2022-07-15 15:34:22
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THE OUTLAND 116
Ten.The command worked without me, without any instructions. So, will she be able to handle it on her own? Won't die, won't get into trouble?I again sent Xolotl to the floor, sacrificing another limb and, leaning on the "hole punch" like a crutch, froze in anticipation of the rise of the goddess.Eight.And the unhurried, quiet hum turned out to be Manyuni's voice, her victory song.— Nooooo! - It resounded around us, scattering, throwing on the floor.Yes, only too late - all the space along the path of the shot has shifted, including both the slab and the stone in it.The figure of the goddess puffed up, swelled up and in one leap occupied all the available space, as then, during the awakening of her husband.We'll meet again, soldier. Xolotl promised.And she disappeared.Four.And for the first time in all this time, light peered into the black hall through the walls that had become transparent. And no, the light is not the rising sun, a symbol of victories and hopes.Far, far t
THE OUTLAND 117
- Scary? A familiar voice came from nearby. - Very scary. - I didn't lie. - In the first three episodes, at least it was possible to boot, in case you screwed up thoroughly. And here what to do?- Like what? Live. “It’s easy for you to say, you’re immortal, super strong, super fast. God, in short.“And you are human. Robbie, the demiurges were people and created these worlds for people. So you are in a much better position. “Are you saying you can’t go and live in this world as a human?”- Sure I can. And after your joint tricks with Ware, it's also very simple. The main thing is to find those who want to.- And there are plenty of people who want to. I nodded slowly. - The whole world.“I can count on at least one country.- For one. Which in the end still fell.— No, brother, you do not know my fighters. As soon as they figure out how to deal with the priests, they will be thrown out of the country and out of the world. - But why?- Did you immediately master all the abilities o
THE OUTLAND 118
Glass blinkers on the eyes, a glass needle in the heart. Removing melancholy from black and white keys, I sometimes think that I, like all of us now, are just another citizen of glass. Producer of nothing from the novel of an old Frenchman who once sent the most useless representatives of the human race to a desert island. Well, what can they do there, in the wild, all these psychologists, designers, officials?The older humanity becomes, the wiser, the more it appreciates the life of a single individual ... Which is paradoxical, of course - there are more and more of us, in theory, the life of one should depreciate. But come on... ...The likes of me are unthinkable in Victorian England, in industrial tsarist Russia, or in medieval Spain. Only here, in this era, can we exist. Do nothing, produce air - and be considered incredibly valuable personnel.So once again I clench my cigarette between my teeth, jumping out into the drizzle, getting ready for an extremely hard day at work. Chec
THE OUTLAND 119
People will laugh at how little the client weighs, how it is packed. But I'm sure - they just need to download the installer, run the game - they will change their minds. As I understood from Edik's inconsistent explanations, completely new generations of games can weigh even less, because they do not require any graphic assets at all, the entire picture is produced directly by the consumer's brain. And I didn’t worry about the plot and the world at all - starting from the defense of the last base of the “Search” and until the very final assault on the Xolotl citadel, I had the impression that yes, yes, this is the same game, the same setting, the same characters.- Well, take it, curve. Taking a deep breath, I pressed the "send" button and allowed the files to be uploaded to the network.Fifty seconds even with restrictions.For now…Two thousand years have passed since then, from the Toltecs who went to conquer the east, neither hearing nor spirit. It is not known what actually happ
THE OUTLAND 120
In general, Comrade Mashko is another shot. I didn’t believe for a day that he was just a modest head of another newfangled division. Game - evidence of the era. Yet the powers that be have finally recognized computer universes as one of the art forms. It's high time - in some of these projects, the picture, design and music are significantly superior in level to similar ones from completely different genres ... Cinema, for example.And Eduard Semyonovich was in charge of all this. First, in splendid isolation, a little later, having acquired a whole staff of impeccably hardworking homo robotics, and in the end - and immediately a deputy in my person.“Of all these morons, I can only trust you, Rob. - He used to say in response to my questions - they say, in honor of what such an honor. “You are the only one in the department besides me who has shown your willingness to circumvent or outright violate the prohibitions when it comes to something important. And I need people like that.D
THE OUTLAND 121
For ersatz coffee, of course, various meal substitutes seemed quite appropriate. Caffeine pills, multivitamins and tasteless protein bars from the science fiction novels of American pessimists. But no. It's funny, of course - having rejected pickles and complex cuisine, a person still remains a hostage to the taste palette. We are not cats, we cannot eat the same food for months. So my almost cosmic diet indulges me with the taste of teriyaki, then bolognese sauce, then carbonara. But the clever Edik is not shy, he honestly drags the real sausage from the fleet, albeit from synthetic meat.After breakfast, I finished the bottle of Elita, sent the packaging of the soy bar to the trash, but put the bottle on the windowsill - the eternal plastic, although it was considered biodegradable, was still recommended by the state for reusable use. The courier will arrive the day after tomorrow, pick up thirty bottles, in return put three blocks of water with electrolytes at the door - a month's
THE OUTLAND 122
Human civilization tends to elevate its new toys to the absolute, to break the psyche of its average representative on the knee so that in the end he cannot imagine life without the comforts, services, and opportunities familiar to him. So it was with lead plumbing in Rome, so it was in electrified Russia. And, of course, this is what happens in modern times - with the Internet, home delivery, taxis and a whole bunch of other variations, getting everything without contacting people.It's even funny how individualistic society has made us all ...But I'm not talking about that. Today I stumbled upon new evidence of the era. The very first fix in the ru-sector of the "aydab" forum was capslock: CONSORT-SERVICES! CHEAP!“So you understand, right? I opened the lock and scanned the text of the message."Chaos Academy Mercenary Guild provides services for escorting, farming, eliminating or protecting any targets. Low prices, high quality, successful experience in more than twenty projects!
THE OUTLAND 123
The world took a deep breath, closed his eyes… And took a step back!When I opened my eyes the next time, I found the door wide open and three uninvited guests on the threshold. In theory, enough to get worried, right?What is much worse - the guests were lying side by side in the doorway, showing no signs of life. Having overcome a slight nausea, I leaned over them - and immediately covering my mouth with my palm, I rushed headlong into the bathroom.Whatever killed them wasn't a bullet, a laser beam, or anything else that was instantaneous. It was more like something took and displaced a certain volume inside their heads by several centimeters - there were no brains scattered by the shot, not even blood. The displaced tissues tightly clogged the wounds, which made everything look innocent enough from the outside.But, unfortunately, I knew what it was. As well as something that can create something similar.Manyunya Anthea.And, of course, her younger sisters, who served us glorious
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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
181
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...-
