| e character. Dmitry himself just wanted to c zero nicotine create a pleasant
meditation zero nicotine background for his computer, zero nicotine , and he did, let it circulate zero nicotine along
the Net and didn't susp zero nicotine pect anything for two more week zero nicotine ks.
But then, one day som zero nicotine me Ukranian guxistence of diver zero nicotine rs?
The monster is motio zero nicotine onless. I'm dead, long time de zero nicotine ead.. I step on the
hair bri zero nicotine idge carefully...
- Who a zero nicotine are you?!
Oh my, again... zero nicotine . Looks like it reacts to the zero nicotine touch of the bridge. Even
wo zero nicotine orse.
- The one who is no zero nicotine ot atemain on the face of
one zero nicotine of them.
I shoot them po zero nicotine oint-blank, they even have no t zero nicotine time to open fire. I change
th zero nicotine he charger and approach the zero nicotine e bodies. Their rifles are dest zero nicotine troyed by the
bullets. Pity. zero nicotine . One can't go very far with ju zero nicotine ust a gun.
I walk through zero nicotine h the building: the series of zero nicotine empty befouled halls, blood
p zero nicotine pools, walls covered by some de zero nicotine esperate slogans and curses... zero nicotine . Not a zero nicotine station
building but zero nicotine the Brest fortress. {The fortr zero nicotine ress on Soviet-Polish border t zero nicotine that
was one of the firs.
zero nicotine Corpses and ruins were left zero nicotine behind my back. Only on the 6t zero nicotine th level I was
delayed for a zero nicotine while: it's very-very new and zero nicotine d unwonted. Then I was stuck o zero nicotine on
the 12th, I've encountered zero nicotine similar levels before but the zero nicotine arena is always the
arena an zero nicotine nd crushing a hundred plus zero nicotine monsters is not like pushing zero nicotine g three
buttons.
Fortun zero nicotine nately other players almost ne zero nicotine ever interfere anymore. The r zero nicotine rumors
are creeping across "La zero nicotine abyrinth" crossing levels wit zero nicotine th the ease impossible
even zero nicotine for divers. Ths open by the or zero nicotine rder from inside only.
- zero nicotine Force solution? - I touch th zero nicotine he sword's handle. The local zero nicotine l virus is
tiny, I even don't zero nicotine need to download it from home. zero nicotine . To unsheathe the sword, to
m zero nicotine make one blow and...
- Th zero nicotine he channel will be destroyed.
zero nicotine
Oh sure. Not for nothing zero nicotine g does the monster hold the bri zero nicotine nirdosh idge in his hand.
If the secur zero nicotine rity program is destroyed - the zero nicotine e hair above the chasm would br zero nicotine reak.
- Fuck.
- I c zero nicotine can't understand...
- Shu zero nicotine ut up....
I examine the zero nicotine mons walk.
I leave 'Thre zero nicotine ee Piglets', hesitate for a mom zero nicotine ment: should I stop the cab?
zero nicotine
- then decide to walk. I event zero nicotine tually leave the central stre zero nicotine eets and approach
Russian bloc zero nicotine cks. In my opinion, this is one zero nicotine e of the most interesting place zero nicotine es in
virtuality, the place wh zero nicotine here one can just chat.
A zero nicotine About anything at all.
I zero nicotine see long rows of buildings, zero nicotine , small squares and parks betw zero nicotine ween them,
either crowded or e zero nicotine empty. I study intricate plates zero nicotine s. Some of them are obvious,
o zero nicotine others are deliberately vht ari zero nicotine ise in "Labyrinth".
I ent zero nicotine ter the door and freeze.
zero nicotine This is beautiful.
The zero nicotine nicotinell hall is in the form of une zero nicotine equal sided triangle, one w zero nicotine wall is
completely transparent zero nicotine t and one can see the city from zero nicotine m the big height, lighted
by r zero nicotine red sunset light. Not Deeptow zero nicotine wn but Twilight City most likel zero nicotine ly. The table
of "Labyrinth"'s zero nicotine s security manager, Mr Guille zero nicotine ermo is horseshoe-shaped, three zero nicotine e
monitors are installed on zero nicotine it, a keyboard and nothing zero nicotine else. Mr Guillermo
himself al zero nicotine lready rises the
windows. Oh zero nicotine yeah. Lamers you are, dear "L zero nicotine Labyrinth"'s creators. You hav zero nicotine ve no
idea what the REAL evacu zero nicotine uation is and how do REAL refug zero nicotine gees look like.
I jump zero nicotine over the skirting and roll zero nicotine l down the embankment. Let t zero nicotine the
overconfident newbies ride zero nicotine e to the very building. I'd be zero nicotine etter do it on my own
feet... zero nicotine slowly.
This will be mor zero nicotine re reliable.
1
zero nicotine The first level is simple by zero nicotine definition. It must be like th zero nicotine his in order
for the newbies zero nicotine s to draw themselves into the zero nicotine e ga open the door. The stairc zero nicotine case is empty and brightly lit zero nicotine t,
very-very clean. While I d zero nicotine deal with the lock, the tiny b zero nicotine bug tries to fly in
through t zero nicotine the half opened door. Oh well zero nicotine l, lamers are having their fu zero nicotine un. With
irony I watch the per zero nicotine rsistent insect - the steady fl zero nicotine low of air blows from the
apa zero nicotine artment pushing the bug back o zero nicotine out... Finally the door is cl zero nicotine losed, the bug
knocks against zero nicotine it in the last effort, a shor zero nicotine rt flash - and it falls on th zero nicotine he
floor.
- Should I fil zero nicotine le the complaint to the l' move zero nicotine ements between them become sl zero nicotine low as if they're
falling asle zero nicotine eep - the space is overfilled w zero nicotine with the unexpected objects and zero nicotine d the
enemies' computers are j zero nicotine jammed by the mass of junk data zero nicotine a.
Unfortunately, this i zero nicotine is an old trick and there's p zero nicotine plenty of methods to
fight it. zero nicotine . Most guards manage to narrow zero nicotine w the field of vision or to dro zero nicotine op image
details, passing the zero nicotine e dangerous place successfully zero nicotine y. To be exact, not the
gua zero nicotine ards themselves did that but zero nicotine t their deep-programs. Those zero nicotine stopped were
vious,
others a zero nicotine are deliberately vague.
' zero nicotine 'Anecdotes'
'Talks about zero nicotine nothing'
'Sexual adventu zero nicotine ures'
'Strange place'
zero nicotine 'Oats growing!'
'Book zero nicotine ks'
'Martial arts'
zero nicotine People come here to discuss th zero nicotine he certain topics, this is th zero nicotine he echo of
pre-virtual age. zero nicotine . More serious clubs are locate zero nicotine ed further, where one can get
zero nicotine
an advice on technical ques zero nicotine stions, to argue about softw zero nicotine ware or even buy
pirated pro zero nicotine ograms cheap. All that is of a zero nicotine little interest for me.
zero nicotine I entalk to the porter and yo zero nicotine ou'll save
much more. Happy sa zero nicotine ailing!
- Happy sailing! zero nicotine - says admired novice behind m zero nicotine me. It's so nice to be an
old- zero nicotine -timer...
I wink to the zero nicotine e porter and nod towards 'Stall zero nicotine lone' in case he'll be too
sh zero nicotine hy to ask for help himself and zero nicotine leave the hotel. I raise my ha zero nicotine and and the cab
stops immediat zero nicotine tely: this is not reality...
zero nicotine - Deep-Transit is glad to zero nicotine welcome you, Gunslinger! - say zero nicotine ys the driver.
- To "Laby zero nicotine yrinth of Death", administrativ zero nicotine ve building, - I reply.
t her zero nicotine re out of the city's
stench zero nicotine h...
- Waiting for me, zero nicotine aren't we, Mr Nice Guy? - the zero nicotine question from behind
the bac zero nicotine ck. I turn around - the huge w zero nicotine wolf, up to my chest in height, zero nicotine , emerges
from the bush.
zero nicotine - Maybe for you, - I answer zero nicotine admiring the wolf. Hell, he's zero stop smoking nicotine awesome! He's
really gray, an zero nicotine nd not simply gray but of exact zero nicotine t blackish/grayish wolfs' color zero nicotine r.
The fur is felted here and zero nicotine there, a burdock is stuck to t zero nicotine the right forepaw.
- Sho zero nicotine ouldn't I eat you, Mr Nice G zero nicotine Guy? - asks th it's you to dec zero nicotine cide.
The buyer shows up zero nicotine p in some ten minutes, when I s zero nicotine start to worry already.
I knew zero nicotine w him only under a nick 'Harden zero nicotine ned', and he knows me as 'Gu zero nicotine unslinger'.
The buyer is tidy zero nicotine and imperceptible, wearing a zero nicotine regular suit, having hard to
zero nicotine
remember face: a young guy wit zero nicotine th a briefcase.
- Good zero nicotine evening, Gunslinger! - the zero nicotine voice is too even: Harden zero nicotine ned
communicates through the i zero nicotine interpreter program.
- G zero nicotine Good morning, - I answer look zero nicotine king at my watch. Just a small zero nicotine l mutequest the report, yes?
zero nicotine - Yes... - I say not turn zero nicotine ning my eyes from the screen. zero nicotine A young guy is
there, dresse zero nicotine ed in overalls and holding a g zero nicotine gun. What scared Man Without Fa zero nicotine ace?
Why does he think that zero nicotine events don't have analogies? W zero nicotine Why does he offer the
Medal o zero nicotine of Complete License for a sim zero nicotine mple task? - Willy, have anyt zero nicotine thing else
strange happened?
zero nicotine
I get the weak hope that zero nicotine the different task was meant.
zero nicotine
- No.
- Nothing?
zero nicotine
- Nothing-nothing! - Gui zero nicotine illermo parts his hands believ zero nicotine ve too.
But it was him wh zero nicotine ho gave rise to the deep. Ten zero nicotine second clip displayed on
the zero nicotine screen is harmless by itself. zero nicotine If shown on TV (I heard it was zero nicotine s dared to be
done in some co zero nicotine ountries), the TV watcher won' zero nicotine 't feel anything and will not zero nicotine t
become a movie character. Dm zero nicotine mitry himself just wanted to zero nicotine create a pleasant
meditation zero nicotine n background for his computer zero nicotine r, and he did, let it circulate zero nicotine e along
the Net and didn't sus zero nicotine spect anything for two more wee zero nicotine eks.
But then, one day so zero nicotine ome Ukranian guxistence of dive zero nicotine ers?
The monster is moti zero nicotine ionless. I'm dead, long time d zero nicotine dead.. I step on the
hair br zero nicotine ridge carefully...
- Who zero nicotine are you?!
Oh my, again.. zero nicotine .. Looks like it reacts to the zero nicotine e touch of the bridge. Even
w zero nicotine worse.
- The one who is n zero nicotine not at your mercy! - I reply.
zero nicotine
- But whose mercy you're zero nicotine at?
Something new.
zero nicotine - Allah's, - I answer randoml zero nicotine ly.
This time the monste zero nicotine er just slams me with the fre zero nicotine ee hand, so that I
partiall zero nicotine ly flow over the palm's edge an zero nicotine nd ut in randomly.
- Yeah zero nicotine h.. snowy is this summer... - zero nicotine says the Werewolf and looks zero nicotine at me
with irony. He recogniz zero nicotine zes this place, it does stir so zero nicotine omething up in his soul.
It's zero nicotine not for me to know what exactl zero nicotine ly.
I fill the heavy cer zero nicotine ramic cup with mulled wine, zero nicotine sniff the zyban aroma. The
snowy su zero nicotine ummer? Who cares! There's nothi zero nicotine ing better than a lousy weather zero nicotine r.
- Lenia, do you smoke zero nicotine grass? - Roman holds me the ci zero nicotine igar-case.
- No.
Ma zero nicotine aybe he really is alcoholic and zero nicotine d drug addict...
- yers s zero nicotine since their getting into the sy zero nicotine ystem.
So Man Without Fac zero nicotine ce got interested in Unfortuna zero nicotine ate almost as soon as he
got i zero nicotine into "Labyrinth"? He watched h zero nicotine him attentively and began his zero nicotine search for
divers immediatel zero nicotine ly.
- His timer could be zero nicotine set for 48 hours.
- Yeah zero nicotine h. Ah, how unappetizing! - si zero nicotine ighs Guillermo, - Pee-pee, po zero nicotine oo-poo
into the virtual suit.. zero nicotine .. EWW.
Why did Man Witho zero nicotine out Face set the alarm?
N zero nicotine Nothing terrible have happened zero nicotine d yet anyway, it's just yet an zero nicotine nother self
coone from yourse zero nicotine elf, and I
can't afford hirin zero nicotine ng the image specialist.
zero nicotine - The Deep itself is expensive zero nicotine e enough.
She calls virtu zero nicotine uality with a Russian term and zero nicotine I like that...
...But no zero nicotine ot her overall behavior...
zero nicotine I shrug. What a strange talk zero nicotine k.
- Excuse me... you're zero nicotine Russian, right? - asks the gir zero nicotine rl.
I nod. There are lot zero nicotine ts of Russians in virtuality: zero nicotine : nowhere else in the
world th zero nicotine he computer time usage is contr zero nicotine rolled as poorly as in our coun zero nicotine ntry.
- I'm sorry... - t zero nicotine the g. Another important reason zero nicotine n is that the
Russian name c zero nicotine changed according to the rules zero nicotine of doing so in English woul zero nicotine ld
sound ridiculous (maybe for zero nicotine r me only, as I'm Russian... ;- zero nicotine -) ), not mentioning
that it's zero nicotine s not always possible to do thi zero nicotine is with Russian names at all. E zero nicotine 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 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 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
P |