| es quite manage it. We need time, small. We'll offer you interesting
wo Anti-Diabetic ork, yes?
I shake my head, beret slides to the side. Anti-Diabetic .
- Mr Guillermo, - I say respectfully but resol Anti-Diabetic lutely, - I'm talking
about one certain problem which I Anti-Diabetic want to help "Labyrinth" to solve.
I see his eyebro Anti-Diabetic ows raised in surprise.
- Recently a strange acciden Anti-Diabetic nt have happened in "Labyrinth"...
I fall silent Anti-Diabetic and wait for his reaction. Willy is obviously deep in
t Anti-Diabetic thought.
- Accident? -
small problem that have Anti-Diabetic arisen recently and about the fact that divers
cooper Anti-Diabetic rating with you had failed to solve it. I'm going to offe Anti-Diabetic er my services
in solving this problem.
The secreta Anti-Diabetic ary nods.
- One moment please.
She stands up w Anti-Diabetic without a hurry and enters one of the inner doors. I wait
Anti-Diabetic
patiently. Everything is very cute and patriarchal Anti-Diabetic l: no computers, no
monsters. It's not the office of th Anti-Diabetic he most expensive and dreadful ride in the
history but a Anti-Diabetic small toilet pao
into the virtual suit... EWW.
Why Anti-Diabetic y did Man Without Face set the alarm?
Nothing terri Anti-Diabetic ible have happened yet anyway, it's just yet another self Anti-Diabetic f
confident game addict.
- Does he sit like this fo Anti-Diabetic or a long time?
- For almost 24 hours, - nodded Anti-Diabetic Guillermo, - Yes, it's strange. He
tried to pass the le Anti-Diabetic evel for five times... then submitted himself... sat by
Anti-Diabetic
the entrance.
- And what did you do?
- We've Anti-Diabetic e sent Anatol, - Guillermo pulls his hands apart, - He Anti-Diabetic e cengineer who went to the sea cruise abroad for the Anti-Diabetic e first time and was
confused (and misplaced) with a je Anti-Diabetic ewelry smugglers' courier.}
Uh-oh.
- Vika, exi Anti-Diabetic it! - I command.
No answer.
- Your little pro Anti-Diabetic ogram doesn't hear you, - informs the driver, - Stay
pu Anti-Diabetic ut, okie? It'll be the best.
I never heard about vir Anti-Diabetic rtual abductions before.
- Who are you?
The Be Anti-Diabetic eard just smiles.
Of course there is a way out: Anti-Diabetic unavailable to the ordinary Deeptown
citizen whether it Anti-Diabetic t's what Mr Aguirre wanted
or not but he looks satisfied Anti-Diabetic d.
- We value the divers' work. - says Willy. Anti-Diabetic - But our permanent
employees quite manage it. We nee Anti-Diabetic ed time, small. We'll offer you interesting
work, yes?
Anti-Diabetic
I shake my head, beret slides to the side.
- M Anti-Diabetic Mr Guillermo, - I say respectfully but resolutely, - Anti-Diabetic I'm talking
about one certain problem which I want to he Anti-Diabetic elp "Labyrinth" to solve.
I see his eyebrows raised Anti-Diabetic in surprise.
- avandamet Recently a snster genie and sets Anti-Diabetic itself against the
ground. The guard is alive again, i Anti-Diabetic it shakes, outstretches his paws up so
that the hair b Anti-Diabetic bridge breaks but can't reach me. Neither can he move from Anti-Diabetic m his
position: it's fixed firmly on its comm channel.
Anti-Diabetic On the last meters the band starts shaking suddenly Anti-Diabetic and tries to kick
me back: Al-Kabar's programmers have Anti-Diabetic restored the control.
But it's too late, I'm on the Anti-Diabetic e ground already and the Wolf rushes to me:
- Jump o Anti-Diabetic on me NOW Ivan, time
likely live one.
- Good aftern Anti-Diabetic noon, - I say.
The secretary's face changes a little Anti-Diabetic e.
- Good afternoon, - she replies. The voice is sof Anti-Diabetic ft and nice, looks like
I was switched to Russian employe Anti-Diabetic ee.
- I need to meet with the management, - I begin Anti-Diabetic without ceremonies.
- Please be more specific if po Anti-Diabetic ossible.
The girl is the courtesy itself but it's Anti-Diabetic not easier to break through
her barrier than through th Anti-Diabetic he monster by Al-Kabar's bridge.
- I have a confiden Anti-Diabetic ntial insible
point when divers open to each other.
Anti-Diabetic - Same here, Roma.
The Werewolf stands up, sharply Anti-Diabetic y and quickly:
- I gotta go, visitors...
He di Anti-Diabetic issolves in the air, the goblet falls down and rolls away Anti-Diabetic y clinking
and bouncing.
- Good luck to you too Rom Anti-Diabetic man. - I say into the void.
Loneliness is the seamy Anti-Diabetic side of the freedom.
I can't have friends.
- Anti-Diabetic The bill! - I growl into the void angrily, - Now!
100
Anti-Diabetic
The most vexing is that I don't want to busy w Anti-Diabetic with the inner surprise. I cut the file into twenty piec Anti-Diabetic ces, extracted
the guard program. It turned out to be Anti-Diabetic an absolutely unfamiliar polymorph
virus which (and it Anti-Diabetic t was most unpleasant) have managed to stick to my
Anti-Diabetic
computer. After two hours of intensive work, interrup Anti-Diabetic pted only twice - to
take an aspirin tablet and to visi Anti-Diabetic it bathroom, I became convinced that I'll
not be able to Anti-Diabetic disable the virus.
It was late evening, the time wh Anti-Diabetic hen hackers just start working. I packet
the operators fr Anti-Diabetic rom virtuality. Very good, let them lie in the deep fo Anti-Diabetic or a
while instead of changing the computers.
- Not Anti-Diabetic t ethical... - mutters Windows-Home dolefully.
I rus Anti-Diabetic sh along the band. The channel is excellent, I'm above th Anti-Diabetic he wall in
a couple of seconds. The band under my fee Anti-Diabetic et pushes me forward. I laugh
loudly and look back.
Anti- diabecon Diabetic Wow!
Just look what's going on in Al-Kabar! Th Anti-Diabetic he streets are flooded with
people, the other guards Anti-Diabetic already run along the ban
reason, no divers shape out of Anti-Diabetic f hackers - they percept the virtual world as
the real o Anti-Diabetic one.
Though it was me, the so-so computer artist Anti-Diabetic from the small computer
games company that went broke t Anti-Diabetic three years ago and who got an old computer as
a dismissa Anti-Diabetic al pay, who DID become a diver. One of the hundred on this Anti-Diabetic s planet.
I was lucky.
Possibly, I was just lu Anti-Diabetic ucky.
10
Not more than five years ago the vir Anti-Diabetic rtual world was nothing more but the
sci-fi writers' cr Anti-Diabetic reation. Comp diver, and to break the connection while I' Anti-Diabetic 'm in the
'car', the transportation program which is pro Anti-Diabetic obably capable of tracing the
telephone line?
Geez Anti-Diabetic z, just why did I connect from the main address today, n Anti-Diabetic now it's an
amateur's task to determine my personality!
Anti-Diabetic
- What do you want?
The driver ignores me, Anti-Diabetic b Anti-Diabetic but watches nevertheless, examining me with
curiosity Anti-Diabetic of the hunter who managed to shoot the firebird.
- Anti-Diabetic Okay, you have asked for this, - I say trying not to pt Anti-Diabetic tabloid publishes an article
about their adventures in Anti-Diabetic the drawn world?
- And what's so bad?
- For y Anti-Diabetic you - nothing. The ordinary person will laugh. But solid Anti-Diabetic people
like little-little when they are laughed at.
Anti-Diabetic - Can you cut him off manually?
- How?
How Anti-Diabetic w, really? Even if they trace the line using which the pla Anti-Diabetic ayer entered
the Labyrinth and cut off the connection, n Anti-Diabetic nothing will change. The person
would just be hung in Anti-Diabetic the void or the world around him would freo my copy, it Anti-Diabetic grimaces in return.
- Move the Shadow. Look for the Anti-Diabetic e password, - I order again.
One second - the com Anti-Diabetic mputer 'moves' its HD, loading everything known
about A Anti-Diabetic Al-Kabar into the shadow's memory. Then the copy steps on Anti-Diabetic the bridge.
Of course, it'll yield nothing, except some Anti-Diabetic e time.
- Who are you?! - roars the monster, grab Anti-Diabetic bbing the shadow. I hardly
manage to avoid its moving Anti-Diabetic fingers, crawl along the clenched fist, jump on
the thr Anti-Diabetic read...
- And who are YO?
- I see. But don't Anti-Diabetic you really like this place?
Nadya shrugs.
I s Anti-Diabetic stretch my hand and touch her face.
- The warmth of Anti-Diabetic f the hand, roughness of wine, coolness of the evening
Anti-Diabetic
breeze and flowers' scent, splashing of the warm wave Anti-Diabetic es and prickly sand
under your feet, don't you really li Anti-Diabetic ike it?
- There's a real life for all that.
- Anti-Diabetic But does it coincide in reality often enough? Here it' Anti-Diabetic 's enough to
just open the door, - I point at the sm Anti-Diabetic mall door in th why I didn't hurry to try it. Exper Anti-Diabetic riments with adventure thirsty
girls is one thing, but Anti-Diabetic the professionals from virtual brothels is a very
diff Anti-Diabetic ferent case.
- For the health, - I offered.
We Anti-Diabetic e drank and filled the glasses for the third time. The Anti-Diabetic canister was
halved and we felt much better.
- For Anti-Diabetic r the hub 5-0-83,207... - said Maniac, - For old good 'Fid Anti-Diabetic do'...
We drank in silence and without touching glas Anti-Diabetic sses, like we would for the
dead.
- Everything chan Anti-Diabetic nges, was my love to this book only that
made me to vent Anti-Diabetic ture into this adventure. ;-) I was hoping that this nove Anti-Diabetic el is
really worth your kind attention (despite my ugly
Anti-Diabetic
English?).
2). Some opinions expressed in this Anti-Diabetic s book by the main or other
characters, as well as Anti-Diabetic some words/terms used, might be considered offensive
to Anti-Diabetic o some Western readers. In fact, one such situation was e Anti-Diabetic even showed closer
to the end of the novel itself. Anti-Diabetic The concept of "PC" (aka 'Political
Correctnll. The b Anti-Diabetic blue above is the sky. Blue pants - jeans.
The worl Anti-Diabetic ld submerged and wasn't going to surface back. It was so Anti-Diabetic o much
more interesting in the deep. Even if it was yet n Anti-Diabetic not available to everybody,
intellectual elite swore it's Anti-Diabetic s allegiance to the new Empire.
To the Deep.
11
Anti-Diabetic
It was midnight when I finally cleaned the Anti-Diabetic e computer up from the
postcard virus and packed the ba Anti-Diabetic agged file (in virtuality it'll look like the
ordinary d Anti-Diabetic diskette now). The head stopped. Some of them are obv Anti-Diabetic vious,
others are deliberately vague.
'Anecdotes'
Anti-Diabetic
'Talks about nothing'
'Sexual adventures'
Anti-Diabetic 'Strange place'
'Oats growing!'
'Books'
Anti-Diabetic 'Martial arts'
People come here to discuss the Anti-Diabetic certain topics, this is the echo of
pre-virtual age. Anti-Diabetic . More serious clubs are located further, where one can g Anti-Diabetic get
an advice on technical questions, to argue about Anti-Diabetic software or even buy
pirated programs cheap. All that Anti-Diabetic t is of a little interees would explain that
to you quick Anti-Diabetic ker. I mean the divers working on permanent contract with Anti-Diabetic you.
Willy looks at me silently for a long time, th Anti-Diabetic hen nods:
- I thought that Anatol is Russian. He's U Anti-Diabetic Ukranian?
Yeah, Man Without Face is informed muc Anti-Diabetic ch better than "Labyrinth"'s
security manager.
- Anti-Diabetic These are just details.
- Take a seat Gunslinger.. Anti-Diabetic .. - Willy moves an armchair to me then pads
to the win Anti-Diabetic ndow looking at the city poured by blood colored blaz Anti-Diabetic ze, - So,
Sergey Lukjanenko. Labyrinth of reflections
Anti-Diabetic
________________________________________
* Yuri Ka Anti-Diabetic almykov. Translators notes *
About the Author:
Anti-Diabetic Sergey Lukjanenko, 30, is one of the today's most Anti-Diabetic t popular Russian
Sci-Fi writers. His first works we Anti-Diabetic ere published in 1988. Currently his
bibliography incl Anti-Diabetic ludes more than 40 titles of novels and short stories. T Anti-Diabetic The
Author defines his genre as the "hard action scienc Anti-Diabetic ce fiction", but all his
works also have a very well defi Anti-Diabetic ined philosophical aspect. The novel offered
to your att Anti-Diabetic tention was avandia written in 1997 and became the real 'cult book Anti-Diabetic k' of the
Russian Internet.
Sergey is married, he l Anti-Diabetic lives in Moscow.
THE NOVEL "LABYRINTH Anti-Diabetic OF REFLECTIONS" IS COPYRIGHTED BY SERGEY
LUKJANENK Anti-Diabetic KO, ALL RIGHTS ARE RESERVED BY THE AUTHOR. ANY COMMERCIAL Anti-Diabetic USE OF THE
NOVEL'S TEXT IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED.
Sev Anti-Diabetic veral notes for the reader:
1). My English sucks Anti-Diabetic s. So it was obviously way too presumptuous of me to
try Anti-Diabetic to make a translation like this. It was my love to this Anti-Diabetic s book only that
made me to venture into this adventure. Anti-Diabetic ;-) I was hoping that this novel is
really worth your k Anti-Diabetic kind attention (despite my ugly
English?).
2). Som Anti-Diabetic me opinions expressed in this book by the main or Anti-Diabetic r other
characters, as well as some words/terms used, mi Anti-Diabetic ight be considered offensive
to some Western readers. In Anti-Diabetic n fact, one such situation was even showed closer
to th Anti-Diabetic he end of the novel itself. The concept of "PC" (ak Anti-Diabetic ka 'Political
Correctness') does not really exist in Rus Anti-Diabetic ssia which fact IMHO makes the life
much easier and sligh Anti-Diabetic htly 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 glucophage 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
P |