Chapter 11

 Again the hum of the fan emerged from the darkness. The doctor was hanging around on the opposite side, fiddling with one of the docks.

 - Yes, that would be something, - thought Somerset, remembering the ingots, - I wonder if there could be such a place somewhere on Earth, purely theoretically... At least in the closed territory of some factory... Of course not.

 Noticing that Somerset had woken up - which was what the sensors were for, the doctor first turned around, then pushed off from the handrails and headed towards his dock, bypassing the central structure.

 In response to a question about his health, Somerset said, not for the first time, that unlike previous anabiosis, from previous flights, now he has a variety of dreams every time. This dream, with the ingots, was perhaps the only decent one, but he did not focus on the content of this and previous dreams.

 - It's all a magnetic storm, - the doctor answered, - Our own magnetic storm. The solar flare began two days ago. The magnetic system is working at full capacity. Plus, the ship sent a probe for the external curtain. That's why the engines are turned off.

 - Is that it? A strong flare? And I thought... - Somerset said, looking somewhere towards the opposite side.

 The boring compartment was separated from the outer space penetrated by all kinds of radiation by one and a half meters of multi-layered plating - there were polyethylene sheets with boron and plastic containing barium. There was also plating that protected the plastic layers themselves. Everything was enveloped in an external thermal control system, which was something like sheet hydroradiators. There were also countless layers of all kinds of foil made of heavy metals and mineral fabrics of varying density. On top of everything was a white Kevlar blanket with sewn-on bars of aerogel. The outer surface of the near side was a couple of meters from Somerset itself. This surface was now being irradiated with X-rays of such strength that if this radiation had passed through unhindered, the flight would have ended long ago for him. However, one and a half meters of all these covers and the rigid hull were not the only protection - there was also a magnetic field that deflected charged particles. Just like Earth, only on a different scale, but as compensation, the strength of the local magnetosphere was greater. The field, interacting with non-uniform particle flows, was not something stationary - it was constantly changing its parameters, which was that very magnetic storm. This was partly shielded by the hull of the compartment, but only partly. Somerset decided to review everything that came in the form of news programs from Earth - hanging out in the orbit of Mars, the onboard computer loaded all the received TV programs into its archive and now it was possible to study the outrages that engulfed the Confederate Earth. His eyes began to close, not even an hour had passed since he woke up.

 Now it was a night alley. Yes, it was an alley, not some wasteland. A huge cliff on one side, on the left, went down into the darkness, colored by even rows of street lights. On the right, there were either groves or forests going up into the sky. Somerset wanted to go up to the fence, admire the picture of the night valley, but immediately recoiled - the abyss, going into the darkness, was eerie.

 Then something white flew out from somewhere below. Somerset already guessed what it was. Having described a trajectory unthinkable in earthly conditions with a top point of about twenty meters, it, as if nothing had happened, stood up on its feet. It did not land, but rather ran onto the surface, which is why, it seemed, Somerset felt a tremor under his feet. - You move roughly, - said Somerset.

 - Just right, - answered "Snow White", - Still, you people are such fragile creatures...

 - What is, is. By the way, about this... - he began to choose his words

 - Worried that I'm a virus? I know what you mean, - as always, she got ahead of me, - It's not at all as it may seem. I don't cause all these mass epidemics with extinctions, with fatalities. I can spread, but about... Learn the principle that when a large number of people or other carriers start to get sick, when an epidemic occurs, then the disease gets sick too. This is not normal, this should not happen. The normal state is when we are not noticed.

 - So that's it? So maybe it's better to stay away from people? Not get sick from each other?

 - No, not at all. Not all viruses are like us, like me. There are a huge number of viruses that are not connected to any structures. With them, it is exactly as you imagine it. As you have studied it. And there are people like me. There are several of us on Earth, and there are countless numbers of us outside the Earth. I am a virus of one species. Someone else is different. We are an intelligent species, and at the same time, we can say that we are different species. You, people, are looking for and at the same time afraid to find others like you in the depths of space, and with us it turns out like in your fantasies, where several space races are gathered in one place. Someone is similar to someone else, someone is not. This can be compared to this picture. We have our own science and society. Only it, the society, is more detached or something... We are kind of far from each other, as if we only communicate through rare correspondence. Not always, but most of the time. Can you imagine that?

 - No. I can't imagine how that is possible.

 - Well, we are not people.

 - And you look like a human.

 - Because you are a part of me.

 - Honestly, I can't understand anything. Who is a part of whom and how?

 - Okay, imagine that a ghost is flying over the earth and the ghost can cover if not all people, then entire cities. Penetrate minds. Very superficially, but with a large population coverage, this is enough. This is such an invisible big angel that can sow... Sow unconscious imperatives directly: hostility, madness, fears or, on the contrary, peace and inspiration. I do not want to embellish and say only what will please. Well, is the example with the ghost clear? Is that clear?

 - That's clear, only a little strange for an angel. In general, I understand, yes, I understand... Can I ask a question?

 - I can. By the way, you speak more coherently and behave more sanely. This is due to a kind of training all these nights. And what kind of question?

 - What are you going to do with us?

 - Ah, I see... Don't worry. I lived on your Earth until the twentieth century. Before it began. There are several of us on your Earth. I also live on another Earth at the same time, but I had to leave yours. Leaving doesn't mean flying away. It's just that on your Earth the viruses have become the way you know them. And there are many parallel Earths like yours. About one and a half hundred.

 - And why did you have to leave?

 - And so, we've come to this, - "Snow White" pressed her lips together. Somerset even thought that some kind of anger ran across her face, - This is already a reason, - she continued, - As you can see, we are a form of life completely different from what you expect to meet sooner or later outside of Earth. If you think that this is enough, then no. There is a real monster that, just like us, coexists with you, people. She also imagines that she can... - "Snow White" began to portray an even more expressive mixture of anger, contempt and indignation with her whole appearance.

 - She? - Somerset asked.

 - Yes. It is... Horrible... A real monster from outer space... And yet she allows herself to do such...

 - What exactly?

 - Walks among people, as if... As if nothing had happened... Look over there, - "Snow White" pointed somewhere up. Instead of the moon, a bluish ring gaped in the sky, intercepted by a belt of the same bluish glow.

 - And how is it here...

 - He did not have time to finish, because "Snow White" grabbed his head with her hands and covered his mouth.

 - And what, you can't even say the name? - Somerset asked when she loosened her grip.

 - No, you can. It's something else. I'm training you now so that at the right moment you block part of your consciousness. She might come for you.

 - That's all I need! - Somerset replied, - I mean both that she'll come and the brainwashing. How do I block part of my consciousness?

 - Don't worry about that. Everything will work itself out. Like a machine. Imagine all these mechanisms, when a person temporarily forgets something. Then, when needed, he remembers. Like a computer in your head. Like in the movies.

 - It's called brainwashing and you can go crazy that way. In past centuries, the military experimented. I saw it in the movies. You probably know, it was when we, people, seriously fought among ourselves. Although we can clash even now... In general, I don't like your idea. I don't need to change anything in my head.

 - Don't worry about that. Where are your technologies and where am I. Your technologies are a stick in the hands of a monkey. But for me it's natural. I would have done all this even in those times when I didn't know normal science... When I was like your ancient people. Well, you know, ancient Greece, their symbol is Mount Olympus... Your culture should be familiar with this.

Holy shit... - Somerset muttered, - I've heard about ancient stupid Greece once before. We had Doctor Heller on Mars. And the rest of the top brass. The Fuhrers of the rebellion. You should have talked to them... Or...

 - If you think that yours, that their rebellion is my doing, then no. This is exclusively an intrigue of your human rulers. They want to build a new society and move there. So that their descendants can move. And the rest of humanity, therefore, is a thing of the past. This is very naive.

 - It's not that it's naive, it's inhumane, - Somerset objected, - Can you somehow stop them?

 - So their plan will fail anyway.

 - And will it fail?

 - You will remember everything in due time and you will remember it quickly. I will come to you when you are already close. Although I cannot see the future, I can easily guess how events will develop. These are not your legendary predictions, this is more accurate. It's just analysis. At least taking into account my experience of communicating with people. Nevertheless, you will have to be patient. For the time being, you will have to play hide and seek - there are government agents among you, and these are the kind of people to whom it is better not to show anything that does not fit into the framework of their understanding. Primitive understanding. The time will come and everything will become clear to you. Your DNA is something special. We have a rule that when someone is forced to leave, he returns, has every right to return, if one of the people calls his name. You called.

 - Did I call your name? Just said "Ferengelia"? And that's it?

 - No, it's a name for conversation. And then "Snow White". Although this is even more correct. That, a real name is a long chain of DNA fragments. All these countless cellular replications, in addition to the main function, collect it, the name, fragment by fragment. This takes years, sometimes a person's life is not enough. The case is continued by another, usually a direct descendant. Or a relative on another branch, because the process is parallel in the branches. Whoever is faster. And now, when the name is called, I can return. This is not a vital necessity, it is a rule. All societies have rules. Well, here is one of them. There are few people on Mars, and then we were not talking about Mars. Now you will return to Earth, and this will be the final assurance. I will return to your Earth. And she will not object to anything.

 - Do I have genetically modified DNA?

 Viruses can leave markers on DNA. It is like a program. And it is harmless ...

 Then Somerset realized that he remembered that he was on a ship. However, the joy was short-lived. He fell into darkness, as before.