Unexpected meeting. Chapter 17

Spacecraft series "Daona" had a relatively small size. The series was young and still aroused genuine interest among the military space fleet of the Union of Central Worlds, but access to the management of this transport was very limited. Designed primarily for solving problems of government significance, ships were usually used as fast couriers, providing transportation of information or people. "Dona" had a successful and very dense arrangement of equipment and were equipped with the most advanced solutions in power supply, engine building and ship control. These ships very quickly accelerated and spent a little less time jumping through hyperspace. But despite the presence of compact and powerful power sources, almost all the representatives of this series had very weak weapons and a limited space of transport compartments and residential areas. The AI, in comparison with others, had a little more freedom of action, helping to control the ship, however, after the global war with AI, it was regarded more as a minus than a plus.





Three people are located in the cabin of the ship. The cabin of the company, like everything on this ship, was not large, however, it created a certain feeling of comfort, despite the asceticism of its situation. In the corners of the room, holograms of plants “grew up” from the walls, and the walls themselves created a realistic feeling of finishing with a light and soft-looking material with a low-key embossed pattern. The walls could be turned into any panorama that exists in the ship’s memory, but the owner of the ship vyryl exactly the kind that was now. A dark brown shelf was put out of the wall opposite the entrance, which was in harmony with the general style of the whole room, probably primarily because of the peculiar interweaving of patterns on the wall near this improvised table. Along the opposite walls, perpendicular to the entrance, soft sofas securely attached to the floor were located. Lex and Laer sat in different corners of the same sofa, Zarkon located in the corner of the opposite.

“I assumed that we would immediately leave this ship and transfer to mine.” However, some people, - Zarkon reproachfully looked at Lex, - rudely broke the control of all the ship's locks. So now we are a little stuck here, so I suggest that you spend the rest of today and devote a couple of evenings to philosophical conversations, from which you will receive comprehensive answers to your questions. And to devote free time from these conversations to restoring the regular work of several gateways and main lines of communication to the CKTS of the ship to return access to it in the minimum amount.

“To exit, it’s enough to restore access to one gateway,” Laera objected.

- For our release - quite. But the repair team will arrive on the ship and it should at least normally get on the ship. You are not going to throw a fully functional ship?

“Well, I'll help you quickly restore the minimum necessary access,” Lex agreed. He really did not want to throw the ship into which he had invested so much energy and which could be restored with minimal effort.

- Will the ship become the property of the Order? - asked Laer.

The keeper nodded.

- Is this how the Order fleet is being replenished? - followed by the next question.

- The main fleet of the Order consists of custom ships, which undergo periodic modernization according to our technologies.

- But in this case it is not a custom ship?

Zarkon shrugged and immediately seized the initiative in conversation.

- All of our initially complicated relationships were provoked by a simulated sound effects simulator. Lex, remember, it all started with an explosion that was heard, after which your reflexes worked, and I had to respond. With the appearance, - the keeper looked at the girl, - Laera, the situation has worsened so much that I was already openly hot. I must say that in recent years I have not been in a similar situation like this three hundred.

Lex and Laer looked at each other. Three hundred! How old is he?

- So, just wondering who of you set up a pretty good set of imitators?

“When the attack occurred, it was necessary to report the situation, but I could not access the ship’s communications and we decided to use the government courier's hyperlink complex. I deployed the effectors to distract the attackers and gain time for our departure after the transfer of information. The program was a one-time, perhaps one of the blocks was configured somehow differently or damaged during the shelling of the room, which led to its false triggering.

“Random factor,” the keeper smiled.

“Maybe not,” Laera objected, and tried to return the conversation to a more convenient direction for her, roughly pressing Zarcon, “if someone tells you where the pirates came from.” The crew of the ship, by the way, paid for it with their lives. I knew the captain personally.

- The development of the whole operation involved clergymen. Hmm, - the keeper hesitated, - here you just can’t explain everything. I propose to start from the beginning.

Zarkon slyly glanced at the people sitting opposite him and asked a question.

- You do not notice some oddities in the development of mankind?

The man and the woman, who did not expect such a turn in the conversation, thought a little.

“You know a little more than the ordinary inhabitants of hundreds of worlds.” Mankind has achieved such heights! We can overcome trillions of kilometers in some weeks. For us there are no special problems intraplanetary routes without the use of hyper drives. Of course, at reasonable distances, however, they allow every central world to maintain a rather impressive space infrastructure. The mastering of hyperlinks allowed to dramatically expand the operational information space of mankind. The union of the Central worlds in the information space seemed to shrink, the world became as if closer and more holistic, although the systems are also at a very impressive distance from each other. Neural networks have fantastically expanded our capabilities. However, in the old way, people command such complex systems as spaceships — mental dialogues with the ship’s artificial intelligence somehow do not strongly convince of its intelligence. And all this with the presence of neural networks, which at first glance are ideally designed for a harmonious and inconspicuous laying between the human brain and the electronic equipment of the ship. The ship should be just another implant, and not something separate from the person. Neural networks provide virtually unlimited control not only over the human body, its chemistry, reaction, but also essentially its brain. There is such a wide and attractive field of possibilities for managing public consciousness, but this is not even on the Periphery. All this, it would seem, lies before us, but nobody uses it. Do not you think this is somewhat strange? We have achieved quite significant successes in bionics, but we do not have consciousness in pure electronic form. NBS makes very complex systems that interact with the human brain directly, but people still cannot solve the problem of long-lasting virtual or at least high-quality augmented reality. Mankind has clung to the invariance of its DNA, although give up on this and open up simply exciting prospects.

“There are logical explanations for this,” said Lex. - We do not have a strong AI, because humanity has already learned its lesson in Taurank. Very expensive lesson. It is logical that the work in this area has been completely curtailed and a strong AI is simply not developed. Large corporations understand not only responsibility, but also fear punishment for the like from any public entity, whether it is SPM or Periphery. Small organizations cannot develop anything wisely sensible due to the limitations of their resources. Limiting the capabilities of AI is a perceived step of humanity, and not its impossibility to solve this problem. And neural networks - Lex shrugged - they resist external control. The reason for the resistance is not completely clear, but, it seems, I heard that this is more an architectural limitation of neural networks than a natural limitation. So historically. And no one is eager to change something, since the development of a new architecture will last for centuries, if not for millennia. Yes, we are lucky that everything turned out that way. As far as I know, we are not the first space civilization. And if the past civilizations had no luck, then should someone have been lucky once? Why not us?

- You are a wagon, you should know exactly what happened in Taurank. - Keeper slyly looked at Lex.

- Yes I know. Tactics and strategy of mankind in the chronicles of the ACF is somewhat different from the widely known. But this does not change the essence.

- What if I say that there is not only a public version, but also a version for generalists?

Lex, who admits this, did not mind.

“Lex, do you remember our past conversation well?” Laer, I asked to carefully read it.

Interlocutors guardian nodded at the same time.

- Good. In this case, you should be well aware that I have a rather deep understanding of neural network specifics. In my absence, you talked to each other and probably noticed that I am also well versed in technology and politics. I am the head of the Order of the Guardians, in our terminology - the first coordinator. The entire first level of the Order submits to me directly. And each of these people can easily become the second coordinator, and after a while the first one. And in the moments of these changes, the Order will not lose the effectiveness of its work. Each person of the first level as a whole is similar to me in the breadth and depth of knowledge, only the scope of work differs, but, as you understand, with the right selection of personnel this is only a temporary problem. Multiply all this to a higher level of technology and what will we get?

- The structure that will seek to manage? Said Laer half inquiringly.

- But this is logical?

“Quite,” the woman agreed.

- Any management has well-defined goals. At any level of influence, the current control system is trying to save itself by almost any means. This behavior is relatively easily modeled and explainable, if we start to consider it as a kind of living organism. An organism that simply lives and, in moments of danger to its existence, does something to live on. To predict the behavior of a small organism requires a very detailed study of it, but further, as it grows, this requirement is somewhat reduced, and not at the expense of the quality of the prediction. For example, it is somewhat more difficult to predict a detailed reaction to an event of an individual on the surface of the planet than the reaction of the entire planet as a whole.

The keeper paused, carefully looking at the faces of the people in front of him.

- So, back to the goals. Order collects the necessary statistics on all human worlds. However, we should not think that we just need to enter a data set into a supercomputer, which will give some result, what to do next. Although I will not deny that we have such a calculator. But we also have to “play” at different levels: tack on politics and keep our people in the right positions, maintain and develop the material and technical base, and therefore solve not only technical, but also economic tasks. It is necessary to develop a network of data collection, but in order to do this imperceptibly, it is necessary to make considerable efforts. In order to maintain technical superiority, it is required to conduct your research or organize them on the available resources of the worlds, moreover, so that no one suspects anything. All this requires effort and attention, but solved at the level of organization of the Order. And the motivation of the people who work in it. It is quite easy to motivate the lower level of management and direct performers, for example, by paying for their services or by improving the quality of life, this is especially effective for Periphery. At the same time, we risk little, because even if we shake out information from people, which is usually non-critical, it will be almost impossible to put together all the pieces of the puzzle, which is usually multidimensional. The staff of our bases, by the time control becomes critical, usually becomes a monolithic team in which strong interpersonal relationships are established. The base becomes a self-sufficient object, which as a whole itself monitors its integrity, excluding the appearance of suspicious outsiders and information leakage from the inside. But what motivates the top layer of the middle and the whole first level of management? There is no way without an idea, an understanding of the purpose of their work and life. Take this both of you. What is your motivation to do your job?

The guardians did not immediately find what to answer the question asked. Laer spoke first.

- The Union of Worlds has given us neural networks and knowledge, providing opportunities that are inaccessible to the vast majority of people. We were prepared for our roles from an early age and no one asked whether we wanted it or not. But if asked, they would surely get an affirmative answer. Over time, someone might have a reappraisal of values, but it is unlikely that a person will voluntarily give up the opportunities that are available to us as a matter of course. In the end, such opportunities are very expensive, it is logical that we must somehow work them out. This is more like voluntary work than coercion.

- Maybe the most likely psychological reasons? You consider yourself obligated. It should be so. After all, if you do not want, then for you there will be no special problems to disappear from the sight of the authorities and corporations, having lost somewhere on the Periphery. Yes, they will search for you, search for indefinitely, but there are such worlds in the Periphery where it is not difficult to get lost forever. And yet no one does.

- I do not exclude that we have a certain psychological adjustment. But subjectively, it does not cause inconvenience, but with interest it pays for itself with accessible possibilities.

Laer glanced at Lex and he nodded affirmatively.

- Well, let's imagine that you do not have to. Yesterday, your corporation told you: “You have worked everything and owed nothing to me. You can do next as you know. ” In the appendage, they give you a modern ship and a lot of money, which is enough for the maintenance of some small peripheral world for about three hundred years. Will you continue to work for the corporation further?

Laera thought for a moment.

- The motivational reason for the work is not only the purely psychological reason for the responsibility of any social structure, be it a government or a corporation. Yes, agents are not thrown into the "meat grinder", they are always widely introduced into the situation in which the problem has arisen requiring resolution, they leave freedom of choice within fairly wide limits. Therefore, it may seem that our work is clean and that we are somewhat subjective and idealistic about reality. But in carrying out my tasks, I always understand what I am doing and why. And I have a certain feeling that my work helps to preserve the balance of worlds, that it strengthens them, and at least I try to do my work with the least possible consequences for ordinary people. If there is any task that needs to be subtly solved, then let me do it better than send the butchers, who are clumsy in their work. I don’t know about generalists, - Laera looked at Lex questioningly, - but I don’t think that it’s fundamentally different, since the “psychological twist” method should be about the same.

“Just the same,” Lex nodded. - The thinner and less noticeable to those around you is your work, the higher your reputation in the environment.

- So you will continue your work based on your presentation, so to say, the settings of this world?

- Most likely, yes, I will.

- Well. Here you are. Lex. Your friends. Familiar Lex. Imagine that there are a lot of people like you. What's next? Will you all work for governments and corporations?

“You lead to that,” Lex grunted, “that sooner or later, the worldview and methodology of this group of people will be somewhat different from what the employer requires of them.” That will lead to the birth of a sort of Order with all the consequences.

- Right. It is on this motivation that the first level of management of the Order works. Our main goal is planning the safe development of civilization.

- But why so hard? Implicit management spends a lot of intellectual resources that could be used directly.

- With the loss of a sense of independence, there is a risk that civilization will quickly fall into indifference, which is fraught with the rotting of its governing structures. Why take the initiative if others think for you? Lex, remember our last conversation. At various stages of development of society, different interventions are needed. At some stages it is not required at all, at others it is vital.

- But who defines these stages and, most importantly, who knows what and when is required? - Asked a question Laer. - After all, it turns out something akin to playing God.

- The question is correct, - the keeper squinted, looking at the woman. “But you will not get a direct answer today.” We will still have time and I will be able to answer your questions. But today I would like to tell you why we are talking here and think over all this.

- What do you know about the project neurostop? - asked Zarkon after a brief reflection. - Laer? This subject should be closer to you.

- This is a large-scale NBS project on introducing functionality into the neural network that allows blocking the transfer of confidential information.

- But it is already all there. And for a long time. High-ranking individuals have similar implants.

- The current technology has flaws, the new one is designed to eliminate them. Now it is implemented by the protection of a costly implant of memory banks. In the new neural network architecture, as I understand it, the protection will be distributed throughout the neural network and the functionality will be available to everyone. With the neurostop operating, the neural network will no longer be able to be deceived, since the new technology will work not only with the human mind, but also with its subconscious. The corporation does not spread much about technology, the project is only at the level of experiments. It is said that the new technology will protect the promises given by the person, the person will simply not be able to lie. From my point of view, such a statement is as impressive as it is dangerous.

- I have long been introduced into the project. The final stage of the experiment was given to the Church, but it was even good, as I have good positions in it. The churchmen apparently decided that the boarding team recruited from the Periphery, of course, with the inclusion of their own people, would be quite suitable for this. According to the legend, the landing force was dropped from passing vehicles and “softly” seized the ship. A guarantee of their correct work and loyalty was their evacuation in a few days. But the group commander apparently decided otherwise. I arrived aboard so late that you already dealt with them. Such a plan was not envisaged, and, unfortunately, no one will answer for what happened.

The keeper fell silent, an awkward pause hung.

- Perhaps it is worth starting from the very beginning. Do you remember yourself as a child?

Zarkon looked at the people in front of him. Lex shrugged, Laera nodded.

- Yes, that was a long time ago. And childhood, in the usual sense of the word, you did not have much. Now you are under a hundred years old and you are on the verge of your first complete bio-correction procedure. About a hundred years before you were born, a small group was formed in one division in the NBS corporation, which was engaged in the theory of new neural network architecture. This is not unusual, the NBS periodically opens and closes similar projects, as a rule, they do not overcome the period of existence for more than thirty years, the technologies developed and the team is usually scattered in other areas of the unit. However, twenty years later, a man appeared in the division who managed to breathe something new into this area and, thanks to his truly round-the-clock performance, was noticed by the head of the corporation. The group quickly separated itself and then on its base a new division was formed, which subsequently showed just phenomenal growth. In just a quarter of a century, the head of the division managed to quickly climb the career ladder from, in general, an ordinary employee to the level of the board of directors of a corporation. Therefore, by the time you were born, there was already a half-century development of a neural network with a new type of architecture.

Zarkon rose from the couch, walked into one of the corners of the mess-room, and wondered there. Half a minute later, he woke up and looked at the people looking at him.

- Hey, and who is the captain of the ship? Or are there still two?

“I am the captain,” Lex said.

“How does the mini-bar open on your ship?”

After a few seconds, the corner of the room changed. A shelf was pushed out of the wall, the doors on the wall itself opened, opening access to the contents of the built-in cabinets. The shelves of one of the cabinets were filled with soft rubberized bulk mass - protecting the locker of the contents of the cabinet in its closed state. Zarkon grunted and pulled the bottom edge of one of the fuses up. The latter, a little resisting, slowly crawled up along with the rest of his brethren through this locker. Dishes and bottles with various liquids were located inside the cabinet in the molded grooves.

- When was this bar last opened? And, by the way, it is logical for guests to give access to the mini-bar.

- I apologize. I use the ship almost alone and use the bar infrequently. Therefore, guest access on the ship is not really set up - passengers in this status are rare guests on it.

- But access settings are preset at the shipyard?

- This ship has been upgraded according to my requirements, it is somewhat different from the serial standard. All the predefined settings are disabled, I have not reached the detailed settings for guest access.

“Yeah,” the keeper muttered, examining the contents of the lockers, “I already figured out the upgrade from the AI.

“The closest locker,” the captain prompted, “I usually use it.”

Zarkon rummaged in the locker and drew a deep and wide transparent mug from there. Critically examining the contents of the vessel, he put it in a long slot above the extended shelf.

“Oh well,” he muttered again, having stood for a few seconds in front of the bar, and turned to his listeners, “I would like some water.”

In the wall, quietly rustling, and Zarkon pulled out a mug filled with ordinary water and drank from it with satisfaction. Returning to his place, he made an inviting gesture to the bar, but both people shook their heads in the negative.

- So, one hundred and thirty years ago a project was launched to introduce a new neural network. The new neural network really had to give everything that the NBS is talking about now. To say that the neural network has a completely new architecture is incorrect, it is rather a very complex add-on over the existing architecture, allowing the neural network to actually manage a person under certain conditions and with his consent. If you give a promise to another person and support it with neural network confirmation, then this will guarantee that you cannot break this promise. The neural network will not allow to violate previously given guarantees. When you try to do this, the person will simply be bad. If you try to overcome the neural network resistance, then damage to the neural network and, as a result, the brain are possible. The technology is called neurostop. The whole highlight is that a person has the right of choice - he must first give consent to the use of neurostop. Although, as you understand, this right becomes somewhat ephemeral with a certain policy in society. Nevertheless, society managed to tune in to a positive perception of technology. The authorities immediately clung to this technology, which they had long dreamed of. The fleet also generously provided resources in the hope of getting perfect fighters. But the reality turned out to be more prosaic and the technology stalled: the experiments periodically failed, the technology either did not work as it was intended, or people went crazy. Fifty years have passed without significant results. The theory looked perfect, but the implementation constantly faced the hostile reaction of the neural network. It was at that time that the doctrine of that a neural network is a piece of God in our head. Because otherwise, how can one explain that an entity, created by man’s idea and realized by himself, has been behaving like an independent living organism for thousands of years, which zealously snaps at the attempt on its independence? The church was extremely quick to orient with the logical strengthening of its position in the Periphery. Although in fact the fathers themselves for a long time tried to develop a similar technology, but a very narrow circle of people in the government and corporate CMS knew about it. Nobody really believed that something was going to happen to the churchmen, but at least they didn’t interfere with them and even helped, especially if this help was worth nothing. more than one millennium already behaves as an independent living organism, which zealously snaps at the attempt on its independence? The church was extremely quick to orient with the logical strengthening of its position in the Periphery. Although in fact the fathers themselves for a long time tried to develop a similar technology, but a very narrow circle of people in the government and corporate CMS knew about it. Nobody really believed that something was going to happen to the churchmen, but at least they didn’t interfere with them and even helped, especially if this help was worth nothing. more than one millennium already behaves as an independent living organism, which zealously snaps at the attempt on its independence? The church was extremely quick to orient with the logical strengthening of its position in the Periphery. Although in fact the fathers themselves for a long time tried to develop a similar technology, but a very narrow circle of people in the government and corporate CMS knew about it. Nobody really believed that something was going to happen to the churchmen, but at least they didn’t interfere with them and even helped, especially if this help was worth nothing. but this was known to a very narrow circle of people in the government and corporations of the CMS. Nobody really believed that something was going to happen to the churchmen, but at least they didn’t interfere with them and even helped, especially if this help was worth nothing. but this was known to a very narrow circle of people in the government and corporations of the CMS. Nobody really believed that something was going to happen to the churchmen, but at least they didn’t interfere with them and even helped, especially if this help was worth nothing.

Zarkon broke off and took a small sip of water.

- In the end, the program "Warranty". Riek Sergev, head of the fifth division of the NBS, was not going to give up just like that, having the results of almost a hundred years development in which he invested his whole life. Further work could go in two directions: to continue the attempts to implement the claimed technology or to take advantage of a milder version of the neural network that the Church has been developing, no less than five hundred years. For example, you get a job and just guarantee your reliability under neural network responsibility. The employer is confident in you. Suppose, over time, your reliability falls. However, it will be problematic to find someone and give him some information - “under the neural network” this will be impossible to do, and without a neural network confirming its veracity, the client will not have confidence in its truth. In contrast to the implementation of the NBS, this version of the neurostop did not forbid lying globally. In fact, the clergy could not do much on their own, but they were constantly lucky with specialists, ideas, conditions, equipment, and the Order of Guardians vigilantly watched this luck. Although the last half century of them suffered a series of failures, since we were forced to cut off many threads of ties with them because of the indecent attention that has simply arisen to the SC CMS. Sergeev himself helped the churchmen, frankly spitting at the repeated instructions of the NBS, the Security Service of the Central Migration Service and the Fleet, and indeed of many major political figures in the Union, most of whom changed their attitude to the opposite over time. It is understandable, because earlier they wanted to use neurostop exclusively for subordinates, without limiting themselves, but a less radical option has already made it possible to take advantage of the neural networks of the new generation, the additional functionality of which was not limited only to neurostop. Perhaps this is not so obvious to politicians, but everyone else saw this as much more advantages for themselves than minuses and the opinion of politicians decade after decade was gradually pressed through. Therefore, the political hysteria that has engulfed all the worlds, after the reports of Sergeev about the failure of the current project, is more like a circus of galactic scale. After all, the majority is not against failure, but it is impossible to take and simply write off the fabulous costs of this project. What is the essence of the experiment Sergeva? He decided to remove practically all superstructures from his neural network, leaving only a subtle psychological influence realized by his unique scheme of indirect electro-chemical balancing of neurons. Sergeev rightly assumed that if the experiment is completed successfully, then his approach has a future and it is just necessary to work on it for a long time, persistently and painstakingly. Otherwise, a similar implementation of neurostop will have to be abandoned. The experiment was supposed to give a guaranteed answer. To conduct it, not only candidates with high FIPI indicators were required, but it was also necessary to create the very methodology for its conduct and a methodology for evaluating the results. The experiment was prepared for almost fifteen years. And ended a few months ago here, on this truck, the last stage of the project with the name "Laer". The experiment was supposed to give a guaranteed answer. To conduct it, not only candidates with high FIPI indicators were required, but it was also necessary to create the very methodology for its conduct and a methodology for evaluating the results. The experiment was prepared for almost fifteen years. And ended a few months ago here, on this truck, the last stage of the project with the name "Laer". The experiment was supposed to give a guaranteed answer. To conduct it, not only candidates with high FIPI indicators were required, but it was also necessary to create the very methodology for its conduct and a methodology for evaluating the results. The experiment was prepared for almost fifteen years. And ended a few months ago here, on this truck, the last stage of the project with the name "Laer".

Lex looked at Laeru with interest, the woman kept her eyes on the guardian.

“You, Lex, look at you in vain,” said Zarkon. - The project could just as well carry your name. You were selected as candidates almost as soon as you entered the VKF Academy. And they have led you all their lives to this point, constantly monitoring your neural networks and adjusting them. Laera’s departure from the Academy is not accidental. The project entered the active phase just then. From the side, and even to you, it seems like it was your decision, but you were just strongly pushed to take it at a strictly defined point in time. Tell me, were you going to get married?

The guardian question took people by surprise.

- Yes or no? The question is simple.

The man and woman nodded uncertainly.

- But it did not work out. And why?

“Laera suddenly disappeared from the Academy,” Lex said uncertainly, “I've been looking for her for a while.” But not found.

- What are you saying ?! - threw up his hands keeper. - And how does this affect personal relationships? You loved each other, didn't you? Was it really so hard to find each other?

Lex frowned slightly. Laer’s gaze began to wander around in the tangled stalks of a hologram of a plant in one of the corners of the mess room. Remembering the past, and even with each other it was unpleasant and frankly did not want to. The NBS agent and the wagon suddenly felt a long-forgotten range of feelings of uncertainty, embarrassment, and some kind of awkwardness.

- Yes, what have this all about? - Could not stand the first woman.

- Even now memories give you discomfort. I want to go and get out, right? - keeper pointed to the door. - Although, after so much time, people, as a rule, speak about this without any particular problems, making fun of themselves. Your neural networks have been configured in such a way as to force you to make such decisions. It was at that time that the neural network program began to work, forcing you, relatively speaking, to stop loving each other. Laer was subject to this control more strongly, Lex resisted for some time, but he also succumbed to management. The first stage of the program ended in a stunning success. The fifth division began to feel on an equal footing in the council of the NBS and resources poured into it. For fifty years, Sergeev created a distributed structure of his unit not only within the SPM, but also actively involved in the work of peripheral worlds. For the projects of its research centers, infrastructure development was planned and funds were allocated. To go crazy, but if you look at the plans, it turns out that as a result of his active activity, the CMC becomes “two and a half percent heavier”! And this increase is not some seedy worlds that few people need, but the initially planned, not cheap nodal infrastructure. His role and power greatly increased and this immediately created a lot of problems for him. There were those to whom the completion of the project was vital and those who frankly wanted to fail and, whenever possible, tried to actively or passively interfere with this. Even the policy between the SCM and some peripheral worlds has changed. To go crazy, but if you look at the plans, it turns out that as a result of his active activity, the CMC becomes “two and a half percent heavier”! And this increase is not some seedy worlds that few people need, but the initially planned, not cheap nodal infrastructure. His role and power greatly increased and this immediately created a lot of problems for him. There were those to whom the completion of the project was vital and those who frankly wanted to fail and, whenever possible, tried to actively or passively interfere with this. Even the policy between the SCM and some peripheral worlds has changed. To go crazy, but if you look at the plans, it turns out that as a result of his active activity, the CMC becomes “two and a half percent heavier”! And this increase is not some seedy worlds that few people need, but the initially planned, not cheap nodal infrastructure. His role and power greatly increased and this immediately created a lot of problems for him. There were those to whom the completion of the project was vital and those who frankly wanted to fail and, whenever possible, tried to actively or passively interfere with this. Even the policy between the SCM and some peripheral worlds has changed. and initially planned, not cheap nodal infrastructure. His role and power greatly increased and this immediately created a lot of problems for him. There were those to whom the completion of the project was vital and those who frankly wanted to fail and, whenever possible, tried to actively or passively interfere with this. Even the policy between the SCM and some peripheral worlds has changed. and initially planned, not cheap nodal infrastructure. His role and power greatly increased and this immediately created a lot of problems for him. There were those to whom the completion of the project was vital and those who frankly wanted to fail and, whenever possible, tried to actively or passively interfere with this. Even the policy between the SCM and some peripheral worlds has changed.

The keeper was silent for a moment.

- Although it is more merit Itor, rather than Sergeva. He just wanted to work, to create something really new, and therefore he was in a hurry, fearing that he would not have enough time to bring at least some logical end to such a large-scale work. - Zarkon smiled. - It's amazing what happens when a person is in his place.

The keeper looked at the intensely staring people.

- Sorry, I digress. It was a success, but it was only the first stage of the program. Partial control was obtained earlier, though not so stable. Especially in youth, in the absence of life experience, people are more impulsive and reckless. But how will manage with age? Therefore, you are more likely than others were examined in the NBS centers. Not only the statistics of your neural network was filmed, but sometimes a small correction was made - the elimination of the detected errors. After such prophylaxis, you usually have a headache for several days. The project "Laera" was supposed to give a final answer. It was supposed to push you into each other in, so to speak, an emergency and look at the work of neural networks, which were supposed to suppress your feelings for each other again. The memory of your past relationships has been very skillfully maintained throughout your life. One or the other, no, no, yes, and stumbled upon information about each other. You were not allowed to completely forget about your past. The project is called "Laera", perhaps because it was you who got closer integration. Logically, your neural network management should have been guaranteed to work first and you would become an activator of Lex’s actions, whose neural network statistics should be very carefully monitored for the final conclusion. If Lex's neural network pushes his desire to get closer again, then we can conclude that the approach works as a whole. An emergency situation was supposed to bring you very close together and create the non-laboratory naturalness of the experiment. But neurostop was supposed to push you psychologically. It's not entirely clear why they decided to do everything that way, rather than pushing you periodically, accumulating statistics on the work of neurostop. For me, it would be logical and more reliable to obtain a reliable result, but the NBS, apparently, has its own considerations on this matter. Perhaps this approach was planned in the following experiments - we do not know everything about corporations, as it is sometimes more difficult to “climb” into them than in the structures of the ICF.

The guardian broke off again taking a few sips of water. Introducing Laera suddenly told her that the head of the Order is not so easily given this conversation, as it seems from the outside. As if he was expecting a solution from them. Waited and feared him.

- Candidates were not chosen by chance. Psychoanalysts have been analyzing your relationship for several years and concluded that you are suited to each other, however trite it may sound like no other. This means that between you could not have strong feelings. Their occurrence was delayed, they were prepared, they were given to arise and at the peak of development they tried to break off. Neuroscope in full force joined in your youth and turned off after a year. Again, he joined a few months ago. If you now analyze your emotions and behavior, Laere is probably easier to do, since everything was still possible for her to say yesterday, you will notice some oddities, small minor inconsistencies, excessive suspicion and other incomprehensibles in your own behavior. Of course, when there are already two mature special agents, it is impossible to argue that they will build their interaction only through the prism of their emotions and memory of each other, which is also almost a century. The technique implied the accumulation of statistics in the created situation and its subsequent correlation with the pre-built matrix of behavior-relation. And if in some limits everything comes together, if the program can push such a feeling as love, then this will not be a demonstration of the working technology? According to the project, it was intended again to give your relationship a chance, in order to increase the speed and reliability of the process it had to happen in an extreme situation, and then break them again. Although from the outside it looks like something not very logical, but the NBS most likely had some weighty reasons to do everything that way. However, everything from the very beginning did not go according to plan, and it even turned out to be good for me - your psyche reacted very poorly to the inclusion of a neurostop. The apotheosis of the failure of the project was the fact of sending Laer on the courier, instead of neglecting her. Lex, how hard was this decision?

“I would not say that it is difficult,” the man said slowly, “but I came to him gradually. The situation with the ship pushed me towards this.

“Sorry, but everything had to be realistic.” All that was left for me was to selectively present all these materials to the leadership of the Church and personally to Sergeva on her behalf. Not even any tricky manipulation was required. On the part of the cooperation of the NBS and the Church, the Laera project ended in complete failure, on the part of the Order the same project, called the “Unexpected Meeting”, ended in phenomenal success, giving a good start to the “Origin” program. The leadership of the NBS has no other option but to accept the development of the Church, which imposes restrictions only on communication, but not on behavior.

Zarkon critically looked at his listeners.

- I think there is enough information for today. All this is unexpected and hardly pleasant for you. You have to seriously think about all this.

There was a pause that no one was in a hurry to break. In the ensuing silence, each of the custodial listeners interpreted his life again. And, judging by the expressions of their faces, which they now did not hide and did not control, it was not quite easy. Lex looked up and looked straight at Zarcon.

- What is your interest? In addition to the introduction of its technology? Getting rid of us, such as you, was not so difficult.

- If you really really abstract away from humanistic values, do you consider it normal to ditch a couple of specialists who have enormous resources, knowledge and skills?

- So we are just valuable resources? - Laer asked her question.

- What does "just" mean? Whether you are a valuable resource - certainly! No one needs a farmer in an abandoned world. Agents are needed by all. Does this surprise you? If you suddenly find yourself so necessary that people are ready to overcome light years for the sake of it, then it seems to me that this means that you have achieved something in this life and become someone significant. And this is no longer just "just."

- So what is the interest? - Lex repeated his question.

The keeper stood up and walked around the mess.

- You accelerate everything. Although I understand you. - Zarkon turned around and carefully looked straight into the eyes of the people sitting in the mess room. “Officially, this ship has been destroyed.” No survivors. That is, for the CMS, you simply do not exist. This is both good and bad. You do not think that after the experiment you would be left alone? From my, exclusively personal, point of view, you have worked in full and even more.

Zarkon sat back.

- Oh well. Before that, I, frankly, did not tell you anything critical. Although this information is very expensive. Yes, the Order badly needs people like you. They are generally required by all, the Order is no exception. But for effective work it is necessary to understand the scale of our work and its reflection on the entire human civilization. You are very well suited for such work. You already know how to work at the appropriate scale, although you performed an exclusively adjustment role in them. Take, for example, neural networks and the Taurank sector. Without the Order of all this would simply not be. I have evidence, I am ready to provide them, but it will take time to study them. Therefore, I am ready to announce two facts in the hope that you, at least for now, take my word for it. Two facts that give an understanding of what scale the Order operates on.
The keeper took a shallow breath and looked thoughtfully at his interlocutors.

- These facts are secret even for the overwhelming majority in the Order and very few people in our civilization know about them. Their announcement is a kind of step-by-step, there will be no return due to. You can step over it and find out a lot more interesting and unusual, expand your capabilities and take a direct part in setting up this world. And you can refuse. And yes, I will not only let you go without any consequences, but even help you settle in the far corner of the Periphery. You will have to survive and have to cooperate with us, because only the Order will be able to safely meet the maintenance needs of your neural networks and organisms. You want to live to your guaranteed three or four hundred years? It is not at all necessary to be further agents, your organizational or technical experience is quite suitable for us. Finally, - Zarkon snapped his fingers, - in everyday life has its advantages, a peculiar charm and peace. Such a decision requires reflection, so I did not want to raise this issue right now.

“Well, just intrigued,” said Lex, exchanging glances with Laer.

- I am not a supporter of impulsive actions. If you need time to think, then today you can stop.

“We are still written off from the SCS,” the woman concluded, “there’s really nothing to lose.” I still do not feel ready for a "normal" life. Lex?

- It turns out, the question is, are we willing to work voluntarily in the Order of the Guardians or in the Order of the Guardians?

- You got it right.

- For an informed decision does not require time, but more information.

- I think I gave you all the necessary information. The vague structure of the Order and quite clear purpose of its existence. The management methods are indirect and I explained why. Of course, do not think that we are exceptionally so good. Sometimes you have to make very difficult decisions. But do you not know that sometimes they have to take?

- In general, I agree.

- I agree, but with one condition - if the reality turns out to be very different from the one I imagine by your words, then I reserve the right to leave the Order. I will not disclose any information, but I will not work with you either.

“Coming,” the keeper shrugged. - No problem. But only then I also have one condition - your work will begin with a medical capsule. You need to adjust the neural networks and, so to speak, lie down on the bottom until the events of this year are completely forgotten. We have excellent medical facilities that can keep you on a very long time. Let's say one hundred and fifty.

- How many? - Laer has his eyes rounded from the numbers he heard. Lex, too, was clearly surprised by what he heard.

Lex and Laere fell silent, realizing that the keeper replays them in almost everything. The choice narrowed right before our eyes. Laer looked at Lex, who nodded slightly to her.

- You will not lie in the complexes for the whole period. We do not have such good technologies and, unfortunately, we will have to go through the awakening process from time to time. There will be breaks that you can use to study the Order’s chronicles. Or use them as you see fit.

“I accept the offer,” the woman said, looking at the custodian who was looking tensely at her.

The keeper turned his gaze to Lex, who simply nodded. Zarkon leaned back on the couch. The decline in his tension did not escape the two pairs of eyes that were watching him.

- You will not regret this decision.

Zarkon thought for a moment.

- The new neural network architecture not only enhances its countermeasures to external control, but greatly weakens the restrictions on immersion in virtualization and lays the functional ability to make guaranteed promises. A step with virtualization may be somewhat risky, but time has shown that the existing restrictions are already strongly interfering. Riek Sergev correctly felt the way, but did not quite rightly follow it. At the moment, the sociopolitical structure of society and the scale of work have been squeezed into a secure grip that simply does not give any meaningful respite for a calm rethinking of the use of technology. Unnoticeably, parallel work cannot be developed due to the scale of the development and the NBS will again have to unknowingly follow the path we have proposed, which Sergeev considered to be his full-fledged backup option, actively helping the Church. Our version of the neurostop only introduces a voluntary agreement to ban lies. From a consumer point of view, technology looks simple: if a person “under a neural network” gives guarantees of his loyalty to a particular person, then in the future “under a neural network” he will not be able to break them. I focus on this attention again: if you turn on a certain mode of the neural network and will answer clearly asked questions, then neurostop will guarantee their veracity. "Under the neural network" it will be impossible to lie or intentionally deceive. A conscious attempt to lie will lead to fatal consequences for the respondent’s brain. The control system of mankind can drastically change for the better without any risks at all. But, at the same time, there are limitations. Neurostop technology uses the entire neural network in its work, creating and activating the so-called "mantle of responsibility", a sort of composition of neural network nodes and configuration of neurons in the human brain. This mode of operation can not be maintained for a long time and often caused, a person to work with him will also have to train hard. Therefore, it is not implied that neurostop will be used everywhere in the everyday life of people, although this is not excluded. We do not take away the ability to lie from a person. Just gently introduced a small completely controlled by a particular person restriction. A group of individuals or an organization using this new opportunity correctly will get a very strong competitive advantage. The renewal of civilization is predetermined. And if the very introduction of neural networks is called the transition to "Humanity 2.0", then the new neural network deservedly can increase the major figure in the version of human civilization. It is necessary to wait until the development of neurostop is completed, to observe how the implementation will begin and to look closely further. I have invested a large part of my life in a similar concept of neurostop, but unfortunately, most likely, I will not even see the first step of this technology.

The keeper drank the water out of his mug.

- Good. Two promised facts. Neural networks are not an invention of our civilization. And there has never been any artificial intelligence that opposed human civilization, all this is a myth.

Zarkon paused, taking pleasure in watching how the listeners' faces slowly stretched.

- Neural networks are not a full-fledged invention of the current civilization. The zero planet was actually the maternal world of some past civilization, which possessed similar technologies. The Order chronicles deciphered what to look for and where to search and a whole production complex was found and removed on the zero planet, the keeper gave an indefinite waving hand, or we think it is an industrial complex, studying which the Order laid the foundations of neural network architecture. The zero planet is generally quite an interesting place, but this fact in itself is effectively hidden because this planet is a very important link in the navigation system of all mankind. The government of the CMS itself does the work for us and it’s very difficult to get into the zero world, not to mention keeping some kind of work in it. Seven and a half thousand years ago, the Order laid the foundations of the architecture of neural networks and the Order made sure that these foundations were not distorted. That is why the human neural network is so aggressive about external intervention - it was originally thought out and incorporated. Otherwise, we probably would have received not the takeoff of cosmic civilization, but the return to some kind of analogue of feudal slavery with the spacecraft.

Zarkon paused, giving time to think about what was said.

- Taurank gave a lot to humanity. In the face of the threat of total annihilation of humanity, it has managed to raise its level in the areas of energy supply and hypertechnology. And to abandon the development of full-fledged artificial intelligence. However, there was no strong artificial intelligence capable of confronting people and possessing such human qualities, which sometimes is not enough for the people themselves. The whole long-term battle with the AI ​​fleet is a dramatization in order to intimidate humanity and slow down the development of a strong AI. Previously, we could effectively “trim” the development of a strong AI, but each time it became more and more difficult. In general, I wonder how long the thin surgical methods of the Order was able to slow down this area. This event the Order has been preparing for nearly a couple of millennia, It was very difficult for us to retain leadership in the technological race of space technology. The ships with the alleged AI were modernized according to our technologies and managed by several guardians. And although their evacuation was worked out, the Order suffered a rather significant loss. We believe that it is still very early to move in this direction, and resources should be directed to the further development of neural networks as a safer technology for civilization. This is not a whim, but a valid point of view, based on information from our chronicles. and resources should be directed to the further development of neural networks as a safer technology for civilization. This is not a whim, but a valid point of view, based on information from our chronicles. and resources should be directed to the further development of neural networks as a safer technology for civilization. This is not a whim, but a valid point of view, based on information from our chronicles.

***

They parted late at night. Lex went to the captain's cabin, Laer and Zarkon occupied two empty ones. Laere went to the cabin, in which it seems no one ever spent even an hour, and thoughtfully sat on the sofa. Having spent about half an hour in her thoughts, the woman came to her senses and left the cabin with the intention of taking a shower. The sound of receding steps in the direction of the ship's gateway made her instantly assemble. Laera slipped back into her cabin and, taking the laid out needle case, quickly headed for the airlock. Looking out, she noticed Lex’s receding figure and, trying not to make any noise, followed him. Lex disappeared into the opening of one of the exits from the hangar. Laera moved to a fast run and, laying a wide arc, quickly reached the exit. Looking out into the corridor and not noticing anyone, she proceeded down the corridor, carefully checking every turn. Laer guessed that Lex must have headed for the control center of the ship. She quickly got there, wondering on the way how she could not catch up with seemingly leisurely Lex.

Peering into the entrance of the control center, the woman saw a shapeless figure leaning over the console and entered the room, intending to hail the man, when suddenly with peripheral vision she noticed movement on the left. Skills worked instantly and the body obediently sprung forward, turning in flight towards the threat. In the right hand describing the arc, there was a needle case, a look focused on the place of the intended target. An instant passed, no more than a quarter of a second, and already worked out the mechanism allowing to make a guaranteed effective shot. To her left, a pair of Lex pulse guns stared at her in silence. Both moved behind her: one looked at her point-blank, the second moved to lead. A guaranteed shot of Laera would have been the last for their owner, but she herself would have the same guaranteed answer from him. Fractions of a second to the reaction, half a second of work, a split second for analysis and decision making. Laera's body flew forward and splashed to the floor. From the side it would seem that a person entered the premises with the aim of for some reason immediately jumping with a reckless twist. Laer grimaced, unsuccessfully hitting her shoulder, and in no hurry to rise.

- And if you shot? - Lex looms over his recent victim. - Or me?

Lex helped the woman up and walked her to the far corner of the room, from which the only open entrance to it could be traced. On the floor lay a sofa seat that had been torn apart, apparently Lex had a sleeping place. Laer sank down beside Lex on the corner of the couch, rubbing her shoulder.

- And you are fast. I can imagine how the keeper would be surprised in the morning when he discovered two cooled dead bodies of people to whom he revealed universal secrets yesterday. - Lex let out a short laugh. - I would have thought that we could not stand the severity of this reality and decided to do away with each other.

They fell silent. A few minutes passed.

- How much can you trust him? You have trained empathy - what does she say?

- The fact of the matter is that she does not say anything special.

“He either speaks the crazy truth, or he lies awesome.” I do not know what the situation looks like for you, but for me in this situation ... what are you, what is the keeper ... - the man hesitated.

- Who, how and why you can trust - it is not clear.

- For my part, everything is somewhat simpler. I trust you much more than him.

- Seriously?

“You saved me from death.” Despite everything that Zarkon said. - The woman hesitated. - If he was telling the truth. But in any case, you made the choice you made. Is this not enough?

- And you do not exclude that all this is arranged? A separate episode of the draft program according to the plan, which is included in the idea of ​​the existence of the Order. It seems so twisted everything looks like? Maybe the situation is specially played up so that now I began to trust you and you are really with the guardians. Or maybe I'm with them, and from your side I look like your savior, who can now be trusted and infinitely understand the secrets of the NBS?

They fell silent again, each thinking of his own.

- Do you think neurostop is working now? All these doubts from him? - voiced the question Lex.

Laer did not respond immediately.

- Yes, what difference does it work or not. If he does not affect the behavior directly, then it can be suppressed, pushing his opinion. It is crucial to know what it is.

- It is easy to say so, given that this rubbish is your opinion and forms. It is not clear where the truth is: what you feel or what you slip a neural network as a sensation?

They fell silent.

- Then. Long. When I left. Have you been looking for me for a long time?

- Yes. But probably it was worth looking longer.

- Remember, we dreamed of direct control of the ships? When we first saw a graceful government courier, our spirit seized. We are not from the world of SPM. And in the Periphery, such a thing could only be dreamed of. And then stealthily so as not to intimidate. I thought that if they closed the path of a station wagon, it would be wrong to deprive him of you. And I left. - The woman sighed. “And now it’s more advanced than the ship in the hangar and, in general, doesn’t mean anything except the ability to just get out of this truck.” This is a unique but transport. Simple vehicle.

Laer looked at Lex.

- For most of my life, I was confident that my choice was right. And now ... It doesn’t matter whether or not there is neurostop, but now it doesn’t seem to me that this choice was correct.

- What do you mean, "closed the path"? VKF refused you? Or did the NBS "assist" in making a decision?

“It's not like that at all,” Laera frowned. - Both the VFM and the NBS have played their part, and ... you will have to tell a lot. The rationale for my decisions now seems so stupid and naive. - The woman was silent and annoyedly continued. - After all, we were already enough years old, it was worth being somehow smarter or something.

For some time they fell silent again, each thinking about his own.

“Well,” Lex concluded, “since you doubt past decisions, then have you already made a certain choice?” If there was an opportunity, would you like to change your past?

Laer looked into the eyes of the man sitting next to her.

“We ... We will have to get used to each other again.” I'm a little different from the girl you knew. And you may not like a lot.

Lex quickly hugged the woman and gently pressed her body tight to himself. Laera’s tension eased quickly and she relaxed.

- Like it or not ... I think it does not matter. Let's go to bed, ”Lex suggested in a few minutes.

Without undressing, they climbed onto an improvised bed. Laer pressed against the shoulder of a man who carefully covered them with something on top. Laera's emotional and physical excitement quickly transfused into a peaceful sleep. “Instead of sleeping properly on a ship, we, like some children, huddled into this corner,” she thought. I didn't want to think any more. Laera felt the warmth of a stranger's body, her arms around her, heard her breathing and felt like all this she lacked all these decades. It cannot be said that all this time she was deprived of male attention, but now she was with those with whom she really wanted. And this feeling is fundamentally different from all that was before. She suddenly felt sharply tired for today. Falling into sleep, she suddenly thought of the guardian.

- And what about the keeper?

Lex did not answer, he did not even seem to hear the question. Laera thought that, for sure, this person is now experiencing the same thing as she. The woman had to repeat the question.

- What? The keeper? Yes, to hell with him! Tomorrow we will decide what to do with it.

Comprehending the above, Laer asked the following question.

- And if he comes? We are located directly opposite the entrance.

“The entrance is clearly visible from here, but that figure is clearly visible from there,” Lex waved in the direction of one of the consoles behind which the dummy was sitting. - The idea with this scarecrow was frankly stupid, it is unlikely to deceive the military neural network, but for some reason you bought it superbly for some reason. - The man grunted. - Around the control center, I created an autonomous network of sensors, they will warn us in advance if someone tries to go here. Laera, yesterday I could not even imagine that some day on this damned ship could end so wonderful. Just for the sake of it was worth doing everything that has been done. Let's sleep.

Lex gently patted on the head a woman pressed against him, and she began to fall asleep under the thought of whether Lex would be in the medkapsule next to her for the next hundred years. Because if this is all a game, then it is not necessary for him to lose this time and it is enough just to pretend that he lies down after Laera and wake up earlier. And you can not even pretend - just wake up an hour after they go to sleep. “Even if all this is true,” the woman thought, “is it all really important? If you can be together? At least some time. But the thoughts in her head were not going to give up just like that: “What if this is just another experiment of the guardians and they only need to razderbanit your head to extract the agent neural network”? Lex once again ran his hand over Laer’s head, passing her hair between her fingers and interrupting the stream of thoughts in a woman’s head. “Nichert your neurostop doesn't work, no matter who it is,” Laera thought for some reason. She didn’t want and couldn’t think about anything further. The woman fiddled, moving over the shoulder closer to the head of the already dozing man, buried her head in her and instantly fell asleep.

Lexa, through sleepiness, was also overcome by thoughts. For some reason, he didn’t have any strong doubts or uncertainty about the relationship with the woman next to him. As if he had received something long awaited, and now it gave peace of mind. But his thoughts completely occupied the conversation with the keeper. The head of the Order easily operated on the time scale of the millennia as easily as Lex worked through annual operations. What is this organization that alone is able to lay the development of civilization for thousands of years? It seemed fantastic. Lex, being a generalist, was aware of how difficult inter-world policy is being made, despite the fact that it is often dictated by ordinary economic reasons and the personal motives of individuals holding key political positions. Are there people of the Order everywhere? This is simply impossible to hide. But in this case, are they really so effective at their small numbers? Not only that they "gently" control civilization, they also dictate the development of technologies. Neural networks. If this is the legacy of a previous, more technologically perfect civilization, signs of which Lex never met in deep space, where is she? What could have wiped away such a powerful civilization? Is neurostep a technology of the ancients or is it already the development of our civilization? Suppose after the assignment you need to report to your curator, just a neural network confirmation of the truth of your words is enough, a sort of “honest word” conversation. Only the curator is sure that all words are honest. No evidence base and cross-checking information is needed. When applying for a job, it is enough to “assure the employer of your loyalty" You don’t even need to follow the employee or arrange clever checks - if you suspect it, you simply call him and ask direct questions “under the neurostop”. Is the world ruled by truth? What will the world look like if it refuses a lie? It seems that humanity will get fantastic opportunities, the control system can be radically transformed. With the disappearance of unnecessary bureaucratic layers of civilization can simplify their management, accelerate their development and, most importantly, it will bring some guaranteed stability of this development. But if later, let's say, the millennium of building management on the neurostop technology, some kind of vulnerability will be revealed in it, then the whole civilization runs the risk of a lightning-fast crash, roll back in development far back, fall, perhaps much lower than even its current level. Just because in her control system there will be no natural immunity to lies. Lex knew people well and if there was any opportunity to use something for personal purposes, then there would definitely be a group of people who would take advantage of it. Fantastic opportunities and the same magnitude of risk. “I wonder what the head of the Order thinks about it?” The man thought, finally falling asleep.

---

Unexpected meeting. Chapter 17.
Text version: 1.1.0.
Date of first publication 07/18/2018.
Last edited: 08/06/2018.

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The full table of contents is given in Chapter 1 .

Quick navigation:
Chapter 16 - previous chapter.
Chapter 17 is the current chapter.
Chapter 18 is the next chapter.

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Greetings to readers who have come to this place) It would be more logical to return to Habr with something like a series of articles about Nexcloud on Debian , as more thematic and useful, however ... for the time being, you have to put around 11, (1)% of your science fiction novel . An interesting thing turns out: I was preparing for writing a novel on Habrahabr, I started writing on Geektimes, and I’ll have to finish it again. Maybe there is something in this?

The next chapter of the book will be the last. It is more or less logically brought to her, if I may say so, creating a novel for three years without the possibility of replaying any events. Sometimes I fell into my own traps and the mother myself: “Why was it like that to detail everything, who was pulling you for clave?” Everything was written, it was written, and here is the last chapter. It's like a computer game without saves - the last level is the worst, because if you lose it, you realize that you will hardly start all over again.

The roadmap defining the fate of the novel was given at the end of chapter twelve.. Almost a year has passed since then, and now comes the moment when it is already necessary to determine more precisely what to do next. In fact, I have already started working on the novel version 2.0.0. It looks so far in the form of periodically supplemented notes. It looks something like this (partially given):

***

- To work out the details of people and, possibly, from relationships. Rebalance the story, lowering the percentage by 20 or smearing the narrative technical descriptive component of events and phenomena. Really think before this step.

- To think of interweaving the story with the storyline of a less significant person than the main characters. But if this leads to a strong bloat of the story - you probably should not do it. Try to make a pilot chapter.

- Ships should be more difficult. It must be shown. Ships and hollow stations are one of the heights of human development. They must be harmonious and perfect. And that which is perfect should look simple and clear, but it is very difficult to be arranged. And how to convey this? - You can somehow weave into the proposed new storyline.

- Neural networks. Subject poorly developed. In essence, this is a digital assistant, a computer in people's heads, which is mentally accessible (or not?). This gives new opportunities that are not noticed by those people, but the reader should notice this. On the other hand, we must somehow not overdo it. If it were not for the restriction on augmented reality, then it would have been possible to remove the whole entourage — everyone would go to stations and ships like Ibatullin and that’s all. But the restriction can not be removed.

- The tonnage of Trilema can be reduced. Five locks only on one side, capable of accommodating ships with hyperdrives - this is somehow too much for some old truck that carries a little ore. Irrational. All this mass needs to be moved, then slowed down - where can I get such a break through energy? In an amicable way, you need to make a representation of the ships in terms of volume and record them in the certificate of the universe. Help on the universe to order and separate from the help of our real world!

- Conversation of the keeper with Lex in Chapter 7: “take away” service codes from station wagons - based on what is written about them in Chapter 16, it is better to limit their ownership to the maximum. The keeper may require captain access, although he will not have access to the AI ​​core. Perhaps this topic in the dialogue in general, to throw out of the chapter. Somehow stiff.

- The book must be complete. Now it looks like a series of movie or computer game trailers. You just take it and put the finished scene. Almost every chapter begins with a sort of “picture” and its plot is logical in it and ends. No feeling of weaving. The question is - is it necessary to do something about it?

***

At first, I doubted whether I should continue to do anything, but now I started reading my own book from the very beginning and you know, I like it. Despite the fact that I myself wrote everything, for some reason it is interesting to read. It seems to me somewhat unusual and even strange. Maybe because I already forgot in details what was there at the beginning? The chapters are still collecting individual notes. I don’t think how to redo it all, but I think it’s quite realistic: you just have to select a week for processing and it’s okay, you can work it out for eight hours, and then polish the draft in a couple of months in your free time.

But with version 2.1.0 I have doubts. In essence, this is editing and proofreading. Plus cover. Plus a publishing package. And it all turns out to be not so cheap. I already have a lot of text, and if it is also supplemented, the budget can easily exceed the psychological threshold of 100 thousand rubles. And that's all - without layout and paper! It’s one thing to sacrifice, say, 500 rubles, and get something tangibly tangible, and another thing for the same money to get ... just an ISBN file? The problem could be solved by a printed book publishing company, for which one could try to raise money so that it would be enough for an overlap on publication. But for this you need a large circulation, and I have three hundred people in my subscribers at Habré, and several dozen social networks. And I do nothing to promote groups and a priori, I am not going to actively promote a crowdfunding campaign. It is clear that I, at best, will earn nothing and it is unclear whether it is necessary to add all this trouble to my life. Therefore, this option is still in a state of “please wait ...”. I look at crowdfunding platforms, publication options, I estimate probabilities. But for now it’s all very sluggish.