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UNDERGROUND 110
A stammering female voice from behind reported:“My eyes see many more bloody fields. I don't know what Sivanma is up to. But how long will he be entertained by our troubles?Since the Chinese, who was standing opposite Pustovalov, continued to look into his eyes, deepening the tension with silence and, as it were, setting off a strange electric chirp, Pustovalov raised his eyebrows inquiringly, showing Dasha, who was also looking at him at that moment, a "puppy" look. The Chinese did not appreciate Pustovalov's acting abilities. Despite the acrid smell of sweat, the stench of the mouth, heavy sniffling, the black collar of the once blue shirt, the forehead wet with sweat, reminiscent of darkened dough flavored with pepper, unshaven in the form of sparse hair, as if the owner of this body had been using the female hormone tarragon in the form of large volumes for many years beer, reducing the male norm of testosterone by at least half - despite all these purely human signs, the Chines
UNDERGROUND 111
The picture appeared on the screen again, and the voice of the announcer sounded - he continued to broadcast, as if he had been telling something all this time, and someone simply turned the sound back on. This time, cheap 3D models showed a diagram of an underground shelter. Multi-colored geometric figures, cubes, cylinders, spaces, ventilation ducts, networks, elevator shafts flashed before my eyes. The announcer said that the Sisiji company provided such shelters at its own expense for almost the entire world, and the one in which they were located was called U-4. The announcer did not skimp on praising Sisiji and its leadership, exposing them in the literal sense as the saviors of mankind - well, how else? The state-of-the-art shelter is provided with everything necessary to support the lives of several thousand people. Pustovalov was most interested in the virus protection system. According to the speaker, the vault was a huge isolated space at great depths, separated by tens of
UNDERGROUND 112
The Chinese began to wave his hands, shouting something.- Everybody get up! - The girl translated. - Exit through the left rear door. Do not hurry.However, before they left the cinema, they had to witness another strange event.The riot policemen entered through the main door and some thin man with a tiny head in square glasses and a fixed grin lost in a ragged beard on an already small face. The man was wearing overalls.The Chinese raised his index finger, which was regarded by all as a commanding gesture to be silent. Then he slowly took from the pillow on the tray, which the girl had been holding all this time, an object similar to a tablet and poked it with his little finger, after which he pointed with the same little finger at the red-haired friend, who was just helping him get up.The guy was frightened and ran to the far door, but the riot police quickly caught him, one of them hit him hard on the back with a baton, the second with his fist in the stomach, so that the guy s
UNDERGROUND 113
Following the new satellite, Victor went out into an empty block, where an hour ago it was not overcrowded, and now silence and static reigned in objects that keep traces of the departed: sagging leather sofas, shifted chairs, open doors, dirty dishes and still who knows where the wind came from. leafing through the pages of a magazine left on the table. Even the staff disappeared - Victor was sure that there was no one behind the walls that hid numerous utility rooms. Perhaps this certainty is a distant cousin of the panicked fear of the shipwreck survivor who drifts on the lid of the piano and realizes that everything is just beginning. That's just where everyone disappeared, why, and most importantly - what kind of fruit is this mysterious companion of his. Victor looked at the lean man who was giving him smiling glances. It was difficult to determine his age.- Student? - Asked his companion with another unfavorable smile.- MIPT, second year. Victor answered.The thin man nodded.
UNDERGROUND 114
Larion stood, turned to the wall. I just stood there and stared at the wall.It's started, Victor thought.– Larion?- What?- What are you standing for? Victor asked cautiously.Waiting for the elevator, what do you think? Larion smiled and slapped his forehead. - Bliiin! Imagine what it looks like! Perhaps he thought I was crazy?- Well no. No, no, - Victor smiled too.- Okay, I thought!No, but you said the elevator...- Can't you see the elevator?To be honest, I don't see it.- Yes, that's the door.Victor looked closely at the wall and saw only something that looked like a door for access to communications a little larger than a window.Are you talking about this door?“Now you can see for yourself.But there aren't any buttons...“Listen, things are different here.Behind the wall, indeed, there was some kind of rattle. Larion knocked on the door and, seizing the gap with his nails, pulled it towards him. Seeing a bright white light, Victor could not stand it and looked. Yes, b
UNDERGROUND 115
- ... hey you, do you hear, I'm talking to you ... - a voice squeaked.- To me? Viktor froze in the middle of the room.- Are you dumb? - squeaked a voice. Who else is here besides us?The voice seemed to come from the kitchen. Victor walked past the wall where a window would have been located in a real Khrushchev, and here there was only a picture with a painted window, and ended up in the kitchen. The very same, familiar to everyone - a tiny five-meter kitchen, with a typical folding table, a crap stove and a Saratov refrigerator with ancient stickers and magnets on a stained surface.But there was no one in the kitchen.“Listen, little one. Where are you? Victor asked.- I am here! Here! - A voice squealed from somewhere on the side of the stove.Victor was sure it was a child. Judging by the voice, some kind of pi..duke about eight or nine years old.- I can not see you.- Yes, it's for the best. - squeaked a voice. Do you live in a wall?- What? Victor didn't understand.- You ca
UNDERGROUND 116
- Well, if security, then yes. May he pass the test! The guy is not a spy. Not a spy, are you? Hehe. We already need workers, and here is a guy with experience and technical education. Automation is on our agenda. And the man took care of it.- He is a student.“Malyok, so all the staff will run away from us,” Palych gently scolded his subordinate and, addressing Victor directly, asked:– Do you understand that this is a restricted facility?- Access Control System?Palych waved:- Not only. The identifying module is secret. But, okay, this is my headache.- But the controller is the same.- The control unit is common, but the proxy and accesses are different, - Palych sighed, - there is a lot of work, but okay, the “malek” setting will be done. You will most likely be installing the system, there is your own hemorrhoids. Can you do it?- If there is equipment, we will dock.- Good.***Dasha and Katya got into the same freight elevator with two old women and some incredibly fat woman
UNDERGROUND 117
Dasha squealed, watching how the horse's face of Sister Feofaniya's face wrinkled in an attempt to outshout her, how it twisted in pain under the onslaught of the auditory cannon, and how, finally, retreating, it merges with the rest of the dullness. Dasha stopped screaming and lay down on the bed. If everyone is insane, why shouldn't she be insane too? Katya lay head to her on the next bed.“Let's stick together,” she said.“You were right,” Dasha said softly, looking at the glass wall – up there, some important people in dressing gowns walked along the thin iron bridge and looked down at them. Like a delegation on a livestock farm.- What are the rights?We died and went to hell.Dasha noticed that one of the members of the delegation - a stout, short man in a suit that looked like a dictatorial jacket or a Japanese kimono - stopped and, clutching the railing, looked straight at her through the dirty glass.Looking closer, Dasha realized that he was looking not at her, but a little