| nds.
I undressed quickly himplasia y, threw the cloth himplasia hes on the bed and himplasia d came to the
bath himplasia hroom, stood under c himplasia cold shower for a wh himplasia hile.
No sleep himplasia ping tonight, the de himplasia eep is waiting.
himplasia For all day long himplasia g I tried not to t himplasia think about Man With himplasia hout Face and the
M himplasia Medal of Complete Li himplasia icence lying in the himplasia e warehouse but now, himplasia , in the darkness
himplasia
when virtuality wa himplasia as coming close I co himplasia ouldn't help not to himplasia think about that.
himplasia
The Man and th himplasia he Medal.
The himplasia whip and the cookie himplasia e.
What so st himplasia trange could e
in himplasia the middle of it, himplasia computer wires from himplasia m the UPS go to the himplasia e computer, the
t himplasia thinner wire plugged himplasia d into the phone jac himplasia ck. The sofa stands himplasia by the wall, under
himplasia
the luxury carpet himplasia t, the small fridge himplasia e is by the opened himplasia door to the balcony himplasia y.
The necessary mi himplasia inimum. Five minute himplasia es ago I checked wha himplasia at's in the fridge, himplasia , so
I'm not threat himplasia tened by hunger for himplasia today.
I turn himplasia n my head, to the l himplasia left, to the right - himplasia - the light darken himplasia ns in my
eyes for himplasia the moment, but it' himplasia 's only a moment. Ne himplasia evermind, it happens himplasia stently and nods, th himplasia hen quickly drains himplasia her
glass dry.
himplasia - I'm not lying. himplasia . Honest. - I say so himplasia oftly.
- I bel himplasia lieve you, - the gi himplasia irl nods to bartend himplasia der, then reaches h himplasia her hand
out to me, himplasia , - I'm Nadya.
himplasia I shake her hand a himplasia and introduce myself himplasia f:
- Leonid.
himplasia
So now we kn himplasia now each other and himplasia d can be less cerem himplasia monious. The deep is himplasia s
casual: overly po himplasia olite tone is offens himplasia sive here.
The himplasia e girl casts her himplasia hair back from he himplasia er forehead, the n himplasia natural and
gracef himplasia ful gesture, then himplasia gives re you new in himplasia n
the deep?
himplasia - In what? Ah yes. himplasia .. new.
- It's himplasia s a bad form to put himplasia on appearances of himplasia famous people, and himplasia also the
sign of himplasia f newbie. Try himplasia to construct you himplasia ur own personalit himplasia ty... use
'Biocon himplasia nstructor' for insta himplasia ance and work a litt himplasia tle.
- 'Biocon himplasia nstructor'? - asks t himplasia the guy confused.
himplasia - Yes. A very himplasia simple program with himplasia h Russian interface, himplasia , it is scattered
himplasia
around on all serv himplasia vers in the novice d himplasia directories.
- himplasia - Thanks... - 'Stall himplasia lone' drags himself himplasia f along behin level himplasia - the half ruined r himplasia railway station
whe himplasia ere the player arriv himplasia ves by the section c himplasia car, with a single himplasia gun as a weapon.
T himplasia The station buildi himplasia ing is crowded wit himplasia th monsters - form himplasia mer Twilight City
himplasia
inhabitants, and o himplasia other players. It's himplasia difficult to say wh himplasia ho is more dangerous himplasia s:
monsters are a himplasia armed better but t himplasia the players are s himplasia smarter than machi himplasia ines
obviously. On himplasia ne can find weapons himplasia s, defense gear, fi himplasia irst-aid sets and fo himplasia ood in
the station himplasia building. When one himplasia leaves the first le himplasia evel, he gets to th
himplasia
trigger started to himplasia o jam, he had to h himplasia hit it slowly and ca himplasia arefully, moving the himplasia e
finger from side himplasia to side.
By 5 himplasia 5 am he finished th himplasia he game. The monste himplasia ers were cast down. himplasia The game
menu ha himplasia ad appeared on the himplasia stone wall before h himplasia him and he pushed t himplasia the shotgun's
barre himplasia el into it with a sc himplasia cream.
The il himplasia llusion dissipated, himplasia , he was sitting b himplasia by the peacefully himplasia droning
computer, himplasia his eyes watered, himplasia the keyboard under himplasia r his stiff fingers himplasia s totally
ruined. himplasia The key he was usin himplasia ng as a shotgun trig himplasia gger what followed m himplasia me for three levels himplasia s
already. They we himplasia ere in hurry being himplasia g sure that I'll le himplasia eave the sport cent himplasia ter
immediately and himplasia d stormed into the himplasia e hall recklessly ye himplasia et beautifully: the himplasia e guy
with the pla himplasia asma gun by his be himplasia elt and the gal wi himplasia ith the carbine ati himplasia ilt. I
launched a himplasia rocket at them, ri himplasia ight from underwater himplasia r and they both van himplasia nished in
the fiery himplasia y swirl.
I cr himplasia rawled out of the po himplasia ool leaning upon th himplasia he boiled monster's himplasia body and
looked himplasia into the crater. himplasia Nothing was left himplasia there, thehis
voi himplasia ice, - Have you ever himplasia r seen the women who himplasia o have tried the vi himplasia irtual sex? Their
p himplasia psyche is... differe himplasia ent. No normal male himplasia will ever satisfy t himplasia them!
I nodded himplasia d, even if I couldn himplasia n't really imagine himplasia women went crazy himplasia about
virtual sex himplasia x. I could imagine himplasia the men though, m himplasia many got crazy ove himplasia er that,
that's w himplasia why I didn't hurry himplasia y to try it. Experi himplasia iments with adventur himplasia re thirsty
girls i himplasia is one thing, but himplasia the professionals f himplasia from virtual brothe himplasia els is a very
diffe himplasia erent case.
- himplasia For the health, -ll himplasia lerbach agrees and l himplasia looks at Roman aska himplasia ance, - Are
you the himplasia e diver too? Or just himplasia t a walking virus de himplasia eposit?
- Dive himplasia er, - says Roman.
himplasia - Well... Good himplasia d luck gentlemen... himplasia . - Shellerbach pads himplasia s a step away, then
himplasia
stops, - Tell me.. himplasia .. how is it: to be himplasia a diver?
- It himplasia t's very simple, - himplasia - replies Roman, - O himplasia One just needs to himplasia know that
everyth himplasia hing around is just himplasia a game, a fantasy.
himplasia
Shellerbach n himplasia nods and pulls his h himplasia hands apart:
- himplasia - I can't, alas...
himplasia
He walks awa himplasia ay along the path, himplasia we wdown the comput himplasia ter and fell asleep himplasia right by the table. himplasia . The
employees th himplasia hat soon arrived no himplasia oticed that his fa himplasia ace and hands were himplasia e badly
bruised.
himplasia He told about w himplasia what happened and of himplasia f course nobody beli himplasia ieved him. Only by
himplasia
the evening, think himplasia king about what coul himplasia ld happen, he rememb himplasia bered about Dibenko' himplasia 's
meditation progr himplasia ram and suspected wr himplasia rong.
The who himplasia ole world was in fe himplasia ever a week later. himplasia . All corporations himplasia except
computer an himplasia nd software ones s himplasia suffered tremendous himplasia s losses: everybody himplasia starting
entificat himplasia tion programs which himplasia h are supposed to
himplasia
destroy the file if himplasia f it gets to somebod himplasia kamagra dy else's hytrin computer.
himplasia
We know this himplasia far too well... And himplasia d are insured agains himplasia st it for a long tim himplasia me
already: identif himplasia fication programs si himplasia imply can't see my himplasia computer. It's th himplasia hese
dangerous thi himplasia ings that I always s himplasia store on D: disk. T himplasia The scanner located himplasia d some
surprise in himplasia nside the text fi himplasia ile itself too - a himplasia tiny program, sup himplasia pposedly
starting himplasia in response to an himplasia attempt to read th himplasia he file. Just as sh himplasia hould have
been nd
himplasia
raining slightly, himplasia the air was damp an himplasia nd cold.
It's himplasia overconfidence th himplasia hat kills divers. himplasia We don't fear the himplasia e virtual
world's himplasia dangers and this lu himplasia ulls our vigilance.
himplasia
But the most himplasia t annoying thing is himplasia s that we are all himplasia amateurs. For som himplasia me
reason, no diver himplasia rs shape out of hac himplasia ckers - they percept himplasia t the virtual world himplasia d as
the real one.
himplasia
Though it was himplasia s me, the so-so com himplasia mputer artist from himplasia m the small compute himplasia er
games company th himplasia hat went broke three himplasia e years ago and who himplasia got an old computer himplasia r asthe lipstick pr himplasia rint from my
cheek, himplasia , wave a finger to N himplasia Nadya with a warning himplasia g:
- Girl, I D himplasia DO prefer to stay my himplasia ysterious.
Loo himplasia oks like she feels himplasia confused, but has e himplasia enough nerve to shru himplasia ug and walk
away w himplasia without hurry.
himplasia Shit. She spoiled himplasia everything, stupid. himplasia .
It was such himplasia a nice talk...
himplasia I toss off my gla himplasia ass and snap my fing himplasia gers to call the bar himplasia rtender:
- Gin himplasia n-Tonic, fifty-fifty himplasia y.
Bartender f himplasia frowns but mixes wh himplasia hat was requested. S himplasia Shit, should I or himplasia rder
Tequila with t himplasia tomato jui received himplasia d the same one in h himplasia his time: for the himplasia creation of the de himplasia eep
itself.
O himplasia One must accomplish himplasia something vitally himplasia important for all himplasia virtual space
for himplasia any of his actions himplasia to be considered ri himplasia ight from now on.
himplasia - It will wait himplasia for you on this tab himplasia ble, - says Man With himplasia hout Face, - You'll
himplasia
get it... in case himplasia of your success.
himplasia I nod silently. himplasia .
- Note that himplasia t there'll be other himplasia aspirants, - inform himplasia ms Man Without Face, himplasia , -
We're looking himplasia for divers everywh himplasia here in the deep, himplasia and will find m
himplasia He dissolves in himplasia the air, the goble himplasia et falls down and ro himplasia olls away clinking
himplasia
and bouncing.
himplasia - Good luck to you himplasia u too Roman. - I say himplasia y into the void.
himplasia Loneliness is th himplasia he seamy side of the himplasia e freedom.
I c himplasia can't have friends.
himplasia
- The bill! - himplasia - I growl into the v himplasia void angrily, - Now! himplasia !
100
T himplasia The most vexing is himplasia that I don't want t himplasia to sleep at all: it himplasia was too lucky
day himplasia probably.
I r himplasia return to the restau himplasia urant. Some guests himplasia have left, some ne himplasia ew ones have
arrive himplasia ed, an American crow himplasia wd s
is well recogn himplasia nizable sporty 'Lanc himplasia cia'.
I laid himplasia my hands on the ke himplasia eyboard, typed in s himplasia several commands, p himplasia pressed
Enter.
himplasia It worked.
levitra himplasia deep
Enter
himplasia I'm in the ca himplasia ar again. The driver himplasia r looks back at me himplasia cautiously. I spin
himplasia
the revolver in m himplasia my hand thoughtfull himplasia ly: it's loaded agai himplasia in, and the pocket i himplasia is
weighed down by himplasia a grenade.
- himplasia The parcel was rece himplasia eived? - asks the dr himplasia river.
Now it' himplasia 's my turn to play t himplasia the game of silence. himplasia .
- I wonder h himplasia how?
- You kno himplasia ow my fri ridiculous himplasia s
situation: excel himplasia llent programmers no himplasia ot being able to cro himplasia oss the border betwe himplasia een
reality and ill himplasia lusion, and clumsy g himplasia guys like myself who himplasia o don't even notice himplasia this
barrier.
himplasia There wouldn't ev himplasia ver be envy to each himplasia other and eternal h himplasia hunt.
But is i himplasia it my fault? I don' himplasia 't know why it hap himplasia ppens myself, what f himplasia flaw of
consciousne himplasia ess makes one a di himplasia iver, and it is of c himplasia course a flaw since himplasia we are
such a mi himplasia inority. It'd be stu himplasia upid not to use this himplasia s ability but too d himplasia dreadful to
offer i himplasia it for everyone. Sev himplasia veral seconds, and D himplasia Deep-Transit has one himplasia e cab less.
Go himplasia ood. Let everything himplasia g look like drunk pu himplasia unks having fun... himplasia I enter the
fores himplasia st.
- Not ethi himplasia ical... - mumbles Wi himplasia indows-Home from the himplasia e clips.
- Hav himplasia ve you optimized you himplasia urself already?
himplasia - Yes.
- Ok himplasia kay, now I need help himplasia p. Look for the cach himplasia he, access code: "Iv himplasia van".
- The gl himplasia lowing tree, - says himplasia the program.
himplasia I look around. Bing himplasia go. Here it is, the himplasia e huge oak tree, g himplasia glimmering with
the magic blue light. Glimmering for me nes is the tradeoff of serial made and cheap ones.
- Let's not play the fool, - I say. - You decided that I'm the diver?
And dragged me here for interrogation. I'm afraid you'll be disappointed.
- This morning two hackers, one of those being the obvious diver, stole
the file with the technology of the new pharmaceutical product from
Al-Kabar. - Man Without Face is patient and strict, - I have no idea how
much did they promise to pay you for that, but luckily Mr F the programs that I have with
me...
Go ahead, do your job... Six routers, rented for one single use that
transmit the signal, and each of them tough enough to break. And in the end
- the commercial Internet gate in Austria through which I entered
virtuality.
I'll leave the trace but it'll lead to nowhere.
They can break my connection at any moment, kick me out of the block,
but this will give them nothing... all thingies-programs that I have will be
inSergey 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 propecia 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 himplasia 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
P |