2022-07-15 15:27:14
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THE OUTLAND 106
There is one promise that every person inevitably makes to himself at least once in his life. "I'll never drink that much again." My dry throat rasped, and I pushed myself off the sagging couch onto the floor.It's a mentality and a planid. When by ten o'clock the fuel began to run out, and it became more than obvious to both of us that this would not be enough, I packed up and reached the point selling underrun medicine. The new portion of the intoxicating was wonderfully laid on the old yeast, and considering that Edik offered only a standard diet without dyes and flavors from the snacks on the table....— Oh, my head!- Resurrected? My ex-boss beamed with health and smiled disgustingly cheerfully. How are you, soldier?- "Yesterday I got drunk with the Russians. It would be better if I died the day before yesterday."— Are you kidding? This is good. Hold on. - Edik removed the centrifuge from the glass of the shaker, poured the foaming white-green contents into the glass and hande
THE OUTLAND 107
Unclear. I'm just a tester-rater from the import substitution department, who only knows how to play games and, based on the impressions received, allow or prohibit trade by Russian branches of publishers.The taxi has arrived at the appointed point. The car said in a pleasant female voice. - Have a productive day.When I got up to my floor, I went into the apartment, dropped my bag on the floor, left the headset in the hallway, and sat down on my gaming throne. Saturday, midday. What else can you spend a weekend on, if not something that our department would definitely not miss? - Run DP4, direct connection.The world flared up, filled with bright colors. A cat and mouse simulator where I played the very first mouse. There was a creak in the street, a bright, deathly light flashed, and automatic guns began to speak.“Commander, Conquista has figured us out!” - Antey reported, occupying almost half the room in his reassembled exo-suit. - This time they sent two detachments!- Fighter
THE OUTLAND 108
— Rob, Rob. - Again soft knees under his head, again a cooing voice, again fingers buried in his hair. - Why are you in such a hurry? Where and why are you running as if tomorrow your life will end, and therefore you need to live the remaining moments as brightly as possible?From below, I could see only the soft line of the chin, the ripe lips that formed into a kind, affectionate smile. Everything else was hidden by straight black hair, but what I saw was enough to recognize.— Agnis? Am I dead again?“Of course not, Rob. - The girl smiled. “It’s just that you lived so fast that the world stopped keeping up with you. You recruited people for whom you didn’t even come up with names, but made them your direct continuation, knocked together and soldered them into one organism, a single consciousness, to which the decree is only your will, and therefore the word “impossible” is unknown.— What are you talking about? Where are we anyway?“We are in a place that the creator called Tranqui
THE OUTLAND 109
- Well no. Pleasant. You are like my reflection, only better in everything - smarter, more interesting, prettier. True, I still do not understand who you really are? Are you an AI in charge of game mechanics? Game master? Just a player? One of those vegetables that became the elder gods of the Tlalli world?“You already know the answer to your question, Rob. Agnis winked. “You're a human, you're Astrix's apprentice and Warkart's protégé. You just don't want to admit to yourself that you already know who I am.- I do not know. I sincerely confessed.- You know. One day you will understand that you always knew this, even from our first meeting, when I pulled off the blanket from you and drove you to work. And I'll be waiting. Her voice weakened until it dropped to a barely audible whisper. “I just want to hope that you don’t hate me after this, drive me away and exclude me from your life.- I do not know. I can't, I won't promise what I don't know.- I'm fine with that answer. But you s
THE OUTLAND 110
- We do not issue a personal certificate.“Oh, what’s wrong with you?! The girl has cyber psychosis, she is not so long ago.“That’s what they would have said right away. Who are you, relative? - The guy signed some paper, breathed on the print and put a triangular seal. - You are in the fourth department, all psychiatry is there. Third floor.Yes, relative. I took the pass and hurried to the stairs.Another checkpoint is the guard nurse. Here, too, nothing seems to have changed since the construction. It's good that Bauer did all these things last time, and I just had to wait until he rolls Edik out into the sun. I think it's fair to say that I didn't like the hospital. Although, perhaps, a direct stimulus of escapism can inspire someone to do something, but for me personally, rectangular linoleum gray caused only melancholy.- Where, to whom?- Alova. Can I see her doctor?- And who are you sick?- None of your business. I smiled politely. - I don't plan to answer the same questions
THE OUTLAND 111
"Are you sure he'll be all right?" - For probably the fifth time I asked, seeing the departing ambulance.- Calm down, Rob. Bauer pointed out judiciously. “Neither you, nor I, nor anyone else can provide better help than doctors of cyber-psychiatry.But he was released! He rested for a week, getting ready to go to work!- Discharged as he recovered. But the problem is that it takes much longer for his nervous system to adapt to the high speed of signaling. Much longer than if I had had the operation. And certainly, much longer than it would take for you, the young one, accustomed to constantly driving billions of bytes of data through the spinal cord.— And how old are you, Bauer?— Thirty-seven, Rob. I, too, belong to a generation that was not grafted with silicon and gold.Like Edik.- Exactly. Cigarette?- Thanks.We stood on the porch and, spitting on all prohibitions, all instructions and laws, both written and unwritten, smoked, and there was no one to reproach us. The import su
THE OUTLAND 112
Thanks, Fros. I croaked.“No problem, commander. If you need another blow to the head, just whistle. Fros nodded.- In general, how are you?“We scattered the people of the Conquista who were here. Antey said. “Here, several detachments roamed the streets, but you yourself remember what kind of shooters they are. Since then, they hid and remained silent. Got in, probably.“Or…” I began slowly. “They retreated to some one point, where they have the main forces, to fall on us in a huge crowd and crush us with numbers.I got into the broadcast of the battle, turned on the tactical analyzer. This is where the psi-protection began to sink in, here I looked up at Agnis in tight clothes. And here… Stop.I stopped playback and rewinded a few seconds. Here the psi-background grows, here the fighters begin to resist, here the priests stepped up the onslaught, but Manyunya quickly calmed them down. But here ... Yes, exactly. Agnis' silhouette became translucent, and through it peeped an eerie wo
THE OUTLAND 113
- What is the connection between Warcraft, Edik and Froze?— Edward? Don't you hear yourself?- Not.— Ed-War-D. When the creator laid the first lines of code at the foundation of the world, he left a message for posterity. A kind of autograph, author's Easter egg.“But didn’t the Tlalli gods emerge from that first seven in a coma?”- Only partly. Do I need to explain about Froza, the intelligence medic?- Yes, I understand, thank you. I got up and slung the puncher over my shoulder. - Take care.He opened the door... And fell out onto the stairs leading further to the next floor-tier of the Sholotli temple.No, I definitely did not know who or what built this grandiose structure, but it is definitely not a person, and not even a group of people.— Commander?“Fey, we don't clear all the floors. - I waved it off. We don't have the energy or time for this. Besides…- What?In addition, if Agnis is right, then each floor of this temple may well be part of a biome or even a separate worl
Latest Chapter
Epilogue
And then ... Everything went - as it went. And may there always remain worlds where people are lonely, where it is dark, and icteric palms of maples fall from the sky. One day Avdeyka and his mother... Aunt? The devil will break his leg in their difficult relationship. One way or another, they will definitely get there. Maybe one day they will get to the chair where my reader is bent from loneliness. Who knows, the universe is merciful and loves its children. But it is not exactly. But it is known: today the very first seven testers-gods got up from sleep. Eduardo, Shelly, Alexey, Umbra, Erebus and Nyukta, Selina. Alive, absolutely. Skinny, of course, like a spring rook, but quite sane. Shelly even tried to pick up her son from the distributor, but she was quickly explained that he would definitely be better there. Astrix also did not go away, although he got out from under the dropper. From time to time he walks into other people's dreams, treats him to strange drinks and cigare
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Rob, hurry up! Astrix's voice called. We won't be able to hold him back for long!The scarlet bloody whip in the air was overwhelmed by several multi-colored energy flows at once, trembling with tension. The thaumaturge, gaping, stopped bombarding me with new spells for a change and stared at the doomsday reigning in the sky.Who are you boy? Why did you decide that to treat you the same way as everyone else is the greatest injustice? Where did the thoughts in your head come from that people should be connected by feelings and affections, and not by common interests?I understood what all this battle was about, what the road had led to until now. The boy remained alone all his life, believing that he was just very unlucky, and that somewhere there must be friendly hands, a warm smile and hope for tomorrow - you just need to look properly. About the fact that the world is dying of loneliness, he learned much later, becoming much older.A world that didn't need a boy. A world that aband
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- Un-life. Why don't you rein in your robbers then? - I almost believed it. Nearly. “The corruption is preparing for a massive raid on the lands of the living, which means…- I know. But I'm still an avatar, my abilities are limited. And I can't go anywhere from here. To become a goddess in the fullest sense of the word, I need...— Believers! I slapped my forehead. - Well, of course. Followers, believers, own church.“We can start with the first knights. So... How do you look... - She blushed, looked away. - Well…“Become one of those ugly strategists?— Rob! You are to blame for their appearance! You can look whatever you want!- Nevermind. But you yourself understand - there is some complexity. If I'm next to you on Limbo right now, it most likely means that I'm dead. And a corpse cannot be turned corrupted. An undead connecting rod - you can, but not with Filth.- It's true. But something has changed.- Yes?“You see, two people from the same account came into this world. And one
179
"I look into my eyes ... I'll touch my lips. And what to say when I'm gone?" - Asked guitar picks over the black Icelandic beach, and the night was surprisingly warm, not at all suitable for November in the northern latitudes of Limbo.Night again, beach again. Another terrible headache.“Rob, Rob…” Nervous, sensitive fingers stroked my head. “You never get used to the fact that the body is a weapon. Relaxed, believed in the brothers on opposite sides of the barricades. That's what I got. Did you get it?- I cant. I complained without opening my eyes. - I'm tired. Why do they keep killing me? We almost agreed, almost resolved the issue.“We haven’t decided, stupid Robushka. And they couldn't. Understand that from the point of view of Warcraft, it is he who overcomes fifty years of captivity, cut off from his loved one, overcomes obstacle after obstacle, trying to reunite the family. Or at least avenge their deaths. And when he wins, there will be a happy epilogue and everyone will be
178
He dissapeared."Spider, come on!" I pleaded.A silent prayer burst out of my chest and spread throughout the Oikumene, and when there was no space between me and the fury of the avenging god, a huge black sword, literally a millimeter above my head, was stopped by a blade of sand.“You should look for an opponent in size,” Astrix smiled white-toothed.So you helped him. Ware said slowly. "It's good that both of you are here!"- And what will you do? Ban me too?- Not.Ware waved his hand, and the glow of the font parted, releasing the already familiar crystal, which contained the powers of the defeated gods. Only this one was much larger, and not empty. Zhdan froze inside him with his mouth wide open from a tearing cry!- Oh, you're a creature. Spider said softly. “You do understand that after this you won’t leave here with your own feet?”- Don't care. I don't care at all! I will kill you both!The clapping of his hands fanned the blood around him, and the magician's body seemed to
177
Closed tightly, I almost completely stopped relying on the light, leaving only my new outlandish vision. It gave the picture with spots, intersecting lines, but the brain quickly adjusted itself, and from the flickering in front of the inner gaze, it independently completed a completely three-dimensional picture of the environment. The steps underfoot seemed new, almost untrodden, although the temple itself is definitely more than two thousand years old...However, this is logical. Only a couple of dozen people have walked this road. The senior pantheon came to the Font when it was still an ordinary cave in the mountain, and, of course, no staircase had yet been built. So consider it an untrodden path.Turn after turn, the levels went past - the sacrificial altar, administrative premises, the household unit, the barracks ... Soon, according to the sensations, the ground level also passed. This was told to me by my vision, since nothing has changed in all other parameters. There were n
176
The Christmas tree backed away, and I, sinfully squeezing past it in half, stared thoughtfully at my avatar. A savage Amri, a slave by birth, a pacifist by conviction - it was necessary to manage, in such and such a world, to get a lowered pain threshold! Laughter and sin, in general, are obviously cannon fodder, which usually does not survive even the first serious battle.But they survived. And they didn't even get scars. Unless, of course, do not count those inside. And, of course, a snowflake peeking out from under the undergarments. But this is not a scar, but rather a protective mark. Okay, good time to pull, it is already in short supply.- Hey, get up! I called.The spider said something about the reunion of soul and body. But damn, how to implement it? God somehow forgot to mention the technical details - either he really didn’t know, or for him such tricks are so in the order of things that they are not worth clarifying.No answer. Of course."Get up, motherfucker!" I shook
175
- What?! I barked. - What nonsense! Xolotl is alive, I personally...- Killed her? Astrix raised an eyebrow. “Finished off what little was left of her?”But you are all alive. You, Ware, other scumbags. What happened to Shelly?- She was already unstable at the time of digitization because of the child, you understand? One and a half consciousness, working out of tune. Technique then simply did not provide for such a situation ... And now, you yourself understand. Pregnancy is a vanishingly rare phenomenon these days.“But she gave birth in those two thousand years.- Both in real life and in virtual, yes. But in real life, the process of childbirth is simply the separation of one from the other without any sacrifice on the part of the psychostructure. In the virtual, everything turned out a little differently.And who did she give birth to? Gary?The spider chuckled.- Does not give you a dream of rest, I see. No, not Gary. Who cares. The main thing is that the rejection mechanism at
174
Agnis exhaled convulsively again, but said nothing.— In general, it all started with Haang as the very first. He went to the abyss, where he deposed the archangel. Now all the Filth is in his hands. They do not touch people yet, but they destroyed one cemetery. Guess which one.“The same thing, without the ankh!” I gasped. “So there is no longer any protection between humans and the Filth!”- Right. Khaang's troops catch all living things and turn them into Filth - they accumulate strength. As soon as they accumulate enough, they move on. We have no idea where, but it is clear now: Haang will not be the only corrupted god at the head of this army. Soon the rest will realize where the game is fatter, and against the seven demons, I'm afraid even I can't resist.- Good. What we can do?- Restore balance. Astrix shrugged. — Return the ankh to its homeland, restore the lich of the plundered cemetery. Even one lich can hold back the Filth indefinitely, and if he summons a bone dragon...-
