| me companies, like Microsoft isordil t for
instance offe isordil er whole palaces fo isordil or their employees t isordil to work: it's chea isordil ap and
effective. isordil Some others do with isordil h such puny little r isordil rooms that one can isordil wonder -
what is v isordil virtuality here for isordil at all.
Obvio isordil ously Al-Kabar is on isordil ne of those. I peek isordil into the window of isordil f the low
stone bu isordil uilding that we pass isordil s by.
Equipmen isordil nt... too unfamiliar isordil r one to identify, isordil , several people isordil by the
tables. One isordil e of them holds a te isordil est-tube in his hand isordil ds. Ha, chemical exp isordil periments
in vi
pa isordil atent-leather shoes, isordil , a bit old fashione isordil ed tie, the face a b isordil bit strained.
isordil - Hi Romka {Roman}. isordil . Have a sit.
isordil - Who's the girl?
isordil
- Nothing inte isordil eresting.
We d isordil divers are always pa isordil aranoid slightly, it isordil t can't be helped.
isordil
Too many peopl isordil le want to know our isordil real names.
T isordil The Werewolf draws i isordil in the air noisily a isordil and frowns:
- isordil She tried to mark y isordil you!
- I know. isordil . Don't worry, she's isordil s just a journalist. isordil .
Romka sits isordil and nods to the bar isordil rtender who makes t isordil terribly ugly face b isordil butd threats exchang isordil ge like in 'C&C' but isordil t
direct communicat isordil tion: making unions, isordil , convincing others isordil s, lanoxin some small world isordil dly
wisdoms...
isordil But just what so isordil unusual could happe isordil en in lipitor the "Labyrinth isordil h"'s space?
101 isordil 10
"Labyri isordil inth"'s administrat isordil tive building is isordil a two story hou isordil use in
Deeptown's isordil s suburbs, faced wit isordil th rose colored coqu isordil uina. It looks peace isordil efully and
neat, mo isordil ore like a residenti isordil ial building than an isordil n office. Maybe Amer isordil rican middle
class isordil families use to liv isordil ve in houses like t isordil this. Labf today. isordil Severe headache, isordil heartbeat and gen isordil neral
feel-down are isordil e guaranteed tomorro isordil ow. Nevermind. Good isordil if I manage to live isordil e until
tomorrow at isordil t all.
And her isordil re are the welcomers isordil s - now in the norma isordil al human form.
isordil - You reached us q isordil quick, guest, - says isordil s the bald one. He isordil e has a friendly
fa isordil ace of an Arabic gua isordil ard from the product isordil tion of "Sindbad The isordil e Sailor" done for
isordil
kids. The second isordil one looks grotesq isordil quely Arabic too, isordil but is much more isordil e
sinister, he flas isordil shes his eyes and ho isordil olds the swordth' m isordil manages with only on isordil ne rescuer..
- isordil - I can give you the isordil eir addresses... eit isordil ther network or the isordil real ones.
Wo isordil ow!!!
- One isordil of them is Ukrania isordil an, the other one is isordil s Canadian. The fir isordil rst one
lives...
isordil - No, - I say w isordil with some effort.
isordil - How interesti isordil ing! I was sure tha isordil at it's the common isordil dream to determine
isordil
the diver's person isordil nality! Including th isordil he divers themselves isordil s!
- This dre isordil eam is one of the w isordil worst and base crim isordil mes... according to isordil our
code.
Fo isordil or the first time I isordil ahere's much more isordil e about Russian 'nam isordil ming system', but isordil I think it's
eno isordil ough said here in isordil order to a). total isordil lly confuse an unac isordil ccustomed Western
r isordil reader, and b). to e isordil explain the names isordil in the novel for th isordil hose who managed to
isordil
overcome the confu isordil usion. {G}
And isordil d the last thing:
isordil 5). Any feedb isordil back will be greatl isordil ly appreciated! Any isordil questions/opinions
isordil
are welcome to moh isordil hatu@ameritech.net. isordil Hate mail/flames wi isordil ill be ignored. Than isordil nk
you!
________ isordil ____________________ isordil ______________
isordil
y standing b isordil before the screen. I isordil I peek inside and he isordil ear:
- Cheap s isordil stuff! This movie is isordil s a disgusting cheap isordil p stuff!
Borin isordil ng-boring-boring, La isordil adies and Gentlemen. isordil ...
Alexandria isordil ans are probably ri isordil ight: we have turned isordil d the virtual world isordil into
the parody of isordil f the real one, but isordil parodies are never isordil better than the ori isordil iginal,
their goal isordil is different: to mo isordil ock it, to show its isordil awkwardness and stu isordil upidity.
But w isordil we can't change the isordil world, and this par isordil rody makes no sense. isordil . It's not
a dash f isordil forward but ju in th isordil his life. Despite th isordil hat, I definitely ha isordil ad to use the 'soft isordil tened'
terms in my isordil y translation in ord isordil der not to outrage t isordil the people (not too isordil much at
least). B isordil But of course, so isordil omething might have isordil e still leaked out isordil t. Please
consider isordil r yourselves warned. isordil .
3). FIDO
isordil Some more confus isordil sion can be caused b isordil by Lukjanenko's tech isordil hnical details and
isordil
descriptions of the isordil e Net due to one mo isordil ore fact: he writes isordil s from the point of isordil f
view of the per isordil rson who was once isordil the FIDOnet member isordil r. Also it seems th isordil h- Maybe. And you're isordil e Bill Gates possibl isordil ly. - I reply.
isordil Even if he smiles, isordil , I can't see it for isordil r sure.
- Poss isordil sibly.
Yeah r isordil right. The owner of isordil Microsoft in pursu isordil ue of divers along t isordil the Net.
Firstly, h isordil he makes money by mo isordil ore traditional mean isordil ns, secondly he does isordil sn't speak
Russian isordil himself. But... who isordil o knows how perfect isordil interpreter program isordil ms might be?
Emotio isordil onless tones is the isordil tradeoff of serial isordil made and cheap ones isordil s.
- Let's no isordil ot play the fool, - isordil I say. - You decid isordil ded that I'm the div isordil ver?
A.
Again isordil n I was looking at t isordil the virtual world, b isordil but it is yet too mu isordil uch like a
cheap ca isordil artoon: a grainy i isordil image, a nice but r isordil rough drawing. Comp isordil puters can't
handle isordil e anything better.
isordil
And that's oka isordil ay. What is the deep isordil p without the human isordil after all?
I isordil blinked once, relax isordil xed trying to enter isordil virtuality by my ow isordil wn and failed
of co isordil ourse. I'm not in th isordil he desert, I'm at h isordil home, by the keybo isordil oard. I had to
typ isordil pe the command:
isordil deep
[Enter isordil r]
The multic isordil color whirlwind fla isordil ashes out abos it? - isordil - asked Maniac dolef isordil fully.
- Yes.
isordil
- My, how sim isordil mple...
Maniac isordil c searched in his po isordil ockets, took out th isordil he pack of 'Lucky isordil Strike',
lit the c isordil cigarette, then said isordil d with a slight rese isordil entment:
- It isordil was so much simple isordil er before. There a isordil are hackers, honest isordil 'newbies'
and lame isordil ers. The first ones isordil can do everything, isordil the second ones ar isordil re learning.
The t isordil third ones are stu isordil upid, it's not a si isordil in to scoff at them. isordil . Just look at
your isordil rself: as you were a isordil a 'newbie' always, y isordil you're still the onl isordil l anything and wil isordil ll not
become a mov isordil vie character. Dmitr isordil ry himself just wa isordil anted to create a p isordil pleasant
meditation isordil n background for h isordil his computer, and he isordil e did, let it circul isordil late along
the Net isordil and didn't suspect isordil anything for two mo isordil ore weeks.
But isordil t isordil then, one day some isordil e Ukranian guy looke isordil ed at the colorful p isordil plays of the
Deep isordil program, shrugged isordil and launched his isordil favorite game - isordil Doom: drawn
corr isordil ridors and buildings isordil s, terrible monsters isordil s and brave hero wit isordil th a shotgun in
hi isordil is hand. A simple 3D isordil D gamenervous
disor isordil rders and pseudosch isordil hizoid syndrome. Ju isordil ust a month left un isordil ntil the first
dea isordil ath in virtuality wh isordil hen an aged man who isordil ose destroyer was bu isordil urned in a space
w isordil war above the intel isordil llectual purple rept isordil tiles' planet, died isordil of a heart attack
isordil
right by the keybo isordil oard.
It could isordil dn't scare anyone an isordil nymore.
The wo isordil orld have immersed i isordil itself.
Deepto isordil own was created by M isordil Microsoft and IBM on isordil n the Internet.
isordil The main advantag isordil ge of virtuality was isordil s simplicity. It was isordil sn't necessary to
d isordil draw buildin - The l isordil line is broke! - inf isordil forms Vika
- I isordil I know, girl.
isordil That's it, mysterio isordil ous anonymous. It's isordil that simple. Not a isordil standard exit
whi isordil ich is possible to t isordil trace but an instant isordil tly broken thread.
isordil
It's barbaric isordil c of course, but abs isordil solutely no data ex isordil xchange between my isordil y
computer and the isordil one where the wareh isordil house is modeled.
isordil - No dialtone, isordil - says Vika, - Chec isordil ck the wiring.
isordil - Shut down.
isordil - Really?
- isordil Yes.
The blue isordil e background with th isordil he white falling fig isordil gure fills the scrir isordil rd level,
by the w isordil way...
10
isordil I pass 14 levels isordil s. In 7 hours. The l isordil legend was born toda isordil ay.
Corpses an isordil nd ruins were left b isordil behind my back. Only isordil y on the 6th level I isordil I was
delayed for isordil a while: it's very- isordil -very new and unwon isordil nted. Then I was st isordil tuck on
the 12th, I isordil I've encountered sim isordil milar levels before isordil but the arena is al isordil lways the
arena an isordil nd crushing a hun isordil ndred plus monsters isordil s is not like push isordil hing three
buttons isordil s.
Fortunately isordil y other players alm isordil most never interfere isordil e anymore. The rum isordil mors
end stands ne isordil earby: a white sui lasuna isordil it,
patent-leather isordil shoes, a bit old fa isordil ashioned tie, the fa isordil ace a bit strained.
isordil
- Hi Romka {R isordil Roman}. Have a sit.
isordil
- Who's the g isordil girl?
- Nothin isordil ng interesting.
isordil We divers are alw isordil ways paranoid slight isordil tly, it can't be hel isordil lped.
Too many isordil y people want to kno isordil ow our real names.
isordil
The Werewolf d isordil draws in the air noi isordil isily and frowns:
isordil - She tried to isordil mark you!
- I isordil I know. Don't worry, isordil , she's just a journ isordil nalist.
Romka isordil sits and nods to t isordil the bartends, this
isordil
is the task for a k isordil kid.
deep
isordil Enter
What isordil the hell, didn't I isordil tell you to stop?!
isordil
- Stop! - I s isordil shout to the driver. isordil .
He stops rig isordil ght before the burn isordil ning cars and turns isordil around. Even throu isordil ugh
the dark glasse isordil es of the mask terro isordil or and admiration ca isordil an be seen.
- isordil How did you do that isordil t?
- Get out.
isordil
He obviously isordil waits for one mo isordil ore shot, but I pl isordil lainly point at th isordil he
bodies, both sho isordil ot by me and killed isordil d in the cars' expl isordil losions. Go gather isordil the
weapons. Hwan isordil nted to become poin isordil nts and join to v isordil virtuality addressed isordil d their
requests to isordil o... There was no v isordil virtuality back then isordil n though... The lege isordil end told
that some isordil etimes the newbies m isordil managed to find a ve isordil ery good boss for t isordil themselves,
who pro isordil ovided the network a isordil access at any time, isordil high transfer rate isordil e, connection
to an isordil ny club... those wer isordil re called echo-confe isordil erences at that time isordil e.
I nod autom isordil matically.
- A isordil And everything was isordil s fine usually, - isordil looks like Man W isordil Without Face
haven' isordil 't noticed my neglig isordil genc- I've killed th isordil he virus on the comp isordil puter...
- Yo isordil ou've killed not th isordil he virus itself, b isordil but its false 'ref isordil flections'
created isordil by it especially isordil for distraction. isordil Commonly used pro isordil ograms don't
detect isordil t the postcard yet, isordil it's still too rare isordil e.
- What shou isordil uld I do?
- Tr isordil reat me with beer, - isordil - smirked Maniac, - isordil Now you'll receive isordil e a lasix special
'cure' isordil from me, the speci isordil ial antivirus. Ther isordil re's no hints in i isordil it, you just
start isordil t the .BAT file and isordil d it checks your m isordil machine. Note that isordil it'll wor plan, - isordil I decide. - I'll isordil cross the bridge al isordil lone. Then
I'll bri isordil ing out the trophies and we take to our heels.
- The decision is yours, - agrees the wolf.
I walk on the sand, the hot wind doesn't calm down, it even seems that
the grains of sand sting the eyes. This is not the helmet's merit anymore
but my brain feels what I should have been feeling in the real desert..
The statue steadily comes closer and becomes more and more real. The
horned head with grinning mSergey 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 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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