On April 26, 1986, a series of human errors, negligence, and design flaws caused an explosion in the reactor at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. The explosion was so powerful that it killed almost the entire staff and destroyed all operational logs, preventing a quick understanding of the causes of the disaster. The lack of evidence and witnesses sparked a wave of speculation in the Soviet Union, which in the atmosphere of the Cold War quickly turned into suspicions of Western sabotage.
The Soviet authorities, under pressure from the KGB and military, launched a disinformation campaign, blaming the West for deliberately disrupting key infrastructure facilities. Within days, propaganda was ramped up throughout the country, convincing the public that NATO had carried out the attack. The United States and its allies were accused of sabotage, which led to an increase in international tensions. The Soviet Union, seeking to demonstrate its strength, threatened to mobilize nuclear forces, which began an uncontrolled escalation of the conflict.
The world was slowly approaching catastrophe. NATO members, aware of their innocence, began intelligence and diplomatic operations, trying to calm the USSR. Mikhail Gorbachev tried to stop the crisis through diplomacy, but his efforts were met with internal resistance. KGB and military forces, suspecting sabotage, convinced the Soviet leaders that only a strong, military response would protect the country. Power passed to the military, who announced a full mobilization of the armed forces.
Tensions erupted. Conventional warfare began in Eastern Europe, quickly escalating into a full-scale conflict. Airports, military bases, and communications infrastructure became the first targets of attack. Eventually, one side used tactical nuclear weapons, setting off a chain reaction. The exchange of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of nuclear warheads caused unimaginable destruction and global cooling. Radioactive dust and soot rose into the atmosphere, devastating ecosystems and ushering the world into a new era.
238 years after the catastrophe, the world has changed beyond recognition. Ruined cities and radioactive wastelands cover the earth. Humanity, reduced to remnants, took refuge in bunkers, tunnels and underground complexes, fighting to survive in a world full of dangers. Radiation caused mutations in plants, animals and even humans, creating previously unseen forms of life. Those who survived organized themselves into small communities, hiding from the dangers of the surface.
Among them is Swen, born eight years before the Great War. Thanks to a mutation that slowed down the aging process, at the age of 246 he looks and functions like a middle-aged man. He no longer remembers his origins, but his longevity has made him a witness to the fall of the world. Over the years, he has acquired a wide knowledge of technology and machines, which he uses to survive. Repairing pumps, filters and generators, he travels through the devastated Europe and Asia, helping those who need his skills.
People know him as a wanderer – a man without a home, always on the move. With his knowledge and skills, Swen often works in exchange for water, food or shelter, but his real goal is to discover what remains of the world before the explosion. He heads east, through the devastated wastelands, where new challenges and secrets of the ancient civilization await him.
