10 Army Girl
I hate sanitation. They refused to let me inside the base until I was absolutely clean. I still think they just liked to take off my clothes. Or whatever's left of them.
This time, nobody yelled. They barely dared to breathe in my presence. I tried to tease one of the guards at the second gate, he run away. The Captain scolded me with a look. A Colonel blessed us with his presence. He too was rather speechless.
"Impressive," he squeezed out after a moment.
"Well, someone had to do it. And you were obviously incapable to handle the situation," I pointed out the obvious.
"How are you feeling?" the Captain asked after were inside and finally alone.
"Restless," I admitted.
I sat down on the floor and hugged my legs. All I had on me was a towel. He probably wanted to ask if I was cold, but he made up his mind.
"I thought you would be exhausted, I got a room prepared just for you, no surveillance." He pointed me to a general direction, left and down.
"So romantic."
I was like that for weeks. I killed monsters for them. I subjected myself to their tests. I borrowed their toys and explored the cities around. I wanted answers. I wanted to know what happened to the world. I wanted to understand what happened to me. What was still happening.
I still felt the rush of Captain's blood in my veins. It changed me. He offered me more, but I refused. I was not ready to open that door. It was probably the best decision I have ever made. For a long time, I thought I was the only one like me. Of course I'm not. But I did something that separated me from the rest of my kind. Actually, I didn't do it. I refused to feed on humans. It wasn't about ethics. It was about freedom. About having a choice.
I took care of my meals carefully. I hunted in the clean woods. I tracked and killed everything rotten in the area, so that it would not spoil my food supply. They were too scared to go into the wilderness with me, only the Captain was crazy enough to try. We found out that the woods are clean of any pathogens. They got a new, safe water supply.
The General's favourite missions were scavenger hunts in the cities. Boring, dangerous, toxic, and generally not worth it according to me. But the soldiers couldn't eat the infected flesh, they needed human food. And gas, oil, coal. Medical supplies. Technology. Basically anything that was hard to find. They were frustrating this way. Too fragile. They died easily.
I had little patience with them back then. I didn't understand pain. Pathogens had no effect on me. I couldn't get injured. I was fast and strong. I didn't need rest. And they had no understanding for my little game with the Captain.
* * *
... blinded children of the atomic area ... told of being safe and sound ...
Ghost City, Firelake, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat, 2009
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