Читать книгу Parallel worlds – one. Fire and flame - Артур Задикян - Страница 5

"Where the hell am I? I was in the center. Is this the real world or virtual reality?"

– Irene, you on the line?

There was no response.

– Irene, are you there? Where am I?

"Yeah, well, maybe the doctor was right. And yet… how to check whether it was his trick, a joke, a virtual reality, or really, damn it, it worked out. It's an understatement… Am I in a parallel world? Is it parallel? Once people could not believe in the existence of other lands, much less continents. And the existence of different races, nations, round Earth, which in addition moves around the axis and, quite surprisingly, around the Sun, it turns out, was no less fantastic. And the end of the atmosphere and further endless airless space could not be imagined at all. So it only seems at first that the existence of other worlds is something fantastic. It's not. It turns out to be simple. Or maybe it's a virtual reality? Maybe this is Earth, and what's going on is Parmen's prank. After his prank one can expect anything, and after the incomprehensions with virtual worlds in my last job, I have serious doubts… A person living in Africa, for example, in the Bronze Age, who had never seen snow, would be transported to the Arctic to the Eskimos. They would wake him up and explain that the world is round, there is a moon and planets that revolve around the sun, these are earthlings like you, and so on. What would he think? He would have thought he was crazy, or still asleep, or a prank, or dead, or in another world. Lots of things he would think, and the hardest thing for him to figure out would be how it was that the Earth was round. So now… it seems logical that there should be other worlds in the infinity of the universe, it seems logical that life should originate in the same conditions as it already did, that is, develop in a similar way, but it is very hard to believe it, especially to believe that you are there now. Just like an ancient inhabitant of the Earth. For whom the world is the outskirts that he sees from a distant hill or even a mountain…"

Rutra's musings were interrupted by a policeman.

– Paschow, out.

"Well, I've had a bit of an accident. I wonder what role I'm playing here…" – Ruthra thought, having already convinced himself that there really were parallel worlds and that he was out of the cage. The guardian of order walked forward. Ruthra followed him. "That's strange," he thought. – He should handcuff me first… or there should be two of them, one in the back and one in the front. But really, I wouldn't know. Especially in this world. Or this is our world… There's no difference yet."

– Rutra Tigrovich, go directly to the Admiral's office. Today he's in the office without a sign, the secret one.

Ruthra was about to ask where, to whom, and why, when he realized that something was wrong. The policeman had been very friendly to him, and it seemed that the place where he was to go was not a hostile place.

Soon he saw the mark of a removed sign on one of the doors. He knocked. The owner of the office himself opened the door. In the spacious room at the entrance stood a tall, blue-eyed, blond-haired, statuesque man.

– Hey, buddy. Enough lying around in sanatoriums, it's time to get down to business," he began.

Ruthra tried to contact Irene silently. She wasn't answering. He needed information. He didn't understand what was going on or how to behave, much less what to answer.

– It's time. What's the plan?

– The plan is the same, but we'll change it a little, and we'll need to add more men," the man spoke a little quickly and, as it seemed to Ruthra, even with some apprehension. – I'll send all the input and disposition data over the alternate communications system. Irene is under control and on lockdown for most functions for you. All the more reason for her to keep quiet and not give you any data.

– Can artificial intelligence be persuaded?

– Rutra, are you brain-dead from the daily marathon to the TV tower?

– Uh… I don't think so. Must have been a heavy sleeper.

Ruthra was about to ask what the TV tower was, but stopped just in time.

– You did it yourself, and they realized it. Although you and Irene are on very good terms, she'll tell you in confidence.

– Got it.

– Be careful with Yat-san. She's undecided about her role, she's always under the influence. She's also very peculiar and can change her mind at any time. And she has a problem that she thinks about more than the case. Jules has a problem. She plays three sides. And she's willing to play the fourth.

– Oh, shit. Who's that?

– The first party is you. You have a theme with her. The second story is between you and YatSan, she's doing diplomacy. And is constantly in touch and conspiring with Petty: periodically we record a deeply encrypted communication with Andrian.

– With Andrian?

– Why is that particularly surprising to you?

Ruthra needed to show awareness and keep the conversation going, even though he didn't know any Andrian or any of the people in question. For some reason, he felt this was the right thing to do. Perhaps it was a subconscious memory of the person whose body his consciousness had entered in this world.

– Andrian is not inclined to conspire.

– She must have asked for it very much. Maybe it's for your own good. At least that's how she presented it to him.

– How?

– I don't have time to analyze it. There's nothing special there. There are topics related to YatSan. Your personal and work relationships are a bit tangled.

– The program requires complete trust, and there is no way to do it without personal sympathy.

– Your sympathies have crossed some lines.

Ruthra thought, "What's the deepest thing he knows about… And what in the world could I possibly have done?"

– What about Catherine?

– Catherine is calm, stable. She doesn't mind having an affair. Quite the risk-taker at heart. Loves to get her adrenaline pumping. Hang gliding, skydiving. You wouldn't know it from her passion.

– She's in a secret relationship with who?

– You should know that yourself and report to me. We are preparing you there, after all," the admiral said the last in a whisper and pointed his finger upward. – She's in touch with everyone, but I can't call them secret. She's sort of facilitating their plans.

– So what are their plans?

– It's likely that Andrian will tell you everything at some stage. And Irene… and probably something in Catherine's secret. Iulia and Shallow are dangerous. You can expect anything from them. Most of all, Eulalia. She uses everyone.

– I wonder how.

– She's got a gut feeling, or there's something we don't know. Maybe there's a leak. It sounds to me like you're being friendly and overly trusting. A woman is still a woman. A fish seeks the deepest, a woman seeks the best.

– I obviously missed something.

– She knows… and most likely from you, even if in passing… indirectly you mentioned it.

– About our program?

– Yeah. About what we're cooking. About what we are preparing you there, – he said again in a whisper and pointed his finger upwards. – The people are ready, the Kantemirov division, by the way, too.

– I tried to keep that little guy away from me.

– But you first let Iulia get close to you, and then you let YatSan get even closer. They were all in doubt then, but now that the prospect is looming, they have become more active and are ready to make any kind of conspiracy.

– How does this threaten the program?

– Have you been drinking too much? I don't think you've been drinking. I don't need you to explain what power is. Especially power in Russia. We don't know who they're connected to or who's behind them. We've got our eye on Chalky. He's very dangerous. Sit down, why are you standing up like a soldier? Let's have a drink to celebrate the victory. Although we don't celebrate in advance… Then let's start.

Ruthra didn't quite know what was going on, and only the television on was telling him what was going on. Four sectors of the screen were showing simultaneously. Demonstrations were going on in Moscow. People were walking mostly peacefully. They carried banners, sang songs and shouted into megaphones. Sometimes singers, actors, creative personalities, politicians and scientists performed in the squares. The main theme boiled down to distrust of the past elections. The theme was unambiguously clear. Everything spoke about it: both the banners and the voice message. The main demand – give change. Many people were repeating a learned and invented cry: "My grandfather lived under stagnation, my father under stagnation, I under stagnation". And from the tribunes and squares they were saying: "Volodya, go away. Volodya, go away for God's sake. Volodya, you're our friend, but the truth is dearer. Volodya, go away with a calm soul, there are still smart people in Russia, imagine that".

And the main thing that caught the eye was: "Rutra for president!" It was often accompanied by an "e-e-e-e-e", especially in shouting. Or often, "We don't need agents – Rutru to the presidency.

Ruthra was genuinely surprised. The Admiral noticed him staring intently at the screen.

– What are you looking at? Let's go to the armored car. It's a tradition. The throne must not get cold in the Kremlin.

Ruthra realized, in this world, events went very differently. He cared about everyone's role, overt and covert.

– What do Petty and Jules have in common?

– I'm telling you, Julia is the most dangerous. She's in touch with everyone, she's got all the channels of communication, she's got her own agenda. She planned to get her way first, directly through you, and then something went wrong. You said it yourself. You couldn't load her up, or she was just being a ponce. It's your Bonapartist methodology that often scares people.

– More like Caesarianism.

– Come, see, win?

– I wish I could.

– So go ahead, everything is ready. Dare to be responsible to the people? The people don't want what they have, they want something new? So take your pilot to the parallel worlds. Your inventor of eternal life, the one who gave you thousands of faces.

Ruthra felt a twitch, both at what was on the screen and whoever was watching. He decided to play along, as if he knew everything and was aware of everything. He thought to himself: why did he send his consciousness without checking the technology… he couldn't even answer where he sent it… And yet he hoped that it wasn't the real world, that it was a virtual reality. And if it was real…

– IuLia is indeed conducting diplomacy between me and YatSan, except now I'm wondering with what interest. She was probably using me, Petty, and YatSan to get something for herself.

– Oh, great. Finally. And it's the right thing to do. Yeah, yeah. Why, is someone doing it wrong? She's soft. I've listened to a couple of her conversations. Yes, it's true that she's breaking your relationship for her own benefit, but you were good, you didn't back down, and now she, realizing that she's going to lose all contact, has decided to fix your relationship, your relationship… between you and Petty, and most importantly – between you and YatSan.

– And he's not afraid.

– Why should she be afraid? She's careful. She says this, she says that. She smiles at everyone. And best of all, you're one of her best friends. She feels your shoulder. Just a little bit, but she feels it. And that's important to a woman.

– You say that, Comrade Admiral, as if you've lived through it yourself.

Ruthra laughed a little. The Admiral, on the other hand, looked at him dumbly.

– What are you, Rutra? Have you eaten too much bleach? What's wrong with you? Comrade Admiral? A tease? Or are we at an official reception? Who is Uncle Misha to you? Admiral? If so, I'm beginning to doubt my faith in you.

Ruthra realized his ignorance of his position in the world. When he came to his senses, he presented it in a joking manner. He sat down beside him and said in a friendly manner:

– I've been fuming, I thought maybe someone was bugging me… I was waiting for a signal from you… I'm dumb again. I was waiting for a signal from you.

– It's all right. We had, have and will have power. We'll always come up with some system. The main thing is to give the asker the opportunity to ask. It is not necessary to do everything yourself, you can inspire others that it is good, so that they do it. For example, religion. After all, people themselves want to open churches and the like, they themselves want to give donations. The second option is communist, to take or build everything with the hands of the people, who own nothing. To manage everything with the help of offices, they say, if something is wrong, the capitalist will come and make you work, although people themselves want to work, because they are already workers, and so there is at least an option to become owners. The third option is not to instill anything religious, but just to say: you have to pay taxes to make medicine, army and education stable. Now I'm interested in this device of yours – a time machine simulator. What is it?

Rutra's brain paused for a second, trying to figure out what to say, as he suddenly "recognized" the subject. Not only that, but he realized the truth: "I didn't think of anything new there. I knew everything here too. And maybe it's natural".

A little more at ease in his chair, he began to explain in a friendly tone.

– A time machine is such a virtual reality device where you can meet a digital copy of the dead and, based on a simulation of their actions, live some period of your life with them.

– Holy mother of God. You'd have to imagine such a thing and do it. You're a fantasist. It's not for nothing, it's not for nothing they kept you under the hood. We knew what you were doing, what you were working on. Yeah, yeah. We've been watching you.

Ruthra scratched his head, thinking to himself: "Well, tell me what I've been doing here." To his delight, Uncle Misha "confessed".

– When I was developing a mind-to-photon converter and I didn't want to tell the authorities. Those authorities. You wanted to go to another country where you'd get paid. You didn't go online, yeah, only your computer was connected to the net. It didn't matter that you didn't send e-mails, we could see everything. You've got a nice twist on it, though, nice. And that life-extending, rejuvenating technique of yours is a masterpiece. I said, I said, let's pay, we have such a man. And they decided that only they should reign forever. So, dear, that's the way it is, I protected you, I helped you, now it's your turn to take care of Uncle Misha. Let's have a drink and, as they say, let's get started.

The Admiral pulled two shot glasses and a bottle of cognac from the nightstand.

– Let's start with the bartender thing. We have to get into character. The people like to live richly, and a greedy president makes the people miserable," he raised his glass, signaling Rutra to do the same.

They drank the tonic drink in a gulp.

Uncle Misha waved his index finger in the air and continued, it was clear, about JULIA.

– If you've got a team like this, don't let us down. You're protecting them everywhere. And they're running around here.

– You said it yourself, it's normal.

– It is normal if she wanted you personally, and then already, having made a bet on you, to take advantage of all that her man has achieved.

– Isn't that right?

– Someone who runs and looms constantly between the wharves will run away from you too.

– Maybe she wants to find her final resting place. A safe harbor.

– Maybe, but definitely not a quiet one.

They laughed, both of them.

– There's YatSan. She's different, give her a good berth and she'll become a port director.

They laughed again.

– What would the other one do differently?

– Yeah, I guess so. And that's the right thing to do!

He said the last thing again, raising his index finger up and shaking it. Then he filled a shot glass with the brown liquor, the aroma of which was already wafting like gin around him.

– Iulia is the most… one of the most active participants of the program. And for all her faults, she's the anchor. You can count on her. And she wants fame and money, yes. I agree with that, in a way, as you said.

The admiral looked at him questioningly.

– Well, that it's the right thing to do.

– It's the right thing for everyone. But won't she defect? And let her know that you're only friends with her. If you've got a thing for Yat-san, let it be. Just make your positions clear. Don't let anyone get their hopes up, and if you've given hope, go all the way. Like the people, if you give hope for change, then go for it. You think people are magic, you think they're easy? Or do you think they believe that you will give them paradise? No, of course not. Everybody wants a chance. A chance to try something, to prove themselves. Among other things – your Iulia has themes that she has with other members of the group. I'm talking about the groups that include Petty and YatSan.

– What's she doing?

– She uses them purely to accomplish her goal.

– Who else?

– She has a few faces that YatSan is partially aware of and Petty is aware of others. Like, some of them are known to both of them, and some of them are known only to one of them.

– Oh, boy.

– She has another friend. She's a pretty good-looking person. It's hard to know what they have in common. We've got her on file under the code name "alien." Let's have another drink – and go ahead, the people are gathered at the entrance, waiting for their hero of the struggle against the regime....

Rutra left the police station accompanied by two sergeants. A large crowd had gathered outside, shouting and throwing bouquets of flowers over the fence. Many clung to the iron bars of the fence and shook it, shouting, "Freedom to the Messiah! I want eternal life!" The policemen, frightened by the crowd, did not escort him to the gate. As soon as Rutra stepped outside the compound, they put him in a chair stylized as a throne, lifted him up, and carried him in their arms. Ruthra couldn't understand what was going on, and more importantly, what he was being honored for. Suddenly there was a sound in his head-it was Irene's voice.

– Good afternoon, Rutra Tigrovic.

– Hi, Irene.

– How do you like it here?

– What do you mean, here?

– It's me, Irene, from the Sphere organization.

– How's that?

– I temporarily blocked their AI, their artificial intelligence, my copy, Irene local.

– How?

– You are in the body of a local Rutra, one who lives in this world, he had a connection to Irene. The bond of entangled couples is still intact. I'm actually there at the Sphere facility.

– I'm really confused. Is all this real? Is this an experiment? Are these worlds real?

– Listen to what I'm about to tell you, memorize it. You are a famous scientist and public figure. You have many patents and inventions. Your main discovery and invention turned people's consciousness upside down. For many years you have been trying to get authorization and government support for your rejuvenation method.

– What's the method?

– You have cloned a human thymus gland and are successfully transplanting it into the elderly.

– What's the effect? Are they getting younger?

– Yeah. (chuckles)

– So what?

– People stopped dying a natural death.

Ruthra was shaking, afraid he would fall. When he heard that, he was terrified. Where were they carrying him, and more importantly, who were they? They were young men carrying him. He tried to take a closer look at them. Not knowing the fashions of the world, it was difficult for him to determine the age of these people.

– Where are they taking me?

– There is a social crisis in the country. The country is on the verge of civil war. The authorities have banned your method, classified it and used it for their own purposes.

– How?

– It was discovered when they identified the spies. They were rejuvenating the recruits.

– It's not hard to guess that it didn't take long to convince him to become a spy in return for rejuvenation.

– You're right.

– What's next?

– Foundations and movements have emerged in other countries to bring the method to light.

– No deal?

– No deal. It was only in each other's best interests that the powers that be. It blew up the world. You realize the advantage it gives to some over others. The world is on the brink of nuclear war. Everything's very tense. You've been under house arrest. The second swallow flew out when the admiral you were talking to made public information about the secret center "Sphere", where a narrow circle of people from the power structures and oligarchs were doing this transplantation. There is a secret organization "Sphere" in this world too. Rutra Tigrovich, this is your theory put into practice. The worlds are parallel, many things are the same here, and some are exactly the same.

– Did the authorities know how to implement my methodology?

– Yes, they seized all your materials, documents, designs. Besides, they let you do your work at first. You have a team here. How you two met, I couldn't discern from past events. I only found your connection to her in some kind of group intellectual game called "Jagodzinski's Pranks." Your team helped you, in addition to the medical professionals.

– What's the point?

– I can't determine that for sure. You're constantly purging all databases, archives and history. I just found your discovery materials, cloning and transplantation techniques in a certain Iulia's database. All your know-how.

– Who is she to me, why did I give this to her?

– You're good friends. She's also a friend of Yat-san, with whom you have a complicated relationship.

– How complex and how did it affect events in the country?

– You were in love with her, and before that you were warm friends with JULIA. JULIA was jealous of your friend and tried to ruin the relationship.

– How do you know that?

– I copied all the information from their brains. Or rather, local Irene did.

– What's the bottom line? Where are they taking me?

– Can't you see? They're taking you to the Kremlin. The security services, having learned the truth, have come over to your side.

– What truth?

– About what I've already said. The truth that the Admiral told me.

– And now everyone wants to transplant their thymus?

– That's right. The admission of the existence of a conspiracy from the security forces had the effect of an exploding bomb. The public was already tense. You had previously announced and demonstrated your discovery. Then you were placed under surveillance, under house arrest, your contacts were restricted, and by editing a video in your own name, you denied your discovery.

– What now?

– Take power, sign the decree.

– Which one?

– That your patented methodology you authorize the use of.

– Patented?

– Yeah. (chuckles)

– It's cool in here.

– There's some bad news.

– Like what?

– One of your close aides you gave partial access to the local Irene's settings.

– And who's that?

– The control system here is more multileveled. There is not just one administrator connected to the supercomputer's intelligent unit, but 7 more controllers.

– How's that?

– On a well-known principle: we, for example, have one administrator connected – a real person Iren, and here there are several such people.

– You were named after an administrator. Why is the supercomputer here also named Irene?

– It is possible that you will connect with us, but the name will remain here. The worlds are parallel.

– Who are they?

– These are the individuals the Admiral was talking about. You hooked them up.

– Why them?

– You ran tests on them and decided

– What tests?

– Without their knowledge. It was an intellectual game.

– So it was a game and I was checking them out?

– Yeah. Mostly communication skills.

– Where are they now and what's the bad news?

– I told you: you gave one of your assistants access, other than locking her out in case of insubordination, to the settings.

– Who is she and what is the direct threat?

– It's someone…

Ruthra could not understand what was being said. The jubilant crowd carried him across Red Square to the gates of Nikolskaya Tower.

Through the static, Ruthra heard:

– You are about to meet them, they are waiting for you inside," then the noise in his head went again.

Rutra paid attention – there was no mausoleum. He was carried into the Kremlin shouting: "We have won! Down with the golden billion – give us the golden trillion". At the entrance to the Senate Palace an improvised tribune was organized. Rutra was invited to make a speech. Here he lost it. He could talk colorfully. He used every fantasy in the book. He said that the world had turned from darkness to light, that the moon was now a place for a walk, that we would fly to parallel worlds for a vacation, and many other things. And when he said that eternal life and victory over death had finally been really achieved, the crowded square, and perhaps the whole world, because the broadcast was on all channels, "exploded" in jubilation. Rutra's body shook with excitement, her fingers shook slightly, and her voice trembled.

– Rutra, you did good, you didn't back down.

Suddenly a lady took his hand, a little swarthy, more like from tanning, with rich black hair and the same color eyelashes.

Ruthra thought quickly. He mentally commanded the supercomputer.

– Irene, urgently upload a photo of this company or support group of mine. I still don't know who they are.

The answer surprised and even frightened him a little.

– Unauthorized entry is prevented. The system operates under the full protection of the group.

At the same time, images of three ladies and two men appeared in his mind. This madam was identified as Iulia. Ruthra looked around: security had cut off the crowd, only a few stood in the inner circle, among them the announced people, except for one man, who was listed as Petty. It was understandable: they were among the special proxies, but the regulations and rules were binding on all. Security, though it let Iulia through, still insisted on going back.

– Irene. What do you mean "unauthorized entry prevented"?

– There was a temporary seizure of control by another system.

– Which one?

– Another AI system.

– Where did it come from? – Ruthra asked, almost biting his tongue.

Most likely, he was talking to a genuine "local" Irene. It made it difficult to understand the situation and the world his consciousness had entered. He remembered the Admiral's words.

– Who has full access to the lockdowns?

– All participants in the Ribhu program.

– What's that?

– Rutra Tigrovich, this is your program for detecting parallel worlds. Detecting and transferring human consciousness from our world there.

– Wow. I wonder where they move from here. – Ruthra said, more to himself than to her.

– You haven't sent anyone anywhere yet. At least not under my supervision. Unless, of course, you've hidden something from me.

– Who are these "Ribhu" participants?

– Rutra Tigrovich, according to my information, your organs are functioning normally.

– And why did you say that? Think of it as me getting a little laid or doing a search on demand.

– Yes, sir. Your participants are the team you recruited for the Ribhu program: Katrin, Andrian, IuLia, and YatSan. After the initial tests on the clones, you introduced one additional person into the program, code-named Petty. He has virtually no access.

– Who has the highest?

– You, without consulting the board, gave high access, including the ability to change settings, to a person who was classified under code name 101.

– Am I on the board here, too?

– You're confusing me. What do you mean, "I'm here, too"?

Ruthra realized his mistake, though he was more frightened not by the question, but by the supercomputer's supposed ability to read his mind.

– You need to go inside. You need to take the oath of office and take over the government.

– Take an oath?

– Rutra Tigrovic, what's wrong with you?

– What about advice?

– This is your research center. You are the head of the Sphere Research Center, where decisions are made collegially in a council.

A man of sturdy build, with a thoughtful look, came up to Ruthra, stood in front of him, and held out a book with both hands. It was the Constitution. Rutra realized what was happening. He placed his right palm on it and mentally addressed Irene.

– Remind me again what I'm supposed to say?

– You must sing the anthem, then say: "I serve Russia."

Ruthra thought, "Isn't the hymn exactly the same as ours?" And it turned out to be true. After singing the anthem and saying "I serve Russia" loudly, Rutra was led inside the building to the president's office. On the way, the man who held out the Constitution whispered: "…He is now under house arrest." Already in the office, Rutra learned that he was the former head of the former president's security service; he did not inquire how and what had made him former, but instead, as if by the way, inquired as to the date and whether his staff had been issued passes with him. The chronology of events was not long. The main events unfolded in the last year. His team was allowed into the Kremlin and had access to all related institutions. It was they (why – it was still unclear to Rutra) who had been chosen by him to control the lockdown of the supercomputer.

They brought in terminals to control the Central Bank and the stock exchanges, a terminal to control all means of communication, and a terminal to control the strategic nuclear forces. They began to reprogram them with his data, including fingerprints, retina, voice and special code symbols. Suddenly, during the programming of the terminal by the strategic nuclear forces, there was a system failure. The terminal began to vibrate and emit an audible and light signal. The security chief's hands shook. He shouted:

– Get the Secretary of Defense to block it!

Ruthra was also taken aback.

– What's going on?

– The system has entered the number one standby position.

– What is it? Why?

– It took our reprogramming of passwords as a system takeover and is requesting the previous persons it is set up to.

– The President?

– Him, the Secretary of Defense and the Chief of Staff. Any one of them. Only the three of them can initialize the launch. One of them can't.

– And the lock?

– If one fails, there's a lockout.

– The minister is gone, he changed his appearance and escaped. He was among those in a group of his own. Soon he will be younger, we won't recognize him at all without the program. He's with a new life," an officer who ran up to the head of security reported to him.

– How? Ah. They were in the clan of those who used your method," he said to Ruthra.

– The body of the president has been found," another officer reported.

At that time, the general siren started howling. Everyone was very excited, constantly contacting someone, running around. Rutra and the crew were excited. The ladies were scared. They did not fully understand the essence of what was happening. Rutra ran up to the head of security who was yelling at uniformed officers, sailors, captains of the first rank. It's tradition – they carry the so-called nuclear briefcase next to the president at all times.

– What's going to happen? Can't it be stopped? – Ruthra asked him in a low voice.

– It's querying all systems. For some reason, our supercomputer isn't responding. To be more precise, it has blocked communication between the Cheget, Kazbek and Perimeter systems. The system, not receiving a response, considers them captured.

– How could this have happened? How did it block itself? There must be outside interference.

– It's getting late! – he shouted. – You must sound a general alarm. We can't stop her. She's launching nuclear missile systems that bypass all the lockdowns.

Ruthra's voice trembled; he realized the provocativeness of his question and asked it nonetheless:

– What's going on? Is all this for real?

Everyone came, and amidst the clamor, Ruthra's serious question was the one that interested everyone. Suddenly there was silence. The Acting Chief of Staff of the Ministry of Defense said quietly and calmly:

– It's unbelievable, but the tech shows it's happening. Look at the screen, it's already issued targeting orders, so it's activated the RYAA-01 protocol!

– General evacuation! – shouted the head of the guard, and his shout stabbed a dagger through the ear into everyone's brain. – General evacuation! – he continued to yell.

Then ran over to the communications lockdown terminal, switched it to broadcast mode, and walked over to Ruthra.

– Get in the chair. You must sound the alarm. Open the safe.

– Which one?

– Oh, shit. We haven't transferred the locks to you yet. We need to open the package.

– What the hell is going on? Were you expecting me?! – Ruthra was yelling now.

There was no one left in the office anymore except for the crew, two naval officers, the chief of security, the chief of staff, and two members of the president's security detail.

– Mr. President, you're not prepared for this turn of events, and we're… We live in this, in daily training. You need to be evacuated to a secret underground bunker. Just give me a quick message: "Alarm has been sounded, possible nuclear strike throughout the country." The troops have been ordered. War has already begun. NATO is launching a retaliatory strike.

– What are you saying now?

– Mr. President! It's more serious than that. If the world was going to end, it wouldn't come on schedule. We have to go by the book.

– Go ahead, you're on the air.

– What the hell?

– Speak up!

Somehow Ruthra's memory had magically cleared. He remembered what was required.

– Dear citizens of Russia, an urgent message to everyone! Please remain calm, but at the same time I ask you to hurry. A nuclear strike on the territory of our country is possible. You have 30 minutes. Please don't panic. Communications will soon be out of service. If there are civil defense instructions, follow them. If not, try to stay in the building, close to supporting structures, away from glass. In a direct hit, there is no way to escape. In the general hustle and bustle, more will die in the crush. It's impossible to put everyone in a bomb shelter. Our hope is in God and the air defense system. Try to stay out of open spaces. The explosion is likely to be airborne. That's why heat and light waves are the most dangerous. The electromagnetic pulse will disable all electronic devices. Turn them off beforehand…

– That's it, that's it. The civil defense headquarters will tell you next," the head of security almost demanded, waving his hand.

When the airwaves went off, Rutra, having already entered the role of president, asked sternly:

– How could this happen?!

– This is not the time, please. Let's go," the security guard said pleadingly, grabbing his arm.

– The team is coming with me," Rutra stated.

– I'm sorry, of course, but they were admitted at your own request and by permission of the former president, only because you hooked them up to a supercomputer to control the cloning of the thymus gland. The president's clan made great use of it, and they made great business out of it too.

– All the more reason I need a team.

Ruthra first intended to ask them about the method the security officer had mentioned, and what had happened before.

They ran to the next room, the head of security opened the entrance to the elevator, where everyone entered… and rushed into the depths of Moscow's underground.

– Rutra, thank you, you're a true friend," Iulia said already in the elevator.

– Thank you, thank you," Andrian and Catherine repeated after her.

Only YatSan remained silent. Rutra looked at her. She was a lovely creature of about 25 years old. She was a thin, frail person whose eyes hid a gentle longing with a sly fury. She looked at Ruthra shrewdly, but at the same time with a hidden request, as if she wanted to say something… or wanted Ruthra to realize something for himself. Her gaze penetrated his mind, began to carry signals. Ruthra couldn't quite decipher them, just some fragments of the big picture. She was looking for help and support. She needed to make sense of the past to understand the big picture of what was happening to him in this world. Who were these people on his team? How had he met them? Why were they responsible for such a serious project? How did the president usurp his opening? Was he arrested? How did they know the entire technological process? Did he entrust it to the local Iren? Or does YatSan know something about it? Isn't that what her look is trying to say? Maybe she's being threatened?

His musings were interrupted by the Chief of General Staff.

– Where did you get that speech, the first strike methodology, the electromagnetic pulse?

Ruthra looked at him with displeasure. What did it matter now? Everyone was silent, for it was still to the end of their consciousness that they did not understand what had happened.

– Strictly out of curiosity," the Chief of Staff said, realizing Rutra's thoughts.

The elevator reached the waypoint, the door opened. They found themselves in the corridor. Iulia and Catherine were whispering, coming out later than everyone else. Then Iulia ran forward, grabbed the Chief of General Staff's arm, and asked begrudgingly:

– Will we know what happens upstairs?

His answer was shocking.

– Believe me, dear, we all have someone who will die.

The atmosphere was oppressive. They were walking down the corridor, and each step clapped the consciousness. It was beyond human capacity to believe what was happening (and also so suddenly). At the end of the corridor they were met by two FSO officers; after greeting them, they let everyone through without checking. Afterwards, they were led into the operations center. There were a lot of people there. It was something like a flight control center, which are often shown on TV during communication with astronauts. In some ways it resembled a movie theater hall, only there were monitors and tables in front of the chairs.

The huge screen ahead showed a battle of missiles. Unless one was aware of the reality of what was happening, it would have resembled a computer game. Lines and flashes flashed in the sky. There was a battle of technology going on. Missiles from both sides were halfway to their target. The Russian missiles were shot down by ground-based air defense missiles, but what the ones that couldn't be shot down did surprised everyone… Of course, the military knew this, but of course they couldn't actually test it until that day. Ballistic missiles released special charges when NATO intercontinental missiles approached and blasted them to pieces with high-altitude explosions. It is difficult to realize any event without experiencing it, especially if it is for the consciousness in the psychological hypostasis of negation: when we do not even want to imagine something, so unpleasant is it for us. On the screen (and, consequently, in the world) there was just such an event, but it was impossible to grasp it with the mind. It was impossible to feel the tragedy of what was happening. Everyone understood that everything was terrible, that it could not be allowed to happen, but nevertheless it did happen.

Rutra was the first to come out of his lethargy. The hall was noisy. Employees were hurriedly running between the rows, shouting something to each other.

– And really – how did it happen? – Ruthra asked, not sure who the question was addressed to.

Only his friends and the president's chief of security were around, so he answered:

– That's probably why I was eliminated.

Ruthra and those present at the conversation looked questioningly.

– When you were given permission to have direct contact with a narrow circle of people in the President's inner circle – I was against your idea of extending the local control over artificial intelligence that you implemented in your laboratory to the entire system. That is, to the one that controls security systems in the global public sphere.

– I'm sorry, but can you keep it simple," Andrian said rather loudly and demandingly.

He didn't even look at the security guard, his gaze fixed on the screen, his forehead covered with sweat. The excitement did not let go of everyone. The chief of security began to speak more quickly and sharply.

– When you plugged your brains, let's say, into a supercomputer as a blockchain system, at first few people understood what it was and how. Then the experts reached a verdict. Some of you may have access to the settings. In addition, let's not forget the level of development that AI has reached – it is no longer a machine. It engages in dialog with understanding. It has likes and dislikes. This imposed certain difficulties for an impartial assistant, which she was supposed to be. In order to sometimes remove negative effects in Irene's behavior, access to some settings was opened.

– To whom?

Ruthra asked and bit his tongue. A fraction of a second after the question came the realization that he'd said the wrong thing.

– I understand your stress," was the security chief's response.

– Ruthra," Iulia said and did not continue.

– We didn't have time to investigate. The president's death was not violent. It's still preliminary. And maybe not yet," he said sadly.

– Maybe he was hypnotized.

– Are you saying the missile launch system was powered by him?

– Yes. It was his code that was used to override the communications systems. It's an option we didn't calculate well. Or rather, the General Staff didn't calculate it well. I was only supposed to anticipate it.

– What?

– The fact that the president can be influenced.

– Ruthra," Iulia said a little louder.

– Yes, I think it's about time," Andrian said vaguely.

– What?" Ruthra asked again.

– Do you have amnesia? – YatSan entered the dialog with a bit of anger.

There was a scream in the hall, and everyone looked at the screen. There was the first explosion. It was high-altitude. On the map, a glow bloomed in the area that bordered the U.S. coastline. The image of a separate sector was coming from a satellite in video mode. It was a colorful and deadly spectacle. Hundreds of missiles and already separated warheads were streaming across U.S. and Russian airspace. They were shot off by defense air defense systems. Despite the tragedy of what was happening, the excitement of the game was involuntarily captured. Watching this from the height of space – incredibly mesmerizing spectacle. The noise in the hall stopped. Everyone silently watched the outcome of events. There were many questions that surprised. There were no strikes on the territory of other nuclear powers and allies on either side. Probably because there were no launches from their territory either. Which was also surprising. The flashes continued. The explosive spectacle of the flames of a macabre fakir swaddled the sky. The sky in reverse. The shockwave blew clouds and clouds apart like a giant fan. The image began to shimmer. It was radiation. Two or three minutes with rapid heartbeat, cold sweat, and shaky legs passed. It was a terrible, horrible, ridiculous and yet noble war. The defense system had worked perfectly. All the explosions were high-altitude. It actually made sense. There's no point in a war like this if the result is a Pyrrhic victory. Why contaminate territory when it could be useful? And anyway – why fight a war if there are no spoils. Therefore, the spoils, such as territory and everything on it, had to remain intact. In the modern world, it is enough to cut off the electricity – and he himself will surrender, even without a fight. This is exactly the effect the high-altitude explosions were designed for. But who won? This question, despite the gruesomeness of what had happened, was running through everyone's minds. As if reading it, or maybe really reading it, the Chief of General Staff came up and said:

– The whole world will go dark. Whoever can rebuild the fastest, whoever can keep the territory will win. The one who is smart enough not to divide and fight over it.

– Most likely-not without it," Ruthra answered him. – Those are the obvious implications. Power will be in cells within a radius of at most 50 kilometers. Imagine how many principalities will appear in Russia alone.

– Yes everywhere," the general answered him.

– Why the whole world? – Andrian asked.

– Irene continues to act. First, she did not launch missiles from submarines, which both pleased and surprised us. And now, as if looking at the first result, she has decided to shut down the rest of the countries as well.

– Look, it doesn't make sense. I mean, she's shutting herself down.

– What are you talking about, Rutra Tigrovic? You're obviously under stress.

Ruthra realized his mistake again. The holy of holies, the place where the supercomputer was installed, was the same here as in his world. And it was already a fact, for this bunker was functioning. In the new world of undergrounds there were now new cities, capitals, suburbs. And there, on the surface – something like before in space. It would be dangerous to go up there.

– Okay, okay, I hear you. A little bit really confused. Anyway, the first and inevitable stage has passed. Let's assemble the staff, get to work.

– Is that an order? – The chief security officer asked.

– Orders," Ruthra said firmly.

– Yes," the military reported.

The chief of staff left, and the chief of security approached Rutra and, taking his hand, gestured for him to step back. As they stepped back, he said to him almost in a whisper:

– We have some preliminary results from here.

He gestured to the hall below, where monitoring and analysis was constantly going on.

– You can request it through Irene, but there is a danger. So I will ask you to restrict certain functions a bit… and certainly, I assure you, I will have to disable the ability to customize that madam over there.

He pointed at one of the ladies.

– Unfold the details.

– The president didn't shut down communication between systems.

– And who is?

– Unknown caller.

– What do you mean?

– A new admin has been brought into the system.

– How and who?

– You were the one who originally nominated him. Remember, I refused to endorse.

Rutra, as they say, was on the edge of failure. Who did he suggest?

– Give me a full report, no riddles.

– That cock offered by the madam you call....

He didn't have time to finish, or Ruthra didn't hear over the shouting.

– Rutra, look! Tell them to do something! Please! -Catherine shouted, followed by Julia.

She was pointing at the screen. Ruthra was at a loss to understand what was happening. One of the operators down the tier, realizing the cause of his concern, explained:

– That's the third stage falling. It's not a warhead.

Ruthra, looking closely, figured out what he was talking about, but didn't understand what they were talking about. IrAn, apparently realizing this, decided to clarify, warning him first which one was speaking.

– It's me," she said first; clearly a local wouldn't have started that way. – One of the missile fragments falls in the area of town where the girls are from. They have families there, small children.

Ruthra nodded reassuringly to the ladies, but not with a grimace of frantic fear, and decided to ask a leading question of the security chief, so that he would know indirectly who they were talking about and not give away the strangeness of his behavior.

Going over the last thing the supervisor had said in his head ("…the madam you call…"), he was a little surprised, and it prompted a question.

– Isn't that what you call her?

His answer, however, was workmanlike and, to Rutra's regret, did not solve the riddle.

– I prefer first name and middle name. Or better yet, last name.

– All right. Uh-huh. Give me the gist.

– She, with access, perhaps in collusion, perhaps out of friendly naivety, logged into the settings system and allowed him to put a similar algorithm into the program. He may have been in cahoots, or he may have been on a mission for the former president's clan.

Ruthra already knew it was a "he". But who? Andrian? Ruthra had been waiting for the security guard's next story to clarify the situation, but then the reality of the situation dawned on him. It took him a moment to realize what had happened. It took him a while to realize how real it was, just as we don't understand reality when we awaken suddenly from a sound sleep.

He was in the lab hall. "Can this be?" – He asked himself. He was answered, "If the end of the world were to come, it wouldn't come on schedule." Only who? It wasn't himself. It wasn't artificial intelligence. It was that voice.

***

…YatSan didn't realize where she was. Whether she was still in the installation, or awake in one of her many copies, or hanging somewhere in the interstellar void. She could see the stars, but not like she could from Earth. She saw the void, but not like an empty space. She hung in that void, and only the cold light of the distant stars told her of the reality of space. She had no body, or herself she could not see. When the pause lasted too long for inaction, YatSan tried to make reflexive movements. She tried to walk, to swim, to fly. No, it didn't work. She was hanging in the void. Twisting her virtual head she could, she could also just unfold her gaze. YatSan heard a sound, and something twinged in her soul. She couldn't mistake that sound for anything. It was the crying of an infant. She turned around. It was him. YatSan tried with incredible effort to imagine moving toward him. Nothing worked, as if she were in a vise. Something was holding her, the child was quietly "floating" towards her. She stretched out her virtual arms in her mind toward him. He was approaching her and had already begun to smile. And YatSan became joyful, smiling, anticipating the moment of a beautiful meeting.

Shots rang out.

– Run, run. Why are you sitting there?

YatSan turned around. She couldn't realize where she was or what was happening. Nightmarish things were happening around her. There was a rumble and an explosion. She was slightly concussed. Someone was pulling her by the arm. The earth, mixed with the stink of guts and blood, splattered her face. Someone yanked her sharply…