Читать книгу Universe Аeternov. Book three: A Heart in Ashes - - Страница 3

At the very edge of the multiverse, beyond the Chrono-Shield and beyond any memory, lies a world that even the songs have forgotten about.

There is no Aeternov here.

There Is No Sand of Time.

There is no Elyra singing lullabies to dead worlds.

There is only Cybernexy here.

A planet assembled from the wreckage of an ancient war between Light and Darkness; a world where cities grow from rusty towers and cracked screens, and the sky is replaced by a holographic vault on which the harsh phrase

«THE WINNER IS THE ONE WHO REMAINS» burns with eternal flame.

They don’t believe in redemption.

They only believe in the ring here. The Ring of Last Hope.

Every Saturday, Destiny Fights take place in the Zero Heart Arena – not for the sake of fame or power, but for the sake of energy.

The losing team gives its Core to the winners.

And without him, you’re no longer human.

You’re trash among the scrap metal.

Today, a couple appears in the ring, whose names are still capable of making even the titans of Darkness tremble.

ALEXEY MEKHANIK is the last of Aeternov’s Steel Shields, whose body is forged from a military alloy, and whose soul is made up of poems and old watches., And next to it is KITTY THE LION, a former fluffy cyber-cat, now a living embodiment of Light in steel: laser eyes, crystal armor of hope, a plasma whip tail and in his chest an Eternal Pulse Crystal, given to him by Julia from the Village of Pure Hearts.

They are opposed by a Team of Bad Guys – elite creatures of Darkness, grown in the laboratories of Mechanos-9.: – Wrath-9, a cyborg with saws instead of hands;

– Shadow Fang, a killer chameleon that disappears even from the chrono code;

– A mad mammoth, a four-meter tank with a chest pain reactor.

Thousands of viewers – cyborgs, Mechanicals, creatures cut off from emotions – do not clap.

They charge the arena with a current of anticipation.

THE BATTLE BEGINS.

Referee – A robot with an old Knox face, still an «old» model, raises its hand:

– Launch!

Wrath-9 rushes in first, roaring like a dying reactor.

Alexey meets him not with a punch, but with a word.

Quietly, as if he were praying:

«My chains are made of steel. My oath is from the light.»

At the same moment, Kitty the Lion soars up, leaving behind a trail of stardust and sparkling arrogance.

– Hey, Anger! Have you heard the joke about the cyborg who forgot to feed the cat? So here he is in front of you! And he whips his tail across his opponent’s jaw.

The arena flashes blue.

The audience sobs with energy.

The Shadow-Fang disappears, disappearing into thin air.

But Vika, hiding behind the scenes and looking through the Mirror of Silence, whispers into her earpiece,

«He’s on the left.» Under you. He’s… afraid of laughter.

The lion purrs softly and releases an impulse of humor.

Shadow Fang materializes, trembling, with wet eyes.

– Did you… tell me about my mom?». – He croaks.

«No, – Lev smiles softly. – I told you about the laser pointer. And you remembered what a kitten you were.

The Mad mammoth roars and goes to ram.

Alexey doesn’t move.

He opens his chest plate, exposing his Core Heart.

– Hit me, – he says. «But know this: even if you break me, I won’t stop being human until you forget that I was.»

The mammoth freezes.

A memory flashes in his eyes: his little daughter, the alarm clock that he once fixed for her before going to bed.…

At that moment, the Lion flies up on his back, turns on the «Space Massage» mode, and launches a laser dot directly at the back of his head.

«Go to sleep, Uncle. Tomorrow is the sun.

The mammoth kneels down.

Then he cries with thick oil.

victory.

The referee raises Alexey and Lev’s hands:

– THE WINNERS ARE THE TEAM OF LIGHT!

The crowd explodes – not with voices, but with the energy of pure faith.

The heart-Cores of the defeated remain in place: Alexey does not allow them to be taken away.

He puts his hand on Wrath-9’s shoulder:

«You’re not a monster. You’re a tired hero. Get some rest. We’ll wait.

The lion approaches the Shadow-Fang:

– Do you want another joke? About the cat who saved the universe just by keeping it awake?

Shadow-Fang nods.

And for the first time in a hundred years, he’s smiling.