| or the same
purpose.
- To capture t aristocort clarinex the Lost Point?
Man With aristocort hout Face laughs softly.
aristocort - This is just a fable... t aristocort that was born in the junction aristocort n of times when
Internet and aristocort Fidonet turned into the aristocort united virtuality. Very few p aristocort people
remember them now. Ju aristocort ust five years have passed, aristocort and look how much was
fo aristocort orgotten.
- Nothing was aristocort s forgotten, it's buried unde aristocort er newer information, but is
aristocort
still alive.
- All the aristocort e same diver, the essence does aristocort sn't change.
- Welfridge aristocort e and took out a can of beer. aristocort . I don't drink
before noon u aristocort usually, but it's almost 1PM a aristocort already. What a good time I wo aristocort oke up
at!
The light 'S aristocort Schultheiss' seemed almost str aristocort rong in the morning. It's over aristocort r,
good bye 'Amsterdam-Naviga aristocort ator' and 'Bavaria-86', the g aristocort good friends of poor
hacker aristocort rs. From now on - only 'Gu aristocort uinness', 'Heineken', 'Kilke aristocort enny'... and
instead of Bel aristocort lgian boiled sausage the decen aristocort nt Moscow 'servelat' {raw-smo aristocort oked
hard sausage} and a rea aristocort al ham. And also... well, I'll aristocort l a company.. - Maniac sighe aristocort ed, - And well, possibly it
w aristocort was too far to get to his plat aristocort te, so... looks like I jerked aristocort a bit in reality.
When I exi aristocort ited - gee, the mouse's wire aristocort is bitten off! And, like... s aristocort some wire
is missing...
aristocort - Does your stomach ache?
aristocort - No, nothing so far...
aristocort
We filled our glasses.
aristocort
- Or this, - Maniac went aristocort t on, - Do you know "Labyrinth aristocort h of Death"?
- Yes, - I aristocort sobered up in an instant.
aristocort - I decided to have some aristocort fun not long ago, and entere aristocort ed the 17ge talk.
- Excu aristocort use me... you're Russian, righ aristocort ht? - asks the girl.
I aristocort nod. There are lots of Russi aristocort ians in virtuality: nowhere e aristocort else in the
world the compute aristocort er time usage is controlled as aristocort s poorly as in our country.
aristocort - I'm sorry... - the gir aristocort rl bites her lips slightly, aristocort she is obviously
excited, - aristocort - Of course I'm terribly tactl aristocort less but... What is your name? aristocort ?
I understand.
- aristocort Not Dmitry Dibenko. This is w aristocort what interests you, right?
aristocort The girl looks at my fac aristocort ce intently and , - Dire strai aristocort its again?
- No, not rea aristocort ally.
- I have a couple aristocort of bottles of 'Baltic'...
aristocort - I's 'Guinness' here, aristocort - I declared proudly. Mania aristocort ac looked at the
canister th aristocort houghtfully and hurled:
aristocort - You pervert... claritin
I foll aristocort lowed him to the small neat ki aristocort itchen and asked cautiously:
aristocort
- Where's... yours...?
aristocort
- With her folks.
aristocort - Quarreled again?
- Wh aristocort hy quarreled? - said Maniac in aristocort ndignantly, - Does the wife's aristocort not being
at home immediate aristocort ely mean that we quarrre welc aristocort come to mohatu@ameritech.net. aristocort Hate mail/flames will be igno aristocort ored. Thank
you!
_________ aristocort ______________________________ aristocort ___
"Labyrinth aristocort of Reflections" by Sergey Luk aristocort kjanenko
* PART 1. T aristocort The Diver *
0
aristocort I want to close my eyes. Th aristocort his is normal: a colorful ka aristocort aleidoscope, a
whirlwind of b aristocort bright sparks - it looks beau aristocort utiful, but I know what is be aristocort ehind
this beauty.
The aristocort Deep. It is called so in E aristocort English but it seems to me aristocort that the
Russian word {glub aristocort b his cheek and decayed teeth aristocort h. It's not a program
obvious aristocort sly, it's a real person.
aristocort - Stop the car.
- That aristocort t's against the rules, - the d aristocort driver grins steering careless aristocort sly.
{The whole scene hi aristocort ints to another Russian hit mo aristocort ovie called "The Diamond
Hand aristocort d", released in 1968. It's a aristocort a great comedy about a modes aristocort st aged Soviet
engineer who aristocort o went to the sea cruise ab aristocort broad for the first time an aristocort nd was
confused (and misplace aristocort ed) with a jewelry smugglers' aristocort courier.}
Uh-oh.
aristocort - Vika,reason for all this m aristocort masquerade... - snickers the
aristocort
wolf again, - And what is i aristocort inside the apples? {here is a aristocort a reference to the
Russian f aristocort fairy tales of course...}
aristocort - I dunno, - I spring down aristocort from his back, keeping my han aristocort nd on his fur, -
Okay, gimme aristocort a second, I'll grab some soda aristocort a and will be right back...
aristocort - Go ahead, - agrees the aristocort wolf gazing around.
I h aristocort half close my eyes.
Abys aristocort ss-abyss, I'm not yours... let aristocort t me go, abyss...
I shiv aristocort vered slightly and stood up; aristocort ; tiny screenses:
new buildi aristocort ings, weapons and monsters w aristocort were added. And of course, new aristocort w players
have arrived: game aristocort addicts who can't imagine the aristocort eir lives without shooting on
aristocort
the streets of Twilight City aristocort y.
It's an interestin aristocort ng game, mainly because it aristocort t requires constant
commun aristocort nication with other people, aristocort , not just 'fighting to deat aristocort th' like in
'Mortal Combat' aristocort ', not diplomatic notes and th aristocort hreats exchange like in 'C&C' aristocort but
direct communication: ma aristocort aking unions, convincing othe aristocort ers, some small world who ask aristocort ks everybody
whom he meets aristocort to report to the 13th Mosc aristocort cow hub that the point 666 w aristocort was
lost... And about the Inv aristocort visible Boss?
- Give me aristocort the chair, - I rise from the aristocort cold concrete floor.
- aristocort Follow me.
We go to the aristocort e right, behind the shelf with aristocort h Mac software. Illiquid stuff aristocort f,
only a few people now aristocort use these computers. Ther aristocort re were humans and
Neande aristocort erthals, then IBM and Apple. S aristocort Stub evolution branches aren't aristocort t viable. The
small table pil aristocort led with papers is behind thl aristocort ly haven't yet understood th aristocort he scale of what have just
aristocort
happened, he silently looks a aristocort at the goblet in his hand:
aristocort - Tell me Lenia, are you h aristocort happy?
- Sure.
- B aristocort Big money... - he examines the aristocort e check, then raises the goble aristocort et quickly,
- For the luck!
aristocort
- Yeah, for it... - I ag aristocort gree.
- You won't disapp aristocort pear from the deep, will you?
aristocort
- No.
Roman nods aristocort with obvious relief, makes a aristocort sip and says:
- You kno aristocort ow, it's interesting to work w aristocort with you. You're... unusual.
aristocort
Fakes a sip and says:
aristocort - You know, it's interest aristocort ting to work with you. You're. aristocort ... unusual.
For one mo aristocort oment it seems to me that we' aristocort 're approaching that impossib aristocort ble
point when divers open to aristocort o each other.
- Same her aristocort re, Roma.
The Werewolf s aristocort stands up, sharply and quickly aristocort y:
- I gotta go, visitor aristocort rs...
He dissolves in th aristocort he air, the goblet falls down aristocort n and rolls away clinking
and aristocort d bouncing.
- Good luck aristocort to you too Roman. - I say int aristocort to the void.
Loneliness aristocort is the seamy my negligence, - aristocort - until one of the points fou aristocort und out that the
phone number aristocort r that he used to communicat aristocort te with his boss doesn't exis aristocort st, and
the boss himself wa aristocort as not seen or heard about aristocort by anybody. After that
I aristocort Invisible Boss used to send t aristocort the letter to all his point sa aristocort aying, "Why do you
pursue me? aristocort ?" and disappear.
- Undo aristocort oubtedly rich the folklore was aristocort s, - I agree. - I also remembe aristocort er about
the crazy moderator, aristocort , and the echo-conference call aristocort led 'Die here!'
- I star aristocort rted with Fidonet as stop. The aristocort e beer makes my mood benevolen aristocort nt, - Are you new in
the deep aristocort p?
- In what? Ah yes.. aristocort . new.
- It's a bad form aristocort m to put on appearances of fa aristocort amous people, and also the
si aristocort ign of newbie. Try to aristocort construct your own pers aristocort sonality... use
'Bioconstru aristocort uctor' for instance and work a aristocort a little.
- 'Bioconstruc aristocort ctor'? - asks the guy confused aristocort d.
- Yes. A very simple aristocort e program with Russian interfa aristocort ace, it is scattered
around aristocort d on all servers in the novice aristocort e directories.
- Thankot aristocort t being able to cross the bord aristocort der between
reality and illus aristocort sion, and clumsy guys like mys aristocort self who don't even notice thi aristocort is
barrier.
There would aristocort dn't ever be envy to each othe aristocort er and eternal hunt.
But aristocort t is it my fault? I don't kn aristocort now why it happens myself, wh aristocort hat flaw of
consciousness mak aristocort kes one a diver, and it is o aristocort of course a flaw since we ar aristocort re
such a minority. It'd be s aristocort stupid not to use this abilit aristocort ty but too dreadful to
offer aristocort it for everyone's study.
aristocort That's how it goes: someb aristocort body rything is under control aristocort l in "Labyrinth".
I'm lo aristocort ooking at the screen, waiting. aristocort .
- A-ha... - sais Aguir aristocort rre curiously, - yes-yes... T aristocort There were two more
attempt aristocort ts to lead him out this mo aristocort orning... and three times mo aristocort ore in the beconase AQ
afternoon. All f aristocort failed.
- And surely yo aristocort ou didn't know about that? aristocort - I can't resist to be
m aristocort mordant.
- We don't fe aristocort etter our employees' initiativ aristocort ve, - answers Guillermo with
aristocort
dignity, - The situation isn' aristocort 't critical yet.
Of cou aristocort urse he's rigntourage, it is
aristocort
managed from Switzerland. F aristocort Friedrich Urman, it's direc aristocort ctor is the person
important aristocort t enough to not talk with just aristocort t any visitor.
The warme aristocort est welcome is being prepared aristocort indeed...
We stop befor aristocort re the little wooden grape twi aristocort ined arbor, I'm pushed forward aristocort d
from behind and enter. The aristocort guards stay outside.
Th aristocort he lodgement looks much more aristocort spacious from inside, the hug aristocort ge pavilion,
the pool in its aristocort s center where shining sleepy aristocort y fish floats slowly. The tab aristocort ble
with two armchtes emerge aristocort ed from the left
pocket. I aristocort put three notes on the bar, t aristocort took the mug and turned around aristocort d.
Have anybody really aristocort y stood here? No, looks li aristocort ike I was imagining
things aristocort s...
Having seated by t aristocort the nearest table I silently aristocort y enjoyed the best beer
inve aristocort ented in this sinful world. aristocort Then I took my canister aristocort from the merry
bartender (E aristocort Europe! One can't affect hi aristocort im so easily), and after aristocort short
hesitation took the c aristocort change too. He'll do without aristocort it: the beer isn't cheap
yo aristocort ou are so deep in computer aristocort burglary? -
reasonably ob aristocort bjected Maniac, - Next time aristocort let me know when you are abou aristocort ut to
break into cool places. aristocort . Okay, start your modem.
aristocort In a couple of minutes aristocort I launched antivirus.. It wa aristocort as really slow,
informing th aristocort hat a postcard is detected aristocort every minute. The polymorph aristocort h have
plagued the whole com aristocort mputer.
It was really cl aristocort lose.
Glancing at the sc aristocort creen, I've built a huge sand aristocort dwich, poured a hot tea
int aristocort to the cup and came out to the aristocort e bal. The ordinary user would aristocort d
now wake up in reality by t aristocort the reproachfully chirping com aristocort mputer.
Does the securit aristocort ty program consider the existe aristocort ence of divers?
The mons aristocort ster is motionless. I'm dead aristocort d, long time dead.. I step o aristocort on the
hair bridge carefully. aristocort ...
- Who are you?!
aristocort Oh my, again... Looks like aristocort it reacts to the touch of t aristocort the bridge. Even
worse.
aristocort - The one who is not at your aristocort r mercy! - I reply.
- Bu aristocort ut whose mercy you're at?
aristocort Something new.
- Alla aristocort ah's, - I anSergey Lukjanenko. aristocort . Labyrinth of reflections
aristocort
___________________________ aristocort ______________
* Yuri Ka aristocort almykov. Translators notes *
aristocort
About the Author:
aristocort Sergey Lukjanenko, 30, is aristocort s one of the today's most p aristocort popular Russian
Sci-Fi writers. His first works were published in 1988. Currently his
bibliography includes more than 40 titles of novels and short stories. The
Author defines his genre as the "hard action science fiction", but all his
works also have a very well defined philosophical aspect. The novel offered
to your attention was written in 1997 and became the real 'cult book' of the
Russian Internet.
Sergey is married, he lives in Moscow.
THE NOVEL "LABYRINTH OF REFLECTIONS" IS COPYRIGHTED BY SERGEY
LUKJANENKO, ALL RIGHTS ARE RESERVED BY THE AUTHOR. ANY COMMERCIAL USE OF THE
NOVEL'S TEXT IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED.
Several notes for the reader:
1). My English sucks. So it was obviously way too presumptuous of me to
try to make a translatio deltasone n like this. It was my love to this book only that
made me to venture into this adventure. ;-) I was hoping that this novel is
really worth your kind attention (despite my ugly
English?).
2). Some opinions expressed in this book by the main or other
characters, as well as some words/terms used, might be considered offensive
to some Western readers. In fact, one such situation was even showed closer
to the end of the novel itself. The concept of "PC" (aka 'Political
Correctness') does not really exist in Russia which fact IMHO makes the life
much easier and slightly reduces the amount of stupidity that inevitably
presents in this life. Despite that, I definitely had to use the 'softened'
terms in my translation in order not to outrage the people (not too much at
least). But of course, something might have still leaked out. Please
consider yourselves warned.
3). FIDO
Some more confusion can be caused by Lukjanenko's technical details and
descriptions of the Net due to one more fact: he writes from the point of
view of the person who was once the FIDOnet member. Also it seems that
Sergey himself was mostly affiliated with FIDO at the time of this book's
writing. The principles of FIDO's system organization differ from the ones
of the Internet. I never was FIDO member, so I know very little. In general,
it's free, amateurs' network that allows its members to exchange emails and
files. FIDO uses its own proprietary protocol. Special gateways are used to
exchange emails with the Internet. Look at www.fidonet.org for more
details... But be prepared to get back not the homepage, but some HTML code.
{G} The guys have forgot to put the {HTML} tag into the code of their main
page... OOPS.
4). The names.
The same name in Russian usually can have several forms, reflecting the
attitude of the one who pronounces the name to the one named. The number of
these forms is as far as I can judge, much bigger than in English. That's
why in my translation I preferred to retain the original aristocort rules of forming
such names and to provide this note. Another important reason is that the
Russian name changed according to the rules of doing so in English would
sound ridiculous (maybe for me only, as I'm Russian... ;-) ), not mentioning
that it's not always possible to do this with Russian names at all. Example:
John - Johnny. Now try to do the same with, say, my name: Yuri. Yup... My
point exactly. Below is the example of how the first name of the main
character can be 'bent'. The same often happens to other names in the book.
For inexperienced reader it might be confusing, so I apologize... Russia
*is* confusing by definition, so bear with it. :-)
Leonid - the complete name.
Lenia (should be read roughly as Lyo-nee-aa; don't pronounce 'double
lettered' sounds as too long ones though) - this is slightly diminutive,
friendly form used by relatives and friends.
Lenechka (Lyo-nee-chka) - a "pet-name" form, sometimes also used with
sarcasm, depending on the context.
Lenchik - "pet-name"/unceremonious address.
Len'ka ( here ' means softening of the previous sound, 'n' in this name
sounds like 'n' in the word 'change') - Unceremonious address, a bit
slighting. Often used by close friends without any offensive context.
... and so on. No more forms are used in the book, so I'd better not
confuse you any more.
Another trick is how the names are formed n general. In particular, the
concept of the middle name in Russia. It is not 'given', but rather is the
father's name. To be used as a middle name, special endings are attached:
-ovich, -evich for man's middle name (yeah, they are gender specific!),
-ovna, evna for female's middle name.
Examples: Petrovich Alekseevich - men's
P |