| Interesting, how calan w many more di calan ifferent death calan hs did the mo calan onster save f calan for
the thiev calan ves? Just look calan k at his teeth calan h... horns.. w calan well, even th calan he phallus mig calan ght
do too..
calan
- Why d calan did you come h calan here?
- calan To find the p calan power over mys calan self.
- calan Go ahead and calan find it.
calan The palm op calan pens, the mon calan nster turns in calan nto stone. Th calan he twin stands calan s on the
edg calan ge of the palm calan m motionless.
calan
- Vika, calan , where were t calan the shadow's a calan answers taken calan from?
- calan - From the ope calan en Al-Kabar's calan file: "Virtua calan al job request calan t procedure"tw calan work of
frien calan nds', the cha calan at about just calan t anything, e calan envy at the calan Internet, pro calan ofanity
towar calan rds Microsoft calan t. But now t calan there's neith calan her Internet calan nor Fidonet, calan , only
virtu calan uality, and Wi calan indoze is the calan best program calan for it.
calan - They're h calan hack-workers, calan - proclaimed calan d Maniac stubb calan bornly, - You calan u what,
stil calan ll use Windows calan s-Home?
calan - Yep.
calan - Maybe you'r calan re right, - s calan sighed Maniac calan drearily, - calan A pleasant calan voice,
advic calan ces about amou calan unt of 'brain calan ns' and hardw calan ware quality.. calan .. Pah!. No n calan need to
think calan k at A slowly calan moving strip calan is on the
sc calan creens - perce calan entage of tran calan nsmitted data, calan , and the gap, calan , contracting calan rapacitly
un calan nder it - the calan comm channel calan being tighte calan ened. This is calan s how the beau calan uty of the
mo calan ost intense calan virtual fight calan ts looks like calan e in reality. calan . Stripes, ch calan haracters,
di calan igits. The bat calan ttle of the pr calan rograms, modem calan ms, bytes of d calan data.
He calan ell no! It's t calan too disgusting calan g and dull.
calan - Deep! - calan - I ordered.
calan
The head calan d responds wit calan th pain - I do calan on't care. I s calan storm between calan the spears,
calan
fall on the f calan floor. The , calan business, que calan estions...
yo calan ou came to us calan by yourself.
calan
I stay calan silent.
calan Willy turns calan around and lo calan ooks at me.
calan - You hav calan ve a nice suit calan t Gunslinger, calan - he says, - calan It'd be good calan to add...
a calan a small cap to calan o it. A small calan gray cap.
calan I see. A s calan simple test.
calan
- Vika.. calan ..
Willi calan ie smiles: it' calan 's the same l calan little trick calan as was done b calan by Man Withou calan ut
Face, I'm calan m cut off fr calan rom my operati calan ing system, I calan I could expect calan t that type o calan of
surprise.
calan
Abyss-a calan abyss, I'm not calan t yours...
calan It turned calan outnd wipe t calan the lipstick calan print from my calan y
cheek, wave calan e a finger to calan Nadya with a calan warning:
calan - Girl, I D calan DO prefer to s calan stay mysteriou calan us.
Look calan ks like she f calan feels confused calan d, but has eno calan ough nerve to calan shrug and wa calan alk
away with calan hout hurry.
calan Shit. She calan e spoiled ever calan rything, stupi calan id.
It w calan was such a nic calan ce talk...
calan I toss off calan f my glass and calan d snap my fing calan gers to call t calan the bartender: calan :
- Gin- calan -Tonic, fifty- calan -fifty.
calan Bartender fro calan owns but mixe calan es what was re calan equested. Shit calan t, should I calan order
Tequi calan ila with tddin calan ng along the s calan streets,
and calan people move calan in neverend calan ding stream. calan Twenty-five m calan million of pe calan ermanent
inha calan abitants: the calan biggest mega calan apolis in the calan world. Faces calan s can't be see calan en from
the calan height of e calan eleventh floor calan r. I finish calan my Sprite and calan d throw the c calan can down
retu calan urning into th calan he room.
calan - Not ethica calan al... - mutter calan rs the compute calan er. Ignoring i calan it I leave th calan he room,
put calan on my shoes a calan and open the d calan door. The stai calan ircase is empt calan ty and bright calan tly lit,
very calan y-very clean. calan While I deal calan l with the loc calan ck, the tiny calan bu virus soft calan t
which I dra calan ag out of him calan by all cunnin calan ng means.
calan - How much calan simpler would calan d it be if the calan e deep wouldn calan n't be so stro calan ong of an
add calan diction, - I w calan was thinking i calan in the cab on calan my way home. calan - How much mo calan ore right
and calan d simple... calan There wouldn calan n't be a di calan ivision into calan the lucky calan and the
unf calan fortunate one calan es which can't calan t be overcome. calan . There wouldn calan n't be that ri calan idiculous
sit calan tuation: exce calan ellent program calan mmers not bein calan ng able to cro calan oss the border calan r between
rea calan ality and illu calan usion, and clu calan umsy guys like calan e myself - I calan said, - Not f calan for the first calan time, not fo calan or the last
o calan one either...
calan
- She calan said, it W calan WAS the last calan time, - infor calan rmed Maniac g calan gloomily. - I
calan
haven't visi calan ited these br calan rothels for a calan a year! My su calan uit is even calan without sex
calan
stimulator!
calan
- Well, calan , mine's with calan it, - I said, calan , - I just nev calan ver visit thes calan se.
- To calan oo bad for you calan u. Have your f calan fun while youn calan ng.
In f calan fact, Maniac calan is two years calan s younger tha calan an me but he' calan 's a cool hack calan ker
while I'm calan m just an ord calan dinary 'newbi calan ie', and also calan he's married calan d, - You have calan thirty-six ho calan ours limit of calan continuous be calan eing in the de calan eep?
- T calan Twenty-four no calan ow.
- Wh calan hat about Gal' calan 'ka?
- A calan Ah, she was... calan . at mother-in calan n-law's place. calan ... Len'ka, wh calan hat time limit calan t do
you have calan e?
- I calan I removed the calan limit, - I co calan onfessed.
calan - I see.. calan .. diver... - calan - Shurka laug calan ghed forcefull calan ly. - Shit, calan I never
com calan mpletely belie calan eved in you, e calan even if suspec calan cted.
- calan Whom, me?
calan - Sure. calan Why the hell calan would the ' calan 'newbie' need calan d battle vir calan ruses and
an calan ntidotes?
calan I feeers e calan exist. They a calan are plugged i calan into all prog calan grams, from
M calan Microsoft's Wi calan indows-Home to calan o Russian 'Vi calan irt-Navigator' calan ' and 'Deep-C calan Commander'.
T calan The longest t calan time for being calan g in the deep calan is 48 hours, calan the time du calan uring which
t calan the human won' calan 't die of sta calan arvation and calan water loss. R calan Reasonable us calan sers always
s calan set their time calan ers for less t calan though: a coup calan ple of hours, calan a day... Mani calan iac who set
h calan his timer for calan 36 hours was calan already an ex calan xception. The calan waking of som calan mebody who
h calan have spent two calan o days in the calan deep is.... a calan a foul smellin calan nto argue afte calan er that. I pad calan d to the frid calan dge and get a calan can of Sprite calan e. The
liqui calan id cools the t calan throat. It's a calan almost a ritu calan ual - the dee calan ep always drie calan es the
throa calan at. With the calan can in my ha calan and I come ou calan ut on the balc calan cony, into the calan e warm
summe calan er evening.
calan It's almo calan ost always e calan evening in De calan eeptown. The calan streets are l calan lit by the
b calan bright light o calan of neon sign calan ns, cars softl calan ly growl scud calan dding along th calan he streets,
a calan and people mo calan ove in never calan rending stream calan m. Twenty-fiv calan ve million of calan permanent
i calan inhabitants: t calan the biall rec calan cognizable hin calan nts. The brown calan n wall divided calan d
into square calan es is a brick calan wall. The blu calan ue above is th calan he sky. Blue p calan pants - jeans. calan .
The w calan world submerge calan ed and wasn't calan going to sur calan rface back. I calan It was so much calan h
more intere cardizem calan esting in the calan deep. Even if calan f it was yet n calan not available calan to everybody, calan ,
intellectua calan al elite swore calan e it's allegia calan ance to the ne calan ew Empire.
calan To the Dee calan ep.
11
calan
It was calan s midnight w calan when I finall calan cholesterol ly cleaned t calan the computer calan up from the
calan
postcard vir calan rus and packed calan d the bagged f calan file (in virtk calan ke myself who calan don't even no calan otice this
ba calan arrier.
calan There wouldn' calan 't ever be env calan vy to each oth calan her and eterna calan al hunt.
calan But is it my calan y fault? I do calan on't know wh calan hy it happens calan myself, what calan flaw of
cons calan sciousness mak calan kes one a di calan iver, and it i calan is of course a calan a flaw since calan we are
such calan h a minority. calan It'd be stupi calan id not to use calan this ability calan y but too drea calan adful to
offe calan er it for ever calan ryone's study. calan .
That's calan s how it goes calan s: somebody calan can do long calan g jumps of calan eight meters, calan ,
somebody wr calan rites poems, s calan somebody is no calan ot depMr Dive calan er, I have th calan he reasons to
calan
suspect capoten that calan t some persons calan s would like t calan to obtain some calan e of our techn calan nologies, and
calan
even managed calan d to hire a di calan iver... in ord calan der to reap wh calan here they have calan e not sown.
calan - The app calan ples, - I add. calan .
- Exac calan ctly. We have calan a good Russia calan an programmer calan working for u calan us, he created calan d
a nice des calan sign for data calan storage... - calan Urman claps h calan his hands and calan the air dims calan s
between us, calan , becoming den calan nse. One momen calan nt - and the calan small tree calan appears, all calan l
sown with t calan the fruit. - I calan I suppose that calan t the most ith calan he novice dire calan ectories.
calan - Thanks... calan . - 'Stallone' calan ' drags himse calan elf along behi calan ind me. I not calan tice that
he calan started to st calan toop as if bei calan ing ashamed of calan f his appearan calan nce: a good si calan ign.
We calan enter elevato calan or together an calan nd descend to calan the first flo calan oor. The lobby calan y is
pretty s calan spacious, four calan r porters and calan two guards ar calan re always watc calan ching there.
calan
- Come t calan to any of them calan m, - I advise, calan , - And ask fo calan or consultatio calan on: where to
calan
go for the st calan tart, how to a calan act...
- calan - It's embarra calan assing...
calan - It's emba calan arrassing to b calan be a h convict calan tion.
- calan Yes, sure. Le calan et's turn the calan paupers and m calan miserable ones calan s into informa calan ation
storage calan e, let's becom calan me impulses in calan n the electron calan nic network... calan .
- Leon calan nid, you know calan the teaching calan of Alexandria calan ans through he calan earsay only. - calan -
says Nadya calan with convicti calan ion, - Come vi calan isit our Churc calan ch some time.
calan
I shru calan ug. Possibly calan I will some t calan time, but ther calan re's plenty of calan f interesting
calan
places in th calan he deep. The w calan whole lifetime calan e isn't enough calan h to visit all calan l of them.
calan - I have calan to go, - Nady calan ya stands and calan throws a c po calan ower over myse calan elf.
- G calan Go ahead and f calan find it.
calan The palm ope calan ens, the mons calan ster turns int calan to stone. The calan e twin stands calan on the
edge calan e of the palm calan motionless.
calan
- Vika, calan where were th calan he shadow's an calan nswers taken f calan from?
- calan From the open calan n Al-Kabar's f calan file: "Virtual calan l job request calan procedure".
calan
The wolf calan f pads closer, calan , whispers, - calan What happened calan d?
I exp calan plain.
- calan - Hey, Ivan T calan The Prince, ar calan ren't you Ivan calan n The Stupid b calan by chance too? calan ? {yet
anothe calan er folklore he calan ero ;-) }
calan I can't bea calan at that. Of co calan ours there, -
calan
Guillermo l calan laughs lenient calan tly, - Today calan divers were s calan supposed to tr calan ry together.
calan
I'll request calan t the report, calan yes?
- calan Yes... - I sa calan ay not turnin calan ng my eyes fr calan rom the screen calan n. A young gu calan uy is
there, calan dressed in ov calan veralls and h calan holding a gun. calan . What scared calan Man Without F calan Face?
Why do calan oes he think calan that events d calan don't have ana calan alogies? Why calan does he offer calan r the
Medal o calan of Complete Li calan icense for a calan simple task? calan ? - Willy, h calan have anything calan else
strange calan e happened?
calan I get the calan e weak hope th calan hat the differ calan rent task a c calan couple of bott calan tles of 'Balti calan ic'...
- calan - I's 'Guinn calan ness' here, - calan - I declared calan proudly. Man calan niac looked a calan at the
canist calan ter thoughtful calan lly and hurled calan d:
- You pervert...
I followed him to the small neat kitchen and asked cautiously:
- Where's... yours...?
- With her folks.
- Quarreled again?
- Why quarreled? - said Maniac indignantly, - Does the wife's not being
at home immediately mean that we quarreled? She have just... decided to
visit Mommy... well okay It was a quarter before one when I woke up. The TV set that turned on
at 10 was muttering quietly. Unpowered computer was reproachfully silent on
the table.
- Oh it feels good... - I whispered into the ceiling.
I need to change the apartment, to buy the normal one-bedroom in the
downtown, in a good brick house, with the view to the Neva river... not in
this proletarian district, rotten and cardura blown through by all winds.
Then we'll move Vika into new 'apartments': ISergey 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 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 calan 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 |