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THE OUTLAND 79
I don’t know what rules the world around me works by, but since I don’t believe in blind luck or the evil eye, I find it difficult to answer directly why, in the case of Warkart’s gift, I chose the least suitable assistant, and planted in this race on the tail of the worst rival.The city was buzzing, people were talking:- You heard? The sorcerer is back!What sorcerer?“The one that dived off the Blighted Cliff.“But none of those who dived survived!”— Sorcerer. - Philosophically answered them. Probably used some kind of magic. “So it’s him being chased through the streets?”- Yes.— I don't understand anything. Why run? Can't you just take a few mounted patrols and grab him?It is forbidden. The word about movement extremely intelligibly conveyed that in any of its actions, both forces should be used - both external and internal. The inner strength carried me along the cobbled streets, and the outer strength helped me not to get caught. Of course, I didn’t grow up in this city, I
THE OUTLAND 80
— He ran to the warehouses! - It is clear that the conscious population is again on the side of the guard. - Right.I looked around in a hunted way, trying to find at least some way out of the unexpected impasse. Is it all? Will my luck finally fail me, my magician will be burned, and I will have to start all over again?No I do not want to!Noticing a gray painted door, I jumped up to it and hit it with my shoulder with all my strength. Almost broke a bone."Idiot, the door opens on itself," the voice of the director was heard. Yes, I remember that joke too. And it's true. The gray door swung open easily on well-greased hinges, letting me into a dimly lit warehouse. There was also a thick beam, ideally located on steel hinges.Well, I have a few minutes in safety. But what's next? I did not just look into Askolta to run a race with the guards. I need a ship to Exodus!True, I'm afraid it's not in my current position to roam the port and bargain. I don’t know if Rick alone is able to
THE OUTLAND 81
I woke up in the dark, under the lulling splash of the waves, feeling the floor swaying under my feet. Slowly, melancholy - up, down. There was a smell of the sea, shouts, whistling, laughter were heard from somewhere. Am I still in the box? Probably not. To hide in breadcrumbs, I had to bend over three deaths, and now I was clearly standing."Movement of the hands is limited. - The system reported. - Status: chained."“What the…” I stretched my arms forward, took a step, and stumbled upon a thick, cold metal bar. There is another one nearby. Lattice?It is not clear where to tie up with such awakenings. On the rack, under a bush, now - here, in the dark with chained hands and a sore head. Well, leaving a hero in such a vulnerable state was a lottery on either side. And I've never been lucky in the lottery. I'm sure I'm far from being the smartest, and certainly not the only one who has tried to optimize a gaming session by ending it a few minutes before midnight, and resuming it ri
THE OUTLAND 82
— Commander! - A fighter, it seems, of medium distance interrupted my thoughts. Nameless.Nevertheless, we must eliminate this annoying moment and get acquainted with the available forces.Yes, fighter?- That. Federal Laurasian Protectorate, Branch K9, Subdivision of Communications and Cyber Security. - the fighter minted.- That?— Call sign. Ashur Mitsak if according to the metric.- Well, let him be. What did you want?“I overheard your conversation a bit, and it looks like we have the coordinates for the Conquista Capital World!”- Where?— Yes, I messed around with your navigational equipment. Gorgeous technique, I must say! Taking into account Antey's map, we managed to lay the shortest route almost to the Xolotli temple itself!“Are you also impatient to bomb everything there?”Thoth's face darkened.“They brought a lot of pain.Did they shoot your dog? - Antey flaunted knowledge.Not a dog, but a friend! It's as if they took away from you and broke your Manyunya!- Hey, hey
THE OUTLAND 83
This is an old, familiar feeling that accompanies operas of all stripes - from bombastic space operas to epic fantasy. We are on the eve of the biggest final showdown, maybe not all of us will return home, but the game is definitely worth the candle. So it's time to pay off your debts, finish what you started and make peace with everyone you care about.Don't breathe before you die, huh? Now I would like to start some pathos music in the background, make a speech in the spirit of "here it is, the last decisive battle." But the fourth episode of the "long-range search" completely immersed the player in the world of the war with the Conquista, becoming a reality until the last experience. And it’s already established that at important historical moments, history does not allow for loud speeches, or pretentious poses, or a bravura soundtrack.Last preparations. Of course, I would like to immediately, headlong, rush through the Break to storm the coordination center, but even an enthusias
THE OUTLAND 84
We will. And let's start, perhaps, with the most urgent - the wound on the arm. Or rather, a dozen punctures at once, which have not yet healed. I didn't let them heal since I didn't have any other way to get some blood, but now it looks like I've put something like an anti-clotting agent in the water, and if I don't wash my hand in fresh water... well , will be bad. I already have the status of hunger and weakness constantly hanging on me, I don’t really want to add anemia there. It's easier to go back to the reef and let the microdon finish eating me.So the plan is simple: find water, find some leaves and treat the wound, find something to eat and throw it in the firebox. Nothing complicated, let's do it. Why am I making a plan? Yes, everything is simple: in such a scorching sun, dehydrated, hungry and weakened, I perceived every step on the hot sand as a kind of accomplishment! It took me about half an hour before my head aching from the heat let go - I found myself under the sha
THE OUTLAND 85
"Young man, know how to stop in time and soberly weigh your capabilities. There will always be someone smarter, stronger or more experienced than you. But think for yourself - do you need their mind, strength or experience? A person cannot know everything, cannot be able to do everything, for any acquisition you always pay with your time.Consider: do you really need skillful use of the sword, if in the time that you spend on mastering the sword, you can learn something else, often much more useful?Question everything, including these words. By imitating someone else, you yourself become a likeness and lose your own self. Perhaps you will achieve some success, but you will be forced to go through the mistakes of others, to memorize other people's tricks, not understanding their true meaning. This is the road to nowhere. Boy, always find your way. Always try on someone else's experience and the world for yourself - and ruthlessly discard if they do not suit you.“Always find your own
THE OUTLAND 86
So it's still a computational interface. But how and where did such a thing, much more appropriate in, say, "long-range search", appear here? Is it all about the teachings of the spider Astrix? What if…I darted to the very top of the heap of rocks - a new path appeared under my feet - and took the first step. The path was immediately rebuilt. Another step is a new restructuring. “Hmmm, it looks like it’s impossible to do without jewelry control here. I muttered. - But we are still the old fashioned way, as we tried before.I had a margin of time, albeit a small one, - this allowed me to sin in half, commemorating my mother, father and the Red Army, to climb the first stone, from there jump to the second, pull myself up on the ledge ...Fifteen minutes later, I settled on the highest point of the island, from where I had a perfect view of the incoming surf line and the seemingly tiny fins of microdon bastards from here.Now it remains only to wait for the local gravity to have mercy