Author's Note

It is recommended that you have at least some knowledge of the S.t.a.l.k.e.r game series before you read this, it is not entirely necessary, but just recommended. Also if you've never played the games before, what are you doing here? Go play them and experience the wonder of Ukrainian Cheeki Breeki.

In all seriousness, the game series is wonderful and if you're a hardcore gamer it's one you really should not pass up.

Also most of the beginning time line is taken from the S.t.a.l.k.e.r fan wiki, so go check them out if you want to know about half of this stuff if you don't know.

Prologue

Begin Scientific recount of current and past events of the Chernobyl disaster and Zone Phenomenon.

1960's
The Institute of Crop Selection and Genetics is instated as a Soviet cover for consciousness control, human experiments and Noosphere experiments.

1986, April 26
At around 1:23 in the morning, reactor number four of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant explodes, releasing dangerous radioactive materials over a widespread area, and forcing the evacuation of the nearby city of Pripyat and other settlements. This event is known as the Chernobyl Disaster.

After the accident, groups of workers called 'Liquidators' are hired by the Soviet Union to build a containment building around the remnants of the Reactor 4. It was later nicknamed the Sarcophagus.

The Institute of Crop Selection and Genetics is shut down.

1987-1989
The Agroprom Research Institute is re-established with a vehicle factory being set up in the vicinity of it to build vehicles fitted for removing and treating irradiated soil.

1989
The C-Consciousness Project begins, led by rogue scientists from The Institute of Crop Selection and Genetics, later being known as 'The Group'. The presence of numerous high powered antennae in the area, coupled with a functioning nuclear power plant and the lack of people present the perfect setting for for clandestine research into fixing humanity's flaws.

December 26th, 1991
The Soviet Union finally collapses. Several republics break away from the USSR, declaring independence, many projects are discontinued, in particular funding for Soviet military labs in the Zone. However, several project leaders are unwilling to stop their research and continue their research into the Noosphere. The Ukrainian government is unable to control the situation, in part due to fear of international sanctions.

Sidorovich enters The Zone.

March 6th, 1998
Engineers working for a local contractor claim that six field Generators were built deep in the center of the Zone. Speculation abounds as to their purpose, with some suggesting they are used for some bizarre psychic tests

Strelok enters The Zone

February 22nd, 1999
Concerned by unsettling reports about illegal experiments carried out in the Zone, the Ukrainian government performs an official investigation. After examining accounts and intelligence service reports about the tests held in the underground complexes, the state security service made an attempt to take control of the situation by sending a special commission into the Zone. Reports uncover disturbing memos by one O.O.Dobrynin.

2001
The Zone begins to attract attention. Rumors about strange phenomena within c.a. 10 km radius of the NPP abound, the city of Pripyat is often mentioned as a hot spot for sightings of unusual phenomena and strange creatures. After a bus full of foreign tourists disappears the authorities seal off the Zone completely.

2003
The Agroprom Institute begins working for the Group under the lead of Petr Strizh.

2004
The top secret electromagnetic rifle project at Jupiter factory is cancelled.

2005
Unnatural forces within the Zone begin to have an influence over a wider area. Significant changes in weather patterns are noted, including hurricane winds and tremors.

March 4th, 2006
Blinding light illuminates the sky high above the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. The incident lasted two full hours before subsiding, with witnesses reporting it disappeared as if power suddenly failed.

April 12th, 14:33 +2 GMT, 2006
Just over a month later, the skies are once again lit by intolerably bright light. The clouds evaporated from the sky, followed by a tremendous thunder crash, lasting far longer than normal. After the thunder faded away, there was an ominous silence, followed by a 6.9 Richter earthquake. The glow in the sky continued, spreading over the entire region, while deadly energy disturbances raged through the Zone, making any rescue effort impossible. Subsequent investigation turned up the fact, that the center of the explosion was a kilometer away from the nuclear plant itself, evidently the nuclear fuel dump going up.

June 10th, 2006
The Zone abruptly grows five kilometers bigger after an emission which came to be known as the "Second Disaster". The zone today manifested, with the very laws of science being defied. Most of the military securing the perimeter perished, together with laboratories and their crews.

Panic-stricken people from nearby villages were evacuated.

2007
Guide enters The Zone.

September 28th, 2009
A group of Kiev scientists succeeds in creating a special device for detecting anomalous activity at a distance of up to 10 meters. That winter, an expedition in protective suits and with detectors manages to penetrate the Zone 1 km deep and returned without incident or injury.

August 17th, 2010
Expeditions further penetrate the Zone, one locates an abandoned camp of the first "STALKER". They also locate first artifacts and observe the emergence of first blowouts.

2011
With news of the possibility to survive in the Zone leaked, amateur researchers, marauders and poachers begin to make their way into the zone, soon becoming known as STALKERS, seeking artifacts in the dangerous environments. At first ignoring them, the government is soon forced to re-evaluate their policies, as artifacts make their way into private hands.

According to one of the STALKERS in Yantar one of his friends encountered some zombies who muttered what sounded like English, presumably remnants of a foreign tour group that disappeared in the Zone ten years earlier.

February 4th, 2011
The government retaliates against illegal stalkers, during this campaign over 70 are arrested and ten trading posts closed down.

Early September, 2011
The Second Emission takes place as the Common Consciousness unleashes a massive blowout in order to destroy Strelok, Fang and Ghost as they retreat from the NPP.

Faction Wars start when stalkers begin to fight to redefine spheres of influence in The Zone.

September 10, 6:20 +2 GMT, 2011
Clear Sky Begins - Scar wakes up in the Clear Sky camp after being caught in the aforementioned blowout.

October 25th, 2011
Inevitably, a skirmish takes place between a military patrol and a stalker group. Both sides suffer serious casualties, the army is authorized to shoot stalkers on sight.

January 17th 6:33 +2 GMT, 2012
A Third massive blowout strikes reaching all the way to the military Cordon.

January 17th 11:46 +2 GMT, 2012
A group of strange equine like creatures are spotted by Military personal at the Cordon and an attempt at capture on this new type of mutant was made.

January 17th 11:53 +2 GMT, 2012
Attempt at capture resulted in one of the creatures being captured and the other creature having reportedly ran off further into The Zone and STALKER territory after being fired on by one Lieutenant Blascovich.

Military personal cease pursuit of the creature after a patrol is killed by a group of STALKERS.

End Scientific recount of current and past events of the Chernobyl disaster and Zone Phenomenon.

Note from Professor Vladimir Stratus -

I would recommend further investigation into the appearance of these new creatures, as reports from Soldiers who took part in the pursuit and were not killed reported the creatures throwing small rocks and other such things at them with some sort of telekinetic power, though no actual harmful assault on Military Personal was made. This is a rather unusual occurrence from creatures of the Zone as most seem to insanely throw themselves at whatever makes itself known to them aside from the Blind Dogs of course, and even then their intelligence is debatable.

Soldiers also reported the creatures speaking in almost musical and panicked tones, though none of them were close enough to understand what was being said this does represent a larger than usual amount of intelligence. I would recommend capture of these creatures being an absolute goal before some idiot STALKER shoots them dead for looking at him funny or something.