action in difficult circumstances behind me.
I do know how to write computer programmes. In all honesty, Im quite good at it. And Ive always kept myself reasonably fit. I can walk, run and jump. For now, anyway. I went camping and hiking often enough, too, so I know how to make a fire. I even slept under fir trees in a sleeping bag a few times. I can probably manage to put up a tent, too. And I always cooked for myself, so theres no need for a personal chef
I look at the saucepan the water hasnt even reached the halfway mark. Have I got time to run upstairs? No, Id better wait until the water reaches the top. Then some goes into my water bottle, and the rest goes to filling up the bucket. Sadly, the bucket doesnt fit under the pipe, otherwise I wouldnt have to keep watch.
God alone knows when the water in the pipe will dry up. It may only last for a day or it could turn out that it keeps on dripping for ages. Nothing is predetermined, and nothing is clear. Nothing at all. Except for one thing you and your life are of no interest to anyone. The stuff you carry with you, that has a value.
So, what do I have of value? My water bottle? Its a good one, no doubt about it. Bought in a proper shop. Its a solid can with a little cup for a lid, all wrapped in a good camouflage case.
A pocketknife. Also, basically, not bad. Bought in the same shop. I was an idiot you should always stock up on things like that, and all I got was a water bottle and a knife. Back then I was trying to make a good impression on a new girl in the office. I took her out to dinner, and thats where all my money went. What a prat! What was her name, by the way? Nina? Or Ninelle? I cant even remember. Damn, its weird how fast such vivid memories fade
* * *
How did it all begin? Kind of mundanely, really. For several days our office went nuts trying to fulfil an urgent order that came down from on high straight from Terra Group headquarters. Couriers ran up and down the corridors, dragging folders of documents here and there. The bosses required us to perform an urgent inventory of warehouse stock and industrial equipment. And as the holding was not small, everyones nose went to the grindstone. If anyone should naively think that for this we had to crawl through workshops and warehouses with lists in our hands, then theyre absolutely wrong. What do they think digital inventory was invented for? Exactly for that purpose, although as it turned out, it couldnt completely replace the heaps of papers and the running down corridors.
To speed up the working process, all our team along with the computers and documents was loaded up into buses and taken not just anywhere but to the Côte dAzur Hotel. Theyd rented out a whole block to accommodate us. True, I was a little concerned by the armed guards on the ground floor. At the doors and around the block, there were USEC staff on guard in full battle dress. What the hell? After a barrage of uncomprehending questions, it was explained to us that there had been several outbreaks of criminal activity in Tarkov, that the authorities were not coping, and that the management had no desire to risk the life and health of their valued personnel. So stay here and be happy! Plus, itll be easier to work here, with nothing and nobody to distract you from your labours. They even took our mobile phones away. Which came as no surprise to anyone that was standard practice.
In the final week there was no time off at all. We were at our desks all day and all night. They might as well have put camp beds by our computers. Water, coffee, and all kinds of instant soups and porridge pots were laid on in large quantities. For female staff, they even kitted out special shower rooms with some kind of whirlpool baths. Anything to keep us working! And we did. We managed to finish the project on time. They even promised us some kind of special bonus. Not that they paid anyone at the time dont worry, itll be in your account. Later
And when all the rush was over, they led us outside, put us back on the buses, and took us back under heavy guard. They dropped us off by our offices, and drove off suspiciously fast.
True, there was one strange moment. At first they didnt want us, the IT and admin staff, to leave said there was more work to do. But something didnt quite work out, the head of security was called off elsewhere, and we took advantage of that to get on the accountants bus nobody was holding them back. So, we left with them, and our minibus remained standing in front of the block.
We all got off the bus, took a look around, and headed straight for the pub. Actually, it was the café that we normally dashed to for lunch. True, some of us were desperate to get home, which was quite understandable. Masha, for example, had a cat, and how long had it gone unfed? But those of us who had nothing to feed or water at home but ourselves we stayed at the café. We settled in, moved a few tables together, looked around, and only then did we sense that something wasnt quite right. Nobody was rushing over to take our orders, which was definitely odd as we were longstanding and popular regulars. Not cheapskates, either we always tipped well! But there wasnt sight or sound of a waiter, just the noise of someone opening and closing cupboards in the kitchen.
Hey, is anyone alive in here? Pasha Galperin asked impatiently.
In response, a face was stuck out of the kitchen.
What do you want? asked its owner unceremoniously.
Wed like to eat.
Well, go and eat then, shrugged the man. Whats the need to shout?
Well, where are the waiters?
Who the hell knows? answered the owner of the face uncertainly, and then vanished.
I beg your pardon? What on earth does that mean?
We searched but found nothing. There were no staff on duty anywhere. In the service areas we saw a couple of guys who gave us not remotely friendly stares but, seeing the extent to which we outnumbered them, said nothing and then left the place, again suspiciously quickly. Again, weird. Whats going on here? The mood was ruined. Nobody wanted to hang out anymore. Everybody just wanted to get home.
After waiting patiently half an hour for a bus, I give up and call a taxi. Much good it does me. Number not in service. And not just one number, I tried three different cab firms. To hell with them. They say walkings good for your health.
If were talking about physical health, thats probably true. But during that walk home my mental health deteriorated significantly. The city was gripped by some kind of commotion. People where hurrying here and there, almost running. Theres something disturbing about a high-end SUV crammed to the gills with all sorts of household junk, and I saw several cars like that. Before my eyes, cars were hurriedly being loaded up with anything at hand. Thank god nobody was carrying pot plants or washing machines, else one might have thought a war had suddenly started, and everyone was rushing to evacuate the city. A stupid idea, where are you going to run to? Theres nowhere missiles cant reach.
Anyway, heres my house. Its a modern building, but not too tall. Just six floors. They say it was some kind of cutting-edge project. There must be some reason I pay Tarbank all that money every month! The lift was working, so I got to the third floor no problem. I opened my front door, flopped onto the couch, and barked I want a film! My home electronics responded appropriately I am a coder, after all. Something clicked in the system, and the TV came on. So, whats been going on? My home systems smart, high-end. Itll give me the latest news straight away. And it did.
For a while I sat in a stupor, grinning dumbly for some reason. Although there was really absolutely nothing to smile about. My brain stubbornly refused to put two and two together. It just didnt want to soberly process what I had seen.
It turns out that all that time we were sitting in the office performing the inventory, terrible things were happening in the city. For some reason, all the different law enforcement agencies were up in arms, coming down hard on the management of different companies and plants. We, by which I mean our holding, were far from being an exception, by the way. A huge number of the top managers of various firms unexpectedly went on the run thankfully for them the current border is no Iron Curtain. Then hot on their heels everyone else started running, like they were all suffering from some colossal communal hangover.
It was one thing for the bosses. Theres always something to grab them for. Modern business well, you know what its like. Not always easily differentiated from certain crimes. Tax evasion in particular. That theres a real mess. No wonder everyone jokes that its safer to kill someone than not pay your taxes. After all, murder actually has to be proved, while the taxman can just go ahead and freeze your accounts without any evidence whatsoever go and prove youre innocent! So yes, I understand the bosses. Whod want to swap their cosy bed for a bunk in a Pre-trial Detention Center? Thats what they call the county jail these days, isnt it? Or is that somewhere else?
But the rest of them where were they off to? If youre an accountant, fair enough. Youll be first to do time after the managers. But if youre the average engineer or programmer, then what the hell are you running for? The police will mess around for a week or two, make a great show of locking someone up. Whats the problem? Theyre not going to put everyone away, are they?
It seems not everyone shared my optimism. The same news report informed me that it had all ended up in sporadic shootouts. It came as a nasty shock. I had no idea that losing your shit was such an infectious condition. That was when the ordinary folk started running. Gunshots outside your window tend to ruin a good nights sleep. They left in all sorts of ways in their own cars on the highway, on ships out of the port, and there were even some special evacuation buses.
And so it had gone on up to the present day. The authorities, as always, were making announcements to calm the people. But from what was going on outside, it didnt seem like anyone was listening.
Basically, it was all some kind of bad joke. The café had closed down. Or opened up, depending how you looked at it. Remembering the guys, we saw hanging round there, I doubt very much they had anything to do with the staff. Theyd mentioned on the television that that sort had started looting cafés and shops in these troubled times. Sounds about right
Hang about What do I have in the way of food? An inspection of cupboards and the fridge brought little joy. A few instant soups, various grains (about three kilos altogether), a few tins, and couple of bottles of whiskey. That was the lot. I would normally get my meals delivered, and what I kept was only for snacks. A few attempts to order dinner ended up much as expected nobody was taking calls. Somethings very wrong with the network. Grabbing a big bag, I head for the shop.
Well, arent I the clever one? The first shop I came to greeted me with locked doors and heavily shuttered windows. Never mind, theres more than one shop. Ah, hell the second ones also closed. As I approach the third, I hear some kind of noise and shouting. I turn the corner.
Ba-bam! Here we go then! I drop to the ground (as they always tell you to on TV) and take a look around whats going on here?
Nothing good, thats for sure. Out of the smashed shop window, two tough-looking guys in camouflage are dragging somebodys cold dead body. Clearly, its a corpse, just look at the blood dripping on the tarmac. And those guys are definitely law enforcement. Look at the assault rifles, the identical camouflage, and the walkie-talkies. Time to move, Id say.
Stand where you are!
Now, theres an interesting question. If youre trying to crawl away, how best to respond to that kind of order? Just in case, I decide to freeze on the spot and refrain from asking. Who knows if they share my sophisticated sense of humour?
I hear their footsteps approaching. They kick me in the side, but not hard.
Get up and keep your hands where I can see them.
I show them my open palms (and whod have thought, theyre barely shaking), trying to move calmly.
Whats in the bag?
Its empty. I was going shopping. For food.
They tug the bag from my shoulder and turn it inside out.
Show us some ID.
Ive only got my work pass with me.
Lets see it.
I pull the pass in its plastic cover out of my pocket.
So Karasev, Denis Viktorovich?
Thats me.
The photo looks like you. Where do you live?
Larch Alley, 5. Flat 15. On the third floor.
My interrogator turns to his comrades, who have now finished searching the corpse and are slowly moving towards us.
Hey, Commander! This guys a local. Lives near here. He came out to do some shopping, would you believe?
Are you shitting me or what?
They surround me, go through my bag again, and pat down my pockets.
Absolutely empty! Where do these morons come from?
Why, whats happened? I ask carefully.
How did you get to be so naive?
We had a work crisis Didnt leave our desks for nearly a week. We even slept there.
One of the new arrivals, judging by the attitude of the others towards him the commander himself, laughs.
All hells broken loose!
Is it war?
Not yet, it isnt. But that doesnt mean it wont be. Nearly all the civilian populations gone already. Today they closed all the exit routes.
But What should I do? They have to get us out of here!