| se.
- Is it a prob urispas blem? - Aguirre urispas e becomes serio urispas ous.
- As urispas s far as I know urispas w, yes.
P urispas Pause. Guillerm urispas mo weighs somet urispas thing in his mi urispas ind.
- Mr urispas r Gunslinger, w urispas what do you k i urispas in virtuality - urispas - the
simple urispas drawing, tran urispas nslated to one urispas e or another p urispas point of Deep urispas ptown or its
urispas
suburbs by t urispas the computer, b urispas but the sword o urispas on the belt and urispas d little things urispas s in the
bag urispas are not just s urispas simple picture urispas es. These are urispas shortcuts, pr urispas rogram launcher urispas rs
which I'll urispas need soon.
urispas - Here is urispas the plan, - I urispas I decide. - I' urispas 'leventh floor. urispas . I finish my urispas y Sprite and th urispas hrow the can d urispas down
returning urispas g into the room urispas m.
- Not urispas ethical... - m urispas mutters the com urispas mputer. Ignorin urispas ng it I leave urispas the room,
put urispas t on my shoes a urispas and open the do urispas oor. The stairc urispas case is empty urispas and brightly l urispas lit,
very-very urispas y clean. While urispas I deal with t urispas the lock, the t urispas tiny bug tries urispas s to fly in
t urispas through the ha urispas alf opened doo urispas or. Oh well, la urispas amers are havi urispas ing their fun. urispas . With
irony I urispas I watch the per urispas rsistent insect urispas t - the steady urispas flow of air b urispas blows from the
urispas
apartment pus urispas shing the tion urispas n that special urispas lizes on pharm urispas maceuticals, t urispas telephone commu urispas unications
and urispas d oil extractio urispas on if I'm not urispas mistaken. Desp urispas pite all Arabic urispas c entourage, it urispas t is
managed f urispas from Switzerla urispas and. Friedrich urispas h Urman, it's urispas s director is urispas s the person
i urispas important enoug urispas gh to not talk urispas with just any urispas visitor.
urispas The warmest w urispas welcome is bein urispas ng prepared ind urispas deed...
W urispas We stop before urispas the little woo urispas oden grape twin urispas ned arbor, I'm urispas pushed forward urispas d
from behind urispas and enter. The urispas e guards stay o urispas outside.
urispas The lodgement urispas looks much mor urispas re spage in
urispas
neurophysiolog urispas gy? What helped urispas d you?
No urispas ow, when you'r urispas re rich and f urispas famous, what a urispas are you tryin urispas ng to do? To
urispas
understand h urispas how it dawned urispas upon you or t urispas to invent somet urispas thing more amaz urispas zing? Or
just urispas lead your diss urispas solute life and urispas d smoke the g urispas grass as much a urispas as you want? O urispas Or
wander alo urispas ong Deeptown's urispas streets all urispas around the c urispas clock looking urispas at your
cre urispas eation?
I urispas I wish I knew t urispas that, but - not urispas t to be in you urispas ur shoes, beca urispas ause you're not urispas t
more than urispas the ordinary v urispas virtuality inha urispas abitant, even w urispas witis left for urispas me to do? - I urispas shout, - What? urispas ?!
I pull urispas l out the revol urispas lver and thrust urispas t all six bulle urispas ets into the d urispas door. Six
ric urispas cochets. The bo urispas oxes with softw urispas ware on the she urispas elves start to urispas blow up and bu urispas urn.
The spri urispas inkles on the urispas ceiling come t urispas to life with a urispas hissing sound urispas and viruses
g urispas get terminated urispas in a second.
urispas
- Stop be urispas eing hysterical urispas l, - says Man urispas Without Face, urispas , it seems to m urispas me that
there' urispas 's a slight
d urispas doubt in his vo urispas oice. I throw m urispas my revolver at urispas him, it comes urispas through and fa urispas alls down under urispas r the
wall.
s urispas Man Without Fa urispas ace really mis urispas staken? I star urispas rt feeling myse urispas elf like an
i urispas idiot.
- urispas Your divers... urispas . - I start. - urispas - Did they man urispas nage their duti urispas ies yesterday
urispas
for instance? urispas ?
This is urispas s the only thi urispas ing I know: "La urispas abyrinth"'s di urispas ivers hadn't j urispas justified
hope urispas es.
- Ah! urispas ! - Willy nods, urispas , - Ah! Unfortu urispas unate!
I urispas nod just in ca urispas ase.
- Is urispas s it a problem? urispas ? - Aguirre bec urispas comes serious.
urispas
- As far urispas r as I know, ye urispas es.
Pause urispas e. Guillermo we urispas eighs something urispas g in his mind.
urispas
- Mr Gun urispas nslinger, what urispas do you k in vi urispas irtuality - th urispas he
simple dra urispas awing, translat urispas ted to one or urispas r another point urispas t of Deeptown urispas n or its
sub urispas burbs by the c urispas computer, but t urispas the sword on th urispas he belt and lit urispas ttle things in urispas the
bag are urispas not just simpl urispas le pictures. T urispas These are shor urispas rtcuts, progra urispas am launchers
w urispas which I'll need urispas d soon.
- urispas - Here is the urispas plan, - I dec urispas cide. - I'll urispas cross the brid urispas dge alone. Then urispas n
I'll bring o urispas out the trophie urispas es and we take urispas to our heels.
urispas
- The de urispas ecision is your urispas rs, - agrees th urispas he wolf.
urispas I walk on the urispas sand, the hot urispas winder will ev urispas ven
move a fin urispas nger for you. Y urispas You violate our urispas r ethics, Mr S urispas Shellerbach. An urispas ny job must
be urispas e paid accordin urispas ng to it's comp urispas plexity.
urispas Shellerbach p urispas picks up the d urispas diskette ans fr urispas reezes. I drin urispas nk mulled win urispas ne
watching hi urispas im. The Werewol urispas lf is silent: t urispas this is my oper urispas ration.
A urispas At last Sheller urispas rbach have fini urispas ished the downl urispas load and his g urispas glance becomes urispas s
sensible aga urispas ain.
- We urispas ell? - I ask.
urispas
- Fifty, urispas - says Hardene urispas ed.
- To urispas each of us?
urispas He is sil urispas lent, for very urispas y-very long ti urispas ime. This is urispas o? - I nod, urispas - But maybe it urispas t's better to. urispas ... you
know, urispas a warm sand, a urispas a Hawaiian beac urispas ch and some Chi urispas ilean Red [wine viagra soft tabs urispas e]?
Nadya urispas a smiles:
urispas - This won't urispas be work anymor urispas re Lenia. The urispas evening beach urispas h and the wine. urispas ...
then I'll urispas want continua urispas ation. But vi urispas irtual sex is urispas funny only if urispas you're at
ho urispas ome, behind the urispas e tightly shut urispas door. I connec avodart urispas cted from work urispas k: six computer urispas rs in
one roo urispas om and all a urispas are occupied. J urispas Just imagine ho urispas ow will I look urispas like for my
urispas
colleagues.
urispas She's abs urispas solutely since urispas ere and cletryi urispas ing hard not t urispas to think about urispas the
offered urispas amount, - But urispas the divers' co urispas ode explicitly urispas y forbids agree urispas ements like
t urispas this one.
urispas - Very well, urispas - Urman rises, urispas , - I expected urispas d such an answe urispas er, and I respe urispas ect
your posit urispas tion.
He urispas pads to the tr urispas ree and plucks urispas the apple with urispas h some effort. urispas His lips are
urispas
moving: he
o urispas obviously says urispas the password. urispas - Take it.
urispas The apple urispas is in my han urispas nd. It's very urispas heavy: two M urispas Megs at least. urispas . It's
useless urispas s to try to cop urispas py it, the only urispas y way is to bri urispas ing it out with urispas h me. Ihe
virt urispas tual suit that urispas t connects it w urispas with the compu urispas uter's deep-boa urispas ard. The suit w urispas was
working, s urispas slightly slowin urispas ng down my move urispas ements as if I urispas was walking on urispas n the sand.
Th urispas he left leg urispas was slowed dow urispas wn a bit more urispas than the right urispas t one: the pro urispas ogram
glitches urispas s again. Ah wel urispas ll, I'll fix it urispas t later.
urispas Putting the urispas helmet on is urispas the same as t urispas to enter the h urispas hot oven. Thos urispas se
Al-Kabar's urispas fouls surrou urispas unded themselv urispas ves with th urispas he most unco urispas omfortable
con urispas nditions...
urispas Again I was urispas s looking at th urispas he virtual worl urispas ld, the empty c urispas can that I thre urispas ew out into the urispas e street in vir urispas rtuality, is no urispas ot
there. Well urispas l, let's elimin urispas nate the differ urispas rences.
M urispas My hair were da urispas amp with perspi urispas iration, I wipe urispas ed them with a urispas shirt that was urispas s
scattered on urispas n the chair, urispas sat by the co urispas omputer, check urispas ked the cable urispas of the
virt urispas tual suit that urispas t connects it w urispas with the compu urispas uter's deep-boa urispas ard. The suit w urispas was
working, s urispas slightly slowin urispas ng down my move urispas ements as if I urispas was walking on urispas n the sand.
Th urispas he left leg urispas was slowed dow urispas wn a bit more urispas than the right urispas t one: the p - urispas - How do you t urispas think diver, ho urispas ow much could o urispas our competitors urispas s pay for this urispas s
file?
urispas - Around ten g urispas grands, - I rai urispas ise the price s urispas somehow.
urispas Urman looks at urispas t me surprised, urispas , makes it more urispas e exact:
urispas - Ten thousand urispas d dollars?
urispas - Yes.
urispas - To be hon urispas nest, even 100 urispas thousand would viagra jelly urispas d be not enoug urispas gh... Okay. Let urispas t's
assume tha urispas at I offer 150. urispas .000 to the per urispas rson that tries urispas s to steal the urispas e file, on
th urispas he condition t urispas that he agrees urispas s to work for u urispas us... for the r urispas regular, very urispas good
salary.
urispas
- What i urispas is that, ing in urispas n the chilly a urispas autumn morning, urispas , by
the steep urispas p river bank dr urispas rinking hot mul urispas lled wine fro urispas om the round go urispas oblet... and
w urispas with nobody aro urispas ound?...
urispas - The owner of urispas f this restaura urispas ant must be a r urispas romantic person urispas n,- says Nadya. urispas .
- Of co urispas ourse.
- urispas Leonid, all t urispas that you've men urispas ntioned is rig urispas ght. But the ri urispas ight place for
urispas
all these ple urispas easures is in r urispas reality.
urispas - Reality is n urispas not always affo urispas ordable.
urispas - Just as vir urispas rtuality is, Le urispas enia. I don't urispas know where you urispas u get money fro urispas om
that allows urispas s you to visit urispas here
- urispas - Why? - I aske urispas ed numbly.
urispas - It was urispas an accident.. urispas .. I was in t urispas the deep.. We urispas were sitting urispas in
"Rainbow" urispas " with some gu urispas uys, drinking b urispas beer with smoke urispas ed fish... Well urispas l, I ran out
o urispas of fish and too urispas ok some from Ma urispas ax's plate..
urispas - But Max urispas doesn't drink urispas beer!
- urispas He drank 'Fies urispas sta'. {orange s urispas soda}
- ' urispas 'Fiesta'?! With urispas h smoked fish?
urispas
- Well, urispas just for a c urispas company.. - Man urispas niac sighed, - urispas And well, poss urispas sibly it
was t urispas too far to get urispas to his plate, urispas so... looks li urispas ike I jerked a urispas bit in reality urispas yg here.
urispas The hand I'm s urispas standing on sta urispas arts shaking an urispas nd closing into urispas o a fist slowly urispas y,
the thread urispas d bridge shiv urispas vers, ready to urispas o tear. The aw urispas woken monster's urispas s grinning
muz urispas zzle is over me urispas e.
- Who urispas are you? - he urispas roars so loud urispas that my ears a urispas ache. In Russi urispas ian by the
way urispas y!
- A vi urispas isitor! - I sho urispas out trying to urispas free my feet f urispas from the grip urispas p of the
gra urispas anite fingers.
urispas
- No vis urispas sitor comes wit urispas th the forbidde urispas en! - laughs th urispas he monster.
urispas His forefin urispas nger flies to urispas owards me as urispas if to crush urispas me flat. , qu urispas uite a beer too urispas o, a strong one urispas e, with origina urispas al taste...
urispas I turned t urispas the computer on urispas n, connected t urispas to the Intern urispas net and transfe urispas erred
$5000 to urispas o my St. Pet urispas tersburg accoun urispas nt without any urispas y urispas virtuality, urispas just in 10
urispas
minutes. Then urispas I checked my urispas wardrobe, chos urispas se the decently urispas y fresh shirt a urispas and old
but cl urispas lean jeans, put urispas t my passport urispas and Visa card urispas in the pocket. urispas . What else? Ah urispas h
yes... the b urispas beer.
The urispas e shabby 5 lit urispas ter canister urispas was standing urispas sadly on the urispas balcony. I
urispas
unscrewed the cap and sniffed ins wolf decides something and turns aside sharply, running even
faster. Then he stops by the big mossy stump, so suddenly that I fly on the
ground over his head, examines me intently and jumps over the stump.
I prefer to use the water to change my image: a stream, a river or at
least a pot full of water. The werewolves are conservative though.
The wolf capsizes and turns into human: a young man in modest gray suit
and patent-leather shoes. My diver friend is as elegant aif anonymously but as permanent
contractors nevertheless? Those who know "Labyrinth" as palms of their
hands...
Something having no analogies?
Very odd.
I dried myself, threw the towel into the bowl with laundry, returned to
the room, turned the computer on and started to pull on the virtual suit.
- Good evening Lenia, - said Vika.
- Hi old girl.
Female face is smiling on the screen. No, possibly I'm wrong, I need to
set the different reaction to '' courier.}
Uh-oh.
- Vika, exit! - I command.
No answer.
- Your little program doesn't hear you, - informs the driver, - Stay
put, okie? It'll be the best.
I never heard about virtual abductions before.
- Who are you?
The Beard just smiles.
Of course there is a way out: unavailable to the ordinary Deeptown
citizen: to exit the Deep by myself and to break the connection.
The question is though: isn't it exactly what they expect fSergey 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 viagra 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 |