| We shake hands and wal vasotec lk side by side. T vasotec The bloody fog enve vasotec elops us,
nothing vasotec can be seen around vasotec anymore. The voice vasotec comes from the sky: vasotec :
- Your entra vasotec ance mode?
- P vasotec Pair entrance! - say vasotec ys Alex, - Alex and vasotec Gunslinger!
- vasotec - Pair entrance, - I vasotec I repeat, - Gunsling vasotec ger and Alex!
vasotec The fog dissipates vasotec s slightly. We're s vasotec standing by the sec vasotec ction car that
res vasotec sts on the rusted r vasotec rails. Two overalls vasotec s are scattered on i vasotec it together with
t vasotec two mask helmets a vasotec and two guns. All o vasotec our 'fellow trgure vasotec e to move, to turn, vasotec to
shoot, but it vasotec seemed to him that vasotec t it's HIM running vasotec g along the corrid vasotec dors,
ducking the f vasotec fiery balls and snar vasotec rling monsters' mugs vasotec s. He understood tha vasotec at this
is just a g vasotec game, but he didn't vasotec know why it became vasotec real and how to exi vasotec it it.
The onl vasotec ly thing he could do vasotec o in this situation vasotec n was to go until t vasotec the very
end. And h vasotec he did it despite t vasotec the fact that it vasotec turned out to be vasotec much more
difficul vasotec lt now.
The sl vasotec light wound now beca vasotec ame not just the low vasotec wered percent of 's vasotec strgh
her barrier t vasotec than through the mon vasotec nster by Al-Kabar's vasotec bridge.
- I h vasotec have a confidential vasotec information for "La vasotec abyrinth"'s manageme vasotec ent.
- But sti vasotec ill I'd like you to vasotec state the goal of y vasotec your visit briefly.
vasotec
Ah well...
vasotec - I'd like to r vasotec relay to Mr Guillerm vasotec mo Aguirre that I'm vasotec informed about the
vasotec
small problem th vasotec hat have arisen rec vasotec cently and about th vasotec he fact that diver vasotec rs
cooperating with vasotec h you had failed to vasotec o solve it. I'm goin vasotec ng to offer my servi vasotec ices
in solving thi vasotec is problem.
Th vasotec he secret soon
as l vasotec landed, he stands, j vasotec jumps again and turn vasotec ns into my exact cop vasotec py.
- Vika, vasotec the stream, - I or vasotec rder getting his id vasotec dea. But the former vasotec wolf
already grabs vasotec s me by my shoulder vasotec rs and throws over t vasotec the stump shouting, vasotec , - No
time for th vasotec his bull!
It's vasotec s a small pleasure t vasotec to be affected by th vasotec he foreign morphing vasotec program. I
just ha vasotec ave time to say: "Vi vasotec ika, freeze" to prev vasotec vent the careful Win vasotec ndows-Home to
resis vasotec st the change.
vasotec For a long time wa vasotec asn't I in the wolf' vasotec 's hide, since when vasotec virtuality jus per vasotec rsonality... use
vasotec
'Bioconstructor' fo vasotec or instance and work vasotec k a little.
- vasotec 'Bioconstructor'? - vasotec - asks the guy confu vasotec used.
- Yes. vasotec A very simple progr vasotec ram with Russian int vasotec terface, it is sca vasotec attered
around on a vasotec all servers in the n vasotec novice directories.
vasotec
- Thanks... - vasotec - 'Stallone' drags vasotec himself along behin vasotec nd me. I notice tha vasotec at
he started to st vasotec toop as if being ash vasotec hamed of his appeara vasotec ance: a good sign.
vasotec
We enter eleva vasotec ator together and de vasotec escend to the first vasotec floor. The lobby is vasotec s
pretty spacious, vasotec f is an old trick vasotec k and there's plent vasotec ty of methods to
fi vasotec ight it. Most zetia guards vasotec s manage to narrow vasotec the field of vision vasotec n or to drop image
vasotec
details, passing t vasotec the dangerous place vasotec e successfully. To vasotec be exact, not the vasotec e
guards themselves vasotec s did that but t vasotec their deep-programs. vasotec . Those stopped we vasotec ere
mostly enthusia vasotec astic amateurs pursu vasotec uing us just for fun vasotec n.
- Oh Ivan vasotec n, my strength is vasotec exhausted! - scream vasotec ms the wolf. I ca vasotec an't
understand wh vasotec hether he's really vasotec y worried or zebeta pla vasotec ays the fairy tal vasotec le so
nnels, is be vasotec eing discussed, all
vasotec
its intended and vasotec d random tricks are vasotec e being caught. And vasotec then it dies... kep vasotec pt
only by a couple vasotec e of hundreds of fan vasotec ns.
Sometimes vasotec exceptions happen - vasotec - and then the game vasotec e lives for years. vasotec Many
new, much mo vasotec ore perfect and bea vasotec autiful games appea vasotec ar but the old one r vasotec retains
crowds of f vasotec fans too.
And vasotec there are three e vasotec exceptions that are vasotec e alive since the p vasotec pre-virtual
era: 'D vasotec Doom', 'C&C' and 'Mo vasotec ortal Combat'. They vasotec have changed dozens vasotec s of times of
cours vasotec se but these wstarti vasotec ing in response to vasotec an attempt to rea vasotec ad the file. Just a vasotec as should have
been vasotec n expected. I copi vasotec ied the file to t vasotec the magnetic disket vasotec tte, then to the
op vasotec ptical one and start vasotec ted to disembowel th vasotec he fruit of Al-Kabar vasotec r's orchards.
vasotec It turned out to be vasotec e impossible to kil vasotec ll the security pro vasotec ograms without
des vasotec stroying the file. I vasotec I had to just knock vasotec them out, disable t vasotec them. Then I got
b vasotec busy with the inner vasotec surprise. I cut th vasotec he file into twenty vasotec pieces, extracted
vasotec
the guard program vasotec m. It turned out t vasotec t It's no use t vasotec to lie, the man befo vasotec ore me is not the vasotec one it's worthy to
vasotec
bluff with.
vasotec - Very little. I vasotec was informed that vasotec there's a problem i vasotec in "Labyrinth", vytorin
tha vasotec at your divers faile vasotec ed to solve it. I w vasotec was asked to render vasotec an assistance to
y vasotec you.
A pause a vasotec again. I'm anonymou vasotec us and it's risky t vasotec to let me into unple vasotec easant
sides of the vasotec e Company's life but vasotec t Guillermo has a 'g vasotec good nose' for troub vasotec bles and
methods of vasotec f overcoming them.
vasotec
- You'll s vasotec sign a single-time c vasotec contract? - his ton vasotec ne becoZZ! the alarm vasotec m signal in my head. vasotec .
- Amazing, - vasotec - I note, - I don't vasotec visit this place so vasotec o often really.
vasotec - But I'm here al vasotec lmost always.
vasotec Lies.
I can e vasotec exit virtuality righ vasotec ht now and check a c vasotec couple of dozens of vasotec control
photos sto vasotec ored in the compute vasotec er: the visitors of vasotec f the bar for the vasotec last two
months. vasotec It's always useful vasotec to remember new fa vasotec aces. But what for, vasotec I know well
enough vasotec h that I never met h vasotec her before...
vasotec - I was wearing d vasotec different faces, - vasotec looks like the gir vasotec rl guesses al yes, vasotec , this was hidden in vasotec n the file...
vasotec - Have you contacte vasotec ed anybody via mode vasotec em? I mean, since yo vasotec ou received the
fil vasotec le.
- No.
vasotec - Lucky you, - in vasotec nformed Maniac, - Yo vasotec ou see, this is not vasotec just an ordinary
v vasotec virus, it's a postca vasotec ard.
I didn't vasotec understand and Mani vasotec iac explained:
vasotec - A postcard w vasotec with return addr vasotec ress. If the viru vasotec us detects the
co vasotec ommunication hardwar vasotec re on the computer, vasotec it attaches the sec vasotec cond letter to any
vasotec
of yours: a tiny, vasotec , invisible one... vasotec a postcard. Withoo vasotec o saves money for m vasotec months
just to visi vasotec it Deeptown once.
vasotec You're not the vasotec diver, Dima, and th vasotec his is why I'm happi vasotec ier than you.
vasotec ... The same room, vasotec but there are neon vasotec sign flashes and s vasotec slight noise of
mov vasotec ving cars outside.
vasotec
- Is everythin vasotec ng okay Lenia?
vasotec I look around.
vasotec - Yes. I'll go f vasotec for a walk, Vika.
vasotec I pick up the vasotec e diskette and put vasotec it into my pocket vasotec t. The portable CD
vasotec
player lies on t vasotec the shelf among seve vasotec eral books and the p vasotec pile of CDs. I inser vasotec rt
ELO's CD into vasotec it, partial arts'
vasotec
People come he vasotec ere to discuss the vasotec certain topics, thi vasotec is is the echo of vasotec f
pre-virtual age. vasotec . More serious clubs vasotec s are located furthe vasotec er, where one can g vasotec get
an advice on t vasotec technical questions vasotec s, to argue about vasotec software or even vasotec buy
pirated progr vasotec rams cheap. All that vasotec t is of a little int vasotec terest for me.
vasotec I enter the little vasotec e park with the pl vasotec late 'Anecdotes' on vasotec the gates. This
pl vasotec lace is always crow vasotec wded, noisy and mes vasotec ssy. This park look vasotec ks very much like
vasotec
'People's culture vasotec park' of thy suit vasotec is even without s vasotec sex
stimulator!
vasotec - Well, mine's w vasotec with it, - I said, - vasotec - I just never visit vasotec t these.
- Too vasotec o bad for you. Have vasotec your fun while youn vasotec ng.
In fact, M vasotec Maniac is two year vasotec rs younger than me vasotec e but he's a cool ha vasotec acker
while I'm jus vasotec st an ordinary 'ne vasotec ewbie', and also he vasotec e's married, and f vasotec for the
second time vasotec e.
- Okay, rel vasotec lax. You'll make pea vasotec zestril ace tomorrow.
vasotec - We will, - agreed vasotec d Maniac, - So at l vasotec least today I'll hav vasotec ve to have the
mos vasotec st fun possible...
vasotec
We exchanged w vasotec will we do? - asks m vasotec my prisoner.
O vasotec One should be an id vasotec diot to try to figh vasotec ht the gang like thi vasotec is alone, it's
easi vasotec ier to submit yourse vasotec elf and sacrifice vasotec some of your weapon vasotec ns hoping to be
le vasotec et go after that.
vasotec - Slow down gra vasotec adually. Stop after vasotec my third shot.
vasotec He nods silently. vasotec .
The bandit w vasotec with rocket launcher vasotec r looks at us amused vasotec d, waiting.
Ab vasotec byss-abyss, I'm not vasotec yours... let me go, vasotec , Abyss...
I l vasotec looked at the pictu vasotec ure accustoming mys vasotec self. The bandit... vasotec cars... the
back o vasotec of my
not be able to vasotec o disable the virus. vasotec .
It was late vasotec evening, the time w vasotec when hackers just st vasotec tart working. I pack vasotec ked
the virus with vasotec a text fragment and vasotec d called Maniac.
vasotec I had to wait a vasotec a couple of minutes vasotec until he picked up vasotec p the phone. I was
vasotec
lucky: he easily co vasotec ould hang about in vasotec virtuality, indiffe vasotec erent to any calls, vasotec ,
fires, floods and vasotec d other annoying tri vasotec ifles of life.
vasotec - Yes?
- Man vasotec niac, it's me.
vasotec Hacker's voice sof vasotec ftened a little.
vasotec - Hi Lenia, what vasotec t's up?
- The vasotec new virus - I s vasotec see, - he said. - We vasotec ell, for the luck. F vasotec For the rich fools vasotec and smart
hackers. vasotec .
We touched t vasotec the glasses.
- vasotec - What was there Len vasotec n'ka?
- Runny vasotec nose reliever.
vasotec - Really? Cool... vasotec .
We chewed a vasotec a couple franks eac vasotec ch and I was drear vasotec rily thinking that vasotec my
anonymity was b vasotec broken after all. Ye vasotec esterday there were vasotec three attempts to c vasotec catch
me.
Tod vasotec day I was just 'calc vasotec culated'.
- Le vasotec enia, I don't know a vasotec a single diver perso vasotec onally, - said Mania vasotec ac, - And I
ain't g vasotec gonna hunt for thtra vasotec aced, - informs Wind vasotec dows-Home.
Pre vasotec etty quick. I shake vasotec e my head and at thi vasotec is moment the opposi vasotec ite armchair
is not vasotec t empty anymore.
vasotec Mr Friedrich U vasotec Urman neglects Ara vasotec abic coloring, he vasotec wears blinders,
vasotec
variegated shirt; a vasotec an aged, lean and se vasotec erious man.
- vasotec Good afternoon... vasotec diver, - he says. vasotec . In Russian. The vasotec voice sounds
unnat vasotec tural, filtered thro vasotec ough the interpreter vasotec r program.
So vasotec this is the reason vasotec for such an honor.
vasotec
- I'm afraid vasotec that you're mistake vasotec en, Mr Director.
vasotec eep me as almost vasotec t
one of their age, vasotec , maybe because I'm vasotec m not married and em vasotec mpty beer cans preva vasotec ail
in my garbage.
vasotec
- Hold on.
vasotec I'm not smoking vasotec g myself, but there vasotec e's always a pack or vasotec r two of cigarettes
vasotec
at home for
visi vasotec iting hackers. Smoki vasotec ing is their profess vasotec sional trait. The gu vasotec uy waited by the doo vasotec or patiently
while vasotec I put the canister vasotec on the floor and wa vasotec as searching in the vasotec closet.
- Her vasotec re.
He nodded vasotec gratefully opening vasotec g the pack, I wave vasotec ed my hand-keep it vasotec t-and
closed the d vasotec door. The
cute and vasotec d thanks God, not vasotec t recognizable: eit vasotec ther she designed h vasotec her face by
herself or used some rare seen painting as a model or found a cute but not
too familiar face in some movie.
- Sure, - I turn to her. The bartender already gives her a glass of
wine: 'Emperor', the Chilean one. This girl has a good taste.
- I see you here pretty often, - informs the girl.
DZZZ! the alarm signal in my head.
- Amazing, - I note, - I don't visit this place so often really.
Sergey 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 vasotec
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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