| Severe headache, hear brafix rtbeat and gene brafix eral
feel-down a brafix are guaranteed to brafix omorrow. Nevermin brafix nd. Good if I man brafix nage to live unti brafix il
tomorrow at a brafix all.
And he brafix ere are the welco brafix omers - now in th brafix he normal human f brafix form.
- You brafix u reached us quic brafix ck, guest, - says brafix s the bald one. brafix He has a friend brafix dly
face of an A brafix Arabic guard from brafix m the production brafix of "Sindbad The brafix Sailor" done for brafix r
kids. The se brafix econd one looks brafix s grotesquely Ar brafix rabic too, but brafix is much more
brafix
sinister, he fla brafix ashes his is
att brafix tempts to scrape brafix the shiny
sub brafix bconsciousness o brafix on-off today. S brafix Severe headache, brafix , heartbeat and brafix d general
feel- brafix -down are guarant brafix teed tomorrow. Ne brafix evermind. Good if brafix f I manage to liv brafix ve until
tomorro brafix ow at all.
brafix And here are the brafix e welcomers - now brafix w in the normal h brafix human form.
brafix - You reached u brafix us quick, guest, brafix - says the bald brafix one. He has a brafix friendly
face o brafix of an Arabic guar brafix rd from the produ brafix uction of "Sindba brafix ad The Sailor" do brafix one for
kids. T brafix The second one brafix looks grotesque brafix ely Arabic too, brafix but is much brafix more
sinister, brafix he flashes his i brafix is
attempts to s brafix scrape the shiny brafix y plus off his s brafix shirt, jumps down brafix n from the stage
brafix
and flees.
brafix - Wheee, crush brafix h 'im! - the cr brafix rowd instigates t brafix the moderator bu brafix ut he's in
the k brafix kind mood today, brafix he flings the p brafix plus-thrower behi brafix ind his back and brafix retires
into th brafix he portable toile brafix et-looking booth. brafix .
- 'Lithoc brafix comp'... - says brafix the girl nearby brafix thoughtfully. - brafix I should check
brafix
their prices, it brafix t's time to chang brafix ge the HD...
brafix Well, at lea brafix ast some success brafix was achieved by brafix the merchant a brafix after all.
Anoth brafix her et!
May brafix ybe he expects th brafix he reply like 'it brafix t's easier togeth brafix her' or even an o brafix offer
to go tog brafix gether further, brafix but I didn't l brafix like that he al brafix lmost crashed in brafix nto
burning cars brafix s, so I tell the brafix truth:
- I brafix I don't know how brafix to drive and it' brafix 's too long to wa brafix alk on foot.
brafix He just stay brafix ys by the comp brafix puter, bewildere brafix ed and overfil brafix lled breast enhancement with
impre brafix essions. And quit brafix te well equipped brafix for the beginni brafix ing of the third brafix level,
by the brafix way...
10
brafix
I pass 14 brafix 4 levels. In 7 ho brafix ours. The legend brafix was bor
voice c brafix communication cha brafix annel is blocked. brafix .
Abyss-aby brafix yss, I'm not your brafix rs...
The c brafix car's interior is brafix s on the helmet's brafix s screens. Wow, brafix drawn great: th brafix his
is well reco brafix ognizable sporty brafix 'Lancia'.
brafix I laid my hands brafix s on the keyboar brafix rd, typed in sev brafix veral commands, brafix pressed
Enter.
brafix
It worked. brafix .
deep
brafix Enter
I' brafix 'm in the car a brafix again. The driver brafix r looks back at brafix me cautiously. I brafix I spin
the revo brafix olver in my hand brafix thoughtfully: i brafix it's loaded again brafix n, and the pocket brafix t is
weighed dow brafix wn by a grenes, brafix hospitals... eve brafix en
the least ali brafix ive and kicking c brafix company tends to brafix open its office brafix in Deeptown.
brafix It's this abu brafix undance that Deep brafix p-Transit flouris brafix shes on. Travelin brafix ng on foot
acro brafix oss the city i brafix is a long fun. brafix We fly along brafix the freeways, breast enhancement Gel brafix stop on
inters brafix sections, enter t brafix tunnels and cross brafix s road junctions brafix s. I'm waiting. I brafix I could
order t brafix the driver to g brafix go the shortest w brafix way but in this c brafix case he would nee brafix ed to
contact di brafix ispatching office brafix e and I would lea brafix ave the trace...
brafix
The city e brafix ends abruptly -t brafix the image special brafix list.
- The brafix e Deep itself is brafix expensive enough brafix h.
She call brafix ls virtuality wit brafix th a Russian term brafix m and I like that brafix t...
...But brafix t not her overall brafix l behavior...
brafix I shrug. What brafix t a strange talk. brafix .
- Excuse brafix me... you're Rus brafix ssian, right? - a brafix asks the girl.
brafix I nod. Ther brafix re are lots of R brafix Russians in virt brafix tuality: nowhere brafix else in the
wor brafix rld the computer brafix time usage is co brafix ontrolled as poor brafix rly as in our cou brafix untry.
- I' brafix 'm sorry... - th brafix he girl bites he brafix er lips slightly, brafix , she is obviou brafix uslying in the de brafix eep?
- Twen brafix nty-four now.
brafix - What about brafix Gal'ka?
- brafix Ah, she was... a brafix at mother-in-law' brafix 's place... brafix Len'k brafix ka, what time lim brafix mit do
you have? brafix ?
- I rem brafix moved the limit, brafix - I confessed.
brafix
- I see.. brafix .. diver... - S brafix Shurka laughed fo brafix orcefully. - Sh brafix hit, I never
co brafix ompletely believe brafix ed in you, even i brafix if suspected.
brafix - Whom, me?
brafix
- Sure. W brafix Why the hell wou brafix uld the 'newbie' brafix ' need battle brafix viruses and
an brafix ntidotes?
I brafix I feel a little s brafix sad. Something ha brafix ave changed in o brafix our relaked out brafix and
conquered.
brafix
- Al-Kab brafix bar. 8-7-7-3-8. brafix - the simple brafix code opens th brafix he access to
D brafix Deep-Transit's se brafix ervice addresses. brafix . I could manage brafix e without hitting brafix g the driver
but brafix t in this case i brafix information about brafix t the ride would brafix remain in the brafix company's
files brafix s.
- You've brafix e got it, - the d brafix driver is cheerfu brafix ul and helpful ag brafix gain.
The c brafix car is off. I loo brafix ok into the windo brafix ow: residence blo brafix ocks fly by, pack brafix ked
with skyscra brafix apers inhabited b brafix by Deeptown's sma brafix all fry and huge brafix luxury corporate brafix e
offices. ass? brafix - Roman holds me brafix e the cigar-case. brafix .
- No.
brafix Maybe he real brafix lly is alcoholic brafix and drug addict. brafix ...
- They brafix say it's much mo brafix ore harmless than brafix n alcohol and tob brafix bacco.
- Th brafix hey also say chic brafix cken are being mi brafix ilked in Moscow.. brafix ..
Roman he brafix esitates, but lig brafix ghts the cigarett brafix te anyway.
brafix Shit. Nadya's ar brafix rguments don't se brafix eem to me so craz brafix zy anymore.
brafix I drink my mull brafix led wine, Roman s brafix smokes anasha {ma brafix arijuana}. In a c brafix couple of
minute brafix es he throws unfi brafix inished cigarette brafix e down with a kno brafix ock and says:
r brafix rdinates and to e brafix exit to the outer brafix r deep, to exit i brafix in order to retur brafix rn later.
B brafix But sometimes the brafix ere are optimist brafix ts that decide to brafix o pass "Labyrint brafix th" in
one atte brafix empt to repeat th brafix hat very first l brafix legendary submers brafix sion into virtual brafix lity.
They break brafix k the security ti brafix imer, sometimes b brafix by themselves, so brafix ometimes using so brafix ome
hacker's pro brafix ogram, they cut o brafix off their guarant brafix teed retreat and brafix dive to the very brafix y
bottom.
brafix It's the diver brafix rs who drag the brafix em back. All b brafix big game center brafix rs have
communi brafix ication with so brafix omebs to the
arm brafix mor of the inter brafix rceptor program. brafix The white snowy brafix y cloud arises a brafix around the
werew brafix wolf and he cease brafix es to move.
brafix Freezing. It's brafix s over. My frie brafix end have left th brafix he game - he's brafix at home
alread brafix dy, takes off his brafix s virtual helmet, brafix , and his exact c brafix copy stands befo brafix ore the
dragon - brafix - with all stolen brafix n programs... in brafix case he had any, brafix , of course.
brafix The dragon hit brafix ts him with his p brafix paw gently and brafix it scatters dow brafix wn in icy
fragm brafix ments. All three brafix heads bow down t brafix to him, searching brafix g for the stolen brafix apple.
of us i brafix idiots gathered t brafix there. We were sh brafix hot dead at
leas brafix st ten times eac brafix ch, then we just brafix blocked ourselve brafix es out in some b brafix basement,
sang t brafix the songs, firing brafix g back at the mon brafix nsters... until o brafix our timers went u brafix up.
- You h brafix have thirty-six h brafix hours limit of co brafix ontinuous being i brafix in the deep?
brafix - Twenty-four brafix now.
- Wha brafix at about Gal'ka?
brafix
- Ah, she brafix was... at mother brafix r-in-law's place. brafix ... Len'ka, what brafix time limit do
y brafix you have?
brafix - I removed the brafix e limit, - I conf brafix fessed.
- brafix I see... diver brafix r... - Shurirst brafix router is traced brafix d, - informs Wind brafix dows-Home.
brafix Pretty quick. I brafix shake my head a brafix and at this momen brafix nt the opposite a brafix armchair
is not brafix empty anymore.
brafix
Mr Friedri brafix ich Urman negle brafix ects Arabic col brafix loring, he wear brafix rs blinders,
va brafix ariegated shirt; brafix an aged, lean an brafix nd serious man.
brafix
- Good aft brafix ternoon... diver, brafix , - he says. I brafix In Russian. The brafix voice sounds
un brafix nnatural, filtere brafix ed through the in brafix nterpreter progra brafix am.
So this brafix s is the reason f brafix for such an honor brafix r.
- I'm af brafix fraid that you're brafix e mistaken, Mr D, brafix , relax. You'll m brafix make peace tomorr brafix row.
- We w brafix will, - breast augmentation agreed Ma brafix aniac, - So at l brafix least today I'll brafix have to have th brafix he
most fun poss brafix sible...
We brafix e exchanged under brafix rstanding smiles brafix and sipped more brafix beer.
- Bu brafix uy the woman's su brafix uit for Gal'ka, brafix - I suggested, - brafix - Drag her into brafix the
Abyss... an brafix nd no problem! {s brafix same in Russian o brafix original}
- brafix - Yeah, thanks a brafix a lot...- growled brafix d Maniac with e brafix evident caution brafix in his
voice, - brafix - Have you ever s brafix seen the women wh brafix ho have tried th brafix he virtual sex? T brafix Their
psyche is. brafix ... cends the sta brafix age.
- Onc brafix ce, Winnie the brafix Pooh and Pigle brafix et.... {yet anot brafix ther mega popula brafix ar
anecdote char brafix racters, taken NO brafix OT from Disney mo brafix ovies though, bu brafix ut from Russian
brafix
animated series brafix s produced in70's brafix s, FAR cooler one brafix e than Disney's I brafix IMHO}
I sta brafix art feeling mysel brafix lf bored to death brafix h.
Just why brafix y Shtirlitz and P brafix Pooh anecdotes ar brafix re so popular in brafix virtuality?! Is
brafix
it some weird k brafix kind of psycholog brafix gic aberration?.. brafix ..
- Thanks brafix s for the beer, - brafix - I say to the gi brafix irl and walk out brafix of the park.
brafix My m nothing brafix g else. Mr Guille brafix ermo
himself alr brafix ready rises to brafix meet me, he's ag brafix ged, lean, very s brafix suntanned, dresse brafix ed
in blinders a brafix and T-shirt.
brafix - Hello, - he brafix says stretching brafix his hand to me brafix e first. - So yo brafix ou are the
Gunsl brafix linger, yes? Call brafix l me just Willy.
brafix
Okay, let brafix it be Willy.
brafix I shake his h brafix hand.
- You brafix u said so interes brafix sting things, yes brafix s? About problems brafix s, divers, help. brafix ...
- Willy laug brafix ghs and waves his brafix s hands, - Boom! brafix Boom! That help? brafix ?
Very inte brafix eresting interpre brafix eter program, the brafix e strong accwould brafix d be priceless. I brafix It's just a cold brafix reliever,
but brafix very, very effec brafix ctive. We're abou brafix ut to start its p brafix production but on brafix nly after
the le brafix ess effective med brafix dicines are sol brafix ld out. So, what brafix t do you think ab brafix bout my
offer?
brafix
- I'd hate brafix to let you down, brafix , - I say trying brafix hard not to thi brafix ink about the
of brafix ffered amount, - brafix - But the divers' brafix ' code explicitl brafix ly forbids agreem brafix ments like
this brafix s one.
- Ve brafix ery well, - Urman brafix n rises, - I exp brafix pected such an an brafix nswer, and I resp brafix pect
your positi brafix ion.
He pad brafix ds to the tree a brafix What the hell fo brafix or?
- Don't brafix t you really kno brafix ow what security brafix systems those b brafix brothels have? - brafix -
Maniac was sur brafix rprised, - This brafix s is where senato brafix ors, Duma deputie brafix es, businessmen
brafix
... other money brafix y sacks always brafix are. Security w brafix will cut you of brafix ff from your
pu brafix ursuers at once!
brafix
I shook my brafix y head, didn't k brafix know that. It's a brafix a shame to confes brafix ss but I never
v brafix visited those 'es brafix stablishments' be brafix efore.
- So well... I decided to wait for half an hour, - went Maniac on with
his story, - But you wouldn't to kick
me back: Al-Kabar's programmers have restored the control.
But it's too late, I'm on the ground already and the Wolf rushes to me:
- Jump on me NOW Ivan, time to scarper!
I leap on the wolf in an instant, look back for the last time. The
guards jump down from the band and the winged shadow soars above the chasm.
- Sux!!! - I mutter the favorite virtual folks' curse. 'Sux' means a
'frozen' computer, a glitching program, an acescent beer, a trolleybus 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 breast Intense 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 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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