| I'm Nadya.
I shake her hand and procardia d introduce myself:
- procardia - Leonid.
So now we procardia e know each other and can procardia n be less ceremonious. The procardia e deep is
casual: overly p procardia polite tone is offensive he procardia ere.
The girl casts procardia s her hair back from her procardia r forehead, the natural procardia and
graceful gesture, th procardia hen gives her glass over t procardia to bartender; he refills procardia it
quickly. She looks ar procardia round the hall.
- How procardia w do you think, does he rea procardia ally visit virtuality?
procardia - I don't know. Probably procardia y. Are you a journaliand li procardia ighter - the data flows
i procardia into my computer. I dodge procardia e between the trees, then procardia n stop so that it'd be
e procardia easier for Windows-Home to procardia download the file. The dra procardia agon's roar reaches me,
i procardia it haven't found the apple procardia and understood what happen procardia ned. Who is faster?
T procardia The dragon flies up agai procardia in. It will find me easi procardia ily - movements in
virtua procardia ality leave traces. I just procardia stand still and wait.
procardia - File transfer complete procardia ed.
Yes! I won!
procardia - Exit, - I order.
procardia - Really? - asks Windows-H procardia H most annoying thing is t procardia that we are all amateurs procardia s. For some
reason, no di procardia ivers shape out of hackers procardia s - they percept the virtu procardia ual world as
the real one. procardia .
Though it was me, procardia the so-so computer artist procardia t from the small computer procardia r
games company that went procardia broke three years ago and procardia who got an old computer as procardia s
a dismissal pay, who DID procardia D become a diver. One of th procardia he hundred on this planet.
procardia
I was lucky.
P procardia Possibly, I was just lucky. procardia .
10
Not more procardia than five years ago the vi procardia irtual day, he flings the procardia plus-thrower behind his ba procardia ack and retires
into the p procardia portable toilet-looking boo procardia oth.
- 'Lithocomp'... procardia . - says the girl nearby t procardia thoughtfully. - I should ch procardia heck
their prices, it's ti procardia ime to change the HD...
procardia Well, at least some s procardia success was achieved by the procardia e merchant after all.
An procardia nother humor thirsty one as procardia scends the stage.
- procardia Once, Winnie the Pooh a procardia and Piglet.... {yet anoth procardia her mega popular
anecdote procardia e characters, taken NOT fro procardia om Disney movies though, b procardia but from Rus for a long ti procardia ime?
- For almost 24 procardia 4 hours, - nodded Guille procardia ermo, - Yes, it's strange. procardia . He
tried to pass the lev procardia vel for five times... then procardia n submitted himself... sat procardia t by
the entrance.
- procardia - And what did you do?
procardia - We've sent Anatol, - procardia Guillermo pulls his hand procardia ds apart, - He can do
tha procardia at... to lead to the end of procardia f the level...
- And? procardia ?...
I have to drag procardia the information from him w procardia with wild horses, not beca procardia ause
Guillermo hides some procardia ething from me, he just ca procardia an't understand welf.
procardia Deeptown was created by procardia y Microsoft and IBM on the procardia Internet.
The main a procardia advantage of virtuality was procardia s simplicity. It wasn't nec procardia cessary to
draw buildings procardia and palaces, human faces a procardia and machines in all detail, procardia , just the
general outline procardia e and several small recogni procardia izable hints. The brown wal procardia ll divided
into squares is procardia s a brick wall. The blue ab procardia bove is the sky. Blue pants procardia s - jeans.
The world procardia d submerged and wasn't goi procardia ing to surface back. It wa procardia as so much
more interestin procardia ng in the deep. Even if iel procardia lves out in some basement, procardia ,
sang the songs, firing b procardia back at the monsters... unt procardia til our timers went up.
procardia - You have thirty-six h procardia hours limit of continuous b procardia being in the deep?
- procardia Twenty-four now.
- W procardia What about Gal'ka?
- procardia Ah, she was... at mother-i procardia in-law's place... Len'ka, w procardia what time limit do
you hav procardia ve?
- I
ELO's CD procardia into it, put on headphones procardia s, push 'play'. 'Roll over procardia r Beethoven' -
just what I procardia I wanted. Accompanied by th procardia he cheerful music I leave procardia the apartment
and shut th procardia he dout a modest aged Sov procardia viet
engineer who went procardia to the sea cruise abroad procardia for the first time and procardia was
confused (and misplac procardia ced) with a jewelry smuggle procardia ers' courier.}
Uh-oh. procardia .
- Vika, exit! - I c procardia command.
No answer.
procardia
- Your little progra procardia am doesn't hear you, - inf procardia forms the driver, - Stay
procardia
put, okie? It'll be the be procardia est.
I never heard ab procardia bout virtual abductions bef procardia fore.
- Who are you?
procardia
The Beard just smile procardia es.
Of course there procardia is a way out: unavailab procardia ble to the times exceptions procardia s happen - and then the ga procardia ame lives for years. Many
procardia
new, much more perfect procardia and beautiful games appea procardia ar but the old one retains
procardia
crowds of fans too.
procardia And there are three exc procardia ceptions that are alive s procardia since the pre-virtual
era: procardia : 'Doom', 'C&C' and 'Mortal procardia l Combat'. They have change procardia ed dozens of times of
cour procardia rse but these were more cos procardia smetics than real changes.
procardia
'C&C' is a strategic procardia c game, it's virtual spac procardia ce is the whole planet. On
procardia
this humble target range procardia those never-to-guy with t procardia the perfect hairdo dressed procardia d in starched
shirt, turn procardia ns to me. I prefer this ty procardia ype of drivers: well train procardia ned and brief
ones.
procardia - Deep-Transit Company is procardia glad to welcome you!
procardia He doesn't say the name - procardia - the program stopped the t procardia taxi anonymously.
- H procardia How will you pay?
- L procardia Like this, - I say getting procardia the revolver out of my po procardia ocket and hit the
guy on t procardia tenormin the temple really hard. H procardia He tries to block me but i procardia it's too late. I
look at procardia his pale face, shook him b procardia by the collar and order wav procardia ve a finger to Nadya with a procardia a warning:
- Girl, I procardia DO prefer to stay mysterio procardia ous.
Looks like she procardia feels confused, but has en procardia nough nerve to shrug and w procardia walk
away without hurry.
procardia
Shit. She spoiled eve procardia erything, stupid.
It procardia was such a nice talk...
procardia I toss off my glass an procardia nd snap my fingers to call procardia the bartender:
- Gin procardia n-Tonic, fifty-fifty.
procardia Bartender frowns but mix procardia xes what was requested. Shi procardia it, should I order
Tequ procardia uila with tomato juice, wha procardia at face will he make, huh?
procardia
Your divers... - I sta procardia art. - Did they manage the procardia eir duties yesterday
for procardia instance?
This is t procardia the only thing I know: "Lab procardia byrinth"'s divers hadn't procardia justified
hopes.
- procardia Ah! - Willy nods, - Ah! Un procardia nfortunate!
I nod jus procardia st in case.
- Is it a procardia a problem? - Aguirre become procardia es serious.
- As far procardia as I know, yes.
Paus procardia se. Guillermo weighs someth procardia hing in his mind.
- M procardia Mr Gunslinger, what do you procardia know?
It's no use procardia to lie, the man before me procardia is not the one it's wort procardia thy to
bction.
- Tos procardia ss it here! - said Maniac, procardia hanging up instantly.
procardia I started the modem and procardia sent Al-Kabar's surprise t procardia to greedy hands of the
vir procardia rus creator, then opened th procardia he fridge, took out bread a procardia procardia and sausage and moved
to procardia the kitchen to set the te procardia eapot on the stove. It'll procardia take Maniac at least
hal procardia lf an hour to examine the v procardia virus. For the first ten mi procardia inutes he'll break it,
the procardia en for 20 minutes more he' procardia 'll admire its structure, procardia will laugh looking at
uns procardia successful solutions and fr procardia rown finding sooblems, div procardia vers, help...
- Willy laug procardia ghs and waves his hands, - procardia Boom! Boom! That help?
procardia Very interesting interp procardia preter program, the strong procardia accent, parasite words
li procardia ike Guillermo speaks Russia procardia an himself. One starts feel procardia l different towards the
gu procardia uy immediately.
- Let procardia t's be honest, okay? - I of procardia ffer. Willy-Guillermo knit procardia ts his brow and
nods. - I' procardia 'm diver.
- Yes?- i procardia inquires Willy politely - A procardia And what is that?
I s procardia smile in return and say:
procardia - I think that your U procardia Ukranian and Canadiansurpri procardia ises. I put it in my pocket procardia t and nod:
- Thanks.
procardia
Sorry, it'll be no procardia return courtesy, but it procardia doesn't look like Nadya
procardia
expects it.
- This procardia deep is a strange thing, procardia - she says sipping her wi procardia ine, - I'm in
Moscow for i procardia instance, you are in Samara procardia a somewhere, that boy - in procardia Penza...
'That boy', procardia , looking like the cute Mex procardia xican from a soap opera not procardia tices her
look and raise procardia es his chin proudly. Yes, procardia , one can't deny her p procardia power of
observation, he' procardia 's really Russian...
procardia e names in the novel for procardia those who managed to
over procardia rcome the confusion. {G}
procardia And the last thing:
procardia 5). Any feedback wil procardia ll be greatly appreciated! procardia ! Any questions/opinions
a procardia are welcome to mohatu@ameri procardia itech.net. Hate mail/flames procardia s will be ignored. Thank
y procardia you!
___________________ procardia ______________________
procardia
"Labyrinth of R procardia Reflections" by Sergey Lukj procardia janenko
* PART 1. procardia . The Diver *
0
procardia
I want to close my procardia eyes. This is normal: a c procardia colorful kaleidoscope, a
procardia
whirlw for thirty-six hou procardia urs, - said Maniac with
procardia
rage, - The whole company procardia of us idiots gathered the procardia ere. We were shot dead at
procardia
least ten times each, the procardia en we just blocked ourselve procardia es out in some basement,
procardia
sang the songs, firing bac procardia ck at the monsters... until procardia l our timers went up.
procardia - You have thirty-six hou procardia urs limit of continuous bei procardia ing in the deep?
- Tw procardia wenty-four now.
- Wha procardia at about Gal'ka?
- Ah procardia h, she was... at mother-in- procardia -law's place... Len'ka, wha procardia at time limit do
you have? procardia ?
- I
ELO's CD in procardia nto it, put on headphones, procardia push 'play'. 'Roll over B procardia Beethoven' -
just what I w procardia wanted. Accompanied by the procardia cheerful music I leave th procardia he apartment
and shut the procardia door.
No bugs this procardia time. Standing on the sid procardia dewalk, I raise my hand and procardia d stop
the cab. This tim procardia me the driver is an aged procardia man, stout and very intell procardia ligent
looking.
- De procardia eep-Transit is glad to welc procardia come you Lenia.
I get procardia t inside and nod:
- T procardia To the 'Three Piglets' rest procardia taurant.
This addres procardia ss is well known trt, a s procardia short flash - and it falls procardia s on the
floor.
- S procardia Should I file the complaint procardia t to the landlord? - asks W procardia Windows-Home. Now
the voic procardia ce comes from silver clips procardia on my shirt's collar.
procardia - Go ahead - I agree. I procardia I always forget to explain procardia to the program that
the procardia e landlord is myself.
procardia The elevator waits for procardia me. Usually I use the stai procardia irs... peeking inside
othe procardia er apartments along the way procardia y. Nobody lives there anyw procardia way... but now I'm in
hurr procardia ry. The elevator goes down procardia - very fast. I pad out mb procardia ber '48' but such kamikaze procardia e are rarely
found and th procardia heir end is mournful.
procardia Like Unfortunate's.
procardia It's impossible to pass procardia "Labyrinth of Death" in a procardia a single attempt, one
can' procardia 't just have strength for t procardia that. The drowsiness retrea procardia ats in virtuality but
ther procardia re are the limits of stamin procardia na anyway. That's why playe procardia ers get access to the
game procardia e menu at the end of each procardia h level where there's an procardia option to save their
coor procardia rdinates and to exit to the procardia e outer deep, to exit in or procardia rder to return later.
procardia ButSergey Lukjanenko. Lab procardia byrinth of reflections
procardia
_________________________ procardia ________________
* Yu procardia uri Kalmykov. Translators n procardia notes *
About the Aut procardia thor:
Sergey Lukja procardia anenko, 30, is one of the today's most popular rythmol SR 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 sorbitrate 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 shuddha 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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