Chương 3: Chapter 1. The birth of a new dawn. sub-chapter 3.
On a tip from Leo, I contacted the same fan of rare gadgets through the network, under the sonorous pseudonym "Technodemon". Well, since there is already a whole technodemon, it means that he will definitely figure out my question. I hope. Briefly, but without unnecessary details, I described the situation, and received a short answer: "Got it. Find me at the Tech House, in the studio wing. On any terminal, type the word "Gemini" and you will see the number of our studio. Don't ask anyone. Not a word to anyone. I'm waiting.".
What a smart guy… And he couldn't tell the studio number right away?!
Without postponing for a long time, I went to the Sovietsky. This is the largest city on the planet, standing in a hilly bend of the Desna River, not far from the seashore, and it is very different from all other towns. It consists of several dozen huge high-rise buildings, which are an autonomous system "city in the house". Each building has everything you need for life and, if desired, a person can live in it all his life and not go outside. High towers on hyperboloid cable-stayed supports with a power rod in the center, between which the vitrified outside living, working and cultural spaces are concentrated. Created from standard lithoplast structural elements, they shine in the sun like gold. However, this is partly true - there is always a thin atomic crystal mosaic of gold in the window lithoplasty modules. As in the lithoplast for the skin of spaceships, but in smaller quantities. This helps against overheating of the premises by the rays of the sun and the heat leaving outside. All the shrouds and structural elements above twenty meters are dotted with numerous antennae of antenna resonators for energy generation. I imagine how it is during a thunderstorm. Probably, the whole city is shining with a lilac light. Each of the towers stands on top of a hill and is connected to the neighboring system of string tracks, the same that connect the Soviet with our town and hundreds more of the same all over the planet, and cable-stayed suspended covered bridges for pedestrians that duplicate the strings. Each tower, separated from the neighboring one by a kilometer or two, is in fact the central planetary house of each of the Societies around which people's lives are concentrated. Around the city and between the towers there are also more bizarre specialized structures that are not included in the dimensions or safety requirements of the towers. From a conglomerate of elegant twisted towers, entwined with a web of strange paths, exactly the same paths with rare support beams go to all directions of the world. The traffic is very busy. But the tower standing in the very center stands out especially - the eight-pointed star-shaped tower of the ground part of the spaceport. Two more of the same strange paths go up from it, connecting already in space with the spaceport hanging in stationary orbit. The spaceport is actually a similar tower, but upside down, hanging in an airless space. Berthing docks for ships are concentrated on its wide base, and on the top lowered to the planet, a string route begins down to the ground section of the spaceport. It is capable of receiving huge modular cargo and passenger spaceships that are built in space, exclusively for space and never land on the surface unless they have been specially modified - you can go down from their side or climb through the spaceport on a lift or using an aerospace bolide. The second method is usually used where there is no spaceport, and people need to land and take off… The city made a grandiose, enchanting, and at the same time, a little overwhelming impression, it became especially noticeable when I found myself inside the driveway gallery of one of the towers surrounding its base with a ring. Thousands of people, tirelessly rushing about their business, every time you see a new face, losing the previous ones. Noise, trampling, hubbub, thousands of voices merge into a continuous sound wave shaking the walls. I just want to ask them- but where are you in such a hurry? The nose is hit by a variety of smells. If a little more than a million people live on the planet, then most of them are definitely here. But it looks grand and beautiful. There is even such a seemingly purely capitalist phenomenon as advertising. Huge moving light projections in the air and on buildings, wall screens, running lines and just notes in street terminals. Each Society artistically praises itself, its qualities without too much modesty and promises that it is with them that it is most reliable to cooperate. Why is this, you ask, in our place without using money? Vanity. If fame cannot be achieved by wealth and power, it is achieved by fame and reputation. In addition, the Art Society needs to put its irrepressible hands and exuberant imagination somewhere. I remember when I first came here at the age of ten with a school excursion, I lost my bearings in all this cycle and got lost myself. Everyone was looking for me for more than an hour, and they found me only thanks to the presence of intercoms. Without training at the summer club, I probably would have fainted due to the lack of habit to a large crowd.… Moreover, not to say that the city was very large- no more than twenty kilometers in each direction, not counting the service and technical buildings on the outskirts. There are also larger cities on the planets of Novorossia. This city is equally unlike both our small "settlements of communards" and the vast megacities of the Three Empires in the Old Area, which are boundless in height and breadth. An stranger who doesn't know us might think that this is a city of some kind of xenos…
As agreed, I arrived at the Tech Tower. Its towers twisted around the central trunk, spacious bright corridors were a genuine exhibition of the achievements of local craftsmen. Prototypes of various equipment stood on pedestals, meeting the suitable ones with an accompanying holography with a presentation about what kind of thing it is, how it works and who is its wonderful creator. Structures assembled, in parts, in section and transparent cases ... beauty! On any other day, I would definitely stay here, but I have a meeting waiting for me. I found the nearest terminal, and, carefully shielding its screen from prying eyes with my broad shoulders, I enter the query "gemini" in the search bar of the urban ecosystem. There was no answer, but this word was transformed into the number 36. Clear. Having finally found out where to look for this place, I was about to leave, but the terminal offered me a pleasant female voice to throw a plan diagram of the tower on my intercom. I did so by putting my wrist to the screen, behind which the radio module threw me an array with maps and navigation links. A few minutes later I was on the threshold of the studio I was looking for. Hmm... a smooth white door without bells, knobs, negotiators or anything else. There are meaningless scenes from famous films drawn on it, and they could write who lives here and what they do, it would be much more useful.
- Tell me your name and the purpose of the visit - said the door. Yes, the voice came from the door, and not from someone behind it, since there are no visible intercom devices.
- Vlad Gor... twins.- just in case, I added, and ... the door slid aside. I followed the airlock corridor forward, I was illuminated from the ceiling and walls with some scanning equipment, and I entered a spacious high trapezoidal hall. Yes, there was something to see here. Huge printing welding machines on which you can weld even a space bolide, there would be drawings and materials… And here are the materials - boxes with cylinders of lithoplast and additive dispersion. Huge racks of boxes, with which nimble robot loaders, similar to cubes on wheels with paws, are tinkering. Elegant laboratory and chemical equipment, vacuum chambers, melting furnaces, a whole bunch of terminals with huge screens and light projectors, on which three-dimensional models of unfamiliar or vaguely familiar devices and parts are spinning. Two staircases led to galleries three meters above us. Manipulators and movable lighting systems hang from the ceiling. Several doors leading to it is unclear where.
And then it hit me… Firstly, the techno-genius and the master-maniaster nicknamed Technodemon was not alone, He was zero, Secondly, this is a boy and a girl about ten years old, similar to each other, both terribly business-like, dressed in overalls intertwined with instrumental unloading and with projection cyber glasses on their faces. Actually, in such a not too neat place, a helmet and a bib are more useful, but they just weren't there, and they didn't need them. They sit in mobile chairs covered with transparent cockpits with control knobs and manipulators… I didn't understand anything. Maybe their parents are gone?
- A…
- What are you looking at, like a pulsar?- the girl in the chair turned to me. - You'd think you were much older than us.
- But…
- Where are our mom and dad? the boy asked. -Big, big secret!
- A…
- Where is our Great Teacher Technodemon?- the girl asked.
-More like a master-maniaster,- I answered automatically.
They exchanged mischievous glances and burst out laughing:
- We invented it ourselves. Are you from Leo, that wretched talker from the suburbs?
- This is my friend. And I came on my own.
- We hope you're not one of those sad snobs who consider only those who are over thirty years old to be reasonable people?
The question stumped me. At least for the reason that I myself am far from thirty years old, and I can't, being a completely authentic Homo Sapiens, not consider myself a human? But, just in case, I replied that no. I'm for equality and all that.
- Let's say. And yet, we ask thou to be polite in advance. Thine emotions are read and we see them. Thou underestimate us. And precisely because of the template hammered into head about the identity of age and knowledge. Over there," he pointed to the ceiling, where a rounded mobile unit, reacting with a slight shift to my every movement, "a combat emitter is watching thou.
"Ha-ha!- despite all this, I laughed. –Plus a hundred to the courtesy of any visitor! Come in- don't be afraid, come out- don't cry... But I didn't come here to discuss yous. If you are adequate people with great knowledge and skills, and are able to keep your tongues shut, then I would spit on your age and everything else. I want to remind you: I am here at your invitation.
The boy drove up to me and held out a serpentine manipulator with a couple of dozen thin soft fingers.
That's better! Give me your treasure. We dissect it properly.
- It should remain intact - I reminded him and handed him a white wand, which was immediately transferred to a table covered with a mini-armada of various devices. Both young talents rolled up to the table, twisted something in their smart chairs and began to discuss something animatedly with each other. Except I didn't hear anything. It looks like they turned off the external speakers, hidden somewhere under the upholstery switched to internal communication. What kind of secrets? After a minute they were distracted and the mechanized miracle-boy turned to me:
- Thank you for coming. The thing is unique. But it is made of cosmic carbosil, and very durable and resistant to any radiation. You rarely see such a thing even now. We've only seen this stuff a couple of times. It is used in the skin of the latest combat spaceships and armored suits, but it is usually made in black. But this one is white. We will not be able to examine it now - we are working on one very important task. We'll do it in a week. In the meantime, let him lie down with us, if you don't mind.
-I don't mind,- I agreed. – And what is the important task?
-Thou don't need to know,- the girl replied. – This is not thine level of information.
Yeah. But it's a shame to hear from a ten-year-old…
- It doesn't matter. When will the results be available?
- A military-grade space carbosil is serious," the wonder-girl replied. -It even lends itself to coronization with difficulty. But, do thou want thine item to survive? Therefore, we will not promise anything in advance. But as soon as we understand what's going on, we'll definitely call thou . In the meantime, thou can go… Yeah, and... gorgeous hair, buddy. Humanity will lose a lot if thou get a haircut.
The outer door opened. Nasty girl... and think now whether it was a compliment or a mockery. Oh, whatever… After passing through the airlock, I went outside, into a crowded corridor-an exhibition. Here's Leo, a f#cking smartass!.. Curious, has he ever met them in person? Or, as always, with everyone who does not have a slim figure and a pretty face, and does not go to the flight club, he preferred to communicate through an intercom or terminal? Most likely. And, yes: are these cute kids-prodigies- smugglers? It's hard to believe. And I'm not one of the most gullible. Okay, and it doesn't matter anyway, right now.
Some time has passed since then.
And so, just today, this beautiful morning, I received a message from Leo that the "great master" wants to see me. Moreover, he asks to hurry up. Well, great. I suppose if they call me, then there is a worthy reason. Yes, I did not disappoint Leo, and I did not stun him by the fact that he studied for several years by correspondence with children. I'm afraid he won't be able to stand it, and will go into hermits with grief.
I got to the Sovietsky one without any adventures. Tower of Technicians, tenth turn, thirty-sixth studio. I'm back at the familiar door.
- Tell me your name and the purpose of the visit - sang the clever door.
- Vlad Gor, the twins.
The door opened and I entered the abode of technogenies... something happened here. Part of the equipment is damaged, boxes are scattered, piles of lithoplast dust on the floor. Several barrel-shaped cleaning robots in conjunction with loader robots are trying to eliminate the mess without much success. A couple of screens are broken. The miracle girl is not visible, and her mechanical chair is being repaired in the vacuum chamber of the plasma welding. Several nimble manipulators are patching up a pierced cockpit with huge cracks with fresh lithoplast. The combat emitter on the ceiling looked more like a hornet's nest - so many holes were made in it, obviously not planned by the design. It is unlikely that he will be able to issue a beam. I was met by a miracle boy, on whose chair there were also traces of recent repairs. There were serious abrasions on his face, plastered with a regeneration patch, his finger was fixed with a fixator, as after a fracture, and he was angry as hell.
- What happened here?! I asked in amazement, looking around this bedlam. – and where's thine partner?
She's sick!- he shouted and took my white wand out of the wall niche with a manipulator. – Here it is. Take. And get out of here. And don't ever bring anything back, okay?
He handed me the rod at the level of my head and deliberately released it from the fingers of the manipulator. I barely caught him inches from the floor. Fortunately, he didn't react to it in any way.
- Yes, explain what happened! I demanded. – It's like you've been shooting grapeshot here. Did something explode? Thine girlfriend… is she even alive?
- She's fine. She will live. So be it, we won't give you away. It's our own fault. Hand this item over to the military. Just don't say a word about us! Forget about us! And even better - throw this shit into the sea! It's not far from here. Two stops on the string.
- Why? And explain already what it is? Have you been messing with my head all this time, or have you really found out something?
- I said, go away!- .the young techno-genius put manipulators in front of me and began to push me towards the door that opened behind me. – It's a small spaceship, will that answer suit thou?
-No!- such an answer, more like a childish excuse, categorically did not suit me.
- That's excellent!- he finally pushed me out of the hall, and the door closed in front of me.
- Open up, I want to know the truth! I demanded.
- No one's home!!! the door screamed. – You are being asked to leave.
I went out into the corridor. I was recovering for a minute. Realizing that I had achieved nothing and received instead of something intelligible bullshit and was not even awarded elementary explanations, I angrily yelled at the floor of the corridor:
- What the hell!??
A few people turned to look at me, but seeing that nothing terrible was happening to me, they went on with their probably important business... the opposite door of another studio opened, a pretty, smiling blonde girl looked out:
-Young man, do thou have any difficulties? I saw everything, I have scanners with an outside view. Have these devils offended thou?
- No. I'm not touchy. We just had an unfortunate argument. Why did thou call them devils?
-They're too narcissistic,- the girl replied. – These puppies, of course, are wery skillful, especially for their age, but they don't respect anyone. Since they got the studio, they spit down on everyone. They don't want to join in joint projects, they work with some muddy types, communicate only distantly. Where are their parents looking?
- Do they have them?
- Of course. I even know them. Navigators from the spaceport. They constantly disappear there,- she pointed up, clearly meaning not the ceiling but the orbit. Then she noticed my wand in my hand:
- Broke down, right? Come to me, we'll figure it out.
- No need - I refused. I've had enough of technogenies for today. – He's fine.
- I haven't seen you here before. Are thou from the settlements?
- Yes. Is it that noticeable?
- Yeah. Like going to war. Only the helmet is missing. A raincoat, unloading vest, boots, a pistol, and some kind of incomprehensible thing. What's that you have? She pointed to the wand.
-A love toy,- I lied.
The smile instantly disappeared from her face:
- Aah... well, that's... okay, bye. she disappeared through the door, which immediately slammed shut.
It's not particularly pretty, of course-now she'll think the devil knows what about me, but it helped. If I started to dodge, dodge, answer "nothing, nothing" or come up with "plausible" versions, she could easily "figure me out" and submit a request to the Vigil Society so that they would follow me as a suspicious person. But in this case, even if I'm a pervert, it's just my personal business, it's nobody's business... unless, of course, I start to inconvenience other people with it... then it dawned on me that, actually, I said a big stupid thing to her. I've just been to the kids. And even though they were covered with seat covers... now this girl will think about me not just the devil knows what, but the devil knows what squared! I need to get out of here and quickly, before I get into an idiotic situation again!.. I put the wand back in my pocket and headed back. It's time to go home!
In the string-wagon on the way to the Seltso town, mixed feelings seized me. I didn't understand what was going on. It seemed like someone's vile prank. It was as if that skeleton had been deliberately planted at the excavations so that I, tempted by a curiosity, would take this thing, and I could be properly mocked. I wouldn't be surprised if an invisible drone of some geniuses like those kids is flying behind me now, filming me from the side, and its operators are laughing, rolling on the floor... an exaggeration, of course, but for a second it seemed so to me. I was in gloomy thoughts, but something strange happened on the way to the town. The wand vibrated again, and how! The whole body from the top of the head to the heels trembled and began to tickle violently. The wand, ignoring the important fact that it has no engines, wheels or limbs, abruptly jumped out of my breast pocket and hovered in the air in a horizontal position, spreading waves of fine high-frequency trembling around it. As luck would have it, the string-wagon was far from empty, most of the seats were occupied. The passengers opened their mouths in surprise. A miracle in our age is a very conditional concept, but such that a stick flies in the atmosphere by itself, without using screws, jet propulsion or external magnetic platforms - you don't see this every day. The wand gently flew around the cabin, as if getting used to a new environment. All. I can write a scientific report on the behavior of rods in natural habitat… The passengers cautiously followed him with their eyes, no one even dared to touch him. On the contrary, everyone instinctively grabbed the handles of weapons on their belts or hip holsters. The next target of their heavy gazes was the owner of this thing-that is, me.
- My little hand robot! I made a silly smile. – He needs to recharge. Don't be afraid of him. He's friendly. Squirrel! To me! Come back to me! I patted my thigh, as if beckoning to a dog. -Thou get a tasty three volts one ampere!
Why exactly so much? Blurted out the first thing that came to mind. This is the battery power of my intercom. The passengers looked at me like I was crazy, but refrained from comments and ratings. And the wand, which, it seems, was pretty bored with everything, with a loud pop, broke through the glass of the string-wagon, a meter and a half wide and a millimeter thick, brought down a fan of fragments outside, and rushed ... towards the site of our recent archaeological excavations! Yes, this place is now even visible from here on the horizon, a few kilometers away from us. Wow! The lithoplast for windows is very durable and at the same time not fragile. It is designed for shock resistance. What kind of acceleration did the wand develop from the spot? I immediately realized what had happened in the studio of the miracle-kids. They were lucky that he calmed down without doing something more serious.… After making a farewell pirouette in the updrafts, the wand, very brightly sparkling in the sun, rushed into the distance... So. I won't even ask what it was and how it works. The essence of the situation is that this mystery is about to slip away from me and it is not a fact that I will meet her again. I rushed to the stop button and pressed it before anyone had time to come to their senses... Oh, wonderful. Below us is a swampy section of the river, overgrown with huge lotuses to the very limit. The height to them is about five meters… So what? Lotuses are neither stone nor metal. I briefly ran away and, together with the voices and curses of the passengers, jumped out of the window devoid of glazing. The string-wagon swung sideways by inertia and stopped. Bright yellow sunny flowers, each meter in diameter, received me very friendly. At least I didn't break anything and almost didn't hurt myself. And it's not wet, although the water is bubbling under the flowers below. Just rolled out in yellow pollen from top to toe. It's a good thing I'm not allergic to flowers.
Screams came from the trailer. It seems the passengers were offering help. Or did they wish me to die… I can't hear it from here. Thank you, I'll do without both!.. Balancing on an inflorescence swinging over a thick stem, I waved my hand in the direction of the town, making it clear that everything was fine with me and they could safely go on. The trailer set off again, picking up speed along the taut strings.
The wand flew towards the forest path. I'll try to get to her as soon as possible. I really hope that the wand will be somewhere near the excavation site. Jumping from flower to flower like a bee, shaking off pollen on the way, I reached the shore and found a path trampled by the last expedition in the woody thickets. The trees in this forest are very different, come from ancient Earth and other inhabited planets, together they form a unique local ecosystem ... However, there is no time to admire the natural harmony. Running for half an hour, I reached the abandoned parking lot. The wand was waiting for me not far from its location, where there was an equipment warehouse during the excavation. Swaying in the wind, he pointed towards a long forest hollow stretching into the distance between two gentle ridges with granite rocks on the tops. As soon as I approached, the wand moved from its place and smoothly floated in the direction of the hollow. Movement was somewhat hampered by the tall grass that had grown here since spring. Therefore, while he was not in a hurry, I could catch my breath after a long run and walked slowly. But it didn't last long - the rod again sprinted forward with the speed of a man running slowly.
The cheeky wand takes me deeper and deeper into the forest. My not the most dexterous attempts to intercept her failed - this thing with mocking ease dodged out from under my hands, and after the fifth attempt it just floated forward at a height of four meters above the ground, wagging between the branches of trees. And I could only follow her. If I knew that this would happen, then I would stock up on camping rations in the canteen - what if she wants to go to the mountains or to the sea?
Wild animals began to meet on the way. A couple of wolves, a young bear, a Lalande shadowhunter, jumpers... all these not the most harmless animals, seeing a rushing man, wisely preferred to get out of the way. My trampling made whole flocks of birds fly up from the trees in a timid manner. Even the snakes, seeing me, hissed loudly and crawled away. Near cities, all animals are afraid of people. Everyone in this forest knew that fangs and claws were useless against a man with a pistol.
All sorts of thoughts were overpowering - from terrible to inspiring. For now, I will postpone my thoughts for later and act on the situation. Call friends? I think it's about time!
- Calling Leo! Calling Leo!- In order not to pick at the small screen of the wrist intercom on the run, I activated Leo's voice contact. Immediately his voice came out of the speaker:
- Yes, yes?
- Leo, listen carefully! Gather everyone. Camping equipment! No outsiders, even from the club! I'm moving through a Dark Hollow, northwest of the excavation site. I can't stop. I urgently need your help! Find my intercom on the map. I'm waiting for you!
- Thine voice is lost! Leo said worriedly. – Are you all right there at all? You sound like you're chasing someone.
- It is. It's a long time to explain, I don't want to take my breath away… Already shot down. There is no danger," I replied. "But I can't leave. Don't pull!
- Got it. I connected through the terminal, I see thou on the map. Wow, what a wilderness thou climbed into! Be careful, this place is full of wild animals. We'll be there soon.
I ran on. After an hour of a grueling marathon through wet, cold wilds, a call came to the intercom:
- This is Leo. We can't see thou through the forest, but we have your mark on the map. Just look up!
Slowing down almost to walking, I turned my head around. And through the free gaps in the branches and leaves, I noticed high in the sky elegant thin crosses approaching me from the left-behind, soaring in the air currents ... Gliders! Yes, gliders from the training airfield at the flight club. I recognize these thin-winged silhouettes. In guys give! They didn't bother with the highway or all-terrain vehicles. They solved the issue the shortest way! They worked perfectly!
- I see thou !- I answer, continuing to run after the wand slipping away in the branches... - There is nowhere to sit. Take me as an escort!
Only now it dawned on me that there are five gliders.
- Hey, children of the star, why are there five of you!? I told you, no outsiders! Or is the fifth glider for me, on autopilot?... Thank you very much, but where will you sit down? On boulders or treetops?... Oh, I can't talk for a long time on the run - it immediately becomes impossible to breathe…
And then a gruff, not at all youthful voice rang out, which I least expected to hear:
- Calm down, son. It's me. I hope I'm still not a stranger to thou.
Oh, my dad, Vlad Gor the elder. How did he find out about everything?
- Who blabbed?! I asked the obvious question.
-No one,- my father replied. – There is a program on my terminal, it signals if thour intercom has gone beyond the map zones I have indicated. It worked, and I saw that you ran away from the town somewhere in the wilderness. I realized that it was useless to call thou- thou will say again that everything is fine, and nothing happened. But thine sudden escape into the wilderness twenty kilometers from the city- without warning, this is a cause for concern for me.
I didn't have any decent words in response to what was happening, and because of the long, tiring run, it was hard for me to speak, and I didn't say anything. But my thoughts at that moment were obscene, at the level of the best poetic curses of the space fleet… As soon as I get home, I'll remove the navigation module from the intercom. Or I'll ask Leo to make it programmatically disabled. Just in case. And I'll have to come up with a decent explanation of where I got the wand from... ah, to hell with everything! I'll tell them the truth.
A significant gap in the green thicket appeared ahead. The wand took me to a large round bright clearing with a small lake in the middle. The composition resembled a three-quarters empty green cup of black tea. A flock of gliders took a U-turn over the lake, maintaining their formation. They fly beautifully!.. It's strange that there are no lotuses here. And the water is pretty clean for such a small lake. The wand clearly hovered over the very middle of the lake, and ... smoothly sank into the water. That's what I was afraid of. It looks like I won't stay dry today. I'm not much of a swimmer. But, the lake is small, there is no current, I will swim out if anything. At least now I'm not alone.
-Over. I'll have to dive into the water. Stay close.
- Volodya, what kind of game are you doing!? Vladik asked. – Did you come here to swim? And was it worth distracting us for that?
Should I tell them about the flying wand? Not. They won't believe it until they see it for themselves. I wouldn't have believed it myself.
- The question is serious. But you can only understand it from here. You can't see from above. My explanations will only confuse you. Just stay close. Or better yet, find a flat place somewhere and try to sit on the ground.
-It's a strange lake,- Paul remarked. – It looks like a crater. The correct form. A perfect circle. And the whole clearing is also round... by the way, Vlad, there was some kind of blink shining above the water… Have you seen it?
- That's the whole point. Look for a landing place.
I didn't undress and take off my weapon. Everything is waterproof, and who knows what is there? I stepped into the water, held my breath, plunged. Brrr! Cold! Pushing the array of water with my hands, I move to the middle of the reservoir… There's something bright ahead. Vision under water is very fuzzy, everything ripples and floats in waves. There's a circle of bright light down ahead. In the reflection of this light, the contours of the wand are visible. Curiosity and fear tied a restless battle in my soul… Not for long. Curiosity triumphantly won, pushing fear to the back of consciousness. A few strokes with my hands through the water column, and I was right over the wand, it hovered a few centimeters above the descending well. Even from here, from the water column, I can see that the material of the bright white glowing walls of the well and the rod is the same. And it's not a porthole. It is unknown how, in an unobvious way, the water column is held above the well by something invisible, and behind it, the air begins again below. I took the pistol-magazine out of my pocket and let it out of my fingers. A small heavy object quickly went to the separation line and fell inside, falling further down. Where exactly is not visible because of the ripples. But there doesn't seem to be anything particularly dangerous there. The air in my lungs was spoiling. It was time to do something-to float or dive inside. The wand moved off and floated down after the fallen pistol-magazine. It's going to fall! I grabbed her to detain her-otherwise how am I going to get her out of there? But the wand pulled me sharply behind it, and before I could do anything, I fell down, along with an impressive volume of water that leaked behind me. There was no bottom at the well, on the contrary, I continued to roll down with a slight gentle slope. The sensations of the body suggested that the descent was going in a gentle spiral. I prepared for the worst, but a smooth glowing tunnel led me into a completely dark hall, and the impressive inertia from my descent instantly disappeared, as if I hadn't rolled several tens of meters down. Water gushed out of the tunnel after me, spreading over the floor, but very quickly it flowed into the drain holes ... probably. The water had to disappear somewhere. As soon as I got up, the tunnel lit up, the brightness increased more and more and stopped at the level of shining sparkling white. I involuntarily closed my eyelids. There were no lamps or light guides, the walls themselves shone entirely. There was nowhere for the shadow to fall, as there was light everywhere. I found myself in the midst of absolute, white, eternal light, complete silence, listening to my own pulse. Only my own body, despite the more or less light skin and clothes, strongly contrasts with the endless white silence around. I squinted around. The equally luminous white sides are completely indistinguishable. Where is the entrance? Exit? Where am I? And in general what to do? Boring-the mind prompted: thou in trouble, and it's unknown how to get out of here and whether they can find thou. But the optimistic intuition claimed that such events are not accidental, and something amazing is waiting for me.
I walked up to one of the walls, holding my hand out in front of me, and after a few steps I bumped into a hard surface. It didn't have any effect… The material of the walls is very similar to the material of the wand (by the way, where is it?) and he reacted to the bare hand. However, as it turned out later, he reacted as and to what he wanted. But suddenly? He took off his gloves, tucked them into his belt and ran his hand down the bright white wall... the cold, absolutely smooth surface ... The brightness of the walls noticeably decreased. Now you don't have to squint. Hmm... ran his hand along the wall back up. The brightness has increased. Down again. The brightness decreased.
Really. I'm soaked to the skin. The intercom, however, is alive. It seems to be water-resistant not only in the promises of the Society of Technology. Only he is silent, although my friends are probably wondering where I have gone. Dad is probably already throwing thunderbolts at the entire radio airwaves, unlike the wand, wrist intercoms work with conventional radio communication via satellites and ground stations. And I am deep underground, in a structure, possibly built of a cosmic grade of lithoplast. And this thing doesn't even let gamma rays through and delays neutrinos. Neutrino survey telescopes are built from it.
It became very hot. A gust of hot wind swept over me, lasting several seconds. I probably would have fallen, but he kept me from falling… My skin and clothes are completely dry, and my already voluminous hair is fluffed up from static. Well done!
- Hee-hee! - I heard a ringing girlish laughter behind me. I turned around abruptly, walked a little forward, but there was no one in the big white hall except me.
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