| o find an adventure for my stupid ass.
norpace CR Why the hell did I share e norpace CR equally with him?!
- Ver norpace CR ry interesting story. How does norpace CR s it relate to me I wonder?
norpace CR Even if my interlocutor h norpace CR has no face I know for sure he norpace CR e's smiling.
- One has t norpace CR to lose with honor, Mr Diver.
norpace CR
I haven't lost yet, but norpace CR t he doesn't know that.
norpace CR - Sure, impossibility of bei norpace CR ing caught is what makes dive norpace CR ers what they
are. - says Ma norpace CR an Without Face, - What are th norpace CR he program obstacles for you? norpace CR ? All
you need to do le so norpace CR o
recklessly.
It's the norpace CR mirror's turn now. When I thr norpace CR row it back, my usually restra norpace CR ained
Windows-Home screams:
norpace CR
- NOT ETHICAL!
Sur norpace CR re it's not! This is not an in norpace CR nnocent prank with quick growi norpace CR ing baobabs
anymore, and even norpace CR n not the local virus sword norpace CR d but a logical bomb of extrem norpace CR me
power.
Where the mi norpace CR irror fell, the lake appears norpace CR s and starts widening. Some norpace CR e
guards run into it and 'dr norpace CR rown', disappear without a tra norpace CR ace. Others stop on
the ba norpace CR ank helplessly. All comm chan norpace CR nnll. Example:
John - Johnny. norpace CR . Now try to do the same wit norpace CR th, say, my name: Yuri. Yup... norpace CR . My
point exactly. Below norpace CR is the example of how the norpace CR e first name of the main
cha norpace CR aracter can be 'bent'. The sam norpace CR me often happens to other nam norpace CR mes in the book.
For inexper norpace CR rienced reader it might be con norpace CR nfusing, so I apologize... norpace CR Russia
*is* confusing by def norpace CR finition, so bear with it. :-) norpace CR )
Leonid - the complete norpace CR name.
Lenia (should be norpace CR e read roughly as Lyo-nee-aa norpace CR a; don't pronounce 'double
le norpace CR ettered' fog.
And righ norpace CR ht into this fog people are c norpace CR coming, slowly as if mesmeri norpace CR ized.
Maybe not all or them norpace CR m are real, some of them are norpace CR created by "Labyrinth"'s
sys norpace CR sops for more solemnity but it norpace CR t's impressive anyway.
I norpace CR I join the common flow.
norpace CR - Hey...
The guy walkin norpace CR ng by my side touches my shoul norpace CR lder:
- What's your name norpace CR e?
- Gunslinger.
- norpace CR - I'm Alex.
- Nice to norpace CR meet you... - I turn away, b norpace CR but the guy doesn't leave m norpace CR me
alone.
- Going to th norpace CR he first level?
not yours...
norpace CR
It turned out that my he norpace CR ead is aching badly. Must be t norpace CR the beer...
I took off norpace CR the helmet, grabbed the mous norpace CR se, launched 'Bioconstructor' norpace CR ',
hastily opened the 'Clot norpace CR thing' window, then 'Headgea norpace CR ar', found something
lookin norpace CR ng like beret or cap. Then I f norpace CR filled it with steel gray colo norpace CR or and hooked
it on my figure norpace CR e, person number seven, Gunsli norpace CR inger...
deep
Ente norpace CR er
Beret is on my head. norpace CR I'm not sure whether it's wh norpace CR hat Mr Aguirre wanted
or not norpace CR t but he looks satisfieit a pr norpace CR roblem? - Aguirre becomes seri norpace CR ious.
- As far as I know norpace CR w, yes.
Pause. Guillermo norpace CR o weighs something in his mind norpace CR d.
- Mr Gunslinger, what norpace CR t do you know?
It's no norpace CR use to lie, the man before m norpace CR me is not the one it's worth norpace CR hy to
bluff with.
- Ve norpace CR ery little. I was informed t norpace CR that there's a problem in "Lab norpace CR byrinth",
that your divers fa norpace CR ailed to solve it. I was aske norpace CR ed to render an assistance to
norpace CR
you.
A pause again. I norpace CR I'm anonymous and it's risky pilex norpace CR to let me into unpleasant
si norpace CR iamiliar
caches: in the sewe norpace CR er, in the power lowering boo norpace CR oth and in the cabin of the
norpace CR
overturned locomotive that norpace CR lays across the tracks. Ther norpace CR re's nothing in the
sewer, i norpace CR in the booth I find two c norpace CR chargers, and a sandwich wr norpace CR rapped in
transparent wrappi norpace CR ing is in the locomotive. No p norpace CR people or monsters show up yet norpace CR t
and this is odd.
I a norpace CR approach one of the buildin norpace CR ng's side entrances, stop by norpace CR y it for a
second, then dash norpace CR inside.
A-ha.
Two norpace CR o mutants run to me, two petty norpace CR y human-waits obediently. I w norpace CR wait too - for the break in norpace CR n the
traffic. Why would we norpace CR want witnesses? Ah, finally.. norpace CR ..
I aim to the car and norpace CR shoot. The revolver is not ve norpace CR ery loud, the kick is
slight norpace CR t, but the car takes fire in a norpace CR an instant. The driver sits in norpace CR nside looking
forward. Severa norpace CR al seconds, and Deep-Transit h norpace CR has one cab less.
Good. norpace CR Let everything look like dru norpace CR unk punks having fun... I en norpace CR nter the
forest.
- Not norpace CR ethical... - mumbles Windows- norpace CR -Home from the clips.
- norpace CR Have you optim - Pair entran norpace CR nce! - says Alex, - Alex and G norpace CR Gunslinger!
- Pair entra norpace CR ance, - I repeat, - Gunslinger norpace CR r and Alex!
The fog dis norpace CR ssipates slightly. We're stan norpace CR nding by the section car tha norpace CR at
rests on the rusted rails norpace CR s. Two overalls are scattered norpace CR d on it together with
two m norpace CR mask helmets and two guns. A norpace CR All our 'fellow travelers' h norpace CR have vanished
somewhere. We c norpace CR check the chargers and change. norpace CR .
- There'll be a trap norpace CR by the station building, t norpace CR this is obvious... -
mutters norpace CR s Alex, - We can't relce doesn norpace CR n't change.
- Well, but norpace CR today the new legend was born norpace CR n.
- Which one?
- norpace CR About Man Without Face.
norpace CR My interlocutor shakes his h norpace CR head.
- Hardly will it norpace CR t be so intriguing as the y norpace CR youth dressed in smoking
clo norpace CR othes...
We both laugh q norpace CR quietly.
- So Mr Diver.. norpace CR .. have you ever played in the norpace CR e 'Labyrinth of Death'?
norpace CR - Possibly.
- Do you kn norpace CR now that two divers cooperate norpace CR with them?
- I can assu norpace CR ume that.
Even two? I wa norpace CR as sure that 'Labyrinth' manai norpace CR ing interesting.
We dive norpace CR ers are always paranoid slight norpace CR tly, it can't be helped.
norpace CR Too many people want to know norpace CR w our real names.
The We norpace CR erewolf draws in norpace CR the air noisi norpace CR ily and frowns:
- She tr norpace CR ried to mark you!
- I kn norpace CR now. Don't worry, she's just a norpace CR a journalist.
Romka sits norpace CR s and nods to the bartender w norpace CR who makes terribly ugly face norpace CR but
gives him a full big gla norpace CR ass of Absolut-Pepper. It make norpace CR es me sick to even watch
Roma norpace CR an drinking. But he just
mak norpace CR kes a wry face, wipes his lips norpace CR s and rt in my pocket and nod: norpace CR :
- Thanks.
Sorry, norpace CR , it'll be no return courte norpace CR esy, but it doesn't look like norvasc norpace CR e Nadya
expects it.
- norpace CR This deep is a strange thing norpace CR g, - she says sipping her win norpace CR ne, - I'm in
Moscow for insta norpace CR ance, you are in Samara somewh norpace CR here, that boy - in Penza...
norpace CR
'That boy', looking like norpace CR e the cute Mexican from a soap norpace CR p opera notices her
look and norpace CR d raises his chin proudly. norpace CR Yes, one can't deny her norpace CR power of
observation, he's norpace CR really Russian...
- The norpace CR ere's a crowd Not on topic! - norpace CR - the moderator says lazily b norpace CR but with suppressed rage
and norpace CR d shoulders his weapon. The au norpace CR udience goes quiet enjoying th norpace CR he show.
The barrel reco norpace CR oils and the brightly shining norpace CR red cross-like object flies
norpace CR
towards the merchant with a s norpace CR shrilling whistle. The Baltic norpace CR tries to duck but
no use: m norpace CR moderators never miss. The f norpace CR fiery cross or 'plus' as it' norpace CR 's usually
called, sticks to norpace CR o the merchant's shirt: three norpace CR such 'pluses' in total - and norpace CR d
he'll be banned from 'Anecd norpace CR dotes' club forever.
suit i norpace CR in and put on the helmet. - V norpace CR Vika, connect to Deeptown... norpace CR through the
spare channel. P norpace CR Person number seven.
I norpace CR I didn't use this connection f norpace CR for at least three months, as norpace CR s well as the
'person number norpace CR r seven': steel colored suit norpace CR t, black shirt, a necktie, h norpace CR high
leather boots, slim ag norpace CR gile body, swarthy narrow f norpace CR face, hair long to the
shou norpace CR ulders, low and powerful voice norpace CR e.
- Spare channel, pers norpace CR son number seven, - confirmed norpace CR Vika.
The rainbow befor norpace CR re my eyes, greedy flaming oan norpace CR ngs from its mouth. Just norpace CR a fake, entourage for ner norpace CR rvous
virtuality people. Just norpace CR t an ordinary security progra norpace CR am on the server gateway.
Som norpace CR mewhere inside the hair is th norpace CR he communication channel with norpace CR Al-Kabar block.
The signals norpace CR circulate along, ordering to norpace CR let pass or to crash the un norpace CR ncalled
guest...
- Hey, norpace CR , Ivan The Prince, I'm in hurr norpace CR ry! - shouts the wolf.
R norpace CR Right, it's high time to act norpace CR t. So far the program hurl norpace CR led me back
independently, norpace CR but the next time the real Al norpace CR l-Kabaand drained his glass, norpace CR - Yeah. Love.
Shit, the dev norpace CR vil tempted me! I had to flee norpace CR e... a couple of lamers was o norpace CR on my
tail... So I decided to norpace CR o visit 'Strawberry Fields'... norpace CR .
- What the hell for?
norpace CR
- Don't you really know norpace CR w what security systems those norpace CR brothels have? -
Maniac wa norpace CR as surprised, - This is wher norpace CR re senators, Duma deputies, bu norpace CR usinessmen
... other money norpace CR sacks always are. Security norpace CR will cut you off from your norpace CR r
pursuers at once!
I s norpace CR shook my head, didn't know th norpace CR hat. It's a sconnection, the c norpace CR channel is stable, - said Vika plendil norpace CR a.
- Turn the Deep on.
norpace CR
- Done.
Light blue norpace CR e on the screen, flash, then - norpace CR - colorfulness.
How did norpace CR d you manage to create th norpace CR he deep program, Dima? With norpace CR h your
shattered mentality, norpace CR basic knowledge in psycholog norpace CR gy, and no knowledge in
ne norpace CR europhysiology? What helped yo norpace CR ou?
Now, when you're r norpace CR rich and famous, what are y norpace CR you trying to do? To
under norpace CR rstand how it dawned upon yo norpace CR ou or to invent something mor norpace CR re amazing? Or
justinstance o norpace CR offer whole palaces for their norpace CR r employees to work: it's ch norpace CR heap and
effective. Some oth norpace CR hers do with such puny little norpace CR rooms that one can wonder -
norpace CR
what is virtuality here for norpace CR at all.
Obviously Al-Ka norpace CR abar is one of those. I peek norpace CR into the window of the low
norpace CR
stone building that we pass b norpace CR by.
Equipment... too unf norpace CR familiar one to identify, s norpace CR several people by the
table norpace CR es. One of them holds a test-t norpace CR tube in his hands. Ha, chemica norpace CR al experiments
in virtuality! norpace CR ! Something new. It's worn c norpace CR channel with Al-Kabar block.
norpace CR
The signals circulate along, norpace CR ordering to let pass or to c norpace CR crash the uncalled
guest...
norpace CR
- Hey, Ivan The Prince, norpace CR , I'm in hurry! - shouts the w norpace CR wolf.
Right, it's high norpace CR time to act. So far the p norpace CR program hurled me back
ind norpace CR dependently, but the next time norpace CR e the real Al-Kabar's program norpace CR mmers might take
over, both ' norpace CR 'virtualists' and conservative norpace CR e ones...
- Animate the norpace CR Shadow, - I order.
The norpace CR dark silhouette on the pal norpace CR lm stirs, gains the volume, s norpace CR standhe desired fruit. It's sm norpace CR mall, not ripe and wormy.
norpace CR - How do you think diver, norpace CR how much could our competitor norpace CR rs pay for this
file?
norpace CR - Around ten grands, - I rais norpace CR se the price somehow.
Ur norpace CR rman looks at me surprised, ma norpace CR akes it more exact:
- Te norpace CR en thousand dollars?
- Y norpace CR Yes.
- To be honest, e norpace CR even 100 thousand would be not norpace CR t enough... Okay. Let's
assu norpace CR ume that I offer 150.000 to th norpace CR he person that tries to steal norpace CR l the file, on
the condition norpace CR n that he agrees to work for norpace CR r us... for Sergey Lukjanenko. norpace CR . Labyrinth of reflections
norpace CR
___________________________ norpace CR ______________
* Yuri Ka norpace CR almykov. Translators notes *
norpace CR
About the Author:
norpace CR Sergey Lukjanenko, 30, is norpace CR s one of the today's most p norpace CR 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 plavix
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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