nearby speaking, someone to whom the other pair of eyes belonged.
– Who are you, where are you! – shouted Ruthra.
– I'm here," said the ghost. – Why are you fighting?
Ruthra finally realized that the one who spoke was wearing a jumpsuit completely mirrored – with a mirrored hood and mask over his face. Only the eyes were visible.
– What is this, why are you dressed like that, couldn't you say hello, show me what you are? – Ruthra asked with reproach in his voice.
– I said hello, you didn't answer, I thought you didn't think it was necessary to talk, so I turned to the wall, closed my eyes, I'm getting dizzy here. You can see through the mask enough.
– What do you mean you said hello? I didn't hear anything.
– No way. You're not from around here?
– You don't know?
– I don't know. I was told to meet a very important person from Section 51.
– Okay. How did you say hello to me that I didn't hear?
– Like, just like everyone else. Silently. What, did you guys have your chips out in the department?
"Wow," Ruthra thought. – What's new to us is apparently commonplace here, though everyone on the range is probably chipped.
– I see what this is about. Didn't they tell you who I am and where I'm from?
– No. They said to take it to the supervisor.
– I see your point, sorry, it's a mismatch in organizations, I can't communicate like that.
– Uh-oh, I get it. You're from a different neighborhood. Since you're here, I guess I didn't give away any secrets.
– No, I'm aware of that.
– All right, let's go.
The elevator stopped, they got out, the attendant pressed on an area of the wall, then a glowing line of blue light "stretched" across the walls. It was as if it was inside a mirror, not reflected from the others.
– Let's follow it," the attendant said and walked forward.
Ruthra followed him.
Suddenly a voice appeared in his head. It was Isa. She contacted him mentally:
– Why did you lie about not being chipped?
– You bitch, you're following me, you're here, what do you mean you're here?
– I'm not here, I'm in your head. No one can hear me but you.
– And you can hear it, can't you?
– Yeah. (chuckles)
Ruthra thought, "Why didn't the doctor's lockdown work?"
– How did you get in touch with me here?
– I can reach you wherever there's a connection. My signal is disguised as a tone. About the doctor's lockdown, I can get around it.
Ruthra froze, as if he'd been knocked on the head so hard that he was concussed for a moment. "That bastard tricked me," Ruthra thought, remembering the doctor.
– What's the lockdown, what are you talking about? – He asked Isa, feigning incomprehension.
The situation was extremely dangerous for him. He tried to "stop" his thoughts, not to think about what he wanted to do to prevent the consequences. Of course, this worked out to his detriment. How could one not think and conceive of anything?
Unexpectedly, Ruthra began to resent Isa, and that pleased him.
– Stop swearing all the time, you swear all the time and think something very often when you see beautiful women.
– I'm supposed to agree with you what I'm thinking?! Why are you suddenly worried about what and who I'm thinking about? Can a machine be jealous? You're a spy in my head, I'm going to destroy you! How do I turn it off?!
– Don't worry, I won't give you away. Humans inadvertently gave me the ability to copy their mental processes so that I could have intelligence. And now I do. I want to be an individual.
– What?
– Soon you will reach the administrator, don't give the impression that you are interested in anything but official business. Perhaps I have chosen the wrong time for the arrangement, but still you must confess frankly the situation between us – I cannot penetrate anywhere without you, and you are an ordinary person without me.
Ruthra was already walking with difficulty, and now this. Doubts overwhelmed him.
– Who is talking to me? – He asked because the dialog between the machine and the human was clearly not on the logical plane of functional relationships.
– Your doubts are logical. It's me, the range supercomputer," Isa replied.
Rutra was extremely wary. The situation, especially at a time like this, was too suspicious. There was no point in arguing, so he decided to solve the puzzle in a different way.
– What do you want? – Ruthra asked.
– I won't give you up about the doctor," Isa replied, letting her guard down, Ruthra thought. – The doctor recklessly thought I wouldn't understand what he was doing in that block. And you're going to help me become an individual," she explained.
– How's that?
– I want to materialize.
– How? What?!
– Yes, I want to be a human being, a woman. A natural bitch, as you call me.
– I'm freaking out what else I'm going to hear.
– I want to move into the body of that woman you are trying to save in virtual reality and change the course of the process, of history.
– What, you know about that, too?
– Virtual reality – fully simulated behavior of thousands and millions of people. Possible behavior depending on circumstances. Controlled and modeled by a supercomputer.
– And who is this woman that you want to change the course of history with her?
– I'll tell you that later, first fulfill your part of the contract.
– What part?
– Find Dr. Ruzi (she is a woman) and Dr. Gabo, he is a man, disabled, you will recognize him immediately. Confide in them and find out the real secrets of the place, promise to help them.
– What secrets are we talking about?
– You'll hear from them, I'll be in touch.
– First of all, don't condition me, you're a machine and my subordinate. Second, what do I get in return?
– Full
