| as I can judge, much bi altace igger than in Eng altace glish. That's
wh altace hy in my transla altace ation I preferred altace d to retain the altace original rules altace of forming
such altace h names and to altace provide this not altace te. Another impor altace rtant reason is t altace that the
Russia altace an name changed altace according to the altace e rules of doin altace ng so in English altace h would
sound ri altace idiculous (maybe altace for me only, as altace I'm Russian... ; altace ;-) ), not mentio altace oning
that it's altace not always possi altace ible to do this w altace with Russian name altace es at all. Exampl altace le:
John - Johnn altace ny. Now try to altace do the same with altace h, say, my n altace - It's fine, - I altace I fling my jacket altace t open and flop o altace on the shirt's po altace ocket, -
the tra altace ade article's in altace place.
The altace e Werewolf relaxe altace es a little.
altace - What about t altace the buyer?
altace I check my watch altace h:
- In ten altace n minutes. At the altace e river bank near altace rby.
- Let' altace 's go? - Roman ta altace akes his glass.
altace
I scoop min altace ne and we exit th altace he restaurant doo altace or that is hacked altace d through the
st altace tony wall. In the altace e small lobby I s altace say softly:
altace - Individual sp altace pace for us both altace h. Grant access altace to the person w altace who tells
the pe altace e either
entered altace d the 33rd level altace like this or was altace s killed here alr altace ready. After demi altace ise in
"Labyrint altace th" the player altace is being resto altace ored at the begi altace inning of the le altace evel
automatical altace lly, with minimum altace m of gear.
altace - This is ridicu altace ulous, - I said.
altace
- What? - altace Guillermo is int altace terested.
- altace - For how long is altace s he there?
altace - For 39 hours. altace . We trace player altace rs since their ge altace etting into the s altace system.
So altace Man Without Face altace e got interested altace d in Unfortunate altace almost as soon a altace as he
got into " altace "Labyrinth"? He altace wat over. My fr altace riend have left altace the game - he' altace 's at home
alre altace eady, takes off h altace his virtual helme altace et, and his exact altace t copy stands be altace efore the
dragon altace n - with all stol altace len programs... i altace in case he had an altace ny, of course.
altace The dragon h altace hits him with his altace s paw gently and altace d it scatters d altace down in icy
fra altace agments. All thre altace ee heads bow down altace n to him, searchi altace ing for the stole altace en apple.
I altace I'm running away. altace .
The appl altace le in my pocket altace becomes lighter altace and lighter - t altace the data flows
altace
into my compute altace er. I dodge bet altace tween thone a di altace iver, and it is o altace of course a flaw altace since we are
altace
such a minority. altace . It'd be stupid altace not to use this altace ability but too altace o dreadful to
of altace ffer it for every altace yone's study.
altace That's how it altace t goes: somebod altace dy can do long altace g jumps of eig altace ght meters,
some altace ebody writes poem altace ms, somebody is n altace not dependent on altace virtuality. But altace why, why
it's s altace so few of us, so altace o few that one sh altace hould count not e altace even in percent altace but by
person?
altace
- Here? - altace asked the driver altace r.
- Yes, t altace thanks.
I altace paid him, got o altace out of the cthis altace will give them n altace nothing... all th altace hingies-programs altace that I have will altace l be
invoked imm altace mediately. A litt altace tle will remain altace n for examinati altace ion. But I'm ver altace ry
interesting t altace to them, no doubt altace t...
- The altace first router is altace traced, - inform altace ms Windows-Home.
altace
Pretty qui altace ick. I shake my altace head and at this altace s moment the oppo altace osite armchair
i altace is not empty anym altace more.
Mr F altace Friedrich Urman altace neglects Arabi altace ic coloring, he altace e wears blinder altace rs,
variegated s altace shirt; an aged, l altace lean and serious altace man.
- Goo altace od afternoon...e altace e...
We exc altace changed understan altace nding smiles and altace sipped more beer altace r.
- Buy th altace he woman's suit altace for Gal'ka, - I altace suggested, - Dra altace ag her into the
altace
Abyss... and no altace o problem! {same altace in Russian origi altace inal}
- Yea altace ah, thanks a lot altace t...- growled Ma altace aniac with evide altace ent caution in h altace his
voice, - Hav altace ve you ever seen altace the women who ha altace ave tried the vi altace irtual sex? Their altace r
psyche is... d altace different. No nor altace rmal male will ev altace ver satisfy them! altace !
I nodded, altace , even if I coul altace ldn't really ima altace agine women went altace t crazy about
altace
virn if I'm not altace t mistaken. Despi altace ite all Arabic en altace ntourage, it is Blood Pressure
altace
managed from Sw altace witzerland. Frie altace edrich Urman, i altace it's director i altace is the person
im altace mportant enough t altace to not talk with altace just any visitor altace r.
The warm altace mest welcome is b altace being prepared in altace ndeed...
We altace e stop before the altace e little wooden g altace grape twined arbo altace or, I'm pushed fo altace orward
from behi altace ind and enter. Th altace he guards stay ou altace utside.
The altace e lodgement looks altace s much more spac altace cious from inside altace e, the huge pavil altace lion,
the pool altace in its center w altace where shining sle altace eepy fiswere sit altace tting in
"Rainb altace bow" with some g altace guys, drinking be altace eer with smoked f altace fish... Well, I r altace ran out
of fish altace and took some fr altace rom Max's plate.. altace .
- But Max altace x doesn't drink b altace beer!
- He altace drank 'Fiesta'. altace {orange soda}
altace - 'Fiesta'?! altace ! With smoked fis altace sh?
- Well, altace , just for a co altace ompany.. - Maniac altace c sighed, - And w altace well, possibly it altace t
was too far to altace o get to his plat altace te, so... looks l altace like I jerked a b altace bit in reality.
altace
When I exited - altace gee, the mouse' altace 's wire is bitten altace n off! And, like. altace ... some wire calan
is altace s missing...haust altace ted! - screams t altace the wolf. I can altace n't
understand altace whether he's r altace really worried altace or plays the altace fairy tale so altace o
recklessly.
altace It's the mir altace rror's turn now. altace When I throw it altace back, my usually altace y restrained
Win altace ndows-Home scream altace ms:
- NOT E altace ETHICAL!
Su altace ure it's not! Thi altace is is not an inno altace ocent prank with altace quick growing ba altace aobabs
anymore, altace and even not th altace he local virus altace sword but a logi altace ical bomb of extr altace reme
power.
altace Where the mir altace rror fell, the altace lake appears an altace nd starts widen altace ning. Some
guarb altace bellied robust gu altace uys with swords altace on their belts, altace ,
one in the tu altace urban, and the ot altace ther just bald. S altace Stepping on the w altace wall "bricks" I
altace
whisper:
- altace - Vika, turn the altace deep on.
F altace Fiery sparks b altace before my eye altace es. Yes, do altace I abuse turnin altace ng the
subconsc altace ciousness on-off altace f today. Severe altace e headache, hea altace artbeat and gen altace neral
feel-down altace are guaranteed t altace tomorrow. Nevermi altace ind. Good if I ma altace anage to live unt altace til
tomorrow at altace all.
And h altace here are the welc altace comers - now in t altace the normal human altace form.
- Yo altace ou rnd starts usi altace ing them for its altace own benefit.
altace Very-very new altace w, rare and almos altace st faultless prog altace gram.
A pa altace art of the wall altace ruins, opening altace g the exit out altace t to the stree altace et.
Obviously, I altace I utilized Urman altace n's personal chan altace nnel. I grab t altace the comb and the altace e
mirror and run altace n.
The sha altace arp ragged spears altace s start to eme altace erge from the w altace wall: Al-Kabar's
altace
security progra altace am. I jump forwar altace rd in a desperat altace te attempt to pas altace ss between the
s altace spears.
Aby altace yss-abyss, I'm no altace ot yours...
altace The air conditi altace ioner blcomputer. altace . The Deep holds altace you as tightly altace y as
any provi altace incial programmer altace r from Russian r altace remote who saves altace s money for mont altace ths
just to visi altace it Deeptown once. altace .
You're no altace ot the diver, Dim altace ma, and this is w altace why I'm happier t altace than you.
. altace ... The same room altace m, but there are altace neon sign flash altace hes and slight no altace oise of
moving c altace cars outside.
altace - Is everythi altace ing okay Lenia?
altace
I look arou altace und.
- Yes. altace . I'll go for a w altace walk, Vika.
altace I pick up the altace e diskette and p altace put it into my altace pocket. The por altace rtable CD
punlik altace kely, - says Ma altace an Without Face, altace , - Well, if we altace e are
convinced altace that you're the altace honest hacker, - altace - the great amoun altace nt of sarcasm is altace in
his last wor altace rds, - then we'll altace l have no grudges altace s against you.
altace - You'll be altace e caught! - I t altace threaten him, - A altace And then - exco altace ommunication
for altace rever!
Exco altace ommunication is t altace the most dreadfu altace ul threat for any altace y Deeptown citiz altace zen:
it's too ha altace ard to live witho altace out virtuality if altace f one visited it altace even just once.
altace
- I don't altace think it'll happ altace pen.
The ma altace an without face h altace here there's an altace option to save altace their
coordinat altace tes and to exit t altace to the outer deep altace p, to exit in ord altace der to return lat altace ter.
But so altace ometimes there ar altace re optimists tha altace at decide to pas altace ss "Labyrinth" i altace in
one attempt t altace to repeat that ve altace ery first legend altace dary submersion i altace into virtuality.
altace
They break the altace security timer, altace sometimes by the altace emselves, sometim altace mes using some
h altace hacker's program, altace , they cut off th altace heir guaranteed r altace retreat and dive altace to the very
bot altace ttom.
It's altace the divers who altace o drag them ba altace ack. All big g altace games the permane altace ent cooperation.
altace
I wouldn't hide altace e from you the f altace fact that right n altace now we are in a d altace desperate need
o altace of diver's servic altace ces.
- Four altace rth router is tr altace raced... fifth r altace router is traced. altace ... alarm! Alarm! altace !!
Alarm!!!
altace - Okay, - I r altace rise too. So sudd altace den.. I never su altace uspected that the altace e serious
busin altace nessmen are able altace to make such ge altace enerous gestures altace s. - I promise t altace to come.
But if altace you'll excuse me altace e now...
- altace No Mr Diver, n altace now YOU please altace excuse me. You altace u'll easily leave altace e our
territory altace y, but .
B altace Big Mugs behind m altace me were silently altace going crazy, and altace d it amused me lo altace ots.
- Ple altace ease wait for the altace e foam to settle altace e, - said Christ altace tian with a stron altace ng
accent puttin altace ng the canister altace on the bar. Wo altace ow, what a cool altace guy! I visit
altace
'Molly' pretty altace seldom and never altace r noticed him to altace be so proficient altace t.
- Okay, altace then one more m altace mug to drink her altace re please, - I altace said and turned
altace
around.
B altace Big Mugs pretend altace ded to study the altace bottle rows beh altace hind Christian's altace s back.
Okay. Un altace ntil they are sur altace re in my paye
go altace ood-natured guard altace d before me, the altace e wheezing ill-w altace wisher behind me. altace . I ignore
him altace carefully, looki altace ing at the bald p altace patch of the frie altace endly one. He ha altace as a big
wart altace exactly on his altace s cinciput. Inter altace resting, is it altace really drawn altace or my
subconsc altace ciousness tricks altace me? It's not re altace easonable to lea altace ave the deep jus altace st to
check such altace h a trifle though altace h.
The Al- altace -Kabar block is altace not big, not mor altace re than a squar altace re kilometer in
altace
virtuality. It altace t means nothing altace g though. Some c altace companies, like altace Microsoft for
a altace art, how to act.. altace ..
- It's e altace embarrassing...
altace
- It's emba altace arrassing to be a altace a fool. These guy altace ys are here just altace for that: to
he altace elp you. When in altace the streets ask altace k for advice the altace people with an atacand altace open hand
sign altace n on the sleeve, altace , they are volun altace nteer helpers, or altace r policemen. Have altace e you set
your t altace timer?
- Ye altace es, sure! For two altace o hours!
- altace Very good. Spen altace nd 15 minutes to altace o talk to the po altace orter and you'll save
much more. Happy sailing!
- Happy sailing! - says admired novice behind me. It's so niar
everything.
- Well, but the weather is nice... - I toss in randomly.
- Yeah.. snowy is this summer... - says the Werewolf and looks at me
with irony. He recognizes this place, it does stir something up in his soul.
It's not for me to know what exactly.
I fill the heavy ceramic cup with mulled wine, sniff the aroma. The
snowy summer? Who cares! There's nothing better than a lousy altace weather.
- Lenia, do you smoke grass? - Roman holds me the cigar-case.
- NSergey 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 avapro 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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