STALKER: The Rift Protocol - Flux Load (a web novel) ~ Chapter 25 ~

📖CHAPTER 25 — “DEPLOYMENT” 🎬 Chapter 25.1 — Reassessment Greyfield Operations Center Approximately forty-seven minutes after the latest telemetry update from Nexus Six. Night falls. The night shift is quieter than usual. Not calm. Focused. Telemetry continues updating across the operations floor. Nadiya’s telemetry cluster from Nexus Six is reprojected onto Greyfield’s master board. Now it overlaps something older. Something sealed. One route. One carrier. One destination. Forward Nexus Two. The analyst monitoring the feed pauses. Frowns. Zooms in. ... Then zooms in again. Something new appears. Additional contacts. The analyst studies them. Then straightens. "Sir." Dr Elias Varenko looks up. "What is it?" The analyst gestures toward the display. "Additional movement." The operational map expands. Several independent contacts now appear. Not near the carrier. Near the destination. Another update arrives. Then another. ... More contacts. The room slowly becomes quieter. Nobody needs to be told what they're seeing. Because random movement doesn't behave like this. The contacts are converging. The analyst speaks carefully. "The probability of coincidence is falling. Sir..." No one laughs. Because everyone is thinking the same thing. Something is waiting. Dr Elias studies the display. Forward Nexus Two. Additional contacts. Convergence. His silence stretches. Then "Open historical records." Several personnel immediately begin working. Minutes later the first archive file appears. Forward Nexus Two. Decommissioned. Restricted. Containment Incident. Dr Elias reads the summary. Only once. Then closes the file. The decision is immediate. "Prepare a deployment package." The analyst blinks. "Sir?" Dr Elias looks back toward the telemetry display. "Maximum available firepower." "Full loadout authorization." The room freezes. Nobody asks why. Because the tone answers the question. And for the first time since the ACC disappeared— Greyfield stops observing. And starts preparing. 🎬 Chapter 25.2 — New Orders The transmission reaches Nexus Six less than twenty minutes later. The shelter is still active. Nobody has truly slept. The radio crackles. "Greyfield to Nexus Six." Conversations stop immediately. "Deployment authorization granted." A few operators look up from maps. Nadiya looking wide-eyed. Wu Ming frowning from concern. Others stop mid-task. Observation is over. Movement has begun. 🎬 Chapter 25.3 — Maximum Firepower... The follow-up order arrives moments later. Short. Direct. "Bring every operational weapon available." "Maximum Firepower authorized" Silence. The words feel wrong. Not because they are unclear. Because they are. No recovery mission has ever started this way. One mechanic slowly lowers the clipboard in his hands. "That's new." Nobody disagrees. Wu Ming studies the map wall. Something has changed. He can feel it. But not what. 🎬 Chapter 25.4 — Preparing For Contact The entire Nexus shifts gears. Vehicle crews begin loading ammunition. Reserve fuel stores are released. Emergency inventory is opened. Medical allocations double. Oksana notices immediately. Nobody doubles medical inventory unless casualties are expected. Additional Flux stabilizers. Additional trauma kits. Additional surgical packs. The message is obvious. Greyfield expects resistance. The only unanswered question is from whom. 🎬 Chapter 25.5 — The File While deployment preparations continue, additional records arrive from Greyfield. Most are heavily redacted. Pages removed. Names missing. Entire sections blank. One surviving line remains visible. SITE CLOSED FOLLOWING CONTAINMENT INCIDENT Nothing else. No explanation. No summary. No casualty count. Nadiya reads the line twice. Then a third time. The omission is more unsettling than the statement. 🎬 Chapter 25.6 — Departure Before dawn, the convoy begins forming. Engines start one by one. Rain continues. Floodlights illuminate drifting exhaust. The staging yard transforms into motion. Ammunition secured. Fuel loaded. Medical stores packed. Weapons distributed. Nobody jokes. Nobody complains. Everyone understands this deployment feels different. 🎬 Chapter 25.7 — Arrive First The final transmission arrives moments before departure. "Greyfield to Nexus Six." The convoy pauses. Elia's voice fills every vehicle. "Proceed immediately to Forward Nexus Two." No further explanation follows. Then: "You are not being sent to recover the carrier." Silence looms. ... ... Rain drums against vehicle hulls. Nobody understands. Then the final instruction arrives. "You are being sent to arrive before it does." The transmission ends. Wu Ming looks at Oksana. Checks her rifle. Checks her pistol. Oksana smiles and nods, patting his hand. Sergei looks down-scope over his rifle. Nadiya absorbed in the telemetry readings. Wu Ming looks over to Yura with a heavy heart. "Yura. Drive." The convoy starts to roll out. Forward Nexus Two waits in the darkness. DEPLOYMENT STATUS Mission Status Observation phase terminated Emergency deployment authorized Destination: Forward Nexus Two Directorate Directive Issued by Directorate Command Immediate deployment Maximum available firepower Accelerated transit Arrive before ACC carrier Historical Records Site closure confirmed Historical containment incident referenced Records heavily restricted Operational Assessment Forward Nexus Two is no longer considered a dormant installation. It is now considered an active operational concern. Note: This is my attempt at making a long series. Index: Chapters Selection Beginning: Chapter 1: The Edge of Entry Links to previous and next chapter: Chapter 24: Signal Chapter 26: (Coming Soon) Credits: Thanks to @panos for his Exclusion Zone. This is something to add to his and is a standalone spin.