– Whoever you are, even Papa Carlo! – he replies.
{ Papa Carlo – the character that substituted Gepetto in Russian retelling of 'Pinocchio' done by Alexei Tolstoy. Mentioning Papa Carlo as a Very Important Person in a talk bears a stressed sarcasm. } The second cord is faster and tries to squirm from my hands, small clips grow on its end. I catch the cord almost by my very channel and squeeze it with pleasure. The 'gloves' knock the program down without a hitch. I wish I could do the same with the 'guest', but the gloves won't work here and I'm too reluctant to use 'Warlock': it works way too powerfully, I even didn't expect such an effect. Also Unfortunate circles around the hacker, having lost all interest in me. The former doesn't notice him, obviously looking through the scanner too, seeing the comm channels only.
– Look, what do you want? – I ask, adjusting to the guest's vocabulary,
– I'm working!
– Me too.
The wooden voice of the guest irritates but it's a miracle that I can hear anything at alclass="underline" his channel's thread is thinned to its limit, the figure starts quivering, the head rolls at its side, the nose slides on his cheek but the hands become longer for that. The view is amusing and my anger disappears.
– Listen you freak… I'll have to drag you out too some day! Get off, the 'newbie' might croak!
Finally he understands that it's serious, he stops pursuing my channel but gets something like a flashlight instead and casts a beam on the 'Emperor'. Some semi-active scanning program. Let him watch, there's nothing secret in my methods.
– The customer's system under control. – whispers Windows-Home.
It's impossible to tell beforehand how will the insides of the other computer look like if one looks from the Deep, so I prefer the simplest way. I nudge the 'newbie' – he rolls down from the 'throne', sits on the floor clumsily. I take his place, take 'gloves' off and grab the orange thread with bare hands, pulling it.
– Vika, terminal!
The screen unwraps before me. A-ha… "Virt-navigator", a nice operating system but the one intended for somebody with an instinct of self-preservation, not for the 'newbie'– experimentator. It's a penny deal to turn off the timer on it.
And so this loser ruler of the galaxy did… he have already spent 28 hours in virtuality!
I'm too lazy to mingle with the timer, so I just find the urgent Deep exit file and run it. Deep program doesn't submit at once, asks for confirmation. And they call it 'urgent exit'…
The "Emperor" moans quietly and grabs his head, tries to walk towards the door. I jump from the throne, wrapping up the terminal with a wave of my hand, grab the man by the collar and push him towards the throne, ordering:
– Take the helmet off! Shut down the machine!
– I… I didn't mean to… – mumbles the 'emperor'.
– I'll mail you the bill for your rescue, – I cut him off, – exit, now!
The man's hands jerk to his head, then hammer the air erratically, his figure dims, the orange thread disappears. I take the glasses off.
The hacker under the tunnel opening is almost ghostly already, he rotates his head slowly looking around. That's how the legends of miracle making divers are born.
– Let's go, – I say to Unfortunate who still circles around the hacker, looking up into the tunnel opening, from where various garbage still pours in. – Come on!
I have to drag him away by hand, like a kid. The hacker stays in the empty hall, he's still full of curiosity. The hole in the ceiling narrows slowly and his channel will be broken in around ten minutes. Ah well, let him sort his own problems out by himself – if he's so damned cool…
The door leads us out into a small hall with seven more similar doors and an elevator shaft. Somewhere nearby the leader of red ants dreams on his throne, the wily plans are plotted by the ruler of intelligent medusas and by other game addicts…
– Why did you glue yourself to that hacker? – I ask Unfortunate in elevator but he doesn't answer.
Let him, the most important thing is that I've finally got him out of "Labyrinth", just from under the nose of two mighty corporations!
Elevator brings us to Deeptown's street, I look around. There's the AOL tower, long rows of hotels, the green of the park – this is "Giltoniel's Gardens". A-ha, not too bad: we are on the border Russian, European and American sectors of the city. Unfortunate raises his head and pronounces:
-‡">С§¤Л Ё Џ« ҐВЛ: •Я§ПЁ ‘ЁАЁГБ !
I follow his look: the colorful neon sign is glowing above the building that we've just left: "Stars & Planets: Master of Sirius". { Engl. In the original } A famous company, it's worthy to offer them diver services – the work is easy but earnings are stable.
– Unfortunate, what language is native for you?
– You don't know it, – he waves his hand.
I make a guess:
– Basic maybe?
We both laugh.
– Okay, – I agree, – You're alive, you're not a product of computer intelligence.
– Thanks.
– But who are you?
Unfortunate shrugs and studies passers by with curiosity of somebody who entered virtuality for the first time.
– Take the mask off, – I advise and pull respirator from him myself, – No need to scare the people.
– Will we go anywhere else? – asks Unfortunate.
To be honest, I have no idea myself. I was fearing a quick and energetic pursuit which we'll need to flee with much noise and blood. Then we would rush to "Amusements" immediately.
– Let's walk a little, – I decide. – Have you ever been to the Elvish Gardens?
– No.
– Let's go then. Not that it's a super attraction, but…. – I start talking, but it looks like it isn't my fate to be a guide today.
The bright rainbow flashes up in the evening sky dimming the stars, the crystal ringing is heard: a symbol of the Net-wide broadcast. It was used for only 5 or 6 times on my memory.
And I can guess what they will convey now.
– Taxi! – I scream, stretching my hand. A car stops by in an instant, I push Unfortunate inside and get in myself. The driver – a young curly-haired black girl – turns to us with a smile.
I don't have a revolver with me now, so I just pull the gloves on and knock the girl out with a fist. Unfortunate doesn't protest, he can correctly tell real people from programs.
– To the brothel "Any Amusements"! – I order and the girl submits.
The car jumps forward.
– Citizens of Deeptown!
The voice is coming from everywhere, nobody can hide from it in a cozy car interior or behind the walls of the house.
– This is Jordan Reid addressing you, the city's Security Service commissar…
I know Reid, he's a nice guy even if an American, one of those who is ready to communicate with divers and to tolerate minor offences for the sake of the whole Net's well being.
– An important message is being broadcasted… please pay attention…
– mumbles the girl.
But I'm attention itself already.
– A crime was committed on the territory of "Labyrinth of Death" around half an hour ago, a crime that is threatening the very existence of Deeptown itself. – says Reid.
Mother of God! What is that?
– Two persons, one of them is a diver, are charged of using a virus weapon of a type forbidden by the Moscow Convention. It is a polymorphic virus with labeled 'Warlock-9000', with unlimited ability for spreading.
What's this bull? Never would Maniac make such a virus!
– One of the virus' characteristics is interception of control over communication hardware. Al-Kabar Corporation and "Labyrinth of Death" are among the victims.
Now it becomes clear to me. When the fighting rivals understood that their prey had escaped, they united and charged me of everything, including destruction of the 33rd level.