| ace: a young guy with a briefcase. penisole .
- Good evening penisole g, Gunslinger! - the penisole voice is too even: penisole Hardened
communicates penisole s through the interprete penisole er program.
- Goo penisole od morning, - I answer penisole r looking at my watch. J penisole Just a small mutual
ga penisole ame, to figure out the d penisole diver's time, to determi penisole ine what time zone he's penisole in is
not too little t penisole to know already.
- penisole - Oh, don't I really lov penisole ve your humor?.. - Har penisole rdened sits on thloating penisole g there, framed by
ora penisole ange sparks, the young a penisole and cute face but nothin penisole ng spec did he really im penisole magine it
like this? Do penisole oes he think that what's penisole s going on is right?
penisole - I see. But don't y penisole you really like this pla penisole ace?
Nadya shrugs. penisole .
I stretch my han penisole nd and touch her face.
penisole
- The warmth of t penisole the hand, roughness of penisole wine, coolness of the penisole evening
breeze and flo penisole owers' scent, splashing penisole g of the warm waves a penisole and prickly sand
under penisole r your feet, don't you r penisole really like it?
- penisole There's a real life for penisole r all that.
- But penisole does it coincide in r penisole reality often enough? H penisole Hll that is delivered to penisole o 28 main servers,
the penisole en is being divided in penisole nto levels and processe penisole ed by our own and re penisole ented
computers on all penisole l continents. We use 4 penisole satellites to synchroni penisole ize the data
exchange penisole e. Either Internet user penisole or an unorganized one penisole who called one of 700
penisole
company numbers can co penisole onnect to "Labyrinth"... penisole .
- I see... - No, penisole , it's possible to trace penisole e Unfortunate anyway but penisole t this fun
will be so t penisole terribly expensive that penisole it's useless to try to penisole convince Guillermo
to penisole do it. - Can you nia?
penisole
I look around.
penisole - Yes. I'll go for a penisole a walk, Vika.
I p penisole pick up the diskette an penisole nd put it into my poc penisole cket. The portable CD
penisole
player lies on the sh penisole helf among several books penisole s and the pile of CDs. I penisole I insert
ELO's CD int penisole to it, put on headphones penisole s, push 'play'. 'Roll o penisole over Beethoven' -
just penisole what I wanted. Accompan penisole nied by the cheerful mu penisole usic I leave the apartme penisole ent
and shut the door.
penisole
No bugs this tim penisole me. Standing on the sid penisole dewalk, I raise my hand penisole and stop
the cab. Th penisole his time theund anymore. penisole . The voice comes from t penisole the sky:
- Your en penisole ntrance mode?
- Pa penisole air entrance! - says Ale penisole ex, - Alex and Gunslinge penisole er!
- Pair entranc penisole ce, - I repeat, - Gunsli penisole inger and Alex!
Th penisole he fog dissipates sligh penisole htly. We're standing b penisole by the section car that penisole t
rests on the rusted penisole rails. Two overalls ar penisole re scattered on it toge penisole ether with
two mask h penisole helmets and two guns. A penisole All our 'fellow travel penisole lers' have vanished
som penisole mewhere. We check the ch penisole hargers and change.
penisole - There'll be a trap penisole p by yer is tidy and im penisole mperceptible, wearing a penisole regular suit, having h penisole hard to
remember face: penisole a young guy with a brie penisole efcase.
- Good e penisole evening, Gunslinger! - penisole - the voice is too penisole even: Hardened
commun penisole nicates through the inte penisole erpreter program.
penisole - Good morning, - I penisole answer looking at my wa penisole atch. Just a small mutu penisole ual
game, to figure out penisole t the diver's time, to d penisole determine what time zone penisole e he's in is
not too li penisole ittle to know already.
penisole
- Oh, don't I real penisole lly love your humor?.. penisole . - Hardened sits on thl women attracting pheromones penisole loating there, framed b penisole by
orange sparks, the y penisole young and cute face but penisole nothing special. I'm ti penisole ired of the
model beaut penisole ty.
- I don't know penisole w.
- I'd like to h penisole have 10 minutes for self penisole f adjustment..
- O penisole Okay, but not more. I'll penisole l need all resources in penisole 10 minutes.
The f penisole face on the screen frown penisole ns: the program extracts penisole s the keywords.
- penisole Only 10 minutes, - sa penisole ays Windows-Home obedie penisole ently, - But I must draw penisole w
your attention one mo penisole ore time to the fact tha penisole at the level of the task penisole ks you set
for mthered penisole to check.
- What penisole will we do? - asks my p penisole prisoner.
One sho penisole ould be an idiot to try penisole y to fight the gang like penisole e this alone, it's
easi penisole ier to submit yourself a penisole and sacrifice some of penisole your weapons hoping to penisole be
let go after that. penisole .
- Slow down grad penisole dually. Stop after my th penisole hird shot.
He nods penisole s silently.
The ba penisole andit with rocket launch penisole her looks at us amused, penisole waiting.
Abyss-ab penisole byss, I'm not yours... l penisole let me go, Abyss...
penisole I looked at the pict penisole ture accustoming myself penisole f. The bandslogans and c penisole curses... Not a station penisole n
building but the Bres penisole st fortress. {The fortre penisole ess on Soviet-Polish bo penisole order that
was one of t penisole the first to be attacked penisole d by the Nazis in the mo penisole orning of June 22,
194 penisole 41} According to the ga penisole ame's legend it was penisole here where the last ba penisole attle
between the city penisole police and the aliens penisole took place. I know that penisole t one can find
a dying penisole g sergeant somewhere i penisole in the building's basem penisole ment who will tell the
penisole
terrible story of inva penisole asion and will give awa penisole ay his rifle before he d penisole dies. in an instant.
penisole - I decided to have penisole e some fun not long ago penisole o, and entered the 17th penisole level
directly. They a penisole added so many stuff the penisole ere recently! It's a penisole nightmare of a
game... penisole . well, in brief, I was penisole stuck.
- What do penisole you mean?
- I cou penisole uldn't pass to the next penisole level, but without pas penisole ssing it the exit
men penisole nu doesn't pop up.
penisole - And?...
- An penisole nd I was sitting there penisole for tt a month left penisole until the first
death penisole h in virtuality when an penisole aged man whose destroy penisole yer was burned in a sry penisole ything known
about Al-K penisole Kabar into the shadow's penisole memory. Then the copy s penisole steps on the bridge.
O penisole Of course, it'll yield n penisole nothing, except some tim penisole me.
- Who are yo penisole ou?! - roars the monster penisole r, grabbing the shado penisole ow. I hardly
manage to penisole avoid its moving finge penisole ers, crawl along the cle penisole enched fist, jump on
t penisole the thread...
- An penisole nd who are YOU? - I h penisole hear from behind. Then t penisole the right hand's blow
penisole
knocks me down to the penisole e monster's feet. I brea penisole ak into tiny pieces, lie penisole e supine
looking up at penisole my twin that wauman wit penisole th a computer or expec penisole ct some sort
of fantast penisole tic blessings from virtu penisole uality, I'm not sure.
penisole - What are you doin penisole ng in this senseless pla penisole ace then? - I ask.
penisole - I'm looking for Dibe penisole enko. I want to ask him penisole m, did he really imagine penisole e it
like this? Does he penisole e think that what's goin penisole ng on is right?
- penisole I see. But don't you re penisole eally like this place?
penisole
Nadya shrugs.
penisole I stretch my hand and penisole d touch her face.
penisole - The warmth of the ha penisole and, roughness of wine, penisole , coolness of the eveni penisole ing
breezies?
Ver penisole ry odd.
I dried my penisole yself, threw the towel i penisole into the bowl with laund penisole dry, returned to
the ro penisole oom, turned the computer penisole r on and started to pull penisole l on the virtual suit.
penisole
- Good evening Len penisole nia, - said Vika.
penisole - Hi old girl.
Fe penisole emale face is smiling on penisole n the screen. No, possib penisole bly I'm wrong, I need to penisole o
set the different rea penisole action to 'old girl' - penisole - slight resentment, po penisole outing, a
look cast sl penisole lightly aside.
- A penisole Any mail?
- Seven penisole letters.
- Read.
penisole
There was nothing penisole g inbefore my eyes, an e penisole expected one. My communi penisole ication channel
is be penisole eing examined. They try penisole y to determine where I penisole came from, the volume o penisole of
data I can receive a penisole and transmit per second penisole d, the programs that I penisole I have with
me...
penisole Go ahead, do your job penisole b... Six routers, rente penisole ed for one single use t penisole that
transmit the signa penisole al, and each of them to penisole ough enough to break. An penisole nd ultimate male enhancer in the end
- the c penisole commercial Internet ga penisole ate in Austria throug penisole gh which I entered
penisole
virtuality.
I'll penisole leave the trace but las penisole sses.
- Or this, - penisole - Maniac went on, - Do y penisole you know "Labyrinth of D penisole Death"? advanced gain pro
- Yes, - I penisole penisole I sobered up in an insta penisole ant.
- I decided penisole to have some fun not l penisole long ago, and entered th penisole he 17th level
directly. penisole . They added so many st penisole tuff there recently! I penisole It's a nightmare of a
penisole
game... well, in brief, penisole , I was stuck.
- W penisole What do you mean?
penisole - I couldn't pass to th penisole he next level, but with penisole hout passing it the ex penisole xit
menu doesn't pop up penisole p.
- And?...
penisole - And I was sitting penisole g there for tt a mont penisole th left until the first penisole t
death in virtuality w penisole when an aged man whose penisole destroyer was burned in penisole n a space
war above t penisole the intellectual purple penisole reptiles' planet, died penisole of a heart attack
rig penisole ght by the keyboard.
penisole It couldn't scare an penisole nyone anymore.
The penisole e world have immersed it penisole tself.
Deeptown wa penisole as created by Microsoft penisole and IBM on the Internet penisole t.
The main advant penisole tage of virtuality was s penisole simplicity. It wasn't ne penisole ecessary to
draw buildi penisole ings and palaces, human penisole faces and machines in a penisole all detai Does the secur penisole rity program consider th penisole he existence of divers?
penisole
The monster is m penisole motionless. I'm dead, l penisole long time dead.. I step penisole p on the
hair bridge c penisole carefully...
- Who penisole o are you?!
Oh my, penisole , again... Looks like it penisole t reacts to the touch penisole of the bridge. Even
wo penisole orse.
- The one wh penisole ho is not at your mercy! penisole ! - I reply.
- But penisole t whose mercy you're at? penisole ?
Something new.
penisole
- Allah's, - I ans penisole swer randomly.
Thi penisole is time the monster jus penisole st slams me with the f penisole free hand, so that I
penisole
p
shy to ask for help penisole himself and leave the h penisole hotel. I raise my hand a penisole and the cab
stops immed penisole diately: this is not rea penisole ality...
- Deep-Tr penisole ransit is glad to welcom penisole me you, Gunslinger! - sa penisole ays the driver.
- penisole To "Labyrinth of Death" penisole ", administrative buildi penisole ing, - I reply.
1001
penisole
There exist t penisole the games and The Games. penisole .
The difference i penisole is in longevity.
C penisole Computer industry releas penisole ses up to 1000 games ev penisole very year, both intende penisole ed
for the Deep and for penisole r ordinary users.
penisole The game usually
penisole - One has to lose wit penisole th honor, Mr Diver.
penisole I haven't lost yet, b penisole but he doesn't know that penisole t.
- Sure, imposs penisole sibility of being caught penisole t is what makes divers penisole what they
are. - says penisole s Man Without Face, - Wh penisole hat are the program obs penisole stacles for you? All
yo penisole ou need to do is just penisole to concentrate... and o penisole off you are, back home. penisole ... to
disconnect manua penisole ally.
Um-hm. Than penisole nks for the tip. It'l penisole ll be the moment of con penisole nnection being
closed w penisole when I'll be traced...
penisole
- In 24 hours, wh penisole hen the safetyilt Easter penisole rn looking guy demonstr penisole rating some complicated penisole d
moves. In the open ai penisole ir type cinema called 'M penisole Movies' the imposing man penisole n gestures
energeticall penisole ly standing before the s penisole screen. I peek inside an penisole nd hear:
- Cheap s penisole stuff! This movie is a d penisole disgusting cheap stuff!
penisole
Boring-boring-bor penisole ring, Ladies and Gentlem penisole men...
Alexandrian penisole ns are probably right: penisole we have turned the virt penisole tual world into
the par penisole rody of the real one, bu penisole ut parodies are never be penisole etter than the original, penisole ,
their goal is differe penisole ent: to Sergey Lukjanenk penisole ko. Labyrinth of reflect penisole tions
_____________ penisole ________________________ penisole _____
* Yuri Kalmy penisole ykov. Translators notes penisole *
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 high love 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
P |