Sibiriada Page #7

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I dropped a tool.

- No reason to beat you for that.

- I got angry as hell.

I went wild.

The minute I saw the guys...

I got scared...

So, I took off.

For two days now Tofik has been...

trying to get it out of the drill hole.

Only he can do it.

Nobody else.

After the war we worked together

drilling in Tataria...

It was there he won his medal.

This heroic worker, what made him

put his derrick near the cemetery?

To some people, it's sacred ground,

doesn't he understand this?

Wait a minute...

- Didn't we meet in Murmansk in 1952?

- No, we didn't.

You look very familiar to me...

Put it down...

- You're in charge of oil exploration?

- In some way.

Then why are you bullshitting me...

about the cemetery?

Don't you know how some egghead in

Moscow sticks his finger on the map,

and we go there and start drilling.

It's a derrick drilling.

It was Tofik who put it

right over there, instead of here.

Otherwise, we would have drilled

through the bones.

- Tofik could catch hell for that!

- He won't as long as he finds oil.

There's no oil here.

You see that ridge? It's called

the Devil's Mane.

That's where the oil is, for sure.

There's no oil here.

This is Yelan, it's a wasteland.

I'm from this place. My granddad is

there, and my father's over there.

But I don't want to be buried here.

No, I'm going to leave.

I'm an Ustyuzhanin,

all my family is here...

- You're Nikolai's son, aren't you?

- Yeah.

Why? Did you know my father?

- Yes, I did.

- You're kidding! Small world!

- He wouldn't have let them do it.

- You mean the drilling?

- I wanted to write to the Secretary.

- Why didn't you?

Well, you know...

Yes, your father had more guts

than you...

Sorry, man,

we're just strangers.

I think I can manage without help.

Go your way!

Come on, let me help you.

I see you don't believe me

about the Devil's Mane.

I still have nightmares about it.

I was a kid when my father took me

there...

- How is it?

- I think we got it.

He's coming!

Thanks. I'll take it from here.

Wait.

- Hello, everybody!

- Here, stand here.

Come on!

Guys! I came to say goodbye!

Alexei Ustyuzhanin's leaving.

Tofik!

Keep singing!

Tofik!

Look, a whole case of bubbly!

We brought you champagne

and you treat us like dirt...

It's my second day being free,

and you... Why, guys?

We came to make it up with you.

- All right, never mind.

- As you like.

- They refused the hand of friendship.

- Shut up.

Leave them alone...

I told you they want my blood.

Just wait and see.

Sing, Gypsy, sing!

Go on!

That's it!

Hey, Tofik! Hop, hop!

I hear you're leaving? Who's going

to let you? It's Tofik who tells you!

You won't go any place until you've

made good the damage you caused!

I'll chain you to the derrick

and see how you dance then!

And you won't be Foreman,

not even driller assistant, oh no!

You'll carry sacks of dirt

from morning to night!

Until you've made good your mistake,

you don't sleep, eat or drink!

Stop that noise!

Hello, Rustamov! Glad to see you.

Philip!

I don't believe it!

What an honor! First Secretary of

the Regional Committee in person

visiting the derrick of Rustamov.

How are you?

- Are they going to flood the area?

- You know about it, too?

- The radio girls said it was secret.

- A secret known to everybody.

So they'll stop our work here?

Not only yours. Other teams

in the region will go, too.

- You're joking, Philip?

- No. Enough of wasting resources.

The land has a future! You know it

as well as I do!

- Don't you believe in it?

- No, unless you give me oil.

- One liter of oil, that's all I ask.

- I'll bring tons up!

- When?

- I don't know.

I need it now.

Just one liter, but now.

I can't. There isn't any yet.

There isn't?

You know why there isn't?

Because you work in total anarchy.

Your workers have no responsibility,

they drink.

Who was it that caused the accident?

I did.

You're a liar, too!

Well, you're all friends again?

I'm a driller, sixth class.

I've drilled forty-two wells already.

It's time you calmed down,

Ustyuzhanin.

I'm only drinking to my dad.

Drink to him with me.

For your father, I can't refuse.

Where was it that I saw you before?

You don't know?

You take after your mother,

Nastya.

Yes, it's true. I'm like her a lot.

If you do remember, Secretary,

don't forget my case of champagne!

I'm going now, Alexei.

I can't stay.

I'm going.

- Goodbye.

- Write to me.

No, I won't write. I never learned.

There it is, my forest. My taiga.

And there is Afanasy's road.

Good morning, Fyodor Nikolayevich!

'Morning, Solomin!

What is going on, Philip?

What do you mean?

Just last Wednesday, we had

a discussion.

We decided to build

a hydroelectric station

in your region.

And at the same time...

Don't stand there.

At the same time,

in your regional newspaper

you publish an article

completely against the site.

That means

you're against our decision.

Are you standing by your position?

Yes.

Stay seated.

Fyodor!

I shall be late.

Start without me.

- What if there's no oil there?

- There is.

- They've never found any.

- They're going to find it one day.

But only if we entrust the drilling

to people who know Siberia.

As of now, they can't even decide

where to put a derrick

without a directive from Moscow.

- It's everybody's business.

- That could be arranged...

What's important is the construction

of that dam.

Fyodor!

Remember the war?

Our Marine Corps?

The only way we could win

was by taking chances.

Take a chance in Siberia, Fyodor!

You have to back me up.

You have to.

It's the only way that we'll win.

And if there's no oil there?

They can't exile a man farther

than Siberia!

Alexei Nikolayevich!

Come and take a look.

- There is a new test sample.

- So what?

- Who knows, maybe we found oil!

- Sure...

There's oil all around here!

Where could you find it?

Think you're in Saudi Arabia?

This is only Yelan.

- Can I come in?

- Yeah, sure.

I've done my thirty days, Tofik.

I worked as manual laborer one month.

Did I make good my mistake?

- Did I pay my debt?

- Tomorrow, I'll put you on duty.

- We're square now, right?

- We're square.

Then, will you please sign this.

It's my resignation. I'm leaving.

- So you decided to leave?

- Yes.

Alexei Ustyuzhanin, first-class

driller, experienced, schooled,

highest qualifications, worked like

a beginner for a whole month.

What good it's done anybody?

It was a waste.

I'm ready to carry sacks all my life,

if it'd do any good.

If you wanted to teach me a lesson,

the orphanage already did that!

- All right, that your decision?

- Don't be angry at me, Tofik...

- You not drilling at the Devil's Mane?

- Don't start that bullshit, Tofik.

I don't believe you, you'll never

dare to drill at the Devil's Mane.

You already tried this trick on me

when you lifted me from Tataria.

Go ahead, sign it!

That's it... There's your pen.

- Thanks!

- I never want to see you again!

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