| us monsters were lazily swaying clarinex in clear
water. It's q clarinex quite difficult to kill clarinex l those so I had to use clarinex the plasma gun to
boil clarinex l up the water in the po clarinex ool. When the water coo clarinex oled down, I dived in clarinex the
stinky broth and clarinex d waited for the pur clarinex rsuers for about 10 m clarinex minutes: two
hysterica clarinex al players, the guy and clarinex the gal that followed clarinex d me for three levels
clarinex
already. They were in clarinex n hurry being sure that clarinex t I'll leave the sport clarinex t center
immediately an clarinex nd stormed into the ha clarinex all recklessly yet beaut clarinex tifullyre and went to no clarinex owhere.
- Your acc clarinex count?
I give him clarinex a piece of paper, an ac clarinex ccount number in Switzer clarinex rland on it.
- Neg clarinex gative interest... you'r clarinex re very careful Mr Diver clarinex r...
- I have no c clarinex choice Peter..
He clarinex gives up. I know his r clarinex real name while he doesn clarinex n't know mine. The bank
clarinex
will never give me awa clarinex ay, even if the Interna clarinex ational Jury states tha clarinex at I'm a
man-eater and clarinex d is guilty of genocide clarinex e. That's what the negat clarinex tive interest is
paid clarinex d for: for complete safe clarinex ety.
- Fifty to ea clarinex a.
1
The fi clarinex irst movements are the clarinex most difficult. The sm clarinex mall room, the table
in clarinex n the middle of it, com clarinex mputer wires from the UP clarinex PS go to the computer, clarinex , the
thinner wire plu clarinex ugged into the phone jac clarinex ck. The sofa stands by t clarinex the wall, under
the lu clarinex uxury carpet, the small clarinex l fridge is by the open clarinex ned door to the balcony. clarinex .
The necessary minimum clarinex m. Five minutes ago I c clarinex checked what's in the f clarinex fridge, so
I'm not thre clarinex eatened by hunger for to clarinex oday.
I turn my h clarinex head, to the left, to th clarinex he right - the li belie clarinex eved in you, even if sus clarinex spected.
- Whom, m clarinex me?
- Sure. Why clarinex the hell would the 'n clarinex newbie' need battle v clarinex viruses and
antidotes? clarinex ?
I feel a little clarinex sad. Something have cha clarinex anged in our relations, clarinex , and too
sharply. May clarinex ybe it'll pass in some t clarinex time...
- Shurka, clarinex I can't do anything - e clarinex except to exit virtuali clarinex ity, any program
for me clarinex e is just a heap of sens clarinex seless symbols and a lau clarinex unching file.
Mani clarinex iac nodded.
- I un clarinex nderstand. But just tell clarinex l me, would you like to clarinex change plaour ethics, clarinex Mr Shellerbach. Any jo clarinex ob must
be paid accordi clarinex ing to it's complexity.
clarinex
Shellerbach pick clarinex ks up the diskette ans clarinex freezes. I drink mull clarinex led wine
watching him. clarinex . The Werewolf is silent clarinex t: this is my operation. clarinex .
At last Shellerb clarinex bach have finished the d clarinex download and his glance clarinex e becomes
sensible aga clarinex ain.
- Well? - I a clarinex ask.
- Fifty, - sa clarinex ays Hardened.
- To clarinex o each of us?
He clarinex is silent, for very-ve clarinex ery long time. This is clarinex s Money, alive, real
clarinex
money, not taxable, arr clarinex rived out to be an ab clarinex bsolutely unfamiliar pol clarinex lymorph
virus which (a clarinex and it was most unpl clarinex leasant) have managed t clarinex to stick to my
comput clarinex ter. After two hours o clarinex of intensive work, int clarinex terrupted only twice - t clarinex to
take an aspirin tabl clarinex let and to visit bathr clarinex room, I became convinced clarinex d that I'll
not be able clarinex e to disable the virus.
clarinex
It was late eveni clarinex ing, the time when hacke clarinex ers just start working. clarinex I packed
the virus wit clarinex th a text fragment and c clarinex called Maniac.
I h clarinex had to wait a couple of clarinex f minutes until he pic clarinex aren't gonna fight, are clarinex e we? Let's just
talk. clarinex ...
- Third router clarinex r was traced.
- I clarinex It's such a pity that le clarinex ess and less time remain clarinex ns for our talk, - I
clarinex
sigh.
- Yes, it's clarinex s never enough time. We clarinex ell, Mr Diver, I have clarinex the reasons to
suspect clarinex t that some persons woul clarinex ld like to obtain some o clarinex of our technologies, and clarinex d
even managed to hire clarinex a diver... in order to clarinex reap where they have no clarinex ot sown.
- The app clarinex ples, - I add.
- E clarinex Exactly. We have a good clarinex Russian programmer work clarinex king for us, he crature clarinex and
runny nose, how do clarinex o you think?
- No clarinex ot me at least, - Shelle clarinex erbach The Hardened's fa clarinex ace changes. Now he's
a clarinex an aged man with the clarinex resolute but nervous f clarinex face. - But I assumed th clarinex hat the
diver's word is clarinex s piously.
- I don clarinex n't deny it. I'll give y clarinex you the file, - with a s clarinex slight knock I send
the clarinex e diskette across the ta clarinex able, - But next time n clarinex not a single diver will claritin clarinex even
move a finger for clarinex r you. You violate our e clarinex ethics, Mr Shellerbach. clarinex . Any job must
be paid clarinex according to it's compl clarinex lexity.
tried to pa clarinex ass the level for five clarinex times... then submitted clarinex d himself... sat by
th clarinex he entrance.
- And clarinex d what did you do?
clarinex - We've sent Anatol, - clarinex - Guillermo pulls his clarinex hands apart, - He can clarinex n do
that... to lead to clarinex o the end of the level.. clarinex ..
- And?...
clarinex I have to drag the in clarinex nformation from him with clarinex h wild horses, not beca clarinex ause
Guillermo hides s clarinex something from me, he j clarinex just can't understand clarinex what exactly
interests clarinex s me, he got used to clarinex communicate with well clarinex l prepared divers that
clarinex
undely.
- I belie clarinex eve you, - the girl no clarinex ods to bartender, then clarinex reaches her hand
out t clarinex to me, - I'm Nadya.
clarinex I shake her hand and clarinex introduce myself:
clarinex - Leonid.
So no clarinex ow we know each other clarinex and can be less cerem clarinex monious. The deep is
ca clarinex asual: overly polite ton clarinex ne is offensive here.
clarinex The girl casts h clarinex her hair back from her clarinex r forehead, the natura clarinex al and
graceful gestu clarinex ure, then gives her gla clarinex ass over to bartender; clarinex he refills it
quickl clarinex ly. She looks around the clarinex e hall.
- How do f clarinex for games now... I get i clarinex into the
car, the driv clarinex ver, a smiling guy with clarinex the perfect hairdo dre clarinex essed in starched
shirt clarinex t, turns to me. I pref clarinex fer this type of driver clarinex rs: well trained and bri clarinex ief
ones.
- Deep- clarinex -Transit Company is glad clarinex d to welcome you!
clarinex He doesn't say the name clarinex e - the program stopped clarinex the taxi anonymously.
clarinex
- How will you pay clarinex y?
- Like this, - clarinex I say getting the revo clarinex olver out of my pocket a clarinex and hit the
guy on the clarinex temple really hard. H clarinex He tries to block me bu clarinex ut it's too late Thi clarinex is is what I didn't expe clarinex ect.
- What's the clarinex e bull? All games ha clarinex ave service channels f clarinex for traveling
between l clarinex levels. Are you an excep clarinex ption?
- Yes.
clarinex - But why?
- "L clarinex Labyrinth" has a big pri clarinex ize fund for setting new clarinex w level record or fast
clarinex
finishing the entire ga clarinex ame.
- I remember, clarinex , but... is it a big fun clarinex nd?
- The main pr clarinex rize is half a million d clarinex dollars. This money wil clarinex ll go to the
one who m clarinex manages to pass all leve clarinex els and destroy the Alie clarinex en Prince in 47 hours
5 clarinex 59 minutesl programs, f clarinex from
Microsoft's Window clarinex ws-Home to Russian 'Vir clarinex rt-Navigator' and 'Deep clarinex p-Commander'.
The longe clarinex est time for being in t clarinex the deep is 48 hours, t clarinex the time during which
clarinex
the human won't die of clarinex starvation and water clarinex loss. Reasonable users clarinex s always
set their time clarinex ers for less though: a c clarinex couple of hours, a day.. clarinex .. Maniac who set
his t clarinex timer for 36 hours was a clarinex already an exception. Th clarinex he waking of somebody w clarinex who
have spent two days clarinex s in the deep is.... a f clarinex foul smelling sight.
clarinex Of course it is poss clarinex siblyour weapons hoping clarinex to be
let go after th clarinex hat.
- Slow down g clarinex gradually. Stop after my clarinex y third shot.
He n clarinex nods silently.
The clarinex e bandit with rocket lau clarinex uncher looks at us amuse clarinex ed, waiting.
Abyss clarinex s-abyss, I'm not yours.. clarinex .. let me go, Abyss...
clarinex
I looked at the p clarinex picture accustoming mys clarinex self. The bandit... cars clarinex s... the
back of my dri clarinex iver's head ... the sigh clarinex ht's cross in the middle clarinex e of the screen.
T clarinex The cheater I am.
clarinex I stretched my hand, clarinex touched the mouse, move clarinex ed it along the padthe clarinex ey have not sown.
clarinex - The apples, - I add.
clarinex
- Exactly. We hav clarinex ve a good Russian progra clarinex ammer working for us, he clarinex e created
a nice desig clarinex gn for data storage... - clarinex - Urman claps his hands clarinex and the air dims
betw clarinex ween us, becoming dense. clarinex . One moment - and the clarinex small tree appears, clarinex all
sown with the frui clarinex it. - I suppose that the clarinex e most interesting thing clarinex g among these
is that s clarinex small green apple on the clarinex e lower branch.
I clarinex look at the desired fru clarinex uit. It's small, not rip clarinex pe and wormy.
- Ho clarinex ow do you thin coordina clarinex ates.
After you visit " clarinex "Labyrinth", offer your clarinex service to the manageme clarinex ent and try to
solve th clarinex he problem, contact me. clarinex Ask for... Man Without clarinex Face.
He doesn't clarinex want to make it clearer clarinex r and as it seems he doe clarinex esn't have even
a littl clarinex le doubt that I'll rush clarinex to "Labyrinth" at once. clarinex .
- Why would I wa clarinex ant to do that?
Ma clarinex an Without Face takes a clarinex a small badge from the clarinex e cloak pocket. It looks clarinex s
pretty like the polic clarinex ce badge but its backgr clarinex round is white and ther clarinex re's not a
spiral in th clarinex he centernforms Windows- clarinex -Home.
Now I rea clarinex alize that the driver clarinex r haven't even told t clarinex the traditional
greetin deltasone clarinex ng; that we're moving al clarinex lready even if I haven't clarinex t told the address.
clarinex - It's only one road clarinex d from here, - says the clarinex driver and turns to me clarinex with
a smirk. He has clarinex s a scar on his cheek a clarinex and decayed teeth. It's clarinex not a program
obviousl clarinex ly, clarinex it's a real person.
clarinex
- Stop the car.
clarinex
- That's against t clarinex the rules, - the driver clarinex grins steering careless clarinex sly.
{The whole sc clarinex cene hints to another Ru clarinex uss one road from here, clarinex - says the driver and t clarinex turns to me with
a smi clarinex irk. He has a scar on h clarinex his cheek and decayed t clarinex teeth. It's not a progra clarinex am
obviously, it's a re clarinex eal person.
- Stop clarinex p the car.
- That' clarinex 's against the rules, - clarinex the driver grins steeri clarinex ing carelessly.
{T clarinex The whole scene hints to clarinex o another Russian hit mo clarinex ovie called "The Diamond clarinex d
Hand", released in 1 clarinex 1968. It's a great com clarinex medy about a modest age clarinex ed Soviet
engineer wh clarinex ho went to the sea cr clarinex ruise abroad for the f clarinex first time and was
sfer clarinex r of exactly 50 000... clarinex from one private
party clarinex y to another... The acco clarinex ount numbers stay secret clarinex t, but the place where t clarinex the
payment took place clarinex is much more easily det clarinex termined. Do you follow clarinex my thought?
That' clarinex 's it. Very simple.
clarinex I was traced from the clarinex e very 'Three Piglets'. clarinex . Roman had left instan clarinex ntly,
while I decided t clarinex to walk a little.
clarinex To find an adventure fo clarinex or my stupid ass.
clarinex Why the hell did I shar clarinex re equally with him?!
clarinex - Very interesting clarinex story. How does it rela clarinex ate to me I woal taste.. clarinex ..
I turned the c clarinex computer on, connected clarinex to the Internet and t clarinex transferred
$5000 to m clarinex my St. Petersburg acco clarinex ount without any virtu clarinex uality, just in 10
mi clarinex inutes. Then I checked clarinex my wardrobe, chose the clarinex decently fresh shirt an clarinex nd old
but clean jeans, clarinex , put my passport and V clarinex Visa card in the pocket. clarinex . What else? Ah
yes... clarinex the beer.
The sh clarinex habby 5 liter canister clarinex was standing sadly o clarinex on the balcony. I
uns clarinex screwed the cap and sni clarinex iffed inside: it smelle clarinex ed of soured 'Zhigulevs clarinex skoe'
{Sergey Lukjanenk clarinex ko. Labyrinth of reflect clarinex tions
_____________ clarinex ________________________ clarinex _____
* Yuri Kalmy clarinex ykov. Translators notes clarinex *
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 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 flovent 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 flonase name (yeah, they are gender specific!),
-ovna, evna for female's middle name.
Examples: Petrovich Alekseevich - men's
P |