Planck immediately jumps up from his seat and heartly shakes hands with the newcomer, greeting him exactly like me, as, IВ suppose, each participant.
Alex leans over and whispers:
This plane is just aВ bunch ofВ characters. Here is our absent-minded botanist.
В«What character are you?В» IВ whisper sarcastically back.
«Isn’t it obvious? Strong, smart, kind and generous Robin Hood. I’ll take a million dollars from the rich people and give it to the poor ones!» he smiles so contagiously that I can hardly contain myself not to burst out laughing.
В«And, inВ my opinion, you are an ambitious, self-confident fellow!В»
В«Maybe. But then the slavers will hardly be able toВ get aВ high price for me inВ the market.В»
Joleo walks down the aisle and apologizes every two steps. At some point, he stumbles and almost falls toВ the floor.
«I’m so clumsy,» he repents in my direction, «I’m sorry.»
For some reason, I feel sorry for this little fragile person. I’m surprised how he got into the Game with his natural shyness. Will other gamers «eat» him? Again, my bad habit of thinking about others. There can only be one winner in this game, and I should at least try to become one.
«It’s okay, let me help,» I jump up.
В«No, no, do not worry, IВ can handle it.В» He mumbles something and moves into the tail ofВ the plane.
At this point, the pilot is addressing the passengers inВ English with such aВ terrible accent that IВ have toВ make effort toВ understandВ him:
«Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Li Cheng and I am the first pilot of our aircraft. The last passenger has just boarded, so we’re ready to take off. Please make yourself comfortable in your seats. The flight attendants will help you and give you instructions. We’re taking off in twenty minutes. The flight will last about 11 hours.»
***
The plane taxies onto the runway and accelerates.
«Are you kidding!» I hear Alex’s voice and see his smile stretched from ear to ear, «just don’t say you’re afraid to fly!»
«I’m not afraid of anything, by the way, I have two parachute jumps behind my shoulders.» It’s annoyingly, how easily Alex saw my fears.
He smiles mysteriously, generously showing dimples on his cheeks. Pawky dark eyes shine with pleasure.
«You’re a unique person, Lavina. A kind who will fiercely fight in a bloody battle, and then weep over the body of a dead kitten. Don’t worry, statistics…»
В«IВ know what the statistics says,В» IВ interrupt impatiently. В«Air transport is the safest one. There is one plane crash for every one million flights.В»
«Nonsense! I mean something else,» he smiles ominously, «the plane falls very quickly, and there is no chance of survival… We have a long flight ahead of us, and the worst thing that can happen on the way is that I will get bored. So relax and tell me something about yourself, the extraordinary girl named after a force of nature. I don’t know anything about you except that you jump with a parachute, are afraid to fly, almost became a victim of slave traders and cry over the dead kittens. Oh yeah, and you’re just awful in the „Searching for Object“ genre! I wouldn’t be surprised if you have a hard time finding your socks in the morning.»
Alex hints at our online game together. But he’s right again, this quest subgenre is not my strongest point. We’ve known each other personally for only a few minutes, and he again manages to drive me mad:
В«And you declare it toВ me, master ofВ negotiations! Yes, we lost only because you managed toВ quarrel with all the characters inВ almost every game dialogue!В»
В«Uh, and IВ was afraid that we would not reach an understanding,В» Alex pretendedly wipes with his hand. В«Where are you from? What motivated you toВ join this strange company?В»
В«You first.В»
«It’s not a secret. I was born and raised in Moscow. Alex is short for Alexander. I have a law degree and worked in various small offices. At the age of 30, I am fond of online quests, engaged in mountaineering, basketball and I dream of opening a private legal agency to provide my services for both Russian and foreign companies. This is what I will spend my winnings for.»
«What about „giving money to the poor“, Robin the Hood?» I ask sarcastically.
«You have no idea how many people need free legal advice,» he suddenly becomes serious, «the poor are more likely to find themselves in difficult situations, become victims of unscrupulous realtors, traders, relatives, criminals, remain without a roof over their heads and lose all their modest savings… At the same time, they cannot even afford to receive qualified assistance.»
IВ feel ashamed, so IВ change the topic and tell about myself:
«My name is Victoria, I’m from Samara. I teach English courses at a language school and occasionally work as a translator. I love adventure and look for them in every possible way. That’s why I am here, aboard a plane flying in an unknown direction. I’m 25, and instead of thinking about family and kids, I sit for hours at the computer, pondering on another puzzle.»
В«And what will you spend your winningsВ on?В»
«I don’t think it will come to that,» I wave it off. «For me, the Game of the Century is a way to break out of routine and become part of something great and one of a kind.»
Alex stares at me intently, as if trying toВ see through, and suddenly hits me on the spot with his phase:
В«You clearly underestimate yourself.В»
IВ raise my eyebrows inВ surprise, not knowing how toВ respond toВ such aВ statement.
«You have one important, I’d even say, a unique quality that will make you special in this game.»
В«Yes, and which one?В» IВ strain like aВ string, expecting another joke.
В«AВ very kind heart.В»
I have no time to think about his words, as the plane suddenly gets into a zone of turbulence, and it starts to shake severely. With the mind I understand that this is not dangerous at all, nevertheless, I can’t help being nervous: I grip the armrests of the leather seat with my hands and even forget to breathe out of excitement. After a minute, everything calms down, and I feel ashamed of my fear.
I’m already planning a response to another stinging joke from Alex, when the plane seems to fall into an air hole. It takes my breath away for a second. But outside the window the sun is shining brightly, the sky is blinding with its blue – it can only be so blue here, at an altitude of 10,000 meters. Fluffy clouds float beneath us so peacefully that I manage to pull myself together and calm down. And the moment I completely relax, the plane shakes with renewed vigor.
I have never experienced such intense turbulence before. The plane literally jumps in the air, then drops down for a few fractions of a second, then shakes from side to side. Horror binds me, so I can’t breathe or even just move. Instead, I have an iron grip on the seat and cannot formulate a single clear thought in my head. Shouts are heard in the cabin. Excited exclamations come through my own veil of fear. Someone is trying to call the flight attendant. Suddenly, everything ends as spontaneously as it began.
All I want now is to see Alex’s good-natured, mocking smile and make sure everything is in order. But when I turn in his direction, instead of the expected smile, I see a worried, even pale face.
«Alex, I’m really afraid to fly,» I babble.
В«Be quiet! Something is wrong! Can you hear the engine running unevenly?В»
В«Stop that!В» IВ am angry and expect that now he will laugh, rejoice at how well he played meВ out.
«Please,» I mentally ask him, «tell me it’s not true! I won’t even take offense.»
But looking out the window, IВ shudder from what IВ saw. Thick black smoke is pouring from the left wing. There can be no doubt that aВ serious problem occurred during the violent shaking. And as if inВ confirmation ofВ my thought, the plane slowly lands on the left wing, holds for some time, as it seems toВ me, inВ one place, and then begins toВ plummet downward.
Fuzzily, I hear screams in different languages, panic in the cabin, Alex’s instructions:
«Fasten all the belts! Don’t move!»
Someone is crying, another one is praying hard. The blood rushes to my head, so I no longer know where the top and bottom are. The eardrums seem to be about to burst from sudden pressure. Seat belts bite painfully into the shoulders. I want to scream, but I can’t open my mouth. I register the impact of some objects flying around the cabin and the deafening roar of a falling plane.
The entire cabin is clouded with thick acrid smoke and filled with the smell of burning. The oxygen mask hung in front of my face, and somewhere deep in my subconscious, the flight attendants’ briefing before the start pops up. With shaking hands, I pull the mask over the face and try to take my first breath, but the lungs sewn with the threads of fear refuse to obey. I close my eyes tightly.
The thoughts get confused inВ my head.
«Is that all? The end? Is all this happening to me in reality? Is the biggest fear of my life, my nightmares coming true? "I think in some daze. I used to be sure that «pictures of the whole life’s journey» in the face of death is a myth. But now scenes from the past are really flickering before my closed eyes: people, events, experiences. Clearly, distinctly, in some specific moments of life and, most surprisingly, in the reverse order.
Meeting Alex. The Glossy Lady. I board a plane at Sheremetyevo airport. I open the letter with a trembling hand, stamped Antakarana Corporation. I press the «Fill» button of the questionnaire opened on the monitor to participate in the Game of the Century. I study English irregular verbs with first-graders, translate negotiations on the delivery of a new tomograph to the city hospital. Euphoria during the second parachute jump. Horror before the first one. Graduation party at the institute, generously flavored with laughter and tears. Disappointment due to the failed ascent of Elbrus. Painful parting with Andrey. I jump for joy in front of the list of applicants on the wall of the university. First kiss with Kirill at the school prom. – Pictures in my head speed up. – Tears because of the first bad score in math. Mom fries pancakes on Sunday morning, and I burned my finger. First day at the new school. Hike to the Ural Mountains. Grandma’s village, where the goose nibbles me and chases me for some time. Mom leads me by the hand on my first school day. A funeral on a rainy day. Mom and Dad, embracing, cry bitterly in the kitchen. Mom, pale as a sheet, talking on the phone. I play dolls with my older sister. I try to crawl to my sister, but she runs away from me all the time and… Nothing more.
The pictures suddenly cease to come to mind. Chaos and panic reign in the plane. I open my eyes and look out the window. The earth is approaching with unimaginable speed – the two-story airport building is already clearly visible, to which we are rapidly rushing. A couple more seconds – and only a smoking heap of wreckage will remain.
В«Goodbye, Mom and Dad, IВ love you,В» IВ whisper squeezed.
The wing touches the ground, I close my eyes tightly and… nothing happens.
***
Suddenly, the picture outside the window changes and our plane is still standing in the same place at the airport in Lhasa. I look around in fright. What’s happening? Am I out of my mind? Other passengers also exchange looks in bewilderment. No, everything happened in reality, this is not my sick fantasy – this is evidenced by the things scattered around the cabin, and oxygen masks still dangling over our heads. However, the smell of burning and smoke quickly disappear, leaving no trace.
IВ hear somebody crying. The woman ofВ southern descent is shouting emotionally inВ her language. The athlete jumps toВ his feet, swearing loudly and obscenely. His gaze goes toВ the end ofВ the plane. Without thinking twice, he confidently walks past me inВ the tail, grabs byВ the shoulders aВ slender Asian woman inВ big round glasses, who IВ did not have possibility toВ carefully consider before, and begins toВ shakeВ her.
В«What the hell is going on here?! Are you at one with them? Sick motherfuckers, what the fuck is that?В» he keeps swearing.
The girl babbles back and sobs loudly. Alex jumps up from his seat and runs up toВ him.
«She’s just the victim like us. She’s in shock, can’t you see? Get your hands off her!»
The athlete looks at Alex with bloodshot eyes and breathes heavily. At one point it seems that he will get into a fight. But instead, the athlete lets the Chinese woman go. The girl falls on Alex’s chest and grabs him with a death grip, continuing to sob loudly.
Behind her, Joleo firmly presses both hands toВ his chest, periodically rubs his high wrinkled forehead and mutters something inaudible, apparently inВ his own language.
AВ thin woman ofВ about fifty, whom IВ had not noticed before, aВ neighbor ofВ aВ Chinese woman, bent over, hugging her knees and crying soundlessly.
Apparently, the blonde is inВ aВ life-saving swoon. From my seat, IВ can only see her hand hanging lifeless from the chair. Planck stands next toВ her and tries toВ bring the girl toВ the senses byВ lightly patting her cheek.
An angelic-looking boy sits in the aisle of the plane and sobs shamelessly. Of course, this is not a boy. He is at least 25 years old. But golden curls, delicate skin and perfectly shaped lips and nose make him look more like a young angel. Large tears roll down the guy’s flawless face. Feeling embarrassed to look at him, I turn away, being myself not in the best condition. I also want to crawl to the floor and sob uncontrollably.
В«We are glad toВ welcome you, participants ofВ the Great Game!В» aВ soft deep voice is heard. We turn around and realize that it belongs toВ an elderly man on the monitor screen hanging above the entrance toВ the aircraft cabin.
An old Asian-looking man, most likely Chinese, brings his hands together and bows slightly. His gray long hair is slicked back, and his narrow slanted eyes express friendliness and old wisdom. He smiles and bares teeth that are too white for his advancedВ age.
В«My name is Maestro. IВ will accompany the players throughout the game. First ofВ all, let me tell that you are completely safe on board. This is one ofВ the most modern and reliable Bombardier models, additionally equipped with security and air control systems. Any problems during the flight are completely excluded. IВ assure you that inВ 11В hours we will safely deliver you toВ the place where the Quest will be played.В»
An absolute silence reigns inВ the cabin. We look at the screen inВ shock and bewilderment. The old man continues:
В«InВ addition, the aircraft is equipped with aВ flight simulator similar toВ those used byВ pilots. The simulator is all at once: acoustic, optical and mechanical. The devices built into the windows show the various pictures, but these are only types. The mechanisms inВ the housing and chassis simulate the movement ofВ the aircraft, smells and sounds.В»
The aggressive guy recovers first:
«Oh, you sick bastard! I’ll strangle you with my own hands!»
He continues toВ shout curses. As if hearing the athlete, Maestro continues:
В«You may be curious, for what purpose did we use aВ flight simulator and stage aВ plane crash? The answer is simple: check your reactions, my friends. Emotional stability. Ability toВ think sensibly and make decisions inВ stressful situations. Just consider this as the last ofВ many tests you had toВ pass toВ get here.В»
At this time, the blonde, who has already come toВ her senses, jumps toВ her feet and shouts:
«You call this a „test“? Who are you to mock us like that?! Let me out now, I’m leaving this plane and this damn game.»
В«IВ suppose,В» the elder continues calmly, almost sympathetically, В«that some ofВ you will want toВ quit the game without even starting it. Unfortunately, this is not possible. Each ofВ you has signed aВ contract and has no right toВ leave the game before it ends.В»
В«Not possible? Who will stop me then?!В» She walks furiously toward the exit. Four men inВ suits and glasses, similar toВ those who accompanied me from the airport inВ Beijing, come out from the cockpit. The blonde girl shouts something else, but hesitates and returns toВ her place.
«We have selected the best people for this Game. Each of the participants is extremely important for the Corporation and for me personally. Now this is almost impossible, but you will soon comprehend how necessary this cruel test was. I promise that a lot will become clear by the end of the game week. Show patience, wisdom and restraint – these are the three pillars on which any sage rises. After all, only a true sage can become the winner of the Great Game.»
«He’ll definitely learn the strength of my patience as soon as collides with me personally,» the athlete hisses in rage.
AВ woman ofВ southern descent with aВ whiny voice and surprisingly clear English addresses the screen as if the elder can hearВ her:
В«How unfair and cruel subject people toВ such tests! Your test is aВ crime! IВ do not wish toВ take part inВ this. The fact that we have become part ofВ the quest does not make us cannon fodder inВ your perverted games!В»
«Many of you lack motivation. Money is a powerful engine, but still often insufficient, especially when it comes to the emotional level of perception, when the game hurts the thoughts, feelings, and sometimes the dignity of people. And we can do nothing without motivation. Well, I will give you this incentive. The winner will receive one million dollars to spend it as he pleases: keep it for himself, divide it between the participants, send it to a charitable foundation, God knows how else. But that’s not all. Antakarana Corporation will fulfill one of the most important and vital wishes of the winner. We are powerful, believe me, these are not empty words. Many of you may not yet even guess what exactly is your innermost desire. The time will surely come to find out. But the organizers already know it from the moment they met you and decided that you and no one else would become participants in the Great Game. Money, my friends, is dust, but the thing we are ready to do for you in case of victory is deeply personal and worth some hardship.»
Maestro pauses meaningfully.
В«What is he talking about?В» the young man with an angelic face asks quietly. The athlete looks at him contemptuously:
В«That he can make you aВ real man.В»
«My dream has already come true, I discovered and proved the presence of the satellite Joleo in the Saturn system,» the absent-minded scientist exclaims with unexpected joy and smiles broadly, «but if I can prove the existence of the tenth planet in our solar system… This promises the Nobel Prize, no less! I really can make history!»
В«IВ hope you were able toВ appreciate the significance ofВ my words. After 11В hours, you will be taken toВ the Location. This is aВ wonderful place ofВ incredible beauty inВ the Indian Ocean. IВ will not hide it, it is fraught with many dangers. But together you will cope with them without much difficulty. Every day you will find yourself inВ situations that require the best skills, knowledge and capabilities. My advice: stick together toВ the last. Only one, the strongest, will win, but alone none ofВ you will reach the final, since each participant has aВ specific set ofВ knowledge. Every day, every hour, you have toВ make decisions that affect the course ofВ the game. Always remember that these are solely your decisions and the Corporation does not impose them on you.В»
IВ am so overwhelmed byВ the simulated catastrophe and immersed inВ myself, that IВ can hardly perceive the words ofВ Maestro. The flaming wing ofВ the plane still stands before my eyes, the smell ofВ burning is felt inВ the nose, and the deafening growl ofВ the engine is heard inВ my ears.
«So we come to the most important thing: the essence of our game. Of course, the goal of the quest is to go through all locations and reach the final. But here is the topmost task, the solution you have to find, my friends…» he again makes a long pause. Maestro has achieved the desired effect. Now all the participants’ attention is riveted to the monitor.
В«Each player is here not byВ accident. The main question is: what unites you all besides the passion for quests and riddles, be it online games, researching the secrets ofВ mankind or the search for aВ new planet inВ the solar system? Undoubtedly, each ofВ the participants is aВ master ofВ his genre, one might say, aВ genius inВ solving puzzles. Yet there is one secret that binds you more than you can imagine. The players will have toВ find an answer toВ this question inВ the coming week. And we will help you with this.В»
Those present in the salon exchange glances in bewilderment. We have never seen each other before and so far have not even considered it necessary to know each other’s names. We were only potential rivals and did not know how closely we would have to interact. Now everyone is looking at each other as if for the first time, as if we had not experienced a joint plane crash and a common death.
«Now that you have full information, I still give you the first choice, and this will be the last opportunity to leave the game. We aren’t inhuman masters of fate. The decision is always yours, remember this! You will have only a minute to get up and leave this plane for good.»
At these words, the ninjas at the exit parted in different directions. There is deathly silence in the cabin, so you can hear the ticking of someone’s wristwatch. The players froze, as if paralyzed by the words of Maestro. I can feel how dense the air has become from the thoughts and inner doubts of the participants. My first impulse is to jump up, get out of the plane, return home and never, ever remember this awful day, this cruel imitation of flying and falling. I turn to Alex, who is still standing next to the Chinese woman. He meets my eyes and shakes his head slowly. I can almost hear him: «No, temerarious girl with the name of a force of nature. You are capable of more. «And the moment is missed, the guards again block the passage. None of the participants even moved.
