
***************
* Keep Denver *
***************

"Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law."
					    - A.L. I. 40.

***************

DISCLAIMER

This story contains explicit description of sexual activities involving underage persons. If you are under the proper age (usually 18 or 21), or your religion, beliefs, morality forbid you to read such - delete this file now. Otherwise, have fun.

Comments and flames welcome at keepdenver@mrdouble.com. Only constructive criticism is appreciated. If you wish, suggest a story, but I can't promise to fulfill all requests.

Story codes: m(15,12), f(15,14,13,12), no-sex

Foreword

This story here contains no sex. Before you quit reading, at least read the foreword. OK. It only serves as introductory part for my new series, "The Survivors". The sole purpose of this is to set the background, to introduce the characters and present the setting of the upcoming story. Without reading this chapter you'll miss some important information.
Now, there's one more reason for this introduction and this is simple "market research" - i.e. I want to know, whether anyone would like to read something like this. Therefore - if you think you might like this, send me email. I'm quite busy and though writing is fun and I don't do it for profit anyway, well, I like being read (oh, the deadly sin of pride).
Disclaimer: this story is set in the early 90's in the former Soviet Union. I have never lived in USSR, only visited it couple times and my knowledge may be incomplete and limited. If there were any Russians among you that would like to offer help - I'd appreciate it really. I provided a basic dictionary for the Russian I used in the passage at the end of file. Also, I sometimes had to invent the transcription of Russian names, words etc. I'm not a professional linguist, so forgive my possible mistakes.
OK, let's skip this shit. Have fun!

Greetz,

Keep Denver

****************

The Survivors

Introduction

**************** 

My name is Yuriy Ivanovitch Petushkin and I'm Russian. I want to share a story about events that happened a decade ago. Despite all the years the memories still live in my mind, as well as minds of my sister, my wife and my friends. We still assume it to be one of the best experiences of our lives, though it was a hard time for all of us, then only kids.

The events described here took place in the early 90's. In Soviet Union it was time of rebellion and anxiety. The communist regime was dying and the unknown future was approaching quickly. We were already alarmed by what Walesa did in Poland, by the Velvet Revolution that Havel led in Czechoslovakia and the fall of Berlin Wall. Things were going rotten for the soviet part of the world. But let's skip that for a moment.

For my year younger sister, Valentina Ivanovna, and me everything started in 1980, when our family arrived to Leninogorsk. At that time it was a small industrial town in the middle of Siberia. All around us were forests and deserts. Hundreds of kilometers of empty, grassy plains divided us from any other civilized places.

We were always close with my sister. Even our names create a kind of bond between as. I was named Yuriy, after the famous astronaut Gagarin, the first ever man in space. She got her name after comrade Valentina Tereshkova, the first ever woman in space. Funny, isn't it? Yes, our parent had a good sense of humor. We're quite similar with Vala. Both tall and slim, both blonde. The only difference is that her hair is much longer and she has more freckles on her face. She doesn't really like it but I think it only makes her even more cute.

Our father, Ivan Grigorevitch Petushkin was a scientist, a biologist to be precise. He got employment order in the newly established Leninogorsk Pharmaceutical Research Institute. This was like a won lottery ticket for our family.

In Soviet Union those days it was pretty hard for us, ordinary people, to make some decent living. In fact it always was for the entire Soviet Block, though talking about it could lead to serious imprisonment at least. The Communist Party top members made themselves comfortable with every available luxury, while us, gray mass, faceless crowd, well, we made ends meet somehow but nothing more. Upon moving to Leninogorsk our family got an apartment in a new, huge, twelve-floor block of flats at the city's main street - Moskevskiy Prospekt. A huge, two room flat, with nice kitchen with window and a big bathroom with a tub. The two of us, me and my sister, still only toddlers of 4 and 3 years old at that time, got our own room. I think it was kind of unheard of those days. Our parents slept in the main room, on a couch. We could afford a TV set, though the reception was kind of poor, at least during the first few years.

Our father became a department director in the Institute and we were quite wealthy. The two of us both had our own bicycles and we rode all around the town. On the outskirts there were barracks of the Red Army. Sometimes we wondered why should soldiers be at such a place, but we early learned not to ask about certain things concerning our soviet reality.

We could however freely share our thoughts with our neighbors, the Nazarbayev sisters. Their father, Grigoriy Petrovitch Nazarbayev, was our father's colleague. They worked together in the Institute. The sisters were our closest friends. The older one, Tamara, was my age. She was slender, tall and had wonderful, long, dark brown hair that framed her long, pretty face. I think I've always had a little crush on her and since she entered puberty (quite early, I must say - she was an early bloomer) she became the hero of my early wet dreams. The younger one, Katarina, was one year younger than my sister. She was smaller and not as pretty as Tamara, but had the same wonderful, long hair. That was their heritage - their mother was a proud possessor of such as well.

As years passed two more kids joined our little gang. They were the Romanov twins - Misha, which is short for Mikhail, and his sister, Masha. They were three years younger that me. Together we would explore the city; then, as we got older and bolder we made trips to the surrounding forests and steppe. We spend most of our time together as we attended the same school (in fact for a long time it was the only school in Leninogorsk). Our fathers worked together - Vissarion Romanov was some kind of medical scientist and also worked in the institute. Our families lived in the same block of flats and often visited each other. Misha became some kind of my younger brother that I never had and yet always wanted one. Don't get me wrong, I love my sister and she is and has always been the best sister on the face on Earth. But a brother, well, it is another thing.

Sometimes, especially when they had too much vodka, our parents would discuss the matters they worked on. By the time I was ten I found out it was not really Research Institute but there was some strange mystery around it and it had something to do with Krasnaya Armiya. The military was a significant power in our regime then, not as it is now... Unfortunately, some of their projects were insane, as we were to find out.

Our lives were changing as the years went by. We were getting older. We got to hear and understand more. And think more about certain things.

Now I know the truth that lay behind the facade of fulfilled dream. I was at the brink of finding it all out just before the fatal day that our world vanished. Well, considering what happened next, maybe that wasn't as bad? But, back to the topic.

I can clearly remember a meeting, around the beginning of 1991. Our fathers had just come to a successful end of some kind of a long-term research. We were having party and my dad, Ivan, even let me drink couple shots of vodka. He said I was adult enough. I remember keeping the last shot in my mouth and hiding in my room, where Tamara awaited me, all alone. The other kids where in the Romanovs' flat, playing. Tamara asked me to do such a silly thing, as she wanted to taste vodka as well.

So, I brought it, keeping it in my mouth (I have no idea why I just didn't get some leftover bottle from the table) and the only way to share it with Tamara was to kiss her. I remember it was very erotic. Both of us got aroused, on my part the alcohol added some to the general excitement. We kind of embraced each other's mouth with our lips and she sipped the fiery liquid from the cup of my mouth.

She almost choked and spit most of it in my face. She tried to wipe it with her hand but I just couldn't stop myself and kissed her again. That was the first time we did it and we really liked the new experience. I think that was the beginning of our relationship that eventually led to our present state. Tamara is my wife now. But, I'm getting too much ahead with things. Back to the story then.

I went back to the main room where the adults sat around the table. I wanted to get some more vodka but just then I heard something that caught my attention even more than a hot, beautiful teenager in my room. I hid behind the door and listened to what out fathers discussed.

- Vissarion - I heard my father say. His words where a bit unclear, as he was pretty drunk already, but I managed to understand.
- I hope you understand the problem. If we somehow loose control, the outburst will kill all of us. It may wipe out half of the world - he said.
- My dear Ivan! Don't overreact! We have everything under control - it was Grigoriy, Tamara's father, butting in.
- Yob tvoyu mat', such control! We can never tell! It's a virus, we can't be sure!
- Now, Ivan, calm down - asked Romanov - Please, why shout? We don't need anybody to hear that.
- Oh, come on, everybody in this town works in the Institute anyway! From whom should I keep secret?!
- Comrade Petushkin! - Romanov shouted - I ask you to calm down! Now! Treat it as an order!
- Yes, comrade political officer! At once! - my father had a shot of vodka and chewed on some salted, dried fish.
- Just promise me one thing, boys - he leaned toward them in a confident manner.
- What's that, Ivan?
- Vissarion, promise me you'll get the vaccine and we'll give it to our children.
- Horosho! This is clever. But I'll have to be careful, it will be difficult to get it avoiding any attention.
- You can do it, my friend. Don't you have the power? Comrade colonel Romanov! Za zdorovie, comrades! Za rodinu, za Stalinu, za Soyuz! - they toasted.

I was extremely surprised to learn that Romanov was a soldier. Never heard of that before and the twins never told us about it either. Maybe they just didn't know. It was one more secret of our times. I kept this for myself. I didn't think it was the kind of information to share with anyone, even Tamara. I managed to get half a bottle of vodka and sneaked back to my room where the girl awaited.

Having this wonderful teenager at my side, I quickly forgot the revelations I overheard. We had a great time, drinking and practicing kissing some more. We got drunk quite quickly and just fell asleep in each other's arms.

The time went by, the summer came. In the beginning of June we got "flu shots" that my father gave to the six of us kids. I knew the flu stuff was all shit but kept it to myself.

The tragedy came some time later. It was a hard time. The country was in chaos. Something very bad was going on in Moscow. People were anxious and nervous. The soldiers in the barracks were on yellow alert all the time. We often heard that the Soviet Union would soon face an unavoidable end. That was right, but before it happened the world as we knew it ended.

It was August 1991. The time was around eight in the morning and all our parents were already out to work. We had our summer holidays and therefore were at home, planning some nice bike trip to the forests surrounding Leninogorsk. I was packing my bag and Valentina was in the bathroom when I heard a loud explosion. I went out to the balcony and looked in the direction of the Institute. We had a flat on the tenth floor and I could see everything clearly.

There was a cloud of smoke over the main complex and soon more explosions followed. I could also see fire. All around the city I could hear the sirens. I could see civilians and soldiers rushing along the streets. For couple minutes I just stood there as if frozen. It wasn't before Vala found me that I regained the ability to think and move.

- Down - I shouted - To the cellar!

We rushed to the corridor where we bumped on the Nazarbayev sisters. They also knew something was terribly wrong.

- Get to the cellar - I shouted - I'm gonna get the twins! - I rushed upstairs, to the Romanovs' flat. I found the twins on the balcony and practically dragged them with me. All I could think of was not using the lift. I saw it in some movie. We almost flew to the ground level, jumping over what seemed to be countless flights of stairs.

My sister, Tamara and Katarina where already in our cellar. I closed the door behind us and locked it as good as I could. None of us knew what had really happened but we hoped for some rescue. There were many adults out there and the soldiers, I reasoned. Someone should find us finally and rescue us.

What we didn't know it was exactly the day when the coup in Moscow started. Boris Yeltsin saved the day climbing a Red Army tank and restoring peace. But there was not going to be any rescue for Leninogorsk. Or, as I learned later, the Biochemical Warfare Complex, M-137, 'cause that was the code name of the area. We didn't even suspect we were left completely on our own.

After two days in the cellar I decided to scout a little in the neighborhood. I left the others in the little space underground and climbed to the street level.

I was terrified by what I saw.

The town was completely abandoned. Deserted. Nobody was there, at least in the perimeter I could inspect with my eyes. But that wasn't the worst part. As I went out to the street I understood that the people didn't escape nor were they evacuated. They were all dead.

Bodies lay scattered around the area. It wasn't a pleasant view. All of them were kind of dried, as if mummified. For some devilish reason they seemed to loose all their bodily liquids. I puked for a long time.

When I regained my composure finally I tried to inspect some of the bodies. They were really dead. All of them. Believe me, it's a tough thing for a fifteen-year-old to face a crowd of dead bodies. I don't know how long did it take me to get back to our little hideout and tell the others what happened.

I tried to give them a balanced, calm relation but couldn't help crying myself. I guess this was the worst day of our lives. All of us cried. We understood we were on our own, all alone. We only hoped for the help to come. It was a fruitless hope, as we understood soon enough.

The six of us emerged from our underground refuge and looked around with horror in out eyes. We couldn't stop tears. And we couldn't help asking why? Why did we survive? And were there any others?

I shared my story about the vaccine and the virus that I overheard the other day. It didn't help us much though. We came back to our flat and just sat there. There was no electricity, nor water in the pipes. It meant both the power station and the filter station didn't work. That, again, meant there was nobody to operate it. Nobody alive in the city, most probably.

We had some canned food and drifted off into nervous, anxious dream.

I hardly remember anything of those first days. Together with Tamara we explored the city on our bikes, only to find more corpses. The bodies didn't rot. They just lay there, all around the area, dried and motionless. We also visited the barracks only to find more death there. All the soldiers died. Some of them were still in their beds, other only partially dressed. The doom got them all.

I found an unsecured armory and retrieved a brand new kalashnikov automatic rifle as well as a bunch of rounds. On a second though I also equipped Tamara with one. We also managed to find six jackets for the whole group. They were good, old military type, convenient for any weather.

We spent the first days in our flat, only bringing some stuff like clothes and other most necessary things from the Romanovs and Nazarbayevs. We all slept in the main room, where I moved mine and Vala's beds. After about two weeks we moved to a bigger flat, in the middle of the city, near to the filter station so that we had water supply handy. I managed to find butane bottles and we could use it to cook. Also, Misha found some old power generator in the cellar and we had some electricity from time to time. There was no TV reception - the Leninogorsk substation had no one to operate it - and we didn't know about the events all around the Soviet Union.

I taught Tamara to shoot the kalashnikov rifle and practiced some myself. If not anything worse, I assumed it to be necessary to defend us from packs of wild dogs that I was afraid were going to infest the dead city. I was wrong, luckily. All living creatures must've dropped dead that foul day when there was the dreadful explosion at the Institute.

Days changed into weeks. Being the oldest, Tamara and I adopted the role of parents for the group. This strengthened our bond. We were already going out since the memorable party when we first kissed. Now the responsibility we felt drew us even closer together.

My sister and Katarina, Tamara's sister coped quite well with the new world we came to live in. Only for the Romanov twins things were hard. They were the youngest of all of us and it was a long time before Misha and Masha could sleep peacefully.

We remained cast away in the dead city for fifteen months. Army scouts found us in the following year, when the political and social situation in Moscow stabilized. But before that happened, lots of events took place that in a way changed our lives completely. And that's the story me and my friends are going to tell you.

***************

End note

Well, that's more less what you can expect from the story. Now judge yourself if you want me to continue. ;)

Greetz,

Keep Denver


Note on the names:

The Russians use so-called patronimik, it's a kind of second name made-up from the father's name, used in formal and semi-formal situations. E.g.: Yuriy Ivanovitch Petushkin means Yuriy Petushkin, the son of Ivan. As far as the variation of names goes: Misha Romanov and Masha Romanova have the same family name, but it has its male and female form. Most nouns in Russian have either male, female or neutral form and the adjectives may have all three of them. I know this may seem strange for all of you Anglo-Saxons out there, but that's a common feature for all Slavic languages.

Yob tvoyu mat' - it means something like "Fuck your mother!" No kidding! It's not as popular as "I fucked your mother" is in America, but nearly.
Prospekt - a street, an alley
Krasnaya Armiya - Red Army
Za zdorovie - For health (a toast)
Horosho - well, good

More notes on the language to follow as questions arise.

