Winter of Our Discontentby CommunistTacoChapters[1] The Flight[2] A Miracle[3] Welcome to Noril'sk?[4] Fiction Becomes Reality[1] The FlightAuthor's Note DISCLAIMER: This story is not in any way related to the 1961 novel "The Winter of Our Discontent" by John Steinbeck or to William Shakespeare's "Richard III". The title exists as it is for appropriate for the setting of the story as well as the plot line. Enjoy! -CommunistTaco [1] The Flight ACT ONE "I can't believe you still have the old cabin out in Vladivostok," I remarked, "Its probably falling apart after all these years..." "Nah, It'll be fine, trust me," Makar remarked. "My old man built that cabin as strong as can be so there's no way its in shambles after only five years." "I don't know Makar, your father was prone to exaggeration," Sergei commented. "I wouldn't be surprised to arrive there and find out that the cabin burned down years ago." "Shut up Sergei, my father was not that prone to exaggeration." Makar barked drawing the attention of some of the passengers, "Let's just sit back, relax, and enjoy our flight OK?" "That's fine with me," I replied putting my hands behind my head, "A little R&R will do me some good." Within five minutes the droning of the planes engine had lulled me to sleep... I suppose I should introduce myself. The names Yegor Baryshev VIII. I keep the VIII off my name most of time because its quite a mouthful and I'm the only one of the eight Yegor Baryshevs still alive. I was born on January 23rd, 1991 in Astrakhan of the diminishing Soviet Union. My father, Yegor Baryshev VII decided to make me the eighth person in his family to bear his name and hence the VIII on the end of my name. My father was a chemistry expert working for the Soviet government at the time of my birth. He, along with my mother and I, lived in a modest manor on the banks of the Volga River. He spent his days in his laboratory in our basement mixing chemicals and trying to find new lethal gas recipes. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, he took a four month leave of absence before the new Russian Government under Boris Yeltsin hired him to continue his work where he left off. One fateful day though, on September 2nd, 1997 my father was experimenting with a new lethal gas formula he been working on in months prior. It was just an accidental slip-of-the-fingers, and he dropped the vile containing the fatal gas. Gas filled the lab and he was killed within minutes from the lethal toxins. The fire department arrived, but they could do nothing to save my father's life. We buried his remains in the Astrakhan cemetery four weeks after his untimely death. My mother was the most devastated by our loss and I believe that I was the only reason she didn't end her own life right then and there. I lived the rest of my young life without a father and was moderately happy. I was only 6 when my father died so he didn't have a tremendous impact on my life like he had my mother's. My mother never remarried in the 12 years before her death, her heart remaining loyal to her first and only husband. My teenage years were fairly mundane for me. My father had amassed a small fortune working for the government so I was sent to the most prestigious private school in the region. I found great interest in instrumental music and obtained a talent for playing the bass trombone. By my senior year, I was receiving scholarships from music and arts schools all throughout Russia. I eventually decided to attend the Gnessin State Musical College in Moscow. I graduated high school on May 24th, 2009 with a 3.8 GPA and a great opportunity for the future. Unfortunately for me, ten days after my high school graduation, my mother died of a heart attack while exercising in our home gym. The paramedics said we could of saved her had anyone been home to alert them sooner. I took the news hard as my mother had really been the only person there for me in the twelve years after my father's death. I delayed my move to Moscow six weeks so I could attend the funeral and speak on my mothers behalf. She ended up leaving everything to me; the house, the several million rubles left from my father's fortune, and all of her possessions. I donated all my father's old lab equipment to a local university in need of it and sold the manor for a hefty price of 154,000,000 rubles (approx 4.27 million USD). I set off for Moscow with more cash than 99% of the population, and high hopes for the future. Upon arriving in Moscow, I rented a two bedroom apartment about two blocks from my college. It was a modest place, nothing fancy but nice none the less. I considered renting out the other bedroom to someone but I didn't really need the money and having an extra bedroom just in case seemed logical. At my new college, I met my two best friends in the world, Makar Zheleznov and Sergei Rakossovsky. Both were instrumental musicians like myself and were so much in common with me that we hit it off immediately. We spent our college days getting drunk and going to parties as well as just hanging out and practicing our instruments. We all expect to graduate at the end of next semester and are all excited to do so. It is currently, December 20th and me and my buds are headed to Vladivostok for Christmas Vacation. Apparently Makar's father used to own a cabin before he passed away and now Makar is treating us to two weeks there. We are currently on a direct flight from Moscow to Vladivostok flying over the desolate terrain of Siberia. Vladivostok is a fairly southern city so there will be little snow there much to our content. Now where were we... BOOM! A loud bang jolted me awake from my slumber. "What the hell was that?!!" I exclaimed frantically looking around for the source of the noise. "Holy shit the engine's on fire!" Makar exclaimed pointing out the window. Sure enough a long trail of flame was protruding from the engine. It was barely visible though as we seemed to be flying through clouds of some sort. "The other ones in flames too!" A passenger shouted from other side of the cabin. It was right then and there that panic ensued... Flight attendants were rushing down the isles trying to keep everyone calm and in their seats but you could see the fear on their faces as well. We continued to stare out the window in horror as flames flew out the back of the engines at a rapid rate. It was a horrible but beautiful display and we couldn't tear our eyes away from it. Then, all of a sudden, silence... Everything just seemed to stop, the engines stopped spurting flames, the panic died down, and we were greeted by overwhelming silence. At first it seemed that everything was alright until I realized that silence meant the engines weren't running at all and that we were literally dropping out of the sky. Slowly everyone realized this and began to panic all over again. It wasn't as desperate and chaotic as before, but panic was written on everyone's faces. "What the hell's wrong with the plane?!!!" one person shouted. "We're all gonna die!" another passenger screamed before the cabin went back to silence We just sat there in dumbstruck silence for what seemed like hours before a small beep sounded that indicated the pilots were speaking through the PA system. "Ladies and Gentlemen this is your captain speaking. We are experiencing extreme technical difficulties and both our engines have flamed out. We are currently attempting to fix the problem as well as trying to find a safe place to land. Due to engine failure, the power to the lights as well as the PA system will cut out shortly. We thought it necessary to inform you of the situation beforehand, and we ask you not to panic, remain seated with your seat belt fastened, and take deep breaths. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding and I hope we all make it back home safe. Good da...*schchch*..." And with that the PA and the lights cut out. We were in total darkness and flying blind over Siberia in the middle of winter. Not exactly a situation you want to be in. "Guys, I just want you to know in case we don't make it, I've always considered you two as part of my family." I said with sadness in my eyes. "Don't talk like that Yegor. We'll be just fine, I know it," Makar said trying to avoid defeatist talking. "Yeah, we'll make it out of this. I bet the pilots will have us on the ground safely in no time," Segei replied. "I sure hope so..." I said staring off into space. Today was supposed a great day but now it was turning into one of horror and tragedy. I was looking forward to sitting by the fire in a cabin by the same time tomorrow but now it looked like I would be stranded somewhere in Siberia. The plane continued to slowly fall out of the sky as we all just tried to have casual conversation. We were doing everything to take our situation off our minds but it just wasn't working. We were currently gliding down into the Siberian tundra in a giant steel glider with no way to slow our descent. Not exactly something you can really take your mind off of. I took some time to pick up a napkin and write down a small will and testament. To whom this may concern, My name is Yegor Baryshev VIII and this is my last will and testament. Upon my death I wish to be buried in Astrakhan Cemetery alongside my parents. I leave my fortune and possessions to either be divided among my two friends Makar Zheleznov and Sergei Rakossovsky. If neither are able to accept my things and money, I wish to give it to my only surviving relative Maria Baryshev, my first cousin. I give my faith to whomever finds this to see its terms fulfilled. Thank you, Yegor Baryshev VIII I put the napkin in my pocket so that they could identify my body or to rip up later depending on how my current situation played out. As I did the flights attendants came running down the isle yelling something I couldn't quite hear. "Brace for impact everyone, brace for impact!" After I understood what they were saying I immediately got in the brace position demonstrated in the safety exercise at the beginning of the flight. I could hear my heart pounding away in my chest as adrenaline filled my veins. "This is it guys!" I shouted over the commotion in the cabin. My friends seemed to acknowledge me but made no comments of their own. We all awaited the collision that just seemed to never come. I almost tried to poke my head up to see if we were close to the ground but decided against it. Then just as it seemed we would never reach the ground the plane struck the frozen tundra. BANG! The entire cabin lurched as we collided with the Earth and skidded along the ground. At first it seemed we would safely come to a stop but then the fuselage snapped and we were sent flying around in all directions. My heart was racing and I was becoming extremely dizzy. I lost consciousness as the debris came crashing back down upon me and I couldn't of been more scared. All I remember is hearing a distant ringing sound... and then blackness. [2] A MiracleYou know all those stories where the character's life 'flashes before their eyes' upon realizing their impending doom? Well let me tell you that is a load of bullshit. All I got in those moments before I lost consciousness was an incoherent mess of panic and metal smashing against other metal. It was a surreal experience you know; dying. Unfortunately for me, I wasn't exactly dead... I woke with a start breathing in a few deep breaths of cold winter air. The first thing I noticed was that I was currently lying under a large piece of the fuselage. It was a decently sized rectangular piece of metal that was curved allowing my body to fit underneath it and also providing a cocoon to prevent me suffering from frostbite. I had ended up alive, and for that I was grateful. My limbs weren't exactly functional due to me being in shock but I was alive dammit. I sat in the warm cocoon wandering if my friends had been as lucky as I had. They were the only family I really had left and I couldn't handle going to any more funerals. Makar and Sergei were my two best friends and losing them now would not do me good. Heck I still wasn't sure I would make it out alive considering I was stranded in Siberia in the middle of winter. Eventually I regained control of my limbs and began to work on getting the fuselage fragment off me. It was light due to the aerodynamic nature of the aircraft so I was able easily slide it off me and stand up. Around me was what I can only describe as utter destruction. The plane itself was ripped into at least six pieces, not including the wings, and bodies of poor souls not as fortunate as I littered the ground. A black plume of smoke rose up into the sky from the countless jet fuel fires whose flames engulfed the largest sections of the cabin still intact. The cockpit of the plane had skidded at least fifty meters off to the side of the plane and was mangled beyond belief. I sincerely doubted any of the pilots survived considering the condition of the flight deck. The sun was beginning to creep up over the horizon and was shining an orange glow down on the burning wreck. As light began to litter the landscape more objects came into view. Countless articles of clothing from people's suitcases were scattered as far a the eye could see along with assorted papers that businessmen carried around in their briefcases. What I saw next not only a huge relief but also restored my hopes that I would be alright. About thirty meters to my right were Makar and Sergei huddled around a fire burning from leaking jet fuel. I quickly strode over happy to see my friends. It was hard walking at first due to being pinned under the sheet of fuselage but I got the hang of it after a few steps. "Makar, Sergei! Thank god you guys are all right!" I exclaimed upon reaching my friends. Both of them looked up at me with disbelief in their eyes and I could see both had been crying. "Holy shit Yegor is that you?! We thought you were dead!" Sergei exclaimed. "What?! really?" I asked. "Yeah, when we woke up still in our seats and you were missing we assumed the worst. Its great to know you're alright." Makar said still a bit shocked from my sudden appearance. We all pulled in for a quick 'glad your alive' hug and then began to plot what we should do next. "Are there any other survivors?" I asked. "None that we've seen, I think we just got extremely lucky," Makar remarked. "Well in that case we better try to find some shelter and soon," I replied looking around. "I managed to snag an emergency kit from the plane. It has rations as well as a GPS, we could use that to find the nearest town." Sergei said pointing to a red bag. We immediately opened the bag and began to rummage through it. There was a few packages of freeze-dried food, a couple bottles of water, the GPS, as well as first aid supplies and a flare gun. "This is great, we'll be able to live off this for at least a week!" I exclaimed. I picked up the GPS and turned it on. It spent several minutes calibrating and locating the satellite but it eventually came up with a map. "Guys were in luck! A town called Noril'sk is only about twenty kilometers north of here. We could probably reach it by nightfall if we hurry," I said pointing in the direction the GPS was showing. "Well then let's get movin'!" Sergei announced before striding off in the wrong direction. "Sergei, its the other way..." I said flatly. "I knew that!" he replied before taking off in the right direction with us in tow. We began walking across the frozen tundra chatting as we went. We were acting quite casual for being in an airplane crash just hours ago but we could care none the less. We mainly talked about what we would tell the authorities upon reaching Noril'sk and starting acting out what the police would say when we came up and said, 'Hey, we were in an airplane crash and hiked 20 kilometers across the frozen tundra to your town. Mind if we use your phone?' Most of the scenarios ending with us laughing our asses off. I looked over my shoulder occasionally to try to see if we could still see the burning wreckage. They would probably send out a search team to look for other survivors once we reached Noril'sk so I wanted to make sure they could find the wreckage easily. I guess the smoke plume would be a great beacon because we could still see it long after the plane itself went out of sight, I looked over to the GPS again and determined we were still around 6 kilometers out. Even at this distance we should probably be seeing the town soon due to the flat expanse of the Siberian tundra. My prediction was soon proved correct as all of a sudden Sergei stopped and shouted out "Look!" and pointed off into the horizon. Sure enough, what looked like a small town nestled by a frozen river came into view. "Thank god, I'm starting to lose feeling in my toes," Makar said. "C'mon guys, lets get us a nice warm cup of coffee!" I yelled before charging in the direction of the town. We quickened our pace as the sun began to lower on the horizon and the already cold temperatures began to drop even further. The average temperature in Siberia during the month of December is around 9 degrees Fahrenheit during the day, and -10 or so degrees at night. We were already pretty cold from walking across the Siberian plains but subzero temperatures were definitely a no-no in our current situation. Now the actual time of day was around 12:30 pm according to the GPS, but we were so far north that the day only lasts around an hour and a half this time of year. We happened to be lucky enough to set out in the warmest part of the day as the record low for this area of Siberia in December is something like -60 degrees Fahrenheit. Today was a surprisingly temperate day though. According to our one-of-a-kind GPS,it was a decent 18 degrees for this time of year plus the fact that we had grabbed some discarded garments as we departed the crash sight to keep warm. Luckily there wasn't much snow cover in this area because we would've probably frozen to death by now if that had been the case. "So guys, are we still gonna take that trip?" I asked jokingly. "Fuck yeah! No plane crash is gonna get me down! Lets just take the train this time..." Sergei replied much to our amusement. "That's the spirit!" I replied with mock enthusiasm. "So guys," Makar started, "It looks like we'll be spending the next few months shielded by the feds while they investigate the crash. I think in all seriousness that we should postpone our Christmas trip till next year OK? It wouldn't be a very fun vacation if we had the government trying to hunt our asses down every chance they got." "Agreed, but I'm still getting a nice cup of coffee and a whole bottle of vodka once we reach the town. Ain't nothing like gettin' drunk to quell PTSD." I replied with a shit-eating grin. "Speaking if PTSD, what are the fucking odds that we are the only three guys to come out of that burning wreck relatively unscathed. We must be the luckiest guys in the world! We should go gambling!" Sergei exclaimed rubbing his hands together while we rolled our eyes. "Don't come crying back to me when you waste your life savings away in a casino," I retorted. "Shut up Yegor, I ain't gonna come grovelling to your loaded ass for money," Sergei replied. "That's what they all say..." I replied with a smirk while Makar looked on with disapproval. About a kilometer out from the city, we ran across a paved two-lane road heading our direction so we decided to follow it. There were absolutely no cars but that wasn't much of a surprise considering where we were. Siberia isn't exactly a very inviting place during the winter... "So... Do you guys have any emergency contacts or anything cause all I've got is my bitch of a cousin Maria and I'm not callin' her" I asked. "I've got my brother and my overprotective parents," Sergei replied with a shrug. "I'm not looking forward to calling the latter though. They'll probably never let me leave the house ever again." "And I've got my mother and my two sisters. It's not like your in need of an emergency contact Yegor, you have more money the both of our families combined. I'll bet you could buy the deed to this entire town up ahead if you wanted to," Makar remarked. "And don't you forget it!" I said with a lopsided grin. After about twenty minutes of following the road a sign came into view. It read; Норильск Город Предел Высота над уровнем моря: 76 метров Население: 1000 (Noril'sk City Limit Elevation: 76 Meters Population: 1000) "We made it guys," I said with a sigh of relief, "Now how about a drink or two." "Sounds good to me!" Sergei said before we strolled onward into the town of Noril'sk... 3 Days Prior... In Previously Mentioned Siberian Town... My heart was pounding out of my chest. This whole situation was getting out of control and I didn't know what to do. Several others had already fallen before me and HE was now chasing me down. "C'mere you little pest...! C'mere and see the present I got you...!" his low pitched sinister voice called out to me. "Stay away from me you monster!" I cried back in desperation and blind fury. "That's not how you should talk to your savior you wretched human!" he replied in a mocking tone. In a momentary lapse of judgement, I looked back over my shoulder to try and get a glimpse of my assailant. That, unfortunately was the death of me. I felt my shoe hit something in front of me and my body began to topple over onto the frozen tundra. I landed with a grunt and skidded along a bit before coming to rest against a small tool shed. My body was unresponsive as I tried to get up and my eyes turned back to where I came from. Standing in the shadows of the early dusk was HIM. "You ran well human, but I'm afraid you fell just like your comrades..." he hissed with delight. He slowly approached my frozen body and I could see the vile in his hand. "No, no ,no please!" I begged through painful breaths. "It's to late for that now... I'm afraid your going to have to join your friends..." he replied coolly. He took the final step towards me and through some unknown force pushed my jaw open. He then proceeded to shove the vile in my mouth and force me to down a least a pint of the foul tasting substance. Almost immediately after it went down my throat, I began to feel drowsy. My eyelids were drooping and my vision was blurring. Here I was, useless to fend HIM off like countless others before me. My last vision before blacking out was HIM walking away to find his next victim... Author's Note Ooh, so much cliffhanger. Except not really cause the next chapter's already done... heh, heh... The italics part was from the perspective of a not yet introduced character in case your lost. I will continue to write italic first-person segments from his perspective until he actually meets the main characters in the next two chapters (spoiler alert!). Despite living in the United States, I'm going to use the metric system for measurements. Its a lot simpler to do things in multiples of ten rather than 12 inches in a foot, 3 feet in a yard, 1760 yards in a mile. Also the actual population of Noril'sk, Russia is about 175,000. I'm downplaying the population to 1000 or so to add effect to the story. Hope you all enjoyed the chapter! -CommunistTaco [3] Welcome to Noril'sk?As we walked into town it seemed like something was off. No-one and I mean literally no-one was on the street or even visible through any windows. All the shops were closed, every last one of them and the town seemed all but deserted. "Um guys, is it possible that this is a ghost town?" I voiced in concern. "I don't think so. Nothing here looks worn down. Everything seems to have been abandoned in the last few days or so." Makar replied rubbing his chin with a hand. "This is creepy man. It reminds me of those zombie apocalypse movies I used to watch in high school," Sergei said shakily. "I sincerely doubt its zombies Sergei," I replied coolly, "There has to be a logical explanation to this." "Look! There's the police station! Maybe we can find some answer there!" Makar exclaimed pointing to a building that clearly read Станция Норильский полиции (Noril'sk Police Station). We broke into a brisk jog to the small local police building and were pleasantly surprised to find the door unlocked. The small reception area was completely empty and the four holding cells in the back were also void of human beings. This mystery was getting the best of us and we still had no clues. "Where's fucking Sherlock Holmes when you need him!?" I snapped getting frustrated. "In England where he belongs. Now lets try looking through some of the paperwork on this desk." Sergei said pointing a finger at said desk. We began sifting through the endless papers of reports of random petty crimes like shoplifting and disturbing the peace. Then I pulled up one report that captured my eye. Noril'sk Police Report Date: December 16, 2014 Time: 10:39 pm Felony Reported: Breaking and Entering Details: Middle-aged woman by the name of Ellen Barishnokov reported a male assailant broke into her home and drugged her husband and son with unknown substance (most likely poison or chloroform). Call was cut short by what sounded like a struggle, officers deployed to scene. Reports of unconscious people upon entering the hom... The comment cut out right there with a smudge mark that looked like the person had been forcefully removed from the desk "Guys take a look at this!" I exclaimed showing them the police report. "That is strange. What could of happened to this guy?" Makar questioned with a stumped look on his face. "Maybe well find out if we look around the town a bit more," Sergei suggested shrugging his shoulders. "Good idea. C'mon guys," I replied as I walked out the door. The sun had long since set over the horizon and the town was now engulfed in the artificial light of street lamps. We continued looking around the main street finding nothing really of interest. All we saw were closed shops and empty houses as far the eye could see. "This is fucking creepy. How do 1000 people just vanish into thin air?" I asked astounded. "Oh shit, maybe there was a serial killer that murdered everyone!!!" Sergei exclaimed glancing around nervously. "I sincerely doubt that considering it's been 3 days since whatever happened occurred and no feds or police have arrived to lock this place down. If it was a serial killer, word would've most likely gotten out before he could kill every member of the town." Makar explained. "Then what could of happened?" I asked. "I'm not sure.. But I say we find out!" Makar replied. I stopped in my tracks upon spotting something on the ground. An iPhone... "Hey guys look!" I said pointing to the object an then picking it up. I pressed the power button and was pleasantly surprised that it still had power after being out in the freezing cold for days. I slid the screen to find that whoever was the idiot that owned this phone didn't keep it unlocked. What I was greeted with startled me. The dial pad was currently open and the number 112 (Russian Emergency Phone Number) was displayed. It looked like someone had been trying to call for help but was interrupted just before they could make the call. "Look how close they were to getting word out that something was wrong..." I said sadly showing my friends the phone. "One tap of the finger and they would've been able to possibly save the lives of the townsfolk." Sergei said in the same solemn tone as I just did. Just then the phone screen flashed and died out as the phone finally succumbed to the frozen air. I had been reaching to actually dial the emergency number at that moment and threw the phone on the ground after it denied me my call. "Fuck, now we can't call for help!" I exclaimed in frustration. We all just sat there for a moment before deciding to continue our venture into the city of the unknown... Today had been rough. After waking up and finding the transformations, I had to figure out how to walk correctly again much to my frustration. I had been wandering through the now-deserted town since noon. I found everyone else in the same condition as me and helped them set up a refugee camp. It turns out that I was out for 3 whole days and I couldn't be angrier at the idiot who did this to me. HE was no longer present and I presumed he crawled back into whatever hole he came out of. I was walking along the main street of my desolate home town and began strolling down the now dark road. Suddenly, I heard voice of some sort and dived into an alleyway out of instinct... "T--s -s f----n- c-e--y. H-w d- ----sa-- p-o-l- v--is- i-to th-n a-r" I heard a distant voice say. I couldn't make out the words but someone else was definitely here. I peeked around the corner and was astonished at what I saw. Three young men were walking down the road conversing as they went... And I had thought that HE had gotten the whole town... They were talking about something that I couldn't quite make out until they managed to get within earshot. "Hey look!" one of the shouted pointing at something on the ground. They all rushed around him as he picked up what looked to be a cellphone... my cellphone to be exact. I had dropped during my chase with HIM while trying to dial 112 for help. They began examining it and even managed to power it on and notice my failed attempt at dialing for help. Yeah I leave my phone unlocked, so what? After discussing something that was muddled to my ears the one that had picked up the phone shouted out in anger and threw it on the ground. "That's my phone you prick.." I muttered under my breath. Oh well not like it was much use to me anyway. They began walking down the street again and I dipped back into the shadows of the alleyway until I was sure they had passed. I decided right then and there to follow them and maybe figure out just how they escaped the fate of the rest of us... I looked down a side street and saw a building that caught my attention. Норильский химических исследований фонда (Noril'sk Chemical Research Facility) said the sign out front. And another godsend was several lights were on inside. "Guys we should go in there. Maybe there's a scientist inside who can explain what's going on," I said pointing to the pastel white concrete facility. "Anything sounds good right now, lets go already," Sergei whined. We began our approach on the chemical research facility with high hopes. My dad was a well known Russian chemist before he passed away and I could possibly gain some respect by mentioning he was my father. He had even took the time to teach me the basics of chemistry when I was in kindergarten in hopes that I would follow in his footsteps. After his death, I never had interest in chemistry again but my very limited knowledge might useful as of now. I pushed open the front door relieved to find it unlocked and stepped into the lobby. It was a plain white lobby like you would find in a hospital with a bench pressed against the wall. The reception desk was empty which was strange and the security system seemed to not be working considering the security cameras on the receptionist's monitor all stated 'OFFLINE'. "This place is just as weird as the last. Lets stay together and search rooms alright?" I commanded. "Fine with me," Makar said nodding. We began searching the rooms of the research facility. I made sure grab us some gas masks in case we would need them at any point. The first few rooms were pretty pointless considering they were just small offices that provided no information whatsoever. The seventh room we cam across was a laboratory but it had nothing of interest, just research for a new herbicide. The second lab we came across was just as unhelpful containing research for a more effective cold medicine. We continued down to the last of the three labs on the first floor and read the sign on the door. Laboratory 47A Authorized Personnel Only On the door handle was what looked like a key code but to our luck the door was ajar allowing us access. I flipped on the light switch and was greeted by a much larger lab than the previous two. I walked over to the file cabinet and began sifting through the papers. One stack of documents caught my eye so I picked up the first page and read the title. Project 56457G Genetic Manipulation of Humans [CLASSIFIED] "Oh shit look at this" I exclaimed beckoning my two friends over. The pile of documents I had the grabbed the first one from contained all sorts of research on human cloning and human development including research on how to manipulate human genomes. "This is fucking sick! Look at all the creepy stuff these guys were researching!" Makar exclaimed. "I know, who the fuck would authorize such cruel research?" Sergei said solemnly. I left the documents for Makar and Sergei to look at the rest of the laboratory. A whole chemistry station was set up and running, producing what appeared to be a neon blue substance. Upon closer inspection I read that the liquid was 'Formula P'. I picked up a vile of the stuff and read label more closely. FORMULA P Ingredients: [CLASSIFIED] Safe For Human Consumption: YES Application: CAN BE CONSUMED RAW OR IN FOOD AS WELL AS ABSORBED THROUGH SKIN. 10 ML REQUIRED TO TAKE EFFECT EFFECTS: [CLASSIFIED] I looked at the neon substance a bit more. It was like nothing I had ever seen before. The contents seemed to swirl in vile like there was some invisible current running through them. I decided to call my friends over to see what they thought. "Hey guys come over and look at this!" After reading the label Makar eased the cork of the top. "Whoa there, we don't know what that does," Sergei said uneasily. "It said it was safe for human consumption. I doubt it could be that bad..." Makar replied sticking out a finger and slowly turning the vile over. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," a new voice came from behind us startling us and causing Makar to nearly drop the vile. We whirled around and were absolutely stunned at what we saw. "Holy shit!" Sergei exclaimed backing up. It front of us was the most confusing thing I had ever seen in my 23 years of life... Author's Note Ponies start next chapter folks! SO BE PREPARED. I kid of course. Hope you all enjoyed chapter three! -CommunistTaco [4] Fiction Becomes RealityIn front of me was what I can only describe as a small horse, or pony I guess. That would have been totally fine was it not a light blue color with freakishly large eyes and a tattoo of a roll of parchment and a quill on its rear. I was also pretty sure it had just talked to me. "Holy fucking shit! What the fucking hell is that thing!" Sergei screamed right in my ear causing me to flinch. Makar on the other hand was exclaiming 'Svyatoye der'mo!' ( Holy crap!) as fast as he could with a panicked look in his eyes. "Guys calm the hell down!!!" I shouted silencing my frantic buddies. I turned back to the pony thing that had what looked like a bemused expression on its face. "At least somepony here is able to stay calm," it said in a masculine voice. "How is it that you're talking?" I asked trying to suppress my urges to either stab the pony repeatedly or turn tail and run. The pony looked at me and then did what seemed to be the equine version of a shrug. "I don't know... I was human like three days ago so I do speak Russian," he said. "What the hell happened to make you turn into... this?!" I demanded. "Well that blue shit that your friend was about to touch, it's what did this to me," he replied gesturing to the vile that Makar was still holding. Makar's pupils dilated in shock upon hearing this and he immediately put the vile back where he found it to ensure his own safety. "Thank fucking god you interrupted me. I don't think I would want to end up like you," Makar said recovering from the shock that he almost turned himself into a mutant colorful pony. "Names Ivan Bogdanovich," the pony said reaching out a hoof to me which I promptly shook. "Nice to meet you Ivan, my name's Yegor Baryshev the Eighth and these are my friends Makar Zheleznov and Sergei Rakossovsky," I replied with a small grin. "So," Ivan stared, "How are you guys not ponies? I thought HE got everypony three days ago..." "We just got here," I explained, "We were in a plane crash and wandered into town looking for help." "Holy shit! You fella's were in a plane crash?! Are you ok? Are there any other survivors?!" Ivan exclaimed. "We're fine, just a bit cold and hungry. And as far as we know, we're the only three survivors," I replied. "Well fuck, c'mon over to the refugee camp me and the other townsfolk set up. It's only a few blocks down the street," he said leading us out of the research facility and back into the darkened streets. We began walking along the moonlit streets discussing as we went. Ironically, Ivan was the owner of the phone that I destroyed earlier and we all had a good laugh about how frustrating those cheap plastic pieces of shit were. "So, just a quick question..." I started, "Why were you saying everypony instead of everyone or everybody?" "I have no idea," he replied, "Every time I try to say it normally my brain automatically changes it to 'everypony'." "That's strange... It's like your speaking a really strange dialect of Russian with equine substitutes for certain words," I stated with intrigue. "I know. The whole town is in the same situation as me too..." he said solemnly. "So who or what did this to you?" I asked. "I don't know. Most folks just call him No-Name. He never really told us who he was..." he replied. "Strange... I hope he doesn't come back around to get us..." I said nervously. "It's possible, that's why I think we should get to the refugee camp as soon as possible. He'll be less likely to spot you there," Ivan said ushering us on. We broke into a light jog down the street checking over our shoulders every so often to make sure no-one was following us. It looked like it was all clear as we approached a small recreation center that I assumed to be the refugee camp. We went inside through the front doors then into the gym and were greeted by an unbelievable sight. Ponies, as far as the eye could see. To my surprise some even had wings or horns adding mythological creatures to the list of fucked up shit in this town. Upon us entering they all turned to see who it was that had entered and seemed shocked to see my friends and I. A dark purple unicorn approached us upon seeing Ivan and spoke up. "Ivan? Who is this?" it asked in a feminine voice. "Hi ma'am, my name's Yegor and these are my friends Makar and Sergei." I said. "How did you survive the attack?! I though he got everypony!" she exclaimed. "We just got into town ma'am. We were looking for help after being in a plane crash." I replied. "You poor dears! Come over and get warm, you must be freezing. And feel free to help yourself to some food if you feel hungry," she said sympathetically. "Your too kind. Ivan filled us in on your town's 'situation' and I can't even imagine what your going through," I stated. "It's not so bad once you get used to it," she replied, "My names Eva by the way. I'm Ivan's wife." she said with a small smile. We walked over to a heater that had been set up near the center of the gym and began to thaw out our fingers and toes. The ponies were giving us odd looks but we took it as morbid curiosity rather than suspicion. Eva brought us some bread and water to munch on which we downed in ten seconds flat. We we're currently commencing in small talk over various things when we heard a loud *BANG* originating from outside. I jumped to my feet and ran to the door to see what could of created such a noise. I stepped outside with Makar, Sergei, and Ivan close on my tail. We inspected the building thoroughly but after finding nothing turned back to go inside. It was then that the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end sensing something. I spun around to find my self staring at a cloaked figure just across the street from where we were standing. He wore a pitch black cape and hood that shadowed his face and I could only assume that this was the fabled No-Name. "Well, well, well. What do we have here? A few lowly humans that I missed?" he said in a chilling voice. "Fuck off you sick psychopath!" I shouted. "Oh, we have a feisty one do we" he replied raising what looked like some sort of weapon and pointing it at me. "How about we fix that attitude of yours..." Just as he pulled the trigger, I dove for the ground and whatever he fired at me zoomed over my head and hit the wall behind me. I looked back to see a syringe with some of that blue shit in it embedded into the concrete structure. "Guys! Get inside! He's trying to get us with that shit he fucked Ivan over with!" I shouted. Makar and Sergei immediately reacted bolting inside the door while Ivan remained. It made sense considering he was already under the effects of Formula P. I got to my feet just as No-Name aimed to fire again. I looked back in fear as he gave me a grin of malice that made my blood turn cold. I lunged for the door with all my might just as he pulled the trigger. Everything turned into a blur as I flew through the air towards the doors. I was going to make it..... so close...... just a bit further.... and then *BAM* The syringe hit its mark.... I flew through the doors and landed on my stomach. I looked back to see a syringe inserted into my thigh. I ripped it out to try and avoid the shit taking effect but it was too late. I had already been injected and was beginning to feel woozy. Makar and Sergei rushed to my side to see if I was OK. I tryed to wave them off but it was too late and they were hit themselves through the still open door. The last thing I remember was being dragged away and the door shutting behind me... I was drifting around my unconscious as I waited for Formula P to work its shit. Memories of my early childhood floated here and there and I was rather bored. That was until everything came to a grinding halt and my visions shifted to a pitch black void of nothingness. "Ugh, finally!" a voice rang out in the emptiness of the void. "Who's there?!" I demanded. "Not to fear, I mean you no harm," the voice rang out again in a much softer voice. In front of me materialized what appeared to be a large blue pony with both a horn and wings. It also had a crown and chest plate suggesting it to be royalty and its mane and tail seemed to blow in a non-existent breeze. "Wh-who are you?" I asked nervously. "I am Princess Luna, ruler of the night. Pleasure to meet you," she stated. "Uh nice to meet you too, my names Yegor..." I replied still a bit confused about what was going on. "Indeed. Now first let me tell you, this is not your imagination, we truly are talking. We are merely inside a section of your subconscious better known as the dreamscape. I know this may seem far fetched but I ask that you pay attention to the information I'm about to give very carefully." "Um ok... so why are you here?" I asked trying not to sound like a complete idiot. "My sister and I have gotten word that a rogue pony from our dimension has somehow traveled through space and time to yours and is converting your species into ponies to form an army. His name is Psikh and he is extremely dangerous. The fact that I am amble to enter your dreamscape must mean he has already converted you." "Sounds about right. He shot me in the leg a little while ago and my body is being converted now I think..." I replied scratching the back of my neck. "Well I'm afraid my time with you must be short lived due to us being in separate dimensions so lets get down to business shall we? Psikh must be stopped at all costs. I do not know his weaknesses, but I do know that he often lets his arrogance blindside him. If he isn't stopped soon I'm afraid he may overpower your species, humans was it?, and use you as a force to overthrown my sister and I's kingdom. I rely on you to relay this information to everypony else." "This seems like a lot to do... I don't really think I'm the right guy for the job either... but I'll try my best!" I said with hope in my eyes. "Thank you Yegor, until we meet again..." Luna said before fading back out of existence. As my presence in the dreamscape faded I could only grimace at the humongous task that lay before me.
[1] The FlightAuthor's Note DISCLAIMER: This story is not in any way related to the 1961 novel "The Winter of Our Discontent" by John Steinbeck or to William Shakespeare's "Richard III". The title exists as it is for appropriate for the setting of the story as well as the plot line. Enjoy! -CommunistTaco [1] The Flight ACT ONE "I can't believe you still have the old cabin out in Vladivostok," I remarked, "Its probably falling apart after all these years..." "Nah, It'll be fine, trust me," Makar remarked. "My old man built that cabin as strong as can be so there's no way its in shambles after only five years." "I don't know Makar, your father was prone to exaggeration," Sergei commented. "I wouldn't be surprised to arrive there and find out that the cabin burned down years ago." "Shut up Sergei, my father was not that prone to exaggeration." Makar barked drawing the attention of some of the passengers, "Let's just sit back, relax, and enjoy our flight OK?" "That's fine with me," I replied putting my hands behind my head, "A little R&R will do me some good." Within five minutes the droning of the planes engine had lulled me to sleep... I suppose I should introduce myself. The names Yegor Baryshev VIII. I keep the VIII off my name most of time because its quite a mouthful and I'm the only one of the eight Yegor Baryshevs still alive. I was born on January 23rd, 1991 in Astrakhan of the diminishing Soviet Union. My father, Yegor Baryshev VII decided to make me the eighth person in his family to bear his name and hence the VIII on the end of my name. My father was a chemistry expert working for the Soviet government at the time of my birth. He, along with my mother and I, lived in a modest manor on the banks of the Volga River. He spent his days in his laboratory in our basement mixing chemicals and trying to find new lethal gas recipes. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, he took a four month leave of absence before the new Russian Government under Boris Yeltsin hired him to continue his work where he left off. One fateful day though, on September 2nd, 1997 my father was experimenting with a new lethal gas formula he been working on in months prior. It was just an accidental slip-of-the-fingers, and he dropped the vile containing the fatal gas. Gas filled the lab and he was killed within minutes from the lethal toxins. The fire department arrived, but they could do nothing to save my father's life. We buried his remains in the Astrakhan cemetery four weeks after his untimely death. My mother was the most devastated by our loss and I believe that I was the only reason she didn't end her own life right then and there. I lived the rest of my young life without a father and was moderately happy. I was only 6 when my father died so he didn't have a tremendous impact on my life like he had my mother's. My mother never remarried in the 12 years before her death, her heart remaining loyal to her first and only husband. My teenage years were fairly mundane for me. My father had amassed a small fortune working for the government so I was sent to the most prestigious private school in the region. I found great interest in instrumental music and obtained a talent for playing the bass trombone. By my senior year, I was receiving scholarships from music and arts schools all throughout Russia. I eventually decided to attend the Gnessin State Musical College in Moscow. I graduated high school on May 24th, 2009 with a 3.8 GPA and a great opportunity for the future. Unfortunately for me, ten days after my high school graduation, my mother died of a heart attack while exercising in our home gym. The paramedics said we could of saved her had anyone been home to alert them sooner. I took the news hard as my mother had really been the only person there for me in the twelve years after my father's death. I delayed my move to Moscow six weeks so I could attend the funeral and speak on my mothers behalf. She ended up leaving everything to me; the house, the several million rubles left from my father's fortune, and all of her possessions. I donated all my father's old lab equipment to a local university in need of it and sold the manor for a hefty price of 154,000,000 rubles (approx 4.27 million USD). I set off for Moscow with more cash than 99% of the population, and high hopes for the future. Upon arriving in Moscow, I rented a two bedroom apartment about two blocks from my college. It was a modest place, nothing fancy but nice none the less. I considered renting out the other bedroom to someone but I didn't really need the money and having an extra bedroom just in case seemed logical. At my new college, I met my two best friends in the world, Makar Zheleznov and Sergei Rakossovsky. Both were instrumental musicians like myself and were so much in common with me that we hit it off immediately. We spent our college days getting drunk and going to parties as well as just hanging out and practicing our instruments. We all expect to graduate at the end of next semester and are all excited to do so. It is currently, December 20th and me and my buds are headed to Vladivostok for Christmas Vacation. Apparently Makar's father used to own a cabin before he passed away and now Makar is treating us to two weeks there. We are currently on a direct flight from Moscow to Vladivostok flying over the desolate terrain of Siberia. Vladivostok is a fairly southern city so there will be little snow there much to our content. Now where were we... BOOM! A loud bang jolted me awake from my slumber. "What the hell was that?!!" I exclaimed frantically looking around for the source of the noise. "Holy shit the engine's on fire!" Makar exclaimed pointing out the window. Sure enough a long trail of flame was protruding from the engine. It was barely visible though as we seemed to be flying through clouds of some sort. "The other ones in flames too!" A passenger shouted from other side of the cabin. It was right then and there that panic ensued... Flight attendants were rushing down the isles trying to keep everyone calm and in their seats but you could see the fear on their faces as well. We continued to stare out the window in horror as flames flew out the back of the engines at a rapid rate. It was a horrible but beautiful display and we couldn't tear our eyes away from it. Then, all of a sudden, silence... Everything just seemed to stop, the engines stopped spurting flames, the panic died down, and we were greeted by overwhelming silence. At first it seemed that everything was alright until I realized that silence meant the engines weren't running at all and that we were literally dropping out of the sky. Slowly everyone realized this and began to panic all over again. It wasn't as desperate and chaotic as before, but panic was written on everyone's faces. "What the hell's wrong with the plane?!!!" one person shouted. "We're all gonna die!" another passenger screamed before the cabin went back to silence We just sat there in dumbstruck silence for what seemed like hours before a small beep sounded that indicated the pilots were speaking through the PA system. "Ladies and Gentlemen this is your captain speaking. We are experiencing extreme technical difficulties and both our engines have flamed out. We are currently attempting to fix the problem as well as trying to find a safe place to land. Due to engine failure, the power to the lights as well as the PA system will cut out shortly. We thought it necessary to inform you of the situation beforehand, and we ask you not to panic, remain seated with your seat belt fastened, and take deep breaths. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding and I hope we all make it back home safe. Good da...*schchch*..." And with that the PA and the lights cut out. We were in total darkness and flying blind over Siberia in the middle of winter. Not exactly a situation you want to be in. "Guys, I just want you to know in case we don't make it, I've always considered you two as part of my family." I said with sadness in my eyes. "Don't talk like that Yegor. We'll be just fine, I know it," Makar said trying to avoid defeatist talking. "Yeah, we'll make it out of this. I bet the pilots will have us on the ground safely in no time," Segei replied. "I sure hope so..." I said staring off into space. Today was supposed a great day but now it was turning into one of horror and tragedy. I was looking forward to sitting by the fire in a cabin by the same time tomorrow but now it looked like I would be stranded somewhere in Siberia. The plane continued to slowly fall out of the sky as we all just tried to have casual conversation. We were doing everything to take our situation off our minds but it just wasn't working. We were currently gliding down into the Siberian tundra in a giant steel glider with no way to slow our descent. Not exactly something you can really take your mind off of. I took some time to pick up a napkin and write down a small will and testament. To whom this may concern, My name is Yegor Baryshev VIII and this is my last will and testament. Upon my death I wish to be buried in Astrakhan Cemetery alongside my parents. I leave my fortune and possessions to either be divided among my two friends Makar Zheleznov and Sergei Rakossovsky. If neither are able to accept my things and money, I wish to give it to my only surviving relative Maria Baryshev, my first cousin. I give my faith to whomever finds this to see its terms fulfilled. Thank you, Yegor Baryshev VIII I put the napkin in my pocket so that they could identify my body or to rip up later depending on how my current situation played out. As I did the flights attendants came running down the isle yelling something I couldn't quite hear. "Brace for impact everyone, brace for impact!" After I understood what they were saying I immediately got in the brace position demonstrated in the safety exercise at the beginning of the flight. I could hear my heart pounding away in my chest as adrenaline filled my veins. "This is it guys!" I shouted over the commotion in the cabin. My friends seemed to acknowledge me but made no comments of their own. We all awaited the collision that just seemed to never come. I almost tried to poke my head up to see if we were close to the ground but decided against it. Then just as it seemed we would never reach the ground the plane struck the frozen tundra. BANG! The entire cabin lurched as we collided with the Earth and skidded along the ground. At first it seemed we would safely come to a stop but then the fuselage snapped and we were sent flying around in all directions. My heart was racing and I was becoming extremely dizzy. I lost consciousness as the debris came crashing back down upon me and I couldn't of been more scared. All I remember is hearing a distant ringing sound... and then blackness.
[2] A MiracleYou know all those stories where the character's life 'flashes before their eyes' upon realizing their impending doom? Well let me tell you that is a load of bullshit. All I got in those moments before I lost consciousness was an incoherent mess of panic and metal smashing against other metal. It was a surreal experience you know; dying. Unfortunately for me, I wasn't exactly dead... I woke with a start breathing in a few deep breaths of cold winter air. The first thing I noticed was that I was currently lying under a large piece of the fuselage. It was a decently sized rectangular piece of metal that was curved allowing my body to fit underneath it and also providing a cocoon to prevent me suffering from frostbite. I had ended up alive, and for that I was grateful. My limbs weren't exactly functional due to me being in shock but I was alive dammit. I sat in the warm cocoon wandering if my friends had been as lucky as I had. They were the only family I really had left and I couldn't handle going to any more funerals. Makar and Sergei were my two best friends and losing them now would not do me good. Heck I still wasn't sure I would make it out alive considering I was stranded in Siberia in the middle of winter. Eventually I regained control of my limbs and began to work on getting the fuselage fragment off me. It was light due to the aerodynamic nature of the aircraft so I was able easily slide it off me and stand up. Around me was what I can only describe as utter destruction. The plane itself was ripped into at least six pieces, not including the wings, and bodies of poor souls not as fortunate as I littered the ground. A black plume of smoke rose up into the sky from the countless jet fuel fires whose flames engulfed the largest sections of the cabin still intact. The cockpit of the plane had skidded at least fifty meters off to the side of the plane and was mangled beyond belief. I sincerely doubted any of the pilots survived considering the condition of the flight deck. The sun was beginning to creep up over the horizon and was shining an orange glow down on the burning wreck. As light began to litter the landscape more objects came into view. Countless articles of clothing from people's suitcases were scattered as far a the eye could see along with assorted papers that businessmen carried around in their briefcases. What I saw next not only a huge relief but also restored my hopes that I would be alright. About thirty meters to my right were Makar and Sergei huddled around a fire burning from leaking jet fuel. I quickly strode over happy to see my friends. It was hard walking at first due to being pinned under the sheet of fuselage but I got the hang of it after a few steps. "Makar, Sergei! Thank god you guys are all right!" I exclaimed upon reaching my friends. Both of them looked up at me with disbelief in their eyes and I could see both had been crying. "Holy shit Yegor is that you?! We thought you were dead!" Sergei exclaimed. "What?! really?" I asked. "Yeah, when we woke up still in our seats and you were missing we assumed the worst. Its great to know you're alright." Makar said still a bit shocked from my sudden appearance. We all pulled in for a quick 'glad your alive' hug and then began to plot what we should do next. "Are there any other survivors?" I asked. "None that we've seen, I think we just got extremely lucky," Makar remarked. "Well in that case we better try to find some shelter and soon," I replied looking around. "I managed to snag an emergency kit from the plane. It has rations as well as a GPS, we could use that to find the nearest town." Sergei said pointing to a red bag. We immediately opened the bag and began to rummage through it. There was a few packages of freeze-dried food, a couple bottles of water, the GPS, as well as first aid supplies and a flare gun. "This is great, we'll be able to live off this for at least a week!" I exclaimed. I picked up the GPS and turned it on. It spent several minutes calibrating and locating the satellite but it eventually came up with a map. "Guys were in luck! A town called Noril'sk is only about twenty kilometers north of here. We could probably reach it by nightfall if we hurry," I said pointing in the direction the GPS was showing. "Well then let's get movin'!" Sergei announced before striding off in the wrong direction. "Sergei, its the other way..." I said flatly. "I knew that!" he replied before taking off in the right direction with us in tow. We began walking across the frozen tundra chatting as we went. We were acting quite casual for being in an airplane crash just hours ago but we could care none the less. We mainly talked about what we would tell the authorities upon reaching Noril'sk and starting acting out what the police would say when we came up and said, 'Hey, we were in an airplane crash and hiked 20 kilometers across the frozen tundra to your town. Mind if we use your phone?' Most of the scenarios ending with us laughing our asses off. I looked over my shoulder occasionally to try to see if we could still see the burning wreckage. They would probably send out a search team to look for other survivors once we reached Noril'sk so I wanted to make sure they could find the wreckage easily. I guess the smoke plume would be a great beacon because we could still see it long after the plane itself went out of sight, I looked over to the GPS again and determined we were still around 6 kilometers out. Even at this distance we should probably be seeing the town soon due to the flat expanse of the Siberian tundra. My prediction was soon proved correct as all of a sudden Sergei stopped and shouted out "Look!" and pointed off into the horizon. Sure enough, what looked like a small town nestled by a frozen river came into view. "Thank god, I'm starting to lose feeling in my toes," Makar said. "C'mon guys, lets get us a nice warm cup of coffee!" I yelled before charging in the direction of the town. We quickened our pace as the sun began to lower on the horizon and the already cold temperatures began to drop even further. The average temperature in Siberia during the month of December is around 9 degrees Fahrenheit during the day, and -10 or so degrees at night. We were already pretty cold from walking across the Siberian plains but subzero temperatures were definitely a no-no in our current situation. Now the actual time of day was around 12:30 pm according to the GPS, but we were so far north that the day only lasts around an hour and a half this time of year. We happened to be lucky enough to set out in the warmest part of the day as the record low for this area of Siberia in December is something like -60 degrees Fahrenheit. Today was a surprisingly temperate day though. According to our one-of-a-kind GPS,it was a decent 18 degrees for this time of year plus the fact that we had grabbed some discarded garments as we departed the crash sight to keep warm. Luckily there wasn't much snow cover in this area because we would've probably frozen to death by now if that had been the case. "So guys, are we still gonna take that trip?" I asked jokingly. "Fuck yeah! No plane crash is gonna get me down! Lets just take the train this time..." Sergei replied much to our amusement. "That's the spirit!" I replied with mock enthusiasm. "So guys," Makar started, "It looks like we'll be spending the next few months shielded by the feds while they investigate the crash. I think in all seriousness that we should postpone our Christmas trip till next year OK? It wouldn't be a very fun vacation if we had the government trying to hunt our asses down every chance they got." "Agreed, but I'm still getting a nice cup of coffee and a whole bottle of vodka once we reach the town. Ain't nothing like gettin' drunk to quell PTSD." I replied with a shit-eating grin. "Speaking if PTSD, what are the fucking odds that we are the only three guys to come out of that burning wreck relatively unscathed. We must be the luckiest guys in the world! We should go gambling!" Sergei exclaimed rubbing his hands together while we rolled our eyes. "Don't come crying back to me when you waste your life savings away in a casino," I retorted. "Shut up Yegor, I ain't gonna come grovelling to your loaded ass for money," Sergei replied. "That's what they all say..." I replied with a smirk while Makar looked on with disapproval. About a kilometer out from the city, we ran across a paved two-lane road heading our direction so we decided to follow it. There were absolutely no cars but that wasn't much of a surprise considering where we were. Siberia isn't exactly a very inviting place during the winter... "So... Do you guys have any emergency contacts or anything cause all I've got is my bitch of a cousin Maria and I'm not callin' her" I asked. "I've got my brother and my overprotective parents," Sergei replied with a shrug. "I'm not looking forward to calling the latter though. They'll probably never let me leave the house ever again." "And I've got my mother and my two sisters. It's not like your in need of an emergency contact Yegor, you have more money the both of our families combined. I'll bet you could buy the deed to this entire town up ahead if you wanted to," Makar remarked. "And don't you forget it!" I said with a lopsided grin. After about twenty minutes of following the road a sign came into view. It read; Норильск Город Предел Высота над уровнем моря: 76 метров Население: 1000 (Noril'sk City Limit Elevation: 76 Meters Population: 1000) "We made it guys," I said with a sigh of relief, "Now how about a drink or two." "Sounds good to me!" Sergei said before we strolled onward into the town of Noril'sk... 3 Days Prior... In Previously Mentioned Siberian Town... My heart was pounding out of my chest. This whole situation was getting out of control and I didn't know what to do. Several others had already fallen before me and HE was now chasing me down. "C'mere you little pest...! C'mere and see the present I got you...!" his low pitched sinister voice called out to me. "Stay away from me you monster!" I cried back in desperation and blind fury. "That's not how you should talk to your savior you wretched human!" he replied in a mocking tone. In a momentary lapse of judgement, I looked back over my shoulder to try and get a glimpse of my assailant. That, unfortunately was the death of me. I felt my shoe hit something in front of me and my body began to topple over onto the frozen tundra. I landed with a grunt and skidded along a bit before coming to rest against a small tool shed. My body was unresponsive as I tried to get up and my eyes turned back to where I came from. Standing in the shadows of the early dusk was HIM. "You ran well human, but I'm afraid you fell just like your comrades..." he hissed with delight. He slowly approached my frozen body and I could see the vile in his hand. "No, no ,no please!" I begged through painful breaths. "It's to late for that now... I'm afraid your going to have to join your friends..." he replied coolly. He took the final step towards me and through some unknown force pushed my jaw open. He then proceeded to shove the vile in my mouth and force me to down a least a pint of the foul tasting substance. Almost immediately after it went down my throat, I began to feel drowsy. My eyelids were drooping and my vision was blurring. Here I was, useless to fend HIM off like countless others before me. My last vision before blacking out was HIM walking away to find his next victim... Author's Note Ooh, so much cliffhanger. Except not really cause the next chapter's already done... heh, heh... The italics part was from the perspective of a not yet introduced character in case your lost. I will continue to write italic first-person segments from his perspective until he actually meets the main characters in the next two chapters (spoiler alert!). Despite living in the United States, I'm going to use the metric system for measurements. Its a lot simpler to do things in multiples of ten rather than 12 inches in a foot, 3 feet in a yard, 1760 yards in a mile. Also the actual population of Noril'sk, Russia is about 175,000. I'm downplaying the population to 1000 or so to add effect to the story. Hope you all enjoyed the chapter! -CommunistTaco
[3] Welcome to Noril'sk?As we walked into town it seemed like something was off. No-one and I mean literally no-one was on the street or even visible through any windows. All the shops were closed, every last one of them and the town seemed all but deserted. "Um guys, is it possible that this is a ghost town?" I voiced in concern. "I don't think so. Nothing here looks worn down. Everything seems to have been abandoned in the last few days or so." Makar replied rubbing his chin with a hand. "This is creepy man. It reminds me of those zombie apocalypse movies I used to watch in high school," Sergei said shakily. "I sincerely doubt its zombies Sergei," I replied coolly, "There has to be a logical explanation to this." "Look! There's the police station! Maybe we can find some answer there!" Makar exclaimed pointing to a building that clearly read Станция Норильский полиции (Noril'sk Police Station). We broke into a brisk jog to the small local police building and were pleasantly surprised to find the door unlocked. The small reception area was completely empty and the four holding cells in the back were also void of human beings. This mystery was getting the best of us and we still had no clues. "Where's fucking Sherlock Holmes when you need him!?" I snapped getting frustrated. "In England where he belongs. Now lets try looking through some of the paperwork on this desk." Sergei said pointing a finger at said desk. We began sifting through the endless papers of reports of random petty crimes like shoplifting and disturbing the peace. Then I pulled up one report that captured my eye. Noril'sk Police Report Date: December 16, 2014 Time: 10:39 pm Felony Reported: Breaking and Entering Details: Middle-aged woman by the name of Ellen Barishnokov reported a male assailant broke into her home and drugged her husband and son with unknown substance (most likely poison or chloroform). Call was cut short by what sounded like a struggle, officers deployed to scene. Reports of unconscious people upon entering the hom... The comment cut out right there with a smudge mark that looked like the person had been forcefully removed from the desk "Guys take a look at this!" I exclaimed showing them the police report. "That is strange. What could of happened to this guy?" Makar questioned with a stumped look on his face. "Maybe well find out if we look around the town a bit more," Sergei suggested shrugging his shoulders. "Good idea. C'mon guys," I replied as I walked out the door. The sun had long since set over the horizon and the town was now engulfed in the artificial light of street lamps. We continued looking around the main street finding nothing really of interest. All we saw were closed shops and empty houses as far the eye could see. "This is fucking creepy. How do 1000 people just vanish into thin air?" I asked astounded. "Oh shit, maybe there was a serial killer that murdered everyone!!!" Sergei exclaimed glancing around nervously. "I sincerely doubt that considering it's been 3 days since whatever happened occurred and no feds or police have arrived to lock this place down. If it was a serial killer, word would've most likely gotten out before he could kill every member of the town." Makar explained. "Then what could of happened?" I asked. "I'm not sure.. But I say we find out!" Makar replied. I stopped in my tracks upon spotting something on the ground. An iPhone... "Hey guys look!" I said pointing to the object an then picking it up. I pressed the power button and was pleasantly surprised that it still had power after being out in the freezing cold for days. I slid the screen to find that whoever was the idiot that owned this phone didn't keep it unlocked. What I was greeted with startled me. The dial pad was currently open and the number 112 (Russian Emergency Phone Number) was displayed. It looked like someone had been trying to call for help but was interrupted just before they could make the call. "Look how close they were to getting word out that something was wrong..." I said sadly showing my friends the phone. "One tap of the finger and they would've been able to possibly save the lives of the townsfolk." Sergei said in the same solemn tone as I just did. Just then the phone screen flashed and died out as the phone finally succumbed to the frozen air. I had been reaching to actually dial the emergency number at that moment and threw the phone on the ground after it denied me my call. "Fuck, now we can't call for help!" I exclaimed in frustration. We all just sat there for a moment before deciding to continue our venture into the city of the unknown... Today had been rough. After waking up and finding the transformations, I had to figure out how to walk correctly again much to my frustration. I had been wandering through the now-deserted town since noon. I found everyone else in the same condition as me and helped them set up a refugee camp. It turns out that I was out for 3 whole days and I couldn't be angrier at the idiot who did this to me. HE was no longer present and I presumed he crawled back into whatever hole he came out of. I was walking along the main street of my desolate home town and began strolling down the now dark road. Suddenly, I heard voice of some sort and dived into an alleyway out of instinct... "T--s -s f----n- c-e--y. H-w d- ----sa-- p-o-l- v--is- i-to th-n a-r" I heard a distant voice say. I couldn't make out the words but someone else was definitely here. I peeked around the corner and was astonished at what I saw. Three young men were walking down the road conversing as they went... And I had thought that HE had gotten the whole town... They were talking about something that I couldn't quite make out until they managed to get within earshot. "Hey look!" one of the shouted pointing at something on the ground. They all rushed around him as he picked up what looked to be a cellphone... my cellphone to be exact. I had dropped during my chase with HIM while trying to dial 112 for help. They began examining it and even managed to power it on and notice my failed attempt at dialing for help. Yeah I leave my phone unlocked, so what? After discussing something that was muddled to my ears the one that had picked up the phone shouted out in anger and threw it on the ground. "That's my phone you prick.." I muttered under my breath. Oh well not like it was much use to me anyway. They began walking down the street again and I dipped back into the shadows of the alleyway until I was sure they had passed. I decided right then and there to follow them and maybe figure out just how they escaped the fate of the rest of us... I looked down a side street and saw a building that caught my attention. Норильский химических исследований фонда (Noril'sk Chemical Research Facility) said the sign out front. And another godsend was several lights were on inside. "Guys we should go in there. Maybe there's a scientist inside who can explain what's going on," I said pointing to the pastel white concrete facility. "Anything sounds good right now, lets go already," Sergei whined. We began our approach on the chemical research facility with high hopes. My dad was a well known Russian chemist before he passed away and I could possibly gain some respect by mentioning he was my father. He had even took the time to teach me the basics of chemistry when I was in kindergarten in hopes that I would follow in his footsteps. After his death, I never had interest in chemistry again but my very limited knowledge might useful as of now. I pushed open the front door relieved to find it unlocked and stepped into the lobby. It was a plain white lobby like you would find in a hospital with a bench pressed against the wall. The reception desk was empty which was strange and the security system seemed to not be working considering the security cameras on the receptionist's monitor all stated 'OFFLINE'. "This place is just as weird as the last. Lets stay together and search rooms alright?" I commanded. "Fine with me," Makar said nodding. We began searching the rooms of the research facility. I made sure grab us some gas masks in case we would need them at any point. The first few rooms were pretty pointless considering they were just small offices that provided no information whatsoever. The seventh room we cam across was a laboratory but it had nothing of interest, just research for a new herbicide. The second lab we came across was just as unhelpful containing research for a more effective cold medicine. We continued down to the last of the three labs on the first floor and read the sign on the door. Laboratory 47A Authorized Personnel Only On the door handle was what looked like a key code but to our luck the door was ajar allowing us access. I flipped on the light switch and was greeted by a much larger lab than the previous two. I walked over to the file cabinet and began sifting through the papers. One stack of documents caught my eye so I picked up the first page and read the title. Project 56457G Genetic Manipulation of Humans [CLASSIFIED] "Oh shit look at this" I exclaimed beckoning my two friends over. The pile of documents I had the grabbed the first one from contained all sorts of research on human cloning and human development including research on how to manipulate human genomes. "This is fucking sick! Look at all the creepy stuff these guys were researching!" Makar exclaimed. "I know, who the fuck would authorize such cruel research?" Sergei said solemnly. I left the documents for Makar and Sergei to look at the rest of the laboratory. A whole chemistry station was set up and running, producing what appeared to be a neon blue substance. Upon closer inspection I read that the liquid was 'Formula P'. I picked up a vile of the stuff and read label more closely. FORMULA P Ingredients: [CLASSIFIED] Safe For Human Consumption: YES Application: CAN BE CONSUMED RAW OR IN FOOD AS WELL AS ABSORBED THROUGH SKIN. 10 ML REQUIRED TO TAKE EFFECT EFFECTS: [CLASSIFIED] I looked at the neon substance a bit more. It was like nothing I had ever seen before. The contents seemed to swirl in vile like there was some invisible current running through them. I decided to call my friends over to see what they thought. "Hey guys come over and look at this!" After reading the label Makar eased the cork of the top. "Whoa there, we don't know what that does," Sergei said uneasily. "It said it was safe for human consumption. I doubt it could be that bad..." Makar replied sticking out a finger and slowly turning the vile over. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," a new voice came from behind us startling us and causing Makar to nearly drop the vile. We whirled around and were absolutely stunned at what we saw. "Holy shit!" Sergei exclaimed backing up. It front of us was the most confusing thing I had ever seen in my 23 years of life... Author's Note Ponies start next chapter folks! SO BE PREPARED. I kid of course. Hope you all enjoyed chapter three! -CommunistTaco
[4] Fiction Becomes RealityIn front of me was what I can only describe as a small horse, or pony I guess. That would have been totally fine was it not a light blue color with freakishly large eyes and a tattoo of a roll of parchment and a quill on its rear. I was also pretty sure it had just talked to me. "Holy fucking shit! What the fucking hell is that thing!" Sergei screamed right in my ear causing me to flinch. Makar on the other hand was exclaiming 'Svyatoye der'mo!' ( Holy crap!) as fast as he could with a panicked look in his eyes. "Guys calm the hell down!!!" I shouted silencing my frantic buddies. I turned back to the pony thing that had what looked like a bemused expression on its face. "At least somepony here is able to stay calm," it said in a masculine voice. "How is it that you're talking?" I asked trying to suppress my urges to either stab the pony repeatedly or turn tail and run. The pony looked at me and then did what seemed to be the equine version of a shrug. "I don't know... I was human like three days ago so I do speak Russian," he said. "What the hell happened to make you turn into... this?!" I demanded. "Well that blue shit that your friend was about to touch, it's what did this to me," he replied gesturing to the vile that Makar was still holding. Makar's pupils dilated in shock upon hearing this and he immediately put the vile back where he found it to ensure his own safety. "Thank fucking god you interrupted me. I don't think I would want to end up like you," Makar said recovering from the shock that he almost turned himself into a mutant colorful pony. "Names Ivan Bogdanovich," the pony said reaching out a hoof to me which I promptly shook. "Nice to meet you Ivan, my name's Yegor Baryshev the Eighth and these are my friends Makar Zheleznov and Sergei Rakossovsky," I replied with a small grin. "So," Ivan stared, "How are you guys not ponies? I thought HE got everypony three days ago..." "We just got here," I explained, "We were in a plane crash and wandered into town looking for help." "Holy shit! You fella's were in a plane crash?! Are you ok? Are there any other survivors?!" Ivan exclaimed. "We're fine, just a bit cold and hungry. And as far as we know, we're the only three survivors," I replied. "Well fuck, c'mon over to the refugee camp me and the other townsfolk set up. It's only a few blocks down the street," he said leading us out of the research facility and back into the darkened streets. We began walking along the moonlit streets discussing as we went. Ironically, Ivan was the owner of the phone that I destroyed earlier and we all had a good laugh about how frustrating those cheap plastic pieces of shit were. "So, just a quick question..." I started, "Why were you saying everypony instead of everyone or everybody?" "I have no idea," he replied, "Every time I try to say it normally my brain automatically changes it to 'everypony'." "That's strange... It's like your speaking a really strange dialect of Russian with equine substitutes for certain words," I stated with intrigue. "I know. The whole town is in the same situation as me too..." he said solemnly. "So who or what did this to you?" I asked. "I don't know. Most folks just call him No-Name. He never really told us who he was..." he replied. "Strange... I hope he doesn't come back around to get us..." I said nervously. "It's possible, that's why I think we should get to the refugee camp as soon as possible. He'll be less likely to spot you there," Ivan said ushering us on. We broke into a light jog down the street checking over our shoulders every so often to make sure no-one was following us. It looked like it was all clear as we approached a small recreation center that I assumed to be the refugee camp. We went inside through the front doors then into the gym and were greeted by an unbelievable sight. Ponies, as far as the eye could see. To my surprise some even had wings or horns adding mythological creatures to the list of fucked up shit in this town. Upon us entering they all turned to see who it was that had entered and seemed shocked to see my friends and I. A dark purple unicorn approached us upon seeing Ivan and spoke up. "Ivan? Who is this?" it asked in a feminine voice. "Hi ma'am, my name's Yegor and these are my friends Makar and Sergei." I said. "How did you survive the attack?! I though he got everypony!" she exclaimed. "We just got into town ma'am. We were looking for help after being in a plane crash." I replied. "You poor dears! Come over and get warm, you must be freezing. And feel free to help yourself to some food if you feel hungry," she said sympathetically. "Your too kind. Ivan filled us in on your town's 'situation' and I can't even imagine what your going through," I stated. "It's not so bad once you get used to it," she replied, "My names Eva by the way. I'm Ivan's wife." she said with a small smile. We walked over to a heater that had been set up near the center of the gym and began to thaw out our fingers and toes. The ponies were giving us odd looks but we took it as morbid curiosity rather than suspicion. Eva brought us some bread and water to munch on which we downed in ten seconds flat. We we're currently commencing in small talk over various things when we heard a loud *BANG* originating from outside. I jumped to my feet and ran to the door to see what could of created such a noise. I stepped outside with Makar, Sergei, and Ivan close on my tail. We inspected the building thoroughly but after finding nothing turned back to go inside. It was then that the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end sensing something. I spun around to find my self staring at a cloaked figure just across the street from where we were standing. He wore a pitch black cape and hood that shadowed his face and I could only assume that this was the fabled No-Name. "Well, well, well. What do we have here? A few lowly humans that I missed?" he said in a chilling voice. "Fuck off you sick psychopath!" I shouted. "Oh, we have a feisty one do we" he replied raising what looked like some sort of weapon and pointing it at me. "How about we fix that attitude of yours..." Just as he pulled the trigger, I dove for the ground and whatever he fired at me zoomed over my head and hit the wall behind me. I looked back to see a syringe with some of that blue shit in it embedded into the concrete structure. "Guys! Get inside! He's trying to get us with that shit he fucked Ivan over with!" I shouted. Makar and Sergei immediately reacted bolting inside the door while Ivan remained. It made sense considering he was already under the effects of Formula P. I got to my feet just as No-Name aimed to fire again. I looked back in fear as he gave me a grin of malice that made my blood turn cold. I lunged for the door with all my might just as he pulled the trigger. Everything turned into a blur as I flew through the air towards the doors. I was going to make it..... so close...... just a bit further.... and then *BAM* The syringe hit its mark.... I flew through the doors and landed on my stomach. I looked back to see a syringe inserted into my thigh. I ripped it out to try and avoid the shit taking effect but it was too late. I had already been injected and was beginning to feel woozy. Makar and Sergei rushed to my side to see if I was OK. I tryed to wave them off but it was too late and they were hit themselves through the still open door. The last thing I remember was being dragged away and the door shutting behind me... I was drifting around my unconscious as I waited for Formula P to work its shit. Memories of my early childhood floated here and there and I was rather bored. That was until everything came to a grinding halt and my visions shifted to a pitch black void of nothingness. "Ugh, finally!" a voice rang out in the emptiness of the void. "Who's there?!" I demanded. "Not to fear, I mean you no harm," the voice rang out again in a much softer voice. In front of me materialized what appeared to be a large blue pony with both a horn and wings. It also had a crown and chest plate suggesting it to be royalty and its mane and tail seemed to blow in a non-existent breeze. "Wh-who are you?" I asked nervously. "I am Princess Luna, ruler of the night. Pleasure to meet you," she stated. "Uh nice to meet you too, my names Yegor..." I replied still a bit confused about what was going on. "Indeed. Now first let me tell you, this is not your imagination, we truly are talking. We are merely inside a section of your subconscious better known as the dreamscape. I know this may seem far fetched but I ask that you pay attention to the information I'm about to give very carefully." "Um ok... so why are you here?" I asked trying not to sound like a complete idiot. "My sister and I have gotten word that a rogue pony from our dimension has somehow traveled through space and time to yours and is converting your species into ponies to form an army. His name is Psikh and he is extremely dangerous. The fact that I am amble to enter your dreamscape must mean he has already converted you." "Sounds about right. He shot me in the leg a little while ago and my body is being converted now I think..." I replied scratching the back of my neck. "Well I'm afraid my time with you must be short lived due to us being in separate dimensions so lets get down to business shall we? Psikh must be stopped at all costs. I do not know his weaknesses, but I do know that he often lets his arrogance blindside him. If he isn't stopped soon I'm afraid he may overpower your species, humans was it?, and use you as a force to overthrown my sister and I's kingdom. I rely on you to relay this information to everypony else." "This seems like a lot to do... I don't really think I'm the right guy for the job either... but I'll try my best!" I said with hope in my eyes. "Thank you Yegor, until we meet again..." Luna said before fading back out of existence. As my presence in the dreamscape faded I could only grimace at the humongous task that lay before me.
