Глава 16

What about you?

I must go back and point the way for them.

You're leaving me here with these vehicles? Aren't you worried that I would abandon you and flee to Grypherburg?

If that's your decision, I would appreciate a heads-up.

Rhodes Island will find a way.

You...

Hah... is this 'Rhodes Island' full of people like you?

No. They're much braver than I.

Your command, <i>Sergeant.</i>

What the hell is that thing behind us? It appeared out of nowhere—

(Stumbles)

Look out!

The Army is shelling indiscriminately. Should we find another path?

Can you reach Raidian, Elysium? The scout team might be in even more danger than we are!

Amiya! Where are you?

We're still in the forest on the eastern shores of Lake Neva! We're being fired upon by the Army—

They have reinforcements coming from the east. We must get through the lake as quickly as possible! Grypherburg is on the other side.

The Armies cannot set foot on the western shore of Lake Neva without permission. That's our only chance.

We need to clear Lake Neva before the Armies complete their encirclement—

Raidian? Raidian?!

Magnetic storm—communications—

—southwest—ice—

No lights, everyone. We'll have to cross the lake in darkness.

Go southwest... I'll point the way.

I understand. The stars, show the way—

Cannon shells fall like thunder, exploding in the middle of the crowd. The shockwave and shrapnel split the procession in two.

Dyadya Volya!

A crack appears in the ice, and some people have fallen into it.

Aaagh!!

The ice is still cracking—we can't get through!

Go back! Now! Don't come this way!

They're getting closer!

Can you reach Raidian?!

We got separated. We have some straggling miners we need to pick up, to the northwest of where the shells fell—

Roger.

On my way.

Argh—ugh...

Darya, your leg, it's bleeding... I'll wrap it up!

I'll help—

...No, Vetochki. Leave me here.

I have flint and kindling. Give me a torch and go. I'll buy you what time I can.

I'll carry you, Darya!

Don't... don't give up.

Yes, don't give up! The bleeding will stop soon. You can get further treatment once we're on the vehicles—

But those bastards won't wait! They're herding us like wild manglers. Don't you see?

If they just wanted to kill us, they could have burned every inch that we passed through, blown every building up.

Do you think they couldn't do it?

That's no reason to give up...

You don't understand. I was a hunter before they threw me into the mines. I know what some of the cityfolk like to do on hunting trips.

They corral their game in one place, kill a couple, and watch the rest struggle.

Honestly, I don't know how much time I can buy, but I have to try.

It's just a hole in my leg. I'll crawl if I can't walk. I can get a few dozen meters to the east.

Stop wasting time. Leave the torch and go.

Go!

One by one, one by one! We'll be here for fifteen minutes, there's no need to—

—push...

The operator falls quiet. No one is pushing, no one is squeezing.

They just keep walking forward silently.

...I've never seen an evacuation so orderly.

Not even the famously disciplined First Army could do this.

That's a good thing, right?

It's not normal, is it? It's as though they don't have survival instincts.

Alright. Maybe I'm overthinking it.

And you, aren't you worried about your captain in the rear?

Our captain is the most experienced of us by far.

The operator stands on tiptoes, trying to see past the end of the procession that is indistinguishable from the pitch-black ice, looking for her captain.

All she sees is the bright red in the distance.

Did they really stop there...?

The enemy is shelling the ice!

I couldn't reach the driver. Someone needs to tell her to keep the vehicle running and be ready to roll at a moment's notice.

Do you read me?!

R-Roger!

You should get on, Eloysius. I'll take care of things here—

No, you go first and talk to the driver. For your captain.

I—

I'm staying here.

It was a torch that distracted the Army.

It began with a single torch that someone at the end of the procession raised.

No one heard if he said anything. No one asked why he did it. He simply stopped, lit his torch, and began to walk in the opposite direction.

Who lit the torch? I thought they said no lights—

It's Kian.

Kian? The one who made flint for everyone? I saw he gave some firewood to Darya just now.

It's him. He's walking back. But that's where all the soldiers are! Is he trying to get himself killed?

He's doing the same thing that Darya is doing.

But we're so close to safety—

I have a flint too, and some firewood.

What are you doing?

They're shelling the ice. They won't let us go. If we don't do something...

We all die.

But I want to live! I want to go to Grypherburg!

We would have died in the mines, remember? Like all other Infected in Ursus.

But if we can help the folks on the front lines survive, and the young ones who came to our aid...

People will remember what happened here long after we old-timers are gone.

One torch passes its flame to another.

One miner forsakes his life, then a second, and a third...

One by one, the miners who have not yet boarded the vehicles raise their torches and walk in the opposite direction.

Towards Kian, towards Darya, towards the trail of footsteps that led here, and towards the impending threat.

Th-They can't... bury us.

Not anymore.

You're right. They can't bury us quietly anymore, not in the snow, in the mines, or in the lakes!