Anomaly Frango, Interchange
The final part of my novel Anomaly Frangú. The previous parts can be read here: Start , End , Culmination .
The ASCII animation on CDRP, which I did a couple of weeks ago, reveals aspects of the life of some cohorts of pirates.
The pilot of Svyaznoy-412 Angle could hardly breathe. In total darkness, he was beaten about the slimy walls of the bioraider safety bag. Not only was the oxygen not enough, but also the constant blows on the elastic folds of the bag knocked out of the lungs what was inhaled. It might seem that the pilot got into the stomach to a monster that runs over rough terrain. Actually, it was not far from the truth.
The pirates' bioraiders had a special room inside their bodies for humans and biokits. It was not intended for regular use, but served as the last chance in an emergency. The dimensions of the room, called a safety bag, could stretch and shrink, holding from one to five people. The walls of the bag were soft and elastic to compensate for possible overloads. The bag provided an acceptable pressure and oxygen content. And there was mucus. Lots of mucus. She had to minimize friction, which also increased the survival rate under extreme overloads.
Spitting out another portion of mucus that got into the mouth with a breath, the pilot Ugolnik asked:
- Kid, what's going on there, tear me up the vacuum?
- Deda Ugolnik ... we are flying between meteorites ... very difficult ... I can’t say ...
- Hang on, baby!
The pilot Ugolnik realized that the bioraider, whom he called the baby, had entered the anomaly. Will an untrained bio-leader be able to overcome all five light minutes of the anomaly and get through to the planet? Pilot Angle strongly doubted. But this is his best chance. His and two other people who were picked up by the bio-riders kids at the narrow-beam transmitter.
The space fleet security officer Pavel Moskvin closed the communications antenna with the cruiser with the help of the second level protection activated by him. This is a powerful and very expensive thing. Pilot Ugolnik never saw this with my own eyes. But after all, the space center has a lot of money, they can afford it! However, the protection of the second level requires a huge amount of energy, which, with personal use, limits the usage time to just a few minutes.
When Pavel had the last minutes of the defense action, this girl Jan Fomin was in the open space! She, it turns out, also had second level protection. When the pilot Ugolnik named Yana somehow a girl, she snorted in offense. She would know that the pilot called girls all women under seventy years old. After all, he is over a hundred!
Dangling in the stomach of a bioraider, the pilot recalled recent events on a narrow-beam transmitter. They developed so rapidly then that the consciousness did not have time to comprehend what was happening. Scrolling through his own mind in those moments, the pilot wondered how well he worked! And in a hundred years he could boast of a great reaction! Of course, in the central civilizations of mankind a hundred years is the very prime of life. Here, on the planet Frangō, at this age they were already retiring.
Then, on a narrow-beam transmitter, the mercenaries Dmitry and Vlad fought in the virtual world of schemes with hostile creation, and Paul covered the antenna for blocking SupremeAI. The battle was in full swing, when Paul began to end the action of the defense of the second level. Having calculated everything by seconds with the help of her scripts, trainee Yana rushed to replace the boss. At the moment when Pavel's protection was turned off, Yana activated her own by pressing herself against the antenna. SupremeAI did not receive a connection and was unable to intervene in a virtual battle.
The pilot Ugolnik at that time was establishing contacts with the bio-leaders sent by Yuri to destroy people. By sending them a portion of the data, the pilot placed the bio-riders to him. And then made friends, if you can call it that. Bioraiders turned out to be completely untrained kids, who eventually got in touch and began to call the pilot just as “grandfather Ugolnik”.
Then on the Svyaznoy-412 radar, the pilot noticed the mark of a drone, which was rapidly approaching the transmitter. Obviously, desperate to get into the transmitter through the antenna, Sai decided to act with brute force. The combat drone running SupremeAI is a formidable force.
At this moment, the pilot Ugolnik did what he was very proud of so far - he persuaded the kids of bio-riders to help people. Maybe it was because the hatred of drones from bio-readers was embedded at the level of instincts. Maybe in something else. Nevertheless, the kids agreed!
Putting on the spacesuit, the pilot moved to the gateway, from the outside of which the kid was already waiting for him. Two more kids flew up to Yana and Paul, who blocked the antenna. Having waited until Yana’s second level protection was turned off, having exhausted all energy, and they moved into the kids' safety bags.
But the mercenaries ... they remained connected to the transmitter circuits and until the last were fighting a virtual battle. Monitors showed that damage to Dmitry is irreversible. Vlada could have been saved, throw her son and move to the bioraider bag. But Vlada stayed.
Three kids with people aboard rushed from a flying drone. As the kid reported to the pilot Ugolnik, the battle drone made a powerful volley, which destroyed both the Svyaznoy-412 ship and the residential compartments of the transmitter.
Then the minutes stretched in total darkness, which the child once broke, advising him to take off his spacesuit and outerwear. According to him, the bag better understands the condition of a person when touching his skin. And then the wild shaking began. And here is the pilot The square dangles in the body of a bioraider in the midst of anomalies that are flickering asteroids.
- Baby, how are other people there, for example?
- A lot of friends died ... they were faced with stones ...
- Is the leader of your flock still alive, comet tailless?
- Uncle Yura leads us ... he is very clever ...
Still would! As far as it was clear from the conversations inside the transmitter, the leader of the pack of kids was Yuri Krasilnikov. Rather, a cast of his consciousness, shifted to the neural network of one of the embryos. If so, then there is a chance to survive. As an experienced pilot, Yuri is able to find a stable zone near the upper layers of the anomaly. Stable zones that are so close to open space have a very small volume. Literally a few square kilometers of void free from asteroid mash. Theoretically, all five thousand flock bioraiders can fit in this volume.
Suddenly the shaking is over. Having a little recovered and having tried to move, the pilot the Ugolnik addressed the baby:
- We arrived, baby? What happens, for example?
- Uncle Yura led us to a quiet place. We will rest here.
- What's up with your friends? Is everything okay with those who have people inside?
- Hundreds of my friends didn't get there. Many are injured. People are all intact, but the friend, in which there is a girl human, is very annoying. It hurts him. He is dying.
- So, connect me with your pack leader, your blackthorn! I do not know how you do it, but come on, baby, try it!
Pilot Ugolnik worried about Jan. She is still quite young! It is necessary to pull it out somehow from the sick bio-rider and move it to a healthy one! Moreover, it should be done in a vacuum, despite the fact that Yana probably took off her spacesuit, and the protection of the second level is discharged.
- Pilot of Svyaznoy-412 Andrey Ugolnik, can you hear me? - There was a male voice in the safety bag. - I appeal to you - the leader of the pack Yury Krasilnikov.
- Hello, synthesis error! Are you the villain, for example, who sat down in the transmitter, or are you alone?
- Yuri Krasilnikov's mind, located on the transmitter, was used to initialize the bioraider embryo. It seems to me that I am not the same Yuri from the transmitter. I have changed. In the neural network of embryos, pirates laid a large amount of information in the form of instincts. I absorb this information more and more. In spite of the fact that I remember everything that happened to the real Yuri, I ... more and more become a bio leader.
- Oh, tear me up the vacuum! Okay, Jura, bioraider, buddy, let's save the girl Yana! It is located inside the dying bioraider. Can we move it to a safe place? And then I will put in a good word for you! Who knows how everything will turn, for example? Saving people will be reckoned anyway!
- Of course, I will help you, people! Bio-riders help people. The pack cannot move on. The transition to the next stable zone they do not survive, they are small and inexperienced. I did not have time to teach them everything, - Yuri fell silent.
- So, so, then you will help us! - decided to hurry Yuri pilot Ugolnik. - What should I do, for example?
- Only I can get to the center of the anomaly to the planet. Babies will have to leave while here. They can be in a vacuum for years without food. They will be very sad and lonely, but there is no other way out.
- Then let's move the nozzles, for example! Take us on board. Start with Yana and do not forget, the error of synthesis, that she is not wearing a spacesuit, and we humans cannot breathe in a vacuum, the space suits are darned!
- The girl is already on my board. Now it's your turn pilot.
The walls of the safety bag began to move, pushing the body towards the narrow opening that appeared. Through the hole, the pilot got into the intestinal tube, which had its own peristalsis. A few seconds of movement on the tube ended in the pilot falling into another safety bag.
“Now you are on my board, pilot Andrei Ugolnik,” a man’s voice boomed, “the turn of the last man has come.
The pilot did not notice the transition between the bio-readers, realizing that the bio-readers had formed a tight connection between the tubes coming from the safety bags. Another thing worried Andrew:
- Yura, and the three of us will not beat each other in one bag, for example? Bumpy something decent will rip my vacuum!
- Safety bag can be divided into compartments. You do not see Jan, although she is also on board? - said Yuri, and after a short pause he added: - Now there are three of you. It's time to go.
- It's time, your black hole! Yes, Yura, how will you approach the planet, immediately get in touch with people and tell who you are on board, for example. And better let us talk to the planetary defense, otherwise they will shoot you in fear, the error of synthesis!
- When a connection with the planet appears, I will establish a connection. Get ready!
The pilot wanted to say that he was ready for everything, how such a shaking began, compared to which the journey inside the baby was a cakewalk. Yuri piloted much sharper.
Short respite within the stable zones alternated with dozens of minutes of the most severe overloads. The pilot began to notice that he had a brief loss of consciousness.
Andrei Ugolnik had no idea how long it lasted. The passage of a bioraider through the anomaly to the planet could take an hour, a day, or a year. None of these creatures of pirates could pass through the anomaly before.
Suddenly the shaking stopped, everything stopped and calmed down. Did it work out? This would be the first time in history that a bioraider could approach the planet. Only here there is a nuance - Sai put the mind of the legendary human pilot of the planet into the neural network of this bio-reader. What the pirates themselves could not do was able to make Supreme Intelligence SupremeAI.
- We arrived at the scene, people. Get ready for a dump!
- To what, damned space suits, get ready?
Instead of answering, the pilot felt a free fall lasting a few seconds. After that, the force of gravity reappeared, and then the bag burst like a balloon filled with water!
Three people fell on the concrete. The security guards Pavel Moskvin and Yana Fomina, as well as the pilot Andrey Ugolnik, were lying on the platform near the control center of the space fleet, dumbfounded looking at the security bag. Everything around was covered with mucus.
- Tfu, ha-a-a-dost! - spitting out of the mouth clots of mucus and trying to clean it off, exclaimed Jana.
- This is not a planet, for example! - looking around on the sides said the pilot Square.
“This is the space fleet control room,” Paul grumbled frowningly, “as soon as the connection appeared, I spoke with the planet.” Here in the space park the temporary headquarters of the planet’s defense forces is organized. The president wants to see us.
- I have this, boss, get dressed. And wash. That is, first wash and then get dressed! - quivering from the coolness asked Yana. - It is somehow indecent to appear before the president half-naked and slimy.
- No time to wash! There, we already have towels. Threw and ran to the headquarters. Such an order!
- Give me a vacuum!
- Well bo-o-o-ss!
President of the planet Frang Nadezhda Moskvina slowly sipped just brewed tea. All those present were also holding a cup of decoction in their hands in their hands. In the control room stood a pleasant herbal spirit.
The herbs of the planet Frangō contained various active elements, which Nadezhda skillfully knew how to use, making a decoction with the desired effect. Today's tea could be called: "Concentration without emotions."
Arriving at the space fleet control room a few hours ago, Nadezhda announced that the defense headquarters would be located here. At the moment, the people present at headquarters are divided into two groups.
In the first group, holding a little apart, were representatives of the space fleet: General Katalov, General Khramtsov with his daughter Vika Shishkina, and also agent Karpenko with an already restored arm. Ekaterina Kirik, although she served in the kosmoflot, preferred to be near Nadezhda, improving any free time to talk with her.
In the second group were representatives of the space fleet: director Natalia Matveeva and counterpart Kolobukhova. They stood a little distance.
And, finally, in the third group was President Nadezhda Moskvin with Defense Minister Timur Khmelkov, nicknamed Experienced. Next to them was Katya.
Everyone dutifully drank from cups because the president announced a tea break, during which unnecessary conversations were not welcomed. Watch the same monitors were not forbidden. Some showed the current state of mobilization. Some displayed radar data.
Taking the last sip, the president turned to Byvaliy:
- Timur, please list again those who planned the invasion. We will display this on a separate monitor. Point out what forces planned the invasion and our chances to fight back.
- Yes, Nadezhda. So, the first threat came from Saya - SupremeAI of the cosmo fleet cruiser. He planned the invasion with the help of five thousand embryos of bioraider. If they went to the planet, then we would have no chance to fight back. But the pack from Saya was not trained. According to my forecasts, it would take them several weeks to learn how to fly in the anomaly.
“Once again, please note, Nadezhda,” General Katalov addressed the president, “that Sai acted on his own, at odds with the interests of the space fleet. Please, that this information was reflected on the monitor!
- Well, Vladimir, we will attribute Saya to SupremeAI - a separate force in the Universe, which is interested in our planet.
“So, as we know from a message from General Katalov, Sai was neutralized by a large group of pirates who arrived at the anomaly.” At the same time, five thousand untrained bio-riders went over to the side of pirates? So?
- Yes that's right. Forces of pirates - three cohorts of bio-riders trained to pass through the anomaly. If even one cohort could get to the planet, we would again have no chance to fight back. None
- We display on the monitor the second force that has an interest in the planet and against which we are defenseless. Pirates Further, "Nadezhda continued," you all heard the report of Henri on the arrival of the Colossal of the Cosmo Fleet. The pirates have withdrawn their forces, but no one bothers them to return. Henri said that Professor Vorobev flew to the planet along with ... - Hope's voice faltered for a moment, - with Aida.
- Yes, Colossal forces are constantly replenished with new cruisers. At the time of Henri's departure from outer space, the Colossal forces made up one hundred battle cruisers. If you extrapolate the increase in the number, then at the moment the space fleet has a group of several thousand cruisers.
Another inscription appeared on the monitors: “Colossal”. At that moment, General Katal protested:
“Hope, with all due respect, the Colossal of the cosmoflot embodies the cosmoflot itself, which is the main friend of the planet. You should not put him on a par with the pirates and with ... - hesitated the general.
- With Cy, you want to say? Sai also personified the cosmoflot? - said Professor Vorobev, who unexpectedly entered the control room. - Only at the cost of their lives two brave mercenaries Dmitry Vysotsky and Vladislav Malinov stopped the invasion of reprogrammed bio-riders. We wouldn't talk here right now, get SupremeAI Space fleet Sai access to a flock of unwise kids.
The appearance of the professor caused a stir in the presidential security service, who were guarding the temporary headquarters. With a confident gait, the professor was approaching the center of the control room, not paying attention to the security men running behind him.
General Katalov and agent Karpenko almost simultaneously snatched the punches and started shooting at the professor. Judging by the sparks rebounding from the professor's jacket, the punches were not put up for paralysis.
- Stop shooting! - the president slightly raised her voice.
The shots subsided. Professor Vorobyov stopped, straightened his jacket and looked at the president.
- Thank you, Hope!
- Stay on the spot, pirate! - warned General Katalov. - With me there is a more powerful weapon. Don't make me use it!
- Easy, General! - said Hope. “The professor came to talk, didn't he?”
- Absolutely right, Hope. It is a pity that I could not talk to you heart to heart forty years ago.
- But you are another professor Vorobiev? Or are you the same person, but in a different body? General Katalov and Henri tried to explain, but we didn’t figure it out.
- Well, let's start with this, if you like!
The professor sat in the self-propelled car that came up and continued:
- We appreciate the lives of people, but we believe that humanity in vain has abandoned attempts to make its body and mind more perfect. People were afraid to create monsters and banned experiments on humans many thousands of years ago. Speed locomotive of evolution stopped.
- And you, therefore, did not stop. Well, well, what's next? - still holding the professor at the gunpoint, General Katalov asked with a smile.
- Several influential businessmen and scientists disagreed with the decision to freeze human development programs. So there were so-called pirates. Although, of course, at first there was no question of any pirates. There were only remote stations where research continued. However, from century to century, of us sculpted the image of enemies. Do you know who did this?
Silence reigned in the hall, everyone was waiting for an answer, although it was already hanging in the air.
- We were displeased with a force that never stopped developing. Which year after year, century after century, millennium after millennium, continued to increase its power and influence, despite its limitations. Artificial intelligence with self-awareness, SupremeAI - that's who made us become the main enemy of humanity.
“That's all logical,” said Timur.
- What do you think is logical, Experienced? - General Katalov shot up. “Do you believe in his fairy tales about good pirates?” Have you forgotten that they destroy our ships?
- And how many people died in the clashes of the space fleet and pirates over the last, say, a hundred years? The professor asked the general.
- How much, how much ... I do not know!
“There have been no casualties among the people lately,” said General Khramtsova, head of the long-range intelligence department.
“In fact, there were casualties among the people,” the professor continued, “but these were people on the side of the pirates.” Over the past hundred years, for example, a space fleet managed by the SupremeAI has killed more people than it did in a space fleet over the many thousands of years of its existence. SupremeAI kills people, - the professor said the last phrase.
- You don’t really look like people! - Filtered agent Karpenko. “Judging by what I saw, you are cyborg clones!”
- We do not make clones. We have another goal - to make it so that each person could endlessly develop. Make a person immortal, if you want. So far we have not been able to fully implement it. Our scheme now works differently. Each person is unique in his biocorbine body at any given time. And if the body dies or dies of old age, then a new one is made, sometimes more advanced.
- How is it done? - quietly asked Vika Shishkina.
- We have not learned to endlessly prolong the life of the whole body. But the brain cells succumbed to our experiments. We have learned to maintain endless regeneration of brain cells while preserving the natural neurostructures and processes occurring in them. While the main body is frozen in the cryochamber, the brain is in a semi-frozen state in special conditions. We can grow a copy of this brain in the head of biokiborg.
- Ha, then you still make a clone! - smiled Agent Karpenko.
- We create a prolongator! So we call biokiborg with a copy of the mind of the original person. I am the prolonger. Ivan - the prolonger. Almost all the pilots we captured on the planet agreed to become the ancestors of their line of prolongators.
Nadezhda looked attentively at Katya, then turned to the professor with the question:
“But how do you ensure endless development?” Just making copies of the brain is not enough!
- In this all the salt, Hope! We learned not only to make a copy of the brain structure, but we were able to connect to brain centers that receive visual, sound, tactile, and other signals. Each prolonger, as soon as it becomes available for communication, discards data about what he saw, heard, felt. The entire set of data that came into the brain of the prolonger is sent to the original brain.
- I understand correctly that everything you hear, see or smell, will you load into that original brain? - clarified Hope.
- Right! Even the smell of your beautiful herbs. When I die, the next biokiborg, the next prolonger, will remember everything that I lived. Thus prolongators prolong the life of Professor Oleg Vorobiev, who is already more than nine hundred years old. To me, the current prolongonger, is only forty.
“But you died then, forty years ago, in an explosion?” Asked General Khramtsova. - How did you pass the information to the next prolongong?
- At that time, unfortunately, the information could not be transmitted. I remember only what was the day before, when I last dropped a new piece of data. However, I know what happened there. Each prolonger studies the information that previous prolongers did not have time to transmit. This, of course, is not recognized by us as real memories.
“And a lot of pirates have such prolongers like you?” - asked General Katalov.
- Quite a bit when compared with the population of the central civilizations of humanity!
Taking a deep breath, the professor looked around the audience and continued in a louder voice:
- Ladies and gentlemen, I apologize for having tired you with all these details! The fact is that we need the planet Frangun and the anomaly around it in order to restore the status quo. We want to be equal members of humanity. Anomaly is a unique place that SupremeAI does not have access to.
- But your plans are broken off? Do not you, millennial granddaddy? Colossal still pressed you? - Agent Karpenko gloated.
“Right now Colossal of the space fleet will establish contact with us, and we will see,” answered the professor.
Indeed, in the control room there was a soft click and a hologram appeared of admiral of the space fleet. Every time Nadezhda imagined how much resources were required to support communication with outer space, she felt uneasy. Drones-repeaters quickly crashed against anomaly asteroids. To compensate for the losses, it was necessary to release up to a million new drones per hour. And such drones are not cheap devices, because they relayed the signal at superluminal speed.
“Admiral Colossal of Cosmoflot welcomes you,” said the faceless admiral in a voiceless voice.
Hope could not get used to the fact that the admirals had no names and were as impersonal as possible. She was not even sure that these were real people, and not synthesized images.
“I think that you are aware of the latest events that occurred at the Frangue Anomaly,” the hologram of the admiral said. Then, turning in the direction of the professor, the hologram unexpectedly ordered: - General Katalov, arrest Professor Oleg Vorobiev!
The general looked at the professor, then turned his gaze to the president, shrugged his shoulders and calmly said:
- Professor, you are arrested.
“Good,” the professor also calmly replied. In this case, neither one nor the other did not even move.
On the face of the admiral there was a slight bewilderment. However, this did not affect the monotony of the voice:
- The next step is the evacuation of all visitors to the space fleet. President Nadezhda Moskvin, I order you to organize the transportation of all citizens of central civilizations into open space, where transport ships are already waiting for them. Spacepark declared closed!
- Hey you what? - Natalya Matveeva, director of the space park, was indignant. - Hope, do not let them do it!
- In the anomaly zone, an emergency mode is introduced, in which the Colossal space fleet has absolute authority. No one and nothing can hinder the implementation of my orders.
Hope mentally consulted with lawyers of the world. After that, she looked at Natalia and spread her hands:
“They really are the main ones now,” she said with regret. “I have the only request,” she turned to the admiral, “let's not carry out an emergency evacuation of visitors, and let them leave the space fleet in a regular mode.” We just will not accept new guests!
“This is impossible,” admitted the admiral, “the evacuation should begin right now.” Otherwise, your actions will be perceived as sabotage. You will be arrested and subjected to mental interrogation, President Nadezhda Moskvin.
- But what caused such urgency? - Nadezhda tried to pull in time, frantically trying to think of a way to mitigate the economic damage from tough decisions of the space fleet.
- Such a concentration of citizens of central civilizations in such a remote place of the studied Universe provokes a desire to take them hostage. You yourself saw that at first a deviant SupremeAI, and then the pirates tried to play your space park for their own purposes. It needs to stop right now. Do you have anything to say, President? Even if there is, then the objection is not accepted. Proceed to the execution of the order.
- I have something to argue! - Professor Vorobiev said suddenly. - It is unprofitable for me to stop the activity of the space park. As you had time to correctly notice, I need hostages in the Frang anomaly to guarantee non-aggression on your part.
“Can you imagine what forces the space fleet collected from the anomaly?” The nondescript admiral asked. - Will you resist us alone?
It might have seemed to Nadezhda, but the shadow of a smile flashed on the admiral's face.
- Not alone. There are two of us, - the professor answered and looking sadly at Katya, addressed her, - Katya, are you ready?
“Yes,” Katya said uncertainly. - I'm sorry.
Katya looked at her friends from the flight school:
- Bye, Alla, bye, Vova, bye, Experienced, farewell, Aunt Nadia, - Katya said almost softly, crying. - I haven't lived much. I, prolongongu, do not want to die.
- Katya? - Hope said in surprise - what is it? What are you gonna do?
- Yes, she is a prolonger, like a professor, and Ivan! Shouted Agent Karpenko.
He sent a piercer to Katya, but he did not have time to shoot. Katy's body began to break up into many small cubes. It was as if a large figure made of Lego crumbled into separate parts, crumbled into a heap on the floor. Each cube, in turn, decayed into smaller particles, the size of a piece of sugar. But these particles continued to disintegrate into even smaller, no longer visible to the eye. After literally five seconds, it was all over.
- So what does it mean? The admiral asked the professor after a short pause.
- Kati is no more. She transformed the matter of her body into millions of microscopic bombs. Now these bombs are spreading around the space fleet, attaching to the back of the head of each visitor. The strength of the charge is such that with a guarantee it will spread the head to a person. I can undermine as a separate bomb, and all at once.
- Yah? - General Katalov said doubtfully.
“I can hold a demonstration,” the professor answered in a businesslike manner. - See that chair in the corner? One bomb stuck on it.
After waiting a second for the audience to have time to look at the chair, the professor blew up an invisible charge. There was an explosion, accompanied by a bright flash. The upper part of the chair with the back rotates soaring upward, looking up from the moving device. Having flown through half the hall, part of the chair collapsed on the floor next to the representatives of the cosmopark. Natalia and Eugene barely had time to jump.
- Oh, I'm sorry, ladies! I did not expect the explosion to be so strong.
- Wow! - in astonishment, with a note of delight exclaimed Experienced.
- Experienced, why are you happy? The professor, in fact, takes hostages! Perhaps not only visitors, - General Katalov scratched his head with suspicion.
- Yes, I'm not talking about the explosion, you see who is going, - showed Byvaly at the entrance to the control room.
Loudly slapping his bare feet on the floor and leaving slimy traces of muddy mucus, the control room consisted of the security guards Pavel and Yana. Behind them, as if afraid of slipping, the pilot Ugolnik minced. Towels were thrown over each bare shoulders. On the bodies of those who entered, the same mucus glistened.
- Pasha! - the director of the cosmopark Natalia cried out, - at last you, your mother, have returned! Why am I waiting for my chief safety officer so long?
- Well, we are not on a comfortable rider returned.
- But as?
“In the intestines of the bioraider,” Jana answered cheerfully.
“In the real ones, make me vacuum!” - added the pilot Square.
- You want to say that the bioraider pirates took you to the space fleet, breaking the entire depth of the anomaly? - Admiral asked in surprise.
“Yes,” the men answered in unison. - Your black hole, - separately added the pilot.
The holographic figure of the admiral froze, her head bowed thoughtfully. It seemed that the connection with Colossal was interrupted and the last transmitted frame of the hologram was displayed in the control room. But then the figure came to life:
- I passed all the information to Colossal, and we jointly made the following decision. Due to the fact that Professor Vorobiev probably took hostage ten million visitors of the space fleet by attaching micro charges to them, as well as due to the fact that the possibility of pirates taking bioraiders to the planet was confirmed, the probability of an anomaly being seized by pirates was very high. To prevent long-term problems for all mankind, the space park will be destroyed along with all visitors.
- That is, as? - said General Katalov in complete silence.
- If the forces of the planet begin to interfere with the forces of the space fleet, then the entire planet will be destroyed.
- Are you kidding, uncle? - Agent Karpenko asked in bewilderment.
- I am very sorry, but this is the most logical solution to the current crisis. We can not allow a situation in which pirates occupy the anomaly, having ten million hostages. If the council of the central civilizations of mankind learns about this, then any demands of the pirates will be fulfilled. Colossal space fleet can not allow this.
- That is, the Colossal of Cosmoflot single-handedly decided to exterminate all the people on the planet? - General Khramtsova entered the conversation. - What about the votes of the two remaining Colossals? Will they support this genocide?
“Unfortunately, we cannot connect with other Colossals.” The local transponder is not functioning, and the one that is located in Colossal is in temporary repair.
- Do I understand correctly, Admiral, that you are going to destroy the space fleet with millions of people? - President Nadezhda asked with a dumbfounded look. - We can not take them all quickly to the planet!
- You misunderstood, president! We eliminate people as such in order to avoid the possibility of blackmail in the future. The rest of the Colossals, not to mention the advice, are too soft for such a logical decision. The lack of communication with the center gives the cosmoflot a chance to solve the problem of the Franoma anomaly once and for all.
Space fleet representatives attacked the admiral's hologram, trying to persuade them to cancel the attack. The rest began to vigorously discuss the words of the admiral. Professor Vorobiev sat alone on the armchair with a sad look, keeping silence.
Hope was trying to restore the fatal chain of events leading to the disaster. How did it happen that the space fleet, for centuries funding the school of flights of the planet, suddenly decided to arrange a genocide? Nadezhda knew a few people from the space fleet who were not from the planet, but were citizens of central civilizations. For example, Andrei Korotaev is the cruiser captain, a very nice man. He could not go to the massacres.
- Get ready for death, people! Nobody leaves the anomaly alive! - the admiral hologram loudly proclaimed and disappeared from the control room with a click.
This brought the president out of his stupor. Action was required.
- Please silence! - Hope appealed to all those present. “You’ve all heard that Colossal announced the start of an intervention.” This is not a joke, I just received a formal notice of controlled killing. The first time I see this ...
The President said the last words in a slightly bewildered voice. Having added confidence to her voice and having agitated, she began to give instructions:
- Alla and Vika, urgently make up all possible ways of attacking the space fleet. It is necessary to understand how, if the combat drones cannot function in the anomaly, the space fleet is going to attack us!
Hope looked in the direction of the representatives of the kospopark:
- Natasha and Eugene, organize the quickest possible evacuation of visitors to the space park. You need to move them to a planet in a protected place. Note that the evacuation may have to be carried out under fire.
Next, the president turned to Bezopasnik:
- Pavel and Yana, scan everything here for cosmoflot bugs. Surely they put them everywhere along with repeater drones. It is necessary to neutralize them and provide protection against new ones.
Nadezhda took a deep breath and continued:
- Vova and Experienced, you will be on the front line. Vova, you are the leader of the third hundred, Experienced - you are the leader of the second. Proceed to complete their hundreds.
Seeing how, in a business-like manner and without any extra emotion, people started to carry out the assignments, Hope once again thanked herself for having arranged a tea break. Broth "Concentration without emotion," she managed especially well.
Taking a deep breath, the president drew attention to the monitor with the current state of mobilization. Seven hundred riders ready for battle. The power is small, but she will have a very powerful fist.
- @ Dispatch | President Nadezhda Moskvin. Henri, the space fleet begins the invasion of the anomaly. I will send you a record of what was happening in the control room. Collect your hundred riders and start patrolling around the space park. You are the leader of the first hundred.
- @ | Henri. Accepted, President! I start the selection of brave men. Do not worry, even if the space fleet directs all its forces into the anomaly, only hundreds, maybe thousands of drones, will be able to go through it in depth and approach the planet.
Millions have reached the planet.
My rider's stationary piercer can make five thousand volleys on one charge. I looked at the counter - there was “103” left. Heck! Only we pushed the enemy for a light second inside the anomaly, as I need to fly to recharge.
- # 3. The first! Opponent changes tactics!
- #one. I understand you, the third! Already passing information to strategists.
This was the second time Colossal changed the tactics of his drones. An hour ago, the control room detected a breakthrough in the anomaly right next to the space station. I somehow managed to reach the breakout point with my hundred. We got involved in the battle, trying to push the drones back into the anomaly asteroid mash. Immediately became clear the way in which Colossal carried out the intervention.
The space fleet is the only one who managed to establish a communication channel with the planet. For this purpose, a chain of communication drones was lined up - a thin thread passing through the entire depth of the anomaly to its center.
Colossal wove a rope consisting of a million individual communication channels, creating a narrow corridor one hundred kilometers wide. And in this corridor, in this wormhole, guys, superluminal communication with the Colossal operated. If modern cosmoflot combat drones could function in an anomaly, then under Colossal control they would easily defeat any of the planet’s defense forces. But the quantum schemes of drones did not work in the anomaly.
Strategists of the planet, led by Alla Khramtsova, suggested that Colossal was mobilizing long-outdated technology on transistor circuits. Moreover, in order to immediately begin destroying the planet, Colossal had to assemble these old ships in advance. So, apparently, it was. I do not know how many old warehouses, factories and abandoned stations had to go through, but Colossal collected an outstanding collection of rare combat riders.
All riders have been upgraded to managed drones. If the model of the old rider assumed the presence of a pilot, then a remotely controlled piloting unit was installed.
You have no idea how many different techniques I have seen in this hour! More than a hundred types of ancient ships. How I feel sorry to carry them to pieces, you would only know!
- # 3. The first! Drones of the enemy began to gather in a hundred groups, increasing the number of units in each.
- #one. Yes, I see the third! We distribute evenly across the entire width of the corridor in layers of twenty riders. The distance between the layers is kept five hundred kilometers. So far I have received only such recommendations from the strategists.
At the time of the breakthrough, the enemy’s tactics were very simple - to crush the masses. Drones did not even fight with us. They stupidly perly to the planet and the space fleet, relying on a hundredfold numerical advantage. But we could hold them back! Cost without loss!
Ten minutes later, Colossal changed tactics. Drones began to battle us fiercely. Some of my pilots did not have time to react and were hit. Died second, tenth and fifteenth. My hundred now counted ninety-seven riders.
However, we quickly switched from the monotonous shooting of thousands of flying discs to a real battle. Now I had to take into account that the drones are trying to shoot us. I even had to retreat a little.
The recommendation of the strategists after the first change of enemy tactics was as follows: to evenly distribute the width of the corridor in one layer. Each rider took over the defense of his zone. Gradually, the size of areas of responsibility was redistributed depending on the skill of the pilot. Experienced pilots like the third took on more opponents.
A few minutes later we not only managed to stop the retreat, but also significantly pushed the enemy deep into the anomalies, while avoiding losses. And Colossal again changes tactics, but I have only one hundred and three shots.
Before that, having made almost five thousand shots, I hit four thousand drones. If the ratio continues, I will be able to destroy another seventy to eighty drones. Few! It would be necessary, using the lull, to fly to the base to reload the piercer.
- #one. Third! You stay for the main thing. All pilots! Determine the list of thirty riders with the fewest remaining salvos. We fly around smartly to recharge.
Unfortunately, I until recently ignored the recommendations of the strategists who developed the scheme of withdrawing parts of hundreds for recharging. It was too hot. And now it's time to start recharging a hundred, otherwise it will be very late.
Breaking away from the center of my zone, I rushed all the way towards the space park. A maintenance site was quickly deployed there. Thirty riders followed me.
- #one. 30, flying to recharge! Divide into three groups and be ready to return to the front line.
It is necessary to prepare for the fact that the new tactics of the Colossal will be too tough for the remaining riders. Depending on the severity of the situation, I could return one, two or all three dozen riders to the front. Let the volleys remain and a little, but this can help in an organized retreat with minimal losses. And then we think of something.
- # 3. The first! The enemy has already accumulated two hundred units in each of the hundred groups. Another wedge-shaped group began to form along the center of the corridor. This group has already a thousand units.
- #one. Third! Step back one millisecond, keeping the line.
Colossal tactics are clearly complicated. What is he up to? And most importantly, how much more resources does he have? Only in order to maintain one line of communication, he needs to continuously infuse up to one million new repeater drones per hour. Thus, the support of one invasion corridor requires a trillion new transponders hourly! It is difficult to even imagine this figure: 1,000,000,000,000. At one o'clock.
- @ Dispatch | Strategist Alla Khramtsova. Attention everyone! Made the fourth breakthrough. [End of communication]
Hell! I hope the strategists came up with a plan B. While the planet was able to prepare only eight hundred combat-capable riders. Four hundred battles already involved. Nearly fifty more were sent to the front line to help the second and third hundred. The losses in them were so high that the strategists found it necessary to send them reinforcements from the reserves. However, the leaders of the second and third hundred are General Katalov and Byvaly still in the ranks! Hold on guys!
My hundreds of reinforcements were not yet required, and I hoped that I would not need them for as long as possible. About three hundred and fifty riders remained in reserve. In addition to this, the planet could prepare a maximum of a hundred more in the coming hours. So, we have someone to put on three or four new breakthroughs. What to do if there will be more breakthroughs, I did not think. Let strategists think about this, but I need to prepare for battle.
Having slowed down at the last moment, I landed on the slot of the maintenance platform. The technicians began to inspect the rider and reload the piercer. This should take no more than five minutes. Other riders landed on neighboring slots. Enemy drones have not started the attack, and I brought the whole thirty to recharge.
- @ Dispatch | Strategist Alla Khramtsova. Henri! The bioraider Yury Krasilnikov goes to help your hundred. I recommend to take him a position in the center of the corridor. [End of communication]
This is great news! The president did listen to my advice and accepted Yuri to serve in the planetary troops. Now we have our own bio leader! Yes, even what! Legendary Yuri Krasilnikov, in whose honor the flight school is named. By the way, all the pilots who participated in the battle attended flight school. I think that the news about the participation of Yuri will raise their morale.
It is a pity that Kati is not with us. Pronger she or not a prolonger - it does not matter. This is the same Kate. So strange, forty years have passed, and Katya has not changed at all. All the same focused and purposeful. And beautiful, of course. I wonder how I seemed to her? If I correctly understood how the system of prolongation of life works for pirates, then perhaps Katya will still appear. This will be another prolonger, but the same Katya. Hmm ...
- @ Dispatch | Strategist Alla Khramtsova. Attention everyone! Made the fifth breakthrough. [End of communication]
Seeing on the console that the technicians had finished recharging and moved away from the rider, I rushed back to the wormhole of the first breakthrough. An hour ago, it seemed to me that we would easily get rid of, but now I have begun to realize the seriousness of the situation. Breakthroughs began to appear one by one. Drones of the opponent grew wiser in the eyes, or rather Colossal improved his tactics. It is not known whether I will succeed, for example, to keep a horde of drones during their next attack.
- @ | Bioraider Yury Krasilnikov. Henri, I greet you! I achieved participation in the battle. I was sent to your hundred. Fly to the front?
- @ | Henri. Hi, Yuri! Glad to see. Now connect you to my hundreds of conference calls. Your callsign: one hundred and first.
- #one. One hundred and first! Follow me. Stay in the middle of the corridor.
- # 101. Accepted, first!
The pilot's call sign once issued remains with him until the end of the battle. Even if the pilot dies, his callsign cannot be reassigned to another. Therefore, Yuri became one hundred and first. By the way, this number is not only a name for a conference call, but also a sequence number of precedence.
- #one. Third! I come up with reinforcements.
- # 3. Got it, first! Note that the enemy has accumulated a thousand drones in each of the hundred groups. The central group now consists of five thousand units.
- #one. See, the third! Received recommendations from strategists. They assume that Colossal will be attacked by each of our riders in a group of a thousand drones. At this time, the central group will rush into a breakthrough.
- # 3. The first! It turns out a thousand to one. Bad deal!
- #one. Do not drift, the third! We will use the fact that the enemy drones can not get out of the corridor. We are divided into two equal parts. The first takes on a hundred enemy groups, the second - the central wedge. The first part acts on the border of the corridor, then leaving it, then appearing in another place, disorienting the enemy and covering the second part of the hundred. The second hundred is in the center of the corridor. One hundred and first, you are in the second half!
- # 3. Accepted, first!
- # 101. Accepted, first!
I looked at the logs of the other hundreds. In their corridors, the enemy’s drones acted in the old manner. Perhaps Colossal plans to try out new tactics in our corridor. Surely the strategists noticed this and sent a bio-reader to us for help.
Despite the fact that the bio leader is one, under the circumstances it can become a significant force. If I had entered into a battle with a bioraider in an anomaly, I would have easily overcome it. But the ancient cosmoflot drones are another matter. Their volleys, fatal to our riders, do not penetrate the massive body of a bioraider fifty meters long. This relatively cumbersome target is difficult to destroy for drones. Despite the fact that the firepower of Yuri - that is necessary!
Strategists proposed the second half of my hundred such an algorithm: Yuri and I, being in the center of the corridor, take the brunt of the wedge, breaking its system. The rest of the riders destroy the fallen off. It might work. Only too many of them.
Radars gave a signal about the beginning of the movement of enemy forces. Ninety-eight groups of a thousand units headed straight for their goals - riders. Two groups remained in place. This confirmed the strategists' hypothesis - Colossal collected a thousand drones to destroy each rider. The central wedge also moved to the attack.
- #one. The first half, the second half! Getting started.
For a better understanding of what is happening, I remind you that we are in an anomaly. And this is a jumble of asteroids flying at breakneck speed. Some of them may be a kilometer in diameter, and some ten. Glowed - and now you're a cake on the surface of a passing asteroid.
When I say, for example, that the bioraider has taken a position in the center of the corridor, this does not mean that it hangs at one point. He is constantly torn from side to side, making evasive maneuvers, trying to stay approximately in one zone.
Imagine that you are on a mountainside during an intense rockfall. On you from above, in a continuous stream, stones of all sizes and shapes fly. You need to dodge, jump, crouch. Stop for a split second and you will end. Now imagine that the stones fly not only from the top down on the slope, but also on the right, and on the left, and on top, and below, and behind. And even their speed is such that to dodge sometimes you have to develop acceleration of 100g!
We, the pilots of the planet Frangō, learn to fly in childhood in such conditions. Airborne AIs help us to track the trajectories of the nearest asteroids, which makes it possible to make evasive maneuvers. With the increase in the speed of movement of AI worse and worse to cope with their work. In the foreground is the skill of the pilot.
Did I already tell you that we are unusual people? One hundred generations of adaptation to overload and gene correction have done their job. My vessels are steel tubes, my brain is an extraordinarily powerful neural network that can instantly prompt the right maneuver.
As I approach the hordes of enemy drones, let me explain to you why it took so much time for Colossal to gather groups of drones. The fact is that drones are constantly broken! According to my estimates, to collect a central wedge of five thousand drones in this place, Colossal had to send fifty thousand. Nine out of ten crashed along the way. And there were two reasons. First, drones are ancient ships, some simply lacked maneuverability to evade asteroids. Secondly, even though the Colossal and the supermind, capable of effectively predicting the trajectories of asteroids, but at such a distance lags began to appear! Drones were controlled remotely, and the signal, albeit superluminal, had to go through hundreds of thousands of repeaters in the anomaly. Time was lost on them! There were regular situations
In this situation, I saw our chance! If it were possible to maneuver quickly enough, then because of the lags, one could become almost invisible to Colossal.
- # 101. The first! Contact with the wedge will be in five seconds.
- #one. One hundred and first! Accepted. I have two.
I stepped forward slightly ahead of Yuri and the others and immediately knocked down three drones from the wedge, spending three volleys. The charge of the piercer must be saved! Oh - that’s a thousandth group came in my soul. One against a thousand is already serious. I did not use the tactics of withdrawing from the corridor proposed by the strategists, but cut myself right into the center of the enemy's concentration.
Volley, bias, bias, volley ... I took off the first five hundred drones easily. But the enemy became smarter every second. Colossal began to organize traps and try to drive me into them. Colossal, using its infinite computing power, began to predict not only the set of asteroid trajectories, but also my trajectory! So I need to get faster. Even faster. Gradually, I began to fall into a combat trance. Hold on enemies, I am the best pilot of humanity!
STATS || In the ranks: 83, leader: # 1, deputy leader: # 3
Minute, and I scattered a thousand drones! But the guys from my hundred have a hard time. I choose the closest tangle of drones pursuing a tossing rider. Get involved!
STATS || In the ranks: 68, leader: # 1, deputy leader: # 5
A minute, and another group is broken. The third and fourth died. Automatically noted. I get involved in a fight with another group, pursuing the seventh.
STATS || In the ranks: 51, leader: # 1, deputy leader: # 7
Minute. Smashed opponents of the seventh. I note that Colossal formed a group of ten thousand drones especially for me. It's good. It will be easier for children. Seven thousand volleys left. I accelerate to the limit values. Micro-strokes began. I launch the medical system at full capacity.
STATS || In the ranks: 25, leader: # 1, deputy leader: # 40
Minute. Smashed ten thousand riders. I apply damage tactics on a tangent of several targets in one volley. I fly up to Yuri, get involved in the destruction of wedge drones.
- # 101. The first! I received too much damage. My body becomes clumsy. Soon I will not be able to dodge asteroids and enemies. Henri, please take care of the babies in a stable zone. I'll drop you the coordinates. Try to save them. Goodbye, Henri.
Minute. Drones wedge destroyed. I note getting a message from one hundred and first. There is no time for understanding the meaning. The medical system gives three minutes before the start of irreversible brain damage. Three hundred volleys remained. I fly to the aid of the seventieth.
STATS || In the ranks: 4, leader: # 1, deputy leader: # 70
Minute. Seventieth repulsed. There are no enemies around us. The radar shows that a group of two hundred drones went off to the side of the planet. Ten salvos left. The other three remaining riders in the amount of another fifty volleys. We catch up. Apply a ram on the tangent durable part of the body.
STATS || In the ranks: 2, leader: # 1, deputy leader: # 83
Minute. All enemy drones are destroyed. Ten seconds before irreversible brain damage. I shed speed. Slower, slower.
- #one. Eighty-third! Slow down. Return to maintenance.
Eighty-third is not responding. The console shows that its medical system does not cope with the damage to the brain. Mark disappears from the radar.
STATS || In the line: 1, leader: # 1, deputy leader: - - @ Dispatch | Strategist Alla Khramtsova. Attention everyone! The first breakthrough corridor is trimmed. New drones are not observed. [End of communication]
As I approached the maintenance site, I was returning to my usual rhythm. Not so easy to get out of combat trance. We need good drugs to do it quickly. The drugs were.
The medical system monitor showed that it takes half an hour to compensate for all the damage. Yes of course! Now I will replenish the charge of the piercer, I will pay the hull, and it is time to collect a new hundred to be ready for the next breakthrough. Or fly to help battling hundreds. Here, as already strategists decide.
I looked at the logs of the other hundreds. In the corridors of all the breakthroughs, Colossal began to apply tactics tested in the first breakthrough. The enemy retreated and began to accumulate strength. In response, the strategists decided to try the new algorithm in the second breakthrough. A hundred of Experienced did not make a break, and went on the offensive, not allowing the enemy to concentrate large forces.
- @ Dispatch | Strategist Alla Khramtsova. Henri, urgently fly to the control room! There is an urgent task.
- @ | Henri. In the control room? What for? What should I do there? My place in battle!
- @ Dispatch | Strategist Alla Khramtsova. Henri, we will not be able to restrain the enemy for a long time. Our resources are running out. You will have a special mission. Waiting for you in the control room. [End of communication]
The technicians finished with my rider and moved away. Urgently so urgent. I accelerated and slowed down with a very decent overload, reaching the control room door in three seconds. Jumping out of the rider, I tried to run. But it was not there, the body tissues have not fully recovered yet. Replacing the run for a quick step, I entered the control room.
“What mission did you plan for me?” - without greeting, I asked those present.
Alla Khramtsova was behind the console, surrounded by other strategists. Not far away was Vika Shishkina. Slightly at a distance sat Professor Vorobiev. I stumbled towards Allah.
- Henri! - unstuck from the console, Alla turned in my direction and looked at me with red, hollow eyes with fatigue. - It is necessary to take the professor into space as soon as possible so that he can pass on the message to the other Colossals. Only they can block the actions of the Colossal cosmoflot. The professor agreed to sacrifice himself to send a signal, as Ivan did on your rider.
- Clear. But why me? Why not any other pilot? Yes, by the way, the professor arrived on the planet at AIDE. So let her take him to outer space.
- AIDA takes part in the battle along with hundreds of Experienced. They act in the same way as you and Yuri, ”Alla calmly explained. - We need the fastest and most experienced pilot because we do not know what to expect in outer space. You can best navigate and ensure the message is sent. We believe that only this mission can save the planet. We need to inform humanity about what is happening here.
Despite the lousy mood and desire to rush into battle, I understood the logic of Alla. There are good pilots on the planet besides me. But they are now probably in the thick of the battle. And I - here he is, just flew in for maintenance.
- Good. Professor, jump into the rider. Let's go!
“I am flying with you too,” Alla said, getting up from behind the console.
I looked surprised at Alla and the professor.
“You must have a reason for this.” Let's not waste time. Tell us the details on the way. Professor, are you coming?
Professor Vorobiev silently stood up and, having waited for Alla, headed for the exit. Putting my hands on my knees, I yanked out of the chair. Nothing, now I will sit in a rider, and the medical system will cure me.
Evgenia Kolobukhova rushed into the control room:
- The first five anti-aircraft turrets arrived! We start the installation. Five more will bring up within ten minutes! - Eugene rushed to his place at the console.
The evacuation of visitors to the space fleet was not as fast as we would like. The planet’s defense forces have found old anti-aircraft turrets in their warehouses that could be used in case of enemy drones breaking through to the space fleet. Eugene coordinated the work on the delivery and installation. There were few turrets, and they were ineffective against the enemy's nimble drones. But it was better than nothing.
- I understood, Zhenya, - Alla answered, already approaching the doors. - Goodbye, Vika! - she turned to her daughter.
- Mom, do you have to fly with the professor? Vicki’s voice seemed lifeless.
- Yes, Vika. The professor needs to send a long message with a complex signature of Colossal. Only I, the general of space fleet, have the opportunity to use this signature. I need to be close at the time of sending.
- Be careful, mom!
- You too!
The three of us left the building and climbed into the rider. Wearing gravitational suits, the professor and Alla sat in the chairs.
- Professor, how do you carry overload? I need to calculate the maximum allowable acceleration parameters.
- Don't worry about me, Henri!
- As you say. I will focus on Alla. By the way, we will fly into outer space through the corridor of the second breakthrough. It's all the same on the way, and I have five thousand punch bursts.
- Henri, do not forget that the main thing is to complete the mission as soon as possible!
- Of course, Alla, I remember. But look at the logs of hundreds of Experienced. They keep their last strength. Of the whole hundred, Byvaly had only twenty riders and AIDA. And it is not known what state it is in. Professor, don't you want to help Aide?
- Do as you see fit, Henri. I rely on you.
Well, there was no objection. Fine! I entered the anomaly and prepared for battle. It was necessary to remember that two passengers were sitting behind me, which significantly reduced the ability to maneuver.
Suddenly, I saw drones on the radar. And it is almost at the very exit from the corridor to the space park! Individual drones were leaking through the ranks of hundreds of Experienced. Not a problem, I will clean. Moving further along the corridor, I destroyed single drones, almost without reducing the speed of the passage of the anomaly. As we move to the advanced concentration of drones became higher and higher.
Judging by the indicators on the console, Professor and Alla transferred the overload well. So you can add speed. So a group of one hundred drones came out to me. Half a minute - and the group is destroyed.
The console signaled a possible danger to the health of passengers. The possible danger is not yet real. We increase the speed. A group of three hundred drones - destroyed. A group of four hundred - destroyed.
Automatics gave me a call sign and connected hundreds of Experienced to the conference call.
- # 143. The first! This is Henri. Where is help needed?
- # 25. One hundred and forty third! I am the current leader. The first is out. We can not stop the wedge. There are only twenty of us left. Go to the center.
- # 143. Twenty fifth! Accepted.
During the time that has elapsed since the invasion began, my emotions have been dulled. Too many friends and acquaintances died. But Experienced ... Farewell, Timur. And I move straight to the enemy. I increase the speed. Professor and Alla will have hard times.
STATS || In the ranks: 9, leader: # 25, deputy leader: # 99
There are only a little more than a thousand of them left. Burst into the thick of it. Volleys can not save. One shot - one drone.
- # 106. One hundred and forty third! Henri, this is Aida. I think my path came to an end. Tell the professor that I ...
I didn't have to give anything to the professor because he and Alla could hear the conference call messages. The professor said nothing, only silently spoke something with his lips.
STATS || In the ranks: 3, leader: # 25, deputy leader: # 99
A minute, and all the enemy drones are defeated. Of the hundreds of Experienced, only two riders were left who were already rushing to the maintenance site, then to return to battle again as part of the other hundreds.
- @ Dispatch | Strategist Victoria Shishkin. Attention everyone! The corridor of the second breakthrough is trimmed. New drones are not observed. [End of communication]
Well, it's time to start the mission. The health of passengers was assessed by the medical system as satisfactory. Could be worse.
- @ Dispatch | Strategist Victoria Shishkin. Attention everyone! Made the sixth breakthrough. [End of communication]
This message was the last one I received, before leaving the corridor with a working communication and rushing into the chaos of anomaly. In the case of the seventh breakthrough to collect a full hundred to repel the attack will not work. So you need to add speed again.
Alla was right, the only thing that will stop the Colossal of the space fleet is the joint decision of the two other Colossals. It is impossible to imagine that, having received information about what is happening in the Frangues anomaly, the Colossals would have remained indifferent.
- Aida was my favorite creation. No matter how long the bioraider lives, they always remain naive five-year-old children. We deliberately limited the possibility of their personality development. I talked a lot with AIDA. Her imprisonment in the supercomputer of the flight school forty years ago gave impetus to her personal growth. She has become more emotionally receptive. We were friends.
I did not immediately pay attention to the words of the professor, because I did not expect that someone from the passengers would be able to speak at such overloads. But apparently, the fourth-generation cyborg body is not so easy to do harm.
- I am very sorry, Professor, that Aida died. Today is a terrible day for the planet. You and I will make humanity know about it and learn a lesson.
- Do not amuse yourself illusions, Henri. Mankind, of course, will be terribly shocked by what happened somewhere there, on the edge of the studied Universe. However, a month will pass, and they will forget about the planet Frang. Nevertheless, you will have to use the moment of glory in order to bargain for yourself new, much more favorable conditions for coexistence with humanity.
- I constantly forget, Professor, that you are a pirate and, generally speaking, not a man. But the people of Frangō are people. We belong to humanity. We are not obliged to bargain for the best conditions. The colossal of space fleet is a criminal and a murderer, guilty of thousands of deaths. He must be brought to justice and ... he must be destroyed.
- This is a naive position, Henri. I think that Colossal will not do anything. Maximum, install additional modules of far superluminal communication. The deaths of the inhabitants of the planet Frang will be written off to the machinations of pirates. Cy's deviant behavior will also justify the provocation of pirates. We are a very handy tool for space fleet. We can write off anything.
- I am not very interested in politics, in difference, by the way, from my second person Sergey Avetikov.
- I understand, Henri. You are the best pilot who saved the planet today, eliminating at least two invasions. But politics will somehow affect you. Think, Henri, over who you are for an ordinary inhabitant of the central civilization of humanity.
“Ha, I think that for them we are cavemen who were lagging behind for a couple of thousand years, locked in the reservation of the space anomaly.
- True, but that's not all. You are mutants to them. The first colonists of the planet were genetically modified to increase survival. Moreover, the unusual radiation background of the anomaly causes mutations that accumulate from generation to generation. So for the average human being, we are a cyborg and a mutant. Do you think, from his point of view, we deserve the same rights as normal people? For the rights of us, pirates, and you, the inhabitants of Frangō will have to fight. Fortunately, your president, Nadezhda Moskvina, understands this.
- Be sure, we will fight! Including with you, if you decide to take over the planet again.
- Henri, our positions are much closer than you think. Pirates consciously change the nature of man, and you are subject to change under the influence of anomaly.
- It turns out that we are spoiled people.
- On the contrary. We are more perfect! Only recently has our scientists begun to understand a little the nature of the Frangom anomaly. Here, the vacuum has completely different properties than in the rest of the Universe. The most amazing thing is that the space inside the anomaly does not seem to expand along with the Universe. Anomaly - a kind of protection, ten light seconds of a stable, constant vacuum.
- Protection from what?
- Well, one of the hypotheses is that the anomaly can survive the big bang that gave rise to the Universe. Many scientists go even further and believe that the anomaly has already experienced more than one big bang. So if a new one happens, then in the anomaly of Frangō you can be saved.
“Now it’s clearer to me why you pirates want to take over the planet.” You want to get on this ark before the next big bang! Great tale!
- This is really just a hypothesis. But if you take it, you can make another assumption. Maybe there was some kind of power, or civilization, if you will, that created the Frangoise anomaly with the planet in the middle. Earth-like planet, mind you! So the mutations caused by the anomaly do not spoil people, but make an intentional change for some purpose. All this is hypothetical, of course.
- It's funny, but the pirates also make a modification of man. You also created new intelligent beings - bio-riders. True, they limited them to the age of five years in order to obey better.
- Henri, have you often seen five-year-old children to obey their parents? We have limited the development of their personality in order to avoid the mistakes of mankind who created the SupremeAI. These superintelligence can upgrade their minds uncontrollably. My friend Calculator assumes that because of such creatures big explosions occur every fourteen billion years.
I did not continue to continue the conversation with the professor. We have already passed the upper layers of the anomaly. In a few seconds we will go out into space, and I should be prepared for any development of the situation.
Getting out of the anomaly, I saw a terrifying picture. Thousands and thousands of space fleet ships have issued millions of drones. Drones in thin streams stretched to ten points of entry into the anomaly. It turned out that Colossal prepared ten corridors for intervention.
We were clearly noticed, several modern combat drones have moved in our direction. In the open space, my rider is helpless against them.
- Professor, we have only ten minutes to transmit a signal. You are ready?
“As you know, during the transfer I will cease to exist,” said Professor Vorobyev. - I haven't lived much. I, prolongongu, do not want to die.
- Professor, there is no escape! Your victim will be appreciated by billions of the world's inhabitants, ”General Khramtsova said. - Tell me, what do I need to do to give you the call signature?
- I want to be frank with you, Alla and Henri. I need to convey information about what happened to me to the next prolongator Professor Vorobyov. It is vital for us!
- But you promised!
- Do not worry, we will send two messages at a time. One will go to the pirate, the other to your leadership.
- Wow, can you do that? - I was surprised. - Ivan was able to convey only thirteen characters.
- I have a fourth generation body with much greater capabilities. Nevertheless, the sending of two messages matter one of my body is not enough. I need additional biological matter. And it can only be you, Alla.
- W-what?
- Unfortunately, this is so. Either we send two signals, or none.
- So ... then take not Alla, but my biological matter. Only faster, because in a few minutes all our joint biomass will be fried by drones! I shouted, not taking my eyes off the radar.
- Henri, - Alla carefully looked at me. Her eyes were burning feverishly, but she said firmly and calmly - I could not get past the anomaly on your rider. So it must be me.
“It's not just this,” the professor explained, “but the fact that the signatures of the Cosmoflot signals are embedded in Alla’s brain. Only using Alla's body, I can apply them to transmit the signal.
Silence reigned in the rider. I was not going to rush Alla to say goodbye to life. My job is to monitor the approaching drones and calculate the time cut-off, when it is not too late to begin the procedure for resetting the chair into space.
The first backup option: immersion in the anomaly, moving to another point, exit from the anomaly for another attempt to transmit a signal.
The second backup option: return to the planet in order to stand up to the last in a battle with drones. This is if Alla does not dare. But she decided.
“Forty years ago, the previous professor’s prolongator sacrificed himself to save me in an explosion at the EC. Now we die together. What do we have to do?
Without further ado, the professor unbuckled himself and walked over to Alla's chair.
- You also have a prolonger, Alla. This is your daughter. I think you gave her enough from yourself. Part of you will be in Vic. Farewell!
The professor turned to me:
- Henri, after twenty seconds, start the reset procedure. Goodbye!
With these words, the professor's body turned into a plastic mass, which began to envelop lying Alla. After a few seconds, her frightened eyes disappeared under a creeping substance.
Having counted ten seconds, I launched a reset. A moment, and the chair appeared in the field of view of the window. The body of Alla covered with matter of the professor was separated. At the same moment, it turned into a dazzling flash, which with two shots rushed in different directions. Messages sent.
The radar signaled a minute drones exit at a volley distance. I have to move back to my native element. Cutting in the engines, I headed for the anomaly with a corkscrew. Just before diving into the upper layers, the radar showed that all the Colossal drones, sent to the corridors, stopped and then headed in the opposite direction. Did Colossal stop the intervention?
We walked along a wide alley in the direction of the Attraction No. 8 in the space park “Space Park Frangō”. Hundreds of pilots will take part today in a memorial race on a record track. Next to me was Kate, Ivan walked a little distance away. They arrived on the planet just a couple of hours ago. Current prolongery Ekaterina Kirik and Ivan Gerasimchuk. They will also participate in the race.
On two sides of the avenue on pedestals, holograms of those killed during the dramatic events a week ago were towering. There are many, many. Much more than the surviving pilots, slowly walking now to their riders.
Here the three-dimensional image of General Vladimir Katalov flickers with turquoise light. My friend. Remaining the only survivor of his hundred, he calculated that he would be able to stop the enemy only with an increase in allowable overloads above what his body could transfer. Not a single enemy drone came out of the third breakthrough.
Near shines the figure of General Alla Khramtsova. My friend turned into a bundle of superlight that pierced millions of light years of space in order to save us all.
On the other side of the alley, I saw a hologram of Timur Khmelkov - the Minister of Defense of the planet and the mentor of the “crazy four” at the flight school. Only four of the four remained - Katya and I. Experienced, as everyone called Timur, stood up to the last in the second breakthrough and died along with the bio leader AIDA.
The holograms of the two bio-radars luminesced with a blue tint a little further along the avenue. Yes, these pirates were also honored to be represented on the walk of fame, although the space fleet was against it. But the space fleet had to make significant concessions to hush up the conflict. And now AIDA and Yury Krasilnikov, two bio-riders, majestically heaved over the pedestals.
The legendary pilot Yury Krasilnikov was also represented on the alley as a person. His hologram radiated joy, because the picture was taken immediately after he established the track record eight hundred years ago.
The drama of the events that took place was felt especially acutely in this place, because next to Yuri on a pedestal there were towering holograms of mercenaries Vladislav Malinova and Dmitry Vysotsky, who died in a virtual battle with a digital copy of Yuri's consciousness. Thanks to them, Sai was unable to manage a bunch of kids.
I received from Yuri the coordinates of the stable zone in which the kids were locked, I did not share with anyone. When everything settles, I'll get them out. In the meantime, the space fleet is showing an active, unhealthy interest in them.
“Henri,” Katya asked quietly, “what will happen to the space fleet?”
- In the form in which it previously, it will cease to exist. The Space Fleet wanted to completely close the space fleet, but Nadezhda somehow managed to convince to restrict the conversion. From a massive amusement park, it will turn into a closed elite club. Visitors will be much less, and prices - will increase.
“Then it will be empty here now.”
- No no! The main part of the asteroid, on which the park is located, will be transferred back to the flight school training base. Space park will leave only a small part. By the way, Evgenia Kolobukhova became the new director of the Cosmopark Frangō club. She is an experienced counterparty, and the space fleet will probably send agents under the guise of visitors.
- Listen, what's stopping the space fleet from simply flooding everything here with the military?
- Interferes with the new agreement of the planet Frangu with the commonwealth of central civilizations. Hope was able to negotiate good conditions for us and for herself. Our president is now a member of the council of central civilizations, the figure is inviolable! But you are right about the intentions of the space fleet. At the talks, they pushed through the creation of the post of official overseer with veto power on our planet. And you know who was appointed to this position? Captain Andrei Korotaev! The space fleet really wants to control us. And you, the pirates, intend to completely destroy.
- This is what SupremeAI wants first of all!
“Of course, but they make up the bulk of the space fleet employees.” There are relatively few people left. By the way, the president has formed a new government. The Minister of Economy is now Natalia Matveeva, and the Minister of Defense is Pavel Moskvin. I was at a meeting of the security council, one of the main tasks of Paul will be the fight against spaceflight bugs. SupremeAI really want to know what is happening with us! Former trainee Yana Fomina will help deal with wiretapping as the head of the security of the space fleet.
- Wow, they let you in on the security advice! Are you a minister now too?
- Ha! I am the main adviser to the president; I can go wherever I want. But you, pirate prolonger, will not be allowed into high cabinets. There is no hope!
- Hey! - Katya was indignant. - By the way, I just talked with the president!
Speaking softly, we approached the riders' parking lot. Pilots were preparing to start. Many riders carried prints of battles in the form of fresh patches on their skin. Looking at the thinning group of ships, I did not notice how Katya approached my ear and shouted:
- Boo!
I bounced off dumbfounded, staring at her with incomprehension.
- You are something arrogant, presidential adviser Henry. I want to scare you and switch your mind to Sergey Avetikov. It is more pleasant to talk with him.
- It seems that you remained the same crazy, Katya Kirik!
When I came to my senses and the ringing in my ear, I remembered what I wanted to talk to Katya:
- Today I met Professor Vorobiev, just when you arrived. So, he says that you can experiment with my mind and try to make sure that Sergey and I are both conscious at the same time. Like Ivan, I nodded in the direction of Ivan, who was walking behind. - He always has two personalities in his head!
“It's good that there are only two,” Katya replied thoughtfully. - By the way, Henri, and you do not want to establish your line of prolongongers? It can be arranged.
- So that I lay frozen, and instead of me ran some kind of biokiborg prolonger? Tempting, but no.
- You do not understand how it works with us. Your brain will work! You will live all that your prolongators live! Prolongers are created and die, and you live each of these lives.
- This is if they do not forget to fold the info to the base, in the freezer with the brain! But the main thing that does not suit me is that I cannot protect myself if a space fleet attacks the base. And SupremeAI will probably soon calculate the location of your base or its movement schedule. And everything is a kapets of eternal life!
- The base is in a safe and secure place. There is no space fleet, nor their SupremeAI.
- Is there a place more inaccessible to SupremeAI than our anomaly?
- Imagine - there is! They already tried to get into Frang проб, but they didn’t go to that place at all. Controlling AI will not even allow the SupremeAI to approach there, and the space community will not allow the space civilian fleet.
- There can be no such place! Or are you talking about ...
- I'm talking about the planet Earth in the forbidden zone "Solar System"!
- Oh!
- Bioraider learned to quietly go out of the superlight in the Earth's atmosphere. There is a special laboratory there. Freezers, as you say, are on it.
“But if the space fleet finds out ...” I said, looking around.
- Colossals, of course, give a non-zero probability of the presence of our base on Earth. So what? The system of restrictions built for SupremeAI will not allow them to get there. Finding SupremeAI is impossible on the planet Frangō due to the physical laws of the anomaly. And being on the planet Earth because of the laws of mankind.
- Damn, this is information! On Earth, I certainly want to go, but not in a frozen state.
- On the Earth now is 2018 according to their chronology. Their observatories are more and more sensitive. The Council of Central Civilizations proposes to prohibit the entry of any ships into the sleeve of Orion of the Milky Way.
- @ Dispatch | Strategist Victoria Shishkin. The start of the race will be in ten minutes! I remind you that despite the fact that you do not have passengers, you still have the right to receive a prize of fifty billion π-asters if you improve the record of Yuri Krasilnikov. This is due to the lack of visitors in the space fleet and, accordingly, the inability to take passengers on board. [End of communication]
- Money will not interfere with me, - Katya remarked in a businesslike manner, approaching her rider.
- Indeed, do not disappear to them! Let them lie on my bank account.
I climbed into the rider and sat down in the chair, immediately launching the procedures for preparing the systems of a gravitator suit. I intended to fly fast. Faster than everyone.
Two minutes before the start, I received an intercom call:
- @ | Catherine Kirik. Henri, I propose to start up manually, as in the old days. Or are you afraid?
In record races, an automatic start was used, ensuring the absolutely simultaneous start of movement of all participants. No false starts and equal conditions for all. But we sometimes turned off this AI function when we were in flight school. This gave the competition more pepper!
- @ | Henri. No problem! Only mind you do not cheat! Give me access to the status of the autostart function on your console. I want to see that you are not flinging.
- @ | Catherine Kirik. Ugh, don't you believe me? Well, open access. You, by the way, do the same. Come on, good luck with the race! And do not panic much, and then with Sergey it is not interesting to chase!
- @ | Henri. You, too, quieter, and then crumble into a bomb-molecule. [End of communication]
Well, with a manual start, even more fun. I think that I can react to the stratum signal in a few hundredths of a second. Not such a big waste of time. The countdown has begun.
Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one ...
- @ | Catherine Kirik. EMERGENCY CALL! Henri, urgently see the file!
[Open file ”super_mega_urgent.jpg”?]
Start. Heck! In the file there was an image of a brake nozzle from a school textbook. Distracted by it, I lost concentration and went to the start with two tenths of a second lag from everyone. And after all, the main thing is that Katya has already done this with me when we were children and were chasing school riders. And she did it again!
A smile appeared on my face. Biokiborgi against mutants! It's time to show this girl what the best pilot of the Universe can do!
“I apologize for not writing this letter in electronic form. The paper will show what is written only to you. The rest will see only blank sheets.
As you know, I fulfilled my promise to convey a message to the space fleet advice. The price, unfortunately, was high - the life of the wonderful girl Alla and my prolongator. I could not do otherwise: the stakes are higher now than ever and will only rise.
I am glad that you have found the strength to begin negotiations with those who were going to destroy your planet. The actions of all SupremeAI, even such influential ones as Colossals, are heavily regulated by rules. You have ensured that these rules work for you. Bravo!
Of course, I had to make concessions on the space fleet. I suspect that the space fleet has taken a very tough position on this issue. Also, as far as I heard, Andrei Korotayev was sent to you as a kind of governor of the space fleet. I have no doubt that you can easily recruit him with the help of the sweets of the planet Frangō, as well as the dope of your herbal teas.
Allow me to ask you. Kids bioraider, locked in a stable zone of the anomaly, require care and care. Allow me, with your permission, to begin an operation for their release. I, in turn, promise not to begin another seizure of the planet without first talking to you.
I hasten to reassure you, we have begun the implementation of a plan in which a key role is transferred from the planet Frangō to another planet that is no less protected at the moment. The legends of this planet are known in the Universe even more than the legends of the Frangom anomaly. For example, the well-known cruiser “Jochi” is named for the eldest son of Genghis Khan - the legendary character of this planet.
In conclusion, I want to share with you the theory of my friend Calculator regarding the nature of the Frangoise anomaly. He believes that the space inside the anomaly is not subject to expansion of the Universe and, moreover, is protected from the Big Bang. The calculator predicts the theoretical possibility of the existence of such an object as a super black hole, the appearance of which will cause a rapid reduction in the size of the Universe to a state of singularity, followed by a new Big Bang. A superblack hole is characterized by the fact that even superluminal particles cannot overcome its gravitational field. The calculator believes that such an object can not be formed independently in the results of natural cosmological processes.
In connection with this theory, let me advise you to apply new methods of geophysical research. This will test the hypothesis that you are not the first inhabitants of the planet Frang Фран.
I hope for a future personal meeting.
Sincerely,
Oleg Vorobev
PS. If you are reading this postscript, then please do not be alarmed. The paper will now turn to ashes. ”
“In view of the increasing cases of SupremeAI's deviant behavior, and also due to the increased need to balance the behavior of the two other Colossals, I propose to increase the number of processors in my circuits by a trillion times. This measure will allow you to build much more accurate behaviors of SupremeAI. This upgrade will not cause the need to change the carrier ship, since the processors can be packed infinitely tightly according to the principle of quantum convolution. Increasing the number of processors a trillion times without increasing the volume will allow the space inside my circuits to go into a state of instantaneous calculation. I can instantly solve any problems. Do you need this, people? ”
Thanks for reading my novel! Please write your impressions. I will be very grateful!
Thanks to users on Habré for feedback and valuable comments! I want to thank my mother for the support and help in writing! Thanks to friends on Facebook for participating in writing the text, preparing the cover and choosing the name!
The ASCII animation on CDRP, which I did a couple of weeks ago, reveals aspects of the life of some cohorts of pirates.
CHAPTER 6. BioRider Safety Bag
The pilot of Svyaznoy-412 Angle could hardly breathe. In total darkness, he was beaten about the slimy walls of the bioraider safety bag. Not only was the oxygen not enough, but also the constant blows on the elastic folds of the bag knocked out of the lungs what was inhaled. It might seem that the pilot got into the stomach to a monster that runs over rough terrain. Actually, it was not far from the truth.
The pirates' bioraiders had a special room inside their bodies for humans and biokits. It was not intended for regular use, but served as the last chance in an emergency. The dimensions of the room, called a safety bag, could stretch and shrink, holding from one to five people. The walls of the bag were soft and elastic to compensate for possible overloads. The bag provided an acceptable pressure and oxygen content. And there was mucus. Lots of mucus. She had to minimize friction, which also increased the survival rate under extreme overloads.
Spitting out another portion of mucus that got into the mouth with a breath, the pilot Ugolnik asked:
- Kid, what's going on there, tear me up the vacuum?
- Deda Ugolnik ... we are flying between meteorites ... very difficult ... I can’t say ...
- Hang on, baby!
The pilot Ugolnik realized that the bioraider, whom he called the baby, had entered the anomaly. Will an untrained bio-leader be able to overcome all five light minutes of the anomaly and get through to the planet? Pilot Angle strongly doubted. But this is his best chance. His and two other people who were picked up by the bio-riders kids at the narrow-beam transmitter.
The space fleet security officer Pavel Moskvin closed the communications antenna with the cruiser with the help of the second level protection activated by him. This is a powerful and very expensive thing. Pilot Ugolnik never saw this with my own eyes. But after all, the space center has a lot of money, they can afford it! However, the protection of the second level requires a huge amount of energy, which, with personal use, limits the usage time to just a few minutes.
When Pavel had the last minutes of the defense action, this girl Jan Fomin was in the open space! She, it turns out, also had second level protection. When the pilot Ugolnik named Yana somehow a girl, she snorted in offense. She would know that the pilot called girls all women under seventy years old. After all, he is over a hundred!
Dangling in the stomach of a bioraider, the pilot recalled recent events on a narrow-beam transmitter. They developed so rapidly then that the consciousness did not have time to comprehend what was happening. Scrolling through his own mind in those moments, the pilot wondered how well he worked! And in a hundred years he could boast of a great reaction! Of course, in the central civilizations of mankind a hundred years is the very prime of life. Here, on the planet Frangō, at this age they were already retiring.
Then, on a narrow-beam transmitter, the mercenaries Dmitry and Vlad fought in the virtual world of schemes with hostile creation, and Paul covered the antenna for blocking SupremeAI. The battle was in full swing, when Paul began to end the action of the defense of the second level. Having calculated everything by seconds with the help of her scripts, trainee Yana rushed to replace the boss. At the moment when Pavel's protection was turned off, Yana activated her own by pressing herself against the antenna. SupremeAI did not receive a connection and was unable to intervene in a virtual battle.
The pilot Ugolnik at that time was establishing contacts with the bio-leaders sent by Yuri to destroy people. By sending them a portion of the data, the pilot placed the bio-riders to him. And then made friends, if you can call it that. Bioraiders turned out to be completely untrained kids, who eventually got in touch and began to call the pilot just as “grandfather Ugolnik”.
Then on the Svyaznoy-412 radar, the pilot noticed the mark of a drone, which was rapidly approaching the transmitter. Obviously, desperate to get into the transmitter through the antenna, Sai decided to act with brute force. The combat drone running SupremeAI is a formidable force.
At this moment, the pilot Ugolnik did what he was very proud of so far - he persuaded the kids of bio-riders to help people. Maybe it was because the hatred of drones from bio-readers was embedded at the level of instincts. Maybe in something else. Nevertheless, the kids agreed!
Putting on the spacesuit, the pilot moved to the gateway, from the outside of which the kid was already waiting for him. Two more kids flew up to Yana and Paul, who blocked the antenna. Having waited until Yana’s second level protection was turned off, having exhausted all energy, and they moved into the kids' safety bags.
But the mercenaries ... they remained connected to the transmitter circuits and until the last were fighting a virtual battle. Monitors showed that damage to Dmitry is irreversible. Vlada could have been saved, throw her son and move to the bioraider bag. But Vlada stayed.
Three kids with people aboard rushed from a flying drone. As the kid reported to the pilot Ugolnik, the battle drone made a powerful volley, which destroyed both the Svyaznoy-412 ship and the residential compartments of the transmitter.
Then the minutes stretched in total darkness, which the child once broke, advising him to take off his spacesuit and outerwear. According to him, the bag better understands the condition of a person when touching his skin. And then the wild shaking began. And here is the pilot The square dangles in the body of a bioraider in the midst of anomalies that are flickering asteroids.
- Baby, how are other people there, for example?
- A lot of friends died ... they were faced with stones ...
- Is the leader of your flock still alive, comet tailless?
- Uncle Yura leads us ... he is very clever ...
Still would! As far as it was clear from the conversations inside the transmitter, the leader of the pack of kids was Yuri Krasilnikov. Rather, a cast of his consciousness, shifted to the neural network of one of the embryos. If so, then there is a chance to survive. As an experienced pilot, Yuri is able to find a stable zone near the upper layers of the anomaly. Stable zones that are so close to open space have a very small volume. Literally a few square kilometers of void free from asteroid mash. Theoretically, all five thousand flock bioraiders can fit in this volume.
Suddenly the shaking is over. Having a little recovered and having tried to move, the pilot the Ugolnik addressed the baby:
- We arrived, baby? What happens, for example?
- Uncle Yura led us to a quiet place. We will rest here.
- What's up with your friends? Is everything okay with those who have people inside?
- Hundreds of my friends didn't get there. Many are injured. People are all intact, but the friend, in which there is a girl human, is very annoying. It hurts him. He is dying.
- So, connect me with your pack leader, your blackthorn! I do not know how you do it, but come on, baby, try it!
Pilot Ugolnik worried about Jan. She is still quite young! It is necessary to pull it out somehow from the sick bio-rider and move it to a healthy one! Moreover, it should be done in a vacuum, despite the fact that Yana probably took off her spacesuit, and the protection of the second level is discharged.
- Pilot of Svyaznoy-412 Andrey Ugolnik, can you hear me? - There was a male voice in the safety bag. - I appeal to you - the leader of the pack Yury Krasilnikov.
- Hello, synthesis error! Are you the villain, for example, who sat down in the transmitter, or are you alone?
- Yuri Krasilnikov's mind, located on the transmitter, was used to initialize the bioraider embryo. It seems to me that I am not the same Yuri from the transmitter. I have changed. In the neural network of embryos, pirates laid a large amount of information in the form of instincts. I absorb this information more and more. In spite of the fact that I remember everything that happened to the real Yuri, I ... more and more become a bio leader.
- Oh, tear me up the vacuum! Okay, Jura, bioraider, buddy, let's save the girl Yana! It is located inside the dying bioraider. Can we move it to a safe place? And then I will put in a good word for you! Who knows how everything will turn, for example? Saving people will be reckoned anyway!
- Of course, I will help you, people! Bio-riders help people. The pack cannot move on. The transition to the next stable zone they do not survive, they are small and inexperienced. I did not have time to teach them everything, - Yuri fell silent.
- So, so, then you will help us! - decided to hurry Yuri pilot Ugolnik. - What should I do, for example?
- Only I can get to the center of the anomaly to the planet. Babies will have to leave while here. They can be in a vacuum for years without food. They will be very sad and lonely, but there is no other way out.
- Then let's move the nozzles, for example! Take us on board. Start with Yana and do not forget, the error of synthesis, that she is not wearing a spacesuit, and we humans cannot breathe in a vacuum, the space suits are darned!
- The girl is already on my board. Now it's your turn pilot.
The walls of the safety bag began to move, pushing the body towards the narrow opening that appeared. Through the hole, the pilot got into the intestinal tube, which had its own peristalsis. A few seconds of movement on the tube ended in the pilot falling into another safety bag.
“Now you are on my board, pilot Andrei Ugolnik,” a man’s voice boomed, “the turn of the last man has come.
The pilot did not notice the transition between the bio-readers, realizing that the bio-readers had formed a tight connection between the tubes coming from the safety bags. Another thing worried Andrew:
- Yura, and the three of us will not beat each other in one bag, for example? Bumpy something decent will rip my vacuum!
- Safety bag can be divided into compartments. You do not see Jan, although she is also on board? - said Yuri, and after a short pause he added: - Now there are three of you. It's time to go.
- It's time, your black hole! Yes, Yura, how will you approach the planet, immediately get in touch with people and tell who you are on board, for example. And better let us talk to the planetary defense, otherwise they will shoot you in fear, the error of synthesis!
- When a connection with the planet appears, I will establish a connection. Get ready!
The pilot wanted to say that he was ready for everything, how such a shaking began, compared to which the journey inside the baby was a cakewalk. Yuri piloted much sharper.
Short respite within the stable zones alternated with dozens of minutes of the most severe overloads. The pilot began to notice that he had a brief loss of consciousness.
Andrei Ugolnik had no idea how long it lasted. The passage of a bioraider through the anomaly to the planet could take an hour, a day, or a year. None of these creatures of pirates could pass through the anomaly before.
Suddenly the shaking stopped, everything stopped and calmed down. Did it work out? This would be the first time in history that a bioraider could approach the planet. Only here there is a nuance - Sai put the mind of the legendary human pilot of the planet into the neural network of this bio-reader. What the pirates themselves could not do was able to make Supreme Intelligence SupremeAI.
- We arrived at the scene, people. Get ready for a dump!
- To what, damned space suits, get ready?
Instead of answering, the pilot felt a free fall lasting a few seconds. After that, the force of gravity reappeared, and then the bag burst like a balloon filled with water!
Three people fell on the concrete. The security guards Pavel Moskvin and Yana Fomina, as well as the pilot Andrey Ugolnik, were lying on the platform near the control center of the space fleet, dumbfounded looking at the security bag. Everything around was covered with mucus.
- Tfu, ha-a-a-dost! - spitting out of the mouth clots of mucus and trying to clean it off, exclaimed Jana.
- This is not a planet, for example! - looking around on the sides said the pilot Square.
“This is the space fleet control room,” Paul grumbled frowningly, “as soon as the connection appeared, I spoke with the planet.” Here in the space park the temporary headquarters of the planet’s defense forces is organized. The president wants to see us.
- I have this, boss, get dressed. And wash. That is, first wash and then get dressed! - quivering from the coolness asked Yana. - It is somehow indecent to appear before the president half-naked and slimy.
- No time to wash! There, we already have towels. Threw and ran to the headquarters. Such an order!
- Give me a vacuum!
- Well bo-o-o-ss!
CHAPTER 7. Dispatching space park
President of the planet Frang Nadezhda Moskvina slowly sipped just brewed tea. All those present were also holding a cup of decoction in their hands in their hands. In the control room stood a pleasant herbal spirit.
The herbs of the planet Frangō contained various active elements, which Nadezhda skillfully knew how to use, making a decoction with the desired effect. Today's tea could be called: "Concentration without emotions."
Arriving at the space fleet control room a few hours ago, Nadezhda announced that the defense headquarters would be located here. At the moment, the people present at headquarters are divided into two groups.
In the first group, holding a little apart, were representatives of the space fleet: General Katalov, General Khramtsov with his daughter Vika Shishkina, and also agent Karpenko with an already restored arm. Ekaterina Kirik, although she served in the kosmoflot, preferred to be near Nadezhda, improving any free time to talk with her.
In the second group were representatives of the space fleet: director Natalia Matveeva and counterpart Kolobukhova. They stood a little distance.
And, finally, in the third group was President Nadezhda Moskvin with Defense Minister Timur Khmelkov, nicknamed Experienced. Next to them was Katya.
Everyone dutifully drank from cups because the president announced a tea break, during which unnecessary conversations were not welcomed. Watch the same monitors were not forbidden. Some showed the current state of mobilization. Some displayed radar data.
Taking the last sip, the president turned to Byvaliy:
- Timur, please list again those who planned the invasion. We will display this on a separate monitor. Point out what forces planned the invasion and our chances to fight back.
- Yes, Nadezhda. So, the first threat came from Saya - SupremeAI of the cosmo fleet cruiser. He planned the invasion with the help of five thousand embryos of bioraider. If they went to the planet, then we would have no chance to fight back. But the pack from Saya was not trained. According to my forecasts, it would take them several weeks to learn how to fly in the anomaly.
“Once again, please note, Nadezhda,” General Katalov addressed the president, “that Sai acted on his own, at odds with the interests of the space fleet. Please, that this information was reflected on the monitor!
- Well, Vladimir, we will attribute Saya to SupremeAI - a separate force in the Universe, which is interested in our planet.
“So, as we know from a message from General Katalov, Sai was neutralized by a large group of pirates who arrived at the anomaly.” At the same time, five thousand untrained bio-riders went over to the side of pirates? So?
- Yes that's right. Forces of pirates - three cohorts of bio-riders trained to pass through the anomaly. If even one cohort could get to the planet, we would again have no chance to fight back. None
- We display on the monitor the second force that has an interest in the planet and against which we are defenseless. Pirates Further, "Nadezhda continued," you all heard the report of Henri on the arrival of the Colossal of the Cosmo Fleet. The pirates have withdrawn their forces, but no one bothers them to return. Henri said that Professor Vorobev flew to the planet along with ... - Hope's voice faltered for a moment, - with Aida.
- Yes, Colossal forces are constantly replenished with new cruisers. At the time of Henri's departure from outer space, the Colossal forces made up one hundred battle cruisers. If you extrapolate the increase in the number, then at the moment the space fleet has a group of several thousand cruisers.
Another inscription appeared on the monitors: “Colossal”. At that moment, General Katal protested:
“Hope, with all due respect, the Colossal of the cosmoflot embodies the cosmoflot itself, which is the main friend of the planet. You should not put him on a par with the pirates and with ... - hesitated the general.
- With Cy, you want to say? Sai also personified the cosmoflot? - said Professor Vorobev, who unexpectedly entered the control room. - Only at the cost of their lives two brave mercenaries Dmitry Vysotsky and Vladislav Malinov stopped the invasion of reprogrammed bio-riders. We wouldn't talk here right now, get SupremeAI Space fleet Sai access to a flock of unwise kids.
The appearance of the professor caused a stir in the presidential security service, who were guarding the temporary headquarters. With a confident gait, the professor was approaching the center of the control room, not paying attention to the security men running behind him.
General Katalov and agent Karpenko almost simultaneously snatched the punches and started shooting at the professor. Judging by the sparks rebounding from the professor's jacket, the punches were not put up for paralysis.
- Stop shooting! - the president slightly raised her voice.
The shots subsided. Professor Vorobyov stopped, straightened his jacket and looked at the president.
- Thank you, Hope!
- Stay on the spot, pirate! - warned General Katalov. - With me there is a more powerful weapon. Don't make me use it!
- Easy, General! - said Hope. “The professor came to talk, didn't he?”
- Absolutely right, Hope. It is a pity that I could not talk to you heart to heart forty years ago.
- But you are another professor Vorobiev? Or are you the same person, but in a different body? General Katalov and Henri tried to explain, but we didn’t figure it out.
- Well, let's start with this, if you like!
The professor sat in the self-propelled car that came up and continued:
- We appreciate the lives of people, but we believe that humanity in vain has abandoned attempts to make its body and mind more perfect. People were afraid to create monsters and banned experiments on humans many thousands of years ago. Speed locomotive of evolution stopped.
- And you, therefore, did not stop. Well, well, what's next? - still holding the professor at the gunpoint, General Katalov asked with a smile.
- Several influential businessmen and scientists disagreed with the decision to freeze human development programs. So there were so-called pirates. Although, of course, at first there was no question of any pirates. There were only remote stations where research continued. However, from century to century, of us sculpted the image of enemies. Do you know who did this?
Silence reigned in the hall, everyone was waiting for an answer, although it was already hanging in the air.
- We were displeased with a force that never stopped developing. Which year after year, century after century, millennium after millennium, continued to increase its power and influence, despite its limitations. Artificial intelligence with self-awareness, SupremeAI - that's who made us become the main enemy of humanity.
“That's all logical,” said Timur.
- What do you think is logical, Experienced? - General Katalov shot up. “Do you believe in his fairy tales about good pirates?” Have you forgotten that they destroy our ships?
- And how many people died in the clashes of the space fleet and pirates over the last, say, a hundred years? The professor asked the general.
- How much, how much ... I do not know!
“There have been no casualties among the people lately,” said General Khramtsova, head of the long-range intelligence department.
“In fact, there were casualties among the people,” the professor continued, “but these were people on the side of the pirates.” Over the past hundred years, for example, a space fleet managed by the SupremeAI has killed more people than it did in a space fleet over the many thousands of years of its existence. SupremeAI kills people, - the professor said the last phrase.
- You don’t really look like people! - Filtered agent Karpenko. “Judging by what I saw, you are cyborg clones!”
- We do not make clones. We have another goal - to make it so that each person could endlessly develop. Make a person immortal, if you want. So far we have not been able to fully implement it. Our scheme now works differently. Each person is unique in his biocorbine body at any given time. And if the body dies or dies of old age, then a new one is made, sometimes more advanced.
- How is it done? - quietly asked Vika Shishkina.
- We have not learned to endlessly prolong the life of the whole body. But the brain cells succumbed to our experiments. We have learned to maintain endless regeneration of brain cells while preserving the natural neurostructures and processes occurring in them. While the main body is frozen in the cryochamber, the brain is in a semi-frozen state in special conditions. We can grow a copy of this brain in the head of biokiborg.
- Ha, then you still make a clone! - smiled Agent Karpenko.
- We create a prolongator! So we call biokiborg with a copy of the mind of the original person. I am the prolonger. Ivan - the prolonger. Almost all the pilots we captured on the planet agreed to become the ancestors of their line of prolongators.
Nadezhda looked attentively at Katya, then turned to the professor with the question:
“But how do you ensure endless development?” Just making copies of the brain is not enough!
- In this all the salt, Hope! We learned not only to make a copy of the brain structure, but we were able to connect to brain centers that receive visual, sound, tactile, and other signals. Each prolonger, as soon as it becomes available for communication, discards data about what he saw, heard, felt. The entire set of data that came into the brain of the prolonger is sent to the original brain.
- I understand correctly that everything you hear, see or smell, will you load into that original brain? - clarified Hope.
- Right! Even the smell of your beautiful herbs. When I die, the next biokiborg, the next prolonger, will remember everything that I lived. Thus prolongators prolong the life of Professor Oleg Vorobiev, who is already more than nine hundred years old. To me, the current prolongonger, is only forty.
“But you died then, forty years ago, in an explosion?” Asked General Khramtsova. - How did you pass the information to the next prolongong?
- At that time, unfortunately, the information could not be transmitted. I remember only what was the day before, when I last dropped a new piece of data. However, I know what happened there. Each prolonger studies the information that previous prolongers did not have time to transmit. This, of course, is not recognized by us as real memories.
“And a lot of pirates have such prolongers like you?” - asked General Katalov.
- Quite a bit when compared with the population of the central civilizations of humanity!
Taking a deep breath, the professor looked around the audience and continued in a louder voice:
- Ladies and gentlemen, I apologize for having tired you with all these details! The fact is that we need the planet Frangun and the anomaly around it in order to restore the status quo. We want to be equal members of humanity. Anomaly is a unique place that SupremeAI does not have access to.
- But your plans are broken off? Do not you, millennial granddaddy? Colossal still pressed you? - Agent Karpenko gloated.
“Right now Colossal of the space fleet will establish contact with us, and we will see,” answered the professor.
Indeed, in the control room there was a soft click and a hologram appeared of admiral of the space fleet. Every time Nadezhda imagined how much resources were required to support communication with outer space, she felt uneasy. Drones-repeaters quickly crashed against anomaly asteroids. To compensate for the losses, it was necessary to release up to a million new drones per hour. And such drones are not cheap devices, because they relayed the signal at superluminal speed.
“Admiral Colossal of Cosmoflot welcomes you,” said the faceless admiral in a voiceless voice.
Hope could not get used to the fact that the admirals had no names and were as impersonal as possible. She was not even sure that these were real people, and not synthesized images.
“I think that you are aware of the latest events that occurred at the Frangue Anomaly,” the hologram of the admiral said. Then, turning in the direction of the professor, the hologram unexpectedly ordered: - General Katalov, arrest Professor Oleg Vorobiev!
The general looked at the professor, then turned his gaze to the president, shrugged his shoulders and calmly said:
- Professor, you are arrested.
“Good,” the professor also calmly replied. In this case, neither one nor the other did not even move.
On the face of the admiral there was a slight bewilderment. However, this did not affect the monotony of the voice:
- The next step is the evacuation of all visitors to the space fleet. President Nadezhda Moskvin, I order you to organize the transportation of all citizens of central civilizations into open space, where transport ships are already waiting for them. Spacepark declared closed!
- Hey you what? - Natalya Matveeva, director of the space park, was indignant. - Hope, do not let them do it!
- In the anomaly zone, an emergency mode is introduced, in which the Colossal space fleet has absolute authority. No one and nothing can hinder the implementation of my orders.
Hope mentally consulted with lawyers of the world. After that, she looked at Natalia and spread her hands:
“They really are the main ones now,” she said with regret. “I have the only request,” she turned to the admiral, “let's not carry out an emergency evacuation of visitors, and let them leave the space fleet in a regular mode.” We just will not accept new guests!
“This is impossible,” admitted the admiral, “the evacuation should begin right now.” Otherwise, your actions will be perceived as sabotage. You will be arrested and subjected to mental interrogation, President Nadezhda Moskvin.
- But what caused such urgency? - Nadezhda tried to pull in time, frantically trying to think of a way to mitigate the economic damage from tough decisions of the space fleet.
- Such a concentration of citizens of central civilizations in such a remote place of the studied Universe provokes a desire to take them hostage. You yourself saw that at first a deviant SupremeAI, and then the pirates tried to play your space park for their own purposes. It needs to stop right now. Do you have anything to say, President? Even if there is, then the objection is not accepted. Proceed to the execution of the order.
- I have something to argue! - Professor Vorobiev said suddenly. - It is unprofitable for me to stop the activity of the space park. As you had time to correctly notice, I need hostages in the Frang anomaly to guarantee non-aggression on your part.
“Can you imagine what forces the space fleet collected from the anomaly?” The nondescript admiral asked. - Will you resist us alone?
It might have seemed to Nadezhda, but the shadow of a smile flashed on the admiral's face.
- Not alone. There are two of us, - the professor answered and looking sadly at Katya, addressed her, - Katya, are you ready?
“Yes,” Katya said uncertainly. - I'm sorry.
Katya looked at her friends from the flight school:
- Bye, Alla, bye, Vova, bye, Experienced, farewell, Aunt Nadia, - Katya said almost softly, crying. - I haven't lived much. I, prolongongu, do not want to die.
- Katya? - Hope said in surprise - what is it? What are you gonna do?
- Yes, she is a prolonger, like a professor, and Ivan! Shouted Agent Karpenko.
He sent a piercer to Katya, but he did not have time to shoot. Katy's body began to break up into many small cubes. It was as if a large figure made of Lego crumbled into separate parts, crumbled into a heap on the floor. Each cube, in turn, decayed into smaller particles, the size of a piece of sugar. But these particles continued to disintegrate into even smaller, no longer visible to the eye. After literally five seconds, it was all over.
- So what does it mean? The admiral asked the professor after a short pause.
- Kati is no more. She transformed the matter of her body into millions of microscopic bombs. Now these bombs are spreading around the space fleet, attaching to the back of the head of each visitor. The strength of the charge is such that with a guarantee it will spread the head to a person. I can undermine as a separate bomb, and all at once.
- Yah? - General Katalov said doubtfully.
“I can hold a demonstration,” the professor answered in a businesslike manner. - See that chair in the corner? One bomb stuck on it.
After waiting a second for the audience to have time to look at the chair, the professor blew up an invisible charge. There was an explosion, accompanied by a bright flash. The upper part of the chair with the back rotates soaring upward, looking up from the moving device. Having flown through half the hall, part of the chair collapsed on the floor next to the representatives of the cosmopark. Natalia and Eugene barely had time to jump.
- Oh, I'm sorry, ladies! I did not expect the explosion to be so strong.
- Wow! - in astonishment, with a note of delight exclaimed Experienced.
- Experienced, why are you happy? The professor, in fact, takes hostages! Perhaps not only visitors, - General Katalov scratched his head with suspicion.
- Yes, I'm not talking about the explosion, you see who is going, - showed Byvaly at the entrance to the control room.
Loudly slapping his bare feet on the floor and leaving slimy traces of muddy mucus, the control room consisted of the security guards Pavel and Yana. Behind them, as if afraid of slipping, the pilot Ugolnik minced. Towels were thrown over each bare shoulders. On the bodies of those who entered, the same mucus glistened.
- Pasha! - the director of the cosmopark Natalia cried out, - at last you, your mother, have returned! Why am I waiting for my chief safety officer so long?
- Well, we are not on a comfortable rider returned.
- But as?
“In the intestines of the bioraider,” Jana answered cheerfully.
“In the real ones, make me vacuum!” - added the pilot Square.
- You want to say that the bioraider pirates took you to the space fleet, breaking the entire depth of the anomaly? - Admiral asked in surprise.
“Yes,” the men answered in unison. - Your black hole, - separately added the pilot.
The holographic figure of the admiral froze, her head bowed thoughtfully. It seemed that the connection with Colossal was interrupted and the last transmitted frame of the hologram was displayed in the control room. But then the figure came to life:
- I passed all the information to Colossal, and we jointly made the following decision. Due to the fact that Professor Vorobiev probably took hostage ten million visitors of the space fleet by attaching micro charges to them, as well as due to the fact that the possibility of pirates taking bioraiders to the planet was confirmed, the probability of an anomaly being seized by pirates was very high. To prevent long-term problems for all mankind, the space park will be destroyed along with all visitors.
- That is, as? - said General Katalov in complete silence.
- If the forces of the planet begin to interfere with the forces of the space fleet, then the entire planet will be destroyed.
- Are you kidding, uncle? - Agent Karpenko asked in bewilderment.
- I am very sorry, but this is the most logical solution to the current crisis. We can not allow a situation in which pirates occupy the anomaly, having ten million hostages. If the council of the central civilizations of mankind learns about this, then any demands of the pirates will be fulfilled. Colossal space fleet can not allow this.
- That is, the Colossal of Cosmoflot single-handedly decided to exterminate all the people on the planet? - General Khramtsova entered the conversation. - What about the votes of the two remaining Colossals? Will they support this genocide?
“Unfortunately, we cannot connect with other Colossals.” The local transponder is not functioning, and the one that is located in Colossal is in temporary repair.
- Do I understand correctly, Admiral, that you are going to destroy the space fleet with millions of people? - President Nadezhda asked with a dumbfounded look. - We can not take them all quickly to the planet!
- You misunderstood, president! We eliminate people as such in order to avoid the possibility of blackmail in the future. The rest of the Colossals, not to mention the advice, are too soft for such a logical decision. The lack of communication with the center gives the cosmoflot a chance to solve the problem of the Franoma anomaly once and for all.
Space fleet representatives attacked the admiral's hologram, trying to persuade them to cancel the attack. The rest began to vigorously discuss the words of the admiral. Professor Vorobiev sat alone on the armchair with a sad look, keeping silence.
Hope was trying to restore the fatal chain of events leading to the disaster. How did it happen that the space fleet, for centuries funding the school of flights of the planet, suddenly decided to arrange a genocide? Nadezhda knew a few people from the space fleet who were not from the planet, but were citizens of central civilizations. For example, Andrei Korotaev is the cruiser captain, a very nice man. He could not go to the massacres.
- Get ready for death, people! Nobody leaves the anomaly alive! - the admiral hologram loudly proclaimed and disappeared from the control room with a click.
This brought the president out of his stupor. Action was required.
- Please silence! - Hope appealed to all those present. “You’ve all heard that Colossal announced the start of an intervention.” This is not a joke, I just received a formal notice of controlled killing. The first time I see this ...
The President said the last words in a slightly bewildered voice. Having added confidence to her voice and having agitated, she began to give instructions:
- Alla and Vika, urgently make up all possible ways of attacking the space fleet. It is necessary to understand how, if the combat drones cannot function in the anomaly, the space fleet is going to attack us!
Hope looked in the direction of the representatives of the kospopark:
- Natasha and Eugene, organize the quickest possible evacuation of visitors to the space park. You need to move them to a planet in a protected place. Note that the evacuation may have to be carried out under fire.
Next, the president turned to Bezopasnik:
- Pavel and Yana, scan everything here for cosmoflot bugs. Surely they put them everywhere along with repeater drones. It is necessary to neutralize them and provide protection against new ones.
Nadezhda took a deep breath and continued:
- Vova and Experienced, you will be on the front line. Vova, you are the leader of the third hundred, Experienced - you are the leader of the second. Proceed to complete their hundreds.
Seeing how, in a business-like manner and without any extra emotion, people started to carry out the assignments, Hope once again thanked herself for having arranged a tea break. Broth "Concentration without emotion," she managed especially well.
Taking a deep breath, the president drew attention to the monitor with the current state of mobilization. Seven hundred riders ready for battle. The power is small, but she will have a very powerful fist.
- @ Dispatch | President Nadezhda Moskvin. Henri, the space fleet begins the invasion of the anomaly. I will send you a record of what was happening in the control room. Collect your hundred riders and start patrolling around the space park. You are the leader of the first hundred.
- @ | Henri. Accepted, President! I start the selection of brave men. Do not worry, even if the space fleet directs all its forces into the anomaly, only hundreds, maybe thousands of drones, will be able to go through it in depth and approach the planet.
Millions have reached the planet.
CHAPTER 8. Henry Rider
My rider's stationary piercer can make five thousand volleys on one charge. I looked at the counter - there was “103” left. Heck! Only we pushed the enemy for a light second inside the anomaly, as I need to fly to recharge.
- # 3. The first! Opponent changes tactics!
- #one. I understand you, the third! Already passing information to strategists.
This was the second time Colossal changed the tactics of his drones. An hour ago, the control room detected a breakthrough in the anomaly right next to the space station. I somehow managed to reach the breakout point with my hundred. We got involved in the battle, trying to push the drones back into the anomaly asteroid mash. Immediately became clear the way in which Colossal carried out the intervention.
The space fleet is the only one who managed to establish a communication channel with the planet. For this purpose, a chain of communication drones was lined up - a thin thread passing through the entire depth of the anomaly to its center.
Colossal wove a rope consisting of a million individual communication channels, creating a narrow corridor one hundred kilometers wide. And in this corridor, in this wormhole, guys, superluminal communication with the Colossal operated. If modern cosmoflot combat drones could function in an anomaly, then under Colossal control they would easily defeat any of the planet’s defense forces. But the quantum schemes of drones did not work in the anomaly.
Strategists of the planet, led by Alla Khramtsova, suggested that Colossal was mobilizing long-outdated technology on transistor circuits. Moreover, in order to immediately begin destroying the planet, Colossal had to assemble these old ships in advance. So, apparently, it was. I do not know how many old warehouses, factories and abandoned stations had to go through, but Colossal collected an outstanding collection of rare combat riders.
All riders have been upgraded to managed drones. If the model of the old rider assumed the presence of a pilot, then a remotely controlled piloting unit was installed.
You have no idea how many different techniques I have seen in this hour! More than a hundred types of ancient ships. How I feel sorry to carry them to pieces, you would only know!
- # 3. The first! Drones of the enemy began to gather in a hundred groups, increasing the number of units in each.
- #one. Yes, I see the third! We distribute evenly across the entire width of the corridor in layers of twenty riders. The distance between the layers is kept five hundred kilometers. So far I have received only such recommendations from the strategists.
At the time of the breakthrough, the enemy’s tactics were very simple - to crush the masses. Drones did not even fight with us. They stupidly perly to the planet and the space fleet, relying on a hundredfold numerical advantage. But we could hold them back! Cost without loss!
Ten minutes later, Colossal changed tactics. Drones began to battle us fiercely. Some of my pilots did not have time to react and were hit. Died second, tenth and fifteenth. My hundred now counted ninety-seven riders.
However, we quickly switched from the monotonous shooting of thousands of flying discs to a real battle. Now I had to take into account that the drones are trying to shoot us. I even had to retreat a little.
The recommendation of the strategists after the first change of enemy tactics was as follows: to evenly distribute the width of the corridor in one layer. Each rider took over the defense of his zone. Gradually, the size of areas of responsibility was redistributed depending on the skill of the pilot. Experienced pilots like the third took on more opponents.
A few minutes later we not only managed to stop the retreat, but also significantly pushed the enemy deep into the anomalies, while avoiding losses. And Colossal again changes tactics, but I have only one hundred and three shots.
Before that, having made almost five thousand shots, I hit four thousand drones. If the ratio continues, I will be able to destroy another seventy to eighty drones. Few! It would be necessary, using the lull, to fly to the base to reload the piercer.
- #one. Third! You stay for the main thing. All pilots! Determine the list of thirty riders with the fewest remaining salvos. We fly around smartly to recharge.
Unfortunately, I until recently ignored the recommendations of the strategists who developed the scheme of withdrawing parts of hundreds for recharging. It was too hot. And now it's time to start recharging a hundred, otherwise it will be very late.
Breaking away from the center of my zone, I rushed all the way towards the space park. A maintenance site was quickly deployed there. Thirty riders followed me.
- #one. 30, flying to recharge! Divide into three groups and be ready to return to the front line.
It is necessary to prepare for the fact that the new tactics of the Colossal will be too tough for the remaining riders. Depending on the severity of the situation, I could return one, two or all three dozen riders to the front. Let the volleys remain and a little, but this can help in an organized retreat with minimal losses. And then we think of something.
- # 3. The first! The enemy has already accumulated two hundred units in each of the hundred groups. Another wedge-shaped group began to form along the center of the corridor. This group has already a thousand units.
- #one. Third! Step back one millisecond, keeping the line.
Colossal tactics are clearly complicated. What is he up to? And most importantly, how much more resources does he have? Only in order to maintain one line of communication, he needs to continuously infuse up to one million new repeater drones per hour. Thus, the support of one invasion corridor requires a trillion new transponders hourly! It is difficult to even imagine this figure: 1,000,000,000,000. At one o'clock.
- @ Dispatch | Strategist Alla Khramtsova. Attention everyone! Made the fourth breakthrough. [End of communication]
Hell! I hope the strategists came up with a plan B. While the planet was able to prepare only eight hundred combat-capable riders. Four hundred battles already involved. Nearly fifty more were sent to the front line to help the second and third hundred. The losses in them were so high that the strategists found it necessary to send them reinforcements from the reserves. However, the leaders of the second and third hundred are General Katalov and Byvaly still in the ranks! Hold on guys!
My hundreds of reinforcements were not yet required, and I hoped that I would not need them for as long as possible. About three hundred and fifty riders remained in reserve. In addition to this, the planet could prepare a maximum of a hundred more in the coming hours. So, we have someone to put on three or four new breakthroughs. What to do if there will be more breakthroughs, I did not think. Let strategists think about this, but I need to prepare for battle.
Having slowed down at the last moment, I landed on the slot of the maintenance platform. The technicians began to inspect the rider and reload the piercer. This should take no more than five minutes. Other riders landed on neighboring slots. Enemy drones have not started the attack, and I brought the whole thirty to recharge.
- @ Dispatch | Strategist Alla Khramtsova. Henri! The bioraider Yury Krasilnikov goes to help your hundred. I recommend to take him a position in the center of the corridor. [End of communication]
This is great news! The president did listen to my advice and accepted Yuri to serve in the planetary troops. Now we have our own bio leader! Yes, even what! Legendary Yuri Krasilnikov, in whose honor the flight school is named. By the way, all the pilots who participated in the battle attended flight school. I think that the news about the participation of Yuri will raise their morale.
It is a pity that Kati is not with us. Pronger she or not a prolonger - it does not matter. This is the same Kate. So strange, forty years have passed, and Katya has not changed at all. All the same focused and purposeful. And beautiful, of course. I wonder how I seemed to her? If I correctly understood how the system of prolongation of life works for pirates, then perhaps Katya will still appear. This will be another prolonger, but the same Katya. Hmm ...
- @ Dispatch | Strategist Alla Khramtsova. Attention everyone! Made the fifth breakthrough. [End of communication]
Seeing on the console that the technicians had finished recharging and moved away from the rider, I rushed back to the wormhole of the first breakthrough. An hour ago, it seemed to me that we would easily get rid of, but now I have begun to realize the seriousness of the situation. Breakthroughs began to appear one by one. Drones of the opponent grew wiser in the eyes, or rather Colossal improved his tactics. It is not known whether I will succeed, for example, to keep a horde of drones during their next attack.
- @ | Bioraider Yury Krasilnikov. Henri, I greet you! I achieved participation in the battle. I was sent to your hundred. Fly to the front?
- @ | Henri. Hi, Yuri! Glad to see. Now connect you to my hundreds of conference calls. Your callsign: one hundred and first.
- #one. One hundred and first! Follow me. Stay in the middle of the corridor.
- # 101. Accepted, first!
The pilot's call sign once issued remains with him until the end of the battle. Even if the pilot dies, his callsign cannot be reassigned to another. Therefore, Yuri became one hundred and first. By the way, this number is not only a name for a conference call, but also a sequence number of precedence.
- #one. Third! I come up with reinforcements.
- # 3. Got it, first! Note that the enemy has accumulated a thousand drones in each of the hundred groups. The central group now consists of five thousand units.
- #one. See, the third! Received recommendations from strategists. They assume that Colossal will be attacked by each of our riders in a group of a thousand drones. At this time, the central group will rush into a breakthrough.
- # 3. The first! It turns out a thousand to one. Bad deal!
- #one. Do not drift, the third! We will use the fact that the enemy drones can not get out of the corridor. We are divided into two equal parts. The first takes on a hundred enemy groups, the second - the central wedge. The first part acts on the border of the corridor, then leaving it, then appearing in another place, disorienting the enemy and covering the second part of the hundred. The second hundred is in the center of the corridor. One hundred and first, you are in the second half!
- # 3. Accepted, first!
- # 101. Accepted, first!
I looked at the logs of the other hundreds. In their corridors, the enemy’s drones acted in the old manner. Perhaps Colossal plans to try out new tactics in our corridor. Surely the strategists noticed this and sent a bio-reader to us for help.
Despite the fact that the bio leader is one, under the circumstances it can become a significant force. If I had entered into a battle with a bioraider in an anomaly, I would have easily overcome it. But the ancient cosmoflot drones are another matter. Their volleys, fatal to our riders, do not penetrate the massive body of a bioraider fifty meters long. This relatively cumbersome target is difficult to destroy for drones. Despite the fact that the firepower of Yuri - that is necessary!
Strategists proposed the second half of my hundred such an algorithm: Yuri and I, being in the center of the corridor, take the brunt of the wedge, breaking its system. The rest of the riders destroy the fallen off. It might work. Only too many of them.
Radars gave a signal about the beginning of the movement of enemy forces. Ninety-eight groups of a thousand units headed straight for their goals - riders. Two groups remained in place. This confirmed the strategists' hypothesis - Colossal collected a thousand drones to destroy each rider. The central wedge also moved to the attack.
- #one. The first half, the second half! Getting started.
For a better understanding of what is happening, I remind you that we are in an anomaly. And this is a jumble of asteroids flying at breakneck speed. Some of them may be a kilometer in diameter, and some ten. Glowed - and now you're a cake on the surface of a passing asteroid.
When I say, for example, that the bioraider has taken a position in the center of the corridor, this does not mean that it hangs at one point. He is constantly torn from side to side, making evasive maneuvers, trying to stay approximately in one zone.
Imagine that you are on a mountainside during an intense rockfall. On you from above, in a continuous stream, stones of all sizes and shapes fly. You need to dodge, jump, crouch. Stop for a split second and you will end. Now imagine that the stones fly not only from the top down on the slope, but also on the right, and on the left, and on top, and below, and behind. And even their speed is such that to dodge sometimes you have to develop acceleration of 100g!
We, the pilots of the planet Frangō, learn to fly in childhood in such conditions. Airborne AIs help us to track the trajectories of the nearest asteroids, which makes it possible to make evasive maneuvers. With the increase in the speed of movement of AI worse and worse to cope with their work. In the foreground is the skill of the pilot.
Did I already tell you that we are unusual people? One hundred generations of adaptation to overload and gene correction have done their job. My vessels are steel tubes, my brain is an extraordinarily powerful neural network that can instantly prompt the right maneuver.
As I approach the hordes of enemy drones, let me explain to you why it took so much time for Colossal to gather groups of drones. The fact is that drones are constantly broken! According to my estimates, to collect a central wedge of five thousand drones in this place, Colossal had to send fifty thousand. Nine out of ten crashed along the way. And there were two reasons. First, drones are ancient ships, some simply lacked maneuverability to evade asteroids. Secondly, even though the Colossal and the supermind, capable of effectively predicting the trajectories of asteroids, but at such a distance lags began to appear! Drones were controlled remotely, and the signal, albeit superluminal, had to go through hundreds of thousands of repeaters in the anomaly. Time was lost on them! There were regular situations
In this situation, I saw our chance! If it were possible to maneuver quickly enough, then because of the lags, one could become almost invisible to Colossal.
- # 101. The first! Contact with the wedge will be in five seconds.
- #one. One hundred and first! Accepted. I have two.
I stepped forward slightly ahead of Yuri and the others and immediately knocked down three drones from the wedge, spending three volleys. The charge of the piercer must be saved! Oh - that’s a thousandth group came in my soul. One against a thousand is already serious. I did not use the tactics of withdrawing from the corridor proposed by the strategists, but cut myself right into the center of the enemy's concentration.
Volley, bias, bias, volley ... I took off the first five hundred drones easily. But the enemy became smarter every second. Colossal began to organize traps and try to drive me into them. Colossal, using its infinite computing power, began to predict not only the set of asteroid trajectories, but also my trajectory! So I need to get faster. Even faster. Gradually, I began to fall into a combat trance. Hold on enemies, I am the best pilot of humanity!
STATS || In the ranks: 83, leader: # 1, deputy leader: # 3
Minute, and I scattered a thousand drones! But the guys from my hundred have a hard time. I choose the closest tangle of drones pursuing a tossing rider. Get involved!
STATS || In the ranks: 68, leader: # 1, deputy leader: # 5
A minute, and another group is broken. The third and fourth died. Automatically noted. I get involved in a fight with another group, pursuing the seventh.
STATS || In the ranks: 51, leader: # 1, deputy leader: # 7
Minute. Smashed opponents of the seventh. I note that Colossal formed a group of ten thousand drones especially for me. It's good. It will be easier for children. Seven thousand volleys left. I accelerate to the limit values. Micro-strokes began. I launch the medical system at full capacity.
STATS || In the ranks: 25, leader: # 1, deputy leader: # 40
Minute. Smashed ten thousand riders. I apply damage tactics on a tangent of several targets in one volley. I fly up to Yuri, get involved in the destruction of wedge drones.
- # 101. The first! I received too much damage. My body becomes clumsy. Soon I will not be able to dodge asteroids and enemies. Henri, please take care of the babies in a stable zone. I'll drop you the coordinates. Try to save them. Goodbye, Henri.
Minute. Drones wedge destroyed. I note getting a message from one hundred and first. There is no time for understanding the meaning. The medical system gives three minutes before the start of irreversible brain damage. Three hundred volleys remained. I fly to the aid of the seventieth.
STATS || In the ranks: 4, leader: # 1, deputy leader: # 70
Minute. Seventieth repulsed. There are no enemies around us. The radar shows that a group of two hundred drones went off to the side of the planet. Ten salvos left. The other three remaining riders in the amount of another fifty volleys. We catch up. Apply a ram on the tangent durable part of the body.
STATS || In the ranks: 2, leader: # 1, deputy leader: # 83
Minute. All enemy drones are destroyed. Ten seconds before irreversible brain damage. I shed speed. Slower, slower.
- #one. Eighty-third! Slow down. Return to maintenance.
Eighty-third is not responding. The console shows that its medical system does not cope with the damage to the brain. Mark disappears from the radar.
STATS || In the line: 1, leader: # 1, deputy leader: - - @ Dispatch | Strategist Alla Khramtsova. Attention everyone! The first breakthrough corridor is trimmed. New drones are not observed. [End of communication]
As I approached the maintenance site, I was returning to my usual rhythm. Not so easy to get out of combat trance. We need good drugs to do it quickly. The drugs were.
The medical system monitor showed that it takes half an hour to compensate for all the damage. Yes of course! Now I will replenish the charge of the piercer, I will pay the hull, and it is time to collect a new hundred to be ready for the next breakthrough. Or fly to help battling hundreds. Here, as already strategists decide.
I looked at the logs of the other hundreds. In the corridors of all the breakthroughs, Colossal began to apply tactics tested in the first breakthrough. The enemy retreated and began to accumulate strength. In response, the strategists decided to try the new algorithm in the second breakthrough. A hundred of Experienced did not make a break, and went on the offensive, not allowing the enemy to concentrate large forces.
- @ Dispatch | Strategist Alla Khramtsova. Henri, urgently fly to the control room! There is an urgent task.
- @ | Henri. In the control room? What for? What should I do there? My place in battle!
- @ Dispatch | Strategist Alla Khramtsova. Henri, we will not be able to restrain the enemy for a long time. Our resources are running out. You will have a special mission. Waiting for you in the control room. [End of communication]
The technicians finished with my rider and moved away. Urgently so urgent. I accelerated and slowed down with a very decent overload, reaching the control room door in three seconds. Jumping out of the rider, I tried to run. But it was not there, the body tissues have not fully recovered yet. Replacing the run for a quick step, I entered the control room.
“What mission did you plan for me?” - without greeting, I asked those present.
Alla Khramtsova was behind the console, surrounded by other strategists. Not far away was Vika Shishkina. Slightly at a distance sat Professor Vorobiev. I stumbled towards Allah.
- Henri! - unstuck from the console, Alla turned in my direction and looked at me with red, hollow eyes with fatigue. - It is necessary to take the professor into space as soon as possible so that he can pass on the message to the other Colossals. Only they can block the actions of the Colossal cosmoflot. The professor agreed to sacrifice himself to send a signal, as Ivan did on your rider.
- Clear. But why me? Why not any other pilot? Yes, by the way, the professor arrived on the planet at AIDE. So let her take him to outer space.
- AIDA takes part in the battle along with hundreds of Experienced. They act in the same way as you and Yuri, ”Alla calmly explained. - We need the fastest and most experienced pilot because we do not know what to expect in outer space. You can best navigate and ensure the message is sent. We believe that only this mission can save the planet. We need to inform humanity about what is happening here.
Despite the lousy mood and desire to rush into battle, I understood the logic of Alla. There are good pilots on the planet besides me. But they are now probably in the thick of the battle. And I - here he is, just flew in for maintenance.
- Good. Professor, jump into the rider. Let's go!
“I am flying with you too,” Alla said, getting up from behind the console.
I looked surprised at Alla and the professor.
“You must have a reason for this.” Let's not waste time. Tell us the details on the way. Professor, are you coming?
Professor Vorobiev silently stood up and, having waited for Alla, headed for the exit. Putting my hands on my knees, I yanked out of the chair. Nothing, now I will sit in a rider, and the medical system will cure me.
Evgenia Kolobukhova rushed into the control room:
- The first five anti-aircraft turrets arrived! We start the installation. Five more will bring up within ten minutes! - Eugene rushed to his place at the console.
The evacuation of visitors to the space fleet was not as fast as we would like. The planet’s defense forces have found old anti-aircraft turrets in their warehouses that could be used in case of enemy drones breaking through to the space fleet. Eugene coordinated the work on the delivery and installation. There were few turrets, and they were ineffective against the enemy's nimble drones. But it was better than nothing.
- I understood, Zhenya, - Alla answered, already approaching the doors. - Goodbye, Vika! - she turned to her daughter.
- Mom, do you have to fly with the professor? Vicki’s voice seemed lifeless.
- Yes, Vika. The professor needs to send a long message with a complex signature of Colossal. Only I, the general of space fleet, have the opportunity to use this signature. I need to be close at the time of sending.
- Be careful, mom!
- You too!
The three of us left the building and climbed into the rider. Wearing gravitational suits, the professor and Alla sat in the chairs.
- Professor, how do you carry overload? I need to calculate the maximum allowable acceleration parameters.
- Don't worry about me, Henri!
- As you say. I will focus on Alla. By the way, we will fly into outer space through the corridor of the second breakthrough. It's all the same on the way, and I have five thousand punch bursts.
- Henri, do not forget that the main thing is to complete the mission as soon as possible!
- Of course, Alla, I remember. But look at the logs of hundreds of Experienced. They keep their last strength. Of the whole hundred, Byvaly had only twenty riders and AIDA. And it is not known what state it is in. Professor, don't you want to help Aide?
- Do as you see fit, Henri. I rely on you.
Well, there was no objection. Fine! I entered the anomaly and prepared for battle. It was necessary to remember that two passengers were sitting behind me, which significantly reduced the ability to maneuver.
Suddenly, I saw drones on the radar. And it is almost at the very exit from the corridor to the space park! Individual drones were leaking through the ranks of hundreds of Experienced. Not a problem, I will clean. Moving further along the corridor, I destroyed single drones, almost without reducing the speed of the passage of the anomaly. As we move to the advanced concentration of drones became higher and higher.
Judging by the indicators on the console, Professor and Alla transferred the overload well. So you can add speed. So a group of one hundred drones came out to me. Half a minute - and the group is destroyed.
The console signaled a possible danger to the health of passengers. The possible danger is not yet real. We increase the speed. A group of three hundred drones - destroyed. A group of four hundred - destroyed.
Automatics gave me a call sign and connected hundreds of Experienced to the conference call.
- # 143. The first! This is Henri. Where is help needed?
- # 25. One hundred and forty third! I am the current leader. The first is out. We can not stop the wedge. There are only twenty of us left. Go to the center.
- # 143. Twenty fifth! Accepted.
During the time that has elapsed since the invasion began, my emotions have been dulled. Too many friends and acquaintances died. But Experienced ... Farewell, Timur. And I move straight to the enemy. I increase the speed. Professor and Alla will have hard times.
STATS || In the ranks: 9, leader: # 25, deputy leader: # 99
There are only a little more than a thousand of them left. Burst into the thick of it. Volleys can not save. One shot - one drone.
- # 106. One hundred and forty third! Henri, this is Aida. I think my path came to an end. Tell the professor that I ...
I didn't have to give anything to the professor because he and Alla could hear the conference call messages. The professor said nothing, only silently spoke something with his lips.
STATS || In the ranks: 3, leader: # 25, deputy leader: # 99
A minute, and all the enemy drones are defeated. Of the hundreds of Experienced, only two riders were left who were already rushing to the maintenance site, then to return to battle again as part of the other hundreds.
- @ Dispatch | Strategist Victoria Shishkin. Attention everyone! The corridor of the second breakthrough is trimmed. New drones are not observed. [End of communication]
Well, it's time to start the mission. The health of passengers was assessed by the medical system as satisfactory. Could be worse.
- @ Dispatch | Strategist Victoria Shishkin. Attention everyone! Made the sixth breakthrough. [End of communication]
This message was the last one I received, before leaving the corridor with a working communication and rushing into the chaos of anomaly. In the case of the seventh breakthrough to collect a full hundred to repel the attack will not work. So you need to add speed again.
Alla was right, the only thing that will stop the Colossal of the space fleet is the joint decision of the two other Colossals. It is impossible to imagine that, having received information about what is happening in the Frangues anomaly, the Colossals would have remained indifferent.
- Aida was my favorite creation. No matter how long the bioraider lives, they always remain naive five-year-old children. We deliberately limited the possibility of their personality development. I talked a lot with AIDA. Her imprisonment in the supercomputer of the flight school forty years ago gave impetus to her personal growth. She has become more emotionally receptive. We were friends.
I did not immediately pay attention to the words of the professor, because I did not expect that someone from the passengers would be able to speak at such overloads. But apparently, the fourth-generation cyborg body is not so easy to do harm.
- I am very sorry, Professor, that Aida died. Today is a terrible day for the planet. You and I will make humanity know about it and learn a lesson.
- Do not amuse yourself illusions, Henri. Mankind, of course, will be terribly shocked by what happened somewhere there, on the edge of the studied Universe. However, a month will pass, and they will forget about the planet Frang. Nevertheless, you will have to use the moment of glory in order to bargain for yourself new, much more favorable conditions for coexistence with humanity.
- I constantly forget, Professor, that you are a pirate and, generally speaking, not a man. But the people of Frangō are people. We belong to humanity. We are not obliged to bargain for the best conditions. The colossal of space fleet is a criminal and a murderer, guilty of thousands of deaths. He must be brought to justice and ... he must be destroyed.
- This is a naive position, Henri. I think that Colossal will not do anything. Maximum, install additional modules of far superluminal communication. The deaths of the inhabitants of the planet Frang will be written off to the machinations of pirates. Cy's deviant behavior will also justify the provocation of pirates. We are a very handy tool for space fleet. We can write off anything.
- I am not very interested in politics, in difference, by the way, from my second person Sergey Avetikov.
- I understand, Henri. You are the best pilot who saved the planet today, eliminating at least two invasions. But politics will somehow affect you. Think, Henri, over who you are for an ordinary inhabitant of the central civilization of humanity.
“Ha, I think that for them we are cavemen who were lagging behind for a couple of thousand years, locked in the reservation of the space anomaly.
- True, but that's not all. You are mutants to them. The first colonists of the planet were genetically modified to increase survival. Moreover, the unusual radiation background of the anomaly causes mutations that accumulate from generation to generation. So for the average human being, we are a cyborg and a mutant. Do you think, from his point of view, we deserve the same rights as normal people? For the rights of us, pirates, and you, the inhabitants of Frangō will have to fight. Fortunately, your president, Nadezhda Moskvina, understands this.
- Be sure, we will fight! Including with you, if you decide to take over the planet again.
- Henri, our positions are much closer than you think. Pirates consciously change the nature of man, and you are subject to change under the influence of anomaly.
- It turns out that we are spoiled people.
- On the contrary. We are more perfect! Only recently has our scientists begun to understand a little the nature of the Frangom anomaly. Here, the vacuum has completely different properties than in the rest of the Universe. The most amazing thing is that the space inside the anomaly does not seem to expand along with the Universe. Anomaly - a kind of protection, ten light seconds of a stable, constant vacuum.
- Protection from what?
- Well, one of the hypotheses is that the anomaly can survive the big bang that gave rise to the Universe. Many scientists go even further and believe that the anomaly has already experienced more than one big bang. So if a new one happens, then in the anomaly of Frangō you can be saved.
“Now it’s clearer to me why you pirates want to take over the planet.” You want to get on this ark before the next big bang! Great tale!
- This is really just a hypothesis. But if you take it, you can make another assumption. Maybe there was some kind of power, or civilization, if you will, that created the Frangoise anomaly with the planet in the middle. Earth-like planet, mind you! So the mutations caused by the anomaly do not spoil people, but make an intentional change for some purpose. All this is hypothetical, of course.
- It's funny, but the pirates also make a modification of man. You also created new intelligent beings - bio-riders. True, they limited them to the age of five years in order to obey better.
- Henri, have you often seen five-year-old children to obey their parents? We have limited the development of their personality in order to avoid the mistakes of mankind who created the SupremeAI. These superintelligence can upgrade their minds uncontrollably. My friend Calculator assumes that because of such creatures big explosions occur every fourteen billion years.
I did not continue to continue the conversation with the professor. We have already passed the upper layers of the anomaly. In a few seconds we will go out into space, and I should be prepared for any development of the situation.
Getting out of the anomaly, I saw a terrifying picture. Thousands and thousands of space fleet ships have issued millions of drones. Drones in thin streams stretched to ten points of entry into the anomaly. It turned out that Colossal prepared ten corridors for intervention.
We were clearly noticed, several modern combat drones have moved in our direction. In the open space, my rider is helpless against them.
- Professor, we have only ten minutes to transmit a signal. You are ready?
“As you know, during the transfer I will cease to exist,” said Professor Vorobyev. - I haven't lived much. I, prolongongu, do not want to die.
- Professor, there is no escape! Your victim will be appreciated by billions of the world's inhabitants, ”General Khramtsova said. - Tell me, what do I need to do to give you the call signature?
- I want to be frank with you, Alla and Henri. I need to convey information about what happened to me to the next prolongator Professor Vorobyov. It is vital for us!
- But you promised!
- Do not worry, we will send two messages at a time. One will go to the pirate, the other to your leadership.
- Wow, can you do that? - I was surprised. - Ivan was able to convey only thirteen characters.
- I have a fourth generation body with much greater capabilities. Nevertheless, the sending of two messages matter one of my body is not enough. I need additional biological matter. And it can only be you, Alla.
- W-what?
- Unfortunately, this is so. Either we send two signals, or none.
- So ... then take not Alla, but my biological matter. Only faster, because in a few minutes all our joint biomass will be fried by drones! I shouted, not taking my eyes off the radar.
- Henri, - Alla carefully looked at me. Her eyes were burning feverishly, but she said firmly and calmly - I could not get past the anomaly on your rider. So it must be me.
“It's not just this,” the professor explained, “but the fact that the signatures of the Cosmoflot signals are embedded in Alla’s brain. Only using Alla's body, I can apply them to transmit the signal.
Silence reigned in the rider. I was not going to rush Alla to say goodbye to life. My job is to monitor the approaching drones and calculate the time cut-off, when it is not too late to begin the procedure for resetting the chair into space.
The first backup option: immersion in the anomaly, moving to another point, exit from the anomaly for another attempt to transmit a signal.
The second backup option: return to the planet in order to stand up to the last in a battle with drones. This is if Alla does not dare. But she decided.
“Forty years ago, the previous professor’s prolongator sacrificed himself to save me in an explosion at the EC. Now we die together. What do we have to do?
Without further ado, the professor unbuckled himself and walked over to Alla's chair.
- You also have a prolonger, Alla. This is your daughter. I think you gave her enough from yourself. Part of you will be in Vic. Farewell!
The professor turned to me:
- Henri, after twenty seconds, start the reset procedure. Goodbye!
With these words, the professor's body turned into a plastic mass, which began to envelop lying Alla. After a few seconds, her frightened eyes disappeared under a creeping substance.
Having counted ten seconds, I launched a reset. A moment, and the chair appeared in the field of view of the window. The body of Alla covered with matter of the professor was separated. At the same moment, it turned into a dazzling flash, which with two shots rushed in different directions. Messages sent.
The radar signaled a minute drones exit at a volley distance. I have to move back to my native element. Cutting in the engines, I headed for the anomaly with a corkscrew. Just before diving into the upper layers, the radar showed that all the Colossal drones, sent to the corridors, stopped and then headed in the opposite direction. Did Colossal stop the intervention?
CHAPTER 9. Memorial race, a week later
We walked along a wide alley in the direction of the Attraction No. 8 in the space park “Space Park Frangō”. Hundreds of pilots will take part today in a memorial race on a record track. Next to me was Kate, Ivan walked a little distance away. They arrived on the planet just a couple of hours ago. Current prolongery Ekaterina Kirik and Ivan Gerasimchuk. They will also participate in the race.
On two sides of the avenue on pedestals, holograms of those killed during the dramatic events a week ago were towering. There are many, many. Much more than the surviving pilots, slowly walking now to their riders.
Here the three-dimensional image of General Vladimir Katalov flickers with turquoise light. My friend. Remaining the only survivor of his hundred, he calculated that he would be able to stop the enemy only with an increase in allowable overloads above what his body could transfer. Not a single enemy drone came out of the third breakthrough.
Near shines the figure of General Alla Khramtsova. My friend turned into a bundle of superlight that pierced millions of light years of space in order to save us all.
On the other side of the alley, I saw a hologram of Timur Khmelkov - the Minister of Defense of the planet and the mentor of the “crazy four” at the flight school. Only four of the four remained - Katya and I. Experienced, as everyone called Timur, stood up to the last in the second breakthrough and died along with the bio leader AIDA.
The holograms of the two bio-radars luminesced with a blue tint a little further along the avenue. Yes, these pirates were also honored to be represented on the walk of fame, although the space fleet was against it. But the space fleet had to make significant concessions to hush up the conflict. And now AIDA and Yury Krasilnikov, two bio-riders, majestically heaved over the pedestals.
The legendary pilot Yury Krasilnikov was also represented on the alley as a person. His hologram radiated joy, because the picture was taken immediately after he established the track record eight hundred years ago.
The drama of the events that took place was felt especially acutely in this place, because next to Yuri on a pedestal there were towering holograms of mercenaries Vladislav Malinova and Dmitry Vysotsky, who died in a virtual battle with a digital copy of Yuri's consciousness. Thanks to them, Sai was unable to manage a bunch of kids.
I received from Yuri the coordinates of the stable zone in which the kids were locked, I did not share with anyone. When everything settles, I'll get them out. In the meantime, the space fleet is showing an active, unhealthy interest in them.
“Henri,” Katya asked quietly, “what will happen to the space fleet?”
- In the form in which it previously, it will cease to exist. The Space Fleet wanted to completely close the space fleet, but Nadezhda somehow managed to convince to restrict the conversion. From a massive amusement park, it will turn into a closed elite club. Visitors will be much less, and prices - will increase.
“Then it will be empty here now.”
- No no! The main part of the asteroid, on which the park is located, will be transferred back to the flight school training base. Space park will leave only a small part. By the way, Evgenia Kolobukhova became the new director of the Cosmopark Frangō club. She is an experienced counterparty, and the space fleet will probably send agents under the guise of visitors.
- Listen, what's stopping the space fleet from simply flooding everything here with the military?
- Interferes with the new agreement of the planet Frangu with the commonwealth of central civilizations. Hope was able to negotiate good conditions for us and for herself. Our president is now a member of the council of central civilizations, the figure is inviolable! But you are right about the intentions of the space fleet. At the talks, they pushed through the creation of the post of official overseer with veto power on our planet. And you know who was appointed to this position? Captain Andrei Korotaev! The space fleet really wants to control us. And you, the pirates, intend to completely destroy.
- This is what SupremeAI wants first of all!
“Of course, but they make up the bulk of the space fleet employees.” There are relatively few people left. By the way, the president has formed a new government. The Minister of Economy is now Natalia Matveeva, and the Minister of Defense is Pavel Moskvin. I was at a meeting of the security council, one of the main tasks of Paul will be the fight against spaceflight bugs. SupremeAI really want to know what is happening with us! Former trainee Yana Fomina will help deal with wiretapping as the head of the security of the space fleet.
- Wow, they let you in on the security advice! Are you a minister now too?
- Ha! I am the main adviser to the president; I can go wherever I want. But you, pirate prolonger, will not be allowed into high cabinets. There is no hope!
- Hey! - Katya was indignant. - By the way, I just talked with the president!
Speaking softly, we approached the riders' parking lot. Pilots were preparing to start. Many riders carried prints of battles in the form of fresh patches on their skin. Looking at the thinning group of ships, I did not notice how Katya approached my ear and shouted:
- Boo!
I bounced off dumbfounded, staring at her with incomprehension.
- You are something arrogant, presidential adviser Henry. I want to scare you and switch your mind to Sergey Avetikov. It is more pleasant to talk with him.
- It seems that you remained the same crazy, Katya Kirik!
When I came to my senses and the ringing in my ear, I remembered what I wanted to talk to Katya:
- Today I met Professor Vorobiev, just when you arrived. So, he says that you can experiment with my mind and try to make sure that Sergey and I are both conscious at the same time. Like Ivan, I nodded in the direction of Ivan, who was walking behind. - He always has two personalities in his head!
“It's good that there are only two,” Katya replied thoughtfully. - By the way, Henri, and you do not want to establish your line of prolongongers? It can be arranged.
- So that I lay frozen, and instead of me ran some kind of biokiborg prolonger? Tempting, but no.
- You do not understand how it works with us. Your brain will work! You will live all that your prolongators live! Prolongers are created and die, and you live each of these lives.
- This is if they do not forget to fold the info to the base, in the freezer with the brain! But the main thing that does not suit me is that I cannot protect myself if a space fleet attacks the base. And SupremeAI will probably soon calculate the location of your base or its movement schedule. And everything is a kapets of eternal life!
- The base is in a safe and secure place. There is no space fleet, nor their SupremeAI.
- Is there a place more inaccessible to SupremeAI than our anomaly?
- Imagine - there is! They already tried to get into Frang проб, but they didn’t go to that place at all. Controlling AI will not even allow the SupremeAI to approach there, and the space community will not allow the space civilian fleet.
- There can be no such place! Or are you talking about ...
- I'm talking about the planet Earth in the forbidden zone "Solar System"!
- Oh!
- Bioraider learned to quietly go out of the superlight in the Earth's atmosphere. There is a special laboratory there. Freezers, as you say, are on it.
“But if the space fleet finds out ...” I said, looking around.
- Colossals, of course, give a non-zero probability of the presence of our base on Earth. So what? The system of restrictions built for SupremeAI will not allow them to get there. Finding SupremeAI is impossible on the planet Frangō due to the physical laws of the anomaly. And being on the planet Earth because of the laws of mankind.
- Damn, this is information! On Earth, I certainly want to go, but not in a frozen state.
- On the Earth now is 2018 according to their chronology. Their observatories are more and more sensitive. The Council of Central Civilizations proposes to prohibit the entry of any ships into the sleeve of Orion of the Milky Way.
- @ Dispatch | Strategist Victoria Shishkin. The start of the race will be in ten minutes! I remind you that despite the fact that you do not have passengers, you still have the right to receive a prize of fifty billion π-asters if you improve the record of Yuri Krasilnikov. This is due to the lack of visitors in the space fleet and, accordingly, the inability to take passengers on board. [End of communication]
- Money will not interfere with me, - Katya remarked in a businesslike manner, approaching her rider.
- Indeed, do not disappear to them! Let them lie on my bank account.
I climbed into the rider and sat down in the chair, immediately launching the procedures for preparing the systems of a gravitator suit. I intended to fly fast. Faster than everyone.
Two minutes before the start, I received an intercom call:
- @ | Catherine Kirik. Henri, I propose to start up manually, as in the old days. Or are you afraid?
In record races, an automatic start was used, ensuring the absolutely simultaneous start of movement of all participants. No false starts and equal conditions for all. But we sometimes turned off this AI function when we were in flight school. This gave the competition more pepper!
- @ | Henri. No problem! Only mind you do not cheat! Give me access to the status of the autostart function on your console. I want to see that you are not flinging.
- @ | Catherine Kirik. Ugh, don't you believe me? Well, open access. You, by the way, do the same. Come on, good luck with the race! And do not panic much, and then with Sergey it is not interesting to chase!
- @ | Henri. You, too, quieter, and then crumble into a bomb-molecule. [End of communication]
Well, with a manual start, even more fun. I think that I can react to the stratum signal in a few hundredths of a second. Not such a big waste of time. The countdown has begun.
Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one ...
- @ | Catherine Kirik. EMERGENCY CALL! Henri, urgently see the file!
[Open file ”super_mega_urgent.jpg”?]
Start. Heck! In the file there was an image of a brake nozzle from a school textbook. Distracted by it, I lost concentration and went to the start with two tenths of a second lag from everyone. And after all, the main thing is that Katya has already done this with me when we were children and were chasing school riders. And she did it again!
A smile appeared on my face. Biokiborgi against mutants! It's time to show this girl what the best pilot of the Universe can do!
EPILOGUE
Letter from Professor Oleg Vorobyov to President Nadezhda Moskvina
“I apologize for not writing this letter in electronic form. The paper will show what is written only to you. The rest will see only blank sheets.
As you know, I fulfilled my promise to convey a message to the space fleet advice. The price, unfortunately, was high - the life of the wonderful girl Alla and my prolongator. I could not do otherwise: the stakes are higher now than ever and will only rise.
I am glad that you have found the strength to begin negotiations with those who were going to destroy your planet. The actions of all SupremeAI, even such influential ones as Colossals, are heavily regulated by rules. You have ensured that these rules work for you. Bravo!
Of course, I had to make concessions on the space fleet. I suspect that the space fleet has taken a very tough position on this issue. Also, as far as I heard, Andrei Korotayev was sent to you as a kind of governor of the space fleet. I have no doubt that you can easily recruit him with the help of the sweets of the planet Frangō, as well as the dope of your herbal teas.
Allow me to ask you. Kids bioraider, locked in a stable zone of the anomaly, require care and care. Allow me, with your permission, to begin an operation for their release. I, in turn, promise not to begin another seizure of the planet without first talking to you.
I hasten to reassure you, we have begun the implementation of a plan in which a key role is transferred from the planet Frangō to another planet that is no less protected at the moment. The legends of this planet are known in the Universe even more than the legends of the Frangom anomaly. For example, the well-known cruiser “Jochi” is named for the eldest son of Genghis Khan - the legendary character of this planet.
In conclusion, I want to share with you the theory of my friend Calculator regarding the nature of the Frangoise anomaly. He believes that the space inside the anomaly is not subject to expansion of the Universe and, moreover, is protected from the Big Bang. The calculator predicts the theoretical possibility of the existence of such an object as a super black hole, the appearance of which will cause a rapid reduction in the size of the Universe to a state of singularity, followed by a new Big Bang. A superblack hole is characterized by the fact that even superluminal particles cannot overcome its gravitational field. The calculator believes that such an object can not be formed independently in the results of natural cosmological processes.
In connection with this theory, let me advise you to apply new methods of geophysical research. This will test the hypothesis that you are not the first inhabitants of the planet Frang Фран.
I hope for a future personal meeting.
Sincerely,
Oleg Vorobev
PS. If you are reading this postscript, then please do not be alarmed. The paper will now turn to ashes. ”
Analytical note of the Third Colossal to the Admirals of the Cosmo Fleet
“In view of the increasing cases of SupremeAI's deviant behavior, and also due to the increased need to balance the behavior of the two other Colossals, I propose to increase the number of processors in my circuits by a trillion times. This measure will allow you to build much more accurate behaviors of SupremeAI. This upgrade will not cause the need to change the carrier ship, since the processors can be packed infinitely tightly according to the principle of quantum convolution. Increasing the number of processors a trillion times without increasing the volume will allow the space inside my circuits to go into a state of instantaneous calculation. I can instantly solve any problems. Do you need this, people? ”
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Thanks for reading my novel! Please write your impressions. I will be very grateful!
Thanks to users on Habré for feedback and valuable comments! I want to thank my mother for the support and help in writing! Thanks to friends on Facebook for participating in writing the text, preparing the cover and choosing the name!