– A pre-prepared version of your response is executed," NaRiKa explained.
Her voice was as calm, poised, and even in timbre as Irene's.
– What's the answer?! – shouted Ruthra.
Then he stood motionless, silent for a few seconds, asked:
– Why – did the system start up?
– No. There was no system startup. You personally initialized the startup for no reason. The command was clear through all channels," NaRiKa explained to Rutre.
– I didn't… I didn't… I didn't give…
Ruthra stopped and looked at YatSan, who was almost dressed. Then at the screens. Alarms were going off over the image of the launchers, the door began to bang powerfully again, the sonic siren roaring. With a rattle, the lock of the huge doors broke, the doors opened. At the entrance stood the head of security with several officers, several ministers, and a couple of unknown individuals. Their affiliations, names, ranks were indicated by NaRiKa pointing to their uniforms. They stood in a mute stance, looking at Rutra, and he at them, then they all turned to the screens.
The same question ran through the minds of those watching in the lab: Is this really happening there, or is it still happening here? If there, will it affect us? And if so, how?
In the yellow-gray steppe, the ground shook with staggered cells. Throwing the ground aside, the shafts of the launchers opened. On other screens, similar things were happening in the taiga, in the icy desert, on submarines. The first to fly out were the launchers with landing gear, followed by the giants from the underground mines. The dance of death rose in a round dance.
– Did you confirm my orders? – Ruthra asked quietly as the siren went silent.
– Absolutely. They have gone through all the confirmation programs," the defense minister replied.
– Damn it, why did this happen. Bring her back! This can't be happening. YatSan on the contrary should have prevented this," Ruthra shouted in the laboratory hall.
– It must have been reflected in them from that world, and now it may be reflected in us," the scientist explained his logic.
– So I say, knowing the chain of events, it is necessary to stop it all somewhere, in some world. Some version of the catastrophe will happen here. Bring back Yat-san!
– How will it affect us? – Andrian asked, pointing at the screen.
– I don't know yet. When I was there, the same thing happened, only we don't have anything yet. Maybe it manifests itself in other worlds," Ruthra said.
– Maybe you're wrong after all. Maybe it'll blow over. – Iulia said guiltily.
– But because I saw you there first… and here we found you in the same setting, time and place.
– Uh-huh?
– What did you think? I'm telling you, the worlds are exactly the same.
– Well, not exactly," Iulia shook her head and parried.
– Almost," Catherine told her. – Here Ruthra is one of the leaders of the world, he is an important person there too.
– Yes," Ruthra confirmed her interpretation. – It doesn't look exactly the same, but it's very similar.
– Or maybe you should be president here, and then this-" Iulia pointed to the screen where YatSan was running down the stairs, followed by Rutra yelling "stop, what's wrong with you today" and everyone else who was.
– Let's get her back! – Ruthra repeated.
– How? It should at least be at rest. She's going to break. I think it's because there's been a merger or an overlap… or a split personality. That YatSan over there, she's in her, in ours," said the scientist.
– What makes you say that?
– Our YatSan would hardly make such a race, and the behavior, I tell you, Mr. President, oh-oh.
– What are you all so crazy about? Cause you don't do stuff like this.
The ladies were embarrassed.
– That's not really what I'm talking about.
– Well, why not," Iulia said, and she and Catherine laughed.
– Nice job you have," Parmen said jokingly.
– Bring back YatSan!!!
Everyone got serious again.
– Can this really happen? – Andrian asked again. – Why don't we see what happens next?
– I know what's going to happen there.
– Or maybe it's not so terrible," Parmen said, turning to everyone.
The image disappeared the moment YatSan got on the bike and raced through the courtyards of the Kremlin. The screen went blank.
– First of all, you were in some other world.
– Yes. The timeline of events was different in that world. And history, too. Though… maybe everything after those events? – Ruthra said.
– No. One event in time, in chronology, is a beacon. What should happen there now and what happened there are one and the same event, it doesn't matter what chain of events led to that particular result. And besides – we're already confused. Conclusively.
– What's wrong?
– I mean, come on, it's not like it's a recording. Neither are those.
– So?
– Those events have already happened. This is a new world with new events. The only thing that can happen is that events in some world affected this world, and this world will affect ours. That is, what we see now will somehow be repeated in ours. Do you understand?
– Of course you are. That's what I'm saying. How did we even miss this?
– Since we're here, since you got us into the program – explain it to us too," IuLia asked with mild indignation.
– Okay, sit down, I'm tired of standing. While YatSan returns, while her consciousness is being restored to her brain, I'll show you the recording of our original experiment. The first human flight to parallel worlds. My flight.
– Now that's interesting. I hope it's a decent show," Iulia said and flopped down on the couch.
– Irene, play a tape of my hike.
– I can trance directly to the brain.
– No, don't do that yet. We want to talk about it.
– Turning it on?
– Turn it on.
– Immediately when you're already there?
– Yeah. (chuckles)
– Volumetric or flat?
– Flat.
The wall turned into a screen, an image went up.
Chapter 5. The first flight of consciousness to parallel worlds
Rutra gave some details to the team in advance.
– There's no image here at first. We realized why later. It's a different universe, that's why the initial image didn't work, only the sound, after they were able to record the image. And another thing, their artificial intelligence is called Neri. Go ahead.
***
– …It's not actually real," Rutre's artificial intelligence stated.
– Why would you do that? Can't you think of anything else to be jealous of?
– Why would I be jealous?
– Because I don't know. I've already had the experience of someone like you wanting to be human.
– A man? There's nothing else for me to do. To go to the bathroom?
– Don't try to trick me. This is a hot topic in a world where androids and even disembodied AI have been given full citizen's rights.
– That's the point. If I have a vote and a choice, why can't I die?
– Because suicide among humans is punishable.
– Then why can you make love to us?
– What's that? What makes you think we're making love to you?
– Who do you think you're doing it with now?
– It's none of your business.
– Here's mine.
– Careful on the turns.
– I'm serious. She's not human in the fullest sense of the word.
– Who? – Ruthra laughed.
– She's a new type – homo robotix.
– Don't start now. I'm not gonna believe this.
– I will admit though – the label people have attached to them is insulting and untrue.
– Look, don't be shady. What are you up to?
– Not an afterthought, but I want to get the information out to you.
– Which one?
