S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Secret Underground Areas #3 - Laboratory X-16 (Lore & Theories) 

I wish i was an industrial engineer to make sense of many of these machines, i always just assumed they were random greebling and nonsense GSC took from some asset library but there's so much intelligent design on everything and their arrangement that i'm kicking myself over it. They're definitely a lot more sinister than i remember, i never even noticed those cages, most players probably won't see all the detail due to how hectic of a section it is.

A little piece of trivia: In the old beta versions of Stalker: Shadow of Chernobyl, specifically Build 1865, the lab X-16's big brain psy-emitter (Miracle Machine) was originally named the "Mist Creature", and it was a intelligent mutant that was either created in the Yantar lab or captured by scientists and moved underground, that used to create illusions and lure stalkers to their deaths. This information was later used in OGSE/OGSR Dead City quest with "The Master".

Some people say stalker lore isn't that deep, but that's because it doesn't spoon feed you it's lore and forces you to make your own inferences

Trust me, once Stalker 2 releases, the moment you make lore videos about the locations/characters/factions in it, your channel will be booming with views and subs ;)

I have several thoughts about this location: 1. About when the door to the lab opened, it's likely that it's not 'opened', but 'left open'. You see, it's very possible that at some point in the past, the scientists inside the lab conducted the test of psy-wave emission with the giant brain. And either they miscalculated the emission strength or the emission turns out to be way stronger than their prediction (their estimate probably on a smaller scale). When the psy-wave is unleashed, it turns out affecting a much larger area, covering even the areas outside the lab complex itself, incapacitating or zombify any personnel in the lab (with most of the security personnel turning into snorks, fitting with mutant's background), while leaving the door to the lab itself open even today 2. The cooling system probably failed because of such an emission. You see, a lab like this definitely requires a massive cooling system that must be constantly monitored. It's even possible that the complex itself was built to take the advantage of it's location. Yantar was originally a lake, but then drained at some point in the past. Having a lake close to the complex means a convenient source of cooling water to cool off all of it's machinery. This could mean that after an uncontrolled psy-wave emission that rendered the lab lifeless (my point 1), no one in the lab was alive to monitor the cooling system. Even if it's an automated system, once the lake itself is drained, there are no more water to pump inside for cooling the machines, which is probably the main cause of wh y the machine starts to go haywire, intermittently causing an uncontrolled emission 3. If you notice, there are a lot of storage tanks around the surface level of the complex, the lab must have some kind of reserve water for cooling purpose. Scar and his squad is also fiddling around with the console in area with storage tanks. Leading me to believe that these are indeed tanks for reserve cooling water 4. The reason why there are so many zombies in Yantar is simple to explain. Like you said, the stash in the lab is based on the 'rumor'. If you're a stalker, you will notice that the most common theme that's going on inside stalker's head goes like this: 'Boris said he's going to this place called X-16, rumor said that a lot of stalkers goes there, but none ever come back'. When you heard something like that as a stalker, you'll normally think 3 things, either 'there must be a treasure there and Boris didn't want to share it', 'Something probably killed Boris there, what could it be?', or 'Could there be an undiscovered secret of the zone there?'. I mean, Stalkers are beliveing things such as wish granter, so it's not a huge stretch that a place where no one has ever come back in the zone will definitely draw attention to the stalkers chatting in the bar before poking their nose around the zone searching for artifacts, secrets, and other stuff, and curiousity of the unknown will likely lead them to go there in the first place. Either way, the rest should be easy to figure, they go into the lab, emission occurs, and voila! now you got a bunch of fresh zombies roaming the area (monolith probably don't care about them though) 5. What makes me curious about the 'sewer' is that there's a sediment of green stuff, not seen anywhere else. It could be moss, but moss isn't transparent, and at one point, you encounter a green sediment in the sewer so deep you can clearly see it's like a crystallized... thing. My theory is that it's the same chemical found in lab X-18, mixed with cooling water to cool the machine while at the same time nourishing the mutant brain. As the cooling system fails, the filtering system for cooling water probably fails too and the chemical are now dumped into the sewer and build up as a sediment there 6. Probably an out of topic subject, but back then in the earlier build of STALKER, there's an area called Generator, which is cut in the final game (several mod restores this area, and you can freely explore it). The area contains several large towers with spherical object on top. Supposedly, this is the psy-wave emitter for the emission event. You can see several of these things in Shadow of Chernobyl around CNPP, emitting sparks in the distance, sometimes in a cluster of 4 towers, which makes sense, because the emission is originated from the CNPP. But what makes the cut area 'Generator' unique is that it contains several of this towers, AND an entrance to a lab. This lab is mostly empty, with long tunnels and some dead-end rooms, but one the room contains the exact device like in the lab X-16: A gigantic cylindrical room, with multilevel platforms and a central spire (minus the brain) I can see that timeline of the lab now makes sense: After the Chernobyl disaster, the area was abandoned, which makes it a perfect place to conduct secret research. X-16 was built probably in the same timeline as X-18 and other labs, with X-18 producing the chemicals and conducting test with said chemical directly against living subject while X-16 used said chemical to test the psy-wave emission theory. At one point, research from X-16 was carried out to construct Kaymanov emitter on X-19 and psy-wave Generators on CNPP, before X-16 and X-18 being abandoned, probably after mutant outbreak in the former and localized psy-emission for the latter (possibly after the first 'true' emission, which is the activation of psy-wave generator in CNPP, which creates the zone). By the time of SoC the only true psy-emitter that are still active are X-19 and CNPP, which is deactivated by Strelok for the former and he managed to avoid the Emission event on CNPP by getting inside the CNPP itself for the latter Curious as what other secrets hidden inside other X labs :)

Something interesting to note about those pods are the hooks, presumably to hold the subjects up by the shoulders, and those disks or emitters. We can assume in these pods they Scientists submerged the subjects in that sort of mutation agent, while simultaneously mutating them via controller Psi-Waves with those disk things, with that one pod being open we could come to the conclusion that the Controller came from that pod, and the other one was unused.

17:41 That hitbox though. Thermal anomalies have the highest concentration of buІІshit per cm³. Cool video, as always

Near the elevator there is a Stalker head that cut of from his body When i was a kid that make me scare

Oh yea it's the time to take exactly 23:38 minute break from work. The muties can wait. My fav channel for sure!

That has to be one of your longest videos so far, great to see that! I've never paid much attention to all of these small details, but you pointing them out made me realize that the design of all of these labs is much more sensible than I thought

Literally was replaying this mission as you uploaded this lmao

23:06 I'd say those large tunnels are for cooling (drawing water from lake Yantar for cooling, similiar to CNPP)

You are so underrated! We need more people like you :D great video btw!

I've been playing stalker since pretty much it released, and yet I'm still to know all the lore of this game despite so many years. Great video, I'll be looking forward to the next one!

So, for the tunnels, it could be something like the underground jupiter/Pripyat tunnel that Degtyarev explores in CoP. X-16 could be absolutely massive, or even connected to the Dead City via the tunnels so employees could go back-and-forth.

I've been watching your content alot lately, i used to be really confused about stalker, i'd go to friends for help and they wouldnt explain it well, or not explain it at all, than i found this channel. You explain it perfectly, this universe is so interesting and unique, and now i cant stop talking about stalker or playing standalone mods, i really hope that your channel blows up, you deserve it. Well done on this video!

This is the most interesing Location in Stalker Shadow od Chernobyl.

I believe the 10 cells at the end were inhabited by volunteers who were turned into controllers, hence the low security but high surveillance of the cells. The hole in the ground? Dug by 9 of the 10 controllers who escaped into the zone. I wonder how many controllers you can find across the trilogy, it might be 10.

After returning to this series after nearly 10+ years, your videos were an immense help in me getting my footing again while marathoning SoC, CS, and CoP in anticipation of 2. Thanks alot for what you do, Stalker!

One of the best things that happened to Stalker is this channel! Thank you for all the content!

One more thing, it would be cool if in Stalker 2 the ecologists move their base into the lab X-16 instead of staying in that tiny steel bunker of theirs

Turning off the miracle machine was a pain in the ass cuz there was so many zombies and other mutants, But still it was kinda fun

Yooooo I love your channel mate, i just discovered you few days ago, and i almost have seen all of your videos for now. I play stalker since 2007 since first came out. Without a single stop, and i still can learn new things from you, keep up good work bro.

20:03 it's not a prison, it's a cell for prisonier for experiences, you said the rest. (It's maybe a reason of the creation of controller)

I'm currently playing through STALKER again. This lab gives me the same feeling of absolute despair, fear, and anxiety just like it did when I did my first playthrough, 10 years ago. I always dreaded going into the labs. I love all of your lore videos!! Thanks for making them!! 💜💜

Those "mixer" looking machines could be pumps. You'd likely find many fluid-related pumping machinery in underground places; not because it is a lab testing with chemicals, pumps are also required to prevent flooding and rainwater because water flows underground and may cause issues. However, it could also be a pump for the unknown chemical that was tested.

great videos man i can only hope you get more subscribers keep it up

Thanks for making stalker videos. I enjoyed them a lot.

Your videos and your accent really give an stalker atmosphere. Keep it up!

Your accent makes it a lot more authentic and imersive in the plot..

What a great video... nice!

Great video as usual!

The lab itself is very small but the miracle machine when active makes the whole area a mess.

I think the hole leading to the tunnel might be made by the pseudogiant thats lurking there.

Hey, today I noticed a flesh dragging a dead blind dog while playing stalker cop in izumrudnoye.

another great video :)

Interesting video as always

Cool clip, keep it up!

Excellent videos. You are very well spoken.

Perhaps the big tunnel could be some sort of evacuation tunnel for the staff

The pods are used to interface with the brain. And the pools were used for maintenance of biological components.

Regarding the tunnels below, there's no reason why they couldn't have been repurposed later during the construction of the lab by whoever did so if they knew about it. Perhaps the system was first built to drain the lake and then repurposed to dump waste from the lab, as it leads down directly into the swampy area of the map.

Best stalker channel

the first time i went into X-16 i got a bug with the psy emitter making those creepy noises "OOOOOOHHHHHHWAAAAOOOOHHH" and the moaning didn't stop even after shutting the emitter down i legit thought the game was haunted and stopped playing i was 12 and got scared shitless 😹

For the energy If i remember well, i don't remember wich stalker game was it But i remember an npc says : "they worked with the reactor even after the desaster" Search it, i don't know much

About the brain being in the tank, maybe it really is just water. The human brain is 80% water or something like that so the tank is simply just full of water to simulate it being inside a living organism. The switch to turn it off is just a literal electric switch, maybe something that relates to the pineal gland which my guess is whats causing the actual psy-emissions. Oh, this whole lab might be where the controllers were experimented from. Edit: Watched the video further, nevermind your theory is more likely

I love your videos man. I'm a STALKER "fanatic" :)

X-16, the miracle machine, run and run as you are chased down by mutants to shut off a really big brain in a tank that threatens to fry *your* brain

What is the most interesting underground area in your opinion?

A theory about poltergeists, the small mutants in vats in X-18 and the psy-emitter. Poltergeists were the first draft of a psy controlling mutant. But it was unable to do so efficiently, only being able to move objects with the mind and it had stunted legs. The mutants in vats in X-18 may have been the next evolution of the poltergeist. They have much more stunted bodies with huge heads. The psy emitter was the culmination of this forced evolution. Being able to control minds over large areas it was reduced to a large brain, highly specialized in one function, emitting brain melting psy waves. It could be possible that an amplification system would have been in place to enhance the psy emission from this "brain".

Awesome Clips thx 4 ur work. I Hope With launch Stalker 2 u can make some decent money. The game is almost 20 years now. Such a deep lore and still so many interesting mysteries. The Tunels were build defently for transportation.I just say Austin Powers in a Golf Cab. Or Elon in a Tesla :D Probably They wantet Underground conections between the Labs that Nobody can See or hear the movement. There are defentlie some real life examples in this size.

I’m here because there seem to be so many of the exact same things that serve the same purpose that I’m just confused. I’ve been to x18, did the stuff there. I thought I was in x16 to disable the brain scorcher but apparently it’s not that? I don’t even know

The tunnel could be a part of the super secret tunnels between the labs

Exellent videos

I hope in STALKER 2 We will be able to destroy this brain in the jar

Another Great video ..👍 I would like to know what happens if we come out of lab x 16 from main entrance , where MiL Helicopter is firing at zombies .. it will keep shooting forever until we cross the trigger point ? Or it goes away after some time ?

spoopy

Underground lab exists: People who dont play STALKER: oh no it's scary People who play STALKER: oh no it's scary, AWESOME! Btw are you going to make a Top 10 Side Missions in STALKER franchise or each title? It'd be awesome I think. Also, for STALKER 2 I dunno why but I think it would be awesome STALKER have a new guns too like AA-12 Shotgun (fastest shotgun) can make it into the game. What do you think about this? Sorry for my long comment and question. Thank you for awesome content and response as always!

my theory on how the psy-emitter got reactivated is that the military held garrison in the factory complex after scar left to chase down strelok, after clear sky was deleted by the massive emission, the c-con launched a full-scale assault on the lab, destroyed the cooling system and went down into laboratory but got killed by the mutants contained within.

Ahhh I like the intro when he says "Anomalous Dugout" with a russian accent

3:54 If you want to kill them fast, you should use better AK ammo (5.45x39mm BP ). Trust me. It makes a huge difference in Clear Sky.

Will you make some videos about X-labs from Lost Alpha? For example X-7 is real psycho-maze

You forgot to mention the giant glowing pseudogiant turd in the exit tunnels

Oxygen ( the bubbles in the water ) keep the brain alive. Which is also very flamable.

I'll admit this isnt the worst lab, it doesnt feel like a maze although the timer is kinda crap, but its not that bad.

whats your favorite stalker game?

Anomalous dogout when i was 7 years old and i was playing stalker and i was at yantar i was think that the factory was a donut factory XD

😵Shell shock 😵😅😅 as a youngling i was so scared of that part

question if the cooling system was completely broken would have the lab and or Brain jar thing eventually caught fire and or explode?

in my opinion in X-16 controlers was made

Lab x18 with poltergeist was tough but not as tough as fighting lots of zombiefied Stalkers and snorks in Lab x16 plus the Psy emissions. As for the tunnels at the very end, I think it was made as a secret entrance to the lab because there's actually no other explanation whatsoever. Been enjoying the videos man, keep doing them. The underground areas are great in all of the STALKER games. ☢️

If i remember well, yantar was in REAL LIFE the name of a lake (you must check this info i'm not sure)

0:05 The way you pronounced "laboratory" made me chuckle, which is a bit hypocritical of me since I can't pronounce it properly either.

15:52

Why aren't there subtitles?

1.25X speed to hear someone who doesn't seem like he's slurring his words lmao Jk, you're really cool dude. Try to speak a bit faster if you can, would be wonderful. Not exactly 1.25, nuy 1.12 faster would be great

ngl, wasn't that scary, getting through became a whine fest about wasting my ammo and medkits since it wasn't exciting and pretty annoying because all i was shooting at were small fry, could've used atleast 2 pseudogiants or 4 bloodsuckers "1 pseudogiant in the corridor after the ladder when you enter and the other before the door to the controler" or "1 bloodsucker in the same corridor after the ladder - 1 after being locked in the hall way to the brain - 2 defending the controler or the door leading to him" or at the very least a bunch of poltergeists/ 2 - 3 pyrogeists roaming around snorks are well and good but too many, fought them in x18 then loads of em in yantar that it became tedious, the ones in the tunnel after escaping the lab work fine they get me every time and the encounters are fun because the tunnel's size works to their advantage "making retreating, having a good aim and killing fast your best option" sorry for the complaining but this lab was such a let down