| T 2. "Labyrinth" *
0
The Portal through which "Labyrinth" is connected to t ultimate male enhancer the rest of the
deep is really beautiful. It's a huge black marble ultimate male enhancer e ark going up into the
sky. Purple sparks slide along it back a ultimate male enhancer and forth and low rumble is emitted
by the stone, sometimes accom ultimate male enhancer mpanied with deep nonhuman sighs. The ark's
entrance is filled wi ultimate male enhancer ith swirling red fog.
And right into this fog people are comi ultimate male enhancer ing, slowly as if mesmerized.
Maybe not all or them are real, sa ultimate male enhancer and doesn't promise anything good.
I sit down on the floor, squ ultimate male enhancer ueeze my head with hands and whisper:
- Assholes... Fucking ass ultimate male enhancer sholes..
- We don't care about your pranks in the Deep, diver. ultimate male enhancer The theft is bad,
but it was high time for Urman to get knocked on ultimate male enhancer the nose.
I'm whining quietly, rocking from side to side.
ultimate male enhancer Man Without Face ignores my performance.
- The crime always ultimate male enhancer existed, it exists now and will exist. I'm not Jesus
and I don't pr ultimate male enhancer retend to complete innocI
canceled my temporary address in Austria.
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The main threads are broken. Try to find me now Al-Kabar guy ultimate male enhancer ys, filter
all files in search for Ivan The Prince. The diver have ultimate male enhancer broke free from the
trap.
Not using the voice control anymor ultimate male enhancer re, I shut Windows-Home down, entered
3D Norton's table, opened dis ultimate male enhancer sk D: where all my virtual trophies are stored
together with a sma ultimate male enhancer all viruses collection. Here it is, my apple: 1.5 Meg
file. Loo ultimate male enhancer oks like the simple file for Advanced-Word. AIDO uses its own prop ultimate male enhancer prietary protocol. Special gateways are used to
exchange emails w ultimate male enhancer with the Internet. Look at www.fidonet.org for more
details.. ultimate male enhancer .. But be prepared to get back not the homepage, but some HTML code.
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{G} The guys have forgot to put the {HTML} tag into the code of t ultimate male enhancer their main
page... OOPS.
4). The names.
The same name in ultimate male enhancer n Russian usually can have several forms, reflecting the
attitude of ultimate male enhancer f the one who pronounces the name to the one named. The number of
t ultimate male enhancer theslutely 'impenetrable' expression, he stands motionless like a sta ultimate male enhancer atue. Is
he a human or not? It's foolish to ask, at least ultimate male enhancer because one can't
distinguish well made program from a human at ultimate male enhancer once. I pass the guard and
find myself in a small hall. The brig ultimate male enhancer ght sunlight beams through windows,
small tables and soft armcha ultimate male enhancer airs stand along the walls. More solid table is
in the center of th ultimate male enhancer he hall, a smiling girl sits by it: the secretary and most
likely li ultimate male enhancer ive one.
- Good aftern - says Man Without
Face. - Boss was th ultimate male enhancer he higher step in Fidonet hierarchy. It was boss to whom
those who ultimate male enhancer o wanted to become points and join to virtuality addressed their
ultimate male enhancer
requests to... There was no virtuality back then though... The leg ultimate male enhancer gend told
that sometimes the newbies managed to find a very good b ultimate male enhancer boss for themselves,
who provided the network access at any time, hi ultimate male enhancer igh transfer rate, connection
to any club... those were called echo ultimate male enhancer o-conferences at that time.
I nod automaticallra somewhere, tha ultimate male enhancer at boy - in Penza...
'That boy', looking like the cute Mexican ultimate male enhancer from a soap opera notices her
look and raises his chin proudly. ultimate male enhancer . Yes, one can't deny her power of
observation, he's really Ru ultimate male enhancer ussian...
- There's a crowd of Americoses, - she goes on wi ultimate male enhancer ithout a glimpse of
respect, - that weirdo is a Japanese obviously. ultimate male enhancer ... just look at the eyes he
drew for himself. Every nation has i ultimate male enhancer it's own complexes.. high love . And here are we,
playing the fool in none ultimate male enhancer existenters are
completely busy with an extremely important task of ultimate male enhancer f calculation of PI number
with a million digits precision. They e ultimate male enhancer even have no resources left to eject
the operators from virtuality. ultimate male enhancer . Very good, let them lie in the deep for a
while instead of chan ultimate male enhancer nging the computers.
- Not ethical... - mutters Windows-Home do ultimate male enhancer olefully.
I rush along the band. The channel is excellent, I'm ultimate male enhancer m above the wall in
a couple of seconds. The band under my feet ultimate male enhancer pushes me forward. I laugh
la and will be right back...
- G ultimate male enhancer Go ahead, - agrees the wolf gazing around.
I half close my eyes ultimate male enhancer s.
Abyss-abyss, I'm not yours... let me go, abyss...
I sh ultimate male enhancer hivered slightly and stood up; tiny screens before my eyes, the
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desert, the chasm, the statue and the city in the distance is on t ultimate male enhancer them, very
nice drawing. Al-Kabar has good designers.
The virt ultimate male enhancer tual helmet is heavy, one of the most sophisticated models by
Son ultimate male enhancer ny: with excellent color screens, great speakers and buissword. - Ta ultimate male enhancer ake it.
The apple itries to fly in
through the half opened ultimate male enhancer door. Oh well, lamers are having their fun. With
irony I watch th ultimate male enhancer he persistent insect - the steady flow of air blows from the
apartm ultimate male enhancer ment pushing the bug back out... women attracting pheromones Finally the door is closed, the b ultimate male enhancer bug
knocks against it in the last effort, a short flash - and it f ultimate male enhancer falls on the
floor.
- Should I file the complaint to the land ultimate male enhancer dlord? - asks Windows-Home. Now
the voice comes from silver clips on ultimate male enhancer n my shirt'sleases three flame streams. The fire flares up
right on ultimate male enhancer our way.
- Run! - screams my partner and adds in a whisper, ultimate male enhancer - See you tonight,
at the usual place...
I jerk sharply, thro ultimate male enhancer ow him down from my back and flee, hurled by curses.
The dragon ultimate male enhancer n circles above for little longer, then lands by the fairy
tale ultimate male enhancer hero. The cowardly partner doesn't interest him. Just as expected.
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I run away, whispering:
- Vika, copy new files!
The ultimate male enhancer e fight rages behind me. Not for lony. - It was a 'network of
frien ultimate male enhancer nds', the chat about just anything, envy at the Internet, profan ultimate male enhancer nity
towards Microsoft. But now there's neither Internet nor F ultimate male enhancer Fidonet, only
virtuality, and Windoze is the best program for it.
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- They're hack-workers, - proclaimed Maniac stubbornly, - Yo ultimate male enhancer ou what,
still use Windows-Home?
- Yep.
- Maybe you're ultimate male enhancer right, - sighed Maniac drearily, - A pleasant voice,
advices ab ultimate male enhancer bout amount of 'brains' and hardware quality... Pah!. No in virtua ultimate male enhancer ality could never
cross it, - Urman smiles sparingly, - For the f ultimate male enhancer first time in my life I can
see the real diver.
One-zero... ultimate male enhancer not in my favor.
- Well, for the first time in my life I can s ultimate male enhancer see the real billionaire.
- So you see, our meeting is fruitful ultimate male enhancer l already.
Windows-Home whispers,
- The second router was ultimate male enhancer s traced...
Urman frowns - looks like he's informed about s ultimate male enhancer something too. Then
inquires:
- Excuse me, how many servers ultimate male enhancer did you pass thules more.
'Mortal Combat' is even simpler. ultimate male enhancer This is a scuffle in virtual space.
One might put on one of hundr ultimate male enhancer reds of ready-to-use guises or build his own and
to take part in a ultimate male enhancer multiple day tournament for the right to fight the main
villain t ultimate male enhancer that plots to conquer the Earth. This is the useful game, nowhere
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else can one steam out his sick emotions like on the gloomy ultimate male enhancer arenas of
'Mortal Combat', hitting his enemy with the heel on ultimate male enhancer n his forehead of
thrusting magic spood.
- What was in that ultimate male enhancer t apple?
- New cold reliever, a very effective one.
Roman ultimate male enhancer n frowns:
- This costs six grands?
- This costs a hundred ultimate male enhancer d.
- Ahhh... - Roman's jaw drops.
- Let's wait for the bu ultimate male enhancer uyer.
The Werewolf nods:
- It's your operation, it's you ultimate male enhancer to decide.
The buyer shows up in some ten minutes, when I sta ultimate male enhancer art to worry already.
I knew him only under a nick 'Hardened', and ultimate male enhancer he knows me as 'Gunslinger'.
The buyer is tidy and impercepter
t ultimate male enhancer the less effective medicines are sold out. So, what do you think a ultimate male enhancer about my
offer?
- I'd hate to let you down, - I say trying ha ultimate male enhancer ard not to think about the
offered amount, - But the divers' code ultimate male enhancer explicitly forbids agreements like
this one.
- Very well, - ultimate male enhancer Urman rises, - I expected such an answer, and I respect
your posit ultimate male enhancer tion.
He pads to the tree and plucks the apple with some effort ultimate male enhancer t. His lips are
moving: he
obviously says the password. - Take it ultimate male enhancer t.
The apple itries to fly in
through the half opened door. ultimate male enhancer . Oh well, lamers are having their fun. With
irony I watch the per ultimate male enhancer rsistent insect - the steady flow of air blows from the
apartment p ultimate male enhancer pushing the bug back out... Finally the door is closed, the bug
k ultimate male enhancer knocks against it in the last effort, a short flash - and it falls ultimate male enhancer on the
floor.
- Should I file the complaint to the landlord? ultimate male enhancer ? - asks Windows-Home. Now
the voice comes from silver clips on my s ultimate male enhancer shirt's collar.
- Go ahead - I agree.r at the end of the level ultimate male enhancer l. But
I don't care, I'll pass the sewer looking at the screen ultimate male enhancer and moving the
mouse.
- Hey! - shouts my fellow traveler beh ultimate male enhancer hind me - Why did you need me? You
are the coolest one I've ever met ultimate male enhancer t!
Maybe he expects the reply like 'it's easier together' or ev ultimate male enhancer ven an offer
to go together further, but I didn't like that he ultimate male enhancer almost crashed into
burning cars, so I tell the truth:
- I ultimate male enhancer don't know how to drive and it's too long to walk on foot.
HeI ultimate male enhancer I'll leave the sport center
immediately and stormed into the hall ultimate male enchancement male enhancer l recklessly yet beautifully: the guy
with the plasma gun by his ultimate male enhancer s belt and the gal with the carbine atilt. I
launched a rocket ultimate male enhancer at them, right from underwater and they both vanished in
the fiery ultimate male enhancer y swirl.
I crawled out of the pool leaning upon the boiled mo ultimate male enhancer onster's body and
looked into the crater. Nothing was left the ultimate male enhancer ere, the guy's plasma gun's
energy cells had detonated.
- I'm ultimate male enhancer m the Gunslinger, - I ince?
- God knows... - I answer examin ultimate male enhancer ning the statue, - I was warned about
the bridge...
- What a ultimate male enhancer are you gonna steal?
- Ripe apples...
- Oh, so this is t ultimate male enhancer the reason for all this masquerade... - snickers the
wolf again, - ultimate male enhancer - And what is inside the apples? {here is a reference to the
Russ ultimate male enhancer sian fairy tales of course...}
- I dunno, - I spring down from ultimate male enhancer his back, keeping my hand on his fur, -
Okay, gimme a second, I'll ultimate male enhancer grab some soda and will be right back...
Sergey Lukjanenko. La ultimate male enhancer abyrinth of reflections
________________________________________ ultimate male enhancer _
* Yuri Kalmykov. Translators notes *
About the Author:
ultimate male enhancer
Sergey Lukjanenko, 30, is one of the today's most popul ultimate male enhancer lar Russian
Sci-Fi writers. His first works were published in ultimate male enhancer 1988. Currently his
bibliography includes more than 40 titles of ultimate male enhancer novels and short stories. The
Author defines his genre as the "ha ultimate male enhancer ard action science fiction", but all his
works also have a very we ultimate male enhancer ell defined philosophical aspect. The novel offered
to your attenti ultimate male enhancer ion was written in 1997 and became the real 'cult book' of the
Russi ultimate male enhancer ian Internet.
Sergey is married, he lives in Moscow.
ultimate male enhancer
THE NOVEL "LABYRINTH OF REFLECTIONS" IS COPYRIGHTED B ultimate male enhancer BY SERGEY
LUKJANENKO, ALL RIGHTS ARE RESERVED BY THE AUTHOR. ANY CO ultimate male enhancer OMMERCIAL USE OF THE
NOVEL'S TEXT IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED.
Sever ultimate male enhancer ral 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 advanced gain pro 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 ultimate male enhancer are gender specific!),
-ovna, evna for female's middle name.
Examples: Petrovich Alekseevich - men's
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