[b]Mneniya[/b] [i]This story assumes that the USSR never fell apart in 1991 and that the Cold War is still going on. Lieutenant Mikhail Vasilijivich, National Institute of Intelligence Analysis, 15th of September 2021 [/i] He arrived at the door of the colonel’s office, but was stopped by two guards, clad in their official suits. They immediately blocked his path by stepping in front of the mahogany door, their AK-15’s at the ready. “Halt, Comrade Lieutenant. For what reason do you wish to disturb Colonel Fyodorov?” the left one barked from under his red beret. Mikhail walked right past them, only mumbling: “Classified information for the Commander of the National Institute of Intelligence Analysis” Although he was exactly following the protocol, the guards still stepped in front of him. “We have been ordered that Colonel Fyodorov should not be disturbed under any circumstance. I sincerely suggest that you about-face and get out by the door in the back” Beyond frustration, the usually calm Mikhail shouted at the arrogant guard: Listen up, Priva-” “Let him in,” a muffled voice from behind the heavy door interrupted him. The door opened, and Mikhail immediately stood to attention, just like the two guards. Standing in front of him was the Colonel, a small but muscular man, who had served with the Spetsnaz for over fifteen years. While Fyodorov’s weathered face might scare a simple civilian, would those who looked past this initial expression find two friendly eyes, taking in the world around them. Without saying a word, the Colonel turned around and returned to his desk, leaving the door open as an invitation to Mikhail. Sending an angry look towards the guards, Mikhail hesitantly entered the office, as the door closed behind him. The room was scarcely furnished, and mostly consisted of polished concrete walls. In the back, under a big portrait of Lenin, was a quote of Alexei Kerachev, the current General Secretary of the USSR, written in golden letters on a red piece of cloth. Mikhail stood to attention in front of the desk of Colonel Fyodorov, who was wearing glasses and scrolling through a PDF file. Mikhail assumed that this was a list of his personal information. The room remained silent like this for a few minutes, until Colonel Fyodorov suddenly spoke loud and clearly: “Are you nr. 2295677: Lieutenant Mikhail Vasilijivich, currently serving at the National Institute of Intelligence Analysis?” “Yes, Comrade Colonel” Fyodorov mumbled a bit, and then said: “Are you in charge of checking extraordinary satellite images that have been sent your way by the Institute?” “Yes, Comrade Colonel,” Mikhail repeated, still standing to attention. The Colonel grinned and looked up from his computer screen: “Your wife is called Maria and she has two kids, Igor and Adrian, both being two years old?” A genuine smile splitted open Mikhail’s face. He wasn’t even surprised, of course the Colonel would have access to that information. The Soviet Union knew everything. “That is correct, Comrade Colonel,” Mikhail laughed. Fyodorov gestured at the seat on Mikhail’s side of the black desk. “Take a seat, Mikhail” Once Mikhail sat down, the Colonel asked: “Now, explain to me why you found it necessary to disturb me. You get five minutes to get me interested, or you’ll go back the way you came” Mikhail nodded, and took a deep breath. “At approximately 7:48AM this morning, I got hold of a satellite image of Effingham, Springfield, in Georgia, USA” He laid the picture on the Colonel’s desk. “As you can clearly see, there are corpses moving in and around the small graveyard. I have not yet been able to identify who or what these people, if you could call them that way, are. They might be, although that sounds undoubtedly ridiculous, reanimated corpses. However, I think that this possibility cannot be ignored due to the fact that this situation is occurring in the near vicinity of a cemetery” Colonel Fyodorov adjusted his glasses and pulled the grainy image towards him. For two long minutes, which seemed to last an eternity, he didn’t say a word. Then, he suddenly looked back up to Mikhail. “Could this be a terrorist attack?” he asked. Mikhail shook his head. “I don’t think so. After digitally improving the photo quality, it’s very clear that they are not carrying weaponry. In fact, most of the visible people are almost naked. Even if it were one, it’d be a damn inefficient terrorist attack. Springfield isn’t really a big city, and there are military bases within a fifteen-minute flight. No reasonable terrorist group will attack a target this close to army infrastructure if they want to get out alive” “You have a point. Maybe those wandering people are victims of a solitary shooter? That's not the first time that has happened in the US” Once again, Mikhail disagreed with the Colonel. “Most unlikely. The few other images that we managed to capture show that the rest of the town is peaceful. Also, we spotted a loaded Chinook moving in Springfield’s direction. The US Army is usually not deployed in the case of a solitary attacker” Grigoriy Fyodorov sighed and folded his hands together. “Then we shall make the assumption that those creatures are in fact victims of some kind of biological weapon. How are the United States reacting, besides that one CH-47?” “As of now, it’s extremely quiet in and around military bases. It appears that, besides Hunter Army Airfield, nobody has even heard of this situation. Even the Western media services are not mentioning anything” “We cannot underestimate the Americans. This might be some kind of distraction, and they could be mobilizing while we are looking at some shithole in Georgia,” the Colonel said, as he stood up from behind his desk. Standing up as well, Mikhail asked: “With all due respect, Comrade Colonel, but that would mean that the United States government is targeting their own people!” A grim look appeared on Fyodorov’s face as he started walking out of his office. “In my years with the Spetsnatz I learned that the Americans are a lot less civilized than they appear. Follow me, Comrade” Hastily grabbing the picture from the Colonel’s desk and stuffing it inside one of his uniform pockets, he followed his commanding officer. Walking past the guards, he saw that Fyodorov was already at the end of the hallway, about to turn the corner. Despite his old age and slight limp, the old Spetsnatz soldier was still very fit, and Mikhail had to run a bit to catch up to the Colonel. The two walked together in silence until they reached Room 3, where Mikhail’s working station was located. Colonel Grigoriy Fyodorov burst through the door, startling a Corporal who was just about to leave. The guy quickly recovered though, and shouted, loud enough for everyone to hear: “Commander is present, stand to attention!” This was followed by everyone hastily standing up and looking in the Colonel’s direction. Fyodorov cleared his throat and commenced. “This morning I was informed by Lieutenant Vasilijivich of an extraordinary situation happening right now in the state of Georgia, United States of America. We have come to the conclusion that this might be a distraction for something bigger. The Americans might be mobilizing as we speak. That is why I’m ordering you to monitor the United States military bases very closely. This will need to be a very in-depth analysis, and not just some run-of-the-mill check like you’re used to. I’m giving you all permissions you need, do not be afraid to call the KGB for help, their spy networks are very useful. That also means that you’re operating on the highest level of secrecy. If somebody asks you why you need that information, simply reply that it is not their business. About the situation I was talking about earlier, Lieutenant Vasilijivich should have the answers you need. Do I make myself clear?” “Yes, Comrade Colonel!” the room thundered. The Colonel was heading for the room’s exit, but halted to say one last order over his shoulder: “None of you will be leaving this complex unless I give you that permission. There’s a small room with two beds a few doors further, you can sleep there” He exited Room 3, leaving it confused and silent, as everyone was still processing what Colonel Fyodorov just said. Then, a few seconds later, everyone started asking questions, mostly directed to Mikhail. TO BE CONTINUED [spoiler]Main page: https://www.bungie.net/nl/Forums/Post/245402812?page=0&sort=0&showBanned=0&path=0[/spoiler]