City-21 “Kyiv”, UNSA Protectorate, Avril Dominion
Industrial Zone “NES Factory”, Medical Center “Lizard Tail”
Maksim Chernykh’s team, August 12, 2049, 11:03 PM
Flickering circles whizzing past his eyes finally coalesced into a tunnel. A short, rapid flight, what felt like an impact… and his eyes opened.
“I’m in a hospital room… it seems,” was Max’s first thought.
“Hello, Big Brother!”
“Alisa?”
“Were you expecting angels or something?”
“Well… No,” he admitted, a little embarrassed.
“Then welcome back to our ‘wonderful’ world!”
“Tell me… how did it go?”
“How did it go, he says.” The android laughed casually, not taking her biomechanical eyes off her brother. “Your back is fixed, of course. Soon, you’ll be able to run, jump, and everything else. Don’t wash or scratch for two hours. No heavy lifting for a week. Avoid extreme physical exertion for the same period. And sex is on the restricted list too, by the way. Cause I’m already getting some very strong suspicions…”
“What are you even talking about?”
“About your post-op rehab, dear brother, what else?”
“Yeah-yeah, I got it,” Max retorted, pulling on his T-shirt and shorts. “What are Dasha and Nika up to?”
Alisa shrugged her mechanical shoulders.
“Dasha is still working on the situational model, especially since she incorporated the available Protectorate news reports into her analysis. Nikola joined her as a combat expert. I’m aware because I was helping them with free processing threads after Moira’s update finished installing.”
She paced the room, watching Maksim dressing.
“Come on, Nika made paella. Strange coincidence, actually... but whatever.”
----------------------------------------
As they approached the entrance to the hall, Max was greeted by thick clouds of vapor. Yes, it was completely and utterly smoggy.
Unexpectedly, Dasha wasn’t sitting in the corner like a sulking boogieman but instead was engaged in a lively discussion with Nikola.
“Nika, et tu, Brute?! You were supposed to fight against depravity, not join it!” the guy chided Redhead about vaping. Judging by her cheeky grin, this appeal didn’t find much sympathy among his comrades.
“Maxie, you’re up and about! Yeah!” Dasha’s voice was bright, but he noticed a hidden tension in her posture and expression.
“Hey,” Nika waved. “Wanna eat? I can get some grub from the kitchen.”
“Maybe later. Need a moment to come around, okay?” Max grabbed a beer can on his way to the sofa. “Plus, seems like WonderWhiz here wants to tell us something. Right?”
Click.
Sip.
“So?”
“You won’t like it.” Dasha took a drag from the vape and exhaled sadly.
Standing up, she adjusted her ridden-up T-shirt and opened a large screen in the VR/AR display.
“I… uhm… yeah, we… ahem,” she cleared her throat and got to the point, “we finished the situation model. It’s as accurate as possible, based on the data we could find and analyze. Alba was right about the severe attacks on all cities worldwide, and Kyiv is no exception. I’ll show you.”
A detailed summary table appeared on the screen, consisting of video clips of shaiszu monsters with commentary from an analytical program. After a moment’s thought, Vasilevskaya shifted the entire table to the left and opened the first video from the list. To avoid showing the entire ten-minute clip, she selected only key moments.
First was a close-up of a creature resembling either a massive, elongated upwards trilobite, or maybe a peculiar pill bug. Its segmented, armored body, like a moving metal hill, towered above the ground to the height of a five-story building.
But the most jarring feature wasn’t its size – it was the writhing mass of tentacles around its seemingly small mouth. However, the maw no longer seemed so small after it grabbed and gulped down a shaiszu’s corpse the size of an elephant.
The camera suddenly zoomed upwards, showing the monster’s back. The top of its hump opened like a huge three-meter-long slit. Out shot a horde of large flying insects, each about thirty to forty centimeters in size, with a sharp buzz.
A picture-in-picture zoomed in on one of these creatures up close. This “living drone” of the shaiszu looked strikingly similar to a wasp of the genus Ichneumonidae, with two pairs of wings, long antennae, a pair of large compound eyes on the sides of its head, and three simple eyes on its forehead. Its elongated, segmented abdomen curved slightly. There was no visible stinger. Well, maybe it had one, but it was hidden.
Daria shuddered at this sight and grimaced – she had no desire to look at those insects, let alone speak about them. Steeling herself with a deep drag from her vape, she pressed on.
“Venom. Acid. Flammable liquid. These things come in all flavors. Some are even flying kamikaze wasps, practically living grenades with substantial firepower. Sure, I’ve seen crazier stuff in movies – New Hollywood and all that – but…” Dasha faltered.
“…But knowing these are real gives you a different feeling,” Max nodded. “I get it. Go on. There’s no doubt the footage shows the true aliens. I also assume, this is just the tip of what you, Alisa, and Moira have found, right?”
“Uh-huh. Shaiszu are genuinely terrifying with their abilities and... variety,” Dasha frowned darkly. “And the Protes – amid all this – have built an image of themselves as the ‘Great Defenders of Humanity.’ Yeah...”
Nika couldn’t hold back any longer. She sprang from her seat, almost spilling her beer with a vigorous wave of her hand.
“Oh, kurwa, those fucked up Protectorate bastards are using the fear the alien beasts provoke to their full advantage. I only saw a part of the clips while analyzing the data with the girls. But it’s a whole propaganda campaign – a bunch of video clips, news broadcasts, and even documentaries. All supposedly to ‘enlighten’ the poor Earth aborigines. In reality, though, they’re just scaring the masses, urging them to blindly follow and run into the loving arms of the ‘Great Defenders of All and Everyone’.”
“That’s right,” Dasha seemed to regain some confidence after Nika’s outburst. “It’s clear that most of the promo clips were prepared well in advance, using footage from other worlds. We’re definitely not the first ones they’ve ‘blessed’ with their... protection. To be precise, I... well, the Ravens... we counted at least twelve different worlds. And now... the most important part for us.”
The images of the monsters vanished, replaced by a schematic map of Kyiv filling the entire screen. A large yellow circle flashed around the KRE, Kyiv Ring Expressway, though unlike the original, it looked like a perfect circle. The ring flashed again, and bright orange dots appeared along its entire length.
“That’s about the ‘protection’ thing. So, the Protes… those damn… ugh… have already announced the construction of a complex along the entire length of the KRE. It will begin with Towers. They… yeah… they’re generally planning to seriously bolster defenses. Now there is lack of resources and some special equipment – we read that ‘between the lines.’ Well… maybe, something else, too... This part of the model… isn’t very precise,” the flustered, dark-haired presenter stammered.
“Dasha’s model is precise enough,” Alisa interjected to support her friend. “We had limited initial information, so we might be wrong about the reasons behind some of the Protectorate’s actions. But it’s clear where this is heading – initially, they will be erecting only defense towers around the city perimeter. Quickly and in large numbers.”
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“These are quite formidable structures,” Dasha continued. “Thirty-five meters tall, armed with everything from small-caliber, high-rate-of-fire machine guns, rockets, and drones to energy weapons. And likely some powerful sensors too. This wasn’t mentioned directly, but why else make them so tall?”
A slowly rotating 3D model of a tower appeared in an additional window in the conference. The girls had annotated with infographic presumed locations of the weapons, drone launch catapults, antennas, and sensors.
While Maksim scrutinized the picture and the calculated parameters, Nikola silently got up and grabbed another beer. After a moment’s thought, she glanced at Dasha, who was forced to be the main presenter in this impromptu “conference,” and picked up a bottle of water. Handing it to the slightly flustered girl, Redhead returned to the couch, clearly feeling accomplished.
“Thanks,” Vasilevskaya nodded gratefully, took two big gulps, and managed to overcome another bout of nervousness.
“Sadly, this is just the beginning,” Dasha said, her expression growing even more somber. She scanned the room, locking eyes with Max, took a deep breath, and continued, “Yes, the beginning. The Protes are also going to build a wall. In forty-nine hours. No, not just a wall, but a WALL.”
The pictures in the chat changed to a large video window again. Footage from a drone flying over a colossal structure, at least twenty meters high and about five meters wide. Rows of missiles, launch catapults, guns, and some unknown weapons lined its surface. The drone abruptly turned and soared upwards, revealing a horde of shaiszu approaching the city from all directions.
Every weapon on this fortress reacted instantly, mowing down the monsters that broke against the concrete bulwarks like a bloody surge.
“There’s a bombastic destruction sequence of some giant flying kinda whale-dragon monstrosity next. Filming is from another world; such creatures haven’t been seen on Earth yet. So... no point in watching that,” Daria concluded.
As she finished speaking, a model of a wall segment appeared next to the Tower in the neighboring window.
“Yeah, that’s serious,” Maksim set his half-finished beer aside. “Is this all, or do we have more crucial points to address?”
“There are more,” Alisa nodded. “The Wall will control not just the airspace, but also the underground. Every subterranean exit from Kyiv will be completely sealed, even those long forgotten or absent from official maps.”
“They didn’t state this directly,” Dasha added, “but it was clearly said that one of the wall’s primary defense functions is to prevent underground incursions into the city. And yes, it’s also supposed to completely block portals both within Kyiv and at some distance outside it.”
“Unfortunately, everything we’ve shown is just the prelude,” Alisa walked over and stood beside Daria. “All these ‘defensive’ structures work both ways. They don’t just keep the shaiszu out – they also prevent anyone from leaving the city. Here’s a message from the Protectorate for people like us.”
Another video opened, a fragment from a news program. In the lower left corner, a studio image showed a pretty blue-eyed brunette in a strict black-and-red military uniform with officer epaulets. But the main part of the screen displayed drone footage. Trucks, several cars, even a few motorcycles flashed by.
One shot included a distinctive battered Unimog with windows covered in black film.
“Damn it, WonderWhiz, you were right, I don’t like this already,” Maksim said grimly, watching the virtual screen, his hands clasped tightly. “I know what’s coming.”
At that moment, the video fragments arranged into a 6x5 mosaic – twenty-nine scenes in total. The first to explode was a massive truck with a trailer in the top left corner. Within seconds, bright bursts of explosions cascaded across all the images. The orchestration was flawless, likely set to dramatic music, but the sound was wisely muted beforehand.
The scene switched back to the anchor, who with steel in her eyes and a confident expression, delivered a zealous speech.
“She’s spouting about the inevitable punishment for breaking the laws of these shitty alien bastards,” Nikola interjected with her already usual disdain for the Protectorate. “And pumping propaganda that anyone trying to escape the city are degenerates, traitors, and shaiszu fodder. So, we Protes won’t allow that – we’ll crush and obliterate them in minutes. Or rather, blow them up, like in the video.”
Silence reigned for a moment.
“Max, if you’re thinking about bartering for guns and ammo, I’m already on it,” Redhead added before the guy could speak. “I’ll go into detail after the girls finish.”
“We’re almost done,” Alisa nodded. “One more crucial topic remains.”
“Yeah, the most important one,” Dasha said, jumping up and almost dropping the vape she was twirling. “Resettlement! Yeah.”
The 3D models of the Tower and the wall segment disappeared, replaced by a map of Kyiv divided into neat sectors of roughly equal size.
“This information… is accurate, consistently repeated in many news broadcasts and programs watched by the Ravens. So, immediately after the curfew ends, a massive resettlement operation will begin in areas both before and right behind the future wall. According to the Protectorate’s plans, the resettlement will occur in several phases. Our Factory area falls under phase six, scheduled from nine to noon the day after tomorrow.”
“The hint is clear,” Maksim summarized. “We have just over a day to leave the Factory and the city. What I saw just now is all too familiar. I witnessed similar scenes before escaping the Russian Empire. Back then, the walls hadn’t been built to stop an enemy; they were meant to keep their own people from leaving.”
“Yes, the Protectorate’s sociopsychologists do earn their keep,” Alisa agreed. “The entire clip is designed primarily for renouncers, such as us. Its goal is to break us psychologically and make us surrender at the collection point in the morning.”
“Apparently, they really need people for something…” Max mused aloud. “But it doesn’t matter. All my experience tells me that our chances in a direct confrontation with the Protes are zero. Even if Nikola can get us an entire arsenal. Unfortunately, guerrilla tactics and maximum stealth are our only options.”
“I knew you’d say that.” Alisa smiled, clearing the virtual screen of all images and the city map.
Instead, a screencast from the “Informatorium” app opened, specifically the Store section. The name of the section flashed by: “Stealth & ECM Gear,” followed by subsections: “Radar Jammers and Traps,” “Optical Camouflage,” “Infrared Camouflage,” “Electronic Countermeasures,” “Acoustic Masking,” …
…
… “Stealth Materials, Coatings, and Devices.”
A prominent media glyph appeared in the corner:
# Attention! You have access to a demonstration (limited) version of the catalog, access level – partners of categories 6 and 5. Prices are for reference and may differ from actual ones.
Alisa opened a detailed description of one of the models in the subcategory of “Stealth Devices.”
“So, here’s the most suitable device for us based on its overall characteristics. It has enough power to turn a large truck into a full-fledged stealth vehicle, which is exactly what we need now. It covers the optical, infrared, and ultraviolet spectra, and it works against hyperspectral sensors, including the terahertz range. Yes, some specialized Protectorate equipment might detect us, but only if it’s specifically searching for us and knows our approximate location. As for any Earthly machinery – it’s no match for us!”
She expanded the window to show the list and added several other devices besides the “invisibility” one:
“Of course, we’ll also need coverage in the radio frequency range for counter-radar measures. Well, it would also be ideal to have acoustic camouflage and scent masking as well. After all, we’re not only up against the Protectorate but also the shaiszu.”
“To sum up: the TACTA has all the necessary equipment to safely and, most importantly, stealthily leave Kyiv and its ‘exclusion zone.’ I really don’t want to repeat the fate of our unfortunate Unimog.”
The android girl finished speaking and smiled. Before anyone could respond, Dasha took a quick deep drag and blew out a large cloud of “zero”-vapor.
“I’m not… sure we can afford that option,” she said, opening a window in the virtual space and adding the costs of the devices Alisa had mentioned. “I… considered stealth too; it’s clearly our best bet. But this… this main device, the invisibility cloak, costs around two hundred seventy thousand TACTA grants. And we don’t even know how much we’ll get from the drone call. Yeah!”
A graph titled “speed vs. energy consumption” appeared on the screen.
Dasha hid her hands behind her back, rocked on her heels, and quickly added, “And this thing guzzles energy like crazy. I mean, it’s insane. Yeah! It needs enough power to run two Moiras at once just to function at five kilometers per hour. And we’d need a massive energy reserve because its consumption grows exponentially with speed.”
“I assume you have a suggestion too?” Max asked when Dasha paused to drink water.
“Yes,” the girl nodded. “First thing I did was look at generators. I knew Earth’s technology couldn’t support a ‘Mobile Moira.’ Too much weight and fuel… so… yeah. In short, TACTA has portable nuclear generators. They weigh only seven hundred forty kilos, are powerful, have a twenty-year fuel supply, and can cover all our needs with room to spare. But they start at three hundred thousand grants.”
“Now the most crucial part,” Vasilevskaya continued, adding another Informatorium screenshot in her augmented reality window:
“There’s a preliminary estimate module for the grants issued during a Drone call. While we still had the connection, I filled out the massive two-hundred-page form for myself. Well, the Ravens did it, I’d have taken days alone… It estimated that I’d get between ninety and a hundred twenty thousand grants. I figured Max would get about the same. But we have no clue how to calculate Nikola’s share without an extranet connection.”
“Even if we all get the maximum, one hundred twenty thousand each, it’s only enough for the generator. We’re still two hundred thousand short for the invisibility device.” Dasha sighed sadly and took another sip of water.
“Guys, I have something important to say, and I need you to listen carefully,” Alisa stepped into the center of the room. “Dasha, maybe you sit on the couch next to Max?”
The girl nodded and settled herself quietly near Maksim.
“The program’s estimate is rough and inaccurate,” Alisa began. “I have more precise, I’d say, insider information, which assures me that Max will get about one hundred fifty thousand, Dasha one hundred sixty thousand, and Nikola no less than one hundred forty thousand.”
“Where did you get this information, sis?”
“Seriously? You have such info? Where from?”
Surprised exclamations filled the room. Even Nikola, who had delved into the TACTA program offline, looked at the android with surprise.
“Sorry, friends. I can’t reveal my source. I swore to keep it secret, and I honor my oaths. So, please, you should just trust me… as you would trust Maksim.”
“Alright,” the guy stood up. “I believe you, sis. I know how much your vows mean to you. But you should see, even with that we’re still short on funds for everything needed!”
“Actually, there is a solution,” Alisa smiled. “But it’s going to be hard for you to believe.”