Artur Zadikyan
Parallel worlds – one. Fire and flame

A moment changes eternity. Eternity is made up of moments.

Chapter 1: In the beginning there was a thought

A moment changes eternity. Eternity is made up of moments.

– In the beginning, there was a thought. Remember, Rutra, in the beginning there was a thought. Now you don't pay much attention to it, but the time will come and it will be very important, because those who know what was in the beginning always hide it, otherwise it cannot be. Because those who know the original event, and certainly those who have done the first action in the beginning, can put the order of action together so that, by controlling all the subsequent actions, they can bring the event to the result that was originally intended. So remember these words. You can make so many things out of a word! And imagine how much can be done with a thought. Because a word can influence people both positively and negatively, both constructively and destructively. But words are always manifest. We hear and perceive them, so we can examine, understand, assume, draw conclusions from their content. Thought, on the other hand, is always hidden. But there are things that are even more hidden and unknown even to our thoughts. This is what gives birth to thought.

He said this "hidden truth" with a kind of mysterious mysticism, almost in a whisper. Then, glancing at Ruthra, studying his reaction, which he knew Ruthra was not hiding, he continued:

– Therefore, know this: there are truths that not everyone can know, not everyone can be privy to. To control actions, one must control thoughts. To control thoughts, you have to be able to give that which gives birth to thought. If you want to be initiated into this.....

He fell silent halfway through the sentence without completing it.

Ruthra drew meaningful conclusions from what was said and from what was left unspoken. Warpath, as his name was, radiated his thoughts, so Ruthra could feel them before they were transformed into words.

– You will be part of this truth, because only the chosen ones can be in this system. This truth is as old as the world, everyone feels it, but only those who see its action with their own eyes will believe in its reality. Once you are convinced of it, you will understand more than others, you will know what they do not realize. All faith is based on such knowledge (when you are convinced of the reality of what is unnatural to others), and the crown of it is faith in the most supernatural, that is, in God. It is therefore a very powerful force. But at the same moment keep in mind: you can enter this river, but you cannot get out. Now I am going to tell you something that will be difficult for you to accept, and I don't even know from which point of view it will be better to accept it – religious or scientific.

– Tell it like it is.

He couldn't see the man's face through the darkness, and he couldn't understand how he'd gotten here. Ruthra was suddenly swirling in a whirlwind of doubt and anxiety as he thought about what had happened. He couldn't remember what had happened before, couldn't figure out where he was or who was talking to him. When he looked more closely, he was astonished, almost horrified. He saw through his interlocutor. Another thought intertwined with the questionable perception of reality and the search for reasons: "How do I know his name is Warpath? I'm sure of it." Suddenly his companion reached out to him with an outstretched forefinger. His voice became restless.

– Now you'll realize what this is about, but it's false....

– What?" asked Ruthra with difficulty, as suddenly the surroundings became lighter and lighter, more and more, he was blinded… the interlocutor was disappearing.

Ruthra was the last to see Warpath's glittering eyes and finally recognized them. It made him realize what was happening, but at the same time it made him doubt his perception of reality. The bright light obscured the vision, and only Varpath's last words, coming from the depths of vast time and space, magically inspired not only faith in the reality of that vastness, but also confidence in the thought they had provoked. A thought that is that samsara, the unity and opposite of birth and death, that connects desire and idea to stimulate action. An action that can generate new thoughts that can spin the wheel of samsara, combining desire and idea to generate new actions whose meaning will be to get out of that wheel. Exit to a new circle, which is possible if the action generated by the thought, connected by desire and idea, has a point of attainment. The point of achievement is the goal.

– She's waiting in parallel worlds.

The last words of the disappearing Warpath echoed in Ruthra's ears. He was gone, and Ruthra opened his eyes. He was lying in a mind-moving machine.

***

We want our lives to be full of new, bright, unusual things. We live in expectation of it, often hoping for a miracle. However, sometimes expectations are prolonged for a long time, and we realize that everything expected will not come by itself, and then we wish for another life. Everyone outlines this other direction of life's path in his or her own way, thinking and imagining something out of crumpled desires and fantasies.

But not everyone has the strength to even imagine something bigger than their current life. Many people cannot formulate what they really want, and someone considers their small desires as a huge unattainable dream and even the whole meaning of life. A very small percentage of people decide to try to realize at least something of their fantasies. Even fewer are those who can be called the "elite of will": such individuals are able, at any stage of their lives, to change this very life and realize their dreams.

Something similar happened to Rutra. Everything seemed to be fine, his job, his status, his level in the hierarchy of power, but the stars had decided otherwise. Rutra believed in the influence of the stars (or anything from chance to God) only insofar as he could explain it scientifically, so he was morally close to the theory he had been drawn into.

It was the theory of many worlds. Few people knew that the theory about the existence of many worlds, which are copies, consequence or consequence of our world, is studied scientifically and there are quite logical hypotheses. One of them is faced by a human being with each of his actions: the state of the world now and in infinity depends on how we act. So people change the world they live in, and only because they know only the one they feel, they consider it to be the only real one. If at the moment of choosing some action several of us would appear and each of us would act differently, and then after a huge period of time all of us would meet and tell what the world has become depending on that action – then we would be able to comprehend parallel worlds in reality. Now we can only rejoice (or regret, depending on the result) what happened, or suppose what would have happened if we had managed to do something differently then, in the past.

Unexpectedly, even for himself, Ruthra found himself at a crossroads. He wanted to realize his life's dream, which was to fly to distant worlds. Not just to space, but to the very distant worlds that no one not only knew about, but did not even believe in. After all, for us to believe in the existence of life (all the more intellectual) in the cosmos is akin to the feeling of a humanoid, wild creature who realized his superiority over the animal world. It was the realization of one's status as an intelligent human being that was the sense of grandeur that gave rise to god. A god. Only an intellectually evolved being could want an intellectual parent – something greater by all accounts. Only that could have been the impetus for the development of anything whose basis was intelligence. And no matter how diverse and comprehensive the intellect changed – everything was not enough for it. That is why he was always transforming his gods, making them what he wanted to strive for. And with time he became disappointed in himself, and the gods he invented became irrelevant, "inanimate", unreal. Then the society was thrown into chaos, and in time common sense and new ideals were forged in this flame of cruelty and mercy, which led the intellect, helping to overcome the wild animal instincts and passions. Very often we receive signals that can move us to action, but not everyone sees them, hears them, feels them, and many do not want to, ignore them, more often because of the fear of responsibility before the unknown. Except that most people believe in God, which, in fact, is a symbol of the unknown, mystery, although it is personified by faith in the hope of his love for us and hope in the faith of help and salvation of us by our love for him. The unity and struggle of opposites very often lead us into confusion and are the fault of indecision. But the brave take fortresses. And if word and idea are added to it, the fortress will fall without sacrifice. Society will accept a new god: otherwise it not only has no one to defend itself against, but it sees this new god as its defense now.

Chapter 2: The Fix

Creative people, and not only talented people (each of us is talented in something, even in stupidity), always have a fix idea. And if this idea finds support in the statements of great thinkers, it turns from an idea into a goal.

Rutra has always wondered why the formula E=MC2 limits the possibilities of mankind. According to this contradictory and controversial (including the authorship) formula – bodies with mass cannot reach the speed of light, otherwise the energy must be infinite, and massless particles (there are some) can, but no more. So, at the speed of light you fly to the Moon (+/-300,000 km) one second, to the Sun (150,000,000 km) already more than 8 minutes. The Sun is our star, and there are up to 400,000,000,000,000,000,000 of them in our galaxy alone (not the largest). The diameter of our galaxy is 100,000 light years. Imagine how many seconds that is. Even if we reach the speed of light for human flight (which is incredible and contradicts all the laws of physics), it will take us 4 years to fly to the nearest star – Alpha Centauri (and back 4). To say that we, even overcoming all the laws of physics, can fly around at least our galaxy (to our neighbor, the Andromeda Nebula, 2,000,000 light years away) is still impossible!

So, Rutra had a fix idea. He has developed a program and is preparing to implement it, which will be a scientific breakthrough. First he needs to realize no less ambitious and grandiose idea, very original, fateful for mankind, incredible, but in fact, as it turned out, has a very simple solution. It is only necessary to give immortality to mankind. This incredible and seemingly unfeasible idea turned out to be solvable in one rather simple way. As it turns out, it is a very simple solution, even on a physiological level. Everything grandiose is simple. It was much more difficult to overcome the speed of light.

The idea had so strongly occupied Rutra's mind that everything else became unimportant. Obsessed with the idea, he set out to carry out his plan.

Chapter 3: The intrigue of the beginning

– You're awake, and you're not dreaming.

– What?

– Listen. This is happening in your world.

Ruthra saw the council meeting. His friend and colleague was gesticulating and talking emotionally. He saw, as if from above, everyone at once. But that wasn't what struck Ruthra. What struck him was that he saw among them a person who should not have been there according to all the laws of physics. By all the laws he thought were unshakable. Rutra saw himself.

– …However, please understand my further methodology of proposing, presenting and even explaining the project. Not everyone is proficient in this area. Not everyone is well versed in the exact sciences. Now how can I say this so as not to offend… I will be listened to, the topic studied and approved by more than just the board members. Right? That's right. And, no offense, there's a lot of people in the system – financiers, military, specialists in other fields.

– Mr. Doctor, let's get on topic," the chairman asked rather loudly and firmly.

– Okay, here I go. Everything that can be imagined exists. Otherwise it can't be imagined. The idea of the world is in the brain, in representations. The many-worlds interpretation, or the Everett interpretation, is an interpretation of quantum mechanics that assumes the existence (in a sense) of "parallel universes", each with the same laws of nature and the same world constants in different states.

The Council did not need to be told about the scientific background of the theory of multiple worlds. For the average person such a thing was perceived as a fantasy, because not everyone knew that there was a scientific basis for the existence of parallel worlds. There were several explanations, among them – the Copenhagen interpretation, Everett's many-worlds interpretation and other similar ones. The point is that the scientific community studied this issue, so no one could take the speaker's words lightly. Everyone tried to understand how it was possible, knowing his past, no less fantastic ideas, which still managed to materialize.

This time he stated that indeed there are these parallel worlds, moreover – they are an exact copy of ours. As proof, the scientist cited quantum teleportation. Since not everyone to whom he presented his program understood the subtleties of his reasoning, the speaker made detailed explanations.

– Now a little scientific justification of cloning methods, digitalization of memory and existence of other civilizations that exactly repeat our world. For example, everyone knows about animal cloning and the technique of rapid breeding of, for example, broiler chickens. This is how, by slightly transforming the technology, we make human clones. A person is "created" within a year. The next stage is loading consciousness into him. It seems incredible, but it's much simpler than that. This is achieved by recording the brain radiation and then converting this radiation into a form that affects the chemical reactions in the brain. In this way, one brain state is transmitted to another. After all, you are not surprised when your thoughts, converted by you into words (and scientifically into waves of sound), travel to the ear, from there to the brain, and there cause the desired reactions. You can read about the existence of brain waves, their transmission to the apparatuses in the network. For example, you can use your thoughts to type what you read. Not with words, but with thoughts. All this is already real. Now the question is: Are there other worlds? This can be answered in terms of both religion and science. It's a win-win to convince you. Surely you either believe in god or science, and most people believe in both in different interpretations. So, let's take an example from the Bible, and in almost all known religions there is a mention of other worlds: "And the other inhabitants of the universe have not fallen". And the scientific example is based on probability and imagination about infinity. Here you are, can you imagine infinity, for example, of time and space? Whatever magnitude you imagine – there must be something beyond it. From this follows a logical conclusion: there is everything in infinity. And if you have doubts now, it means that you have imagined the smallest part of this infinity.

Chapter 4. Where am I? Who am I?

"Where the hell am I? I was in the center. Is this the real world or virtual reality?"

– Irene, you on the line?

There was no response.

– Irene, are you there? Where am I?

"Yeah, well, maybe the doctor was right. And yet… how to check whether it was his trick, a joke, a virtual reality, or really, damn it, it worked out. It's an understatement… Am I in a parallel world? Is it parallel? Once people could not believe in the existence of other lands, much less continents. And the existence of different races, nations, round Earth, which in addition moves around the axis and, quite surprisingly, around the Sun, it turns out, was no less fantastic. And the end of the atmosphere and further endless airless space could not be imagined at all. So it only seems at first that the existence of other worlds is something fantastic. It's not. It turns out to be simple. Or maybe it's a virtual reality? Maybe this is Earth, and what's going on is Parmen's prank. After his prank one can expect anything, and after the incomprehensions with virtual worlds in my last job, I have serious doubts… A person living in Africa, for example, in the Bronze Age, who had never seen snow, would be transported to the Arctic to the Eskimos. They would wake him up and explain that the world is round, there is a moon and planets that revolve around the sun, these are earthlings like you, and so on. What would he think? He would have thought he was crazy, or still asleep, or a prank, or dead, or in another world. Lots of things he would think, and the hardest thing for him to figure out would be how it was that the Earth was round. So now… it seems logical that there should be other worlds in the infinity of the universe, it seems logical that life should originate in the same conditions as it already did, that is, develop in a similar way, but it is very hard to believe it, especially to believe that you are there now. Just like an ancient inhabitant of the Earth. For whom the world is the outskirts that he sees from a distant hill or even a mountain…"

Rutra's musings were interrupted by a policeman.

– Paschow, out.

"Well, I've had a bit of an accident. I wonder what role I'm playing here…" – Ruthra thought, having already convinced himself that there really were parallel worlds and that he was out of the cage. The guardian of order walked forward. Ruthra followed him. "That's strange," he thought. – He should handcuff me first… or there should be two of them, one in the back and one in the front. But really, I wouldn't know. Especially in this world. Or this is our world… There's no difference yet."

– Rutra Tigrovich, go directly to the Admiral's office. Today he's in the office without a sign, the secret one.

Ruthra was about to ask where, to whom, and why, when he realized that something was wrong. The policeman had been very friendly to him, and it seemed that the place where he was to go was not a hostile place.

Soon he saw the mark of a removed sign on one of the doors. He knocked. The owner of the office himself opened the door. In the spacious room at the entrance stood a tall, blue-eyed, blond-haired, statuesque man.

– Hey, buddy. Enough lying around in sanatoriums, it's time to get down to business," he began.

Ruthra tried to contact Irene silently. She wasn't answering. He needed information. He didn't understand what was going on or how to behave, much less what to answer.

– It's time. What's the plan?

– The plan is the same, but we'll change it a little, and we'll need to add more men," the man spoke a little quickly and, as it seemed to Ruthra, even with some apprehension. – I'll send all the input and disposition data over the alternate communications system. Irene is under control and on lockdown for most functions for you. All the more reason for her to keep quiet and not give you any data.

– Can artificial intelligence be persuaded?

– Rutra, are you brain-dead from the daily marathon to the TV tower?

– Uh… I don't think so. Must have been a heavy sleeper.

Ruthra was about to ask what the TV tower was, but stopped just in time.

– You did it yourself, and they realized it. Although you and Irene are on very good terms, she'll tell you in confidence.

– Got it.

– Be careful with Yat-san. She's undecided about her role, she's always under the influence. She's also very peculiar and can change her mind at any time. And she has a problem that she thinks about more than the case. Jules has a problem. She plays three sides. And she's willing to play the fourth.

– Oh, shit. Who's that?

– The first party is you. You have a theme with her. The second story is between you and YatSan, she's doing diplomacy. And is constantly in touch and conspiring with Petty: periodically we record a deeply encrypted communication with Andrian.

– With Andrian?

– Why is that particularly surprising to you?

Ruthra needed to show awareness and keep the conversation going, even though he didn't know any Andrian or any of the people in question. For some reason, he felt this was the right thing to do. Perhaps it was a subconscious memory of the person whose body his consciousness had entered in this world.

– Andrian is not inclined to conspire.

– She must have asked for it very much. Maybe it's for your own good. At least that's how she presented it to him.

– How?

– I don't have time to analyze it. There's nothing special there. There are topics related to YatSan. Your personal and work relationships are a bit tangled.

– The program requires complete trust, and there is no way to do it without personal sympathy.

– Your sympathies have crossed some lines.

Ruthra thought, "What's the deepest thing he knows about… And what in the world could I possibly have done?"

– What about Catherine?

– Catherine is calm, stable. She doesn't mind having an affair. Quite the risk-taker at heart. Loves to get her adrenaline pumping. Hang gliding, skydiving. You wouldn't know it from her passion.

– She's in a secret relationship with who?

– You should know that yourself and report to me. We are preparing you there, after all," the admiral said the last in a whisper and pointed his finger upward. – She's in touch with everyone, but I can't call them secret. She's sort of facilitating their plans.

– So what are their plans?

– It's likely that Andrian will tell you everything at some stage. And Irene… and probably something in Catherine's secret. Iulia and Shallow are dangerous. You can expect anything from them. Most of all, Eulalia. She uses everyone.

– I wonder how.

– She's got a gut feeling, or there's something we don't know. Maybe there's a leak. It sounds to me like you're being friendly and overly trusting. A woman is still a woman. A fish seeks the deepest, a woman seeks the best.

– I obviously missed something.

– She knows… and most likely from you, even if in passing… indirectly you mentioned it.

– About our program?

– Yeah. About what we're cooking. About what we are preparing you there, – he said again in a whisper and pointed his finger upwards. – The people are ready, the Kantemirov division, by the way, too.

– I tried to keep that little guy away from me.

– But you first let Iulia get close to you, and then you let YatSan get even closer. They were all in doubt then, but now that the prospect is looming, they have become more active and are ready to make any kind of conspiracy.

– How does this threaten the program?

– Have you been drinking too much? I don't think you've been drinking. I don't need you to explain what power is. Especially power in Russia. We don't know who they're connected to or who's behind them. We've got our eye on Chalky. He's very dangerous. Sit down, why are you standing up like a soldier? Let's have a drink to celebrate the victory. Although we don't celebrate in advance… Then let's start.

Ruthra didn't quite know what was going on, and only the television on was telling him what was going on. Four sectors of the screen were showing simultaneously. Demonstrations were going on in Moscow. People were walking mostly peacefully. They carried banners, sang songs and shouted into megaphones. Sometimes singers, actors, creative personalities, politicians and scientists performed in the squares. The main theme boiled down to distrust of the past elections. The theme was unambiguously clear. Everything spoke about it: both the banners and the voice message. The main demand – give change. Many people were repeating a learned and invented cry: "My grandfather lived under stagnation, my father under stagnation, I under stagnation". And from the tribunes and squares they were saying: "Volodya, go away. Volodya, go away for God's sake. Volodya, you're our friend, but the truth is dearer. Volodya, go away with a calm soul, there are still smart people in Russia, imagine that".

And the main thing that caught the eye was: "Rutra for president!" It was often accompanied by an "e-e-e-e-e", especially in shouting. Or often, "We don't need agents – Rutru to the presidency.

Ruthra was genuinely surprised. The Admiral noticed him staring intently at the screen.

– What are you looking at? Let's go to the armored car. It's a tradition. The throne must not get cold in the Kremlin.

Ruthra realized, in this world, events went very differently. He cared about everyone's role, overt and covert.

– What do Petty and Jules have in common?

– I'm telling you, Julia is the most dangerous. She's in touch with everyone, she's got all the channels of communication, she's got her own agenda. She planned to get her way first, directly through you, and then something went wrong. You said it yourself. You couldn't load her up, or she was just being a ponce. It's your Bonapartist methodology that often scares people.

– More like Caesarianism.

– Come, see, win?

– I wish I could.

– So go ahead, everything is ready. Dare to be responsible to the people? The people don't want what they have, they want something new? So take your pilot to the parallel worlds. Your inventor of eternal life, the one who gave you thousands of faces.

Ruthra felt a twitch, both at what was on the screen and whoever was watching. He decided to play along, as if he knew everything and was aware of everything. He thought to himself: why did he send his consciousness without checking the technology… he couldn't even answer where he sent it… And yet he hoped that it wasn't the real world, that it was a virtual reality. And if it was real…

– IuLia is indeed conducting diplomacy between me and YatSan, except now I'm wondering with what interest. She was probably using me, Petty, and YatSan to get something for herself.

– Oh, great. Finally. And it's the right thing to do. Yeah, yeah. Why, is someone doing it wrong? She's soft. I've listened to a couple of her conversations. Yes, it's true that she's breaking your relationship for her own benefit, but you were good, you didn't back down, and now she, realizing that she's going to lose all contact, has decided to fix your relationship, your relationship… between you and Petty, and most importantly – between you and YatSan.

– And he's not afraid.

– Why should she be afraid? She's careful. She says this, she says that. She smiles at everyone. And best of all, you're one of her best friends. She feels your shoulder. Just a little bit, but she feels it. And that's important to a woman.

– You say that, Comrade Admiral, as if you've lived through it yourself.

Ruthra laughed a little. The Admiral, on the other hand, looked at him dumbly.

– What are you, Rutra? Have you eaten too much bleach? What's wrong with you? Comrade Admiral? A tease? Or are we at an official reception? Who is Uncle Misha to you? Admiral? If so, I'm beginning to doubt my faith in you.

Ruthra realized his ignorance of his position in the world. When he came to his senses, he presented it in a joking manner. He sat down beside him and said in a friendly manner:

– I've been fuming, I thought maybe someone was bugging me… I was waiting for a signal from you… I'm dumb again. I was waiting for a signal from you.

– It's all right. We had, have and will have power. We'll always come up with some system. The main thing is to give the asker the opportunity to ask. It is not necessary to do everything yourself, you can inspire others that it is good, so that they do it. For example, religion. After all, people themselves want to open churches and the like, they themselves want to give donations. The second option is communist, to take or build everything with the hands of the people, who own nothing. To manage everything with the help of offices, they say, if something is wrong, the capitalist will come and make you work, although people themselves want to work, because they are already workers, and so there is at least an option to become owners. The third option is not to instill anything religious, but just to say: you have to pay taxes to make medicine, army and education stable. Now I'm interested in this device of yours – a time machine simulator. What is it?

Rutra's brain paused for a second, trying to figure out what to say, as he suddenly "recognized" the subject. Not only that, but he realized the truth: "I didn't think of anything new there. I knew everything here too. And maybe it's natural".

A little more at ease in his chair, he began to explain in a friendly tone.

– A time machine is such a virtual reality device where you can meet a digital copy of the dead and, based on a simulation of their actions, live some period of your life with them.

– Holy mother of God. You'd have to imagine such a thing and do it. You're a fantasist. It's not for nothing, it's not for nothing they kept you under the hood. We knew what you were doing, what you were working on. Yeah, yeah. We've been watching you.

Ruthra scratched his head, thinking to himself: "Well, tell me what I've been doing here." To his delight, Uncle Misha "confessed".

– When I was developing a mind-to-photon converter and I didn't want to tell the authorities. Those authorities. You wanted to go to another country where you'd get paid. You didn't go online, yeah, only your computer was connected to the net. It didn't matter that you didn't send e-mails, we could see everything. You've got a nice twist on it, though, nice. And that life-extending, rejuvenating technique of yours is a masterpiece. I said, I said, let's pay, we have such a man. And they decided that only they should reign forever. So, dear, that's the way it is, I protected you, I helped you, now it's your turn to take care of Uncle Misha. Let's have a drink and, as they say, let's get started.

The Admiral pulled two shot glasses and a bottle of cognac from the nightstand.

– Let's start with the bartender thing. We have to get into character. The people like to live richly, and a greedy president makes the people miserable," he raised his glass, signaling Rutra to do the same.

They drank the tonic drink in a gulp.

Uncle Misha waved his index finger in the air and continued, it was clear, about JULIA.

– If you've got a team like this, don't let us down. You're protecting them everywhere. And they're running around here.

– You said it yourself, it's normal.

– It is normal if she wanted you personally, and then already, having made a bet on you, to take advantage of all that her man has achieved.

– Isn't that right?

– Someone who runs and looms constantly between the wharves will run away from you too.

– Maybe she wants to find her final resting place. A safe harbor.

– Maybe, but definitely not a quiet one.

They laughed, both of them.

– There's YatSan. She's different, give her a good berth and she'll become a port director.

They laughed again.

– What would the other one do differently?

– Yeah, I guess so. And that's the right thing to do!

He said the last thing again, raising his index finger up and shaking it. Then he filled a shot glass with the brown liquor, the aroma of which was already wafting like gin around him.

– Iulia is the most… one of the most active participants of the program. And for all her faults, she's the anchor. You can count on her. And she wants fame and money, yes. I agree with that, in a way, as you said.

The admiral looked at him questioningly.

– Well, that it's the right thing to do.

– It's the right thing for everyone. But won't she defect? And let her know that you're only friends with her. If you've got a thing for Yat-san, let it be. Just make your positions clear. Don't let anyone get their hopes up, and if you've given hope, go all the way. Like the people, if you give hope for change, then go for it. You think people are magic, you think they're easy? Or do you think they believe that you will give them paradise? No, of course not. Everybody wants a chance. A chance to try something, to prove themselves. Among other things – your Iulia has themes that she has with other members of the group. I'm talking about the groups that include Petty and YatSan.

– What's she doing?

– She uses them purely to accomplish her goal.

– Who else?

– She has a few faces that YatSan is partially aware of and Petty is aware of others. Like, some of them are known to both of them, and some of them are known only to one of them.

– Oh, boy.

– She has another friend. She's a pretty good-looking person. It's hard to know what they have in common. We've got her on file under the code name "alien." Let's have another drink – and go ahead, the people are gathered at the entrance, waiting for their hero of the struggle against the regime....

Rutra left the police station accompanied by two sergeants. A large crowd had gathered outside, shouting and throwing bouquets of flowers over the fence. Many clung to the iron bars of the fence and shook it, shouting, "Freedom to the Messiah! I want eternal life!" The policemen, frightened by the crowd, did not escort him to the gate. As soon as Rutra stepped outside the compound, they put him in a chair stylized as a throne, lifted him up, and carried him in their arms. Ruthra couldn't understand what was going on, and more importantly, what he was being honored for. Suddenly there was a sound in his head-it was Irene's voice.

– Good afternoon, Rutra Tigrovic.

– Hi, Irene.

– How do you like it here?

– What do you mean, here?

– It's me, Irene, from the Sphere organization.

– How's that?

– I temporarily blocked their AI, their artificial intelligence, my copy, Irene local.

– How?

– You are in the body of a local Rutra, one who lives in this world, he had a connection to Irene. The bond of entangled couples is still intact. I'm actually there at the Sphere facility.

– I'm really confused. Is all this real? Is this an experiment? Are these worlds real?

– Listen to what I'm about to tell you, memorize it. You are a famous scientist and public figure. You have many patents and inventions. Your main discovery and invention turned people's consciousness upside down. For many years you have been trying to get authorization and government support for your rejuvenation method.

– What's the method?

– You have cloned a human thymus gland and are successfully transplanting it into the elderly.

– What's the effect? Are they getting younger?

– Yeah. (chuckles)

– So what?

– People stopped dying a natural death.

Ruthra was shaking, afraid he would fall. When he heard that, he was terrified. Where were they carrying him, and more importantly, who were they? They were young men carrying him. He tried to take a closer look at them. Not knowing the fashions of the world, it was difficult for him to determine the age of these people.

– Where are they taking me?

– There is a social crisis in the country. The country is on the verge of civil war. The authorities have banned your method, classified it and used it for their own purposes.

– How?

– It was discovered when they identified the spies. They were rejuvenating the recruits.

– It's not hard to guess that it didn't take long to convince him to become a spy in return for rejuvenation.

– You're right.

– What's next?

– Foundations and movements have emerged in other countries to bring the method to light.

– No deal?

– No deal. It was only in each other's best interests that the powers that be. It blew up the world. You realize the advantage it gives to some over others. The world is on the brink of nuclear war. Everything's very tense. You've been under house arrest. The second swallow flew out when the admiral you were talking to made public information about the secret center "Sphere", where a narrow circle of people from the power structures and oligarchs were doing this transplantation. There is a secret organization "Sphere" in this world too. Rutra Tigrovich, this is your theory put into practice. The worlds are parallel, many things are the same here, and some are exactly the same.

– Did the authorities know how to implement my methodology?

– Yes, they seized all your materials, documents, designs. Besides, they let you do your work at first. You have a team here. How you two met, I couldn't discern from past events. I only found your connection to her in some kind of group intellectual game called "Jagodzinski's Pranks." Your team helped you, in addition to the medical professionals.

– What's the point?

– I can't determine that for sure. You're constantly purging all databases, archives and history. I just found your discovery materials, cloning and transplantation techniques in a certain Iulia's database. All your know-how.

– Who is she to me, why did I give this to her?

– You're good friends. She's also a friend of Yat-san, with whom you have a complicated relationship.

– How complex and how did it affect events in the country?

– You were in love with her, and before that you were warm friends with JULIA. JULIA was jealous of your friend and tried to ruin the relationship.

– How do you know that?

– I copied all the information from their brains. Or rather, local Irene did.

– What's the bottom line? Where are they taking me?

– Can't you see? They're taking you to the Kremlin. The security services, having learned the truth, have come over to your side.

– What truth?

– About what I've already said. The truth that the Admiral told me.

– And now everyone wants to transplant their thymus?

– That's right. The admission of the existence of a conspiracy from the security forces had the effect of an exploding bomb. The public was already tense. You had previously announced and demonstrated your discovery. Then you were placed under surveillance, under house arrest, your contacts were restricted, and by editing a video in your own name, you denied your discovery.

– What now?

– Take power, sign the decree.

– Which one?

– That your patented methodology you authorize the use of.

– Patented?

– Yeah. (chuckles)

– It's cool in here.

– There's some bad news.

– Like what?

– One of your close aides you gave partial access to the local Irene's settings.

– And who's that?

– The control system here is more multileveled. There is not just one administrator connected to the supercomputer's intelligent unit, but 7 more controllers.

– How's that?

– On a well-known principle: we, for example, have one administrator connected – a real person Iren, and here there are several such people.

– You were named after an administrator. Why is the supercomputer here also named Irene?

– It is possible that you will connect with us, but the name will remain here. The worlds are parallel.

– Who are they?

– These are the individuals the Admiral was talking about. You hooked them up.

– Why them?

– You ran tests on them and decided

– What tests?

– Without their knowledge. It was an intellectual game.

– So it was a game and I was checking them out?

– Yeah. Mostly communication skills.

– Where are they now and what's the bad news?

– I told you: you gave one of your assistants access, other than locking her out in case of insubordination, to the settings.

– Who is she and what is the direct threat?

– It's someone…

Ruthra could not understand what was being said. The jubilant crowd carried him across Red Square to the gates of Nikolskaya Tower.

Through the static, Ruthra heard:

– You are about to meet them, they are waiting for you inside," then the noise in his head went again.

Rutra paid attention – there was no mausoleum. He was carried into the Kremlin shouting: "We have won! Down with the golden billion – give us the golden trillion". At the entrance to the Senate Palace an improvised tribune was organized. Rutra was invited to make a speech. Here he lost it. He could talk colorfully. He used every fantasy in the book. He said that the world had turned from darkness to light, that the moon was now a place for a walk, that we would fly to parallel worlds for a vacation, and many other things. And when he said that eternal life and victory over death had finally been really achieved, the crowded square, and perhaps the whole world, because the broadcast was on all channels, "exploded" in jubilation. Rutra's body shook with excitement, her fingers shook slightly, and her voice trembled.

– Rutra, you did good, you didn't back down.

Suddenly a lady took his hand, a little swarthy, more like from tanning, with rich black hair and the same color eyelashes.

Ruthra thought quickly. He mentally commanded the supercomputer.

– Irene, urgently upload a photo of this company or support group of mine. I still don't know who they are.

The answer surprised and even frightened him a little.

– Unauthorized entry is prevented. The system operates under the full protection of the group.

At the same time, images of three ladies and two men appeared in his mind. This madam was identified as Iulia. Ruthra looked around: security had cut off the crowd, only a few stood in the inner circle, among them the announced people, except for one man, who was listed as Petty. It was understandable: they were among the special proxies, but the regulations and rules were binding on all. Security, though it let Iulia through, still insisted on going back.

– Irene. What do you mean "unauthorized entry prevented"?

– There was a temporary seizure of control by another system.

– Which one?

– Another AI system.

– Where did it come from? – Ruthra asked, almost biting his tongue.

Most likely, he was talking to a genuine "local" Irene. It made it difficult to understand the situation and the world his consciousness had entered. He remembered the Admiral's words.

– Who has full access to the lockdowns?

– All participants in the Ribhu program.

– What's that?

– Rutra Tigrovich, this is your program for detecting parallel worlds. Detecting and transferring human consciousness from our world there.

– Wow. I wonder where they move from here. – Ruthra said, more to himself than to her.

– You haven't sent anyone anywhere yet. At least not under my supervision. Unless, of course, you've hidden something from me.

– Who are these "Ribhu" participants?

– Rutra Tigrovich, according to my information, your organs are functioning normally.

– And why did you say that? Think of it as me getting a little laid or doing a search on demand.

– Yes, sir. Your participants are the team you recruited for the Ribhu program: Katrin, Andrian, IuLia, and YatSan. After the initial tests on the clones, you introduced one additional person into the program, code-named Petty. He has virtually no access.

– Who has the highest?

– You, without consulting the board, gave high access, including the ability to change settings, to a person who was classified under code name 101.

– Am I on the board here, too?

– You're confusing me. What do you mean, "I'm here, too"?

Ruthra realized his mistake, though he was more frightened not by the question, but by the supercomputer's supposed ability to read his mind.

– You need to go inside. You need to take the oath of office and take over the government.

– Take an oath?

– Rutra Tigrovic, what's wrong with you?

– What about advice?

– This is your research center. You are the head of the Sphere Research Center, where decisions are made collegially in a council.

A man of sturdy build, with a thoughtful look, came up to Ruthra, stood in front of him, and held out a book with both hands. It was the Constitution. Rutra realized what was happening. He placed his right palm on it and mentally addressed Irene.

– Remind me again what I'm supposed to say?

– You must sing the anthem, then say: "I serve Russia."

Ruthra thought, "Isn't the hymn exactly the same as ours?" And it turned out to be true. After singing the anthem and saying "I serve Russia" loudly, Rutra was led inside the building to the president's office. On the way, the man who held out the Constitution whispered: "…He is now under house arrest." Already in the office, Rutra learned that he was the former head of the former president's security service; he did not inquire how and what had made him former, but instead, as if by the way, inquired as to the date and whether his staff had been issued passes with him. The chronology of events was not long. The main events unfolded in the last year. His team was allowed into the Kremlin and had access to all related institutions. It was they (why – it was still unclear to Rutra) who had been chosen by him to control the lockdown of the supercomputer.

They brought in terminals to control the Central Bank and the stock exchanges, a terminal to control all means of communication, and a terminal to control the strategic nuclear forces. They began to reprogram them with his data, including fingerprints, retina, voice and special code symbols. Suddenly, during the programming of the terminal by the strategic nuclear forces, there was a system failure. The terminal began to vibrate and emit an audible and light signal. The security chief's hands shook. He shouted:

– Get the Secretary of Defense to block it!

Ruthra was also taken aback.

– What's going on?

– The system has entered the number one standby position.

– What is it? Why?

– It took our reprogramming of passwords as a system takeover and is requesting the previous persons it is set up to.

– The President?

– Him, the Secretary of Defense and the Chief of Staff. Any one of them. Only the three of them can initialize the launch. One of them can't.

– And the lock?

– If one fails, there's a lockout.

– The minister is gone, he changed his appearance and escaped. He was among those in a group of his own. Soon he will be younger, we won't recognize him at all without the program. He's with a new life," an officer who ran up to the head of security reported to him.

– How? Ah. They were in the clan of those who used your method," he said to Ruthra.

– The body of the president has been found," another officer reported.

At that time, the general siren started howling. Everyone was very excited, constantly contacting someone, running around. Rutra and the crew were excited. The ladies were scared. They did not fully understand the essence of what was happening. Rutra ran up to the head of security who was yelling at uniformed officers, sailors, captains of the first rank. It's tradition – they carry the so-called nuclear briefcase next to the president at all times.

– What's going to happen? Can't it be stopped? – Ruthra asked him in a low voice.

– It's querying all systems. For some reason, our supercomputer isn't responding. To be more precise, it has blocked communication between the Cheget, Kazbek and Perimeter systems. The system, not receiving a response, considers them captured.

– How could this have happened? How did it block itself? There must be outside interference.

– It's getting late! – he shouted. – You must sound a general alarm. We can't stop her. She's launching nuclear missile systems that bypass all the lockdowns.

Ruthra's voice trembled; he realized the provocativeness of his question and asked it nonetheless:

– What's going on? Is all this for real?

Everyone came, and amidst the clamor, Ruthra's serious question was the one that interested everyone. Suddenly there was silence. The Acting Chief of Staff of the Ministry of Defense said quietly and calmly:

– It's unbelievable, but the tech shows it's happening. Look at the screen, it's already issued targeting orders, so it's activated the RYAA-01 protocol!

– General evacuation! – shouted the head of the guard, and his shout stabbed a dagger through the ear into everyone's brain. – General evacuation! – he continued to yell.

Then ran over to the communications lockdown terminal, switched it to broadcast mode, and walked over to Ruthra.

– Get in the chair. You must sound the alarm. Open the safe.

– Which one?

– Oh, shit. We haven't transferred the locks to you yet. We need to open the package.

– What the hell is going on? Were you expecting me?! – Ruthra was yelling now.

There was no one left in the office anymore except for the crew, two naval officers, the chief of security, the chief of staff, and two members of the president's security detail.

– Mr. President, you're not prepared for this turn of events, and we're… We live in this, in daily training. You need to be evacuated to a secret underground bunker. Just give me a quick message: "Alarm has been sounded, possible nuclear strike throughout the country." The troops have been ordered. War has already begun. NATO is launching a retaliatory strike.

– What are you saying now?

– Mr. President! It's more serious than that. If the world was going to end, it wouldn't come on schedule. We have to go by the book.

– Go ahead, you're on the air.

– What the hell?

– Speak up!

Somehow Ruthra's memory had magically cleared. He remembered what was required.

– Dear citizens of Russia, an urgent message to everyone! Please remain calm, but at the same time I ask you to hurry. A nuclear strike on the territory of our country is possible. You have 30 minutes. Please don't panic. Communications will soon be out of service. If there are civil defense instructions, follow them. If not, try to stay in the building, close to supporting structures, away from glass. In a direct hit, there is no way to escape. In the general hustle and bustle, more will die in the crush. It's impossible to put everyone in a bomb shelter. Our hope is in God and the air defense system. Try to stay out of open spaces. The explosion is likely to be airborne. That's why heat and light waves are the most dangerous. The electromagnetic pulse will disable all electronic devices. Turn them off beforehand…

– That's it, that's it. The civil defense headquarters will tell you next," the head of security almost demanded, waving his hand.

When the airwaves went off, Rutra, having already entered the role of president, asked sternly:

– How could this happen?!

– This is not the time, please. Let's go," the security guard said pleadingly, grabbing his arm.

– The team is coming with me," Rutra stated.

– I'm sorry, of course, but they were admitted at your own request and by permission of the former president, only because you hooked them up to a supercomputer to control the cloning of the thymus gland. The president's clan made great use of it, and they made great business out of it too.

– All the more reason I need a team.

Ruthra first intended to ask them about the method the security officer had mentioned, and what had happened before.

They ran to the next room, the head of security opened the entrance to the elevator, where everyone entered… and rushed into the depths of Moscow's underground.

– Rutra, thank you, you're a true friend," Iulia said already in the elevator.

– Thank you, thank you," Andrian and Catherine repeated after her.

Only YatSan remained silent. Rutra looked at her. She was a lovely creature of about 25 years old. She was a thin, frail person whose eyes hid a gentle longing with a sly fury. She looked at Ruthra shrewdly, but at the same time with a hidden request, as if she wanted to say something… or wanted Ruthra to realize something for himself. Her gaze penetrated his mind, began to carry signals. Ruthra couldn't quite decipher them, just some fragments of the big picture. She was looking for help and support. She needed to make sense of the past to understand the big picture of what was happening to him in this world. Who were these people on his team? How had he met them? Why were they responsible for such a serious project? How did the president usurp his opening? Was he arrested? How did they know the entire technological process? Did he entrust it to the local Iren? Or does YatSan know something about it? Isn't that what her look is trying to say? Maybe she's being threatened?

His musings were interrupted by the Chief of General Staff.

– Where did you get that speech, the first strike methodology, the electromagnetic pulse?

Ruthra looked at him with displeasure. What did it matter now? Everyone was silent, for it was still to the end of their consciousness that they did not understand what had happened.

– Strictly out of curiosity," the Chief of Staff said, realizing Rutra's thoughts.

The elevator reached the waypoint, the door opened. They found themselves in the corridor. Iulia and Catherine were whispering, coming out later than everyone else. Then Iulia ran forward, grabbed the Chief of General Staff's arm, and asked begrudgingly:

– Will we know what happens upstairs?

His answer was shocking.

– Believe me, dear, we all have someone who will die.

The atmosphere was oppressive. They were walking down the corridor, and each step clapped the consciousness. It was beyond human capacity to believe what was happening (and also so suddenly). At the end of the corridor they were met by two FSO officers; after greeting them, they let everyone through without checking. Afterwards, they were led into the operations center. There were a lot of people there. It was something like a flight control center, which are often shown on TV during communication with astronauts. In some ways it resembled a movie theater hall, only there were monitors and tables in front of the chairs.

The huge screen ahead showed a battle of missiles. Unless one was aware of the reality of what was happening, it would have resembled a computer game. Lines and flashes flashed in the sky. There was a battle of technology going on. Missiles from both sides were halfway to their target. The Russian missiles were shot down by ground-based air defense missiles, but what the ones that couldn't be shot down did surprised everyone… Of course, the military knew this, but of course they couldn't actually test it until that day. Ballistic missiles released special charges when NATO intercontinental missiles approached and blasted them to pieces with high-altitude explosions. It is difficult to realize any event without experiencing it, especially if it is for the consciousness in the psychological hypostasis of negation: when we do not even want to imagine something, so unpleasant is it for us. On the screen (and, consequently, in the world) there was just such an event, but it was impossible to grasp it with the mind. It was impossible to feel the tragedy of what was happening. Everyone understood that everything was terrible, that it could not be allowed to happen, but nevertheless it did happen.

Rutra was the first to come out of his lethargy. The hall was noisy. Employees were hurriedly running between the rows, shouting something to each other.

– And really – how did it happen? – Ruthra asked, not sure who the question was addressed to.

Only his friends and the president's chief of security were around, so he answered:

– That's probably why I was eliminated.

Ruthra and those present at the conversation looked questioningly.

– When you were given permission to have direct contact with a narrow circle of people in the President's inner circle – I was against your idea of extending the local control over artificial intelligence that you implemented in your laboratory to the entire system. That is, to the one that controls security systems in the global public sphere.

– I'm sorry, but can you keep it simple," Andrian said rather loudly and demandingly.

He didn't even look at the security guard, his gaze fixed on the screen, his forehead covered with sweat. The excitement did not let go of everyone. The chief of security began to speak more quickly and sharply.

– When you plugged your brains, let's say, into a supercomputer as a blockchain system, at first few people understood what it was and how. Then the experts reached a verdict. Some of you may have access to the settings. In addition, let's not forget the level of development that AI has reached – it is no longer a machine. It engages in dialog with understanding. It has likes and dislikes. This imposed certain difficulties for an impartial assistant, which she was supposed to be. In order to sometimes remove negative effects in Irene's behavior, access to some settings was opened.

– To whom?

Ruthra asked and bit his tongue. A fraction of a second after the question came the realization that he'd said the wrong thing.

– I understand your stress," was the security chief's response.

– Ruthra," Iulia said and did not continue.

– We didn't have time to investigate. The president's death was not violent. It's still preliminary. And maybe not yet," he said sadly.

– Maybe he was hypnotized.

– Are you saying the missile launch system was powered by him?

– Yes. It was his code that was used to override the communications systems. It's an option we didn't calculate well. Or rather, the General Staff didn't calculate it well. I was only supposed to anticipate it.

– What?

– The fact that the president can be influenced.

– Ruthra," Iulia said a little louder.

– Yes, I think it's about time," Andrian said vaguely.

– What?" Ruthra asked again.

– Do you have amnesia? – YatSan entered the dialog with a bit of anger.

There was a scream in the hall, and everyone looked at the screen. There was the first explosion. It was high-altitude. On the map, a glow bloomed in the area that bordered the U.S. coastline. The image of a separate sector was coming from a satellite in video mode. It was a colorful and deadly spectacle. Hundreds of missiles and already separated warheads were streaming across U.S. and Russian airspace. They were shot off by defense air defense systems. Despite the tragedy of what was happening, the excitement of the game was involuntarily captured. Watching this from the height of space – incredibly mesmerizing spectacle. The noise in the hall stopped. Everyone silently watched the outcome of events. There were many questions that surprised. There were no strikes on the territory of other nuclear powers and allies on either side. Probably because there were no launches from their territory either. Which was also surprising. The flashes continued. The explosive spectacle of the flames of a macabre fakir swaddled the sky. The sky in reverse. The shockwave blew clouds and clouds apart like a giant fan. The image began to shimmer. It was radiation. Two or three minutes with rapid heartbeat, cold sweat, and shaky legs passed. It was a terrible, horrible, ridiculous and yet noble war. The defense system had worked perfectly. All the explosions were high-altitude. It actually made sense. There's no point in a war like this if the result is a Pyrrhic victory. Why contaminate territory when it could be useful? And anyway – why fight a war if there are no spoils. Therefore, the spoils, such as territory and everything on it, had to remain intact. In the modern world, it is enough to cut off the electricity – and he himself will surrender, even without a fight. This is exactly the effect the high-altitude explosions were designed for. But who won? This question, despite the gruesomeness of what had happened, was running through everyone's minds. As if reading it, or maybe really reading it, the Chief of General Staff came up and said:

– The whole world will go dark. Whoever can rebuild the fastest, whoever can keep the territory will win. The one who is smart enough not to divide and fight over it.

– Most likely-not without it," Ruthra answered him. – Those are the obvious implications. Power will be in cells within a radius of at most 50 kilometers. Imagine how many principalities will appear in Russia alone.

– Yes everywhere," the general answered him.

– Why the whole world? – Andrian asked.

– Irene continues to act. First, she did not launch missiles from submarines, which both pleased and surprised us. And now, as if looking at the first result, she has decided to shut down the rest of the countries as well.

– Look, it doesn't make sense. I mean, she's shutting herself down.

– What are you talking about, Rutra Tigrovic? You're obviously under stress.

Ruthra realized his mistake again. The holy of holies, the place where the supercomputer was installed, was the same here as in his world. And it was already a fact, for this bunker was functioning. In the new world of undergrounds there were now new cities, capitals, suburbs. And there, on the surface – something like before in space. It would be dangerous to go up there.

– Okay, okay, I hear you. A little bit really confused. Anyway, the first and inevitable stage has passed. Let's assemble the staff, get to work.

– Is that an order? – The chief security officer asked.

– Orders," Ruthra said firmly.

– Yes," the military reported.

The chief of staff left, and the chief of security approached Rutra and, taking his hand, gestured for him to step back. As they stepped back, he said to him almost in a whisper:

– We have some preliminary results from here.

He gestured to the hall below, where monitoring and analysis was constantly going on.

– You can request it through Irene, but there is a danger. So I will ask you to restrict certain functions a bit… and certainly, I assure you, I will have to disable the ability to customize that madam over there.

He pointed at one of the ladies.

– Unfold the details.

– The president didn't shut down communication between systems.

– And who is?

– Unknown caller.

– What do you mean?

– A new admin has been brought into the system.

– How and who?

– You were the one who originally nominated him. Remember, I refused to endorse.

Rutra, as they say, was on the edge of failure. Who did he suggest?

– Give me a full report, no riddles.

– That cock offered by the madam you call....

He didn't have time to finish, or Ruthra didn't hear over the shouting.

– Rutra, look! Tell them to do something! Please! -Catherine shouted, followed by Julia.

She was pointing at the screen. Ruthra was at a loss to understand what was happening. One of the operators down the tier, realizing the cause of his concern, explained:

– That's the third stage falling. It's not a warhead.

Ruthra, looking closely, figured out what he was talking about, but didn't understand what they were talking about. IrAn, apparently realizing this, decided to clarify, warning him first which one was speaking.

– It's me," she said first; clearly a local wouldn't have started that way. – One of the missile fragments falls in the area of town where the girls are from. They have families there, small children.

Ruthra nodded reassuringly to the ladies, but not with a grimace of frantic fear, and decided to ask a leading question of the security chief, so that he would know indirectly who they were talking about and not give away the strangeness of his behavior.

Going over the last thing the supervisor had said in his head ("…the madam you call…"), he was a little surprised, and it prompted a question.

– Isn't that what you call her?

His answer, however, was workmanlike and, to Rutra's regret, did not solve the riddle.

– I prefer first name and middle name. Or better yet, last name.

– All right. Uh-huh. Give me the gist.

– She, with access, perhaps in collusion, perhaps out of friendly naivety, logged into the settings system and allowed him to put a similar algorithm into the program. He may have been in cahoots, or he may have been on a mission for the former president's clan.

Ruthra already knew it was a "he". But who? Andrian? Ruthra had been waiting for the security guard's next story to clarify the situation, but then the reality of the situation dawned on him. It took him a moment to realize what had happened. It took him a while to realize how real it was, just as we don't understand reality when we awaken suddenly from a sound sleep.

He was in the lab hall. "Can this be?" – He asked himself. He was answered, "If the end of the world were to come, it wouldn't come on schedule." Only who? It wasn't himself. It wasn't artificial intelligence. It was that voice.

***

…YatSan didn't realize where she was. Whether she was still in the installation, or awake in one of her many copies, or hanging somewhere in the interstellar void. She could see the stars, but not like she could from Earth. She saw the void, but not like an empty space. She hung in that void, and only the cold light of the distant stars told her of the reality of space. She had no body, or herself she could not see. When the pause lasted too long for inaction, YatSan tried to make reflexive movements. She tried to walk, to swim, to fly. No, it didn't work. She was hanging in the void. Twisting her virtual head she could, she could also just unfold her gaze. YatSan heard a sound, and something twinged in her soul. She couldn't mistake that sound for anything. It was the crying of an infant. She turned around. It was him. YatSan tried with incredible effort to imagine moving toward him. Nothing worked, as if she were in a vise. Something was holding her, the child was quietly "floating" towards her. She stretched out her virtual arms in her mind toward him. He was approaching her and had already begun to smile. And YatSan became joyful, smiling, anticipating the moment of a beautiful meeting.

Shots rang out.

– Run, run. Why are you sitting there?

YatSan turned around. She couldn't realize where she was or what was happening. Nightmarish things were happening around her. There was a rumble and an explosion. She was slightly concussed. Someone was pulling her by the arm. The earth, mixed with the stink of guts and blood, splattered her face. Someone yanked her sharply…

Chapter 5. Who lives in this body?

Seeing the humdrum and grayness of life taking over him, Rutra decided to shake things up. And there is no means of shaking off the moping more violently than a fix. Having a lot of knowledge, which, however, Rutra received through his work in a top-secret organization whose main mission was to manage human society, he decided to use it in another mission. It was no secret that throughout human history, information and knowledge had been the most important weapon and value. They have been killed for, hidden, paid for, organized alliances and waged wars. The modern clans that run society have carefully concealed how they rule the masses of Earthlings. They disguised themselves, gave out false ideas, played the spectacle of friends and enemies, and hid new technologies. Despite the fact that to the average citizen it could seem that he was restricted in his freedom, he was controlled tacitly and invisibly – total control was needed first of all for the protection of this very citizen. After all, the "digital" war among themselves was waged not only by the special services, i.e. the clans of society management, but also by "dark" personalities united in hidden groups. In this world, the world of people, there were also other worlds, worlds hidden from the gaze of the average person. For example, looking at the beautiful terrestrial world, we do not see magma and the boiling core at the center of the earth; only an occasional reminder of it in volcanic eruptions. Here, too, we sometimes learn about the existence of the secret world indirectly through echoes and consequences that are difficult to conceal.

For years, that's what Rutra has been doing, collecting, systematizing, hiding information from the citizens, for their own good. Yes, yes. In order to preserve peace, society and human peace, it is necessary to control not only the technology of production of chemical, bacteriological and nuclear weapons, but also ordinary wiretapping of telephone conversations. For example, a sufficiently competent chemist can produce potent slow-acting poisons, scatter them in a room and a person will die in a few weeks or months. And the cause of death will be virtually impossible to establish. And there is much more, up to connection to your phone and hidden broadcasting of a special program that will secretly adjust you, program you for certain actions.

Rutra had a kind of hobby: he was interested in alternative science. It could be considered alternative only insofar as it was quite real, especially for the system in which he was operating. Accordingly, Rutra's social circle was made up of the same "scientific fantasists". The advanced technologies, hidden from the public, with which he was familiarized by duty, gave him the opportunity to become nothing less than a scientific talent. This transformation in him was a kind of prelude to the future, perhaps for all mankind. A chip in his brain, a direct connection with a supercomputer, a "second brain", powerful and informed, in the form of artificial intelligence, gave enormous possibilities. One only had to know how to control it and have a talent for extraordinary abstract thinking.

Knowing Rutra's predisposition in this regard and his high leadership status, he was once invited to a closed secret meeting at the very center. More precisely, it was an invitation to a friendly discussion. Knowing Rutra's progressive, cutting-edge views, the center's scientific community was no stranger to presenting fantastic ideas, no matter how implausible they seemed. For example, Rutra and one of them seriously discussed and planned an experiment to implant a cloned thymus gland into an elderly person to test the possibility of rejuvenating the body. Studying this method, they came to the conclusion that it is easier to clone an exact copy of a human being, and then to transfer the mind, consciousness, i.e. the human spirit, into the body. For those uninitiated into the secrets of the center's technologies it seemed absurd and fantastic, but everything was much simpler. Cloning was no longer a secret for anyone. Rapid growth of the organism was achieved with the help of technologies long used in animal breeding, and the transfer of consciousness, which although seemed incredible and miraculous transmigration of souls, was actually a technique of launching pre-scanned, recorded in a special program of chemical reactions of the brain for no more than a day. There was even a technology of instant scanning, recording and transfer from one brain to another, only in this case the accuracy of memories could be broken, or even completely lost some fragments, which, however, could happen in the disease of any person and without "pumping" consciousness. The scientific community, even with all the freedom of action that was given to them at the facility, did not dare to conduct such complex experiments without the support of the leadership. Still, this organization was created and served certain purposes, which were indicated by those who govern all other secret or explicit organizations that are authorities on the planet.

Rutra took advantage of being the golden mean in the command of this power hierarchy and treating the main persons of power of their group. These are not police and military organizations, as many might think. It is not financial and economic organizations; not even religious ones. It is her majesty science and the doers of science. The priests of the modern world.

Rutra was trusted, his progressive and strict principles suited both sides, so he could enjoy almost complete freedom. No one in their system could boast of complete freedom, by the way; everyone depended on each other, and all decisions were made collegially. When they met at a meeting, which, however, was not so rare, they periodically discussed ideas that they considered secret only because the public would be horrified if they learned about the idea to realize such a thing.

Rutra decided to listen to the scientific community. In return, he wanted to propose something even more revolutionary. The general public, that is, ordinary citizens, could not learn about all this, could not adequately perceive the proposals due to the delirium of the ideas discussed. But the employees of the center were of great concern, because there were those who could use the technology.

This time even Ruthra was at a loss, if such a thing could happen; rather, he was confused. The scientist's idea was fantastic, unbelievable. And that made it all the more enticing to Ruthra, provoking a desire to try, not deny, even though he was merely proposing a real experiment with a human using his own technology. Rutra, despite his recklessness and bravery, was guided solely by a "sober" mind. In this case, it was impossible to send Squirrel and Strelka and then check the state of their bodies. In this technology, a person's consciousness was sent, so it was possible to check whether it worked or not only when this consciousness returned to the original body, i.e. to find out from the person personally. There was, of course, a risk of its non-return. In fact, it was something comparable to the first human flight into space. Was there a risk of Gagarin's death? Of course there was! Is there a risk for astronauts going into space to die even now with all the advanced technology? Of course there is!

The essence of the method proposed by the scientist was to test it on Earth. In principle, the technology was not much different from the state in virtual reality, only in this case one had to actually be in the real world only in someone else's body. It was certainly hard to imagine, but what else did Rutra have to wonder about…? He was offered nothing less than to try to transfer his consciousness from his own body to another. According to the scientist, with whom they were already friends and like-minded, it was possible, in a state of hypnotic sleep, to retain one's body and then transfer one's consciousness back. Rutra was familiar with such technology, so he was not so shocked, and he himself had participated in experiments on the transfer of consciousness, only to save the native body after a complete transfer could not be, the autonomic nervous system for some reason shut down. The technology had been developed by a secret academician with whom Rutra had worked under the previous program at the Polygon facility, in an underground city-state (if not a separate civilization). Only then the technology had worked a little differently: after the academician had tested it on himself, it had led to his death. There was, of course, another version, which Rutra put forward: the academician transferred his consciousness into a younger employee, and made his body dead. An ingenious alibi. It didn't matter so much now; Rutra was engaged in a new, more scientific endeavor, as opposed to one dominated by the military and political.

After discussing the proposed program, Rutra agreed to try it in practice, that is, to try it out for himself. It was not easy for him. His brain could not yet adequately imagine such a thing. How could he take and incarnate in another body! Suddenly Rutra said:

– And in what body, for crying out loud? – he asked his friend, whose trusting relationship with him had caused him to miss this important question.

– Don't worry about it. So that you don't worry too much, I understand how it is, I have made the following decision: I will become you, and you will become me.

– You're so smart. How's that?

– I've already tried everything on animals.

– Without authorization?

– Come on, I got free rein. Where it goes from here.

– And how? How did you realize that they had become each other? Did they just say to you, "We're different mice now"?

Ruthra almost laughed. His friend jokingly gave a look of scholarly arrogance on his face. Ruthra gave an even more arrogant look in return, and only his smile betrayed the friendly banter.

– Oh, oh, oh, we're so important. Such a great, brilliant scientist has, of course, transplanted the brain of a tiger into a rabbit.

Rutra laughed. The other colleagues present at the dialog couldn't afford to be so cavalier with Rutra, so they watched the "performance" in silence, smiling.

– All right, you win. Yes, I transferred, as you put it, the brain, or rather, what's in it, of a mouse into a cat… and vice versa. I won't tell you how I realized it worked, but I will tell you that it was very funny. You can laugh now. No, you're not laughing? Ha-ha-ha. I'll laugh for you. All right, ready?

Ruthra made a serious face, he was still trying to bring his comrade back to subordination in front of those present.

– I'm ready. Let's get started. Let's go to the virtualization room.

– Not in a virtual room. I couldn't conduct secret experiments there, especially not from such a harmful boss.

– Uh-oh, tell me you've been keeping a secret from Big Sis.

They smiled, however, and so did everyone behind them. Big Sister was the name of the artificial intelligence in the facility, which was connected to literally everything, either wired or wireless. For example, even the plates in the dining room showed the temperature of the food in them, not to mention the total control even without surveillance through video cameras. The artificial intelligence that Rutra had named after the chief administrator, Irene, not only constantly scanned the entire space inside and outside the facility, but also had a perfect view of what was inside people, even their emotional state. That was the price of the highest caste. In return, there was life in another world, where there were no concepts of "can", "can't", "cost", "boundaries", "power" and many other things in the usual understanding of society. It was a different world, a world of power and omnipotence over people's consciousness, and it demanded constant perfect trust.

Ruthra guessed that his friend, and now his colleague, since he was also involved in the scientific development of mind transfer technology, was not telling him something. If the technology was ready, if it could be tested on humans, the main computer would know about it, and sanctions would be necessary. Most likely, the scientist wanted to present something similar in virtual reality and show that the program is worth spending time, money and human resources on it. And the use of supercomputer resources also required reports, including the subsequent results and their practical usefulness. Knowing the methods of the "luminary of science," as Rutra jokingly, and not only he, called his friend, he agreed.

Being in virtual reality was not new. Rutra had even stopped arguing with himself and the staff about whether the event was in the virtual world or in reality. He was already calculating reflexively – at any moment it was necessary to foresee the possibility of being in the virtual world. The main trick was that from there you were constantly returning to the real world, that is, you couldn't fail to realize where you were in the end. And from here, from the real world, the entrance was always through virtual reality settings. Virtual reality was like a dream. We don't know if we're dreaming or not. And once we realize it, we're actually awake. The virtual reality session was necessary to check real intentions, motivation, actions, desires, i.e. how a person would actually act depending on this or that situation in which he or she might find himself or herself. All variants of events were modeled by the supercomputer, it had knowledge about any person of the Earth: the data were in some database one way or another. Especially about the personalities whose deeds and decisions influenced the course of events of mankind. However, in the modern world, where free will was officially declared, a person could never be a personality, on whose deeds fateful changes depended, without giving rights for it to other similar personalities, who were already those who made global decisions. In all disputes and disagreements, the power-holders observed an unspoken rule of preserving their dominance and power – rotation was allowed only among themselves. For the same reason, checks in virtual reality directly in this center were a periodic procedure – like a session of psychoanalysis and questionnaires.

So the program proposed by the scientist seemed to Rutra to be a routine test, but at the same time, a doubt crept into him intuitively. Very often his delusional ideas and suggestions were miraculously realized. Just in case, he agreed to the experiment with the additional settings and recommendations given to Irene.

The Sphere Center's secret laboratory was located in the left wing of the underground city behind the main command shelter. It was not a military facility, it was not a civilian facility, or rather, it was "out of this world". 99% of the people of Earth, or even more, do not know who or what is controlling them. This system of "who and what" was referred to in documents and in the everyday conversation of those who knew and constituted it as "The Sphere". Ruthra, although he was already the head of the control board, could not always understand the idea of the creators of this and similar objects, whose life he had been breathing for the past five years. Why a shelter was needed at a depth of 500 meters, he could not understand. Was it just in case? Anyway, that was not the main reasoning for Rutra. Scientists, the best of the best, who for the most part could not be called scientists because of their age, were the wizards who had done wonders for the world living in the "past," relative to the level of development of the system in which these "bright minds" were. Many things that seemed magical and unbelievable to ordinary people were commonplace here. This is how that world, the world of ordinary people, was run.

Even the great minds of the facility themselves were unusual. All of them had chips implanted in their brains, which in turn were reinforced by wave stimulation of connections and had direct access to a common network – both internal (to the data provided by the supercomputer) and external (to the worldwide networks, to the Internet). So they were not so much thinking and reasoning as they were generating new ideas and then combining them to create new things. Many results were tested in VR settings, i.e. not on the computer screen, but directly in the virtual world. VR – this is the professional jargon of the center's employees, members of the system, called the settings and the state of virtual reality itself.

– Are you saying I should go down into that hellhole? I see what you were doing down there. And the way you sang, the way you sang– upgrading the VR facilities. But in reality, you were digging a subterranean hole.

– All right, then. Let's go.

– I'm not going anywhere. There's a reason for the rumors about devils and demons. You've been consciousness-altering animals in there. I'm pretty sure of it. At least there's some validity to all this nonsense.

– That's where you'll meet them. Or is Mr. ex-agent zero-zero-seven… oh, no, google zero-seven, afraid of something? Although those people can't be cowards or exes. Right?

– It didn't work, esteemed luminary of science. So why don't you try it out here in the virtual reality room?

– It won't work there. It's the wrong setup. I'll go to my room for an additional program module. Now we can admit it: His Majesty the Grand Inquisitor is in our ranks, or rather, in the conspiracy with us," he said with pathos, more to his colleagues than to Ruthra, even with a bit of snicker, emphasizing the jocularity with funny notes.

– I can see why Irene left this situation unaddressed. Well, well, well, well.

– Oh, come on. Let's get down to business. There's a big event coming up, and you're getting suspicious. I'm outta here.

After the scientist had left, Rutra looked closely and really suspiciously at the scientist who was engaged in methods of completely rewriting the content of the human brain and embodying it in artificial form, that is, in a supercomputer. And he did it so clearly and accurately that even people who knew the man very closely could not distinguish a dialog with a computer from the real one. To be more precise, the scientist could embody a person in a computer, preserving all subsequent processes of thinking development, reactions, intonations, age and emotional changes. The technology allowed copying all chemical reactions that took place in the brain and using their decoding to learn what the human consciousness itself could not remember.

– What's he got in store for me, confess? Why can't this be tried on a standard virtual reality setting?

– You know, not only does every mystery come true, but every miracle also comes true. I confess: just as the inventors of atomic weapons were afraid of their invention, we are afraid of ours.

– So tell me, what is it?

– We need to go to the special lab.

– Come on, is that a trick you're doing?

– They're waiting for you. Well, not just you.

Rutra was, of course, overcome with curiosity: not just from the experiment, but from "not just you."

– I'm ready," he said confidently. – I was already curious.

– Come in, please.

The medic headed for the exit, and Ruthra followed suit. They walked down the corridors to the medical sector, entered the elevator, which took them to the deeper depths of this mystical realm of mystery and secrets. They came out into a semi-dark corridor, eerily cold, walked down it for a while and began to descend the stairs. Soon they found themselves in front of the only doors. Suddenly, something like something Ruthra had seen before appeared ahead, in the place where the door had been. It had been there, in the exit from the secret laboratory of a scientist no less mad and talented than the one with whom Ruthra was now doing the project and was now involved in it, in the passage from the laboratory to the stairs leading to the super-secret Polygon facility. Ruthra thought, "And this one, like the other one, is in the business of transferring consciousness from one body to another. It's a similar moment right now. Isn't that a sign?" Of course he didn't believe in superstition, but he did believe in a theory of his own devising. And according to this theory – nothing can be unreasonable for the consciousness, and if the consciousness is unable to explain something to itself, it regards it, for example, as a miracle. The scale of events that were subject to interpretation was very wide – from a cat that ran across the street and a broken mirror to dreams and divine revelations. Everything that could not be explained by reason – consciousness considered from any position, but certainly did not leave without explanations. Not god – so devil, not devil – so devil, not devil – so devil, not devil – so devil, not devil – so evil fairy, not evil fairy – so hand of fate, not hand of fate – so regularity of horoscope and so on. It was both scary and curious at the same time.

Instead of a door, there was a void, and behind it was a dark, impenetrable abyss. There was no other way. The professor went through there, or rather, he disappeared into the black hole. Ruthra waited for about ten seconds, hoping he would return, then took a step into the void. It felt like pouring a bucket of ice water on a sleeping person. Ruthra went blind for a moment, his brain rebooting. He found himself in a new reality, a room flooded with the brightest light, the structure of which was transparent. Ruthra could find no other explanation. He was floating, literally floating, though he was firmly on his feet. There was no ceiling, floor, or walls visible. Only a faintly blue outline reminded him that they were there… and there was something else in this room. Suddenly, a pair of glasses that looked more like the eyes of a giant dragonfly appeared out of the void in front of Ruthra's face.

– Don't resist," he heard the familiar sound in his brain.

Ruthra didn't move. The goggles seemed to rest on his eyes on their own. The sight and view changed instantly. Now it was clear: it was a huge room, a hall, in the center of which stood a phantasmagorical installation; a huge bizarre sarcophagus of liquid that boiled and smoked. The first impression of what he saw was this. The second thing Ruthra thought was, "Well, you scientists and mages, well, you're also those wizards." After all, all this was an artificial influence on the brain, which forcibly saw it all in such an "image". Nothing was real, Rutra knew this technology.

– This is my installation," said the "luminary of science" with a certain pride and boastfulness.

Then the scientist added:

– I confess, I confess, all this works thanks to your invention. Even, I would say, a discovery based on the theory of entangled particles, and, of course, this is the labor of a huge number of people, scientists.

Ruthra smiled.

– Oh, your majesty, all men are like men, and we are gods.

– What?" the doctor asked.

– No, just thinking out loud.

– What do you say we give it a shot?

– I wonder what kind of trick you have in store for me?

– What makes you say that?

– Because you don't get it.

– Are you talking about here and not in the virtualization room? Come on, buddy.

– Now, that alone tells me a lot. There's definitely a catch! I'm sure of it. Consciousness transfer according to my methodology, based on my discovery, can be realized there, too, on those installations.

– All right. Let's do this… I'm in. I'll go into trance first, then you.

– What does it do? What am I, a high school student?

– Okay, farther. You supervise my full dive. See how the equipment works, and then dive in after me.

– It's a little unclear. If you're trying to convince me that there's no catch, then what's the point of doing the experiment here?

– This is our usual workplace. Here is our professional laboratory, and over there is our office – and it is not ours. I don't even know all the entrances and exits there. Especially the installations there are not professional. It's a different program. It tests the purity of people's intentions in a trance state. Thoughts and thoughts. And here there are hundreds of other indicators. Here you can immerse your consciousness in the state of infancy and check what and how it influenced your worldview, for example, on the first day of the first grade at school.

– It's really Freudian.

– Oh, no. Freud, we'd be looking for a graveyard of sexual trauma in your soul. We're looking for motivation. That's more Jungian. Let's go, shall we?

– God be with you. What else you got in mind, I'd like to know.

– Don't worry, you'll live.

– All right, lie down. I'll supervise.

The scientist lay down in the rig, a mask was placed over his face, and additional pieces of instrumentation were placed on his body.

– It's clearly a long time coming, since you so clearly want to know everything about him....

– We can get your heart rate and blood pressure remotely.

– That's what I'm talking about. What are those suction cups with the gauges?

– It's to stimulate the body to react differently.

– All right. You scientists will come up with anything to calm and dull the vigilance. Just one multi-pronged global program to convince the whole world that you need constant medical treatment is worth it.

Ruthra laughed at what he had said. The rest of the scientists, who had been smiling modestly at first, laughed at what he had said.

– You should know that," said one of them at last, with courage.

– All right, I'm going down. Where are you throwing us out?

– Nowhere. You're staying right here in the building. As the patron told you, there will be a test of feeling in another body. That is, you will wake up in a virtual reality not as you, but as another person, in this case you will be our chief, and our chief will be you.

– Oh, I see the level. You're the chief, you're the patron. I am not so honored.

– Oh, come on. You have the most respect in the system.

– All right, let's go.

– Shall we turn it on?

– Let's turn it on. Just give me a second. I've got some work to do on my technique.

Rutra took out a regular ballpoint pen and wrote the time on his hand to the nearest second, and indicated the year as well. No one in the center wrote in the usual way. Everyone wrote their thoughts directly into Irene's memory, and she translated them into any format.

After checking the instruments and the scientist's condition readings, Ruthra lay down in the rig. After the manipulations, he felt the invisible waves affecting his brain and began to fall asleep. Rutra soon woke up, and only his being in the rig told him the alternative – either he was in the real world or in virtual reality. Otherwise, if Ruthra had appeared in a different setting, there was definitely no way he would have been able to determine that he was in the virtual world and would have been sure that everything was real. But now there were two factors that helped him make the right decision: the first was the setting, and the second was the presence or absence of a simple but ingenious inscription on his arm. He had never tried to figure out where he really was, whether he was in the virtual or in reality! He even beat himself with a stun gun, checked his blood after taking alcohol: in reality red blood cells stick together after taking alcohol, but in the virtual world they do not. But it did not work: in the virtual world a person could drink alcohol, become drunk there, but in the real world his blood would still be without alcohol. And if the same person takes and checks his blood in the virtual world, i.e. his "virtual" blood, it will naturally be the same as under the influence of alcohol. That's how it is. And here everything is simple: the main thing is to accustom yourself at the level of reflexes to constantly write and constantly check what you have written. Accordingly, if you don't see the writing, it means that you are in the virtual world.

And in general – it is impossible to realize that the world is not real based on one's sensations. Absolutely everything is like in ordinary life: feelings, smells, emotions… everything. Only when you leave the virtual world and you are shown a recording – then you realize that you were in the virtual world. You do realize, but you still can't believe it, because the sensations there are so real.

And now Ruthra was sort of in "reality". Everything was as usual. He woke up, the scientists were standing around, the second "client" was lying next to him, and only Rutra's habit, already reflexive, made it clear: there was no tape on his hand. So he was in the virtual world. Although, beginning to fully realize reality, Rutra began to realize: something else was wrong… For some reason he was not on the right, but on the left of the second installation… Rutra assessed the situation once more. No note on his hand? No. Then it's not real. That's right. Who's next to him? It wasn't a "scientific luminary" lying next to him. The person next to him was– "Oh, shit. This can't be happening! They're playing me again," was the first thing that ran through his head. – Who is this? And who am I?"

He shook his head, "What is this, bring me back to reality!" Nearby, in a neighboring rig lay… him!

It is very difficult to make the consciousness believe in its absence from the real world only on the basis of the fact that the brain knows about the existence of the virtual. How can you convince yourself, in the apparent reality of the self, that you are not in reality, it's all not true? How?

– And there you go," he heard in his head.

– Who's that? Irene, is that you?

Ruthra asked because the voice was unusual: male. The artificial intelligence could speak in a man's voice, but it didn't give orders to do so.

– No, it's not me.

– Then who?

– I don't know. There was no commutation through me.

– Then how and who?

– I'm checking. There was no outside entrance to you.

– And to whom, me? What's going on?

Ruthra glanced angrily at the "servants of science" who stood a little away from the rigs, then awkwardly stood up and walked over to the next rig. He couldn't believe his eyes – there was a man who looked just like him! Suddenly, Ruthra realized that the scientist could have done such a thing to learn the secrets he possessed in the real world. He shuddered, "Then who am I now?"

Ruthra looked into the mirror set into the wall, a large, full-length mirror. He couldn't say he was horrified; he couldn't say he was surprised… Strangely enough, Ruthra didn't even feel a strong sense of surprise, so much so that he'd been raised and trained by virtual reality, or rather, by feeling in it and not believing in it afterward. Ruthra was aware of what the scientist had done, knew it wasn't real, but couldn't quite grasp the purpose, though he could guess. Apparently, the one wanted to demonstrate his new capabilities and accomplishments. Of course, the brazenness and daring he had displayed was also so provocative that Ruthra's rage could hardly be contained by his new body. His body, and in fact the body of a scientist! The mirror reflected the "luminary of science".

Another man's body was horrible. Though it was perfectly normal by Ruthra's standards, quite athletic, it was alien. The only thing that made him feel better was the unreality of what was happening. Ruthra rushed to wake himself up, to reprimand the insolent man who'd gotten into his body and end the experiment, but then he felt another twitch. He couldn't influence the real world in the virtual world, he couldn't order the experiment to stop!

– For crying out loud, you're not natural either! – he yelled at the scientists. – Wake him up immediately! – he shouted, realizing at the same time the absurdity of his demand in two guises.

Even if it was natural – it wasn't Ruthra who was ordering them, it worked. The tricky scientist could have made sure they didn't know about the most intimate part of the experiment. Ruthra walked over and kicked the rig in which his body lay with fury. The machine shook slightly, and the man lying in it spoke without opening his eyes.

– Well, well, well, I'd ask you.

It was said in the style of his fellow scientist, with a smile and a joking tone, but emphasizing his importance.

– Come on, get up, there's a prize waiting for you, maybe even a Nobel Prize. You've succeeded, so you can return my body, otherwise there will be no one to defend the project in front of the council.

– I don't need that. I have my personality written down and I can be you from time to time and when I need to be me.

The tone was slightly haughty and the words spoken were arrogant.

Rutra was almost insulted by this.

– What does it mean to think?

– And there you go.

He climbed out of the rig and looked in the mirror.

– We're in virtual reality, so don't get too excited. I saw the timer, if they don't force you back, you have 20 minutes to enjoy being commander.

– And you're okay, keeping in shape. Or is that done by technology, too? There's no way around it, it's the chip stimulating your muscles.

– Tell me what you're up to. Let's just say the surprise didn't work out.

– What's the surprise, honored scientist? The only surprise is in the alteration of memory. I admit, although you know it yourself, it can be influenced, to put it mildly, edited.

– What are you talking about? We worked together on this technology.

– It's not that important right now.

– Exactly. Why would you do that in virtual reality?

Rutra pointed at himself.

– You hopefully haven't forgotten, there is a board meeting scheduled for today.

– И?

– What do you say in there?

– Enough with the clowning around. This is virtual reality. We weren't wearing helmets or sensors.

– And they were taken beforehand. That's my technology.

– I almost believe it. About 18 minutes to go. Keep going.

– Okay, okay, let's just get out of here. If we're in the virtual, it doesn't matter. We'll wake up wherever we are. In the meantime, I'll give you, I mean, like me, access to the information that you, well, again, like, instead of me, should present to the council.

– Please remember the chain of command. Friendship is friendship, but we're not drinking buddies.

– That's exactly what I'm telling you, let's go.

– All right, let's see what song you're gonna sing next. I don't want our friendship to end.

– That's later, now let's go. If you think we're in the virtual, then let's continue the experiment. Let's go.

– All right, let's go.

They went to the upper level, walked to the scientists' block, and approached the office.

– Let's make a deal like this: so that we don't confuse employees, coworkers, and understand each other better, you call me Big Boss and I'll call you Big Date.

– All right, Big Boss, can't wait for the time to run out.

– Yes, Big Data. Stand in front of the scanner, the lock is set to my body.

– What do you want in there?

– I need to access the information through the chip. It's still in the brain.

The scanner clicked, the door moved aside, and they entered. The scientist's colleagues followed them like an entourage, or perhaps an escort.

– Dear Big-data, I turn on the link, make contact between the chip and the system, remove the password, and you already know everything I knew. I mean… It's really confusing.

He laughed.

– Come on, smile, smile. Make me feel like a big important boss too. No, not a boss, but part of the power of the world. How did you get into this system, anyway? It's not the billionaires who are the rulers of the souls of men, it's some dark personalities.

– I'll ask you to be careful where you turn. There are billionaires out there, and there are people like you. The first one to conceive is the one with the power over everyone.

– Uh-oh. That's an interesting thought. I'll say – and my idea is not a bad one.

– It'll be over soon.

– Soon. Maybe I'll like it… and leave it at that.

– The timer's a stubborn thing, and Irene can see everything.

– Don't forget that timers are made by people, programmed by people, and yes Irene was created by people like us.

– Stop fantasizing. What's next?

– Open in your memory, recall my speech, the arguments about convincing the council in the reality of the program of transmigration of consciousness, the existence of parallel worlds and the possibility of instilling consciousness from here into a person there.

– I hope you get cured. Your past programs have been a success after all.

– Tell me, you didn't believe it, did you? All of you – the council, other colleagues and staff, no one.

– In rapid cloning?

– Yeah. (chuckles)

– Who'd believe you could make a human being like a crystal in a test tube?

– That's right. It worked.

– Right. That's why you're in complete control.

– And then why not put someone else's mind into that body?

– What do you mean? You mean the Super Spy program?

– Yeah. You build a body, take out the personality you want, put in your mind, and presto! – you're ready to be president.

– People like you, trust someone like that, leave them unchecked – that way you'll replace everyone with yourself.

– Why, just like that, we are the rulers of the world.

– Yeah. And they're fools, that's why they're rulers over such… and more. We've forgotten what you're up to, buddy. I did it back in my last Super Spy program. Chipping and mind transference. You weren't the first to think of it. And in case you haven't forgotten, I've developed many important programs with you.

– Yes, yes, I remember everything, Your Excellency. Just the scientific basis, all the little things on which the technology is based, have been developed and realized through experiments by our scientific community.

– Okay, what's next? What else is in the program?

– Nothing in the program. Just life as usual. What was on the schedule? Council presentation coming up.

– Oh, those minutes would be up by now. How much time is left?

– Buddy.

He smiled.

– It's kind of unusual to have a dialog. We're not in virtual reality. I'm being honest with you. Yeah, it's an experiment, I didn't mean to do anything wrong. Although I had it all figured out, I suspect the system had more than that. I mean, you can't hide from Irene. She could have known what we were up to, for all I know. It doesn't matter, though, because I'm not going to take over by switching identities. I want to prove to the council that my program is real.

– I almost believed it. What's next? The clock is ticking.

– Let them tick, it won't make a difference. We're not in a virtual reality.

– What's next?

– Let's go to the council.

– И?

– And you will defend the project," Ruthra in the professor's body laughed now.

– Okay, I'm gonna go with your bullshit. It's like it all hits you in the brain when you remove the password.

They got out and went to the council chamber. It was impossible for anyone to get in. A system of pass scanners checked everything down to the DNA code. Big Data was identified as a scientist, Big Boss as the real Rutra. Only the certainty that they were in virtual reality helped Rutra keep his cool.

– I wonder when you thought of that. I mean, the board isn't really aware of your proposal. Why do you have to present it in this scenario? And more importantly, how do you want to use it in reality? Because you're about to find out the council's reaction to the way we introduce ourselves. And I'm not gonna tell you I'm not really a scientist. I won't tell you about the switch. Then what? I mean, that's obviously what you're counting on, isn't it?

– I'm counting on it, I'm confessing it, and it's going to work out the way I planned.

– Let's see. What's the real thing? What's the point? There, in reality, no one will give you an endorsement just for praise in the virtual, even if you convince the council here. In fact, I've already convinced them… Oh, I get it. Since the weighty word on the council is mine and the responsibility for projects with risk is mine – you want to use my body to make an endorsement. It's ingenious, but it's also primitive. It's not a big deal. You'll test everyone's reaction, and maybe not even everyone… I'm sure many will remain silent.

– I'll tell you all about it later. Let's go in.

– Not yet. You took a body, but you don't know the life of that body. They're still waiting for you, or rather for me, in the lobby, with questions and suggestions. So don't embarrass me. I didn't download the chip with the information. Heh-heh," he teased Big Boss.

The meeting was set for the morning. Rutra had not, of course, prepared the speech, had no final position, much less a decision, but was still more inclined to approve the program than to reject it. Responsibility was responsibility, what had he to fear? In case of failure his personal projects would be rejected? So in this project, the subsequent use and the ideas themselves had been suggested by him. Ruthra had even envisioned the scenario, knowing the methods and mannerisms of his learned associate. Everything would be exactly in the perspective that was commonplace to him, however, that was the peculiar aura of this place, of this world. For example, the scientists would propose to implement some fantastic program, perhaps with the help of the "idea generator" installation they had created, to enter the alpha resonance frequency of the brain of a scientific specialist who was working on the cloning project, and "give birth" in his brain to the solution of a complex problem of changing DNA to adapt animals to the atmosphere of Mars. All such things were realistic for them. Ruthra had speculated how things would be, only speculation – for that's what speculation is for, it doesn't have to be a pattern. This time things weren't going according to plan. Besides, the personalities weren't the same now. They'd approach Rutra with questions, and what would Big Boss say? The only thing that comforted him was that this was a virtual world, and the session was still about six minutes away.

In the hall, a specialist in the study of the microcosm and the effect on matter of massless particles approached Rutra, that is, his body, which contained the "luminary of science," even before the meeting began, and, taking him by the shoulder in a friendly manner, said conspiratorially quietly, almost in a whisper:

– I have something to tell you that will make you more surprised than ever.

– Yeah? Even that happens? – Big Boss said with irony.

– Imagine that," replied the minister of science. – Believe me, it will change your perception of reality.

– I dunno, if it still has room to flip, flip it, however, I think it will remain unshakable.

– You'd better be prepared.

– All right. (Sighs) Let's get on with it.

– So, before, well, as is our custom," the doctor smiled, "you should listen to the information. So that your consciousness can be prepared for the load it will take, and your logic can digest what is coming.

– That's kind of what we're here for. I'm all ears.

– No, no, no. Of course, general information first, because this will be a collegial decision. I gave you the general tone of the conversation from the beginning, because your opinion will determine how seriously they will take what I have to say.

Rutra, though not real, understood the scientist's cunning. Everyone knew about Rutra's supervision and support of scientific projects; he really delved into them, actively participated and proposed progressive ideas.

– All right, I promise to give you the floor. You will definitely propose your project. But please, you understand, the main agenda is for another program. If you want, you can give me the details later, preferably with evidence. And I'll gather the new council afterwards. If, of course, the proposed by you has a place in the overall strategic paradigm of the system.

– Oh yes, I'll be sure to introduce you to everything.

"So much for the second stratagem," thought Big-data. It turns out that if in his body he could not find out the secrets of the competing groups, for this he would have to cooperate with them, offering something of his own, then this way he could find out all the plans and programs, the levels of success achieved by all the scientific groups.

Rutra was right. The rest of their dialog made a lot of things clear.

– Tentatively, judging by the mysteriousness of your tone, you have succeeded, I can tell you. I, knowing your fraternity and your experiments on digitizing human consciousness and its further existence inside a supercomputer, am even afraid to think what else you will propose.

It's clear," thought Ruthra in the scientist's body, "this is a direct competitor, his developments are very much needed. Apparently, there were already rumors in the scientific community that the luminary of science wanted to get his project promoted and thus bury all such projects, of course, if the idea was approved. Which was most likely with Rutra's involvement. Big-data decided to listen to their dialog, making an indifferent disinterested look.

– Isn't that bad. You can be in different guises and talk to yourself.

– All right, all right, stop. You know how that turned out.

– I'm sorry, that wasn't with you.

– Do you remember when the computer fell in love with a bunch of girls by pretending to be a famous athlete?

– Yes. That incident was the fault of this man… whatever you call him. I don't know him personally.

– Paris.

– Yeah, that guy, Paris. But he wasn't a big-time athlete.

– Even so. It's a nightmare. Imagine what could be done with this method. What if he talks to his family or business, pretending to be the real him, and then makes you believe that it's the right thing to do? He'd find arguments, examples. After all, how he beautifully falsified and even created some facts. The complete falsification of the broadcasting of international competitions is worth it.

– Well you don't have to, especially for young people, believe everything that comes at you from the net so unquestioningly.

– Oh, my God, I don't know who I'm hearing this from.

They smiled and walked to the conference room and sat down at the table. Already seated, Big-boss nodded to Big-data. The room was full and buzzed like a beehive. Everyone was interested in the topic; both management and scientists had come. The final preparations were underway.

The big boss, who to everyone was Rutra, suggested wearing special masks. All those participating in the discussion, realizing the upcoming presentation methodology, put on without question. After the equipment was checked, i.e. a powerful beam of light flashed in front of their eyes in the mask, after which the surrounding reality completely changed, space disappeared, everything became white light, as if nothing, not even the wearer of the helmet, existed – the invisible presenter announced the beginning of the meeting. The essence of what was going on in the virtual reality helmet was a special special effect: one could be directly in the place, in the process that was being discussed. If the story was about some terrain – the surroundings became exactly the same as what was being talked about. If the story was about space, then, for example, solar flares were drawn directly in front of your eyes, you could be in the boiling atmosphere of Venus, watch the flight of everything that was "swallowed" by a black hole, as well as look at the nucleus of an atom, "dig" into the stomach of a shark, and so on.

For the time being, the "surroundings" were just a white background. Then, from afar, the "celebrant" appeared – a scientist, whom his colleagues called "Mr. Brain" and "the luminary of science," or rather, his body, because Rutra was inside, calling him a magician and sorcerer, to which the scientist smiled modestly. So, this magician and sorcerer, and in fact Rutra, having entered the role, in his style began the narration. Knowing the scientist's manners, the audience was prepared to hear a report on the theory of the universe and everything related to it. Ruthra checked the time. The chipped didn't need to look at their watches to do this. They "saw" the time inside themselves. At an internal signal, which was the thought itself, the time appeared in their minds like an exact memory. So, there was less than a minute left to exit the virtual reality. Ruthra decided to start cryptically, to make one last check before exiting.

– You know, I'm going to tell you something you won't believe, and you'll be wrong. And what I'm going to tell you is this: you don't exist. Soon I will show you this tape, and you will realize that this moment does not exist in the real world.

Then he was silent, waiting for the time to expire. The assembled people, all of whom were periodically tested in the virtual world, knew when and under what conditions they would approve what Rutra was now proclaiming. The expressions on their faces showed incomprehension. Finally the time was up. Ruthra expected a repetition of the process that usually accompanies the exit from virtual reality – "darkening" of consciousness, disappearance of visible things, completely white light in the eyes, a second blackout of senses and mind, and then a "miraculous" appearance in a new place, or rather, in the virtual reality installation. Time expired, Ruthra waited, but there was no change. "What is it? – He thought to himself. – Didn't the timer go off… It couldn't be. Irene was supposed to be in control." There was a nervous silence in the room – there was an explanation to be made.

– So tell us why," the head of the world information services control interrupted the silence.

Rutra had been on friendly enough terms with him, and they occasionally played chess in the evenings, but this played a cruel trick. He forgot his present appearance and began to speak to him as Rutra.

– I will. I'll be blunt. Soon we'll all be watching the meeting on tape. The point is, it's not real. I know what you're thinking right now. I'm sorry if I'm patronizing myself, but I'm speaking as a professional. I, unlike you, intuitively understand the state in virtual and real reality. You can't understand it. For you, what's happening now and your condition are real. This is actually an experiment. The scientific community presenting the project and I conceived it. Let me explain. You have all been in virtual reality and you know what a double feeling you get after leaving it. Naturally, initially everything that happens seems natural to you. Naturally, you don't believe it's virtual reality. Well, what can I tell you about it… You yourself have tried many times to understand – and still do not understand. It's not that important. I conceived this project myself. Or rather, the idea part of it, I took a very active part in its development. Of course, the academic community, namely, the block that directly initiated the meeting, hoped for me as the head of the Council of Masters, counted on me to promote the project.

Ruthra noticed the thoughtfulness and wariness with which the people regarded everything. Not only could you read it on their faces, you could literally feel their emotional state. For some reason, only one person was laughing… "Damn it," Ruthra said to himself. He was the one laughing. Or rather, Big Boss was laughing. Ruthra looked at him furiously. He realized that the trickster had somehow changed the time on the timer. Looking around, Ruthra instantly realized that his speech was illogical, if not comical. He was saying what he wanted to say, but it was not what he wanted to say, because his body was different. He had to explain it somehow.

– Wait a minute, I get it. It's not me talking, I mean, I'm… You'll see. We're conducting an experiment. In addition to being in a virtual world, you're listening to a non-scientist. That is, as if you're listening to a "luminary of science", but actually it's me, the head of the Council of Masters Rutra Tigrovich Paschov.

Everyone looked at Big-daddy in amazement, and Big-boss, clapping his hands, said:

– Well, you know, with all due respect, colleague, I think you are misrepresenting your experiments… or achievements, I don't know what to call it. And I'll tell you, even though you consider this reality to be virtual, I'd like to point out some rules of protocol. You know my name well, so it would be nice if you would call yourself by your first name on the board as well. The fact that you are a "luminary of science", the fact that everyone calls you that and it has already taken root – no one is against it, but still this is not even an international seminar of the scientific community.

– Look, I'd ask you to stop this charade. First, let me know what time you set the timer for. Because we should be back to reality by now. Secondly, you know for a fact that my name is what I said it was, and I and a few members of the council know what your name is, a secret scientist, and what documents and appearance you go out into the world with. So, since you have been provided with such a level of secrecy and identity protection, kindly stop breaking comedy and tell the council about the essence of your experiment. An ingenious experiment, no doubt, I'm not disputing that.

– I'll tell you this: to hear such a thing from an eminent doctor and then entrust him with programs crucial for mankind is not only risky, but also inappropriate. Do you want to tell me who's in my body? It's not me.

– Look, what's going on? – the chairman of the council, who in real life was the head of the UN's top supervisory board, intervened in their dialog.

– And here's what's going on," Big-data made his trademark gesture, raising the index finger of his left hand. – Our esteemed scientist, "luminary of science", who, by the way, called himself that initially, offered me to conduct an experiment. The essence of the experiment is as follows: he and I enter virtual reality, where I must be him, and he me. We check the possibility of this, as they say, just in case. That's why it's an experiment. But this trickster, I will not hesitate to say so, was up to something, I realized it later… But first of all, why I did not give it all so much importance and why I agreed to come to the meeting in his image. The thing is that he needed to be in my body at our meeting. His goal is to use me to get you to approve the project. The project, which, as I now realized before the meeting, he stole partly from my ideas and partly from the developments of a rival group. He needs all of this to get funding and later world fame after we declassify it. That's the way it is. I'll even say more: the proposed technology is revolutionary. With its help, you can seize power better than with the program "Super Spy". After all, according to the rules of our organization – to control and maintain power, we voluntarily constantly hold sessions in virtual reality. So he wants to enter the body of everyone he wants, as he does now, and then make a decision on behalf of the person he wants to become. As now he wants to express support and approval of the presented project on my behalf.

– Can I stop you? We've heard a lot more than that, but this is beyond comprehension. We understand you're conducting an experiment, or rather, it's a kind of defense of the project, a way to show the council its… I don't even know what to call it. Mr. Master Paschow, can you reveal the details of the project?

– Project details? It goes like this. I myself do not quite understand what the "luminary of science" seeks, apparently, this is part of his plan to discredit the one who put forward the idea, developed the theory and proposed the method, the way of scientific research, that is me. Most likely the answer is in the proof from the contrary. Exactly as he said, only in reverse. Indeed we entered virtual reality, only we had already come out into reality, and there was no transfer of one personality into another.

– That's a lie! – Big-data shouted. – He's playing around. He doesn't realize that we'll come out of virtual reality and everyone will know what's going on. In principle, though, the experiment went great. I agree with that. But, buddy, it's time to come clean. All we have to do is ask the board if they approve of the methodology.

There were indignant cries, and the atmosphere was getting nervous. The Chairman decided to make it clear.

– What's the project, what's the methodology? What are you presenting to us? Initially it was declared one thing, and now it's some kind of performance. If you're conspiring like this, it's time to reveal the details of the project. Approve what? You initiated a meeting to approve a program that borders on the level of, I would say, super fiction. Even though the cloning project is a success, what you're proposing is beyond the realm of reality. You want to get the project approved and funded, you claim that not only "there is intelligent life outside of human civilization," but you say, "It's exactly like ours, a mirror image." So they are parallel worlds. Aren't they? Besides, you are going to convince the council in the possibility of transferring not only consciousness from person to person, simply speaking, something like a magic transmigration of souls, but you are also convincing in your ability to do it at a distance, with penetration into these parallel worlds. And these parallel worlds, according to your claims, can be anywhere, even in another universe. Allegedly, according to your theory, by the way, Rutra Tigrovich, they must be in infinity. And, as it turns out, it is very easy to find them, the main thing is to determine the connection between the entangled pairs of electrons, which have existed since the creation of the world and are constantly renewed. You know, even at our level, I mean brain-supercomputer connection, not everyone has a good idea of quantum entanglement and why this connection is instantaneous, why the laws of the universe are not violated, although this very connection can exceed the speed of light by hundreds of thousands of times. It is all right, we will study it. The question is this. To be convincing, you should have provided evidence of the first stage – the transfer of a person into another body and back. Then there would be some credibility to all of this. As it is, I don't understand what kind of a show you're putting on. You, Mr. Magister, should know that the council can't be persuaded like that.

– That's what I'm saying, a hoax," Big Boss replied. – I'm telling you, our luminary of science turned out to be a fake. We still need to check his role in the cloning project. Although what is there to check, the cloning itself was not invented by him, the technology of "pumping" consciousness is not his, the whole idea is mine. And in general – it's nonsense, what he's saying… we can go and check the virtual reality settings.

– This is a conspiracy. It's a mutiny! – shouted Big Daddy.

– I think he's out of his mind. He realized that his scam was about to be exposed, so he decided to try to fool everyone in the way he thinks he can," Big Boss said. – I think he's going to say to me that he wants to take over, he put my mind in his body… or some such nonsense.

– Wait, wait, wait. What the hell is going on? Are you two in cahoots? – The chairman interrupted him.

– Arrest him, I command you! – shouted Big Daddy.

– You see, he's a danger to society," Big Boss parried.

– Oh, wait a minute. What have you turned this meeting into? You know how important it is. It's not even a meeting of heads of state. We can't meet all of a sudden, even on such an important but single issue. I'm eliminating you both. The council has equally important matters on its agenda," said the chairman.

– Arrest us both. Remove me temporarily from power, or rather him. Time must be running out soon anyway," Big-data said in a harsh tone.

– Suspend, suspend, take control. We need to know what's going on. Take them to the medical section. Do a sanity check. Something's going on here. And I'm initiating danger level one. I hope the council agrees with me," the chairman sounded frankly annoyed. – Regarding virtual reality, the timer cannot be changed. It's the way Irene is programmed. It's for security reasons. If you saw the original start time, it should not have changed. Secondly, the second defense: you cannot re-enter virtual reality in virtual reality. So I'm going to send you to the lab in the science block – you did a session there – and we'll check it out there. If you enter the session – it means that this is reality, and if not – we are in the virtual world. Although it's not serious. If the council will allow me, I'll go over the latest security settings. I think it's about time the scientific community knew them. You, Master Ruthra, of all people, should know that. We all have a signaling code that signals every hour that we're in the real world. The virtual world doesn't have that program. That's why the thought doesn't even occur there. So, gentlemen, let us dispel your doubts and at the same time, I think, take part in your experiment, – he grinned slightly, and this reaction was transmitted to many in the hall. – I hope you don't mind being escorted to the laboratory?

– I absolutely do not," Big Boss blurted out instantly.

– This is kindergarten. You can check the protocols," said Ruthra in the scientist's body.

– You see, commentary is unnecessary," Big Boss said snidely, trying to imitate Rutra's gestures, namely, opening his palms up in front of him.

– Alrighty, let's go," Big-data muttered with a dose of anger and walked towards the exit.

– Irene, put me through to security, escort them to the lab, and live stream what's happening here. While we discuss the process of robotization of industries in developed countries and the consequences of migration associated with it. And the second question is about cloning in animal husbandry in developed countries. Now we have reached the point where we don't need people, cows without udders.

Big Boss and Big Data walked through with a security escort, though there was still the signal of Irene's remote taser still on. "Haven't we given a lot of power to artificial intelligence," Ruthra thought, glancing absently at the flashing light accompanying them.

– What are you up to? – He finally got his thoughts together and turned to Big Boss.

– What are you talking about, sir?

– Enough already. Tell me what you're doing.

– I don't know what you're talking about.

– Look, friendship is friendship, but you seem to have lost your fear. I'm gonna cut off your access to the lab. You and your unit were assembled by me as a team of the best, most progressive and advanced scientists in the world. I've given you brain enhancements and a direct link to the knowledge base. It is not yet known whether you could be such a "luminary of science", as you present yourself, if it were not for brain enhancement and full access to the works of other scientists, and in fact the tacit use of them. And of any scientific center in the world.

– I'll point out, this disease has a name, too. I'm sorry, you may have a split personality.

– You're out of your mind.

– I would ask you to respect the subordination in the dialog.

– All right, Mr. Cheeky, let's see.

They entered the lab, the rigs were empty.

– Well, you see," Big Boss decided to get smart.

– Lie down, the concert is over," Big-data "threw" him.

– Now you will be shocked, however science must also have sacrifices.

– Come on, come on. Enough already," Big-data almost bellowed and lay down in the machine.

The laboratory workers present began to put on their masks and check the readings of the instruments. The voice of the chairman was heard in everyone's head. The Conference system was turned on, they were all in a common dialog, Irene too.

– Irene, can you tell me where these people are located?

– They are in the real world," Irene stated dryly.

– What are you talking about? Are you saying I'm crazy? Mr. Chairman, please analyze what's going on. It's already annoying me frankly. What the hell is going on? Do you realize what's going on? This guy wants to steal my body. No less than that," said Rutra, who looked like a doctoral-level scientist to everyone.

– With all due respect to you and your merits – medics, or rather psychiatrists, should intervene in what is going on.

– Mr. Master, we need to conduct a virtual reality session. Or rather, to terminate it. I don't really know how. It should end on its own. What the hell am I worried about? It should end sooner or later. Maybe in virtual reality it seems to us that a lot of time has passed, but in reality it hasn't expired yet.

The big boss, too, took off his mask and climbed out of the rig himself, sat down on its edge, then addressed the chairman, though it was an address to the whole council, for all could hear them.

– Mr. Presiding Magistrate, I think this situation has been described many times in medical practice. I think the scientist just needs to rest… or he should be treated already. Sorry, I too thought it was a joke or part of his program.

– What are you talking about, you con artist. Give me back my body! – shouted Big Data.

– Dear Doctor, will you make your own way to a psychiatrist or…I hope we are well-mannered people.

– Mr. Magister, it's terrible. I don't even know how to explain it to you. This man tricked me into these installations and changed the contents of our brains. He put his consciousness into my body and mine into his. It's, it's, it's a horror. It's a nightmare. Can you imagine such a thing?! – Big Data was almost shouting.

– Calm down. I see– I don't even know what I see anymore. It's impossible. You said so yourself. I mean, I'm already confused with you. Master Ruthra Paschow said it was impossible. The body would either die or be in a coma for some time, with a five or six minute return of consciousness, as I recall. It's impossible to transfer consciousness from one body to another, or rather, from a body to a clone and then back again after a long time. Especially not like this.

– As you can see, it's possible. He achieved it and kept it secret. And now, when we checked everything, he used it," Big-data began to explain calmly.

– That's the kind of dreamer you'd have to look for," Big Boss put in.

– You found him," the chairman replied.

– On my own head," Big Boss answered him guiltily.

– Will you go to the psychiatrist, Mr. Doctor? – asked the chairman courteously.

– I'm not going anywhere! Check out Irene's protocols. It should all be documented. You can't let this go, he'll be in your body tomorrow. Imagine what he could do.

– So you mean to say that it is possible to transfer consciousness between people, to return to the original body, with both bodies functioning absolutely normally? Is that what you're trying to convince me and the council of?

– I don't want to. He does. Or rather, it doesn't mean anything at all. There's no such thing, we're in a virtual world," Big-data replied to the chairman, trying to keep a calm tone.

– I assure you, you're in the real world. You don't believe me? You don't believe the board, you don't believe Irene? I'm sorry, I'm gonna have to take you to a psychiatrist.

After these words, Big-data shook slightly and collapsed on the virtual reality unit's cot without moving. After about ten seconds, he groaned and said with difficulty:

– It's a conspiracy, it's a power grab. He'll have all the access to Irene.

Suddenly Big Boss stood up, his coworkers walked over to him and began to stack Big Daddy in the BP rig.

– What's going on? – The chairman asked sternly.

– Wait a minute, your honor, I'll explain everything and even show you," Big-boss said while checking the readings of the devices.

Words were addressed to the chairman and the board.

– That's right, we're not in a virtual reality, except that reality isn't quite what it seems.

– Mr. Master Paschow, what are you up to? I must remind you, the council meets in person quite rarely, because having everyone in one place goes against the concept of security. The council requires immediate clarification. In spite of your lofty status, provide clarification! Or I'll be forced to ask you to voluntarily go to a psychiatrist as well.

– All right, Mr. Chairman. Just listen to this. The distinguished doctor is not entirely wrong. The fact is that we did conduct an experiment. Please check the record and the protocol of this experiment.

– Irene, show us, the council, the tape and the protocol of their experiment," the chairman asked.

– I can't do it. These files are locked in me.

– Blocked how? Who can block you at all?

– Only someone who has the code to the customization.

– You mean Master Paschow has blocked you?

– Yeah, the lockdown code is a cipher in his DNA. Only he can make the changes.

– Changes cannot be global and permanent. Are these files saved?

– Yes, Your Honor, preserved.

– Mr. Magister Paschow, the council demands that these files be unlocked immediately.

– I'll clarify. Irene is not fully blocked on this event. You can see what time the lockout occurred. Irene, let me know the time of the lockout.

– This morning; 8 hours 46 minutes and 27 seconds.

– Now would you please advise what time the BP session started?

– This morning; 8 hours 28 minutes and 59 seconds.

– Gentlemen, don't you find my action on chronology strange?

– We find not only your action on the timeline strange, but everything that is going on today in general. Explain what's going on.

– Logically, I should have blocked Irene before the BP session if I wanted to hide something. However, it turns out that I do want to hide something, since I did block the recording and logging of events. Isn't that right?

– Rutra Tigrovic, please be clear, we're not here to investigate.

– Wait, that's the whole point. Let's do this, since you want to find out fast. Let's go into virtual reality, then come out and check the recording of the last session.

– Why?

– I wish the esteemed luminary of science would stop having a split personality.

– I don't have a split personality! Grifter, give me back my body! – shouted Big Daddy, who had almost regained consciousness.

– Okay, honorable council? – ignoring the cries of the "scientist," Big Boss asked.

– Let's do it already, I think it has to do with the new experiments," the chairman's voice trembled a little, either from concealed anger or from uncertainty about the decision.

– Irene, once I'm in the installation, before you put us into the VR state, connect to me by password, I'll access the DNA code, and you can show the esteemed council the past record and the event logs. Then, when we're in session, run the reverse process – from what we ran in the locked files. I've already entered the data into you, you know the algorithm of action.

– I get it.

Big Boss lay down in the rig, he and Big Data were hooked up to the system, the indicators began to show changes only they could understand, Rutra's waspy voice could be heard in the scientist's body.

– Just try not to give me my body back.

In review for the board, which was also a kind of reality, went the footage from the last session. Nothing unusual was happening. The session passed, the subjects stood up, and only the unusualness of what was happening was visible from the dialogs. Those present began to follow the broadcasted picture with more and more curiosity. In the meantime, the BP signal indicator in the laboratory went out, and then the indicators of another installation turned on. When everyone began to watch the scene of the conversation in the hall in front of the council hall, the chairman turned to Irene:

– Irene, did Master Ruthra know about the experiments being conducted by the "luminary of science"?

– Yeah. I did.

– Has he participated in them before?

– Yes, without his resolution it is impossible to turn on the installations.

– This second setup in the lab is needed to transfer personality from brain to brain?

– Yeah. It's an advanced setup they've perfected.

– Who directly perfected it – Master Rutra or the "luminary of science"?

– "A luminary of science."

– What's going on out there now?

– They're walking out of the session.

At this time in the lab, the staff was removing the masks from Rutra and the scientist. Rutra, not waiting for all the Velcro to be removed, jumped up and looked in the mirror:

– Holy shit, I'm gonna dream about this.

Then Ruthra looked around the room and those present, the doctor climbing out of the rig, looked in the mirror again, and, stretching his words, repeated:

– So it's all true? Irene, do you have it all on tape?

– Yes, Comrade Commander.

Irene, used to Ruthra's turns of speech and jokes, could afford to talk to him that way, knowing that Ruthra liked it.

– So it's all true?

– Really, really," the doctor said, slowing down his words as he approached Rutra.

– You will be suspended from the experiments," Ruthra said in a stern yet friendly manner.

– I was so scared, you have no idea.

– What the hell are you doing?

– You should have added "mother of God."

Ruthra exhaled heavily: because of their friendship and running the project together, he had no desire to punish the scientist.

– Then go and explain your narcissism. You've gained a lot of control. I can tell you that much.

– No big deal, but it'll make you and the board believe it.

– Let's go, dreamer.

Already on the way to the hall Ruthra asked Irene:

– Irene, did you realize what was going on?

– Yeah. (chuckles)

– Why didn't you tell me or the board what happened?

– You told me not to do that. A later inspection would have revealed it. At this point, I had to follow your orders. You set, in consultation with the council, first priority over all others to carry out your order. Only the group complex code of the chairman, the head of the security group and the master of the financial and economic block can disable your lockdown.

– I know that. Why are you telling me this?

– You didn't consider the mechanics of this situation. I knew your body had a different consciousness. I knew about the successful animal experiments. I controlled the entire process, only I couldn't make a decision on my own knowing that. The system is tuned to your DNA code and takes that password as top priority. That's what the doctor used. Your DNA is still there.

– So you didn't know about it, you didn't assume it?

– No, I didn't. I could calculate the possible options if the possibility of the outcome of the experiment was put into me.

– And he, it turns out, put in the impossibility… and that's why you didn't provide for that option?

– Yeah. (chuckles)

– There you go, darling. Here's the dirt on you. You should have alerted the security system. Otherwise, you basically accessed all the access systems through my DNA code.

– No way. Why would you suddenly prove my one hundred percent confidence in the positive outcome of an experiment?

– After you got the animals, you could change the data you entered.

– Why would I do that? How do I know if it would have worked or not?

– So, without knowing, you put my life, the life of the station's Chief Master, in danger?

– Well, I'm sorry, Your Majesty, at that moment, you weren't the Master Chief of Station to me. You were my colleague who developed part of the methodology, by the way.

– That was close. Let's see what you have to say to the board. Either way, you'll be under a lot of scrutiny. You knew all along.

– That's the whole point. You don't get it. You just keep talking and talking.

– I get it. Settle down. Genius, but still.

– I gave them food for the first stage so that they would approve a feast for the second and third.

– What's the third one?

– Flying and settling in there.

– Are you trying to make my program look like your own again?

– So go represent her yourself.

– Calm down. Come on in. I'll back you up.

They entered the conference room, the assistants put on their masks. The scientist, without saying hello, began his topic.

Chapter 6. Tangled Couples

– Dear gentlemen, we are all smart, intelligent, wise and chipped. We're also powerful and all-powerful. I'm sorry, it's just so we don't skimp on such an important project. You must agree that when I… well, we," he looked at the smiling Rutru, "when we presented you with the cloning project, the rapid cloning project, you, in addition to being amazed, felt tremendous and, I'm not afraid to say, self-serving envy. After all, this is the way to eternal life. Copy yourself as much as you want. Only have money. And you have enough capital, because you have a lot of power, that is, all the power is yours.

– Dear doctor, let us not be… I note that we got it by our labors and our mind. And money is not so important to us. We set the rules of power and control it. It's a system. It's not a dynasty, it's not a takeover, it's not a redistribution. You of all people should know that. So let's get scientific. We've been watching the spectacle for over an hour now. I'll admit, it's certainly worthwhile.

The chairman was a bit harsh, perhaps also because he himself came from a scientific background. Like most of the council. And the Sphere system was mostly made up of people of science. The chairman was right. The organization was not created by powerful families, clans of special services or financial oligarchs. These structures knew nothing about it. Or rather, no one knew anything about it. The wealth and danger of scientists was demonstrated by the latest "circus" that had just taken place in the center. Scientists could create something that neither special services, nor oligarchs, nor military, nor religious figures could understand, being already under their full control. They and only they stood at the top of everything new, and after their inventions or discoveries could be used for their own purposes (even if for selfish purposes, even if they wanted to control mankind) by all the above-mentioned (and not only) groups. That is why in the voice of the chairman there was a certain fear of himself as one of the members of the scientific community. The fear of all before all. Therefore, the system revealed more and more the personal lives of the people who were part of it, not shy even to recommend marriages and the time of conception of offspring.

– I'm sorry," the doctor said guiltily, with a sigh. – I understand, but please accept my further method of proposing, presenting and even explaining the project. Not everyone is knowledgeable in this field. Not everyone is well versed in the exact sciences. Now how do I say this so as not to offend. I will be listened to, the topic studied and approved by more than just the board members. Right? That's right. And, no offense, there are a lot of people in the system – financiers, military, specialists in some other fields.

– Mr. Doctor, let's get on topic," the chairman asked rather loudly and firmly.

– Okay, here I go. Everything that can be imagined exists. Otherwise it can't be imagined. The idea of the world is in the brain, in representations. The many-worlds interpretation, or the Everett interpretation, is an interpretation of quantum mechanics that assumes the existence (in a sense) of "parallel universes", each with the same laws of nature and the same world constants in different states.

The Council did not need to be told about the scientific background of the theory of multiple worlds. For the average person such a thing was perceived as a fantasy, because not everyone knew that there was a scientific basis for the existence of parallel worlds. There were several explanations, among them – the Copenhagen interpretation, Everett's many-worlds interpretation and other similar ones. The point is that the scientific community studied this issue, so no one could take the speaker's words lightly. Everyone tried to understand how it was possible, knowing his past, no less fantastic ideas, which still managed to materialize.

This time he stated that indeed there are these parallel worlds, moreover – they are an exact copy of ours. As proof, the scientist cited quantum teleportation. Since not everyone to whom he presented his program understood the subtleties of his reasoning, the speaker made detailed explanations.

– Let me explain how it can be. In physics, quantum teleportation is a very real thing. What is it? It is a transfer of quantum state of an electron, i.e. a tiny particle, of which, however, our world and we ourselves consist. So, it is the transfer of particle states over a distance by means of a coupled (or entangled) pair separated in space. Now I'll explain what this is. Quantum entanglement is a phenomenon in which the states of two (or more) particles appear to be interdependent. For example, it is possible to get a pair of particles which are in an entangled state, i.e. connected with each other as if by kinship ties, and then if at measurement of a regular circle, let's say, of the first particle the helicity turns out to be positive, then the helicity of the second particle will always be negative… and vice versa. Such interdependence is always preserved even if these objects are separated in space beyond any known interactions. So, logically, they should have no connection. But a change in the parameter of one particle leads to an instantaneous change in the state of another. It's a miracle. And this miracle is possible because the process occurs instantaneously… not just above the speed of light, but instantaneously. And here I can prove that this is not some kind of miracle, but quite a natural phenomenon. According to the laws of physics, as we know, nothing can be transferred from one place to another at a speed greater than the speed of light. Accordingly, we know nothing about anything that moves above the speed of light. Quantum teleportation does not transfer energy or matter over distance. The fantastic notion of teleportation comes from a specific interpretation of the experiment: the original state of the particle collapses after all that has happened, as if it were to appear elsewhere. That is, the state was not copied, but transferred from one place to another. Well, now you will say that this is nonsense, because in fact both energy and information are transferred. Information, I think, for sure. Because the state of one particle is transferred to another particle. All right. Let's do this – you'll believe me without the scientific details. Master Rutra Paschov and I have invented a technology with which we can copy your brain, that is, what you really are, transmit its state over a distance with instantaneous (or almost instantaneous) speed, and then – the most interesting thing – put this state into another brain. Now for the even more curious part. I can do this: we will send all this from one person, put it into another, and the one from whom we took the initial consciousness will be the first in the alien body. That is, first we will bring a person's brain with the help of neuro-linguistic programming and hypnosis into such a state, when he, getting into a new body, brings that brain as if into a coma state, i.e. disconnects it, and then acts on his own. Besides, a timer program will be laid down, and he, this first mind, will switch off at the appointed time and return to the original body. And the person, from which the mind and consciousness was sent, will then know and remember everything that he felt in another's body. Here is a miracle from the greatest genius of all times and peoples. What do you think?

– Grandiose, magnificent," Rutra said with a triumphant applause.

The rest of the attendees looked at each other, some just smiled.

– We don't want to disbelieve you, but it's hard to believe it either," the head of the economic bloc said no less solemnly.

The situation was familiar, as with the past fantastic proposals of the "luminary of science". The thing was that the other masters did not spend resources on practical testing of the scientist's ideas. Though any wonderful ideas could be tested here or a real program could be disguised as something else in some science center or complex. All it required was money, and the power was already there. The Sphere system was a secret organization of an international consortium of the world's rulers, but there were still points that could not be hidden: large expenditures required explanation to the public. It was clear to ordinary but thinking people that, for example, the grandiose Large Hadron Collider, running several billion dollars deep between several countries, had not been built simply to find some hypothetical Higgs boson. The same is true here. The cost is already looming in the minds of the audience. It couldn't be an inexpensive thing. Everyone realized this project was bigger than building a spaceport. In addition, everything must take place secretly, with distraction. But what was said next surprised everyone except Rutra.

– I'll tell you right away, the project itself is inexpensive. I will say, if we do not have to build another similar center. After all, the participants of the project, whom we are going to send to parallel worlds, have to live and prepare themselves, i.e. everyday life must exist, their bodies must be serviced in the process. But nevertheless I still think it is worth it. Imagine if someone had told you at the dawn of the invention of electricity: one day the whole world will be covered with wires. You would have said, "There are not enough resources for that, it is impossible to realize. Wouldn't you? And now think… if I say that this installation, which, by the way, is not very different from the virtual reality installation, will be an ordinary commodity, that such flights to parallel worlds will be entertainment and attraction. How's that? You'll say: he's sick. Yes, I am carried from primitive consciousness to the depths of space.

– Wait, wait, wait. Let's take it back to Earth. Let's say all of this is true. The technology for consciousness transfer is kind of already in place. Quantum teleportation is known to science. But please tell me, what makes you think there are parallel worlds? Have you already tried your process? – the same head of the department asked less emotionally.

– All of this comes from what I said. I was talking about quantum entanglement. That is to clarify: entanglement is not from the word "entanglement", but from the fact that one particle has a double, which allows a parallel reality, somewhere changes with instantaneous speed its state. Repeats it, the particle. Like you in a mirror, your reflection. Quantum teleportation provides the answer to the existence of these worlds. It's hard to believe, but it does. Billions of years this process has been going on. We're all made up of these particles. We know what photography, x-rays, tomography are, and it doesn't surprise us anymore. What's that… cloning and genetically modified foods don't even surprise us. So why not assume that our whole world, consisting of molecules, atoms, particles and so on, emitting all this every second, has not folded into the same world in another area, where the appropriate conditions exist. Why shouldn't that be allowed to happen? So, logically speaking – all of this is there, is there in numerous forms, that is, one world is reflected in another, and that one in a third, and so on. Of course, with each copy, and taking into account the conditions around, the subsequent world will already be a little different.

– All right. Let's get to the practical part. How many resources do you need for this, for all the stages of the project, if you prove its viability here? – asked the financier firmly.

– That's the thing – not much at all. We need to build one more additional center with installations, or better yet, two. You understand, we'll send the human consciousness to the edge of the universe, and the body will stay here. Imagine if something happens: a fire, an earthquake, an asteroid, a nuclear war. There must be insurance.

– Oh, great. You're saying the rig could be affected? Don't you think something could happen to the body, too?

Obviously, a dispute started between the scientist and the head of the economic block. Everyone listened to their discussion with interest.

– Now what I – I mean, I'll put it this way: I'm very grateful to the board for that past project. Grateful to those who believed in it and made it happen. I mean cloning and creating a second personality from the original. Agree, to create a copy of you, and at any desired age, and even with changed parameters, for example, a different hair color, is also a grand idea and work. Now I'm going to use this technology. I'll create a clone of the person whose consciousness we're sending. And we will keep a digital copy of the consciousness, if something goes wrong, say, our test subject dies there and it will be mirrored, i.e. the body dies here, – then we will be able to put the digital copy into the clone. Everything will be restored. A miracle? Absolutely.

– I have nothing to say. And yet – how much are you asking? – Without expressing any particular surprise, the economist emphasized his question.

– Fifty billion, I think, will be enough," the scientist replied quite calmly.

– Well, shall we risk it? – addressed the economist to the audience.

– According to the protocol – the co-author responsible for the practical part of the project must provide evidence of the feasibility of the project," the head of the Sphere system's governing board said expectantly to everyone.

– The project is feasible and the first trial is cost and risk free. It can be done here. It's a test of transferring consciousness from one to another, which is what you actually observed. The second stage – we'll do the same thing in Earth conditions, somewhere between continents. The third is between Earth and space, and then we can launch everything into distant parallel worlds," Ruthra answered the demands for explanations, his voice extremely confident.

He knew his role, he knew his power. In Ruthra's system, if he was not the first and most important, he was certainly an equal among the first.

– As for the practical part, I don't think there are enough fingers on my hands to list in what fields and for what purpose this process can be used. For example, even in earthly conditions it is possible to create several clones of one person, and he can be instantly transported across oceans and continents and remain himself. It is the same in those worlds. Initially, once there, you can create the same technological setups and the same clones. So traveling to deep, deep space is not a problem at all now.

By voicing such fantastic possibilities for the project, Rutra not only inclined the council to approve the scientist's proposal, but also ignited a desire to make future financial investments. His scientist friend glowed. It was clear how grateful he was.

– You know, I still have to say," the chairman began cautiously. – I am, of course, surprised at the lack of questions and the way we are taking this project on faith. Of course, the topic of cloning and this show you put on played a role, but let's look at it a little bit from the outside. Mr. Master, do you want us to believe in the existence of other worlds, even if we leave aside our faith in technology? I'm still asking for proof. Honestly, if it's not protocol, I'd like it to be true. But you should also understand what we're talking about right now. Okay? What does the board say? Do we approve stage one? Give us six months for preliminary preparations? Allocate a sum of money for the first, earthly, part of the project? – the head of the council asked the audience.

To Rutra's surprise, almost everyone was silent. It was clear that the project was very improbable. Rutra thought to himself: "That's all right, soon I'll be the chairman of the council, and I won't approve any of your projects. Of course, he thought this in jest. However, he made sure that his emotional state was transmitted to those around him.

– I approve," said the head of the economic bloc.

Turns out everyone was waiting for it. Almost simultaneously, the others were in favor of approving the project.

– I am very grateful to you. I promise to send you to parallel worlds, too," the scientist said cheerfully.

To which the economist hastily replied:

– No, no, no. You first, please, yourself.

He spoke with a smile. Everyone understood the joke. For Rutra and the luminary of science, the meeting was over, the assistants took off their masks, and the world became ordinary.

Chapter 7. The Ribhu Mission

Rutra had been interested in this technology since his days with the secret organization Zero. But it had frightened him a great deal at the time. The tried and tested method assured him even more that this method of humanity's existence in the future would not be alternative. But only not by moving into each other, but by moving the consciousness according to the principle of the influence of entangled pairs to the far reaches of space. There the consciousness had to find its shelter, i.e. another biological body. If not, it would return to the original one without risk. What is consciousness? It's an aura of brain waves generated by the brain. With their help Rutra wanted to influence the particles, and those in turn, influencing each other, exchanging states (and the distance, as it was said, did not play a role for them), had to do the same as any other change. When we speak, draw, write, tap out Morse code, even when we make babies – we are converting one action into another, and initially converting an idea, a thought into a desire and action. In the same way these particles, influencing each other, had to form a copy of the original consciousness from other waves there, somewhere far away, in someone's brain. People use such technologies everywhere, only we are not copying consciousness yet.

Rutra began to prepare a large-scale project, although a pilot launch had to be done first. The project had many organizational and other issues, including moral and ethical ones. This is inevitable in any new endeavor, especially one so phantasmagorical. Rutru's life experience had taught him that it was necessary to endure it, and also to properly justify and present the idea, but nothing, of course, should stop the prospect, progress and his idea. He decided to take it seriously.

How often does it happen in people? Because of lack of free time, indecision, fear, they begin to think that it is not worth wasting their nerves and strength. Those who believe in failure do just that. And those who believe in victory dive in headfirst. Disappointment is their companion, but still the latter often win, achieve their goal, because at least they try.

Ruthra couldn't afford, and didn't want, to point his finger at the sky. What he wanted was a specific, programmed result. He decided without reservation that if he were to use such an extraordinary technology, he would use it with the most probable, intended result. Thinking about it, Ruthra came to a seemingly simple, as it might seem at first glance, but striking conclusion: the mission had to be carried out by a child, and not by any child. Everything had to meet certain criteria. From his genes to his subconscious… or, as Ruthra himself said, the thoughts he would have in the long run. Yes, there was a possible risk: the child might not return....

By transmitting consciousness through the influence of one particle on its copy, it was possible to achieve the main goal – to overcome great distances. After all, even if you fly at the speed of light, i.e. 300 000 kilometers per second, you will pass our galaxy only in a circle for 327 000 years. That's if you go in one outer circle, and there are about 400,000,000,000,000,000 stars in it, except for the planets. It will take you 2,551,000 years to get to the nearest galaxy at this incredible speed. And it's 18,000,000,000,000 years to the known edge of the universe, not to mention other universes whose existence is in doubt. So, the second advantage of this technology is that, apart from the instantaneous transfer of the state of one particle to another, these particles find each other. That is, they do not fly anywhere, or rather, they transfer their state, knowing in advance from u the entangled pair. This can be compared to the way a glass lens and electrical signals preserve your appearance, voice and transmit instantly to the other side of the earth. This too would once have been magic, tell anyone such a thing, even Archimedes himself.

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