– Are you sure?
– Lenia, all our personnel is from Russia, Ukraine, Byelorussia, Kazakhstan. What do you think, does the love towards the government or big business exist there?
– I've never noticed such perversions.
– That's my point. For your success!
We drink cognac, Unfortunate joins us. His face is emotionless as if he have sipped some tea.
– What about Cap? – I remember – This is the one who remembers me for sure!
– Not that breed. Well defined asocial type… he won't squeal on you.
– He seemed capable of much to me.
Vika drums her fingers against the table.
– Lenia… Cap always takes the red album. This is a special group, where everything is allowed. Not just chains, lashes and petty sadist's delights, but any atrocities. Murders, body dismemberment… should I go on?
– Thanks, that's enough.
– So, Cap never does anything of this. He comes to us to socialize… to talk.
– And that's how he pissed everybody off?
– Lenia, when the solid unkie orders the red album, brings the girl to the dungeon and rips out her throat screaming "I'm a vampire!", this is lousy, disgusting but understandable. It's just an illness. When a plain looking youth sits across the girl and starts a 'sincere talk' with her… when he spends money to prove her in a couple of hours that she is a slut and a dirty beast, that she doesn't deserve to live on Earth… this is much more terrible, believe me.
– Why? – Unfortunate enters the talk suddenly.
– Because it's a curse. The right to judge and the right to rule. The right for the Truth. It's easy to sort it out with a stupid person or a beast. It's much more difficult with somebody who considers himself superhuman, a clean, clever and pure one. Generals fighting for peace, rulers destroying corruption, perverts condemning pornography – oh Lord, haven't we seen enough of them? Maybe this is a kind of curse that overhangs above the mankind? When they promise order one should expect chaos, when they defend life – death comes, when they defend moral – people turn into animals. You just have to say – I'm above that, I'm cleaner, I'm better – and requital comes immediately. Only those who don't climb the pedestal and never promise any miracles do bring good into the world.
I can feel that they have become engaged seriously and meddle quickly:
– Stop! Vika, let's do without disputes about good and evil! In such a way it's possible to declare killers and thieves justs!
– You're a thief yourself, – notes Vika.
– I help to distribute information.
– And the pickpocket teaches the people vigilance. But does the single mother with many children whose purse with a whole salary was stolen need such a lesson?
I have millions of objections. I can try to explain that stealing somebody else's files is not the most important in diver's work. Hacker can be much more successful in that without even entering virtuality, and there's a big difference between stealing the data and copying it: I never leave empty computers behind. What the hell is the difference for the mankind who will be the first in producing new shampoo or cold reliever?
But I don't want to argue with Vika.
– I'm sorry, – she touches my hand, – I'm wrong.
– Why not? You kicked my butt well…
– I'm sorry… You see Unfortunate, we have fallen in the world of pure information, the world of complete licence. One can fight, lead a dissolute life, engage in hooliganism. There's no laws ready, and most important – the human mentality isn't ready. There's almost no punishments in the Deep – even if they excommunicate you from the Net, it's possible to reenter under the different name. One can get into troubles stealing data, but even here restraining norms are minimal. Go ahead and try to prove to the jury that it was Mr John Smith who stole a new game from Microprose's server, smuggled it to Vanya Petrov who released it to the market in a pirate manner with the help of Van Xo. It's a world of unprovable crimes and fake deaths. Only the pain in the soul remains real – but who would ever measure this pain that slid across the wires and squeezed your heart? We have nothing left except the moral, the funny shabby moral. And we realized that it's so much more comfortable to be a scum or a saint than a human… just a human, a real human.
– But what is that – a human? – says Unfortunate, – Just a human, a real human?
– I'd explain you, – I reply, – If I was God. Cut this out you two, okay?
– But I'm really curious, – Unfortunate still talks in a quiet, even somehow indifferent tone but there's a spark of excitement in his eyes.
– You're the human.
– Why?
Really, why? Wasn't I ready to consider him nothing more than just a cunning program? I feel confused but Vika also looks at me waiting for an answer and I say:
– I don't know. You didn't shoot people in "Labyrinth", you rescued nonexistent kid… But this is an extreme stupidity… You cite Carroll in original but the human is not just a crammed load of knowledge… You're in the Deep for the third day in a row and you're still fine…
Vika looks at Unfortunate in surprise.
– And nobody knows how did you enter virtuality… but this is not a human indication but the opposite…
He waits patiently.
– You know, this is something inside us, – I say suddenly even for myself. – You're a human for me… because I'd like to be your friend.
It seems that Unfortunate is confused.
– We're all wearing masks here in the Deep, maybe it's for the better, maybe it's closer to the truth. I don't know. When you exit into the real world, you might turn out to be a very unpleasant type. But here and now I consider you human. It's impossible to explain.
– Then maybe it's for good that I can't exit into reality? – asks Unfortunate. He looks at Vika and smiles shyly, – The thing is, I'm not a human.
Here we go again.
Insanity, part two.
Vika smiles examining Unfortunate, and my heart sinks.
– Vika… he doesn't lie. He never lies. – I say slowly standing up – When he doesn't want to reply, he just says nothing… – I take her hand and pull her from the table. Unfortunate watches us, sadly and calmly.
– Was it a joke? – Vika nods to Unfortunate questionably.
– No.
– He can't joke, – I confirm. – You really can't exit the Deep?
– No.
– Are you a human?
– No.
– Who are you?
Silence.
– You see? – I almost shout, – He doesn't reply!
– A minute ago you called me a human, – says Unfortunate, – You even said that you'd like to be my friend. Was it true?
Now it's my turn to be silent.
– You said that the truth is here and now, – he goes on, – Anyone may be himself in the Deep, without any makeup. Only the soul… if to believe in it.
– Yes! – I say, – Yes, it was true!
– Then what scares you? My confession?
I nod. Vika snuggles close and I can feel how she shakes. I didn't expect her to be so scared.
– Why didn't you tell before? – I shout.
– I told you enough, Leonid.
At this point Vika starts to laugh excitedly.
– You're crazy, both of you! You're not human? – she breaks free, approaches Unfortunate, takes his hand, – Tell me!
– What do you define by the term 'human'?
– A bipedal creature without feathers!
– I'm NOT a human.
The nightmare goes on. Unfortunate plays his games, Vika is confused and I don't know anymore how to break the chain of riddles and omissions. Computer mind is impossible! It's not time yet for it to be born. But I can't consider Unfortunate's words a lie either!
The phone ring that tears the silence is like a salvation.
Vika steps back from Unfortunate, opens the door of the sideboard. A cordless phone lies there among scattered jars, packages and boxes.