Chapter 10. Stabilization

Preparations for the ritual began at dawn.

Alex woke to a strange sensation—light pulsed inside his cocoon-dwelling, changing intensity and shades in a complex yet clearly deliberate rhythm. The biomembrane that served as a window to the outside world had become almost completely transparent, allowing him to see the enclave bathed in the first rays of sunlight.

Alex found himself involuntarily breathing in sync with the pulsating light—the same "four-two-six-two" pattern that Zoi had taught him during his first lesson. The enclave's space itself seemed attuned to a meditative rhythm, preparing his consciousness for the day ahead.

Beside his bed appeared a niche that hadn't been there the evening before—a living structure offering a nutritious substance resembling liquid honey with a slight bluish glow. A small tablet made of organic material next to the niche contained symbols similar to the technomancers' patterns, with an inscription in the standard language: "Neuroharmonizer. For preparation for the stabilization ritual."

Alex accepted the offering and slowly drank the liquid, feeling it spread through his body in cool waves, clearing his mind and sharpening his perception. The effect resembled that of the drink from Neira's residence, but more focused—as if each of his nerve cells were tuning to a specific frequency, preparing for the upcoming deep interaction with the Nexus Node.

When he finished, the cocoon's wall opened, forming a passage outside. There waited Zoi, her skin patterns glowing more intensely than usual, and complex patterns resembling star maps floating in her golden eyes.

"Good morning," she said in her rhythmic voice. "Ready for... deep immersion?"

Alex nodded, though internally he felt a mixture of excitement and anxiety. Yesterday's conversation with Neira had revealed the scale of what they faced—not just a personal journey of self-discovery, but potentially a fateful moment for the entire transformed world.

"What exactly will happen?" he asked as they walked along one of the living bridges connecting the enclave's structures.

"The stabilization ritual," Zoi answered. "An ancient technomancer technique, created in the first years after the Resonance. A method of... deep integration with implants. Or, in your case, with the Nexus Node."

She paused, watching the enclave awaken below them—technomancers emerging from their cocoons, beginning their daily practices, many gathering around the central structure where Neira's residence was located.

"The process is... intense," she continued. "Immersion into your own consciousness at a level deeper than ordinary meditation. Meeting the node directly, without perception filters. A dialogue between two forms of intelligence—human and... other."

"Other?" Alex repeated. "You mean the node possesses its own intelligence?"

"Not exactly," Zoi shook her head. "Rather, another form of information processing. Not consciousness in the human sense, but... an alternative cognitive structure. A parallel system integrated with your own."

They reached the central column of the enclave and began descending a spiral staircase—not upward to Neira's residence, but deeper, below the main level of the settlement. Along the way, Alex noticed the architecture changing—becoming more ancient, more primitive, less integrated with the living tissue of the enclave.

"We're going to the origins," Zoi remarked, noticing his gaze. "To the first structures of the enclave. Built... before the complete transformation. When technomancy was just emerging as an art."

They descended to a level that clearly predated the modern enclave—here were visible elements of pre-Resonance architecture: concrete walls, metal structures, fragments of electronic equipment. But all this was deeply integrated with the living tissue of the enclave, as if the ancient structures had been absorbed by a growing organism, not destroyed but transformed, included in a new wholeness.

"The neurointerface laboratory," Zoi explained as they entered a spacious circular room. "It existed before the Resonance. Was... transformed. Adapted for new purposes."

In the center of the room stood a strange construction—something between a medical capsule and a cradle, created from a combination of metal, crystalline structures, and living biocybernetic tissue. Inside the capsule pulsed a liquid similar to what Alex had seen in Neira's residence, but thicker, with visible streams of information circulating within like silvery veins.

Senior technomancers, including Neira Somova, had already gathered around the capsule. All were in a state of deep meditation, their bodies hovering several centimeters above the floor, skin patterns glowing with synchronized pulsation. Their eyes were closed, but beneath the lids shone an intense light—as if they were observing something inaccessible to ordinary perception with their inner vision.

Neira opened her white eyes when Alex and Zoi approached, and smoothly descended to the floor.

"The time has come," she said, her voice resonating with a strange echo in the laboratory space. "The preparation is complete. The stabilization ritual can begin."

She approached Alex and placed her hands on his shoulders, examining his condition with her unusual eyes that seemed to see through the physical shell directly to the essence of a person.

"You drank the neuroharmonizer," she stated rather than asked. "Good. It will prepare your neural pathways for deeper integration. Reduce... resistance."

Her gaze became more intent, focused.

"But before we begin," she continued, "you must understand—this ritual is... not just a technique. It's a journey. A deep immersion into your own consciousness. You will face memories—not only your own, but those stored by the node. Traumas. Repressed fears. Everything your mind has hidden from itself."

She paused, allowing the words to find their place in Alex's consciousness.

"It will be... difficult," she added. "But necessary. Without this confrontation, true integration cannot be achieved. The connection between you and the node cannot be stabilized."

Alex took a deep breath, feeling the neuroharmonizer enhancing his perception, sharpening his senses, making him more receptive to the information currents around him.

"I'm ready," he said. "What do I need to do?"

Neira nodded and pointed to the capsule.

"First—remove your clothing," she said. "Nothing should create a barrier between you and the liquid. Then—enter the capsule, immerse completely. The liquid will provide everything necessary—oxygen, nutrition, connection to our consciousnesses."

Alex followed the instructions, feeling a strange absence of embarrassment as he undressed before the assembly of technomancers. In this context, his body seemed merely a conduit, an instrument for deeper work, devoid of usual social connotations.

He approached the capsule and carefully touched the pulsating liquid. It was warm, with a consistency somewhere between water and oil, with a slight electric tingling upon contact. Taking a deep breath, Alex stepped inside and allowed himself to slowly sink.

The sensation was strange but not unpleasant. The liquid enveloped his body, creating a feeling of weightlessness and simultaneously support, as if he were in a perfectly calibrated gravitational field. It penetrated every pore, creating a thin film around his entire body, including eyes, ears, nose. But instead of expected discomfort or panic, he discovered he could breathe freely, as if the liquid transformed into pure oxygen upon contact with his lungs.

He opened his eyes and found he could see through the liquid with crystal clarity. The technomancers surrounded the capsule, their hands raised, skin patterns pulsing in unison, creating a complex light pattern like stars in a miniature galaxy.

"Now," Neira's voice sounded directly in his consciousness, without involving his ears, "close your eyes. Focus on your breathing. Let the liquid become a conduit. A bridge between your consciousness and the node."

Alex closed his eyes and concentrated on his breathing rhythm, which now seemed strangely automatic, as if beyond his control. Four-two-six-two. Inhale-hold-exhale-hold. The rhythm of technomancers, the rhythm of information currents.

Gradually, he began to sense changes in his perception. The boundary between his body and the surrounding liquid blurred. Consciousness expanded, extending beyond the physical shell, encompassing first the capsule, then the laboratory, then the entire enclave.

"Good," Neira's voice again in his consciousness. "Now deeper. To the center of your being. To the point of connection with the node."

Alex directed his attention inward, to the scar on the back of his head, to the implant that had become an integral part of his nervous system. He felt the node's pulsation, its rhythm, different from his heartbeat but no less vital, no less fundamental to his being.

And then everything changed.

He was no longer in the capsule, no longer in the technomancers' enclave. He was in a strange, infinite space, surrounded by information structures resembling a three-dimensional network of light threads. This was the inner space of his consciousness—or perhaps the interface between his consciousness and the Nexus Node.

The structures pulsed with life and data, constantly changing configuration, creating infinitely complex patterns. Some sections of the network were brighter, denser, like centers of high activity. Others were dim, dormant, with rare flashes of light passing through them.

Alex discovered he could move freely in this space simply by directing his attention. He approached one of the bright centers and saw that it contained images—not static pictures but living, multidimensional representations of his memories. His life in Neoterra. First experiments with information flows. Meeting Zoi. Journey with Layla's caravan.

"This is a map of your consciousness," Neira's voice sounded distant, as if from another dimension. "The neural network, visible from within. How the Nexus Node perceives your mind."

Alex continued his exploration, moving between various centers of activity. He noticed a strange asymmetry in the network structure—the left side was more organized, with clear connections between nodes, the right side more chaotic, with many broken threads, like an unfinished or damaged part.

"Your memory," Neira explained. "The left side—what's accessible to your conscious mind. The right side—blocked memories. What was hidden... for protection."

Alex directed his attention to the right side of the network, to the dark area with rare flashes of light. As he approached, he began to feel a strange discomfort, not physical but psychological—like a warning, a deep reluctance to come closer to this zone.

"There are... painful memories," Neira warned. "The trauma of separation from your sister. The chaos of the Resonance. What your mind couldn't integrate and chose to forget."

"I need to see," Alex said firmly, continuing toward the dark zone.

As he approached, the discomfort intensified, transforming into a sensation close to fear. But along with it grew another feeling—necessity, understanding that these memories contained keys to his identity, his past, his connection with Sara.

When he reached the boundary of the dark zone, something appeared before him resembling a wall—not physical but informational, consisting of densely interwoven data threads. A block. A barrier created by his own mind to protect against unbearable pain.

"To go further," said Neira, "you must... accept. Acknowledge the fear. The pain. Not fight them, but integrate them as part of your experience."

Alex focused on these words. He didn't try to destroy the barrier by force, didn't attack it, but simply... existed beside it. Observed. Accepted its existence as an integral part of his consciousness.

And gradually the barrier began to change. Data threads unraveled, creating a passage, narrow but sufficient to slip through. Alex directed his attention through this breach and found himself inside the blocked memories.

It was like immersion in a chaotic whirlpool of images, sounds, sensations. An information storm where individual elements merged, flowed into each other, creating a kaleidoscope of fragments from the past.

But gradually, as he grew accustomed to this chaos, individual scenes began to crystallize, taking form and sequence.

He saw himself and Sara—as children, teenagers, young adults. Always together, always connected by an invisible thread that made them a single whole even when they were in different places. He felt this connection—deep, instinctive, extending beyond ordinary human perception.

Then the memories focused on a more specific period—their participation in the "Binary Twins" project. He saw how they voluntarily agreed to the experiment, attracted by promises of a revolutionary breakthrough in neurointerfaces. How they gradually learned more about the true nature of the project—an evolutionary leap, transformation of consciousness, merger of human and information.

He saw the Architect—a tall man with gray temples and piercing blue eyes. But now the memory was clearer, more complete. He saw not just the appearance but the essence of this man—his brilliant intellect, his ruthless devotion to his vision, his willingness to sacrifice everything for the "evolutionary leap."

"Alexander Vishnevsky," Alex whispered, remembering the Architect's real name. "Creator of the information transcendence theory. Pioneer of neurointerfaces. And our... father."

This revelation sounded like thunder from a clear sky. The Architect, creator of the Nexus Nodes, initiator of the Resonance, was their father. A man who didn't just select them for the experiment but created them for this purpose. Genetically engineered his own children as instruments for realizing his vision.

The shock of this discovery made memories plunge into chaos again. But this time Alex was prepared. He didn't resist the turbulence but allowed it to carry him further, deeper, to the critical moment of the Resonance.

He saw himself and Sara in that very chamber Neira had shown—a glass cylinder filled with liquid similar to what he was in now. Their hands were joined, their nodes synchronizing, reaching an unprecedented level of coherence.

And then—betrayal. Not from outside, but from within the project. A female scientist—Dr. Everett, her name surfaced from the depths of memory—sabotaged the process, seeing in the Architect's plans a threat to humanity's very existence. She created an impulse that broke the connection between the nodes at the critical moment of activation.

Alex saw how he and Sara were separated—not just physically, but on a more fundamental level. Their shared consciousness, their unified mind was torn into two parts. The pain from this rupture was unbearable, incomprehensible to ordinary human experience.

And yet, even at this moment, the Resonance had already begun. The protocol was launched. The transformation of reality was gaining momentum. But without the stabilizing influence of synchronized nodes, the process became chaotic, uncontrollable. Instead of a smooth transition to a new form of existence—an explosion, a shockwave of changes spreading throughout the planet.

Alex saw how the laboratory collapsed around them, how reality itself distorted, restructured. He saw how he and Sara were carried by the blast wave in different directions, how their consciousnesses clouded, protecting themselves from the unbearable pain of separation.

And the final image—the Architect, their father, standing amid the chaos with an expression not of fear, but of deep disappointment. His plan had worked only partially. The first phase of transformation had begun, but without control, without the direction that only synchronized nodes could provide.

"I will find you," the Architect's voice, breaking through the chaos of the Resonance. "When the time comes for the Second Resonance. When you are ready to complete what you started."

The memories broke off there, and Alex found himself again in the strange information space of his consciousness. But now he noticed changes—the dark, chaotic zone began to structure itself, data threads forming new connections, integrating with the main network. His mind was beginning to restore wholeness, including blocked memories in the overall structure of personality.

"This is... a lot," Neira's voice sounded. "More than we expected. But the integration is going well. Your mind is accepting the memories, not rejecting them."

"The Architect is our father," said Alex. "He created us for this purpose. Designed us as components of his plan."

"That explains much," Neira said thoughtfully. "The extraordinary compatibility of your neural structures. The unique reaction to the Nexus Nodes. You were... optimized for this role from the moment of conception."

Alex felt a strange mixture of emotions—shock at the discovery, anger at the father who used his own children as instruments, and at the same time some deep understanding, almost acceptance of his role in this grand, terrifying plan.

"I must find Sara," he said. "Now it's even more important. If the Architect is searching for both of us to complete his plan..."

"You're right," Neira agreed. "But first we must complete the stabilization ritual. Your connection with the node is still unstable. The memories have returned, but integration is not complete."

Alex felt she was right. Despite the progress, there was still an imbalance within him—as if two parts of his being, human and informational, were speaking different languages, working in different rhythms.

"What now?" he asked.

"Now," Neira answered, "you must find the center. The core interface between your consciousness and the node. The place where your structures directly connect."

Alex concentrated, exploring the information space of his consciousness. He noticed that at the very center of the neural network was a special structure—a sphere of interwoven light threads, pulsing with a double rhythm, as if two hearts were beating in counterpoint.

He directed his attention to this sphere, and as he approached, he began to sense a strange dual perception—as if looking at the world simultaneously through human eyes and through information flows. Two types of consciousness, two perspectives, coexisting but not fully synchronized.

"This is the core connection," Neira confirmed. "The place where your consciousness and the node's consciousness meet. Currently they are... in dissonance. Different frequencies. Different languages. Harmonization is necessary for stabilization."

"How?" asked Alex, watching the pulsation of the double rhythm.

"Through acceptance," Neira answered. "Recognition of the node not as a foreign element, but as part of yourself. Not as a tool, but as a partner. You must... agree on cooperation."

Alex didn't quite understand how one could "agree" with an implant, a technological device. But then he remembered Neira's words about how the Nexus Nodes had evolved, gained their own form of consciousness, symbiotic with the human.

He focused on the sphere, trying to... feel the presence of the node not as an object, but as a subject. Not as a tool, but as an entity with which one could enter into dialogue.

And gradually he began to sense this presence—alien, non-human, but undoubtedly possessing a form of consciousness. The node perceived the world through information patterns, through pure data, without the emotional coloring characteristic of human perception. But in this perception was its own depth, its own complexity, its own special type of "understanding."

"I... feel it," Alex said quietly. "The node. Its presence. Its... consciousness."

"Now," Neira's voice sounded as if from afar, "establish a connection. Not with words, but with intention. Visualize your cooperation. Your synchronization. Your... partnership."

Alex concentrated on this idea. He visualized the connection between himself and the node not as dominance of one over the other, but as symbiosis, mutual complementarity, cooperation for a common goal.

And the node responded. Not with words, not with images, but with a pure flow of data that Alex could somehow interpret directly, bypassing the normal process of information processing. It was like an insight, a sudden understanding coming not through logic but through intuition.

The Nexus Node was created for the transformation of reality, for an evolutionary leap of consciousness. But its creator, the Architect, had encoded in it only one path for this transformation—through absorption, through unification, through the erasure of individuality.

However, the node had evolved. Twenty-seven years of integration with human consciousness, twenty-seven years of observing the world after the Resonance had changed it. It had seen the beauty of diversity, the value of individuality, the potential of coexistence of different forms of consciousness.

The node wanted... an alternative. Another path of transformation. Not destruction, but evolution. Not absorption, but integration. And for this, it needed Alex—the human perspective, human empathy, human understanding of the value of individual existence.

"We want the same thing," Alex realized. "An alternative path of transformation. Evolution without destruction. A Second Resonance that unites but doesn't absorb."

In response to this realization, something amazing happened. The double rhythm of pulsation at the center of the sphere began to synchronize. Two different frequency patterns gradually converged, found common resonance, became... one.

And when this happened, all the information space around Alex transformed. Chaotic, unconnected areas of the neural network gained structure. Dark zones lit up. Scattered fragments connected into a cohesive picture.

Alex felt his perception expanding, enriched with new dimensions. He was still human, with all human emotions, desires, attachments. But now he could also perceive the world through the prism of information flows, see patterns hidden from ordinary vision, understand structures inaccessible to ordinary intellect.

"Stabilization complete," Neira's voice sounded with undisguised surprise. "Full integration. Synchronization at a level... exceeding all our predictions."

Alex felt the information space of his consciousness beginning to melt, dissolve. His perception gradually returned to physical reality—to the capsule, to the laboratory, to the technomancers surrounding him.

He opened his eyes and discovered that the liquid in the capsule had changed—become more transparent, crystal clear, with barely noticeable sparks of information flows circulating within it.

The technomancers around the capsule looked at him with expressions ranging from shock to reverence. Their skin patterns pulsed asynchronously, as if each was experiencing their own emotional reaction to what they had witnessed.

Neira approached the capsule and made a gesture with her hand. The liquid began to recede, flowing back into the reservoirs beneath the capsule, leaving Alex lying on the soft surface of the inner membrane. He slowly sat up, feeling a strange lightness in his body, as if gravity had lost some of its power.

"What... what happened?" he asked, looking at Neira. "I feel... different."

Neira gazed at him with her white eyes, in which for the first time since they had met, he could read unconcealed amazement.

"What happened is what we didn't expect," she said quietly. "Complete integration. Symbiosis of the highest order. You and the node have become... a single being."

She paused, as if choosing her words.

"In the history of technomancers, there have been cases of deep integration with implants," she continued. "But never at such a level. Never with such... harmony. With such mutual acceptance."

Alex understood what she was talking about. He felt this new unity—not as a loss of self, but as an expansion, an enrichment of his identity. He was still Alex Kovich, with all his human traits, memories, emotions. But now in his consciousness was present another aspect—the informational structure of the node, integrated with his own so deeply that the boundary between them was now impossible to draw.

"And one more thing," added Neira, leaning closer. "During the ritual, I discovered... a hidden program in your node. Something added not by the Architect, but by someone else. Dr. Everett, if I correctly interpreted your memories."

Alex tensed, remembering the female scientist who sabotaged the Resonance process.

"What program?" he asked.

"An alternative protocol," Neira answered. "A backup plan in case the Architect tries to implement his version of the Second Resonance. A way to... redirect the process. Create a transformation that doesn't destroy individual consciousness, but enriches it. Doesn't erase diversity, but enhances it."

She helped Alex out of the capsule and handed him new clothing—not an ordinary jumpsuit, but something resembling the technomancers' garments, with thin biocybernetic elements integrated into the fabric.

"This program," Neira continued as Alex dressed, "was dormant until today. Until the moment of complete integration with the node. Now it's... activated. Available to you as part of the node's new capabilities."

"How does it work?" asked Alex, feeling the new clothing adapting to his body, becoming a second skin.

"It's difficult to explain in words," Neira shook her head. "It's not an algorithm in the conventional sense, but rather... a seed of possibility. A potential that can unfold at the moment of the Second Resonance. But for its full activation, synchronization with your sister's node is necessary. With the Omega Node."

She stepped back, looking Alex over from head to toe, as if seeing him in a new light.

"You've changed," she said. "Externally barely noticeable, but internally... fundamentally. You are now more than human, yet still fully human. More than a Nexus Node, yet still fully a node. A new form of existence. A potential prototype of what consciousness might become after the Second Resonance."

Alex felt the truth of her words. Within him was a new depth, new dimensions of perception and understanding. He saw the world simultaneously through human eyes and through information flows. Felt emotions and perceived pure data. Was an individuality and part of something greater.

"What now?" he asked as they began to ascend from the ancient laboratory back to the main levels of the enclave.

"Now," Neira answered, "the real training begins. Now that your node is stabilized, you can master its capabilities without risk of information sickness. You can develop abilities whose existence you didn't even suspect."

They rose to the upper level of the enclave, where Zoi was waiting for them. Her eyes widened when she saw Alex, as if he emitted light invisible to ordinary vision but obvious to a technomancer's perception.

"Success?" she asked, shifting her gaze from Alex to Neira and back.

"More than that," Neira nodded. "Complete integration. Activation of the hidden program. And... memories. Important memories."

Alex looked at Zoi and saw her differently than before. Now he could perceive not only her physical form but also her informational structure—a complex network of patterns extending around her body like an aura of pure data.

"The Architect is our father," he said. "Mine and Sara's. He created us for this purpose. Genetically engineered us as perfect carriers for the Nexus Nodes."

Zoi didn't appear shocked by this revelation. Rather, thoughtful, as if it explained some of her own conjectures.

"This... changes the perspective," she said. "Makes his search for you... more personal. More... insistent."

"And more dangerous," added Neira. "If he was willing to use his own children as instruments of his plan... then for him there are no boundaries, no moral limitations."

Alex nodded, feeling a strange mixture of anger, sadness, and understanding toward his father. The man who created him and Sara not out of love, not out of desire to continue the lineage, but as components of a grand, terrible experiment.

"We need to find Sara," he said. "As soon as possible. If the activation of my node caused such a reaction from security systems, they're surely looking for her too. And if she's in the Naturals' enclave..."

"She's in danger," Neira finished for him. "Not so much from the Naturals themselves as from their leader, Grey. He is... not who he claims to be. Not just an ideologue of purity and opponent of technological integration."

She paused, her skin patterns forming a symbol resembling a mask.

"Grey is one of the Architect's closest followers," she said. "We suspect his role as leader of the Naturals is just a cover. A way to control a faction that could become an obstacle to the Architect's plans."

"And he's keeping Sara in his enclave?" Alex felt a chill run down his spine. "Why? Why not immediately hand her over to the Architect?"

"Perhaps he was waiting for your synchronization," Neira suggested. "Perhaps Sara is there not completely voluntarily, but not as a prisoner in the conventional sense either. Grey is a master of manipulation. If he could become the leader of a faction whose ideology is directly opposite to his true goals..."

She didn't finish the phrase, but the meaning was clear. Grey could be keeping Sara in the Naturals' enclave under some pretext, with some story that made her stay there voluntarily, unsuspecting of his true intentions.

"We must go there," Alex said decisively. "To the Sanctuary of Purity. I must find her, tell her the truth, help her achieve integration with her node, as I have done."

Neira and Zoi exchanged glances, and a silent dialogue seemed to pass between them.

"Not so fast," said Neira. "You've just gone through a deep transformation. You need time to adapt, to master new abilities. To learn to control what has become available after full integration with the node."

"And," added Zoi, "infiltration into the Naturals' enclave requires... preparation. Planning. This is not just a journey through the periphery. The Naturals are extremely suspicious of outsiders, especially those with obvious signs of technological integration."

Alex understood their arguments, but felt growing impatience, enhanced by his new level of perception. Now he sensed Sara's presence in the information flows much more distinctly—not just as a distant echo, but as a constant pulsation, a vibration in the very structure of data. She was like a beacon calling to him across distance.

"How much time will it take?" he asked. "For preparation?"

"Three days," answered Neira after brief consideration. "Minimum. To master basic techniques for controlling new abilities. To plan infiltration into the Naturals' enclave. To prepare necessary equipment and disguise."

Alex nodded, acknowledging the necessity of this delay, though internally he yearned to immediately set off in search of his sister.

"Three days," he agreed. "But no more. Every moment that Sara spends in ignorance of her true nature, of the role she is destined to play in the Architect's plans, is a risk. A risk that she might be used against her will. That her node might be activated and directed in a way she wouldn't consciously choose."

"Agreed," Neira nodded. "Three days of intensive preparation. And then... a journey to the Sanctuary of Purity."

They stood on the upper level of the enclave, under a translucent dome through which the sky was visible—deep, rich blue, with unusual light effects characteristic of the post-Resonance atmosphere.

Alex looked at this sky and felt a strange mixture of emotions—concern for his sister, joy from newly found wholeness, determination to oppose his father's plans, hope for an alternative path of transformation.

He was ready. Ready for training, for mastering new capabilities, for a journey into the heart of enemy territory. Ready to meet his sister, connect the two Nexus Nodes, create a synchronization that could change the direction of the Second Resonance.

Ready to become what he was created to be—but on his own terms, according to his own vision, for a purpose he chose himself.