Dark Aether Intel

Hello again, my friend. I am pleased that you are still alive and still in this fight.

I know it has been too long since I last contacted you, but my years trapped in darkness taught me the value of caution. So, I have been observing you and your compatriots. Please understand, I had to be sure I could trust you.

What I have seen is your courage in the face of unspeakable horrors and your devotion to each other. And it has restored my faith in humanity and my resolve to defend our world.

I still have many questions, but they can wait for later.

One reason I was so wary is that I have observed how the world has changed since I was trapped here. You have come so far in so many ways. But still...

I look back on the great war against the Axis powers. I remember East and West uniting against a great evil. I always thought that with evil defeated we would all move forward together.

But as the years roll by, I have watched an icy hatred split the world in two. You could utterly destroy each other now. All it takes is one careless moment.

I fear nothing was learned from the war. I see a third world war in the making. I can stand by no longer. Help me save you from the darkness... and from yourselves.

My friend, I see that your people have harnessed the dark powers of this place and turned them against the darkness itself. Your superiors may even believe they all they need to end this conflict between worlds and then force your human enemies to their knees.

But you have only scratched the surface. I have learned things in my time here that you could scarcely believe. There is much more I can share with you.

But just as I would not place a rifle in a child's hands, I must be sure I am not handing a much more destructive force to those without the wisdom to use it.

May our bond grow deeper. May you truly prove worthy of my trust.

Communicating with you like this has meant more to me than I can say. It saved me from despair. It gave me something I thought long lost: hope for the future.

But words on a screen are not enough. I hunger for the sound of your voice. I long to speak to someone who is free of this soul-crushing place.

So, I am working to make this system capable of producing sound. I may not be able to establish a 2-way connection, but at the very least I would have you hear my voice.

There is so much more to tell you. Your lives may depend on it.

Hello?

Are you receiving?

Is anybody out there?

Testing, testing!

My readings indicate contact is established. I... Only hope it is you on the other end. My comrade in arms..

My friend.

I hope my voice is not a disappointment... I do not know what you imagined I sound like, but I.... I am no one special. Just a man, who wants to help.

Yes. As you can tell from my accent, I am Russian... I did not tell you this at first because of the suspicion it would have provoked. Such is the age you grew up in...

Such is this, "Cold War..."

But, there was a time, when my people and yours, fought side by side, against the greatest evil our world ever produced! And now, we face something even worse.

Perhaps, that can bring us all back together.. Pidzets -- the signal is starting to fade. I will work on this problem and contact you later. Do not give up on me. I will not give up on you.

Hello, it is me again.

Your friend on the other side.

Are you enjoying the beautiful Ural Mountains? No? Believe me, I understand. It is hard to love a place that is always trying to kill you.

By now, you probably have met some new enemies, hm? The electric men that float in midair. The armored monsters that leap, and throw fire.

I do my best to steer clear of them here, but. Avoiding conflict is not a luxury you can afford...

I have... I have managed to kill a few of the floaters, but it is never easy. The cowards jump away when injured, and they can strike from afar.

The armored ones on the other hand, they jump AT you when provoked. They were once Soviet fighters who came here, looking for crystals. And they paid with their lives.. They are vicious, and hard to put down. Hit them with everything you have. Such beasts must not be allowed to walk the earth.