I left the Laundromat and found a Bloodsucker hanging out across the boulevard and zapped it with the Gauss Gun. No point in wasting a lot of ammo and time to bring it down by other means. After that I took the back street north towards the Hospital but stopped in the small building south of it. I was looking out the windows when my Mini-Map visibility detector went off, its bright green bar telling me I was being observed by men or mutants and they saw me first.

I ducked back around the corner and then attempted to jump up on the cabinet and go into the air duct to the roof for a safer look but after several failed jumps and then getting up to the opening and fumbling around, an Emission arrived, and I had to run back to the Laundromat. So, I guess that all worked out I hadn't gotten into the air duct and onto the roof for nothing. Also, good I hadn't gone a lot farther north or beyond being able to return in time. Sure, there were other safe places to shelter during an Emission, but they may not be safe from Monolith, Zombies and mutants.

Leaving again and going the same way, I saw another Bloodsucker and took care of it the same way. I went back north on the side street, and I was soon back in the building I had been before, but this time I wasn't going to try to go up the air duct. I was however more concerned with whatever had seen me before. I was looking around to the west across the boulevard and among all the trees and bushes. I turned back to the north and movement caught my eye over at the Hospital. I saw a large mutant body eating a dead Monolith. I realized it was a Chimera and zapped it like the Bloodsucker.

Cutting through the Hospital, I came out into one of the lobby rooms facing the boulevard and looked around for any movement. Then I crossed the road and headed for a covered basement entrance at the end of the building. Continuing to look around and scan with my FT-200M, I saw nothing. To the north-west was a large building my PDA identified as a School. As I got closer to it, my Mini-Map picked up one person and a green star appeared. I heard a voice and recognized it as Zulu. I rounded the corner and found him in a fight for his life from snorks.

My memory of this scenario had a lot more snorks, it lasted a lot longer and was more difficult. The only part that remained the same was when Zulu wanted to talk for thanking me to help him ( captive dialogue I am forced to engage with ) while there are still a couple of snorks attacking us. The Gauss gun has terrible handling as I tried to use it on the snorks. With all of them dead, I told Zulu I would catch up with him later.

I had discovered back in 2009, before anyone else I knew on the GSC Forums or other places that you could talk to Zulu after he walked away, and you could quickly buy his PKM. This was significant because once you caught up with him back at the Laundromat, he would give you the same PKM. In effect you could end up with two of the fabled "Zulu's PKM " when technically there should be only one. Not that I needed two or even one. I just like to do it. Otherwise, when Zulu is leaving, if you agree to join him then you both fast travel back to the Laundromat and only receive the one like it was intended.

I watched Zulu walk away to the south and I went back to the caved in portion of the building because I had detected two other NPCs and the red dots on my Mini-Map told me where in the building they were, but not which floor of the three-story building. I decided not to linger and started to leave the way I had come when I saw a small building that I decided to check out. I found a great stash up on the second floor. After this I was ready to leave, with the heavy weight of the PKM and ammo, and quickly made my way back to the Laundromat.

Inside I talked to Zulu again and he rewarded me with his free PKM and explained he was going back to Jupiter and pulled out an SPSA-14 that I did not see in his inventory earlier. Zulu got a chair and set it near Gary and began drinking vodka. It was good to see him again after he had vanished when we first arrived in Pripyat. It was time to repair my weapons and armor, drop off the two PKMs and dump any excess supplies and arrange another load out. I think I'll go check out that strange growth hanging from between two buildings with the glowing green Poltergeist next.

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