Named Sherlock

by Bagatur Zhamkochyan

  Named Sherlock

  Author Bagatur Zhamkochyan

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  Named Sherlock. Book 1

  Annotation

  Could you imagine the protagonist of what will turn part in the competition of virtual worlds for him? Full of dangerous city streets, mystery cults, mysterious ritual murder, the search for the missing parent - there is nothing, what would not be able to handle people, armed with intelligence, observation and intuition. But do not forget about the dangers in the real world. Someone really does not want our hero won. At the behest of the debt, or still have personal reasons?

  Chapter 1.

  - Faster! Even faster! - Clear ice blade cuts the skin, the wind whips the face backhand, black, gnarled fingers of the trees are drawn to the vulnerable throat.

  Heck! The path, absorbed the whole sea water turned into a viscous clay mash-up, each step is almost impossible, dirt reaches for his boot and comes unstuck with a nasty sound! Munching, munching, munching ...

  Or it is not my footsteps? Horror wave cold rolling back. Not feeling any more cold or tired, I throw the shoes stuck further nesus barefoot. Only to come off!

  Hut ahead! Why sure, at the end of each path is such that's mossy, crooked, black occasional hut? Scary, hollow fallen trees surrounding the narrow trail, leaves no choice.

  Wind, sharply pushing in the back, bringing a wave of nasty stench of fish. They're coming!

  Do not hesitate any more second dive in the dark doorway, as a pool, hiding behind the mountain some rotting remains of furniture ...

  Silence. Deaf inky darkness fills all around, and only at the door looks pale, corpse-colored moon, drawing on the floor a light square.

  Really looked? A loud murmur of blood in her ears does not listen ... But it seems quiet. Heart stops to jump out of my chest, breathing gradually leveled.

  Something dripping on her hand. I'm staring at the square of light on the floor, afraid to miss my persecutors, touch the drop. Some mucus. I present to the nose. Already with some indifference note - smells like rotten fish.

  Darkness suddenly explodes multiple rapid shadows, shiny tentacles, the moon is reflected in the wet scales!

  Desperately covered almost paralyzing terror, I am trying to hide in a corner, alienating these disgusting sticky fingers! Suddenly, the rotten floor collapses beneath me, and I cry fall into the dark, deep, nothing ...

  ***

  Abruptly opened his eyes, panting and gasping for air, I saw not a sacrificial altar on which I was about to stab the glory of Dagon, and the native living cell.

  The dream was so real and so scared me that responded to the participation heartbeat monitor gelkapsuly pulsed wake-crimson color.

  At home! I sighed with relief.

  Yeah, this is precisely one of the downsides of this, not imposed dreams Wirth - is a nightmare. Well, this is the price that I'm willing to pay for their own, and not invented by computer artificial vision.

  Today's naps, which fell on me at once - I rarely sleep at all during the day, apparently had to pay for a week of stress, when I round the clock thinking about what to do with her, so sudden ruin lives ...

  Not rising - hurry I was already nowhere to go, I lazily looked around his living chamber. Tomorrow I have to leave her forever. Perhaps we should remember that moment, because, like it or not - this is my only home.

  Dark gray walls, softly glowing ceiling, transparent egg gelkapsuly filled with green jelly, emergency notification screen on the wall to the right of the entrance was sealed niche of clothing - from the left. A separate camera. One of six like her on the 48 floor of a residential complex "Joy" quarter "New Hope" Novomoskva policy.

  I must say, I was lucky that I have a separate housing, and not just a place in the cluster. In our complex, from the first to the fortieth floor was occupied by just such a room.

  Huge faceless room on one side in a row - three-tier rack with the capsules, on the other hand, through a narrow passage - a wall with numbered bays with personal items. Clusters live teenagers who are completely subsidized by the state.

  Unfortunately, almost all of them - the future settlement modules, small cell vast neural network, which is Lovcen web some cosmic spider, enveloped the entire planet. In theory, everyone has a chance to break out of this range, at least, try, in fact - a few who are ready for this. There is simply no incentive. Yes, actually, why?

  A large portion of our lives pass in virtuality. Any entertainment is absolutely accessible and free of charge, and up to eighteen teenager lives in debt, getting a roof over his head, the standard rations and personal gelkapsulu with dozens of worlds in the kit. And then there comes a time to gather stones.

  Upon reaching adulthood, the state strebuet all debts, and will be their Ooooh, how much. And like yesterday's child will be given, if he can not do anything, knows almost nothing, and generally useless? Go to settlement modules, nowhere else.

  Job accounting module, it is, in fact, and did not work at all. Work, as such, no. Man rents unused parts of the brain to turn them into a common neural network GlobalNET. And he is not experiencing any discomfort, and can continue to enjoy their fun in the virtual parallel.

  At the end of the lease term debt repaid to the state, and the person is free to decide their own destiny. But all those who once fell into the design modules of a lifetime and remain. Why? Yes, simply because this biologically adult individual is so immature and unprepared for the real world, that is no way he is not there. As there is no education, no skills.

  But the worst thing in the design module that the average duration of his life is not more than 10-15 years after a full connection.

  Brain, forced to work in a load mode, many times higher than normal, begins to break down in a few years. Neural connections are cut off, cells die faster than have time to recover. Then change are growing like an avalanche, and finally, the brain dies, and with it people.

  That's why the design centers are experiencing a continuing need for inflow of new "brain donor", and our system of training and education strongly contributes to this.

  My parents did everything that I escaped this fate!

  Mom ... All my life I'll remember her sad smile when she said goodbye to me forever ... Father. He was smiling, but I could see the pain in his eyes.

  In order not to drive me to the state debts, the parents had to give up his beloved work informants and hired a team of operators planetary terraforming stations on the recently opened another Earth-like planet.

  She was discovered rich deposits of rare earth metals, which have long been exhausted on Earth. And before sending drilling and production equipment to heading a group of people, which was supposed to bring to an acceptable local climate.

  The journey was a one-way, after the process of terraforming, operators founded a working village and build prey resources. The return to Earth is not provided, the contract was for life.

  This mom and dad paid for my tuition and accommodation at the Training Center. Separation and the long years of hard work in conditions that do not withstand the strongest metal.

  - Attention! Required time of fellowship! - from the difficult thoughts distracted me buzzer, and then followed by an alert handsfree. It was already 4:00? That's what I had stayed. The last day of my life freely, and I still did not come up. Tomorrow morning, the camera rental ends, as well as a paid training period, and I will be left to itself.

  If everything went according to plan, the parents, now I would have had an entry in the social map of the presence of I complete additional spetsobucheniya, and the opportunit
y to work in a regional repository of knowledge informants. But the latest reform of the education, which was adopted only 3 weeks ago, destroyed all my plans for life.

  It approved the list of professions for which it was necessary mandatory four-year spetsobuchenie, and the keeper of knowledge was one of them. That is, I had studied for one more year, and the money for it was not there. The worst part is that I was for a week, as an adult, therefore, to live in a free cluster, I also could not count. Where not throw everywhere a wedge.

  Touching the sensor arm, I turned the siren screen in the mirror surface. Pale, under the eyes black and blue circles, thin neck sticking out from a wide gate, and only the hair and violently vsepobezhdayusche blaze. Yes, I have my mother's hair, the same fiery and unruly. A stretched thin face, longish nose and pale-blue eyes - it's Dad. He smiled wryly to himself, tried unsuccessfully to smooth protruding tuft, adjusted net.

  - Beau, what to say.

  The cell door with a slight hiss opened, and I went into the corridor. Platform for communication and physical training was on the roof of our 72-storey complex. The doors on the right and left sides of the corridor is periodically opened, out came the same pale, slouching teenagers and raking and scraping his feet, walked toward the elevator.

  For most of us the required hours of communication and physical training is not fun, but absolutely a waste of time and effort. Almost all of my peers suffer in varying degrees, severe social phobia, and no social skills do not possess.

  Yes, and physical fitness for all is sheer agony. I think that if it had not been required classes, to adulthood, none of us could have a couple of floors and stairs to walk.

  Sighing, I joined this sad procession.

  Slightly curved corridor ended light circular hall with a dozen elevators. Near them is already a small crowd. I saw a few familiar faces, we used to sit in the same section during the meal. Actually, it was the only place other than the official time of communication, where students could talk to each other. It is a pity that this opportunity is rarely used. It was there that I met with Sergei, who is now vainly looked for in the crowd, waiting for the elevator soon.

  Sergey, as I was "paying students." His parents were able to pay him a living and training without unnecessary casualties. They just lucky to work at the biological station, which was engaged in the cultivation of natural organic food for the inhabitants of the quarter, "Heavenly tier."

  Such biological station - one of the few places where there is no any automation, and everything is done by hand. The cost of these products reach astronomical figures, and afford only wealthy people can eat them. This work is paid by the standards of our environment, more than worthy. Jobs are usually very much value, and most of all, children inherit their parents, forming a whole farming dynasty.

  Earrings lucky twice. Firstly, because ekofermery earn pretty well, his parents, and do not fly to master any titanium mines on the edge of the solar system, to pay the tuition of his son. And secondly, his profession was not included in the list of the ill-fated, and a week later, after graduating from the course, it will be considered an expert in the cultivation of seafood.

  Approached lift instantly filled with waiting. I managed to squeeze into it at the last second, already closing the door, jostling elbows and mercilessly ottaptyvaya someone's feet. There was some lingering protesters interjections, and that, as usual, it was limited.

  I know that in the past, people were much more aggressive, and my behavior could easily have provoked the conflict, but not now. My peers preferred virtual battles in the real world while remaining passive and indifferent.

  Among only come to the Center children, six-year, not yet spoiled by Wirth, roamed the rumors and horror stories about the wild men who lived somewhere beyond the policies, slept on the bare ground, constantly fighting with each other, steal and eat naughty children.

  I come to the Center has twelve years, he knew that no wild people do not have, and can not be. Ninety percent of humanity - the designer, from which the construction of new units and GlobalNET chain limp, weak flock. The remaining ten per cent - are individuals, residents of the quarter, "Heavenly tier", and similar in other policies.

  Rich people who could afford a good natural food, clean air, live plants in these parks, interesting real life, that does not drive you into Wirth its monotony and despair. And no "wild people". In our world there is no place for those who are outside the system.

  The elevator doors opened and the cabin was flooded with bright light of the sun. I went out onto the roof.

  Our platform for dialogue and mandatory physical training did not differ from hundreds like it in any other residential complexes. Approximately half of the area occupied by a variety of fitness equipment, which could be seen rows of pool 24 tracks. Other place was given under alley artificial trees with benches and round tables.

  Each student was required to carry out their normal daily - 40 minutes of physical activity and 20 minutes of communication with peers. And if the first was a must and controlled, the second - on request. Reluctantly anybody was not. Therefore, benches and tables were empty, the people, mainly puffing at the gym.

  Sergei I saw almost at once, all the free time he used to spend in the pool. Future sea farmer was vital to be able to swim well, and overall physical development was of great importance in such work. His broad shoulders and muscled, as usual, called me wistfully. I sighed, looked at his sunken chest, poked a finger flaccid biceps.

  - Hey, Dimon, neater, more protknesh. Hello, friend! - Serge powerful strokes swam to the side and handed me a wet hand.

  - Hello - I abruptly pulled almost crushed brush of his hand. - Take it easy not?

  - Okay, not Noah. Come on, to run at the same time talk.

  Treadmill - my favorite simulator. And it's not that I do not like the power load, though this is true. Here I am able to disconnect from the real world and completely surrender to the will of fantasy. I have a rather developed imagination, and do not have to strain to accurately and fairly present any picture from the description, or simply from memory.

  Therefore, on the track, eyes closed, I have five minutes running, then vaguely vidneyuscheysya path dense oak forest, then gently springy rubber coating the stadium, then the hot asphalt pavement, ahead of facing a traffic jam in a yellow cab. Hour always flies by, and on the other simulators just do not have time.

  Serge slightly toed funny and reloaded when walking. Short, stocky, with longish arms, slightly stooped - most outwardly it looks like Pithecanthropus. But I tell him about this, of course, will not. A sense of humor is not at all a man, and while he was terribly touchy. Nuclear combination. But he's my best friend. And the only one.

  We stayed in a long line of treadmills, fortunately, many of them were still empty, and managed to get a neighbor. I took off his shoes. I can not say why, but the barefoot running is much nicer, maybe it's in me wakes up something from the cave ancestors.

  - So that's what I wanted to say. And I do not ask ... At first, even though I already know. You figured out what to do with the money?

  - What should I do without money, you mean? No, not invented. Most likely, I will go to raschetnikam hired, what other options I have. I just need to finish my studies a year, how many I will count. I hope do not have time to fry brains ...

  - Voooot, and I came up with! The night did not sleep, thinking a thought! - Serge grinned happily. - That you do not love "VirtArt", and they can really help you!

  I grimaced. "VirtArt" - this is one of the subsidiaries of the corporation InfoComp, GlobalNET owner. Officially - this division is engaged in virtual entertainment. Virtual worlds, games, create an interactive film with the immersion and a variety talk show. In fact - it is a powerful instrument for shaping ideology, imposing the public "correct" public opinion, and in fact, universal brainwashing.

  - Gray, do you know my opinion. Soul to the devil I'm not going to sell.

  - Dimon, are you talking about? - in Sere
gin eyes through the bewildering - what the devil? There is a normal topic. Here - look, read. - He pulled out of the backpack and handed me your comments. - Specially spam retained, I usually just delete this.

  I stared at the bright advertising picture. Okay, just do not want to offend a single friend. Touch screen hand and immediately grimaced pressure bravura loud music, a blow to the ears.

  - Are you tired of the same adventure? Tired of being Superman, Legolas, Wolverine or Space Rangers? Come to us! Only one week last unique experiment! Create your own virtual world, like no one else, feel like a demiurge!

  - Ten participants, after a preliminary assessment, selected by Proteus, will have the opportunity to realize their most secret, hidden in the subconscious imagination! And only three of them, chosen by popular vote, will be the creators of a new unique world, open to all comers, and will also receive a large cash prizes!

  About how! Selected by Proteus!

  Proteus was the same spider, who was sitting in the center of GlobalNET web and pulls the strings. Machine Intelligence, sung by science fiction of the past, the great and terrible. He was in charge of absolutely everything, starting with the coordination of positions of the satellites in orbit and ending with drafting a standard children's menu at the training center.

  - Well, what can you say? Cool? It's your chance!

  - Earrings, wait a minute, let me finish reading. - I went to the page with the full terms of the miracle-action, and careful reading of the fine print. And the more I read, the more raised my eyebrows, and even a hair on his head seemed to be stirred by immense surprise.

  The meaning of the text was such - pre-scanning of the individual participant will be held, with all its memory, experience, and character traits. Whereupon Proteus selects 10 players on the basis of one well-known algorithm him. Tackling last week, the data of those who failed - are destroyed. On the basis of the selected scans, after their analysis, generated virtual world, in which the participant is placed and for a period of one year.

  The goal of each player - to get into the top ranking watching his game. Three winners will be allowed to develop a script for a new global virtual world, subject to the procedure of changing the social status and awarded large cash prizes, depending on their place in the ranking.