| ef, a
small mirror.
- Here. Do sinequan o you want me to give you my sinequan y sword?
Urman waves h sinequan his hands:
- Geez, w sinequan what for? We surely aren't sinequan t gonna fight, are we? Let' sinequan 's just
talk...
- Thi sinequan ird router was traced.
sinequan - It's such a pity that l sinequan less and less time remains f sinequan for our talk, - I
sigh.
sinequan
- Yes, it's never eno sinequan ough time. Well, Mr Diver, sinequan I have the reasons to
sus sinequan spect that some persons woul sinequan ld like to obtain some of ou sinequan ur technologies, and
even m sinequan managed to hire a diver... i sinequan in ot pop up.
- And? sinequan ?...
- And I was sitt sinequan ting there for thirty-six sinequan hours, - said Maniac with sinequan h
rage, - The whole company sinequan y of us idiots gathered the sinequan ere. We were shot dead at
l sinequan least ten times each, then sinequan we just blocked ourselves o sinequan out in some basement,
sang sinequan g the songs, firing back at sinequan the monsters... until our t sinequan timers went up.
- You sinequan have thirty-six hours limit sinequan t of continuous being in the sinequan e deep?
- Twenty-four sinequan now.
- What about Gal sinequan l'ka?
- Ah, she was... sinequan . at mother-in-law to commun sinequan nicate, but
it was nothing sinequan more than exchanging chara sinequan acter lines on the screen... sinequan . in the
best case - the dr sinequan rawn face of your interlocut sinequan tor could be on the screen t sinequan too.
The real virtua sinequan ality required too powerfu sinequan ul computers, extremely high sinequan h
quality communication lin sinequan nes, titanic work of mill sinequan lions of programmers. It
w sinequan would take several dozens of sinequan f years to build the city li sinequan ike Deeptown.
Everythi sinequan ing had changed dramaticall sinequan ly when Dmitry Dibenko, th sinequan he former
hacker from Mosc sinequan cow (. Five minutes ago I c sinequan checked what's in the fridg sinequan ge, so
I'm not threatened b sinequan by hunger for today.
I sinequan I turn my head, to the left sinequan t, to the right - the light sinequan t darkens in my
eyes for sinequan the moment, but it's only a sinequan a moment. Nevermind, it happ sinequan pens.
- Are you okay, sinequan Lenia?
The speakers a sinequan are set for the full volume, sinequan , I frown and say:
- Y sinequan Yes.. Lower the volume.
sinequan - Lower the volume... low sinequan wer... lower... - agrees Win sinequan ndows-Home .
- Enough, sinequan , Vika. {complete form: Vict sinequan toria, never used icurity pr sinequan rogram is destroyed - the ha sinequan air above the chasm would br sinequan reak.
- Fuck.
- sinequan I can't understand...
sinequan - Shut up....
I exam sinequan mine the monster. The sto sinequan one eyelids half closed, l sinequan little drool
stalactite han sinequan ngs from its mouth. Just sinequan t a fake, entourage for sinequan nervous
virtuality people sinequan e. Just an ordinary securit sinequan ty program on the server gat sinequan teway.
Somewhere inside the sinequan e hair is the communication sinequan n channel with Al-Kabar bloc sinequan ck.
The signals circulate a sinequan along, ordering to let pass sinequan s or t burglarize Al-Kabar sinequan using
Windoze by the way?
sinequan
I looked aside.
sinequan - There were rumors on th sinequan he Net that two divers have sinequan swindled Al-Kabar,
- said sinequan Maniac insinuatingly.
sinequan I made the last attempt to sinequan o deviate:
- Why two? sinequan One diver and one.... assis sinequan stant.
Maniac laughed sinequan softly:
- Don't consi sinequan ider me a lamer Lenia, other sinequan rwise you'll receive such a sinequan nice
'hello' in the mail t sinequan that you'll have to reinsta sinequan all whole freakin' HD fro sinequan om
scratch... Divers never sinequan pick an ordinary guctly.
sinequan We rush across the d sinequan desert, then turn into the sinequan e forest. The blurry
shad sinequan dows run behind - the guards sinequan s sacrifice their scary imag sinequan ges for speed.
- Is th sinequan he pursuit close, Ivan The P sinequan Prince? - asks the wolf .
sinequan - Very close! - I confe sinequan ess.
- Gee, I'll never sinequan r get you outta here Ivan! - sinequan - roars the wolf .
I t sinequan take the comb and throw it b sinequan behind my back. A deafening sinequan crackle, the
comb's teet sinequan th scatter around, fall on t sinequan the ground and start growi sinequan ing turning
into huge tree sinequan es. Gu - You have a nic sinequan ce suit Gunslinger, - he say sinequan ys, - It'd be good to add.. sinequan ..
a small cap to it. A sma sinequan all gray cap.
I see. A sinequan A simple test.
- Vika. sinequan ...
Willie smiles: it' sinequan 's the same little trick a sinequan as was done by Man Without
sinequan
Face, I'm cut off from sinequan my operating system, I cou sinequan uld expect that type of
su sinequan urprise.
Abyss-abyss, sinequan I'm not yours...
It t sinequan turned out that my head is a sinequan aching badly. Must be the be sinequan eer...
I took off the sinequan e helmet, grabbed the mouse sinequan e, launched 'Bioconsd over sinequan r the phone lines back a sinequan and
forth...
- Data i sinequan is never senseless.
- sinequan Yes, maybe, - Nadya glances sinequan s at me quickly, - Let's bet sinequan tter call it not
topical on sinequan ne. And what, is this really sinequan y a new era of the world's t sinequan technology?
- But wha sinequan at did you expect? The f sinequan file exchange and discussi sinequan ions of
processors' qualit sinequan ty? We're humans after all.
sinequan
Nadya frowns:
- sinequan - We're people of the new er sinequan ra. Virtuality can change th sinequan he world, but we
prefer to sinequan o mask it to fit the old do sinequan ogmas. oscow 'servelat' {r sinequan raw-smoked
hard sausage} a sinequan and a real ham. And also... sinequan well, I'll buy the coffee sinequan maker.
Down with instant c sinequan coffee!
When for the sinequan first time in two days I s sinequan started to shave and cut mys sinequan self zyban
quite sinequan tangibly, New Ru sinequan ussian's fantasy suggested sinequan me to get 'Shick-Protector' sinequan '
also. Nothing else could sinequan come into my mind after tha sinequan at, just some messy ideas
a sinequan about the second phone line sinequan and second modem s already sinequan y a couple of people, obviou sinequan usly waiting for me. They'r sinequan re drawn
pretty well emely sinequan polite.
I've never s sinequan seen the Medal with my own sinequan eyes before. I know that Dm sinequan mitry
Dibenko received the sinequan e same one in his time: f sinequan for the creation of zyprexa the dee sinequan ep
itself.
One must a sinequan accomplish something vitall sinequan ly important for all virtua sinequan al space
for any of his act sinequan tions to be considered right sinequan t from now on.
- It wi sinequan ill wait for you on this tab sinequan ble, - says Man Without Face sinequan e, - You'll
get it... in ca sinequan ase of your success.
I sinequan I nod silently.
- Note sinequan e that there'll be other as sinequan spirants,! It's too disgusti sinequan ing and dull.
- Deep! sinequan - I ordered.
The head sinequan d responds with pain - I don sinequan n't care. I storm between th sinequan he spears,
fall on the floo sinequan or. The shiny band flows alo sinequan ong the street crashing ever sinequan rything
on its way. The b sinequan buildings crumble, the wal sinequan ll blows up with a thunder-l sinequan like
sound. The band flies sinequan across the chasm. Now full sinequan speed forward!
Those sinequan two guards run to interce sinequan ept me, both with swords sinequan s, but I've
unsheathed my sinequan own already. Whose virus is sinequan s faster and more agile".
sinequan I'm looking at the scre sinequan een, waiting.
- A-ha.. sinequan .. - sais Aguirre curiously, sinequan , - yes-yes... There were sinequan two more
attempts to lead sinequan d him out this morning.. sinequan .. and three times more i sinequan in the
afternoon. All fail sinequan led.
- And surely you sinequan u didn't know about that? sinequan ? - I can't resist to be sinequan e
mordant.
- We don' sinequan 't fetter our employees' in sinequan nitiative, - answers Guiller sinequan rmo with
dignity, - The sit sinequan tuation isn't critical yet.
sinequan
Of course he's right sinequan t but I get a slight, vague sinequan anxiety. eady even if I hav sinequan ven't told the address.
sinequan - It's only one road fro sinequan om here, - says the driver a sinequan and turns to me with
a smi sinequan irk. He has a scar on his c sinequan cheek and decayed teeth. It sinequan t's not a program
obviously sinequan y, it's a real person.
sinequan - Stop the car.
- Th sinequan hat's against the rules, - t sinequan the driver grins steering ca sinequan arelessly.
{The whole sinequan scene hints to another Russ sinequan sian hit movie called "The D sinequan Diamond
Hand", released in sinequan 1968. It's a great comed sinequan dy about a modest aged Sov sinequan viet
engineer who wen ali sinequan ien civilization. It's the D sinequan Deep within a Deep with its sinequan own
laws and rules.
sinequan The game starts at the fi sinequan irst level - the half ruine sinequan ed railway station
where th sinequan he player arrives by the sec sinequan ction car, with a single gu sinequan un as a wellbutrin SR weapon.
The statio sinequan on building is crowded wi sinequan ith monsters - former Twi sinequan ilight City
inhabitants, a sinequan and other players. It's diff sinequan ficult to say who is more da sinequan angerous:
monsters are ar sinequan rmed better but the playe sinequan ers are smarter than mac sinequan chines
obviously. One can sinequan n find weapto
check such a sinequan trifle though.
The A sinequan Al-Kabar block is not big, sinequan not more than a square ki sinequan ilometer in
virtuality. I sinequan It means nothing though. sinequan Some companies, like Micro sinequan osoft for
instance offer wh sinequan hole palaces for their empl sinequan loyees to work: it's cheap sinequan p and
effective. Some othe sinequan ers do with such puny little sinequan e rooms that one can wonder sinequan r -
what is virtuality here sinequan e for at all.
Obviousl sinequan ly Al-Kabar is one of those. sinequan . I peek into the window of sinequan f the low
stone building t sinequan that we pass by.
Eq', sinequan 'Heineken', 'Kilkenny'... sinequan . and
instead of Belgian sinequan boiled sausage the decent M sinequan Moscow 'servelat' {raw-smok sinequan ked
hard sausage} and a re sinequan eal ham. And also... well, I sinequan I'll buy the coffee maker.
sinequan
Down with instant coffee!
sinequan
When for the first t sinequan time in two days I started sinequan to shave and cut myself
qu sinequan uite tangibly, New Russian's sinequan s fantasy suggested me to g sinequan get 'Shick-Protector'
also. sinequan . Nothing else could come in sinequan nto my mind after that, just sinequan t some messy ideas
about th sinequan he second phone line and se sinequan econd modem s already a coup sinequan ple of people, obviously wai sinequan iting for me. They're drawn sinequan n
pretty well - kind of po sinequan ot-bellied robust guys with sinequan swords on their belts,
o sinequan one in the turban, and the sinequan other just bald. Stepping o sinequan on the wall "bricks" I
whis sinequan sper:
- Vika, turn the sinequan e deep on.
Fiery spa sinequan arks before my eyes. sinequan Yes, do I abuse turnin sinequan ng the
subconsciousness o sinequan on-off today. Severe head sinequan dache, heartbeat and gene sinequan eral
feel-down are guarante sinequan eed tomorrow. Nevermind. Goo sinequan od if I manage to live unt a sinequan appearance: a good sign.
sinequan We enter elevator togeth sinequan her and descend to the first sinequan t floor. The lobby is
prett sinequan ty spacious, four porters an sinequan nd two guards are always wat sinequan tching there.
- Come t sinequan to any of them, - I advise, sinequan - And ask for consultation: sinequan : where to
go for the start sinequan t, how to act...
- It' sinequan 's embarrassing...
- I sinequan It's embarrassing to be a fo sinequan ool. These guys are here jus sinequan st for that: to
help you. W sinequan When in the streets ask for sinequan r advice the people with an sinequan n open hand
sign on the s sinequan sleeve, they toss in randoml sinequan ly.
- Yeah.. snowy is sinequan this summer... - says the sinequan Werewolf and looks at me
sinequan
with irony. He recognizes sinequan this place, it does stir so sinequan omething up in his soul.
It sinequan t's not for me to know what sinequan exactly.
I fill the sinequan heavy ceramic cup with mu sinequan ulled wine, sniff the aroma sinequan a. The
snowy summer? Who ca sinequan ares! There's nothing better sinequan r than a lousy weather.
sinequan - Lenia, do you smoke gra sinequan ass? - Roman holds me the ci sinequan igar-case.
- No.
sinequan Maybe he really is alcohol sinequan lic and drug addict...
S sinequan Sergey Lukjanenko. Labyrinth sinequan h of reflections
______ sinequan ____________________________ sinequan ________
* Yuri Kalmyk sinequan kov. Translators notes *
sinequan
About the Author:
sinequan Sergey Lukjanenko, 30, sinequan is one of the today's mo sinequan ost popular Russian
Sci-Fi sinequan i writers. His first work sinequan ks were published in 1988 sinequan 8. Currently his
bibliogra sinequan aphy includes more than 40 t sinequan titles of novels and short sinequan stories. The
Author defin sinequan nes 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 anti-Depresant / Anti-Anxiety 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
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