The work of Lubos
Nikopol - May 28, 2594
Preamble
Friedrick: You all had lots of drinks, and you learned more about the Streltsys. They think the Spitalians use the story of Vasco as an excuse to justify them dropping the old alliance with Nikopol. Vasco just passed by the city many years ago, and was nothing of note. It is far more likely there is an ulterior motive. The Streltsys don’t know much about the artefacts, but tell you to speak with a guy called Orest, who is a trader. They also tell you that the fleshy thing in the Bloody Mines is not something new - they heard about it before, but Elder Ivan really never tackled it.
Thaddeus: Jorn opens up to you. He came to Nikopol with his platoon and was expecting to be promoted after doing good work. But his plans deteriorated in January (5 months ago) when their expedition was attacked. They started being devoured by spiders and centipedes, then some Leperos. They retreated and, on the 4th day, a Bioknetic found them, and the platoon was decimated. After recovering, he still tried a minute of Spitalian fame when he declared an embargo on Nikopol, and seized a large Burn stash from the Apocalyptic Manor. But no one really pays attention to the embargo any more. The Spital had already lost interest in the city.
Sasha: You tagged along the drinking with Friedrick and the Streltsys. They don’t know where Wren would have gone, but as an Apocalyptic he should know his way around, and would probably be able to dodge Nikopol’s guards to go back to their Manor. If he is to be found, he is probably hiding there, waiting for Sokolov to make a new stash order of Burn.
Isolde: You spent two days drinking with the Streltsys that were off-duty. Anabaptists are known for their drinking fortitude, and you remembered them about it. You were even invited to join their order, as you have proven yourself in the field and with glasses. You befriended Pavlo, who is a slacker for his duties, and seem very interested in the Clique.
Anastasia: You read the train logs. There is nothing out of the ordinary, except that one cargo was marked with dried meat but used a steel crate, and took a long time to load. It was a special export to Africa, sent by Elder Ivan. Other details were redacted, but you could scratch some of the ink and recognize the word ANSUMO. During quarantine, Myron has several private meetings with her boss, Prokhor. She tells Anastasia that you will be granted a meeting with the Leperos woman, but that Prokhor would also expect a meeting with your group in the next few days - you should go and see him when out of quarantine.
Friends
Sublime Pax comes to meet her Clique companions as they leave quarantine with the Streltsys. The group has a chat, standing on one of the Nikopol’s corridors with metal walls installed on rock, new and bygone graffiti covered metal plates screwed directly on rock walls. They feel relaxed and friendly, except maybe for Elder Anastasia and Surgeon Friedrich – who feel antagonistic on how to deal with people infected by Sepsis.
Dexter approaches and makes a joke about Konrad, before offering his condolences to Isolde and Friedrick. His handshake offer is met by Isolde’s punch on his stomach. He is told off by the Anabaptist Sublime and leaves the area grunting.
The group of friends briefly discuss what could be best for Yelena. They are worried about her, specially Sasha Volkov, after all she has been through. But other responsibilities take precedence, and they decide to pay a visit to Lubos.
Lubos’ workshop
Lubos greeted them with happiness in his face, although showing a limp and a blackened eye. As they talk with the Borcan Steel Master, they understand that he has been brought to Nikopol in conditions of slavery. As he becomes aware of his situation, he gets increasingly more stressed and starts shaking.
While most are chatting in a corner, Friedrick uses the opportunity to look at some of the artefact crates: electric toothbrushes, popcorn makers, a Harley Davidson – and daydream of a life he could have elsewhere, far from all the conflict and pain.
Before leaving, Lubos feels courageous and shows them his work. In a corner on the back of the workshop, a pile of robots have been disassembled, and one single robot stands, fully armoured and with wiring being installed. A bygone ANSUMO.
