...it's like TV Tropes, but LINKED DATA!

The Areal

1626 statements
321 feature instances
0 referencing feature instances

The Areal	type	TVTItem
The Areal	label	The Areal
The Areal	page	TheAreal
The Areal	comment	Year 1991. During the final days of USSR, a meteorite large enough to end all life on the planet almost hits Moscow, only to explode mid-air, with shards falling all across Siberia. But, in the ongoing chaos, bare minimum of efforts gets put into investigating it, and the strange and anomalous events which occurs around the epicentre — even when people and animals starts disappearing, running away to taiga after discovering weird yellow rash, or when people starts suffering from unexplainable injuries.Year 2008. After a head injury he sustained during counterterrorist operation, captain Ivan "Mist" Beryozov is forced to quit his job at "Alpha" group of special forces, but then he gets invited to work on the highly secretive object "Areal", the anomalous zone, resources of which are used to produce unique equipment and X-type oil; and not just as a desk jokey: they need him specifically due to his field experience, as they have a special task for him. He accepts, not yet fully believing in all the rumours about the "magic artifacts", mutants and dangerous anomalies; not knowing yet that this would change his life forever...The Areal is a series of sci-fi novels by a Russian writer Sergey Tarmashev, which, just like the other works by him, is a part of larger multiverse and connected to the other series by him, in one way or another. It takes many themes from both Roadside Picnic and S.T.A.L.K.E.R., but explores them in its own way.
The Areal	fetched	2024-03-22T23:47:58Z
The Areal	parsed	2024-03-22T23:47:58Z
The Areal	processingComment	Dropped link to CallBack: Not a Feature - ITEM
The Areal	processingComment	Dropped link to EarlyInstalmentWeirdness: Not a Feature - UNKNOWN
The Areal	processingComment	Dropped link to HoistByTheirOwnPetard: Not a Feature - UNKNOWN
The Areal	processingComment	Dropped link to InvertedTrope: Not a Feature - IGNORE
The Areal	processingComment	Dropped link to ItWasNotADream: Not a Feature - UNKNOWN
The Areal	processingComment	Dropped link to ShaggyDogStory: Not a Feature - ITEM
The Areal	processingComment	Dropped link to TheMafiya: Not a Feature - ITEM
The Areal	processingComment	Dropped link to Troll: Not a Feature - IGNORE
The Areal	processingComment	Dropped link to Womanchild: Not a Feature - UNKNOWN
The Areal	processingUnknown	EarlyInstalmentWeirdness
The Areal	processingUnknown	HoistByTheirOwnPetard
The Areal	processingUnknown	ItWasNotADream
The Areal	processingUnknown	Womanchild
The Areal	isPartOf	DBTropes
The Areal / int_10cdfe4b	type	Fall Guy
The Areal / int_10cdfe4b	comment	Fall Guy: Prokopenko tries to set Bear up as "coconspirator" of Nikolaeva and Stepanov, who allegedly tried to steal X-type oil which was provided for their experiments, so he may deal with all three in one strike. Bear was already set up as Firz's "accomplice" back in the previous book, but now X-Ray decides to pretend that he fell for it in order to provoke the real accomplice to reveal himself. Until then, Bear and both scientists (who were arrested for "stealing" Type-X oil) would remain in a jail.
The Areal / int_10cdfe4b	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_10cdfe4b	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_10cdfe4b
The Areal / int_115d318	type	And Then John Was a Zombie
The Areal / int_115d318	comment	In search for something which may help dying Vodyanoy, Ras finally finds the way into the old research centre, only to notice that it was partially consumed by the Areal, with side effects including zombies (blind and deformed due to the lack of contact with the psi-field), zombification-inducing water in what was once the pool... and newly-formed Source met. That is exactly what Vodyanoy needs (the Source would give him infinite amount of water), but to obtain it, Ras gets forced to go inside. He makes it back, just like his father once, but Ras himself gets zombified and runs into the Epicentre.
The Areal / int_115d318	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_115d318	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_115d318
The Areal / int_121476bd	type	The Millstone
The Areal / int_121476bd	comment	The Millstone: Failure of the operation to apprehend Bear and his team during Nail's extraction gets attributed solely to Hunter. What little success that operation actually had (capturing Nail herself) was only due to his much more competent subordinate.
The Areal / int_121476bd	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_121476bd	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_121476bd
The Areal / int_1282bf4f	type	No Celebrities Were Harmed
The Areal / int_1282bf4f	comment	No Celebrities Were Harmed: Another appearance of the president Crabsky (pretty obviously based on Vladimir Putin, with surnamed taken from his infamous internet nickname), this time in person; he's the one whom Lord Brindelberg forces to go down on X-Ray and stop his investigation by force, under threat of cutting Russia away from the global resource market.
The Areal / int_1282bf4f	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_1282bf4f	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_1282bf4f
The Areal / int_129749df	type	All Men Are Perverts
The Areal / int_129749df	comment	All Men Are Perverts: Nearly all men with whom Volodina interacts sees her as the lust object at best, or outright threats to rape her at worst.
The Areal / int_129749df	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_129749df	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_129749df
The Areal / int_12e8e69b	type	Jekyll & Hyde
The Areal / int_12e8e69b	comment	Jekyll & Hyde: We finally learn why Swell and Liker anomalies lookÂ so similar, yet act so differently — they are the two forms of the same anomaly; first form is a defensive mechanism, while the second may act like a teleport when required. They switch between modes depending on what the Fragment currently needs from them.
The Areal / int_12e8e69b	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_12e8e69b	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_12e8e69b
The Areal / int_13c1fec8	type	Dragon-in-Chief
The Areal / int_13c1fec8	comment	Dragon-in-Chief: Prokopenko starts realising that he relies on Firz a bit too much, and that it's him who needs Firz, not the other way around. Now, Firz is perfectly able to destroy everyone related to the lab, Prokopenko included, while Prokopenko is powerless to do anything but to ask Merkulov for help. He can't even involve Belov, since Firz is technically his underling, not Prokopenko's, and making him aware would cause further problems. After attempt to assassinate Firz resultsÂ in nearly all bandits being wiped out without achieving anything, the rest of the book is dedicated to conflict between Mist and Firz, without further Prokopenko's involvement.
The Areal / int_13c1fec8	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_13c1fec8	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_13c1fec8
The Areal / int_14ed6ab7	type	Does This Remind You of Anything?
The Areal / int_14ed6ab7	comment	Does This Remind You of Anything?: The whole situation with "Nonals" and their mutant children (having to care for sick and crippled from birth children without much resources for it, while facing constant prejudice, fear and outright hate) is very similar to what the real-world parents of "wrong" children face all the time (with common reaction being "why you didn't abort them / put them in the orphanage?"). Considering Tarmashev's love for using his fiction as metaphor for the real world and its problems, it's very likely intentional.
The Areal / int_14ed6ab7	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_14ed6ab7	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_14ed6ab7
The Areal / int_1522d74	type	Technically-Living Zombie
The Areal / int_1522d74	comment	Technically-Living Zombie: Any person going into the Red zone becomes zombified either immediately or soon afterwards, and falls under control of Areal's psi-field. Areal uses them to attack people in the Yellow (rarely Green) zone, since they keep all their skills — and weapons — intact. They are not dead, though this can't be called "life" either, and even if they do get killed, one trip to the Epicentre, and they swiftly gets resurrected and healed. Since they are still alive, in order to sustain themselves, they consume living flesh, including from humans they kill.
The Areal / int_1522d74	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_1522d74	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_1522d74
The Areal / int_15b2cab3	type	Tempting Fate
The Areal / int_15b2cab3	comment	Tempting Fate: Everything seems to go fine, but where's that Millstone anomaly they just successfully avoided? And sure enough, Vodyanoy tells everyone to run: it's right behind them!
The Areal / int_15b2cab3	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_15b2cab3	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_15b2cab3
The Areal / int_178ca149	type	The Worf Effect
The Areal / int_178ca149	comment	The Worf Effect: The aliens who arrives to help the heroes are capable of suppressing Ifarshe's technologies, including Areal: They prevents Areal from (permanently) shifting the border of the Red zone past the railroad, shifting it back right after the latest emission, shocking Lavender when she discovered it: it must be something truly powerful if it can defy the rules of Areal. Because any Zone other than Epicentre always has exactly same size, other zones can't expand as well. This effect turns out to be permanent, with any subsequent emissions going the same way. They managed to stale the emission for entire book, to allow the plot to unfold, and only then Areal was allowed to continue functioning as usual.
The Areal / int_178ca149	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_178ca149	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_178ca149
The Areal / int_18cb78a2	type	You Are Already Dead
The Areal / int_18cb78a2	comment	You Are Already Dead: The Cobweb would outright kill anyone rushing through it, but if you shrug it off with a stick, nothing would happen when you cross it... at first. Then you would suddenly drop dead due to a heart attack at unpredictable moment; no one has ever survived for more than six months — including one guy who was actually reanimated after initial heart attack right in the Green zone. This is because you can't really destroy the Cobweb (it just becomes invisible) — only reduce its strength, but not nearly enough to make it harmless. The Shackle wouldn't kill you. It merely bonds you to the ground, without a chance to break out on your own. Unless you have the Lockpick met, or couple of friends able to drag you out, you are doomed to die slow and agonising death. Unless you would get caught by animals or Emission; then it would be quick and agonising death.
The Areal / int_18cb78a2	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_18cb78a2	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_18cb78a2
The Areal / int_18d15922	type	Title Drop
The Areal / int_18d15922	comment	X-Ray goes into despair when he realises that everything he worked for was for nothing, because even his own command just betrayed him. He quietly, in defeated voice, whispers only three words: "Divided we fall..."
The Areal / int_18d15922	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_18d15922	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_18d15922
The Areal / int_198bef8	type	ManBehindTheMan
The Areal / int_198bef8	comment	Man Behind the Man: Piece is so pathetic and talentless, Anna easily becomes his de-facto boss, with him only nominally being one in command, solely because locals wouldn't be as aggressive that way.
The Areal / int_198bef8	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_198bef8	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_198bef8
The Areal / int_19da8a03	type	Incurable Cough of Death
The Areal / int_19da8a03	comment	Incurable Cough of Death: Downplayed; experiments Bolt suffered in futile attempts to exploit him for curing Lozinsky and Belov did damage his lungs to the point he would've likely died shortly after, but he reunites with SOT in time to take some cure, though it still takes him time to rehabilitate completely.
The Areal / int_19da8a03	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_19da8a03	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_19da8a03
The Areal / int_1b590025	type	Dead All Along
The Areal / int_1b590025	comment	Dead All Along: When they finally meets the aliens, main characters gets informed that most (if not all, the statement was made in general, without going into any specifics) of the main characters were actually killed at one point or another, but resurrected to give them another chance to redeem their past sins (since they started caring about them too late to do much). We actually witnessed the deaths of Bear and his team, and Mist remembers the exact moment when he was saved (his "death" under emission in the second book), but for the others we can only guess.
The Areal / int_1b590025	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_1b590025	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_1b590025
The Areal / int_1c21e3fb	type	The Place
The Areal / int_1c21e3fb	comment	The Place: The series is named after titular location, the Areal — massive anomalous area filled with dangerous anomalies, mutants and valuable artifacts.
The Areal / int_1c21e3fb	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_1c21e3fb	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_1c21e3fb
The Areal / int_1c445e86	type	Poor Communication Kills
The Areal / int_1c445e86	comment	Poor Communication Kills: Lozinsky's people didn't check Vlad's father (who, unknowingly to them, turns out to be Afghan war vet), because whatever info they have, was received from Belov — an actual general of special service here. The kicker? All info they have was taken as granted from X-Ray, of all people, and never re-checked afterwards. By the point they stopped arguing who's fault it is, it was already too late to prevent the guy from escaping with Vlad's daughter (whom they wanted to use for blackmail). Belov has plan "B" in order, but it still would be much harder (and longer) than their original plan.
The Areal / int_1c445e86	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_1c445e86	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_1c445e86
The Areal / int_1c7cc36d	type	Welcome Back, Traitor
The Areal / int_1c7cc36d	comment	Welcome Back, Traitor: Even taking into account that he's in dare need of people, Lozinsky let Prokopenko getÂ away with his scheming surprisingly easy, with bare minimum of punishment. Of course, for Prokopenko, being stripped of access to dirty money is Not So Harmless Punishment, but still.
The Areal / int_1c7cc36d	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_1c7cc36d	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_1c7cc36d
The Areal / int_1d18887f	type	Pay Evil unto Evil
The Areal / int_1d18887f	comment	Pay Evil unto Evil: Turns out that two years ago the Fragment actually managed to finish the evacuation (and leaved Earth itself) — but, just as it warned, to buy time and energy for evacuation, it switched Areal into its current mode. With more time, it was possible to deactivate and set remutation in motion, but with nuclear strike incoming, Fragment had neither time nor motivation to do so. The second Fragment (yes, there were two surviving Fragments) was abandoned due to the time restraint, and still operates the Areal's growth.
The Areal / int_1d18887f	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_1d18887f	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_1d18887f
The Areal / int_1daa7fce	type	In the Back
The Areal / int_1daa7fce	comment	In the Back: Lemur shoots Wind in the back when he least expected it. When it fails to kill him and Wind tries to grab his gun, Lemur finishes him off with another burst, this time in the head.
The Areal / int_1daa7fce	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_1daa7fce	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_1daa7fce
The Areal / int_1dacdb4f	type	Senseless Sacrifice
The Areal / int_1dacdb4f	comment	Senseless Sacrifice: It seems that Mantrap's attempt to cover for escaping civilians was for nothing, because they were ambushed on the way out.
The Areal / int_1dacdb4f	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_1dacdb4f	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_1dacdb4f
The Areal / int_1dd14f5a	type	I Surrender, Suckers
The Areal / int_1dd14f5a	comment	I Surrender, Suckers: When Mist offers Firz to surrender (he has no chance to escape anyway,and this way at least he would be caught without crippling injuries), Firz pretends to accept... and then tries to kill Mist the moment he opens the door. He misses, and then Mist shoots him couple of times; unfortunately, he hits Ducat instead (who was then shot several times more by Lemur to ensure that he wouldn't be caught alive and interrogated), and then Firz detonates the bomb he hid in the wall (killing Lemur and knocking out Mist), and escapes.
The Areal / int_1dd14f5a	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_1dd14f5a	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_1dd14f5a
The Areal / int_1e584efa	type	Cruel and Unusual Death
The Areal / int_1e584efa	comment	Cruel and Unusual Death: Most anomalies would kill you very quickly, but some are particularly gruesome and painful: The Jelly would slowly melt you into more Jelly. It would take around half an hour to finally kill the unfortunate victim, and all this time they would scream in agony, until their upper body would jellyfy as well. The Heat boils you alive right in your gear. The Shackle wouldn't kill you by itself. It would merely chain you to the ground, with no way to escape, where you would live for just long enough to die from Emission, which would destroy your body with the brutal vibrations. Unless some animals would find you first and just eat you alive. Or you die from thirst.
The Areal / int_1e584efa	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_1e584efa	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_1e584efa
The Areal / int_1e5df5	type	Heh Heh, You Said "X"
The Areal / int_1e5df5	comment	Heh Heh, You Said "X": Russian word for "member", depending on context, may be used as euphemist for dick. One of characters, the girl named Julia, makes fun of Prokopenko being called "Member" (capital letter is intended, which, for Julia, only adds up the fun).
The Areal / int_1e5df5	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_1e5df5	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_1e5df5
The Areal / int_1e7affed	type	Amputation Stops Spread
The Areal / int_1e7affed	comment	Amputation Stops Spread: After Jelly starts consuming you, the only way to stop the spread is to cut off the infected body part.
The Areal / int_1e7affed	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_1e7affed	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_1e7affed
The Areal / int_1fdc1aa	type	See the Invisible
The Areal / int_1fdc1aa	comment	See the Invisible: Grishka somehow can see Cobweb without any outside help. Or so he claims. It does him no good in the end, though.
The Areal / int_1fdc1aa	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_1fdc1aa	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_1fdc1aa
The Areal / int_20c11a5c	type	Second Episode Introduction
The Areal / int_20c11a5c	comment	Second Episode Introduction: Scientists Nikolaeva and Stepanov arrived to study Areal back in the first book, but due to limited place available (with much of the first book dedicated to introducing setting and main characters) were not properly introduced until now.
The Areal / int_20c11a5c	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_20c11a5c	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_20c11a5c
The Areal / int_222dc873	type	Black Comedy
The Areal / int_222dc873	comment	Stalker Syoma Sniff somehow managed to avoid being zombified in the Red zone, but lost both legs to the Jelly, and one arm to Sieve. He survived only because he found the Ariadna somewhere and managed to keep it in his teeth. Just how he survived all this is a mystery. The in-universe "joke" about "3,5 people" making it out of the Red zone refers to him.
The Areal / int_222dc873	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_222dc873	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_222dc873
The Areal / int_22725d56	type	Nom de Guerre
The Areal / int_22725d56	comment	Nom de Guerre: Due to high secrecy surrounding anything going on in the Areal, all local personnel must use callsigns, including scientists. While using given names in conversations is acceptable (mentioning surnames is strictly forbidden), all official documents address them only by callsigns. We don't even learn the real names for many of the characters, or at least their last names.
The Areal / int_22725d56	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_22725d56	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_22725d56
The Areal / int_22a60f6a	type	Nepotism
The Areal / int_22a60f6a	comment	Nepotism: Nearly all members of the board of executives (save for Vorontsov) are distantly related to each other; they prefer to not announce that fact, of course. Lieutenant Levein (callsing "Hunter")Â is actually Belov's nephew (and, as we later learn, the son of security team's colonel, though by that point his father would be already dead); the only reason he is here to begin with is because his uncle plans to set him as his successor, and place like the Areal would be great for his career, even if he wouldn't make it outside main base.
The Areal / int_22a60f6a	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_22a60f6a	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_22a60f6a
The Areal / int_22cf50f9	type	Chekhov's Gag
The Areal / int_22cf50f9	comment	Chekhov's Gag: Any readers who remembers how easily the Licker (completely harmless) can be mistaken for the Swell (one of the most lethal anomalies out there) would suspect just what is wrong with the lab the moment Firz shows it to the investigation team. They would be proven right the instant Mist revisits the lab by himself.
The Areal / int_22cf50f9	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_22cf50f9	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_22cf50f9
The Areal / int_22cf536c	type	Chekhov's Gun
The Areal / int_22cf536c	comment	Chekhov's Gun: Several details, including certain anomalies, established earlier (both from this and from earlier books), finally comes into play during the Last Stand: Remember "Toxy", which was introduced all the way back into the fourth book, and was swiftly forgotten about? It allows Baykal to sneak out of the base undetected. It also forces the enemy to retreat several times, assisting Bear. The Vortex (which manifested over the roof) and the Tearer (which blocked the main entrance) helps a lot with consuming incoming missiles, which prevents the enemy from blowing up the base too early. That insane idea to set up a "mine field" consisted of the tree stumps with Solenoids attached? It doesn't work in full force, due to the enemy attacking earlier, but it still wipes out enough soldiers to worth the efforts. Remember that Bald which manifested near the secret entrance, and the plan to just jump over it? Well, the plan actually works when tried. Bear though that the scientists wasted too many resources of reinforcing his armour, considering that he's a deadman anyway. In the last battle, it allows him to survive enormous amount of shots, which would be fatal for anyone using the standard model. He still doesn't survive, but it allows him to put up a fight.
The Areal / int_22cf536c	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_22cf536c	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_22cf536c
The Areal / int_23153741	type	Suddenly Significant City
The Areal / int_23153741	comment	Suddenly Significant City: Ukhta was relatively small, little-known town in Siberia, but due to close proximity to Areal, it suddenly attracted countless new people interested in trying to earn some money by becoming stalkers. Of course, it's illegal, but when it stopped Russians from doing anything?
The Areal / int_23153741	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_23153741	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_23153741
The Areal / int_24321e44	type	Only Sane Man
The Areal / int_24321e44	comment	Only Sane Man: Mercenaries, of all people, particularly colonel Liman (who's the PoV character for the first chapter, and stands out even amongst them; for example, he's one of the few mercs who refused to trust Prokopenko, seeing him for who he is) are the only people outside of SOT and their friends, who understands that "Areal" corporation has stopped doing any meaningful researches of the Areal, right when everyone needs them most. Why mutants just keep and keep reproducing, no matter how many of them dies? Why they becomes more and more dangerous and blood-hungry? Why old, time-proven methods suddenly stopped working, and new dangers have emerged? All of this must be found out to prevent even more deaths, yet no one cares about anything aside from earning more money! Mercenaries even plans to set up their own research base just to do something. Unfortunately, even within them, not everyone agrees on this. Mercs also generally understands that they shouldn't trust anti-SOT propaganda all that much, because SOT is just that useful for everyone else.
The Areal / int_24321e44	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_24321e44	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_24321e44
The Areal / int_245cb69d	type	Changing of the Guard
The Areal / int_245cb69d	comment	Changing of the Guard: After Mist's disappearance, Bear replaces him as the "lead" character from now on.
The Areal / int_245cb69d	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_245cb69d	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_245cb69d
The Areal / int_25dc6ef5	type	Apathetic Citizens
The Areal / int_25dc6ef5	comment	Apathetic Citizens: One of the main themes of the series. Countless problems could've been solved had people ever bothered to just stand up and do anything, be it about the Areal, or rampant corruption of the Corporation.
The Areal / int_25dc6ef5	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_25dc6ef5	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_25dc6ef5
The Areal / int_26ac510e	type	Mythology Gag
The Areal / int_26ac510e	comment	Mythology Gag: Bear thinks "truth is eternal", then starts wondering why he even had such weirdly-worded thought. "Areal" originally was supposed to share universe with Tarmashev's earlier series, The Ancient One, which had these words as catchphrase of the one of "good" alien races.
The Areal / int_26ac510e	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_26ac510e	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_26ac510e
The Areal / int_272abb98	type	Shoot the Shaggy Dog
The Areal / int_272abb98	comment	Shoot the Shaggy Dog: Merkulov won nothing from his alliance with the Corporation; with scientists being killed on Belov's orders, all their researches being destroyed during assault on the SOT base, and secret of producing electricity in the Yellow zone no longer being a secret, he has nothing to offer to his old bosses, and, judging by them doing nothing to prevent Belov from hunting for him, he's essentially sacrificed by this point. Then he gets backstabbed by Fixa, and dies in very gruesome manner.
The Areal / int_272abb98	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_272abb98	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_272abb98
The Areal / int_27b83210	type	Hufflepuff House
The Areal / int_27b83210	comment	Hufflepuff House: Out of five major factions formed after "Disinfection", three (Mercenaries, Oil-miners and Obshyak) have bare minimum involvement in the plot. While Mercs were eventually expanded upon, the other two were not so lucky: Despite being even stronger gang than Townsfolk, Obshyak's only major contribution to the plot is their slave-trafficking business, which helps kickstarting Volodina's plot; past that, they drop out almost completely. Pretty much the only thing known about the Oil-miners is that, true to their name, they are prime oil-traders in Areal. They are powerful enough to being offered to join the Alliance, but not story-important enough to ever appear on-screen.
The Areal / int_27b83210	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_27b83210	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_27b83210
The Areal / int_2854b56d	type	Uncertain Doom
The Areal / int_2854b56d	comment	Uncertain Doom: Just what happened with Mist, X-Ray and Lavender during the "Disinfection"? Did they survive, or did they perish? We have no way to know; the last quarter of the book follows Bear.
The Areal / int_2854b56d	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_2854b56d	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_2854b56d
The Areal / int_2864490b	type	Gravity Screw
The Areal / int_2864490b	comment	Gravity Screw: Full spectrum of gravity-related anomalies: The Shackle, instead of flat-out killing you,Â pins you to the ground (with enough force to knock you out if its catch you on the move). Unless you have a Lockpick met (which disables it), or at least two friends who are ready to drag you out of it, you are doomed to die from starvation, the local fauna or from the Emission. The Grava (short for "graviconcentrate") represents the zone of gravity increased to so ridiculous level that anything trying to cross it would be splatted across the ground. The Vortex sucks everything in, then mangles whatever it catches into incomprehensible mess.
The Areal / int_2864490b	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_2864490b	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_2864490b
The Areal / int_2882c8c1	type	Career-Ending Injury
The Areal / int_2882c8c1	comment	Career-Ending Injury: First post-prologue chapter depicts protagonist, Mist, participating in operation to save hostages (several women and children) from a group of islamists who threatened to blow them up. The last surviving one blows himself up, with Mist caught in the blast. While Mist survives, the head trauma he received forcesÂ him to retire from "Alpha" (elite spetsnaz team). Fortunately, he getsÂ recommended as a new recruit for "Areal", with his head trauma actually ending up more of an asset than a burden.
The Areal / int_2882c8c1	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_2882c8c1	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_2882c8c1
The Areal / int_28cd01ca	type	Disappeared Dad
The Areal / int_28cd01ca	comment	Disappeared Dad: Ras' father was a stalker himself. One day, he promised that he would be on his son's birthday, but disappeared for almost entire day and returned at the very last moment. He brought a weird met (which turns out to be the Spring, metamorphite which works by providing the body with water out of nowhere), and then disappeared again, this time forever. Ras believes that he is in the Red zone now, and that there's a way to save him (mythical "Living water" met, which can cure zombification). This is why his reaction to meeting Mist, whom he mistook for non-hostile zombie, was to ask to escort him to the Red zone.
The Areal / int_28cd01ca	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_28cd01ca	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_28cd01ca
The Areal / int_295087bf	type	Non-Indicative Name
The Areal / int_295087bf	comment	Non-Indicative Name: There're no boars in the Boar forest, because bears came in and wiped them out. People still call it that out of habit.
The Areal / int_295087bf	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_295087bf	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_295087bf
The Areal / int_2ae29c0d	type	The Dreaded
The Areal / int_2ae29c0d	comment	The Dreaded: Thanks to Firz, Bear has terrible reputation amongst local stalkers, because he allegedly never takes prisoners and is just a bloodthirsty maniac in general. By the time the reader learns about this, it would be already obvious that this is Blatant Lies, since his previous actions are anything but "maniacal" (with Mist pointing several cases directly contradicting the rumours).
The Areal / int_2ae29c0d	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_2ae29c0d	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_2ae29c0d
The Areal / int_2bdae2ae	type	Awesome, but Impractical
The Areal / int_2bdae2ae	comment	The Sixth Sense allows you to sense any life form nearby, how far away it's from you, and how to reach it... and allows those life forms to sense you in the similar way. Including local monsters and zombies, which attacks any intruders on sight. People rarely risks using it outside of the rescue operations, or brief reconnaissances.
The Areal / int_2bdae2ae	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_2bdae2ae	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_2bdae2ae
The Areal / int_2cbaa888	type	Empty Shell
The Areal / int_2cbaa888	comment	Empty Shell: Ever since meeting his father, Ras (who used to be the soul of the company) feels nothing but sadness — and this sadness transfers to everyone around him. Vodyanoy (whose wife is kept captive in the Satellite) and Tatiana (heartbroken over Bear) feels no better. Bear knows that this is wrong, but not the way how to fix that.
The Areal / int_2cbaa888	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_2cbaa888	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_2cbaa888
The Areal / int_2cd22076	type	Fantastic Drug
The Areal / int_2cd22076	comment	Fantastic Drug: Goldenlocks, mutated Areal cannabis (called that due to its weird look, which resembles, well, golden hairs), became popular after "Disinfection". It has no harsh post-high effects, and is "stronger" than heroin, but has 100% addiction rate, and has one small, but unpleasant side effect — each time it's used, there's a random chance that its user would feel sudden impulse to go into Areal, only realising what's going on after crossing the barrier and becoming Addicted. Since it happens at random, and due to junkies being, well, not the sanest people alive, it never stops anyone.
The Areal / int_2cd22076	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_2cd22076	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_2cd22076
The Areal / int_2d4fa515	type	Ax-Crazy
The Areal / int_2d4fa515	comment	Ax-Crazy: The moment she shows her true colours, Anna, overloaded with hatred, goes into murderous rage against her former friend (whom she beats up) and comatose Rustle, whom she injures further and nearly kills.
The Areal / int_2d4fa515	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_2d4fa515	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_2d4fa515
The Areal / int_2dc3e97c	type	Ghost Town
The Areal / int_2dc3e97c	comment	Ghost Town: Rasp and Merkulov abandons Sosnogorsk and Ukhta, respectively, due to them being fully consumed by the Yellow zone, thus rendering them completely uninhabited.
The Areal / int_2dc3e97c	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_2dc3e97c	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_2dc3e97c
The Areal / int_2dddd99d	type	False Flag Operation
The Areal / int_2dddd99d	comment	False Flag Operation: Merkulov causes Rasp a lot of troubles by attacking Oil-Miners (who were protected by Mercs at the time) while masked as Obshyak's gangsters.
The Areal / int_2dddd99d	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_2dddd99d	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_2dddd99d
The Areal / int_2de7bbf1	type	Nominal Hero
The Areal / int_2de7bbf1	comment	Nominal Hero: One of the last five "volunteers" still there by the point Bear meets them asks Bear why they didn't just negotiated with the Corporation (instead of giving shelter to the outlaws, because who cares about these guys?), setting up some peaceful coexistence until they can accumulate enough power to betray them. He also presumes that their plan was to capture Satellite, execute Corporation's leaders and set up their own rule over it (he would gladly join in). After hearing him out, Bear just tells him that he would provide food and water, and escort them out.
The Areal / int_2de7bbf1	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_2de7bbf1	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_2de7bbf1
The Areal / int_2e0c6c38	type	Eskimos Aren't Real
The Areal / int_2e0c6c38	comment	Eskimos Aren't Real: Fragment stubbornly refuses to believe that Bolt is a real man, insisting that he's either a hallucination or a local myth. When Mist insists that he knows him personally, he receives an answer that "Bolt" was just a scammer. This reactions is due to Fragment being unable to sense Bolt through his surveillance system, and arrogantly believing that if it can't sense something, it doesn't exist.
The Areal / int_2e0c6c38	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_2e0c6c38	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_2e0c6c38
The Areal / int_3126c34a	type	Insufferable Genius
The Areal / int_3126c34a	comment	Insufferable Genius: Turns out that Lavender, prior to meeting Mist, was so toxic to everyone except for the other scientists around her, that not even Baykal (resident Cold Sniper) was able to tolerate her for long.
The Areal / int_3126c34a	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_3126c34a	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_3126c34a
The Areal / int_313e9485	type	Hero with Bad Publicity
The Areal / int_313e9485	comment	Hero with Bad Publicity: They were outlaws even prior to this, but now people believes that Bear and his men are outright maniacs, zombies or both. While obviously not everyone believes in this, this creates a lot of problems with dealing with the other people, especially since they only survives via trading.
The Areal / int_313e9485	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_313e9485	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_313e9485
The Areal / int_31898188	type	Recurring Dreams
The Areal / int_31898188	comment	Recurring Dreams: Both Lozinsky and Belov keeps seeing certain nightmares every night; they see different dreams, but both involves Kugelstein, and signals that something bad is gonna happen — something related to their crimes. For the very first time in the long, long time they feels... fear.
The Areal / int_31898188	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_31898188	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_31898188
The Areal / int_319e4a2f	type	Even Evil Has Standards
The Areal / int_319e4a2f	comment	Even Evil Has Standards: Not even Obshyak would assault trading caravans: since trading is so crucial for everyone's survival, it would put absolutely everyone at your throat (attacking people anywhere else is the fair game, but even then they would rather take them alive). The sole person who doesn't care about this is Merkulov, who has no standards whatsoever. In fact, his shameless attempt to attack Vodyanoy right during trading was yet another clue which pointed Quartz to him.
The Areal / int_319e4a2f	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_319e4a2f	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_319e4a2f
The Areal / int_31da1e24	type	Shipper on Deck
The Areal / int_31da1e24	comment	Shipper on Deck: While everyone clearly sees that something starts between Bear and Tatiana (they already started making bets on where Bear would realise this himself), only Basalt actually tells this to Bear, saying that he shouldn't wait for long, since they are clearly made for each other, just like Lavender and Mist prior to them.
The Areal / int_31da1e24	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_31da1e24	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_31da1e24
The Areal / int_322426f8	type	Not Good with Rejection
The Areal / int_322426f8	comment	After Tatiana Volodina refused his blatant advances, Prokopenko "punished" her by hiring bandits to abduct her and smuggle into Areal. Now, when she's Addicted, whether she survives or not, she can't return home ever again.
The Areal / int_322426f8	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_322426f8	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_322426f8
The Areal / int_33db913f	type	Open Mouth, Insert Foot
The Areal / int_33db913f	comment	Open Mouth, Insert Foot: Pretty much all Grishka's problems are related to his inability to think before saying something. He vouched for his pal who was in debt to Syoma Rasp, and since this pal is now under arrest, paying this debt is up to Grishka. He bragged about having (non-existent) Stealth met, which made Rasp interested in using him as a guide, only to find out that this was bullshit. Then, during operation, he brags that, had he have the equipment Corporation's personnel uses, he may take mets even from the Epicentre... and gets promptly called dumbass for never learning on his mistakes, since at this point bandits very well may force him to do exactly that.
The Areal / int_33db913f	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_33db913f	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_33db913f
The Areal / int_3490a19b	type	Please Dump Me
The Areal / int_3490a19b	comment	Please Dump Me: Bear intentionally acts like a jerk to Tatiana in hope that she would leave him alone, partially because he still isn't sure whether he can trust her, and partially to suppress his own feelings. He changes tactic and starts outright avoiding her after passing the Cobweb.
The Areal / int_3490a19b	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_3490a19b	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_3490a19b
The Areal / int_34dcfc96	type	Kick the Dog
The Areal / int_34dcfc96	comment	Kick the Dog: Anna brutally beats up Tatiana and tries to kill already injured Rustle, just because.
The Areal / int_34dcfc96	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_34dcfc96	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_34dcfc96
The Areal / int_362461f6	type	Sex Slave
The Areal / int_362461f6	comment	Sex Slave: Obschyak (Rasp's new gang) now, amongst other things, deals in women trafficking. They can even capture specific women as a "special order", like Volodina for Prokopenko.
The Areal / int_362461f6	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_362461f6	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_362461f6
The Areal / int_38d02d44	type	Batman Gambit
The Areal / int_38d02d44	comment	Batman Gambit: Nail gets released from captivity, "due to the lack of evidences", and forced to leave the Satellite. All of this solely to provoke Vodyanoy into attempt to retrieve her, so he may be captured, in one way or another. Fortunately, Quartz explains this to him before he falls into the trap.
The Areal / int_38d02d44	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_38d02d44	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_38d02d44
The Areal / int_39297f53	type	Bigger Is Better
The Areal / int_39297f53	comment	Bigger Is Better: The bigger a met is, the stronger its effects would be.
The Areal / int_39297f53	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_39297f53	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_39297f53
The Areal / int_39b8d3d6	type	Boring, but Practical
The Areal / int_39b8d3d6	comment	Boring, but Practical: Several mets have rather utilitarian functions, often essentially replacing various tools you can't normally use withinÂ Areal, and wouldn't even make you good money if you sell them, but while in Areal, they are no less (if not more) valuable than more exotic and "cool" ones: The Lockpick has exactly one function — it gives you immunity to the Shackle anomaly. Considering that if you get caught in it without a couple of friends ready to rescue you, You Are Already Dead, this is still very valuable. The Primus can boil water... and only water. Even snow wouldn't be affected, nor it can heat you or your gear. It's valued for ability to prepare food in Areal's conditions (it's impossible to start a fire here, as it quickly extinguishes), but has no other uses. The Firefly acts as a light source. In absence of (working) flashlights, and torches being borderline useless, they may be your only source of light in the Yellow zone (which has extremely dark nights). The Bug somehow prevents food from spoiling just by being nearby. In absence of freezers, especially with how hard it's to obtain food in Areal post-"Disinfection", it suddenly becomes rather valuable in the everyday life, especially for those who spend a lot of time in the Yellow zone. The Compass just tells you direction towards the Epicentre. Since normal compass wouldn't work here, and there were cases when people crossed the border between zones purely by accident (entering the Red zone is instantly fatal), it can be very useful.
The Areal / int_39b8d3d6	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_39b8d3d6	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_39b8d3d6
The Areal / int_3ac2a3e3	type	Deadly Gas
The Areal / int_3ac2a3e3	comment	Deadly Gas: Amongst the other things, there are gas anomalies. They work like invisible, concentrated mist of toxic gas which somehow maintains its form even while moving. The one and only clue that you must put on a gas mask is the quiet "pshh" sound; miss it, and you would die in extreme agony:Â depending ofÂ anomaly type, either from suffocation, or from being dissolved alive; that last one would also kill anyone unfortunate enough to have holes in their equipment (like from bullets).
The Areal / int_3ac2a3e3	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_3ac2a3e3	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_3ac2a3e3
The Areal / int_3aec9e5e	type	Properly Paranoid
The Areal / int_3aec9e5e	comment	Properly Paranoid: Nail intentionally avoided learning various secret of the SOT and their base (with sole exception being usage of the shards to offset electricity not working, which was unavoidable), including its exact whereabouts; this greatly reduced the amount of information the Corporation was able to obtain from interrogating her when she was eventually captured.
The Areal / int_3aec9e5e	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_3aec9e5e	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_3aec9e5e
The Areal / int_3c3f28a5	type	Blessed with Suck
The Areal / int_3c3f28a5	comment	Blessed with Suck: Turns out that Vodyanoy's abilities were caused by botched zombification. He can't become a zombie, but the process never stopped and now slowly destroys his brain instead. It can be postponed by consuming water, but resumes instantly the moment he stops drinking, making it impossible to stop completely.
The Areal / int_3c3f28a5	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_3c3f28a5	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_3c3f28a5
The Areal / int_3c7d0418	type	Doom Magnet
The Areal / int_3c7d0418	comment	In general, any people with Addiction must stay within Areal, or ever growing Itch would kill them when it reaches the life-threatening (or sanity-ruining) level. Treatment exists, but is extremely expensive and is highly impractical (for starters, it has to be done in Germany, while Areal is in Siberia). And any such person is constantly pursued by weird effect called "poltergeist", which causes disasters constantly occurring around them at random, so soon people started recognising them, and trying to force them to leave, if not outright lynching them; it also makes it hard to actually reach Germany to get treatment. Combination of Itch, "poltergeist" and near universal hatred forced all such people to move closer and closer to Areal, and eventually even staying inside. Lucky ones now lives within "Satellite", others must build their own shelter right in the Zones and hope for the best.
The Areal / int_3c7d0418	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_3c7d0418	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_3c7d0418
The Areal / int_3cb1d38d	type	Bad Boss
The Areal / int_3cb1d38d	comment	To provoke the president into allowing the "Disinfection", as additional argument they hacked the detectors of several rangers in order to lure them close to the water (leading to them being zombified), and set it up as a "zombie assault".
The Areal / int_3cb1d38d	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_3cb1d38d	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_3cb1d38d
The Areal / int_3d2c6d30	type	Skewed Priorities
The Areal / int_3d2c6d30	comment	Skewed Priorities: Back in the days of Mist's trainings, drill instructor confronted him about taking speed over stealth during stealthy movement trainings. Mist tried to defend himself by saying that he tries to meet the standards... and received an answer that these "standards" were created by morons, familiar with war only by printed reports: it doesn't matter how fast you can crawl, if you get busted and immediately shot to death. He later forced him to undergo additional training, but it paid for itself more than once later, and now Mist feels nothing but gratitude for his old instructor.
The Areal / int_3d2c6d30	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_3d2c6d30	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_3d2c6d30
The Areal / int_3d4d3dc9	type	Humans Are Bastards
The Areal / int_3d4d3dc9	comment	Humans Are Bastards: The aliens are willing to help us with what we can't manage, but doing entire work in our place (like destroying the Areal) is out of question. Most humans are perfectly fine with living in such crappy conditions, perfectly fine with being ruled by the corrupt tyrants, and perfectly fine with killing the ones who wants to help them. People like these don't deserve to be saved.
The Areal / int_3d4d3dc9	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_3d4d3dc9	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_3d4d3dc9
The Areal / int_3d897748	type	Do Not Go Gentle
The Areal / int_3d897748	comment	Do Not Go Gentle: X-Rays was completely aware that he has almost no chance to survive his attempt to reveal the Corporation's crimes to the world, but he still must to at least try. He only loses hope completely when he learns that even his own agency is in league with villains, when they backstab him.
The Areal / int_3d897748	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_3d897748	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_3d897748
The Areal / int_3dc1e273	type	Not Enough to Bury
The Areal / int_3dc1e273	comment	Not Enough to Bury: To make absolutely sure that nothing of their knowledge can be retrieved, Nikolaeva and Stepanov were not just killed, but thrown into the Tearer anomaly.
The Areal / int_3dc1e273	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_3dc1e273	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_3dc1e273
The Areal / int_3dcc914f	type	Took a Level in Kindness
The Areal / int_3dcc914f	comment	Took a Level in Kindness: When Mist proves himself different from local guards withÂ "soldier sees, soldier kills" mindset and points her own flaws which she can't deny, Lavender changes her behaviour to the best, not just to him (with whom she, presumably, fell in love), but in general.
The Areal / int_3dcc914f	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_3dcc914f	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_3dcc914f
The Areal / int_3e95582f	type	The Greatest Story Never Told
The Areal / int_3e95582f	comment	The Greatest Story Never Told: Thirteenth somehow made it out of the Red zone, bringing back zombified counterintelligence agent (now un-brainwashed), and the important databank from a fallen satellite. He refused to tell Bolt any details about what and how he did there, and never appears in the story afterwards. Just how stalker Syoma Sniff managed to survive the journey from the Red zone with only one hand left (even if he had the Ariadne)? For that matter, how he avoided being zombified?
The Areal / int_3e95582f	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_3e95582f	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_3e95582f
The Areal / int_3ed17fe0	type	Wide-Eyed Idealist
The Areal / int_3ed17fe0	comment	Wide-Eyed Idealist: Firz believes that Wind was too naive and idealistic, due to his stubborn believe in the Corporation indeed being as incorruptible as it's advertised; for this reason, he didn't even try to recruit him, and set everything up to kill him alongside Mist.
The Areal / int_3ed17fe0	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_3ed17fe0	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_3ed17fe0
The Areal / int_3ed23024	type	Surprisingly Realistic Outcome
The Areal / int_3ed23024	comment	Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: After Mist so easily ignored his head trauma while in Areal (that one which was allegedly bad enough to reduce him to the office work at best), you would expect the same for Volodina's spine trauma. Nope. Turns out that making highly dangerous and and potentially traumatic jump while already being two steps away from a wheelchair would be extremely painful and traumatic; she barely avoids gravely injuring herself, but renders herself unable to walk after that for some time just due to sheer pain alone, and even two months later, she still suffers from the side effects.
The Areal / int_3ed23024	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_3ed23024	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_3ed23024
The Areal / int_3fe2b13f	type	Ungrateful Bastard
The Areal / int_3fe2b13f	comment	Ungrateful Bastard: Bear and his friends are regularly warning people about upcoming emissions (lethal to anyone caught outside), and providing various hard-to-find goods, including fresh water in huge quantities, and unique medicine. The only thing they asks for in return is to help them against people who are trying to kill them. No one answers the call.
The Areal / int_3fe2b13f	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_3fe2b13f	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_3fe2b13f
The Areal / int_4023b8c8	type	First-Name Basis
The Areal / int_4023b8c8	comment	First-Name Basis: Justified for the Corporation's personnel. Using last names within Areal is strictly forbidden due to secrecy concerns. Official documents mentions people only by callsigns, but in personal conversations it's allowed to use the first names (but never surnames). In general, characters (including unrelated to the Corporation) mostly gets referred to either by a callsign, nickname or first name. It's rare for them to even have their last names revealed.
The Areal / int_4023b8c8	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_4023b8c8	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_4023b8c8
The Areal / int_40bb59d0	type	Blatant Lies
The Areal / int_40bb59d0	comment	Volkonskiy was assassinated on Belov's orders, when he stepped into the "accidentally" unmarked anomaly. His team was set on the various missions, and were killed en-route because Belov sabotaged detectors on their buses, allowing them to run into an anomaly.
The Areal / int_40bb59d0	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_40bb59d0	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_40bb59d0
The Areal / int_40d15d7a	type	Spoiler Cover
The Areal / int_40d15d7a	comment	Spoiler Cover: Book's cover spoils the fact that there would be non-hostile encounter with Veteran in this book.
The Areal / int_40d15d7a	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_40d15d7a	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_40d15d7a
The Areal / int_41d5f145	type	Fluffy the Terrible
The Areal / int_41d5f145	comment	Fluffy the Terrible: How SOT called the lethal toxic anomaly which regularly visits their base (and which saved their life at least once just because they can operate around it, and enemies can't)? "Toxy".
The Areal / int_41d5f145	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_41d5f145	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_41d5f145
The Areal / int_41dd77d	type	Zerg Rush
The Areal / int_41dd77d	comment	Zerg Rush: Mercs' Blue-harvesting plantation regularly gets attacked by mutants in so ridiculous numbers, by all logic they are supposed to go exstinct by now, yet they reproduces absurdly fast, ensuring that there always would be enough for another round. Mercs' commander, colonel Liman, finds that to be weird even by the Areal standards.
The Areal / int_41dd77d	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_41dd77d	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_41dd77d
The Areal / int_420081bf	type	Alien Sky
The Areal / int_420081bf	comment	Alien Sky: Amongst the other things being wrong with the Yellow zone, it has a green sky with blue sun, while grass suddenly becomes blue. It becomes even worse in the Red zone and especially the Epicentre, but only few people everÂ managed to see them, given that entering the Red zone means instant zombification.
The Areal / int_420081bf	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_420081bf	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_420081bf
The Areal / int_423f5a19	type	Killed Offscreen
The Areal / int_423f5a19	comment	Killed Offscreen: The scientists were killed by Belov's men during evacuation from the base, then their corpses were thrown into an anomaly. Lavender, who escorted them, barely survived thanks to the Living Water still attached to her body, and even then, only because she fell too close to the water, making it impossible to come close to her, which convinced the assaulters that they may check up later, and allowed Asya to go and drag her out. We learn that Anna was killed after the battle, when Veteran and his Dog investigated the ruins; Dog bit her in half. Some characters were killed between the last chapter and the epilogue, with their deaths being mentioned in the passing: Firz indeed died from his tumour; Belov did nothing to speed up things: his death was swift and cruel as is. Merkulov made a mistake when he attacked Belov's men in (futile) attempt to capture Vodyanoy, giving his enemy enough information to know where to hunt for him. Soon afterwards, Fixa backstabbed him, brought his head (what was left of it) to receive a reward, and usurped the gang. Volkonskiy was assassinated on Belov's orders, when he stepped into the "accidentally" unmarked anomaly. His team was set on the various missions, and were killed en-route because Belov sabotaged detectors on their buses, allowing them to run into an anomaly.
The Areal / int_423f5a19	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_423f5a19	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_423f5a19
The Areal / int_42c9f1ec	type	Downplayed Trope
The Areal / int_42c9f1ec	comment	Downplayed with the Sixth Sense. While it had some use prior, it was so deep in the Awesome, but Impractical territory that no one risked to use it anyway outside of the very specific circumstances. Again, Nikolaeva and Stepanov managed to find a great use for this met: it turns out to be a key component to... reverse Areal's expansion.
The Areal / int_42c9f1ec	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_42c9f1ec	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_42c9f1ec
The Areal / int_43a045de	type	Dropped a Bridge on Him
The Areal / int_43a045de	comment	Dropped a Bridge on Him: After all this setup, Lemur gets caught in the blast of Firz's bomb and dies.
The Areal / int_43a045de	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_43a045de	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_43a045de
The Areal / int_446c5792	type	Villainous Rescue
The Areal / int_446c5792	comment	Villainous Rescue: Merkulov's attempt to capture Vodyanoy for himself results in him sabotaging Belov's attempt to do the same, and them starting fighting each other. When Merkulov eventually wins, it's too late to capture Vodyanoy and his friends, who used this time to run away.
The Areal / int_446c5792	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_446c5792	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_446c5792
The Areal / int_44bed14c	type	Hostage Situation
The Areal / int_44bed14c	comment	Hostage Situation: When the hidden cameras which he installed reveals that Mist is alive, Firz takes two his trusted underlings, abducts Lavender (he lied to her that he knows where to find Mist, and that they need her help) and escapes to the Yellow zone (he dropped the heigh to ensure that they would survive the crush when crossing borders). He later uses her to ensure that he can escape alive into the Red zone.
The Areal / int_44bed14c	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_44bed14c	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_44bed14c
The Areal / int_454b2f2b	type	Secretly Dying
The Areal / int_454b2f2b	comment	Secretly Dying: While we were already aware how Vodyanoy received his abilities, we only now learn just how bad his condition truly is; turns out that not only he's dependant on water to postpone his death — as time goes on, more and more water is required just to survive on a regular basis. His death is not just inevitable — process gradually speeds up.
The Areal / int_454b2f2b	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_454b2f2b	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_454b2f2b
The Areal / int_474e3977	type	You Have Failed Me
The Areal / int_474e3977	comment	You Have Failed Me: Even if Crunch makes it back alive from his engagement with Mercs, Fixa would still execute him for this failure, especially because he volunteered to lead his group for this mission in the first place. Because betraying your people like this is frowned upon even amongst bandits, he lies to his men that Crunch volunteered to distract the Mercs.
The Areal / int_474e3977	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_474e3977	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_474e3977
The Areal / int_4aa98555	type	Evil All Along
The Areal / int_4aa98555	comment	Evil All Along: Anna states that she never was Tatiana's friend to begin with, only playing that role because Grey had some plans for her. Given her condition at the time, it's unclear whether it's the truth, or her trying to justify the betrayal for herself.
The Areal / int_4aa98555	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_4aa98555	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_4aa98555
The Areal / int_4c709317	type	Useless Useful Spell
The Areal / int_4c709317	comment	Useless Useful Spell: Mute shares Bolt's distrust to the new detectors, thinking that with their effective radius being so pathetic, it may be safer to go without them at all: all they can do is to give you the false sense of security.
The Areal / int_4c709317	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_4c709317	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_4c709317
The Areal / int_4c798fd5	type	Shock and Awe
The Areal / int_4c798fd5	comment	Shock and Awe: Two anomalies works by zapping their victims to death: The Solenoid attaches itself to an object standing above ground, and zaps things moving too close. It hits hard enough to outright blow up your head (which actually happens to one of characters). The Cloud alters between two states, distinguishable by colour. The black cloud is perfectly safe, while the green cloud would zap anything going too close to it. Unlike the Solenoid, it's not picky whenÂ choosing a location.
The Areal / int_4c798fd5	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_4c798fd5	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_4c798fd5
The Areal / int_4e3d253b	type	Downer Ending
The Areal / int_4e3d253b	comment	Downer Ending: Bear and the rest of SOT dies, fighting hopeless battle; no one comes to help, despite all the benefits the SOT provided them with. Evacuation fails, with scientists likely perishing. The only characters still alive are Mist (who's stuck in Epicentre with zombified and aggressive X-Ray), Quartz and Vodyanoy (who are stuck in the Satellite, on the brink of being revealed and without water for Vodyanoy), and Ras.
The Areal / int_4e3d253b	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_4e3d253b	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_4e3d253b
The Areal / int_4e52a624	type	Screw the Money, I Have Rules!
The Areal / int_4e52a624	comment	After owner of "Metronom Plus" reacted with utter disgust to revelations that, despite all claims, "Areal" is just as corrupt as any other structure in Russia, and refused to cooperate even if it means losing contract, Prokopenko realised that this guy may be dangerous, and organised for his assassination; he made it look like an accident — guy's personal driver had a heart attack and car crushed into the truck — but it still attracted unwanted attention. The new owner, Merkulov, is much easier to work with — and even harder at the same time, due to having his own agenda.
The Areal / int_4e52a624	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_4e52a624	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_4e52a624
The Areal / int_4fafed32	type	Higher-Tech Species
The Areal / int_4fafed32	comment	Higher-Tech Species: First appearance of the ancient race (who suspiciously resembles the ancient Varyags). They helps with destroying the (second) Fragment and wiping out every zombie in the Epicentre at the time, thanks to their tech being vastly superior to even Ifarshe, and takes the heroes from Earth, to fight on the new battles where they can really help humanity. They would later be expanded upon in the prequels for Tarmashev's other series, The Ancient One.
The Areal / int_4fafed32	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_4fafed32	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_4fafed32
The Areal / int_5037b961	type	Et Tu, Brute?
The Areal / int_5037b961	comment	Et Tu, Brute?: While he was completely aware that his chance at success was slim, X-Ray still didn't expect that he would be betrayed by his own agency, which is very painful for him.
The Areal / int_5037b961	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_5037b961	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_5037b961
The Areal / int_504a1991	type	Body Horror
The Areal / int_504a1991	comment	Body Horror: "Lovely" description of ulcers-covered, half-naked dogs and cats, devouring remains of mutilated corpses of Ukhta victims.
The Areal / int_504a1991	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_504a1991	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_504a1991
The Areal / int_508d91a2	type	Pre-Mortem One-Liner
The Areal / int_508d91a2	comment	Pre-Mortem One-Liner: When Wind realises that something is wrong, Firz says that "Lemur would explain"... and then Lemur shoots Wind in the back.
The Areal / int_508d91a2	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_508d91a2	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_508d91a2
The Areal / int_50f66629	type	Crazy-Prepared
The Areal / int_50f66629	comment	Crazy-Prepared: Firz set up a bomb in the lab "just in case"; this allowed him to blow up the wall and escape when he seemingly was cornered.
The Areal / int_50f66629	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_50f66629	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_50f66629
The Areal / int_523977ba	type	Delaying Action
The Areal / int_523977ba	comment	Delaying Action: Mantrap's last action during Last Stand is to try and provide cover fire to ensure that scientists would make it alive, while he and the rest of SOT are doomed. He dies for nothing, as they gets ambushed.
The Areal / int_523977ba	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_523977ba	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_523977ba
The Areal / int_52cd5b94	type	Elite Zombie
The Areal / int_52cd5b94	comment	Elite Zombie: Ever since the "Disinfection", two new types of zombies started appearing, Professors and Guards. Both are bonded to specific buildings where they were zombified (and mutated), and are much more dangerous than standard zombies, due to unique abilities only they possess — for example, Professors have psychic powers. Names came from whom they were prior to mutation.
The Areal / int_52cd5b94	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_52cd5b94	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_52cd5b94
The Areal / int_54ec2f0c	type	Not Completely Useless
The Areal / int_54ec2f0c	comment	Not Completely Useless: "The Dud" met turns out to have some purpose after all; it gives you perfect underwater vision (even in the murky or dark water). The reason why no one noticed it is because it's of no use when in Areal.
The Areal / int_54ec2f0c	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_54ec2f0c	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_54ec2f0c
The Areal / int_5539b84f	type	Corrupt Church
The Areal / int_5539b84f	comment	Corrupt Church: Greedy and corrupt church is one of the main tools Lozinsky and his friends uses for money laundering;Â church isn't required to pay taxes, has great reputation, and no one can just go and check them without looking like an asshole. The main base in the Areal has one church right on its territory, with a local priest Eulanthius being part of the scheme. The scheme died out with Eulanthius himself in the third book, during Disinfection.
The Areal / int_5539b84f	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_5539b84f	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_5539b84f
The Areal / int_5542b3ad	type	BookEnd
The Areal / int_5542b3ad	comment	Bookend: Ras' history as a stalker started when, at his tenth birthday, his father gave him the Source met, in hope that it would help his family to survive — at the cost of his own zombification, due to contact with Areal water. Ras' history as a stalker (and human being, for that matter) ends with him becoming a zombie himself in the similar manner, this time to save Vodyanoy.
The Areal / int_5542b3ad	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_5542b3ad	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_5542b3ad
The Areal / int_569a95e9	type	The Teetotaler
The Areal / int_569a95e9	comment	The Teetotaler: No one who works in the Zones drinks before, or especially during their stay in the Areal, not even criminals. Justified, since the local fauna (and zombies) somehow smells alcohol (and, to lesser degree, tobacco, tea and coffee)Â from the very large distance, and, given how aggressive the locals are, results of doing so would be not very pleasant. That being said, alcohol still has its use... to lure zombies to attack someone.
The Areal / int_569a95e9	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_569a95e9	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_569a95e9
The Areal / int_5798bfbf	type	Reassigned to Antarctica
The Areal / int_5798bfbf	comment	Reassigned to Antarctica: Bear's superiors have plans to get rid of him by reassigning him outside of the Areal. Since he would be likely discharged afterwards anyway, X-Ray suggests him to join counterintelligence afterwards.
The Areal / int_5798bfbf	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_5798bfbf	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_5798bfbf
The Areal / int_581f6468	type	Hero of Another Story
The Areal / int_581f6468	comment	Hero of Another Story: Ras and Bolt have a lot of stories to tell, but it's not the place, nor the time for them.
The Areal / int_581f6468	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_581f6468	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_581f6468
The Areal / int_586624e5	type	Genius Loci
The Areal / int_586624e5	comment	Genius Loci: The closer to Epicentre, the more dangerous anomalies becomes, and not just in power. In the Green zone, they are static. in the Yellow zone, they may react to you when you are too close and move a little, or just wander aimelessly. In the Red zone, assuming you survive even crossing the border, they would actively pursue you. Scientists working in the Areal are speculating that the Areal may have a mind of its own, and increasingly harsh conditions and violently aggressive animals are its reaction to humans being so violent and destructive. They ended up being partially right, as the third book reveals that the Areal is run by an alien AI.
The Areal / int_586624e5	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_586624e5	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_586624e5
The Areal / int_5989e3b6	type	Enemy Mine
The Areal / int_5989e3b6	comment	Enemy Mine: Merkulov secretly cooperates with Corporation against the SOT, which helps them to set up the final assault.
The Areal / int_5989e3b6	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_5989e3b6	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_5989e3b6
The Areal / int_5ad80bf8	type	It's All My Fault
The Areal / int_5ad80bf8	comment	It's All My Fault: Quartz tells Vodyanoy after they gets stuck together in the Satellite, with initial rescue plan being essentially failed, that he considers himself to be responsible for the Nail's capture, because it was him who wanted to obtain more info, disregarding safety risks. Vodyanoy doesn't follow up on that — but also doesn't object.
The Areal / int_5ad80bf8	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_5ad80bf8	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_5ad80bf8
The Areal / int_5b0eaf89	type	Upgrade Artifact
The Areal / int_5b0eaf89	comment	Upgrade Artifact: Areal-born artifacts, called "mets" (short for "metamorphites"), gives their wielders various new abilities, though not all of them would work outside of Areal, or at least would reduce in effectiveness. Several of them works by amplifying your abilities or giving you the new ones: The Energiser works by amplifying one's stamina. As the side effect, it consumes user's internal resources, so it must be used with caution. Another similar met, Adrenaline, is weaker, but is usable outside of Areal. There are several "medical" mets, though only three were mentioned: the Leech, the Nurse and the Cups. Leech speeds up one's metabolism, allowing to quicker get rid of negative elements at the cost of consuming more body resources; the other two were not described. The Owl gives perfect night vision when attached to the back of your head (it requires contact with skin specifically, not the hair, so have to shave that part first). It was quickly adapted as the element of the new night vision googles, but just strapping it to your head would work too. As additional bonus, it can see Jelly regardless of time of the day, and completely counters effects of the other met, the Stealth. The Stealth hides you from any optics, scanners, radars, etc (there are even rumours that it protects from animal smelling you) — pretty much anything, except from being spotted visually. For this reason, people use it during the night, when it's much less ofÂ a problem. It has limited power, so large object must be covered with several such mets, but for personal use one would be just enough. The Ariadne gives you ability to see anomalies. After some time, you would learn to distinguish them, because each one has unique look. It's very hard to find, with only three being known by the start of the first book: one belonged to professor Lavrentiev and was lost with him; one was brought by Bolt and now belongs to Firz; and the one was brought by stalker Syoma Sniff and eventually expropriated by bandits. The Sixth Sense allows you to sense any life form nearby, how far away it's from you, and how to reach it... and allows those life forms to sense you in the similar way. Including local monsters and zombies, which attacks any intruders on sight. People rarely risks using it outside of the rescue operations, or brief reconnaissances. The Spring (somehow) feeds its wielder with water while worn, essentially removing any need to drink. Only known met of this type was brought by Ras' (now-zombified) father in his last expedition, and was subsequently sold, because without him, the family had no income. The Living Water, so rare that it's ambiguous whether it's even real, or just an urban legend, gives its wielder complete immunity to zombification or the Call. The only catch is that it slowly wearsÂ out outside of Areal, requiring "recharging" it with the Areal's water — something which normally causes the instant zombification just by going close.
The Areal / int_5b0eaf89	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_5b0eaf89	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_5b0eaf89
The Areal / int_5ce7dbb9	type	Central Theme
The Areal / int_5ce7dbb9	comment	Central Theme: Apathy. The main reason why the world isÂ such a hellhole is because we do nothing to improve it. The villains are allowed to thrive because no one bothers to stop them. We have everything we need to save our world, but chose to just sit on our ass and whine about "injustice", rather than stand up and spread justice ourselves. No one would fix everything for us if we wouldn't.
The Areal / int_5ce7dbb9	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_5ce7dbb9	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_5ce7dbb9
The Areal / int_5ed1b6d3	type	Limited Loadout
The Areal / int_5ed1b6d3	comment	Limited Loadout: In-Universe. It gets stated that it's not possible to use more than six mets at once; any extra wouldn't work. The reason behind that is unknown.
The Areal / int_5ed1b6d3	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_5ed1b6d3	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_5ed1b6d3
The Areal / int_61996785	type	Sacrificial Lamb
The Areal / int_61996785	comment	Sacrificial Lamb: To demonstrate how dangerous Addiction is, three (least developed ones) members of the board of executives gets killed off before this book even started — Linder, Shumelkina and Zilbermann.
The Areal / int_61996785	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_61996785	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_61996785
The Areal / int_61c683d2	type	We Have Reserves
The Areal / int_61c683d2	comment	We Have Reserves: Merkulov is perfectly okay with letting all people who went with him to die (save for Fixa and Mute, who disapprove it);Â they can always recruit new ones. Turns out that the mutant attacks on Firz's group wasn't accidental; he intentionally used Sixth Sense to provoke the attacks, all to scare off the counterintelligence group sent to investigate the illegal lab. The group suffers two casualties because of that, but it's just "collateral damage" for Firz. He also endangers the group by leading them into a Heat anomaly, though thankfully no one dies from it.
The Areal / int_61c683d2	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_61c683d2	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_61c683d2
The Areal / int_6259dfa3	type	Grey Goo
The Areal / int_6259dfa3	comment	Grey Goo: Whatever gets in contact with the Jelly, becomes Jelly itself (but it wouldn't touch any materials surrounding its spawning point). If you step into one (and it's very easy to do so, since it only becomes visible during the night), you can say your leg goodbye — in the best case scenario. Fortunately, it's rather easy to predict where it would appear, since it only spawns in the various holes.
The Areal / int_6259dfa3	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_6259dfa3	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_6259dfa3
The Areal / int_6293c185	type	Sequel Hook
The Areal / int_6293c185	comment	Sequel Hook: Last line about weird "itch" Vlad started feeling after leaving Areal just screams that something seriously changed with the Areal, and changed to the worst — and that it wouldn't take long to find out what.
The Areal / int_6293c185	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_6293c185	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_6293c185
The Areal / int_634c5775	type	Came from the Sky
The Areal / int_634c5775	comment	Came from the Sky: Everything started when a meteorite (huge enough to wipe out all life on Earth) almost crushed in Moscow, but suddenly exploded in the air while above Siberia. Then all kinds of crazy things started to occur around the place now known as Epicentre, with weird injuries, pieces of rock with anomalous properties, and people running away to taiga soon after finding weird yellow rash, never to be seen again (that rash later gets revealed to be the sign of you being about to zombify). While no one knows exactly what is going on, everyone are certain that it's somehow related to meteorite.
The Areal / int_634c5775	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_634c5775	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_634c5775
The Areal / int_63557923	type	Death World
The Areal / int_63557923	comment	Death World: Simply put it — while you are in the Areal, you would always be at danger. Deadly anomalies comes in great varieties, and regularly change their location, disappearing in one places and appearing in others. Local fauna has heavily mutated and became extremely hostile. If you get caught during emission, you likely would die from internal organs being destroyed by extreme vibrations, unless you find a shelter quickly (and it must be the underground shelter, or at least some deep hole, or you may mutate), and if you get caught by emission while in so called "step" (estimated area which would be consumed by the next zone), you have a great chance to beÂ killed by a new anomaly which just spawns right under your feet. Plus, stalkers, bandits and soldiers are constantly at each other's throats, so no matter on which side you are, you would have enemies. And then there are zombies, who shoot them all on sight. The further into zones you go, the worse it becomes, with new anomalies and mutants, new restrictions, and new rules; the Yellow zone disables any electrics, including detectors, and adds mobile anomalies into mix. The Red zone, assuming you even manage to resist its attempt to brainwash you (there were only "3,5" documented cases of people doing so), makes anomalies not just moving, but actively pursuing intruders. It somehow became even worse post-"Disinfection".
The Areal / int_63557923	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_63557923	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_63557923
The Areal / int_6439de78	type	Heroic Sacrifice
The Areal / int_6439de78	comment	Heroic Sacrifice: Quartz's original plan how to rescue Nail involves them taking her before she goes into the forest (where Hunter's men are planning to ambush them), and try to mask him as Nail, so they wouldn't notice until it's too late to do anything; Ras points that Quartz is two heads taller than Nail, and that he would fit better. Vodyanoy immediately recognises that this plan would be a one-way ticket, and rejects it, insisting that they must come up with something which wouldn't involve anyone of them sacrificing himself. In search for something which may help dying Vodyanoy, Ras finally finds the way into the old research centre, only to notice that it was partially consumed by the Areal, with side effects including zombies (blind and deformed due to the lack of contact with the psi-field), zombification-inducing water in what was once the pool... and newly-formed Source met. That is exactly what Vodyanoy needs (the Source would give him infinite amount of water), but to obtain it, Ras gets forced to go inside. He makes it back, just like his father once, but Ras himself gets zombified and runs into the Epicentre.
The Areal / int_6439de78	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_6439de78	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_6439de78
The Areal / int_6500e9cc	type	Fighting from the Inside
The Areal / int_6500e9cc	comment	Fighting from the Inside: Ras meets his zombified father (who now leads the squad of zombies); he picks up the Sixth Sense, and then looks his son directly into the eyes. When Ras, losing any sense of self-control, rushes to his father, every zombie starts shooting him... every one, except for his father, which may mean that there's still some hope for him left.
The Areal / int_6500e9cc	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_6500e9cc	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_6500e9cc
The Areal / int_6501c092	type	Impartial Purpose-Driven Faction
The Areal / int_6501c092	comment	Impartial Purpose-Driven Faction: Non-aligned ("Nonals" for short) refused to join any group, even become Free Ones (who, while not a part of specific group, still abide established "rules", like paying bandits, or, more or less, enslaving their women, and at times only differentiate from bandits by being less violent and chaotic). As result, while they are "free", they now have the worst lives out of everyone: they live in the middle of the Yellow zone, with bare minimum of... well, pretty much anything, and are in constant danger of being wiped out. They are often considered to be the greatest losers in the whole Areal, and this is saying something. We later learn just why they chose such life: they are the only people who refused to abandon their mutated children (Addicted always give birth to mutants), which also put them in danger, since many people would take their children away, by force, in hope that they can predict the Emissions, despite their ability to sense Areal being very unreliable (some can sense the Emissions, others can't even see anomalies and gets killed).
The Areal / int_6501c092	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_6501c092	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_6501c092
The Areal / int_65acf9db	type	He Knows Too Much
The Areal / int_65acf9db	comment	He Knows Too Much: To avoid any risks of him spilling anything (he already started in the previous book), Belov terminates Prokopenko, setting it up as a suicide (he, allegedly, pierced his throat with a broken spoon). Firz gets put into prison, where he dies from Itch between last chapter and the epilogue. Nikolaeva and Stepanov were terminated during failed evacuation, specifically on Belov's orders.
The Areal / int_65acf9db	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_65acf9db	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_65acf9db
The Areal / int_6654b17b	type	Facial Horror
The Areal / int_6654b17b	comment	Facial Horror: When their generator malfunctions, Nikolaeva and Stepanov gets seriously injured. While Stepanov, as usually, injures his arm (this time seemingly to the point it's no longer usable), Nikolavea's face gets horribly burned, with no chances to heal. Fortunately, that same incident also leads to creation of Essence — medicine with regenerative qualities strong enough to reverse both traumas.
The Areal / int_6654b17b	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_6654b17b	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_6654b17b
The Areal / int_666648a3	type	Hostile Terraforming
The Areal / int_666648a3	comment	Hostile Terraforming: Turns out that Areal is indeed an alien terraforming tool. The Fragment of an alien spacecraft, which crashed on Earth years ago, slowly changes Earth to "multi-dimensional" space which would be fitting for aliens — but lethal to humans, even zombies.
The Areal / int_666648a3	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_666648a3	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_666648a3
The Areal / int_66755d29	type	Author Avatar
The Areal / int_66755d29	comment	Thirteenth somehow made it out of the Red zone, bringing back zombified counterintelligence agent (now un-brainwashed), and the important databank from a fallen satellite. He refused to tell Bolt any details about what and how he did there, and never appears in the story afterwards.
The Areal / int_66755d29	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_66755d29	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_66755d29
The Areal / int_6760ff37	type	Secret Secret-Keeper
The Areal / int_6760ff37	comment	Secret Secret-Keeper: Fixa and Mute already realised that their "Master" and foreign spy Merkulov are the same person, but chose to keep that info to themselves, since for now, "the Master" with his skills is more useful than whatever reward they can get for Merkulov's head. That doesn't last long, however.
The Areal / int_6760ff37	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_6760ff37	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_6760ff37
The Areal / int_676e942c	type	We Hardly Knew Ye
The Areal / int_676e942c	comment	We Hardly Knew Ye: New member of the Bear's team of the SOT survivors, Tantal (survivor from Ducat's team who was not corrupt, unlike his commander) gets introduced... and then the next time we hear about him, it turns out that he'd lost his legs to the Jelly (detector malfunctioned and failed to warn him), and was finished off by bandits.
The Areal / int_676e942c	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_676e942c	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_676e942c
The Areal / int_67711aa	type	Company Town
The Areal / int_67711aa	comment	Company Town: Corporation creates Underground City "Satellite", specifically for its workers (and high-ups) stuck in the Areal. In return for staying there with living conditions as good as possible within Areal, people must become employees.
The Areal / int_67711aa	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_67711aa	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_67711aa
The Areal / int_6b05b601	type	Jerkass Has a Point
The Areal / int_6b05b601	comment	Jerkass Has a Point: Despite all toxicity, Fragment is still right at some points. Most humans out there are too corrupt, greedy and selfish to even try to interact with them, people just keep going into the Red zone and becoming zombies over their greed, and humans indeed tries to nuke the Epicentre into oblivion the second they learns about what's going on there. It's the choice of words which nullifies all sympathy either Mist or the readers may have.
The Areal / int_6b05b601	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_6b05b601	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_6b05b601
The Areal / int_6b2b3b59	type	The Reveal
The Areal / int_6b2b3b59	comment	The Reveal: While Vodyanoy's anomalous ability to consume water in ridiculous amounts was known for the long time, we finally learns (through Aybolit's attempts to revive him) just what his body does with it, and where all that water goes, if stomach normally just has not enough place to put it in; turns out, Vodyanoy's entire body somehow sucks out water he consumes just as he drinks it, but just where it goes, he doesn't know, tough he has a theory that it's somehow related to his brain (Vodyanoy often drinks water when he starts complaining about brain "burning", particularly near anomalies).
The Areal / int_6b2b3b59	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_6b2b3b59	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_6b2b3b59
The Areal / int_6c553873	type	Private Military Contractors
The Areal / int_6c553873	comment	Private Military Contractors: One of the groups is explicitly called "Mercenaries", and can be hired to protect anyone (though their prices aren't cheap); as additional bonus, any wandering mercs would gladly help you if you encounter them in the Zones, while being protected by one of their friends.
The Areal / int_6c553873	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_6c553873	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_6c553873
The Areal / int_716c0b1b	type	And the Adventure Continues
The Areal / int_716c0b1b	comment	And the Adventure Continues: Most of the main characters chooses to go with the aliens, to fight new battles somewhere else to protect their homeworld from enemies even more dangerous than the Corporation. Vodyanoy refuses to go, since he still must find his daughter and father (who are desperate enough to attempt to enter Areal), and save Ras, who became a zombie to save him (fortunately, he has two Living Waters, taken from X-Ray and Lavender who no longer needs them, so he can save not only Ras, but his father as well). Nail wouldn't leave her husband, so she stays, too.
The Areal / int_716c0b1b	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_716c0b1b	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_716c0b1b
The Areal / int_72e0023f	type	Invoked Trope
The Areal / int_72e0023f	comment	Dull, called that for not only showing no useful abilities, but also looking plain and ugly, still didn't reveal its effects (and, considering how rare it became, it would be even harder to reveal it now), but Ras is sure that it's just as useful as everything else, they are just yet to find it.
The Areal / int_72e0023f	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_72e0023f	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_72e0023f
The Areal / int_735b4101	type	Colour-Coded for Your Convenience
The Areal / int_735b4101	comment	Colour-Coded for Your Convenience: Each zone has its own colour palette.Â The Green zone at the first glimpse looks almost normal, if not counting for the weird blue spots on the local plants. The Yellow zone has blue grass (with yellow spots) and green sky and blue sun. The Red zone recolours many things into orange and purple (even Blue, omnipresent insect from the first two zones, suddenly becomes purple). The Epicentre mixes black soils and grass (what's left of it) with red skies and sick white sun which can't even blind you if you look directly at it, being too pale. The Cloud anomaly alternates between two modes, distinguishable by its colour. While it's black, it's safe to walk around. While it's green, it would zap to death anything coming too close.
The Areal / int_735b4101	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_735b4101	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_735b4101
The Areal / int_7360806f	type	In-Series Nickname
The Areal / int_7360806f	comment	In-Series Nickname: Since all SOT's members uses callsigns, Volodina receives her own: "Bambi".
The Areal / int_7360806f	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_7360806f	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_7360806f
The Areal / int_73733868	type	Awesomeness by Analysis
The Areal / int_73733868	comment	Awesomeness by Analysis: By analysing what small information he has, Merkulov comes to conclusion that cataclysm was caused by the Corporation — and that SOT wants to reveal their crimes to the world, with the Bolt's help. He also (correctly) guesses that X-Ray is still alive, and was in league with Bear all along. Now, he plans to become first to obtain that information for his superiors, to not just redeem himself for his failure, but actually become their favourite.
The Areal / int_73733868	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_73733868	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_73733868
The Areal / int_74828aea	type	Killer Rabbit
The Areal / int_74828aea	comment	Killer Rabbit: Wrapper turns out to be badass enough to keep injured Aybolit secured (killing any approaching mutant) until help arrives.
The Areal / int_74828aea	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_74828aea	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_74828aea
The Areal / int_74d9d78f	type	Hate at First Sight
The Areal / int_74d9d78f	comment	Hate at First Sight: Bear immediately recognised that Firz is no better than his first commander. He is certainly smarter, but he is no less of an asshole to his men. Firz, in turn, immediately realised that he can't trust Bear (who's too honest to involve in his schemes), and used his team as a "dump" for any other people he can't rely on.
The Areal / int_74d9d78f	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_74d9d78f	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_74d9d78f
The Areal / int_754df088	type	Put on a Bus
The Areal / int_754df088	comment	Put on a Bus: Quartz is sure that X-Ray (and by extension, Mist) survived the "Disinfection", because X-Ray, knowing full well what's going on, ordered him to wait, not just run, which means that he had a plan prepared to survive. But until the right time comes, Quartz would be on his own. Bolt once again becomes the sole person to not being harmed by Areal's side effects. Once again, he gets locked in the medical facility due to this, this time in desperate attempt to find out how to transfer his immunity to Lozinsky and his people.
The Areal / int_754df088	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_754df088	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_754df088
The Areal / int_75f38750	type	Kaizo Trap
The Areal / int_75f38750	comment	Kaizo Trap: Serious problem when fighting a moose; if it manages to accumulate enough speed, it may still hit you even posthumously, which, considering it weights half-a-ton, wouldn't end well no matter how good your gear is. For that reason, when encountering a whole pack of them, Bear decides to just avoid them entirely.
The Areal / int_75f38750	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_75f38750	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_75f38750
The Areal / int_7870735b	type	From Bad to Worse
The Areal / int_7870735b	comment	From Bad to Worse: Post-"Disinfection" Areal is now as deadly as never before. Mutants somehow became even more aggressive to humans. Entire Green zone is now "infested" with bandits who attacks everyone on sight and fights with each other over resources and clear places to live. Green zone is partially contaminated with lethal radiation. Emissions are now much weaker (in terms of how much land they consume), but occurs much more often, and now would instantly zombify you if you didn't hide (previously, you had a small chance to hide before vibrations take you). And worst of all, anyone who ever contacted with Areal in any way (mets, meteorite shards, certain byproducts) or crossed its border, now feel ever growing Itch whenever they are outside of it, which gradually becomes pain, then insufferable pain, and then you just die in agony. Treatment exists, but it's extremely painful, very expensive, can be done in only one place on Earth (in Germany — which is a... little to far away from Siberia) and lasts for very limited time, after which you must wait at least a month to take another dose. And then there's "poltergeist" effect, when near such people bad things occurs so often and with so destructive effects, they becomes the outcasts.
The Areal / int_7870735b	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_7870735b	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_7870735b
The Areal / int_796bffea	type	Mistaken for Racist
The Areal / int_796bffea	comment	Mistaken for Racist: Kugelstein's (a German) comment about Itch treatment failing on Linder (a Jew) due to genetic incompatibility gets mistaken by Lozinsky (a Jew himself) for antisemitism (he only resisted to call him a nazi due to him being the sole source of treatment). Considering Tarmashev's heavy use of genetic memory in nearly every his work (including villainy — and heroism — being In the Blood, regardless of other factors), it's very likely that Kugelstein meant something else besides Linder being a Jew (especially since that same formula worked on Lozinsky and the others, with sole difference being anaesthetics used).
The Areal / int_796bffea	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_796bffea	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_796bffea
The Areal / int_79e07b47	type	Lecture as Exposition
The Areal / int_79e07b47	comment	Lecture as Exposition: Mist attends briefings to learn more about the Areal. Just as he learns how to survive there, the reader learns more about the Areal.
The Areal / int_79e07b47	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_79e07b47	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_79e07b47
The Areal / int_7a555627	type	Honest Corporate Executive
The Areal / int_7a555627	comment	Honest Corporate Executive: Owner of "Metronom Plus" reacts with utter disgust when Prokopenko offers him to participate in a money laundry scheme, and angrily refuses, despite all the possible benefits it may give him.
The Areal / int_7a555627	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_7a555627	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_7a555627
The Areal / int_7b80226d	type	GoodCounterpart
The Areal / int_7b80226d	comment	Good Counterpart: There are two anomalies, the Swell and the Licker, which looks very similar at the first glance. The first one is large, fast (if it catches you off-guard and attacks, you can't outrun it) all-consuming mist of acidic gas, while the second one is one of the few non-hostile anomalies in the Areal, which smells like fresh buns and acts weirdly similar to little puppy ("licks" you and plays with you by gently throwing things back). By the time you realise the difference between the two, it would be too late. Mist presumes that whoever discovered the Licker, was already prepared to die when he encountered it for the first time. There's actually a good reason why they look so similarly: they are actually two different modes of the same anomaly. The only difference between rangers and stalkers is that rangers works for the Corporation, helping collecting mets and acting as pathfinders for the field squads, while stalkers work only for themselves (selling mets on the black market) or for the bandits. In fact, some rangers are the former stalkers, while some stalkers are rangers gone rogue. It stopped mattering after "Disinfection", as government stopped prosecuting stalkers due to countless people being now forced to live within Areal, all stalkers included.
The Areal / int_7b80226d	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_7b80226d	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_7b80226d
The Areal / int_7c48b272	type	Summon Bigger Fish
The Areal / int_7c48b272	comment	Summon Bigger Fish: The mutants can smell alcohol, tea, coffee or tobacco (especially alcohol) from a far away, and instantly drop whatever they're doing and attack. This was eventually weaponised (the idea is to make zombies attack your opponent), albeit this tactic is risky, as mutants and zombies would attack all humans on sight.
The Areal / int_7c48b272	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_7c48b272	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_7c48b272
The Areal / int_7c862b8a	type	Chronic Backstabbing Disorder
The Areal / int_7c862b8a	comment	Merkulov lampshades how naive Prokopenko is in his belief that he may just backstab his "partner", and get him replaced by someone "easier to deal with"; more likely scenario would be Merkulov's bosses just stopping working with Prokopenko altogether because he's too unreliable.
The Areal / int_7c862b8a	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_7c862b8a	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_7c862b8a
The Areal / int_7cda47b	type	Dying Declaration of Love
The Areal / int_7cda47b	comment	Dying Declaration of Love: Just before dying, Tatiana tells Bear that she loves him. They even tries to kiss each other, which works rather clumsy due to their injuries.
The Areal / int_7cda47b	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_7cda47b	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_7cda47b
The Areal / int_7e6c0522	type	Off with His Head!
The Areal / int_7e6c0522	comment	Off with His Head!: After Merkulov made a mistake and revealed himself as "the Master", Belov put such high price for his head, that Merkulov got betrayed Fixa, who tricked him into going close to the Solenoid, which beheaded him, and then brought his mutilated head to Belov for reward.
The Areal / int_7e6c0522	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_7e6c0522	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_7e6c0522
The Areal / int_7f38c0cd	type	An Offer You Can't Refuse
The Areal / int_7f38c0cd	comment	An Offer You Can't Refuse: Either Volodina becomes Prokopenko's concubine and lives in VIP conditions (at least, until he gets tired of her), or he would give her away to bandits to be gang-raped and possibly killed.
The Areal / int_7f38c0cd	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_7f38c0cd	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_7f38c0cd
The Areal / int_7fbb2a3	type	Nice Job Breaking It, Hero!
The Areal / int_7fbb2a3	comment	Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Abramov turns out to be completely corrupt and just delivers Volodina's letter to Prokopenko. This results in him resuming actively trying to kill Bear and his team, since Lozinsky wouldn't tolerate another screwup. Attempt to recruit doctor Volkonsky to help with researches attracts attention of security service. While Hunter is just as stupid and incompetent as always, his subordinates are smarter. This results in Volkonsky being revealed the moment he returned from the SOT base, Nail being captured and interrogated (which, in turn, revealed everyone not yet on the wanted list, including Ras, and gave Corporation info how to make detectors work in the Yellow zone), and Mantrap being seriously injured, while everyone else barely escapes with their lives. This also indirectly leads to Bear being forced to crossing the Cobweb to survive an ambush.
The Areal / int_7fbb2a3	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_7fbb2a3	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_7fbb2a3
The Areal / int_7febc23b	type	Establishing Character Moment
The Areal / int_7febc23b	comment	Establishing Character Moment: Hunter's behaviour during security briefing tells us everything we should know about this guy. His is insufferable, arrogant dumbass with overblown ego, who exploits his connections to get away with bullying almost anyone he wants, or breaking secrecy rules such as never mentioning anyone's last names. And yet he's a coward, who never picks a fight with anyone who can't be scared by his connections. Prokopenko's behaviour when he goes to casino shows his true colours: he's not just corrupt, but also extremely prideful, and sees everyone who has less power and money than him like dirt.
The Areal / int_7febc23b	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_7febc23b	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_7febc23b
The Areal / int_80251be3	type	How We Got Here
The Areal / int_80251be3	comment	How We Got Here: First chapter starts with Lozinsky attending regular Itch treatment in Germany. The rest of chapter explains backstory behind that, and what happened with Areal and those who were there during "Disinfection", switching back to Lozinsky at present only at the very end. Second chapter (which spans almost the entire book, with only around last quarter remaining for the third and last one) starts with bandits trying to find out more details about how SOT organises their tradings, so they may exploit it later during another attack. Shortly after plot switches to SOT themselves (discussing what just happened), then story jumps back again (this time, from Bear's PoV), to explain how SOT even ended up here, with not only scientists, Vlad (now known in Areal as Vodyanoy) and ex-ranger Ras, but also Quartz (Sole Survivor of X-Ray's team), and goes like this for almost entire book, only switching to the "present" at the last quarter.
The Areal / int_80251be3	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_80251be3	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_80251be3
The Areal / int_8409a385	type	Exactly What It Says on the Tin
The Areal / int_8409a385	comment	The Sieve would cut you up into small pieces, like razor-sharp sieve, the moment you come in contact with it.
The Areal / int_8409a385	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_8409a385	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_8409a385
The Areal / int_874201dc	type	Inside Job
The Areal / int_874201dc	comment	Inside Job: Multiple characters are suspecting that someone provides information to the bandits, as the only possible explanation for previous book's failures. As the readers already knows by this point, they are completely right: the traitor is Firz himself.
The Areal / int_874201dc	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_874201dc	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_874201dc
The Areal / int_87854c3d	type	The Usual Adversaries
The Areal / int_87854c3d	comment	The Usual Adversaries: Blue is the local insect called that for, well, being blue. Blue are too small to cause major damage, but they sure as hell would try to make you suffer: they have extremely painful bite, biting out the small pieces of your skin each time (all Areal's fauna is hostile to humans, and insects are not an exception) and causing the wound which would take a lot to heal afterwards, leaving ugly, swollen scars. They are omnipresent in the Green and especially in the Yellow zone, and are universally hated by anyone who ever went into the zones. They can be collected to be used as the material for various technologies, but are very easy to accidentally kill, and, when they reach the critical mass, start emittingÂ psi-signals (like any other local animals), causing every other (much more dangerous) mutants to go out of their way to attack you while you are struggling to escape the Areal with your trophies, so most people prefer to not even bother; only mercs and nonals risk to deal with them: the former managed to set up entire plantations, keeping them under heavy guard, while the latter know now to collect them quietly.
The Areal / int_87854c3d	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_87854c3d	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_87854c3d
The Areal / int_87b8f581	type	Refusal of the Call
The Areal / int_87b8f581	comment	Refusal of the Call: Bolt, Vodyanoy and Nail refuses to go with the aliens; Bolt thinks that someone must stay and look over Russia, since it's his homeland, after all (plus, he's the only one who can operate the car which allows the safe travel within Areal, including Epicentre), while Vlad and his wife must find their daughter and Vlad's father first, not to mention find and save Ras.
The Areal / int_87b8f581	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_87b8f581	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_87b8f581
The Areal / int_87bb6874	type	Villain with Good Publicity
The Areal / int_87bb6874	comment	Villain with Good Publicity: When human rights activist Ilya Abramov tried to use interview with Prokopenko (who was sent to represent "Areal" Corporation) to put "Areal" and its leadership in a bad light, Prokopenko actually manages to reverse the situation, making himself look like just yet another victim, who's undeservedly insulted. He even mentions his family, who perished in the "Disinfection"Â (his wife lived in Ukhta).
The Areal / int_87bb6874	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_87bb6874	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_87bb6874
The Areal / int_88fa35e0	type	Walking Techbane
The Areal / int_88fa35e0	comment	Walking Techbane: Amongst other effects of the Addiction is so-called Poltergeist — invisible aura which increases chances of various incidents (especially if any tech is presented) to absurd levels, to the point that things just breaks out of nowhere. Common test to bust any Addicted trying to sneak on board of plains or trains, endangering other people,Â is to force people to wait two hours between registration and going on board, in a room full of tech (TVs, cameras, etc) — if at least one Addicted is presented, something would break before long.
The Areal / int_88fa35e0	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_88fa35e0	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_88fa35e0
The Areal / int_899f4b24	type	HeelRealisation
The Areal / int_899f4b24	comment	Heel Realisation: After learning that Mist is the same hero who risked his life to save several women and children from terrorists not long ago (she watched reportage about it when it just happened), Lavender clumsily tries to apologise, realising whom she just insulted. Mist doesn't accept her apologise, since she only regretted insulting a hero, not insulting people at random in general, and points out that in any different situation she would've continued insulting him, as usually. After this, she changes for the best for real, dropping her Insufferable Genius attitude.
The Areal / int_899f4b24	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_899f4b24	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_899f4b24
The Areal / int_8ab096bd	type	Dehumanization
The Areal / int_8ab096bd	comment	Dehumanization: Prokopenko discusses with his "friend" some new "goods", which are already packed and ready for shipment. The thing is, the "goods" in question are new sex slaves whom Prokopenko ordered to be delivered from the "Big Earth", and his "friend" is a human trafficker and drug trader.
The Areal / int_8ab096bd	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_8ab096bd	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_8ab096bd
The Areal / int_8ace85ef	type	Audience Surrogate
The Areal / int_8ace85ef	comment	Audience Surrogate: Mist is a complete newbie in the Areal, so the book introduces the readers to how things works in the Areal through his actions and interactions with other characters: Mist browsing through internet in futile attempt to find useful information about the Areal before starting working there; rather large part dedicated to briefings, both about anomalies and about local fauna; Mist's interactions with Bolt while already in Areal; etc.
The Areal / int_8ace85ef	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_8ace85ef	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_8ace85ef
The Areal / int_8ae880f7	type	Deconstruction
The Areal / int_8ae880f7	comment	Deconstruction: Of the idea of using bolts to check for anomalies, like it was done in both S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and Roadside Picnic, on which Areal is based upon. Mist asks how people checks for anomalies when in the Yellow zone, where detectors are unavailable, and presumes that they are throwing bolts. Ras says that at first, some "morons who read too much Sci-Fi" have indeed tried to use bolts, but soon stopped (those who survived), after realising that several anomalies works by throwing objects back at the sender with lethal force. Not to mention, bolts are too heavy to take a large supplies of them (more weight means more energy spent, and thus more risks). In the Areal, people use shells instead: still painful if thrown at you, but it's not gonna kill you, and you're highly unlikely to run out of them.
The Areal / int_8ae880f7	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_8ae880f7	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_8ae880f7
The Areal / int_8afadb7e	type	Department of Child Disservices
The Areal / int_8afadb7e	comment	Department of Child Disservices: Lozinsky and Belov deciding to use Vodyanoy's daughter to blackmail him, by staging the excuse for taking her away from grandparents for "negligence" and putting her into orphanage (as parents would be relived of their duty as her guardians for "gross neglect"). Things don't go as planned, because, as we already know, Vlad's father is Afghan war veteran, who reacted to this by straight up abducting his granddaughter and going on the run, with guards being too scared to intervene.
The Areal / int_8afadb7e	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_8afadb7e	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_8afadb7e
The Areal / int_8b568cb7	type	Posthumous Character
The Areal / int_8b568cb7	comment	Lieutenant Levein (callsing "Hunter")Â is actually Belov's nephew (and, as we later learn, the son of security team's colonel, though by that point his father would be already dead); the only reason he is here to begin with is because his uncle plans to set him as his successor, and place like the Areal would be great for his career, even if he wouldn't make it outside main base.
The Areal / int_8b568cb7	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_8b568cb7	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_8b568cb7
The Areal / int_8cb1a369	type	Took a Level in Jerkass
The Areal / int_8cb1a369	comment	Took a Level in Jerkass: Prokopenko was always a jerk, especially when he needs not to hide his ugly personality (like casinos' personnel, who are forced to tolerate him because casinos are technically illegal in Russia, and he may shut them down), but post-"Disinfection", with all the "nice" Addiction-related additions to his life, he became even more of a jerk than before, openly antagonising everyone and mocking their fear of "poltergeist", even after someone actually got hurt.
The Areal / int_8cb1a369	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_8cb1a369	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_8cb1a369
The Areal / int_8cb844c6	type	Mr. Exposition
The Areal / int_8cb844c6	comment	Mr. Exposition: Several characters (instructor, Lavender, Ras, Bolt) mainly serves the purpose of explaining how things goes in the Areal, though Bolt also acts as the guide during Mist's first field mission.
The Areal / int_8cb844c6	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_8cb844c6	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_8cb844c6
The Areal / int_8d0785d5	type	Didn't Think This Through
The Areal / int_8d0785d5	comment	Didn't Think This Through: Prokopenko's decision to backstab Merkulov by trying to frame him was a really bad decision, for more than one reason: Merkulov lampshades how naive Prokopenko is in his belief that he may just backstab his "partner", and get him replaced by someone "easier to deal with"; more likely scenario would be Merkulov's bosses just stopping working with Prokopenko altogether because he's too unreliable. Prokopenko chose Hunter, of all people, to arrest Merkulov, hoping that since he's too incompetent, he would be easy to manipulate. But Hunter is aware that he's too incompetent for that... and asks his uncle, Belov, who is amongst the last people Prokopenko wants anywhere near Merkulov, since he may learn about his betrayal. Even Prokopenko himself realises eventually how bad this idea was.
The Areal / int_8d0785d5	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_8d0785d5	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_8d0785d5
The Areal / int_8d718b9e	type	Bears Are Bad News
The Areal / int_8d718b9e	comment	While all mutants are dangerous to some degree (particularly bears), dogs are universally feared by everyone, no matter how good they are equipped and armed. Why? Because they are bigger than a rhino, tougher than a tank and can cut you in half with one bite. Some are just as aggressive as any other local creature, while others are friendly... but with their size it makes little difference, since their attempt to "play" still results in traumas and deaths. Fortunately, they all live in the Epicentre and nearly never go into zones. Nearly.
The Areal / int_8d718b9e	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_8d718b9e	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_8d718b9e
The Areal / int_8e04fdd7	type	Dragon with an Agenda
The Areal / int_8e04fdd7	comment	Dragon with an Agenda: Fixa remains on Merkulov's side, but only because Merkulov is still more useful alive than dead, giving him and Mute the stable income. And as long as he gets the money, he's perfectly fine with (officially) being only the number two.
The Areal / int_8e04fdd7	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_8e04fdd7	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_8e04fdd7
The Areal / int_8e20979	type	Wham Episode
The Areal / int_8e20979	comment	Wham Episode: Operation "Disinfection" massively changes status quo, destroys both "Areal" base (with most inhabitants perishing) and Ukhta (again, with most people dying or becoming zombies), and makes Areal even deadlier than it used to be, with only small portions of changes being shown right now, and some others being teased for upcoming sequels. Not to mention actual revelation just how Areal appeared in the first place.
The Areal / int_8e20979	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_8e20979	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_8e20979
The Areal / int_8ed5c6e4	type	Asshole Victim
The Areal / int_8ed5c6e4	comment	Turns out that the botched process of Firz's de-zombification (Fragment had too little time to do it properly) resulted in him not having Itch... but now he has the tumour in his head, which would kill him within two months at best. Not that anyone cares about his health, but he's a valuable witness in this case.
The Areal / int_8ed5c6e4	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_8ed5c6e4	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_8ed5c6e4
The Areal / int_8ef5ae81	type	Lethally Stupid
The Areal / int_8ef5ae81	comment	Lethally Stupid: Some dumbass from Corporation'sÂ personnel thought that it would be a good idea to brink vodka in his flask on the work. As even dumbest crooks know, alcohol smell attracts Areal animals and zombies — and you don't want to attract Areal animals and zombies... This guy didn't survive the emission, but his flask was later found by Bear who searched for some water for injured Stepanov — and was nearly killed by the zombies when he opened it up without knowing what's inside.
The Areal / int_8ef5ae81	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_8ef5ae81	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_8ef5ae81
The Areal / int_8f612013	type	Token Good Teammate
The Areal / int_8f612013	comment	When Vorontsov learns about the crimes of the rest of the board of executives from X-Ray, he tries contact with Moscow. Not risking to just assassinate him, Lozinsky tries to arrest him and pass him as either a zombie or psychically unstable, to justify locking him up. Belov later outright orders to kill him on sight.
The Areal / int_8f612013	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_8f612013	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_8f612013
The Areal / int_90965cc7	type	Hive Mind
The Areal / int_90965cc7	comment	Hive Mind: All mutants are connected to the Areal's psi-field, which gives them, amongst the other things, ability to telepathically give each other information. Ability to use that connection varies greatly amongst different species, and they only do this when this wouldn't conflict with their interests (why warn the others about something you want to eat yourself?), but any pack animals can be expected to use it on regular basis.
The Areal / int_90965cc7	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_90965cc7	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_90965cc7
The Areal / int_90c018ac	type	Justified Trope
The Areal / int_90c018ac	comment	Justified for the Corporation's personnel. Using last names within Areal is strictly forbidden due to secrecy concerns. Official documents mentions people only by callsigns, but in personal conversations it's allowed to use the first names (but never surnames).
The Areal / int_90c018ac	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_90c018ac	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_90c018ac
The Areal / int_90d44f44	type	Karmic Death
The Areal / int_90d44f44	comment	Karmic Death: In absence of Kugelstein, Lozisinsky and Belov dies in agony from their brains literally rotting away in mere minutes. This is ultimate payback for causing the cataclysm in the first place.
The Areal / int_90d44f44	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_90d44f44	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_90d44f44
The Areal / int_90e31482	type	Laser-Guided Karma
The Areal / int_90e31482	comment	Laser-Guided Karma: When, after main events, emission finally hit, it was unusually strong (though not nearly the Cataclysm level); the people, grown accustomed to receiving warnings about upcoming emissions, were caught off-guard, causing massive casualties, with only one third being due to emission itself, the rest were killed by resulting zombies, who started hunting for their former teammates. It's entirely their fault that it ended like this: they used Bear's help for so long, yet when he asked for help, they let him die; now, there's no one to warn them anymore.
The Areal / int_90e31482	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_90e31482	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_90e31482
The Areal / int_9141fba3	type	Fountain of Youth
The Areal / int_9141fba3	comment	Fountain of Youth: Bear's main clue that Mist did, in fact, visit the Red zone back in the previous book is him being rejuvenated, looking at least five years younger than before.
The Areal / int_9141fba3	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_9141fba3	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_9141fba3
The Areal / int_91697559	type	Half the Man He Used to Be
The Areal / int_91697559	comment	Half the Man He Used to Be: Turns out that Anna was killed after the battle, when Veteran arrived with his Dog, and said dog cut her in half with one bite.
The Areal / int_91697559	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_91697559	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_91697559
The Areal / int_91e894b4	type	Apocalypse How
The Areal / int_91e894b4	comment	Apocalypse How: Class X-3; the galaxy from which Fragment's ship evacuated, was utterly annihilated almost momentarily by unknown cataclysm, with not even local physics surviving intact; knowing that Mist can't comprehend it, the Fragment doesn't go into details, but it involved such concepts as space and time "switching up".
The Areal / int_91e894b4	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_91e894b4	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_91e894b4
The Areal / int_9245d989	type	Sinister Minister
The Areal / int_9245d989	comment	One of subordinates of the local corrupt priest learns too much about the schemes of his boss, who steals most of the money which were supposed to be used to help people. Thanks to Firz, he didn't make it out alive from his latest visit to the zones.
The Areal / int_9245d989	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_9245d989	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_9245d989
The Areal / int_927b2f11	type	The Bus Came Back
The Areal / int_927b2f11	comment	The Bus Came Back: After being absent since third book, Mist, Lavender and X-Ray returns and rejoin the cast, with the help of Bolt.
The Areal / int_927b2f11	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_927b2f11	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_927b2f11
The Areal / int_928ca2cc	type	You Have Outlived Your Usefulness
The Areal / int_928ca2cc	comment	You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: Merkulov's bosses no longer have any use for him; and because of Itch, they can't even take him out of the Areal. All this, combined with him being hunted for by the Russian government, makes it much easier to just let him die. Capturing scientists was his last chance, but their death at Belov's hands ruined even that.
The Areal / int_928ca2cc	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_928ca2cc	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_928ca2cc
The Areal / int_952d21ec	type	Bus Crash
The Areal / int_952d21ec	comment	Bus Crash: Three members of the board of executives (least established ones) died during Time Skip between third and fourth books for various reasons related to them now being Addicted: Linder died when attempt to treat Itch horribly backfired at unknown time; Kugelstein stopped using advanced anaesthetics ever since, just in case. Shumelkina's helicopter exploded right in the air soon after "Satellite" was established, with no survivors. Zilberman died in the train crush, with what's left of his body being horribly mutilated. This is despite everything allegedly being "fail-proof". It's confirmed that a crooked priest Eulantius (whom we didn't see since the second book) perished during "Disinfection".
The Areal / int_952d21ec	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_952d21ec	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_952d21ec
The Areal / int_967fb42a	type	Prolonged Prologue
The Areal / int_967fb42a	comment	Prolonged Prologue: While the story's actual prologue isn't that long, first half of the story mostly consists of Mist attending briefings, and Prokopenko doing business (or wasting money at casino). The actual action, as well as any significant plot development, wouldn't happen until halfway into the book. In a sense, this entire book is one for the series, as it mainly serves to provide exposition, introducing characters, and setting up the future events, but has very little place left for its own action.
The Areal / int_967fb42a	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_967fb42a	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_967fb42a
The Areal / int_96a33f11	type	Riddle for the Ages
The Areal / int_96a33f11	comment	Riddle for the Ages: The answer what's happened to Thirteenth was ultimately never given. Was he offered to join the aliens as well? Or he was an alien to begin with? We would never know.
The Areal / int_96a33f11	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_96a33f11	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_96a33f11
The Areal / int_970c790a	type	Big Bad
The Areal / int_970c790a	comment	Big Bad: The moment Belov joins the game as the new main villain, he shows himself as much more dangerous to the heroes than Prokopenko ever was. He actually nearly wipes them out, with them being only saved by Fragment's intervention.
The Areal / int_970c790a	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_970c790a	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_970c790a
The Areal / int_9b04a8d1	type	This Is Not a Floor
The Areal / int_9b04a8d1	comment	This Is Not a Floor: Stalker Grishka, who assisted bandits during stealing Type X oil, dies by jumping into the large anomaly, demonstrating how the Call actually works. In his delusions, he believed that he was perfectly safe and not in the Areal at all.
The Areal / int_9b04a8d1	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_9b04a8d1	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_9b04a8d1
The Areal / int_9b76b81	type	Evolutionary Levels
The Areal / int_9b76b81	comment	Evolutionary Levels: The further into the zones you go, the further mutations progresses. All species seems to follow specific pattern, with the same animals mutating into the same kinds of mutants, all the time, with further mutations being more advanced and dangerous. The only revealed full chain is the Porcupine (called that for its poisonous needles; likely former hedgehog), who mutates into the Octopus (drops the needles in favour of more mobility and ability to just spit its poison) and then into the Squid (wasn't described).
The Areal / int_9b76b81	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_9b76b81	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_9b76b81
The Areal / int_9bcd82c0	type	Took a Level in Badass
The Areal / int_9bcd82c0	comment	Took a Level in Badass: Rasp managed to survive on his own without Merkulov, and now his new gang is one of the strongest in the Areal (alongside Merkulov's gang, with which they have perpetual war).
The Areal / int_9bcd82c0	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_9bcd82c0	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_9bcd82c0
The Areal / int_9bee1a7f	type	Eldritch Location
The Areal / int_9bee1a7f	comment	Eldritch Location: The deeper into Areal you go, the less Earth-like it becomes. The Green zone already looks weird, but the Yellow zone paints the sky green, and the grass yellow. And then there's the Red zone, which is even weirder, and the Epicentre, which no longer resembles Earth at all, being closer to some alien planet. There's a good reason for it: Areal is actually the alien terraforming instrument, which AI of the fallen alien spacecraft uses to prepare survivable environment for its inhabitants.
The Areal / int_9bee1a7f	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_9bee1a7f	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_9bee1a7f
The Areal / int_9d12bbc1	type	Foreshadowing
The Areal / int_9d12bbc1	comment	Foreshadowing: Vlad's new ability to sense where not to go to avoid anomalies, just instinctively, and constant headache like something tries to fry his brains, uncomfortably strongly resembles zombies.
The Areal / int_9d12bbc1	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_9d12bbc1	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_9d12bbc1
The Areal / int_9d92f84b	type	Danger with a Deadline
The Areal / int_9d92f84b	comment	Danger with a Deadline: There's so-called "No-fly weather" — a grace period after the recent Emission, when mutants are still very cautious and inactive. Once it ends, they resume their usual activities, becoming fully dangerous once again. And when it comes close to another Emission, the mutants becomes increasingly aggressive, because they feel the upcoming danger, and thus are even more nervous than usual. Several anomalies can vary in their lethality depending on the certain conditions: The Cobweb can be noticed without outside help during twilight. During the other times, the only way to check for it is to either use a lighter (its sparks would briefly reveal the Cobweb), or pock it with a stick and listen for specific cracking noises. And if you so much as touch it yourself (even if you already pocket it), You Are Already Dead. The Jelly can be easily seen during nighttime, because it emits the ghostly blue light. During the day, it's completely invisible, and if you step into it, you would be lucky if you lose only a leg. The Cloud alters between two modes, distinguishable by its colour — the completely docile black cloud, and the violent green cloud, which would zap you to death if you go too close.
The Areal / int_9d92f84b	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_9d92f84b	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_9d92f84b
The Areal / int_9def1a92	type	Reformed, but Not Tamed
The Areal / int_9def1a92	comment	Reformed, but Not Tamed: Ras is no longer an illegal stalker, but he still secretly escapes to Areal from time to time during his free time, keeps secret stash of mets for his own needs (he needs to survive in Areal somehow, and receiving them officially is usually out of question), and has several hidden routes to avoid guards. This all comes in handy when he encounters Mist, who desperately needs to sneak into the base without being caught.
The Areal / int_9def1a92	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_9def1a92	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_9def1a92
The Areal / int_9e062ca3	type	Suicide Mission
The Areal / int_9e062ca3	comment	Suicide Mission: Because Fixa needs Lavender's "Ariadne" that much, he would send slaves to the lake in hope that they would grab it before being zombified; then they can just drag them via the rope attached. Slaves were, obviously, not informed about what's awaiting them.
The Areal / int_9e062ca3	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_9e062ca3	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_9e062ca3
The Areal / int_9f970427	type	Secret-Keeper
The Areal / int_9f970427	comment	Secret-Keeper: Mist joins the circle of people aware of Bear's condition: Bolt warned him preemptively, knowing that otherwise he would notice this with his Ariadne, and potentially reveal this to everyone.
The Areal / int_9f970427	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_9f970427	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_9f970427
The Areal / int_a0f6ab07	type	Nicknaming the Enemy
The Areal / int_a0f6ab07	comment	Nicknaming the Enemy: "Zombies" isn't the official term, it's how stalkers (and later "Areal" personnel, who chose to not reinvent the wheel) chose to call them. The same applies to all anomalies and mets. Whatever force which zombifies people in the Red zone was nicknamed "the Dark Lord".
The Areal / int_a0f6ab07	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_a0f6ab07	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_a0f6ab07
The Areal / int_a1b0c1c2	type	Revealing Cover-Up
The Areal / int_a1b0c1c2	comment	Revealing Cover-Up: Mercs never takes metamorphites with them while on duty, to not reveal themselves as mercs (who're known for being rich and well-equipped). According to Ras, this is, ironically, what actually reveals them, since literally everyone else, including bandits, would use at least some mets.
The Areal / int_a1b0c1c2	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_a1b0c1c2	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_a1b0c1c2
The Areal / int_a5adbbe7	type	Unreliable Expositor
The Areal / int_a5adbbe7	comment	Unreliable Expositor: It's impossible to separate truth from presumption in regards to Grey, since Anna is obviously biased against him, and always expects worst from him, often at no provocation whatsoever.
The Areal / int_a5adbbe7	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_a5adbbe7	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_a5adbbe7
The Areal / int_a679184b	type	Due to the Dead
The Areal / int_a679184b	comment	Due to the Dead: After killing Guard, Bear asks Vlad to help him with putting his body in the nearby Bald, as a funeral of a sorts, since it's not his fault that he was zombified and mutated. Even more so, Bear actually used to know that guy back when he was still alive.
The Areal / int_a679184b	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_a679184b	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_a679184b
The Areal / int_a8357dc2	type	No Woman's Land
The Areal / int_a8357dc2	comment	No Woman's Land: Areal is so predominately male, with almost no women in sight, that many societies started forcing what few they have into living with some of them (in return for food, shelter and protection, but still). Then there are bandits, who either rapes them on sight, or forces them to work in their brothels. Even normally "safe" position of Resellers are not exception: while they wouldn't blatantly attack you, since it violates the treaty, bandits would happily request you to "pay" for your license in... some other way. At least one woman fell victim of this in the past, and barely managed to reach Satellite.
The Areal / int_a8357dc2	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_a8357dc2	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_a8357dc2
The Areal / int_a836a9b5	type	Character Witness
The Areal / int_a836a9b5	comment	Character Witness: That same bandit whom Aybolit saved couple of books ago drags him out of the battle zone, hides him as much as he can, and gives him the first aid (as repayment for being save before). Thanks to him, Aybolit survives. Asya (the "monkey" girl whom Aybolit and Lavender helped earlier), when everyone stops watching, drags injured Lavender out of danger, preventing Fixa from retrieving her and giving her enough time to recover.
The Areal / int_a836a9b5	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_a836a9b5	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_a836a9b5
The Areal / int_a86069f	type	Alternate History
The Areal / int_a86069f	comment	Alternate History: The meteorite, which caused the ArealÂ to appear, fell in Siberia all the way back into Nineties, right when USSR started falling apart. Eventually, the Russian government realised that the oil extracted in the Areal has extraordinary properties, and started exploiting it. They also managed to extractÂ the other Areal-bornÂ resources, giving them major advancements in developing both weapons and protecting equipment. This, of course, did nothing to improve the quality of life for common people.
The Areal / int_a86069f	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_a86069f	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_a86069f
The Areal / int_a861560f	type	The Friend Nobody Likes
The Areal / int_a861560f	comment	The Friend Nobody Likes: Moneybag is the valuable ally for Bear, but he's shameless merchant who only cares about money, which is exactly the type of people Bear hates. When asked whether their plan (smuggle Tatiana's letter through him) would endanger Moneybag, Bear outright states that he doesn't care.
The Areal / int_a861560f	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_a861560f	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_a861560f
The Areal / int_a8a4b41e	type	Not So Stoic
The Areal / int_a8a4b41e	comment	Not So Stoic: When Bear shootsÂ Professor with an RPG, forcing it to blindly run out screaming, usually cold, composed and not exactly talkative Baykal getsÂ so shocked when it run just past him (death missed him by that much), he goes into long and passionate "holy shit, what was that?!" speech — much longer than everything he said prior to that, combined.
The Areal / int_a8a4b41e	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_a8a4b41e	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_a8a4b41e
The Areal / int_a8a9d045	type	Super-Scream
The Areal / int_a8a9d045	comment	It's presumed that Unks (from the word "Unknown", in English) are infants who died during the very first emission, but were immediately resurrected, and subsequently developed into some weird and highly deformed kind of zombies. They normally don't leave Epicentre, but reacts to strong negative emotional emanations, particularly someone dying. This is very bad, since they are very hard to put down, and starts screaming at first provocation. And you really don't want them to scream... They are not violent, unlike the "normal" zombies — they died at too young age to learn hatred; they reacts this way due to fear.
The Areal / int_a8a9d045	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_a8a9d045	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_a8a9d045
The Areal / int_a90f0639	type	Entitled Bastard
The Areal / int_a90f0639	comment	Entitled Bastard: People soon started taking whatever SOT makes for them for granted, without ever trying to help in turn; quite opposite, in fact. Bear often questions why they even bother, but never has heart to quit, because as long as there are some decent people, it's not in vain.
The Areal / int_a90f0639	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_a90f0639	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_a90f0639
The Areal / int_aa30e350	type	Sole Survivor
The Areal / int_aa30e350	comment	Sole Survivor: Turns out that Aybolit was injured, but not killed during the SOT's Last Stand in the previous book, making him the sole survivor of the final battle, and one of the last three alive members of the original SOT (the other ones being Mist and Firz, with the last one being doomed anyway).
The Areal / int_aa30e350	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_aa30e350	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_aa30e350
The Areal / int_aa42306e	type	Totally Radical
The Areal / int_aa42306e	comment	Totally Radical: Fragment offers Mist several possible speech patterns he may use for communication, numbering them. Type 3 is a slang-tossing youngster... or at least how author imagines such youngster would speak.
The Areal / int_aa42306e	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_aa42306e	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_aa42306e
The Areal / int_abd29ad8	type	No-Sell
The Areal / int_abd29ad8	comment	No-Sell: The bandits hired former kick-boxer to lead them into ruins of research complex. When he tried to use his combat skills on Guard, he just shrugged it off, then beheaded the guy with one hit.
The Areal / int_abd29ad8	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_abd29ad8	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_abd29ad8
The Areal / int_abe1e24e	type	Good Cannot Comprehend Evil
The Areal / int_abe1e24e	comment	Good Cannot Comprehend Evil: Quartz dismisses Merkulov's involvement in several schemes they previously dealt with, because with casualties like this, it just looks implausible that Townsfolk had any hand in it. Unknowingly to him, Merkulov indeed values the lives of his men just that low.
The Areal / int_abe1e24e	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_abe1e24e	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_abe1e24e
The Areal / int_ac320c0e	type	Nuke 'em
The Areal / int_ac320c0e	comment	Another radiation-related metamorphite, "Dosimeter", which becomes warmer as radiation level increases. It was considered to be completely useless, similarly to Warmer, until "Disinfection" caused massive nuclear pollution, instantly making it into one of the most desirable mets; unfortunately, by now, they became just as rare as any other mets, since most of their supplies were either lost or delivered to now defunct Institute.
The Areal / int_ac320c0e	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_ac320c0e	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_ac320c0e
The Areal / int_ad1db87c	type	Oh, Crap!
The Areal / int_ad1db87c	comment	Oh, Crap!: Grey feels weirdly familiar smell. Then he realises that it's vodka, which means, all local zombies would soon be here.
The Areal / int_ad1db87c	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_ad1db87c	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_ad1db87c
The Areal / int_aed65980	type	All for Nothing
The Areal / int_aed65980	comment	All for Nothing: Ras and Vodyanoy barely infiltrates into the ruins of the research center, avoiding bandits and anomalies, and almost gets killed by a Swell (fortunately, they don't agitate it), all in hope to find documentation which would show the secret (safe) passage here. Turns out that the scheme they need is in the same room with the Swell, right on the wall... with a part about passage being destroyed with paint which someone just threw at it right above the Swell.
The Areal / int_aed65980	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_aed65980	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_aed65980
The Areal / int_af3ea0e3	type	Faceâ€“Heel Turn
The Areal / int_af3ea0e3	comment	Faceâ€“Heel Turn: Piece, one way or another, was recruited by the people who now seek for Volodina. He refuses to share this with Anna (knowing that she's Tatiana's best friend), but she just eavesdrops them, and later warns Bear (after secretly going with another caravan) to not return Tatiana back, for her own safety.
The Areal / int_af3ea0e3	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_af3ea0e3	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_af3ea0e3
The Areal / int_b0a91b69	type	Convection, Schmonvection
The Areal / int_b0a91b69	comment	Convection, Schmonvection: Inverted. When Mist gets briefly caught by (very border of) Heat anomaly, he feels so much heat, he thinks that his gear would melt, and his body with it (and it's even worse in the epicentre, where no gear would protect you — it would just boil your brain)... yet grass and even insects on it remains perfectly intact. He gets toldÂ that the Heat anomaly specifically affects only complex life forms, like humans, and their gear, and makes no harm to "lesser" beings. How it works, never gets explained.
The Areal / int_b0a91b69	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_b0a91b69	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_b0a91b69
The Areal / int_b26e05d2	type	No Cure for Evil
The Areal / int_b26e05d2	comment	No Cure for Evil: So-called "Kugelstein's paradox", when, even knowing full well how certain technology works, some people can use it, and others can't, no matter what. All such technologies just so happen to be related to either medicine or free resources. Exact criteria for being eligible for usage of such technologies is unknown, but every person who actually managed to make them work is someone who sincerely wants to help the other people (Dr. Kugelstein, Ludmila Nikolaeva and Nikita Stepanov), and most persons who consistently fails are someone working for Lozinsky and Belov, with everyone in between actually producing something, but with the vastly inferior results.
The Areal / int_b26e05d2	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_b26e05d2	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_b26e05d2
The Areal / int_b3bdf232	type	Alien Geometries
The Areal / int_b3bdf232	comment	Alien Geometries: As was revealed in the latter novels, several anomalies are only 1-2 dimensional (humans are considered to be 4-dimensional), which is exactly the reason why they are so lethal — this verse follows the rules that contact of the higher-dimensional entities with the lower-dimensional ones would be fatal for the former, assuming they are alive to begin with. Two such anomalies are known: the Cobweb (1-dimensional), which serves to block the passages, and the Bald (2-dimensional; looks absolutely fla AllÂ metamorphites have more than four dimensions, with the "Ariadne" specifically being twelve-dimensional.
The Areal / int_b3bdf232	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_b3bdf232	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_b3bdf232
The Areal / int_b43dfc8d	type	Your Days Are Numbered
The Areal / int_b43dfc8d	comment	Your Days Are Numbered: For unknown reason, any contact with the Bolt's car provokes whatever entity grows within Bear's body to grow faster, thus bringing his remaining time to the mere twenty six days. It was two months when Bolt first witnessed it. Turns out that the botched process of Firz's de-zombification (Fragment had too little time to do it properly) resulted in him not having Itch... but now he has the tumour in his head, which would kill him within two months at best. Not that anyone cares about his health, but he's a valuable witness in this case.
The Areal / int_b43dfc8d	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_b43dfc8d	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_b43dfc8d
The Areal / int_b4a6ae4c	type	Everyone Has Standards
The Areal / int_b4a6ae4c	comment	Everyone Has Standards: Rasp rejects an offer to join newly formed Alliance, because no self-respecting criminal would ever work for — or align with — government, no matter how dire the situation is.
The Areal / int_b4a6ae4c	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_b4a6ae4c	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_b4a6ae4c
The Areal / int_b58b4e3c	type	Too Dumb to Live
The Areal / int_b58b4e3c	comment	Too Dumb to Live: Some dumbass thought that it would be a great idea to shoot Veteran (legendarily lethal entity) from the cannon. This obviously did nothing, and provoked his Dog to attack, resulting in the whole mortar team dying and cannon itself being bit in half.
The Areal / int_b58b4e3c	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_b58b4e3c	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_b58b4e3c
The Areal / int_b5b4b077	type	The Ace
The Areal / int_b5b4b077	comment	The Ace: Ras, when using his Val assault riffle against bandits, remembers that Rustle was able to "do miracles" with it, with only Mist being better than him with that gun.
The Areal / int_b5b4b077	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_b5b4b077	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_b5b4b077
The Areal / int_b64b1fc1	type	Left for Dead
The Areal / int_b64b1fc1	comment	Left for Dead: Firz and his accomplice traps Mist in Shackle anomaly, with Sixth Sense attached. Their obvious intention was to induce cruel and painful death on him, but then emission happened and they run away without making sure that the plan actually worked. It didn't: Mist was taken away by Veteran, healed by Polina and, rearmed, returned back to the forest, now ready to find them and avenge himself and everyone who died due to their machinations.
The Areal / int_b64b1fc1	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_b64b1fc1	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_b64b1fc1
The Areal / int_b64e1024	type	Evil Smells Bad
The Areal / int_b64e1024	comment	Evil Smells Bad: Some anomalies have specific smell associated with them, whichÂ experienced stalkers can use to detect them: The Grava has very specific smell of ozone, which instantly tells you about its presence. It became much weaker post-"Disinfection". The Solenoid has heavy salty stench, which can be noticed just before you enter its area of effect; that smell is the source of its name, actually. Inverted regarding the Sieve; the key clue of it being nearby is the total lack of smell (any smell, bad or good, even where it should normally be), in combination with the grass being unusually flat. Noticing that can save your life or at least your limb. Inverted with the Licker, one of the few non-hostile anomalies, which smells like buns. The problem is, it looks just like the Swell (the deadliest anomaly), and by the time you can smell it, if it's indeed the Swell, it would be too late to run.
The Areal / int_b64e1024	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_b64e1024	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_b64e1024
The Areal / int_b729794a	type	The Little Detecto
The Areal / int_b729794a	comment	The Little Detecto: Yet another of the Corporation's inventions, the Universal Measuring Contraption (UMC). This detector can scan the territory around you, noticing most anomalies before you just step into them. The newer model is, the better it works, with newest models being able to memorise anomalies and use satellite to quickly update its memory with fresh information. Unfortunately, it wouldn't work in the Yellow zone, which is where you need it most.
The Areal / int_b729794a	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_b729794a	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_b729794a
The Areal / int_b8e3f20a	type	Demoted to Extra
The Areal / int_b8e3f20a	comment	Demoted to Extra: Without his right-hand man Firz, Prokopenko swiftly lost any powers to affect the current situation. And then he gets arrested by Belov's men due to (correct) suspicion that he plays his own game, and disappears for the rest of the book.
The Areal / int_b8e3f20a	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_b8e3f20a	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_b8e3f20a
The Areal / int_b983a56b	type	Came Back Wrong
The Areal / int_b983a56b	comment	Came Back Wrong: When Areal has reached the old graveyards, it reanimated theÂ corpses buried there as slow, half-decayed zombies (called "walkers") who, well, walk around (not even the Areal can restore tissues which are too decayed). They are too slow and weak to be of real danger, though if one tries to catch them "alive" (scientists are always in need of live specimen), they may cause problems due to risks of catching infection when scratched or bitten. It's presumed that Unks (from the word "Unknown", in English) are infants who died during the very first emission, but were immediately resurrected, and subsequently developed into some weird and highly deformed kind of zombies. They normally don't leave Epicentre, but reacts to strong negative emotional emanations, particularly someone dying. This is very bad, since they are very hard to put down, and starts screaming at first provocation. And you really don't want them to scream... They are not violent, unlike the "normal" zombies — they died at too young age to learn hatred; they reacts this way due to fear.
The Areal / int_b983a56b	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_b983a56b	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_b983a56b
The Areal / int_babc974	type	Sadistic Choice
The Areal / int_babc974	comment	Sadistic Choice: Prokopenko gives recently abducted Tatiana two choices: she may willingly submit to him... or he may give her to the bandits as their personal sex toy. Fortunately, he makes a mistake of giving her time to think this over, which results in her escaping.
The Areal / int_babc974	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_babc974	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_babc974
The Areal / int_baef3d1a	type	Slavery Is a Special Kind of Evil
The Areal / int_baef3d1a	comment	Slavery Isa Special Kind Of Evil: Even Nikolaeva, who has not exactly good history with Prokopenko, gets shocked by him being involved in the women trafficking, previously thinking that not even him would step so low.
The Areal / int_baef3d1a	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_baef3d1a	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_baef3d1a
The Areal / int_bb10f0d3	type	Thieves' Cant
The Areal / int_bb10f0d3	comment	Thieves' Cant: Fragment offers Mist several possible speech patterns he may use for communication, numbering them. Type 4 talks like a bandit, with speech consisting solely of mix of criminal slang and profanities.
The Areal / int_bb10f0d3	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_bb10f0d3	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_bb10f0d3
The Areal / int_bb18a227	type	It's All About Me
The Areal / int_bb18a227	comment	It's All About Me: Bear sees most of the Areal's inhabitants as lazy egoistical bastards. They always expect the best treatment, free food, water and shelter, but wouldn't do anything to at least try and improve the overall quality of their lives; and the moment something goes wrong, they would blame everyone but themselves. Make a mistake of helping them, and they would start thinking that you must do so again and again, thinking that you have betrayed them once you stop or fail to continue, but they never would repay you for your help, preferring to continue existing as parasites. Despite this, Bear still keeps believing that not all of them like this, and they can convince at least some people to change their ways if they continue their work (in contrast with Quartz, with whom he had an argument about that earlier, and Ras, who outright suggested to exploit the Epicentre's time-conversion effect to "skip" ten years and return once everyone forget about them). Naturally, no one comes to help in the end.
The Areal / int_bb18a227	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_bb18a227	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_bb18a227
The Areal / int_bbb44d94	type	Cast from Calories
The Areal / int_bbb44d94	comment	The Energiser works by amplifying one's stamina. As the side effect, it consumes user's internal resources, so it must be used with caution. Another similar met, Adrenaline, is weaker, but is usable outside of Areal.
The Areal / int_bbb44d94	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_bbb44d94	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_bbb44d94
The Areal / int_bc74ef27	type	Berserk Button
The Areal / int_bc74ef27	comment	Berserk Button: Baykal was so enraged by bandit mistreating SVD sniper rifle, he shot him dead without even bothering to take him alive, despite him being amongst the least threatening combatants.
The Areal / int_bc74ef27	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_bc74ef27	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_bc74ef27
The Areal / int_bcac7f63	type	Distant Prologue
The Areal / int_bcac7f63	comment	Distant Prologue: PrologueÂ takes place back in the days of USSR's fracturing, in early nineties. Main plot starts in 2008.
The Areal / int_bcac7f63	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_bcac7f63	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_bcac7f63
The Areal / int_bcd27e37	type	Improbable Aiming Skills
The Areal / int_bcd27e37	comment	Improbable Aiming Skills: One of SOT snipers shoots the knife held by bandit, breaking it without harming the bandit himself. Other sniper does the same with other bandit's SMG. This scares the bandits enough to not escalate the conflict further.
The Areal / int_bcd27e37	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_bcd27e37	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_bcd27e37
The Areal / int_bd2812b5	type	Ascend to a Higher Plane of Existence
The Areal / int_bd2812b5	comment	Ascend to a Higher Plane of Existence: Almost entire main cast (with exception for Ras and the scientists) receives an offer from the aliens to join them and continue fighting enemies of their kind, just on... different battlefields. It's also highly implied that Kugelstein received a similar offer, alongside his entire team, since his clinic was clearly visited right before he had a chance to treat Lozinsky and Belov.
The Areal / int_bd2812b5	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_bd2812b5	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_bd2812b5
The Areal / int_c145f69b	type	Subverted Trope
The Areal / int_c145f69b	comment	Quartz's original plan how to rescue Nail involves them taking her before she goes into the forest (where Hunter's men are planning to ambush them), and try to mask him as Nail, so they wouldn't notice until it's too late to do anything; Ras points that Quartz is two heads taller than Nail, and that he would fit better. Vodyanoy immediately recognises that this plan would be a one-way ticket, and rejects it, insisting that they must come up with something which wouldn't involve anyone of them sacrificing himself.
The Areal / int_c145f69b	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_c145f69b	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_c145f69b
The Areal / int_c2676b00	type	Jurisdiction Friction
The Areal / int_c2676b00	comment	Jurisdiction Friction: Hunter involves his uncle, general Belov, in Merkulov's apprehension. Besides forbidding local police forces to interfere, they also ruins X-Ray's own plans for Merkulov, since they either would botch apprehension (which is what ultimately happens), or would lock him up over something insignificant and either allow him to go free, or just provoke Merkulov's own bosses to assassinate him.
The Areal / int_c2676b00	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_c2676b00	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_c2676b00
The Areal / int_c2d6bd47	type	Redemption Earns Life
The Areal / int_c2d6bd47	comment	Redemption Earns Life: Several main characters gets resurrected by the aliens (in Mist's case, it happened all the way back into the second book, though he only now becomes aware of this), to give them the second chance to properly atone for their past sins (mainly, serving the hopelessly corrupt government against their people, until very last moment), by fighting for their people on the different wars far away from here; alternatively, they can reborn to relive their lives anew, this time properly. At least in Bear's case, it was done explicitly due to his rebellion against the Corporation, with his prior life being shameful and unremarkable.
The Areal / int_c2d6bd47	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_c2d6bd47	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_c2d6bd47
The Areal / int_c39846a3	type	Pride
The Areal / int_c39846a3	comment	Prokopenko's behaviour when he goes to casino shows his true colours: he's not just corrupt, but also extremely prideful, and sees everyone who has less power and money than him like dirt.
The Areal / int_c39846a3	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_c39846a3	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_c39846a3
The Areal / int_c3c18143	type	Hope Spot
The Areal / int_c3c18143	comment	Hope Spot: At first, it seems like they have won: Corporation's crimes are revealed, Lozinsky, Belov and Prokopenko (with latter one already breaking and starting betraying former associates left, right and centre) are under arrest, people in Satellite are rioting (with Hunter being unable to take the situation under control). Then Lord Brindelberg gives the president an ultimatum (take situation under control, or their alliance would end), and everything goes to hell. X-Ray gets captured and framed for the very crimes he wanted to uncover, and would soon die from the combination of torture and Itch, while Mist must run; Quartz and Vodyanoy gets caught during operation to save Nail; the SOT goes under heavy mortar bombardment (which nearly fatally injures Rustle), and united army of Satellite and Merkulov's gangsters is already en route to attack their main base.
The Areal / int_c3c18143	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_c3c18143	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_c3c18143
The Areal / int_c5ccf60f	type	Internal Reveal
The Areal / int_c5ccf60f	comment	Internal Reveal: Before sending Tatian to evacuate with scientists, Bear explains to her how "Ariadne" works. As result, she notices the signs of the Cobweb's influence, and learns the real reason why he was so cold with her — to protect her... She can't help but cry.
The Areal / int_c5ccf60f	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_c5ccf60f	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_c5ccf60f
The Areal / int_c6b8d37a	type	Cliffhanger
The Areal / int_c6b8d37a	comment	Cliffhanger: Book ends just when Volodina manages to run away from bandits' captivity, into Areal.
The Areal / int_c6b8d37a	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_c6b8d37a	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_c6b8d37a
The Areal / int_c75df49a	type	Shout-Out
The Areal / int_c75df49a	comment	Shout-Out: According to Bolt, the Licker was named after a monster from one old movie.
The Areal / int_c75df49a	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_c75df49a	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_c75df49a
The Areal / int_c86a6f38	type	Cannon Fodder
The Areal / int_c86a6f38	comment	Cannon Fodder: Rasp's favourite tactic is to send forwardÂ expandable newbies to the dangerous locations, like former institute, in hope that at least some of them would make it back with valuable loot.
The Areal / int_c86a6f38	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_c86a6f38	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_c86a6f38
The Areal / int_c8c968c3	type	The Alliance
The Areal / int_c8c968c3	comment	The Alliance: Inverted; it's the bad guys (represented by Prokopenko) who unites with Mercenaries and Oil-Diggers to form the Alliance, with Obshyak and Townsfolk being invited, but refusing (Rasp insists on maintaining independence, while Merkulov either wants to remain secret, or just doesn't care), with only good guys remaining out (not counting so-called Free people, who are not even considered to be a political power, and expected to submit by themselves sooner or later).
The Areal / int_c8c968c3	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_c8c968c3	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_c8c968c3
The Areal / int_c92cf19a	type	Undead Child
The Areal / int_c92cf19a	comment	Undead Child: Unks are the result of newborn babies dying during the first Emission in what is now Epicentre, and being reanimated and mutated by the Areal.
The Areal / int_c92cf19a	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_c92cf19a	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_c92cf19a
The Areal / int_ca9c252f	type	This Is Something He's Got to Do Himself
The Areal / int_ca9c252f	comment	This Is Something He's Got to Do Himself: Aliens wouldn't solve all our problems, despite being able to do so, because it's our homeworld; they can help where we can't handle by ourselves, but they can't do the work for us — because it would encourage parasitism.
The Areal / int_ca9c252f	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_ca9c252f	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_ca9c252f
The Areal / int_caf89e54	type	Taking You with Me
The Areal / int_caf89e54	comment	Taking You with Me: Once it becomes clear that help wouldn't come, Bear spills vodka around the base, provoking massive numbers of zombies into attacking the Corporation's soldiers from behind. This actually forces them to retreat, but then zombies attacks Bear himself. Though ultimately it's bombardment (which never stopped) that gets him and Tatiana killed.
The Areal / int_caf89e54	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_caf89e54	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_caf89e54
The Areal / int_cc7e9502	type	Humans Are Insects
The Areal / int_cc7e9502	comment	Humans Are Insects: The Fragment can't shut up about humans being insignificant, non-sapient creatures, always using the comparison to ants: just as humans can't be concerned with accidentally killing some ants (or even entire anthill), the Fragment can't be concerned with wiping out all life on our planet — not because it has any motive to do so, but because it's unavoidable side effect of preserving the children under its watch. However, if Mist assists in contacting the other survivors, the evacuation can be made, allowing to just disable the Hostile Terraforming systems as no longer needed. As the Fragment insists that lying is "below the sapient species", it may actually be true.
The Areal / int_cc7e9502	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_cc7e9502	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_cc7e9502
The Areal / int_cce399	type	This Looks Like a Job for Aquaman
The Areal / int_cce399	comment	This Looks Like a Job for Aquaman: We finally learns what "the Dud" met is supposed to do; it gives you... the perfect underwater vision (even in murky or dark water). The problem? The only water in the Areal is the water you absolutely don't want to be close to. However, it just so happened that the guy who agreed to smuggle Mist, X-Ray and Firz out of Areal acts as his settlement's designated smuggler, and uses combination of "the Dud" and aqualung to pass the river underwater without being spotted.
The Areal / int_cce399	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_cce399	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_cce399
The Areal / int_cdd835ce	type	Dude, Not Funny!
The Areal / int_cdd835ce	comment	Dude, Not Funny!: Ras reacts badly on the pretty harmless joke about Areal water (not even directed at him), due to his father being zombified after contact with water.
The Areal / int_cdd835ce	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_cdd835ce	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_cdd835ce
The Areal / int_cdfe12c3	type	Nothing Is Scarier
The Areal / int_cdfe12c3	comment	Nothing Is Scarier: How exactly the Peacekeeper kills its victims was never described. The only thing known for sure is that when you go close to it, you die.
The Areal / int_cdfe12c3	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_cdfe12c3	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_cdfe12c3
The Areal / int_ce767e6f	type	Co-Dragons
The Areal / int_ce767e6f	comment	Co-Dragons: Firz entrusted two of his underlings to become his main accomplices in his crimes — Ducat, and Lemur.
The Areal / int_ce767e6f	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_ce767e6f	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_ce767e6f
The Areal / int_cff9745d	type	Regularly Scheduled Evil
The Areal / int_cff9745d	comment	Regularly Scheduled Evil: Post-"Disinfection", emissions mostly follows a weekly schedule, with first two days being particularly dangerous (due to increased animal hostility), following with several days of the relative peace (called "no-fly weather"), when even anomalies are losing most of their aggression. This gradually dissipates, with aggression stabilising to the "normal" level... and then suddenly another emission comes.
The Areal / int_cff9745d	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_cff9745d	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_cff9745d
The Areal / int_d028e0da	type	An Arm and a Leg
The Areal / int_d028e0da	comment	An Arm and a Leg: Attempt to bombard SOT position mostly fails, but it nearly kills Rustle, putting him in coma, damaging his spine and cutting out half of his palm. Basalt loses his arm to machine gun fire during last battle.
The Areal / int_d028e0da	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_d028e0da	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_d028e0da
The Areal / int_d129e13e	type	"Eureka!" Moment
The Areal / int_d129e13e	comment	"Eureka!" Moment: If Magnet anomaly requires a lot of free space (like a bear road) to spawn and move, and there's barely enough place to spawn one, let alone four in the short time spawn, it means that firstly, the SOT was pursued by the same anomaly all along, which was trapped here after cataclysm, since its current location obviously would never produce that type of anomaly (each anomaly has special "requirements"); secondly, the secret entrance the SOT is looking for must be nearby, since it may be the only place where it initially spawned, before being trapped; thirdly, there are only few roads the Magnet can move through, so they only need to search for them, not the entire forest. With that in mind, the SOT is very close to find the lost research complex and all the mets and shards it contains.
The Areal / int_d129e13e	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_d129e13e	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_d129e13e
The Areal / int_d2c0e2ed	type	Schmuck Bait
The Areal / int_d2c0e2ed	comment	Schmuck Bait: One particularly cunning Octopus exploits a small mouse (too small to be useful as food) as a bait for the bigger prey, while remaining in ambush itself. It works well enough to not even bother with changing location.
The Areal / int_d2c0e2ed	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_d2c0e2ed	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_d2c0e2ed
The Areal / int_d397657d	type	Hoist by His Own Petard
The Areal / int_d397657d	comment	Hoist by His Own Petard: Played With. On the one hand, attempt to summon zombies results in them killing Bear himself after dealing with everyone else. On the other hand, without zombies, battle would've ended much earlier, with Bear being killed by someone else anyway.
The Areal / int_d397657d	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_d397657d	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_d397657d
The Areal / int_d41832cc	type	Written by the Winners
The Areal / int_d41832cc	comment	Written by the Winners: Now, with the SOT gone, Corporation is free to spread ugly lies about them. Soon almost everyone started believing them, completely forgetting everything good they did for them.
The Areal / int_d41832cc	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_d41832cc	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_d41832cc
The Areal / int_d45ad2f5	type	Imported Alien Phlebotinum
The Areal / int_d45ad2f5	comment	Imported Alien Phlebotinum: Many new technologies are based on materials obtained from the Areal: "Membrane" suits, "Knight" armor, "Puncher" ammo (strong enough to reliably pierce aforementioned armor), Type X oil... the list can go on. And then there are metamorphites, some of which are greatly useful even outside of Areal.
The Areal / int_d45ad2f5	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_d45ad2f5	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_d45ad2f5
The Areal / int_d45c0b86	type	Refuge in Audacity
The Areal / int_d45c0b86	comment	Refuge in Audacity: Quartz's plan how to rescue Nail: just grab her under their noses, and run. To buy some time, he would mask himself as her. Plan gets rejected by Vodyanoy, who's not fine with any of them sacrificing themselves.
The Areal / int_d45c0b86	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_d45c0b86	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_d45c0b86
The Areal / int_d64c3cd4	type	Living MacGuffin
The Areal / int_d64c3cd4	comment	Living MacGuffin: With Vodyanoy being the sole remnant of the SOT's "miracles", he becomes the main prey for essentially everyone — Satellite, Obshyak, Townsfolk... The sole good point is that they can't risk killing him, so they would be more careful with their shots.
The Areal / int_d64c3cd4	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_d64c3cd4	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_d64c3cd4
The Areal / int_d73e0f7f	type	"Ray of Hope" Ending
The Areal / int_d73e0f7f	comment	"Ray of Hope" Ending: Otherwise bleak ending has many light spots which tones down or negates most negative moments. Sure, most heroes are dead... but the aliens gave them another life off-world — and a chance to fight for humanity somewhere where they can actually change things. With Nikita and Ludmila being dead, it's impossible to remutate the Areal, but with the Fragment being destroyed, it can't expand past its current borders either. Ras is zombified, and Vlad's father is stuck in Areal along with Vlad's young daughter, but thanks to his new abilities, Vodyanoy has a chance to save them. Meanwhile, Prokopenko and Merkulov were killed, the former assassinated by Belov who wants him to keep his mouth shut, the latter backstabbed by Fixa; and then Belov himself, along with Lozinsky, dies from the Itch, because doctor Kugelstain is nowhere to be seen (very likely also taken away by the aliens, which means that he would finally help someone else other than amoral moneybags).
The Areal / int_d73e0f7f	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_d73e0f7f	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_d73e0f7f
The Areal / int_d75a1703	type	Year Outside, Hour Inside
The Areal / int_d75a1703	comment	Year Outside, Hour Inside: Due to being stuck with (re)zombified X-Ray in the Epicentre (where time runs much slower than outside), Mist spends almost entire book offscreen, with Ras taking the lead role instead. Plot switches back to Mist only towards the end.
The Areal / int_d75a1703	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_d75a1703	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_d75a1703
The Areal / int_d9e9ad7e	type	The Cavalry
The Areal / int_d9e9ad7e	comment	The Cavalry: Asya, due to her Areal-granted sensitivity, was able to feel Lavender being in trouble, and arrive just in time to hide her, and then lead to (still dying) Aybolit to give him more medicine. Bolt arrives just in time to break the stalemate and help Mist to strangle X-Ray and finally de-zombify him.
The Areal / int_d9e9ad7e	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_d9e9ad7e	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_d9e9ad7e
The Areal / int_d9fe8277	type	I'm Standing Right Here
The Areal / int_d9fe8277	comment	I'm Standing Right Here: Ras starts ranting about corrupt police, until Quartz reminds him that he's kinda policeman, too, being a counterintelligence officer.
The Areal / int_d9fe8277	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_d9fe8277	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_d9fe8277
The Areal / int_da12bcfb	type	You Can't Go Home Again
The Areal / int_da12bcfb	comment	You Can't Go Home Again: In general, any people with Addiction must stay within Areal, or ever growing Itch would kill them when it reaches the life-threatening (or sanity-ruining) level. Treatment exists, but is extremely expensive and is highly impractical (for starters, it has to be done in Germany, while Areal is in Siberia). And any such person is constantly pursued by weird effect called "poltergeist", which causes disasters constantly occurring around them at random, so soon people started recognising them, and trying to force them to leave, if not outright lynching them; it also makes it hard to actually reach Germany to get treatment. Combination of Itch, "poltergeist" and near universal hatred forced all such people to move closer and closer to Areal, and eventually even staying inside. Lucky ones now lives within "Satellite", others must build their own shelter right in the Zones and hope for the best. After Tatiana Volodina refused his blatant advances, Prokopenko "punished" her by hiring bandits to abduct her and smuggle into Areal. Now, when she's Addicted, whether she survives or not, she can't return home ever again.
The Areal / int_da12bcfb	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_da12bcfb	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_da12bcfb
The Areal / int_dabc7a46	type	Sixth Ranger
The Areal / int_dabc7a46	comment	Sixth Ranger: Tatiana refuses to evacuate, instead staying (and dying) alongside Bear. Thanks to her, he actually manages to fight for a little longer, because by this point, he's too injured to even move, while she acts as his spotter and reloader.
The Areal / int_dabc7a46	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_dabc7a46	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_dabc7a46
The Areal / int_db33bc7e	type	Ludicrous Gibs
The Areal / int_db33bc7e	comment	Ludicrous Gibs: Sole surviving stalker from the squad wiped out by the zombies almost makes it out alive, successfully avoiding several anomalies... and then he gets himself sucked into Magnet and explodes into the red mist.
The Areal / int_db33bc7e	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_db33bc7e	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_db33bc7e
The Areal / int_dbd2c15e	type	Everyone Can See It
The Areal / int_dbd2c15e	comment	Everyone Can See It: Everyone can see that Tatiana (who by now received nickname "Bambi", thanks to Quartz) feels attraction to Bear, and now making bets when it would become mutual. The sole person in denial is Bear himself, and even he quickly accepts that there's something between them. This, however, results in him facing dilemma: either allow feelings to overthrow him, or reject them, and potentially risk the rest of the team starting competing over Tatiana.
The Areal / int_dbd2c15e	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_dbd2c15e	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_dbd2c15e
The Areal / int_dc1a6b76	type	Reality Is Out to Lunch
The Areal / int_dc1a6b76	comment	Reality Is Out to Lunch: The Areal doesn't abide the normal rules of the outside world. Electricity works weirdly in the Green zone, and doesn't work in the Yellow one. Open fire extinguishes itself shortly after starting. Open water suddenly disappears without a trace, despite looking perfectly normal outside. When you reach the Yellow zone, the sky suddenly becomes green, and the grass blue. And that's before mentioning metamorphits and dangerous anomalies.
The Areal / int_dc1a6b76	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_dc1a6b76	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_dc1a6b76
The Areal / int_dc579c91	type	Contrived Coincidence
The Areal / int_dc579c91	comment	Contrived Coincidence: Zilberman's death happened due to so many improbable things going wrong at the same time, no adequate explanation was ever provided just how "absolutely safe" system malfunctioned so horribly. Just by sheer luck, Bear and his team, while in the forest, encounters bandits beating up several stalkers. After saving them, it turns out that those "stalkers" are... Ras, Vlad, Nikolaeva and Stepanov. Low probability of such encounter gets immediately lampshaded.
The Areal / int_dc579c91	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_dc579c91	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_dc579c91
The Areal / int_dc8ba6d5	type	The Scapegoat
The Areal / int_dc8ba6d5	comment	The Scapegoat: To calm down bandits who are not too eager to work with Rasp again after latest operation ended in bloodbath (they were ambushed by the Veteran), Merkulov and Fixa sets up Nanai as a scapegoat, since he was the one responsible for supplying bandits, and they wanted at least some respite after losing so many of their friends. The next time Nanai would be mentioned posthumously.
The Areal / int_dc8ba6d5	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_dc8ba6d5	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_dc8ba6d5
The Areal / int_dca6a9d	type	Start My Own
The Areal / int_dca6a9d	comment	Start My Own: To counter criminals, who restarted their "business" in Green zone and organised massive black market of metamorphites and X-Type oil, Prokopenko legalised stalkers and allowed them to sell whatever they find in "Satellite".
The Areal / int_dca6a9d	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_dca6a9d	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_dca6a9d
The Areal / int_dca70c44	type	Reasonable Authority Figure
The Areal / int_dca70c44	comment	Reasonable Authority Figure: Both Bear and X-Ray quickly accepts that Mist may be innocent (especially since Firz's story had many holes even before Mist's sudden return), and gives him a chance to prove it, by going with him to the lab and trying to catch Firz red-handed.
The Areal / int_dca70c44	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_dca70c44	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_dca70c44
The Areal / int_dda99fa8	type	Despair Event Horizon
The Areal / int_dda99fa8	comment	Despair Event Horizon: Quartz sees no hope for winning, and by this point he basically lost any will to struggle anymore, or do anything, for that matter, just lying here and waiting death (he doesn't even bother to undress before going to sleep). He still suggests plans when asked, but makes it clear that he doesn't believe in their success; it's just that if they are gonna die anyway, may as well die fighting, they have nothing left to lose.
The Areal / int_dda99fa8	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_dda99fa8	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_dda99fa8
The Areal / int_e0c3f8bf	type	Punch-Clock Hero
The Areal / int_e0c3f8bf	comment	Punch-Clock Hero: Amongst other people who answered to the call for volunteers for upcoming battle were some often rather... questionable guys, who clearly expected that Bear hires mercenaries. When it turns out that he isn't, all such people leaved on the spot without caring for the cause.
The Areal / int_e0c3f8bf	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_e0c3f8bf	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_e0c3f8bf
The Areal / int_e0e8cce6	type	Silly Rabbit, Idealism Is for Kids!
The Areal / int_e0e8cce6	comment	Silly Rabbit, Idealism Is for Kids!: Quartz tells Bear that while they can (and must) convict the Corporation's leaders, it wouldn't miraculously solve all world's problems, because there would still remain some other villains (they always do) — not in the last turn because people just allows them by being so apathetic.
The Areal / int_e0e8cce6	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_e0e8cce6	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_e0e8cce6
The Areal / int_e28f88b8	type	Last-Name Basis
The Areal / int_e28f88b8	comment	Last-Name Basis: Most villains are consistently referred to by their last names (except in personal discussions), namely:Â the Corporation's leadership, Merkulov, Levin (also known as Hunter or "Darkwing") and Salmatsky (also known as Firz). The good guys usually calls themselves by first names or callsigns.
The Areal / int_e28f88b8	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_e28f88b8	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_e28f88b8
The Areal / int_e316fa51	type	Magnetism Manipulation
The Areal / int_e316fa51	comment	Magnetism Manipulation: Appropriately called the Magnet anomaly sucks inside most metallic object passing nearby. It's dangerous for humans, too, due to iron in our blood, but exact effect was never elaborated upon, other than that result is messy. Unlike other anomalies, it can actually be useful during shootouts, since it consumes shots directed at you.
The Areal / int_e316fa51	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_e316fa51	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_e316fa51
The Areal / int_e409de66	type	Manipulative Editing
The Areal / int_e409de66	comment	Manipulative Editing: Recordings of X-Ray's discussion with Mist (combined with recordings of X-Ray's helicopter being shot down by Belov's men) were heavily edited to pass them as zombie attack on "Areal's" personnel and Vorontsov himself.
The Areal / int_e409de66	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_e409de66	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_e409de66
The Areal / int_e431c24c	type	Not Quite Dead
The Areal / int_e431c24c	comment	Not Quite Dead: Grey actually managed to survive the attack on his caravan (though it's unclear whether he was in league with attackers, or just was lucky enough to escape), with Vortex acting as a perfect coverup. He's the one who sent Anna to abduct Tatiana. Anna's presumably dead daughter turns out to be alive, though it's unclear where she's now. Giving her the better future is the Anna's motivation to betray Tatiana.
The Areal / int_e431c24c	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_e431c24c	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_e431c24c
The Areal / int_e50818aa	type	Normally, I Would Be Dead Now
The Areal / int_e50818aa	comment	Normally, I Would Be Dead Now: When Ras blindly rushes to his (zombified) father and receives thirty three bullets (with last two actually piercing through his armour and injuring him), Vodyanoy manages to take him out and run almost all the way to the base with him, with the help of four stamina-boosting mets. The problem is, all of them consumes body's internal resources, and even one would be potentially fatal after such marathon; Vodyanoy used four, yet he still survived, since the water he consumes actually gives him enough resources to counter energy losses. And even then, he eventually loses conscience and falls into coma, with Aybolit barely taking him out of it.
The Areal / int_e50818aa	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_e50818aa	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_e50818aa
The Areal / int_e563bf09	type	Insistent Terminology
The Areal / int_e563bf09	comment	Insistent Terminology: When asked whether they are all dead, one of the aliens answers that they were killed, but it was not "death"; most likely, she means "death" in a spiritual sense, rather than physical.
The Areal / int_e563bf09	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_e563bf09	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_e563bf09
The Areal / int_e63228a7	type	InfoDump
The Areal / int_e63228a7	comment	Info Dump: The explanation for how church ended up as a part of Lozinsky's scheme, including backstory of otherwise extremely minor character, crooked priest Eulantius, takes several pages.
The Areal / int_e63228a7	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_e63228a7	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_e63228a7
The Areal / int_e68b72	type	The Load
The Areal / int_e68b72	comment	The Load: Amongst the other people who answered to the call for volunteers for upcoming battle were some pretty useless guys, who didn't bother to bring either food or ammo, or brought bare minimum, either expecting to see that everything would be provided for them (never noticing that SOT is essentially a partisan team by this point, and has not that many resources by itself), or never thinking just what they are getting themselves into. They all leaves before it could have resulted in the bloodbath.
The Areal / int_e68b72	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_e68b72	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_e68b72
The Areal / int_e78e4ba1	type	Black Site
The Areal / int_e78e4ba1	comment	Black Site: "Areal" is a government-controlled area, any humans there either workÂ for it, or are illegals seeking some profit (either stalkers or bandits). It becomes more complicated once the "Disinfection" permanently changes the way Areal behaves.
The Areal / int_e78e4ba1	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_e78e4ba1	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_e78e4ba1
The Areal / int_e9e35e8f	type	Exact Words
The Areal / int_e9e35e8f	comment	Exact Words: Ras was not killed (he was zombified), so he can't be resurrected.
The Areal / int_e9e35e8f	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_e9e35e8f	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_e9e35e8f
The Areal / int_ea08e9	type	The Team
The Areal / int_ea08e9	comment	The Team: Bear recollected few survivors of the SOT into his new team. Besides Aybolit, whom he met in the end of the previous book, new SOT also included Rustle, Mantrap, Baykal, Basalt and Tantal (sole survivor of Ducat's team, and also sole decent man from it; unfortunately, he didn't last for long). Additionally, sole survivor of X-Ray's team, Quartz, joined in and now uses his professional skills to analyse any information they obtain.
The Areal / int_ea08e9	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_ea08e9	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_ea08e9
The Areal / int_ea480f92	type	Simple, yet Awesome
The Areal / int_ea480f92	comment	Simple, yet Awesome: So-called "doggy" — an empty shell with a string attached — allows to navigate within the Yellow zone, by throwing the shell to check for anomalies, and just pulling it back when it misses. It saved more lives than all detectors combined, especially in the Yellow zone, where detectors are unusable. People are using the empty lighters (they can't be used the intended way, due to Areal suppressing open fire) to search for Cobwebs, due to the sparks they create. Otherwise, the Cobweb requires the very specific light (or detector, which wouldn't work in the Yellow zone anyway) to be noticeable.
The Areal / int_ea480f92	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_ea480f92	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_ea480f92
The Areal / int_eb81c601	type	Big Damn Heroes
The Areal / int_eb81c601	comment	Big Damn Heroes: When X-Ray gets captured and tortured, Mist, with the help of his old friends from "Alpha", who actually believed their transmission over official propaganda, manages to free him from the "hospital", and escape back to Areal, where he restores him via old scheme — at Epicentre (Living Water was exhausted by this point, but it can be restored through Areal water).
The Areal / int_eb81c601	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_eb81c601	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_eb81c601
The Areal / int_eb8ec7c8	type	Jerkass
The Areal / int_eb8ec7c8	comment	Hunter's behaviour during security briefing tells us everything we should know about this guy. His is insufferable, arrogant dumbass with overblown ego, who exploits his connections to get away with bullying almost anyone he wants, or breaking secrecy rules such as never mentioning anyone's last names. And yet he's a coward, who never picks a fight with anyone who can't be scared by his connections.
The Areal / int_eb8ec7c8	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_eb8ec7c8	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_eb8ec7c8
The Areal / int_ed2bbf8a	type	You Are in Command Now
The Areal / int_ed2bbf8a	comment	You Are in Command Now: With three members of the board of executives dying, Lozinsky is in dare need of people, so he promoted Prokopenko, effectively leaving him in charge of newly founded Satellite.
The Areal / int_ed2bbf8a	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_ed2bbf8a	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_ed2bbf8a
The Areal / int_eddfe7e5	type	Underground City
The Areal / int_eddfe7e5	comment	Underground City: Shortly after "Disifnfection", since Addicted can't survive outside Areal for long due to ever-growing Itch, Lozinsky (who is Addicted himself) financed creation of the small underground city right in the Green zone — "Satellite". It has everything people need to live, down to and including internet, while also remains perfectly safe due to being deeply underground.
The Areal / int_eddfe7e5	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_eddfe7e5	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_eddfe7e5
The Areal / int_ee19d278	type	Blob Monster
The Areal / int_ee19d278	comment	Bolt, when outnumbered by Amebas, gets rescued by the Vet's Dog.
The Areal / int_ee19d278	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_ee19d278	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_ee19d278
The Areal / int_ee7a60e9	type	One-Steve Limit
The Areal / int_ee7a60e9	comment	One-Steve Limit: The word "Areal" is both the name of the anomalous territory, and of the government-funded corporation trying to control it. To not mistake the two, the corporation either gets addressed by the full name ("The Areal Corporation"), or simply as "the Corporation".
The Areal / int_ee7a60e9	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_ee7a60e9	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_ee7a60e9
The Areal / int_eedee4d	type	The Starscream
The Areal / int_eedee4d	comment	The Starscream: When reward gets high enough, Fixa finally backstabs Merkulov, receives a bounty for his head, and usurps his gang.
The Areal / int_eedee4d	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_eedee4d	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_eedee4d
The Areal / int_f01a1b71	type	Insignificant Little Blue Planet
The Areal / int_f01a1b71	comment	Insignificant Little Blue Planet: Meteorite which nearly wiped us out years ago was actually an alien spacecraft. Its sudden explosion was a self-destruct sequence, which it only initiated because scans showed that Earth is one of the rare planets suitable for most living forms, which are prohibited from being destroyed like this; before that, its AI was perfectly fine with wiping out all life on the planed during crash landing: humanÂ lives worthÂ nothing, and aliens aren't interested in this planet, at all; for the same reason, the aliens are willing to shut down the Areal if assisted in evacuating.
The Areal / int_f01a1b71	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_f01a1b71	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_f01a1b71
The Areal / int_f09ac6a6	type	Chekhov M.I.A.
The Areal / int_f09ac6a6	comment	Chekhov M.I.A.: Anna started suspecting something shady going on early in the previous book, and run away into Areal halfway into it, when people started hunting for her, thinking that she may lead them to Tatiana. She reappears in this book, now working for Grey, and tasked with retrieving her former friend, whether she likes it or not.
The Areal / int_f09ac6a6	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_f09ac6a6	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_f09ac6a6
The Areal / int_f1d3f0c9	type	Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness
The Areal / int_f1d3f0c9	comment	Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness: Fragment offers Mist several possible speech patterns he may use for communication, numbering them. Type 1 is a hard-to-follow mess of science terms and overly complex sentences.
The Areal / int_f1d3f0c9	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_f1d3f0c9	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_f1d3f0c9
The Areal / int_f3d5d15f	type	Creepy Child
The Areal / int_f3d5d15f	comment	Asya (the "monkey" girl whom Aybolit and Lavender helped earlier), when everyone stops watching, drags injured Lavender out of danger, preventing Fixa from retrieving her and giving her enough time to recover.
The Areal / int_f3d5d15f	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_f3d5d15f	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_f3d5d15f
The Areal / int_f651b980	type	Forbidden Zone
The Areal / int_f651b980	comment	Forbidden Zone: So-called "neutral territory" around the Areal is off-limits for outsiders, unless they coordinate everything with Federal Security Service and cross it officially. It's still more freedom than before.
The Areal / int_f651b980	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_f651b980	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_f651b980
The Areal / int_f6624c30	type	Together in Death
The Areal / int_f6624c30	comment	Together in Death: Tatiana refuses evacuating, and returns to fight alongside Bear, who by that point was too injured to even reload by himself. They goes out fighting, admitting their feelings at the last moment.
The Areal / int_f6624c30	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_f6624c30	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_f6624c30
The Areal / int_f6f2ff1	type	Insult Backfire
The Areal / int_f6f2ff1	comment	Insult Backfire: When Mist jokes that with her attitude (she clearly prefers Areal's violently aggressive fauna over people who works here), Lavender should have joined Greenpeace, Bolt confirms that she already had.
The Areal / int_f6f2ff1	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_f6f2ff1	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_f6f2ff1
The Areal / int_f7b57d62	type	Enforced Technology Levels
The Areal / int_f7b57d62	comment	Enforced Technology Levels: Electronic tech starts working worse while in the Green zone, and shuts down completely while in the Yellow one. So, no transport or detectors. And anything working during emission would be destroyed beyond repair, even if indoor.
The Areal / int_f7b57d62	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_f7b57d62	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_f7b57d62
The Areal / int_f7cee9b	type	Last Stand
The Areal / int_f7cee9b	comment	Last Stand: Last chapter depicts Bear and his team fighting hopeless battle against "Areal's" people sent after them — and dying one by one: Rustle, too injured to change position (it's a miracle he even awoke in time to join the battle), dies first, killed by two machine gunners; Mantrap dies next, covering for escaping civilians, when his position gets blown up by mortar blast; Baykal goes outside and attacks enemy from behind, killing several "Sixth Sense"-wielding officers before being revealed and mortally wounded, falling in coma with no chance to recover; Basalt, despite being mortally wounded, continues firing till the end, until enemy finishes him off with the mortar fire; Aybolit presumably dies under bombardment, too; and last ones to go are Bear — and Tatiana, who refused to escape, and chose to die with her loved one.
The Areal / int_f7cee9b	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_f7cee9b	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_f7cee9b
The Areal / int_f8ec3418	type	Someone Has to Die
The Areal / int_f8ec3418	comment	Someone Has to Die: Subverted. After long run while under various mets, everyone were exhausted to the point of barely resisting falling asleep right here and now. Aybolit volunteers for the first watch, and continues using mets, despite being perfectly aware that this can outright kill him. When Bear awakes prematurely and forces him to go to sleep, Aybolit was already on the brink of coma, requiring first aid (in the form of chocolate) just to survive removing the mets. His justification for this was that better one than the whole team.
The Areal / int_f8ec3418	featureApplicability	-0.3
The Areal / int_f8ec3418	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_f8ec3418
The Areal / int_f91d1d4f	type	Darkest Hour
The Areal / int_f91d1d4f	comment	Darkest Hour: By the start of the book, everything seems to be lost for the heroes. The SOT is essentially wiped out, with only Mist and Aybolit still alive, with the former being stuck with the zombified (and ready to fight to the death) X-Ray, while the latter is on the brink of death from his injuries. Scientists were killed during evacuation, with Lavender barely surviving almost by accident. X-Ray's mission ended in fiasco, with very trace of the evidence against Corporation being destroyed and X-Ray himself being framed as Prokopenko's coconspirator. Quartz, Ras and Vodyanoy are still stuck in the Satellite, without any meaningful chance to save Nail or, by this point, even themselves. Things wouldn't go any better from here.
The Areal / int_f91d1d4f	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_f91d1d4f	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_f91d1d4f
The Areal / int_f9c17447	type	The Remnant
The Areal / int_f9c17447	comment	The Remnant: Bear and his team are essentially what is left from the SOT; everyone else are dead, zombified or MIA.
The Areal / int_f9c17447	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_f9c17447	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_f9c17447
The Areal / int_ff6ae1f6	type	Evil-Detecting Dog
The Areal / int_ff6ae1f6	comment	Evil-Detecting Dog: Veteran's Dog Chernysh instantly recognised Anna for who she really is, and killed her on sight, despite her being unarmed.
The Areal / int_ff6ae1f6	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_ff6ae1f6	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_ff6ae1f6
The Areal / int_ffd816e7	type	Everything Trying to Kill You
The Areal / int_ffd816e7	comment	Everything Trying to Kill You: Any animal, no matter how small, had mutated into a killing machine and became extremely hostile to any outsider. Even sparrows developed razor-sharp poisoned talons and attacks en masse, to the point that people started taking shotguns with them specifically to deal with the birds, because nothing else would work. And then the anomalies comes in, in great variations: gravity anomalies, heat anomalies, gas anomalies, acidic anomalies, "just-what-the-hell-is-that" anomalies, and so on. The deeper into the Areal you are, the more dangerous it becomes. Starting from the Yellow zone, anomalies becomes mobile (while your precious detector no longer works), and in the Red zone they are actively pursuing you, though most people wouldn't experience that, since they would be zombified the moment they cross the border, or soon afterwards. As if that's not enough, there are periodical Emissions, which spreads the Areal further while wiping out anyone caught in the open and creating new anomalies. This became even worse post-"Disinfection", with many things being changed to purposely harm people, and even animals close to Areal (but not yet inside it) starting acting aggressive, probably being already assimilated into its psi-field.
The Areal / int_ffd816e7	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_ffd816e7	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_ffd816e7
The Areal / int_fff371b4	type	Death Seeker
The Areal / int_fff371b4	comment	Death Seeker: Quartz shows signs of no longer wanting to live, barely caring about his own survival even after being convinced to continue struggling, and repeatedly suggesting to sacrifice himself to let his friends escape. Ras rejects such plans every time.
The Areal / int_fff371b4	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_fff371b4	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_fff371b4
The Areal / int_name	type	ItemName
The Areal / int_name	comment
The Areal / int_name	featureApplicability	1.0
The Areal / int_name	featureConfidence	1.0
The Areal	hasFeature	The Areal / int_name
The Areal / int_name	itemName	The Areal

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

(none found)

Copyright of DBTropes.org wrapper 2009-2013 DFKI Knowledge Management. Imprint. - Thanks to Bakken&Baeck for hosting. Contact.
Copyright of data TVTropes.org contributors under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.