Free Labyrinth of reflections by Sergei Lukyanenko Page A

it… – Man Without Face bends across the table, takes a piece of paper and writes the short address. He does right that doesn't try to give me the business card, I'd never take a file from him. – These are my coordinates. After you visit "Labyrinth", offer your service to the management and try to solve the problem, contact me. Ask for… Man Without Face.
    He doesn't want to make it clearer and as it seems he doesn't have even a little doubt that I'll rush to "Labyrinth" at once.
    – Why would I want to do that?
    Man Without Face takes a small badge from the cloak pocket. It looks pretty like the police badge but its background is white and there's not a spiral in the center but a tiny sphere woven of the thinnest threads.
    – That's why.
    The badge is on the table between us. I look at it but don't dare to touch.
    What if it disappears?
    When Lady Winter received the order from Cardinal Richelieu (SP???) saying "Whatever is done by this person was done for the benefit of France", it was a bit less cool.
    The legendary Complete Licence Medal is before me: the right for just anything that's possible to do in the deep.
    Friedrich Urman would open the door and escort me to the bridge personally if he saw this badge.
    He probably would hire killers later though in order to settle the scores with me but in the deep he would be extremely polite.
    I've never seen the Medal with my own eyes before. I know that Dmitry Dibenko received the same one in his time: for the creation of the deep itself.
    One must accomplish something vitally important for all virtual space for any of his actions to be considered right from now on.
    – It will wait for you on this table, – says Man Without Face, – You'll get it… in case of your success.
    I nod silently.
    – Note that there'll be other aspirants, – informs Man Without Face, – We're looking for divers everywhere in the deep, and will find many, and will tell them the same I've told you.
    – What's there, in "Labyrinth"? – I ask turning my gaze away from the Medal.
    – I have no idea. This is what worries me.
    I allow myself to smirk, tell me that you don't know…
    – Until now everything that was happening in virtuality had their analogies in the real world. Entertainment, business, science, communications…
    Interesting that he ranked entertainment first…
    – Now something have changed…. Good luck to you diver. You can go now.
    Man Without Face nods in the direction of the door.
    – I'll leave by my own way.
    – You decided to reveal yourself?
    – Sure not.
    At parting, I look in the foggy oval of his face.
    Abyss-abyss, I'm not yours…
    I took off the helmet and stretched my hand to the modem hesitatingly, then pulled the phone wire from the jack.
    – The line is broke! – informs Vika
    – I know, girl.
    That's it, mysterious anonymous. It's that simple. Not a standard exit which is possible to trace but an instantly broken thread.
    It's barbaric of course, but absolutely no data exchange between my computer and the one where the warehouse is modeled.
    – No dialtone, – says Vika, – Check the wiring.
    – Shut down.
    – Really?
    – Yes.
    The blue background with the white falling figure fills the screen.
    – Now it's safe to turn off your computer, – whispers Vika sleepily.
    Good night to you, the most loyal of my friends… I turned the power switch and turned off the modem. I need a quiet night, let all mail wait until the morning. It's already 3:30 am though… the sky becomes lighter.
    And I want to sleep so much! The head is aching of excess information.
    I pulled off the virtual suit. Man, does it stink of sweat, it requires cleaning for a long time by now… Then I plopped down on the sofa. Good that I didn't do the bed yesterday. How farsighted have I become…
    For three years already, I suppose.

110
    It was a quarter before one when I woke up. The TV set that turned on at 10 was muttering quietly. Unpowered computer was reproachfully