“The last metro train left at 18:00. The last metro train left at 18:00. The last metro train left at 18:00…”
Chapter 1: Prologue
Artyom, a young man living in the Moscow Metro’s VDNKh station, recalls the nuclear apocalypse that forced survivors underground. His adoptive father, Sukhoi, warns him of dangers beyond their station, particularly the mysterious Dark Ones.
Chapter 2: The Expedition
Artyom joins Hunter, a legendary stalker, on a mission to Polis to warn about the Dark Ones’ threat. They travel through dangerous tunnels filled with mutants and hostile factions. Hunter gives Artyom a mysterious artifact before disappearing.
Chapter 3: The Journey Begins
Artyom sets out alone, encountering bandits and supernatural phenomena. He reaches Rizhskaya station, where he learns more about the Metro’s political factions. The Hanza traders refuse to help, forcing Artyom to continue his perilous journey.
Chapter 4: Kuznetsky Most
Artyom arrives at a station controlled by the Fourth Reich, a neo-Nazi faction. He witnesses their brutal executions before being rescued by communist revolutionaries. This introduces the ongoing ideological conflict between the Metro’s major powers.
Chapter 5: The Library
Seeking a safe path, Artyom ventures into the surface ruins of the Russian State Library. He encounters intelligent, yet hostile, librarian mutants. Barely escaping, he continues toward Polis with new urgency.
Chapter 6: Polis
Artyom finally reaches the legendary Polis station, center of the Metro’s remaining civilization. He meets Miller and the Order of Spartan Rangers, but they dismiss his warnings about the Dark Ones as superstition.
Chapter 7: The Tower
Determined to complete his mission, Artyom joins a Ranger expedition to the Ostankino Tower to activate a mysterious communication device. The grueling surface journey reveals the full devastation of post-apocalyptic Moscow.
Chapter 8: The Truth Revealed
At the tower, Artyom learns the Dark Ones might be humanity’s next evolutionary step rather than enemies. The Rangers plan to destroy them with a missile strike from the tower.
Chapter 9: The Final Choice
Artyom must decide whether to allow the strike or attempt communication. In most endings, he chooses destruction, wiping out the Dark Ones. The novel ends with Artyom questioning whether humanity deserves survival after this act of genocide.
Key ideas
- Humanity’s self-destructive nature in crisis
- The psychological toll of perpetual survival
- Mutation as evolution versus threat
- Ideological extremism in confined societies
- The morality of preemptive violence
Who should read this book?
- Fans of atmospheric post-apocalyptic fiction
- Readers interested in philosophical survival narratives
- Those who enjoy psychological horror elements
- Gamers familiar with the Metro video game series
- Admirers of Russian speculative fiction