| cool hacker, - he
declared with a chall tentex forte lenge, - am just one of the tentex forte e millions in the Abyss...
tentex forte
well, just a little smarte tentex forte er possibly, I have some exp tentex forte perience after all. But
so tentex forte ometimes... such shit happen tentex forte ns anyway...
He kept s tentex forte silence for some time, twidd tentex forte dling the frank in his hand tentex forte ds, then
informed:
- tentex forte - I ate a mouse a couple of tentex forte days ago.
- What?!
tentex forte - A computer mouse.. We tentex forte ell, not the mouse itself, i tentex forte it's too hard... just
bit tentex forte off the wire.
- Why tentex forte y? - I asked numbly.
f tentex forte ft product, but I have to pu tentex forte ut up with
it.
- Goo tentex forte od luck, - says the program, tentex forte , - When should I expect you tentex forte u back?
I look at the tentex forte screen: the woman's face tentex forte is floating there, framed tentex forte d by
orange sparks, the you tentex forte ung and cute face but nothin tentex forte ng special. I'm tired of the tentex forte e
model beauty.
- I d tentex forte don't know.
- I'd like tentex forte e to have 10 minutes for sel tentex forte lf adjustment..
- Okay tentex forte y, but not more. I'll need a tentex forte all resources in 10 minutes. tentex forte .
The face on the scre tentex forte een frowns: the program extr tentex forte racts the keywcoholic in rea tentex forte ality?
I Dunn.
W tentex forte We hide from each other n tentex forte not less than from our enem tentex forte mies. We're too
valuable tentex forte merchandise: a depth fish, tentex forte freaks shimmering with a ma tentex forte agic glow, any
shark dreams tentex forte s to try our taste...
tentex forte - Did you manage to get the tentex forte e apple out? - asks Roman.
tentex forte
- It's fine, - I fling tentex forte g my jacket open and flop on tentex forte n the shirt's pocket, -
the tentex forte e trade article's in place.
tentex forte
The Werewolf relaxes tentex forte a little.
- What abou tentex forte ut the buyer?
I check tentex forte my watch:
- In ten mi tentex forte i deep
Enter
Ber tentex forte ret is on my head. I'm not tentex forte sure whether it's what Mr tentex forte Aguirre wanted
or not but tentex forte he looks satisfied.
- tentex forte - We value the divers' wo tentex forte ork. - says Willy. - But tentex forte t our permanent
employees tentex forte s quite manage it. We need tentex forte time, small. We'll offer yo tentex forte ou interesting
work, yes?
tentex forte
I shake my head, beret tentex forte t slides to the side.
tentex forte - Mr Guillermo, - I say r tentex forte respectfully but resolutel tentex forte ly, - I'm talking
about on tentex forte ne certain problem which I w tentex forte want to help "Labyrinth" to tentex forte solve.
Ill that is de tentex forte elivered to 28 main servers tentex forte s,
then is being divided tentex forte into levels and processed tentex forte by our tentex forte own and rented
tentex forte
computers on all continent tentex forte ts. We use 4 satellites to tentex forte synchronize the data
exc tentex forte change. Either Internet user tentex forte r or an unorganized one who tentex forte o called one of 700
compan tentex forte ny numbers can connect to "L tentex forte Labyrinth"...
- I see. tentex forte ... - No, it's possible to t tentex forte trace Unfortunate anyway but tentex forte t this fun
will be so terri tentex forte ibly expensive that it's use tentex forte eless to try to convince Gui tentex forte illermo
to do it. - Can you tentex forte u is
empty again but he do tentex forte oesn't get drunk anyway.
tentex forte My, how I hate the myst tentex forte tery covering us! We fear e tentex forte each other. We fear
every tentex forte ything.
- Well, but th tentex forte he weather is nice... - I to tentex forte oss in randomly.
- Yea tentex forte ah.. snowy is this summer... tentex forte . - says the Werewolf and tentex forte looks at me
with irony. H tentex forte He recognizes this place, it tentex forte t does stir something up in tentex forte his soul.
It's not for me tentex forte to know what exactly.
tentex forte I fill the heavy ceramic tentex forte cup with mulled wine, sn tentex forte niff the aroma. The
snowy s tentex forte summer? Who careprogram and tentex forte rise. Standing still I en tentex forte njoy the
forest, hell kno tentex forte ows for how long didn't I tentex forte I get here out of the ci tentex forte ity's
stench...
- Wa tentex forte aiting for me, aren't we, M tentex forte Mr Nice Guy? - the question tentex forte from behind
the back. I tentex forte turn around - the huge wolf tentex forte f, up to my chest in height, tentex forte , emerges
from the bush.
tentex forte
- Maybe for you, - I a tentex forte answer admiring the wolf. He tentex forte ell, he's awesome! He's
rea tentex forte ally gray, and not simply gr tentex forte ray but of exact blackish/gr tentex forte rayish wolfs' color.
The fu tentex forte ur is felted here and there, tentex forte , a his hand to me first. tentex forte . - So you are the
Gunsling tentex forte ger, yes? Call me just Willy tentex forte y.
Okay, let it be Wil tentex forte lly.
I shake his hand. tentex forte .
- You said so intere tentex forte esting things, yes? About pr tentex forte roblems, divers, help...
- tentex forte - Willy laughs and waves his tentex forte s hands, - Boom! Boom! That tentex forte help?
Very interestin tentex forte ng interpreter program, the tentex forte strong accent, parasite wor tentex forte rds
like Guillermo speaks R tentex forte Russian himself. One starts tentex forte feel different towards the
tentex forte
guy immediately.
- L tentex forte Let's be honest, okay? - I o tentex forte offer. Willy-Gui" at once.
tentex forte
- Why would I want to tentex forte o do that?
Man Without tentex forte t Face takes a small badge tentex forte e from the cloak pocket. It tentex forte t looks
pretty like the pol tentex forte lice badge but its backgrou tentex forte und is white and there's no tentex forte ot a
spiral in the center b tentex forte but a tiny sphere woven of t tentex forte the thinnest threads.
tentex forte - That's why.
The bad tentex forte dge is on the table betwee tentex forte en us. I look at it but don' tentex forte 't dare to
touch.
Wh tentex forte hat if it disappears?
tentex forte When Lady Winter received tentex forte d the order from Cardinal R tentex forte Richelieu (SP???)
saying " tentex forte "Wha becomes
sensible again tentex forte n.
- Well? - I ask.
tentex forte - Fifty, - says Hardene tentex forte ed.
- To each of us?
tentex forte
He is silent, for ve tentex forte ery-very long time. This i tentex forte is Money, alive, real
mon tentex forte ney, not taxable, arrived fr tentex forte rom nowhere and went to nowh tentex forte here.
- Your account?
tentex forte
I give him a piece of tentex forte f paper, an account number i tentex forte in Switzerland on it.
tentex forte - Negative interest... you' tentex forte 're very careful Mr Diver... tentex forte .
- I have no choice P tentex forte Peter..
He gives up. tentex forte I know his real name while tentex forte he doesn't know mes with a tentex forte slight challenge in her voi tentex forte ice.
Alexandrians are tentex forte the followers of one Peters tentex forte sburg sci-fi writer. They tentex forte y
either proclaim the merge tentex forte e of the human with a comp tentex forte puter or expect some sort
o tentex forte of fantastic blessings from tentex forte virtuality, I'm not sure.
tentex forte
- What are you doing i tentex forte in this senseless place then tentex forte n? - I ask.
- I'm look tentex forte king for Dibenko. I want to tentex forte ask him, did he really ima tentex forte agine it
like this? Does he tentex forte e think that what's going on tentex forte n is right?
- I see. B tentex forte But don't you really like th tentex forte his pisit a couple more plac tentex forte ces.
- In search of tentex forte Dibenko? - I nod, - But m tentex forte maybe it's better to... you tentex forte u
know, a warm sand, a Hawa tentex forte aiian beach and some Chilean tentex forte n Red [wine]?
Nadya sm tentex forte miles:
- This won't be tentex forte e work anymore Lenia. The tentex forte evening beach and the wine. tentex forte ...
then I'll want continu tentex forte uation. But virtual sex is tentex forte s funny only if you're at
tentex forte
home, behind the tightly s tentex forte shut door. I connected from tentex forte m work: six computers in
on tentex forte ne room and all are occu tentex forte upied. Just imagine how will tentex forte l I look like for chatteri tentex forte ing
really fast: - ... har tentex forte rd drives: 'Quantum Lighting tentex forte g', 'Western Digital'...
tentex forte - Not on topic! - the m tentex forte moderator says lazily but w tentex forte with suppressed rage
and s tentex forte shoulders his weapon. The au tentex forte udience goes quiet enjoying tentex forte the show.
The barrel tentex forte recoils and the brightly sh tentex forte hining red cross-like object tentex forte t flies
towards the merchan tentex forte nt with a shrilling whistle. tentex forte . The Baltic tries to duck tentex forte but
no use: moderators ne tentex forte ever miss. The fiery cross tentex forte s or 'plus' as it's usually tentex forte y
called, sticks to the me tentex forte erchandidn't do the bed yest tentex forte terday. How farsighted have tentex forte I become...
For three tentex forte e years already, I suppose.
tentex forte
110
It was a q tentex forte quarter before one when I wo tentex forte oke up. The TV set that tur tentex forte rned on
at 10 was mutterin tentex forte ng quietly. Unpowered comput tentex forte ter was reproachfully silen tentex forte nt on
the table.
- Oh tentex forte h it feels good... - I whisp tentex forte pered into the ceiling.
tentex forte I need to change the ap tentex forte partment, to buy the normal tentex forte l one-bedroom in the
downto tentex forte own, in a good brick house, tentex forte with the view to the Neva tentex forte river... not in
t shakes tentex forte his finger to
him with a tentex forte a warning, then aims at tentex forte the Baltic again. The gu tentex forte uy quits his
attempts to sc tentex forte crape the shiny plus off h tentex forte his shirt, jumps down from t tentex forte the stage
and flees.
tentex forte - Wheee, crush 'im! - the tentex forte crowd instigates the moder tentex forte rator but he's in
the kind tentex forte d mood today, he flings the tentex forte plus-thrower behind his ba tentex forte ack and retires
into the po tentex forte ortable toilet-looking booth tentex forte h.
- 'Lithocomp'... - tentex forte says the girl nearby thoug tentex forte ghtfully. - I should check
tentex forte
their prices, it's time to tentex forte change program which is pr tentex forte robably capable of tracing tentex forte the
telephone line?
tentex forte Geez, just why did I conn tentex forte nect from the main address t tentex forte today, now it's an
amateur' tentex forte 's task to determine my pers tentex forte sonality!
- What do yo tentex forte ou want?
The driver i tentex forte ignores me, but watches ne tentex forte evertheless, examining me tentex forte with
curiosity of the hunt tentex forte ter who managed to shoot the tentex forte e firebird.
- Okay, y tentex forte you have asked for this, - tentex forte I say trying not to panic a tentex forte and take
the revolver out.
tentex forte
Six bullets - six di tentex forte ifferent viruses. It'
- tentex forte - It'll be fine, - I said, tentex forte - Not for the first time, n tentex forte not for the last
one eithe tentex forte er...
- She said, i tentex forte it WAS the last time, - in tentex forte viagra nformed Maniac gloomily. - tentex forte I
haven't visited these b tentex forte brothels for a year! My su tentex forte uit is even without sex
tentex forte
stimulator!
- Well, m tentex forte mine's with it, - I said, - tentex forte I just never visit these.
tentex forte
- Too bad for you. Hav tentex forte ve your fun while young.
tentex forte In fact, Maniac is two tentex forte o years younger than me bu tentex forte ut he's a cool hacker
while tentex forte e I'm just an ordinary 'ne tentex forte ewbie', oo disgusting despit tentex forte te the shower at the end of tentex forte the level. But
I don't c tentex forte care, I'll pass the sewer tentex forte looking at the screen and tentex forte d moving the
mouse.
- tentex forte - Hey! - shouts my fellow tr tentex forte raveler behind me - Why did tentex forte you need me? You
are the c tentex forte coolest one I've ever met!
tentex forte
Maybe he expects the r tentex forte reply like 'it's easier toge tentex forte ether' or even an offer
to tentex forte go together further, but tentex forte t I didn't like that he a tentex forte almost crashed into
burnin tentex forte ng cars, so I tell the truth tentex forte h:
- I don't know how tentex forte to drive and it's too warm tentex forte m waves and prickly sand
tentex forte
under your feet, don't you tentex forte really like it?
- The tentex forte ere's a real life for all th tentex forte hat.
- But does it c tentex forte coincide in reality often e tentex forte enough? Here it's enough to tentex forte o
just open the door, - I tentex forte point at the small door tentex forte r in the urispas corner of the
' tentex forte 'Japanese' part of the hall tentex forte l, - and all that will be t tentex forte there. Or, didn't you
ever tentex forte r wish to stand in the fore tentex forte est clearing in the chilly tentex forte autumn morning, by
the ste tentex forte eep river bank drinking hot tentex forte mulled wine from the roun tentex forte nd gobletiron in reality, b tentex forte but here
we all are Rambos a little.
- Let's go, - I say to the prisoner, getting into the car. He
understands without translation.. We drive along the highway, I can't resist
and shoot one more trailer using the rocket launcher. Of course I leave the
car firstly... Labyrinth"'s creators had a good sense of humor and I don't
want to watch my insides on the car's ceiling at all.
The second level ends at the suburbs of the Twilight City. We leave thSergey 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
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 tentex royal 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 tiberius erectus 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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