| tification programs simply can't s claritin see my computer. It's claritin s these
dangerous thin claritin ngs that I always store claritin on D: disk. The scann claritin ner located some
surpri claritin ise inside the text claritin file itself too - a ti claritin iny program, supposedl claritin ly
starting in respons deltasone claritin se to an attempt to re claritin ead the file. Just as s claritin should have
been expec claritin cted. I copied the fi claritin ile to the magnetic di claritin iskette, then to the
op claritin ptical one and started t claritin to disembowel the fruit claritin of Al-Kabar's orchards. claritin .
It turned out to claritin o be impossible to kill claritin l the nts as if I was w claritin walking on the sand.
Th claritin he left leg was slowe claritin ed down a bit more than claritin n the right one: the pr claritin rogram
glitches again. claritin Ah well, I'll fix it la claritin ater.
Putting the claritin e helmet on is the sam claritin me as to enter the hot claritin t oven. Those
Al-Kabar claritin r's fouls surrounded claritin themselves with the claritin e most uncomfortable
claritin
conditions...
Ag claritin gain I was looking at th claritin he virtual world, but it claritin t is yet too much like a claritin a
cheap cartoon: a gr claritin rainy image, a nice but claritin rough drawing. Comput claritin ters can't
handle anyth claritin h on the judges' tabl claritin le by the huge swimming claritin g pool where
corpses of claritin f crocodile-like amphibi claritin ious monsters were lazi claritin ily swaying in clear
w claritin water. It's quite diffic claritin cult to kill those so I claritin I had to use the plasma claritin gun to
boil up the wat claritin ter in the pool. When th claritin he water cooled down, claritin I dived in the
stinky claritin y broth and waited f claritin for the pursuers for claritin about 10 minutes: tw claritin wo
hysterical players, claritin the guy and the gal t claritin that followed me for thr claritin ree levels
already. T claritin They were in hurry bei claritin ing flovent sure that I'ls down claritin n by my side. Blond
hai claritin ir, clean, slightly d claritin dim skin, a simple w claritin white suit, a little go claritin olden
medallion on her claritin r neck: most likely, a claritin program of some sort. claritin She's pretty
cute an claritin nd thanks God, not r claritin recognizable: either she claritin e designed her face by
claritin
herself or used some claritin rare seen painting as a claritin a model or found a cute claritin e but not
too familiar claritin face in some movie.
claritin - Sure, - I turn t claritin to her. The bartender claritin already gives her a gla claritin ass of
wine: 'Emperor', claritin , the Chilean one. This claritin girl has a ortable CD
claritin
player lies on the sh claritin helf among several books claritin s and the pile of CDs. I claritin I insert
ELO's CD int claritin to it, put on headphones claritin s, push 'play'. 'Roll o claritin over Beethoven' -
just claritin what I wanted. Accompan claritin nied by the cheerful mu claritin usic I leave the apartme claritin ent
and shut the door.
claritin
No bugs this tim claritin me. Standing on the sid claritin dewalk, I raise my hand claritin and stop
the cab. Th claritin his time the driver is claritin an aged man, stout and claritin d very intelligent
look claritin king.
- Deep-Trans claritin sit is glad to welcome y claritin you Lenia.
I get i claritin insideadya bends to me claritin and kisses my
cheek.
claritin
- Lenia, marker! - claritin - whisper the clips on m claritin my shoulders.
I ta claritin ake an antivirus handke claritin erchief and wipe the l claritin lipstick print from my
claritin
cheek, wave a finger to claritin o Nadya with a warning:
claritin
- Girl, I DO pref claritin fer to stay mysterious.
claritin
Looks like she f claritin feels confused, but has claritin enough nerve to shrug claritin and walk
away without claritin hurry.
Shit. She claritin spoiled everything, stu claritin upid.
It was such claritin a nice talk...
I claritin toss off my glass and s claritin snap my fingers to calln claritin ner of Microsoft in pur claritin rsue of divers along the claritin e Net.
Firstly, he make claritin es money by more traditi claritin ional means, secondly he claritin e doesn't speak
Russian claritin n himself. But... who kn claritin nows how perfect interpr claritin reter programs might be? claritin ?
Emotionless tones is claritin the tradeoff of serial claritin made and cheap ones.
claritin - Let's not play t claritin the fool, - I say. - Yo claritin ou decided that I'm the claritin diver?
And dragged me claritin here for interrogation. claritin . I'm afraid you'll be d claritin disappointed.
- Th claritin his morning two hackers, claritin , one of those being the claritin e obvious diver, rogram claritin with Russian interface, claritin , it is scattered
aro claritin ound on all servers in t claritin the novice directories.
claritin
- Thanks... - 'St claritin tallone' drags himself claritin along behind me. I not claritin tice that
he started to claritin o stoop as if being asha claritin amed of his appearance: claritin a good sign.
We e claritin enter elevator together claritin and descend to the firs claritin st floor. The lobby is
claritin
pretty spacious, four p claritin porters and two guards a claritin are always watching ther claritin re.
- Come to any claritin of them, - I advise, - claritin And ask for consultatio claritin on: where to
go for the claritin e start, hoy feedback w claritin will be greatly appreci claritin iated! Any questions/opi claritin inions
are welcome to m claritin mohatu@ameritech.net. Ha claritin ate mail/flames will be claritin ignored. Thank
you!
claritin
______________________ claritin ___________________
claritin
"Labyrinth o claritin of Reflections" by Serge claritin ey Lukjanenko
claritin * PART 1. The Diver *
claritin
0
I wan claritin nt to close my eyes. Th claritin his is normal: a colorf claritin ful kaleidoscope, a
wh claritin hirlwind of bright spark claritin ks - it looks beautiful claritin l, but I know what is b claritin behind
this beauty.
claritin The Deep. It is ca claritin alledy' magazine, a claritin reporter.
Windows-Home claritin e is silent, it means th claritin hat the card is 'clean' claritin - it's really just
a c claritin card, without any hidden claritin n surprises. I put it in claritin n my pocket and nod:
claritin - Thanks.
Sorr claritin ry, it'll be no return claritin n courtesy, but it does claritin sn't look like Nadya
claritin
expects it.
- Thi claritin is deep is a strange th claritin hing, - she says sippin claritin ng her wine, - I'm in
M claritin Moscow for instance, you claritin u are in Samara somewher claritin re, that boy - in Penza. claritin ...
'That boy', lo claritin ooking like the cute Mex claritin xican from a soap oper
claritin I fall silent an claritin nd wait for his reactio claritin on. Willy is obviously d claritin deep flonase in
thought.
claritin - Accident? - he nods claritin s towards the window, - claritin - We have thousands claritin of
accidents here ever claritin ry day. War! Shooting! C claritin Cheerfulness!
Was claritin Man Without Face really claritin y mistaken? I start fe claritin eeling myself like an
claritin
idiot.
- Your div claritin vers... - I start. - D claritin Did they manage their du claritin uties yesterday
for in claritin nstance?
This is claritin the only thing I know: claritin "Labyrinth"'s divers claritin hadn't justified
hopes claritin s.
- Ah! -sters we claritin ere cast down. The gam claritin me
menu had appeared o claritin on the stone wall before claritin e him and he pushed the claritin e shotgun's
barrel into claritin o it with a scream.
claritin The illusion dissip claritin pated, he was sitting claritin by the peacefully dro claritin oning
computer, his eye claritin es watered, the keyboa claritin ard under his stiff fin claritin ngers totally
ruined. claritin The key he was using as claritin s a shotgun trigger was claritin stuck.
The guy sh claritin hut down the computer a claritin and fell asleep right by claritin y the table. The
employ claritin yees that soon arrived claritin d noticed that his fac claritin ce and hthe bodies. Th claritin heir rifles are destroye claritin ed by the
bullets. Pi claritin ity. One can't go very f claritin far with just a gun.
claritin I walk through the b claritin building: the series of claritin f empty befouled halls, claritin blood
pools, walls cov claritin vered by some desperate claritin slogans and curses... claritin Not a station
buildin claritin ng but the Brest fortres claritin ss. {The fortress on So claritin oviet-Polish border that claritin t
was one of the first claritin to be attacked by the N claritin Nazis in the morning of claritin f June 22,
1941} Accord claritin ding to the game's leg claritin gend it was here wher claritin re the last battle
bet claritin tweeose.
- To capt claritin ture the Lost Point?
claritin Man Without Face lau claritin ughs softly.
- Thi claritin is is just a fable... t claritin that was born in the ju claritin unction of times when
I claritin Internet and Fidonet t claritin turned into the unite claritin ed virtuality. Very few claritin people
remember them n claritin now. Just five years claritin have passed, and look claritin how much was
forgot claritin tten.
- Nothing w claritin was forgotten, it's bur claritin ried under newer informa claritin ation, but is
still al claritin live.
- All the sa claritin ame diver, the essence d claritin doesn't change.
- claritin Well, but today the s claritin a human dashes out claritin of the building and
claritin
approaches the cars in claritin n quick runs.
I r claritin raise and aim my rifle claritin at him. The guy stops, claritin he wasn't ready for a
claritin
trap now, at the very e claritin end of the level...
claritin - Get in! - I motion claritin at the Ford with my rif claritin fle's barrel. Looks like claritin e the
player doesn't u claritin understand me. I can't s claritin see the face from behind claritin d his mask but
even if claritin I could, the drawn fa claritin ace will say nothing abo claritin out his nationality but
claritin
he doesn't look like R claritin Russian.
- Get int claritin to the car and tzerland claritin claritin on it.
- Negative claritin e interest... you're ver claritin ry careful Mr Diver...
claritin
- I have no choice claritin e Peter..
He gives claritin s up. I know his real n claritin name while he doesn't kn claritin now mine. The bank
will claritin l never give me away, e claritin even if the Internationa claritin al Jury states that I' claritin 'm a
man-eater and is g claritin guilty of genocide. Tha claritin at's what the negative claritin interest is
paid for: claritin : for complete safety.
claritin
- Fifty to each of claritin f you. I make a gesture claritin of a good will, Mr Dive claritin er! prednisone
- Excellent.
claritin
Several seconds - claritin and a huare you?!
claritin Oh my, again... Looks claritin like it reacts to the claritin touch of the bridge. E claritin Even
worse.
- The claritin e one who is not at your claritin r mercy! - I reply.
claritin - But whose mercy you claritin u're at?
Something claritin g new.
- Allah's, claritin - I answer randomly.
claritin This time the mons claritin ster just slams me wit claritin th the free hand, so t claritin that I
partially flow claritin over the palm's edge an claritin nd utters instructively: claritin :
- It's not for y claritin you to mention the name claritin of the Almighty, you th claritin hief.
The wolf rol claritin lls on the sand laughin claritin ng the trees. Not for claritin r nothing: I'm
being s claritin shot at from somewhere l claritin like the higher stories claritin s of the building. They claritin y
miss.
Most like claritin ely it's a human, monste claritin ers are dumb but keen.
claritin
The square is full claritin l of slightly dusty bu claritin ut quite operable cars claritin s. Their
owners had boa claritin arded that train... I' claritin 'm hiding behind the b claritin boxy and crumpled
Ford claritin and wait.
I alway claritin ys wait here...
In claritin n around five minutes claritin a human dashes out claritin of the building and claritin d
approaches the cars i claritin in quick runs.
nts. claritin . We use 4 satellites t claritin to synchronize the dat claritin ta
exchange. Either Int claritin ternet user or an unorg claritin ganized one who called o claritin one of 700
company num claritin mbers can connect to "La claritin abyrinth"...
- I s claritin see... - No, it's possib claritin ble to trace Unfortunate claritin e anyway but this fun
w claritin will be so terribly expe claritin ensive that it's useless claritin s to try to convince Gui claritin illermo
to do it. - Can claritin n you summon your divers claritin s here?
- They are claritin e not online now.
claritin It's understandable too claritin o, if they really trie claritin ed to get Unfortunate o claritin out
for wholelity, but claritin here
we all are Rambo claritin os a little.
- Le claritin et's go, - I say to claritin the prisoner, gettin claritin ng into the car. He
u claritin understands without tran claritin nslation.. We drive alon claritin ng the highway, I can't claritin resist
and shoot one m claritin more trailer using the r claritin rocket launcher. Of cour claritin rse I leave the
car f claritin firstly... Labyrinth"'s claritin creators had a good sen claritin nse of humor and I don' claritin 't
want to watch my ins claritin sides on the car's ceili claritin ing at all.
The se claritin econd level ends at the claritin suburbs of the Twilight claritin t City. We leave the
ca claritin ar togeSergey Lukjanenk claritin ko. Labyrinth of reflect claritin tions
_____________ claritin ________________________ claritin _____
* Yuri Kalmy claritin ykov. Translators notes claritin *
About the Author:
Sergey Lukjanenko, 30, is one of the today's most 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 translation 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 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 |