Текст книги "Memories of the future. An eyewitness notes"

Soon he found himself seating on the floor again. Hagan realized that his experience was for real and that people were still to learn a lot about the World and the role of mind.

He kept on seating with a smile on his face, gazing at stars. After a while, his solitude was interrupted by a flopping sound.

A blue blot got stuck to the interior door of the chamber and was looking at Hagan with curiosity.

The engineer turned to the visitor his face lit with a smile; now he was seeing everything through different eyes. His rescuers were responsible and honest people and professional soldiers who would not do him any harm. And that lovely and funny isoform testified to his owners’ cheerful character. Hagan didn’t even notice how he fell into a happy and peaceful sleep.

Flop cast a glance at the sleeping engineer, got unstuck from the glass and slowly drifted down the hallway, checking everything around on his way, which he called “night watch” and considered it his duty to report on the results of his checks to the captain. During that evening fly-around of the spacecraft, Flop was thinking about a strange event. His sensors had detected beautiful white light, which Flop called the “Good White”. So now Flop was thinking it was really good that the “Good White” existed.

Chapter 15

“Leave a place full of fools.”

(words from a country song)

Steven Hook, Captain of the Coalition Spacecraft Fleet received a tough telling off from his commander. He was delivered to the base in a state of insensibility, but surprisingly quickly came round after lying in a bio capsule. A couple of officers from the ground flight security service were already waiting for him in the medical unit. Without even asking him how he was feeling, those short spoken, gloomy men escorted the captain to the headquarters where he was subjected to interrogation.

He had to answer lots of irrelevant questions in the presence of those highly distrustful and taught men. In fact, it was the second time that Steven had been knocked down, and consequently those two were putting into question his, Steven Hook’s, professional capability as a spacecraft’s captain and even suspected there was malice pretense in his actions. What could be worse than that for a pilot? But that was not quite the end of that, and all that day he spent standing before an enormous desk in the commander’s office while the commander, without mincing his words, was even threatening him with military court.

The situation was aggravated by the fact that he had lost one crew member. Blushed with anger, the commander rapped out that he would eagerly exchange a hundred of lazy slugs like him for a single engineer like Hagan lost in space through Hook’s fault.

You must be court-martialed or, even better, thrown out into open space! You idiot let some blunt robot burn out your spacecraft with a laser! And what good job it did! It spared your asses, and burnt only the engine, and you escaped unscathed! While you even failed to save a good engineer!”

What could he say in excuse? Who will ever want to join his crew? And will he be admitted to flights in future? The commander suspended him from service for a month and ordered him to wait for further decision of the commission.

What was he to do? Thinking about all that, Captain Hook was dragging himself towards the transport station to get away from the base and have a drink in a bar.

He didn’t feel like talking to anyone, which was quite understandable. Who would ever like to be a commander of a failed mission?

“May damnation take this war! Who needs it? How did I end up in the Spacecraft Fleet? I’d rather mine resources in the Saturn Rings,” he was bewailing. And besides the captain could not get out of his head a strange vision he had while staying in a bio capsule. He saw a beautiful woman wearing strange waving dress, who emerged from fog and came up to him. Although she didn’t say a word, it seemed to him that she said a lot.

I might have gone off my head after water collision during impact landing in the Ocean,” Steven tried to reassure himself “I’d better not tell anyone about that.”

However the odd feeling in his soul after that vision did not leave him. The war itself and all he had to do at war now seemed so useless and disgusting, and, above all, he began to realize that he was doing the wrong thing. Those intrusive thoughts gave his no peace and there was no getting away from them.

“Whoever thought it was a good idea to start this damned war?” Steven was thinking. “The Free People are not that bloodthirsty as we are led to think. They could have easily pulled us to pieces, but they let us escape instead. All right, I will get a good sleep after a kick-up and then go to town and chill out. After all, I’m still alive, which is not too bad. Maybe that girl in white was right, and I just need to change something in life? Even cyborgs are laughing at me now!”

Steven once again looked back at the gray concrete building of the headquarters, where he had gone through so much humiliation, and went off filled with doubts and new ideas about the world. He sat into his black electric car and ordered to the autopilot:

“The Horsetail bar, parking.”

The car docilely set off on the indicated route, and Hook made himself comfortable on a spacy sofa with his head thrown back in a pensive manner.

“After suffering comes enlightenment”

For some reason that phrase got stuck in Steven’s head.

Chapter 16

The Horsetail Bar, Sequoia Reservation

In former times, people used alcohol to relax, falling into the state of brain euphoria. But these relaxation methods had receded into the past after a discovery that human brain was capable to generate similar feelings on its own as a result of insignificant influence of electromagnetic, acoustic and light radiation on specific spectra.

Almost all people at the time had nano-chips implanted in their brains, which facilitated their access to positive emotions. Since the process was entirely safe, it instantly acquired popularity. Relaxation and recreation facilities, such as bars, became highly visited and competed in the diversity of spectacular show programs. There was no need to intoxicate brain and other body organs with hazardous chemical ethyl compounds. The whole process was entirely safe and controlled and therefore in high demand. It allowed anyone to experience unforgettable feelings by means of putting on special spectacles with laser and sound generators. The harmful alcohol withdrawal syndrome and related illnesses became things of the past.

Numerous recreation locations allowed anyone to watch musical and dance performances in various styles and with original holographic effects, involving both human and cyborg artists.

It was exactly that sort of place that Steven headed for, since his state of mind was close to deep depression due to severe stress.

Following the rise in the World Ocean level, the face of the Earth had changed drastically. Almost all major cities had gone under water, and people had to set up new cities in mountainous areas where solar radiation permitted them to go without protective clothes. Newly emerged cities and towns were small in size and were erected by means of construction Printers according to radically different urban planning principles.

The changes that affected the Planet made people appreciate nature, and such concepts as ecovillage, housing ecosystems, and smart houses became commonly used. Houses became affordable to almost everyone owing to the simplicity of their manufacturing with the help of construction Printers.

Stand-alone power supply on the basis of cold synthesis and Printers that were capable of creating all sorts of staff for day-to-day use, including clothes, resulted in people becoming independent from state systems and the state itself. The world had changed beyond recognition. And that change was for the better.

An autopilot parked Steven’s electric car and informed its owner on the external environment parameters. His car was equipped with stand-alone air purification and regeneration system to ensure protection against dust storms or increased carbon dioxide levels.

The Horsetail show-bar was picturesquely set in a large park area, in proximity of a small town on a mountain slope amidst large sequoia trees. The beautiful landscape also included a waterfall. Construction Printer fancily created the building in the ancient Wild West style. Old-fashioned lamps lip up the stairs of the bar wooden porch and front door wings.

The porch was adorned with a well-crafted cowboy sculpture, leaning his elbows on a horse. The parking area located nearby was half-packed as it usually was on weekdays. But the captain did not need a big company.

Getting out of the car, he took a deep breath and went directly towards the bar. The gray suit of the Coalitions’ Spacecraft Fleet officer was not suitable attire for that place, but there was no other option. He slowly climbed the stairs and looked around. The place was an island of nature full of big and solid trees. Some of the trees were over two thousand years old. Special signs on trees warned visitors against doing their business near the national asset which could cause damage to a tree and threated with severe punitive measures in case of non-compliance.

The Horsetail bar was famous for one more peculiarity which distinguished it from other similar spots. One could get there a glass of whiskey of clandestine manufacture provided he would keep it secret from state authorities. Among those who had access to that benefit was Captain Steven Hook who enjoyed the confidence of the bar’s owner.

Pushing the door open, he stepped inside and instantly found himself surrounded with loud country music because the special noise-damping field did not let in any external sounds. At the time, loud noise was considered as a factor of environmental contamination.

The bar hall was immersed in a cozy twilight in keeping with the best traditions of the old-times taverns. A good-looking girl was dancing on the bar counter, dressed in the cowboy style; her long slender legs were wearing old-fashioned boots. There was also a performance on the stage in the center of the hall.

That night, there was live music, and four musicians wearing cowboy hats were playing the ancient banjo, violin and guitar, perkily beating time with their legs, while the sounds of harmonica were echoing their music. The visitors were cheering on the musicians and dancers with loud cries and applause.

“Looks like I’m not late.” Steven thought and perked up. He started to slowly make his way to the bar counter, keeping his eye on the dancing figures; his body was automatically making dancing motions, and for the first time in a long period a smile appeared on his face.

Climbing up a tall chair, he showed two fingers to the barman, winkled and gave him a meaningful smile. The latter instantly got the point, nodded with a smile in response and set out on executing the order. Bar visitors of all times have divided into two categories: those who seek having fun and those who need someone to talk to. A couple of men of the second category were now seating at the bar counter. They were so busy talking that paid no attention to the beautiful girl dancing close then. Steven drank up a whiskey at a draught and asked for one more glass.

“A bad day?” the barman asked warm-heartedly.

“When you have to do what you don’t like, every day is bad” Steven replied frankly and looked up at the dancer’s legs. Seeing his interest, she began dancing right before his glass on the bar counter. In spite of the surrounding noise, Steven’s words were not lost on the couple seating at the counter, and both looked at him straight away. Judging by their faces, they were having the same drinks as Steven. One of them with an uncertain gesture raised his index figure and uttered:

“You are right! You guy have put it so subtly and accurately. By the way, we have just been discussing ways for the Coalition to motivate people’s conformity. Addy,” the second man who was broader in shoulders turned to the barman, “Give something to drink at my expense tо the officer who says the rights things.”

Then he turned to Steven and said “I’m Sam, forest inspector, and this is a friend of mine Peter, he breeds animals for the forest.”

Steven’s new acquaintances looked quite similar: they had ordinary open faces. They looked simultaneously at the captain and both showed a saluting sign with their palms and then smiled.

“Guys, why don’t we watch the show now, and when it gets quieter, we’ll take a drink and have a talk, OK?” he gave a broad smile to them both. They nodded in approval, and the whole company started watching the show. Electronic music had already reached the highest point of its evolution, using all sorts of technologies, and was now at low ebb. Live music played with instruments again gained universal popularity and recognition. The leading-edge technologies freed up people a lot of time for creative activities, which resulted in the rising popularity of live music. Indeed, nothing can substitute for human emotions and feelings conveyed by musical instruments!

The Horsetail bar’s owner enjoyed playing a guitar himself and invited the best musicians and dancers from far and wide.

The music was enchanting and carrying away the visitors, disclosing the most hidden and forsaken corners of their souls. Everyone was having fun and dancing wherever they pleased.

“What an excellent program and the girls are best of the best!” Steven said to his new acquaintances. They nodded in consent.

“Why don’t you come over in a couple of days? The bar will host a team who play music and sing songs of the people from the continent’s immersed area. The whole of their country is already under water, while the music and songs continue to live. They are excellent singers and musicians and wear wide hats like those that were widespread in the old times. You are invited,” said one of the foresters to Steven.

“I’m off to the town for a couple of days to chill out and will be back by that time,” Steven told him, having made up his mind to come and watch the program.

He had always liked that bar styled after the Wild West saloons of the ancient times.

Meanwhile, the dancing part of the program was over, but the audience were still roaring and applauding, reluctant to let go the good-looking and cheery dancing girls.

When the actors finally left the scene they were replaced with a bluesman with a worn out ancient guitar, wearing a dark cowboy hat and leather vest. His fingers ran through the guitar neck, and the bar filled up with his low hoarse voice.

“Blues is when good men feel bad” Steven recalled an old saying. He turned to Peter and Sam and solemnly declared:

“Let’s take one more double whiskey, guys. It’s on me!”

His low mood dissolved completely.

The forester Sam gave Steven a favorable look. Although he was obviously a bit tipsy after all he had drunk, he was still in control of his mind and memory.

“Guys, the line of our profound discussion was interrupted on an interesting topic.” he uttered meaningfully, taking down at a gulp yet another glass “Why the hell should people comply with the Coalition with its eternal desire to control the world and put everyone in dependence of their will?”

Peter nodded and responded tripping over words:

“The Free People do not compel anyone to anything. They do not even use the so-called credit cards! How come an ever increasing number of people want to live in their lands?” As he made that statement, the forester put up his index finger and said in a solemn voice, looking Steven in the eye: “It’s because they appreciate the life of every single person. Each one is given a chance to make use of his abilities and also because they all comply with the supreme rule of the Elders and Scientists Council.”

This Council of theirs gives priority to people, not to the System. Whereas we still prioritize financiers and statesmen!” he stroke the bar counter with his fist to add up force to his words and to emphasize the differences in the national ideas of the two antagonistic parties.

Steven, who had already grown a bit drunk, followed the direction of his fist on the counter and again looked up at Peter.

“Hit it! He agreed. “I’ve got nothing to add. Eddy, give us one more double whiskey!” he ordered to the barmen in a resolute voice. Intoxication had not yet gained possession of his mind, and at that point Steven was determined to sort everything out in his head.

“Guys, I really hate this war. Maybe it’s just that I’m a bad soldier,” he said sincerely to the already drunk foresters. “But I’m a good pilot and I can fly to distant planets, damn it!! And what I am doing at this war remains a puzzle to me. I’d prefer doing potato shipments from Mars then fighting in this damned war!” and he forcefully hit the table with his glass.

Listening to his confession, the foresters simultaneously took a gulp of whiskey and stared at him with heightened interest. Sam asked him warm-heartedly:

“Steven, are you having problems at work?”

“Yes, my smart friend,” Steven tossed his head “They kicked my ass on the orbit. And I lost my engineer in space. Our Hagan flew away to hell! And I am to blame for that. What a nuisance!”

The foresters were kind and sincere men. On hearing Steven’s story about some unknown guy who had flown into outer space, they turned noticeably gloomy and were seating with their heads hung. Each one of them might have imagined himself drifting among stars in space armor and with an emptying out oxygen container.

The silence was interrupted by Steven, who awkwardly put his hand on Steven’s shoulder and murmured:

“Commander, the Free People have a great deal of satellites, stations, monitoring systems and various types of new weaponry on the orbit. I’ve heard that they are monitoring far-off space and track down comets that threaten the Earth and then easily eliminate them. Even the guys from the “Smart Doughnut” help them in space monitoring. They have everything under control there! What if they have rescued your engineer?”

On hearing these words, Steven suddenly cheered up and looked seriously at the forester:

“But then it’s a whole new ball game, Sam. At least for me.” He began to blink fast and stared at the ceiling as though figuring out something. “I’d be a good idea to inquire the girls of the monitoring service. They could have spotted Hagan by means of a radio beacon.” He brightened up at that thought and told the foresters:

“That’s how it happened: they could have easily cut us into pieces, but instead just accurately burnt down the engines and let us escape! Which means that the engineer was merely kicked aside by the explosion and flew away unscathed! They couldn’t help but notice him.”

“Eddy!” he turned to the barman, “give us three more doubles! It’s on me again!”

Peter smiled, once again raised his finger and uttered with a nod:

“I’ve always said that only reasonable ideas come to mind in this bar!” he emptied a glass at one gulp and asked Sam politely:

“Shall we repeat?”

Steven’s anxiety subsided, giving way to hope; it seemed to him that the whole bar was now flying in space in the middle of nowhere. And above this saloon and the whole space, the sounds of blues were being heard, and a musician in a worn out vest was the most important figure in the world. And somewhere from a distance, he was singing:

I gonna make every human being

Coloured the darkness, everyone

At the end of the winter sea

When everyone feels so lonely

There was no the way back

It's only way to the darkness

You don't have to suffer,

Just live with the world of "dark side" *

Chapter 17

Do good things and don’t expect reward.

<<The future integration of national cultures will lead to creation of the single global community and global government responsible for the Planet’s environmental protection. The ethics of cybernetic philosophy of life requires that each and every one of us take care of the preservation of the species and ecosystems, and take efforts to step up evolution and further integration.

On the other hand, physical integration of human individuals with gain momentum, combined with creation of a new generation of human beings with potential for immortality. Mankind will enter a new quality of life.>>

“Oma, you are planning to write a book, aren’t you? And, like a real writer, you take down your ideas? But what if some dreadnought of the Coalition smears us out against the orbit and all your notes burn out?” Raju gave her a searching look, lying back in his chair. The cruiser combat cabin was filled with the sounds of Alfred Schnittke’s “Fairy Tale of Wanderings”.

The Sun was about to show it first rays above the horizon. The “Ares” cruiser was standing on the orbit on military service; a few hours were left before the protocol change. Raju obviously felt like talking and exchanging ideas with his mate.

He had done a lot of thinking on the recent contact, and now he wanted to share his ideas with his only friend and smart interlocutor. Flop was drowsing, glued to the cabin glass or silently thinking of something.

On hearing Raju’s words, isoform started messing about and stared at the commander, ready to keep up any conversation.

With a smooth movement of her hand, Oma flicked away the newly written text into her diary memory buffer and turned to the captain:

“Manuscripts don’t burn” as one ancient literary hero once put it” she said solemnly.

“Well said” replied Raju, looking pensively at the horizon. “In accordance with the Noosphere theory, manuscripts become part of the common information field of the Planet. Unfortunately, the war halted all research on this issue. I am convinced that the Planet is not merely a sphere consisting of metals, minerals, water and organic substances, but rather a sentient being, part of the great universal community.”

Evidently, Raju felt like talking, being in a cheerful state of mind.

Flop listened attentively to these words and shifted his gaze to Oma, demonstrating his willingness to participate in the conversation.

“Oh, no” she shaked her head “I’m not sure that’s how it’s going to be. People have considerably undermined the balance on the Planet. So now she requires help. Guys from the Smart Doughnut could tell a lot on this subject. We should pay them a visit. By the way, Raju, it would be a good idea to inquire our rescuee about the contact. He is a man in a unique biological body and might say something new.”

Allow me to question him right away.” Flop got unstuck from the glass and was slowly drifting above the control panel.

“You will not put him to torture?!” Raju said with mock seriousness, but Flop got the irony in his voice. ”Incidentally, I was thinking about that, but then I decided to be kind with him for a start,” he responded in an official tone and decisively set off towards the hallway, every now and then pushing himself off the spacecraft’s light walls.

Gravity and special temperature mode onboard the cruiser was not switched on because the crew member’s cyber bodies did not need that. The required temperature and oxygen compound were applied to the airlock chamber specifically for Hagan. His spacesuit’s magnetic system allowed him to gain a footing on the surface.

Flop looked closely at the rescuee through special glass of the airlock chamber. Then he put the light on and off several times to wake him up, switched over to the intercom device and said weightily:

“Hello, officer. The cruiser commander has entrusted me to question you to the fullest extent of the martial protocol.” Flop himself was stunned by the seriousness of his tone and to enhance the impact of his words his body assumed the color of an Airspace Forces officer’s uniform.

All those measures, in his opinion, were to highlight the significance of the moment. The isoform even tried to make his round eyes look like narrow notches and in that way was hanging above Hagan. The latter opened up his eyes, and a smile appeared on his face.

He said in a soft voice:

“Oh yes, by all means, ask me whatever you like. I am all at your disposal.”

Flop was taken aback by Hagan’s respectful tone. At first he got confused but then again assumed an air of importance and uttered in a strict voice:

“The commander wishes to know whether you have determined any abnormities and get you opinion in this respect.”

Then he got closer to the airlock glass and said in a more heartfelt and confidential voice:

“My colleagues believe that I’m just wasting my time on you.”

That phrase was evidently taken from an interrogation scene of an ancient popular movie. Flop learnt how to conduct questionnaire while watching old films and his favorite anime and was now taking after some hero or several ones simultaneously.

“I hasten to let you know that I am rather impatient!”

The kind isoform could carry on mastering various speech patterns, but Hagan was able to perceive only those things that mostly interested him at the moment, that is the sphere of knowledge he wished to devote himself to, because now he was clear about his destination. What can be more important than that?

“Everything is so bright and wonderful” Hagan was staring with fascination at the Sun emerging its first ray of light above the Blue Planet’s horizon. The clouds veil was slowly casting a shadow of night, turning into sharply white plume against the background of the deep-blue color of the Oceans. “Something that has always escaped my understanding, turned out to be quite close and has always been, do you understand? The keys to this discovery have always been in front of me. But my mind was not prepared to see them. Now I know that. The energy of unimaginable force! It’s incredibly powerful and pure! People will step beyond the horizon and assume new quality! And I know how to bring this to people. Do you now realize what gift I was bestowed?” with these words the engineer gave Flop a wistful look, and a bright smile lit up his face.

For a few seconds isoform was staring at Hagan’s face, analyzing the information, and then uttered the first that came to his mind:

“We’ll do our best to help you.”

Saying these words, he assumed a dazzling white color and like a lightning ball drifted away down the corridor towards the crew cabin.

With the appearance of the first dawn rays, the crew cabin light slowly went out. Oma and Raju were silently watching the Sun rising above the horizon, being under the spell of that spectacular view.

Like a white ball, the isoform flew into the crew cabin, turned around and stopped before the front glass.

“I think I’d better drop you the conversation record this way!” and he transmitted all he had seen directly to the pilot’s brain processor.

Having analyzed the received information, Oma silently turned her head to the commander and gave him an inquiring look. Raju, in his turn, looked blankly at her.

“I have no doubt that Hagan is a medium of something significant. Our Flop is right on this, and we must help him. Do you think the same?”

“Aria, orbit change. Set a course to the Orbital Colony,” Oma swiftly responded to his words.

“Log book, make an entry entitled “Captain’s resolution”, Raju said calmly and added, giving Flop an encouraging look. “Good news, my friend. As usually you’ve done a good job. Thank you!”

“I’m serving humanity” Flop said seriously in a military fashion. He was not quite aware of what was happening but guessed that he was part of some significant event.

The Ares cruiser stayed some more time on the orbit, assigning tasks to the combat satellites and then started to smoothly pick up speed. Then it changed its course, making a beautiful curve. Here goes!

Chapter 18

“If fate sends you a wolf as a friend, it has big plans for you.”

(an Oriental wisdom).

Any military unit, especially intelligence, operates in accordance with a strict order of tasks priority. And any commander or group leader knows that soldiers’ off-work time is an essential part of their life. Therefore the Athena group’s central processor was fit out with a rich library of films, books, music, and performances of famous artists of various epochs of humanity. Alex decided to take a day off.

Her brain chips allowed her to have controlled dreams and wake up in a cheerful mood. It’s a real pleasure to wake up in a large cozy bed and lie in for some time, throwing off remains of dream. The spacious and convenient officer’s bunkroom had high vaulted ceilings and walls decorated with subtle oriental patterns of the old times.

Alex’s large bedroom was filled with subdued light coming from wall-mounted panels. A large fluffy carpet was lying on the floor.

One of the bedroom walls was decorated with an extensive holographic projection of a waterfall amidst the night jungle, which was located opposed the bed.

For some time, Alex was looking at the crystal sprays of gurgling water, thinking of her plans for the day, and said in a slightly hoarse sleepy voice: “Projector, sunny day, calm, pure Ocean shore with palms, light breeze. And one more thing, please make a 3-D sound of breaking waves.” And she started to keenly observe the reality being created by the AI.

She took a look at that new picture and added: “White clouds slowly drifting above the Ocean.”

She lay in bed for a while, looking at the reality being created and listening to the sounds of the sea lapping against the coast; then she lightly jumped off the bed and headed to the shower, letting her hair down on her way. With a habitual movement of her hand, she took off a hair fixer, scattered her hair over her shoulders and quickly said: “Processor, contrast shower, intensive, then skin care and drying.”

A good half hour she was enjoying cool water sprays slapping on her body and then returned to the bedroom, singing something under her breath. Having dressed up leisurely, Alex fixed herself up and stepped out into the hallway, determined to take full advantage of the day.