Play@YSDC

"Where are we from? Our tribe is a wandering bunch of nomads, and in the storm we got totally seperated from the rest of out tribe. This is my family and we managed to get here as our sleds, which you may have seen outside, were tethered together." The old man dry-wrings his hands and nods obsequiously "Move away, certainly comrade. I'll stand over by the door." He nods as he shuffles past you.

He hears the comment from Victor as he passes. "Take my boots off, why yes comrade. Of course comrade whatever you say." He sits down and removes his boots which reveal a pair of dirty, smelly feet.

Korovin remembers what the officer told in the radio and understand Victor demands. But what about the others? And even if they are nornal, they can be looters, a serious crime...

Melnikoz thinking:   Too many people are watching the Nenets, this is bad

Slowly and deliberately Melnikov scans the surrounding area, watching for other movement

Mr Handy / Viktor,I assumed it was over open radio channels, not sure if such things as earpieces were commonplace in 1991. Thinking about it I worked in the Prison Service at this time and we had earpieces so I can edit the above if you like ... it's not that important to the story-line.

"What time is it?" asks the old man in his by now familiar halting, heavilly accented Russian.

"Get over there in the corner with the others. It is time for answers. Who are you really, where are the others, what are those things around your necks and what the hell happened here."

Kozlov's voice is cold. He didn't like it that there were children too, that always made it harder...not harder, just more lingering.

Korovin is thinking that maybe not leaving any witness would be better? After all in this case, they may be traitors. Why would they enter in a place like this anyway?
-Why did you enter here in the first place? How did you knew that nobody was here?

Melnikov points the barrel of his machine gun at the old man, making sure he gets the message.

The old man continued to dry-wring his hands. "We entered seeking shelter as I said. as we looked for signs that someone was around it became clear that there was no-one here. Surely you have reached the same conclusion ... you have been round the camp good comrade?" The man's eyes narrow and he shifts from foot to foot. "Can you tell me the time please ... I need to perform my religious devotions."

Viktor keeps his rifle trained on the head of his target, watching him and the room around him warily through the scope, but also keeping an ear open for anything else in his surroundings.

Something is not rigth. You don't go to a gulag looking for shelter. They could have been arrested or shot. On the other hand with such a tempest... But the word, religious duties make him suspicious again.
-What religion are you? Orthodox? Muslin?

Kozlov's voice is even icier than the weather.

"Answer the questions."

"I ... No good comrade, I am of the old ways and am not of the more modern faiths. I worship the nature Gods and would try and make some plea to at least abate this storm. A lot of the more Northerly tribes are worshipers such as myself. Look - just let me go into the corner over there ...," he indicates the far corner with a nod of his head, "...and let me make my devotions. I won't be any trouble, and neither will my daughters and grand-daughters We will only be five minutes or so and you can stand watch if you wish, all I ask is that you do not interrupt us during the prayers. Hopefully we can get out of here and back to my tribe again. I'll even leave all the goods we were going to take behind if that would help allay your fears about stealing from the camp. All I wanted was to take something that might save our lives, and those of my tribe, out there in the wilds, surely you understand this comrade; sir?"

Modern faiths- christians and muslins? The tribe was made of pagans like the officer had said in the radio...
-You don't happen to know the way to another base near this place? It would be very helpful if you could explain how to get there...

Kozlov assessed the man, he couldn't help but loathe him. Something in his manner made Kozlov's skin crawl.


"Go stand over there with the women, have them take off their shoes and answer our questions. What happened here, where are the rest of you and what are those medallions."

Melnikov clicks off the safety with an audible click. He has a feeling that things are going to get hot real quick, and if it does his first target is going to be the old man. He grins that wolfish grin, and hopes that the old man will move in nice and close to the others. That way he can get them all in one burst, just the way he likes it.
Braaap, all over.

The old man turns and says to the women in the Nenet tongue My family, "These soldiers want us to take off our shoes for some reason ... quickly now, you know how impatient these Russians can be."

He turns back to you as the women quickly comply. "I am Nyalku good comrades, these are my daughters Anna and Olga with my granddaughters Zhanna, Lyudmila and Galina." he says indicating each of the females in turn. "As to what happened here, it is like I said before good comrade, The storm hit us hard, we got separated from our tribe and chanced upon this camp. We found it pretty much as it is now. I went in search of someone manning the camp and found no-one. So I'm afraid I cannot tell you what occurred here before we came because we weren't yet here."

By this time the women have their boots off revealing disgusting feet, blackened with dried sweat and grime.

"The medallions are sacred relics of our tribes patron God, Kotura, whom we call Lord of the Winds. So you see, with the terrible storm, how I see it important that we perform am appeasement ritual, to try and get him to lessen his rage against us. Who knows gentle comrades, it may well be your very presence that has offended Kotura being as you are not from this area or his faith? Perhaps if we can perform the ritual, he will better guide us."

Korovin is unsure at the beggining of what to do. Of course the idea of the locals having deformities in the feet and being dangerous was just a suposition after what they heard in the radio. But even if they are not so dangerous, nothing says they are telling the true. And they have commited several crimes: they entered a forbiden camp and were caugth stealing things that belong to the state- and they confessed. It's severel years of of jail. But there is no police here and they are in a hurry, and can't leave witness. Korovin knows now what it must be done, but it's a decision to his superiors...

Kozlov scowls at the offensive presence remark.


"Line up and march outside, single file.", his eyes didn't leave the old man, "and leave your shoes."

"Of course Comrade - of course, but if I may, why should we leave our shoes? After all it is below freezing out there, or is it your intention to maim or slay us?" asks the old man as he dry-wrings his hands. The women continue to look from the soldiers to the old man and back again.