This Zaperdyaev got into Dragovich's car - the others got into the minibus.
- Is the village commissioner there? - Zavirdyaev asked, clearly uncomfortable sitting silently.
- Yes, the "Mexican" called, - answered Dragovich. - And in general, he is almost always there.
So that Zaperdyaev would not ask any more nonsense, Dragovich turned on the radio.
- Oh, by the way, he is not allowed to travel, - continued Zavirdyaev, who turned out to be quite talkative, - He was demobilized after Indonesia in 2115, lived in his Moscow region for six months, and then shot a supercar with a pistol.
- A supercar? - Dragovich asked doubtfully.
- Or something like that, - answered Zaperdyaev.
- To death?
- No, he just pulled out the driver and then mocked him.
- It's not that bad, - Dragovich thought to himself and switched the radio from a music channel to a more conversational one.
- Let's listen, - he suggested, - Maybe the local radio will say something about this raid. It's not often that they fly right over the city like that.
- In my opinion, it's too insignificant an event, but let's do it, - Zavirdyaev agreed.
The car was heading towards the exit from the "Western" District, to the Train Station and further to the eastern part of the city.
The block where they planned to conduct the filming was located in a lowland, in the river valley. What happened there, according to many city residents, was nothing but a disgrace. This area was also nicknamed Manhattan - for the devastation that reigned there.
In 2114, units of the not yet fully formed KANAR entered the city from the south. While there were no serious battles in the central area, in the eastern part, in the lowland, the retreating right-bankers decided to consolidate their position on a kind of bridgehead, where they could receive artillery support from the friendly bank, which had a tactical advantage in the form of a steep, precipitous relief. The air-drone component of the attackers was quite weak at that time, so the high ground was a serious advantage for the right-bankers. The idea predictably turned into urban battles - the bridgehead was not an open field or rough terrain - it was an urban development plus prestigious suburban areas. By an incomprehensibly lucky, if this word is applicable to those events, coincidence of circumstances, the number of civilian casualties was much lower than one might imagine when looking at the picture of destruction. It was necessary to give credit where it was due, despite all this "social Nazism", where a poor man is not a man because he is "a worthless drunkard", and a rich man is not a man because "he robbed everyone", neither side of the conflict between the right and left banks was ready to roll the steamroller of their war machine over former or not former fellow citizens, and the residents were clearly and quite effectively warned.
The multi-story buildings were brought to such a state that they were not subject to restoration. KANAR could not afford the demolition and construction of new multi-story buildings either then or now.
Nevertheless, "Doc" or someone from his circle found a way to "reanimate" the area. This was done in a rather original, almost post-apocalyptic way - bulldozers raked away everything that cluttered the yards, pushed part of the ruins to the ground and freed up significant areas for ... Spontaneous, practically uncontrolled one-story construction. The basements of the gnawed houses were still suitable and maintained shelters with much-needed first aid stations and warehouses. The area was alive despite everything.
Frequently, plans were voiced after 2115 to clear the former bridgehead and set up something like a training ground and a military base there at the same time.
The threat from the steeply overhanging right bank was no longer able to cross out these plans alone - modern combat, when the parties are properly provided with an air component, did not have such a strict dependence on the terrain and heights.
It was declared that this base, the foundation of which would be laid in KANAR, would continue to exist after the unification of the SSSF and even after the end of the Great War, becoming the calling card of the future renewed city, the pride of the united region and a strong support for the army of post-war Russia. If "Doc" now, in the twentieth year, said such a thing again personally, this statement would seriously discredit him, so if such a thing was said from time to time, it was "by other mouths". There was something to be ashamed of - the entire area was skeletons gnawed by fire from automatic 57-mm cannons above and chaotic buildings below.