Dmitry Glukhovsky - Metro 2034 English fan translation (v1.0) (docx) (34 page)

All remaining marksman had been gathered at the door. The commander broke through the ring and stepped in front of them. “To all patients! Turn back immediately to your seats! That’s and order!” With a strong move of his hand he brought the Stetschkin from his belt.

The sick people who were standing closest to him needed many tries to raise their heavy heads. Then one of them went with his tongue over his bloody lips and asked:

“Why do you treat us like that?”

“Like you know you’ve been infected by an unknown epidemic. We are currently searching for a cure …

You have to be patient”

“You’re searching for a cure.” Repeated the sick man.

“I think I am going to laugh”

“Return to your wagon immediately.” The commander unsecured weapon. “I am counting to ten, and then we open fire. One…”

“You give us hope so that you don’t lose control.

Until we die on our own”

“Two …”

“It has been 24 hours since we have gotten any water. Why should you give water to death candidates …”

“The guards are afraid to go near the bars. Two heave already been infected … Three”

“The wagon is full of bodies. We are stepping on human faces. Do you know how it sounds when a nose breaks? If it’s a child’s then …”

“We have no room for them, we can’t burn them … Four”

“At one part there is so few room that the dead are standing next to the living. Shoulder to shoulder”

“Five”

“Damn it, just shot! I know that there is no cure.

At least I’ll die fast. It is like somebody is rasping my insides with a tool and then covers it with alcohol …”

“Six”

“… In the end burn me. As if my head was full of worms that slowly chewed through my brain and soul …

Nom, nom, crack, crack, crack, …”

“Seven…”

“Idiot! Let us go already! Let us die like humans!

You don’t have the right to torture us! You know as good as I do that probably we’re all …”

“Eight … All of this is for our own security. So that other can live. I am ready to die but none of you pest bubbles is getting out of here. Take aim!”

Artyom raised his assault rifle and aimed for one of the sick that was closest to him. God in heaven, was that a woman?

He looked into her eyes and put the barrel of his gun on an old and tumbling man. The group of creatures retreated moaning at first, trying to press itself back into the wagon but more and more sick came out of it, like fresh pus from a wound. Moaning and crying.

“You sadist, do you know what you’re doing to us?

We aren’t zombies!”

“Nine.” The voice of the commander had broken. It sounded like a whisper.

“Let us go!” Screamed the sick man while he reached with his arms after the commander. As if he was the director the crowd followed his movement and raised their arms.

“Fire!”

As soon as Leonid had put his instrument against his lips the people started to gather around him. Even after the first sparse and unclean sounds the first people started to smile, clap and were happy. And when the voice of the flute got stronger their faces transformed. It was like all dirt had fallen off them.

This time Sasha had a special place: Directly next to the musician. Dozens of yes were only on Leonid but even a few looks were on her. At first she had felt uncomfortable because she didn’t even deserve their attention. The melody, like a good book that didn’t let people go and let them forget anything around them, had carried her away from the granite floor as well.

It was the same melody, Leonid’s own, nameless one that flew through the white room. He started and ended his performances with it. With it he straightened wrinkles in the faces of his listeners, wiped away dust from their eyes and lit small lights.

Even though Sasha already knew it, Leonid was able to open small and secret doors on his flute so that the music still sound differently. She felt like she had been staring at the sky for a long time and suddenly between the clouds she had seen an endless green distant land for a second. Suddenly she felt a
sting. She winched and was under the earth again and turned around fearfully. There it was: A head bigger then all others in the publicum, a little bit further away, his chin raised. Hunter.

He had put his hard look on her and it only went to the musician form time to time. Leonid didn’t even look at him. Even if something was bothering him while he was playing he didn’t say anything.

Strangely hunter didn’t leave immediately and made no effort to take her with him or stop the concert. Only after the last sounds had stopped he retreated and disappeared.

Immediately Sasha left Leonid standing where he was and made her way through the crowd, To catch up to the bold one.

He hadn’t stopped far way, he was sitting with Homer on a bench. He had also lowered his head.

“You’ve heard everything.” Said the brigadier with a husky voice. “I am continuing. Are you coming with me?”

“Where to?” The old man smiled at the girl tired.

“And she knows”

“Hunter looked at Sasha again with his hard look, then he nodded his head silently and turned back to the old man

“It’s not far from here.” But he made a movement with his head.” I don’t want to go on my own”

“Take me with you.” Yelled Sasha sure.

The bold one sighed, his fingers made a fist and opened up again. “Thanks for the knife.” He finally said.

“I made good use of it”

The girl moved back. Surprised. In the next moment she was already in control of herself again and said: ”You decide what you do with the knife”

“I had no choice”

She was chewing on her lower lip. “Now you have always have it”

“No, not even now. If you knew you would understand. If you would truly …”

“Understand what?”

“How important it is that I get through to the
Tulskaya
. Important for me. As fast as possible …”

Sasha saw that his fingers were shaking slightly and the dark stain on his shoulder had gotten bigger. She was afraid of this man but she was more afraid for
him
. “You’ve got to take me with you.” She asked him softly.

“No way.” He answered. “It doesn’t matter who is doing it. Why not me?”

“You’re killing yourself.” She moved closer and carefully took his hand.

He moved back as if she had just bitten him. “I have to do it. The people who are in command here are all cowards. If I hesitated longer, I kill the entire metro”

“But what if there was another way? A cure? If you … Wouldn’t have to do it anymore?”

“How often do I have to repeat myself: There is no cure against the fever! If so If would … I would …”

“What would you choose?” Sasha was still holding his hand.

“I have no choice.” The brigadier took away his hand.

“Let’s go.” He said to homer.

“Why won’t you take me with you?” Yelled Sasha.

Silent, almost whispering, so that nobody could hear it except for her he said: “I am afraid”

He turned around and left. While he was passing Homer he told him that he had ten minutes until they were leaving.

“Is it because of the fever?” It suddenly sounded from behind her.

“What?” Sasha turned around and bumped into Leonid.

The musician was smiling innocently. “If I am not mistaken somebody was talking about the fever”

“You’re mistaken.” She didn’t want to discuss this right now.

“And I already thought that the rumors were true”

Said Leonid in thoughts and to himself.

Sasha’s fore head got wrinkles:”What rumors?”

“Of the quarantine at the
Serpuchovskaya
. Talks of this apparently incurable disease. An epidemic …” Leonid was looking at her, watching every movement of her lips and her eye brows.

She blushed. “How long have been listening to us?”

He spread his arms. “I never do it because I want to.

I just have the ears of a musician”

“That’s my friend” she explained and pointed with her head into Hunters direction.

“Great” Answered Leonid.

“Why did you say apparently?”

“Sasha!” Homer had risen from his bench and gave a distrusting Leonid. “Can I talk to you for a second? We have to decide how we …”

“Can I talk for a second?” The young man let the old man stand where he was and with a polite smile he made a few steps to the side and waved the girl to him.

Sasha followed him unsure. He felt that she hadn’t lost the fight with the bold one yet and if she just kept on at it Hunter wouldn’t dare to chase her away again. Then she could finally help him, even though she had no idea how.

Leonid lowered his head and whispered: “It could be that I’ve heard about his epidemic before, or not? Maybe it hasn’t been the first time that this epidemic has broken out.

And maybe there are some magical pills for it”

He was looking into her eyes.

“But he’s saying that there is no cure.” Said Sasha.

“That he has …”

“… To destroy all of them?
He
, your great friend?

That’s no surprise. He probably studied medicine”

“Are you saying …”

“I am saying.” The musician put his hand on Sasha’s shoulder, lowered his head to her and whispered in her ear.

“That there is a cure”

Only the two (chapter 15)

The old man cleared his throat angrily and made one step into the direction of the girl. “Sasha! I got to talk to you!”

Leonid was winking into Sasha’s direction and stepped back, giving Sasha free with over exaggerated humility and distanced himself. But Sasha couldn’t think about anything else. While the old man was trying to convince her that they could still break hunter, was trying to tell her something and to talk sense some into her the girl was looking over his shoulder at the musician. He didn’t look back but the slight smile on his face told her that he had felt it. She nodded her head and told Homer that she was ready for anything if he would just let her alone with Leonid for one more minute. She had to find out what he knew and had to start believing that there was a cure.

“I’ll be back soon.” She cut of the old man when he was in the middle of saying something. She passed him and ran to the musician.

“You’ve got to tell me!” She was sick of playing games. “How?”

“That is the complicated part of the question. I know that you can cure the disease. I know people that have won against it. I can get you to them”

“But you’ve said that you could fight it …”

He shrugged his shoulders. “You understood me wrong. How could I? I am just a flutist, a wandering musician”

“Who are those people?”

“If you want to meet them you can. But we have to take a small stroll first”

“At which station are they?”

“Not far from here. You’re going to see them, if you want”

“I don’t believe you”

“But you would like too. And because I don’t believe you fully as well I can’t tell you everything”

Sasha’s look darkened. “Why do you want me to come with you?”

“Me?” Leonid shook his head. “I don’t care. You want to. I don’t have to save anyone, I couldn’t even. At least not like that”

She hesitated and then she asked: “Can you give me your word that you can bring me to those people? You’re word that they can help?”

“I’ll get you to them.” Said Leonid in a serious tone.

Again the angry Homer joined the conversation:

“What are you planning Sasha?”

“I am not going with you.” She said and turned to the musician. “He says that there is a cure”

“He’s lying.” Said Homer unsure.

“You seem to know about viruses more than me”

Leonid tried to keep hi tone respectful. “Have you explored them? Or gathered you’re on experience with them?

So you think that mass murder is the best way to get rid of the epidemic?”