World of Infinitas - What is space.
World of Infinitas - What is space.
By A.Krokhmal
Story was made in spring 2021.
"The universe is very big thing. There are a lot of planets with different level of technologies. There are a lot of different planets with human population. Don`t you think, the Earth was only one? No, i will dissapoint you. Welcome to the planet Unger, in the Far Worlds sector. I want you all to know the story of the one space scientist, who met in his life the pure evil, absolute darkness. But what is it evil - you will know from this text. Listen to his story, his own life diary, and you will understand, what happened there".
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"What is space? Salvation... Or death?
Perhaps this question is difficult to answer. Space is like water, fire or earth. It has no bad or good sides. After all, as you know, water can save the life of any person, as well as carry it to the bottom. You can burn yourself with fire, or you can use it to save yourself from the bitter cold. Yes, and sometimes the cold can also save you if you are on fire. So is space. He is beyond Good and Evil. He is beyond everything. He is endless. However, what happened to us can hardly be attributed to the Space. Perhaps this is what was meant for us. And not the Space is the cause, but we ourselves. Someday people will understand this. And when they realize, perhaps they will even become very scared.
It all started with capitalism. After the fall of the conservative regime, industrialists came to power. They have changed our country beyond recognition. The old order has collapsed. Old traditions collapsed too. Everything that previously seemed normal to us soon turned into a distant, distant past, forgotten and lost. We were ruled by gold bars. For the sake of a piece of coin, a person was ready to substitute another and even kill. A desperate struggle began between the so-called "higher" and "lower" strata. Someone got everything from the world, and someone was dying of hunger, saving bread in pieces. The capitalists have taken over our countries. And with them came the era of space exploration. The government has developed a state-of-the-art space program to explore nearby satellites and distant planets. They promised huge sums to anyone who would participate in the Shining project. As a result, the first man named Andras Karakazov was sent to our moon. I personally knew him. Great guy. The only one who didn't throw up when he was shaking a lot. I then worked only in the engineering team that designed the latest shuttles. And it was precisely those who shook Karakazov's hand when he was heading to his priceless apparatus. Our director stood nearby and applauded. Karakazov was the first to set foot on the moon and walk on it as if in the yard of his own house. Then the people of our world realized that the age of space had come, and it was time to get used to it. We all received huge sums for participating in the project. But most of all Karakazov got rich. The first cosmonaut of the world was one of those who came into the world from the "lower" layers. Therefore, he invested his money in his family and in charitable foundations. He helped a lot of people, especially those who rushed about everywhere, hoping to find at least a piece of bread. Thanks to the Karakazov Foundation, at least somewhere poverty began to fall. In addition, he was allowed to create a whole network of courier companies in order to somehow arrange people who needed to earn money.
Soon Karakazov died. It was pretty weird. He never suffered from alcoholism, let alone drug addiction. But by the year 72, he was found dead in the toilet of the capital's disco club. We met three days before death. He told me that he had strange dreams after visiting the satellite. He said he needed rest to get rid of them. Many of his words I took for nonsense. He was going to go on vacation for six months. And then he's dead too. The funeral was tearful and sad. Many wept when they saw him in the coffin. He was not even 45 years old. And then, after the funeral, one of his friends, who worked at the training ground, came to me. His name was Laszlo. He was a military sergeant of the 1st rank. Over a glass of beer, he told me that Karakazov was a member of a secret government program. He didn't just fly to the moon. He had a purpose. And what kind, it was known only to the president and the highest echelons. Laszlo didn't say anything. When he told me about Karakazov, fear appeared on his face... I don't know how, but I felt it. He was very afraid of something, but he did not tell me the truth. But at least I learned a little about András and his dreams. He said he saw a man on fire. He claimed that if anyone sees him and speaks to him, he will be darkened forever. Laszlo was struck by his speeches. He told me the last words of Karakazov. “Remember,” Andras said then, “If this guy flies in on fire, don’t listen to him. Let them shoot to kill. They don’t allow him.” "What the hell are you talking about?" - Laszlo told him, "What other guy?". "You'll see," Andras murmured in a mysterious voice, "Very soon." The management considered Andras's behavior to be depression and banal fatigue. They were really going to send him on vacation, and at the same time put a couple of agents to follow him. They even said that a psychiatrist might be needed. But here again - Andras died. Died... and that's it.
Andras never suffered from alcoholism. But nevertheless, the forensic experts said just that. An overdose of alcohol and a subsequent heart attack .... Yeah, a heart attack in an experienced astronaut. I never believed them. Angrily ordered to stop lying. But then a couple of presidential agents came to me and started to procrastinate. In short, I was given to understand not to rant about the death of András everywhere. Otherwise, it will be bad .... Besides, they put agents behind me. I noticed them all the time. As soon as I sat down in the push, one of these henchmen sat down in the next booth. I'm fine with what's going on. Something was wrong with Karakazov's death. I tried to talk to his wife, Vladislava. But she refused to even let me in. She said she wasn't feeling well and that I should leave. Then she moved, and I no longer knew where to find her. This is where it all ended. Karakazov died, but for what? Oh, if I knew then what exactly caused it. And government agents still did not lag behind. They continued to follow me, as well as all our associates. It was simply impossible to hide from their eyes. They were always there... Even when you're alone.
A year has passed since the death of Karakazov. Laszlo also died soon after. Crashed in a car. He's been too quiet lately. Didn't answer calls at all. It all seemed incredibly strange. First Andras, then Laszlo. And here the unexpected happened. Karakazov's dreams began to come true. I then asked the director for leave. He said that he needed to rest a bit and gain strength. Of course, they allowed me to do this, but not more than two months. And yes, that was enough for me. I just wanted to turn everything off and not think about anything. But then in the morning I looked at the TV screen. Instead of the usual news about our great state and technological advances, we were shown a strange space object. I still remember the face of this fair-haired announcer... I don't remember her name, but I remember her face for a long time. I will never forget such a mixture of horror and admiration. "He's already here," she said, pointing to the video summary, "A fragment of an asteroid is about to touch the surface." A mysterious piece of rock has managed to pass through our atmosphere. But he collapsed not settlements, but into the ocean. The explosion was sufficient. Several cities have declared a tsunami threat. People were quickly evacuated and no one was hurt. And half a day later, hundreds of helicopters rushed there. The military tried to find out what exactly hit us.
It was rather strange, but literally after the fall of asteroids, all my flowers withered. I came to check on them as usual in my area, and suddenly found them dead. And I'm even used to them. Even the old apple tree withered, which held on in any weather. Everything would be fine, but only a day before the fall of the stone, the apple tree was healthy and alive. I bent down to the grass to pick up some apples. But they were rotten. All to one. I immediately ran to a neighbor in the area. As it turns out, the same thing happened to him. All flowers and plants withered. Even the plum tree, which was so young, took on and turned black. All over the village they only chatted about the meteorite, and about the mysterious wilting. The next day I was called back to work. They said it was urgent. When I was in the center, I was greeted by all the management. They said it was a miracle. Our planet has officially come into contact. In contact with those who are far beyond the stars. With those about whom the sages and philosophers have spoken for centuries. Of course, I assumed that life on the other side exists, but I did not think that I would live to see direct contact. However, it would be better not to live ...
I was told that a strange man had been found in the asteroid. He really looked like our compatriots. Looked almost exactly like them. In appearance - a fully mature man, 40 years old, bald head, long curly beard. But something in him was not from us. Those were his eyes. Strange, mysterious and pupilless. It was with him that our entire leadership first came into contact. It was taken from the bottom of the ocean to the presidential research center. Placed in a closed room with bulletproof glass. He was given primitive clothes so that he could somehow cover his shame. No less surprising was the fact that he knew our language perfectly. "Where are you from?" - Then the president asked him, who was present along with all the ministers and generals, "And who are you? Tell me. Why did you come?" "Too many questions," was the answer of that guy, "The main thing is not where I am from and who. But who are you ... And what will happen to you." I will never forget this mysterious voice of his. He spoke as if he knew everything for millions of years ahead. There was something in his eyes all the time. This mysterious radiance really attracted, made me freeze in place and not move. The President and his team reminded me of half-living statues. They hardly moved, but continued to ask questions. "And what will happen to us?" our leader asked, "Why are you here?" "Your planet will soon die," came the reply, "I have come to restore it.
Your core is failing." That was especially strange to hear. As far as I knew, the planetary core was always fine with us. "And what are you going to do?" The president asked, "Fix it?". "Yes ", - answered this mysterious guy, "I will make it stable. That's what I'm here for. Every planet is a living entity. And she's also sick. I am ready to heal her." The President conferred with all his comrades-in-arms, including us. For some reason, I immediately had a distrust of this peasant. Something in him seemed to me truly strange and at the same time attractive. I have never seen such energies It was something new, completely unfamiliar to me.
Then during a break, I remember going to the toilet. And then another thing happened to me. I quickly shook off everything that had accumulated in me during these hours, and then left the booth. By God, I almost went down again when I saw András in front of me. Yes, my God... It was Andras Karakazov. He is. Only something in him was no longer alive. The body vibrated and trembled all the time. For some reason, my eyes kept wandering. "Do not listen to him," Andras' voice was heard, as if from under water, "Everything he says is a lie. I warned you!" His voice gave off a terrible anxiety. I've never seen him so scared before. "Andras!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. But Karakazov was gone. He simply vanished into thin air, becoming nothing at all. I shook my head 10 times and washed my face. But no... it couldn't be a real ghost... Or it could. I didn't really understand what was going on at the time.
Having recovered, I nevertheless returned back to the laboratory where that peasant was kept. The conversation continued. For some reason, the President and his henchmen did not leave. They didn't even let anyone go home. They continued to talk with him until late at night. I had to stay, no matter where. "And how much is left for our planet?" - the President asked, remaining in the same half-dead stance, "How much exactly?" "She's already dying," the guy replied, and for some reason smiled, "It all depends on you. Let me go, and I'll save your world. If not, then we'll die together. The core is already out of order." "What is your name?" I suddenly shouted, without even asking permission. "My name is Marfur-Nirari," he said quickly in reply. And then he fell silent.
Marfur-Nirari... Strange name. A name that struck me as surprisingly familiar. Somewhere I already heard it. But he couldn't remember where. When I talked to this guy, I abruptly turned around. In the distance I saw András again, dead. This time, he didn't look alive at all. His eyes no longer shone with that sunlight to which everyone was so accustomed. Andras stood far from all the officials and looked at me. What was he looking at? Because he didn't have eyes. Only black and bottomless abysses. He kept poking at me. I knew that something was looking at me from these abysses. I don’t know how, but he looked at me, even though he didn’t have eyes at all. "Don't listen to him," said a voice in my head, "Don't listen to him. He's lying." I immediately turned to Marfur-Nirari. And at the same moment this guy looked at me. He seemed to see András too. "Something wrong?" - came the mysterious voice of Marfur-Nirari, "I see fear on your face." The President looked at me too excitedly. “Yes, you are sick,” he turned to me, “Urgently measure his temperature!” Immediately, all sorts of doctors in special suits ran up and began to drive at me with their scanning devices. As it turned out, the temperature rose to 38. Then the president ordered me to urgently leave the center and go home for treatment. In this state, I was hardly of any use to him. But I managed to resist. I assured the president and all his bureaucrats that I was absolutely healthy. But still I could not come to my senses because of these visions. I have already seen András twice.... A man who died, and at whose funeral I personally attended.
Anyway, government agents took me home. They ordered me to rest for at least a week. I was temporarily suspended from all work, and even more so from contact with the alien. In the evening they called from the presidential service and said that they were giving me a day off. You can say that I was simply weeded out. The most interesting thing is that I was not sick at all. When I got home, I scanned my temperature myself. 36 and 2. 36 and 2,them! How then did I get a fever in that damned laboratory! All this began to seem to me some kind of delirium of a madman. All these aliens, ghosts, asteroid arrivals, mysterious deaths of astronauts and special agents. I figured I was just tired of everything. I thought that rest would solve all problems and give me enough strength. Before going to bed, I took a sedative and then sprawled out on the couch. But there was no restful sleep. All night I dreamed of some planetary changes. And at the end, this Andrash Karakazov again ... In a dream, I did not remember what exactly he was doing. Dreams are a complex thing. There are always some snippets. It seems that Andras appeared in front of me in my own house, but it seems not. Either we walked with him around the cosmodrome, and then again in my area. Somewhere in the distance I kept hearing his strange words. "Don't listen to him. He's lying." He repeated these phrases almost constantly. And then I woke up....
Woke up... and saw him again. This time it was all real. When I opened my eyes, it seemed to me that this was just a continuation of a dream. In front of the bed, Karakazov towered to his full height. He stood with his back to me and muttered something to himself. His body was shaking mysteriously, as if about to explode. I closed my eyes tightly and then opened them again. This time András was already in front of me. His eerie, eyeless face leaned right over the bed. "He's lying, don't listen to him," the same voice was heard again. But I didn't care anymore. I quickly jumped out of bed and abruptly turned on the light. Karakazov vanished into thin air. As soon as I turned off the lights, he reappeared to his full height. "He's lying, don't listen to him," Andras creaked. I had to turn on the light again, and as soon as possible. "What do you want from me?" - I shouted to the whole house, "What do you need? You're dead!". There was no answer. Frankly, I did not particularly believe in the Gods, and in life after death, too. But then, on a whim, I grabbed the figurine. This figurine was considered sacred in our world. She portrayed one of our ancient saints, one of the founders of our culture. I quickly grabbed the figurine and held it out in front of me. I don't even know how I managed.... "Get out!" - I shouted even louder, holding the figure in my outstretched hand, "Get out!". Then I had to turn off the light again. Karakazov once again appeared in front of me, but when he saw what exactly was in my hand, he flared up and lit up with a sheaf of scarlet sparks. A second later, he simply was not in my room. "Get out! and don't come back!" I finally called out to him. Yes, maybe Andras was my friend. But dead him in my house has nothing to do.
I had to sleep in the kitchen, because I was afraid to go into my room. Again I thought that this friend would appear again. But he didn't show up. I slept in the kitchen for four hours, and morning came. Waking up in the morning, I charged a hundred grams and turned on the receiver. The one that is oval in shape, and reflects everything that happens in the world. The announcer was again excited, but this time about the disaster. As it turned out, while I was sleeping, the whole sea dried up. Just think, the whole sea. She reported that the East Sea behind the Suetonian Continent was completely shallow. And the day before, all the inhabitants sailed away from there. Several news at once. Never thought this would actually happen. It is impossible for such a vast territory to dry out in one night. They didn't tell us about this in geography school. I listened to the announcer for another 20 minutes, and then switched to another channel. A whole bunch of scientists from the Presidential Academy had already gathered there. All of them built different hypotheses. But none of them could say anything intelligible. “Perhaps this is a consequence of the transformations on our planet,” said one bespectacled man in a gray frock coat. "Any transformations are slow," another bespectacled man in a brown jacket answered him, "Let's take at least the movement of the continents. How many millions of years did the Suetonia Continent take on its current form?" I didn't even listen and turned it off. Some empty talk, but no results. None of these jacketed scientists ever came to a definite conclusion. I took another bottle out of the fridge. I had to turn this
Switching to another channel, I got to some kind of interview. Only later did I realize that the journalists were interviewing fishermen living on the coast of the East Sea. They were all scared to death. However, the journalists also did not look very good. We were interviewing some bearded old man in a white sweatshirt. "What can you say about that, Sergius?" - asked one of the correspondents, "How did it happen?". “How did it happen,” the rough voice of the bearded man was heard in response, “When I went out today to check the longboat, I didn’t even believe it. all the fishes just took it and swam away. Yes, at such a speed that I didn’t even believe it myself. Whales, megalodons ... Everything seemed to have broken the chain. But for some reason you didn’t talk about it in the news. And we already then in the city they said that something was wrong." "So it all started a long time ago?" - there was a new question. "Of course," the old man answered, "And the birds and animals were the first to run away. My own dog howled all the time at night. I had to put it on a chain, otherwise it would have run away."
I flipped the controls again and jumped to the new channel. And they were talking about the same thing again. The theme was the same for everyone - our home planet. They discussed everything that had happened here in the past weeks. Wherever I clicked, everywhere I came across only scientists, journalists, directors of academies. Once even the military got caught, and then they talked about the situation on the mainland of Suetonia. Then all of a sudden I got into some kind of religious program. A priest, dressed in all white, appeared in front of my eyes in full growth. Next to him was his flock, mostly women and children. The priest seemed to be looking at me. Anxiety was read in his eyes, like all these heroes of the television screen. "It's all the fault of the meteorite sent to us by Darkness," the priest said with a strong trembling, "The Goddess opened my eyes. When I prayed this morning, she told me that we should all dispel Evil. That Stone brought us destruction and death. And only prayers can save our world from demons. We must all pray. Brothers and sisters! Listen to me. Put aside your deeds and pray. Get on your knees and ask the Goddess to deliver us from this horror!" "What nonsense...." I muttered softly then. And then it hit me. But the priest spoke to the point. All this really began with the fall of a meteorite. And this Marfur-Nirari, who flew to us, clearly did not inspire confidence. "Pray everyone!" - the words of the priest were heard throughout my kitchen, "The Goddess will hear us! If we pray tirelessly! For if we delay, evil will cover our world!" "What if it's true," I suddenly muttered. But then something distracted me. I think it was my neighbor. His name was Ivasco.
He often came to me for a cup of tea. But then he came to me not for this at all. I left the house and immediately saw Ivasco. He even came to my site. Apparently, I just forgot to close the door the day before. "Sorry, your gate was open," he said to me first, "But that's not what I'm talking about. Do you want to go to church today?" Something, but I certainly did not expect such a question from him. As far as my memory served me, Ivasco was always an agnostic. Of course, he knew that there was something supernatural up there behind the stars, but he preferred not to talk about it. "I think I'll get by," I answered him, "I'd rather rest at home. They gave me time off at work." "And I'm going down," - Ivasco told me, "And then such passions are going on here." "I know about the East Sea," I smiled slightly, "They're cracking on all channels." "Yes, I'm not talking about that," a neighbor suddenly told me, "Haven't you heard that in other cities?" And then I was dumbfounded. All sorts of bad questions began to creep into my head. Has something else happened? And of course it was. Naturally, the disaster in the East Sea was not the only one. As they say, trouble has come - open the gate. “My son called from another continent,” a neighbor told me, and at the same time turned pale, “Snakes climbed into almost all cities. Especially where it’s hot. evacuate." Yugaris - it was a city not far from the metropolitan area. To say that I was shocked would be an understatement. "And in the north, suddenly, the ice began to melt," continued Ivasco, "Evacuation of the population. Everyone is afraid that it will flood. Something is wrong with our world. Especially after that meteorite. Oh ... I felt behind me that this was not good a stone has fallen. Oh, not good!". I just stood there, not knowing what to say. Not a single word just slipped through. I couldn't believe what I was hearing at all. For a second I thought I just fell asleep. I'm dreaming about all this, and soon the dream will disappear .... But no, it was not a dream. It's all true.... The
Ivasco soon left. He was on his way to the temple with his family. Of course, I didn't go there and stayed at home. I felt too uncomfortable. In just a few hours, the entire planet turned over. I spent most of the day in front of the TV screen. All the time I watched what was happening. All the news only talked about the fact that our world is changing. Crawled information about the mysterious mosquito attacks. Then came the news of the mass attacks of snakes. "What will happen tomorrow," I involuntarily thought, "Is there really something else that will happen?"
The day went by very quickly. All these hours I did nothing but watch the news. Then it was time for sleep. I have not forgotten the previous night with the ghosts. So I decided to stay in the kitchen. I left the light on just in case. It's in stupid horror movies, people who encounter ghosts in the house still turn off the lights. In reality, this does not happen. I still left the light bulbs on and fell asleep at the table. He put a kitchen cutter with him next to him, in case the dead man reappears. But there were no ghosts this time. In my dream, I saw almost nothing. However, I still heard the same voice of Andras, somewhere far, far away. "Don't listen to him, he's lying. Don't listen to him, he's lying." This went on for a while and then disappeared. In the morning I woke up kind of tired. And this is not surprising ... After all, sleeping at the table is not the best thing. My back and head hurt horribly. And I also managed to break a cup. Apparently, when he slept, he tossed and turned. It was noteworthy that the fragments of a cup on the floor created a whole word. The name... The
Then, I remember that the soul went to the heels. There was a sharp knock at the door. I leaned out the window to see who exactly was calling me. By God, I almost fainted... It was her. Paraskeva. The wife of Andras Karakazov himself. The one who refused to communicate with me and did not even let me on the threshold. I quickly rushed to the doors and flung them open. She was no longer too young. Dressed in a simple urban suit, dark coat and trousers. In the eyes, however, one could see such horror, which is usually characteristic of those who have seen the most terrible oceanic creatures. The last time I saw such a look was from a sailor who still could not recover from the sight of a sea live-eater. It's called a thousand yard look. Just as far as I know, it is characteristic of survivors of the war. "Paraskeva?" - I was amazed to the limit, "But how? Why did you come?". "Listen, I have to tell you something," she immediately got down to business, "I have data that could lead to my liquidation. But I have to reveal it to you. Let us pass." "To whom is it us?" I was even more surprised. And then I noticed that next to her was a miniature robot assistant with a suitcase. She obviously meant him. “I brought you a weapon that will kill him,” Paraskeva said later, already in my house. "Whom?" - I said, puzzled, "What are you talking about?" “About what can save our universe,” came her reply.
I offered her tea, but she flatly refused. Her little "bodyguard" carried the suitcase into my house and quickly opened it. What I saw made me wince. There were some really strange things there. Many of them glowed like lanterns. "Don't be afraid," Paraskeva told me, "This is from Andras. He asked me to give it to you. But they said they would kill me if I did." The woman sat down on the couch and looked me straight in the eye. "Do you know how András died?" she asked, already knowing what the answer would be. I shook my head. Naturally, I did not believe in the nonsense that Karakazov died of a heart attack. There must have been a darker and longer history here. "Andrash Karakazov was a lunar explorer," said Paraskeva, and for some reason turned away. I could clearly see that there were tears in her eyes. "And why did he still climb there," she then murmured, "Why .... Who called him." "So András died? He didn't die a natural death, right?" I asked a question that had been brewing in my head for a long time. You should have asked it when talking with Laszlo. Although ... that hell would hardly answer me. He was a
She gave the command to the robot in digital language. The mechanoid hurried to the suitcase and pulled out a strange round device. Without thinking twice, he activated it. The face of my old friend appeared right in front of me. It was he. The same cosmonaut-leader. The first conqueror of our satellite is Andras Karakazov. His holographic projection vibrated and blinked all the time, but I didn't care. The main task was to finally find out the truth. The truth about what happened to him then on the moon. "Hello, my old friend," András's mechanical voice was heard from the device, "If you are listening to this message, then I have most likely died. Apparently, they found me and destroyed me. I just want you to know what is there happened. Everyone knows that there is nothing on our satellite. It is a lifeless cosmic ball, devoid of atmosphere and gravity. However, this is a lie. A lie to the last word. During my wanderings on the satellite, I discovered an ancient temple. It was built long before us "It spoke of some ancient race called dragons... Or draconians. They defeated a certain Tiamat, an empire created by an unknown demonic race. One of their representatives was called Marfur-Nirari. Many demons were destroyed, but one of them remained. The one who who is capable of breaking himself into several parts. One of its particles was precisely imprisoned in the fragment of an asteroid. This meteorite should have been shot down in time. But the authorities did not listen to me. Agents implanted by the enemy prevented me. Order was given about my elimination. Marfur-Nirari was not profitable for me to stay alive. But I left a lot of interesting things. Literally a day ago, I stole from the secret archives part of what I found on the satellite. Stole and hid at home. My wife knows the codes. I gave her all the necessary knowledge. She will tell you everything I told her. I'm sorry I didn't have time to warn you myself. But it was a government secret. Listen to Paraskeva and trust her, just like me."
The holo-image of András vanished into thin air. What I heard turned everything upside down before my eyes. I couldn't even stand and just sank into a chair. Paraskeva was filled with tears. Hearing the voice of her dead husband was too unusual for her. And this is understandable ... After all, even I wanted to cry. I knew András for many years and still couldn't come to terms with his loss. All these appearances of the dead Karakazov frightened me. And to be honest, I missed that old Andras, lively and cheerful. "So it was destroyed?" I asked Paraskeva a question, trying in vain to wait until she had finished sobbing. Soon she wiped away her tears with a bow raft and looked at me. "He was killed by order of a demon," she whispered softly, "as was Laszlo. After all, Andras found a device from an ancient race there. He said that it was capable of killing Marfur-Nirari. Here it is....". She shifted her gaze to the robot, and the mechanoid bowed low to her. In less than a moment, he took out something that looked like a white stone from the suitcase. The stone was covered on all sides with unknown symbols. A real foreign relic. I have never seen anything like this in my entire life. That's what, it turned out, our Andras was doing. He discovered the remains of an ancient civilization, which, most likely, no longer exists. And all this, of course, was hidden by the government. "Marfur-Nirari wants to devour our planet," said Paraskeva, "He needs energy. To become stronger. If he devours our world, he will become as powerful as in the time of Tiamat. He will destroy other worlds. Destroy the stars. And we... we'll just disappear." "So he doesn't want to save our planet," I concluded. “If he gets free, he will drink everything that keeps our world afloat,” the woman continued, “The core is the heart of the planet. If he drinks from it, it's all over. The stone I brought is capable of killing him. It contains the energy of dragons. Now you just need to touch Marfur-Nirari with this stone. Only then can you send him to hell forever. And the destruction on our planet will stop. We will all be saved. You will save the lives of 10 billion from a terrible end."
Paraskeva showed me everything that Andras found on our moon. There was more than just a mysterious stone in her suitcase. There was also something that was not even in the projection of our scientists. Portable disguise generator. It looked like an ordinary bracelet. But if you click on the blue crystal, then you will immediately disappear. You will be preserved, you will be able to see, hear and feel. But you will never notice. She said that even radars were powerless against him. Then she gave me a gun, fully loaded. He was still from András. "Do I really look like a special forces soldier?" I then asked Paraskeva. To which she smiled slightly. "No, but you must become one," came the answer, "Alas, I do not know how to use weapons. But you know how." And Paraskeva was not mistaken in the slightest. At one time, I served two years in the paratrooper regiment. It was even under the previous president. Many of the skills I still have. Whatever I was a designer, but I certainly knew how to stand up for myself. I took the gun, carefully checked the clip and made sure everything was in order. The camouflage generator had to be fastened to the left hand. It made it easier for me to navigate. The task was this - to penetrate again into the laboratory and, moreover, imperceptibly from the rest. Since I have been working in the space industry for many years, I knew some passwords perfectly, but still not all. Thanks to Paraskeva for giving me the code to the container where this obnoxious demon was kept. I put the stone in a backpack, which I immediately put on my back. Of course, I had some doubts that it would work. But what was my way out? An entire planet could perish in a matter of days. Either I kill this bastard with a dragon artifact or I fall with all 10 billion. Yeah ... the choice was really small.
But as soon as I was about to go to the car, shots rang out. Automated queues,
Yeah ... And the truth was a real war here. On the street, a rather strange picture opened up to me. I expected to see a dozen of the presidential guards here. But there were no agents here at all. There weren't even people here. Not far from the door leading to my house were five mechanoids made entirely of steel. In their mighty paws they held automatic rifles. Apparently, from them they fired at the house. I examined them carefully. They were clearly government-made, but not yet in use. One of the robots was distinguished by the digital sign "13" and red sketches on the shoulders. Obviously he was their leader. "Looks like the facility has been destroyed," the tin can commander rasped in a mechanical voice. "Do you want me to start?" - I heard the creak of one of the fighters. The commander nodded his creepy mechanical head. "Look around the house," he said, "They must be dead. If this turns out, then I consider our mission completed." Those stupid drones didn't even notice when I slipped past them. My disguise prevented them from even feeling my presence. But these were, apparently, the same cars that were talked about six months ago. Then the president declared that soon not people, but robots will fight. He said that they would resemble people in everything, and even have intuitive functions. The idea certainly seemed like a good one...
But where is the likelihood that these robots will not rise up against all of humanity and start killing everyone? These are the words I said then to the president. To which the president simply changed the subject.
And so time passed, and I personally observed those same mechanoids right on my site. I wanted to shoot them all at once. But I knew that cartridges must be protected. Who knew what I was to face in the laboratory. And to be honest, I don’t regret a bit that I didn’t shoot them all at once. But then I understood everything. Marfur-Nirari did not use living agents, but robots. It was the most convenient way to do everything quietly. If the agents are alive, they may have doubts. But if instead of people there are walking tin cans, then there are fewer problems from this. Probably Karakazov knew what kind of devices are used in presidential services. As far as I remember, András was not a fan of robots at all... But oh well. I will continue the story. Then I just got to my car, started the engine and darted away from my site like a bullet. I didn't turn off the invisibility. And why? Of course, the cops I met in the city were shocked by the "empty" car on the move, but I didn't care about it from a tall birch. All I wanted was to quickly get to Marfur-Nirari and unleash the full power of dragonstone on him. I clearly remembered András's words. The stone is the key to salvation. Marfur-Nirari was afraid of him, like everything that was connected with his conquerors. Those who fought him on the other side of the stars caused him horror and fear. That is why, perhaps, this stone in the end was his death.
It took two hours to get to the laboratory. The people around me were paying attention all the time. Drivers on the left, drivers on the right. Of course, it was strange when an empty car without a driver rushes at full speed. Representatives of the law were especially pale. The cops didn't really know what was going on. Several times I almost got stuck in a traffic jam, but in time I found loopholes. I went through loopholes. Otherwise, my journey would have dragged on for five hours. And there was no time to lose. The more I hesitated, the stronger became Marfur-Nirari. And if this bastard gets all the power he needs, our world will definitely end. It will just suck out its core. I knew very well that I had to get there sooner. At that moment, I first addressed the Goddess. When I taxied at full speed, I mentally asked her forgiveness for everything I had done in my life. But I did a lot of bad things. I won't tell everything now. But then I perfectly remembered all my bad and even vile deeds. For everything that I did, I asked her forgiveness. I was even ready to die if I had to. If only to save this world and ten billion people who want to live. Marfur-Nirari - like a cancer, took away the future from every person. It has already infected our planet, put its roots into it. But with its destruction, this whole nightmare could end in a matter of seconds.
I remember when the complex of laboratories appeared before my eyes, I felt relieved for a second. Here it is! It happened ... I got to the goal. But then I clearly realized that nothing had happened yet. The main battle was just ahead. Marfur-Nirari was inside. And I knew for sure that he was there. I left the car right at the gate and immediately jumped out. There were no live guards anywhere. I was utterly astonished when I saw that there were those damned bellows everywhere. There were far more robots here than in my area. Fifteen such creatures immediately rushed to the wheelbarrow with weapons in their hands. They began to check how exactly the car managed to get there without a driver. Frankly, I was even a little glad that I managed to put them into a stupor. While they were busy there, I already made my way to the territory of the complex. And there, too, I saw only some mechanoids. Not a single living soul. Then it made me very worried. I've worked here for so many years. Every day, when I came to work, I saw my colleagues, astronauts, engineers and designers. Military specialists visited us more than once. They were all human. Flesh and blood people. But never... Never before have I seen so many mechanical monsters. Gods, but there were not only robots-specialists. The entire parade ground was littered with miniature drones. Plus, huge unmanned tanks drove around the pavement all the time. It immediately became clear to me that Marfur-Nirari was preparing for war. Draining energy from the core was just the beginning. Only one question remained in my mind, how did he manage to get himself this whole army? Has our president really created super-powerful machines?! All of these robots were marked with the presidential corps. And that scared me terribly.
I had to dodge the passing tanks all the time so as not to collide with them. They could well have flattened me on the pavement along with the bracelet. And I don't know if anyone noticed me at all? The disguise could even hide my death. But fortunately, this did not happen. I successfully walked to the entrance to the complex itself, dialed the necessary codes and ended up inside. Inside, to my surprise, it was completely empty. I didn't meet a single person here. But I knew exactly where to go. I went only to one place - to the very laboratory where Marfur-Nirari was kept. Of course, he could have been transferred a hundred times these days, but my intuition kept telling me that he was still there. As it turned out, my intuition did not fail me. When I reached my destination, I entered the last codes... The ones that were supposed to let me through to the alien. And now, it's finally happened. I ended up in that spacious hall where we held negotiations a few days ago. The alien was still there. Marfur-Nirari sat silently in the lotus position behind the bulletproof glass. He meditated, and it was, as it should be, by the way. All I had to do was take out the dragon stone and throw it at him. But as soon as I approached him a few steps, he quickly raised his head. He looked straight at me, stared into my face. His gaze was so creepy that I felt sick. There were no pupils in his eyes. Generally. These were the same black abysses that I saw at András. But why were Andras and Marfur-Nirari so similar? Why did I see similarities in them? My head was literally bombarded with a lot of questions. A question that hasn't been answered yet.
"I know you're here," Marfur-Nirari grunted menacingly. His black and bottomless eyes looked straight into my soul. He saw me. Great Gods, he saw me even through disguise. “You can stop hiding,” his eerie voice was heard again, “You can’t escape me. Even Ser`Pentai couldn’t ... And even more so you.” He thrust out his right hand sharply. The invisible bracelet immediately turned off. I materialized in reality again. There was no more disguise. But the stone... The dragon stone was still in my backpack. "He lies. Don't listen to him," growled Marfur-Nirari mockingly. I have already heard the same words from András. I clearly remembered seeing my dead friend in the room that night. "The ghost was my creation," the alien grinned maliciously, seeing my confusion, "Didn't you know? I wanted to confuse you. Make you believe that Andras is alive. Make you fear him." "I know it was you who killed him!" - I angrily exclaimed in response to his mockery, "You killed Andras!". "Andrash killed himself," - the rattle of Marfur-Nirari was heard, "Like all of you." "Aren't you killing yourself?" Another voice called out from behind me. I turned back. He appeared before me... Director of our space program. A tall, grey-haired old man in his 70s. I knew him from the very first day on the job. It was he who approved my participation in the development. He also introduced me to Andras. "Sir?" - I murmured in amazement, not understanding what our director was doing here. "Andrash was the only worthy of the people," the elder replied, "Unlike the fat trusts, who only care about their own capital, Karakazov was the only one who helped the common people. I was sorry to kill him." "Wait...." - I hesitated even more, "So you... Did you know that Andras was killed?" "It was I who gave the order," came the reply, "I got in here too long ago. And you are the reason."
Something made me turn around again. When I did that, I almost lost my mind. There was no stranger behind the glass. He just disappeared. Dissolved in the air. However, when I turned towards the director, he disappeared somewhere. Standing in front of me was none other than Andras himself. My old friend who died at the hands of those damned assassins. Karakazov smiled all over his face. His eyes shone with a strange joy, obviously unnecessary in such a situation. And only then did it hit me. There was no Andras in front of me. It was him... That evil alien who planned to destroy us all. "Andrash knew that I was Marfur-Nirari," the demon replied, "I got here long before the meteorite." Not even a moment passed before Karakazov changed. Multiple electrical impulses passed through his body. And in a second, our old director was again standing in front of me. However, now his eyes were no longer human. They were scarlet witchlights that made me so cold to see that I wanted to jump into the furnace. “Karakazov found out about this and planned to eliminate me with the help of a find on the satellite,” the monster continued his speeches, “But I got ahead of him. I had to send drones to remove him. Then I killed Laszlo, who also knew everything. But now it's over. This world is mine. And I can do whatever I want with it." "Who then was in the meteorite?" I immediately asked, trying to find answers to everything that worried me. "It was a ghost," Marfur-Nirari grinned, "Just a copy. But I don't need it anymore. From now on, I'm the master here."
I tried to draw a gun and shoot this monster. Thought it would be better. If you distracted him with a shot, then you could quickly get the dragon stone and bring it down on the demon. But my plan never worked. There was no pistol in the holster. He simply disappeared. Perhaps it was the work of this terrible monster. "Are you looking for your weapon?" - the monstrous enemy exclaimed with a mockery, "What a pity that you are unarmed." "It's all your magic, right?" I then shouted angrily, "Enough! I just want you to get out of here!" "But you yourself brought me," the demon replied. "How exactly?" - I yelled even louder, "We did not call you! You are an ordinary conqueror who needs power!" "You are not?" - the smile of the monster did not fall off his face, "It is you who need power. It is you who are a threat. You are conquerors. And you yourself, with your actions and thoughts, brought me here. I chose this planet for a reason. A planet where capital is more expensive than human life. Where fame and power are more important than spiritual paths. You forgot your Gods and turned away from them. You gave me the way to your world! You yourself!". My feet left the floor in the blink of an eye. The monster lifted me with just the power of thought. Picked it up and threw it back. My body flew a good ten meters and crashed into the wall with all its might. Only skill helped me recover. Otherwise, I would already be dead.
"Yes, my friend," the voice of the monster was heard in the distance, "It was you who brought me here. You are trying to kill me in vain ... It only makes me stronger. Here you will find only your own death. Give my regards to Andras Karakazov in the afterlife ... And his beautiful wife. What a pity that I personally did not tear her to pieces ... ". Moving away from the blow, I began to look for a backpack with my eyes. I was very lucky that he lay nearby. I immediately rushed over to him. I seemed to be related to the cheetah. I have never run so fast in my life. I managed to reach the goal and get closer to the backpack. Without thinking twice, I opened it and pulled out a dragon stone. Marfur-Nirari was already in front of me. He tried once more to throw me away, but it was not to be. When he lifted his defiant hand, I dodged and put the stone in front of me. "Get out!" - I shouted at the top of my lungs, "Get out!". The monster has changed dramatically. Now he no longer looked like a man. He became something luminous and iridescent, something eerie and formless. "Get out!" - I shouted to the whole center, "Get out! In the name of the Goddess, I conjure you! I expel you from our world!" "Get out!" I heard another voice beside me. He literally repeated every word after me. I glanced to the left and saw... him. Andrash Karakazov. It was he.
The real one. Came from the other world to help me. "Get out!" we shouted in unison. The stone began to shine, so brightly that it seemed to me that a second sun appeared in my hand. The brightest light erupted from the great artifact. With furious force, he hit the monster right in the overflowing torso. A mighty beam, brighter than which I have never seen anything. Mighty and irresistible ray of True Light. Marfur-Nirari did not even have time to come to his senses. In the blink of an eye, it was split into molecules. He disappeared forever. It simply ceased to exist. We did it. I'm not alone. We did it with Andras. The stone soon died out. Its glow has ceased. And what I did then - I do not remember at all. As it turned out later, I just collapsed unconscious. He fell into oblivion and did not wake up for a long time.
I woke up only a few days later. When he opened his eyes, he saw his own room in front of him. I lay on the bed, on my favorite bed. Never in my life have I felt so alive. I didn't feel any weakness or pain at all. The strong blow that I received during the fight with the monster did not even affect my body. But still I was not alone. Medics and soldiers surrounded me from all sides. And what was my amazement when I saw the president himself in front of me. "Mr. President," came a wheeze from my side, "I...". But the stern leader of our world, dressed in a black jacket, did not let me finish. "Lie down, lie down," he said very softly and good-naturedly, "You have done a lot for us."
Memories began to slowly return to me. I distinctly remembered what exactly happened in that terrible complex. I remembered how I kicked that alien's ass. But then a lot of questions popped up. I had no idea where those artifacts had gone. When Andras and I slew the monster, I didn't want to, I lost consciousness. It is clear that foreign little things remained lying on the territory of the complex. "If you're worried about the artifacts, they're safe," the President remarked, as if reading my mind, "We've placed them in secure storage. Now they're guarded by my best specialists. And thank you so much for saving us all." "So, what happened?" I blurted out in response to his words, "Why was the complex full of cars? Why.... Why did he manage to free himself?"
Mister President frowned at this. He clearly did not want to tell everything, but he clearly understood that he had to do it. "Marfur-Nirari put us to sleep," our leader said mournfully and dejectedly, "It was some kind of magic ... I don't even know what to call it. But we all fell asleep. And he safely mastered all the secret developments." "You mean the car," I guessed at once. The President nodded at that. "Yes," he continued his speech, "Robotic devices. We planned to use them in the future. But we did not know that the enemy would take them so easily. Now all these robots are under a secure lock. I think that I will refuse to introduce them into armed forces". These words made me suddenly feel better. This is exactly the answer I was waiting for. I never liked progress in this style. He did not like robots and complex machines. Why all this? I have repeatedly condemned all these secret projects. András was always in solidarity with me. "Relax, Mr. Designer," the President said, and allowed himself a slight smile, "You deserve it. You were unconscious for 10 days." I nearly passed out again when I heard that. Has it really been so long? It just couldn't happen... Or it could. "What about the planet?" - I unexpectedly asked myself, "What's with the core?". The President smiled at that again. "Everything is in order," he replied, "The cataclysms came to naught. It happened literally a day after you destroyed this Marfur-Nirari. And the East Sea was filled with water again. Scientists are fighting in hysterics ... Some say that this does not happen. Others that this is a consequence of planetary changes. " "Most likely we are dealing with something more interesting," said one of the presidential agents standing near their leader, "Magic, for example." "It's hardly magic, of course," the voice of his comrade-in-arms was heard, "I don't believe in all this nonsense."
Magic... Just think. Usually I never heard such words from serious people. In our world, any "magic" has always been treated with caution. Often charlatans were revealed, making excellent money on providence. But what I have personally seen over the past days - isn't this the same magic? Perhaps I should reconsider my vision of the world in the future. "Relax, Mr. Designer," the president once again said, never taking his eyes off me, "You deserve it. You saved all of us." The head of state gave me a slight bow and left along with all the henchmen. The nurses stayed with me to look after my health. After all, after all, I fought a demon, and almost died. I'm actually very lucky to be alive. A few days ago, I was sure that our world came skiff. But the Goddess has chosen a different path for us. Maybe she wants us to change. They stopped being wolves for each other. Like it or not, Marfur-Nirari was partly right. Our world is really mired in evil. Honesty and friendliness have become rare. Capital has taken over all of us, and with it came the lust for influence. Longing for something more. It's time for our world to change. It is high time for people to understand that the path they have taken will not lead them to well-being at all. If we continue to behave like this, Marfur-Nirari will come again. Nobody canceled the fact that he will be able to return to life. And whether he will return or not - depends only on us.
I asked the nurses to bring me my old voice recorder. He lay in my kitchen next to the TV screen. Sometimes, during some creative impulses, I wrote down something there all the time. He told his life stories, painted his thoughts and vision of the future. And so, when my cherished device was brought to me, I realized that I simply had to tell about what had happened. I must preserve this knowledge for the edification of posterity. No one should forget what happened to our world. Nobody should make our mistakes. After all, if you step on the old rake a second time, the blow will be much more painful than the first.
By the way, I completely forgot to say my name. My name is Ajax. Ajax Maximus .... But it doesn't matter. The main thing is not the name, but the essence. I hope you understand everything correctly. And if not..... Goddess bless you.
Thanks all. The end of connection."
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