THE OUTLAND

7

— You know, I believe analysts, I believe! - He said, looking somewhere past me. “We don’t learn anything, we keep running somewhere, in an eternal fever we absorb information, process it and add our own psychos to what we bring to others - and this chain is endless. It seems to us that the nightmare in our head is a mental activity, because it is so scary to admit that you are no better than others! Everything is on the move, on the run, monumental, really important things like principles disappear from consciousness, now opinion is more important. Have you heard the phrase "I have an opinion - you can argue with hell"? Here, we are talking about him! There are only flat one-dimensional opinions around, people do not see how they are rolling with a roar into the abyss! And all around "I", "I", "I",

- Hush, hush, Edik, what are you up to? I tried to calm the chief, but it was like getting in the way of an avalanche.

- You know, when I saw what game you were writing a report on, I climbed into the search engine, followed the links ... This fucking publisher is still alive and well! He releases his one-time crafts ... He released until "idab" bought him. So get ready tomorrow for idiotic dialogues and wonderful plot twists. People are waiting for the continuation of the "Search", and these nerds are doing another online wanker. Around only thorns, thorns, thorns, damn it, when are the stars already ?!

- Well, do you want me to give up tomorrow's game? I have things to do as well.

— No. Eddie snorted. “If you don’t take care of it, then someone from the general office will only get worse.” Excuse me for being different. I don't whine, damn it. I didn’t whine when hospitals were stormed, I didn’t whine when the state went too far and tried to put a burden on the recalcitrant population, as in pre-war Russia. I don't even now. It just hurts me how we have everything through the ass. Even now, when a drop in rating means the death of a political career. Remember how and what you were taught, child of reforms. No more than six lessons, no couples, forty minutes of academic time. What will you learn in this time? You argue... Ah

Can you tell me where you got the information and skills for which you are paid? At school? University? Himself, all by himself.

He also said something else, a big man, so diligently for the time being pretending to be a merry fellow who didn’t care about anything. And dig deeper - and everything is here, everything is on the surface. The chronic pain of loss, the despair of a person who personally observes the approaching end of the world and is unable to prevent it in any way.

He is right, new people must fight new problems. But how? Take away gadgets and glasses? Introduce laws and prohibit sitting for longer than a certain period? By force to bring people together and force them to give birth to new ones, to correct demographics?

“Sorry, but we have to ask you to leave the establishment. The waiter loomed over us like an unyielding block. Are you disturbing other visitors?

- What? Do you know who I am? Edik instantly flared up. And it went out just as quickly. “And it’s true that you don’t know. You don't need it. Come on, Rob.

He put on his jacket and got up.

“They won’t pour us more on this street, but I know another place where at least they don’t dilute beer.

Already on the street, lighting a cigarette, he leaned over to my ear and exhaled breathlessly:

- They say that in the new game they tried to solve our problem. I don’t know how they will succeed, but you must tell me everything.

- Everything is accurate.

- Good. - Taking out an old smartphone from his pocket, Edik poked the screen several times. — The taxi will arrive now, and we will continue our cultural program.

He reminded me of someone like that. Someone very familiar. But no matter how hard I tried, no matter how hard I tried, I could not remember where I could see the same manners, the same insulting familiarity in half with the eternal crying about spent polymers. I didn't have such acquaintances, I didn't. Classmates were all impassive, withdrawn children, as if by choice, parents and friends also did not differ in emotionality.

The taxi was quiet, warm, the autopilot dragged us to the next point of libations, and therefore no one prevented us from whining, swearing, washing bones to colleagues and the government. But we were gloomy silent - each in his own corner. Edik, probably, having exhausted his limits on talkativeness, and I ...

- The lock has been removed. - Squeaked in the ear, as soon as we drove a couple of kilometers from the department building. "You want to wake the implant from hibernation?"

- Not. - I said.

We warn you about the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption. Besides, you haven't eaten anything yet today - please take your food.

“Yes, yes, thank you, Mom.

- Hey, hey, wait, wait! Edik suddenly shouted, pounding on the back of the front seat.

I sighed. Brontosaurus.

“Implant, abort the trip.

- The trip is paid, do you want to cancel the order or suspend it?

- Suspend.

With a barely audible rustle of tires, the taxi stopped at the curb and pushed the door of the passenger compartment to the side.

— What is there?

- Now.

Edik jumped out of the car and ran after the figure, clearly out of the hundreds of townspeople - this one walked with a lost look, did not hold any gadget in her hands, did not wear glasses and did not look with the absent gaze of a fully connected implant carrier. Hair dyed a wild reddish-gold color and mischievous freckles visible even from here, strewn across the bridge of the nose and cheeks.

- Gray hair in the beard ...

I stayed in the car, watching how the big man, waving his arms and shouting something, caught up with the girl, stood in front of her and spoke quickly, explaining something. Two unusual things met... Edik also preferred to look with his own eyes, to perceive the world with his own perception. And yet, who does he remind me of?

I was pricked with a needle of memory - the details of the mosaic fell into place. Fros! Well, of course! A medic, an expert in handicrafts, who quietly pines for Fey, and therefore never dares to confess his feelings. Just as big, red-faced and loud.

I glanced suspiciously at Edik. Something told me that he was noted in the "Search" not only as a translator. Otherwise, why are they so similar to the hero of the game? Who drew what from whom?

- Phew! He sighed as he turned back and landed on the seat. - Provincial, got a little lost. By the way, your future colleague is transferring to the school of archivists.

- Did you get a number? I winked.

- Why? he wondered. - Better! I will write her for an internship in our department, just in time for the end of the academic year.

- Abuse of power...

Am I the boss or not? Eddie laughed. “Taxi, we continue on our way, my throat is dry!”

The door of the passenger compartment closed with a barely audible hiss, and the ornate houses of the English quarter flew back behind the windows.