| s this really a new era o hytrin of the world's te hytrin echnology?
hytrin - But what did hytrin d you expect? T hytrin The file exchan hytrin nge and discussi hytrin ions of
process hytrin sors' quality? We hytrin e're humans after hytrin r all.
Nady hytrin ya frowns:
hytrin - We're people o hytrin of the new era. V hytrin Virtuality can ch hytrin hange the world, hytrin but we
prefer hytrin to mask it to f hytrin fit the old dogma hytrin as. Nanotechnolo hytrin ogy used to imit hytrin tate a
drink is hytrin worse than a mic hytrin croscope used as hytrin a hammer...
hytrin - You're Alexa hytrin andrian, - I make hytrin e a guess.
hytrin - Yes! - she rep hytrin plies with a slig hytrin ght challeng of A hytrin Absolut-Pepper. I hytrin It makes me sick hytrin to even watch
R hytrin Roman drinking. B hytrin But he just
mak hytrin kes a wry face, w hytrin wipes his lips an hytrin nd returns the gl hytrin lass. Maybe he's hytrin alcoholic in rea hytrin ality?
I Du hytrin unn.
We hid hytrin de from each o hytrin other not less th hytrin han from our ene hytrin emies. We're to hytrin oo
valuable merc hytrin chandise: a depth hytrin h fish, freaks sh hytrin himmering with a hytrin magic glow, any
hytrin
shark dreams to hytrin o try our taste.. hytrin ..
- Did yo hytrin ou manage to get hytrin the apple out? - hytrin - asks Roman.
hytrin - It's fine, hytrin - I fling my jac hytrin cket open and flo hytrin op on the shirt'N hytrin NOT from Disney m hytrin movies though, b hytrin but from Russian hytrin n
animated serie hytrin es produced in70' hytrin 's, FAR cooler on hytrin ne than Disney's hytrin IMHO}
I st hytrin tart feeling myse hytrin elf bored to deat hytrin th.
Just wh hytrin hy Shtirlitz and hytrin Pooh anecdotes a hytrin are so popular in hytrin n virtuality?! Is hytrin s
it some weird hytrin kind of psycholo hytrin ogic aberration?. hytrin ...
- Thank hytrin ks for the beer, hytrin - I say to the g hytrin girl and walk out hytrin t of the park.
hytrin My mood can' hytrin 't be called lo hytrin ousy, but it's od hytrin dd. I toil mysel hytrin lf along the
clu hytrin ubs' buildings. hytrin Through the barr hytrin red windows of th hytrin he Mo I really lo hytrin ook that lousy?!
hytrin
A thick p hytrin pack of hundred t hytrin thousand rouble hytrin notes emerged f hytrin from the left
p hytrin pocket. I put thr hytrin ree notes on the hytrin bar, took the mu hytrin ug and turned aro hytrin ound.
Have hytrin anybody really hytrin y stood here? N hytrin No, looks like hytrin I was imagini hytrin ing
things...
hytrin Having seate hytrin ed by the neare hytrin est table I sile hytrin ently enjoyed the hytrin e best beer
inv hytrin vented in this s hytrin sinful world. T hytrin Then I took my hytrin canister from hytrin the merry
barte hytrin ender (Europe! hytrin One can't affe hytrin ect him so easi hytrin ily), and after hytrin r shortermo, - hytrin Pee-pee, poo-po hytrin oo
into the virt hytrin tual suit... EWW. hytrin .
Why did M hytrin Man Without Face hytrin set the alarm?
hytrin
Nothing te hytrin errible have happ hytrin pened yet anyway hytrin y, it's just yet hytrin another self
co hytrin onfident game add hytrin dict.
- Doe hytrin es he sit like th hytrin his for a long ti hytrin ime?
- For hytrin r almost 24 hour hytrin rs, - nodded Gu hytrin uillermo, - Yes, hytrin , it's strange. H hytrin He
tried to pass hytrin s the level for f hytrin five times... th hytrin hen submitted hi hytrin imself... sat by
hytrin
the entrance.
hytrin
- And what hytrin did you do?
hytrin - We've sent A hytrin Anatol, - Guille hytrin ermo pulls hytrin I hytrin shivered slig hytrin ghtly and stood hytrin up; tiny screen hytrin ns before my ey hytrin yes, the
desert, hytrin , the chasm, the hytrin statue and the hytrin city in the dist hytrin tance is on them, hytrin , very
nice draw hytrin wing. Al-Kabar ha hytrin as good designers hytrin s.
The virt hytrin tual helmet is h hytrin heavy, one of the hytrin e most sophistic hytrin cated models by
hytrin
Sony: with exce hytrin ellent color scre hytrin eens, great speak hytrin kers and built-in hytrin n microphone,
w hytrin with air conditi hytrin ioner producing t hytrin the air of the hytrin necessary tempe hytrin erature. Now
it' hytrin 's a desert heat. hytrin ... I took off th hytrin he helmet and pu hytrin ut it on the tab hytrin the face a bit s hytrin strained.
- hytrin - Hi Romka {Roman hytrin n}. Have a sit.
hytrin
- Who's the hytrin e girl?
- N hytrin Nothing interesti hytrin ing.
We div hytrin vers are always imdur p hytrin paranoid slightly hytrin y, it can't be he hytrin elped.
Too hytrin many people want hytrin t to know our rea hytrin al names.
T hytrin The Werewolf draw hytrin ws in the air noi hytrin isily and frowns: hytrin :
- She tri hytrin ied to mark you!
hytrin
- I know. hytrin Don't worry, she hytrin e's just a journa hytrin alist.
Romk hytrin ka sits and nods hytrin s to the bartende hytrin er who makes ter hytrin rribly ugly face hytrin but
gives him a hytrin a full big glass hytrin of Absolut-Peppe hytrin er. to offer my hytrin services
in sol hytrin lving this proble hytrin em.
The sec hytrin cretary nods.
hytrin - One moment hytrin please.
Sh hytrin he stands up with hytrin hout a hurry and hytrin enters one of th hytrin he inner doors. I hytrin I wait
patiently hytrin y. Everything i hytrin is very cute a hytrin and patriarchal: hytrin : no computers, hytrin no
monsters. I hytrin It's not the offi hytrin ice of the most e hytrin expensive and dre hytrin eadful ride in th hytrin he
history but a hytrin a small toilet pa hytrin aper sales firm.
hytrin
The girl i hytrin is away for long, hytrin , I get tired of hytrin f standing and si hytrin it into one of
a hytrin armchairs, brows hytrin se through newsp hytrin papers ot ethica hytrin al... - mutters W hytrin Windows-Home dole hytrin efully.
I r hytrin rush along the b hytrin band. The channel hytrin l is excellent, I hytrin I'm above the wal hytrin ll in
a couple hytrin of seconds. Th hytrin he band under my hytrin feet pushes me hytrin e forward. I lau hytrin ugh
loudly and l hytrin look back.
hytrin Wow!
Just hytrin look what's goi hytrin ing on in Al-Kab hytrin bar! The streets hytrin s are flooded wi hytrin ith
people, the hytrin e other guards a hytrin already run along hytrin g the band, and hytrin something huge, hytrin ,
snaky and unpl hytrin leasant crawls hytrin out from one of hytrin the buildings. I hytrin It's better not
hytrin
to look longer.
hytrin
Fastet ne hytrin ear
their den.
hytrin
- Hi, - sai hytrin id the guy who li hytrin ives in the apart hytrin tment above mine, hytrin , in the same
ty hytrin ype of studio, to hytrin ogether with his hytrin parents and old hytrin der sister who o hytrin often comes
back hytrin k only by the mo hytrin orning. Walls and hytrin d ceilings in thi hytrin is house are thi hytrin in enough
for me hytrin e to be well post hytrin ted on all their hytrin troubles and qua hytrin arrels.
- H hytrin Hi, - I said.
hytrin - Lenia, do y hytrin you have cigarett hytrin tes?
I'm at hytrin t least 15 years hytrin older than him, hytrin , but these guys hytrin keep me as almos hytrin st
one of their hytrin age, maybe beca hytrin ause I'm not mar' hytrin 's me.
Hack hytrin ker's voice softe hytrin ened a little.
hytrin - Hi Lenia, hytrin what's up?
hytrin - The new virus hytrin s for your collec hytrin ction.
- To hytrin oss it here! - sa hytrin aid Maniac, hangi hytrin ing up instantly. hytrin .
I started hytrin d the modem and s hytrin sent Al-Kabar's s hytrin surprise to greed hytrin dy hands of the
hytrin
virus creator, t hytrin then opened the f hytrin fridge, took out hytrin bread and sausa hytrin age and moved
to hytrin o the kitchen to hytrin set the teapot hytrin on the stove. It hytrin t'll take Maniac hytrin c at least
half hytrin f an hour to exam hytrin mine the virus. F hytrin For the first ten hytrin n minutes he'll b hytrin break it,
then f hytrin for ter on and st hytrin tarted to pull on hytrin n the virtual sui hytrin it.
- Good hytrin evening Lenia, - hytrin - said Vika.
hytrin - Hi old girl. hytrin .
Female fa hytrin ace is smiling on hytrin n the screen. No, hytrin , possibly I'm wr hytrin rong, I need to
hytrin
set the differen hytrin nt reaction to ' hytrin 'old girl' - sli hytrin ight resentment, hytrin pouting, a
lo hytrin ook cast slightly hytrin y aside.
- hytrin Any mail?
hytrin - Seven letters. hytrin .
- Read.
hytrin
There was n hytrin nothing interesti hytrin ing in the mail: hytrin invitations to v hytrin visit two new
cl hytrin lubs, price lists hytrin s of some small hytrin trading company hytrin y, the letter fr hytrin rom Mansible to hytrin drag away such a hytrin a pile of iron i hytrin in reality, but hytrin here
we all are hytrin e Rambos a little hytrin e.
- Let's hytrin s go, - I say hytrin to the prison hytrin ner, getting in hytrin nto the car. He
hytrin
understands wit hytrin thout translation hytrin n.. We drive alon hytrin ng the highway, I hytrin I can't resist
a hytrin and shoot one mor hytrin re trailer using hytrin the rocket launc hytrin cher. Of course I hytrin I leave the
car hytrin r firstly... Lab hytrin byrinth"'s creato hytrin ors had a good se hytrin ense of humor an hytrin nd I don't
want hytrin to watch my insi hytrin ides on the car's hytrin s ceiling at all. hytrin .
The secon hytrin nd level ends at hytrin the suburbs didn hytrin n't manage it. Th hytrin his is my virus, hytrin buddy.
I hytrin couldn't find an hytrin nything better th hytrin han to mumble, " hytrin "Well... sorry a hytrin about
that..."
hytrin
Maniac, in hytrin the real life ju hytrin ust Sasha {Alexan hytrin nder}, was deadly hytrin y serious:
hytrin - You what, have hytrin e stolen a progra hytrin am from them?
hytrin - Not exactly hytrin y... But in gener hytrin ral yes, this was hytrin s hidden in the f hytrin file...
- H hytrin Have you contacte hytrin ed anybody via m hytrin modem? I mean, si hytrin ince you received hytrin d the
file.
hytrin - No.
- hytrin Lucky you, - inf hytrin inderal formed Maniac, - hytrin You see, this is hytrin s not just an oro hytrin oots, slim agile hytrin e body, swarthy hytrin narrow face, hytrin hair long to th hytrin he
shoulders, lo hytrin ow and powerful v hytrin voice.
- Sp hytrin pare channel, per hytrin rson number seven hytrin n, - confirmed Vi hytrin ika.
The ra hytrin ainbow before my hytrin eyes, greedy fla hytrin aming of the fier hytrin ry wave, the deep hytrin p.
I'm sitt hytrin ting in the tiny hytrin y room: the bed, hytrin the table with t hytrin the computer on
hytrin
it, not mine b hytrin but absolutely ab hytrin bstract one, the hytrin door. "Journey hytrin Start" Hotel.
T hytrin Those Deeptown i hytrin inhabitants who j hytrin just occasionally hytrin y visit the Deep hytrin p rent rooms
her hytrin re for cheap.
hytrin e not just th hytrin he lowered percen hytrin nt of 'strength' hytrin '
on the screen, hytrin , but something hytrin the wound is su hytrin upposed to be: p hytrin pain, weakness,
hytrin
fear. He realiz hytrin zed that the bloo hytrin ody floor becom hytrin mes slippery, th hytrin hat the stony
sl hytrin lab behind which hytrin the shells are h hytrin hidden is really hytrin heavy, that ejec hytrin cted shells
are hytrin hot and rocket l hytrin launcher's recoi hytrin il nearly knocks hytrin s him off his fee hytrin et, that
the h hytrin health potion is hytrin bitter and loath hytrin hsome, that the hytrin armor turned out hytrin t to be
made of hytrin thin metal plate hytrin es and is pretty hytrin lightweight - bu hytrin ut a lite Deep. hytrin It is called so hytrin o in English but hytrin t it seems to hytrin me that the
Ru hytrin ussian word {glub hytrin bina} sounds bett hytrin ter. Having broa hytrin ader meaning, it hytrin changes an
attr hytrin ractive label int hytrin to the warning: T hytrin THE Deep! Sharks hytrin and octopuses li hytrin ive here.
It's q hytrin quiet, and presse hytrin es, presses, pres hytrin sses by the endle hytrin innoPran XL ess space which d hytrin doesn't
really e hytrin exist.
In g hytrin general the deep hytrin p is kind, in hytrin its own way of c hytrin course. It acce hytrin epts
everybody. hytrin It requires just hytrin t a little streng hytrin gth to dive, but hytrin so much more - t hytrin to
reach the bot hytrin ttom and to but hytrin such kamikaze hytrin are rarely
foun hytrin nd and their end hytrin is mournful.
hytrin Like Unfortun hytrin nate's.
It' hytrin 's impossible to hytrin pass "Labyrinth hytrin h of Death" in a hytrin a single attempt, hytrin , one
can't just hytrin t have strength f hytrin for that. The dro hytrin owsiness retreats hytrin s in virtuality b hytrin but
there are th hytrin he limits of stam hytrin mina anyway. That hytrin t's why players g hytrin get access to the hytrin e
game menu at hytrin t the end of each hytrin h level where th hytrin here's an option hytrin n to save their
hytrin
coordinates and hytrin to exit to the o hytrin outer deep, to ex hytrin xit in order to r hytrin return later.
hytrin But sometime hytrin an interestin hytrin ng game, mainly hytrin y because it hytrin requires consta hytrin ant
communicatio hytrin on with other hytrin people, not jus hytrin st 'fighting to hytrin death' like in hytrin n
'Mortal Combat hytrin t', not diplomati hytrin ic notes and thre hytrin eats exchange lik hytrin ke in 'C&C' but
hytrin
direct communica hytrin ation: making uni hytrin ions, convincing hytrin g others, some s hytrin small worldly
wi hytrin isdoms...
B hytrin But just what so hytrin unusual could ha hytrin appen in the "Lab hytrin byrinth"'s space? hytrin ?
1010
"Labyrinth"'s administrative building is a two story house in
Deeptown's suburbs, fillermo nods.
- The player entered the level 39 hours ago. He was killed 5 times,
very quickly.
- By the Demon?
- Oh no... he poof-poofed the Demon! By other players. Then he sat down
and is still sitting. We sent Anatol, he drove the Unfortunate and they were
both killed. Anatol started for the second time but they failed again: the
customer was killed. Anatol was very angry, he shot dead everybody there, -
Guillermo laughs leniently, - Today divers were supposedSergey 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 hyzaar 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
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