Бесплатный фрагмент - Book-12. Gravity cyclone, novella

Annotation

A novel Fayeton, tells about a family of characters in the story What was the fate of the children of the heroes, their adventures, and further life, and work in the representative office of the Earthlings’ Diplomatic Corps? Narrated in the final Book-12 «Gravity Cyclone», novella.

Fayeton, Book-12. Gravity cyclone, novella

Part-1

Chapter 1

— I’m Medusa! I am Medusa! Welcome! — the broadcast was silent. The power of the spacecraft’s engines was enough to keep it at one point in space. For an hour now, the woman astronaut called the ether.

Captured by an unknown attraction, the ship slowly slid into the cosmic abyss. There was nothing there, no stars, no distant galaxies. Only blackness, the edge of the universe. The fuel gauge warily signaled the end of the last emergency supplies. Two minutes later, the engines were silent. Like a stung horse, the ship rushed from its place and with acceleration, thrown out of the existence of the Universe, rushed into the abyss.

Beads of sweat beaded on the woman’s beautiful face. Helplessly squeezing into a chair, she trembled in anticipation of the inevitable. When a bright flash outlined a white ball at her feet. The cosmonaut shuddered and thought: — «This begins!» — closed her eyes. Her imagination drew incomprehensible signs and symbols to her. To get rid of their non-passing current, she lifted her eyelashes and saw the shimmering figure of a humanoid. No feelings were displayed on the alien’s impassive cold face, only his eyes, huge and expressive, slightly slanting, gray eyes, looked warmly, affably. In his hand he held a bundle of phosphorescent tissue. He stretched out his hand, inviting the woman to take it forward and making it clear with a gesture that it was necessary to quickly put on this robe. Soon, two flashes lit up the ship’s cockpit with bright flashes. Three UFOs sat inside the module. They were each in their own chair, but they were taller than a man, about 2.5 meters. The humanoid woman sat on the left. Unlike the two men, she had thin lips, all round ears, four fingers on her hands. Snub noses with two nostrils and egg-shaped faces. There is a touch of eroticism in a woman’s clothes. Her spacesuit-outfit exposed part of her hips and chest. The collar is deaf and high. Men, on the other hand, had a low-cut neckline in their overalls. Suddenly, two blinding flashes flashed in the middle of the ship’s space. And in their place, two figures were outlined. The first was a humanoid and the second was a female astronaut. Their silvery spacesuits glittered in the rays of energy flashes in the overflow of lightning. For another moment, the brightness of the clothes faded, and an earthly woman appeared before the UFOs. Fear shone in her brown eyes with helpless lights, and the confusion, frozen on her face, could not tell her whether to laugh or cry from the joy of salvation or the grief of a trap. Finally curiosity won, and she stared at her saviors with interest. All three laughed strangely, the gap in the mouth just extended. Obviously, the cosmonaut’s train of thought became clear to them. In the center sat a broad-shouldered man, larger than his comrade. He was saying something quickly. The confused woman was invited to sit down. Until the end, not believing in her salvation, she carefully touched the chair with her hand. And the humanoid that was still nearby, as if waiting for this command. I went to the niche opposite and fastened myself with two belts while standing. The initiative in the conversation passed to him. He immediately introduced himself:

— I am a robot MB twenty. You will succeed.

«It is he who encourages me,» the astronaut thought. And she sat down in a chair to be surprised again: — «How does he know Russian»?

— I know five hundred thousand languages spoken by intelligent beings living in the Universe. And others. — said MB twenty. Obviously, he was not aware of the feeling of modesty. He was very talkative and talkative, coped with:

— Isn’t it scary? — soothed, — What kind of plaque do you have? What is your name? Where do you live? — this smart robot asked a lot more. The woman was shy for the direct gaze of the huge inquiring eyes of the three aliens. Finally overcoming the awkwardness, she introduced herself:

— My name is Elena Gratsis. I come from Latvia from Riga. — all three listeners and the robot nodded their heads as a sign of understanding, as if they already knew all this for a long time. But Elena only for a moment doubted her guess, then realized that the robot, in vain, would not have asked her. And in turn, emboldened, she already asked her own question: -What does this sign in the form of a hieroglyph on the belt buckles of the owners of the module mean?

The eyes of the UFOs were impassive. But the robot talked about the contacts of Extraterrestrial Civilizations with people. That contact occurs selectively, although they are numerous.

— Space worlds are looking for people on Earth who can easily

understand. — instructively explained MB-20.

«It seems to me,» Elena interrupted him, «that I am like you. — to which the interlocutor answered in the affirmative, even named deviations in the physical structure of the body. Elena blushed deeply, but refrained from commenting. And finally, having regained control of herself, began the conversation in a calm direction.

— You will forgive me, but it all looks like a dream!

— Your feelings of stiffness in movements, do you mean that?

— No no! — the astronaut protested, — I mean everything that happens

now with me. After all, a minute ago I fell into the Black Hole. — Elena looked inquiringly at the UFOs. They exchanged glances. Their faces were silent. Only the thin lips of the robot were touched by a slight smile, or rather a semblance of a smile.

— You, Elena, were doomed. You could have died, we saved you. — said MB-20 from his niche and fell silent. His unblinking eyes stared at the opposite wall. Apparently it was already off. The astronaut thought about it. Then, she remembered that her thoughts were not a secret for the module pilots and decided on a trick:

— «Tell me what prompted you to save me and how did you find my ship?» she thought. And with curiosity she began to examine the backs of the UFOs. The man turned, his pointed ears with tassels on top of his head accentuated the predatory profile of his short, upturned nose.

— «Like a lynx.» — not willingly thought the woman.

«Well, that’s the way we are,» the pilot said, not at all embarrassed. Elena blushed again, but did not look away. And the humanoid continued:

— We and you and many other civilizations belong to organic life.

But there is also living inorganic matter, this is the Supreme mind of the Universe.

Plasma form of living matter, consisting of three varieties; blue,

green, black. From Human to Plasma form, there are various

types of civilizations that are at different levels of development. I do not want to read

lectures I’m afraid Elena will tire you. But, you will understand it yourself. — he paused and began to look at her point-blank. It suddenly seemed to the woman that the body was immersed in some kind of magnetic field and was losing weight. This state lasted for a split second. The cosmonaut regained control of himself:

— Forgive me for being immodest, I mentally asked you a question. Don’t you understand?

— No, why? It’s just that communication etiquette on your part does not allow reading

thoughts of others, even though we understand what you think earthlings.

— Excuse me, then I will repeat it aloud. What prompted you to save me? — The UFOman looked at Elena in surprise, then said:

— You see, we are watching your civilization, in general, the formation

biosphere, etc. After all, you are our children, very unreasonable children. — He sighed, lowering his eyes, then raised again and continued, — You have brought your planet to a catastrophic state, we are worried about the biological balance.

We want you to become smarter and use the full extent of opportunities.

your body, your being and lived for the joy of each other.

— Sorry, but the level of technology that you have reached is many times over

exceeds ours. — the astronaut tried to object.

— Yes. But, our technique is combined with human capabilities, — while the pilot looked at the robot, — and sometimes there is no difference.

— No, it’s not convincing! You’d better help us, share your secrets,

knowledge. Otherwise, just watch. Elena could not resist, began to complain with annoyance in her voice, — Peeping? From under the teshki, spying? — to which the pilot smiled only slightly. The woman — the pilot at this time pressed some keys. A hole has formed in the wall of the module.

— Ask. — The UFOman stood up to his full height and gestured Elena to the exit.

Chapter 2

The sharply defined exit, against the background of the whitish fog, looked like a frame hanging on the milky-white wall from which the painting had been taken out. The pilot was the first to step into the fog, then the female pilot. Elena hesitated.

— Be bolder, bolder, don’t be afraid. — she heard the encouraging voice of MB-20, which still stood in the niche of the wall. And she stepped into the white mist. behind the white shroud of the entrance there were steps leading down to the green dewy grass. Startled, the astronaut ran down the steps and found herself on the green grass. Before the amazed gaze, the village of Jurmala, familiar from childhood, opened. Here she lived with her parents until the age of six, until the seed moved to Riga. Somewhere the sound of the sea was heard, and in front, near a pine grove, was their house. Elena forgot everything in the world from surging feelings. She ran forward. Her legs, it seemed, carried her to childhood, at that distant time. Outside the house, in a light haze of fog, she saw the figure of a man in a black pea jacket. He pounded a board to the wooden wall of the house, working with a hammer in concentration. And something in him was painfully familiar and dear. My heart suddenly fluttered, a hunted lark fluttered in the cage: — Father! Elena screamed. She rushed forward. The man turned around at the cry, raised his shaggy wheat eyebrows in surprise and looked coldly with chilling indifference at the approaching daughter. Elena stopped rooted to the spot a meter from him.

— Father! already quietly, almost in a whisper, she said. The man raised his eyebrows to the top again, then indifferently looked at the figure of his daughter:

— Hello. — he finally said, — I don’t understand what you want? — the cold alien tone in her father’s voice cooled Elena’s surging feelings. Tears of their own accord ran down the poor woman’s cheeks, she mechanically reached for a handkerchief in her overalls pocket and only now discovered that she was wearing a round transparent helmet, ideally fitted to a tight-fitting silver body, an extraterrestrial spacesuit.

— Oh, father! — burst out again through her almost sobbing. Somewhere far away, images from distant childhood began to awaken in consciousness. Everything down to the smallest detail, so familiar in this courtyard. Everything. And this flower garden, and the path to the house. It was beyond her strength. She took a deep breath, coming to her senses and suddenly, like lightning, a thought struck:

— «So after all… HE …", — I didn’t want to think about it, but annoying thoughts drilled my brain, — «dead, dead, dead…» — she was 12 years old then, when her father did not return from the sea. Mom said then that their ship sank and all the fishermen were killed. But how is it, why does not he know her? Elena insistently repeated:

— I’m a father, Lenochka, your daughter! — she said in Latvian. But the father already looked irritatedly with cold blue eyes and said:

— I don’t know who Lena is, especially her daughter! — he turned away and went to the stack of boards for a new one. I began to look for a suitable board there. The daughter blushed. helplessly threw up her hands, turned around, looking for help. The pilot of the UFO module was already hurrying to her: — Let’s get to know each other better. — trying to distract the woman, he began:

— My name is Yeet. But my companion…

— Eola. — stretching out her hand, according to earthly custom, the UFO pilot introduced herself.

— Eola, almost namesake. — Recovering a little, Elena answered, shaking her hand.

— This is the planet of the dead. The energy counterparts of every deceased live here

on the ground. As if they continue to exist here.

— Well, why doesn’t he remember? — Elena exclaimed impatiently stamping her foot like a capricious girl.

«You see,» interposed Eola, «the universe is in perfect equilibrium,

based on this … — she did not finish. My father was already returning with a board on his shoulder. The UFOs rushed to take Elena to the module. Sitting there, in a comfortable chair, she was surprised to find that she was wearing her onboard spacesuit, only without a helmet.

— Are you wondering how we do it? — Yeet said, — Very simple. But this is not subject to disclosure, so we will not tell you Elena in some secrets.

— But why? — the astronaut tried to argue, — We, what, in your opinion, are not in

able to perceive information? — She curiously looked from Eet to Aeola in turn. The faces of the UFOs were impassive. But MB-20 was very talkative.

— Oh, you Elena have no idea what it means to be a robot. At all

there are no feelings, but only emotions. Oh, this is wonderful! I would never agree to become like this a humanoid.

— Do you know MB-twenty, what is love?

— Yes, of course, this will be earthly attachment. — Yeet and Eola exchanged meaningful glances. Elena thought that Yeet winked at her. Friendships have been established. MB-20 played his part in the crew as well as the social etiquette of the Coalition Observer Force demanded.

Chapter 3

It was a blindingly bright, gentle, warm day. The summer air smelled of freshly cut hay, apples, honey. The birds competed in every way in singing in the branches of the backyard gardens, scattered here and there on a vast hill occupied by the village. The houses were almost the same type. white walls and peaked roofs covered with tiles. At the junction of the roofs one could see the installed crosses, shining in the rays of the sun. Elena, closing her eyes, tried to examine their surface sparkling in the sky.

— «Like TV antennas». — a thought came to her aid.

— No, — she heard behind her, — these are not antennas, these are power receivers. Well, in general, something like a home power plant. — Eola in a motherly way, bending over Elena, explained the purpose of the crosses, but Eet stopped her with a gesture of her hand. Noticing this, Elena tried to protest, but the thought immediately went out of her head somewhere, and already trying to remember what she wanted to ask, turned her absent-minded gaze to the road leading to the village. The church bells suddenly rang out. Melodious and pleasing to the ear, he floated over the plain, descending to the ravines and old women, lost far away in the blue groves on the horizon.

— What is it? Elena asked.

— Today is a fruit harvest festival. — Yeet answered, — Let’s go! — with a gesture he invited to follow him. Elena looked at the huge figure of the UFO and was amazed at its harmony, proportionality and restrained strength, guessed in every movement of the body. But the admiration was hampered by the too noticeable tassels on the tops of the ears, and four fingers on each hand with long, well-groomed and sharp nails, like the claws of a tiger. Neat fences enclosed each estate. Order and peace reigned everywhere, as if the village was glowing from within, emitting an invisible radiance that permeates every cell of the body with grace, giving strength and vigor. The spirit of happiness, carefree happiness, peace and tranquility penetrated into the woman and filled her all, cleansing the body of the toxins of recent experiences. Space, as it were, ceased to exist, the concept of overcoming distance and haste also faded into the background of consciousness, and I wanted to walk through the village for an infinitely long time, absorbing this blessed spirit. But soon the church appeared. A tall brick building with oblong glazed windows and a bell tower. The ringing stopped as suddenly as it had arisen. The bell ringer finished his work, people were leaving the prayer service. Elena noted with satisfaction that these were people just like her. But the smiles of happiness shone, shone with kindness, adorning the already beautiful faces. Passing in pairs and alone, everyone greeted Elena and her companions, and it was clear. that Eet and Eola are not unusual for them. The oncoming residents gave something to each other and thanked each other for gifts. A man in a white embroidered shirt and ironed brown trousers caught up with them, and, smiling, handed Elena an apple. She, embarrassed, took it, thanking it. Then she hid it in the pocket of her overalls, and only now noticed that she was standing without a helmet in her work lightweight spacesuit. The UFOs were also without helmets.

«No, no,» Eet protested. — It needs to be eaten.

— But why? — Elena objected.

«You shouldn’t take anything to Earth.

The astronaut had to obey. But the mood was spoiled:

«They are fiddling with me like a guinea pig,» she thought. And the apple began to disappear with a crack in Elena’s mouth. The unusual taste and aroma amazed the woman, the insult was quickly forgotten and passed. «You must forgive each other for minor insults,» Eet said instructively. — And humanity is wasting itself on thoughtless wars and self-destruction.

— So you would help us! the astronaut objected again.

— You will not be able to improve yourself. And it is extremely important for us, for yours

«Salvation so that peace reigns on Earth,» Eet said.

— What’s next?

«And then you will begin to change your thinking,» Eola began to say. — You will learn

continuous logical thinking. You will be able to create your own habitat

with their lively mental energy.

— And until now, what have we developed incorrectly? Elena asked.

— And continue! Technocracy, like prosthetics, replaces many of your options.

For example, a person can fly. — Eet persuaded hotly. — Take a look! — he stopped, spread his arms to the sides and slowly, swaying from side to side, began to rise above the ground. Then he went down smoothly.

«You can do that too, but you can do much more. — he said.

«Oh, yes, I understand, I understand,» the astronaut spoke up. — Five, seven percent

brain work for us, and what makes ninety-three?!

«You see, you answered your own question,» said Eola.

UFOnauts clearly did not trust her, as, indeed, all of humanity.

«Forgive me,» realizing finally that it’s not, everyone will tell her. — Could you

show me the cities of the planet.

— No, there are no cities here, — answered Yeet.

— The whole planet lives in such settlements. They have no transport as such.

There is only such a module for each adult resident as

a means of transportation in the Universe, — added Eola.

— In the Universe? — Elena was surprised.

— Yes, this planet, your Earth is in the distant future. But only on one condition

«If you, earthlings, go the right way,» Eet said.

— But where is he the right way? Elena exclaimed.

— Look to spirituality. Love one another. Stop the wars, «said Eola.

«And then the Cosmic Reason will enter into a dialogue with you,» Eet said. Elena thought about it. Pictures of history floated in my memory, and to my shame there was no place for universal peace and harmony on Earth. She had nothing to say. She lowered her eyes, for a moment, feeling like a guilty schoolgirl in front of the teachers. Awkwardness dispelled the saving thought again:

— Are there schools here?

— No, an adult receives knowledge immediately, knowledge is imprinted in the liberated brain quickly and clearly, and you will also receive knowledge if

The coalition will be convinced of the strength of peace on Earth. Make sure that the person

never wants to harm each other. — Eet again invited Elena to the module with a gesture. The device stood in a meadow overgrown with lush grass and flowers. three support legs propped up an aircraft thirty meters in diameter. From here, from the outskirts of the village, it seemed like a huge plate and gleamed dimly with a silvery radiance in the rays of the sun.

Chapter 4

Sitting comfortably in the module chair and burning with curiosity, Elena asked question after question. Sometimes she received an answer, but most of the UFO’s questions simply did not respond, making it clear that a conversation on this topic would not work.

— How is the module arranged?

— Specifically, what interests you? — Yeet answered the question with a question.

— Well, how does it move, why are there no inertial sensations?

— Well, it’s as easy as shelling pears. The existence of matter in the universe is determined

three factors, according to your concepts, are space, time and mass. So

now, by changing space, you can influence time and mass. Naturally mass

is constant, but time and space changes. — Yeet paused and stared at Elena with curiosity. The woman fidgeted in her chair, and, depicting extreme interest on her face, asked:

— And how, how do you influence time and space?

— Using the control unit. — Yeet pressed a button on the remote control and a square niche formed in the floor, which opened a black and flat box, similar to a briefcase-briefcase.

— This block. It redistributes the space energy between the engines,

further is the refraction of space in time. In fact, the module is not

moves. Space moves in time. Flows like a river around the island

and attracts the desired point in space to the coast, i.e. to the module. Space

moves in time at a certain speed. After falling into this current

module, by means of energy costs and the illusion of movement arises. This

the speed is huge, not commensurate with the usual ideas

person.

— I cannot but ask you to give me an energy block to Earth.

— This is dangerous.

— For whom?

— For you, of course. Humanity cannot defend itself against everything that is destructive

live energy.

— That’s all? You can also attach instructions, say for

operation, or apply a protective layer, etc.

— Oh, this is a whole revolution in science. And a revolution cannot happen without

changes in thinking.

«Can’t you help us?»

— Except for yourself, no one can change thinking. We only help you in

visual excursions, demonstrations of the capabilities of the Coalition.

«We should thank you for that at least.

Eet and Eola were modestly silent. At this time, the red light on the control panel flashed feverishly.

— Please Elena, — the robot suddenly came to life.

«Oh, I already managed to forget about you,» the astronaut said tartly. MB-20 made an offended grimace. — Well, well, excuse me.

«Oh, I’m not angry anymore,» he answered jokingly and invited me to the exit with a broad gesture. Elena cast a curious glance at the UFOs. They looked at her directly, without expressing any feelings. The robot ran down the steps first. Elena, stepping carefully, followed. Again her head was covered with a transparent helmet. A dilapidated skyscraper appeared in front of her. Darkness reigned everywhere. Piles of stones chaotically piled up between fearsome human skeletons, bones and ash. Elena looked around in fright. MB-20, invited her further, standing on a pile of twisted reinforced concrete slabs. But the woman, backing away, climbed back into the module. In the module chair, sighing loudly, she looked inquiringly at the pilots. Eet was the first to break the silence:

— This is the future of the Earth. If you don’t change your mind, self-destruction awaits you.

— But what should be done?

— I’m afraid to repeat a multiple truth, but the Bible is very clear and

intelligibly, where every word appeals to kindness, peace and philanthropy.

— Yes, yes…, — the astronaut agreed. She lowered her eyes ashamed, she felt embarrassed, but natural curiosity won:

— Tell me, if humanity lived according to biblical precepts, then…

«You would be like Noah,» Eola replied.

— This happy planet Noah?

— Yes, this is your future and it is real, if you change your mind, — Yeet glanced at the incoming MB-20.

— Desert, solid desert. Nothing, no plants, no microorganisms. One

poisonous atmosphere, yes radiation.

— But maybe, at least, somewhere, at least, something survived? the woman asked hopefully in her voice. Eet was already pressing the keys. Soon the red light began to flash again. Elena prepared to leave, but Yeet stopped her with a gesture and pointed to the transparent shell of the module. Newly chilling pictures floated before my eyes. Everywhere destruction, everywhere brown, gray tones of a dead planet. Below there were charred forest trunks, dried waterless riverbeds, empty eye sockets of lakes. In the distance, a strip of sea suddenly sparkled from the thick gray cloud. The module quickly approached the shore. Elena, without asking anyone, jumped out onto the sand. The water, with a thick film of some kind of coating, shimmering in the gray glare of the day with all the colors of the rainbow, was translucent. And the waves rolled with a menacing hiss, again and again splashing anger on the deserted beach. The astronaut hurried to the module. She didn’t want to talk. The gaze wandered behind the transparent shell of the apparatus, bumping into destruction and deserted spaces. Suddenly, the module soared into Space, and stopped at a pile of silvery stones in the middle of a huge field, which consisted entirely of these stones.

— It’s stuff. Rather, the planet is ore-bearing, or closer to earthly concepts,

a space warehouse for raw materials from which the Coalition makes modules. This planet is

the size is equal to the Earth and everything consists of pieces of ore, — Elena looked at the lifeless desert of stones, and her thoughts were far away on that Earth, where death destroyed everything. Is the Cosmic Mind really so cruel, which calmly contemplates the death of an entire planet without interfering? She somehow strangely looked at the UFOs sitting with their backs to her, then into the niche, at the motionless idol of the robot MB-20. The robot suddenly came to life and smiled at her affably. The pilots’ quick speech put her out of her thoughts. Eet and Eola were talking about something, alternately glancing in her direction…

Chapter 5

The song of a lark flew over the breadth of the sunlit field. The bird fluttered in the blue sky like a barely noticeable lump. But the kite, hovering high, almost in rare clouds, was clearly visible from the ground, although it seemed from here the size of a swallow. It seems that the wings are motionless and not a bird, but clouds rushing towards, so unnatural was the flight. Down in the field, the women’s workers bowed their heads in white handkerchiefs together and weeded the tender green rows of green seedlings stretching to the very horizon. And in this invisible harmony, birds, people and plants were intertwined into one. The only difference was that each lived his own isolated life. A sharp thunderous explosion whipped the air, echoing across space, field and sky. The working women instantly straightened up, the lark fell like a stone into the grass, and the kite, folding its wings, flew like an arrow to the ground. High in the sky, in the instant silence, a bouquet of three flowers bloomed with domes of parachutes-daisies. "The bouquet «smoothly, swaying, froze in the sky, but, looking closely, one could guess that the bouquet is moving down to the ground. The women huddled together in the middle of the field, gesturing vigorously, exchanging impressions. A black dot is visible under the canopies of the parachutes. Gradually, it turned into a charred ball. The ball sank onto the field for a long time. When the ground was about a meter away, the rocket landing engines worked, cushioning the impact on the ground. Workers rushed to the ball at a run, even though it was a good kilometer before it. The dust was still falling when the first of them approached ten steps, stopped in indecision. She began to watch, waiting for the companions. Elena woke up from a sharp pain, from the seat belts cutting into her shoulders. From the overloads he had experienced, his head ached, pounded in his temples, and felt sick. It was hot in the stuffy atmosphere of the capsule. For a minute she sat in an armchair, listening, then flipped the toggle switch on the remote control, finding the right one in orderly rows above her head. Slowly, as the shutters of the portholes opened, the cockpit was filled with daylight. The astronaut clung to one of the three, which was opposite the chair almost to the very face, and a smile sparkled on his tired face. With quick and precise movements, she began to perform the necessary actions that she had to do hundreds of times on the cosmodrome simulators before embarking on this first flight. Soon the exit hatch lid was thrown back, and the beautiful face of an astronaut with curls of brown, thick, cropped hair was revealed to the workers standing below.

— Kra-as-avitsa! the first said in a singsong voice. The women came closer, sighing.

— And how did you come to us? — asked the second with a wide tanned face and whitish eyebrows.

— Well, hello, ladies! — Elena said, getting out, already completely out of the cab. Her white spacesuit gleamed dazzlingly in the sun. Barely jumping to the ground, a girl in a blue dress pushed over to her and shyly, hiding her eyes, held out a bunch of daisies. Her tanned little hand held these first flowers of her native Earth in her thin fingers. Tears came to the eyes of the astronaut. For some reason, everyone burst into tears, hiding their eyes in the tips of their handkerchiefs. The girl, laughing, handed over the flowers, started to run, towards a whole band of children, old people, residents who appeared from the direction of the village. The helicopter, throwing up clouds of dust, landed next to the capsule. A military man in a colonel’s flight uniform stepped out of it and quickly approached the astronaut. A country jeep was in a hurry to see the colonel. A man in boots and a cap jumped out of the jeep on the move and blocked the military path. In the chatter of the helicopter’s engines, it was impossible to make out what they were talking about. But, judging by the decisive gestures that chopped the air with their palms, one thing was clear, the men did not agree. the colonel, abandoning the speaker, rushed to the cosmonaut:

— Well, hello, daughter! — and grabbed the woman reddened with awkwardness into a bear hug. Then he took her to the helicopter. The machine, sweeping away the loose layer of soil from the tender green sprouts, rushed into the heights, dragging the attached ball with it. In the helicopter, the doctor examined her. I felt my pulse, measured pressure and temperature. These preliminary signs of attention of medicine, helped to form a picture of the state of health of the astronaut. Every minute the doctor’s eyes met the piercing gaze of the colonel’s gray eyes, which made even him, the best doctor of the cosmonaut corps, uncomfortable. But the astronaut’s health was all right. No deviations were observed at this stage of the «helicopter» inspection.

«Forgive us for such attention,» the colonel used to say, almost affectionately and somehow awkwardly. «After all, you just disappeared from the radar. We found the emergency capsule only today at eleven o’clock.

«I don’t understand something,» Elena began to speak loudly, trying to out-shout the chirping roar of the helicopter motors. — After all, communication with the ship ended instantly and

he began to accelerate into open space. I couldn’t even hold on to it

sustainer engines in braking mode.

«No, you disappeared, somehow suddenly,» the colonel insisted. — I, as a leader

flight, followed every maneuver. It happened when you requested

permission to maneuver. We have everything recorded. And suddenly she disappeared. And so

you appear seven days later in an emergency rescue capsule, — the colonel looked expectantly at Elena.

— How are seven days?! I immediately went to the rescue compartment and started. truth

everything happened so quickly that I lost consciousness from overloads.

— Yes, the capsule is designed for overloading the male body. More precisely, more

trained. This is your first independent.

Both were worried. Inaccuracy in seven days, and even in Cosmonautics, it looks like the explosion of an atomic bomb accidentally dropped by a US Air Force pilot flying over Alaska. But for an anomalous phenomenon for sure. This seems to have to be sorted out. In the meantime, the cosmonaut is waiting for rest, close supervision of doctors and an analysis of what happened. So thought the head of the flight, Colonel Smirnov. But one thing he was calm about was that the first-class pilot-cosmonaut who was entrusted to him was alive and well. This is the main thing. And the rest is a matter of technology. Its flight part is in order, but the engineers will have to work hard. Finding the cause of the accident and pushing it onto the pilot is not a success, there are clear signs of their inattention. Somewhere in the depths of my soul I thought maliciously, already a general, former Colonel C, but still remained a Colonel.

Chapter 6

— I’m asking you, Colonel! — shouted at the frozen in the middle of the Persian carpet, the general, standing at the massive polished writing table. Glass from the portrait of Felix Edmundovich glittered menacingly behind the general’s back. — Come on! The colonel, striking a step, sinking into the carpet, approached. Dzerzhinsky saw off the guest with a portrait look.

— I ask you how it could have happened that Gracis spent seven days in orbit

unnoticed?! — bulging, pitch-black eyes on the roll, with a look of impatient objections, devoured Smirnov, general.

— We have everything written down. She disappeared from radar and was not even detected.

intelligence service during…

— Why do they report this to me from third parties?! — the colonel winced:

— «As in prison, here are informants. They make a career on the bones,» Colonel Smirnov thought unflatteringly. The colonel’s eyes gazed sadly at the slender cypress tree outside the office window…

— «The general’s shoulder straps were crying. I will retire, to hell. Let everything burn, with a blue flame. The colonel’s pension will be enough», — the saving thought tenderly touched his temple.

— Go! — unexpectedly barked the general, — Major! — the last spoken word did not immediately reach the colonel’s consciousness, but when his hand touched the cold metal of the door handle:

— «How? Major?!» — for a moment Smirnov paused, then pulled the heavy, black leather door of the office towards himself and went out. The colleagues never saw Colonel Smirnov again. There were various rumors that he was promoted to the academy in Moscow for a general’s post. Such are the vicissitudes of the service. And Elena, meanwhile, at ease, but persistently was questioned by majors, captains, colonels and various military men and everyone asked her the same question, how she started from a reusable ship in an emergency capsule. And why I stayed in orbit for seven days. And for the umpteenth time she repeated the same thing, that she immediately lost consciousness and did not remember anything, that she woke up only on the ground. Yes, to be sure, and the rescue capsule with a man on board spent seven days in Earth orbit and remained unnoticed, this has never happened in astronautics. No matter how the departmental services tried, there were no perpetrators of what happened, and there was not for the only reason that nowhere in any corner of the world was the capsule recorded by the international tracking service for space objects. It turned out that Elena appeared from Space. Suddenly from nothing and a capsule? General Fedorov, appointed responsible for the investigation of the incident, stood on the firm positions of Marxist-Leninist philosophy, where the principle of the primacy of matter and the secondary nature of consciousness is clearly formulated. Therefore, miracles do not happen. And since miracles do not happen, it means that the capsule with Elena was simply not noticed. Sighing heavily, and burying his blind gaze in the instructions and prescriptions neatly laid out on the desk, he was senilely worried about the fact that had happened. But an incomprehensible shiver ran through his cheeky face and sleek bald head, and a sigh of relief escaped the general’s thick lips. But the intelligence of Western countries does not confirm the discovery. So there are no guilty ones. A stupid expression hardened on the general’s face, reflected in the stubbornly knitted bushy eyebrows and a firm gaze above the eyes that looked like bones from smoked prunes.

─Yes, ─ the general dropped. But in the practice of the military, and even in his department, there are no guilty ones, just as there are no reasons that give rise to these guilty ones themselves. Bushy eyebrows parted, eyes regained their usual melancholy, diffuse smoked prune color, and the general pressed a button. A moment later, the door opened to admit the chubby captain. The staff secretary, as in the old pre-revolutionary times, the adjutant of His Excellency, was helpful and transformed, trying his best to resemble his master, both in appearance and in habits.

─Colonel Smirnov’s case?! ─ the general barked as he entered. The captain, not at a loss, in a coolly obliging tone in his voice, gently remarked:

─It is on your table, comrade general, ─ Fedorov fussed. The captain, with lightning speed, with some catlike movement, ran up to the general’s table, throwing on the go:

─Allow me? ─ and took out what was needed from the pile of cases.

─Thank you, captain. You are free.

─ There is! May I go out!

─ I said go.

The secretary went out noiselessly. The general leafed through the gray folder with the «SECRET» stamp on the cover for a long time, step by step studying the colonel’s record. Secret reports of informants ran before my eyes. Characteristics of the commanders of the units where the colonel served and not a single case of violation of discipline. The general snorted in displeasure. Even in his personal file there is a report from the deputy for the political part of the squadron, in which officer Fedorov began his service, that he allegedly, having got drunk with his colleagues, sent him, i.e. Major so-and-so, what the Major’s name was, he no longer remembered. And along with it, the entire leadership of the army in three letters of the expression, famous from Slavic Russia. How beautiful, then, the major inflated — this is the case. He had no doubts of success, that, finally, the generals themselves would envy his vigilance. But the naive major did not take into account that this pimply lieutenant, stupid in appearance, the illegitimate son of the Commander of the Air Force of the Central Asian Military District, General of the Army Comrade Chervinsky, a hero of the Soviet Union, a participant in the Great Patriotic War. Recalling this fact, General Fyodorov smiled maliciously, then again, dissatisfied and angrily, began flipping through the colonel’s file. The report of the major, the future colonel, Smirnov, that he had a personal meeting with a creature of extraterrestrial origin, caught my eye. In the report to the command, Major Smirnov described the incident in detail. The general looked up in hope, staring unblinkingly into the space of the room. However, the hope of bringing the colonel to administrative responsibility for negligent service, with the addition of a tendency to periodically visited hallucinations, was not justified. Since the change in policy regarding the secret study of UFOs did not allow the colonel to be recognized as a nutcase. Oh, how would it be now. What prospects for the service would loom ahead. In Moscow, at the headquarters of the Armed Forces. Business trips. Hunt on government grounds. Young soldiers in the bathhouse with massages and other non-traditional services. Dreams intoxicated the imagination, and Fedorov, with the ferocity of a gambler, began to delve into the colonel’s personal file, looking for possible clues to unreliability. A sharp phone call brought the general out of the «mines» to the mountain. — Yes! he almost growled into the phone. I’m busy! — He briefly threw and slammed the pipe, hammering into place. The phone chirped plaintively. The call was repeated immediately.

— What else?! Five minutes? — he sighed, then added with a suffering look on his face, — Let him come in.

A young lieutenant in a white medical coat over his tunic entered the office. The lenses of his gold-rimmed spectacles gleamed persistently. The general measured the newcomer with an angry glance from head to toe: — Well, what have you got?! — the imperious tone in his voice would have made anyone lose confidence in their own strength, but not the lieutenant:

— Allow me to hypnotize Major Gratsis! — he blurted out outright. The general was taken aback, he was not accustomed to without a «magic»: — «Allow me to turn?» — immediately the subordinates were talking about business.

— This is why?! — the general’s bushy eyebrows went up in surprise.

«You see, the United States Air Force has been searching for and studying Unidentified Flying Objects for a long time,» and the lieutenant bravely, akimbo, stepped closer and threw the «Young Technician» magazine onto the general’s desk with an open article about UFOs from the United States. The general looked as lean as after a heavy hangover with expressionless eyes. Contemptuously measuring the puny lieutenant from the toes of his boots to his uniform cap and fatherly remarked:

— My dear, not a single fact of the existence of UFOs has been accepted by science. And what’s there write these magazines, reacting to the provocative attacks of our opponents, let it remain on their conscience. We need to be more vigilant and not succumb to this kind of provocation.

— What do you call a provocation? An article in a magazine? And what happened to

Elena, how do you think it is?

— Young man, why didn’t you give a nondisclosure agreement?

— I did! But I came to you, not to the policeman at the crossroads! AND

in addition, even a schoolchild today knows that modern services

tracking, both in our country and in the United States, can almost instantly detect any

object in near-earth space. In short, the facts indicate that the major

Gracis has been kidnapped. The general looked at the medical lieutenant with almost bestial hatred: — Are you serious? — why, to some brat, a two-year-old, it occurred to him, and not to him, General Fyodorov. He hesitated for a minute, doubting his materialistic philosophical convictions, then suddenly realized that according to all the laws of physics this could not be, and said aloud:

— Do you understand what you are saying? This article, the purest water provocation

American special services, picked up by politically uneducated journalists.

— Why, journalists? the lieutenant continued coolly, not paying attention to the enraged general. — The article was written by V. Selena, — to which the general did not answer, he stared unblinkingly at the glass of the visitor’s glasses, becoming covered with crimson spots. The doctor watched with curiosity the changing appearance of the owner, what he thought at that time, it was easy to guess. Such metamorphoses are not pronounced by ear. Especially generals, seasoned in the brew of service crossings. Both were silent. The pause dragged on. Finally the doctor spoke up:

— May I leave?

— Go! — barked like an angry lion, the general, waving his left hand, a gesture very reminiscent of the blow of an animal’s paw on a rabbit driven into a dead end. At the same time, the general’s wide cheekbones and round chin wrinkled into a funny grimace, full of evil wrinkles. When the massive office door closed behind the visitor, the general took an abandoned magazine from the table, rolled it up into a tube, and, patting the blue general’s stripe on his right leg, walked to the window. From anger, thoughts were confused in the general’s head, one more absurd than the other. It’s better not to know what was going on in the general’s convolutions, only one thought clearly and distinctly turned out to be correct:

— «Yes, the generals will dismiss me if I fall for the bait of this

jerk. And Smirnov is also good, behaved very stupidly. I would be ashamed report a meeting, and even with humanoids. Unjustified risk, could

put an end to his career, it’s good that he was lucky, the policy has changed. And you must be a fool, a fool, but he rose to the rank of colonel. Well, nothing we are

fix it, expel it as a major.»

Outside the window, a cypress tree stood like a slender minaret, soaring into the sky. The general has been observing for the fifth year how the tree under the window grows, and it has overgrown with ties, like this cypress with branches. And to make the colonel a major, it was as easy for the general as for the sparrow outside the window to fly from one cypress branch to the next. The general turned away from the window. The decision ripened in his head. He took off his cap from a hanger in the corner of the room and left the office.

Chapter 7

The doctor was young. After graduating from medical school, he was among the best sent to the cosmodrome. From his senior colleagues, he heard that there is not life there, but earthly paradise. And so, having entered the earthly paradise, the young man was given a look around. For six months he, among twelve comrades, wandered around the town in the hope of getting a job as soon as possible, but the command seemed to spit on them from a big hill, as the captain, the head of the personnel department, said.

— I hardly managed to break through the allowance, and you still have claims to me.

The guys quickly realized that the captain had nothing to do with it and began to invite him to their company for a bottle of vodka. But although the captain drank, he drank quietly, without noise. The authorities did not pay attention to the impeccable captain, and he imperceptibly served his 45-year term.

— I have only three years left. He spoke proudly to drinking companions. Who, having not yet tasted the joys of service, did not fully understand the captain what he meant. And so, the young lieutenant of the medical service left the general, firmly remembering that more than one instruction did not say about the use of hypnosis as therapeutic purposes for the treatment of the military personnel of the cosmodrome. And if so, then naturally the general could not give permission for this, but since he did not forbid him, the lieutenant decided that with Fedorov’s tacit consent, he could afford to subject Major Gratsis to hypnosis. And inspired by his decision, he did not enter, flew into Elena’s room. The cosmonaut at this time was sitting at her desk and writing a letter home. Surprised, she turned to the flying lieutenant:

— You have to knock, young man.

— Excuse me, Elena Albertovna, but I am twenty-nine years old, and you too. Do you know what the difference between us is?

— What is it?

— The fact that you are the wife of the deceased astronaut, and I…

— The wife of the deceased general, the astronaut interrupted him venomously.

The doctor was clearly arrogant. Lowering his gaze, he fell silent. Then, in a deaf voice, like a guilty schoolboy, in front of a strict teacher, he mumbled:

«I apologize to you.

— Get out, brat, — the woman rudely threw out the insult. The lieutenant blushed from ear to ear, but obeyed and walked out the door. He stood with his back against the door and raised his eyes to the ceiling.

Elena herself did not expect such a surge of emotional incontinence from herself. Somewhere deep in her soul, she was embarrassed for the stupid lieutenant, for his tactless behavior. But on the other hand, that he should run to her with a bouquet of roses and kneel to beg for a date.

— «You want a lot, girl,» — she only had time to think, as there was a timid, barely audible knock at the door.

— Come in! — the door creaked, and the lieutenant stuck his head through the gap:

— Sorry, but I need to talk to you.

— Are you here again?! We have nothing to talk about, Elena protested resolutely, wiping her tears with a handkerchief. «If you don’t leave this minute, I’ll call the outfit!» The lieutenant was no longer listening to her. He stood in front of her and looked like a dog with his huge eyes into her gray tear-stained pupils. The astronaut, sighing, enraged, sank into a chair. Vitaly took her weakened palm and, continuing to look into her eyes, said:

«I ask you to trust me. I studied hypnosis in medicine and something

I can, — he raised his palms with outstretched fingers to the top and joined the pads in front of his nose, the gesture turned out to be convincing. — I want to say that you

kidnapped.

Elena looked at him strangely:

— Are you kidding me? First you burst into the room, then you talk about some nonsense.

Ignoring her words, the lieutenant continued:

— No, you did not lose consciousness. I’m convinced you’ve been kidnapped.

— What are you, in fact, crazy? Who do you take me for? — with wide open eyes The woman looked at the doctor and understood that she would not be able to defend herself in this situation. His pressure, his energy is akin to a maniac rapist, can splash into anything. And Vitaly needed only one thing, to prove that Major Gratsis was abducted by aliens and that these seven days of being held captive by humanoids were erased from her memory. And he can prove this in only one way, to conduct a session of hypnosis, if only to achieve her consent to the experience.

«This can be verified,» the lieutenant pressed, «with the help of hypnosis. You

remember everything that happened to you.

— Yes, you understand that I do not believe all this nonsense about UFOs.

— Yes, but it’s a fact.

— Fact, what? The fact that abnormal phenomena are common. The fact that the president himself instructed us in the cosmonaut corps

Ufological Association of the CIS Countries Azhazha Vladimir Georgievich

a specialist in Unidentified Flying Objects, how to behave when meeting them, and that these are atmospheric cosmic phenomena, and not spacecraft piloted by intelligent aliens. There is a sound scientific explanation for each of these phenomena.

— Elena Albertovna, don’t you think that we have embarked on an unnecessary discussion with you. We’d better hypnotize you and record everything on video, everything you say. I do not presume to dissuade you, research with hypnosis is a generally accepted fact.

— And who gave you the right to do this? I didn’t give my consent!

«The general called me this morning,» the lieutenant lied. — And he asked to come to you to talk about this topic, like, would you agree to a hypnosis session.

Elena thought about it. The lieutenant’s words had an effect, since the owner himself is interested in this, it means that there is a reason to go through this stage of research, and added out loud:

«I’m not ready yet,» the lieutenant triumphed.

— Can this be understood as your agreement? — Elena looked inquiringly at the annoying doctor, calmness reigned in her gaze. The lieutenant was not a sex maniac, he was a science fanatic, and that calmed the woman down. But whether the general agreed to experiment with hypnosis or not, she nevertheless decided to check on occasion, ask the owner about it. And yet, knowing General Fedorov for a long time, Major Gratsis could not believe that he could give the go-ahead for the experiment. Like no one else, the general would have done better to hide the lapse of the disappearance of the space rescue capsule that took place in front of all the emergency services of the entire world space community. Elena knew one thing, the distribution of «awards» was not expected from a pleasant one, by all means, a classic «scapegoat» was needed. Elena knew that the general was busy with a feverish search for one, and this upstart lieutenant, either out of his naivety, or out of his light faith in justice and the triumph of science, was on the rampage. What should I tell him? — Understand how you want, — she wanted him to leave as soon as possible and leave her alone, alone with his thoughts. The doctor, inspired by success, did not leave, ran out of Elena’s room. The winner’s smile froze on his face. Thin lips were still smiling when he opened the door again and shouted to Elena:

— By the way, my name is Vitaly, — and closed the door behind him. Enraged, Elena quickly rushed to the door and clicked the English lock twice, shutting herself off from uninvited guests. After standing at the door for a moment, she returned to her desk and opened her laptop. On the Internet, she quickly discovered a UFO information site. The display screen flashed endless testimonies of the facts of the appearance of the living objects. Various cases of abduction of people and animals. Manipulations with time and space, and even some details about the device of the flying saucer. But not one case of official recognition by science of the existence of UFOs. Or maybe it is not profitable for science to consider this phenomenon a certainty, so as not to look primitive in comparison with the Extraterrestrial manifestation of reason. Vitaly may be right. Elena, in thought, almost mechanically got up from the table and with a light movement threw off her robe, revealing a dazzlingly beautiful body. Matte skin is covered with a delicate peach fluff, favorably set off and emphasized the impeccability of the lines of the body. In the bathroom, looking at herself in the mirror, she was convinced of the irresistibility of her feminine soft beauty. No, she was not spectacular, rather it was a female beauty saturated with genuine femininity and almost girlish tenderness. She did not have that angularity inherent in athletes, it is not surprising that the loss of consciousness lasted so long. Was there any loss of consciousness at all? She turned on the shower. Strong jets hit the face, shoulders, chest and in large drops, loudly squelching, water rolled down onto the enamel of the bathroom. It was water, or rather its current, that suggested and suggested such a recent experience in Space. It suddenly seemed to her that the seven unfortunate days were not an unconscious loss, and that someone, perhaps, acted very wisely, erasing everything from his memory. After the bathroom, she went to the phone and, dialing the desired number, answered:

— Hello! Is this Vitaly? I agree.

Chapter 8

In the officers’ dormitory of the military town, in one of the rooms, on first floor, drinking. There were twelve young guys who were called up together with Vitaly for two years to serve at the Baikonur cosmodrome, the thirteenth was Vitaly. First there was vodka, then wine. Yura Silantyev, a technician-lieutenant, turned to Vitaly in a braided voice:

— Uh, Vitalka, do not regret that the general kicks you out.

— Yes, the owner did not even want to talk to me, — the doctor responded.

— E-uh, you, — looking around his comrade with a dull look, Yura continued. — Uh-uh,

you understand, you got into not your own business.

— Yes, I don’t give a damn about them, and in general, they all fucked up…

Offended by the recent thrashing, Junior Lieutenant Yeldin pricked up his ears:

— Vitalka, and Vitalka, could you, just like that, go to the dining room? — and Yeldin’s horse jaw fell off, depicting a question mark. Vitaly looked with a blurred look at the junior lieutenant-technician Yeldin, and his anger gradually turned into annoying tearfulness:

— Friend, — Vitaly cried. — You understand me. You understand me. Let’s go! He reached over to the watch on his left hand. The glance snatched from the round dance the number 13—00, lunch time. Yeldin jumped out of bed:

— Who’s with us, go ahead! — staggered towards the door. But everyone, except for Vitaly, sat silent, without signs of participation in the thick blue cigarette smoke. Vitaly looked around his friends with a questioning glance, waved his hand and went out after his friend. Several officers from the preparatory group, headed by the leader, lieutenant colonel, were sitting in the dining room. Friends sat down at a free table.

— Waiter! — loudly, throughout the dining room, shouted Yeldin. Sode at the next table turned to the side of drunk friends, near whom the waitress was already busy. Somehow, after eating, the friends got up and staggered out of the dining room. Three hundred meters separated the dining room from the officers’ hostel. But on their way was the headquarters of the regiment, in which biennials served, and at the door of the headquarters the deputy squadron commander for political affairs, Major Vedernikov, was waiting. The ape-like appearance of this not handsome officer, who differed from this one in that his skin was of some unnatural color, similar in color, rather like a dried tobacco leaf prepared for rolling cigars. Emphasized, neat in wearing a uniform, he always wore a fresh shirt and carefully ironed trousers. The informant reported to the major about two drunken officers who were dining in the dining room.

— «And so these are biennials. You can shoot all over the program. BUT

I wonder who is there? " — thought the major with hunting passion, impatiently waiting for his friends. When they appeared in Vedernikov’s field of vision, and he saw that they were staggering from side to side, he immediately decided that it was possible to play on this and, finally, the generals would notice him. Yeldin was the first to see danger among slender poplars and a clean swept area.

— There, Major. Go smoother.

— And I don’t give a damn, — Vitaly suddenly took courage. Truly, truly — a drunken sea knee-deep. Vedernikov was delighted to see who was coming:

«Oh, so this is a civilian doctor. Fedorov did not want to accept them for nothing.

This is another plus for me, the general dislikes the doctor, so much the better, «he said out loud:

— Comrades! Come to me!

Vitaly, with a dim gaze, looked around the major, vaguely distinguishing the monkey’s figure:

«Like a chimpanzee in a military uniform, that’s a freak. Fuck it …», — said out loud:

— Ah, — waving his hand as if from an annoying fly. Yeldin, cowardly, leveled off, depicting a sober, walked past the major in silence. In Vedernikov’s head, from such impudent disregard, sparks of fierce hatred flared up towards this educated «brat» who dared him, a career officer, to ignore the order:

«Ah well! Well, wait, brat, you’ll dance with me», — hatred swept through my mind. Vedernikov remembered his wife’s betrayal, with such young and beautiful officers. How he suffered then, because of this, because of his appearance. He recalled the service in China, where they trained Chinese comrades on MG-21 planes. How he almost drowned his suffering in booze and opium. And how he was saved by one Chinese man, martial arts master «Wushu» Jing Wu. He explained, then, to a young and ardent lieutenant that Wushu is not only hand-to-hand fighting techniques, but also fortitude, having mastered this art, a person can achieve the intended goal in everything. Vedernikov actually came into his hands with a saving panacea for everything, from his monkey appearance, from failures with women, and from lack of confidence in his puny physical strength. And he began to walk on classes, lead a strict, military schedule, an ascetic way of life. The girl, whom he then courted, after a divorce from a walking wife, gave her heart to another, broad-shouldered handsome senior lieutenant Sapsay. They studied together at the Chernigov Flight School and now served together in China. Dasha, the daughter of the captain of the regiment’s quartermaster service, stopped looking even in his direction and only agreed to a date if Sapsay was with them. So the humiliated and gloomy Vedernikov wandered after them through the streets of Shanghai, sighing in despair and hopelessness. And, when he already doubted Wushu’s saving system, five poor Chinese robbers, threatening with knives, began to demand money from the walking people, Vedernikov put two of them to death. With broken collarbones, they were taken away by the Chinese police. And Dasha left the cowardly Sapsai. Vedernikov was beside himself with happiness. Fanatically devotedly he loved his Dasha, loved the service and abandoned Wushu as unnecessary…

But now he will show this lieutenant where the crayfish hibernate, and he will once again shine in front of the command from the positive side, you see the next rank, and then the transfer to Moscow is assured. The main thing now is to draw up a report correctly. And he, rubbing his hands, went home, to think about how to write a report to his superiors with the maximum benefit for himself.

And friends, ignoring the major, proceeded to the hostel. The whole group was supposed to be on the site for constructions by 14:00, but in protest against the early dismissal of Vitaly to the reserve, the order to demobilize the doctor came from the Ministry of Defense after one year and six months of his service, stayed «at home» and continued to drink. When the door opened, letting Yeldin and Vitaly into the blue thick of the tobacco smoke of the room, they were greeted three times: «Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah!»

The evening found everyone groaning on crumpled bunks and on the floor in puddles of vomit, drunken biennials, the color of our armed forces. Further events developed according to the classically worked out scenario. At the morning formation of all personnel, Vitaly stood facing the line of officers and soldiers. Nearby, Major Vedernikov, and in a leisurely confident tone in his voice, skillfully sculpted, like a skillful sculptor-intriguer, from the doctor the classic «Scapegoat» place with the assignment of the next rank of lieutenant colonel of the Air Force of the Russian Federation.

It was a lovely cool morning. The scorching Kazakhstani sun has not yet managed to rise to the heights. The dew had not yet fallen from the grass, and the soldiers-builders were already marching around the town singing songs, preparing to leave for the cosmodrome for repair work.