[Sticker(id="st1", text="I didn't know if I would ever see Antosha's crew again. Katorga was completely locked down after that night, and there was no way in.",multi= true,x=200, y=200, alignment="left", delay=0.04, size=24, width=850)]
I thought maybe I was meant to be back on the streets...
It didn't take long for me to decide.
I would go look for them.
Energy pipelines can never be completely blocked off, no matter where you are.
I make a good sewer musbeast.
Ukusik
Phew... almost there.
Ukusik
Good... didn't see anyone on the way... don't seem to be any guards around...
???
Hmm... is there somebody behind me?
???
Hello?
Ukusik
You scared me!
Ukusik
Who are you? Why are you in the energy pipes—I mean, I'm here too, but you gotta explain!
???
Oh, I can explain later, but right now, I could really use some help...
???
I think I might have misjudged the width of this pipeline before I squeezed in.
I didn't think there'd be somebody else sneaking in with me. Are you looking for someone too?
Ukusik
You too?!
Leto
My friends got arrested a couple of days ago. I heard they might be inside, so I came to check it out.
Leto
I'm Rosalind, but my friends call me Leto. What about you?
Ukusik
Ukusik... stupid name that my friends gave me.
Leto
Ukusik! That's easy to remember.
Leto
Is your friend with the Student Assembly?
Ukusik
Student Assembly? Never heard of it. We've got our own name, the Unbound!
Leto
Cool name! But I've never heard it either.
Leto
I figure they must be good people, if you're crawling through energy pipes to help them.
Ukusik
They're... really good people. And my home is here.
Leto
...Home?
Leto
Excuse me! Have you seen any other students around here?
Calm Noble Student
Good heavens, did you just crawl out of the sewers or something?
Leto
Well, yeah actually.
Calm Noble Student
Alright, that's close enough. We can talk at this distance. Gosudar...
Calm Noble Student
Wait, you're from the Self-Government Group... I almost mistook you for those Unbound tramps.
Ukusik
Unbound...
Calm Noble Student
Rude, uncouth ruffians... their leader is the worst of the lot. Who does he think he is, acting like he's in charge? What titles do his parents hold?
Ukusik
You saw Antosha? Where are they?!
Calm Noble Student
Just go east from here, and you'll find them behind those filthy factory buildings.
Calm Noble Student
Don't thank me, just... keep moving.
Worried Student
Naum... why don't we go back?
Worried Student
We don't know the situation, and those thugs don't look like they can be reasoned with... besides, I heard there are already students who have gone missing.
Naum
Enough, 'Pencil Stub'. You want to hang out with those peasants, you go back on your own. I will not stay and listen to another uncouth word they say.
Ukusik
Hey! Why are you talking about them like that?
Leto
What's going on? Who locked you up? What's up with this factory?
'Pencil Stub'
We have no idea. The cops grabbed us the night before last outside the ballroom. We're not sure why they took us here.
'Pencil Stub'
No cops in this place, but it's patrolled by some street thugs. I overheard them say that the man in charge is named Pavlovich...
Naum
I'll remember that. There will be hell to pay when I get out of here.
Naum
We must be here by some mistake. I don't know how the misunderstanding happened, but I don't plan on accepting his apology so easily.
'Pencil Stub'
Did you sneak in from outside? Is there a way out?
Ukusik
You could get out through the energy pipes, but I'm not sure if big guys like you will fit.
'Pencil Stub'
Maybe we, er...
Naum
What? You want to crawl through these pipes that can barely fit a musbeast?
Naum
I guarantee somebody will be here to pick us up soon.
Ukusik
Shh—someone's coming!
Male Thug
I swear I saw something go past!
Female Thug
You swear? Hah, mochi perkhoti, just fart next time, at least you'll make a sound!
Female Thug
What a waste of time! Even tuskbeasts know to look for a dry slope to dig a hole in on a day like this, and we gotta watch this stupid hole on this ugly wall!
Female Thug
You still got booze?
Male Thug
Blyat, stop drinking! We only need to watch this hole for another day, then someone will be here to fill it up. You give me that look again, and I'll smash your skull with this bottle!
Female Thug
Oh, you wanna see whose skull is harder? Go on, try. You better kill me in one hit, because if you don't, I'm gonna kill you and sell your skin to Gromov for booze.
Male Thug
(Seething) Alright, you want a fight, you'll get one! Chort, I love your crazy. Say, you wanna try some wine made from blood?
Female Thug
Human blood? You can make wine from human blood?
Male Thug
Tuskbeast blood, dura. Whose blood did you think it was, mine? I'm not as crazy as you.
Female Thug
Say... how far do we have to haul this?
Male Thug
Beats me. Hide it where nobody goes. Pavlovich won't let us do this stuff.
Female Thug
I hate taking orders from that mudak.
Male Thug
What can you say, he pays the bills.
Female Thug
I'm tired. What do these students eat? How did they get so fat?
Female Thug
Hey, I've got an idea.
Female Thug
There's a hole here, and we've got a thing. We put the thing in the hole—
Male Thug
And we'll be free to go drink.
Male Thug
You're a damned genius!
Male Thug
Come, I'll take you to my vodka stash.
Female Thug
Oh, how sweet. Come, lemme give you a big, warm hug...
'Pencil Stub'
What are they doing...?
'Pencil Stub'
What's in that sack?
They watch from the shadows as the thugs stuff a filled sack into the pipeline.
The sack gets stuck, and the woman irritably pulls it open, revealing black pants and shoes covered in mud and dirt—looking suspiciously like a school uniform. She tries to stuff the leg deeper into the sack.
Leto
—!
Naum
No... no—!!!
Leto
(Whispers) Shh! Shut up!
Male Thug
I told you, I saw something.
Female Thug
Sure, sure, smart guy.
Male Thug
Pavlovich says we can't kill them.
Female Thug
He was talking about the nobles, mudak... besides, there must be hundreds of them. He wouldn't know if a few went missing.
Who are they? Why do they have military-grade weapons, if they're not cops?
Ukusik
No idea. Here, they're the same as the police... all meanies.
Ukusik
Didn't you say Antosha's guys were here? I didn't see them.
Naum
I... I...
Ukusik
Looks like this one's scared stupid.
Ukusik
Hey, Leto, we gotta find a way to get around this corner. Do you see those two—
Antosha
Block 7 clear. You can come out and clean now.
Ukusik
Antosha! Found you!
Antosha
Ukusik?
Antosha
What are you doing here? I thought you got away that night—
Ukusik
You're alive! Some people said you're dead, some people said you got locked up, I didn't know what to do.
Ukusik
Where's Matvey? Are you alright? Are you listening to me?
Antosha
We're fine. We'll be even finer if you raise your voice any louder and draw the attention of those thugs.
Ukusik
Hey! Stop making fun of me!
Antosha
We're fine. Matvey, Yura... everyone's here.
Matvey
Ukusik!
Ukusik
Uwah...
Antosha
Well... glad you're alright.
Naum
You... you killed people...
Naum
You're barbarians... murderers...
Matvey
Where are you going? Come back!
Antosha
Forget him... where did you find this fool?
Ukusik
Picked him up over there.
Antosha
This is not a shelter. We don't have time for people like these.
Ukusik
So we chase them away? Is it okay if those thugs kill them?
Matvey
Antosha, you need to be careful. You may not care whether he lives or dies, but allowing him to run around may draw unwanted attention.
Unbound Member
Antosha! Someone's coming!
Unbound Member
She's armed, and there's blood on her weapon. She looks dangerous.
Antosha
Just one? I'll deal with her.
Leto
Wait, she's not a threat—
Leto
General!
Zima
I thought those bastards had rounded up all the students in the area. Looks like you've protected a good bunch.
Zima
Your name's Antosha? I'm Sonya.
Antosha
You're a student at University of Deity Grypherburg too?
Zima
Not exactly... but I'm working with them, for now.
Antosha
I heard your people surrounded the ballroom that night just to shout a few slogans.
Zima
Yeah, it wasn't the best idea.
Zima
I don't know Grypherburg so well... what can you tell me about what's going on? What is this place?
Antosha
This is Katorga Raion, a former penal industrial plate. It's been derelict for a long time, and even the power supply has been cut.
Antosha
I heard the city was planning to abandon the place entirely and discard it in the wilderness.
Zima
But there are so many people here now, including us...
Antosha
I'm guessing it's because of the aristocratic students on your side.
Antosha
The police didn't want to have to deal with them, so they sent you here... Katorga is nominally a place for the government to hold criminals, after all.
Zima
Alright. I guess it's not that complicated.
Antosha
The problem is, Katorga is now being run by a bunch of lunatics.
Antosha
Armed with weapons that no one knows how they got, killing for the sheer fun of it... something seems to be holding them back, for now, but no one knows what will happen if things continue on like this.
Zima
Maybe we can work together.
Antosha
How many people do you have?
Zima
Well... they're not exactly my people, but there are around two hundred students trapped here with me.
Antosha
Spoiled nobles aren't good for much, no matter how many there are.
Antosha
I'm in no position to protect you.
Leto
General Zima doesn't need your protection!
Zima
At least we want the same thing, for now. And if you can trust what you just saw me do, you can believe that we'll fight those thugs and get out of here together.
Sonya is silent for a long time, then takes a big step forward, and Antosha follows at almost the same time.
Antosha extends his hand first.
Sonya takes it. They shake hands briefly, then quickly break apart.
Antosha
Sorry for attacking you.
Zima
It's all good. Fists can talk, and yours told me you're an okay guy. Where did you learn your moves?
Antosha
Plenty of opportunities on the streets.
Antosha
Let me make this clear: just because we're working together doesn't make us allies. Our camps will remain separate, but we can spare you some supplies.
Zima
Much appreciated. We will do as you say, and make these supplies count. We can discuss joint operations when the time comes.
Antosha
Deal. See you around, Sonya.
Antosha
And take your friends... minus one now, I suppose.
'Sonya.' The name is unfamiliar to us. She was not one of them.
Antosha
I know. I won't take it out on her.
Antosha
...I'm just reminded of the professor.
Matvey
Same here, Antosha.
Matvey
Do you remember why I was the first person you thought of when you formed the Unbound?
Antosha
You were one of the few in the old gang who came from commoner stock. You knew hardship, knew how to produce, and how to survive in Ursus.
Matvey
Yes, survive. Only through survival can we achieve our ideals. We have to get out of this alive.
Matvey
The others need your command now. You must pull yourself together.
Antosha
......
Ukusik
Yura, why does Antosha look so terrible?
Yura
That one's wearing a Student Assembly badge. That was our design, from back when we were all in the Petrachevsky Group.
Ukusik
The Petrachevsky Group? What's that?
Yura
No one told you? Antosha was the first leader of the Petrachevsky Group. After the death of our professor, we were reported by the other students and expelled.
Yura
But others escaped punishment because of their upbringing, and they continue to do stupid, despicable things under the group's old name.
Yura
Especially their leader, Olga! We will never forgive her!
This Petrachevsky Group... several dukes had children in it, and a group went to His Imperial Majesty to beg for amnesty.
Whispering Noble A
Wait a second.
Whispering Noble A
Who's this Petrachevsky?
Whispering Noble B
Professor of Literature at the University of Deity Grypherburg, and one of those traitors who printed pamphlets slandering the tsar. How could you not know the name?
Whispering Noble A
There are more traitors in the universities than papers they've published! How am I supposed to remember them all?
Arbiter
Order!
Hearing Committee Member
(Whisper) Your Honor, the next two witnesses are of the nobility. They may need more time to prepare...
Arbiter
...Very well.
Arbiter
While some of this information has already been made public, we will now once again review Sonya's deeds in Katorga Raion...
