Named Sherlock

by Bagatur Zhamkochyan

And then - a dark, dank city, no adventures, kills dragons and rescue princesses kakoeto pathetic swarming in the mud ... Yeah, investigated the massacre, opened the attack and incidentally made a few cases, the good and not so good. But it's all wrong! Well, I do not believe that to someone can be fun, as weak and not particularly clever protagonist, or shaky, or rolls, sneaks around the world, periodically getting into all sorts of trouble. And if you remember, as I lay for several days without consciousness? Well, how can there be a victory in the competition ?!

  No, it is not convincing. And besides, if you go back to the very beginning, the big questions will cause the selection itself. Why, of thirty-five thousand potential participants chose me? What I was so different from the rest? And it should be important especially for Proteus, and not for the whole project. That in me may be of importance to artificial intelligence, which I before the competition has never had anything to do, and did not meet directly?

  Questions, questions, questions ... a lot of questions and no answers.

  A death in the real world? As their priplesti this around? Who and what might need to kill the players, who led the ranking, if we assume that the contest - just a cover for chegoto more?

  And this incomprehensible entity that spoke to me? Who or what is it? Independent party games or just chyato puppet? And all this tie Proteus? Who is he in this strange situation - the perpetrator, a hostage?

  My thoughts were interrupted by a heavy blow from which I sat down with a flourish on the fifth point, and for some time really saw the notorious "star" before the eyes - bright dots and strokes, appeared on the periphery of the line of sight.

  It turned out that, carried away by his mind guessing the tea leaves, I did not notice that the tunnel changed. From gladkoglyantsevogo, with a section of a perfect circle, it became a common corridor, clearly man-made, a little wider than shoulder width of the average man, with a ceiling at the level of my forehead. And this transition took place not gradually but rather abruptly, so that on my head in a couple of seconds pouted impressive shot.

  - Hey, dog! You could not prevent? - Joey's face expressed bewilderment maximum, to which she could muster, alluding to the unfounded accusations.

  I grunted to his feet, one hand fingering his wretched forehead. Hmm. Dungeons, even mountainous, is not a place where you can go this way to the astral plane - the harsh reality is sometimes too quickly reminds himself.

  - All right, buddy, do not be offended, I blame myself. Come on, look further.

  The dog barked happily, whirled and disappeared into the depths of a dark corridor. I, before stepping behind him, bent down and picked up a long, sharp shard of obsidian. Without full of ulterior motive, just for memory.

  The new corridor also did not differ special variety, although it was not so confusing. Rather, he was not at all confusing, just a couple of times by changing direction at a slight angle. But the main difference from the previous one was that when walking I felt clearly that involuntarily quickened my pace. The going was very easy and pleasant - from which one could conclude that there was a small but constant slope.

  In addition, the right and left of the main passage began to appear side branches. By adopting, at first, one of them for ordinary fork, out of curiosity, I took a couple of steps inside and found himself in a small room, which was not more than a burial chamber.

  Tiny, about three by three meters, it was completely empty, except for a whole heap of dried bodies, each of which is housed in a personal niche carved into the stone wall of the room. Five mummies, on three walls of the room, except the one in which was located an opening total - fifteen in the same room.

  Body, in contrast to all known Egyptian mummies were not embalmed, at least, to my untutored eye. Rather, they are simply dried up before decomposed, given the fact that there was quite dry and oxygen-poor mountain air. Yes, and I did not feel the smell of decay, rather, it smelled of dust and chemto wood.

  Cursory inspection of one of the bodies, I am convinced that, at first glance, it is usually the natives. Weapons were not there with them, clothes, except torn loincloths, too. Whether the dead were so poor that they had nothing to take with you to the afterlife, whether their beliefs when life was very different from those which I had expected for the majority of the traditional local communities.

  Nothing that would refute or confirm the affiliation of the deceased to the tribe vaytukku, while also eyes did not come across.

  Back in the main corridor, I began to consider coming across my path branch, previously making sure that it is the burial chambers. After fifteen minutes of slow steps, I counted more than two hundred. By the time he realized that they meet literally every ten meters, I stopped to even look at them, considering it pointless waste of time.

  However, something was bugging me, and it is connected with the feeling was exactly the bodies of the deceased. Given that it was in each chamber of fifteen mummies that goes behind them about three thousand. If we assume that each successive deceased were placed one by one, farther and farther away from the entrance, then, how old I was? Twenty? Fifty? Maybe a hundred, all depend on the size of the original tribe. It is unlikely that there were so many.

  Okliknuv Joey, I again looked into one of the chambers, this time in the one that is located to the left of me. And I realized that the decision was correct.

  First, the mummies themselves already differed significantly from those I found first. Perhaps it was just an optical illusion, but it seemed to me that the skeletons themselves were somehow larger than, or something ... Those first body looked too tiny even compared to the already visible before the natives.

  They were still dressed only in loincloths, but on the wrists and fingers, I noticed a few faded copper rings. One body, a large, relatively tall, obviously a warrior in life, I found a knife with a bone handle and engraved in the form of a primitive plant design.

  But the most interesting finding was expecting me another body. Small, delicate skeletons - a child about five years old. He was clutching in his hand a toy - a tiny crown bird. I had to work hard to get it out of the clenched fist and break the thin bones.

  Key sticking out from the back and I'm holding my breath, I turned it. Toy quietly zastrekotala, wings rose and fell, then froze several times. Obviously, the mechanism jammed. Attempts to turn the key to anything not lead, and the time and the opportunity to repair it, I had not yet.

  - I'm sorry, baby. I broke your toy ... - I reached out my hand to put the bird back in the niche, however, lingered for another moment.

  Carefully, he stared intently, hoping to see the hidden, and ... Yes! Surrounding reality has receded, and in front of me obediently appeared translucent picture of the past.

  The first thing I see - that person is a very old man, a native, he leans over full of work. In his hand he had an unknown tool, color leather belt, which holds some piece of the country, consisting of the entire lens system held together. Obviously, this is the master, who made a toy.

  The second picture - the laughing face of a child. Now I see it's a girl in the dark curly hair woven colorful beads.

  And finally, the last one. The same room in which I am standing. Old woman, emaciated, thin, dressed in rags unimaginable, stands near a niche with blooming tree branch kakogoto hands.

  I silently put the toy near a child's mind once again asking for forgiveness. I had nothing more to do here - it was confirmed. It really was the burial chambers of the tribe vaytukku longer any doubt remained. Unconsciously trying to walk as quietly as possible, I went out into the hallway again.

  Joy, who got bored sitting in one place, happily pulled forward. And I, walking behind him, reluctant to think - and what is actually these people who lived next to the living arrangements? As they were before, many years ago, at the time of their prosperity?

  It took about ten minutes, when I began to notice that the corridor around me changed. He was still narrow and low, but when I held the match to the wall, he found that instea
d of the following tools and chips, it is decorated with bas-reliefs of the most real.

  Pausing, I began to be considered one of the sites, and soon realized that they represented nothing more than as the everyday life of people vaytukku tribe. And the farther I walked, the more I feel that I have little hair on end rise in surprise.

  On elaborately carved bas-reliefs, it was pictured apparently distant past of the tribe, the time of their heyday. I was surprised to look at, though rough, but nevertheless recognizable figures of various animals - dogs, cats, birds kakihto fantastic ... And there were dragons. Seeing on the wall is a being who, if you trust the scale of the image, it was quite small, I involuntarily grasped the hand of his amulet.

  But, in addition to friendly, there were strange mechanisms, the purpose of which like that, at once, I was not able to solve. This one, a massive, four-nogamikolonnami, is more reminiscent of an ancient robotpogruzchik designed to work under extreme pressure. Here, perhaps, it was used for carrying heavy loads or plow ... And maybe in the construction.

  This one - with strange devices to the ends of the "hands", reminiscent saws ... What is it? Chop wood? Cut through the tunnels in the rock? Or shred these discs enemies?

  And how many more unknown, interesting ... And unfortunately, just absolutely do not have time to train what a shame!

  Tunnel, meanwhile, started down noticeably cooler. Fearing that may show up in front of the enemy, as our trek through the mountains is clearly coming to an end, I called Joey. Services to its sensitive nose is no longer needed, because for the time travel on this site, I have never encountered even a chance to turn the wrong way - the road led only right.

  And then, finally, I noticed that the air was noticeably fresh, clearly a breath of breeze, and my match is not the only shining light in this dark realm - the corridor in front of me was obviously lighter than that he remained behind.

  But now the cost to be as accurate. Given that output next is likely very high risk of soon stumble upon a guard, which certainly has here.

  Therefore, rather than move forward, I turned again in the next room. Besides there were two reasons: first, I wanted to collect my thoughts and consider further action; Second, if I'm right, it was the last chance to try again to look into the past of this tribe, only this time to dive deeper.

  On the verge of another burial chamber I stopped, truly shocked by what he saw. No, there were not aliens or camels - they were all the same, long dead natives. But how they have changed!

  Now no doubt all the skeletons - the remains of perfectly stacked, healthy, broad-shouldered, obviously well fed during the life of the people. They were wrapped in several layers of fabric. And this fabric is quite well preserved in some places, giving me the opportunity to examine it in some detail. According to the uniform thickness of the thread and weave density - it was not that other, as a fine example of not manual and machine weaving!

  Machine weaving deep in the jungle, where most of the locals are not familiar even with primitive metal processing and live, literally, in the Stone Age. What can I say, I am sure that here there are tribes who still do not know, and fire! Or I already turned down?

  The next thing I noticed - the abundance of jewelry. Very fine work, openwork, lacy filigree, bracelets, rings, earrings, breast plates engraved with a beautiful - every skeleton was hung by them from head to toe.

  It turned out that the beliefs nothing to do with, given that the more ancient the dead went to the afterlife fully completed - ornate, adorned and armed. Knives, and brass tubes were each body. It is obvious that the natives who died later, simply had nothing to his name during his lifetime.

  The most interesting thing is found at all I do not, and Joy. It was he interested in a small bundle lying in a separate alcove, at the bottom, right of the entrance. I'm not even going to come back, assuming that once again see the skeleton of a child - and it does not show which I would like to watch as often.

  However, this turned out to be not a child. Unscrewing the edge of the well-preserved tissue, I saw perfectly, exactly, down to the smallest detail recreated brass dog's head, crowned by a squashed, almost torn in half body from which, like innards protruding screw and flat springs, gears and cams, twisted, twisted trees and connecting rods - everything that was before a single mechanism.

  One leg was missing altogether, the other was broken in half. In general, the nature of the injuries said that the dog was a victim is clearly kakogoto cataclysm - perhaps such a result would give a fall from a great height onto the rocks ...

  But the interesting thing was not the dog in this find, and what lay beside her. And it was nothing short of awesome Brass same bone.

  Given the time that the mechanical dog is not required eating, and, even more so, not exactly fed with metal bones, one could conclude that it is - her toy. That is, the dog was not a simple mechanism, but real, live, animate. And the fact that it shall rest with the bodies of people, but still made sure to have something to entertain in the afterlife, says a lot.

  Joy as if feeling some political community with the long "dead" brother who whined softly, looking at him.

  - Take it easy, buddy. I will not give you offense.

  I reached out to the remains of the dog, going to give himself another excursion into the past, when he felt a strong sense of discomfort due to crushing right on top of countless thousands of tons of basalt. And at that very moment I realized that we must not tarry.

  My claustrophobia, which is full of strange whims gave up this break, suddenly woke up and fell on me with all your might. Immediately felt like a small and insignificant, I forgot about everything and hunching his shoulders, walked to the door, barely restraining himself not to run simmered.

  interlude 5

  Standard camera housing complex, somewhere in New Moscow

  - Marina Andreevna, I assure you, that's okay with you, nor your son is not going to happen.

  Reserved smiling man with a screen in a dark, ancient cut suit, his calmness even more pissed off woman, and she eventually fell to the cry:

  - Why! Why did you not tell us anything! What right have you! - the woman started to choke with sobs. - Where is my son, give me back my son!

  - Marina, quieter, I beg you. Do you hear? - sitting next to a man tried calming hugged her, but received in response to a furious resistance, withdrew.

  - Pavel Sergeyevich, your wife is not able to adequately perceive the reality. In general, I could not talk to you, believe me, I have plenty of other, more important and enjoyable activities. However, I spend my time on you.

  - You can not tell, or do not want? - Paul S. Shandin stared at the face of his interlocutor, which suddenly seemed vaguely familiar. He tried to focus, but could not remember ...

  - Believe me, you now this knowledge is absolutely not necessary. The only thing you need to know - is that your son is safe. It performs quite an important mission on which the results very much depends. Therefore, we ask you to spend some time there, until it is completed.

  - Sounds like a full of nonsense! - it was clear that the man is also slowly begins to start. - What is the mission? And here is our son? He was still almost a child!

  - Again, I do not owe you chtolibo explain. You have no choice - in the human voice could be heard from the screen metallic ring. - Let me remind you that you signed a contract, which obliges you to live in a place provided by the employer, and to perform any of its requirements as part of your employment qualifications. Excluding situations threatening to your physical or mental health, or life. At the moment, there is no such situation.

  - Pasha, leave him - a woman stopped sobbing, and her voice was almost normal. - When ... Tell me, when we were released?

  - Believe me no pleasure to detain you. But I am obliged not to allow you to find other people. And the question I can answer only one thing - as soon as everything will be decided, you immediately released.

  - Okay, we'll wait.

  - I am glad that we were a
ble to agree - despite the fact that the source Shandin not face changed, his voice is clearly heard relief. - You will be given a standard residential chambers service package during your ... presence. Informobsluzhivanie will not be carried out, virtkapsula not connected.

  The man nodded, saying goodbye, and at the same moment the screen went blank.

  - Pasha ...

  Pavel Sergeyevich did not immediately respond. Just a few seconds he stared at the dark screen, unsuccessfully trying to remember who is it reminded him of a recent interviewee ... This old-fashioned suit, glasses that exist now only as informants exhibits protruding ears, matted, long-cropped hair ... And at the same time clear, confident, full of even slightly mechanical voice of a man who had no doubts in their words and actions.

  It was clear that this is not a real appearance, but only an avatar. But whose? Paul S. wrinkled his forehead, ignoring the appeals of his wife, in a vain attempt to recall the name, which he thought would give him a clue.

  Chapter 15

  interlude 6

  Governor Reception, BelizSiti, Belize

  - Listen.

  Mr. Cleary, you are sure that nothing can be done? After all, this kid is really a native grandson Oliver Roddsa about it have an entry in the register of births and deaths of the city. Here, look, we have a statement.

  Governor reluctantly reached out and took the piece of paper. He is a thousand times regretted that agreed to talk to the lady Eleanor, how to present the black-haired beauty and her young companion, whom she called her fiance.

  The heat was terrible in the city and promised to only worsen for dinner, so the governor, who was already an elderly man, though himself in the not admitted suffering from it enormously. Overweight and severe shortness of breath, too, did not add pleasant sensations, so the enthusiasm and perseverance of the young lady and her companions began calling him muffled irritation.

  Man, puffing, and occasionally dabbing a handkerchief is filled in by the collar of a trickle of sweat, quickly scanned the paper.