Читать книгу Project A129. «Remember the future…» English edition (The original version of the book was published in 2017) - Gertcel Davydov, Gertz (Gertcel) Davydov, Gertz Davydov - Страница 6

Continent of Vinland, 2076, three years after the election

The three years that Chris spent in Attica flew by. It would seem that very little time has passed, but he has changed. Having escaped from the closed world of the university and the prosperous capital, Chris was faced with a life that he had never imagined before. He took off the rose-colored glasses in which he spent most of his youth, and became even more convinced that not everything on the Continent is as good as the head of the Continent and his like-minded people want to imagine. In Attica, Chris Taffer met volunteers – honest and selfless people working tirelessly to eliminate the consequences of the disaster in remote areas of the Continent and give their descendants a prosperous Vinland. Chris especially valued his acquaintance with Henry Hawk, who, as it turned out later, along with the head of the region, Anatoly Kramer, compiled the Code of the Continent. Chris also worked a lot in the contaminated territories, and simple, understandable work brought him joy, especially since the people around him turned out to be good and reliable. However, he soon could not help but notice that the situation in Attica was rapidly deteriorating. The repressions of the guards also reached those parts. Chris realized that he would not be of much use here and must go to the capital to put an end to the injustices.

Immediately upon arrival in the capital, Chris headed home.

– How you have changed! He has matured! Tanned! «Barbara alternately hugged her son and then pulled away to take a good look at him. – He’s become quite an adult!.. Oh, why are we standing there? Come quickly! I prepared a festive dinner.

Entering his room, Chris stopped. For a moment, blinded by the bright light pouring from the window, the young man thought that he was in a completely unfamiliar place. But no, the room remained the same – with a holographic projection of the starry sky on the ceiling, floating chairs made in the shape of shells, a narrow bed, and a table at which he spent so much time. Even his favorite fluffy blanket with the Apollo’s Arrows logo was still lying on the armrest of his chair. The room remained the same – he himself changed.

Chris, out of habit, touched the scar on his chin and shook his head. Mom is waiting, which means we need to hurry.

When Chris, having rested a little, changed his clothes and went out into the living room, the Sunday show «Apollo’s Arrow» was broadcast on the video visor.

Barbara, as before, baked an apple pie for the holiday dinner and invited her son to the table. The show was in full swing and Rick Fleming’s favorite team was still winning.

– Well, tell me! – Barbara poured aromatic soup into a plate. It seems that for real homemade soup, which only his mother knew how to make, Chris was ready to give a lot.

While the show was on, he shared with his mother his impressions of the time spent in Attica and his views on the future of Vinland.

– You speak out very boldly, son! – Listening to Chris, Barbara shook her head. «We shouldn’t condemn the guards’ desire to put an end to the rebels at any cost.» In the fight against these robbers, all means are good. According to the latest opinion polls, the people support their leader. Everyone knows that he helped restore the Continent after the terrible disaster of 2046 and is fighting the rebels! Don’t you want to join them? – She looked at her son with concern.

«Of course not,» Chris snapped and, in fairness, added: «I don’t want to cooperate with either the authorities or the rebels.» Both of them resort to violence, and this is contrary to my principles. I decided to confront injustice with my own methods.

Chris was convinced that he could change the situation by bringing information to the Supreme Ruler, who bore the name of the powerful god of antiquity, Kronos. This supreme ruler, trained after the disaster of 2046, Artificial Intelligence, also acted as the guardian of the «Code 282», replacing the constitution, and even the head of Vinland, Demian Roskhald, had to obey his decrees. To gain access to the tower of the main center of Artificial Intelligence, Chris carefully prepared for the exam that each applicant had to pass, and also refreshed his knowledge of all laws. Chris understood that the selection there was harsh, but despite this, he was determined to overcome all the tests and awaken Kronos, the main guarantor of justice.

Barbara was excited about her son’s plans and, fearing for his future, decided to warn:

– Chris, what are you up to? Guards and their agents are on duty there around the clock. If anyone notices something is wrong, you will be immediately captured and declared a conspirator! Now that the fight against the insurgency has entered a decisive stage, the government has tightened control.

«I will take your concerns into account and promise that I will act carefully,» Chris reassured his mother, putting down the spoon. «But this can’t go on any longer.» Understand, I am tired of injustice and will do everything to ensure that power passes to Kronos. It was not in vain that I studied history, and now I have devoted a lot of time to analyzing the real situation on the Continent and talking with people. I see where this is going. The ruler was already practically out of control of the Senate, gradually turning it into a tool for approving his initiatives. After winning the last elections, his power was significantly strengthened. Unfortunately, people do not learn from the mistakes of history, and again and again we return to a situation where another ruler has usurped power.

«Chris, something has changed in you. You started talking like these rebel bandits! – Barbara covered her face with a towel out of excitement.

– No, I consider their methods of struggle unacceptable. There is not much difference between the ruler and the rebels. The first seeks to maintain power, while the others seize it. My goal is to return the control of Vinland to the control of the AI, the fair Kronos, to awaken him by telling him about the ruler’s desire to monopolize power.

After thinking for a moment, Chris continued:

– In Attica we talked for a long time about the fate of Vinland. Do you know that people of all different views go there? In the evenings, after a hard day’s work, we gathered around the fire and thought about the future of the Continent. I was able to meet many interesting people, but I became especially close to Henry. Maybe you’ve heard of him? Henry Hawk. He was one of the drafters of Code 282.

«Maybe I heard it, I don’t remember now,» having received confirmation that her son was not going to take the dangerous path, Barbara calmed down a little.

– After the election of Mr. Roskhald, Henry helped him make the necessary amendments to the laws through the Senate to correct the shortcomings of the hastily drawn up Code 282, not expecting that it would take such a scale. Now he is critical of the authorities and Mr. Roskhald himself and has left for Attica to be away from everything that is happening. Henry said that he regularly publishes articles under a pseudonym on pirate sites, trying to awaken people’s consciousness, but cannot boast of significant success. His example showed that you cannot influence the authorities from afar – they will not hear you. To achieve something, you need to act from within. I do not share his views on the violent overthrow of the regime, but he taught me a lot, and his book became my instructions for building a new, free society.

«I don’t understand, why do you need unnecessary trouble?» In addition, the selection of applicants for the Tower of Kronos is very strict.

«I prepared for this and I think there won’t be any special problems.» Henry taught me many laws. I also researched the security system itself, its advantages and vulnerabilities, so I can pass the selection without much effort. The main thing is that the dossier does not let you down. Do you remember that time when I tried to stand up for a classmate?

«I think everyone has forgotten about this.» I’m afraid, Chris. If you are suspected of trying to somehow influence the decisions of the AI or awaken it, then you shudder to think what the guards will accuse you of.

«I want to help restore legitimate power on the Continent.» I don’t see any other way. And right now, before power is completely in the hands of the ruler, this is especially important!

The mother did not dissuade her son, giving him the opportunity to get to the truth himself. Then Chris, remembering the paper parcel on the table, asked who it was from. Having learned that a certain young man had delivered him almost immediately after Chris left for Attica, the young man thought that the books that he had given to one of his classmates to read before exams had been returned to him. Having apologized, he got up from the table and headed into the room. Opening the package, Chris saw four books that he asked the professor to read, but the very book about the creation of the first cryptocurrency Bitcoin, «The Age of Blockchain, or Belshazzar’s Feast,» was not among them. He carefully took the volumes out of the bundle, placed them on the shelf, and then returned to his mother.

– This is from Mr. Graves. He probably sent it before he was detained,» Chris said.

«Maybe we should return them or throw them away so as not to incur the wrath of the guards?»

– There is no prohibited literature there. Only history books.

«This professor is nothing but trouble, it was after his arrest that you decided to leave the capital!» You probably read that he was captured for his connection with the rebels? There were rumors that he could not stand the torture and died, and they also said that he managed to escape from custody, but, as it turned out, this was disinformation from the rebels. And recently it became known that Mr. Graves was released. One of my colleagues living next door said that the lights started to come on in his apartment in the evenings. Apparently, he has returned to his place and, perhaps, will soon be reinstated at the university.

When Chris heard about the professor’s release, he was happy:

– This is wonderful news! This means that the guards did not find any evidence of Mr. Graves’s involvement in the rebels and were forced to acquit him. I need to visit the professor to inquire about his health and return the books after I read them.

Chris and his mother watched until the end of the show, and then the speech of the ruler, who continued to talk about improving the lives of ordinary citizens, justice and the supremacy of the Code. Now Chris perceived Mr. Roskhald’s words in a completely different way: they were addressed to the citizens of Vinland, who must comply with the laws prescribed in the code, and the ruler and his entourage were not going to follow them and lived according to their own.

* * *

Chris passed the exams without any problems and passed the interview at the AI tower. He was admitted to the thirty-first floor, where the selection was especially strict, since it was there that Kronos was in a special room. Chris’s job responsibilities were to monitor gross violations of AI laws on the Continent, as well as protect Kronos from rebel hacker attacks. He liked this work, and the prospect of putting the plan into action gave him additional strength.

He patiently waited for the right moment to make his way to Kronos and tell him about the injustices that were happening in Vinland. Chris was going to notify the Wise One that the ruler regularly violates the laws of the Continent and, having secured the support of a majority in the Senate, makes the necessary amendments to the Code and finances military programs. But in order not to attract the attention of his colleagues and guards on duty in the tower, at first Chris decided to postpone his plans and for now carry out his direct duties as best as possible. During the day he worked, and at night he continued to study the basic laws prescribed in Kronos, and thought about how they could be used to limit the powers of the ruler. In the evenings, Chris went to a specially built building for employees next to the tower – in case of an alarm, specialists could quickly return to their places. During the first two months of his service, Chris managed to gain the trust of his colleagues and meet interesting people, but he did not initiate any of them into his plans.

The AI Tower was located in the central square of the capital, in close proximity to the towers of the Ministry of Information and the Ministry of Guardians. These towers had forty floors and were decorated with crowns, together making up a triad, which was popularly called the «Three Crowns».

During his third month in the tower, Chris was confirmed to have high level access allowing him to continue working on the thirty-first floor. He decided to share the good news with his mother and went home over the weekend.

Barbara was glad to meet her son. They talked for a long time about his work and what was happening on the Continent. After lunch, Chris went to Mr. Graves to inquire about his health and return the books.

Taking the package, Chris headed to the professor’s house. Mr. Graves’s apartment was on the fourth floor. Surprisingly, an elderly woman opened the door. They greeted each other, and the guest introduced himself:

– My name is Chris Taffer. Is Mr. Graves at home?

– There is no professor. I’m his housekeeper, Mrs. Oliver. Should I give him something?

«What a pity,» Chris said barely audibly. – Mr. Graves was my professor at the university. I wanted to inquire about his well-being after everything that happened and return the books.

Looking at the package, the housekeeper kindly said:

– Mr. Graves went to the country to visit his daughter. After all these events, he prefers to spend more time with her. From the first day we believed in the professor’s innocence, and recently he was acquitted. But the time spent in captivity affected his health, and he changed a lot. Now it is no longer easy to recognize him as the former professor.

The clicking of heels was heard from the top floor, and a woman’s voice sounded behind Chris:

– Hello, Mrs. Oliver! The elevator is broken again, so we have to go down the stairs.

Chris turned. The girl’s face seemed familiar, but he couldn’t remember where it came from. She looked to be about twenty-five years old. Chris’s thoughts were interrupted by the housekeeper, who entered into a dialogue:

– This elevator is long overdue for replacement, but no one responds to our complaints.

«But this also has its advantages: you can meet your neighbors more often,» the girl smiled in response.

Wishing her a good day, Mrs. Oliver said goodbye to her neighbor and looked back at Chris. The young man was saddened by the news about the professor’s poor health and, sighing with regret, was about to say goodbye.

«Say your name and digital ID again,» the housekeeper asked. «I’ll tell Mr. Graves you stopped by, and he or his daughter will be sure to contact you.»

– Chris Taffer. Here’s my digital ID.

– If you want, you can leave the package and I will give it to the professor.

After thinking for a moment, Chris replied:

– I have the weekend ahead and I would like to re-read some of the books. Let me know when Mr. Graves returns, I will visit him again and give him everything myself.

Chris was upset that he was unable to meet with the professor, and decided to take a walk through the well-known places where he spent his childhood and youth. He spent the weekend at home with his mother and books, and on Monday he went to work.

* * *

On Monday, Chris was contacted by the professor’s daughter. She introduced herself as Minerva and said that Mr. Graves was delighted when he heard about the former student’s visit, and would like to meet tomorrow at the Leonard Cafe on Trotsky Avenue.

The next day, taking with him a bundle of books, Chris went to the Leonard cafe. From the panoramic windows one could watch people passing by and look at recently erected buildings. In the middle of the street stood a monument on a pedestal in honor of Trotsky, a famous revolutionary of the past. After the disaster, the new government wanted to focus on the social development of the continent, blurring the boundaries between rich and poor. That is why in Vinland there were so many names of streets and squares in honor of the leaders of the proletariat from different continents – great revolutionaries who wanted to make the world of the past more just. At the agreed time, a pretty girl approached the table where Chris was sitting.

– I’m Minerva. Can I sit down?

– Certainly! – Chris pulled up a chair and looked around in search of the professor.

«Father described exactly what you look like, so it wasn’t difficult to find you in the cafe,» the girl said, turning her gaze towards the guy. Chris couldn’t help noticing that the professor’s daughter looked slightly vulgar because of her short skirt and too deep neckline for this time of day. The professor himself was nowhere to be found, and Chris asked with annoyance:

«Didn’t Mr. Graves come with you?»

«He was going to, but in the morning he felt bad, and the doctors recommended bed rest. I didn’t want to leave my father alone, but he insisted that I go to meet you.

«It’s a pity that the professor couldn’t come.» How is he feeling? – Chris asked.

Looking around, the girl said indignantly, but barely audibly:

«You know what methods these executioners use to extract a confession!» After their father spent two and a half years under torture and interrogation, his health rapidly deteriorated. As soon as he was acquitted, I visited my father every day in the apartment, and then took him to the countryside, closer to the hospital, he is gradually recovering.

They ordered coffee, and the waiter brought it in the old fashioned way, and there was a certain charm about it. Chris did not like modern ordering systems, when selection is made remotely, and food and drinks are served to the table using a conveyor belt or a robot waiter.

– Why did the guards seize the professor? How did it all happen? Chris asked, taking a sip of his coffee.

The cozy atmosphere of the cafe: bouquets of fresh flowers on every table, real curtains, like in pictures in old books, and even antique furniture made of dark wood, all this took you back to distant times and created a feeling of reliability, stability, and peace. It is not surprising that the professor loved to spend time here after long lectures.

«This is a very complicated story,» the girl sighed and straightened her hair with a fleeting movement. – According to the official version, several of his students went over to the side of the rebels. The guards forced him to confess to recruiting these students and creating a resistance cell under the roof of the university. But even now, the father continues to claim that the main goal of the authorities was to get some information, some kind of list that he kept for a special occasion. «Looking around again, the girl quietly added: «No matter how much the guards intimidated my father, threatening him with a death sentence, they never managed to get a confession.» Unable to prove anything, they were forced to release him.

Chris thought for a moment, then clarified:

«So Mr. Graves was a member of the resistance all this time?»

– Yes, from the very first day! – the girl said with delight.

Her revelations surprised Chris. He was about to clarify what prompted the professor to side with the rebels, but the girl continued:

«We are ready to do anything to overthrow the government!» With your help, we will put an end to injustice and be victorious in this fight. «Chris was confused and didn’t understand what he was talking about. Looking around once again, the girl continued enthusiastically: «Father was incredibly happy when the housekeeper announced your visit.» He said that now is the crucial time for our struggle and once you hand over the list, we will finally overthrow the head of the Continent. The ruler cannot be allowed to monopolize power by pushing Kronos away from control over the decisions he makes.

Chris couldn’t understand what list the girl was talking about, since this topic had never been touched upon in conversations with Mr. Graves, and just in case he decided to clarify:

– What list are we talking about?

– With the names of the rebels. With your help, we will alert key members of the resistance on the Continent and start an uprising. Father said that the list is kept with you. «After a pause, the girl continued: «All these years, the government has been deceiving the people, and therefore Mr. Roskhald manages to remain at the head of the Continent, but now his power will come to an end!»

Chris tried to remember if he had actually received anything unusual from the professor’s hands, and said:

– I don’t have any list.

– How is it not? – the girl was indignant. «Did your father give you anything before your arrest?»

– Some books. But I didn’t find anything similar there. The data may be stored by another student.

Trying to hide her indignation, the girl, pointing to the package that Chris had brought with him, asked sharply:

– Is this for father?

Not understanding the girl’s behavior, Chris calmly replied:

– Yes. I wanted to present these books in person, but Mr. Graves, unfortunately, did not come. Please give them to the professor.

The girl looked carefully at the package. Chris was about to say that he couldn’t find Mr. Graves’s book, The Age of Blockchain, or Belshazzar’s Feast, in stores, but he noticed that her focus had shifted. She suddenly fell silent, turning to the window of the coffee shop. After a short pause, the girl turned back to Chris, a smile appeared on her face, and in a kind voice Minerva said:

«Chris, your father spoke very highly of you, and so I am glad to announce that the main battle is approaching.» Demian Roskhald’s days as leader of the Continent are numbered, but we need loyal men to put an end to his rule. Do you want to continue your father’s work and join the ranks of the rebels?

After looking carefully at the girl, Chris answered sincerely:

«Whether the professor told you or not, I do not accept the rebels’ methods of fighting.» You are trying to violently overthrow the government, inciting government violence in response. Ordinary residents of Vinland suffer from this.

Without reacting, the girl turned her gaze to the clock, which suddenly began to blink, notifying her of an incoming message. After reading it, she said:

– The doctor wrote that my father’s health has improved and he is ready to see you. Now you can personally hand over the books to him. My car is parked next to the cafe.

Chris was happy about this news and, having paid, went to the meeting.

Arriving at the country house where Minerva said Mr. Graves was, they drove into the garage. The automatic gates closed, and the girl, turning off the ignition, offered to go inside. Chris got out of the car, but before he even had time to look around, he felt a sting in his back and lost consciousness.

Having come to his senses, Chris could not understand where he was. He was lying on the sofa in an unfamiliar, half-empty room. Some voices were heard, but under the influence of the injected drug he could not make out the words. Opening his eyes slightly, Taffer saw a long chandelier. A few meters from the sofa there was a table covered with a transparent tablecloth, at which sat two middle-aged men and the same girl who introduced herself as the professor’s daughter.

Gradually regaining consciousness, Chris began to hear their conversation more clearly. Squinting his eyes with difficulty, he saw one of the men carefully scanning books from a bundle with a special device. The second one was angry with the girl. He stood up and, pacing back and forth across the room, said irritably:

– How many times do I have to tell you – don’t rush! Why do you move so quickly from topic to topic without giving the subject a chance to speak? Weren’t you taught in special training courses that the first thing you need to do is to lull the vigilance of your interlocutor, to win him over? If you had done everything as expected, the guy could have agreed to cooperate with the rebels, and we would have had the opportunity to blackmail him and infiltrate him into the underground.

«I tried to be nice to him, but realizing that he was not the one we were looking for, I almost lost it,» the girl answered guiltily.

«It’s not for you to decide whether this object is the right one or not!» You must strictly follow the instructions you received before the meeting,» he continued.

«I’m terribly tired of the constant complaints from you!» At a meeting at headquarters, I asked several times not to be involved in such tasks. I did an internship on seducing and recruiting rebels through intimate services, and you know very well how much useful information I obtained, how many actions were prevented! But what you are making me do now is completely different!

After these words, the man moderated his ardor and said calmly:

«For missions like this, we usually choose Guardian Aphrodite, but now she’s working with another suspect.» We did a pre-briefing and you had an earpiece. All you had to do was follow the instructions.

«Isn’t it clear that he has nothing to do with the rebels?» He is level five. At the slightest suspicion he would have been captured long ago. I assure you, he didn’t even understand what we were talking about when I started talking about the list. Review the recording of our meeting to make sure.

«We will interrogate everyone who may be in any way connected with the resistance.» According to the instructions, we should test him with a lie detector as soon as the truth serum starts working.

Throwing aside the last book from the bundle, the second guard said with annoyance:

– There is nothing suspicious here. Maybe we’re looking in the wrong place? – he asked his colleague, who continued to rush around the room.

«We have accurate information that the list was kept by the professor, since he was the link between the rebel cells on the Continent. There is now activity in resistance groups, and this may be due to preparations for large-scale sabotage. We need to be the first to find the list at all costs.

Suddenly the bracelet on the hand of the first guard rang. Looking at him, the guard ordered, adjusting the detector:

– Bring the detainee here, the truth serum has begun to take effect. Now he will tell you everything he knows and doesn’t know.

The second guard picked up the confused young man, sat him on a chair and began to put the instruments on the interrogated man. After everything was ready, the jailers began the interrogation. The detector confirmed the veracity of Chris’s words: he had heard about the list for the first time and really did not want to cooperate with the rebels.

It seems that the guards were rather upset by this development. When Chris came to his senses and the serum had lost its strength, they brought him a cup of strong coffee to cheer him up:

«I apologize for this misunderstanding,» muttered the first of the guards. «As a decent citizen, you yourself understand that increased vigilance is now required. We were informed about a large-scale sabotage planned by the rebels, similar to the one that took place several years ago. You understand that our task is to protect the citizens of the Continent by any means.

«I understand,» Chris drank his coffee, rubbed the scar on his chin and slowly rose from his chair. My head was still spinning.

– You can take these books, but you, Chris Taffer, will have an urgent request. If someone suspicious tries to contact you, you will notify us immediately. Here, take this,» the guard handed Chris an old-style pen.

– What is this? – the young man was surprised.

– Press this button, if the rebels come to you, it will give us a signal. Now you need to be prepared for any surprise! – the guard said pathetically.

Chris couldn’t help but grin. A pen with a surprise? It looks like it’s from some old, old spy movie.

– Without a doubt! I promise that I will be vigilant and will remain guardian of the interests of the citizens of the Continent and justice,» Chris said, looking into the eyes of the investigator.

Staggering slightly, the young man went out into the street. An air taxi was already waiting for him 20 meters from the house. Approaching the unmanned aerial vehicle, he delightedly exposed his face to the fresh wind, which immediately ruffled his hair. The events of this day showed in the best possible way that the guards indiscriminately violate the rights of the citizens of Vinland and all the requirements of the Code, under the guise of fighting the rebels. Is this what the founding fathers of the Continent wanted? This cannot continue, this must end, Chris thought as he climbed into the air taxi above the house where he was illegally interrogated. He received further evidence of the guards’ violation of Code 282 and realized that he had chosen the right path.