| emains for our talk, - I
s allegra sigh.
- Yes, i allegra it's never enough t allegra time. Well, Mr Dive allegra er, I have the reas allegra sons to
suspect tha allegra at some persons woul allegra ld like to obtain so allegra ome of our technolog allegra gies, and
even mana allegra aged to hire a diver allegra r... in order to rea allegra ap where they have n allegra not sown.
- Th allegra he apples, - I add.
allegra
- Exactly. We allegra e have a good Russia allegra an programmer workin allegra ng for us, he create allegra ed
a nice design f allegra for data storage... allegra - Urman claps his h allegra hands and the air d allegra dims
between us, be allegra ecoming dense. One m allegra moment - and thsket allegra tte, then to the
op allegra ptical one and start allegra ted to disembowel th allegra he fruit of Al-Kabar allegra r's orchards.
allegra It turned out to be allegra e impossible to kil allegra ll the security pro allegra ograms without
des allegra allegra stroying the file. I allegra I had to just knock allegra them out, disable t allegra them. Then I got
b allegra busy with the inner allegra surprise. I cut th allegra he file into twenty allegra pieces, extracted
allegra
the guard program allegra m. It turned out t allegra to be an absolutely allegra unfamiliar polymorp allegra ph
virus which (an allegra nd it was most u allegra unpleasant) have ma allegra anaged to stick to allegra my
computer. Afte allegra er , it's possible t allegra to trace Unfortunate allegra e anyway but this fu allegra un
will be so terri allegra ibly expensive that allegra it's useless to try allegra y to convince Guille allegra ermo
to do it. - Ca allegra an you summon your d allegra divers here?
- allegra - They are not onlin allegra ne now.
It's u allegra understandable too, allegra if they really tr allegra ried to get Unfortu allegra unate out
for whole allegra e 24 hours then the allegra ey must simply sleep allegra p sluggishly now, o allegra one of them
in Ukra allegra aine, the other one allegra in Canada. Maybe th allegra hey curse aloud in t allegra their sleep.
- allegra - Okay, - I aristocort decide. allegra - Is it possible to allegra o enter tShtirlitz a allegra and Pooh anecdotes a allegra are so popular in vi allegra irtuality?! Is
it s allegra some weird kind of p allegra psychologic aberrati allegra ion?...
- Than allegra nks for the beer, - allegra I say to the girl a allegra and walk out of the allegra park.
My mood allegra d can't be called allegra lousy, but it's odd allegra d. I toil myself al allegra long the
clubs' bui allegra ildings. Through th allegra he barred windows of allegra f the Martial Arts c allegra club I can
see the allegra fragile built Eas allegra stern looking guy d allegra demonstrating some allegra complicated
moves. allegra . In the open air ty allegra ype cinema called 'M allegra Movies' the imposing allegra g man gestures
t wit allegra th me. I put it
in allegra the pocket - I mean allegra n, attach it to my v allegra virtual 'shell', the allegra en look at Urman.
allegra - I stake all allegra l, - says Urman ser allegra riously. - I sacr allegra rifice an extemely
allegra
perspective techno allegra ology. You can give allegra it to Mr Shellerb allegra bach and convey m allegra my
personal kind r allegra regards to him. The allegra ere's one single allegra thing I'm asking fo allegra or -
please, return allegra n here after that a allegra and let's discuss th allegra he permanent coopera allegra ation.
I wouldn't h allegra hide from you the f allegra fact that right now allegra we are in a despera allegra ate need
of diver's allegra s - Now something allegra have changed.... G allegra Good luck to you di allegra iver. You can go
n allegra now.
Man Witho allegra out Face nods in the allegra e direction of the d allegra door.
- I'll l allegra leave by my own way. allegra .
- You decide allegra ed to reveal yoursel allegra lf?
- Sure not allegra t.
At parting, allegra , I look in the fogg allegra gy oval of his face. allegra .
Abyss-abyss, allegra , I'm not yours...
allegra
I took off the allegra e helmet and stretc allegra ched my hand to the allegra modem hesitatingly, allegra ,
then Deep though: allegra : either 'Bavaria' allegra in cans or
'Guinne allegra ess' from the
barr allegra rel, the cost is the allegra e same. n the screen allegra n. He's just thinkin allegra ng.
- So the p allegra problem is this Guns allegra slinger? Yes?
101 allegra 11
No ordi allegra inary Deeptown inha allegra abitant can exit the allegra e deep by himself: allegra : he'll
just neve allegra er see the computer, allegra , won't be able to e allegra enter the exit comma allegra and or to
contact allegra the operating syst allegra tem with voice. It' allegra 's only in virtual allegra houses with
drawn allegra analogs of real c allegra computers installed allegra where subconscious allegra sness gives a
kind allegra d break. One can e allegra exit the deep only allegra y where it was e allegra entered: in his
im allegra maginary home wl wit allegra th laundry, returned allegra d to
the room, turn allegra ned the computer on allegra and started to pull allegra l on the virtual sui allegra it.
- Good eve allegra ening Lenia, - said allegra Vika.
- Hi ol allegra ld girl.
Femal allegra le face is smiling o allegra on the screen. No, p allegra possibly I'm wrong, allegra I need to
set the allegra different reaction allegra to 'old girl' - s allegra slight resentment, allegra pouting, a
look c allegra cast slightly aside. allegra .
- Any mail?
allegra
- Seven lette allegra ers.
- Read.
allegra
There was noth allegra hing interesting in allegra the mail: invitatio allegra ons to visit two new allegra w
clubs, price list allegra t followed by
'Balt allegra tic #6', and for th allegra he dessert Shurka du allegra ug out the Christmas allegra s 'Kronenburg'.
Nei allegra ither Irish nor Pete allegra ersburg nor French b allegra beer failed.
I allegra In the depth of my allegra soul I was glad t allegra that I had opened to allegra o somebody. My
hack allegra ker friends are div allegra vided into two gro allegra oups: the first one allegra keeps secrets
un allegra ntil after the fi allegra irst bottle of beer allegra r, the other one k allegra kinda forgets all
allegra
secrets by that poi allegra int. Shurka belongs allegra to the second one.
allegra
At least now allegra he'll know what for allegra r do I need all thi allegra is varirse but these allegra e were more cosmetic allegra cs than real changes allegra s.
'C&C' is a allegra strategic game, i allegra it's virtual space i allegra is clarinex the whole planet. allegra . On
this humble ta allegra arget range those n allegra never-to-be Napoleon allegra ns and Zhukovs eter allegra rnally
fight for th allegra he world's dominanc allegra ce commanding nonexi allegra istent armies in im allegra maginary
headquarte allegra ers. Tank tracks a allegra are rattling there allegra and missiles fly u allegra up to the
skies, n allegra new terrible weapon allegra ns are being develop allegra ped, world's capital allegra ls are being
burned allegra d to ashes by nuclea allegra ar explosions. One d allegra doesn't needlks ab allegra bout half a million allegra n. Any service chann allegra nel
would be found allegra d and used. We wou allegra uld be forced to allegra pay prize amounts allegra too
often... or t allegra to be exact, never.
allegra
- But how do allegra your divers work?
allegra
- They had p allegra passed "Labyrinth" allegra previously. They h allegra have records on all allegra l
levels, in all da allegra angerous places. Th allegra hey need just a coup allegra ple of minutes to g allegra get
where they need allegra d.
Great begin allegra nning...
- How allegra w much time does it allegra require to reach th allegra he 33rd level?
allegra - From 25 hours to allegra o infinity.
W allegra well?
- You'l allegra ll see.
We lea allegra ave the fog. The ra allegra ails are going along allegra g crumbling embankme allegra ent, the
station allegra building is ahead allegra burned like the allegra Reichstag building allegra g after the
storm. allegra The likeness is imp allegra proved by the red f allegra flag on the dome. Ei allegra ither it's an
entou allegra urage detail (some allegra Westerners are stil allegra ll setting their sc allegra cores with the
com allegra mmunism), or some allegra Bolshevik have deci allegra ided to commemorate allegra the revolution
a allegra anniversary. The lat allegra tter is more likely, allegra , November 7th is in allegra n three days.
allegra - Nolled the new v allegra version 2 days ago, allegra it rocks!
- I allegra I hear this every ti allegra ime I visit you, - allegra I said, - "Have i allegra installed...
new ve allegra ersion... fucked up allegra my brains for thre allegra ee days until manag allegra ged to tune it
up.. allegra .." While I have Win allegra ndows-Home for two y allegra years already.
allegra - Everybody gets w allegra what suits them best allegra t... - admitted Ma allegra aniac, and asked
su allegra uddenly, - Hey Le allegra enia, how did you allegra manage to burglari allegra ize Al-Kabar using
allegra
Windoze by the way? allegra ?
I looked asi allegra ide.
- There allegra were rumors on the allegra Net that twess, s allegra science,
communicat allegra tions...
Inter allegra resting that he rank allegra ked entertainment fi allegra irst...
- Now allegra w something have ch allegra hanged.... Good luck allegra k to you diver. Yo allegra ou can go
now.
allegra Man Without Face Anti-Allergic/Asthma allegra nods in the directi allegra ion of the door.
allegra - I'll leave by allegra my own way.
- allegra - You decided to rev allegra veal yourself?
allegra - Sure not.
allegra At parting, I look allegra in the foggy oval o allegra of his face.
A allegra Abyss-abyss, I'm not allegra t yours...
I t allegra took off the helmet allegra t and stretched my h allegra hand to the modem he allegra esitatingly,
then D allegra Deep though: either allegra 'Bavaria' in cans allegra or
'Guinness' from allegra m the
barrel, the allegra cost is the same. N allegra Now I managed to sto allegra op the car much quic allegra cker, or it was just allegra t
the time running allegra g faster? I jumped allegra into the rattling allegra 'Volga' and shout allegra ted
cheerfully:
allegra - Whip it up to allegra Maniac!
A pai allegra ir of very big and r allegra round eyes gazed at allegra me.
- Get out allegra t, - said the driver allegra r in the same brief allegra manner.
When allegra stopping the next allegra volunteer to earn allegra easy money I kept allegra reminding
myself t allegra that I'm not in vir allegra rtualhing in his min allegra nd.
- Mr Gunsl allegra linger, what do you allegra know?
It's n allegra no use to lie, the allegra man before me is n allegra not the one it's wo allegra orthy to
bluff with allegra h.
- Very li allegra ittle. I was inform allegra med that there's a p allegra problem in "Labyrint allegra th",
that your dive allegra ers failed to solve allegra e it. I was asked to allegra o render an assistan allegra nce to
you.
A allegra A pause again. I'm allegra anonymous and it's allegra s risky to let me in allegra nto unpleasant
side allegra es of the Company's allegra life but Guillermo allegra has a 'good nose' f allegra for troubles and
me allegra ethods of overcoming allegra g them.
he signal allegra ls circulate along, allegra ordering to let pa allegra ass or to crash the allegra uncalled
guest... allegra .
- Hey, Ivan allegra The Prince, I'm in allegra hurry! - shouts the allegra e wolf.
Right, allegra , it's high time t allegra to act. So far the allegra e program hurled allegra me back
independe allegra ently, but the next allegra time the real Al-Ka allegra abar's programmers allegra might take
over, b allegra both 'virtualists' a allegra and conservative one allegra es...
- Animat allegra te the Shadow, - I o allegra order.
The da allegra ark silhouette on allegra the palm stirs, gai allegra ins the volume, sta allegra ands up,
fills with allegra h color. I make at?
allegra
- Yes. The yo allegra outh with a pale fac allegra ce and burned clothe allegra es who asks everybod allegra dy
whom he meets allegra to report to the allegra 13th Moscow hub t allegra that the point 666 allegra was
lost... And ab allegra bout the Invisible B allegra Boss?
- Give m allegra me the chair, - I ri allegra ise from the cold co allegra oncrete floor.
allegra - Follow me.
allegra We go to the right allegra t, behind the shelf allegra with Mac software. allegra Illiquid stuff,
on allegra nly a few people allegra now use these c allegra computers. There w allegra were humans and
allegra
Neanderthals, then allegra IBM and Apple. Stub allegra b evolution branches allegra s ar
The one a allegra already allowed to s allegra step on the bridge.
allegra
The victory allegra is Pyrrhic though allegra h. The guard report allegra ted about the visito allegra or
that tries to cr allegra ross the bridge. Thi allegra is means I'll be war allegra rmly welcomed there. allegra .
The single t allegra that tries to fight allegra the crowd is doome allegra ed, in any space, ev allegra ven
virtual one.
allegra Well, nothing e allegra else to do. It's tim allegra me to go... along th allegra he hair bridge.
allegra Honestly, this allegra procedure is alm allegra most impossible, allegra even for the
p allegra professional rope-wa allegra alker. This bridge allegra is just ve
commun allegra nication with some allegra ebody of us. The bi allegra iggest ones even ke allegra eep anonymous
employees on permanent contract. It's cheaper to pay us than relatives of
the player who died of exhaustion.
I was looking at Unfortunate. He was dressed in regular masking
overalls, protection mask-helmet and had only a gun as a weapon: he either
entered the 33rd level like this or was killed here already. After demise in
"Labyrinth" the player is being restored at the beginning of the 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 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 beconase AQ
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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