A summary of Roman Prokofiev’s "Stellar:
A Tribute"

This book is a direct sequel to the science fiction story about a world after a global catastrophe. Written in 2019, the plot details the brutal reality of the post-apocalypse, where genetically modified warriors constantly battle mutants and their own kind. The protagonist, devoid of memories of past lives, relies solely on his combat instincts, clan artifacts, and the assistance of a virtual cogitator interface. The narrative is rich with tactical battles, detailed descriptions of equipment characteristics, and complex moral dilemmas.

Capture and daring escape

Gray awakens bound. He has been captured by Oskal and Evelyn Mayle, the leaders of a hostile faction of the Taken. The enemies mistake him for a common soldier from the City, as his interface has been forcibly disabled and there are no obvious mutations. Evelyn transports the hero in an armored laboratory trailer. She employs brutal medical torture and drains his energy with a special azure extractor. The hero summons a particle of Ra’s light, blinding his tormentor. Gray tears his arm free from the metal shackles, sacrificing the limb. Voluntary cardiac arrest allows him to instantly resurrect in a renewed, healthy body.

The Taken trailer crashes while in motion. Gray frees a werewolf named Alice from an electric cage. She is one of the Outcasts of the Stellar system. Together, they overcome Evelyn’s cybernetic body. The heroes steal a green speeder bike and escape from the nomads’ massive mobile camp. They hide in a dense forest, having covered their tracks. Alice confesses that an uncontrollable, bloodthirsty Beast lives within her — the result of cultists’ genetic experiments. Gray forms the Amnesia combat squad, hoping to help the girl clear her criminal record and regain access to the interface.

Clash with mutants and a corvette

The squad advances toward the nearest communications terminal. The heroes are pursued by a pack of mutated rats led by the Rat King. Gray engages in a fierce battle with the leader atop a cliff. He uses mind control and the Blue Steel clan dagger. The weapon and light energy help burn the colossal monster from the inside. The victor takes the valuable genetic material of the defeated enemy. Immediately after the battle, Oskal and Evelyn, reborn in a new body, appear in the clearing.

Suddenly, the air corvette "Avenging" descends from the sky. The ship snatches Gray and Alice with a powerful transport capture beam. The vessel is controlled by the digital ghost of Captain Zack, integrated into the ship’s core. He mistakenly believes Gray is the legendary warrior Angel and guarantees his safety. Oskal infiltrates the ship, neutralizes the captain, and takes over manual control of the systems. Evelyn unleashes an energy whip, killing several crew members. Gray and Alice are forced to evacuate in an emergency escape pod. The ship’s Taken weapons shoot down their craft over a dangerous anomaly zone.

Anomaly and the Intelligent Ocean

The capsule falls into the epicenter of the Crimson Rift. An energy storm rages here, reanimating dead matter and altering the laws of physics. Enormous stone buildings rise and strode across the wastelands. The heroes hide in the ruins of an old metropolis. They must fend off energy phantoms with the help of Gray’s new telepathic abilities. When the storm subsides, they discover the remains of a legendary Incarnator unit called "Blizzard" in an underground tunnel. The fighters died decades ago defending themselves from endless waves of spectral monsters. Gray retrieves the surviving equipment.

The travelers fall under the hypnotic influence of the ancient entity Daath. The being resembles a sentient ocean of luminous protoplasm. Daath physically absorbs the heroes, dissolving their bodies. Within this alien consciousness, Gray converses with his double. An old deal made in the hero’s past life is revealed. The entity restructures Gray’s DNA, doubling the number of accessible genomes and greatly amplifying the energy potential of the Source. Daath returns the companions to life on the edge of the anomalous territory, completely healing their physical forms.

Monolith and squad replenishment

Having reached the Monolith’s black obelisk, Gray gains direct access to the communications terminal. He removes Alice’s criminal status by transferring her the points he earned. The hero anonymously sends a distress signal to the City, reporting the siege of Fort Angelo. From the soul vault he found, Gray frees Kai, the last surviving member of "Blizzard." Kai receives a backup body and joins the "Amnesia" group. The team urgently needs fast transport to navigate the wasteland. The Incarnators decide to steal a combat aircraft stuck in the nest of a giant roc.

Kai modifies Gray’s pistol, adding toxin damage and sonic shock. The squad climbs to the top of a sheer cliff face via the rusted structures of an ancient elevator. Alice distracts the avian predator, luring it toward the forest with the help of a herd of huge herbivorous lizards. Gray and Kai infiltrate the nest. They find not only the broken flying machine but also a huge glowing egg. The embryo inside begins to aggressively awaken, calling for its parent. Gray uses a beryllium bronze mental amplifier, putting the chick into a deep sleep. Kai masterfully repairs the flying machine’s controls. The roc returns, furiously attacking the cliff with its beak and talons, but the heroes manage to take off.

Aerial chase and final battle

The aerial pursuit forces Gray to fire continuously from his onboard cannons. He charges the bullets with sunlight. The monster suffers a painful wound and temporarily falls behind. Suddenly, a second giant bird emerges from the clouds. With a powerful blow, it tears off the tail section of the machine. The flying machine plummets, losing altitude. The crew ejects over a dense pine forest. Gray falls to his death, but immediately uses his resurrection ability. The companions find a surviving egg entangled in the branches of a pine tree. They retrieve the loot and stealthily return to the black obelisk.

Oskal and Evelyn set up a clever ambush on the approaches to the Monolith. The Possessed use accurate snipers, cybernetic wolves, and paralyzing nets. Gray and Kai are killed several times by the heavy crossfire. Alisa, clad in impenetrable silver armor, eliminates some of the shooters with an ice rapier. Oskal captures the girl with an energy whip. The Possessed place blocking collars on the captives. They drain the energy with an extractor, depriving the Incarnators of the ability to resurrect. Oskal offers Gray the chance to voluntarily take the alien Umbra virus in exchange for the lives of his friends and the restoration of their memories.

The denouement and return to the people

Gray mentally awakens the hatchling inside the stolen egg, hidden under camouflage cloth. The shell explodes with a powerful circular energy wave. The radiation stuns enemies and disables equipment. Gray is freed from the collar. The beast inside Alice breaks free and kills Evelyn forever. Oskal transforms into a massive biomechanical monster with steel tentacles. It physically tears Kai apart. An enraged Rukh falls from the sky, destroying Oskal’s body and carefully taking its hatchling. Gray picks up the Taken’s energy whip, completely erasing the enemy’s consciousness. He reanimates the dying Alice by merging the severed neural connections.

Gray returns to Fort Angelo. The settlement lies in ruins after a long, difficult siege. The locals hid in deep, multi-level underground bunkers. Armed regular army soldiers patrol the streets. The City’s First Legion arrived after receiving Gray’s signal. The soldiers distribute provisions and secure the perimeter. Gray is peacefully conversing with a surviving girl, Aika, near a cracked pool. A Legion patrol approaches them. An officer scans Gray’s facial tattoo with a special device. The device instantly identifies his real name. The soldiers take Gray into custody pending further investigation.