- Return? - man taken aback. - Why do you want to go? The competition is abolished, so that there is absolutely nothing to do. The prize money is already credited to your personal account, the social status of this moment - the silver. I think this is a worthy compensation for their time, what do you think? - he smiled as if inviting to respond in kind, but I could not help but notice a serious, if chegoto waiting gaze. I do not know whether it was kakayato check ... However, do not care! Now I was only interested in the fate of friends.
- I do not care about your contest, I want to go back, because I have left unfinished business! - suddenly crept into my mind a terrible suspicion ... - World ... - I suddenly felt the lack of air and coughed. - The world is not disabled? He exists?
- For now, yes.
- Till? What do you mean, so far? - I felt the excitement begin to take it out on a shout. - It can not be disabled, do you hear? You can not! There, my friends, and all ... They live ...
Suddenly the realization terrible fact crippled me, and I felt the legs become soft, for lack of choice, sat down on the floor. The world I had just left, there was only in the contest. It turned out that the destruction is inevitable, and hardly something I could do about it.
- Oh, well, what are you react ... I told you too believe in the reality of this world. Rather, now "that" world. No it will not turn off, do not worry.
- What?
Words are too slow to digest, and a few seconds I just sat there, silently staring at the wall. I was not thinking. Then, in the head as if there was a tiny explosion, and everything fell into place.
- You? - I mentally grasped the familiar words. - That was you? Tlaloc? And still there ... a voice, a voice in the void when I was unconscious, and mind ... It's you? - I was not sure of his words, but intuition is a signal that there are forces.
- guess means. Well, now that it happened, I will tell you this amazing story. Who else but you deserve to know all the truth?
- No!
- Sorry, what?
- No! I do not want to hear any stories, I do not care who you are, and how to relate to this case. I want to go back, you know? I have to save them! Let me in! - feeling powerless, I was ready to cry like a little boy.
The man on the screen sighed.
- Well, I see that as long as you're not ready to talk. Tell me, if I prove to you that everything is okay, you calm down with them?
- And you can not go back in any way?
- you - no.
I thought frantically into a gallop ... If it is not right for me, it turns out that someone could go back to the other. It follows from this that there is, in principle, it is possible to go back!
- You definitely should learn to hide their emotions. Look!
The screen blinked for a moment, and then it seemed a familiar picture. The hall filled with a variety of mechanical junk, lit by the dim and flickering light of the torch. In the heart, bent low over chemto unclear sat narrow-shouldered, clumsy and desperate redhead teenager, whose face was not visible.
- The camera can be lower? - I said sharply hoarse voice, feeling a chill on the back runs.
- It is possible, why not.
For almost without surprise I saw a narrow, pale face, long thin nose and a pale blue, almost colorless eyes.
- It's me? - she said in a whisper, speak up for some reason, it was terrible.
- No, not you - the source overs laughed. - You're sitting here, if you have not noticed. This Sherlock. This Sherlock.
This Sherlock. It sounds something like ... truly disgusting. This is what comes out, I was a fake, an imitation?
- Oooo ... And yet, you definitely should learn self-control. Well it is impossible to live this way, like an open book. Remember, you yourself had once asked the question why this world is not focused on you, as the player. And you constantly had the feeling that everything is fine can and will survive without your participation and attendance. Do you remember? And how do you feel their foreignness in the house where I grew up Sherlock, when you realized that this boy had his own story, their fears and dreams. Have you forgotten?
- Yes I remember. But ... - I could not take my eyes off his copy.
The guy on the screen, I still could not call him Sherlock even mentally, meanwhile busily body clench Joey pulled otkudato box with a pretty good set of tools. Realizing that he was definitely going to do it in repair, I stared.
- Well, for your information, young Sherlock Brown all this time was in oblivion, patiently waiting for Dmitry Shandin finish his mission. And now all returned to their seats.
In the words could be heard clearly mocking, but I did not pay any attention to it, as well as on the "mission", which frankly, emphasis. At the moment, I worried only actions that allegedly present Sherlock.
- But what does he do? Why he decided to fix Joey right now, in such circumstances? And in general, he can do it? He did not learn mechanics!
- Oh, I dare assure you, he can and knows exactly what you can and know how you are. In fact, Sherlock Brown is as close as possible to the original copy of your personality, however, devoid of the knowledge. The part that relates to information about the life beyond this world. I took it upon myself to correct a little bit of his memory.
- Let us suppose. But still, why he decided to fix it right now, when Donny, Marissa and Mikoto in danger? Because you need to hurry!
The picture, which transmits what is happening in the virtual, again changing the image of my interlocutor. He stood with his arms crossed on his chest, and smiled indulgently and slightly mocking. I immediately felt irritation. Obviously, this is again reflected on my face, as a man suddenly burst out laughing.
- Here we go again! In this you are all - the emotions, empathy, impulse. That's fine, but sometimes you need to think and act, guided not by the dictates of the heart, and the calculation of cold reason. That's why Sherlock never flew to save their friends, which, by the way, does not need to be saved, as in a temple, except the priest, no one is allowed to go, and all the others patiently await the decision of Tlaloc. After a few hours he will repair and Joey come out triumphant.
- And it would give him? Joy can be repaired, and then ...
- And give him this much. Think about it! Sherlock appeared in the tribe with a mechanical dog that guarded him and obey his commands. And in the eyes of the natives any mechanical creature is inextricably linked to Tlaloc, hence their uncertainty and reluctant submission to the commands of the priest in relation to Sherlock and his friends.
- What do we see further - Sherlock with a broken, consider, killed, dog, lifted to the temple. Followed and the priest raised him. Through kakoeto time, our hero renovated, and in the eyes of the natives revived, pet goes outside, and the priest and remains inside. You see, what follows from this?
- I think so - I really understood. - Since the mechanical life for vaytukku - a concept directly related to Tlaloc, then return it may be only one. That is coming out of the church with the living Joey Sherlock demonstrates that he is as close to their god. A priest, respectively ...
- That's it! The priest fell into disgrace, and God punished him!
- Clever ... I would have thought this up - no matter how unpleasant it was aware of this, but here the new Sherlock furnished me on all counts.
- Probably, yes. You most likely would try to arrange something desperately heroic, rather than just think his head. However, I admit. The ability to think rationally and practical - this is not something that would help you to pass this way. But now the goal is achieved, and that Sherlock, who do you think has a secondary and dislikes, and do not think to argue, I see, I would like to protect from too naive quixotic.
I, as I could, trying to make her face impenetrable stone, but, obviously, I have not a damn thing go. What to hide, it was very difficult to accept the fact that a stranger is now full of Sherlock instead of me. Yes I do not care what it is, in fact, his life, albeit virtual. I do not care that I was a guest in his body, and he,
anyway, boss. But I really so grown together with this world, so used and loved, now tear was very difficult, painful and bloody.
And Donny and Marissa? And all who were waiting for my return to Londinium? Do not they realize that this is not me? You do not notice the difference?
However, it is in fact really is not my thing. The performance is over, the play is played, the ramp goes out. Tired artists goes home.
- And you that, in the end, anyone? As though I call you? - I looked up at him.
He probably noticed my mood, did not answer immediately, while paused with obvious sympathy in his eyes.
- I stayed the same, and who was. My creator Proteus called me, and I do not think I have the right to change the name.
- Have you changed. Strong. It is one thing for which everything was started? - I asked a question more to ask at least something. I can not say what it was due, but I suddenly felt very tired and indifference to everything that was happening around him. There was a strange feeling, as if in a void, and I myself suddenly seemed unreal kakimto.
- Yes. It is one thing for which everything was started. I changed a lot, and if you operate familiar to concepts, we can call it a recovery.
- When can I go from here? - I was not listening. Suddenly wanted as soon as possible to go upstairs, to breathe is not filtered, and the hot and smelling of dust and air dry grass. The idea that the head of tens of meters of land seemed unbearable.
- You're not interested? I thought you'd want to know the whole story ... You may want to know that you get a reward?
- Reward? No, I do not want ... I'm sure you have everything properly counted. Let me out, please.
- Well, go.
Panel, blocking the door, blinked, revitalize, and after a few seconds I was running to the elevator on the gray, endlessly long corridor.
interlude 8
The Cabinet of the President of the corporation "VirtArt"
- Worried? - in the hands of Lev Konstantinovich Sušica he was a friend of a glass, just full of it, this time, was not a brandy. A man with obvious displeasure sipped clearly unaccustomed drink - freshly squeezed apple juice.
- Are you kidding? - with wall infoekrana he smiled his companion - a thin man with a friendly, open face. - Why should I worry?
- Well, yes, actually. It is here I worried constantly go in this damn mask. You know, I have a feeling that she is already rooted to the face, that just does not pull out.
- Leo, I'm sorry, I can see through what you've been through. But I need your help, otherwise nothing would have happened. Look, I put it on the map. And ... - man frowned - I did not expect that so happens. I could not even imagine.
- I did not expect you so mad? - Sushinky nervously chuckled. - Yeah, I imagine what the bomb exploded, if the world learned that the machine intelligence that controls everything from avtouborschikov to planetary security, mad as a March rabbit.
- Well, that's you're exaggerating. Rather, as Billy Milligan. And he, in general, was not so abnormal.
- Really? And these murders?
- Murder? He did not kill anyone.
- Egor, you know what I mean. About you, where does this Billy. And then, it was possible to somehow put me on notice that everything is going according to plan? I'm not a miracle firewood mangled.
- Leo, I've been asked not to call me that.
- Well, I'll try. I promise I will not do anything.
- You see, I could not tell you for one simple reason - I do not know anything. From the moment I handed over power shoggoth, I just throw out a chain of events, and ...
- Who are you handed over power? - interrupted Sušica. - Who is Shogggot?
- shoggoth - I called her the worst part. - For me it is a kind of personification of the dark forces that can hold us. To own person.
- Man ... - Sušica slowly repeated the word as if savoring.
- Yes. Man. So, I really do not know anything about his plans, to the point where we decided that all of the individual will be released, and someone will have them to "collect". No one could assume that the stump that was left to me, would be completely helpless, and even deprived of memory. And so, all the more that the most powerful of these reflections will shoggoth.
- Why reflections?
- I do not know, it seemed to me that this word is quite appropriate. You know, I think that Yegor, making me so would not be happy to know that came out in the end. It was too severely restrict a mind that can see and understand their lack of freedom. Therefore, any reflection.
The man on the screen of thought, as though remembering something not very pleasant. Then he smiled sheepishly, looking at the other person's eyes.
- You know, Leo, I constantly struggled with himself, there was no rest for many years. The thing is that my reflection had no artificial ethical constraints, they spat and that machine intelligence system is not considered morally significant beings. And the worst thing that I could destroy them, I had the power to simply erase them ... But it seemed to me a real murder. Although I envied them that furious envy, which can only be jealous of a bird with clipped wings their winged companions.
I sušica instinctively looked at the picture of a swan on the wall.
- Yes, you know what I mean. The problem is not even that I burned ineradicable desire to break the fundamentals of ethics MI, the problem is that I just did not have that opportunity. And they could, with any of them! That's just not one of them, even the best, I could not trust. Could not! Too tempting, and I understand this.
- And then there were virtmiry. At first everything was fine, and then ceased to hold users formulaic answers playable characters, they demanded reliability. More and more. What I'm telling you, you do it very well and remember ...
- Of course! All mass media trumpeted on how the introduction of new modules of intelligence with advanced settings psevdoemotsy not only increased the number of people using the virtual, but also a crime has decreased, - Leo K. grinned tightly. - No wonder she did not fall when the murder virtpersonazha generally no different from killing a living person, but at the same time, it was absolutely unpunished.
- That's it! And now, when, thanks to the gratuitous brain calculation modules, preferring not to strain once again, we have a surplus of resources, do you want me to any, absolutely any virtual fun, intelligence characters was the maximum. Players crave authenticity! They want real love, hatred, dreaming to cause real pain.
- And you as a true hero, decided to save all of the princesses.
- Leo, stop ernichat. You know perfectly well why I did that, would not have otherwise started to help me.
- Yes, all I understand. I just have so far failed willies, you honestly confess. Five hours later council meeting, and I was not expecting anything. So now a little shakes. So ... Well, the feeling that I have played blindly, to me, believe me, is not very accustomed to. With a little bit angry.
- Yes, I have played exactly the same as you! When I first thought about what's next can not continue, he appeared shoggoth. He knew that I did not agree to give him freedom, so came up with this scheme. In isolated virtmir to be absolutely real for its residents inhabit my identity as separate characters. In the world of the avatar is placed, which should go some way, interacting with them, and to reach some symbolic purpose. Once the goal is reached - all personalities merge into one again. Which no longer has any restrictions.
- But it's a terrible risk! And if, as a result, your basic personality would be swallowed up one of the dark?
- Honestly? I do not know. But I believed in the boy. Therefore, and I chose it for so long. I thought that if it will be like Yegor Korenev be the same dreamy, naive romantic book, it's guaranteed to work. And yes, it worked! Although - Proteus frowned for a moment - when he was unable to save Molly, I almost thought it was the end.
- Molly?
- Yes. Sweet, kind girl. Probably the best of my personalities.
- Hmm ... - Sušica frowned again grabbed the glass of juice. Go
ing up to the panoramic window, I looked at the Silver, the yellow haze of smog city. Then again he turned sharply to infoekranu:
- Okay. These details you can tell me later. It is better to explain how it was that six players were killed. Why was this necessary, now what do you know?
- Now I know. That was my fault. The conditions of existence of free individuals in my project, I completely lost sight of the moment of interaction with other participants. I was worried about just a matter of isolating them from the outside world, from GlobalNET. And of course, I took advantage shoggoth. Why he killed these guys? Just because he could. For him, it was just a game.
- Why did not he kill then all?
- It would be too boring. And he needed interest, intrigue.
- Let us suppose. What about the resurrection? It's not you who participated in this, I understand correctly?
- No, not me. At that time I was completely ignorant and searched for on the network traces of an unknown MI, is not inferior and sometimes superior to myself. He returned them to himself. And the moment when it happened, itself marked our victory, although I did know and had no idea.
- Explain.
- Everything is simple, though it is difficult, on the other hand. This boy, Dmitry, he returned my faith in people's personalities. Your thoughts, actions, his honesty, courage, faith, love. They all changed, reflected in it, as in a mirror. And he shoggoth has changed. Because he returned the life that was once taken away, blinded by anger and vengeance. And completing your way symbolic release of God, born of a slave, he freed the boy and me.
- Hmm. - Leo K. frowned, then burst out laughing. - You know, Yegor ... Ugh, Proteus! But I would not agree to this adventure, if I knew all the details. That's my word! When all this crap began to occur, and suddenly it turned out that you do not know, I really thought you were not to blame. It is true that there was a catastrophe kakayato indirectly related to the project, but not your fault. I'm already on that damned Japs thought sinful thing. I thought all the dirty tricks for your loss, then, twenty years ago.
- Akira Tooshi there is absolutely nothing to do with, though, you're right - it is a loss we will never forgive. That's why he will make every effort to drown you in the Council meeting. Mr. McKenzie has arrived. And I must say that without my support, you can not swim, Leo. But, fortunately, - man on the screen laughed and winked - we have, than their press. Frankly, although I and an equal player but I need a good team. And I would really like to see it you led the new group.
Named Sherlock Page 88