The following excerpt has been taken from the journal of Dr. John-Pierre J. Roseri. A rather eccentric researcher on Project XM-001. This should be taken as fact, as it is the most comprehensive and base explanation of the events that came after the 1908 Tunguska Event.
The Tunguska Event occurred on June 30th, 1908 near Podkamennaya Tunguska River in what is now Krasnoyarsk Krai, Neo-Soviet Republic.
It was, for all intents and purposes, a massive explosion(between three and fifty megatons) that flattened 2,150 square kilometers of land. Killing everything within the area.
The, at the time, Russian Empire treated the event as something of great interest, and dispatched a fifty man team to explore the area of impact. None of the researchers survived long enough to send a message back.
What followed was what could only be described as a bureaucratic fustercluck that lasted for an entire year. But after that incident a new team was dispatched a whole year later by the Tsar. Consisting of a hundred and fifty soldiers and fifty researchers.
They arrived some fifty days after the initial dispatching due to inclement weather because they were in Russia. A camp was set up around five kilometers from the impact site. And twenty of the soldiers were sent on a scouting mission. And what they found was nothing short of horrifying.
The impact sight was completely covered with a foreign material (later identified as a silica based crystal)- and so were the corpses of the previous research team. All of which were up and shambling around… But that shambling turned to full on running while baying for the blood of the scouting party. Who fired on the rabid corpses, gunning them down in cold blood and later dragging a few specimens back to the basecamp.
The corpses were examined and sent back to St. Petersburg.
What was found is that the corpses’ bodies were turned into Silica based crystals that fed on the organic matter of whatever they came into contact with. A harrowing discovery that rocked the examiners to their core.
A containment wall was erected almost immediately after that discovery was made, across the entire six thousand plus kilometer in circumference crater. It was, of course, constructed over the span of three years by gulag slave laborers.
All the while probes were sent out into the Impact Zone(referred to as ‘The Zone’ from hereon out). They discovered the growth of the silica crystals, radioactive material, a strong electric current running through the Monolith, and a mysterious compound(Compound XM). But those were altogether minor compared to the principal discovery of the ‘Monolith’. A jet-black monolithic structure that lay in the exact center of the Zone. Research continued and a few principal things were discovered.
First, and chiefly among those things, the Monolith is responsible for all the effects of the Zone. From the silica growing over everything, to the radioactive material causing immense radiation levels, and the Compound XM(a red liquid like substance that replicates itself) infecting all life that it comes into contact with contorting them into abominations.
Those abominations are truly the stuff of nightmares. Horrid, twisted creatures hellbent on killing and maiming.
But they are useful. So incredibly useful.
In fact, something was discovered about Compound XM… It can be controlled, and by using the, at the time, primitive electronics they can be turned into weapons.
That, in essence, is the basis of Специальный проект, кодовое имя «Акула»(Project ‘Akula’, which means ‘Shark’ but that’s the colloquial name for them so that’s what will be used). Allowing the Russian Empire to hold a weapon that could surpass anything at the time. Starting the birth of a technological race. Everyone wanted Compound XM, but only the Russians had it.
Things continued from there, the First World War was fought and the Russian Empire rotted into collapsing. The Soviet Union arose from the ashes of that defunct monarchy like a bloodied buzzard. Cities burned and thousands upon thousands died. The revolution was brutal due to the use of «снежный барс»(Snow Leopards), horrible biomechanical creatures that feast on the flesh of the dead to replicate themselves. The Reds won, only because they reached the Zone and found the labs for Project Akula.
It was seized in a short, bloody affair. But with the labs seized the revolution was over. The Romanovs had no more aces up their sleeves and they were killed like dogs. Another short and bloody affair conducted by the Soviets.
Things continued on. Research continued and more horrors were made. The USSR The Second World War was fought and the first ‘Akulas’ were released onto the battlefields of the Kursk Salient to great effect. Nothing was left in their wake. Absolutely nothing. No bodies, no vehicles, no towns. Everything was destroyed in the wake of the Red Army’s newest monstrosities.
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That was in 1943. That was when the second world war ended, with half of Berlin destroyed and the other left grieving. But the horrors did not end there…
The Space Race and Cold War only exacerbated the issue of the USSR’s dominance over the world, with Soviet Cosmonauts being the first to do pretty mech everything- Save for the Moon Landing… Which the Americans triumphantly claimed.
But upon stepping on the moon Neil Armstrong discovered another Monolith- and another and another and another- Dozens of Monoliths. Everywhere. Moving, shifting, beginning to touch off the ground. Rocketing towards the earth as Apollo 11 attempted to make it back to bring warning.
They were too late.
Apollo 11 touched and warned the world of what was coming. So things were kicked into overdrive. Cities bustled, weapons were made, plans were hatched. The world continued to truck forwards, hellbent on surviving.
What followed the announcement to the world that Monoliths existed elsewhere was a great leap forward in technology, as every remaining country began projects with Compound XM. Leading to the formation of XM Labs(hence the name), a research cooperation between twenty seven countries(including the US, Germany, the UK, and countless others). And for eleven years a shaky peace reigned with countless experiments being conducted by both the Communist Bloc and XM Labs.
Dozens of technologies were invented and a series of inhumane experiments were conducted on vulnerable people… (The writer of this is in fact guilty of some of those atrocities, and works tirelessly to rectify those actions… Best he can.)
Which brings everything to the year 1991. The year of the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Suddenly, in a flash of burning radiation, the Monolith ‘Zayen’ turned off(first letter of the Phoenician Alphabet). The growth of materials ceased, and the power running through the Monolith cut off. Power that the USSR was running on. Things escaped. Horrible things which could not die by normal means. To make things worse the a new Monolith hit the earth, right on the city of Dallas, Texas. It was the first of twenty Monoliths to touch down.
With each destroying ecosystems which upset entire cities and even countries. The world changed. Places got hotter, places got colder, new life emerged. It was a cataclysmic happening that bordered on an extinction level event(The writing of this proves that humanity is still kicking). The cataclysm ended up killing four point seven billion people in a matter of minutes.
Humanity petered on despite that, even with forty percent of the world now coated in Silicon and crawling with monstrosities.
So the world needed a sword and a spear to handle the horrors which stalked the darkest corners of the world… It would take a long time until those swords and spears were ready- they still are not ready.
But the Union went dark overnight. And the world moved on. Forming the I.C.E.D.(Internation Containment and Elimination Department) in order to combat the Monoliths and the old Soviet horrors which prowled the world. That was in the year 1999, the current year.
But the carnival of horrors hasn't stopped there. In fact, issues created by old Soviet monsters and poor decisions made all the way at the top of XM Labs have created a hellscape of a world. Teaming with brigands and other treasure hunters looking to make it big(These people are known as Stalkers or S.T.A.L.K.E.R.s which stands for: Scavengers, Trespassers, Adventurers, Loners, Killers, Explorers and Robbers. Daredevils who brave the Zones for some damnable reason). The term has been lifted from the book Roadside Picnic and I will give that work its flowers for being simply amazing.
(But humanity is absolutely, and totally out of luck as I stand here, writing this thing).
But there is money to be made by those who brave the Zones. XM Labs pays a hefty sum for every ‘Miracle’ that is drudged up… But do not let the name be deceiving, Miracles are anything but that. They are physical manifestations of the warping that the Zones, and the Monoliths create. They will contort and defile anything they come into contact with, and the price of using them is never quite fair.
But Miracles serve as force amplifiers for nations, so in the twenty active zones(and one inactive) they are highly sought after. Men will gladly kill for one. And the nations which govern this miserable hellhole of a world are even worse than the most heinous of Stalkers…
Which brings up one important topic…
Hosts.
People who have been drip fed compound XM for all of their lives, twisting them into monsters wearing the skin of people. These so called Hosts are absolutely dangerous to anyone and anything. And they possess borderline fantastical abilities thanks to the XM which runs through their veins and the number of torturous augmentations they have been subjected to over the years.
Hosts are almost unkillable. That much should be known off the bat.
This is due to the compound XM that runs through their veins, and their innate ‘psychic’ control over the compound. Which is due to the XM linking itself to the Host’s brain, allowing them to move it like one would an extra limb. They can use the compound to repair parts of their bodies should they become damaged. But this miraculous ability comes at a steep price… An unethical price.
We do not actually know why, but Hosts must consume Human Flesh on a regular basis… It’s disgusting, but it’s the only thing that they can east.
(The way we found out about this is also unethical.)
Finally would be the extent of their control of XM. It varies from Host to Host but the general consensus is that every host can manipulate their own personal storage of XM(located in the spinal collum) creating appendages out of their back. These appendages can take a variety of forms. But they are typically five to fifteen meters long(they can stretch). Each appendage is also immensely durable and dexterous. Being able to shrug off any projectile short of a twenty five millimeter autocannon.
(I am painfully aware of how specific that measurement is, because I tested it personally… Which not something I am proud of, but it is something I have done.)
Those are the primary abilities of Hosts, but there are many more- Each more dangerous than the last and suited to destruction above all else. Almost like the compound XM inside of them is a malignant entity that seeks nothing but death and destruction. And while that theory is even more enticing with each passing days, I have no real way to verify it.
(It is a personal belief that the XM inside of people is alive and sentient. Which is based mainly on the ramblings of hosts who are facing ‘burn out’ where the XM in their body revolts. They mumble on and on about a mysterious ‘Overmind’ that is telling them what to do, down to the smallest of movements. This burn out is also a primary reason for death among Hosts.)
Hosts, along with other XM based technologies are vital parts of a nation’s military- for what few nations there are left.
Those would be the Neo-Soviet Union, which encompasses scattered bits of eastern Russia, all of western Russia(past the Ural Mountains), and parts of Eastern Europe. The European Coaliton which encompasses all of Western Europe(excluding the Nordic countries because those no longer exist) and parts of northern Africa. The People’s Republic which encompasses parts of China and Southeastern Asia. The Oceanic Conglomerate, a corporation like entity which controls Australia and its namesake Oceana. The Pan-American Federation which holds parts of the former U.S.A., Canada, Central and South America.
I address this to you, somewhere out there, whoever you are. And I hope that my words are not wasted. That you would add your own anecdotes to this work, expanding it and disseminating it so more people can know the truth… Even if I am not terribly in depth with things.
PS. I recommend you to actually read ‘Roadside Picnic’