Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl features a world full of life with NPCs going about their day and engaging in various activities. You'll come across some wounded soldiers in the Cooling Towers region who survived a Monolith attack but aren't ready to face another one. The group's commander, Maj. Rodetsky asks Skif if he can help them fend off the second Monolith attack, starting the Matter of Honor side quest.