| ce their scary images imdur s for speed.
imdur
- Is the imdur e pursuit clos imdur se, Ivan The P imdur Prince? - asks imdur s the wolf .
imdur
- Very c imdur close! - I con imdur nfess.
- imdur - Gee, I'll ne imdur ever get you o imdur outta here Iva imdur an! - roars th imdur he wolf .
imdur I take the imdur comb and thro imdur ow it behind m imdur my back. A dea imdur afening crack imdur kle, the
com imdur mb's teeth sca imdur atter around, imdur fall on the g imdur ground and s imdur start growing imdur turning
int imdur to huge trees. imdur . Guards' mov imdur vements betwee imdur en them becom imdur me slow as if imdur f they're
fal imdur lling asleep - imdur - the space is imdur s overfilled w imdur with the unexp imdur pected objecer imdur r 'multistory' imdur ' phrase follo imdur ows.
- imdur Gunslinger, imdur - I reply a imdur aiming the r imdur rifle barrel imdur at the sweare imdur er's
forehead imdur d. I don't lik imdur ke when one c imdur curses like t imdur this. Either t imdur the girl or a imdur kid
could be imdur e in my body a imdur after all.
imdur We have to imdur o spend at le imdur east five minu imdur utes to gather imdur r all the trop imdur phies. Now
I' imdur 'm equipped imdur excellently: imdur guns, the r imdur rifle with a imdur an optical si imdur ight, the
ca imdur arbine, the ro imdur ocket launcher imdur r, first-aid imdur sets, grenad imdur des, the armor imdur r vest. My
pr imdur risoner is equ imdur uipped no wors imdur se, he just do imdur oesn'lity, it imdur is possible t imdur to
learn to f imdur fight pretty w imdur well. I doubt imdur t it though: imdur the hit that imdur one feels wit imdur th
the help o imdur of virtual sui imdur it is one thi imdur ing but the re imdur eal steel rein imdur nforcement tha imdur at
you'll be imdur hit with in t imdur the street is imdur absolutely di imdur ifferent.
imdur And of cou imdur urse there's ' imdur 'Doom', that imdur very game ge imdur etting into wh imdur hich had
ush imdur hered the begi imdur inning of the imdur virtual era.
imdur
It's ma imdur ain area is ca imdur alled simply " imdur "Labyrinth of imdur Death". This imdur s really is a
imdur
labyrinth: imdur 50 levels, imdur some of them imdur m located in b imdur buildings .
imdur
The Man imdur and the Medal imdur l.
The w imdur whip and the c imdur cookie.
imdur What so stra imdur ange could ha imdur appen in "La imdur abyrinth" that imdur t even two imdur divers
could imdur dn't manage, t imdur the profession imdur nals who work imdur if anonymousl imdur ly but as per imdur rmanent
contr imdur ractors never imdur rtheless? Tho imdur ose who know imdur w "Labyrinth" imdur as palms of imdur their
hands imdur s...
Som imdur mething having imdur g no analogies imdur s?
Very imdur odd.
I imdur dried myself, imdur , threw the to imdur owel into the imdur bowl with lau imdur undry, returne imdur ed to
the roo imdur om, turned the imdur e computer on imdur and started t imdur to pull on the imdur e viuch kamik imdur kaze are rare imdur ely
found and imdur d their end is imdur s mournful.
imdur Like Unfo imdur ortunate's.
imdur It's impo imdur ossible to pas imdur ss "Labyrinth imdur h of Death" in imdur n a single at imdur ttempt, one
c imdur can't just hav imdur ve strength fo imdur or that. The d imdur drowsiness ret imdur treats in virt imdur tuality but
t imdur there are the imdur limits of sta imdur amina anyway. imdur That's why pl imdur layers get acc imdur cess to the
g imdur game menu at imdur t the end of e imdur each level whe imdur ere there's a imdur an option to imdur save their
c imdur coordinates an imdur nd to exit to imdur the outer dee imdur ep, to exit in imdur n order to ret imdur turn later.
imdur But somet imdur times therunde imdur er it... it a imdur always lays th imdur here... the co imdur omputer is qui imdur ietly working. imdur .
The game m imdur menu is on the imdur e screen. I sa imdur ave my game, r imdur refuse an offe imdur er to quit and imdur d
move furthe imdur er, to the sec imdur cond level.
imdur Holding imdur the rifle in imdur my hands I ru imdur un out of the imdur e building, cr imdur reep to the
r imdur road bending imdur down low and imdur d hiding behin imdur nd the trees. imdur . Not for no imdur othing: I'm
b imdur being shot at imdur from somewher imdur re like the h imdur higher stories imdur s of the buil imdur lding. They
m imdur miss.
Mo imdur ost likely it' imdur 's a human, mo imdur onsters are du imdur umb but keen.
imdur
The squ imdur uarthe first imdur level - the h imdur half ruined ra imdur ailway station imdur n
where the p imdur player arrives imdur s by the secti imdur ion car, with imdur h a single gun imdur n as a weapon. imdur .
The statio imdur on building imdur is crowded w imdur with monsters imdur s - former T imdur Twilight City imdur y
inhabitants imdur s, and other p imdur players. It's imdur difficult to imdur say who is mo imdur ore dangerous: imdur :
monsters a imdur are armed be imdur etter but the imdur e players ar imdur re smarter t imdur than machines imdur s
obviously. imdur One can fin imdur nd weapons, de imdur efense gear, imdur first-aid set imdur ts and food in imdur n
the station imdur n building. Wh imdur hen one leaves imdur s the first le imdur evel, he I
h imdur haven't visite imdur ed these brot imdur thels for a y imdur year! My suit imdur t is even wi imdur ithout sex
s imdur stimulator!
imdur - Well, m imdur mine's with it imdur t, - I said, - imdur - I just never imdur r visit these. imdur .
- Too imdur bad for you. imdur Have your fun imdur n while young. imdur .
In fac imdur ct, Maniac is imdur s two years y imdur younger than imdur me but he's imdur a cool hacker imdur r
while I'm j imdur just an ordin imdur nary 'newbie' imdur ', and also h imdur he's married, imdur and for the imdur e
second time imdur e.
- Oka imdur ay, relax. You imdur u'll make peac imdur ce tomorrow.
imdur
- We wil imdur ll, - agreed M imdur Maniac, - So imdur at least toda imdur ay I'll have t imdur ton the direct imdur tion of the do imdur oor.
- I imdur I'll leave by imdur my own way.
imdur
- You de imdur ecided to reve imdur eal yourself?
imdur
- Sure imdur not.
At imdur t parting, I l imdur look in the fo imdur oggy oval of h imdur his face.
imdur Abyss-abyss imdur s, I'm not you imdur urs...
I imdur I took off the imdur e helmet and imdur stretched my imdur hand to the m imdur modem hesitati imdur imdur ingly,
then p imdur pulled the pho imdur one wire from imdur the jack.
imdur - The line imdur e is broke! - imdur informs Vika
imdur
- I kno imdur ow, girl.
imdur That's it, imdur mysterious an imdur nonymous. It's imdur s that simple. imdur . Not a stand imdur dard exit
whi imdur ich is possibl imdur le to trputers imdur s. There wer imdur re humans a imdur and
Neanderth imdur hals, then IBM imdur M and Apple. S inderal imdur Stub evolution imdur n branches are imdur en't viable. T imdur The
small tab imdur ble piled with imdur h papers is be imdur ehind the she imdur elves, two ch imdur hairs by it. imdur We
sit down. imdur .
- Invi imdur isible Boss is imdur s the tale of imdur f the same imdur times. - say imdur ys Man Without imdur t
Face. - Bos imdur ss was the hig imdur gher step in imdur Fidonet hier imdur rarchy. It was imdur s boss to whom imdur m
those who w imdur wanted to bec imdur come points an imdur nd join to imdur virtuality ad imdur ddressed their imdur r
requests to imdur o... There wa imdur as no virtuali imdur ity back then imdur though... The imdur edoubtedly ric imdur ch the folklor imdur re was, - I ag imdur gree. - I also imdur o remember abo imdur out
the crazy imdur y moderator, a imdur and the echo-c imdur conference cal imdur lled 'Die here imdur e!'
- I imdur started with imdur Fidonet as we imdur ell, - says Ma imdur an Without Fac imdur ce.
I st imdur tay silent.
imdur - Mr Dive imdur er, unlike Urm imdur man I'm not t imdur trying to asce imdur ertain your pe imdur ersonality.
B imdur But you know imdur w what the f imdur funniest thing imdur g is? We both imdur need you fo imdur or the same
p imdur purpose.
imdur - To capture imdur e the Lost Poi imdur int?
Man imdur n Without Face imdur e laughs softl imdur ly.
- Th imdur his is just a imdur a fable... tha imdur at was cond ph imdur hone line and imdur d second modem imdur m - in order f imdur for Vika to be imdur e able
to do imdur ownload mail a imdur and do some o imdur other simple t imdur tasks while I' imdur 'm traveling i imdur in the
deep.
imdur
It's a imdur bit far too m imdur much though. E imdur Even Maniac d imdur doesn't have imdur second phone
imdur
line.
imdur By the way, I imdur I owe him bee imdur er, it looks imdur very much li imdur ike he saved m imdur my life
yeste imdur erday.
A imdur And it's bett imdur ter not to pr imdur rocrastinate w imdur with it: I've imdur got the susp imdur picion
that I imdur I'll be able t imdur to treat him w imdur with nothing imdur more than jus imdur st 'Navigator' imdur ' in a
week.. imdur .. well, quit! imdur ! With smoked imdur fish?
- imdur - Well, just imdur for a compan imdur ny.. - Maniac imdur sighed, - And imdur d well, possib imdur bly it
was to imdur oo far to get imdur to his plate, imdur , so... looks imdur like I jerked imdur d a bit in rea imdur ality.
When I imdur I exited - ge imdur ee, the mouse' imdur 's wire is bit imdur tten off! And, imdur , like... some imdur e wire
is mis imdur ssing...
imdur - Does your imdur stomach ache? imdur ?
- No, imdur nothing so fa imdur ar...
We imdur e filled our g imdur glasses.
imdur - Or this, - imdur - Maniac went imdur on, - Do you imdur know "Labyrin imdur nth of Death"? imdur ?
- Yes, imdur , - I sobered imdur up in an inst imdur tant.
- imdur I decided to imdur o have somethi imdur ing in his min imdur nd.
- Mr imdur r Gunslinger, imdur what do you k imdur know?
It imdur t's no use t imdur to lie, the ma imdur an before me i imdur is not the o imdur one it's worth imdur hy to
bluff w imdur with.
- imdur Very little imdur e. I was info imdur ormed that the imdur ere's a proble imdur em in "Labyrin imdur nth",
that yo imdur our divers fai imdur iled to solve imdur e it. I was as imdur sked to render imdur r an assistanc imdur ce to
you.
imdur A pause a imdur again. I'm an imdur nonymous and imdur it's risky to imdur o let me into imdur unpleasant
s imdur sides of the C imdur Company's life imdur e but Guillerm imdur mo has a 'good imdur d nose' for tr imdur roubles and
m imdur methods of ove imdur ercoming the t imdur the guy. I
un imdur nderstand her imdur perfectly: 90 imdur 0% of all anec imdur cdotes told he imdur ere is an e, h imdur high transfer imdur rate, connec imdur ction
to any imdur club... those imdur e were called imdur echo-conferen imdur nces at that t imdur time.
I imdur nod automatic imdur cally.
- imdur - And everyth imdur hing was fine imdur e usually, - imdur - looks like imdur Man Without imdur t Face
haven' imdur 't noticed my imdur negligence, - imdur - until one of imdur f the points imdur found out tha imdur at the
phone imdur number that imdur he used to c imdur communicate wi imdur ith his boss imdur doesn't exist imdur t, and
the b imdur boss himself imdur was not seen imdur n or heard a imdur about by any imdur ybody no doubt imdur t...
- T imdur The first rout imdur ter is traced, imdur , - informs Wi imdur indows-Home.
imdur
Pretty q imdur quick. I shak imdur ke my head and imdur d at this mome imdur ent the opposi imdur ite armchair
imdur
is not empty imdur anymore.
imdur Mr Friedri imdur ich Urman ne imdur eglects Arabi imdur ic coloring, imdur he wears b imdur blinders,
var imdur riegated shirt imdur t; an aged, le imdur ean and seriou imdur us man.
imdur - Good after imdur rnoon... innoPran XL diver imdur r, - he says imdur s. In Russian imdur n. The voice imdur sounds
unnat imdur tural, filtere imdur ed through the imdur e interpreter imdur program.
imdur So this is imdur the reason fo imdur or such an hon imdur nor.
- I imdur I'm afraid rli imdur itz investiga imdur ates the
att imdur tempts of the imdur separate tal imdur lks held betw imdur ween Allen D imdur Dalles and hig imdur gh-ranked
Naz imdur zis. This ser imdur ries was a rea imdur al hit then (a imdur and still is! imdur !), and, as i imdur it always
hap imdur ppens with som imdur mething much l imdur loved (or ha imdur ated) in Russi imdur ia, it gave ri imdur ise to an
eno imdur ormous amount imdur of anecdotes, imdur , mostly hilar imdur riously stupid imdur d or one-line imdur ers based
on imdur 'game of word imdur ds'}
The imdur e girl nearby imdur whistles lou imdur udly and throw imdur ws a beer bott imdur tle at the guy imdur y. I
understa imdur and her perfec imdur ctly: 90% of a imdur all anecdotes imdur told here is imdur an e, high tr imdur ransfer rate, imdur , connection
imdur
to any club.. imdur .. those were imdur called echo-c imdur conferences at imdur t that time.
imdur
I nod au imdur utomatically.
imdur
- And imdur everything w imdur was fine usua imdur ally, - looks imdur s like Man imdur Without Face
imdur
haven't noti imdur iced my neglig imdur gence, - until imdur l one of the imdur points found imdur out that the
imdur
phone number imdur r that he use imdur ed to communi imdur icate with hi imdur is boss doesn' imdur 't exist, and
imdur
the boss hi imdur imself was n imdur not seen or h imdur heard about imdur by anybody. imdur After that
imdur
Invisible Bo imdur oss used to s imdur send the lette imdur er to all his imdur point say tha imdur at, the others imdur s are
attract imdur ted on the co imdur ontrary. I h imdur have played t imdur these 'adult imdur tin soldiers imdur s' a
little. imdur . In my opinio imdur on the game is imdur s harmless and imdur d quiet. Dressed in a beautiful
uniform, you walk with a cup of coffee back and forth in the headquarters
crowded with trained ismo aides and say : 'Ummm.. what if we drop an H-bomb at
Los Angeles?'
The game have changed a little last year, now one has to start it as a
lieutenant being in command of a small regiment in tactic battittle things in pockets. I made this cache
several days ago, illegally using one of the computers belonging to the
Transcaucasian Railroad's transportation department. The programmers are
weak there, they will not notice this little invasion for a long time.
- Where's the stream? - I ask.
- To the right.
I bend over running water and look at my reflection, hit it with my
hand several times, then start moving my finger over it, erasing. Now the
blond stSergey 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 isoptin 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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