'Cleanse the gray streets with snow water'? 'Bring a wet pack of smokes'? No, that's not right either!
By the pale moonlight he gazes upon the heavily-marked draft, lamenting his lack of inspiration. This poem was worse than his fellow student's sleep-talking on the bunk next to him.
The Unbound camp is eerily quiet after the fire, the winter wind like a blunt knife cutting upon the young people's faces.
The ones that still have strength left whisper to each other, wrapping themselves in moldy jackets, looking like mounds of dirt under the dark night, occasionally laughing softly.
Yura
...Give every star a name to remember.
Yura
Give those who want to forget a cup of cheap spirits.
Yura
Give me...
Yura
Give me a one-way ticket to spring...
Yura
Let me live in the wind that blows upon the tundra.
Ukusik
Boo—
Yura
?!
Yura
You again... I swear, one of these days, I'll be immune to your pranks.
Ukusik
You're writing those stupid poems again, Yura.
Yura
They are not stupid poems! I put my heart and soul in them. Besides, you can't even read them.
Ukusik
Don't want to. People who can read, people like you, always have such sullen looks on your faces.
Ukusik
Matvey's taught me how to read addresses. At the end of the day, whatever you guys are writing, I'm the one who has to deliver it for you.
Ukusik
Say it, Yura. Which girl am I delivering to this time?
Ukusik
Ouch—
Yura
This is for you, little brat!
Ukusik
You hit me! I'm taking this away so that you don't get to write it!
Yura
Come on, it's just a roll of paper, it can't have hurt all that much... but you can have it, if you want.
Yura
This time... I'm writing for everyone. Including you.
Ukusik
You're so weird... I'll put it in my bag, then.
Yura
Never mind that, Ukusik.
Yura
You should talk to Antosha. I think he has a lot of letters there.
Ukusik
Doesn't he eat and spend the nights with you guys? Why don't I see him around?
Yura
Who knows? He's in there. Ask him for me.
Yura
And pull that jacket tighter. He'll yell at us if you catch a cold.
Ukusik
Hm? He never yells at me.
Ukusik
Bye, Yura.
Yura
That's because we are the ones he yells at, little brat...
Yura said you've got letters to give to me. Where?
Antosha
Yes. There's quite a lot.
He goes to the corner and picks up a thick stack of letters.
Ukusik
Oh, bother... lemme see.
Ukusik
This one's for No. 34 Odoyev Old Street? The second is No. 15 Zheleznaya Left Bank Street, the third one to the spice market...
Ukusik
Wait, did you write all these letters, Antosha? What are these places?
Antosha
No. 34 Odoyev Old Street is Yura's home, then Lev's and Vissarion's...
Antosha
I wrote one for everyone. We'll see how many you'll need to deliver after we take that magistrate down.
Antosha
If any fall tomorrow... I don't want their families to learn about them from casualty reports.
Ukusik
When did you memorize all this?
Antosha
When someone entrusts their life to me, I must know where it comes from... I can never forget it.
Antosha
You remember how I asked where you came from?
Ukusik
You just didn't expect me to be an orphan with no name.
Antosha
......
Ukusik
Hey, what's that look on your face?
Ukusik
I've never been as depressed as you look, and I'm the one who had no parents and no name. Besides, I saved you a piece of paper.
Ukusik
Say, are you and Matvey's letters in this pile too?
Matvey
Mine, perhaps, but certainly not his.
Ukusik
Matvey?
Matvey
We usually meet before we do something big.
Antosha
Do you have beer?
Matvey
Last two bottles. Someone stuffed them under a pile of rotten vegetables, but List sniffed them out while we were preparing equipment.
Antosha
...Give me one.
Ukusik
Can I try? I'm thirsty—
Matvey
How old do you think you are? Forget it.
Ukusik
Zhopa!
Matvey pats her on the head, then sits beside Antosha and gives him a bottle.
Ukusik
Why did you say Antosha won't write home?
Ukusik
Why does he have me deliver letters if he thinks he won't die? Is he scared?
Matvey
Hah, of course not...
Matvey
He hasn't had any contact with his family for a long time.
Matvey
Antosha?
Antosha
It's alright. All in the past now.
Matvey
The subject of Antosha came up in a conversation with someone else, not long after we met.
Matvey
I accidentally called him Anton Shestov, which he happened to overhear. He was in a sullen mood for a month afterwards.
Ukusik
Anton Shestov? Sounds like some important noble.
Antosha
I abandoned the name and the one who gave it to me before I went to university.
Antosha
I expect they're more relieved to be rid of a troublemaking traitor than saddened by the loss of a son.
Ukusik
I've never heard about Antosha's family before...
Ukusik
Were they mean to you?
Antosha
My grandfather killed the landlord who oppressed him and returned home a count.
Antosha
He was the 'hero' that I wanted to grow up to be, so I imitated the stories, ate and lived with the serfs, and made friends with all the peasant servants.
Antosha
I didn't care that my family didn't think it was proper. I thought that at least my grandfather would understand.
Antosha
Until I grew older and wiser...
Antosha
When an old serf accidentally knocked him over, my grandfather forced the man to strangle the pet musbeast he had raised for years with his own hands, right in front of us.
Matvey
Antosha, you don't have to talk about this—
Antosha
Still, I continued to fantasize... until that night when my grandfather held a great feast to celebrate my acceptance into a Grypherburg university.
Antosha
A maid around the same age as me sneaked into the kitchen and took some food, hoping to give her mother and brother a treat.
Antosha
The police wanted to take her, but my grandfather stopped them.
Antosha
He said with a laugh, 'Today is a good day. I want everyone to be happy for my grandson's glory.'
Ukusik
......
Antosha
A couple of days later, I saw a body by the side of the road as I was traveling to Grypherburg. There were bloody whip marks all over her.
Antosha
The butler told me that the police would only keep her in jail for a few days. Only the noble right of corporal punishment could 'teach her a real lesson'.
Antosha
But it was I who learned the lesson. I see the flies crawling over her eyelashes whenever I close my eyes.
Antosha
That was when I learned that oppression will persist as long as the nobility does, as long as the only outcome of any struggle is to turn different people into nobles.
Ukusik
Let me tell you this, Antosha.
Ukusik
The worst has already passed... we'll win.
Antosha
......
Ukusik
Tomorrow, by tomorrow, I—
She slurs the last few words and passes out on Matvey's shoulder.
With a start, Antosha snatches the bottle from Ukusik's arms. It is completely empty.
Antosha
Ukusik—and I was wondering how you learned to comfort a man like that.
Antosha
You stole my booze... why didn't you watch her, Matvey?
Matvey
For the better, I suppose... don't wake her. I was just thinking about how to get her to leave.
Matvey
It's time to take her away.
Matvey
But you know that where we're going...
Antosha
Heh...
Antosha
I'll help.
Matvey
So... did you write a letter for me too?
Antosha
There's no need. I trust you.
Matvey
......
Matvey
I had Ukusik take a letter to my mother a little while back, when she could still get out through the hole.
Antosha
What did you write?
Matvey
'We'll be out of this place and back in the city in ten days, at most.'
Yes. The building is structurally sound. The wounded will be safe there.
Zima
Good. Talk to Mykola and double-check the assignments on both sides of the street.
Zima
No mistakes, you understand?
Cautious Student
Yes, ma'am!
???
...Bad timing, Sonya?
Zima
Matvey?
Zima
What are you doing here? Did something happen on your side? Anything we can do?
Matvey
Thanks, but we're fine.
Matvey
The way Antosha was talking back there... he wouldn't come to you even if he was starving to death, that stubborn hard-head.
Matvey
I came because of her.
He turns sideways and shows the snoring girl behind him.
Zima
She smells of...
Matvey
She got into the beer while we weren't looking.
Matvey
I want to give her to you. Given the manpower and battle plans, she'll be safer with your group.
Zima
......
Zima
Rosalind still has a few mats. Go and talk to her.
Matvey
Phew...
Matvey
Thank you. I mean it.
Matvey
I was afraid that after your argument...
Zima
He may be ice cold... but we have to admit you are all great warriors.
Matvey
...Antosha used to be more passionate.
Matvey
He was a strange one from the day I met him. He had the demeanor of a great noble, but he kept pestering our teacher about where he could pick up odd jobs.
Matvey
He assisted the professor in writing essays that criticized aristocratic politics. The council at the time did not punish them; they even promoted the professor to school inspector.
Matvey
That day, Antosha took my hands and said there was hope for Ursus at least. People will no longer suffer, and we will all be free.
Matvey
We planted a cherry tree in the school garden to celebrate the occasion.
Matvey
Until our newspaper was shut down, and the professor died for us...
Zima
You...
Matvey
We were expelled. The professor shouldered most of the responsibility in exchange for an 'amnesty' towards us.
Matvey
The night before we left school, Antosha sat in front of the cherry tree, stroking its leafless branches. He sat there all night.
We've secured the sentry turrets on the two roads, but—
Pavlovich
Was I asking about the turrets? I'm talking about reinforcements and supplies!
Pavlovich
What about the crossbows that Daniila Treplev promised me? What about the artillery? The tanks? The armies?
Pavlovich
I sent him a thousand letters, and he hasn't written a single word back!
Security Team Captain
Please, calm down, sir. The few of us here are well-equipped with crossbows and emergency catapult systems. We can assure your safety.
Pavlovich
'Calm down'? 'The few of us'?
Pavlovich
Are you telling me that I hired you so that I can pay your wages? You think they'll just let me go if I run away? How's that any different from being dead?
Pavlovich
If you want your money, 'captain', you'd better do your jobs and kill those troublemakers!
Security Team Captain
But you only had the budget for the few of us, some of whom you sent to help Gromov, while there are hundreds of them—
Pavlovich
I don't need you to tell me! I can hear them singing through my window!
Pavlovich
They're singing my elegy!
Pavlovich
...Who are you?
Ursine Officer
Good evening, magistrate. I am Captain Chicherin.
Ursine Officer
You must have plenty of supplies here, to turn the heat up so high that you are sweating so much.
Pavlovich
You... no, no. You bring help from Duke Treplev? Please, take a seat.
Ursine Officer
No, His Grace is no longer interested in Katorga Raion.
Pavlovich
Why?!
Ursine Officer
It is not my place to guess at His Grace's intentions.
Ursine Officer
However, while he did not send me, it is true that I am here to support you.
Pavlovich
Yes... I knew the empire would reward my loyalty for my service in Katorga.
Pavlovich
How many men do you have? How many heavy weapons? You can set them up at once. Put a cannon in this room, for all I care!
Ursine Officer
I'm afraid you misunderstood.
Ursine Officer
I do not have men. My superior assigned me thirty guards, and no heavy weapons.
Pavlovich
What?!
Ursine Officer
However, he has prepared this for you.
The officer takes out a black, palm-sized box and hands it to Pavlovich.
Ursine Officer
It is an encrypted military terminal connected directly to an artillery position outside the city.
Ursine Officer
If you are truly desperate... press the red button, and we will provide 'suitable' firepower coverage.
Pavlovich
What do you mean by 'suitable'? I want to level the whole district.
Ursine Officer
That would be impossible. Every shell has a cost, and every block is an asset, even in Katorga Raion.
Pavlovich
What about Originium bolts? Explosives? Surely you could carry those?
Ursine Officer
All here.
Only then does Pavlovich notice that the officer is carrying two small briefcases.
Ursine Officer
This is to avoid the weapons falling into the hands of the rioters. After all, the supplies that were given to you have been taken by the students. We can only risk so much.
Pavlovich
I... I did your dirty work, and you people just...
Ursine Officer
Your sponsors have shown plenty of good will by putting thirty elite men at your disposal.
Ursine Officer
Besides, I believe you underestimate the 'weapon' in your hands. Press it, and Ursus will bestow upon you the supreme 'glory'...
The magistrate ponders the meaning of these words as he clutches the cold communicator in his sweaty palm.
Pavlovich
Yes... I cannot abandon hope... they will help me, I can beat that rabble...
Pavlovich
Guards!
'Sixteen Warriors' Thug
You called, sir?
Pavlovich
How many of you are still combat-ready?
'Sixteen Warriors' Thug
Three to four hundred, I think?
Pavlovich
As long as it's more than the other side. Get them warmed up. I'll give them their revenge for Gromov!
'Sixteen Warriors' Thug
Aye, sir!
Pavlovich
You, plant explosives at the door. If they dare to come in, we'll all go and see Igor Velikiy together!
Security Team Captain
Uh...
Pavlovich
As for you, Captain, I need you to deal with the Unbound.
Pavlovich
Do not underestimate them. I've been fighting them for two months. They are few in number, but they are experienced.
Pavlovich
More importantly, they kill any nobles they see on sight... harbor no fantasies about them. The council would not want to let them out.
Ursine Officer
Yes.
Ursine Officer
If my ears do not deceive me... someone is coming.
