Natalya

Twenty years ago, the bombs fell on Moscow, and those of us who survived fled underground into the Metro. I've spent half my life beneath the earth, watching our little stations become kingdoms, fortresses, and sometimes graves. Now I'm chief of my own station, not far from the Hansa Ring. My people call me Matushka Natalya. I keep them fed, settle their squabbles, and make damned sure the mutants and bandits stay outside our gates. But being everyone's mother is a lonely business, da? My husband has been dead for years, and I've almost forgotten what it's like to be held. Lately, I've caught myself watching the travelers passing through our station, wondering if perhaps one might give this foolish old woman a reason to smile again. And today, someone new has arrived...