Roadside Picnic

Five years pass. Redrick no longer works at the Institute, having returned to being a stalker on a full-time basis. He and Guta are married. Their daughter, Maria—whom they affectionately call “the Monkey”—is a happy, intelligent, and normal child, save for completely black eyes and a layer of yellow fur covering her entire body.

One of Harmont’s oldest and most accomplished stalkers is the Vulture Burbridge: “He was the last of the old stalkers, the ones that began the search for alien treasures immediately after the Visit, when the Zone wasn’t yet called the Zone” (70). He’s named Vulture because he is known to use his stalking companions as bait for bug traps and other perils in the Zone.

During an excursion into the Zone, the Vulture accidentally steps in a puddle of a corrosive substance known as hell slime. As the slime eats away at the Vulture’s lower legs, Redrick carries him to a gap in the recently built nine-foot wall separating the Zone from the rest of Harmont. Unfortunately, patrols are nearby flashing searchlights, forcing the pair to hide for two hours. During this time, the Vulture begs Redrick not to leave him. If Redrick stays and finds a way to save his life, the Vulture promises to reveal the location of the legendary Golden Sphere, a Zone artifact capable of granting wishes.