Andrey Livadny ghost server black sun fb2. Andrey Livadny - Ghost Server. Black Sun. About the book “Ghost Server. Black Sun" Andrey Livadny

Andrey Lvovich Livadny

Phantom Server #3

We boldly and fearlessly walked towards dangers, firmly believing in respawn, firmly knowing that nothing fatal or irreparable would ever happen to us, because this is just a game.

A game... that runs through an ancient extra-dimensional network. A game that involves dozens of real-life civilizations.

The earth has mysteriously become depopulated. The fate of Humanity is unknown.

We, the survivors of the Darg system, have only one thing left: to go to the end. Find the Phantom Server - the central node of the interstellar network of the Departed - and unravel its secret.

Andrey Lvovich Livadny

Phantom Server. Black Sun

Asteroid belt of the Darg system. Aboard the frigate of the Departed...

Tiny flickering lights are reflected in Liori's pupils.

A soft gloom reigns in her compartment. On the table, next to the figurine of a dancing drow, candles are floating. Drops of wax, losing their transparency, fall down, freezing with bizarre streaks of memories of amazing universes, where we, without caring about anything, plunged into the whirlpools of events, meeting dangers with passion, firmly believing in respawn, firmly knowing that nothing fatal or irreparable happened to us will never happen.

So life flashed by, entwined with wires, huddled in inmod.

We felt young and strong, regardless of age, seriously believing that it would always be like this, not suspecting that the line of reality had already been erased...

A dull thud interrupted my thoughts. Vibration rippled through the bulkheads. The external viewing screens automatically turned on. The panorama of the Milky Way, splashed with a river of star fire, began to slowly shift - the ship was preparing for battle, the final check of the subsystems was underway.

The Abyss is now reflected in Lyori's pupils.

They mix fear and hope together. It is impossible to believe that she died - only the matrix of her personality remained, recorded in the nanites connected to my consciousness expander.

We were absolutely sure that we were testing the “game of the future”, characterized by an unprecedented level of realism. They boldly and fearlessly walked towards dangers, not suspecting that every step was fatal, and the discoveries made or acquired skills were sources of real knowledge - they were transmitted to Earth through neuroimplant devices.

Grains of truth are like burning coals. They don't light the way, but they burn the mind.

“Andr,” Liori, with the movement of her pupils, brushed the icy panorama of space from the screens. The candle flames became brighter, warmer for a moment, and then suddenly died out. - It's time.

Direct neurosensory contact mode is disabled.

The system message erased the interior of the compartment, and the image of Lyori faded into a mirage. I'm standing at a low fence. A chilly crimson twilight reigns all around.

In the depths of the launch deck, reflections of plasma welding splashed, long shadows darted across the bulkheads. To my right, the oval slots of the vacuum docks ooze darkness. They are sealed by force fields. On the level below are docking honeycombs for fighter jets - openwork moving structures, near which work is now in full swing: Khaash technicians are hastily preparing two Condors for departure.

A muffled bang was heard from the direction of the gravity elevator shaft. I turned towards the sound and saw Aaron’s lanky figure being gently pushed onto the landing.

"Haash. Intelligent xenomorph. Level 57 pilot."

He is equipped with an armored suit, but has not yet put on his helmet. Framing the three-fingered hands, short computer cables gleam with connectors - with their help, the Haashi connect to the systems of their Airobs.

- Andr, worum? – the lizard rasped questioningly, bowing his head slightly out of habit.

The word is unfamiliar to me. Previously, I perceived the difficulties in communicating with the Haash as a certain element of the flavor of the game, but now I know for sure: behind the avatars of the “intelligent xenomorphs” there are not people at all.

Aaron is silent, waiting for an answer. The look is insightful. Vertical pupils are constricted. Hot breath rushes hoarsely from the slightly open mouth.

The semantic processor still managed to translate: “uorum” means “standing at the line.” Another interpretation is “on the brink.”

Yeah. You can't put it more precisely. The Haash way of thinking does not involve white lies. They are straightforward and therefore sometimes seem cruel.

There was a soft bang again, accompanied by an elastic movement of air.

- Oh, I made the wrong deck!..

- Max, come here! – I squatted down and asked sternly: “Who gave you permission to walk around the ship?”

He smiled shyly.

- I'm looking for Liori! She promised to play with us. It’s so cool when it appears from particles!

Haasch touched my shoulder, drawing my attention, then transmitted a disturbing image: Maxim's "physical energy" indicator was flickering orange.

I have a similar strip barely smoldering in the red sector. Ralph fell ill altogether. Jurgen and Frida are holding out for now. Arbido feels best of all, which is not surprising, because he was connected to the “Ghost Server” later than the others.

Maxim is only five years old. He doesn't understand the enormity of what's happening.

“Listen, Max, go back to the guys’ compartment, okay?” I need you all to sit down in your seats and buckle up, okay?

- OK. What if the girls don’t listen to me?

- Tell me that I appointed you as senior.

- Oh, really?!

- Yes. Come on, let's run and do it!

Delighted, Maxim skipped towards the gravity lift shaft.

Aaron looked at him full of anxiety and compassion. Grayish spots appeared on the haash's rough skin, a sign of extreme mental confusion.

- We must hurry! – he said abruptly. – You are all dying!

A power escalator leads to the level of the docking cells.

Without exaggeration, we are “moving through time.” Devices and mechanisms float by, the purpose of which has not yet been revealed. Every now and then evidence of the past comes into view: numerous melted marks, huge inserts with uneven edges - this is what patched holes in the hull look like. The frigate of the Departed (which became our home after the fall of the Argus station) contains a history of space travel and battles that can only be guessed at.

Until recently, I would not have paid much attention to this. Well, just think, melted furrows, and traces of numerous repairs. So what? A well-modeled game setting, and nothing more.

Now I know - everything is much more complicated. Our consciousnesses have been transported through hyperspace and integrated into the technosphere of another civilization. We are able to interact with objects real world, manipulate them - this is how the Departed mastered the Universe. Their technologies lie beyond understanding, in the realm of phenomena not yet discovered by humanity, but, nevertheless, they work.

In fact, the Darg system is just a tiny, unremarkable “location” of an ancient interstellar network. A dozen gloomy, long-destroyed stations remain here, and clusters of debris left over from unknown battles of past eras drift in space.

We were used blindly. The technosphere of a civilization that had sunk into oblivion was thoroughly destroyed, static, until we awakened it, collecting surviving components, trying to manipulate them - often crudely and ineptly. Thinking that we are acting within the framework

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game virtual reality, the plot of which is based on the myth of the Departed, we did not ask unnecessary questions, organized raids, broke into the ruined depths of the stations, looked for ancient artificial intelligence modules, implanted cybernetic “upgrades” in ourselves, and were choked to death by the incredible realism of sensations...

...Two Condors and three Airobs of the Haash slowly emerged from the darkness. Aerospace fighters are enclosed in lacy frames of service trusses. Sparks from side lights sparingly illuminate the chipped carbonite plating of combat vehicles in places.

Marugail and Mitufurol are waiting for us at the pre-launch storage site. Mark and Mitya - this is how I’m used to shortening the long names of Khaash.

“Andr, the transport of the Daugot Clan has reached the specified coordinates,” Jurgen’s voice was heard in the communicator. – Vogel reports: the assault groups are ready.

– How is the energy of “Relic”?

– I brought the reactors to twelve percent power. This is three minutes of shield operation at full combat load.

- I got you. Let’s try not to take it to the extreme,” I turned to the Khaash. They are highly qualified pilots, but today they play a secondary role. The assault on the former base of the Rogue Clan, where ancient AIs are now in charge, requires special skills that only Liori and I possess...

The situation is simple and deadly.

Thousands of light years away from here, on Earth, in the dim silence of deserted megacities, scarlet sparks of emergency lights are now breaking through the smoky plastic of our inmods. The life support systems have been exhausted, organisms are extremely exhausted - everything is left to the mercy of fate. No one will come to change consumables. People mysteriously disappeared. I don’t have a reasonable explanation for what’s happening, unless human civilization has drowned in the rapids of alien technology pouring out of here?

It doesn't matter anymore.

There is only one way to survive. We must digitize our consciousnesses, as the Departed did. Break the last thin thread connecting with the distant Earth, for complete failure Inmods face death. This could happen at any time.

“Andr,” Aaron came up to me and said quietly: “Andr, act as you are used to,” Haash carefully selects his words, trying to clearly express his thoughts.

– As if the game continues?

He nodded vigorously and headed towards his airbike.

It's dark in the Condor's control room. The empty flight cradle is bent by the tightly closed arcs of the shock-absorbing frame. Life support system is turned off. Traces of recent renovations are visible everywhere. Many of the screens are covered with a web of cracks; they did not have time to replace them.

- Andr, please don’t delay.

I pryed open the foam-flesh plug, revealing the mind expander socket with the cyber module gleaming dimly within it.

One precise movement and a thin strip studded with neurochips came out of the connector. It seems like he tore out a piece of his soul. Her voice melted, the feeling of mental contact between minds faded away.

You have disabled the external neural network. Attention, your mnemonics skill has been lowered by five points.

The drive squealed nervously. The hastily constructed adapter device greedily and tenaciously grabbed the cyber module and pulled it inside the fighter's dashboard.

A haze of nanites came off from my armored suit. Microrobots rushed in gray streams towards the flight seat, forming the image of Liori - first a blurred outline of her figure appeared, then facial features and details of equipment appeared.

“It’s empty without you...” the quiet whisper burned. - Empty and cold...

I can’t imagine what it’s like for her now? If they shoot it down, only a handful of chips will remain in the wreckage of the fighter. Liori understands this perfectly well, but there are no other options. We are forced to separate. The Haashi do not have the “mnemonics” skill, and alone I cannot cover the target with “steel fog” or blind the anti-space defense sensors...

I involuntarily look at the translucent interface icons. Aaron is right. Nothing changed. Skills, abilities, character levels - everything works.

We learned the truth about ourselves, went beyond the boundaries of game reality. The question involuntarily arises: who and why supports the usual attributes for us?

“Andr,” Jurgen’s call shattered the silence. - We have everything ready. Where are you stuck?!

- Go. “I don’t want to say goodbye,” Liori’s image lost its detail; some of the nanites merged into the cybernetic blocks, forming the core of the Condor system.

The docking honeycomb moved out from the frigate's hull, then sharply turned around. The superstructure of the launch deck flashed on the viewing screens.

The haze of the atmosphere swirled and slowly melted. The air from the cell has been pumped out. Beyond the boundary of the force field, the outlines of slowly rotating stone blocks appeared, and a moment later a sharp acceleration pressed me into a chair.

Asteroids, sparkling with patches of ice, rushed towards us in a swarm. A short flash of correction engines, and they parted and rushed past, giving the view a panorama of open space.

The brownish orb of Virong, the system's gas giant, is visible on the starboard side. In the left hemisphere, a distant Darga pea glitters.

Switching between perception modes, I involuntarily kept my gaze on the Relic. The Departed Frigate is shaped like a stingray. The smooth contours of the two-hundred-meter hull are torn apart by holes here and there. The ship emits a trace of radioactivity, and minor problems constantly occur in the reactor units.

The Relic's energy shields are barely smoldering. The telemetry channel provides data on the state of its onboard systems: eleven electromagnetic gauss guns (we call them “EMGs” for short) and one course plasma generator are ready for battle.

The ship is damaged and not properly repaired.

The Relic is accompanied by two efrangs. Amazing creatures native to Wironga, with pronounced mental abilities, help us of their own free will. Their translucent bodies emit a faint glow - now the efrangs are drawing fiery spirals, sliding along the hull of the ship, ready at any moment to cover it with additional protection.

I'm going to the course.

"Condor" Liori confidently stays nearby, "Airobs" of the Haash are moving behind us a couple of thousand kilometers. The Relic's signature is gradually fading - the ship is noticeably lagging behind, maneuvering smoothly, keeping a respectful distance from the target - it will engage in battle only when absolutely necessary.

Having gained acceleration, I turn off the engines. Now we are moving by inertia, along the edge of a rarefied gas and dust cloud.

Streams of data flow into the consciousness expander. Here it is - a potato-like asteroid five kilometers long, dotted with craters. The former base of the Rogue Clan, where the artificial intelligences of the Departed are now in charge.

The faded, sketchy image gradually gains brightness and detail. I see the buildings of an ancient mine: two oval vacuum docks are tightly closed, dusted with dust. Between them is a silver openwork line of loading mechanisms. The hull of a transport ship, adapted for defense needs, protrudes slopingly above the old mine.

The information provided by Jurgen turned out to be correct. To protect the base, the Outcasts used an anti-space defense system developed by the Clan of Technologies. They hid the control module in the depths of an ancient mine, and placed the firing points

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on the surface of the satellites - stone blocks surrounding our main goal. Together they form the so-called “asteroid family” - a group of small cosmic bodies moving at the same speed in a single orbit around a star.

I was doused with oncoming radiation. With the complete merging of the nervous system with the cybernetic components of the machine, the feeling is as if a gust of hot wind scorched the skin, leaving a feeling of tingling, itching pain.

Diaphragm hatches opened in the Condor's armor. Colonies of nanites splashed out into space - they instantly formed a “steel fog” of the tenth level, reliably hiding us from detection sensors. Under the cover of disguise, Liori and I begin scanning the main target.

In the depths of the asteroid, an intricate network of tunnels branches out, forming five underground horizons.

– Andr, there is a suitable signature!

A green marker flashed at a depth of one hundred and fifty meters.

I carefully read the energy matrix of the detected device and compare it with the existing databases.

Without a doubt, this is an artifact of the Departed! The only extra-dimensional network module preserved in the Darg system, designed for recording consciousnesses!

He is our chance for a new life.

Getting closer to the goal. So far everything is going according to plan. Liori and I, using mnemonic abilities, must paralyze the enemy’s anti-space defense nodes, turning them into static targets for the haash.

The picture of what is happening is rapidly expanding with new details.

What else is this?!

A scattering of scarlet markers suddenly appeared one light second from our current position. Three cargo ships. About a hundred drones and... another man-made structure?!

I abruptly leave the attacking course, equalize my speed with the nearest stone fragment, and disguise myself. Liori synchronously repeats my maneuver, the Haash Airobs also slow down and find cover among the asteroids.

The Condor's sensors are continuously collecting data, and the outline of a huge artificial celestial body, shaped like a tumbleweed glinting with steel, appears in my mental field of vision. The consciousness expander details the image; inside the openwork structure is the body of the building being built spaceship, – it is several times larger than our frigate!

Three transports, meanwhile, changed course, opened their cargo compartments, throwing hundreds of tons of cargonite ore into space!

Drones instantly rushed towards the cloud of raw materials. Using force field traps, they quickly collected various sizes of rubble, enclosed it in energy bubbles, inside which the melting process immediately began, and then molecular fog bubbled up!

The most ancient technologies in action!..

– Andr, what’s going on there?! – Jurgen used laser communication, trying to clarify the situation. – Why don’t you attack?!

I broadcast telemetry to him from the Condor's sensors.

– Shut down the engines of the Relic and set up protection until we sort this out!

- This is not an option! I'm staying the same course! – the technologist answered categorically. There is a note of inevitability in his voice.

For us, delay is like death. Literally. But a huge man-made object located next to the main goal ruins the plans. I don't believe the shipyard was built by the Forsworn. It was clearly created by ancient AIs - only they are capable of manipulating molecular fog on an industrial scale!

- Liori, what do you say? – I shot the probe, forming a common laser communication channel.

– Probably manages production artificial intelligence“,” she responded. “But I think the former Forsworn base is outside his area of ​​responsibility.” It’s a bit far away, and I don’t see any signs of activity in the area of ​​the old mine.

– In your opinion, they will simply not pay attention to us if we do not approach the shipyard and attack it? – Frida snorted incredulously.

“And remember the usual behavior of technical servs,” Liori answered restrainedly and thoroughly. - They are always busy. They carry out their programmes, and will not be distracted, even if a fight happens nearby.

- Not convincing! – Aaron snapped in his own manner. – The assault on the Forsworn base will definitely attract the attention of the shipyard AI!

An unexpected delay on the approaches to the goal burns your nerves.

“I’m not canceling the attack.” Mitya, - I turn to Haash, whose airplane is equipped with an advanced tracking station - Is there an exchange of data between the shipyard and our target?

There are hundreds of bright scarlet dots on the radars. I watch them, involuntarily gritting my teeth. Clusters of markers move towards the shipyard. Cargo ships We went for the next batch of raw materials. Soon their signals dimmed and disappeared.

The Drones of the Departed disabled the energy cocoons, freeing their contents. Near the shipyard, a molecular fog stirred up - a continuous curtain of hot gaseous substance created a kind of veil that interfered with the work of the scanners.

We continue to watch. As Lyori suggested, the robots of the ancient civilization are busy with their business. They reorganized, formed groups, starting the next technological phase of production: now sensors record electromagnetic fields that compact the hot substance.

A series of faint flashes followed.

The drones used the "form of manifestation" command to create armor plates! I can clearly see how the diamond-shaped segments emanating heat drift in space, forming small clusters.

I agree with Aaron: an assault on the mine will certainly attract the attention of the shipyard’s AI manager, but what can he do against the Relic? There are no large ships nearby – the Incarnate’s squadron is now pursuing the remnants of the colonial fleet “Eurasia”...

– Andr, I have an idea! – Jurgen exclaimed.

- Speak.

– Relikt has power towing devices! I will capture the asteroid with them and set a course for the outskirts of the system. And we’ll deal with those who are holed up inside, away from the shipyard, without attracting anyone’s attention!

- Reasonable! – Aaron immediately supported the technologist.

“Okay, that’s what we’ll do.” Decisions have to be made instantly. - Begin! Do not touch the drones, do not approach the shipyard!

The first of the satellites in the sight.

The stone block is rapidly growing in size. There is a compact reactor inside, and batteries of laser and electromagnetic weapons are clearly scanned outside.

My heart beats quickly and unevenly - I can’t do anything about it.

One light second away, the robots of an ancient civilization continue to work hard. They scurry among clouds of molecular fog, collect slowly cooling hull segments and transport them to the ship under construction.

The automation of my Condor constantly scans communication frequencies, but there is no data exchange between the old mine and the shipyard.

Click. Changing the range. A distant, distorted voice suddenly broke through the background static:

– Station Eurasia, to everyone who can hear us!.. We are under attack by unknown ships!.. The shields are barely holding up!.. We are losing the atmosphere!.. Help!..

A new task is available: “Saving Eurasia.”

Find a way to stop the Incarnate. Reward: Your relationship with command

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the colonial fleet will improve significantly. You will be able to trade with the station and use its equipment to repair your ships.

- Liori, did you hear?

- Yes, and I got the task!

We reach the target. Now our "Condors" are drawing rapid turns of intersecting orbits. The fighters' guns are silent. We are attacking the anti-space defense node with the help of nanites, using the mnemonics skill. Microscopic robots penetrate inside fortifications, blind sensors, disrupt data exchange, and paralyze kinematics. Debuff icons appear one after another in the enemy battery frames:

"Systems failure."

"Critical fault."

"Equipment failure."

It's finished! We change course. Next satellite in the sight reticle! At the limit of the scanning sphere, a barely visible signature of the Relic has already appeared. The frigate has set course for our main target!

The Khaash Airobs began to storm the paralyzed PKO node. They have a couple of minutes to burn out enemy firing points.

Liori and I repeat the attack.

"Systems failure."

"Critical fault."

"Equipment failure."

The second satellite is neutralized! The gap in the anti-space defense has been breached! Now we set course for the ancient mine. "Steel Fog" still protects our "Condors", which cannot be said about the Airobs of the Haash flight. They opened fire on them from long distances, from inconvenient angles, but still it was not pleasant!

Resistance is weak. Nobody expected our attack. So far everything is going according to plan, but the proximity of the shipyard is frankly annoying.

"Relic" is gaining speed. His signature is gradually intensifying. Slightly behind the frigate, a bright dot moves - this is a transport with assault groups of the Daugoth clan. Vandal and Vogel will lead the fighters into the asteroid once it is captured by the frigate's towing devices.

I'm worried about an old spaceship that the Forsworn have turned into a long-term firing point. I mark it with a target marker, but the supply of microrobots is exhausted, and we go into an orbit around the asteroid. Smoothed relief forms pass under the bottom of the cars. Having found a suitable building containing a large percentage of cargonite, we replicate the nanites,” a series of flashes illuminated a small crater, and a system message appeared before the mind’s eye:

The supply of micromachines has been replenished.

By moving the pupils I send microrobots inside the mine, depriving the fire control module of the ability to coordinate the actions of the satellites.

Now the old transport! We quickly set out to attack it, and, as it turned out, on time. Sensors detect two batteries of plasma generators - their signatures flare up, energy is being accumulated for a salvo!

Using bursts of electromagnetic guns, we crack the armor and break through the protection of the power compartment. Everything happens instantly. There was an explosion inside the ship. The hatches and weapon ports were knocked out, the docking points gave way, and the mutilated hull was thrown up and sent into an uncontrollable drift.

I look around.

Khaashi worked without losses. Clouds of debris swirl in space.

There are four minutes left before the Relic approaches...

- They worked perfectly! – “Condor” Liori maneuvered, taking the position of a wingman.

I turned on the autopilot, depressurized my helmet, and wiped the beads of sweat that had formed on my forehead with the back of my glove.

The tips of my fingers tremble slightly. I never noticed this before.

Just a couple more minutes and that's it. I can’t imagine what it will be like – ours new life? "Relic" will capture and tow the asteroid to the outskirts of the star system, we will clear out the ancient mine, get to the device found by the Outcasts, and with its help we will digitize our consciousnesses. In essence, we will defeat death, become like the ancient creatures...

– Unidentified signature on scanners!

Mitufurol's exclamation instantly brought me to my senses. The drives squealed, lowering the visor of the pressure helmet, the consciousness expander and metabolic implant again entered a forced mode of operation.

Near the shipyard, among the diamond-shaped hull segments drifting in space, large vortices of matter appeared in the darkness of the molecular fog. The drones of the Departed, abandoning their routine work, surrounded them, pumping them with energy.

An instant analysis of energy matrices made me shudder.

– These are the Phantom Raiders!..

I was the only one who was “lucky” to observe with my own eyes the process of materialization of an armada of alien ships before their attack on the Argus station. It's impossible to make a mistake.

- Give me just one minute! – Jurgen’s exclamation was heard over the connection. – The towing grips are already activated!

– Vogel, park the transport in the Reklikt vacuum dock! Aaron, cover Liori and me!

The Condor's optical multipliers bring into the mind a chilling picture of what is happening: a combat vehicle equipped with an artificial intelligence module has emerged from the hot darkness. Flakes of scale fly off the armor, ten-megawatt shields become visible in a dull glow, weapon ports open in the hull, the stern lights up with a ghostly glow from the operation of annihilation engines, and the raider begins to accelerate.

Course Analysis... He's targeting the Relic!

– Just a little more!.. I captured the asteroid!.. – Jurgen’s voice is drowned in the suddenly appeared interference.

Outbreaks in the shipyard area have become more frequent.

A discharge from a super-powerful laser system hit the Relikt. It was only by luck that he ended up in a randomly rotating asteroid, which came out of orbit due to the work of the frigate's towing grips.

A burst of flame erupted from the block of stone.

Three hundred thousand kilometers is the effective fire distance for a weapon whose impulse travels at the speed of light!

- Jurgen, maneuver! Cover yourself with asteroids!

A series of laser discharges overtook the frigate. Jurgen had to divert the energy from the towing grapples away from the shields. Due to the lack of power, the force fields flared on and off, unable to absorb all the damage. The ship's armor was burned through, but without fatal consequences: in the affected area there were depressurized compartments where a vacuum initially reigned - this helped to avoid explosive decompression. The casing received a dozen small holes, melted along the edges, but retained its integrity.

Two efrangs rushed forward, blocked the dangerous direction, intercepting another volley of Phantom Raiders.

- Jurgen! Take the frigate away!

The stern of the Relikt was illuminated by the glow from the operation of plasma engines. The ship began to accelerate smoothly, heading for the Argus. Correct solution! At first, a destroyed station can serve as an excellent shelter!

The efrangs (they now look like huge jellyfish riddled with hot veins) blocked another volley, and suddenly began to fade, losing the intensity of the glow.

"Relic" snarled from its main caliber guns, turned the nearest asteroids into rubble, covered itself with their debris like a shield, forcing the enemy to cease fire and begin approaching.

The raiders suddenly split up. Five vehicles continued the attack, the rest turned towards the shipyard. Why?

The answer was suggested by signature analysis. They are distorted and faded. From molecular fog, suitable for the production of armor plates, the shipyard's AI was unable to create full-fledged combat vehicles?!

– Raider annihilation installations

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operate at only a third of power! They don't have enough antiprotons! – Liori confirmed my guess.

- Let's attack!

We were just one step away from a new life, and now what?!

Five Phantom Raiders on a collision course! The rest disappeared into the darkness of the molecular fog swirling near the shipyard. We went looking for the active substance, but will definitely return!

Despite the failure in the replication programs, the enemy is far superior to us in terms of tactical and technical characteristics. Liori and I have already encountered machines of an ancient civilization in battle and have a good idea of ​​their capabilities. Although a lot has changed since then. We have grown significantly in levels and acquired new abilities.

The main thing is not to let them break through to the Relict!

The frigate slowly picks up speed, heading for the Argus. The asteroid follows him as if tethered.

I squeeze maximum power out of the engines. This group must be dealt with as quickly as possible! Liori confidently stays close, but the airobs deliberately lag behind and constantly maneuver. The Haashi did not flinch under fire and focused the enemy's attention on themselves, giving us the opportunity for a surprise attack.

The distance is rapidly closing, but the Phantom Raiders do not see us on the scanners; their sensors are powerless against the “steel fog.”

Fifteen thousand kilometers... Ten...

With the impulse of the shunting engines I go into strafe. My Condor is still closing in on the enemy while moving sideways.

I keep the raiders in sight, waiting until the shooting angle allows me to attack the entire group.

Eat! Their outlines began to overlap each other! I open fire with four electromagnetic weapons.

The disguise is broken. My fighter, spewing a barrage of shells, moves sideways, draws a wide arc in space, leaving a melting plasma trail.

The raiders' shields sank sharply, absorbing the damage. They don't have enough energy... "Condor" Liori strafes in the opposite direction from me. The AIs did not like the volumetric crossfire. They twitched. They left the haash alone and instantly changed the priority of the targets!

Liori and I continue to move in the direction of the shipyard, only now we are flying “astern first,” snarling with guns.

The AIs did not dare to leave us in the rear and made a combat turn. The enemy’s shields are practically knocked down, smoldering at one megawatt and not being restored. They transferred energy to weapons systems, hoping to quickly finish us off.

The Haashis did not miss the moment. Focusing on their targets, they opened fire with rapid-fire lasers. The weakened force fields of the two raiders flared and went out, the armor instantly became covered with cherry scars, and then splashed with debris!

The explosion of the annihilation installations momentarily blinded the sensors.

The leading couple are done! The rest have completely lost their protection - I cut one with long bursts of EMGs, the second is shot down by Liori, and only the last manages to escape: maneuvering dangerously, he disappeared into the darkness of the molecular fog.

The ammunition change indicator flashes rhythmically.

Tickly beads of sweat run down your back. The wet fabric of the aerobatic suit no longer absorbs them.

The forced work of the consciousness expander never goes unnoticed. Moments of contraction burn up your strength, then a sharp malaise sets in, it seems that reality is “slowing down,” but these sensations quickly melt away.

Four Phantom Raiders are shot down. Damage to the Condor is minimal - sagging shields, a couple of hot scars on the skin, and burnt sensors, in return for which the reserve has already been activated.

I slow down and look around. The shipyard is some ten thousand kilometers away. Clouds of thin, slowly cooling molecular fog are now hiding me from detection, but this kind of camouflage is a double-edged sword. The scope of effective scanning has shrunk significantly. "Condor" Liori has disappeared somewhere, there is no connection with the Haash - there is too much interference.

But we can clearly distinguish the energy trace of the Relic, and this is very bad. The ship is still in the asteroid belt. It won't be that easy to get out of here.

In the thickness of the projection visor, the icon of an unread message persistently blinks, and I automatically open it:

You received new level!

Increased abilities:

Piloting small ships 11 (+0.93).

Combat maneuver 13 (+0.74).

Navigation 15 (+0.3).

The game interface still works. You will either have to come to terms with this or deal with it...

No answer.

Well, where are you?!

I lead the Condor along the edge of the nebula that shrouds the shipyard, looking for a large enough gap in the hot molecular clouds to assess the situation. There are no raiders in sight yet. But drones are scurrying around nearby, and here and there clusters of armored plates are drifting, never delivered to the space shipyard dock.

In the place where the Outcast base was located, silent explosions occur. The orbits of the asteroids have changed, they collide with each other, heat up, breaking into fragments.

"Relic" finally appeared in the line of sight. Now nothing interferes with laser communication with the frigate.

- Jurgen, report!

– We received a dozen holes in the hull, but it’s okay! – the technologist responded instantly. – The towing grips held up!

-What's inside the asteroid?

– Unstable energy emissions. Strong thermal illumination. I think the shaking and sudden acceleration led to a chain of equipment failures. The artifact seems to be in place, but it is difficult to judge what condition it is in. Vogel and Vandal rush to check.

- Hold them. It is now too dangerous to send assault teams into the mine. Do you have a connection with the Haash?

– Give Aaron my order: cover the Relic. At any cost. What about the efrangs?

- They died.

- You are sure? – I feel sorry for these mysterious creatures.

– Frida lost mental contact with them. Sensors detected two decaying signatures. I hope they have a respawn point somewhere on Virong,” the technologist added uncertainly.

– Liori hasn’t been in touch?

- No. Isn't she with you? – Jurgen was surprised and worried.

- We missed each other. She must have chased the raider. I’ll try to find it, and at the same time I’ll check where the rest of the vehicles of the Departed went.

- Be careful, Andr!

Warnings are unnecessary. Of course, I want to believe that fate is on our side today.

Getting closer to the shipyard.

The openwork structure I noticed turned out to be only a detail of a huge complex of space structures, including dozens of slipways. An entire fleet is being built here. The scale of what we saw is overwhelming. The Outcasts, when creating the Incarnate, did not think at all about the consequences of the dangerous experiment, and when they came to their senses, it was already too late.

I scan the hulls of spaceships, but to my surprise I find no signs of vigorous activity, I do not see complex technological content inside.

What does this mean? Does the Incarnate not have the full knowledge of ancient civilization? Does he, like us, need to study the legacy of the Departed and fill in the gaps?

- Andr! - "Condor" Liori suddenly burst out of the crimson darkness, - I found them! Eleven Raiders! They are heading for the "Relic"!

The war machines of the Departed quickly pierce the darkness. Liori is right: they are targeting the frigate! Moving

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quickly, camouflaging in plumes of molecular fog!

The “mnemonics” skill gives us some advantage, but the enemy is better armed and protected by ten-megawatt shields. The raiders managed to find the necessary elements and replenished the supply of active substance for power annihilation installations.

Two against eleven?! – an involuntary chill slid along my back.

"Act as usual"! – the phrase dropped by Haash is woven into his thoughts.

– Liori, we attack with nanites and immediately leave for the shipyard!

- Andr, nothing will work! Micromachines will not pass through their force fields!

- I know! But we use molecular fog! – I broadcast data from my consciousness expander to her.

- You're crazy…

We synchronously change course, get closer to the raiders, and, without opening fire, we rush through their formations under the cover of camouflage, leaving the AIs in complete bewilderment.

"Replication".

"Replication".

"Replication".

A trail of newborn nanites trails behind the Condors. The nebula created by drones is ideal for the reproduction of micromachinery colonies.

With sharp acceleration we break the distance and set a course for the nearest slipway.

– Liori, maximum protection! All energy to the shields of the aft hemisphere!

"Plasma Flash"! – I activate a recently learned ability.

A blinding flame cut through the darkness among the battle formations of the raiders, followed, as I expected, by a volumetric explosion - the nearest clouds of molecular fog detonated!

The drone markers blinked and went out. Chaotically occurring plasma emissions, swirling like prominences, hit the shipyard, burning through the hulls of ships under construction, melting the load-bearing structures of the stocks...

The shields of our Condors were reduced to almost nothing. I'm having a hard time staying the course. Various debris rush past, randomly rotating, translucent interface windows are filled with messages - lines continuously replace each other.

Raiders? Where are they?

I barely had time to work with the shunting engines and slip into the narrow gap between the red-hot beams of the shipyard frame when they splashed with melt - heavy laser installations hit us after us.

At great speed we rushed through the lattice structures and turned around, scanning.

Two raiders destroyed! The rest withstood the plasma blast, losing their shields and receiving minor damage. Nobody chased us. Restoring protection, they again rushed in the direction of the frigate!

Damn it! My plan only partially worked!..

The task of helping "Eurasia" is completed! You destroyed the shipyard's control module, thereby attracting the attention of the Incarnate! Artificial intelligence stopped the attack, and the dying station got a chance...

– Aaron, nine raiders are heading for the Relic!

– Got it!.. – Haash’s answer barely broke through the interference. A magnetic storm is raging in space.

There are a lot of carbonite fragments around.

– Replicating nanites!

Two short flashes struck and the “steel fog” again hid our fighters.

– The Incarnate’s squadron will arrive here in three hours, not earlier! – in spite of everything, the triumph of the victory rings in Liori’s voice. – The shipyard’s AI has been destroyed and will not be able to create new combat vehicles! We burned over a hundred drones. I got four levels!

- I have five.

– Andr, increase the level of “Disintegration”, we can’t do without it!

Useful advice! There are few shells left for the EMGs, they must be protected, and medium lasers will not knock down enemy shields.

There is no time to think. We are on an interception course. The annihilation thrust installations of the Phantom Raiders are many times superior to the plasma engines of the Condors, but the abundance of various types of space debris does not allow them to reach full cruising speed.

Let's get closer.

Emotions fade, tension grows, distance shrinks. The Haash squad cannot withstand nine deadly machines. It is necessary to divide the group of raiders, destroy or engage in battle at least several of them, and prevent them from breaking through to the “Relic”!

Liori, understanding my plan, deliberately lags behind. We are connected by a channel of mnemonic data exchange - this allows us to do without words.

There is a small asteroid in the sight reticle. The raiders are just going around it.

"Target Disintegration"!

I sharply turn to the side, cover myself with a previously planned stone fragment, but the shields still instantly sag to zero!

The asteroid was torn into atoms.

My fighter's armor is hot. The sensors beep alarmingly. I urgently dump the atmosphere from the compartments, this will allow me not to think about possible decompression.

The enemy's shields are knocked down, and Lyori quickly attacks. Her “Condor” draws a very complex trajectory, fires continuously, preventing the AIs from restoring their force fields!

One of the raiders disappeared in a flash of flame, the skin of the second was ripped open by projectile tracks, a pale glow splashed through the holes - the power plant was damaged! The rest turned around - four on me, three on Liori!

Maneuvering, he broke through to help her - using bursts of EMGs he took out one of the raiders, attacked the second with nanites, and attacked the third with lasers. I’m not trying to finish off, I immediately go into a combat turn - four AIs are on my tail!

Now we are approaching on opposite courses. With my glance I manage to place the sight reticle on the leader.

"Disintegration"!

The next moment, discharges of heavy lasers burned through the Condor's armor. The instrument panels in the control room exploded, navigation and engine control failed, and my fighter, spinning helplessly, began to move away from the battlefield.

I manage to glance at the wreckage of the downed raider and issue a series of mnemonic commands:

"Replication"

“Quick repair” – I learned this ability thanks to the databases of the Clan of Technologies. The micromachines immediately went to work, eliminating critical damage.

Four AIs have been destroyed, the rest are gaining acceleration, again heading for the Relic! They wrote us off and didn’t waste time and energy trying to catch up and finish us off.

- Alive. How are you Is there any damage?

– Burned the inertia dampers. The body is a sieve. Nothing critical. The engines are working!

Yeah, I found her... The Condor reactor is overloaded, emitting a radioactive trace. The damage is much worse than I thought.

– Pull to the Relict’s docking cells! I'll catch up with you, the nanites are already regaining control. Don’t get involved in a fight, the Haashi will handle it themselves now!

- Andre, I...

- Please don’t argue!

We both understand the situation is desperate. If her Condor's reactor explodes, there will be no respawn for Lyori.

“Okay... Just don’t linger here... Be sure to catch up... I promised...” her voice gradually moves away, fading into a hiss of interference.

For the ten minutes it took for repairs, I could only watch powerlessly as the raiders broke through to the Relic.

From the direction of the shipyard, drones and three transport ships suddenly came to the aid of the AIs. I see how they set course for the frigate!

The heavy electromagnetic guns of the Relikt fired three salvos, shot down the transports and fell silent - there was no energy, it was given to the towing grips.

The battle is raging in space. The Haashi clash with raiders and drones! The forces are unequal. I'm going at full speed. Hold on... Just hold on!..

- I ... them

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I don’t see!.. I don’t see!.. I don’t see!.. – the drawn-out roar was suddenly choked by a cry of pain.

Mitufurol was shot down! The wreckage of his airob flashed past.

I enter the battle on the move, attack the nearest raider, and drive the rest of the ammunition into the sloping ledge of the control room. Metal splashes. The AI ​​tried to turn it away, but in vain. The deadly machine, continuing to accelerate and strafe, crashed into a drifting transport ship and disappeared in a burst of flame.

Three Phantom Raiders rip apart the Relic's armor with continuous laser blasts. The frigate shakes from internal explosions. Decompression emissions crack its hull, muddy tornadoes carrying fragments of equipment burst through long, ugly holes.

Jurgen does not answer calls. The ship's signature is blazing with distortions.

The shields failed. The "Relic" is coasting, the engines are not working - the last ergs of the power plant are given to the towing grips. The five-kilometer asteroid obediently floats after the ship, but there is too much debris around. They crash into its surface, destroying the miraculously surviving communications of the ancient mine.

The electromagnetic guns of my tar fighter. The last charged energy storage device and two directional lasers connected to it remained; the remaining weapon systems failed.

We are one step away from immortality and half a step away from death.

But there are only three raiders left.

I'm speeding up. I managed to burn out the inertia dampers - I feel overloaded during maneuvers. The AIs noticed me and abruptly retreated in different directions. Their subsequent actions are easy to predict: two will try to attack, the third will finish off, waiting for an opportune moment.

I drive the Condor close to the skin of the Relic, level out, and pierce the turbid clouds of gas. I wheeze:

- Someone cover me, I’m attacking!..

I go up sharply. It gets dark in my eyes. The hull of the wounded ship overturned and began to move away. The raider is on a collision course. Another one is trying to intercept me during a maneuver - laser discharges sweep obliquely, narrowly missing the engines.

An airob flashed past. The car was cut into several parts. The tattered optical fiber sparkles, the stub of the pilot seat drags behind on the cable.

He broke up with the raider, having managed to snap back from the lasers. Two come from behind from different sides. They don't shoot, they save energy. A little more and they will be able to hit for sure.

Choke on the creature!..

He delayed until the last minute. I dropped a cloud of nanites when the AIs were ready to open fire on me.

“Form of embodiment” – I transmit a mental image to micromachines.

Consciousness "floats". One less raider. Without shields, on breakneck speed he ran into a swarm of carbonite balls. The second one still managed to turn it away.

The Relic's signature is slowly fading. The frigate is already on the border of the asteroid belt, heading for the Argus, but is anyone alive on board?

- Jurgen... Arbido... Frida... Someone answer!..

At that moment, the frigate's power grips turned off. The five-kilometer block spun in rotation, several large stone fragments crashed into it - the collision knocked the asteroid off course, and it began to move away from the place of the fight, again going deeper into the belt.

I'm being chased by two Ghost Raiders. The surrounding space is seething with many collisions. The stars on the screens are drowning in haze. The nanites are used up. There is no way to replicate them. A suspension of hot gas and small stone chips is not suitable for the reproduction of micromachines.

I sharply reduce speed, forcing my car to dive under the randomly rotating hull of the damaged transport ship.

The raiders rushed past, did not have time to react, and turned around in search of the escaped target.

They also have a hard time. The shield emitters are destroyed, the armor is scarred from numerous hits. The Haashi fought desperately and skillfully. Pale light breaks through the damaged hull of the raiders. Annihilation power plants are at their limit and are losing stability.

I'll finish them off. Then I’ll catch up with the asteroid and try to get to the artifact. There are no other options.

The AIs detected me again. They walk in pairs, following the radioactive trail. My Condor's reactor is damaged and threatens to explode at any second, but resetting the power plant is not an option. I'll hold out as long as I can. Otherwise – drift and guaranteed slow death.

I go around the body of the transport, spin into a rapid spiral, preventing the raiders from opening fire, then I dive sharply into a huge hole, turn around, and completely reduce the speed with a few impulses.

The enemy stubbornly follows the trail. The radioactive trail left by my fighter is an unreliable landmark. It only indicates an approximate direction.

The signatures are getting closer. Spending the last nanites, I activate “Look through walls”. My car's sensors are burned out, the cabin is depressurized, and many of the instrument panels are melted.

They still come in pairs. The leader turned his nose towards the vehicle, the creature senses that danger may come from the holes, and predicts my actions.

The second raider's weapons have failed, but the shield generators are still working. He is trying to stretch the weak force field and cover the leader with it.

This must not be allowed! The laser emitters of my fighter will not penetrate the defense!

The consciousness expander, thanks to its activated ability, clearly captures the target. Nanites regularly transmit information, although their number is gradually decreasing. The raiders can't see me. The radioactive release from the reactor creates a strong illumination of an undetermined configuration.

Fractions of seconds to make a decision.

The Condor's armor was illuminated by flames from the operation of the shunting engines. Smooth turn. Now I have a hole on my left side. A powerful impulse of lateral thrust pushes the fighter outward, with its nose towards the enemy.

Molten metal splashed. The deep, heated scars resemble the mark of a clawed paw slashed across a raider's armored hide.

The last energy storage device is completely discharged, my Condor is moving away with a lateral displacement - wounded, unarmed, having lost all its man-made power. The reactor is hot and leaking radiation.

The explosion struck suddenly. The disastrous premonition deceived me. I finally got it!

The ring flash consumed both opponents.

Debris flew past, some hitting the fighter, sending my car into an uncontrollable spin.

The energy storage indicators are dimly smoldering. There is a taste of blood in the mouth. There is no feeling of victory, only emptiness. I can barely move, the communications station has gone down, there is almost no shunting fuel left.

The former Forsworn base is slowly moving deeper into the asteroid belt. There are countless stone and ice blocks of various sizes around. I lead the crippled Condor, slowly but steadily reaching my target.

I release the last remaining probe. The spherical reconnaissance apparatus rushed towards the hacked gates of the vacuum dock. The structure of the ancient mine is torn by deep cracks.

I am waiting detailed information. I calculate the courses of the nearest celestial bodies, and suddenly notice a Condor drifting nearby.

Her fighter is completely drained of energy. The reactor block has been reset. Most of the armor plates were destroyed. Beams power frame look like ribs

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While the probe is exploring the structure of the ancient mine, I turn the car around and approach the drifting Condor.

“Hold on... Just hold on, dear...” my lips move silently. Dear, dear, beloved - these words used to have no meaning, they seemed long out of use.

The automatic docking system worked. A short arm of a sealed passage connected the two crippled machines.

In the pilothouse of her Condor, darkness reigns. The control consoles are melted. The empty flight seat is cut by a laser discharge, and droplets of hydraulic fluid flowing from the emergency anti-g system float around in weightlessness.

There is no response from the nanites that made up the image of Lyori. She burned them, using them as weapons, when there was no more ammunition or energy left.

I don't believe it's over. The lump in my throat prevents me from breathing, I want to howl, but I gritted my teeth and sat down, scanning the homemade adapter device.

The cyber module is damaged. Neurochips are covered with scale. Here and now it is impossible to check whether Lyori’s matrix of consciousness has survived?

Using the laser from the repair kit, I cut out a fragment of the instrument panel, packed it into my inventory, looked around at the dead control room and began to make my way back aboard my Condor.

Behind last days More and more often there are moments when consciousness simply reaches a dead end. Life in the game universes was interesting, understandable, and, as I now understand, cloudless. Words such as “despair”, “grief”, “loss” were erased from the lexicon, devoid of practical meaning. Now they find an interpretation and find it difficult to take root in the soul...

The world has changed forever. The past has died, and the future has not yet arrived. There is only a moment of the present. There are pieces of melted cybernetic devices in the inventory. There is still hope that the bytes of the digitized soul of a loved one are not lost irretrievably...

I'm approaching an asteroid. I suppressed all unnecessary thoughts. I will definitely get to the artifact of the Departed. I'll deliver it to Relict. I will restore the cyber module with Lyori's consciousness. Together we will figure out what is happening and learn to live in a new reality for us.

The goal is getting closer. The information collected by the probe is encouraging. The ancient device is still active. Due to the many impacts that destroyed the asteroid's surface, my task was greatly simplified. Wide faults lead deeper into the area. In fact, only the supporting structures of the mine, made of the strongest carbonite alloy, hold together multi-ton fragments.

I'm running out of time. The density of the asteroid belt is increasing - there are hundreds of stone blocks of various sizes around. Most of them threaten fatal collisions that will completely destroy the ancient building.

My fighter's reactor had stabilized at thirty percent power. I transferred energy to the shields and directed the Condor deep into the dark gorge, working only with the correction engines.

I constantly maneuver my way through a web of thinned, stretched and deformed structures.

The speed inevitably drops. There are more and more obstacles on the way. In the cracks of the walls I see many rooms embedded in stone, torn into unequal parts. The consciousness expander greedily absorbs any available information. It was here that the Outcast Clan created the Incarnate!

The ruins of cybernetic laboratories probably contain invaluable data. For example, nanite activation codes that open up new, unknown to me, areas of application of nanomachines.

The sensors beep nervously. The walls of the fault are closing ever closer, but only thirty meters are left to the goal!

I stop the Condor with a braking impulse. The fighter will not get further. I'll have to get out.

The stone walls tremble menacingly. In the silence of the vacuum, more and more cracks run through them. Silent collapses occur - sharp debris fills the cramped space, floats in weightlessness, collides with each other.

The armored suit is unlikely to withstand such a load. We'll have to do things differently. I activate the course lasers and clear them with a series of discharges. shortest path, then, using a circular rotation of the weapon pendants, I cut a hole in the nearest deformed bulkhead, behind which access to the surviving premises of the mine opens.

The joining sleeve extended and the plasma welding machines started working.

I touched the sensor, disengaging the suit's clamps, about to stand up, when the feeling of mortal danger suddenly cut through my nerves.

The signal comes from the probe remaining outside. One of the many asteroids is on a collision course!

The walls of the chasm began to close menacingly, the force field pulsed furiously, a grinding sound was heard - the stabilizers of my Condor were slowly being pressed into the hull...

Direct neurosensory contact with the fighter’s systems infuses unbearable pain into my mind, as if it were not the metal that was being crushed, but my own flesh.

Consciousness could not stand it, it mercifully went out...

I'm slowly coming to my senses.

Information from implanted sensors is fragmentary. The surrounding area is boiling. Everything is permeated with radiation. The crippled Condor drifts among the debris of a destroyed asteroid. There is not a single active energy matrix within the range of the scanners, which means: the device of the Departed is destroyed, lost forever...

My consciousness expander collects information byte by byte, unites the surviving subsystems of the machine into a single whole. It was difficult to stabilize the reactor at ten percent of power. One of the course force field generators produced an insignificant 0.3 megawatts - that’s all the protection against radiation and collisions.

I will not Give Up.

I set the Relic call to automatic repeat mode, and took over manual control. We need to get out of this cesspool, then scan every fragment. I still have a little time before the Incarnate squadron approaches. Perhaps the Departed artifact simply turned off, having received damage or lost its power source.

The fighter maneuvered at low speed between large debris and entered a safe orbit around a cloud swirling in space.

Liori's car is drifting nearby. I am sending nanorobots on board the energy-deprived Condor, giving them a dozen micronuclear batteries from the emergency supply. They will connect a second scanning complex, so things will go faster.

Incoming call! Finally! Communication with the frigate has been established! Judging by the bearing of the signal, "Relic" continues to move towards "Argus"!

– Near the destroyed asteroid...

- Everything is over? – he asked directly.

– I just started scanning. I'll stay here as long as necessary. How are things on board?

– The Haashi went through respawn. The Airobs are lost, the Efrangs are dead. The children were fine; their compartment was under reliable protection. What should we do now, Andr?

- Don't lose hope.

- Is Liori with you?

- Yes. But the cyber module is damaged. She is not available yet.

– Andr, the artifact is most likely destroyed...

This is a tough conversation.

– If I don’t find him, we’ll try to contact Oasis.

- Hybrid? Do you think he'll help? – Jurgen perked up. - Do you want me to

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will I go there? Shall I talk to him myself?

- No. I'll contact Oasis from here. The station is in my direct line of sight. For now, take care of the frigate. Current repairs, life support. Provide Aaron with transport, let him bring the wreckage of the Airobs on board. I'll bring Liori's Condor myself. Tell Haash that any fragments of the raiders will be useful for our research, if any are found.

– What do you hope for, tell me? – I read absolute hopelessness in Jurgen’s gaze.

“If the artifact is destroyed, then we ourselves will create something similar,” I try to answer confidently. – You have a high technologist skill, I have improved mnemonics.

- Then come back! – Jurgen perked up. – Why waste time and take risks?

- There's a lot of rubble here. different devices. I've never even heard of most of them. I will look for an artifact and quickly develop my skills. To create artificial neural networks you will need high level"mnemonics".

– The squadron of the Incarnate is approaching! – Jurgen recalled.

- I know. That’s why I ask you to take up “Relic.” Dock the frigate with the station, disguise its signature. Send Vandal and Vogel to the former sector of your clan. Let them search for any media. Departed technologies are the key to everything. Upon my return, I will need any data that can be studied to improve my skills and abilities.

- Andr, accelerated pumping will kill you!

- Maybe. Then Liori will complete it for me! – I snapped. - Jurgen, stop bickering! We're just wasting time! Let's everyone mind their own business.

- OK. Fine. Whatever you say, he is very nervous. – I will keep the communication channel open.

- Just don’t bother me over trifles. Solve current issues yourself.

While we were talking with Jurgen, the nanites were patching up the system of the second Condor. The fighter received instructions for action from me and joined in scanning the asteroid debris.

The mnemonic load indicator suddenly jumped into the orange sector. My consciousness expander now receives information from two BSCs.

Translucent diagrams of various devices drifting in space or embedded in angular stone blocks flash before your eyes.

I transfer the data collection process to the background and open the abilities tab. To be honest, the hope of finding the artifact is negligible, but the former Outcast base is literally “stuffed” with various kinds of equipment. Most of the discovered devices belong to the technosphere of the Departed and have not been studied by me before. Within a few minutes of collecting information, the “Alien Technologies” skill increased by two points.

Not bad for a start, but it’s too early to delude yourself. Again and again I replicate the nanites, sending them into the depths of the torn corridors, to the surviving sections of the ancient mine. Soon new data will begin to arrive from there, but for now there is a short respite. I gave myself a dose of combat metabolites. Consciousness cleared up a little, the mnemonic load indicator reluctantly slid into the yellow sector.

I turn on the deep space communications complex. A tiny spark of the Oasis station appeared in the coordinate grid. Obeying a mental order, the optical multipliers worked. The image became sharply larger and more detailed.

The hybrid is neither our enemy nor our friend. He is a synthesized consciousness, an AI created by the corporation from the neurograms of dead players. In fact, it is the fruit of an eerie, transcendental experiment that causes fear and rejection.

At our last meeting, he publicly declared himself the antipode of the Incarnate, loudly declared his intention to recreate the Oasis station in its original appearance.

It seems that the matter is limited to words. The ancient structure is still a gloomy skeleton. I don't see any signs of restoration work. And I still don’t understand why the hybrid didn’t try to help “Eurasia”? I know from my own experience: he has no less technological power than the Incarnate, and could have stopped the attack of the AIs, but he didn’t even lift a finger to save the destroyed colonial fleet.

I'm getting in touch. The Oasis's location add-on and associated transport beam control devices are the only things that the hybrid has truly restored. He used ancient systems to spy on the Eurasia fleet: he listened to command frequencies, and even managed to transport me aboard the station when he needed to take possession of the Creator, an ancient planet-converting device safely hidden on Darg.

OK. There is no point in dwelling on recent events now.

A green spark of indication lit up on the dashboard. Contact with Oasis has been established, but no one is in a hurry to answer me.

Where did the hybrid go? Or does he not want to talk?

Immediately after completing the mission on Dargah, I was tormented by the question: why didn’t he ask me for a detailed model of the “Creator”? Why didn’t he try to ransom or take away by force the priceless data that he needed to restore the station?

Now I understand: he has nowhere to rush. The hybrid is well aware of both its true nature and our plight. In the event of my death, the neurograms of the disintegrating consciousness will go to the corporation’s server, where he will immediately gain access to them.

He is not our friend. Not a friend...

Strange. There are no significant obstacles between the fighter and the station that could scatter or refract the pulses of the laser transmitter. Maybe something wrong is happening with the hybrid? He blocked the video call, drawled out his words, spoke slowly and intermittently.

- I'm on business. I know you need the Creator files to restore the Oasis. I'm ready to give them away. In exchange, you must teach me how to make artificial neural networks.

- Why?! Explain?! – Jurgen suddenly intervened in our conversation. – Don’t you understand, there are children on board the Relic!!! – the technologist shouted in despair.

“I... don’t... care... I... won’t... help... anyone... I... have... enough... of my own... problems...”

The communication indicator blinked and went out.

I sit often, breathing intermittently.

- Heard?

“Yes,” replied Jurgen. – Hybrid... creature!

- OK. They forgot about him. Not an option. When the time comes, we'll figure it out.

- Andr, is there any news? - This is Frida. – What did the scan show?

– I haven’t found the artifact yet. Levels are slowly rising, but slower than expected. There are a lot of interesting things on the scanners, but not relevant.

“Arbido has some proposal here...” the technologist joined the conversation again.

You have reached a new level. Your mnemonics skill has been increased by one point. The "foreign technologies" skill has been increased by three points. Two new nanite activation codes are available.

- Jurgen, I have no time now! I'll come back and talk then, okay?

- Okay, Andr. Do what you can.

I reveal the character's characteristics.

During the rapid events of the last hours, I ignored the messages from the game interface, taking note of them, but not delving into the meaning.

A destroyed shipyard, constant manipulation of nanites, about a hundred destroyed drones, and five Phantoms

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Raiders on personal account.

Not surprisingly, we managed to earn twelve levels.

The “robotics” skill, acquired back on the Argus, during the memorable hunt for Dargian boas, increased by three points. Now the damage I inflict on robots has been increased by fifty percent.

The question remains open: how to treat the information received?

The duality of perception is frankly annoying. On the one hand, having learned the truth, I stopped attaching the same importance to the character’s characteristics, and on the other hand, contrary to my own logic, I rely on the abilities I received.

The truth is somewhere between these extremes. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if real skill lines are woven into the game interface.

Now I'm interested in the received nanite activation codes. They certainly have practical meaning. Tested more than once!

Mnemonics skill – current level 25.

Available abilities:

Replication 15.

Steel fog 5.

Form of embodiment 4.

Looking through walls 3.

Integration 2.

Malfunction 5.

Plasma Flash 5.

Separate control of nanites 3.

Disintegration 10.

Systems failure 5.

Advanced integration 2.

Self-sacrifice 1.

Plasma Lash 2. (To activate the ability, the presence of a generator created by the “form of embodiment” is required).

Attention, you have two new nanite activation codes and 19 unallocated points to increase the level of basic characteristics, skills and abilities.

I picked up disintegration (on Liori’s advice) during the battle with the raiders. The result was a deadly melee weapon, but, as practice has shown, to use it you need a powerful ship with good power protection.

We do not represent the true potential of ancient technologies. Even with my level of the Disintegration ability, the AI ​​attack could be repelled by operating from the Relic, if the frigate had enough energy to maintain shields. I’m beginning to understand: the ships of the Departed have absolutely no need for bulky, difficult-to-control weapon systems. A trained crew with advanced skills in manipulating nanites is sufficient. The range of applications of micromachines is so wide that it is difficult to imagine all the possibilities.

The question inevitably arises: who installed electromagnetic weapons, plasma batteries, and laser emitters on board the Relic? Will it be necessary to re-examine the ship, to understand how the ancient creatures created it?

Got distracted.

Thoughts are racing. The secrets of the technosphere of the Departed capture the imagination. The battle with the raiders clearly showed: I can mark a target with my gaze, instantly decide whether to wrap it in protection or spray it into atoms.

Let's see what the received activation codes will give?

I enter their values ​​one by one in a special interface window.

New ability: Global Network. You can get information about the current status of devices in other star systems Oh. You need the level seventy "mnemonics" skill and a working extra-spatial communications system.

New ability: Active Shield. The micromachines you create automatically respond to threats and instantly form a protective shell. Requires level 30 mnemonics skill. Required abilities: “replication” of the twentieth level and “separate control of nanites” of the tenth level + an implanted artificial neural network module for recognizing threats and automatically controlling groups of micromachines.

It's a pity. For now, new abilities are locked. Their pictograms are gray.

Information from nanites exploring fragments of the asteroid continues to flow in continuous streams. Two scanning complexes receive it and transmit it to my consciousness expander. My health is gradually deteriorating. I gained another level, and the experience gain indicators slowed down.

Alien technologies – 30. Well, finally!.. Now I can research neurochips!

Actually, I have two samples of artificial neural networks. An AI module woven into the nervous system (yes, yes, the same one that tried to gain control of my consciousness before the assault on the Darg) and the consciousness matrix of Lyori, contained in a cyber module made by a hybrid.

I looked at the sensors. Everything is calm in the asteroid belt so far, but this is the calm before the storm. The Incarnate will definitely send drones to the ruins of the base where it was created.

So, I won't waste time. Let the nanites continue collecting data, I'll get down to business.

A thin strip studded with chips floats in weightlessness.

I removed the casing made of silver material. A haze of micromachines surrounded the subject of research, awaiting commands.

I act slowly. There is no room for error. The neurochips are covered with scale, but not destroyed. The main temperature impact was borne by the protective housing; restoring it will not be a problem. I scan the chips, trying to figure out where the failure occurred?

Before the mind's eye a 3D model. Layers of artificial nerve tissue become larger. I am immersed in a previously unknown world, where individual neurons are connected by complex synaptic connections. It is like a three-dimensional web: some of its threads are broken, sparks of energy discharges are no longer transmitted through them.

I breathe often and deeply. Just calm down. You need to find at least one intact neurochip and copy its structure.

Time flies by. The tension is such that reality moves away and fades away.

The object matrix is ​​created and loaded into the consciousness expander.

Processing of information received from outside has ceased. All efforts are now devoted to trying to copy the elementary neural network module created by the hybrid - from them, like bricks, the architecture of artificial intelligence is built. If I can make it, then...

Extraneous thoughts away!.. The nanites are ready.

“Form of embodiment” – the command is accepted.

The mental image is recognized.

Attention, the creation of the specified object is impossible. Requires mnemonics skill level 100.

Damn it!..

Trying not to lose concentration, I took the Departed One’s glove from my inventory and put it on.

You have activated the item: "Modulator". Class: rare, indestructible.

Permanent effect:

Intelligence +1.

Learning ability +1.

Alien technologies +2.

Mnemonics +1.

Another attempt.

"Form of Incarnation"! Come on?!

The specified object cannot be created. The skill level is too low...

Tension causes dark circles before the eyes. While he was trying to catch his breath and collect his thoughts, the Gone One’s glove was suddenly enveloped in an energy aura. Thin thread-like discharges reached towards the faulty cyber module, touched the chips and branched out, as if feeling them.

Automatic repair is not possible. Insufficient source data. Requires connection of specialized databases.

The system message brought me to my senses and made me think. It turns out that by the standards of the Departed, an artificial neural network is a completely ordinary device?!

I looked at the interface again. It turns out that the piece of ancient equipment that I found at the Oasis station has a set of built-in functions. Previously, I could not use them - the controls were unavailable, but now, after gaining levels, a new line opened in the "repair" tab:

"Restoring damaged equipment.

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Requires the Glove of the Departed (Modulator option), the “Alien Technologies” skill – 30, the “Mnemonic Techniques” skill – 30.

This is what I can do!

I loaded the model of a working neurochip created during scanning into the “Modulator”.

The matrix has been received. Specify the object to be repaired.

With my gaze I mark the damaged elements of the cyber module.

Task accepted. An attempt is underway to restore neural network structures based on the existing model.

I'm closely monitoring what's happening. Filamentary discharges densely intertwined the bar with chips, micromachines immediately connected to the process - the “Modulator” uses them as consumables. A light scale has appeared in a separate operational window, displaying the repair status.

An unexpected alarm wove its way into my thoughts. Dull marks appeared at the border of the scanning sphere. These are the ships of the Incarnate squadron!

I am recalling the micromachines - those that continued the research of the destroyed cybernetic laboratories of the Rogue Clan. They were unable to find the artifact or its fragments, but there was nothing to do, it was time to get out of here.

“The Call” in conjunction with the “form of embodiment” worked flawlessly. The returning nanites formed two strong cables - now the Liori fighter is in tow behind my Condor.

I'm setting course for Argus. It’s about six hours to the station, considering that the engines can barely pull.

I checked the operation of the autopilot, made sure it was working, then looked again at the repair indicator. Progress is small, although micromachines are working.

Eyes stick together. I've been on my feet for over a day now. You need to rest, at least a little. This is required by my mortal body, which remains on the distant Earth.

Resistance is more expensive for yourself. The fatigue is immense.

I was awakened by an unusual, long-forgotten feeling of warmth, peace, and tranquility. I only woke up like this in my distant childhood...

Opening my eyes, I did not recognize the control room. Dozens of holographic tablets emit a dim light. In their volume, device diagrams flash and data streams flow. A little further, the melted consoles darken, and the holes in the hull ooze darkness.

There is a vacuum all around. Liori sits half-turned towards me, legs tucked comfortably in a chair formed by nanites.

She is not wearing a spacesuit, but the image is reliable and realistic. She felt my gaze and turned around.

What is technology doing to us?

The moment and consciousness touched, mixed in sharp, hard-won tenderness.

The cold has melted away. The darkness receded. The rays of the warm sun illuminated our faces, a light breeze ruffled my hair. The gray contours of the coastal cliffs have acquired materiality - low-growing pines cling with their roots to cracks in the stone, gentle waves rustle onto the pebble beach.

A burning, frantic, uncontrollable rush of feelings changed reality, erased the panorama of space, but we could not stay on the edge...

Connection error. The external neural network is not connected to the consciousness expander. Direct contact is not possible.

– Andr... will we never be together? – Liori’s voice brought me back to the cabin of the crippled Condor.

The dim light of the screens hurt my eyes. The haze of nanites formed her image again. It’s driving me crazy, but I didn’t give in, I answered quietly but with conviction:

- We can handle it. There must be a way out.

Liori sat down in the chair again and enlarged the neurochip restoration status indicator.

99 percent.

-You repaired me. Understand? Am I now a “device”? A neurocybernetic system that can be patched and rebooted? And if we don’t find a solution, then I’ll be left here completely alone?!

A cruel reminder. Liori stopped short and regretted the phrase that had involuntarily escaped.

– Andr, I’m sorry... I didn’t mean to.

We are both confused by the spontaneously arising and abruptly interrupted contact of minds.

How I want to bring back these moments... Why not? The module with her consciousness is at arm's length. But I can’t open the helmet; there’s a vacuum in the control room.

Although, this can be fixed.

The replication of nanites occurred on the starboard side, echoing with dull tremors - it was necessary to sacrifice several armor plates of the plating; there was no other source of cargonite at hand.

Liori looked at me in surprise.

-Are you tightening your disguise? For what?

- Just in case.

Microrobots have already begun emergency sealing of the housing. They will need a few minutes, the damage is too great, and I, pointing at the screens, asked, trying to distract her from her disturbing thoughts:

-Have you done any research?

-Wasting away the time. “I tried to evaluate the game interface, to understand which of our abilities correspond to the technosphere of the Departed, and which are the invention of the developers,” Liori responded. “Here, take a look for yourself,” four holographic tablets moved to the foreground.

Each one has a first-person view.

My interface is on the far right. I recognize the translucent icons of mnemonic abilities, displayed for quick access; indicators of the standard of living and physical energy are displayed below; sensors of various types of danger are dormant in gray frames; thin lines that do not interfere with vision indicate a grid of scanning sectors. The charge levels of the gravitek and the life support system are illuminated with green stripes; images of cartridges that are time to be replaced are outlined in yellow. A bank of discharged micronuclear batteries is shaded with red stripes.

This next photo is clearly from Aaron. It shows a fragment of the Argus trading deck. The vision of the Khaash is different from ours, they see peripheral objects well, and they also clearly distinguish the thermal background, so the convex image at first seems very unusual - all the details of the situation are outlined with greenish contours of various shades and intensities.

“Pay attention to the design and location of the pictograms,” Liori said quietly.

I took a closer look and, to be honest, I was taken aback. I thought that with the Haash, everything would look alien, unrecognizable, but their interface is a tracing of an image that is familiar to me!

I turn my gaze to the third tablet and recognize the screenshot received at the Dargah from the Adept commander. As we broke through a complex of ancient biological laboratories, Roukhmar, trying to focus my attention on the target, transmitted an instantaneous image: a creature similar to a hydra rushing towards us through a suite of halls. On top of the ominous figure are visible elements of the Dargian interface. The degree of similarity is simply incredible - I again see a picture identical to mine!

The fourth screen shows the current situation in the Condor control room. The telemetry channel comes from Liori.

“As you can see, my interface copies the three previous ones, although it is “inherited” from the ancient AI,” she said.

Shock borders on shock. The service shells developed by civilizations of different star systems differ only in the translation of clarifying inscriptions written in the language of the Haash, Dargians, people, and everything else, right down to the branches of development, their relative position and influence, coincides in the smallest details!

– It turns out that the interface was developed by the Departed?! – after a visual comparison, the conclusion suggests itself.

- Undoubtedly! Most likely, the military on Earth found some kind of artifact - I think it was a neuroimplant. Then we studied it and

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used as a prototype. They created copies of the device and tested them on us. The Dargians, Haashis... and dozens of other civilizations that we don’t yet know about probably followed the same path. - Liori turned to me, looked with hope, - Andr, none of our abilities are made up! The departed created this interface for themselves to travel around the Universe. Even if I’m left alone,” tears flashed in her eyes, “I’ll upgrade my mnemonics and get you out!” I’ll collect neurograms, bit by bit!..

By this point, the nanites had already completed sealing the hull. With a mental order, I allocated some of the energy to regenerate the atmosphere, took off my helmet, turned off the grips on the chair, stood up, and extended my hand.

- Andr, what are you doing?! – Liori screamed.

A thin strip studded with neurochips clicked into place in the slot of my consciousness expander.

You have connected an external neural network. Attention, your mnemonics skill has been increased by five points. Direct neurosensory contact has been established.

The darkness of space receded.

The sun's rays illuminated our faces, and a light breeze ruffled Liori's hair.

“Andr...” she returned the kiss and pressed herself against me.

Red sand. Purple waves. Boundless space and warm orange light. I don’t even know where my subconscious got these images from, but for Liori and me they will forever remain a symbol of happiness...

Darg system...

The dark silhouette of the Relic is barely visible against the background of the destroyed station.

The frigate hid under a veil of camouflage fields.

Getting closer. Liori's fighter follows in tow. They come across fragments of structures floating in zero gravity and other space debris left after the battle for Argus.

– Andr, the tenth docking cell is activated. I’ll give you an estimate of the exchange rate,” Jurgen’s voice came over the connection.

Having received the data, I guided the Condor through a narrow gorge between the two superstructures of the station and soon found myself under the canopy of the Relict camouflage.

The parking lights indicated the cell. The frigate's side is quickly approaching.

“I’m ready to accept the second machine,” said the technologist. – Forced docking generators are turned on.

The nanites that formed the cables melted into a haze. Liori's fighter was locked in forceful grips and dragged towards the vacuum dock.

I slow down and turn the Condor around with its stern towards the Relict. Another flash and the engines fell silent. Mechanical manipulators dug into the armor.

Andr, figure it out without me for now, okay? Busy.

Lyori settled comfortably in my consciousness expander, created a working environment for herself, and began a detailed study of the Departed interface. We maintain constant neurosensory contact - the mental contact of minds brings sensations of warmth. By the way, the “mnemonics” skill is gradually growing, which was another pleasant surprise.

Mechanisms clanged. The Condor was pulled into the honeycomb. The protective field flared up faintly, jets of whitish substance struck, and an atmosphere appeared inside the docking compartment.

Aaron, Jurgen and Vogel are already waiting near the gateway.

Haash wordlessly grabbed me into his arms and squeezed me, expressing sincere joy. Lately he has picked up some habits from us, trying to behave like a person (in his understanding, of course).

Vogel patted me on the shoulder in a friendly manner.

- Glad you're alive. Where is Liori?

- With me.

- Well, then why won’t it show up? I wanted to thank her. You did a great job defeating the raiders!

- You'll still have time. How's the situation?

“We’re settling in,” Vogel replied. – True, we have already clashed with the Manticore.

I immediately remembered the fighters of this clan that I met at the Eurasia station. This means that they did not take part in the assault on the Dargah, but went their own way, as they had intended.

- Why didn’t you share?

– We have gained a foothold in the Exo sector. In old warehouses. Only a couple of hangars were sealed, then they showed up with their claims: they say, we were the first to land on the Argus, everything here is ours, and you get out. They gave me an hour to think, then they threatened to throw me out of the station by force. Vandal is now organizing the defense.

“It’s not a good time for inter-clan wars,” I didn’t like the news at all. – Did you find something valuable in the Exo sector?

– Few metabolites. Knievel takes inventory of them.

– Take the Daugoths aboard the Relic.

Vogel did not like this way of putting the question:

– You can’t show weakness!

“Step back for now,” I am adamant in my decisions. “Still, the only safe respawn point for your fighters is aboard the frigate.” Jurgen, do we still have material left for personal markers?

– Link the Daugots to the mobile respawn point. I will resolve the issue with the Manticore myself.

“They won’t talk to you.” Too arrogant.

– I have convincing arguments. By the way, where are Arbido, Ralph and Frida?

“Arbido is waiting for us in the conference room,” Jurgen replied. - Ralph is very bad. Apparently, the inmod has finally failed. I'm afraid he won't last long. Frida is now with the children. Mitufurol and the rest of the Haashi went to get their airobs, as you ordered. They'll be back in about a couple of hours.

- Okay, let's do this: first, let's listen to what Arbido wants to say. I also have important information, affecting everyone. Vogel, take the people away and join us. I'll meet you in ten minutes. Agreed?

The head of the Daugoth Clan nodded, reluctantly admitting that I was right. There is enough space for everyone on board the Relict. This is a protected area where the fighters will be able to get the long-awaited respite they already got at the Dargah.

“This is where your cabin is now, Andr,” Jurgen pointed to the compartment door and broadcast the access code to me. – Sorry, there’s nothing better yet. Part of the living deck is depressurized.

God knows what, but at least you can take off the armored suit. With one hundred percent realism of sensations, many little things that I had not paid attention to before acquired practical meaning.

I took off my heavy gear, took off my clothes, and went straight to the shower to freshen up a little before the meeting. The conversation ahead will not be easy. I have no idea what Arbido came up with, but I know for sure: the only way for us is to study the technologies of the Departed and my accelerated leveling. I need to bring the “mnemonics” skill to a hundred, then I will be able to make neurochips myself.

- How are you going to do this? – Liori materialized in nanites.

I changed my clothes. After all, the Departed valued comfort and knew how to create suitable conditions anywhere: the command “form of embodiment” is universal for most everyday situations. I noticed that I already perform some basic manipulations with nanites mechanically.

– You will have to work as a team. Volunteers will be needed. I think Vogel’s fighters will agree to become my assistants.

– Will you teach them the “mnemonics” skill?

– Yes, I want to clarify the situation and propose a unique development branch. It will take about fifty people, no less. Let's create a group. They will scan ancient devices, manipulate nanites, and the experience will go to me for now.

“Nothing will work out,” Liori upset me, making calculations.

- Why? – we went out into the corridor and headed towards the compartment that Jurgen had converted into a meeting room.

– A mnemonic technician of the first or second level is capable of investigating only primitive objects. There's no point. And to them

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You won’t be able to develop, and you won’t get a noticeable increase in your skill. It’s easier for you and me to upgrade on our own.

- There is no time, you know very well.

“The “Relic” itself is a huge techno-artifact,” Liori objected after thinking. – You don’t have to go far. Take the mobile respawn point, for example. No one has studied it yet. Let's invite Jurgen and Mitufurol. A highly qualified technologist and advanced technician will do more good than a hundred untrained volunteers. We all need to develop quickly. There is no prototype of a device for digitizing consciousness, only fragmentary scanning files. This means that you will have to design it. – You proved that the development system was developed by the Departed. I want to understand what the military added to it? What skills and abilities will work? The levels have increased, we need to decide how to distribute the experience points gained? I wouldn't want to waste them.

“Well, let’s see,” she agreed. - Let's think logically. Everything that is provided by implants and is related to micromachines is relevant. Probably, some basic characteristics will have to be neglected, but this is not a fact - we still haven’t figured out how the interaction of our consciousnesses with the real world occurs?

Andr. Human. Level 91 pilot.

Main characteristics:

Intelligence 23 +1 (semantic processor bonus)

Willpower 29.

Agility 15 + 2 (reflex booster bonus)

Perception 17 +2 (mind expander bonus)

Stamina 30 +5 ​​(metabolic corrector bonus)

Learning ability 15.

Charisma 5.

Piloting small ships 27.

Piloting of medium and large ships 15.

Combat maneuver 30.

Navigation 20.

Repair 4

Construction 2

Creating Scan Files

Reading energy matrices

Modification of devices

Creating forms of embodiment based on existing models (mnemonics skill required).

Alien technologies 30.

The opportunity to study the devices of other civilizations.

Mnemonics 39.

The ability to use mnemonic abilities, obtain nanite control codes.

Technologist 5.

Possibility of connecting technological databases.

Combat abilities 15 (0.0)

Light weapons 10.

Heavy weapons 15.

Energy weapon 9.

Accuracy 12.

Critical hit 5 (+5% chance of dealing critical damage to the enemy)

Defense 10 (any incoming damage reduced by 10%)

Mnemonic abilities:

Replication 15 (a small group of nanites utilizes the source of raw materials you specify, creating similar microrobots until their total number reaches 100,000).

Steel Mist 10 (protects you from being detected by enemy scanners).

Active shield (requires an ancient neural network module) – not active.

Call 5 (brings groups of free or a small number of enemy micromachines under your control).

Separate control of nanites (ancient neural network module required)

Manifestation Form 10 (allows you to create various devices by consuming nanites and energy).

Look through walls 5 (allows you to send groups of nanites on reconnaissance, receiving information from them in real time).

Global network (the ability to scan star systems using an extra-spatial network) – not active.

Disintegration 10 (breaks bonds between molecules of a substance).

Plasma flash 5 (the designated group of micromachines self-destructs, forming a clot of ionized gas).

Plasma Lash 2 (activation of the ability requires the presence of a generator created by the “form of embodiment”).

Self-Sacrifice 4 (your nanites self-destruct, destroying enemy microdevices).

Integration 2 (ability to improve equipment and weapons)

Advanced Integration 2 (ability to improve complex devices, including spacecraft subsystems)

Systems failure 5 (temporarily disables cybernetic components of devices).

Malfunction 5 (temporarily disables the kinetic components of devices).

Critical malfunction 5 (completely disables the kinetic components of the devices).

“I think that “Strength”, “Willpower”, “Learning”, “Charisma” and “Combat Abilities” are still in doubt,” I concluded. – This could have been imposed on us by specialists from the Aerospace Forces. Other skills are supported by installed implants, databases and nanite activation codes.

Liori agreed:

“We need to tell the others about our discoveries.” I will transmit files with information over the network, let them study it for now.

- Fine. Now let's listen to what Arbido came up with?

The compartment where the day before I demonstrated the work of the Departed navigator by connecting through the interstellar network with my inmod is not crowded today.

Arbido remains silent for now, looking from under his brows, fidgeting in a chair that is too wide for his build.

The door opened with a hiss. Vogel and Knievel entered. I haven’t seen the latter since Dargah, and now, shaking hands, I read its frame with surprise:

"Level 27 exobiologist."

He pumped up quite well! He behaves confidently, you wouldn’t recognize him as the lieutenant of the colonial fleet who sobbed while sitting on the shore of a stinking swamp of an alien planet.

- Hello, Nive. I'm glad to see you. You didn't waste your time, did you?

“The exobiologists sector on the Argus only looks plundered,” he answered, not hiding his pride at the impression he made. – In fact, a lot of interesting things have been preserved there...

- Well, is everyone here? – Arbido interrupted us. I recognize these notes. He is used to commanding, but sometimes he forgets.

“We won’t wait for Frida.” She stayed with the children,” Jurgen nervously twirls the old-fashioned wedding ring on his finger. - Tell me, why did you call? Just make it shorter. There's a lot to do.

“Your business will wait,” Arbido muttered, got off his chair and began to walk around the compartment. Yeah, his avatar is extremely unfortunate. The old man was stuck in the image of a short, frail goblin, though not of his own free will.

Aaron suddenly stood up, grabbed Arbido with his long arms, sat the old man on the back of the chair, and briefly growled:

- So you can be clearly seen. Speak.

– I know many people won’t like this, but I’m convinced: the developers are still successfully fooling us! – Arbido, gathering his courage, blurted out.

I'll watch the others' reactions.

Vogel listens attentively, Ralph waves his hand dismissively, Jurgen predictably gets angry:

– Andr convincingly proved yesterday: our consciousnesses are moved across the interstellar network, and our physical bodies are dying in inmodes! – he objected sharply.

- I do not believe! – my former employer snapped. – There are no “Gone”! There is no "interstellar network". They stupidly continue to experiment on us! But on Earth everything is just fine!

“Knivel, give him something to calm him down,” the technologist stood up irritably. - Andr, let's get out of here! We're just wasting our time!

“Wait, Jurgen, let’s listen,” unlike the others, I know Arbido well. He always looks at the situation soberly, but from his own bell tower. - Continue.

- Just get to the point! Don't beat around the bush! - Jurgen is angry. “Did you gather us together to whine?” He doesn't believe it, you see! A theatergoer has been found!

– I lived my life in the real world! And I dare to assure you: it cannot

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The largest gaming corporation on Earth will collapse overnight! We're being scammed! Everything Andr saw - empty cities, and the like - is in great doubt! They could show him anything! – Arbido pointed a crooked finger towards Aaron. – In your opinion, he is an “intelligent xenomorph”, right? And who am I?

“Well, you’re also a non-human in appearance,” Ralph chuckled.

- Exactly! They did what they wanted to me! So why do you believe that the Haash is from another planet? What's the difference between us? And what does the technology of the Departed have to do with it?!

– Good question! – Vogel unexpectedly supported him. - Guys, what if he’s right? Everyone who connected through the interface of the second colonial fleet has complete order with inmods! I feel normal. Physical energy in the green sector. How to explain this? Maybe the admins are really putting pressure on you? Well, legends of the gaming world are being created, but technologies are being tested? For example, Lyori has an avatar made of nanites. They shoved Arbido into a fantasy character...

– Do slowly dying children also fit into your scheme? – Jurgen turned pale with rage. – What is the point of building theories? It would be a good idea to suggest something!

- And how did you end up here? – Vogel was surprised.

“He stuck his nose where he shouldn’t,” Arbido frowned.

– More specifically? – Jurgen demanded.

– I hope everyone had a chance to visit the Crystal Sphere? Well, with the exception of haash, of course,” the old man quipped. “So,” he again switched to a businesslike tone, “the world, although young, is promising. I had serious interests there. I acted as usual: before turning around in a big way, I led preparatory work. He bought information from players, was interested in secret locations, methods of getting into them, and unique plot threads. He even installed a neuroimplant for himself after learning that their mass introduction was being prepared.

- What did you sleep on? – asked Ralph.

– Curiosity ruined me in old age. I decided to find out more about the “Ghost Server”. It became interesting why players disappear without a trace. The corps definitely didn’t like this,” he shuddered, “memories of the painful respawns in Gehenna were still fresh.

- When will you get down to business? – the technologist asked, losing patience.

- That’s what I’m talking about! – Arbido is nervous and slouches. It's uncomfortable in front of everyone. He is not used to being the center of attention. – When I was buying information on the “Crystal Sphere”, I learned about one thing interesting place. The path is secret. Leads from a low-level location to an unknown destination. I sent a mercenary to check, it turned out that the loophole goes straight to the corporation's technical training ground!

– Outside the game world? – Jurgen was surprised.

- Yes. Only I never used it, because there’s no point in doing dirty tricks where I make money.

- O-pa! – Vogel smiled predatorily. - It’s already interesting!

– Where is access to technical locations available? – Liori asked.

“From the starting low-level,” Arbido answered. – “Europe” sector, by geographical division of users.

- Why were you silent before?! – I was overcome with anger.

– When should I talk to you? You are either looking for Liori, or completing hybrid tasks at the Darg, or somewhere else! – Arbido snapped nervously again.

– Andr, the information had no practical meaning until last night.

– Until I bypassed the logout ban?

– You pick it up on the fly. But you can’t really do anything from inmod—the corporations have probably blocked my connection with the outside world. If only I could get into the Sphere! - he exclaimed. “You know, we have absolutely nothing to lose.” Options are exhausted! But I have necessary people in the real world. Believe me, they will pull us out of here and leave us alone forever!

– What if the network of the Departed exists, and Andr saw the actual state of affairs? – Jurgen stared gloomily at Arbido.

“Then we will know exactly what happened on Earth and try to recharge our inmods!” - answered the old man.

– Why exactly the “Crystal Sphere”? – the technologist clarified without a hint of sarcasm.

“I know how to log in there without attracting anyone’s attention.” Let's look around. If game world functions as usual - let's use my connections. If everything is bad, we’ll make our way to the technical location. I have a couple of very specific software modules, I bought them on occasion from one company...

– Have you memorized megabytes of machine code? – Jurgen frowned.

- Of course not. Your truth. First I need to get into my inmod. But there are no problems with this now, as far as I understand?

I involuntarily touched the artifact that I wear on a thin chain.

The turn of events is unexpected and stunning. But Arbido made compelling arguments. To properly upgrade our skills and create our own device for digitizing consciousnesses, we need time. By replacing the inmod cartridges, we will get it!

- Yes, you won’t get bored! Vogel exclaimed. - I'm in! – he immediately added excitedly. - There are only two questions.

– If a catastrophe occurs on earth, won’t the game realities turn off?

“The Crystal Sphere should definitely work,” Arbido answered confidently. – All equipment is located on the territory of the corporation, in special bunker areas, duplicated many times and protected from man-made disasters. Energy sources are autonomous. I know what I'm talking about. It is impossible to think of a better access point to the cyberspace of the planet. That’s why you need to log in there! – he repeated again.

The old man is right. There is one more argument in favor of Sphere. None of us doubts that the implants were initially tested there. The game engine is adapted to consciousness matrices and this is a huge plus.

Yes. Now many things appear in a different light. I would swear that those three Dargians and the technician in the slave collar were nothing more than NPCs created by the corporation. Purely a setup, the purpose of which is to draw my attention to the mysterious “Ghost Server”.

– Jurgen, what’s your opinion? – I turned to the technologist.

- This is a chance! – he answered without hesitation.

- A technical side? Is this even really possible?

“I think yes, if you use the extra-spatial communication node of the Relikt,” the technologist answered. – Do you remember I told you how the central respawn point worked on the Argus?

- Yes, I remember. Did you use the station's location add-on so that pilots who died in space could be reborn in the "Square of the Departed"?

- Right. Why don't you like a massive transfer of consciousnesses? I have experience in this area. Of course, some things will have to be improved. I am sure that the ancient creatures traveled not only alone, but also in groups. The process should be automated, but to be on the safe side, it would be better for anyone going to Earth to have their own

Page 15 of 16

navigator. Can you make a few more?

“I’ll help,” Liori volunteered. “We can handle it together.” But how to decipher the signs on the outer ring? – she pointed to a circle dotted with symbols of an ancient civilization. – This is, without a doubt, an input panel, but most of the icons are completely unfamiliar to me!

– Mitufurol knows and will help! – Aaron growled, looking at the artifact. – Airob programs are written in the language of the Departed. “I also want to go with you,” he added in his laconic manner.

- Fine. Let’s start small,” I looked at Arbido. - Are you ready?

He turned pale.

- What already? Just like that? Without preparation?

- You asked for it. There's no point in delaying. The artifact has been verified. Just connect to your inmod, and Jurgen will download the information from your “storage”.

“Wait,” the technologist stopped me. - Let's wait for Mitufurol to return. Yes, and I will prepare some equipment. I want to write down the operating parameters of the navigator - this will help me understand the Relikt communication center.

- OK. You know better. When will the Haashi return?

“They still have about an hour of flight left.”

“Then Liori and I will start making artifacts.” Vogel, you place people for now. Postpone the meeting with Manticore representatives. Let them be a little nervous and mature.

- What should I do? – Knievel asked. The presence at the meeting made a strong impression on the guy. He is shocked by the decisions we made.

Moving multiple minds through hyperspace at once is a desperate move, but figuring out what happened on Earth and trying to service your inmods is worth the mortal risk.

“There will be a special kind of task for you,” I’m already mentally figuring out how we will act if we succeed. Arbido is wasting his hopes in vain. Empty cities and decaying corpses were not in my imagination. – Nive, have you ever used street vending machines?

- Well, of course. There are plenty of them everywhere.

– Do you know that they work on the principle of molecular replication?

- Yes I know. Well, so what?

– Write down for me the formulas of potent alien metabolites. Look through the Exo Clan databases and compile a list of simple chemicals needed to synthesize preparators. Can you?

- Will try. Will you take me?

- No. Only those who have nothing to lose will go.

- Yeah, and haash?

- It's his decision. Just don't argue. You are now the only exobiologist on board the Relic and you are needed here, okay?

“Okay,” Knievel reluctantly agreed. – What if you suddenly don’t come back? - he burst out.

The question made me think deeply.

Liori we need to talk.

"Relic". Five hours later...

Breaking the fragile ice, the interdeck hatch opened with vibration.

There is no gravity. Stars are visible through the holes in the casing. Unfamiliar objects float in weightlessness, the consciousness expander outlines them with a greenish flicker, trying to identify them using the database of the Clan of Technologies, but to no avail.

I don't think a person has ever set foot here before.

Liori materialized at the entrance to the nearest compartment and looked around quickly.

“Andr, everything is de-energized here, the interstellar communication module is not being scanned,” she said.

The holes in the casing were covered with a haze of force fields, broken cables sparkled, clouds of oxygen snow suddenly exhaled from inconspicuous holes - the life support system tried to automatically restore the atmosphere.

Behind me, the ancient mechanisms were working again. Arbido climbed out to the level of the technical deck, chuckled contentedly, noticing the abundance of artifacts, and immediately deftly began to collect them, simultaneously keeping records and inventory - data on the finds began to flow into local network groups.

“Andr, wait for me,” Vogel noticeably lagged behind. Taking this opportunity, he turned off the gravity tech and traveled the entire way in weightlessness, training to move in an unusual way. And now a figure clad in carbonite rather clumsily floated out of the hatch.

“I see you’re not wasting time,” he counterfeited the old man, who was deftly sorting the finds into three containers. – Why don’t you use the equipment? “Vogel, without calculating the effort, hit the top of his helmet against the arch and grabbed the broken pipeline.

“Inventory is personal,” Arbido grumbled. – And the loot is common. There is no point in wasting good things. You'll thank yourself later. Did you see how huge the holes are? That's it. Jurgen will turn off the protection and throw half of the goodness into space.

- Vogel leave him alone! Turn on the gravitek, and then you’ll train!

It’s like a spring is being compressed inside me. I can’t justify the sudden feeling of anxiety. No one has yet explored this part of the Relic. The Dargians did not carry out restoration work here. For thousands of years, the compartments surrounding us were at the mercy of vacuum and cosmic cold...

The signal squeaked subtly. A scattering of scarlet dots appeared in the operational window of the tactical subsystem. Some of them flickered and went out.

- Mobs! – Liori screamed in warning. – Not classified! – her appearance instantly melted, returning to me in colonies of micromachines ready for battle.

- Arbido, go back! Vogel cover him! Stay behind me! Aaron, where are you stuck?

- I'll go around them. The bulkheads here are destroyed,” Haash answered.

The head of the Daugot clan turned on his personal gravity generator, pushed Arbido to the wall, prepared for battle, controlling the technical hatches located above his head, knocked out by a long-standing decompression - there are plenty of them here, and the serfs are sometimes very smart, especially when they act in a “pack”, within the local networks.

“Where do aggressive creatures come from here?!” – my imagination immediately drew the image of the Incarnate. After the events at Dargah, I know what an AI hostile to us is capable of.

Erasing the confusion of burning thoughts, a segment of the force shield dimly flared up. I stepped forward, covering the others, since the corridor was not wide, and the danger appeared in the distance.

I read the signatures. Liori is right: there is nothing similar in the databases. Some unknown type of on-board cyber mechanisms?

Meanwhile, the number of signals decreased again. There are only five scarlet serifs left. Mobs behave extremely strangely. They are supposed to attack, blindly and furiously, but they retreat. I quickly scale the deck model. They retreat in the direction of an incomprehensible superstructure, moving through the destroyed compartments, using the holes to shorten the path.

– I don’t understand where they came from! – Jurgen nervously commented on the situation.

– Look at the log files. Perhaps some autonomous deck mechanisms were activated when power was supplied?

- Yes, I already checked! Only the emergency protection and life support systems were turned on!

- Okay, we'll figure it out now.

My mind expander still picks up five targets. Now they have grouped about twenty meters from us. There is a very strange superstructure, similar to a disk, sharply discordant in shape with other protrusions of the skin.

We are moving forward slowly. Among objects floating in zero gravity, lumps of melted carbonite are increasingly being encountered. Darkness lurks in the numerous holes. The compartments on both sides of the corridor were destroyed - here in

Page 16 of 16

At one time there was a fierce battle.

Ahead, a large object blocking the path was outlined with a yellowish outline. Unlike other debris, it does not float in weightlessness, but lies on the floor of the corridor. The aura it exudes is easy to read: this signature is given by discharged batteries.

- Vogel, cover it!

The head of the Daugot clan is an experienced player. He perfectly understands the duality of our position, but is not ready to exchange the psychology of a gamer for unanswered questions, and therefore acts decisively: laser tripwires into the nearest holes, a step to the side, a gesture that pointed Arbido to a small niche formed by two protrusions of deformed bulkheads, a nod to me: " Work".

A yellowish aura gently envelops the creature lying on the floor.

Not humanoid. The limbs, like thick tentacles, are spread out in the shape of a starfish.

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Notes

strafe – lateral displacement.

BSK - combat scanning complex.

More details in the novel "Ghost Server. Outcast"

End of introductory fragment.

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Asteroid belt of the Darg system. Aboard the frigate of the Departed...

Tiny flickering lights are reflected in Liori's pupils.

A soft gloom reigns in her compartment. On the table, next to the figurine of a dancing drow, candles are floating. Drops of wax, losing their transparency, fall down, freezing with bizarre streaks of memories of amazing universes, where we, without caring about anything, plunged into the whirlpools of events, meeting dangers with passion, firmly believing in respawn, firmly knowing that nothing fatal or irreparable happened to us will never happen.

So life flashed by, entwined with wires, huddled in inmod.

We felt young and strong, regardless of age, seriously believing that it would always be like this, not suspecting that the line of reality had already been erased...

A dull thud interrupted my thoughts. Vibration rippled through the bulkheads. The external viewing screens automatically turned on. The panorama of the Milky Way, splashed with a river of star fire, began to slowly shift - the ship was preparing for battle, the final check of the subsystems was underway.

The Abyss is now reflected in Lyori's pupils.

They mix fear and hope together. It is impossible to believe that she died - only the matrix of her personality remained, recorded in the nanites connected to my consciousness expander.

We were absolutely sure that we were testing the “game of the future”, characterized by an unprecedented level of realism. Boldly, fearlessly they walked towards dangers, not suspecting that every step was fatal, and the discoveries made or acquired skills were sources real knowledge - they were transmitted to Earth through neuroimplant devices.

Grains of truth are like burning coals. They don't light the way, but they burn the mind.

“Andr,” Liori, with the movement of her pupils, brushed the icy panorama of space from the screens. The candle flames became brighter, warmer for a moment, and then suddenly died out. - It's time.

Direct neurosensory contact mode is disabled.

The system message erased the interior of the compartment, and the image of Lyori faded into a mirage. I'm standing at a low fence. A chilly crimson twilight reigns all around.

In the depths of the launch deck, reflections of plasma welding splashed, long shadows darted across the bulkheads. To my right, the oval slots of the vacuum docks ooze darkness. They are sealed by force fields. On the level below are docking honeycombs for fighter jets - openwork moving structures, near which work is now in full swing: Khaash technicians are hastily preparing two Condors for departure.

A muffled bang was heard from the direction of the gravity elevator shaft. I turned towards the sound and saw Aaron’s lanky figure being gently pushed onto the landing.

“Haash. Intelligent xenomorph. Level 57 pilot."

He is equipped with an armored suit, but has not yet put on his helmet. Framing the three-fingered hands, short computer cables gleam with connectors - with their help, the Haashi connect to the systems of their Airobs.

- Andr, worum? – the lizard rasped questioningly, bowing his head slightly out of habit.

The word is unfamiliar to me.

Previously, I perceived the difficulties in communicating with the Haash as a certain element of the flavor of the game, but now I know for sure: behind the avatars of the “intelligent xenomorphs” there are not people at all.

Aaron is silent, waiting for an answer. The look is insightful. Vertical pupils are constricted. Hot breath rushes hoarsely from the slightly open mouth.

The semantic processor still managed to translate: “uorum” means “standing at the line.” Another interpretation is “on the brink.”

Yeah. You can't put it more precisely. The Haash way of thinking does not involve white lies. They are straightforward and therefore sometimes seem cruel.

There was a soft bang again, accompanied by an elastic movement of air.

- Oh, I made the wrong deck!..

- Max, come here! – I squatted down and asked sternly: “Who gave you permission to walk around the ship?”

He smiled shyly.

- I'm looking for Liori! She promised to play with us. It’s so cool when it appears from particles!

Haasch touched my shoulder, drawing my attention, then transmitted a disturbing image: Maxim's "physical energy" indicator was flickering orange.

I have a similar strip barely smoldering in the red sector. Ralph fell ill altogether. Jurgen and Frida are holding out for now. Arbido feels best of all, which is not surprising, because he was connected to the “Ghost Server” later than the others.

Maxim is only five years old. He doesn't understand the enormity of what's happening.

“Listen, Max, go back to the guys’ compartment, okay?” I need you all to sit down in your seats and buckle up, okay?

- OK. What if the girls don’t listen to me?

- Tell me that I appointed you as senior.

- Oh, really?!

- Yes. Come on, let's run and do it!

Delighted, Maxim skipped towards the gravity lift shaft.

Aaron looked at him full of anxiety and compassion. Grayish spots appeared on the haash's rough skin, a sign of extreme mental confusion.

- We must hurry! – he said abruptly. – You are all dying!

* * *

A power escalator leads to the level of the docking cells.

Without exaggeration, we are “moving through time.” Devices and mechanisms float by, the purpose of which has not yet been revealed. Every now and then evidence of the past comes into view: numerous melted marks, huge inserts with uneven edges - this is what patched holes in the hull look like. The frigate of the Departed (which became our home after the fall of the Argus station) contains a history of space travel and battles that can only be guessed at.

Until recently, I would not have paid much attention to this. Well, just think, melted furrows, and traces of numerous repairs. So what? A well-modeled game setting, and nothing more.

Now I know - everything is much more complicated. Our consciousnesses have been transported through hyperspace and integrated into the technosphere of another civilization. We are able to interact with objects of the real world, manipulate them - this is how the Departed mastered the Universe. Their technologies lie beyond understanding, in the realm of phenomena not yet discovered by humanity, but, nevertheless, they work.

In fact, the Darg system is just a tiny, unremarkable “location” of an ancient interstellar network. A dozen gloomy, long-destroyed stations remain here, and clusters of debris left over from unknown battles of past eras drift in space.

We were used blindly. The technosphere of a civilization that had sunk into oblivion was thoroughly destroyed, static, until we awakened it, collecting surviving components, trying to manipulate them - often crudely and ineptly. Thinking that we were operating within the framework of a virtual reality game, the plot of which was based on the myth of the Departed, we did not ask unnecessary questions, organized raids, broke into the ruined depths of stations, looked for modules of ancient artificial intelligence, implanted cybernetic “upgrades” into ourselves, and choked to death on the incredible realism of sensations...

...Two Condors and three Airobs of the Haash slowly emerged from the darkness. Aerospace fighters are enclosed in lacy frames of service trusses. Sparks from side lights sparingly illuminate the chipped carbonite plating of combat vehicles in places.

Marugail and Mitufurol are waiting for us at the pre-launch storage site. Mark and Mitya - this is how I’m used to shortening the long names of Khaash.

“Andr, the transport of the Daugot Clan has reached the specified coordinates,” Jurgen’s voice was heard in the communicator. – Vogel reports: the assault groups are ready.

– How is the energy of “Relic”?

– I brought the reactors to twelve percent power. This is three minutes of shield operation at full combat load.

- I got you. Let’s try not to take it to the extreme,” I turned to the Khaash. They are highly qualified pilots, but today they play a secondary role. The assault on the former base of the Rogue Clan, where ancient AIs are now in charge, requires special skills that only Liori and I possess...

The situation is simple and deadly.

Thousands of light years away from here, on Earth, in the dim silence of deserted megacities, scarlet sparks of emergency lights are now breaking through the smoky plastic of our inmods. The life support systems have been exhausted, organisms are extremely exhausted - everything is left to the mercy of fate. No one will come to change consumables. People mysteriously disappeared. I don’t have a reasonable explanation for what’s happening, unless human civilization has drowned in the rapids of alien technology pouring out of here?

It doesn't matter anymore.

There is only one way to survive. We must digitize our consciousnesses, as the Departed did. Break the last thin thread connecting with the distant Earth, because a complete failure of the inmods threatens death. This could happen at any time.

“Andr,” Aaron came up to me and said quietly: “Andr, act as you are used to,” Haash carefully selects his words, trying to clearly express his thoughts.

– As if the game continues?

He nodded vigorously and headed towards his airbike.

* * *

It's dark in the Condor's control room. The empty flight cradle is bent by the tightly closed arcs of the shock-absorbing frame. Life support system is turned off. Traces of recent renovations are visible everywhere. Many of the screens are covered with a web of cracks; they did not have time to replace them.

- Andr, please don’t delay.

I pryed open the foam-flesh plug, revealing the mind expander socket with the cyber module gleaming dimly within it.

One precise movement and a thin strip studded with neurochips came out of the connector. It seems like he tore out a piece of his soul. Her voice melted, the feeling of mental contact between minds faded away.

You have disabled the external neural network. Attention, your mnemonics skill has been reduced by five points.

The drive squealed nervously. The hastily constructed adapter device greedily and tenaciously grabbed the cyber module and pulled it inside the fighter's dashboard.

A haze of nanites came off from my armored suit. Microrobots rushed in gray streams towards the flight seat, forming the image of Liori - first a blurred outline of her figure appeared, then facial features and details of equipment appeared.

“It’s empty without you...” the quiet whisper burned. - Empty and cold...

I can’t imagine what it’s like for her now? If they shoot it down, only a handful of chips will remain in the wreckage of the fighter. Liori understands this perfectly well, but there are no other options. We are forced to separate. The Haashi do not have the “mnemonics” skill, and alone I cannot cover the target with “steel fog” or blind the anti-space defense sensors...

I involuntarily look at the translucent interface icons. Aaron is right. Nothing changed. Skills, abilities, character levels - everything works.

We learned the truth about ourselves, went beyond the boundaries of game reality. The question involuntarily arises: who and why supports the usual attributes for us?

“Andr,” Jurgen’s call shattered the silence. - We have everything ready. Where are you stuck?!

- Go. “I don’t want to say goodbye,” Liori’s image lost its detail; some of the nanites merged into the cybernetic blocks, forming the core of the Condor system.

* * *

The docking honeycomb moved out from the frigate's hull, then sharply turned around. The superstructure of the launch deck flashed on the viewing screens.

The haze of the atmosphere swirled and slowly melted. The air from the cell has been pumped out. Beyond the boundary of the force field, the outlines of slowly rotating stone blocks appeared, and a moment later a sharp acceleration pressed me into a chair.

Asteroids, sparkling with patches of ice, rushed towards us in a swarm. A short flash of correction engines, and they parted and rushed past, giving the view a panorama of open space.

The brownish orb of Virong, the system's gas giant, is visible on the starboard side. In the left hemisphere, a distant Darga pea glitters.

Switching between perception modes, I involuntarily kept my gaze on the Relic. The Departed Frigate is shaped like a stingray. The smooth contours of the two-hundred-meter hull are torn apart by holes here and there. The ship emits a trace of radioactivity, and minor problems constantly occur in the reactor units.

The Relic's energy shields are barely smoldering. The telemetry channel provides data on the state of its onboard systems: eleven electromagnetic gauss guns (we call them “EMGs” for short) and one course plasma generator are ready for battle.

The ship is damaged and not properly repaired.

The Relic is accompanied by two efrangs. Amazing creatures native to Wironga, with pronounced mental abilities, help us of their own free will. Their translucent bodies emit a faint glow - now the efrangs are drawing fiery spirals, sliding along the hull of the ship, ready at any moment to cover it with additional protection.

I'm going to the course.

"Condor" Liori confidently stays nearby, "Airobs" of the Haash are moving behind us a couple of thousand kilometers. The Relic's signature is gradually fading - the ship is noticeably lagging behind, maneuvering smoothly, keeping a respectful distance from the target - it will engage in battle only when absolutely necessary.

Having gained acceleration, I turn off the engines. Now we are moving by inertia, along the edge of a rarefied gas and dust cloud.

Streams of data flow into the consciousness expander. Here it is - a potato-like asteroid five kilometers long, dotted with craters. The former base of the Rogue Clan, where the artificial intelligences of the Departed are now in charge.

The faded, sketchy image gradually gains brightness and detail. I see the buildings of an ancient mine: two oval vacuum docks are tightly closed, dusted with dust. Between them is a silver openwork line of loading mechanisms. The hull of a transport ship, adapted for defense needs, protrudes slopingly above the old mine.

The information provided by Jurgen turned out to be correct. To protect the base, the Outcasts used an anti-space defense system developed by the Clan of Technologies. They hid the control module in the depths of an ancient mine, and placed the firing points on the surface of the satellites - blocks of stone surrounding our main target. Together they form the so-called “asteroid family” - a group of small cosmic bodies moving at the same speed in a single orbit around a star.

I was doused with oncoming radiation. With the complete merging of the nervous system with the cybernetic components of the machine, the feeling is as if a gust of hot wind scorched the skin, leaving a feeling of tingling, itching pain.

Diaphragm hatches opened in the Condor's armor. Colonies of nanites splashed out into space - they instantly formed a “steel fog” of the tenth level, reliably hiding us from detection sensors. Under the cover of disguise, Liori and I begin scanning the main target.

In the depths of the asteroid, an intricate network of tunnels branches out, forming five underground horizons.

– Andr, there is a suitable signature!

A green marker flashed at a depth of one hundred and fifty meters.

I carefully read the energy matrix of the detected device and compare it with the existing databases.

Without a doubt, this is an artifact of the Departed! The only extra-dimensional network module preserved in the Darg system, designed for recording consciousnesses!

He is our chance for a new life.

Getting closer to the goal. So far everything is going according to plan. Liori and I, using mnemonic abilities, must paralyze the enemy’s anti-space defense nodes, turning them into static targets for the haash.

The picture of what is happening is rapidly expanding with new details.

What else is this?!

A scattering of scarlet markers suddenly appeared one light second from our current position. Three cargo ships. About a hundred drones and... another man-made structure?!

I abruptly leave the attacking course, equalize my speed with the nearest stone fragment, and disguise myself. Liori synchronously repeats my maneuver, the Haash Airobs also slow down and find cover among the asteroids.

The Condor's sensors are continuously collecting data, and the outline of a huge artificial celestial body, shaped like a tumbleweed glinting with steel, appears in my mental field of vision. The consciousness expander details the image - inside the openwork structure is the hull of a spaceship under construction - it is several times larger in size than our frigate!

Three transports, meanwhile, changed course, opened their cargo compartments, throwing hundreds of tons of cargonite ore into space!

Drones instantly rushed towards the cloud of raw materials. Using force field traps, they quickly collected various sizes of rubble, enclosed it in energy bubbles, inside which the melting process immediately began, and then molecular fog bubbled up!

The most ancient technologies in action!..

– Andr, what’s going on there?! – Jurgen used laser communication, trying to clarify the situation. – Why don’t you attack?!

I broadcast telemetry to him from the Condor's sensors.

– Shut down the engines of the Relic and set up protection until we sort this out!

- This is not an option! I'm staying the same course! – the technologist answered categorically. There is a note of inevitability in his voice.

For us, delay is like death. Literally. But a huge man-made object located next to the main goal ruins the plans. I don't believe the shipyard was built by the Forsworn. It was clearly created by ancient AIs - only they are capable of manipulating molecular fog on an industrial scale!

- Liori, what do you say? – I shot the probe, forming a common laser communication channel.

“Production is probably controlled by artificial intelligence,” she responded. “But I think the former Forsworn base is outside his area of ​​responsibility.” It’s a bit far away, and I don’t see any signs of activity in the area of ​​the old mine.

– In your opinion, they will simply not pay attention to us if we do not approach the shipyard and attack it? – Frida snorted incredulously.

“And remember the usual behavior of technical servs,” Liori answered restrainedly and thoroughly. - They are always busy. They carry out their programmes, and will not be distracted, even if a fight happens nearby.

- Not convincing! – Aaron snapped in his own manner. – The assault on the Forsworn base will definitely attract the attention of the shipyard AI!

An unexpected delay on the approaches to the goal burns your nerves.

“I’m not canceling the attack.” Mitya, - I turn to Haash, whose airplane is equipped with an advanced tracking station - Is there an exchange of data between the shipyard and our target?

There are hundreds of bright scarlet dots on the radars. I watch them, involuntarily gritting my teeth. Clusters of markers move towards the shipyard. Cargo ships set off for the next batch of raw materials. Soon their signals dimmed and disappeared.

The Drones of the Departed disabled the energy cocoons, freeing their contents. Near the shipyard, a molecular fog stirred up - a continuous curtain of hot gaseous substance created a kind of veil that interfered with the work of the scanners.

We continue to watch. As Lyori suggested, the robots of the ancient civilization are busy with their business. They reorganized, formed groups, starting the next technological phase of production: now sensors record electromagnetic fields that compact the hot substance.

A series of faint flashes followed.

The drones used the "form of manifestation" command to create armor plates! I can clearly see how the diamond-shaped segments emanating heat drift in space, forming small clusters.

I agree with Aaron: an assault on the mine will certainly attract the attention of the shipyard’s AI manager, but what can he do against the Relic? There are no large ships nearby – the Incarnate’s squadron is now pursuing the remnants of the colonial fleet “Eurasia”...

– Andr, I have an idea! – Jurgen exclaimed.

- Speak.

– Relikt has power towing devices! I will capture the asteroid with them and set a course for the outskirts of the system. And we’ll deal with those who are holed up inside, away from the shipyard, without attracting anyone’s attention!

- Reasonable! – Aaron immediately supported the technologist.

“Okay, that’s what we’ll do.” Decisions have to be made instantly. - Begin! Do not touch the drones, do not approach the shipyard!

* * *

The first of the satellites in the sight.

The stone block is rapidly growing in size. There is a compact reactor inside, and batteries of laser and electromagnetic weapons are clearly scanned outside.

My heart beats quickly and unevenly - I can’t do anything about it.

One light second away, the robots of an ancient civilization continue to work hard. They scurry among clouds of molecular fog, collect slowly cooling hull segments and transport them to the ship under construction.

The automation of my Condor constantly scans communication frequencies, but there is no data exchange between the old mine and the shipyard.

Click. Changing the range. A distant, distorted voice suddenly broke through the background static:

– Station Eurasia, to everyone who can hear us!.. We are under attack by unknown ships!.. The shields are barely holding up!.. We are losing the atmosphere!.. Help!..

New quest available: "Saving Eurasia".

Find a way to stop the Incarnate. Reward: Your relationship with the command of the colonial fleet will improve significantly. You will be able to trade with the station and use its equipment to repair your ships.

- Liori, did you hear?

- Yes, and I got the task!

We reach the target. Now our "Condors" are drawing rapid turns of intersecting orbits. The fighters' guns are silent. We are attacking the anti-space defense node with the help of nanites, using the mnemonics skill. Microscopic robots penetrate inside fortifications, blind sensors, disrupt data exchange, and paralyze kinematics. Debuff icons appear one after another in the enemy battery frames:

"Systems failure."

"Critical fault."

"Equipment failure."

It's finished! We change course. Next satellite in the sight reticle! At the limit of the scanning sphere, a barely visible signature of the Relic has already appeared. The frigate has set course for our main target!

Chapter 1

Asteroid belt of the Darg system. Aboard the frigate of the Departed...

Tiny flickering lights are reflected in Liori's pupils.

A soft gloom reigns in her compartment. On the table, next to the figurine of a dancing drow, candles are floating. Drops of wax, losing their transparency, fall down, freezing with bizarre streaks of memories of amazing universes, where we, without caring about anything, plunged into the whirlpools of events, meeting dangers with passion, firmly believing in respawn, firmly knowing that nothing fatal or irreparable happened to us will never happen.

So life flashed by, entwined with wires, huddled in inmod.

We felt young and strong, regardless of age, seriously believing that it would always be like this, not suspecting that the line of reality had already been erased...

A dull thud interrupted my thoughts. Vibration rippled through the bulkheads. The external viewing screens automatically turned on. The panorama of the Milky Way, splashed with a river of star fire, began to slowly shift - the ship is preparing for battle, the final check of the subsystems is underway.

The Abyss is now reflected in Lyori's pupils.

They mix fear and hope together. It is impossible to believe that she died - only the matrix of her personality remained, recorded in the nanites connected to my consciousness expander.

We were absolutely sure that we were testing the “game of the future”, characterized by an unprecedented level of realism. Boldly, fearlessly they walked towards dangers, not suspecting that every step was fatal, and the discoveries made or acquired skills were sources real knowledge - through neuroimplant devices they were transmitted to Earth.

Grains of truth are like burning coals. They don't light the way, but they burn the mind.

Andr,” Liori, with the movement of her pupils, brushed the icy panorama of space from the screens. The candle flames became brighter, warmer for a moment, and then suddenly died out. - It's time.

Direct neurosensory contact mode is disabled.

The system message erased the interior of the compartment, and the image of Lyori faded into a mirage. I'm standing at a low fence. A chilly crimson twilight reigns all around.

In the depths of the launch deck, reflections of plasma welding splashed, long shadows darted across the bulkheads. To my right, the oval slots of the vacuum docks ooze darkness. They are sealed by force fields. On the level below are docking honeycombs for fighters - openwork moving structures, near which work is now in full swing: Khaash technicians are hastily preparing two Condors for departure.

A muffled bang was heard from the direction of the gravity elevator shaft. I turned towards the sound and saw Aaron’s lanky figure being gently pushed onto the landing.

"Haash. Intelligent xenomorph. Level 57 pilot."

He is equipped with an armored suit, but has not yet put on his helmet. Framing the three-fingered hands, short computer cables gleam with connectors - with their help, the Haashi connect to the systems of their Airobs.

Andr, whorum? - the lizard rasped questioningly, bowing his head slightly out of habit.

The word is unfamiliar to me. Previously, I perceived the difficulties in communicating with the Haash as a certain element of the flavor of the game, but now I know for sure: behind the avatars of the “intelligent xenomorphs” there are not people at all.

Aaron is silent, waiting for an answer. The look is insightful. Vertical pupils are constricted. Hot breath rushes hoarsely from the slightly open mouth.

The semantic processor still managed to translate: “uorum” means “standing at the line.” Another interpretation is “on the brink.”

Yeah. You can't put it more precisely. The Haash way of thinking does not involve white lies. They are straightforward and therefore sometimes seem cruel.

There was a soft bang again, accompanied by an elastic movement of air.

Oh, I made the wrong deck!..

Max, come here! - I squatted down and asked sternly: “Who gave you permission to walk around the ship?”

He smiled shyly.

I'm looking for Liori! She promised to play with us. It’s so cool when it appears from particles!

Haasch touched my shoulder, drawing my attention, then transmitted a disturbing image: Maxim's "physical energy" indicator was flickering orange.

I have a similar strip barely smoldering in the red sector. Ralph fell ill altogether. Jurgen and Frida are holding out for now. Arbido feels best of all, which is not surprising, because he was connected to the “Ghost Server” later than the others.

Maxim is only five years old. He doesn't understand the enormity of what's happening.

Listen, Max, go back to the guys' compartment, okay? I need you all to sit down in your seats and buckle up, okay?

OK. What if the girls don’t listen to me?

Say that I appointed you as a senior.

Oh, really?!

Yes. Come on, let's run and do it!

Delighted, Maxim skipped towards the gravity lift shaft.

Aaron looked at him full of anxiety and compassion. Grayish spots appeared on the haash's rough skin, a sign of extreme mental confusion.

We must hurry! - he said abruptly. - You are all dying!

* * *

A power escalator leads to the level of the docking cells.

Aug 2, 2016

Phantom Server. Black Sun Andrey Livadny

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Title: Phantom Server. Black Sun

About the book “Ghost Server. Black Sun" Andrey Livadny

Andrey Livadny's novel “Ghost Server. Black Sun is the third and final book in the Phantom Server series. It is written in the genre of combat science fiction and skillfully combines events taking place both in reality and in the virtual world.

The heroes of Andrei Livadny's novels believed that they would not die. Of course, nothing happens to you if your character dies in the game. You just reboot and continue your exploits. Hence the boundless faith in one’s own strength and the feeling of absolute power over this world. But the real death of loved ones and friends makes you change your outlook on the world. There will be no respawn. You die forever: irrevocably, suddenly and not at all heroically.

The characters in the novel "Black Sun" have an ancient extradimensional network through which the game is on. Its participants are not individual people, but entire civilizations. So the alien standing in front of you is not a bizarre image or a whim, but another race of alien creatures. This place was left by some ancient civilization, very technologically advanced. The network allows you to create a gaming body in virtual reality, which will be similar to the real thing down to the last detail. Using this network you can move between different worlds, that is, to be where your physical body would definitely not be able to go. And this is not a metaphor for heaven. This is a cruel world with advanced technology. But is there another heaven outside of heaven? This is precisely the question that Andrei Livadny’s heroes began to ask themselves.

They have no other choice: the earth has been mysteriously depopulated, and a handful of survivors are fighting off furious alien attacks. The game body does not save you from death in the game.

22
Feb
2017

Phantom Server. Black Sun (Andrey Livadny)

Format: audiobook, MP3, 64kbps

Year of release: 2017
Genre:
Publisher:
Executor:
Duration: 08:56:21
Description: We boldly and fearlessly walked towards dangers, firmly believing in respawn, firmly knowing that nothing fatal or irreparable would ever happen to us, because this is just a game. A game... that runs through an ancient extra-dimensional network. A game that involves dozens of real-life civilizations. The earth has mysteriously become depopulated. The fate of Humanity is unknown. We, the survivors of the Darg system, have only one thing left: to go to the end. Find the Phantom Server - the central node of the interstellar network of the Departed - and unravel its secret.

11
Dec
2016

Phantom Server. Outcast (Andrey Livadny)

Format: audiobook, MP3, 64kbps
Author:
Year of manufacture: 2016
Genre:
Publisher:
Executor:
Duration: 10:11:58
Description: The Eurasia fleet has already entered the Darg system. Unsuspecting players are hungry for adventure, but there is an “alternate plot” full of surprises for the main character. The girl I loved mysteriously disappeared. Artificial neurons containing fragments of ancient AIs are woven into his nervous system. Will he be able to withstand the battle for his own sanity? What price will you have to pay for a unique development branch...

21
Jun
2018

Phantom Server (3 books out of 3) (Andrey Livadny)

Format: audiobook, M4B, 64kbps
Author:
Year of release: 2016-2017
Genre: ,
Publisher:
Executor:
Duration: 29:54:45
Description: You are a gamer and already an almost permanent inhabitant of virtual reality. You thought that you had “traversed” the entire world of the “Crystal Sphere” and achieved almost everything. The thirst for new sensations pushes you to take a risky step. And now one of the first neural network implants becomes an integral part of your body. A new game“Phantom Server” is a new Universe where space and cyberspace converge, burning the destinies of people and strangers, and...

04
Jun
2008

Do-it-yourself office network and Linux server

Author:
Publisher: BHV-Petersburg
Year of manufacture: 2006
Number of pages: 320
Description: Describes the installation, configuration and setup of a Linux server for a small local office network where client machines run Microsoft Windows. Life cycle considered small company, which is expanding, and as it expands, the tasks assigned to the organization’s server become more complex. The practical aspects of installing and administering servers are covered: mail, web, file, print. When describing server configuration, 2 options for solving the problem are used...

19
Dec
2011

The Black Veil (Charles Dickens)

Format: audiobook, MP3, 160kbps
Author:
Year of manufacture: 2011
Genre:
Publisher:
Executor:
Duration: 08:13:30 Audio collection of stories by Charles Dickens “The Black Veil”, like any other works of the great Englishman, will not leave anyone indifferent. Contents1. Life's Struggle 2. Mr. Means and His Cousin 3. A Excellent Chance 4. The Toggs Family 5. Horatio Sparkins 6. The Black Veil 7. The Duel 8. Home Show

10
Jun
2013

Black Lake (Alexandra Baidikova)

Format: audio play, MP3, 128kbps
Author:
Year of manufacture: 2012
Genre: melodrama, fantasy
Publisher: Radio Russia - St. Petersburg
Performer: Era Ziganshina and others.
Duration: 01:29:25
Description: Radio play based on the story of the same name by A. Baidikova. A young fisherman, Ian, finds a chest with the body of a living girl in the waters of the Black Lake. Jan's parents accept the girl, named Lilya, as their son's bride. The local sorceress Zhanna explained to Lila that she is a product of the Black Lake and is still in the power of the lake and the water one, although...

20
Mar
2015

Black Sunday (Thomas Harris)

Author:
Year of manufacture: 2015
Genre:
Publisher:
Artist: Stix37
Duration: 11:03:09
Description: The most big game the season has begun! Eighty thousand spectators filling a huge stadium do not even suspect that they may soon die, because an airship filled with explosives is already hovering over the stadium, at the helm of which is a crazy Vietnam veteran who has lost everything - except the skills of a killer. He doesn't demand anything. He doesn't negotiate. It can only be destroyed, but it will take with it tens of thousands of innocent lives...

30
Oct
2011

Black dress (Maria Shkatulova)

Author:
Year of manufacture: 2011
Genre: detective
Publisher:
Executor:
Duration: 11:20:00
Description: Little did she know that a week-long trip to Paris was by invitation best friend, an innocent request from her ex-husband to deliver a parcel to a man at Charles de Gaulle airport and a chance acquaintance with a handsome Frenchman will lead to a chain of terrible events that will almost ruin her life? Masterfully constructed intrigue, an unexpected denouement, beautiful literary language - all these are detective stories from the famous writer...

18
Jul
2013

Red and black (Stendhal)

Format: audiobook, MP3, 128kbps
Author:
Year of manufacture: 2013
Genre: classic
Publisher: ,
Executor:
Duration: 23:50:39
Description: It was traditionally believed that the names of the colors in the title of the novel symbolize the choice facing the main character between a career in the church (the black color of the clergy’s clothes) and in the army (the red color of the officer’s uniform). Subsequently, many hypotheses were put forward as to why the author chose such a title for the novel, but a clear opinion on this matter was never formed in literary criticism. Mayor n...

02
Oct
2011

Red and black (Stendhal)

Format: audiobook, MP3, 80kbps
Author: ()
Year of manufacture: 2010
Genre: foreign classical prose
Publisher: Library of the Audiobook Lovers Club
Artist: //DM
Duration: 19:53:30
Description: An ordinary case from a criminal chronicle, which lies at the heart of the novel, became, at the hands of the subtle psychologist and brilliant stylist Stendhal, a human drama of the highest intensity and at the same time a social study of society. Julien Sorel, an ambitious and capable young man, experienced both romantic love and a violent passion that he could not resist...

16
May
2010

White Bim - black ear (Gabriil Troepolsky)

Author:
Format: 128kbps, mp3
Year of manufacture: 2007
Genre:
Publisher:
Artist: See below
Duration: 01:46:19
Description: A poignant and touching story about a dog named Bim - a devoted and faithful friend of his owner - made more than one generation of children and adults cry when they read the story of the wonderful Russian writer G. Troepolsky "White Bim Black Ear". A successful film adaptation made this author’s work even more popular. Endowed with almost human intelligence, the Scottish setter Bim has one big disadvantage from birth...

21
Mar
2015

Black Sunday (Harris Thomas), M4B, Stix37

Format: audiobook, 128kbps
Author:
Year of manufacture: 2015
Genre:
Publisher:
Artist: Stix37
Duration: 11:03:09
Description: The biggest game of the season has begun! Eighty thousand spectators filling a huge stadium do not even suspect that they may soon die, because an airship filled with explosives is already hovering over the stadium, at the helm of which is a crazy Vietnam veteran who has lost everything - except the skills of a killer. He doesn't demand anything. He doesn't negotiate. It can only be destroyed, but it will take with it tens of thousands of innocent women...

20
Dec
2017

The Phantom Student (Nikolai Metelsky)