Глава 16

'All units, this is Dispatch.'

'All units, cease fire immediately. We have an urgent request from Deity Grypherburg.'

'Repeat, all units, cease fire immediately.'

'Please acknowledge.'

(Exhales)

Scope of the ceasefire?

All active units.

(Nods)

'Acknowledged.'

Inform Lieutenant Yelchin and ensure that all units in the 2nd Division observe the ceasefire.

'All units remain on standby. Maintain battle stations.'

'Until the threat is completely eliminated, we shall continue to serve our duty to protect Deity Grypherburg and the people.'

...Summon the quartermaster.

Sir, we do not have a quartermaster for this operation.

You expected this to be only a quick response, and that it would not take much time to eliminate the rebellious Infected.

Respond to Dispatch as usual.

And what is your name, soldier?

Private Vyacheslav Kinov, sir.

Very well. Inform the Lieutenant, Private Kinov. Your services are not needed here for now.

...You had me leave my post to come to you for this little thing?

You're out of your mind.

Oh, look at you, Patya, all high and mighty in that Shieldguard armor...

Does that pretty helmet of yours block your sight?

The maggots in the rations, bolts that snap like twigs, even duds!

Is this what they send us out to die with?!

If there are maggots in your rations, you eat them with the rations. If the weapons are hard to use, use your bare hands.

We're soldiers. We fight and win. There are only two ends: Keep fighting, or die.

You're the one who's out of his mind!

If you find that someone hasn't been doing his job, you report to your superior, not complain to me here.

I'm not the quartermaster—

I thought the Defender Regiments were supposed to be on the top deck.

...Sorry, sir. I was away from my post.

I will report this to the commissar myself.

(Salutes)

S-Sir!

What did you find out, soldier?

Tell me the reason for your anger.

...The quality of our supplies and equipment on this operation is exceedingly poor.

The rations are insufficient, the cans damaged and filled with maggots...

Many of the bolts were not made of steel, but crude iron.

And the reserve Originium bombs are so weak that they're little more than glorified duds.

How are we supposed to proceed the operation with these?

Why did you enlist, soldier?

To...

Speak up.

To—to prove myself! I want people to know my name—

Like they know yours!

They'll know your name when the Army sends your tags back to your mother, and she etches them on a white birch tree.

No, not like that...

There is little room for the individual to choose, when the collective is at war.

But...

Keep this hope in your heart, boy, and your 'discovery' too.

For the survival of Ursus and her people, there is only one option...

Set this land on fire.