Dmitry glanced over the variety of weapons as he moved a pair of jet black pistols to his hips. They locked into place as some type of magnetic force fixed them to their holsters. His eyes simultaneously setting themselves on the shelves as he proceeded to look over the many numerous rifles. On the floor leaning against his feet were a backpack fitted to carry equipment. Inside being an arrangement of ammunition ranging from armor piercing bullets to 12 gauge cartridges.
In addition to that there was the photo resting amongst them as it lined the interior of his bag. On its exterior a rifle was seen strapped to it by a leather strip that hung tightly around it’s figure. The rifle was similar to that of a Remington ACR, although in comparison it was easily generations apart in terms of firepower and quality. The energy weapons however in comparison... Well, from Dmitry’s memories, they seemed to have packed quite the punch. But unfortunately life wasn’t as kind to give them to him for free...
‘Shit… all the energy weapons are just scraps now.’, he determined as he began to glance over the shelves. His eyes soon coming to a stop as a certain gun caught his attention. ‘Looks like this will have to do…’, thought Dmitry as he grasped onto the grips of a semi automatic shotgun. He looked it over as he went over a small maintenance routine with the weapon. Checking it’s barrel and using the bolt to cock the weapon being a few of the many procedures.
‘Hmmm… Seems all right…’, assessed Dmitry as he picked up the beige coloured backpack, slinging it across his back. Simultaneously he cocked the shotgun resting between his arms with a slip of the hand as he proceeded to depart from the dimmed and barren chamber. He exited through a corridor that lay opposite of where the firearms and suit had been as amber lights that lined the ceiling flashed wildly in a rhythmic pattern. Illuminating the corridor as Dmitry proceeded past countless doors and pipelines that lay affixed to the walls. On his way he came across many creatures that ran in and out of the tunnel systems which jutted out from the walls. He stared at them inquisitively as he stepped back in caution, raising his shotgun in alarm.
They had large and elongated claws which protruded from their feet, sharp fangs akin to that of a small knife, and two yellow slit like eyes that seemed to drill into him. It stared at Dmitry with a hint of animosity as it snarled malevolently. Retreating back into the darkened spaces of the tunnels as it left without a trace. Well, except for the trail of dirt and splotches of blood which came from its feet that is. It left Dmitry bewildered and curious as he took his time through the tunnels. Stopping at the faintest sounds of movement before he continued on. Minutes passed as he came to a sudden stop before a pair of metal blast doors. Their cold steel like frames covered in dust towered over him as he stared up at them.
‘Seems like this is it…’, thought Dmitry as he glanced to the panel adjacent to it’s right. It had a three by three display of buttons ranging from 1 to 9. Seemingly unaffected by the effects of time as he wiped away at the dust coating it. It blinked continuously as it awaited for him to input a code.
‘Shit.’, he thought, ‘This things needs a code? Where am I supposed to find that…’, he stood there motionless as he contemplated on what to do.
‘Should I go find one of the codes on one of the corpses here? Or on the desks of the many numerous rooms? Are there really any codes left behind…?’, thoughts raced from one side to the other as he proceeded to accumulate ideas on his escape. However, it only took him a second before coming to the conclusion of using one of the oldest but truest methods in order to progress. Brute force.
‘Hmmm… How about trying to breach the door? It’d be good to understand the limits of this suit afterall…’, he glanced from the panel to the blast doors as he strided to them. He pulled back his hand as it was clenched into a fist. Throwing it forth at the blast doors as the metal was left with a deep imprint on its surface. His face twisted into a pure untainted grin of satisfaction as he followed up with another fist into its metal surface. It flew into the door as the right side reverberated from the large amount of blunt force. Dropping to the ground as it was left to the dust.
‘Well that was better than expected…’, evaluated Dmitry as he stepped towards the fallen door. He walked through the shroud of dust that was spread around it as his eyes came into contact with the view of another corridor. This one however was overshadowed by the darkened and dull like walls. Conceived from the dirt and grit that made up the foundation of the earth’s surface. He let out an exasperated sigh as he trudged along the corridor. Touching the side of his visor as everything was suddenly coated in a light fluorescent green.
He looked to the end of the corridor as it began to change. What was once empty, obscured by the dark that plagued his view. There was now the discernable view of a ladder. Rusted and covered in grime as it kindly beckoned for his touch.
‘Finally…’, Dmitry thought with glee as a smile spread amongst his lips. It curved into a slight crescent as he soon moved into a jog, advancing on the ladders position. Upon having arrived at its base he came to a sudden halt as dust drifted into the air. Coating his feet as he proceeded to lean in next to the ladders structure. He tilted his head upwards as the view of a small lid became barely discernible. It elicited a type of delight and comfort for Dmitry as he moved the shotgun. Strapping it opposite of the rifle before he began to move up the ladder with a great fervor. It was trailed by a great curiosity that grew as he moved closer and closer to the exit.
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Thoughts and expectations of what it would be up there, what he would meet… it was exhilarating to say the least. Time passed twice as slow in his mind as he had expectation over expectation pile upon one another. They proceeded to change and form a depiction of the outside world as it was imprinted into his mind. It was a depiction of a world filled with vast viridian fields, light blue skies, and forests rich with animals and vegetation. Life thrived in great abandon as both people, animals, and vegetation grew across the surface of the earth. Painting it in a large variety of colours as they spread. It was what he believed to be true. What he believed to be his world.
But he was soon bluntly interrupted in the middle of his thoughts as the end of the ladder’s reach came to view. By this time he was screaming internally in anticipation as the fact he was finally going to see the surface dawned on him. But, it was then that he began to think, why am I so curious as to what the outside world would be like? Why am I holding such views of the world? Are they my long lost memories? Will it be as beautiful as I envision it? He lamented over the thoughts before being disrupted by the approaching sight of a metal lid that covered his view.
‘Well,’ Dmitry thought, ‘I guess I will find out…’
He pressed his right hand against the metal surface of the lid as a metal like screech entered his ears. The sound of it resisting against something of an even greater force caught him by surprise as he responded in kind. It was followed by the sound of metal colliding onto the ground as the piece of metal impeding Dmitry’s path was taken out of sight.
It was soon replaced with a sudden array of light which blinded him as he scrambled to close his eyes. He followed up by touching the right side of his visor as it cleared the light green fluorescence that covered his view.
‘Shit…Ugh, my eyes are as if they’re on fire!’, he proceeded to blink subsequently as the pain subsided in a matter of seconds. He grasped back onto the ladder as he peered open through the slits of his visor. His mouth opened agape as a view so different from his own took place.
‘Wh-what? What is this? What…. What happened here?’, Dmitry clambered out of the hole as he looked around in utter confusion and dismay. Surrounding him was debris and skewed pieces of rubble which lay along the dirtied floor. The sky a murky light blue as small tints of grey were smudged along it’s surface. Beyond the rubble and debris was what he assumed to be a city as it too was laid to ruins. Dmitry stood there speechless as he came to terms with this new world.
‘Wasn’t there supposed to be beautiful grassy fields? Animals and people spreading far and wide? What is this…?’, he looked around once more as the dull and lifeless surroundings bore deep into his being.
‘Those thoughts… they were too good to be true…’, he assessed, ‘But still… there is a chance… A chance that something like what I saw is out there… there has to be...’
Dmitry studied his surroundings once more before finding a small asphalt path centered in between the desolate ruins. He strode over the debris hindering his way as he began to crush concrete under the pressure of his feet.
‘What am I supposed to do now… maybe find some people woul-’, his thoughts were cut off by the piercing wails that echoed throughout the air as they came to meet his ears. Startled, he grabbed for his shotgun as it was firmly raised in his hands. He stood on a mound of rubble as he looked from atop it’s structure for the source of the noise.
‘The hell was that? Hopefully it’s something small...’, he paused as the sight of what seemed to be a large mutated bear came to view but a kilometre away. It roared as it awoke in a sluggish type of fashion, shaking the sleep away as it came to view its surroundings. Dmitry gazed on stupefied as the monstrosity that awoke before him turned his way. Panic spread across his mind as the instinctual sensation to flee overtook that to fight.
‘Are you messing with me? That doesn’t look small at all!’, he thought.
His mind yelled at him to run as he stepped back in compliance. But what followed was something unexpected.... As he was about to turn tail and flee something in his head just flicked on. What followed was a calm wave of abrupt serenity which managed to cleanse his mind. Thoughts to flee were sent to dust as thoughts anew were rebirthed from them. Thoughts to fight the one before it and stand his ground occupied his mind as his eyes were glazed over with the will to fight. The conviction to kill.
The bear roared as it’s eyes were set on him. A type of killing intent could be seen from its eyes as an aura of fear shrouded it. It charged at him head on as it mowed through the debris and rubble in its way. Dmitry in response stood still as he watched it’s every move, scanning it’s body up and down in search for a weakness. The moment the distance between them was no more than a few metres he looked up and retaliated in reply. He moved to the side as his shotgun had it’s sights aimed on the bear’s eyes. It fired two quick bursts as it’s eyes were eviscerated into nothing more than two lumps of flesh.
Blood splattered over the remainder of the bear’s body as it cried out in agony. Crashing down behind Dmitry in a heap. It pawed at the ground nearby as it struggled to stand on its feet. Seconds later it’s screaming cries were followed by a flurry of shots that came into contact with the bear’s coat as they rebounded into the ground. In a frenzied panic it swiped in desperation towards where the shots came from in hopes of finding someone as Dmitry scrunched up his face in irritation. The sight of the bullets being hurled into the ground had caused him to lose his focus as he began to think of what to do. But this lack of focus came with a consequence as the view of him being swiped by the bears paw came at a moments notice.
He was sent airborne as he came crashing down into a nearby aged wall. It slowed him down as he proceeded to smash through countless pieces of rubble before the momentum carrying him died down. Aching all over he reached for his head as he opened his eyes. Beneath his helmet he adorned a pained expression as he scowled in distaste. Over his darkened blue armour there was now a slash that went diagonally down his torso.
Dmitry swore under his breath as emotions once again began to swell within him. But be it fortunate or not they were all chained down by an unknown force as he instead stood up through the support of his bare arms. The shotgun he had held was now misplaced among the rubble as he went to reach for his rifle. But his hands futilely came against air as he realised but that too was gone. He once again swore as he went to reach for the pistols at his sides, raising them to meet the bear that advanced on him.
It lifted its snout into the air as it smelled for his scent. Facing him in a rage of anger as it charged on all fours, fueled by the raging flames of emotions that engulfed it. It was soon followed by a choir of shots that sounded out from Dmitry as it closed once more on his position. Plowing him down as they smashed through countless pieces of rubble behind them. In the aftermath there laid the bear, just barely discernible through the clouds of dust and rubble that covered it. It stayed motionless as it seemed to sound out the last of it’s moments into the encompassing air. Trailed by the silence that pervaded the area as no sign of Dmitry came to surface. Minutes passed as nothing proceeded to happen….
But quite suddenly and abruptly the sight of a hand adorned in the darkened crimson blood of the bear popped out from beneath it’s corpse. In hand it held a jet black pistol as it scraped along the dusty floor.