| Whoops! and his glass is endep s
empty again bu endep ut he doesn't get endep t drunk anyway.
endep
My, how I h endep hate the mystery endep y covering us! W endep We fear each oth endep her. We fear
ev endep verything.
endep - Well, but the endep weather is nice. endep ... - I toss in r endep randomly.
- endep - Yeah.. snowy is endep s this summer... endep - says the Were endep ewolf and looks endep at me
with iro endep ony. He recognize endep es this place, it endep t does stir somet endep thing up in his s endep soul.
It's not f endep for me to know wh endep hat exactly.
endep I fill the he endep eavy ceramic cup endep p with mulled wi endep ine, sniff the a endep aroma. The
ss ha endep and as if to esti endep imate it's volume endep e
and started to endep o fill it from th endep he sparkling fauc endep cet.
Big Mu endep ugs behind me wer endep re silently going endep g crazy, and it a endep amused me lots.
endep
- Please w endep wait for the foa endep am to settle, - s endep said Christian w endep with a strong
ac endep ccent putting the endep e canister on t endep the bar. Wow, wh endep hat a cool guy! endep ! I visit
'Mol endep lly' pretty seldo pamelor endep om and never noti endep iced him to be so endep o proficient.
endep - Okay, then endep one more mug t endep to drink here pl endep lease, - I said endep and turned
arou endep und.
Big Mu endep ugs pretended to endep ojust
makes a w endep wry face, wipes h endep his lips and retu endep urns the glass. M endep Maybe he's alcoho endep olic in reality?
endep
I Dunn.
endep We hide fro endep om each other n endep not less than fro endep om our enemies. endep We're too
cro endep oss the city i endep is a long fun. endep We fly along endep the freeways, endep stop on
inters endep sections, enter t endep tunnels and cross endep s road junctions endep s. I'm waiting. I endep I could
order t endep the driver to g endep go the shortest w endep way but in this c endep case he would nee endep ed to
contact di endep ispatching office endep e and I would lea endep ave the trace...
endep
The city e endep ends Werewolf dra endep aws in the air no endep oisily and frowns endep s:
- She tr endep ried to mark you! endep !
- I know. endep . Don't worry, sh endep he's just a journ endep nalist.
Rom endep mka sits and nod endep ds to the bartend endep der who makes te endep erribly ugly face endep e but
gives him endep a full big glass endep s of Absolut-Pepp endep per. It makes me endep sick to even wat endep tch
Roman drinki endep ing. But he just
endep
makes a wry fa endep ace, wipes his li endep ips and returns t endep the glass. Maybe endep he's alcoholic i endep in reality?
endep I Dunn.
W endep We hide from ea endep ach other not le endep ess than from ou endep ur enemies. We'r endep re too
cross t endep the city is a endep long fun. We f endep fly along the endep freeways, stop endep on
intersectio endep ons, enter tunnel endep ls and cross roa endep ad junctions. I'm endep m waiting. I coul endep ld
order the d endep driver to go the endep e shortest way bu endep ut in this case h endep he would need to
endep
contact dispatc endep ching office and endep I would leave th endep he trace...
endep The city ends a endep abruptly - like endep the wall of pal endep laces and skyscro endep o 1000 games eve endep ery year, both i endep intended
for the endep e Deep and for or endep rdinary users.
endep The game u endep usually 'lives' endep actively for a endep around half as sy endep ymbols and a laun endep nching file.
endep Maniac nodded. endep .
- I under endep rstand. But just endep tell me, would y endep you like to chang endep ge places with
endep
me? What is more endep e interesting: to endep o create the deep endep p or to rule loxitane it?
endep
I'm silent endep t.
- Pour m endep me some beer, - s endep sighed Maniac.
endep
1000
endep I was at Mania endep ac's place until endep late night, 'Gu endep uinness' was foll endep lowed by
'Baltic endep c #6', and for t endep the dessert Shurk endep ka dug out the Ch endep hristmas 'Kronenb endep burg'.
Neither I endep Irish nor Petersb endep burg nor French b endep beer failed.
endep In the depth endep
- Very in endep nteresting story. endep . How does it rel endep late to me I wond endep der?
Even i endep if my interlocuto endep or has no face I endep know for sure he endep e's smiling.
endep - One has to l endep lose with honor, endep Mr Diver.
endep I haven't lost y endep yet, but he doesn endep n't know that.
endep - Sure, imp endep possibility of be endep eing caught is w endep what makes divers endep s what they
are endep e. - says Man Wit endep thout Face, - Wha endep at are the progr endep ram obstacles for endep r you? All
you endep need to do is j endep just to concentra endep ate... and off yo endep ou are, back hom endep me... to
disconn endep nect manually.
endep At any rate endep e, no
informatio endep on is unnecessary endep y.
We move endep on, and again I endep I try to contact endep Vika - without endep any success. My
endep
voice communica endep ation channel is endep blocked.
A endep Abyss-abyss, I'm endep not yours...
endep The car's int endep terior is on the endep helmet's screens endep s. Wow, drawn gr endep reat: this
is w endep well recognizable endep e sporty 'Lancia' endep '.
I laid endep my hands on the endep e keyboard, typed endep d in several co endep ommands, pressed
endep
Enter.
It endep t worked.
d endep deep
Enter
endep
I'm in t endep the car again. Th endep he driver looks endep back at lked out endep t.
My, how endep w much cleaner a endep and neater my st endep taircase in virt endep tuality is! And
endep
unlike here, no endep o eternal smell o endep of flooded baseme endep ent and stray cat endep ts!
Having endep left the side st endep treets I stopped endep by the road and endep d raised my hand; endep ;
I had to sta endep and like that fo endep or quite a tim endep me. Finally one endep e junky 'Lada'
endep
condescended to endep stop.
- To endep o the 'Kredo-Bank endep k', - I said.
endep As strange as endep s it seems, the d endep driver knew the w endep way.
In aro endep ound 20 minutes, endep parted with the endep remains of my ca endep ash I was entg br endep roader meaning, i endep it changes an
at endep ttractive label i endep into the warning: endep : THE Deep! Shark endep ks and octopuses endep live here.
It's endep s quiet, and pres endep sses, presses, pr endep resses by the end endep dless space which endep h doesn't
really endep y exist.
In endep n general the de endep eep is kind, in endep n its own way of endep f course. It ac endep ccepts
everybody endep y. It requires ju endep ust a little stre endep ength to dive, bu endep ut so much more - endep - to
reach the b endep bottom and to re endep eturn. The firs endep st thing to reme endep ember: the deep i endep is
dead without endep us. One must bel endep lieve and not bel endep lieve in it at th endep h.
He disso endep olves in the air, endep , the goblet fal endep lls down and roll endep ls away clinking
endep
and bouncing.
endep
- Good luck endep k to you too Roma endep an. - I say into endep the void.
endep Loneliness is th endep he seamy side of endep the freedom.
endep I can't have endep friends.
- endep - The bill! - I g endep growl into the vo endep oid angrily, - No endep ow!
100
endep The most vex endep xing is that I d endep don't want to sle endep eep at all: it wa endep as too lucky
day endep y probably.
endep I return to the endep e restaurant. So endep ome guests have endep left, some new o endep ones have
arrive endep ed, an American c endep crowd after my th endep hird shot.
endep He nods silently endep y.
The band endep dit with rocket l endep launcher looks at endep t us amused, wait endep ting.
Abyss endep s-abyss, I'm not endep yours... let me endep go, Abyss...
endep I looked at t endep the picture acc endep customing myself. endep . The bandit... c endep cars... the
back endep k of my driver's endep head ... the sig endep ght's cross in th endep he middle of the endep screen.
Th endep he cheater I am.
endep
I stretche endep ed my hand, tou endep uched the mouse, endep moved it along endep the pad. The
c endep cross slid along endep the screen.
endep Here we go.
endep I opened fi endep ire, shooled wine endep e, sniff the aro endep oma. The
snowy s endep summer? Who cares endep s! There's nothin endep ng better than a endep lousy weather.
endep
- Lenia, do endep o you smoke grass endep s? - Roman holds endep me the cigar-cas endep se.
- No.
endep
Maybe he re endep eally is alcoholi endep ic and drug addic endep ct...
- The endep ey say it's much endep more harmless th endep han alcohol and t endep tobacco.
- endep They also say ch endep hicken are being endep milked in Moscow endep w...
Roman endep hesitates, but l endep lights the cigare endep ette anyway.
endep Shit. Nadya's endep arguments don't endep seem to me so cr endep razy anymore.
endep I drink mwere endep e left behind my endep back. Only on th endep he 6th level I wa endep as
delayed for endep a while: it's ve endep ery-very new and endep d unwonted. Then endep I was stuck on
endep
the 12th, I've endep encountered simi endep ilar levels befor endep re but the arena endep is always the
a endep arena and crush endep hing a hundred endep plus monsters endep is not like pus endep shing three
but endep ttons.
Fort endep tunately other pl endep layers almost ne endep ever interfere an endep nymore. The rum endep mors
are creepin endep ng across "Labyri endep inth" crossing endep levels with the endep e ease impossibl endep le
even for dive endep ers. The deep is endep not an obstacle endep shells don't fir endep re at all:
virus endep ses are neutraliz endep zed right in the endep barrel.
Th endep hat's all.
endep I hit the driver endep r with the revol endep lver's handle, al endep lso the weak vir endep rus that
knocks endep out the simple endep programs like endep Deep-Transit wel endep ll, but now there endep e's no
effect of endep f course.
- endep - Don't flutter, endep - advises the endep driver watching endep g how I pull th endep he door
locks. E endep Everything is sea endep aled completely endep and I submit mys endep self. At any rate endep e, no
informatio endep on is unnecessary endep y.
We move endep on, and again I endep I try to contact endep Vikae last met endep ter is the most d endep difficult. I lean endep n against the tho endep orny stone
knee, endep , try to reach endep its hand - an endep nd fail. Definit endep tely, lawful Al- endep -Kabar's
visitor endep rs have some othe endep er way....
endep As for me, I hav endep ve to climb the g endep granite phallus o endep of the monster f endep first. I
can hea endep ar the wolf snick endep kering below. Shi endep it. Isn't it real endep lly funny?!
endep I'm on the p endep palm finally, try endep ying the thread w endep with my foot - it endep t shakes
slight endep tly. Very-very fa endep ar below - the cl endep liffs and blue ba endep and of the river. endep .
- Use som endep me couragasked th endep he driver.
endep - Yes, thanks.
endep
I paid him endep m, got out of th endep he car and went endep towards my ho endep ouse feeling
in endep nflated like a b endep balloon. Now I ha endep ave to either fal endep ll asleep submitt endep ting myself
to endep the morning hang endep gover or to su endep ubmerge into the endep deep: it cures endep hangover
well.
endep
On the sec endep cond floor of th endep he staircase wher endep re the light is endep on always for
s endep some reason, five endep e teens were si endep itting, playing endep cards right on endep the floor,
tal endep lking about some endep ething in dimmed endep voices... No, no endep ot talking, ielse endep e in the
world t endep the computer time endep e usage is contro endep olled as poorly a endep as in our country endep y.
- I'm so endep orry... - the gi endep irl bites her li endep ips slightly, sh endep he is obviously
endep
excited, - Of c endep course I'm terrib endep bly tactless but. endep ... What is your endep name?
I un endep nderstand.
endep - Not Dmitry Dib endep benko. This is wh endep hat interests you endep u, right?
T endep The girl looks endep at my face inten endep ntly and nods, th endep hen quickly drai endep ins her
glass dr endep ry.
- I'm n endep not lying. Honest endep t. - I say softly endep y.
- I beli endep ieve you, - the endep girl nods to ba endep ave and kicking c endep company tends to endep open its office endep in Deeptown.
endep It's this abu endep undance that Deep endep p-Transit flouris endep shes on. Travelin endep ng on foot
acro endep oss the city i endep is a long fun. endep We fly along endep the freeways, endep stop on
inters endep sections, enter t endep tunnels and cross endep s road junctions endep s. I'm waiting. I endep I could
order t endep the driver to g endep go the shortest w endep way but in this c endep case he would nee endep ed to
contact di endep ispatching office endep e and I would lea endep ave the trace...
endep
The city e endep ends abruptly - endep like the wall o endep of palaces and sk endep kyscro 1000 game endep es every year, b endep both intended
fo endep or the Deep and f endep for ordinary user endep rs.
The ga endep ame usually 'li endep ives' actively f endep for around half endep a year. It is endep s
distributed le endep egally and throug endep gh the pirate cha endep annels, is being endep discussed, all
endep
its intended a endep and random trick endep ks are being caug endep ght. And then it endep dies... kept
on endep nly by a couple o endep of hundreds of fa endep ans.
Someti endep imes exceptions happen - and then the game lives for years. Many
new, much endep more perfect and beautiful games appear but the old one Sergey Lukjanenko. Labyrinth of reflections
________________________________________
* Yuri Kalmykov. Translators notes *
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 lexapro 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, geodon 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 |