The Group (Ru. Группа) was an unofficial name for a clandestine research organization formed in the Chernobyl Zone of Exclusion following the collapse of the Soviet Union.
In S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, the Group was named MDST, and were revealed to have split off a much larger organization.
Background
The fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 did nothing to hinder the work of Soviet researchers in the Zone. To the contrary, the weakened government of an independent Ukraine proved unable to investigate rumors of strange experiments taking place in the Zone, let alone put a stop to them. Though many research projects were discontinued, several project leaders were unwilling to stop their research and continued their work into developing psychotropic weapons, and founded the Group.[1][2] At various laboratories in the Zone, the Group researched psychic weapons and the Noosphere, whose existence was established in the way of a trans-global experiment.[3] The Group focused their research in this direction and other matters, such as the influence of psychic/informational field radiation on human beings and researching mutations thus induced[4] using Kaymanov emitters, psychic radiation emitted by living beings,[5] as well as large scale psychic manipulation via the Rainbow emitter (which became known much later as the Brain Scorcher).[6]
In 1999, the Ukrainian government created a special commission to investigate reports of strange occurrences and illegal activities in the Zone. While the investigation confirmed these allegations, no action was taken.[7]
Around 2003, the Agroprom Research Institute located in the Zone, ceased work on agriculture. Instead, they became a front for the Group, used to procure equipment and funds not available through other means.
By 2004, the top secret research project into electromagnetic weapons conducted by the Group at the Jupiter plant was cancelled.[8]
The main objective of the Group was to influence the Noosphere, so that flaws in human character could be corrected to eliminate war, crime, and corruption. To do so, an experiment aimed at creating a super-consciousness called the "C-Consciousness" was conducted. Seven volunteers were connected during the experiment leading to the creation of said super-consciousness, which then attempted to "correct" the Noosphere. The intervention took place on March 4, 2006[9] and failed due to a power outage. A month later, on April 12, the experiment was performed again and this time it continued until its completion.[10] However, it did not have the desired effect - instead, the generators created a rift in the Noosphere and allowed it to directly affect the biosphere, creating a large area where physical laws were outright broken and mysterious phenomena not understood by modern science manifested themselves - the Zone.[11][12]
The Group ultimately broke up as a split occurred among members of the research team that caused the Zone to emerge, concerning issues of cleaning up the aftermath of the failed experiment which gave birth to it. This caused approximately a half of the scientists to leave. Three of them (N.A. Lebedev, V.I. Suslov and E.F. Kalancha) formed Clear Sky in order to research the Zone and find a way to remove the fracture in the noosphere or at least contain it so that it can be lived with.[13][14][15]
Left alone, the C-Consciousness attempted to find a way to control the Zone. The rift in the Noosphere was expanding and the C-Consciousness was attempting to restrain it with their power, but their efforts were endangered by humans.[16] For protection, the scientists created a defense system to guard them against intruders. The primary element of this psychic defense network was the Brain Scorcher, an experimental psi-antennae outside Pripyat - when activated, any human that came into its range was mind-controlled by the C-Consciousness and joined the ranks of their agents. Secondary elements were the Monolith and its protectors - one lured stalkers into the center of the Zone with promises of wealth and wishes coming true; the second actively raided stalkers and defended research facilities, lest unauthorized people learned the secrets of the C-Consciousness.[1]
It's unknown if following the destruction of the C-Consciousness by Strelok, any members of the Group remain alive.
Heart of Chornobyl
The Group's official name is revealed to be the Ministry of Defense and Secret Technologies, and the conspiracy is much deeper than previously thought. It used to be part of Soviet Union's research into the Noosphere and psi radiation. After the fall of the Soviet Union, the scientists were sponsored by the Regulatory Board to continue their research into anomalous energy[17]. Some of the projects they worked on, in addition to those previously known, were Leash, VPC Mirror, and the Controller Project. A prototype pod to observe the Noosphere was created at Orbita Station, which led to the first plans to attempt to influence the Noosphere with what would eventually become the C-Consciousness project[18].
In 2006, the scientists disobeyed their orders and activated C-Consciousness, leading to the accidental creation of the Zone[19]. Project X was shut down by the Regulatory Board, nevertheless the scientists continued their research, forming MDST[20].
Afterwards, MDST assisted C-Consciousness in its operation. It created Monolith and the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Agent programs and ensured the continued operation of the X-Network and related laboratories. Its scientists were protected under Ancile scientist protection project. Clear Sky was in contact with MDST and C-Consciousness throughout its existence via the Visiograph in Prof. Kalancha’s lab underneath the base in the Swamps. The events leading to the destruction of the Clear Sky faction seemingly also brought the MDST close to destruction[21], but their continued activities in the years after prove otherwise.
Following Strelok's destruction of C-Consciousness' physical bodies and one of the X-Network's central nodes, MDST continued to exist and function in some reduced capacity. They orchestrated the re-creation of the Spark faction via Scar, following its destruction after the Ward's siege on the Chemical Plant. Later, they sent Scar instructions[22] to ensure the success of the second Carribean Experiment, which would re-establish connection between the surviving C-Consciousness in the Noosphere and the X-Network. MDST's ultimate goal is to assist the C-Consciousness with the creation of the Shining Zone.
There is no contact with any current MDST members, and the sender of reccent orders to the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. agents is left ambiguous. Though, anecdotal evidence spread among stalkers mentions their sporadic and mysterious appearances[23].
Members
Notable
- Vadim Mikhailovich Chubko, an infamous professor
- Valentyn Dalin, head of the Common Consciousness project.
- Dr. Kaymanov, leading scientist in development of psi devices, including the Brain Scorcher and Common Consciousness pods.
- Piotr Ilyitch Kalugin, head of the X-18 laboratory
- Petr Danilovich Strizh, head of the Agroprom Research Institute, was considered for inclusion into "The Group".
- Docent V.I. Suslov
- Professor E.F. Kalancha
- N.A. Lebedev
- Prof. Dvupalov, head of the Leash project.
- X18 Lab Scientist
Minor
- A. N. Burnov
- I. Vishnevsky
- A. Galitsky
- A. Yeliseeva
- I. Kornienko
- Y. Kravchenko
- N. Kurkubet
- L. Malysheva
- A. Melnikova
- D. Russ
- S. Smetanin
- A. Fomichyov
- M. Cherikov
- T. Shugaeva
- N. Yusupov
- E. Yastrebenko
Locations
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky, Anarchy Cell design document
- ↑ THQ's Official S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Shadow of Chernobyl website, THQ, retrieved on 18/07/2010
- ↑ "The notebook contains a detailed description of an experiment assessing a psy-field's effect on an object in another hemisphere. A group of scientists in the Caribbean received the signal, but it was distorted. The signal was altered in a strange way, as though corrected by someone. A possible explanation is that the noosphere theory is correct and the changes were made by the noosphere." - A notebook with a description of an experiment
- ↑ "The report details the study of biological samples sent from lab X18. The samples were subjected to informational field effects of varying intensities. The report meticulously describes the mutation of living beings following exposure to emissions." - Report on study of samples
- ↑ "The documents refer to one of the side discoveries of the research, specifically the discovery that living . conducted in lab X16." -Research documents
- ↑ "The documents describe the technical characteristics of the antenna and how they deviate from their planned values. There is a note on the reverse side which indicates that these documents were prepared in lab X10." -Rainbow emitter - main technical characteristics
- ↑ THQ's Official S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Shadow of Chernobyl website, THQ, retrieved on 18/05/2010
- ↑ Cardan
- ↑ THQ's Official STALKER Shadow of Chernobyl website, THQ, retrieved on 18/05/2010
- ↑ Clear Sky website, Zone World section, GSC Gameworld, retrieved on 18/05/2010
- ↑ "What you see is the result of ill-considered intervention in the Earth's noosphere. Attempts to affect the noosphere brought about a local crack. The Zone is simply the visible manifestation of this crack. The underlying problem is far greater than you can imagine." - C-Consciousness
- ↑ "We are the result of an experiment aimed at creating a superconsciousness called “C-Consciousness”. The consciousnesses of seven volunteers were connected during the experiment leading to the creation of the superconsciousness that is us. We immediately subordinated those who were conducting the experiment and assigned them to tasks we needed them to carry out. According to our calculations, Earth is surrounded by a special informational field, the so-called noosphere. It includes all the inhabitants of the planet with cognitive abilities. Our main goal was to make small adjustments to the noosphere, allowing us to remove things like anger, cruelty, greed and other negative factors from the planet. Individuals are unable to affect the noosphere but C-Consciousness could. Unfortunately we made a mistake and our interference spawned the Zone, which we have been trying to contain ever since." -C-Consciousness
- ↑ S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky, Anarchy Cell design document
- ↑ S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky, game information
- ↑ S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat, Lab X-8
- ↑ "That depends on you. The Zone is growing. We're trying to restrain its expansion but humanity seems to be intent on hindering our work. Our resources are not limitless and bodies connected to C-Consciousness eventually die. If you join us, we can restrict the Zone's growth. If you decide otherwise we cannot make a credible prognosis of the outcome."
- ↑ Agatha: "As for Project X and its scientific endeavors, we simply ensured its continuity during a period when the government was unable to dedicate itself to the study of anomalous phenomena."
- ↑ Dr._Kaymanov's_Diary,_fall_of_1996
- ↑ Valentyn Dalin: "In 2006 I refused to follow the Regulatory Board's orders and became one of those who created the Zone by mistake."
- ↑ Letter to Prof. Chubko
- ↑ Lebedev's Last Order
- ↑ Message to Scar from MDST
- ↑
General_bandits_0_NPC_Chatter_Horror_2: Some chump's going home after a rumble, just messing about. And right in freaking front of him - bam! - a scientist. Waving his hands in the air, screaming, "stop, stop!" So he stops, just standing there. And the scientist is - boom! - gone. Only a lab coat left of him. Covered in blood. You know what the weirdest thing is? The coat doesn't say SIRCAA, or even Malachite, - it says MDST, whatever that is.
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