Chernobyl Exclusion Zone
Army Warehouses
May 15th, 2012

Deep within the Zone, an Anomaly formed. This would not have been much of a strange occurrence, save for one thing.

It grew.

The Vortex Anomaly it started as expanding outward, at a rate of one meter per day. It was quickly discovered and avoided by the local 'wildlife', but not by the STALKERS. Its first victim was a Bandit, who was dragged screaming into the center, where he simply disappeared. The gravitational distortion of a regular Vortex was massive, but this was completely off the charts.

Within two days, it was discovered by both Freedom and Duty patrols; when the former was pulled in without warning, the latter was there to watch. The word went out quickly, and by nightfall, everyone was experiencing a reaction the Zone did not see much of.

Fear.

Author's Note

This sets up the stage for the story. If you're confused by some of this, don't worry: Much of the STALKER-verse will be explained in the next chapter.