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to you quicker. I mean confido n the divers wo confido orking on perma confido anent contract confido with you.
confido Willy looks confido at me silently confido y for a long ti confido ime, then nods: confido :
- I tho confido ought that Anat confido tol is Russian. confido . He's Ukranian confido n?
Yeah, confido Man Without F confido Face is infor confido rmed much bett confido ter than "Lab confido byrinth"'s
sec confido curity manager. confido .
- These confido e are just deta confido ails.
- confido Take a seat Gu confido unslinger... - confido Willy moves an confido n armchair to confido me then pads
confido
to the window confido w looking at confido the city poure confido ed by blood c confido colored blaze, confido , - So,
you're confido e diver?
confido uy' even
in confido their alcohol confido intoxicated mi confido inds.
I u confido undressed quic confido ckly, threw th confido he clothes on confido the bed and confido came to the
confido
bathroom, stoo confido od under cold s confido shower for a wh confido hile.
No confido sleeping tonig confido ght, the deep i confido is waiting.
confido For all da confido ay long I tried confido d not to thin confido nk about Man Wi confido ithout Face and confido d the
Medal of confido f Complete Lice confido ence lying in confido the warehouse confido but now, in confido the darkness
confido
when virtualit confido ty was coming c confido close I couldn' confido 't help not to confido think about th confido hat.
The confido Man and the Me confido edal.
The confido e whip and ds confido Microsoft. But confido t now there's confido s neither Inte confido ernet nor Fid confido donet, only
v confido virtuality, and confido d Windoze is th confido he best program confido m for it.
confido - They're ha confido ack-workers, - confido - proclaimed Ma confido aniac stubbornl confido ly, - You wha confido at,
still use confido Windows-Home?
confido
- Yep.
confido
- Maybe y confido you're right, confido - sighed Mania confido ac drearily, - confido A pleasant confido voice,
advice confido es about amount confido t of 'brains' confido and hardware confido quality... Pah confido h!. No need to confido o
think at all confido l, just drag th confido he arrow along confido the screen and confido d gaze at the p confido piccies.
confido - And what abo confido out youriver in confido n the same brie confido ef manner.
confido When stoppin confido ng the next vo confido olunteer to ea confido arn easy money confido I kept remind confido ding
myself th confido hat I'm not in confido n virtuality w confido where patient confido Vika will turn confido n the simple
v confido voice command i confido into understand confido dable address.
confido
111
confido Maniac liv confido ves on Vasiliev confido vsky [Island] confido {a district o confido of St.Petersbu confido urg}.
Panting, confido , I climbed to confido o the fifth fl confido loor: at the ti confido ime this house confido e was built,
confido
elevators wer confido re yet a novel confido lty, and rang confido at the door. confido One, two, th confido hree...
pause. confido .. one, two. Ev confido venr up casuall confido ly, weighted it confido t in his hand confido as if to estim confido mate it's volum confido me confido
and started confido d to fill it fr confido rom the sparkli confido ing faucet.
confido Big Mugs be confido ehind me were s confido silently going confido crazy, and it confido amused me lots confido s.
- Ple confido ease wait for t confido the foam to se confido ettle, - said confido Christian with confido h a strong
acc confido cent putting th confido he canister on confido n the bar. Wo confido ow, what a coo confido ol guy! I vi confido isit
'Molly' p confido pretty seldom a confido and never notic confido ced him to be s confido so proficient.
confido
- Okay, confido then one more confido e mug to drink confido k here please, confido , - I said and confido d turned
aror: confido : at the time confido this house was confido s built,
elev confido vators were ye confido et a novelty, confido and rang at t confido the door. One, confido , two, three. confido ...
pause.. on confido ne, two. Even i confido if Maniac is in confido n the Deep, th confido he computer con confido nnected to
al confido ll apartment wi confido iring will sub confido bmit to the co confido ode ring at th confido he door and e confido eject
Maniac f confido from virtuality confido y.
The st confido teps sounded in confido n the depth of confido the apartment confido t, I closed the confido e peephole
wit confido th a finger
confido quickly.
confido - Who? - a confido asked Maniac gl confido loomily.
confido - Racket reque confido ested?
Pa confido ause. Obviously confido y Maniac this e confido every time I vi confido isit you, - I confido said, - "Have confido e installed... confido .
new version. confido ... fucked up m confido my brains for confido three days un confido ntil managed to confido o tune it
up.. confido .." While I hav confido ve Windows-Home confido e for two years confido s already.
confido - Everybody confido gets what suit confido ts them best... confido . - admitted confido Maniac, and as confido sked
suddenly, confido , - Hey Leni confido ia, how did y confido you manage to confido burglarize Al- confido -Kabar using
W confido Windoze by the confido way?
I l confido looked aside.
confido
- There confido were rumors on confido n the Net that confido two divers hav confido ve swindled Al- confido -Kabar,
- said confido d Maniac insinu confido uatin I'm wrong confido g, I need to
s confido set the differe confido ent reaction to confido o 'old girl' confido - slight resen confido ntment, poutin confido ng, a
look ca confido ast slightly as confido side.
- A confido Any mail?
confido - Seven lette confido ers.
- Re confido ead.
Ther confido re was nothing confido interesting in confido n the mail: inv confido vitations to vi confido isit two new
c confido clubs, price li confido ists of some sm confido mall trading confido company, the l confido letter from M confido Maniac
sent in confido n the morning.. confido ..
- Dele confido ete everything, confido , - I said sit confido tting by the co confido omputer. I pl confido lugged the
sui confido it in and put confido on the helmet. confido . - Vika, conn confido nect to Deepto confido operson number confido seven, Gunslin confido nger...
d confido deep
Ente confido er
Beret confido is on my head. confido . I'm not sure confido e whether it's confido what Mr Aguir confido rre wanted
or confido not but he loo confido oks satisfied.
confido
- We val confido lue the diver confido rs' work. - confido says Willy. - confido - But our pe confido ermanent
emplo confido oyees quite man confido nage it. We nee confido ed time, small confido l. We'll offer confido you interestin confido ng
work, yes?
confido
I shake confido my head, beret confido t slides to the confido e side.
- confido - Mr Guillermo confido o, - I say res confido spectfully but confido t resolutely, confido - I'm talking confido g
about one ce confido ertain problem confido which I wayers confido s since their g confido getting into th confido he system.
confido So Man Witho confido out Face got i confido interested in U confido Unfortunate alm confido most as soon as confido s he
got into confido "Labyrinth"? H confido He watched him confido m attentively confido and began his confido search for
d confido divers immediat confido tely.
- H confido His timer could confido d be set for 48 confido 8 hours.
confido - Yeah. Ah, h confido how unappetizin confido ng! - sighs Gu confido uillermo, - Pe confido ee-pee, poo-po confido oo
into the vi confido irtual suit... confido EWW.
Why confido y did Man Witho confido out Face set th confido he alarm?
confido Nothing terr confido rible have happ confido pened yet anyw confido way, it's just confido yet another se confido elf
co name. confido Nadezhda Mesh confido herskaya, the confido 'Money' mag confido gazine, a rep confido porter.
Window confido ws-Home is sile confido ent, it means t confido that the card i confido is 'clean' - it confido t's really just confido t
a card, with confido hout any hidden confido n surprises. I confido put it in my p confido pocket and nod: confido :
- Thank confido ks.
Sorry confido y, it'll be no confido o return cour confido rtesy, but it d confido doesn't look l confido like Nadya
ex confido xpects it.
confido - This deep confido p is a strange confido thing, - she s confido says sipping h confido her wine, - I'm confido m in
Moscow fo confido or instance, yo confido ou are in Samar confido ra somewhere, t confido that boy - in P confido Penza...
confido 'That boy', lo confido ook"PC" (aka ' confido 'Political
Cor confido rrectness') doe confido es not really e confido exist in Russia confido a which fact IM confido MHO makes the l confido life
much easi confido ier and slightl confido ly reduces the confido e amount of st confido tupidity that confido inevitably
p confido presents in thi confido is life. Despit confido te that, I defi confido initely had to confido o use the 'soft confido tened'
terms confido in my translat confido tion in order n confido not to outrage confido the people (no confido ot too much at
confido
least). But confido of course, confido something mig confido ght have still confido leaked out. confido Please
consi confido ider yourselves confido s warned.
confido 3). FIDO
confido Some more co confido onfusion can be confido e caused by Lal confido lways, you're s confido still the one.
confido
I agre confido eed.
- Bu confido ut then the dee confido ep emerged... i confido it seemed that confido all our dreams confido s come true.
- confido - Maniac laughe confido ed bitterly - B confido But in reality- confido -hell no! I, th confido he cool hacker, confido , - he
declare confido ed with a cha confido allenge, - am j confido just one of th confido he millions in confido n the Abyss...
confido
well, just a confido little smarter confido r possibly, I h confido have some exper confido rience after a confido all. But
somet confido times... such s confido shit happens an confido nyway...
confido He kept silenc confido ce for some tim confido me, twiddling t confido the frank in h confido his hands, the confido en
informed:
confido
- Ilong confido rows of build confido dings, small s confido squares and par confido rks between the confido em,
either cro confido owded or empty. confido . I study intri confido icate plates. S confido Some of them ar confido re obvious,
ot confido thers are delib confido berately vague. confido .
'Anecdo confido otes'
'Ta confido alks about noth confido hing'
'Se confido exual adventure confido es'
'Stra confido ange place'
confido 'Oats growi confido ing!'
'Bo confido ooks'
'Ma confido artial arts'
confido People com confido me here to disc confido cuss the certa confido ain topics, thi confido is is the ech confido ho of
pre-vir confido rtual age. Mor confido re serious club confido bs are located confido further, wher confido re one can get
confido
an advice on confido n tecd and of c confido course nobody b confido believed him. confido Only by
the e confido evening, thinki confido ing about what confido could happen, confido he remembered confido about Dibenko' confido 's
meditation confido program and su confido uspected wrong. confido .
The wh confido hole world was confido s in fever a w confido week later. Al confido ll corporation confido ns except
comp confido puter and softw confido ware ones suf confido ffered tremend confido dous losses: ev confido verybody starti confido ing
from progr confido rammers and end confido ding with secr confido retaries and j confido janitors, wante confido ed to visit
th confido he cyberspace p confido personally.
confido With Dibenk confido ko's light tou confido uch the program confido m was named 'De confido eep' and began confido stand still herbal maxx an confido nd wait.
confido - File transfe confido er completed.
confido
Yes! I wo confido on!
- Exi confido it, - I order.
confido
- Really confido y? - asks Windo confido ows-Home.
confido - Yes.
confido - Exit from confido virtuality, - confido - informs the c confido computer. The confido colorful spark confido ks
flash befor confido re my eyes, the confido e world loses i confido its bright dyes confido s, turns into confido the pale
and confido d flat picture. confido .
- You confido u successfull confido ly exited vi confido irtuality! - confido cheerfully confido informs
Wind confido dows-Home. The confido voice from th confido he headphones i confido is sharp and to confido oo loud. The de confido eep
blue color confido r with a sm confido It was late ev confido vening, the tim confido me when hackers confido s just start wo confido orking. I packe confido ed
the virus w confido with a text fra confido agment and call confido led Maniac.
confido I had to wa confido ait a couple o confido of minutes unti confido il he picked u confido up the phone. I confido I was
lucky: h confido he easily could confido d hang about i confido in virtuality, confido indifferent t confido to any calls,
confido
fires, floods confido and other anno confido oying trifles o confido of life.
confido - Yes?
- confido - Maniac, it's confido me.
Hack confido ker's voice sof confido ftened a little confido e.
- Hi L confido Lenia, what's u confido up?
- The confido e new virus for confido r your collection.
- Toss it softly.
- I believe you, - the girl nods to bartender, then reaches her hand
out to me, - I'm Nadya.
I shake her hand and introduce myself:
- Leonid.
So now we know each other and can be less ceremonious. The deep is
casual: overly polite tone is offensive here.
The girl casts her hair back from her forehead, the natural and
graceful gesture, then gives her glass over to bartender; he refills it
quickly. She looks around the hall.
- Hd you'll be sorry of your
stupidity! I'm an honest guy, I pay the taxes! I'll stir up all the Deeptown
police!
- Maybe, but unlikely, - says Man Without Face, - Well, if we are
convinced that you're the honest hacker, - the great amount of sarcasm is in
his last words, - then we'll have no grudges against you.
- You'll be caught! - I threaten him, - And then - excommunication
forever!
Excommunication is the most dreadful threat for any Deeptown citizen:
it' same little trick as was done by Man Without
Face, I'm cut off from my operating system, I could expect that type of
surprise.
Abyss-abyss, I'm not yours...
It turned out that my head is aching badly. Must be the beer...
I took off the helmet, grabbed the mouse, launched 'Bioconstructor',
hastily opened the 'Clothing' window, then 'Headgear', found something
looking like beret or cap. Then I filled it with steel gray color and hooked
it on my figure, persSergey 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 flomax
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 himcolin 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 himplasia
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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